By Herp News
Climate change is widely believed to be behind the rapid decline of frog populations in the Andes mountains, but a new study finds that the real culprit is a deadly fungus that has wiped out amphibian species worldwide. Researchers found that highland frogs, while tolerant of increasing temperatures, live in the optimal temperature range for Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, also known as Bd.
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Check out our Herp Video of the Week, “Field Herping 2013,” submitted by kingsnake.com user smetlogik.
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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By Herp News
Assif Mayar of Castro Valley was sentenced to jail time after pleading guilty to possession of marijuana. He used a 5-foot caiman named Mr. Teeth to guard his pot stash.
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By Herp News
Assif Mayer of Castro Valley was sentenced to jail time after pleading guilty to possession of marijuana. He used a 5-foot caiman named Mr. Teeth to guard his pot stash.
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By Herp News
New studies shed light on ancient creatures’ dental structure and wear — and how these unique characteristics helped them live and adapt to their environments.
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By Herp News
KOTA KINABALU: It takes five months for a Green Turtle hatchling to grow up to a length of […]
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By Herp News
The world’s largest remote camera trap initiative—monitoring 275 species in 17 protected areas—is getting some big data assistance from Hewlett-Packard (HP). To date, the monitoring program known as the Tropical Ecology Assessment and Monitoring (TEAM) Network has taken over 1.5 million photos of animals in 14 tropical countries, but conservationists have struggled with how to quickly evaluate the flood of data.
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By Herp News
Ananth Baliga Dec. 12 (UPI) — Savannah monitor lizard's breathing makes one-way loop through the lungs, similar to birds and alligators — and possibly dinosaurs.
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Venom from the Southeast Asia pit viper (Deinagkistrodon acutus) may help stop human heart attacks and strokes.
From the Montreal Gazette report on the Canadian study:
Using venom milked from the snake, researchers filtered out all but one protein to create a drug called Anfibatide, which in human testing prevented blood clots from forming but didn’t prolong bleeding as is the case with some clot-busting drugs.
“The concept that we can harness something potentially poisonous in nature and turn it into a beneficial therapy is very exciting,” said Dr. Heyu Ni, a scientist at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto involved in the drug’s development.
Anfibatide is designed to target a specific receptor on the surface of platelets in the blood that is instrumental in the formation of clots.
Read the rest here.
Photo: THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO – St. Michael’s Hospital …read more
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By Herp News
FMT LETTER: From Poh La Faun, via e-mail It has been three weeks since Aljazeera ran the news story, ‘Return of the Lizard King’, Nov 21, 2013. What have we learnt (or not) from this Lizard King Saga? 1 Lizard King conspirers have escaped any sanction by the anti-corruption investigation authorities despite being named in a non-fictitious crime novel and the reputable National Geographic. Do we …
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By Herp News
When monitor lizards breathe, air flows into their lungs in a one-way loop — a pattern known as one-way airflow.
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By Herp News
To protect themselves, some animals rapidly change color when their environments change, but chameleons change colors in unusual ways when they interact with other chameleons. Researchers have discovered that these color changes don’t happen “out-of-the-blue” — instead, they convey different types of information during important social interactions.
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By Herp News
Air flows mostly in a one-way loop through the lungs of monitor lizards — a breathing method shared by birds, alligators and presumably dinosaurs, according to a new study that may push the evolution of this trait back to 270 million years ago.
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Ever heard of Siats meekerorum? Our old dino friend T. rex did, and not in a good way.
Check out this video all about Siats, and why he’s been dubbed a “man-eating monster.”
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By Herp News
Freud, a green sea turtle, was found lethargic off of the Panhandle, but a CT scan at USF’s Health’s Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation found bubbles in an airway and air trapped near a lung.
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By Herp News
Despite cuts, the Town of Turtle is still looking at a $62,000 deficit heading into next year, and more cuts are expected in order to balance the budget.
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By Herp News
1. Carbon concentrations hit 400ppm while the IPCC sets global carbon budget: For the first time since our appearance on Earth, carbon concentrations in the atmosphere hit 400 parts per million. The last time concentrations were this high for a sustained period was 4-5 million years ago when temperatures were 10 degrees Celsius higher. Meanwhile, in the slow-moving effort to curb carbon emissions, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) crafted a global carbon budget showing that most of the world’s fossil fuel reserves must be left untouched if we are to avoid catastrophic climate change.
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Dead mice pumped full of poison are being dropped from planes onto Guam to kill brown tree snakes (Boiga irregularis).
From NBC News:
They floated down from the sky Sunday — 2,000 mice, wafting on tiny cardboard parachutes over Andersen Air Force Base in the U.S. territory of Guam.
But the rodent commandos didn’t know they were on a mission: to help eradicate the brown tree snake, an invasive species that has caused millions of dollars in wildlife and commercial losses since it arrived a few decades ago.
That’s because they were dead. And pumped full of painkillers.
The unlikely invasion was the fourth and biggest rodent air assault so far, part of an $8 million U.S. program approved in February to eradicate the snakes and save the exotic native birds that are their snack food.
Read the full story here.
Photo: kingsnake.com user Tereza …read more
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Most people who are beginners at owning Sliders are always asking common questions like the following ![[:turtle]](http://i2.wp.com/www.turtletimes.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/icon_smile_turtle_125.gif?w=560){kind=icon}
: Help what size tank and how should i set it up well i am about to answer both . Well the most often heard rule is a gallon per inch that gives the turtle plenty of room to grow but we all know everyone doesn’t go by that . Sometimes i would say about 2 gallons per inch because some turtle lovers don’t always have the room . Now to the setup so would you want a low level water setup or high level currently i have a high level but I’m going to get a low level soon . Low levels look nice with light brown pebbles and plenty of rocks and plants and maybe even a little waterfall , But some people might like bright rocks with neon plants and a high water level . It really just depends on what you like and how your turtle reacts to ether one .
– sliderdream
Hope you liked it and it helped thanks comment and ask questions !!!! ![[:cool]](http://i1.wp.com/www.turtletimes.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/icon_smile_coolthumb.gif?w=560){kind=icon}
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By Herp News
Tortoise Capital Advisors, L.L.C., the adviser of NDP, NTG, TPZ, TTP, TYG, TYN and TYY announced today it will host a year-end conference call on Dec. 12, 2013 at 3:30 p.m. Central, to discuss current U.S.
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By Herp News
Someone heard a rumor that a tortoise was being shipped to Carleton through the post office, and I was determined to track down the mystery pet.
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It was mammoth, monumental. A tear-jerker….Frankiehadn’teven got in the car yet.
The story really began when Frankie was evicted from theFrankieCavea couple of days before we departed from home. The day was nice so Frankie sat up on the hill watching his beloved cave get gutted and cleaned.
A family of 150 Southern Cockroaches was evicted from inside his cave. The colony of fat snails gathered from under the cave was fed to the two box turtles.
Frankie’s compost barrel was cleaned out reveling hundreds of red wigglers worms. Frankie’s friend, Little Dude, got worms enough for a couple of weeks.
If I had known Frankie was this good at raising bugs I would have stopped buying insects years ago.
Frankie was slated to sleep that night in the garage in his dogloo. It took forever to get Frankie inside because he thought the dogloo was for ramming.
That same evening Greg departed with Frankie’s cave to the new house inMobile.
The next morning Frankie woke up at7:00 am. Not just awake but Frankie insisted on walking around the garage full of boxes and stuff. Then he demanded entrance into the gecko room. I had to accompany him as there were boxes of glass enclosures sitting on the floor. Frankie pushed boxes aside and wandered about.
At10:00 amFrankie went back into his dogloo and went to sleep. Okay. This is new. Wake up at seven and asleep by ten. What is he going to do on Moving day?
….which started at7:00 amthe next day. Two moving vans, five loaders and the driver. The first job for the movers was inventory and tagging: 1 lawn mover, 1 washer, 1 dryer, 1 HUGE TORTOISE…WHAT IS THIS!? …ARE WE MOVING IT!? No, sir, but when it’s time to load the dogloo would you mind helping me put the tortoise in the car. I would appreciate it.
I am sure this guy has seen a lot of strange things over the years in houses but he looked at me like I had won the Blue Ribbon of strange-things-we’ve-moved. I warned the movers a week ago. When I say “big turtle” they always think big box turtle. “Oh, sure, we’ll help you move that turtle. Sure.” I think he was hoping Frankie was an ice cube and would shrink to box turtle size in the next four hours.
As the temperatures increased over the next couple of hours I kept close eye on that dogloo in case Frankie made a daring escapee down the street or decided to pee all over the garage. You know what he did?
Nothing. Not a single thing. He would look to see what was going on then he would go back to sleep for a couple of hours. At 2:00 pm. When it was time to load the dogloo do you know what Frankie did? Nothing. We took him out andput …read more
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By Herp News
Evan Bleier Dec. 9 (UPI) — Repticon Orlando highlighted by “morphed” ball pythons and rare black dragon.
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By Herp News
Turtle Wax Inc.'s top management is in flux again, with the latest CEO exiting last fall after less than a year on the job and the company so far leaving the job unfilled.
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A robotic turtle, deveoped at the Tallinn University of Technology’s Centre for Biorobotics, premiered at Robot Safari at the London Science Museum. The robot is intended to be used to investigate shipwrecks, but after that will probably take over the world.
Read all about it here.
Photo: Tallinn University of Technology …read more
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By Herp News
Byline: The Lizard lifeboat was tasked last night (Wednesday) to carry out a search from Black Head on the Lizard Peninsular toward Lizard Point after a fisherman was reported overdue. Page Content: Falmouth Coastguard had received a 999 call at around 7pm reporting a man overdue from a fishing trip. The male had launched his small craft from Cadgwith during the early afternoon and had been due …
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By Herp News
If you are a big rat at the Repticon reptile show, you are frozen solid, sealed in a plastic baggie, and sold in a five-pack for $26. Rat pinkies, tiny and hairless, sell in baggies of 100 for $75.
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By Herp News
If you are a big rat at the Repticon reptile show, you are frozen solid, sealed in a plastic baggie, and sold in a five-pack for $26. Rat pinkies, tiny and hairless, sell in baggies of 100 for $75.
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By Herp News
In our youth we are strong and healthy and then we weaken and die — that’s probably how most would describe what aging is all about. But, in nature, the phenomenon of aging shows an unexpected diversity of patterns and is altogether rather strange, conclude researchers.
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Check out our Herp Video of the Week, “Eastern hog defensive display,” submitted by kingsnake.com user wisema2297.
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
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Check out this video “Eastern Hog Defensive display,” submitted by kingsnake.com user wisema2297.
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
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By Herp News
TEN-MAN Lazy Lizard belied their name by sinking the Sailors Return at Redlands.
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By Herp News
After playing, feeding, and socializing in trees all day, some ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) take their nightly respite in caves, according to a new study in Madagascar Conservation and Development. The findings are important because this is the first time scientists have ever recorded primates regularly using caves (see video below).
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New research into the Cerataphora lizard, an endangered agamid lizard from Sri Lanka, suggests that the animal uses its horns to communicate.
From National Geographic:
Ruchira Somaweera, a zoologist at the University of Sydney and principal investigator in the yearlong field study, which is funded by the National Geographic Society, said the data is still being analyzed, but the primary hypothesis is that the horns are used in communication within specific species.
Somaweera and his team focused mainly on the critically endangered leaf-nosed lizards (C. tennentii) and found that on these and on rhino horn lizards (C. stoddartii), the males of both species can move their horns slowly at a 45-degree angle while opening their mouths in a threat display.
This may aid in communication between males, he said.
Read more here.
Photo: National Geographic …read more
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By Herp News
Biologists have observed two crocodilian species — muggers and American alligators — using twigs and sticks to lure birds, particularly during nest-building time.
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By Herp News
TEN-MAN Lazy Lizard belied their name by sinking the Sailors Return at Redlands.
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By Herp News
Beginning next year, light planes and helicopters will undertake the first ever continent-wide aerial survey of Africa’s vanishing elephant populations. The hugely ambitious initiative, which will count elephant herds in 13 countries, is being funded by Microsoft founder, Paul Allen, through his Paul G. Allen Family Foundation.
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By Herp News
The montane rainforests of East Africa are little-known to the global public. The Amazon and Congo loom much larger in our minds, while the savannas of East Africa remain the iconic ecosystems for the region. However these ancient, biodiverse forests—sitting on the tops of mountains rising from the African savanna—are home to some remarkable species, many found only in a single forest. A team of international scientists—Michele Menegon, Fabio Pupin, and Simon Loader—have made it their mission to document the little-known reptiles and amphibians in these so-called sky islands, many of which are highly imperiled.
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By Herp News
Last Updated: 4:03pm, Dec 04, 2013PETALING JAYA (Dec 4): Pakatan Rakyat has accused the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry…
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Students at Wichita State University have found chytrid, a fungus deadly to frogs, in Kansas ponds and streams.
From the Wichita Eagle:
Students working with (biologist Mary Liz) Jameson in her Wichita State University field ecology class over the last three years have confirmed the fears of anyone in Kansas who likes frogs: They found an amphibian-killing fungus called chytrid in streams and ponds of Kansas.
They found it in several streams and ponds near Wichita, and in Wichita at Chisholm Creek Park, near 32nd Street North and Oliver. WSU released a statement earlier this year outlining the basics of what Jameson and her students found, including a warning from one of her graduate students, Timothy Eberl.
Eberl said in the news release that this has implications beyond the death of frogs.
Read the full story here.
Photo: Wichita State University …read more
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