Photo of female reticulated Gila from our photo gallery by user Kevin_Hunt and not animal in question

The autopsy report for the man who died after being bitten by his pet Gila Monster has been released and it lists three factors that resulted in his death. The report lists complications from envenomation of the Gila Monster, basically listed as an injury, but also listed an enlarged heart and a fatty liver as “significant contributing factors” in his death.

Around 11:45 p.m. Feb. 12, someone called 911 to report an animal bite, according to Lakewood Police. It was later determined to be a Gila monster bite.

The victim was taken to the hospital and died four days later. According to the autopsy report, the man suffered a “four-minute venomous Gila monster bite to the right hand.”

He sought treatment about 2 hours after the bite. For more on the story, click here. The last known death from a Gila bite was in 1930 and the person may have had liver damage due to cirrhosis. …read more
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This Milk snake is just hanging out our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user gerryg . Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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This curious little wild Rat snake is checking out the camera in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user cmac107 ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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This Cat Gecko in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user PGossis not amused with your shenanigans! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Happy Rattlesnake Friday! How cool is this melanistic (C. atrox) in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Shane Mader ! ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here! As always on Friday, we celebrate all of our venomous reptiles for their contribution to the world.

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Now that is a snake in the grass! Check out the stunning Boelen’s python in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user JonathanH? One is normal is one appears to be leucistic! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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How cool is this pair of Leopard frog Tadpoles in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user retnaburner? One is normal is one appears to be leucistic! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Caecilians are amphibians that look superficially like very large earthworms. New research suggests that at least one species of caecilian also produces “milk” for its hatchlings.Photo by Carlos Jared

Most people look at caecilians and think EWW. They are worm-like amphibians and although they have very adorable faces they are a more secretive animal and are often overlooked. Marta Antoniazzi, a biologist at the Instituto Butantan, in Sao Paulo, Brazil has been working with Siphonops annulatus for quite some time now. They noticed that while the babies fed on the mothers shed skin weekly, they were too active for that to be their sole source of nutrition. So they did what anyone would do. Set up a camera and waited.

“The babies prefer to go to the tail of the mother,” he says.

And that’s when they saw it. A secretion coming from the tail: “A kind of substance, like milk.”

Upon further study, the team found that the milk contained lipids and sugars similar to mammalian milk. It was essentially providing the same function.

“It’s a very unusual form of nutrition” for an egg-laying animal, says Mailho-Fontana.

Is it really milk? Well, that is up in the air for now, but it is a nutrition source for the babies provided by mom. For the full story as well as a link to the study, click here! …read more
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I think this Ackie our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user BryanD , as his tinder profile pic!! What a cool shot in black and white! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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A beautiful in situ Scarlet Snake (Cemophora coccinea)seen in the Ouachitas graces our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user AndrewBrinker! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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An adult male D. delasagra
In Cuba, the family Diploglossidae is represented by 3 species of secretive, fossorial, forest dwelling lizards of the genus Diploglossus, that look overall, very much like skinks. In fact, with their polished scales and narrow head, they were at one time classified as skinks. This species is known to hybridize with at least one, and possibly with both, other species in the genus at the eastern end of its large range.

Luckily, we found 1 species, D. delasagra. It, a small, shiny, and short, legged species, will writhe quickly beneath leaf litter if exposed. It also seeks shelter beneath rocks and fallen tree trunks and limbs.

It is adult at a length of about 9 inches, of which a bit more than half is tail length.

Dorsal color is a warm brown, the sides vary from chocolate brown to black. The belly is yellowish. Oviparous, one female found recently was coiled around 5 soft-shelled eggs. Hatchlings are colored like the adults.
Continue reading “Skinklike Forest Lizards” …read more
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Some people have all the luck, really they do! It took me 3 trips to Texas to see my first rattlesnake. When Milan Watt came out of work and met her boyfriend at her car and they went to get in, he saw a tongue and that’s when they saw it. That was also when they got out of the car and said NOPE!

Watt’s boyfriend came to meet up with her when he noticed something moving in her car.

“He turns around and he sees a tongue,” Watt said.

After they both got out of the car, Watt called 911.

“They told me they could not help because it was not a life-threatening emergency,” Watt told Arizona’s Family.

There are however many 24 hour services available that will come out to help and it is disappointing that the emergency services did not mention these. An encounter with a diamondback by someone unfamiliar is definitely a life-threatening emergency, especially when it is a diamondback trapped in a car! For us herpers however, that is just easy pickings! To see the video and full story, click here! …read more
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Happy Rattlesnake Friday! To celebrate International Woman’s Day we grabbed this gorgeous shot of a Western Diamonback for our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user juzior! You might wonder how this Atrox helps celebrate International Woman’s Day, right? Did you know the first recorded captive breeding of Crotalus atrox was by Grace Olive Wiley? She is one of the foremothers of the venomous world and while her handling skills left a lot of people scratching their heads, she had one heck of a legacy. Not familiar with Grace? You should be! Be sure to tell them you liked it here! As always on Friday, we celebrate all of our venomous reptiles for their contribution to the world.

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Absolutely beautiful female Morelet’s Crocodile graces our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Paul Bodnar as she basks in the sun. Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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I’m a little green with envy of this Green Tree Monitor in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user roadspawn and her plans for a lazy day. Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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This is one gorgeous panther chameleon uploaded by ToucanJungle and it is guaranteed to brighten your day. Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Hopefully the gorgeous blues of this Dendrobates auratus uploaded by kingsnake.com user amazonreptile will brighten your day. Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Happy Rattlesnake Friday! This Black-Tailed Rattlesnake (C. molossus) in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user erindonaldson is certainly full of sass! ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here! As always on Friday, we celebrate all of our venomous reptiles for their contribution to the world.

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Happy Rattlesnake Friday! This Black-Tailed Rattlesnake (C. molossus) in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user erindonaldson is certainly full of sass! ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here! As always on Friday, we celebrate all of our venomous reptiles for their contribution to the world.

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Such a lovely contrast against the blue, this Angolan Python takes the spotlight in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user EdCB ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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It is hard to not see beauty when you look at the Asian Vine Snake (Ahaetulla prasina) our Herp Photo of the Day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user 13lackcat! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Botflies perch on the head of a northern green anaconda in Yasuni National Park in Ecuador. A recent study revealed that the green anaconda is two distinct species, more genetically diverse than humans and chimpanzees. (Karine Aigner/Naturepl.com)

Thanks to Will Smith, we now have two different Green Anacondas. Researchers used genetic data to determine that the Green Anaconda not one but two very distinct species, a southern and northern type. They were in the Amazon filming Smith’s show “Pole to Pole with Will Smith” with Dr. Bryan G. Fry, an old friend of kingsnake.com as well a biologist at University of Queensland in Australia, when the differences were notice. Research ensued!

The Northern and Southern species show a 5.5% genetic difference from each other, which is huge considering humans only differ from chimpanzees by 2% difference.

The Amazon is made up of two separate basins — the large southern Amazon basin and the “much smaller” northern Orinoco basin.

“The southern green anaconda (Eunectes murinus) is found across a vast range spanning Brazil, Bolivia, Perú and parts of French Guiana,” he said.

“By contrast, our newly described northern green anaconda (Eunectes akayima) is restricted to Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad, Venezuela and parts of French Guiana.”

To read more about the new anacondas, click here! …read more
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Today’s herp photo of the day reminds us to always flip that tin! This five-lined skink was found with her eggs under a paving stone, uploaded by kingsnake.com user CDB_reptiles!
Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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The underrated Florida Softshell Turtle takes center stage in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Amazoa ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Happy Rattlesnake Friday! Check out this aberrant patterened Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake found in Northern Florida in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user chance37! Be sure to tell them you liked it here! As always on Friday, we celebrate all of our venomous reptiles for their contribution to the world.

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I am quite sure when they wrote this article it really was not a tourism guide, but they also are not people like us, you know, herpers. World Atlas gave us a perfect guide for field herping however, listing the lakes and species you might find there. I was somewhat impressed with the article because despite the fact that the word “infested” is a constant in the article giving a negative feel, they talk about what brings the snakes there and how most of the species are harmless and important. They also have fairly decent identification photos. At the end of the article they even include this little part about safety:

Water snakes and semi-aquatic snakes enjoy the lakes in Arkansas. In particular, Greers Ferry Lake, Lake Ouachita, and Lake Fayetteville are popular spots for snakes. Despite the abundance of snakes, these Arkansas spots are still worth a visit. For outdoor enthusiasts, these lakes offer many activities to enjoy, from camping and hiking to fishing and kayaking. Visiting these spots is comforting because water snakes are usually harmless to humans. While semi-aquatic snakes can be venomous, identifying them can help you stay safe in snake territory.

In case you are interested, the three most “infested” according to the article are Lake Ouachita, Lake Fayetteville, and Greers Ferry Lake so book your trip now. You can check out the full article here. A warning to some, is an invitation to others! Just another place to add to your herping lists! …read more
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So simple and so beautiful. That is the black racer in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user ReptileProducts ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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What an awesome shot of this pair of Common Toads in our herp photo of the day uploaded by kingsnake.com user Krallenfrosch ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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The infamous “stink eye” is glaring here with this Tegu in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user MrSickle ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Gallery photo by Doug Beckwith
A Colorado man illegally keeping 2 Gila Monsters as pets was killed after being bitten by one of them last week. The 12 inch Gila, a juvenile, was confiscated by Colorado Parks and Wildlife and will be transported this week to a lab in Greeley at the University of Northern Colorado, known for researching reptile venoms for use in pharmaceuticals.

Gila Monsters, Heloderma suspectum, are the only venomous lizard in the United States and bites from them are quite rare, deaths even moreso, the last recorded death being in 1930. While it is illegal to collect wild Gila Monsters everywhere in their natural range in the United States, Gilas are relatively uncommon in the pet industry, but captive bred specimens are available to those that can obtain the proper licenses and paperwork.

Gila Monsters venom and their unique blood chemistry, have long been subjects of research by the pharmaceutical industry, and research has led to the Semaglutide diabetes drugs Ozempic, Rybelsus, and others.

Read more at:
Gila Death News Article Link …read more
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Gotta love this stunning pair of Chondros in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user NYCMedic ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Happy Rattlesnake Friday! What a stunning shot of an albino Atrox in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user eekster ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here! As always on Friday, we celebrate all of our venomous reptiles for their contribution to the world.

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According to the World Health Organizations, 83,000-138,000 die annually from snake bites. The numbers are hard to estimate due to the fact that medical care is not easily available in third world countries and the access to things like antivenom is even rarer. The scientists at Clodomiro Picado Institute are working to increase the availability of antivenom worldwide using horse serum, a fairly common practice.

The institute produces 100,000 to 150,000 doses per year, which are exported to Central America, South America, Asia and Africa.

“It has been taken…also to strengthen clinical studies that attest that the product is safe and effective, this strengthens the idea that the product saves lives, which is what we want. We could talk about [approximately] 5,000 lives that are saved with this serum,” said Andrés Hernández, pharmaceutical manager of the Clodomiro Picado Institute.

Antivenom is administered to patients who have suffered a bite from a poisonous snake and works by boosting our immune response.

One small group of scientists making a change in the world for the 5.4 million people who are bitten by venomous snakes. To read the full article and see the video, click here. …read more
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This tri-color Bullsnake is just chilling in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user JoeyCoco. Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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This Kenyan Sand Boa is getting into the mood for today, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Thera, in our herp photo of the day! Be sure to tell them you liked it here.

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For Fat Tuesday, this beautiful Louisiana Pine Snake baby graces our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user dallashawks. Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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USARK has issued an absolutely terrifying action alert for Arizona that all animal owners need to be aware of. Please spread the word far and wide. There are almost two identical senate bills being introduces which allow for warrentless search of private property and immediate seizure of animals without cause. What does that mean? USARK explains:

Remember, warrants protect us from unreasonable governmental intrusion. As if that is not bad enough, the bills would make it so that, “The formal rules of evidence do not apply and reliable hearsay is admissible in the postseizure hearing.” Please read that last sentence again! “The formal rules of evidence do not apply and reliable hearsay is admissible…”

First, the formal court rules are tossed out the window. This means that the due process that typically exists in court does not apply. Additionally, hearsay is generally inadmissible in court unless a special exception is provided because it is not considered reliable or trustworthy. If this bill passes, hearsay will be good enough for the seizure and State possession of animals in Arizona. Needless to say, this goes against our constitutional rights as Americans.

We know from what we have seen in Florida what happens when government has too much power, healthy innocent animals that could be relocated and rehomed die violently on video for all to see. SB1204 has a hearing on Thursday, February 15 with the Senate Natural Resources, Energy and Water Committee. Please share this with everyone you know in Arizona. Visit USARK page HERE to learn more and keep up to date. Also JOIN USARK. Membership matters. Our numbers count! We will keep you up to date here as well! …read more
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An absolutely beautiful headshot of a Striped Mud Turtle kicks off the weeks in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user mayday. Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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The photo may be a bit blurry, but there is no mistaking that is a gravid Masssasauga in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user LetsConservate24 in the field! We can only imagine the excitement at this find! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Alterna crew in Del Rio, Photo by Jeff Barringer –

While looking for the photo of the day today, I came across this old gem. See kingsnake.com turns 25 today. I have heard the story many times of how Jeff tried to sell this whole website to people 25 plus years ago on herping trips and everyone thought he was crazy! See you have to realize the internet and the tech world we know it is new. We old fogies used to actually talk to people. I know! We would CALL people on the phone and we would answer phones not knowing who was calling! It was insanity! Forums lost their flair when social media hit because people liked that instant gratification. Our archives however is the history of our world. The who’s who of the reptile community really and well worth the time to look back. We learned how to make things better back then and you can watch how the reptile community grew to where it is now. We were also closer.

This photo is the early days. Well before kingsnake.com started in West Texas the old Alterna crew days. Many of these people are still around, some aren’t. How many can you recognize?
…read more
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