Reptoman

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Archive for August, 2015


   Aug 31

The Cat Ba Langur: a primate walks the razor’s edge of extinction

By Herp News A Cat Ba langur group hangs out on a rain-pitted limestone outcrop. Photo by Neahga Leonard and courtesy of the Cat Ba Langur Conservation Network. Life isn’t easy on Cat Ba Island. Situated about 50 kilometers (31 miles) east of Haiphong — Vietnam’s third-biggest city — Cat Ba is a jumble of […]

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   Aug 31

Climate change lethal to baby lizards

According to scientists at Arizona State University, climate change will be very hard on many species of lizards, driving many species to, or over, the brink of extinction. Biologists led by ASU investigators determined that lizard embryos die when subjected to high temperatures(110 degrees F) even for a few minutes. “Lizards put all of their […]

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   Aug 31

Deccan Banded Gecko: My first memorable reptile.

It was my first herping adventure and one of the best memories in my herpetology career. I am a snake-researcher but I also have to accept the fact that I belong to the society of herpetologists and also need to accept whatever Mother Nature throws at me. The Deccan banded Gecko or Deccan Ground Gecko […]

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   Aug 31

Lizards can stomach island living

By Herp News Life on an island isn’t always easy. To make the most of the little there is to eat on many Greek islands, the digestive system of Balkan green lizards has evolved considerably compared to family members on the mainland. Surprisingly, many of these insect-eating lizards even have special valves that help to […]

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   Aug 31

A researcher’s mission to keep people and elephants out of harm’s way in Kenya’s Trans-Mara District

By Herp News We’ve all had experiences with that one guest that just won’t leave the party.  First you try the subtle approach to get him or her to leave, and then in desperation, the more forceful approach, but s/he still won’t budge. Now imagine that this guest was content to stay on until s/he had […]

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   Aug 31

Herp Photo of the Day: Kingsnake

The West Alpine locality momma is holding tight to those new eggs in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user oursnakes ! Be sure to tell oursnakes you liked it here! Upload your own reptile and amphibian photos photos at gallery.kingsnake.com, and you could see them featured here! …read more Read more […]

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   Aug 29

If you build it they will come: Frogs flourish in humanmade ponds

By Herp News A new study shows that frogs have begun to use humanmade ponds to their benefit. Go to Source …read more Read more here: herpetofauna.com No products found. Amazon Auto Links

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   Aug 29

Frogs’ irrational choices could reform understanding of animal mating

By Herp News In the attempt to choose a mate, it’s no surprise that females will select the more ‘attractive’ of two males, but now a new study reveals that female tungara frogs are susceptible to the ‘decoy’ effect, where the introduction of a third, inferior mate results in the female choosing the less attractive […]

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   Aug 29

Fishermen discards could increase prevalence of turtle disease in Turks and Caicos

By Herp News The team surveyed cases of green turtle fibropapillomatosis disease, which creates unsightly pink tumors on the turtles’ flesh. Although benign, they can impede turtles’ vision and movement, as well as feeding, swimming and organ function. The virus is not thought to be dangerous to humans. Over two years, around 13 percent of […]

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   Aug 28

400+ dams could irrevocably harm Amazon ecology — but solutions exist

By Herp News Dams and reservoirs affect fish and other riverine fauna by creating barriers to movement, both upstream and downstream. Many fish in the Amazon migrate thousands of miles as part of their life cycle, a journey that can involve complex patterns of movement through river flows and flood plains. Migrating fish often move […]

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   Aug 28

Herp Photo of the Day: Rattlesnake Friday!

Happy Ratttlesnake Friday! THis Crotalus tigris, found and photographed in AZ, is keeping her eye on you in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user kevinjudd ! Be sure to tell kevinjudd you liked it here! Upload your own reptile and amphibian photos photos at gallery.kingsnake.com, and you could see them featured […]

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   Aug 28

Tortoise adopters needed in Arizona

The Arizona Game & Fish Department is planning a large adoption event Sept. 5th to help find new homes for about 60 desert tortoises. They’ve had about 300 tortoises end up at their center over the past year, so many that they don’t have names, but rather numbers to keep track of them all. To […]

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   Aug 28

Round-tailed horned lizards at last!

“There’ one!” I slammed on the brakes, pulled a 180, and sped back to–to another rock. Another 180 and we were moving westward again. The last “turn” had brought the false sightings up to Five. Five times we had thought we had sighted a round-tailed horned lizard, Phrynosoma modestum, basking on the pavement and five […]

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   Aug 27

The Leopard Gecko

Most of the time during my herping trips if I spot lizards I usually tend to ignore them, but if it is some unique or beautiful lizard I make sure to mention them in my blogs. So today I present you one of the most beautiful reptiles from India, the Leopard Gecko Eublepharis macularis. The […]

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   Aug 27

Indonesian artist prepares another underwater reef-to-be

By Herp News An Indonesian artist is preparing to put in place the second in a series of giant underwater installations meant to serve as a home for fish and raise awareness about the archipelago’s embattled coral reefs. The project began last year when painter and sculptor Teguh Ostenrik built Domus Sepiae, or Squid House, […]

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   Aug 27

Vacationing couple may have discovered a new dwarf lemur species

By Herp News The island of Nosy Hara, Madagascar. Photo credit: Louise Jasper. Dr. Charlie Gardner, a conservation researcher at the University of Kent, UK and his wife, Louise Jasper, a nature photographer, have lived on the island of Madagascar for a decade, and have had the good fortune of working in many of the […]

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   Aug 27

Herp Photo of the Day: Box Turtle

One more day to the weekend when you can go out and dine with friends. Until then, the Box Turtles will save you a spot at their trough in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user boxienuts ! Be sure to tell boxienuts you liked it here! Upload your own reptile and […]

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   Aug 27

Snake selfie takes toll on California man

A California man may lose his hand after an attempt to take a ‘selfie” with a rattlesnake went wrong. Alex Gomez, 36, spotted the four-foot snake in a field by his family’s ranch. Alex’s nephew, Ronnie, who was with him says the reptile gave plenty of warning. “It was really thick and had ten rattles […]

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   Aug 26

Fossil remains of Old World lizard discovered in the New World overturn long-held hypothesis of lizard evolution

By Herp News Paleontologists have discovered a new species of lizard, named Gueragama sulamericana, in the municipality of Cruzeiro do Oeste in Southern Brazil in the rock outcrops of a Late Cretaceous desert, dated approximately 80 million years ago. Go to Source …read more Read more here: herpetofauna.com No products found. Amazon Auto Links

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   Aug 26

Herp Photo of the Day: Rainbow Boa

The best assest of any Rainbow Boa is their iridescent sheen, which is captured wonderfully in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user curaniel ! Be sure to tell curaniel you liked it here! Upload your own reptile and amphibian photos photos at gallery.kingsnake.com, and you could see them featured here! …read […]

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   Aug 25

Sick of light verdicts, Indonesia to school judges on wildlife crime

By Herp News [dropcap]T[/dropcap]o achieve greater rigor of verdicts for those convicted of wildlife crimes, who often receive light sentences, Indonesia’s Environment and Forestry Ministry is reaching out to judges to upgrade their knowledge, according to a senior official. “We’re aware of the situation,” Ridho Rasio Sani, the ministry’s new director-general for law enforcement, told […]

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   Aug 25

Sick of light verdicts, Indonesia to school judges on wildlife crime

By Herp News [dropcap]T[/dropcap]o achieve greater rigor of verdicts for those convicted of wildlife crimes, who often receive light sentences, Indonesia’s Environment and Forestry Ministry is reaching out to judges to upgrade their knowledge, according to a senior official. “We’re aware of the situation,” Ridho Rasio Sani, the ministry’s new director-general for law enforcement, told […]

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   Aug 25

Salamander in amber is a first

Scientists at Oregon State University are currently studying a baby salamander encased in an amber sample found in an amber mine in the Dominican Republic. There are no salamanders living on islands in the Caribbean today, but the amber-coated amphibian found shows there once were. “There are very few salamander fossils of any type, and […]

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   Aug 25

Endangered turtle destined for soup pot gets new start

By Herp News For one Asian giant softshell turtle, a single person’s kindness meant the difference between life and death-as-soup. In July, Serene Voo Nyuk Wei stumbled on a 15 kilogram (33 pound) Asian giant soft shell turtle (Pelochelys cantorii) at a market in her hometown of Kota Kinabalu, the capital of the Malaysian state […]

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   Aug 25

Endangered turtle destined for soup pot gets new start

By Herp News For one Asian giant softshell turtle, a single person’s kindness meant the difference between life and death-as-soup. In July, Serene Voo Nyuk Wei stumbled on a 15 kilogram (33 pound) Asian giant soft shell turtle (Pelochelys cantorii) at a market in her hometown of Kota Kinabalu, the capital of the Malaysian state […]

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   Aug 25

An aberrant long-nosed snake

It had been a very long day in West Texas, and it was past time to call it quits. Jake and I had just driven almost non-stop from our Florida homes and following an hour of shuteye had hit the road for a little r&r (herping). We had done pretty well, photographing a pretty male […]

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   Aug 25

Herp Photo of the Day: Red Eft

This Eastern Red Spotted Newt is a bundle of cuteness in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user DeanAlessandrini ! Be sure to tell DeanAlessandrini you liked it here! Upload your own reptile and amphibian photos photos at gallery.kingsnake.com, and you could see them featured here! …read more Read more here: King […]

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   Aug 24

Pangolins in Peril: rallying the world to curb the global China trade

By Herp News On the afternoon of April 23rd, the Indonesian National Police stormed a warehouse in Medan, Sumatra’s largest port city. Six months of investigations led them there, the result of an undercover probe conducted jointly with the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Wildlife Crimes Unit. Informant tips had paid off: The officers discovered a massive […]

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   Aug 24

Saving the Barbary Macaque: An interview with Dr. Sian Waters

By Herp News North Africa may not spring to mind as the home of an ape population, but the Barbary Macaque (Macaca sylvanus) still dwells there. The only remaining primate north of the Sahara, the species once occupied the entirety of the northern tip of Africa. It now hangs on in isolated parts of Morocco […]

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   Aug 24

Herp Photo of the Day: Corn Snake

All that stripey creamy goodness can only start our week off right! Such a beautiful corn snake take center stage in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user draybar ! Be sure to tell draybar you liked it here! Upload your own reptile and amphibian photos photos at gallery.kingsnake.com, and you could […]

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   Aug 24

The dark side of Nagpanchami

While India is technologically well developed in urban areas, it is also a country dominated by many superstitions regarding it’s beautiful gifted and diverse fauna. Nagpanchami, an Indian festival very true to its name, is celebrated to worship the Nagas, or Cobras, as these creatures have a great significance in Indian mythology. Strange but true, […]

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   Aug 24

Legendary snake man's daughter continues legacy

Old school. If you knew Tommy Yarborough you’re pretty much old school. Tommy was old school. Tommy was a herp legend, who spent over 3 decades traveling from herp spot to herp spot, catching snakes, lizards, turtles and more for his Yarbrough Snake Ranch in Eastaboga Alabama. Back in Alabama he and his wife Mary […]

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   Aug 22

Warriors and wildlife: an interview with Paul Thomson of Ewaso Lions

By Herp News Conservationists across the globe seek sustainable, effective means of reducing human-carnivore conflict which can result in the death of people, livestock and wildlife, as farmers and herders who lose valuable animals turn against local wildlife and encourage its elimination by poachers or governments. In a New York Times op-ed in response to […]

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   Aug 21

Killing of black macaques in Indonesia sparks debate over hunting

By Herp News Eight months after a lecturer at an Indonesian university posted to Facebook about hunting and killing a pair of black macaques for his Christmas dinner, advocates for the critically endangered primates are wondering why the case, which was reported to the police, has yet to be processed. They fear that if the […]

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   Aug 21

Harsh treatment for indigenous Botswanans ousted from Kalahari wildlife reserve

By Herp News [dropcap]I[/dropcap]n 1997, the government of Botswana began evicting San and Bakgalagadi people from their homelands in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve out of concern that the groups’ hunter-gatherer way of life was harming wildlife. Since then, local and international advocacy groups have been engaged in an arduous struggle to enable the groups […]

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   Aug 21

Bizarre bat with longest tongue discovered in Bolivian park

By Herp News A groundbreaking Bolivian scientific expedition, Identidad Madidi, has found a bizarre bat along with a new species of big-headed or robber frog (Oreobates sp. nov.) from the Craugastoridae family in Madidi National Park. Go to Source …read more Read more here: herpetofauna.com No products found. Amazon Auto Links

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   Aug 21

Frankie Tortoise Tails – Bucket Buddies

It’s ten ‘o’clock in the morning, I’m sitting on the couch doing some writing and Frankie is at the backdoor his nose pushed into the glass and his eyes peering into the window wondering when I am going to open the door because it’s 84º F and he is getting a little warm. Warm, Frankie, […]

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   Aug 21

Herp Photo of the Day: Hognose

What a week! Don’t play dead like this hoggie in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user zmarchetti ! Go out and find some beauty this weekend and share it with us! Be sure to tell zmarchetti you liked it here! Upload your own reptile and amphibian photos photos at gallery.kingsnake.com, and […]

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   Aug 21

Norway’s wealth fund expels POSCO, Daewoo Int’l over palm oil holdings

By Herp News Norway’s central bank is divesting the country’s $870 billion pension fund of its holdings in four Asian multinationals over rainforest destruction for palm oil in Southeast Asia, the bank announced yesterday. Two of the companies, steelmaker POSCO and its subsidiary Daewoo International Corp., are headquartered in South Korea. The others, Genting Bhd. […]

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   Aug 21

How can conservationists match high-tech design with on-the-ground realities?

By Herp News Wildlife poaching has grown in recent years to unprecedented levels and now threatens the existence of several iconic and ecological valuable species in Africa. Of these, the endangered white and black rhinos are perhaps under the greatest threat. Wildlife rangers charged with protecting these animals are typically outgunned by poaching gangs that […]

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