By Herp News
Small coastal fisheries are having an outsize impact on sea turtle populations, a new study finds.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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Dot Earth Blog: Postcard from a Loggerhead Turtle Dying Ground
How do you count Komodo dragons?
Scientists may have found a reliable method of monitoring populations of threatened reptiles and amphibians, using a technique once thought limited to the tracking of warm-blooded species.
From Science Live:
Camera traps are frequently used to take pictures and monitor populations of large mammals like tigers and leopards, but until now, they haven’t been used often to count Komodo dragons ― the world’s largest lizards ― or other reptiles and amphibians.
Recent research suggests that they can and should be used to keep tabs on these animals, and that cameras may beat the physical traps currently used to monitor Komodo dragon populations.
Camera traps work by taking pictures when alerted to the presence of an animal by a motion detector, often an infrared one that detects heat. That’s a potential problem for reptiles and amphibians, which are cold-blooded, and thus often have the same temperature as the surrounding environment.
But the study, published online last week in the journal PLOS ONE, found that cameras worked about as well as traps at detecting the presence of Komodo dragons ― and, in certain areas, did even better. Plus, they require much less manpower to operate, and are far less expensive. With cameras, there is also no need to set up a large trap, bait it with goat meat and free the animal afterward.
Find out how this discovery is being used to protect the largest of all lizards here. …read more
Read more here: King Snake
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Turtle Trot 5K
By Herp News
2013 Turtle Trot 5K:Race packets include official Lovers Key Turtle Trot 5K t-shirt, official race number, course map, and general instructions. Proceeds benefit The Friends of Lovers Key, Inc – (A 501(c)(3) Citizen Support Org.) $25 by 5/5/12 $30 after
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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Showing no signs of aging, Lizard Butte Easter sunrise service turns 76
By Herp News
For generations, hundreds of Southwest Idaho families make the trek up the mountain at Lizard Butte for Easter services before the sun comes up. This historic sunrise service near Marsing is more than three-quarters of a century old.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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Reptile Gardens Now Open
By Herp News
Tourism is our state’s second largest industry, and fourth largest private sector employer. As children around the country enjoy spring break, the state of South Dakota gears up for the beginning of tourism season.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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Monitor lizard returned to Discovery Center, but 3 snakes still missing
By Herp News
The savannah monitor lizard stolen from the Fresno Discovery Center is back at home after he was fou
…read more
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1 of 4 reptiles stolen from Calif. museum found
By Herp News
A Central California science museum has recovered one of four reptiles that were taken by a burglar who was caught on surveillance video shoving the lizard and three snakes into a garbage bag. The 3 1/2-foot …
…read more
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Rare Calif. ‘island night lizard ‘ makes a comeback
By Herp News
Federal wildlife officials are recommending that a rare California lizard be removed from the endangered species list, saying the reptile has recovered.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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Thai Turtle Smuggler Caught With 14 Percent Of An Extremely Rare Species
By Herp News
Caught with a corner of the market.
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Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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Scientists sequence the turtle genome
Scientists have squenced the genome of the western painted turtle (Chrysemys picta bellii).
From RedOrbit.com:
Publishing the work in this week’s Genome Biology, researchers describe that much like the turtle itself, the rate of genome evolution is very slow. Their data show that turtle genomes evolve at a rate that is about a third that of the human genome and a fifth that of the python, the fastest genome analyzed to date.
Through extensive research, scientists have discovered many interesting facts about these abundant North American reptiles. They are long-lived, can withstand low temperatures and can survive long periods with no oxygen. The sex of the turtle is determined by the temperature at which the egg develops rather than through genetics. The painted turtle can survive up to four months under water depending on the temperature.
Previously, analyses of fossils have shown that the painted turtle has existed for more than 15 million years, and four regionally based subspecies have evolved during the last Ice Age. The western painted turtle is by far the largest of the four subspecies and can grow to 10 inches long.
The painted turtle is the first of its genus to have its genome fully sequenced, and only the second non-avian reptile to undergo the analysis. Data has revealed some very interesting insights about the bizarre features and adaptations that exist only in the turtle genome.
Read more here. …read more
Read more here: King Snake
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William Shatner Fights Lizard-Man in ‘Star Trek’ Game Ad (Video)
By Herp News
Captain Kirk and the reptile from the 1967 “Arena” episode learn they aren’t as spry as they used to be. read more
…read more
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Reptile Theft at Fresno’s Discovery Center
By Herp News
A reptile thief is still on the run. Caught on camera overnight breaking into Fresno’s Discovery Center. CBS 47 has the video that can help catch him. The center on Winery Avenue, near McKinley and Chestnut in Fresno recently re-opened. There’s been plenty of police activity there. CBS 47′s Lemor Abrams is live inside the center. He looked around for cameras, but the thief seems to have no …
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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Video shows reptile theft at Fresno’s Discovery Center
By Herp News
Police are looking for a man who was caught on surveillance video at the Fresno Discovery Center.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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Madagascar’s chameleons came from African mainland
By Herp News
Madagascar’s color-changing chameleons originated in Africa and crossed over to the island some 65 million years ago, concludes a study published this week in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
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Do alligators hold the key to fighting resistant bacteria?
Resistant bacterial infections and human immune system disorders may one day be conquered with the help of alligator blood.
After a lifetime of fascination with and study of crocodilians, Mark Merchant of McNeese State University has focused his research on the antibacterial power of alligator serum.
Merchant knew from what he had seen that the alligator’s immune system far surpassed that of humans, so he began investigating the “mechanism of action” behind this phenomenon.
Experiments using alligator serum (a component of the blood that is left after the coagulants and the blood cells are removed) gave an indication that he was looking in the right direction.
A simple experiment of placing a drop of the serum in a petri dish of bacteria demonstrated its powerful effect as an antibiotic by killing all the bacteria exposed to it.
Unfortunately, because of the size of its cells, the serum cannot be safely injected into human blood veins at the risk of anaphylactic shock — the body would recognize it as foreign, triggering a massive allergic response.
However, a drug synthesized to match the serum’s chemical makeup could still have topical applications including treatment of burn victims, diabetics, AIDS patients and others who suffer from skin lesions that are difficult to heal, Merchant said.
But the research wasn’t over there — they just needed to go deeper.
“We turned our interest to the white blood cells,” he said.
They found that a tiny protein or peptide within the white blood cells also acts as a powerful antibiotic.
He and his researchers found these proteins have a strong positive charge. Bacteria have a strong negative charge on their outer wall, so the two are drawn together like magnets.
They bind by electric attraction, and the protein kills the bacteria by rupturing its outer wall.
Merchant believes this is a breakthrough that could lead to “a whole new class of drugs with an entirely different mechanism,” though he cautioned “this isn’t without potential problems.”
Read more here. …read more
Read more here: King Snake
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Tortoise Power and Energy Infrastructure Fund, Inc. Provides Section 19(a) Notice
By Herp News
This notice provides stockholders of Tortoise Power and Energy Infrastructure Fund, Inc. with information regarding the distribution paid on March 28, 2013 and cumulati
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Snapper turtle : Out of the wash, into the classroom
By Herp News
The snapping turtle that was seized from Arneek Wright’s home Monday, Mar. 25, 2013.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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Unraveling The Bizarre Features Of The Turtle Genome
By Herp News
Lawrence LeBlond for redOrbit.com – Your Universe Online The western painted turtle ( Chrysemys picta bellii ) is one of the most widespread species of turtle in North America. This creature is found in fresh, slow-moving waters from southern Canada to northern Mexico and from the Atlantic to the Pacific. And because this species has been widely studied, it only makes sense for researchers to …
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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neores' Blog – It's crazy!
It’s crazy what lengths we go to domesticate these beautiful animals. It’s crazy the feeling we get for these animals. It’s crazy how your local bet hustles you cuz you go no choice but them, anyways what’s not crazy is that Ninjas dead!! Worked so hard payed so much money for Ninja n still nothing. Wish my son would have never brought home that turtle cuz it sucks to lose em! …read more
Read more here: Turtle Times
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Getting under the shell of the turtle genome
By Herp News
The genome of the western painted turtle , one of the most widespread, abundant and well-studied turtles in the world, has been sequenced. The data show that, like turtles themselves, the rate of genome evolution is extremely slow; turtle genomes evolve at a rate that is about a third that of the human genome and a fifth that of the python, the fastest lineage analyzed.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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Is it the end for Britain’s hedgehogs?
By Herp News
As hedgehogs all over the United Kingdom wake up from their winter hibernation, activists will be carefully counting their hogs. Every year, the hedgehog population in Britain’s rural towns declines by an estimated 5 percent. But between 2011 and 2012, a survey conducted by the People’s Trust for Endangered Species (PTES), a UK-based animal activism group, saw the country’s European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) population fall a dismal 32 percent.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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Getting under the shell of the turtle genome
By Herp News
The genome of the western painted turtle, one of the most widespread, abundant and well-studied turtles in the world, has been sequenced. The data show that, like turtles themselves, the rate of genome evolution is extremely slow; turtle genomes evolve at a rate that is about a third that of the human genome and a fifth that of the python, the fastest lineage analyzed.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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Getting under the shell of the turtle genome
By Herp News
( BioMed Central ) The genome of the western painted turtle one of the most widespread, abundant and well-studied turtles in the world, is published this week in Genome Biology. The data show that, like turtles themselves, the rate of genome evolution is extremely slow; turtle genomes evolve at a rate that is about a third that of the human genome and a fifth that of the python, the fastest …
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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Relative of the ‘penis snake’ discovered in South America (photos)
By Herp News
A new species of caecilian – a worm-like amphibian – has been discovered in French Guiana.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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Scientists discover new genus of crustacean
By Herp News
In recent journeys to Madagascar, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, the Philippines, and French Polynesia, scientists from the Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes and the University of Barcelona have discovered not only five new crustaceous species, but also the existence of a new genus in the family.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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Common pesticides disrupt brain functioning in bees
By Herp News
Exposure to commonly used pesticides directly disrupts brain functioning in bees, according to new research in Nature. While the study is the first to record that popular pesticides directly injure bee brain physiology, it adds to a slew of recent studies showing that pesticides, especially neonicotinoids, are capable of devastating bee hives and may be, at least, partly responsible for on-going Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD).
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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Snakes and soccer: That's all, sports fans
What do you suppose would happen if a dozen venomous snakes were slithering all over a football stadium in the U.S.? Mass exodus, right? Not in India.
From The Indian Express, via ESPN:
A dozen poisonous snakes were spotted at the Kalyani Stadium, the venue at which Mohan Bagan beat Arrows 3-2 during an I-league fixture on Sunday.
None of the players or the ball boys were bitten but the snakes were spotted near the dressing rooms and on the field of play after full-time.
Officials of the Kalyani Municipality ensured that the snakes were removed from the stadium.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF), however, is unlikely to ban the Kalyani Stadium as an I-League venue.
Read more here.
…read more
Read more here: King Snake
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2 ‘giant’ yet tiny mouse lemurs identified in Madagascar
By Herp News
Scientists have discovered two new species of mouse lemurs in Madagascar, bringing the total number of diminutive primates known to science to 20.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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Lizard Label Offers New Printable Fine Wood Paper
By Herp News
Custom label and sticker manufacturer Lizard Label announces the availability of an exciting new product line – wide-web real wood paper perfect for labels and packaging.Fairfield, NJ (PRWEB) March 27, 2013 Lizard Label, the expert label and sticker manufacturer, has announced the availability of a new product line – Sheer Veneer Fine Wood Paper. Sheer Veneer Fine Wood Paper is the world’s first …
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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Turtle River Montessori students top field in ‘Odyssey’
By Herp News
TURTLE RIVER MONTESSORIA team of seven students – Arthur Frigo, Anthony Frigo, John Killgore, Twain Glas, Colin Ciarfella, Ben Frei and James Lovelady – recently placed first in their division at Odyssey of the Mind regional competition at Suncoast High.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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DeLand man charged after trying to hide illegal turtle
By Herp News
Arneek Wright tried to hide the turtle and snakes and was additonally charged with tampering with evidence, a Fish and Wilife official said.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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FWC: Protected turtle , snakes found hidden under laundry
By Herp News
A protected alligator snapping turtle was confiscated after its owner tried to hide it under a pile of dirty laundry inside of a washing machine, a spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission said Tuesday.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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FWC: Protected snapping turtle , snakes found inside washing machine under dirty laundry
By Herp News
A protected alligator snapping turtle was confiscated after its owner tried to hide it under a pile of dirty laundry inside of a washing machine, a spokeswoman for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission said Tuesday.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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Researchers sequence Aye-aye genome – lemur is more genetically diverse than humans
By Herp News
Scientists sequenced the genome of the aye-aye, a bizarre lemur species, for the first time. The research is published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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A thousand soldiers sent after marauding elephant poachers [warning: graphic photos]
By Herp News
Eight Central African nations have announced they will send a thousand soldiers after poachers responsible for slaughtering 89 elephants, including over 30 pregnant mothers, in Chad earlier this month. The mobilization of soldiers and law enforcement officers could be a sign that Central African countries are beginning to take elephant poaching, which has decimated populations across Africa, more seriously.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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DeLand man charged after trying to hide illegal turtle in laundry
By Herp News
Arneek Wright tried to hide the turtle and snakes and was additonally charged with tampering with evidence, a Fish and Wilife official said.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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Researchers successfully breed endangered amphibian in captivity
The Smithsonian National Zoological Society announced Friday that the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project has successfully bred an endangered amphibian. From their release:
The limosa harlequin frog (Atelopus limosus), an endangered species native to Panama, now has a new lease on life. The Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project is successfully breeding the chevron-patterned form of the species in captivity for the first time. The rescue project is raising nine healthy frogs from one mating pair and hundreds of tadpoles from another pair.
“These frogs represent the last hope for their species,” said Brian Gratwicke, international coordinator for the project and a research biologist at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, one of six project partners. “This new generation is hugely inspiring to us as we work to conserve and care for this species and others.”
Nearly one-third of the world’s amphibian species are at risk of extinction. The rescue project aims to save priority species of frogs in Panama, one of the world’s last strongholds for amphibian biodiversity. While the global amphibian crisis is the result of habitat loss, climate change and pollution, a fungal disease, chytridiomycosis, is likely responsible for as many as 94 of 120 frog species disappearing since 1980.
Between its facilities at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Gamboa, Panama, and the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center in El Valle, Panama, the rescue project currently cares for 55 adult limosa harlequin frogs of the chevron-patterned form and 10 of the plain-color form. The project has had limited success breeding the plain-color form of this species, and has successfully bred other challenging endangered species, including crowned treefrogs (Anotheca spinosa), horned marsupial frogs (Gastrotheca cornuta) and toad mountain harlequin frogs (A. certus).
Read the full release here. …read more
Read more here: King Snake
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White House Can’t Afford Its Shapeshifting Alien Reptile Guards
By Herp News
Prepare to enter the shadowy world of Tinfoil Tuesday. This week, an extraterrestrial bodyguard protects the president, according to conspiracy theorists. But the White House dismisses the allegations and says it’s too costly.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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Lizard species rediscovered after 135 years
By Herp News
Mumbai, March 26 : For over a century and quarter, the tiny Geckoella Jeyporensis, a small lizard measuring up to 10 cm, was given up as extinct. Now it has been spotted in the Eastern Ghats, causing scientists to cheer.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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New species of newt discovered in Vietnam
The journal Herpetology is reporting that a team of Japanese researchers has discovered a new species of newt in the Vietnamese provinces of Ha Giang and Cao Bang.
From Phys.org:
The new specimen was found at the museum in Japan, and its curator contacted Kanto Nishikawa, one of the researchers involved in the study. Initial observations indicated nothing out of the ordinary, but after closer inspection, the team realized that its morphology didn’t conform to any known species. They subsequently performed genetic analysis which confirmed the newt as a new species: Tylototriton ziegleri— Ziegler’s crocodile newt—after the prominent German researcher Thomas Ziegler, who has contributed greatly to the study and conservation of amphibians and reptiles in Vietnam.
Read the full story here. …read more
Read more here: King Snake
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