By Herp News

Ringed with forested mountains forming the borders with Laos and Vietnam, the northeast corner of Cambodia has been an intriguing blank spot among my extensive travels through the country. Nestled up against this frontier is Virachey National Park, created in 1993. I began searching for a way to explore this area a couple of years ago, hoping to connect with conservation NGOs to get me into the park; no one seemed to know much about it. I learned that the area had been written off by these groups due to massive land concessions given to logging and rubber concerns. The World Bank abandoned its 8-year effort to create a management scheme for Virachey after the concessions were granted in 2007. A moratorium on the concessions is temporarily in place, but illegal logging incursions into the park continue.

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By Herp News

Conservations couldn’t agree if the glass was half-full or half-empty on action to protect elephants at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in Bangkok, Thailand. Elephants, especially in Africa, have faced a massive rise in poaching over the last decade with tens-of-thousands shot dead every year. Forests elephants in central Africa have been especially targeted: new research estimates that an astounding 60 percent of the world’s forest elephants have been slaughtered for their tusks in the last ten years alone. While, conservationists had hopes that CITES would move aggressively against elephant poaching, the results were a decidedly mixed-bag.

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By Herp News

When you’re on a scientific lizard hunt, it’s good luck to find the first specimen within minutes — unless that’s the last one you see for hours.

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By Herp News

A control program on southern Vancouver Island provided the carcasses of over 5,000 adult and juvenile invasive alien American bullfrogs. Examination of their stomach contents confirms that bullfrogs eat virtually any organism that can fit into their large mouths, whether it be under water, at the surface, on land, even when it can defend itself with stingers, spines, or claws. So native ecosystems beware!

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By Herp News

Reptile Week at Mystic Aquarium, 55 Coogan Boulevard, Mystic, will be held April 13 through 21.

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By Herp News

Custom label and sticker manufacturer Lizard Label announces the availability of dissolvable labels and dissolvable adhesive – the perfect solution for short-term labeling (PRWeb March 14, 2013) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/dissovable_label/custom_label/prweb10518452.htm

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By Herp News

Custom label and sticker manufacturer Lizard Label announces the availability of dissolvable labels and dissolvable adhesive – the perfect solution for short-term labelingFairfield, NJ (PRWEB) March 14, 2013 Lizard Label, the expert custom label and sticker manufacturer, has announced the availability of a new product line – the dissolvable label. The label is made from water dissolvable paper …

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By Herp News

Caught in a beam of torchlight, the eyes of the slender loris reflect back a striking glow. In an effort to better understand these shy, nocturnal primates, a team of researchers set out to the Western Ghats of India. The resulting paper: Moolah, Misfortune or Spinsterhood? The Plight of the Slender Loris (Loris lydekkerianus) in Southern India was published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa in January of 2013. Forest walks and interviews with the Kani people, who live in close proximity to the lorises, supported evidence of a surprising new threat to the lorises: photographers.

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kingsnake.com will be handing out our all new “Zombie” bumper stickers at this weekend’s NARBC Expo in Tinley Park, just outside Chicago, to celebrate the launch of our new “merch booth” on Cafe Press.

kingsnake.com’s new designs, and old designs as well, are now available on t-shirts, tank tops, coffee mugs, and more all through the internet’s most popular on-demand printer, CafePress.

To check out kingsnake.com’s new “Zombie” shirts and more, visit the kingsnake store at http://www.kingsnake.com/stores/kingsnakestore/!

kingsnake.com won’t be the only ones drawing a crowd at this weekend’s NARBC Expo, with Slayer guitarist Kerry King’s appearance confirmed. Just back from a tour in Australia, he’s bringing a load of carpet pythons and T-shirts with him from California. Anyone who knows Kerry know he loves to talk snakes, and he’ll be in his Psychotic Exotics booth both days showing off his reptiles, taking pictures with fans, and signing autographs.

Kerry won’t be the only one in Tinley signing autographs, either. Long-time herper and Auction Hunters TV personality Ton Jones will also signing autographs, taking pictures, and hanging out with fans over at the Timberline booth. Stop by and tell Ton hello!

NARBC in Tinley is always an interesting show, with lots of surprises. We have a few surprises to announce before the show as wellg so watch this space!

For more info on the NARBC Tinley Park Reptile and Amphibian Expo, including times, directions, and accomodations, check out the NARBC web site at http://NARBC.COM.

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By Herp News

An expedition to study the variable-scaled anole in the Andean uplands of Colombia begins with a less than scientific challenge: dealing with traffic.

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Mr. Stubbs, an an 11-year-old American alligator who had his tail bitten off by a bigger alligator, is swimming again, thanks to the Phoenix Herpetological Society and The Core Institute Center for Orthopedic Research and Education.

From ABC News:

“We put him in deep water and he would roll over and capsize like a boat,” said [Russ] Johnson, [president of the Phoenix Herpetological Society]. “When competition for food came, all the other alligators would win. He’d be the last to the chow line.”

This past year, doctors at The Core Institute Center for Orthopedic Research and Education came up with a groundbreaking prosthetic tail to better the quality of life for Mr. Stubbs.

“We’ve never made a prosthetic for an animal before,” Marc Jacofsky, the executive vice president for research and development for The Core Institute, told ABC News. “Our motto is ‘Keep life in motion.’ It just feels really good to apply that to an animal that’s in need.”

The Core Institute partnered with Midwestern University, which does research in the anatomy of an alligator, to ensure the prosthetic would match the density of a real tail. Even though the research and development was carefully calculated, Jacofsky said the team has had to make several adjustments after monitoring Mr. Stubbs’s reaction to a prototype.

“One of the early strapping systems to secure the tail pressed on his legs and he wasn’t able to walk properly,” said Jacofsky. “There are always unforeseen challenges that come up. We anticipate this whenever we are breaking new ground, and the key is to engineer around them.”

The prosthetic tail, donated by The Core Institute, was developed over a period of three months. The project cost around $6,000. Johnson said believes with the new tail, the alligator could live up to 80 years. Without help, it could have been 20.

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By Herp News

Here are the most recent story comments. View All No comments yet!

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The budget sequester has forced the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to slash port inspections at night and on the weekends, potentially leaving thousands of fish and reptiles stuck in an import limbo that could devastate two industries just getting back on their feet after the economic downturn.

In a

The budget sequester has forced the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to slash port inspections at night and on the weekends, potentially leaving thousands of fish and reptiles stuck in an import limbo that could devastate two industries just getting back on their feet after the economic downturn.

In a press release, the USFWS said the service “has imposed a hiring freeze (meaning that wildlife inspector vacancies will not be filled) and has suspended all overtime activities (including those at ports of entry.”

Marshall Meyers of the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC) said, “The USFWS advised importers/exporters of live wildlife that the Service will no longer inspect shipments after hours on weekdays (normally after 4:30 pm), Saturday/Sunday or federal holidays. The notice states that this will remain in effect through fiscal year 2013, so even if budget issues are resolved, USFWS says the clearance embargo will remain in place.”

As many, if not most, international flights arrive after hours or on weekends, importers serving the pet industry are most likely going to be crippled if they cannot find alternative air transportation, which will itself undoubtedly result in longer, less direct, flights. Several importers have advised PIJAC that the USFWS decision is likely to result in their suspending operations or simply going out of business.

Members of both the USFWS and PIJAC are currently in Thailand attending the 26th meeting of the CITES Animals Committee, which is addressing a number of agenda items including sharks, snakes, sturgeons, corals, and listing criteria for commercially exploited aquatic species. Hopefully PIJAC and USFWS will have a chance to discuss options to avert this crisis.

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By Herp News

Alex Pyron’s expertise is in family trees. Who is related to whom, who begat whom, how did they get where they are now. But not for humans: reptiles.

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The kingsnake.com banner pool ad program has made a big splash, and we don’t want you to miss out!

Whether you’re a small hobbyist with just a couple of animals to sell, or a breeder or business who found regular banner advertising too expensive in the past, the kingsnake.com banner pool program is designed for you.

How much does it cost to jump into the banner pool? As little as 7 cents a day!

For more information on how to add your banner to the pool, or to purchase your banner pool slot, please go to http://www.kingsnake.com/services/bannerpool.html. Space in the pool is limited and selling fast, so grab a towel and head to the banner pool today!
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By Herp News

Caught in a beam of torchlight, the eyes of the slender loris reflect back a striking glow. In an effort to better understand these shy, nocturnal primates, a team of researchers set out to the Western Ghats of India. The resulting paper: Moolah, Misfortune or Spinsterhood? The Plight of the Slender Loris (Loris lydekkerianus) in Southern India was published in the Journal of Threatened Taxa in January of 2013. Forest walks and interviews with the Kani people, who live in close proximity to the lorises, supported evidence of a surprising new threat to the lorises: photographers.

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By Herp News

Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation and JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa will stage the 4th Mai Khao Turtle Release on March 29, 2013. This important annual event is organized to raise funds and awareness for the plight of Phuket’s critically endangered sea turtles .

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By Herp News

Longview’s Garth Pithan, of “ Reptile Road Show” fame, went from crime victim to crime avenger after a recent burglary at his burned-out home, according to Cowlitz County Sheriff’s office.

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By Herp News

Buddhist leaders prayed for slaughtered African elephants in Bangkok, Thailand last week, reports WWF. During a special merit-making ceremony, often reserved for the recently deceased, Buddhist monks, abbots, and leaders prayed for the tens-of-thousands of elephants that have been killed for their ivory tusks. Bangkok is currently hosting an international meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), where the elephant crisis is being discussed.

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By Herp News

Buddhist leaders prayed for slaughtered African elephants in Bangkok, Thailand last week, reports WWF. During a special merit-making ceremony, often reserved for the recently deceased, Buddhist monks, abbots, and leaders prayed for the tens-of-thousands of elephants that have been killed for their ivory tusks. Bangkok is currently hosting an international meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), where the elephant crisis is being discussed.

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By Herp News

Buddhist leaders prayed for slaughtered African elephants in Bangkok, Thailand last week, reports WWF. During a special merit-making ceremony, often reserved for the recently deceased, Buddhist monks, abbots, and leaders prayed for the tens-of-thousands of elephants that have been killed for their ivory tusks. Bangkok is currently hosting an international meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), where the elephant crisis is being discussed.

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By Herp News

On 3/13/13, Tortoise Energy Capital Corporation’s 3.95% Series C Mandatory Redeemable Preferred Shares (NYSE: TYY.PRC) will trade ex-dividend, for its monthly dividend of $0.0329, payable on 4/1/13. As a percentage of TYY.PRC’s recent share price of $10.17, this dividend works out to approximately 0.32%. On an annualized basis, the current yield is approximately 3.90%, which compares to an …

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By Herp News

In the slow-moving freshwater of the Amazon River basin, a dark, scaly crocodilian known as the black caiman (Melanosuchus niger) is attempting a comeback from near extinction, but another crocodilian may threaten the recovery process, according to a new study in the journal Herpetologica.

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By Herp News

In the slow-moving freshwater of the Amazon River basin, a dark, scaly crocodilian known as the black caiman (Melanosuchus niger) is attempting a comeback from near extinction, but another crocodilian may threaten the recovery process, according to a new study in the journal Herpetologica.

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From Ken Foose of Exotic Pets in Las Vegas, Nev., an update on efforts to ban exotic pet ownership in the state:

After meeting with members of the HSUS and some Nevada senators on Friday, we now have a bit of new information to give. We have been told by a member of HSUS that the bill will be introduced next Wednesday, March 13. The HSUS has to rush, because they only have until March 18 to get the bill introduced, or they miss the deadline and it just goes away.

None of this information is etched in stone, so please bear that in mind. The first stop for this bill will be the Senate Natural Resources committee in Carson City. This committee is made up of 5 people, 3 Democrats and 2 Republicans. Both of the Republicans are going to vote against any regulations that will be proposed. Two of the Democrats are going to vote to ban exotics. That leaves us with one swing vote, a Democrat in Las Vegas by the name of Aaron Ford. If we can get Senator Ford, or even one of the other two Democrats to vote against this bill, it’s over and we win. It’s that simple. Senator Mark Manendo is a co-sponsor of the bill, so talking him out of supporting his own bill is moot. However, there is Tick Segerblom, also of Las Vegas, who might be turned. We should explore all avenues.

Here’s how I think this is going to work. The bill will be introduced next Wednesday. It will then be scheduled to go before the committee. They will have a hearing and will vote up or down. If it is voted down, it’s over, we win. If it’s voted up, it will move on to the Nevada Assembly for another vote in their Natural Resources committee. If it passes, it will go to the floor of the Nevada Congress for a vote. If it passes it goes before the Governor to be signed. We need to stop this bill NOW, while it’s only in the hands of 5 people, two of which are on our side. Here’s a list of the committee members:

Aaron D. Ford – Chair <<<<<<<<<<< Swing vote!!
Mark A. Manendo – Vice Chair <<<<<<<< voting for the bill, as he is co sponsor of it
Tick Segerblom <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Democrat who says he's voting for bill. We need to reach out to him.
James A. Settelmeyer <<<<<<<<<<<<<< on our side, will vote against
Pete Goicoechea <<<<<<<<<<<<<< on our side, will vote against.

This link will send you to the Nevada Legislative home page. From there you can find all kinds of info.
Nevada Legislature

This is Senator Ford’s contact info
Aaron.Ford@sen.state.nv.us
P.O. Box 96003
Las Vegas, NV 89193-6003
702-772-5544
Secretary:
Lauren Brooks
Lauren.Brooks@sen.state.nv.us

This is Senator Segerblom’s contact info
tsegerblom@sen.state.nv.us
700 South Third Street
Las Vegas, NV 89101-6703
775-684-1422
Secretary:
Adrian Viesca
Adrian.Viesca@sen.state.nv.us

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By Herp News

Today, for the first time, sharks and rays have won the vote for better protection under CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species), the world’s regulating body on trade in threatened species. Five shark species and the world’s manta rays, which includes two species, have received enough votes to be listed under Appendix II of CITES, which means tougher regulations, but not an outright ban. However, the votes could still be overturned before the end of the meeting.

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By Herp News

Today, for the first time, sharks and rays have won the vote for better protection under CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species), the world’s regulating body on trade in threatened species. Five shark species and the world’s manta rays, which includes two species, have received enough votes to be listed under Appendix II of CITES, which means tougher regulations, but not an outright ban. However, the votes could still be overturned before the end of the meeting.

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By Herp News

If you’ve been to a Georgia or Florida beach in recent years, you’ve likely seen the signs to leave sea turtles alone. Granted, you may not have seen the nighttime migration of the sea turtle , but the signs underscore the very reason why such sightings are rare.

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By Herp News

The nine-year-old reptile , called Mr Stubbs (pictured), was left unable to swim and faced a life on land before reptile experts in Phoenix, Arizona, created a new high-tech tail out of latex and silicone.

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By Herp News

The nine-year-old reptile , called Mr Stubbs (pictured), was left unable to swim and faced a life on land before reptile experts in Phoenix, Arizona, created a new high-tech tail out of latex and silicone.

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By Herp News

Turtle Bay Exploration Park’s board last week announced it will ask a judge to overrule the California Department of Industrial Relations, which has said it must pay the prohibitively expensive prevailing wage on construction of a proposed four-star Sheraton hotel. Trade unions that had fought for the prevailing wage determination immediately doubled down, attempting to position themselves as …

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By Herp News

By Sally Jones. Read more » » Check out John Rogers Stock Picks » Download GuruFolio Report of John Rogers (Updated on 03/08/2013) Related Stocks: VSR , ARGFX , CAAPX ,

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By Herp News

Action is being taken to help the protect the rarest lizard in the UK – the sand lizard – ensuring their new habitat in north Wales does not get overtaken by non-native vegetation.

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By Herp News

A group of prominent conservation groups have joined an alliance of African states in calling on CITES to ban the trade in wild cheetah for the pet trade.

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At the 2013 CITES convention in Bangkok, going on now, three U.S. and 44 Asian turtle species were given additional international protections.

From the BBC:

Proposals on a large number of Asian freshwater turtles and tortoises and other species popular with pet owners were accepted by the government negotiators meeting in the Thai capital.

Some of the amendments were proposed jointly by the United States and China, marking the first time these two countries have co-operated to protect reptiles.

Welfare campaigners have welcomed the move as a critical step to save these species.

Over half the world’s freshwater turtles are critically endangered . Along with tortoises, these species are much in demand by collectors and for food.

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By Herp News

A new report released by the Wildlife Conservation Society says that poachers have killed a staggering 62 percent of Africa’s forest elephants in the last decade. The insatiable demand for elephant ivory hails mainly from China and Thailand, which is ironically hosting this year’s CITES (CoP16) meeting. The meeting will continue until March 13 2013. The study is based on a survey of five elephant range states including Cameroon. Cameroon is the home of Bouba Ndjida National Park, where the dizzying massacre of 650 elephants occurred last year.

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The bad news about the future of reptiles and amphibians just keeps coming. From ScienceDaily:

Climate change could see dozens of lizard species becoming extinct within the next 50 years, according to new research published today. The often one-directional evolutionary adaptation of certain lizard species’ reproductive modes could see multiple extinctions as the global temperature increases.

Globally it has been observed that lizards with viviparous reproduction (retention of embryos within the mother’s body) are being threatened by changing weather patterns. A new study suggests that the evolution of this mode of reproduction, which is thought to be a key successful adaptation, could, in fact, be the species’ downfall under global warming.

Dr Daniel Pincheira-Donoso, from the School of Life Sciences at the University of Lincoln (UK), is the lead author of the paper detailing these amazing predictions, published today in the scientific journal Global Ecology and Biogeography.

The study abstract can be viewed here; subscribers can view the complete study, and non-subscribers can purchase access for US$35.

The Science Daily article is here.

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By Herp News

In 1853 Edward Frederick Kelaart, a physician and naturalist, collected a strange frog on the island of Sri Lanka then a British colony known as Ceylon. The specimen was a large shrub frog (about 2 inches or 5.5 centimeters long) with black-outlined white specks on lime-green skin. He dubbed it “starry” after its pale specks, but that was last anyone heard of it. Even the holotype—the body of the amphibian collected by Kelaart—went missing. Fast forward nearly 160 years—two world wars, Sri Lanka’s independence, and a man on the moon—when a recent expedition into Sri Lanka’s Peak Wilderness rediscovered a beguiling frog with pinkish specks.

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By Herp News

Climate change could see dozens of lizard species becoming extinct within the next 50 years, according to new research. The often one-directional evolutionary adaptation of certain lizard species’ reproductive modes could see multiple extinctions as the global temperature increases.

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By Herp News

In order for dwindling lion populations to survive in Africa, large-scale fencing projects may be required according to new research in Ecology Letters. Recent estimates have put lion populations down to 15,000-35,000, a massive drop from a population that was thought to be around 100,000 in 1960. The worsening plight of lions have pushed the researchers to suggest what is likely to be a controversial proposal: fence the top predators in.

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