By Herp News

Famed anthropologist and conservationist Richard Leakey has proposed a possible solution to the hugely controversial Serengeti road: build an elevated highway. Leakey made the remarks during a conference at Rutgers University on May 14th, as reported by Live Science. The Tanzanian government’s plans to build a road through the remote, northern Serengeti has come under both environmental and international criticism, as scientific studies and leaked government reports have found the proposed road would hugely hamper the world famous migration across the plans.

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By Herp News

TWO fire crews were called to a flat in Taunton this evening (May 21) after a fire broke out in a reptile tank.

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By Herp News

The first sea turtle nest of the season in Horry County has been reported on the beach near 69 th Avenue North.

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By Herp News

What started out as a small reptile rescue run out of a local couple’s home has bloomed into the Great Lakes Zoological Society’s “World of Discovery” center, an indoor amphibian and reptile zoo of about 100 animals, located just west of Ann Arbor.

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By Herp News

A two-metre monitor lizard was found crawling through air ducts in the ceiling inside Government House building on Wednesday morning, reports said.

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By Herp News

A two-metre monitor lizard was found crawling through air ducts in the ceiling of the parliament building on Wednesday morning, reports said.

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By Herp News

A migratory shorebird that has flown more than 400,000 miles has reappeared once again.

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By Herp News

Drawing from her personal experience as a primate educator and the challenges she saw others facing, Amy Clanin envisioned a network that would advance the field of primate conservation education by addressing three needs of educators: connections, resources, and services. It was this vision that led her to create the Primate Education Network (PEN). PEN is at the forefront of primate conservation education, providing a community and collaboration platform for primate educators.

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For a little over two years in the 1970s, Patti and I left Florida and spent three years in Massachusetts. During that time the venerable Massachusetts Herpetological Society was active and well, and the monthly meetings were a joy to attend.

At the society meetings I met Tom Tyning, a herpetologist who is now a professor at Berkshire Community College but was at that time a stalwart employee of Massachusetts Audubon. Tom had a wonderful sense of humor, so I thought he was kidding me when he said his herpetological nemesis in MA was the eastern worm snake, Carphophis amoenus amoenus. What I found strange about that statement was that Tom lived at the edge of a sandy, rolling, expanse of land that contained a thriving worm snake population. When I told him this, Tom’s response was something to the effect of a skeptical, “Oh, yeah, sure!”

So, a few days later, on a typically toasty summer afternoon, Tom and I met a couple of hundred feet from his back door, and began our search for fallen tree trunks, discarded newspapers and cardboard, all worm snake cover. Finding such cover was the work of only a minute.

Finding the first few worm snakes took only a few moments longer. Remembering the look of incredulity on Tom’s face has lasted a lifetime.

More photos under the jump.
Continue reading “A ‘worm snake,’ you say?” …read more

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A just-published map of the world’s most endangered species of mammals and amphibians shows that very little of the habitat critical to these species’ survival is being protected.

From the BBC:

Amphibians are suffering a “terrifying” rate of extinction say the researchers, making them the most threatened vertebrates in the world. The Mexican salamander or axolotl is being threatened by expanding cities, pollution and invasive fish species which eat their young.

While many of the survival issues facing species highlighted on the map are extremely challenging, sometimes small changes can make a big difference.

(Zoological Society of London Director of Conservation Jonathan) Baillie highlights the example of a small worm like amphibian from Kenya called the Sagalla caecilian.

“It was just losing its habitat because the native trees were taken, so we’ve started a programme of replanting the native trees and 6,000 have been replanted and the areas where they have their strongholds are now being protected.”

“That kind of simple action can ensure that those species can be there hopefully for hundred of years to come.”

Read the rest here.

Photo: Mexican salamander/ZSL …read more

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By Herp News

What started out as a small reptile rescue run out of a local couple’s home has bloomed into the Great Lakes Zoological Society’s “World of Discovery” center, an indoor amphibian and reptile zoo of about 100 animals, located just west of Ann Arbor.

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Scientists studying a fossil fond in Iraq in the 1950s were surprised to find it was that of a marine reptile dating back 66 million years, long after the time this group of animals was thought to have become extinct.

From Science Live:

Ichythyosaurs were dolphin-shaped swimming reptiles that gave birth to live young. They lived in the oceans at the same time dinosaurs were tromping around on land. Previously, researchers thought only one group of ichthyosaurs, called ophthalmosaurids, made it out of the Jurassic into the Cretaceous. The newly named fossil, dubbed Malawania anachronus, is a Cretaceous survivor that does not belong to the ophthalmosaurids, however. That means a “ghost lineage” of ichthyosaurs survived alongside the ophthalmosaurids, changing very little over millions of years.

The fossil in question was first found in the 1950s by British petroleum geologists, who noticed the slab being used as a stepping stone on a mule track in Iraq. The geologists rescued the fossil and took it to the United Kingdom, where it stayed unstudied until the 1970s. Because researchers didn’t know where in the rock record the fossil had come from, they struggled to determine its age. (Layers of earth build up over time, meaning, in a general sense, the oldest layers will be on the bottom and the more recent layers more toward the surface.)

Read the full story here.

Illustrations: Robert Nicholls (www.paleocreations.com); coloring by C. M. Kosemen (www.cmkosemen.com).
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By Herp News

What started out as a small reptile rescue run out of a local couple’s home has bloomed into the Great Lakes Zoological Society’s “World of Discovery” center, an indoor amphibian and reptile zoo of about 100 animals, located just west of Ann Arbor.

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By Herp News

Besides being beautiful, Costa Rica's beaches are the nesting sites of four endangered sea turtle species, which return each year to lay their eggs. But there is trouble in paradise for these reptiles, namely, from egg thieves.

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By Herp News

Washington, May 20 : A Russian capsule, which had mice and lizards as its occupants, returned to Earth on Sunday after spending a month in space.

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By Herp News

Besides being beautiful, Costa Rica's beaches are the nesting sites of four endangered sea turtle species, which return each year to lay their eggs. But there is trouble in paradise for these reptiles, namely, from egg thieves.

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By Herp News

Many people still believe the Tasmanian tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus) survives in the wilds of Tasmania, even though the species was declared extinct over eighty years ago. Sightings and reports of the elusive carnivorous marsupial, which was the top predator on the island, pop-up almost as frequently as those of Bigfoot in North America, but to date no definitive evidence has emerged of its survival. Yet, a noted cryptozoologist (one who searches for hidden animals), Dr. Karl Shuker, wrote recently that tiger hunters should perhaps turn their attention to a different island: New Guinea.

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By Herp News

What lures a lady frog to her lover? Good looks, the sound of his voice, the size of his pad or none of the above? After weighing up their options, female strawberry poison frogs (Oophaga pumilio) bag the closest crooner they can. This seemingly short-sighted strategy turns out to be the optimal mate choice strategy for these colorful frogs.

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By Herp News

Tortoise Pipeline & Energy Fund, Inc. ( TTP ) will begin trading ex-dividend on May 21, 2013. A cash dividend payment of $0.4075 per share is scheduled to be paid on June 03, 2013.

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By Herp News

Tortoise Energy Infrastructure Corporation ( TYG ) will begin trading ex-dividend on May 21, 2013. A cash dividend payment of $0.57 per share is scheduled to be paid on June 03, 2013.

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By Herp News

Tortoise Power and Energy Infrastructure Fund, Inc ( TPZ ) will begin trading ex-dividend on May 21, 2013. A cash dividend payment of $0.125 per share is scheduled to be paid on May 31, 2013.

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By Herp News

Tortoise Energy Capital Corporation ( TYY ) will begin trading ex-dividend on May 21, 2013. A cash dividend payment of $0.4225 per share is scheduled to be paid on June 03, 2013.

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By Herp News

Tortoise MLP Fund, Inc. (NTG) Ex-Dividend Date Scheduled for May 21, 2013

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Tortoise North American Energy Corporation (TYN) Ex-Dividend Date Scheduled for May 21, 2013

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By Herp News

Tortoise Energy Independence Fund, Inc. (NDP) Ex-Dividend Date Scheduled for May 21, 2013

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By Herp News

What started out as a small reptile rescue run out of a local couple’s home has bloomed into the Great Lakes Zoological Society’s “World of Discovery” center, an indoor amphibian and reptile zoo of about 100 animals, located just west of Ann Arbor.

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I think every reptile and amphibian keeper has experienced that sinking sensation upon noticing a cage top ajar.

No matter how you’ve set up your caging, if the animal escapes, your caging or the keeper has failed. If you’re an adult, you shrug and take steps to recover the creature. If you’re a kid, you know your parents aren’t going to be happy with the situation or your attempts to recapture the animal. Unless you find and restore your pet to its housing, this might be the end of your keeping herps for an extended period. If we’re talking about an escaped venomous reptile, you (and the animal) need a lot more help than this note can offer.

The big bad about being out of a cage is being away from water. Amphibians are particularly subject to dessication, and it’s a terrible way to die. You have maybe 12 hours, if you’re lucky, to find your escaped amphibian and restore it to its cage with its fresh water droplets or a bowl of water.

Frogs, salamanders, and newts deal poorly with being away from moisture. Frogs may hop their way into your maybe more humid bathroom, but don’t count on it. I never had one make it into the toilet, although I have wished they would. Reptiles are not as subject to desiccation, but the little guys, like anoles and snakes less than 24 inches long, don’t have a lot of body bulk for moisture storage.

So, where do they go and how do you find them?
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Check out this video “Logan giving Buddy a bath,” submitted by kingsnake.com user spotsowner.
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By Herp News

Washington, May 20 (ANI): A Russian capsule, which had mice and lizards as its occupants, returned to Earth on Sunday after spending a month in space.

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By Herp News

GRANDE RIVIERE, Trinidad (AP) — Giant leatherback turtles, some weighing half as much as a small car, drag themselves out of the ocean and up the sloping shore on the northeastern coast of Trinidad while villagers await wearing dimmed headlamps in the dark. Their black carapaces glistening, the turtles inch along the moonlit beach, using their powerful front flippers to move their bulky frames …

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By Herp News

Gabon has agreed to help battle poaching in protected areas in the Central African Republic following an elephant massacre at a renowned World Heritage site, reports the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).

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By Herp News

What started out as a small reptile rescue run out of a local couple’s home has bloomed into the Great Lakes Zoological Society’s “World of Discovery” center, an indoor amphibian and reptile zoo of about 100 animals, located just west of Ann Arbor.

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By Herp News

What started out as a small reptile rescue run out of a local couple’s home has bloomed into the Great Lakes Zoological Society’s “World of Discovery” center, an indoor amphibian and reptile zoo of about 100 animals, located just west of Ann Arbor.

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By Herp News

Increasingly erratic rainfall patterns can lead to declines in southeastern frog and salamander populations, but protecting ponds can improve their plight.

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By Herp News

Gabon has agreed to help battle poaching in protected areas in the Central African Republic following an elephant massacre at a renowned World Heritage site, reports the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS).

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By Herp News

What started out as a small reptile rescue run out of a local couple’s home has bloomed into the Great Lakes Zoological Society’s “World of Discovery” center, an indoor amphibian and reptile zoo of about 100 animals, located just west of Ann Arbor.

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By Herp News

A snapping turtle injured by a car in Ontario has been airlifted more than 400 kilometres to an animal hospital, and is now on a slow road to recovery.

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By Herp News

SARNIA, Ontario, May 17 (UPI) — A turtle that was hit by a car in Canada was airlifted nearly 250 miles for medical treatment, officials said.

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Scientists believe the black markings of the West African Gaboon viper may hold the secret to creating materials with a powerful ability to absorb light.

From The Age:

The West African Gaboon viper, one of the largest in Africa and a master of camouflage, has dark spots in the geometrical pattern of its skin that are deep, velvety black and reflect very little light.

Interwoven with white- and brown-coloured scales that are very reflective, this creates a high contrast that renders the snake difficult to spot on the richly-patterned rainforest floor.

A team of German scientists set out to find the secret behind the black spots’ ultra darkness, and found the scale surface was made up of tightly-packed, leaf-like microstructures covered in turn with nanometre-sized ridges.
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One nanometre is equivalent to a billionth of a metre.

Writing in the Nature journal Scientific Reports, the team theorised that the microstructures and nanostructures, which protrude at slightly different angles, scatter and trap incoming light.

“The structure based velvet black effect could also be potentially transferred to other materials,” the scientists wrote.

The complete article is here.
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By Herp News

Thanks to an animal rescue group, a snapping turtle hit by a car has a second chance at life. Earlier this spring, Porter the snapping turtle was hit by a car in Sarnia, Ontario. He suffered extensive facial injuries and … Continue reading →

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