This week I have the honor of speaking at the International Herpetological Symposium in Atlanta. I will be sharing a variety of stories of my over 25 years working in reptile rescue and with a limited time, only so many stories can be shared. I thought I would share one that didn’t make it here as a preview!

The IHS is a fantastic conference held annually in different locations around the world in partnerships with local zoos. The speakers range from people like me who love reptiles and people in the trade to experienced researchers, vets and zoo professionals. There is always the greatest banquet and behind the scenes tour at the local zoo. Just in case you were unaware of what IHS is.

One story I had to cut was that of Wylde Stallion. Sit back and grab a drink, because this is a long one. Continue reading “IHS: 25 years of Rescue” …read more
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One little, two little, three little Bearded Dragons in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user dedragons ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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What a stunning boa in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user BoaZilla! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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An adult female Patch-nosed Salamander
By Dick and Patti Bartlett

In 2009 a new species of “miniplethodontid” salamander was described. Although looking much like the brook salamanders of the genus Eurycea, research determined that this pretty little miniature was sufficiently different from the brook salamanders to warrant the erection of a new genus—Urspelerpes. This genus contains only the single species, U. brucei. Because of the nose-spot this salamander was given the common name of Patch-nosed Salamander.

It is an uncommon denizen of the leaf-strewn montane streams and stream edges of northern GA and adjacent SC.

As mentioned the yellowish patch on the nose tip is characteristic. Including tail, adults are about 1 7/8th inches long. Unlike the Brook Salamanders on which males and females are similarly colored, the males and females of Urspelerpes differ in color. Females tend to be patternless while males are strongly patterned with a pair of dorsolateral stripes.

Continue reading “The Patch-nosed Salamander” …read more
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Happy Rattlesnake Friday! This is a stunning shot of a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user juzior ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here! As always on Friday, we celebrate all of our venomous reptiles for their contribution to the world, not just rattlesnakes. They all need our help to change misconceptions.

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Happy Rattlesnake Friday! This is a stunning shot of a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user juzior ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here! As always on Friday, we celebrate all of our venomous reptiles for their contribution to the world, not just rattlesnakes. They all need our help to change misconceptions.

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This horned lizard in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user reptoman is judging you! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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This Northern Pine does in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Turekj sparkles like a firework! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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This Cuban Knight Anole in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user aero_tiff clearly has his own post! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Nose to nose with a California Giant Salamander.
California has it all. Well almost all. Except for what they don’t have. But if its caudatan diversity you’re interested in, California is definitely a state you should consider visiting. Newts, Lunged salamanders and Lungless salamanders all may be found there. Some are colorful, some are drab. Some are tiny, some are comparatively large. All are interesting.

One of the groups that I find of great interest are the Giant Salamanders of the genus Dicamptodon (family Dicamptodontidae). Of the 4 species 2 dwell in California’s cool, moist forestlands. These are The California and the Pacific Giant Salamanders, D. ensatus and D. tenebrosus, respectively. Both are hefty, and both top out at just about a foot in length, with tenebrosus perhaps being a bit more slender, a tiny bit shorter, having a proportionately smaller head and shorter limbs. This latter is also a bit darker in color. The former, the California Giant, is the southernmore of the 2, ranging southward in the Coast Range from southern Mendocino County to western Glenn County. The Pacific Giant ranges northward from Glenn County to southwest British Columbia, Canada.

Populations of both of these big nocturnal salamanders are adversely affected by foresting practices that leave stream banks unprotected, subject to drying, and the streams themselves subject to warming. Although both of these salamanders are variably colored, neither is brightly colored. Ground color of both is tan to light brown with well-defined reticulations and spots of reddish brown to dark brown. They breed in streams and creeks and the aquatic larvae may take several years to metamorphose.

Prey includes invertebrates such as worms and slugs as well as vertebrate prey such as smaller salamanders.

Continue reading “Meet the California Giant Salamander” …read more
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Happy Rattlesnake Friday! This beautiful pair of Copperheads are just things of beauty in our photo of the day uploaded by kingsnake.com user ShadowChaser ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here! As always on Friday, we celebrate all of our venomous reptiles for their contribution to the world. It is our goal to help dispel the fears surrounding our beloved venomous creatures.

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Hopefully this hatching Ctenosaura palearis in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user ilovemonitorliza cures any case of the Mondays you might have! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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As you can see from our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user TomDickinson, garter snakes come in an amazing variety of colors! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Gorgeous hatching Pied Black Pine Snake in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user pinkiemike ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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This coachwhip caused a scream, a screeching stop, and a marathon run. But it was worth it.At scream volume “—S T O P!!!!!!!!!! —.“ Yep, Jake had managed to scare me again. I was in the passing lane doing about 65, about halfway past a slower car, when Jake yelled. Fortunately there was no one following tightly so I slammed on the brakes and before I stopped Jake was out of the car running east while we were heading west. I parked on the verge, clambered out and back about 50 yards Jake was stationed in the grass trying to decide what the snake he had seen and I had missed on the side of the road was going to do.

Hurry screamed Jake. Hmppphhh. Not likely. My days of hurrying are long gone. But I WAS closer now. Go out on the road and try to prevent it from crossing. It’s a coachwhip—a PINK coachwhip!

Now I understood. We had seen but failed to catch or even photo pink coachwhips on our last 3 trips to or through Texas. Suddenly I felt Jake’s excitement. I do love racers and racer relatives.

So I limped out in the road and rather than watching me the big snake was now watching me. Then it turned it’s head towards Jake and started to move. In an instant Jake was airborne.In anotjhert instant he was flat on his belly in the grass and sandspurs. And in a 3rd instant he was screaming OWWWWWCH! GET IT! Certainly no problem now because he alresdyu had the snake at midbody and the snake had him by the eyebrow. Interesting dilemma. I wondered which would win?

But heck I wanted to photo the snake as badly as Jake did, so I grabbed it before it decided to swallow Jake and the snake immediately transferred its attention to my arm. Oh well. It was worth it.

Right Jake?

And I guess it might have been because another 5 miles down the road we had a similar but a bit less bitey encounter with a second pink coachwhip.

I was so impressed with these snakes that I did something that I haven’t done in a long while. I decided that if Jake didn’t wish to retain the snake I would like to keep them. Jake didn’t, I did.

But here’s what I didn’t expect. Once home and caged these 2 adult coachwhips proved dog tame. The first time I fed them both slowly left the hidebox, came to cage top, and gently took each thawed mouse from my fingers. No biting, no striking. And both have continued to do so on each feeding attempt. Now I’m excitedly awaiting their next shed. They should be knockouts.

Continue reading “Pink Coachwhips” …read more
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This lil Mountain Tortoise is showing off his tough guy “phayeri” stance in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user emysbreeder! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Happy Rattlesnake Friday from this beautiful Mojave in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user OXYUMAURUS ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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This kingsnake is poised in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user rod_mcleod ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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How beautiful is this Kentropyx borckiana in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user davemangham ! Fantastic field shot from Barbados!Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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So simple and so beautiful. That is the black racer in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user ReptileProducts ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Banded Geckos look a lot more delicate than they actually are. This is a San Diego Banded Gecko.

Counting species and subspecies there are 7 forms of banded geckos, genus Coleonyx, in the American West. Two of these, the Barefoot, C. switaki, and the Reticulated C. reticulatus, are larger than the remaining 5 and have very limited ranges. One, the Texas, C. brevis, is the easternmost and is smaller than any of the others. It is the remaining 4, all subspecies of the wide ranging Western Banded Gecko, C. variegatus, that we shall mention here. All have elliptical pupils and are nocturnal. The body is slender and between 2 and 3 inches long. The original tail (the tail is easily autotomized and often in some stage of regeneration) is about the same length as the snout-to-vent. Original tails are prominently banded.

The 4 subspecies of the Western Banded Gecko that occur in the USA are the San Diego, C. v. abbotti, the Tucson, C. v. bogerti, the Utah, C.v. utahensis, and the Desert, C. v. variegatus. Appearance differences are slight and it is best if you are interested in a particular form that you check a field guide for ranges.

Generally speaking though, the San Diego subspecies occurs on the Pacific slopes of southern CA. The Tucson form may be encountered in seAZ and swNM, the Utah race is restricted to swUT and immediately adjacent NV and AZ, and the Desert, by far the most wide-ranging of the 4, is found over much of AZ, NV and eastern CA.

Although these little geckos may be found beneath surface debris such as wood, cardboard, and rock by day, I’ve always found it a lot more fun to road hunt them at night. They are active, their light color contrasts well with dark pavement, and they cross roads in a series of darting rushes, often with their tail curled up over their back, this initially giving them the appearance of a large scorpion. Keep this similarity in mind as you jam your car into park, slam open the door, and rush out to slap a cupped hand of the little creature on the road. It’s not pleasant to be painfully surprised!
Continue reading “Some Banded Geckos of the American West” …read more
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This Ambilobe Panther Chameleon is all fired up in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user vinniem1210! Be sure to tell vinniem1210 you liked it here!

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Happy Rattlesnake Friday from this Sidewinder in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Uncloudy ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Stunning shot of this Rosy boa in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user regalringneck! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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No longer just black and white, these snakes show some of the variety in color that the Black Headed Pythons have in our Herp Photo of the Day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Tom_Keogan! Be sure to tell Tom you liked it here!

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Check out this stunner of a Madison County Corn snake in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user draybar. Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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This barking tree frog is just hanging out in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user viandy . Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Happy Rattlesnake Friday! This certainly is not a rattlesnake, but it is a beautiful venomous creature. What a great close up of a Gaboon Viper, uploaded by kingsnake.com user magnum26 is full of sassy and potentially life-saving venom! Be sure to tell them you liked it here! As always on Friday, we celebrate all of our venomous reptiles for their contribution to the world.

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What a beautiful boa constrictor in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user biophiliacs . Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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What do you mean it is a lizard, it ain’t got no legs! Check out this field shot of a Glass lizard in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user rosycorn found in Florida! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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This Timor Python in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user carlovandunsure has her eye on you! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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This young banded water snake being very curious in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user casichelydia ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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The most variable and arguably the prettiest of the three, this is a male Eastern Box Turtle.
The USA is fortunate in being home to 6 rather distinct box turtles, 2 in the Terrapene ornata group, and 4 in the T. carolina group. The latter 4 are the Eastern, Terrapene c. carolina, the Gulf Coast, T. c. major, the Three-toed, T. c. triunguis, and the Florida, T. c. bauri. Since we chatted about the Florida Box turtle just last month, we’ll exempt it from this blog. That leaves us with the 3 subspecies that are most similar in appearance, even if the most diverse in coloration, with the Eastern race being especially so.. These three have carapaces that are high-domed, may be flattened dorsally, and except for the slightly more elongate Gulf Coast subspecies, are rather round when viewed from above. Collectively they range from southern Maine, south to southern Georgia then westward to eastern Kansas and east Texas. Hatchlings are flatter and lack the hinged plastron for which this genus is famous.

From west to east we come first to the Three-toed subspecies. It is also the most uniformly colored of the three, its carapace usually being of some shade of brown to olive brown, with or without lighter dots and dashes. The face is variably adorned with orange and white, sometimes extensively so.

In southeastern AL the Three-toed Box Turtle intergrades with the largest of the subspecies, the Gulf Coast Box Turtle. In its purist form (Mobile Bay and the Florida Panhandle), this latter subspecies is big (to 8 ½”), often has a rather flat-topped carapace, and when adult is quite dark—blackish brown– in color. Old males may develop white patches on the face. Younger examples and intergrades are often light brownish-red.

Finally, we come to the most variable in overall appearance, the Eastern Box Turtle. It may be found east of the Mississippi River and north of Florida to the East Coast. Carapace, legs, and head are brown, but the markings on all, varying from few to profuse, may be yellow to bright orange. The latter produces a truly beautiful little chelonian.
Continue reading “The USA Carolina Box Turtle Group” …read more
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Happy Rattlesnake Friday! Let’s celebrate in the mighty southwest beauty of the Rock Rattlesnake here in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Janne ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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How adorable is this Newt in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user plagueguitarist ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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This blood python in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user jsignorettiis stunning! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Two for Tuesday with this totes adorbs pair of Caiman Lizards in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user stingray ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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This is a female Kaznakov’s Viper.
When Louis Porras told me he had a pair of Kaznakov’s Vipers for sale, I jumped at the opportunity to acquire them. For years this small, heavy bodied viper, Vipera kaznakovii, had been a dream species. But now the dream was to become a reality.

A woodland viper of the Caucasus (Turkey, Georgia and southwestern Russia), it had been seldom imported. In its homeland it is reportedly found near rocky upthrusts and associated scree deposits in rather open hardwood forestland.

The pair received, a black male and a black and orange female, were exactly what I had hoped them to be. At about 20 inches in length, the female was a bit larger than the male. They proved hardy, both feeding readily and steadily on small, thawed, mice.

During their second winter with me I cooled them noticeably but did not hibernate them. Meals then consisted of smaller mice and feedings were further apart. In early winter I noticed breeding behavior and by early April the female was obviously gravid.

All of the above comments are from a memory flawed by time. The computerized records disappeared when the harddrive of the computer I was then using burped and then whirled itself into nonrepairable deterioration. The truth is that computers and I are not in the least compatible.

But at least I have photos of these beautiful vipers and their progeny to share with you. Thanks, Jeff, for the opportunity.
Continue reading “Kaznakov’s Viper” …read more
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This crested gecko certainly has his eye on you in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user BryanD ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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It is both Rattlesnake Friday and Earth Day. This copperhead in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user AlexNevgloski reminds us to only leave footprints when out in the field! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Remember, we give a spotlight to all our venomous animals on Fridays to help raise awareness of their importance to our world. …read more
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