Thanks to the efforts of the Blue Iguana Recovery Programme, there are now an estimated 850 blue iguanas in Grand Cayman.

From Cayman 27:

This staggering increase means the reptiles, which are indigenous to Grand Cayman, can now be moved off the critically endangered list.

“Previously they were listed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature as being critically endangered, which is actually only one step away for being extinct in the wild,” said Mr Watler. He went on to tell Cayman 27 that, “the fact is that this is an upgrade, it sounds kind of counter intuitive to say its a good thing that they are only on the endangered list but it really is much better than being critically endangered.”

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By Herp News

FRUITLAND PARK — Astonished looks are guaranteed at a John Storms World of Reptiles show. Just watch when he brings out a snake or an alligator snapping turtle.

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KOTA KINABALU: WHEN “Ninja”, the green sea turtle was rescued in April, she was in a bad state — malnourished, covered with barnacles and suffering from a bacterial infection. Sabah Wildlife Department (SWD) officers rescued her from a farmer in Papar as he was loading her into the back of his car. “We do not know the cause of the bacterial infection.

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A two-decade legal fight to protect a squat lizard with dragon-like head spines from urban encroachment in Southern California took a new turn this week.

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KUALA PENYU was named for the obvious reason – the penyu or turtles. Illegal turtle egg collection on the coastal district over the years however has led to the decline in landings. In a bid to revive the district reputation that comes with its name, policy makers led by its District Officer Edmund Teoh launched a special hatchery programme in April.

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Check out this video “Swim Time,” submitted by kingsnake.com user Minuet.
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By Herp News

“The Great Kapok Tree” was written by Lynne Cherry in response to the murder of Brazilian environmental activist Chico Mendes, who was assassinated by a rancher in 1988 in Brazil. Mendes’ murder was a significant international incident galvanizing support for environmental activists working to protect the Amazon forest.

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By Herp News

“The Great Kapok Tree” was written by Lynne Cherry in response to the murder of Brazilian environmental activist Chico Mendes, who was assassinated by a rancher in 1988 in Brazil. Mendes’ murder was a significant international incident galvanizing support for environmental activists working to protect the Amazon forest.

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By Herp News

A frog’s jump is not as simple as it seems. Scientists have discovered that different species adopt different jumping styles depending on their environment.

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Researchers are using a turtle decoy to help determine what may have killed dozens of turtles near Misery Bay on Manitoulin Island.

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Not all venomous snakebites are created equal — and neither are all antivenoms. Now researchers at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) have identfied important differences in venoms that may lead to breakthroughs in snakebite treatment worldwide.

From Phys.org:

LSTM’s Dr Nicholas Casewell, first author and NERC Research Fellow, said: “Our work shows that venom variation observed between related snake species is the result of a complex interaction between a variety of genetic and postgenomic factors acting on toxin genes. This can involve different genes housed in the genome being turned on or off in different snakes at different stages of venom toxin production. Ultimately, the resulting venom variation results in significant differences in venom-induced pathology and lethality and can undermine the efficacy of antivenom therapies used to treat human snakebite victims.”

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Key genes that help burrowing frogs avoid muscle wastage while they are dormant have been discovered by researchers. These genetic insights could help prevent muscle atrophy in bedridden human patients, or even astronauts. For most mammals, including humans, when muscles are inactive over a long period, they lose condition and waste away. However, some animals can remain dormant for several months and yet suffer minimal muscle damage, including green-striped burrowing frogs, the focus of this study.

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By Herp News

Key genes that help burrowing frogs avoid muscle wastage while they are dormant have been discovered by researchers. These genetic insights could help prevent muscle atrophy in bedridden human patients, or even astronauts. For most mammals, including humans, when muscles are inactive over a long period, they lose condition and waste away. However, some animals can remain dormant for several months and yet suffer minimal muscle damage, including green-striped burrowing frogs, the focus of this study.

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By Herp News

Researchers are using a turtle decoy to help determine what may have killed dozens of turtles near Misery Bay on Manitoulin Island.

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By Herp News

Tortoise Power and Energy Infrastructure Fund, Inc. today announced that as of June 30, 2014, the company’s unaudited total assets were approximately $260.4 million and

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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 June 30, 2014 and cumulativ

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By Herp News

Tortoise Pipeline & Energy Fund, Inc. today announced that as of June 30, 2014, the company’s unaudited total assets were approximately $492.1 million and its unaud

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By Herp News

Tortoise MLP Fund, Inc. today announced that as of June 30, 2014, the company’s unaudited total assets were approximately $2.4 billion and its unaudited net asset value

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By Herp News

Tortoise Energy Infrastructure Corp. today announced that as of June 30, 2014, the company’s unaudited total assets were approximately $4.5 billion and its unaudited ne

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By Herp News

Tortoise Energy Independence Fund, Inc. today announced that as of June 30, 2014, the company’s unaudited total assets were approximately $527.7 million and its unaudit

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By Herp News

2K and Turtle Rock Studios announced today that Evolve, the highly anticipated 4v1 cooperative and competitive multiplayer shooter coming to next-gen consoles and PC on October 21, 2014, had a tremendous showing at E3, taking home the coveted E3 2014 Game Critics Award for “Best of Show” among more than 50 awards and editorial honors.

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How do you save turtles and protect motorists’ lives? Build a tunnel.

From KARE 11:

It’s a specialized culvert built in Germany, which has small holes at roadway level to allow sunlight to get into the tunnel.

The location was picked after the MN Herpetological Society documented a large number of turtle crossings which were deemed hazardous to both turtles and motorists, who were stopping on the two-lane highway to avoid hitting them.

The $50,000 price is paid for with a $10,000 grant from the University of Minnesota, a $37,000 grant from the DNR’s Legacy funding, and $3,000 from the Herpetological Society.

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By Herp News

A Malaysian water monitor lizard was captured Friday afternoon at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, according to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture. Personnel from the Hawaii Air National Guard reported seeing a large black lizard running on its hind legs last Thursday.  Initially, base pest control staff was dispatched, but they were not able to locate the lizard where it was spotted, which was …

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A runaway tortoise caused a traffic back up on Old Santa Fe Trail on Tuesday morning. Read more at KOB.com

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A 150-pound “runaway” tortoise was taken into custody by Santa Fe Police Animal Control officers this morning as it slowed… more »

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Hugo, a 63-year-old Galapagos Tortoise, had his annual weighing on Tuesday at the Australian Reptile Park in Somersby.

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Police are trying to identify the suspect who broke into a North Carolina reptile store and swiped $30,000 worth of snakes, including a rare python worth $12,500, police said.

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By Herp News

A thief stole more than 30 snakes valued at over $30,000 from a store, according to North Carolina officials.

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By Herp News

Tortoise MLP Fund, Inc. today announced that as of June 30, 2014, the company’s unaudited total assets were approximately $2.4 billion and its unaudited net asset value

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By Herp News

One Stolen Snake Was Valued at $12,500

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A turtle on the loose in Hay River, N.W.T. could wreak havoc on the local ecosystem, says an Alberta reptile expert. Shelly, a red-eared slider, escaped from a backyard on Beaver Crescent in Hay River on Saturday. Dave Law, who runs the Alberta Turtle and Tortoise Society, says it's important the turtle is found.

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Until ten years ago scientist’s knowledge of the reproductive habits of the giant armadillo— the world’s biggest— were basically regulated to speculation. But a long-term research project in the Brazilian Pantanal is changing that: last year researchers announced the first ever photos of a baby giant armadillo and have since recorded a second birth from another female.

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Stephen Loman and William Sargent are a two-man movement saving snakes in Hong Kong.

From the South China Morning Post:

Stephen Loman and William Sargent know more than most just how closely we live with snakes. Although the pair balk at the term snake hunter, they have been rescuing, photographing and releasing snakes in the wild in Hong Kong for decades.Stephen Loman and William Sargent

In that time, Loman, a finance professional, and Sargent, a race organiser, have caught and released more than 1,000 snakes and suffered hundreds of bites.

Even so, both argue – and experts agree – that the fear of snakes is often misplaced. “Snakes get a bad reputation,” says Sargent. “A lot of people don’t know much about snakes. That fear or ignorance leads to killing snakes for no real reason.”

In his experience, it is humans who are a menace to snakes, not the other way around. According to the Hospital Authority there hasn’t been any death attributed to a snake bite in more than 20 years although Hong Kong has some particularly venomous species such as the banded krait, Chinese cobra, coral snake and the red-necked keelback.

Dying from a snake bite, even from the most poisonous species, is “very rare” in Hong Kong for several reasons, Lau explains. The city is small, has good infrastructure, and a high standard of medical care. No matter where someone is bitten in Hong Kong, they are never more than an hour away from hospital, and all major hospitals carry antivenom.

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By Herp News

NORTH CAROLINA (WITI) — A sea turtle was rescued this weekend after it was spotted entangled in a mass of netting and a discarded plastic bottle of antifreeze. News Channel 3, WTKR reports a man actually jumped into the water to come to the turtle’s aid. It happened near Avalon Pier in Kill Devil Hills, […]

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A Malaysian water monitor lizard was captured Friday afternoon at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, according to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture. Personnel from the Hawaii Air National Guard reported seeing a large black lizard running on its hind legs last Thursday.  Initially, base pest control staff was dispatched, but they were not able to locate the lizard where it was spotted, which was …

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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 June 30, 2014 and cumulativ

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Forget marsupials, the world’s strangest group of mammals are actually those in the Afrotheria order. This superorder of mammals contains a motley crew that at first glance seems to have nothing in common: from elephants to rodent-sized sengi. Last week, scientists announced the newest, and arguably cutest, member of Atrotheria: the Etendeka round-eared sengi.

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By Herp News

Watersnakes, commonly seen in the lakes, rivers and streams of the eastern United States, are invading California waterways and may pose a threat to native and endangered species in the state, according to a study. Nearly half of California’s amphibians are considered Species of Special Concern or are listed under the state or federal Endangered Species Act, and more than 80 percent of the state’s inland fishes are of conservation concern.

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Byline: The Lizard all weather Tamar Class Lifeboat “Rose” launched on service shortly after 2pm on Wednesday 25th June 2014 in response to a mayday call received from a damaged rib which was taking on water. Page Content: The eight meter RIB Neptune with five people on board was taking on water approximately three miles south west of The Lizard Point. Sea conditions on scene were described as …

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Researchers are learning a lot about extinct reptiles from how American alligators eat.

From NatGeo:

What happens when you throw bones to a group of American alligators? This isn’t a question for late night horror movies, but for science.

Standing behind a safety barrier at Florida’s St. Augustine Alligator Farm, University of Tennessee paleontologist Stephanie Drumheller tossed skeletonized cow legs to a crush of curious alligators. Over and over again, the armored archosaurs rushed in to snap at the morsels, and with every bite they left the predatory hallmarks in the form of punctures and scrapes. These traces were what Drumheller was after. Through understanding the damage modern alligators leave on bones, Drumheller and other paleontologists can follow the depredations of alligators and their croc cousins through time.

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