By Herp News

Turtle Wax is headed to the big screen.

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A turtle in trouble is now safe thanks to a local captain who rescued it from a crab trap Thursday morning. 

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Could this coachwhip be any happier it’s the weekend in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user jodscovry!

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A long lizard nose is an important part of their social interactions and a unique aspect of the natural history of this remarkable lizard. Scientists say the more they know about its behavior, the better the chances they have to save it.

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By Herp News

Fitch Ratings assigns an 'AAA' rating to the following senior unsecured notes issued by Tortoise Energy Infrastructure Corp :

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( Virginia Tech ) A long lizard nose is an important part of their social interactions and a unique aspect of the natural history of this remarkable lizard. Scientists say the more they know about its behavior, the better the chances they have to save it.

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By Herp News

The Maritime Reptile Zoo in Burnside is closing due to financial woes, according to a post on the group's Facebook page. The zoo says its animals are alive and heading to other facilities in Nova Scotia and Ontario. In its post, the Maritime Reptile Zoo tried to quash a rumour that the Nova Scotia government shut them down and seized its animals.

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Not willing to let construction disturb the snakes they visit, several elementary school students organized to save them.

From the Delta Optimist:

The garter snakes had to be rescued as construction crews were scheduled to begin work on a section of the Boundary Bay dike. The students – Ben, Maya, Nic, Jude, Noah, Myles, Jasmine, Kaelyn and Lauren, who are in kindergarten through Grade 5 – were shocked when they heard about the impending construction.

All frequently visit the area to search out the snakes.

“We’ve all been going to the snakes since we were babies,” said Kaelyn.

During the spring and summer, the snakes are active in the area and the kids often visit the beach, for class and after school, to play with them.

“The snakes, to me, are sort of like family,” said Maya.

Read more here. …read more
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Introduced to the Lower Keys from Cuba, when adult this tiny lizard is rather nondescript ashy gray in color. The color is actually a complex pattern of ash – sometimes in reticulations, sometimes as fine dots–over a ground color of olive-brown.

But when even tinier, as a 1 1/4 inch long hatchling, it is one of the most beautiful lizards in the United States.

Hatchlings have an olive green body that is often suffused with pale orange, a gray-green head, and a fire orange tail. The limbs are pale orange. Head and body bear precise bands of dark pigment. Dark blotches are present on the top anterior 1/3rd of the tail. Pretty? You betcha! The intensity of color and pattern fades with the lizard’s growth.

This is a common gecko on the Lower Keys but is most common on Key West and Stock Island. Hiding by day beneath debris or behind bark on both living and dead trees, it emerges at night and may then be seen on the walls of buildings, trunks of trees, or atop debris.
Continue reading “Ashy Gecko: An elfin interloper” …read more
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Beauty abounds with this black milk snake in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user gerryg!

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By Herp News

Reptile wranglers have collected a shot glass full of venom when they milked Australia's biggest venomous snake on Thursday.

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By Herp News

Marine biologists were the first to continuously eavesdrop on marine mammals using a technique called passive acoustic monitoring (PAM). By simply listening to these animals’ sounds, researchers could collect valuable information about animal population density and distribution, population health, and responses to human disturbance. Given the challenges of studying animal communities as they migrate across the sweep of the world’s oceans, acoustic surveys gained popularity as a tool for gathering data from otherwise inaccessible study sites.

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By Herp News

Marine biologists were the first to continuously eavesdrop on marine mammals using a technique called passive acoustic monitoring (PAM). By simply listening to these animals’ sounds, researchers could collect valuable information about animal population density and distribution, population health, and responses to human disturbance. Given the challenges of studying animal communities as they migrate across the sweep of the world’s oceans, acoustic surveys gained popularity as a tool for gathering data from otherwise inaccessible study sites.

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By Herp News

Tortoise Energy Independence Fund, Inc. today announced that as of March 31, 2015, the company’s unaudited total assets were approximately $379.4 million and its unaudi

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By Herp News

Tortoise Power and Energy Infrastructure Fund, Inc. today announced that as of March 31, 2015, the company’s unaudited total assets were approximately $251.1 million an

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By Herp News

Tortoise MLP Fund, Inc. today announced that as of Mar. 31, 2015, the company’s unaudited total assets were approximately $2.1 billion and its unaudited net asset value

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By Herp News

Tortoise Pipeline & Energy Fund, Inc. today announced that as of March 31, 2015, the company’s unaudited total assets were approximately $415.9 million and its unau

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By Herp News

Tortoise Energy Infrastructure Corp. today announced that as of March 31, 2015, the company’s unaudited total assets were approximately $4.0 billion and its unaudited n

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By Herp News

KOTA KINABALU: A marine turtle anti-poaching task force was formed during an enforcement dialogue on marine turtle poaching and smuggling in Malaysia organised by the Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) and WWF-Malaysia on March 24.

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By Herp News

US hospitality giant Delaware North will rebuild Lizard Island for a second time following the devastation of Cyclone Nathan.

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A few weeks ago, a group of us set out on a journey to a particular lake in North Florida in hopes of being able to see an extremely unusual looking salamander.

A close friend had invited us along because he knew the area well and knew that we had a good chance of seeing one in that area. It was dark by the time we arrived at the location, which was perfect, and it didn’t take long to spot the first of many of our target species, the greater siren!

The greater siren, Siren lacertina, is a large aquatic salamander that can reach lengths of over three feet long and in many ways looks more like an eel than an actual salamander. However, sirens have two front limbs with tiny fingers and large feathery gills.

Sirens are nocturnal and typically spend the day hidden among aquatic vegetation, under rocks or simply buried the mud. Greater sirens feed on a wide variety of aquatic invertebrates, including insect larvae , crayfish and worms.

We eventually saw so many greater sirens that we lost count, but it was amazing to see them all. We also saw a common snapping turtle, a lone amphiuma that kept playing hide and seek with us by sliding under a rock every time we approached, and a fairly attractive banded water snake as well.

It was a great herping experience and a trip that we will soon make again!

I do want to give a shout out to a close friend of ours that does not like to be named, and thank him for guiding us around at his personal spot. …read more
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A North Carolina aquarium is training people to help with FrogWatch USA.

From Star News Online:

FrogWatch USA, a citizen science program, is now recruiting trained volunteers to collect data about the calls of local frogs and toads at local wetlands sites now through August and submit the data online.

“Amphibians are important species to keep an eye on because they are very sensitive to changes in their environment,” said Andy Gould, aquarium outreach coordinator. “If we see them in our area, it means that our habitats are healthy and thriving. If we notice their absence, we may want to look further into potential causes.”

No scientific background is required to volunteer, and those who want to participate will receive a free, four-hour training session that includes hands-on demonstrations and other educational activities to help them get acquainted with the native amphibian species they might encounter in Southeastern North Carolina.

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In a surprising move this morning USFWS Director Dan Ashe has announced that the federal government will seek an immediate ban on the importation, interstate transport, and possession, of the Mediterranean House Gecko, Hemidactylus turcicus, an invasive species that has taken over in many states in the Southern U.S.

“Thousands of these geckos have been released over the years by pet owners into the everglades, and climate change will only hasten their spread. Without a multi-billion dollar taxpayer funded effort to eradicate these invaders, millions of American insects will be at risk, including the endangered Alabama blue nosed fly, and the Daytona bar hopper. That said I have instructed the service to add this species to the invasive species list and we shall immediately seek to ban their importation and ownership under the Lacey act statutes” said Director Dan Ashe. “Additionally we have instructed the service to draw up a multi-decade eradication plan that will use techniques used successfully developed to combat other invasive reptiles such as the Burmese Python and Brown Tree Snake.”

USFWS plans are said to include setting up an invasive gecko task force to bring together the many state and federal agencies working to resolve the issue, airdrops of millions of bait insects from helicopters across the U.S., as well as the issuance of powerful flash lights to all field agents over 5 feet in height. Homeowners across the U.S. are being asked to help in this fight, the service requesting that they immediately check the eaves and overhangs of their dwellings at night for the invasive geckos, and reporting any they find to their USFWS regional office. Homeowners found to be harboring geckos after the ban has been implemented face fines up to $250,000 under the current Lacey act statutes. …read more
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This parrot snake (Leptophis ahaetulla) is glad it’s “Hump Day” and looking forward to the weekend in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Herpetologia!

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By Herp News

Experts on Greek island believe long harsh winter did it for 6ft-long reptile that evaded capture, and was given Facebook page by admirers A crocodile on Crete that became an overnight sensation when it outwitted all attempts at “arrest” has been found dead, eight months after the reptile’s mysterious appearance in an artificial lake. Sifis, who was 6ft long, was discovered belly-up on the banks …

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By Herp News

A HUGE reptile house featuring snakes, lizards, and tortoises has opened its doors to the public.

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An animal welfare group says a 3-foot reptile surrendered by a Long Island resident has been sent to an out-of-state sanctuary.

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By Herp News

This notice provides stockholders of Tortoise Power and Energy Infrastructure Fund, Inc. with information regarding the distribution paid on March 31, 2015 and cumulati

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There are many snake lovers all over the world who love pythons and boas, and since I’ve been writing for kingsnake.com, many of them have contacted me to ask that I write about Indian pythons and boas. So this post is for my python and boa-loving readers!

In India, you can find all kinds of snakes, from the smallest 20 cm worm snake to the largest reticulated pythons, from sea snakes to flying snakes.

India is home to three species of sand boa, and the common sand boa, Gongylophis conicus, is one I frequently encounter on rescue calls. The other two are the red sand boa (Eryx johnii) and the Whitaker’s sand boa (Eryx whitakeri), which is named after the renowned Indian herpetologist Romulus Whitaker.

The common sand boa is also called the rough-scaled sand boa because of its rough, scaled body. If you’re a touching a common sand boa’s tail you can get a feeling of rubbing a crocodile’s back.

A common sand boa’s body is thick and fat. It has small, keeled scales on head, and the tail is short, blunt and rough. Eyes are small with vertical pupils, and nostrils are placed high on the head. Ventral scales are narrower than the width of the body. It is sand coloured or brown with darker brown blotches. The old time rescuers who did not have a book or Internet to refer to used to mistake it for a young Indian rock python or Russell’s viper.

Found in sandy areas, it prefers to live in crevices and burrows. A short-tempered snake, it coils and hides its head under its body when disturbed, and when provoked strikes with a jerky movement. Otherwise, it’s a slow moving snake. 100 cm is the maximum length. Sand boas are viviparous by nature.

Once I had rescued a female adult sand boa snake and was carrying it in a snake sack to the releasing area . When I opened the sack to release this snake, I see to my surprise she had given birth to eight young ones! They were so cute and fat, as if they were working out in their mom’s womb. It was really a new and unforgettable experience.
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By Herp News

2K and Turtle Rock Studios announced that the Evolve™ experience is expanding today with the launch of a host of downloadable content* including the fourth playable Monster, Behemoth, four new playable Hunters, a free Observer Mode, and more.

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Invasive species and urban development are critically endangering the salamander

From Aljazeera America:

A recent study from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) shows in 1998 there were 6,000 axolotls per square kilometer in Xochimilco. By 2008 that figure had plummeted to 100. And in 2014 researchers found less than one per square kilometer.

There are at least three major causes for its decline: urbanization, water pollution and the massive invasion of exotic predator fish like carp and tilapia, introduced by the Mexican government in the 1980s to help feed local communities. From the first few thousands they introduced, there are now an estimated 900 tons of fish in these canals.

“It’s an amazing amount. About 98 percent of the biomass in the water is made up of just these two fish, and they destroy everything,” said professor Luis Zambrano, an ecologist at UNAM who studies Mexican salamanders and the deterioration of their environment. “The government didn’t know what they were doing. They’ve altered the food chain and the whole ecosystem.”

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One of the turtle species that Ron and I encountered on the Colima trip was a semi-aquatic creature of primarily terrestrial habits. Known as the Mexican spotted wood turtle, the subspecies we happened across was Rhinoclemmys rubida perixantha, the more northerly of the 2 known forms.

We encountered 3 of this (as we later learned) uncommon little chelonian. All of these little brown turtles seen were active at night in a flooded field just east of the city of Colima.

The most conspicuous things about these turtles were the intricate and busy head patterns of broad, dark edged, yellow bars and spots. Although the yellow head patterns precluded R. rubida being mistaken for R. pulcherrima, at 6 to 8 inches in length the former were also of smaller size.

Very little is yet known about the diet of the Mexican spotted wood turtle. It is thought that like others in the genus the species eats a good amount of vegetable matter and is an opportunist feeder on invertebrates. It is known that captives relish worms, caterpillars, and land dwelling molluscs.

Hopefully, as the Behler Center works with their group we will learn more about this beautiful and delightful turtle.
Continue reading “Bright spot: beautiful Mexican wood turtles” …read more
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Big Mama! Protecting her eggs, this Kankakee County bull snake shows off her natural instict to protect her eggs in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user pitparade!

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By Herp News

A TORTOISE that was suffering from an agonizing disease that caused its shell to wear away has been custom-made a 3D printed shell to protect her own.

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By Herp News

Nearly two-thirds of tropical forests in Southeast Asia have been degraded by logging, agriculture and other human uses, and their fauna have been decimated by hunting and the bushmeat trade. But if those degraded tropical forests are to recover naturally, they will need to rely on their remaining large wild animals to disperse large tree seeds, according to a new study.

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By Herp News

Nearly two-thirds of tropical forests in Southeast Asia have been degraded by logging, agriculture and other human uses, and their fauna have been decimated by hunting and the bushmeat trade. But if those degraded tropical forests are to recover naturally, they will need to rely on their remaining large wild animals to disperse large tree seeds, according to a new study.

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The saw-scaled viper, Echis carinatus, is a venomous snake found in India and the smallest member of the Indian “Big Four” deadly snakes of India.

This pygmy snake is one of the fastest-striking snakes in the world, and definitely the fastest striking one in India. The thing I like best about this tiny creature is that when the saw-scaled viper is disturbed, it coils and rubs its saw-like scales together to make a noise like a wood-saw.

They are hemotoxic by nature as they are from viper family.

Another species of saw-scaled viper found in India is the Sochurek’s saw-scaled viper, Echis carinatus Sochureki, which is found in some western and central parts of India.

The saw-scaled viper’s body is pale brown with a white-bordered zig zag pattern. The body is white underneath with tiny brown spots. Small scales are present on head, and a white or pale brown spear mark on top.

The eyes are large golden with vertical black pupils, and the body is rounded and has scales with saw-like keels. The tail is short.

Saw-scaled vipers are commonly seen in coastal areas and they are found under boulders and thorny bushes. Though nocturnal, they may be seen basking in the morning. They feed on scorpions, centipedes, and geckos. Viviparous by nature, they give birth to 4-8 young ones.

Usually there are few saw-scaled vipers in my area, but whenever I find one while herping, I am eager to hear the wood-saw noise. I find these tiny creatures very beautiful and attractive, but I always avoid bare-hand handling them. …read more
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Sexually dimorphic species are less likely to go extinct, according to new research.

From the Costa Rica Star:

By examining research on global patterns of amphibian diversification over hundreds of millions of years, De Lisle and Rowe discovered that “sexually dimorphic” species – those in which males and females differ in size, for example – are at lower risk of extinction and better able to adapt to diverse environments.

Their work suggests the ability of males and females in sexually dimorphic amphibian species to independently evolve different traits – such as size – helps them survive extinction threats that kill off others, says De Lisle.

He says classic ecological theory would not have predicted that about amphibians, a class of vertebrates that includes frogs, toads, salamanders, newts and caecilians.

The conventional school of thought believes different-sized sexes of the same species take up more resources and are less able to adapt and diversify than species where ecologically relevant traits like size are basically the same between males and females.

Read more here. …read more
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This hatchling pink pastel hognose shares our feelings about Mondays in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user JoeTaffis!

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By Herp News

Reptile vendors and breeders were in Savannah to showcase hundreds of different reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, spiders, and small exotic animals to area enthusiasts on Sunday.

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