By Herp News

Habitat fragmentation and hunting are both distinct critical issues facing forests today that require their own countermeasures. Yet, much research has chosen to conflate the two, potentially leading to ineffective ecosystem management. According to a new study, the interaction of both factors can contradict the effects of hunting and fragmentation alone, revealing a research and management gap that urgently needs to be filled.

Go to Source

…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com

By Herp News

An injured turtle is literally being pieced back together with wires, steel pins, epoxy glue and a clamp at a Manitoba wildlife shelter, after its shell was badly cracked this week.

Go to Source

…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com

This yellow-bellied sea snake was rescued and rehabbed in New South Wales, Australia:

Get the story here…

Photo: Peter Street/Australian National Geographic …read more
Read more here: King Snake

By Herp News

The Neotropical otter (Lontra longicaudis) should not be considered threatened by the IUCN Red List, according to a new paper in mongabay.com’s open-access journal Tropical Conservation Science. Currently the species is listed as Data Deficient, but was considered Vulnerable until 2000.

Go to Source

…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com

By Herp News

Around 11 AM on Thursday, 27 February 2014, Angoulou Enika was lying hidden in the tall grass on the side of a large water hole in the Sahel region of Niger. He was staying as quiet as he could while aiming his custom-made rifle at an Egyptian vulture which had landed nearby to drink from the water. He took a breath, held it and fired. The large bird fell to its side.

Go to Source

…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com

Does the key to human limb regeneration like in a salamander’s cells?

From researcher Max Yun in The Conversation UK:

This process is rarely found in mammalian cells and this has been suggested as the basis for their poor regenerative abilities. But clearly, unraveling the mechanisms underlying this reprogramming is central to understanding why certain vertebrates can regenerate their limbs while others can’t, and how to repeat this process in humans.

If we were able to crack this puzzle, it could lead to strategies to enhance the reprogramming of cells from patients, and to better understand their disease and design appropriate cures.

We recently found a critical component of the reprogramming mechanism. In our study, published in Stem Cell Reports, we demonstrated that the sustained activation of a molecular pathway (a group of molecules in a cell that work together to control a particular function or functions) – called the ERK pathway – plays a key role during the natural reprogramming of salamander muscle cells. Only when the ERK pathway is constantly switched “on” are the cells able to re-enter the cell cycle, which is key to their regenerative potential.

Read more…

Photo: kingsnake.com user emajor …read more
Read more here: King Snake

By Herp News

Joe Lamb explained that boa constrictors, like this Red Tail Boa, can grow to 10 feet long and eat mice and rats.

Go to Source

…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com

By Herp News

Staff at a reptile centre in Brighton find a 5ft long boa constrictor abandoned in a box on their doorstep.

Go to Source

…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com

By Herp News

Turtles like Sal, this 14-year-old African Tortoise, can live to be over 200 years old and grow up to 850 pounds.

Go to Source

…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com

By Herp News

Exciting to watch these giants roll off the truck that has transported them all the way from Texas.

Go to Source

…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com

By Herp News

Press Kit Materials are Available at: http://www.tradeshownews.com/events/CE-Week-2014/SnowLizard-Gear/

Go to Source

…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com

By Herp News

The Serengeti ecosystem got a major reprieve last week when the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) ruled against a hugely-controversial plan to build a paved road through Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park. The court dubbed the proposed road ‘unlawful’ due to expected environmental impacts.

Go to Source

…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com

By Herp News

Five years ago an unlikely meeting was held in the Malaysian state of Sabah to discuss how to save wildlife amid worsening forest fragmentation. Although the meeting brought together longtime adversaries—conservationists and the palm oil industry—it appeared at the time to build new relationships and even point toward a way forward for Sabah’s embattled forests.

Go to Source

…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com

By Herp News

Ahead of E3 2014, Turtle Beach is debuting two pairs of premium wireless gaming headphones designed for PlayStation 4.

Go to Source

…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com

The scarlet kingsnake looks like the coral snake because there’s a survival benefit to tricking predators into thinking you’re too dangerous to mess with.

But once the coral snake vanishes, why do local kingsnakes not just maintain that resemblance for decades, but intensify it?

Scientists had no idea, but now they’ve figured it out. Once the coral snake became extinct in the North Carolina Sandhills, they say, the risks of attacking the wrong snake diminished. Predators began to take more changes, targeting those kingsnakes who least resembled corals, and removing them from the gene pool.

But what happens now? Find out here.

Photo: kingsnake.com user coolhl7 …read more
Read more here: King Snake

By Herp News

Tortoise Capital Advisors today announced the completion of the merger of Tortoise Energy Infrastructure Corp. , Tortoise Energy Capital Corp. and Tortoise North American Energy Corp.

Go to Source

…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com

By Herp News

Byline: The Lizard Lifeboat launched on service shortly after 10am on Tuesday 17 June to go to the assistance of a lone yachtsman. Page Content: The 32’ yacht Soay had been on passage from Milford Haven to Falmouth when difficulties were encountered one mile south east of Blackhead, The lifeboat was on scene within 12 minutes of launch and upon arrival found the gentleman to be unable to …

Go to Source

…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com

By Herp News

2K and Turtle Rock are showing off their intense 4 versus 1 shooter Evolve at E3, and I had the opportunity to drop into the game as a hunter to take down Kraken, one of the game's enormously intimidating monsters.

Go to Source

…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com

By Herp News

Reptile Gardens welcomed their newest, and oldest member to the zoo this afternoon.

Go to Source

…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com

By Herp News

The House of Harlow 1960 designer, 32, debuts her VH1 show Candidly Nicole July 17

Go to Source

…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com

By Herp News

Scientists in China have found five well-preserved reptile eggs still intact more than 100 million years after they were laid. It's believed they belong to the ancient pterosaur — a reptile that roamed the Earth more than 120 million years ago during the Cretaceous period. (Via  YouTube / American Museum of Natural History ) LiveScience  notes that until now  scientists had only found four …

Go to Source

…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com

By Herp News

A Cape Coral couple spotted the Nile Monitor Lizard trying to cut across four lanes of traffic in the city over the weekend.

Go to Source

…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com

By Herp News

( University of the Witwatersrand ) It took seven editors and 26 authors nine years to compile the first ever Reptile Atlas for all reptiles found in the southern tip of Africa. This huge collaborative effort resulted in the 485-page Atlas and Red List of the Reptiles of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland — a hardcover book launched recently that also contains the conservation status of the …

Go to Source

…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com

By Herp News

The animal oracle predictions for the World Cup have begun, with host nation Brazil getting a vote of confidence from its chosen turtle tipster.

Go to Source

…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com

By Herp News

Beachfront businesses and residents have until March 1 to comply Matia Veniero pulls down her shades at night — all to help save the baby turtles, she says.

Go to Source

…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com

By Herp News

Tracking system will monitor rescued loggerhead — Phoenix, the 120-pound loggerhead turtle, hesitated for just a beat or two at the first touch of ocean water in 129 days.

Go to Source

…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com

By Herp News

Tracking system will monitor rescued loggerhead — Phoenix, the 120-pound loggerhead turtle, hesitated for just a beat or two at the first touch of ocean water in 129 days.

Go to Source

…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com

By Herp News

Walks aim to bring turtle lovers face to face with nesting turtles

Go to Source

…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com

By Herp News

Jeff Ribeiro launched Repti-Ledge in August 2013 to try to get his gecko-related products into stores. In September, he landed a significant order but did not have the financing to fill the order. Enter Ignite Capital

Go to Source

…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com

By Herp News

Congratulations, it’s a … lizard . Well that’s what the Indonesian press are reporting emerged from the womb of an expectant mother late last month. Debi Nubatois is claimed to have gone into labour during her eighth month of pregnancy at her home in Kupang, with the assistance of midwife Josephine Lydia Hellen Wadu. The product of an eight-month pregnancy, apparently Wadu informed Indonesian …

Go to Source

…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com

Check out this video “Got worms,” 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
Read more here: King Snake

By Herp News

Two Chinese fishermen got the catch of their lives…on mobile phone this week. While fishing in the Ussuri River, which acts as a border between Russia and China, the fishermen were approached by a swimming Siberian tiger. These tigers, also known as Amur tigers, are down to around 350-500 animals.

Go to Source

…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com

By Herp News

An endangered leatherback turtle was saved after being speared by a swordfish, with the help of a Halifax-based sea turtle rescue group. Kathleen Martin, executive director and co-founder of the Canadian Sea Turtle Network, was in Trinidad last week looking for leatherback turtles previously tagged in Canadian waters. Martin and her group were attempting to attach a satellite tag to the animals …

Go to Source

…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com

How did the deadly fungus chytridiomycosis get so entrenched that it may cost us every frog on earth? We weren’t paying attention.

From Scientific American:

The best way to prevent a disease from turning into an epidemic is to closely monitor its development and put systems in place before it starts spreading rapidly through populations. This requires surveillance and monitoring of the disease and disease populations. This is fine for populations of livestock, or humans, but tends to be a neglected area when it comes to animals in the wild. There are plenty of examples of devastating diseases that have ranged through wild-animal populations relatively unchecked until the later stages as they were simply not caught early enough.

An example is the fungal skin infection of frogs (chytridiomycosis) which absolutely decimated amphibians, wiping out about 200 frog species world wide. Yet investigations into the disease didn’t start until 15 years after its initial appearance.

Read more…

Photo: Scientific American …read more
Read more here: King Snake

By Herp News

Dozens of children, along with parents, grandparents, caregivers and friends, gathered in the children's portion of the library to kick off the 2014 Summer Reading Program with a display of reptiles.

Go to Source

…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com

By Herp News

Musician Billy Joel has weighed in on the ivory bill making its way through the New York State legislature.

Go to Source

…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com

By Herp News

Mote Marine volunteers rescue the loggerhead on Longboat Key.

Go to Source

…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com

There has to be an easier way to make a living than putting a venomous snake in your mouth.

Read about it…

…read more
Read more here: King Snake

By Herp News

KUALA TERENGGANU: The World Wildlife Fund of Malaysia will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) against the consumption of turtle’s eggs with the Tourism and Cultural Ministry this Saturday.

Go to Source

…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com

By Herp News

A camera trap program in Ecuador’s embattled Yasuni National Program has struck gold, taking what researchers believe is the first ever film of a wild nocturnal curassow (Nothocrax urumutum). In addition, the program has captured video of other rarely-seen animals, including the short-eared dog and the giant armadillo.

Go to Source

…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com