By Herp News
A recent report of a male black-and-white tegus attempting to mate with a dead female in Brazil raises the question: Why are some animals necrophiliacs?
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Corpse Bride: Lizard Necrophilia Reported in Brazil
Reptile World collection seized, nine animals euthanized
By Herp News
Dave Bethel, owner of Reptile World, said he is in the process of winding down his business. Nine specimens from Reptile World were euthanized after the Alberta SPCA took 142 reptiles and amphibians into protective custody.
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Remaining animals removed from Reptile World
By Herp News
The remaining animals at Reptile World have been removed and are destined for new homes in Ontario. On Thursday, February 12, Alberta Fish and Wildlife officers and Alberta SPCA officers were at Reptile World.
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Warrant issued to Reptile World
By Herp News
The Alberta Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) has issued a warrant to the ownership the Reptile World, and is in control of the building for the next three days.
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Reptile World facing closure
By Herp News
After two and a half decades, a major Drumheller tourist attraction may be forced to close it doors.
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What Happens When You Strap a Camera to a Sea Turtle's Shell
By Herp News
Marine biologists have long known that leatherbacks like to chow down on jellies, but they never knew precisely how. Researchers from the non-profit organization the Canadian Sea Turtle Group use the tiny “turtle-cams” to gain insight into the sea turtle’s foraging habits off the coast of Nova Scotia. “It’s like getting turtle’s home videos—seeing what they see, where they go, and how they …
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Herp Video of the week: Bushveld rain frog feeding
There is just something adorable about the Bushveld rain frogs, and the cute, catchy video game music makes this a great way to wake up and start your weekend!
Submit your own reptile & amphibian videos at http://www.kingsnake.com/video/ and you could see them featured here or check out all the videos submitted by other users! …read more
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Amphibian chytrid fungus reaches Madagascar
By Herp News
The chytrid fungus, which is fatal to amphibians, has been detected in Madagascar for the first time. This means that the chytridiomycosis pandemic has now reached a biodiversity hotspot. Researchers are therefore proposing an emergency plan. This includes monitoring the spread of the pathogenic fungus, building amphibian breeding stations and developing probiotic treatments, say the scientists.
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Should reptile shows be legal in the U.K.?
Last weekend saw the annual British Royal Pigeon Racing Association show in Blackpool. The show attracts around 15,000 visitors, with over 100 trade stands and around 3,000 animals. It’s the biggest pigeon show in the calendar and, as far as we are aware, it went off without a hitch.
But this is a reptile site, so why am I telling you this? Because at the same time as the pigeon show was happening, the UK reptile show scene is preparing for a landmark legal case to determine if reptile shows are legal.
The Federation of British Herpetologists, representing the interests of reptile societies and hobbyists, is confident that the judicial review will be a good thing for the hobby regardless of the outcome.
Should the review find in favour of the shows then this will be a major blow to the extremist animal rights organizations who wish to see the shows banned. Should the review go against the hobby, then government will be under enormous pressure to revise the loophole in the outdated legislation in British law which makes the legality of shows ambiguous. It is hoped that the shows will eventually be licensed as this will vindicate local authorities who are pressured into stopping the shows by animal rights campaigners.
Reptile shows are a hugely beneficial network facilitating the sharing of expertise. Many respected animal welfare organizations recommend hobbyists buy their animals directly from a reputable breeder, and these shows provide the best opportunity to achieve that aim. These shows and relationships help to advance the hobby.
More worryingly, should reptile shows be banned then the ruling would likely be rolled out to cover all vertebrate animals – dogs, cats, fish, rabbits and pigeons included. Then where would we be? …read more
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Galapagos tortoise passes away at the Akron Zoo
By Herp News
The Akron Zoo has announced the passing of a female Galapagos tortoise, Azul. Azul passed away on Thursday, February 19, 2015. Azul was born at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Texas on June 23, 1989.
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Herp Photo of the Day: Wood turtle
Looking hopeful that spring’s around the corner, this wood turtle will bring a smile to your face in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user kensopher!
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Raise your glass lizard
Although actually of Eurasian distribution, this hefty glass lizard is often referred to as the European Glass Lizard.
Commonly an unmarked light to dark brown overall, occasional examples are lighter with variable patterns of a darker brown. Hatchlings are gray with irregular darker banding. It may grow to 3 feet or slightly longer when an adult.
Although never of great hobbyist interest, it seems that there has always been a few of these brown glass lizards with the strongly keeled scales available in the pet trade. Prices have always been reasonable. For example, I just checked the Kingsnake.com classified section for “Other Lizards” and there are 2 ads for these interesting lizards asking $75.00 each.
Sadly (and perhaps strangely) there are very few O. apodus bred in captivity. Availability has always dependent on wild collected imports. This renders the availability of this taxon vulnerable to changing and ever more restrictive laws.
I would hope that we won’t allow the availability of this interesting lizard to go the way of the Basin emerald tree boa or the Colombian horned frog, only 2 of many one-time common species that are now very difficult to find in the pet trade.
Continue reading “Raise your glass lizard” …read more
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Ancient "dinosaur cousin" remains found in Israel
85 million year old aquatic reptile fossils were found in Israel, a reminder of a time when Israel was covered in water.
From the Jerusalem Post:
“This is the first time that a fossilized animal like this has been found in Israel during this period,” she said. “It’s very rare for an animal like this to be fossilized.”
Researchers found roughly 30 fossilized remnants of the reptile known as the Elasmosaurus, which Ashckenazi- Polivoda described as the “cousin of dinosaurs.” It was 8 meters long, with its elongated neck constituting a third of its body, she said.
“The most exciting thing is that this is the first time that a single species’ bones [of this type] were found in the same place here,” she added. “We’ve found similar fossils from 10 million years later, but never during this time.”
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Herp Photo of the Day: Eyelash viper
This gorgeous eyelash viper is just hanging around waiting for the weekend in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user outonalimbo!
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Herp Photo of the Day: Garter snake
This garter snake found by the Provo River is looking forward to the weekend in our herp photo of the day,uploaded by kingsnake.com user Utahn!
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Lenovo website breached, hacker group Lizard Squad claims responsibility
By Herp News
Hacking group Lizard Squad claimed credit for the attacks on microblogging service Twitter. Lenovo said attackers breached the domain name system associated with Lenovo and redirected visitors to lenovo.com to another address, while also intercepting internal company emails. Lizard Squad posted an email exchange between Lenovo employees discussing Superfish.
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$7 million could save lemurs from extinction
By Herp News
Last year, scientists released an emergency three-year plan that they argued could, quite literally, save the world’s lemurs from mass extinction. Costing just $7.6 million, the plan focused on setting up better protections in 30 lemur hotspots. However, there was one sticking point: donating to small programs in one of the world’s poorest countries was not exactly user friendly.
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Vine snake: The hidden predator
As the name itself describes, the vine snake, Ahaetulla nasuta, is a tree-reliant snake that camofluages itself as a vine in foliage. There are five species of vine snake found in india amongst which the green vine snake is most commonly found.
The green vine snake has a thin and long body that is expanded when disturbed to show a black and white scale marking otherwise hidden under the scales. The head is elongated and pointed, which appears like a leaf shape having attractive golden yellow eyes with black horizontal pupils.
The body colour is bright or dark green with a bluish tint in exceptional cases. The ventral side is separated by two white lines in the greenish dorsal under side .In an adult green vine snake, size varies from 150 to 200 cmThe green vine snake is viviparous by nature.
Vine snakes are found across the world including the South American and African continents. Most of the places it is called a whip snake.
I never got a chance to rescue this species because my area is a “concrete jungle,” full of buildings, but I’ve come across vine snakes while herping. One fine morning in the jungles of Goa, I was herping for some vine snakes and pit viper snakes through the green trees and cool breeze.
Although it was a sunny morning, I could not find anything. Then I took a few steps back and realized I’d missed something due to the previous night’s booze effect, and I saw a vine snake hiding himself in the green leaves. It was almost 7am and indeed a good start.
Vine snakes are a perfect example of nature’s beauty. Many of my friends call it “a snake from a different planet” because of its appearance, which makes it look different from other snakes. For me, “Green is my favourite colour and vine snake is my favourite creature in green.”
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SSPCA urge experienced reptile enthusiasts to think about rehoming snakes in need of owners
By Herp News
THERE are currently 11 snakes who are living at the SSPCA Cardonald centre and are hoping to find their forever homes with experienced owners.
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Inner workings of redtail coral venom finally discovered
Years of studying redtail coral venom has finally paid off.
From Johns Hopkins:
For more than a decade, a vial of rare snake venom refused to give up its secret formula for lethality; its toxins had no effect on the proteins that most venoms target.
It comes from a reclusive redtail coral snake, or Micrurus mipartitus, which is primarily found in Costa Rica and parts of South America.
But recently, an international team of researchers figured out the venom’s recipe—a toxin that permanently activates a crucial type of nerve cell protein, causing deadly seizures in prey. The details were published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Monday.
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Inner working of redtail coral venom finally discovered
Years of studying redtail coral venom has finally paid off.
From Johns Hopkins:
For more than a decade, a vial of rare snake venom refused to give up its secret formula for lethality; its toxins had no effect on the proteins that most venoms target.
It comes from a reclusive redtail coral snake, or Micrurus mipartitus, which is primarily found in Costa Rica and parts of South America.
But recently, an international team of researchers figured out the venom’s recipe—a toxin that permanently activates a crucial type of nerve cell protein, causing deadly seizures in prey. The details were published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Monday.
Read more here. …read more
Read more here: King Snake
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Herp Photo of the Day: Leopard gecko
Hump day blues kicking in? This leopard gecko hatching in our herp photo of the day is the new beginning we need to make it the rest of the week, uploaded by kingsnake.com user alkee42!
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Small predator diversity an important part of a healthy ecosystem
By Herp News
Biodiversity, including small predators such as dragonflies and other aquatic bugs that attack and consume parasites, may improve the health of amphibians, according to a team of researchers. Amphibians have experienced marked declines in the wild around the world in recent decades, the team added.
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Rescued sea turtle flown from Oregon to California
By Herp News
NEWPORT, Ore. (AP) — A sea turtle that was rescued from frigid Northwest waters and treated at the Oregon Coast Aquarium has caught a ride back to California on a Coast Guard training flight.
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Rescued Sea Turtle Being Flown From Oregon to California
By Herp News
Rescued sea turtle Solstice catching ride from Oregon to California on Coast Guard flight
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VIDEO: Snakes Alive! £100k reptile house to open at Barleylands in Billericay
By Herp News
FAMILIES will soon be able to get up close with snakes, lizards and tortoises after plans for a huge reptile house were unveiled.
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Strange knife-toothed reptile
By Herp News
The fossil of a prehistoric 9-foot-long carnivorous reptile that had sharp, serrated teeth is helping researchers fill out the early branches of the reptile family tree, according to a new study.
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Russian councilor claims Putin's Ukraine actions dictated by 'reptile aliens'
By Herp News
London, Feb 24 (ANI): A Russian councilor has claimed that President Vladimir Putin is controlled by 'reptile aliens' who have also been advising him on the ongoing Ukraine conflict. According to Daily Star, Simon Parkes, the Labour councillor, who represents Whitby in North Yorkshire, believes the reptiles, named the “The Nordics”, are said to be advising the Russian leader on steps to take …
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Reptiles toured town
By Herp News
Shane McConnell, Little Rays Reptile Zoo director of marketing and sponsorship, let a visitor hold a tarantula during the Wildlife Festival held at the Royal Canadian Legion Hall on Feb. 18.
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Pet reptile not a lizard, Lithuanian student finds out
By Herp News
VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — A baby caiman has found a new home at a Lithuanian zoo after its previous owner tried to sell it online, apparently upon realizing that the pet reptile he was raising in his bathroom wasn't a harmless lizard.
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New Mortal Kombat X Character Revealed
As pet reptile grows, Lithuanian student realizes it's probably not a lizard
By Herp News
A baby caiman has found a new home at a Lithuanian zoo after its previous owner tried to sell it online, apparently upon realizing that the pet reptile he was raising in his bathroom wasn't a harmless lizard.
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Alligators and crocodiles from Reptile World will relocate to South Carolina
By Herp News
The Alberta SPCA says they’ve found a new home for dozens of cold-blooded critters from a Drumheller zoo.
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Mapping lizard venom makes it possible to develop new drugs
By Herp News
Lizards and other reptiles are not normally considered venomous, but a number of lizard species actually do produce and use venom. The most classic venomous lizard is no doubt the gila monster — a heavy-bodied lizard. As the first in the world, a group of researchers has made a comprehensive description of the proteins in the venom which can prove to be relevant in connection with developing …
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Blue, orange, and beautiful
Since I live in Gainesville, Florida, and since blue and orange is the official color scheme of the University of Florida football team the Gators, it is only reasonable to think that I’m writing about football. And if I gave a twit about the game, perhaps I would be.
But the blue and orange I’m thinking of is found from Charlotte and Brevard counties southward to the tip of the peninsula. They are the breeding colors of the males of a fast moving, very agile, introduced lizard. Known as the red headed agama, Agama agama africana, the dominant males of this African pet trade lizard actually have a bright orange head that contrasts sharply with the deep blue body coloration.
Non-breeding males may be only slightly more colorful than the olive-gray females.
It was more than 2 decades ago that the South African subspecies of this lizard, Agama a. agama, (identified by an all blue-green tail) was first found to be feral in Florida. It is not known whether cold weather extirpated this taxon from Florida or whether it interbred with and was out-competed by the West African form (identified by a tricolored blue-orange-black tail) that is now present in the state.
The red headed agama may be seen on bridge abutments, old buildings, and ornamental exposed rocks in gardens and fences. It is quick to notice any movement that it considers threatening and quickly retreats to safety.
Pretty? Yes! Does it belong here? No. But this form has been present for about 20 years now and continues to expand its range. It may just become a permanent lacertilian fixture in the state.
Continue reading “Blue, orange, and beautiful” …read more
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Surprise new frog discovered in Peru
A new water frog species was discovered in a place thought to be thoroughly explored.
From sci-news.com:
The specific name ventriflavum comes from the Latin venter, meaning belly, and flavus, meaning yellow and refers to the golden yellow and orange coloration on the body.
The populations of several species of the water frog genus Telmatobius have declined dramatically over the past 30 years, and the genus is now thought to be extinct in Ecuador. These declines have been associated with the spread of the fungal disease chytridiomycosis.
Telmatobius ventriflavum was discovered in the species-poor coastal valleys of central Peru, a region well studied but apparently still hiding surprises.
Read more here. …read more
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Herp Photo of the Day: Gray tree frog
What is it about frogs that just make us smile? They pose without realizing it! This cute gray tree frog is just hanging out in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user gerryg!
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Sea Turtle Day celebrates 30 years at nature center
By Herp News
Gumbo Limbo Nature Center is ready for at least 3,500 visitors, last year's count for the annual Sea Turtle Day on Saturday, the annual kickoff for sea turtle nesting season March through October.
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Bison-sized rodent may have used teeth like elephant tusks
By Herp News
The world’s largest rodent today is the capybara, weighing in at around at about 45 kilograms (100 pounds), though the record breaking female weight in at 91 kilograms (201 pounds). But that’s nothing compared to the biggest rodent ever to live. Discovered in Uruguay in 2008, Josephoartigasia monesi may have weighed in at 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds).
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Checkered keelback: The serpentine mermaid
The checkered keelback, Xenochrophis piscator, is one of the most commonly found water snakes in the Indian subcontinent. I call it “the serpentine mermaid” due to its aquatic habitat and a beautiful checkered pattern on its body personifying a mermaid. The word “keelback” describes rough scales in every keelback snake.
This snake appears to have a thick, round, and cylindrical body growing more slender toward the tail, with size varying from 140n to 175 cm in length. Checkered keelbacks have large eyes with round pupils, and a checkered pattern of glossy keeled scales can be seen on the upper body with rows of black, yellow, or moss-green checks alternating with white ones. Colours on the fore body can be seen in reddish, greenish, yellowish, brownish, and bluish shades, with white underside and two black streaks behind the eye.
These snakes are very aggressive and eager to bite when disturbed unexpectedly. A checkered keelback bite can be really painful because of its sharp pointed fangs, which help it to get a good grip on slippery fish and amphibians. I always prefer using a snake stick while handling a checkered keelback because I had a bad experience in the past being bitten by one, which was enormously painful with a deep scar.
These snakes prefer living in marshy water bodies like gutters, drainages, rivers, ponds, and lakes while staying on land at night. If threatened, it flattens its neck and strikes with mouth wide open. It is an oviparous snake laying 20-40 eggs in crevices near water. It was recorded that a female checkered keelback 150 cm long laid 110 eggs at the Pune Snake Park in Pune, Maharashta.
It’s always fun handling a checkered keelback because of its active behavior, but the experience is scary, too!
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