By Herp News

“I went to medical school to care for patients, not to fill out forms.”        

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Check out this video “Egyptian Uromastyx,” submitted by kingsnake.com user stingray.
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By Herp News

As executive director of the Colorado Reptile Humane Society, Ann-Elizabeth Nash hears some odd stories, but the post-flood call that began “I've got this black and yellow lizard in our window well” topped most of them.

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A Utah reptile expert who consults with police has seen a rise in illegal reptiles in Utah.

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Fitch Ratings assigns an 'AAA' rating to the following notes issued by two closed-end funds managed by Tortoise Capital Advisors, LLC:

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Hillary and Chelsea Clinton on Thursday deployed their mother-daughter star power to help the effort to save African elephants, brokering an $80m effort to stop the ivory poaching which threatens the animals with extinction.

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By Herp News

Torrent frogs use their toes, belly, and thighs to attach to rough, wet, and steep surfaces. In a multipart study, researchers compared the attachment abilities of two species: torrent frogs (Staurois guttatus) and tree frogs (Rhacophorus pardalis). They found that the torrent frog is better able to attach to extremely wet, steep, and rough surfaces due to its superior attachment abilities.

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In Missouri, about a third of the ponds are infected with chytrid, the notorious skin fungus that has sickened and killed amphibians in other parts of the world. Why only a third, scientists wondered? A comprehensive study of the ponds suggests there are hidden constraints on the survival of the fungus. One possibility is that invertebrates present in some ponds but not others allow the fungus to persist by acting as alternative hosts or reservoirs.

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The attention paid to charismatic popular primates—such as gorillas, chimps, orangutans, lion tamarins, and even some lemurs—could make one suppose that conservationists have the protection of our closest relatives well in hand; the astounding fact that no primate species is known to have gone extinct in the last hundred years (despite large-scale destruction of their habitats) seems to confirm this statement. However, looking more closely at the data, one finds that not only are many of the world’s primates slipping toward extinction, but a number of them have received little conservation attention. According to the IUCN Red List, a staggering 48 percent of the world’s primates are threatened with extinction: that’s a worse percentage than amphibians which have been ravaged by a global epidemic. And although a handful of the world’s 600-plus primates have garnered conservation adoration, many remain obscure.

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We’re always happy to see the media grasping that “venomous” and “poisonous” don’t mean the same thing. For your Friday viewing pleasure, stop by io9.com and check out some of the world’s coolest venomous crittters!

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By Herp News

During a routine Amur tiger survey with remote camera traps in December 2011, a few photos gave biologists a shock when they revealed
the stunning sight of a golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) launching itself on the back of a 7-month old sika deer (Cervus nippon) and bringing down prey that outweighed it by at least seven times. Photographed in remote Far East Russia, the photos show an incredibly-rare instance of an eagle preying on a deer.

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As tropical forests worldwide are increasingly cut into smaller and smaller fragments, mammal extinctions may not be far behind, according to a new study in Science. Tracking native smalls mammals in Chiew Larn Reservoir, Thailand for over 25 years, scientists found a stunning and rapid decline in mammal populations, until most forests were almost completely emptied of native mammals.

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Before the age of the dinosaurs, a mass extinction event occurred that destroyed 70 percent of all terrestrial vertebrate species and almost all aquatic species. It took as long as 10 million years for life on earth to recover from what is now known as the end-Permian extinction event.

After that recovery but before the rise of the dinosaurs, the ancestors of modern lizards and snakes emerged.

From the University College London:

Two new fossil jaws discovered in Vellberg, Germany provide the first direct evidence that the ancestors of lizards, snakes and tuatara (known collectively as lepidosaurs), were alive during the Middle Triassic period – around 240 million years ago.

The new fossil finds predate all other lepidosaur records by 12 million years. The findings are published in BMC Evolutionary Biology.

The international team of scientists who dated the fossil jaws have provided evidence that lepidosaurs first appeared after the end-Permian mass extinction event, a period when fauna began to recover and thrive in the more humid climate.

Lead author Dr Marc Jones, who conducted the research at UCL, explained: “The Middle Triassic represents a time when the world has recovered from the Permian mass extinction but is not yet dominated by dinosaurs. This is also when familiar groups, such as frogs and lizards, may have first appeared.”

The small teeth and lightly built jaws suggest that the extinct animal preyed on small insects. The new fossils are most closely related to the tuatara, a lizard-like reptile.

[…]

The new fossil jaws can improve molecular dating estimates of when reptiles began to diversify into snakes, lizard and tuatara, and when the first modern lizards inhabited the earth. Previous estimates have varied over a range of 64 million years and the team are keen to help narrow this down.

“Some previous estimates based on molecular data suggested that lizards first evolved 290 million years ago,” said second author Cajsa Lisa Anderson, University of Gothenburg. “To a palaeontologist this seems way too old and our revised molecular analysis agrees with the fossils.”

Revised molecular dating in light of this new fossil find now suggests lizards began to diversify into most of the modern groups we recognise today, such as geckos and skinks, less than 150 million years ago in the Cretaceous period, following continental fragmentation.

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By Herp News

The fossilized remains of a reptile closely related to lizards are the oldest yet to be discovered. Two new fossil jaws discovered in Vellberg, Germany provide the first direct evidence that the ancestors of lizards, snakes and tuatara (known collectively as lepidosaurs) were alive during the Middle Triassic period — around 240 million years ago.

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By Herp News

He was last seen on Manchester Road near Highway OO in July. When it gets cold, he won't survive long.

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By Herp News

The fossilized remains of a reptile closely related to lizards are the oldest yet to be discovered. Two new fossil jaws discovered in Vellberg, Germany provide the first direct evidence that the ancestors of lizards, snakes and tuatara (known collectively as lepidosaurs), were alive during the Middle Triassic period — around 240 million years ago.

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Noted California herpetologist and author of many popular reptile and amphibian field guides used by amateur and professional herpetologists alike, Robert C. Stebbins passed away yesterday at the age of 98.

Born on March 31, 1915, in Chico, California, the first of seven children, his work with reptiles and amphibans on the west coast has been described as “what the Oxford English Dictionary is to lexicographers” and includes such noted works as;

• Amphibians of Western North America (UC Press, 1951)
  
• Amphibians and Reptiles of Western North America (McGraw-Hill Press, 1954)
  
• Reptiles and Amphibians of the San Francisco Bay Region (UC Press, 1960)
  
• A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians (Houghton-Mifflin Co., 1966)
  
• Amphibians and Reptiles of California (UC Press, 1972)
  
• A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, 2nd edition (Houghton-Mifflin Co., 1985)
  
• A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, 3rd edition (Houghton-Mifflin Co., 2003)
  
• Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of California, revised edition (w/ Samuel M. McGinnis; UC Press, 2012)

To read more about Robert Stebbins and his work, click here for more from the (bio)accumulation web site . …read more
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By Herp News

Story by Lauren Hills / CBS 12 News JUNO BEACH, Fla. — It was the catch of the day for Aaron Pederson, but not one he ever expected while fishing with his family at the Juno beach pier on Sunday.   “We were just snook fishing and I got a bite and felt like I was hooked to a rock,” said Aaron. …

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By Herp News

Two wildlife rangers have been killed by poachers in Thailand, reports the Wildlife Conservation Society.

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By Herp News

Two wildlife rangers have been killed by poachers in Thailand, reports the Wildlife Conservation Society.

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Some programs to help troubled young people have seen improvement in school and interpersonal relationships after the children and teens have worked with dogs or horses. Now snakes and other “misunderstood animals” can be added to that list.

From Trails Carolina:

Studies have shown that animal assisted therapy and relationships with animal companions in general provide an improvement in physical, emotional and psychological well-being. Trails advanced this research by building a curriculum where students interact and engage with misunderstood animals and parallel this experience to their own.

“We learned as children to hate snakes, turtles, possums and the like and we’ve been taught that they’re bad,” says Steve O’Neil, Trails’ Ecology Expert. “Most of our students come in with a lot of fear and within minutes they’re holding a snake. Overcoming their fear and misconceptions about these animals also helps our students see themselves in a different light.”

Similar to these animals, the troubled youth of Trails are facing their own misunderstandings of the world and how people perceive them. By gaining a better understanding of the ecological value of these misunderstood animals students gain a better understanding of their own value and how their behaviors and actions are often misunderstood. This curriculum helps students build confidence in themselves and better understand how to communicate with others.

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A teeny tiny little Mandarin rat snake grounded a Qantas Boeing 747 in Sydney last weekend.

From ABC News:

Staff found the 20-centimeter (8-inch) Mandarin Rat Snake in the passenger cabin near the door late Sunday before passengers were due to board the flight bound for Tokyo from Sydney International Airport, Qantas said in a statement.

Australia’s flagship airline said passengers were given hotel rooms overnight and left Sydney on a replacement plane Monday morning. Qantas said the original jet would be fumigated before returning to service in case there were other snakes on board.

The snake was taken by quarantine officials for analysis.

The Agriculture Department said the snake, a species that grows to an average 1.2 meters (4 feet), had been euthanized, “as exotic reptiles of this kind can harbor pests and diseases not present in Australia.”

Read the full story here.

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By Herp News

Story by Lauren Hills / CBS 12 News JUNO BEACH, Fla. — It was the catch of the day for Aaron Pederson, but not one he ever expected while fishing with his family at the Juno beach pier on Sunday.   “We were just snook fishing and I got a bite and felt like I was hooked to a rock,” said Aaron. …

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By Herp News

A Washington County landowner and developer had a vision for a residential development. He's now bankrupt.

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By Herp News

Located in the southwestern corner of India, the state of Karnataka is celebrated for its stunning biodiversity. In order to honor the natural beauty of the region, wildlife photographer and filmmaker Amoghavarsha and Bangalore based musician Ricky Kej have teamed up to create a music video highlighting Karnataka’s unique species and wild places.

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By Herp News

On Friday R&B singer, Rihanna, posed in Thailand with a slow loris, an endangered primate that is often illegally touted on the streets of Southeast Asia by pet dealers. The picture, which the celebrity shared on instagram, went viral, and over the weekend Thai police arrested two men—one 20 and one 16—who allegedly provided the slow loris to the Rihanna for the impromptu photo.

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By Herp News

The Marsican brown bear is on the brink of extinction. Despite authorities spending millions of Euros on its conservation, high human-caused mortality is menacing the survival of this distinct subspecies. The Marsican brown bear (Ursus arctos marsicanus) is only found in the Italy’s Central Apennines, less than 200 kilometers from Rome. The last reliable research carried out in 2011 by the University La Sapienza in Rome estimated a population of around 49 bears. Not surprisingly, the Marsican bear is at extremely high risk of extinction and is considered Critically Endangered on the Red List of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature).

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By Herp News

Yu, the 25-year-old loggerhead turtle lives in the Suma Aqualife Park near Kobe in Japan and wears a specially-designed black vest with rubber fins attached.

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Check out this video “Anoles in My Garden,” submitted by kingsnake.com user clintg.
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

Four new legless lizard species are found, near Los Angeles International Airport and in Bakersfield, in the Mojave and near Taft. Scientists have discovered four new species of legless lizards in California, including one species that lives beneath the sand dunes near Los Angeles International Airport.        

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By Herp News

Mark Summer is a serious musician but he knows how to have fun.

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Slow Poke the turtle disappeared Thursday from Tina Haley's backyard.

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By Herp News

The Calgary Reptile Expo is underway Saturday and Sunday, giving lovers of the less cuddly animals an opportunity to learn and explore.

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By Herp News

Two Stomp readers reported the sighting of a monitor lizard moving about around the lift lobby of a Housing Board block in Yishun Ring Road on Saturday morning (Sep 21). According to one passerby, the lizard was later taken away with help from the police and Acres (Animal Concerns Research & Education Society). In an email to citizen journalism site, Stomp, the reader, hugelizard, wrote: “Huge …

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By Herp News

Sir David Attenborough has joked that he wishes more people would realise he has a reptile named after him.

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By Herp News

The city is asking to exempt a core area of the beachfront from the ordinance to “facilitate developer interest and investment …”

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By Herp News

Last Monday, the police officer on morning duty at Isla Colón International Airport, Panama noticed some foreigners loading crates with what appeared to be animals on a private jet. Finding this suspicious, he alerted his supervisor. Within minutes the local police chief, the mayor of Bocas, the director of the regional office of the National Environmental Authority (ANAM), community leaders and heads of local conservation organizations were informed about the incident. Little by little, a crowd of concerned citizens from Bocas town gathered around what turned out to be eight pygmy sloths – some of the rarest mammals on Earth

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By Herp News

South Africa has experienced an uptick in rhino poaching since Environmental Minister Edna Molewa called for legalizing the rhino trade, reveals analysis by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA).

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By Herp News

Following the description of the world’s smallest frogs, biologists now offer three more species of tiny amphibians from the region of Papua New Guinea. Despite their minute size, around 20 mm, the three new frog species are still substantially larger than the prize holders, described in 2011. The new species represent a small part and attest for the remarkable anuran biodiversity of the Papuan region.

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It’s not often a veterinarian who writes about pets for a mainstream newspaper devotes an entire column not just to a pet snake, but a species that’s not kept as a pet all that often. But Modesto, Calif., veterinarian Dr. Jeff Kahler did just that in a recent piece in the Modesto Bee, where he recounted the story of a wart snake brought to his practice because his eyes had clouded over.

From the article:

Bando is a 3-year-old, 6 1/2-foot snake – and not just any kind of snake. He is a wart snake or sometimes called elephant trunk snake. Bando’s caretaker, Randy, has had Bando for two years, having purchased him from a California reptile dealer.

He is housed in an aquarium that is temperature-controlled and aquatic. Bando spends almost all of his time in the water, including feeding time. His diet consists of goldfish and he is feed once a week. Randy reports that Bando has had no problems in the past two years but recently appears to have developed an issue with his eyes.

Over the past few weeks, Bando’s eyes have become more and more opaque. They are now to the point where Randy suspects Bando cannot see.

Initially Randy thought Bando’s eyes were clouding over as they normally do right before he sheds his skin but even after a shed occurred, the opacity in Bando’s eyes remained. Randy has yet to find a veterinarian to examine Bando so he took to the internet and eventually got me involved.

To understand what might be going on with Bando’s eyes, it helps to understand a bit about the natural history of his species. For you aficionados, wart snakes belong to the genus Acrochordus, which includes three species of snakes. I suspect Bando is a Java wart snake because of his large size.

These snakes are native to parts of southeast Asia and spend most of their time in water. Their diet consists of aquatic life — especially fish — and they have a rough scale pattern, which aids in gripping fish as they coil around them when eating. In my clinical experience, these are very rare snakes in captivity. I personally have only worked with them in zoo collections.

There are many possibilities that could cause Bando’s eye issues. But it is my suspicion that Bando’s eye problem is directly related to his captive environment and, more specifically, the water he is kept in.

Click here to find out what’s wrong with Bando!

Photo: Smacdonald at en.wikipedia, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. …read more
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