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Fins up, dude! A professional kite surfer gave a sea turtle the ride of a lifetime when he used his board to rescue the creature from certain death. Mitu Monteiro,…

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For the first time, Indonesia has sentenced an illegal manta ray trafficker to jail time and a fine, reports the Wildlife Conservation Society.

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It had rained, poured, rained, then misted all day and Jake wanted to see a Florida gopher frog – badly. So badly that he swore that if I would just get him to where they were chorusing he WOULD NOT come back to the car without a picture.

We visited and failed at some of my “tried and true” ponds the night before, so I prevailed on Paul Moler’s better nature to provide the locale of a new pond. Thanks again, Paul!

Jake and I headed west and for nearly the entire hour’s drive the conversation varied from his headache (he got a lot of sympathy for that!) to how the next gopher frog he heard would not evade his camera.

When we arrived it was almost dark. It was windy and cool. No gophers were singing. Finally after an hour’s delay, I decided to walk down to the pond just to take a better listen. Jake accompanied me. Guess what! A few gophers WERE singing. We got to the water and I said something to the effect of “they’re here, they’re singing, go get ’em Jake.” His response was “Um – I forgot my camera.”

By now the frogs were actually calling loudly so I told Jake to go and at least find one so he could add it to his life list. He went. I stood and shivered. Jake got a quarter of the way across the pond and the frogs stopped singing. Jake stood. One frog called. Jake, sounding like a distraught porcupine, answered. Lo, the frog answered Jake who was again stalking s-l-o-w-l-y towards the calling site.

Then, as if a curtain had been lifted, the cloud cover dissipated. Within minutes stars twinkled overhead. Moonlight glinted brightly from the water’s wind-rippled surface. Ranid calls ceased. Except for cricket frogs and the whistling of strengthening breezes there was almost absolute silence. It was time to acknowledge that the gophers had won this round. But there would be a next time and we would be ready.

Now, if we could only find the path back to the car.
Continue reading “The call of the Florida gopher frog” …read more
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After a snake common in Sri Lanka was found in India, scientists now suspect the two countries were once connected by land.

From the International Business Times:

The snake can jump five metres and disappear in a trice, says wildlife biologist Bubesh Guptha who has spotted it near the temple town of Tirumala in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

Around three feet long and sporting big eyes and skin patterned in ash and olive green, he has spotted the same species twice in and around the same hills.

The mildly venomous tropical snake Chrysopelea taprobanica eats bats, lizards, geckos, smaller snake species, skirls and birds, reports Nature Asia.

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It’s our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user KE!

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With flatback hatchlings continuing to dig clear of the nests lining Cemetery Beach to begin their lives at sea, turtle monitors are hailing the latest nesting season a success.

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Tortoise Energy Independence Fund, Inc. today announced that as of Jan. 31, 2015, the company’s unaudited total assets were approximately $377.5 million and its unaudit

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By Herp News

Tortoise Power and Energy Infrastructure Fund, Inc. today announced that as of Jan. 31, 2015, the company’s unaudited total assets were approximately $250.1 million and

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By Herp News

Tortoise Pipeline & Energy Fund, Inc. today announced that as of Jan. 31, 2015, the company’s unaudited total assets were approximately $408.2 million and its unaud

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By Herp News

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

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Tortoise Energy Infrastructure Corp. today announced that as of Jan. 31, 2015, the company’s unaudited total assets were approximately $4.1 billion and its unaudited ne

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India is truly the land of the cobra, with five species of cobra found there, including the king cobram Ophiophagus hannah. The spectacled or Indian cobra, Naja naja, is one of the most common cobras found in the Indian subcontinent. They are found in all parts of India exept the snowy mountains of the Himalayan range.

The average size of the Indian cobra is about 150-180, and its maximum lengthm which is rarely found, is about 220 cm. As its name suggests, it has a distinctive head with large black eyes and nostrils. When the hood is spreadm a spectacle mark is visible on the backside of the hood. This mark is subject to considerable variation and may even be absent. Body colour is yellowish, brown, dark brown, and black.

These snakes are shy by nature, and typically warn more than once before attacking. They usually raise their hood and move away from the other animals to prevent an encounter. They hiss and sometimes strike. This is their last defence mechanism before they attack.

Cobras are a universal symbol for snakes around the world. In India this cobra is revered and worshipped. For example, lord Shiva has a cobra wrapped around his neck and Lord Vishnu has a cobra with seven hoods providing him shade.

There are many myths and traditions associated with these cobras. The most common amongst them is that cobras search for vengeance if its partner is killed. It is still believed that cobras with five hoods are found in near divine places like temples as the protectors of god.

One of the funniest misbeliefs I’ve come across is that cobras mate with rat s nakes (Ptyas mucosa) on selected weekdays. Some of these misbeliefs are also beneficial, as people hesitate to kill cobras because they believe they are sacred to Lord Shiva and Vishnu.

Interestingly, dispelling these superstitions was one of the main motivations of herpetologists to research cobras, as they became curious after getting so many unrealistic views from people all over the country.

For me cobras are one of the most beautiful and fascinating creatures on the planet — and equally dangerous if handled carelessly.
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Last spring, while hiking around at a lake in Northeast Alabama, we found a queen snake, Regina septemvittata, basking on a limb about six feet above the water.

I stood there and watched the snake for about five minutes, trying to figure out a way to get close enough to get a photograph without the snake plopping off into the water. I eased into the water and immediately sank up to my knees in mud.

Realizing that wasn’t going to work, I got back on shore and slipped in between several trees right at the water’s edge, trying to be stealthy so as to not scare the snake into the water. I tried every angle, but there was just no way I was going to be able to get out there without the snake seeing me.

Within another minute, the snake actually did spot us and was gone with a splash. It was then that I just happened to glance down at the base of one of the trees I had been using to block the queen snake’s view. Sitting coiled about three feet from me was an eastern cottonmouth.

The eastern cottonmouth, Agkistrodon piscivorus piscivorus, is a strongly aquatic pit viper that feeds on a variety of vertebrate life, from fish and water fowl to rodents and even other snakes. Cottonmouths are infamous around here, and have a reputation for being an ill-tempered, aggressive snake.

This one had been content to just sit there among the tree roots and grass and hope it went unnoticed. When my attention moved to the cottonmouth and it finally realized that it had been seen, it began to display a defensive posture by opening its mouth and showing the white lining that gives it its common name.

After a few photographs we moved on and left the cottonmouth to bask undisturbed. …read more
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A search by conservationists in Oregon for western pond turtle eggs revealed yielded none.

From the Statesman Journal:

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife conservation biologist Susan Barnes called the failure to spot a single individual at 15 sites “moderately alarming.”

“It’s clear that there are not a lot of turtles out there, but it will take more years of data to understand what’s happening with local western pond turtles and why,” said Barnes, who oversaw the survey.

Pond turtle populations have declined throughout their West Coast range for a number of reasons, including destruction of their wetland habitat, conflict with invasive species and a recently discovered shell disease.

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By Herp News

With flatback hatchlings continuing to dig clear of the nests lining Cemetery Beach to begin their lives at sea, turtle monitors are hailing the latest nesting season a success.

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It’s our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user marksherps!

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By Herp News

A pet bearded dragon lizard has died after her owner drove the reptile more than 1,700 miles to a Florida Keys veterinarian for a surgical procedure to remove a massive cancerous tumor. Sandra Mitchell of Portland, Maine, made the trip with 8-year-old “Beardie” because she said airlines refused to let her carry the reptile in the same aircraft she would have flown in and air freight was not …

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Teo was returned to Puxton Park Farm, only to be pinched along with the farm's second tortoise, Taylor, hours later

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LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — The founder of the Kentucky Reptile Zoo was hospitalized after being bitten by a rattlesnake while extracting venom from the reptile. The Lexington Herald-Leader ( http://bit.ly/1BKqtUu ) reports that Jim Harrison, director of the Powell County facility, was bitten Friday when the snake broke a restraining tube and bit his left wrist. Zoo curator Kristen Wiley says the …

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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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This notice provides stockholders of Tortoise Power and Energy Infrastructure Fund, Inc. with information regarding the distribution paid on Jan. 30, 2015 and cumulativ

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In the visual displays of certain types of lizards, the order of movements is important for passing meaning along. The post In Lizard Visual Displays, Order Matters appeared first on WIRED .

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India’s wall-climbing extreme athlete is also its cutest snake: The wolf snake, Lycodon aulicus.

These snakes are quite aggressive and quick to bite, but they are non-venomous and their bite is just a prick — which I know because I’ve been bitten many times. In fact, most of my friends think the wolf snake is “cute” when he bites!

The common wolf snake is brown with white stripes on the back and beautiful irregular stripes on the sides. Some common wolf snakes are also black in colour and have yellow stripes instead of black, and their length varies from 50-80 cms. Many rescuers would agree with me that these snakes are quite restless, almost like a toddler running around,curious to find new and interesting things. In fact, their childlike nature is, to me, their most endearing quality!

I recently rescued a common wolf snake from one of my collegue’s property. When I received the distress call, I guessed that the snake might be on the ground and it might be a rat snake or a cobra.

Upon reaching his property, I was told the snake was on the second floor and that it had recently eaten a gecko. I was sure it was a wolf snake. I reached the second floor and I peeked over the wall and saw the wolf snake coiled in a corner. I caged the snake and left it near a river bank in about 15 minutes.

It was a learning experience on the whole as unlike my previous experiences the snake didn’t attack much as it had ingested a good sized wall lizard.These non-venomous climbers are good predators and survivors, and to me, they are always beautiful and “cute” as well. …read more
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By Herp News

A children's book inspired by the turtle breeding season will be launched in Broome next week.

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Check out this video “Rabbit VS Snake!” submitted by kingsnake.com user Minuet.
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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It’s our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user macraei!

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By Herp News

Tracking lions, photographing bats, collecting insects, bringing elephants home: it’s all part of a day’s work in Gorongosa National Park. This vast wilderness in Mozambique was ravaged by civil war. However, a unique and ambitious 20-year-effort spearheaded by Greg Carr through the Gorongosa Restoration Project is working to restore this rich and little-studied African wilderness.

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The calls of the various anurans were almost deafening as we maneuvered the motor canoe in and out of the beds of floating water lettuce and hyacinths. Pings, squeaks, grunts, groans, beeps, and clicks of various pitches and intensities intermingle and require stopping and listening intently to sort out. Most of the callers were hylids (treefrog family) but occasionally a few leptodactylids (tropical frogs) would also call.

Three of the frog species we were searching for were prominent in this chorus. They were the the 3 taxa of hatchet-faces, treefrogs of the genus Sphaenorhynchus. Although a rather silly analogy, I have come over the years to think of the 3 as the “3 bears” with Baby Bear being the 1″ long S. carneus, Mama Bear being the slender 1 1/2″ long S. dorisae, and Papa Bear being the robust 1 3/4″ long S. lacteus.

Despite being hylids, these 3 frogs are predominantly aquatic and large numbers of each may be found amidst the islands of aquatic vegetation (especially water lettuce) throughout the year. Besides the size difference, these 3 also differ in call and in appearance. The tiny S. carneus produces a series of rapidly repeated clicks and has reddish dorsolateral stripes. S. dorisae has a rounded snout and lacks striping and produces a series of pinging notes. And S. lacteus has a sharply pointed nose, white canthal (snout) stripes, and its call is a single cluck.

Renewing our acquaintance with these 3 taxa and their fellow songsters is always one of the most enjoyable aspects of our Amazonian tours. And of course there always the chance of seeing a black caiman as well.

This is herping at its neotropical best.

Continue reading “Hatchet-faced treefrogs are just right” …read more
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An 8th grader in Idaho is pushing her representatives to declare the Idaho giant salamander the state amphibian.

From the Spokesman-Review:

The young woman has been pushing the bill for five years now, and last year, it passed the Senate on a 33-2 vote. But it never got a committee hearing in the House. “In all fairness to her, we were really at the end of the session last year, and we had an awful lot to do,” Loertscher said. “It doesn’t mean that I’m going to vote for it, but in fairness to her, I thought it should be heard.” He said he’s expecting to set a hearing on the bill for early next week.

“I think that the Idaho giant salamander is the best candidate to represent our state,” Ilah told the State Affairs Committee this morning. “It has ‘Idaho’ in its name. The pattern on its skin looks like a topographical map of the Bitterroot Mountains. And it makes its home almost exclusively in Idaho.” She called the salamander an “intriguing animal” and said its designation as a state symbol could help engage students, like her, in learning about Idaho.

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By Herp News

The ill-fated national airline could not have been more unfortunate over the past one year. Following the two shocking air crashes, MAS' website was intruded by hackers merely three days ago.

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It’s our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Reptiles_Impact!

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Lizard Squad may have claimed to have taken down Facebook and its photo sharing property Instagram, but a source with knowledge of the matter tells Forbes it was almost certainly an internal error.

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The world’s migrating monarch butterfly population has bounced back slightly from its record low last year, but the new numbers are still the second smallest on record. According to WWF-Mexico and the Mexican government, butterflies covered 2.79 acres (1.13 hectares) in nine colonies this year in the Mexican forests where the insects overwinter.

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With a recent discovery of a new species, the total of different types of tree frog living in Vietnam is up to 73.

From Vietnam Net:

The new species is named Kurixalus motokawai to honor Dr. Masaharu Motokawa from Kyoto University. He is a researcher of mammals and has made many contributions to the study and conservation of biodiversity in Vietnam.

This is the second species of Kurixalus tree frog discovered in the Central Highlands in 2014, bringing the total number of species of tree frog in Vietnam to 73, accounting for 20% of all species of tree frogs of the world.

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It’s our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user gerryg!

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Yesterday, the seven men accused of brutally murdering Jairo Mora Sandoval on a beach in Costa Rica two years ago were acquitted of the crime. Sandoval’s murder shocked the Central American country—long known for the progressive protection of its lush rainforests and sweeping beaches—but the judge who acquitted the accused cited reasonable doubt and a investigation marred by mistakes.

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Fossilized remains of four ancient snakes have been dated between 140 and 167 million years old — nearly 70 million years older than the previous record of ancient snake fossils — and are changing the way we think about the origins of snakes.

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A loggerhead turtle that washed up on a County Donegal beach and was receiving treatment for hypothermia at an aquarium in Portaferry, County Down, has died.

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In 2014, West Virginia enacted a Dangerous Wild Animal (DWA) law that resulted in the proposal of a regulation/rule that would create an absurdly long list of DWAs. For example, the proposed DWA list initially included all turtles and salamanders (except native W. Virg. species).

Months of hard work by reptile, amphibian, and other exotic owners in the state and across the U.S. has resulted in an opportunity to overturn West Virginia’s DWA Act. On the third day of the 2015 legislation session, four senators submitted SB 247 to repeal the DWA Act. One of these senators had voted in favor of the DWA law in 2014. In a single sentence, SB 247 will remove every single word of the DWA Act as if it never existed. That will be a turning point for state legislation.

USARK and its associated chapter in W. Virg. have been coordinating efforts to fight against the state’s DWA law and proposed rule for approximately 10 months.

The opportunity to create a clear turning point in anti-reptile legislation is within reach. With their hundreds of millions of dollars, anti-pet groups like HSUS and PETA will certainly continue to campaign against your ownership of pet reptiles and amphibians. It is what they do. It is an integral part of their business model.

The repeal of the DWA law in W. Virg. would set a precedent that would be very influential in our continued battles against our extremist animal rights adversaries. This is an opportunity for the reptile nation to make a big statement. The question is whether the reptile and amphibian owners in W. Virg. and across the U.S. will capitalize on this opportunity by actively engaging in the legislative process.

How to help

If you are a W. Virg. resident, you should sign up to help repeal the DWA Act by sending your contact information to wvusarc@gmail.com. USARK will be posting action alerts for everyone to help with repealing the Act, as well as responding to proposed legislation and regulations across the country.

The first step for W. Virg. residents is to identify your senatorial district and your two senators. Please immediately call your senators and email them asking them to cosponsor SB 247. It would be helpful to add a note about how this law has upset your life.

Also, please ask at least two of your exotic animal friends in W. Virg. to do the same thing, and for them to ask two more people (and so on), so we create a pyramid and each of the state’s 34 senators is contacted multiple times by a constituent to sponsor SB 247. …read more
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Over a decade ago, a boy found one of the most complete reptile fossils of the Carboniferous era on his farm on Prince Edward Island.

From CTV News:

“This specimen is really rare,” said Modesto, who was the principal investigator of the project. “It’s the only specimen we know of from this particular part of the Carboniferous and it’s the only reptile from that slice of time.”

The research will be published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B on Wednesday.

Modesto said the fossil was discovered by a boy and his family on their farmland in Prince County, P.E.I., more than 14 years ago. It was taken to the Royal Ontario Museum in 2004 and about four years ago, Modesto and his team started their research.

The fossil, erpetonyx arsenaultorum, was named after the Arsenault family who made the discovery.

Read more here. …read more
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