Cerastes cerastes, one of the MidEastern Sand shufflers.
By Dick and Patti Bartlett

“Now you see them, now you don’t” describes many of the world’s sand-dwelling, sidewinding, chubby but small viperine snakes. You may be looking right at them, know that they have moved neither forward nor backward, but they, with a barely visible sideway to and fro shuffling, have disappeared from sight. And it took these sand-adapted snakes only a minute or 2 to sink almost straight down in the yielding desert sands

There are many species of these specialized snakes in the Mideast and Africa and a few in Asia and the western USA. Although all are perfectly able to crawl straight forward and often do so when not in a hurry sidewinding, throwing a loop of the body forward, usually while facing obliquely away, is a more effective and efficient method of moving across loose sands.

Among these snake are species such as the small Saharan sand viper, Cerastes vipera, adult at from 8 to 18 inches with females being the larger (this is true of many snake species). Once burrowed, this species usually leaves its eyes exposed but even the eyes can be difficult to pinpoint. Vipera is considered an ambush predator and its primary prey is lizards. If during their occasional surface activity, the snake happens upon nestling mice or gerbils, these may also be eaten. This little snake has a broad range through North Africa and the Sinai Peninsula.

The Mideastern deserts are home to several other sidewinding snake species. Among these are whiskered vipers, 3 species of horned vipers, and several subspecies and species of sawscaled vipers. Many of the rough-scaled species will often warn you of their presence by assuming a series of tight “S”s and noisily rasping their strongly keeled scales together.

Africa hosts Peringuey’s Vipers and various Horned Vipers, all able to move in either straight and typical fashion or by sidewinding.

In the USA we have the 3 subspecies of pit vipers, the small rattlesnakes, that are aptly named “Sidewinders” of our southwestern deserts.

Continue reading “The Desert Vipers and Pit Vipers” …read more
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Happy Rattlesnake Friday! Isn’t this a gorgeous Southern Pacific Rattlesnake in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Canes05 ! 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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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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Red and black? Black and yellow? Mimics in nature are clear with this pair of South American hognose from the same clutch in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Longhitano!

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Looks like there is a new guitarist in the band in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user liljenni . Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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We are LOVING this motley snow Boa Constrictor in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Sharkman20 ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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A captive puff adder.
By Dick and Patti Bartlett

The Puff Adder (Bitis arietans) is probably the most common and widespread of all African snakes.Except for rainforest and montane regions, this dangerously venomous and irritable snake may be found over most of the southern 2/3rds of the African continent. It can also be encountered in Oman, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

Capable of both linear (slow and in a straight line like a caterpillar) and serpentine (side-to-side) movement, when possible the Puff Adder relies mostly on its camouflaging colors for protection and exemplifies the term sedentary. When frightened, either purposely or accidentally, these snakes coil and expel the breath in loud, easily heard puffing-hisses (hence the common name) and often strike savagely.

Adult at 30 to 40 inches in length, rare examples of this very heavy bodied adder may attain a length of 4 feet. They are primarily terrestrial, often common in grassland habitat, but are able to climb and may bask a few inches above ground in shrubs. They swim readily.

In keeping with its sedentary behavior, the Puff Adder is an ambush predator, waiting quietly for its prey of mammals, birds, amphibians, and lizards to approach within striking distance.

Reproductively active Puff Adder male often follow the pheromone trails of females and engage in combat matches. Live bearing, a clutch usually numbers between 20 and 50. The neonates are 5 ½ to 7”. The largest clutch recorded numbered 156 newborns.
Continue reading “Meet the Puff Adder” …read more
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We love everything that rattles, but today we give the spotlight to this baby timber rattlesnake in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user jameswv! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Here’s to hoping this smiling albino fire salamander (Salamandra s. terrestris) in our herp photo of the day brightens up your morning! It’s uploaded by kingsnake.com user alessio.
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There is no mistaking why these guys are called the yellow-belly puffing snake (Spilotes sulphureus), as you can see in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user zmarchetti ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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

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What a great looking pair of Australian water dragons in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user cochran! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Big, loud, and toxic. What more could you want?
Its proper names are Smoky Jungle Frog, Leptodactylus pentadactylus, and the normal calls of the males as they sit half in or next to their burrows are loud, penetrating, whistling, hoots, that have a rising inflection. But just grab one—go ahead and grab it—grab it hard because they are SLIPPERY, and be prepared for a distressing, loud, penetrating, scream—a scream that has often been likened to a woman in distress! Once heard, you’ll remember it. This frog also may “stand high,” extending all four legs downward and inflating its body if it feels threatened. And wash your hands after handling the frog. The glandular secretions are virulent.

This bullfrog-sized (to a robust 7 inches) rainforest anuran, is one of the largest, if not THE largest, and most common of the tropical frogs. Its call was the one we most often listened for as we settled in at our Amazonian camp. If heard the rainforest was wet and humid. The wet season had officially begun. If not heard we were probably a few days early and although still a wonderland, the forest was probably still comparatively dry.

I’m not sure what the “smoky” part of the name is meant to connote. The dorsum, uppersides, and limbs are a rich tannish-brown and the lower sides are a rich red. There may be dark bars across the back and hind legs and dark spots on the forelimbs. Dorsolateral folds are present. The feet are not webbed. A black stripe runs from the snout, passes over the tympanum (eardrum) and may terminate on the shoulder or continue to the groin. There are dark triangles on the upper lips.

This is a nest building species. A foam nest of body secretions is built in a constructed depression that is usually in the proximity of standing water. Within a few days after hatching rains flood the deposition site and carry the tadpoles to more permanent water.

The rainforest is a wondrous place!
Continue reading “The Wonderful Screaming Frog” …read more
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Happy Rattlesnake Friday! Yes, it isn’t a Rattlesnake, but it is a venomous snake! What an awesome shot of this Lansberg’s hognosed pitviper (Porthidium lansbergii) in our photo of the day uploaded by kingsnake.com user Neverscared ! 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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The clutch of thayeri hybrids in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user mordd, explain why we can’t have just one! So much variety in reptiles and so much beauty!

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This hatching Cribo in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user alanB makes monday more bearable! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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What a cute lil Punkin! Loving this gorgeous shot of a young Tokay Gecko in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user mfontenot ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Hopefully the gorgeous blues of this Dendrobates auratus uploaded by kingsnake.com user amazonreptile will brighten your day. Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Note the facial plates on this interesting turtle.
This big side-necked turtle, Peltocephalus dumerilianus, ranges in the Amazon and Orinoco drainages from Ecuador, Peru, and western Venezuela to Brazil. Once thought to have been extirpated from Peruvian waters, it has again been found in that country. The actual abundance there (as elsewhere) is not known.

It is monotypic within its genus, but is most closely related to the much better known Amazon River Turtles of the genus Podocnemis.

This appears to be a seldom seen Podocnemid turtle. Until you see it withdraw and fold its head sideways, its overall appearance is that of a “ginormous” mud turtle. The folding of the neck and its nonhinged plastron, however, are positive giveaways. It can reach a length of slightly more than 2 feet straight measure.

Carapacial color is gray to black. The plastron may be brownish or yellow. Limbs, tail legs, and neck are also dark. The dark head may have yellowish cheeks. The crown, cheeks, and jaws appear plated.

Very little is known about this understudied aquatic turtle, this despite it being an important food source for Amazonian families.

Up to 25 eggs have been reported for a clutch, but it is not known whether this species multi-clutches.

Continue reading “The Big-headed Amazon River Turtle” …read more
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This Cobra in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user MaxPeterson just learned we celebrate venomous animals every Friday! Boy is he happy for the respect! 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. Be sure to tell him you like it here.

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This Milk snake is just hanging out our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user gerryg . Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Do you ever have an issue explaining why you love your pet snakes so very much to friends? Have you ever had problems putting into words your love of those cold blooded pets that share your world? Never fear, we all have!

A recent opinion piece in the New York Times puts our love of snakes into a special light.

The snake is as much symbol as animal, and this oversaturation of meaning prevents us from seeing the snake clearly. In reality, they are gentle, healthful to the environment, “more scared of you than you are of it,” a sort of tragic hero of the ecosystem that is, when gazed upon without malice, beautiful.

To read the whole article, click here.

BTW, a hearty congrats to WooHoo for reaching 25 years old!

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Love the darker phase of this greyband in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user trevid ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Welcome to the world little one! That magical moment when a baby takes it’s first breath is captured here with this boa in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user dpiscopo69 ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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So small and precious, this baby Broad Banded Water Snake in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user cochran gets up close and person with the mighty herper! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Note the yellow interstitial skin of this forest racer.
The genus Dendrophidion contains about 15 species of big-eyed, diurnal, alert snakes, all of racerlike slenderness and speed. The overall distribution of the genus is from southern Mexico to Bolivia. The Tawny (aka Olive) Forest Racer, Dendrophidion dendrophis, was a common and welcome species at our camps in Amazonian Peru.

Although of subdued color this is a pretty snake. The ground color is lightest anteriorly and darkens progressively towards the tail. A series of 50+ narrow, dark-edged, light bands or dark bands with light lateral spots, begins on the nape, and continues to tailtip. These are best defined on young snake and may be obscure on old adults. The Interstitial skin (the skin between the scales) and the belly are yellow, paling anteriorly. Each eye is shaded by an enlarged, flat, outward projecting, supraocular scale. The eyes of juveniles appear proportionately larger than those of the big-eyed adults.

Adult size of this oviparous snake is 3 to 4 feet. This is a frog-eating species.

These racers are most often seen on or near the ground, but they can climb well and often sleep in shrubs or trees 5 to 8 feet above the ground.

The fact that this snake (as a matter of fact, all snakes in this genus) readily autotomizes the tail if grasped by this terminal appendage explains why many forest racers seen have a truncated appearance. The tail is readily lost but does not regenerate.

Continue reading “The Tawny Forest Racer” …read more
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One day to get things ready and this gecko is making those light look boring in our Herp Photo of the Day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user chrisvanaken! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Santa’s gecko elves are prepping to load the sleigh in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Geckoranch ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Kismet thinks Iguanas are better to lead Santa’s Sleigh in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Really! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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We have the proof Santa is a reptile right here in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user rosebuds! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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This is a typically colored hatchling Banded Calico Snake
Varying by researching authority, the genus Oxyrhopus contains 12 or more, largely nocturnal, neotropical (central and northern South America, including Trinidad and Tobago) snake species that vary widely in color. Some are primarily red others are primarily black, some bear bands of contrasting colors, others, except for the head that often contrasts with the body color, are largely unicolored.

In my opinion, one of the prettiest is the Banded Calico Snake. Other frequently heard common names include False Coral Snake and Forest Flame Snake.

Long known as Oxyrhopus petola, Jay Savage has recently suggested that its proper name is O. petolarius, and that this contains 3 subspecies, including the one with which I am most familiar, O. petolarius petola.

Over the years we have gotten very used to visits from this Calico Snake at the preserves where we stay. We not only happen across adults on the trails and juveniles in trailside shrubbery, but the adults range widely and often stray into our campsites.

Hatchlings and juveniles of this yard long, oviparous, snake are banded white and black, most young adults are banded with bright red (sometimes white) and black, and the red bands old examples often darken until the entire snake looks sooty.

Although these snakes were initially considered rear-fanged colubrines, they have now been reclassified as a Dipsadine genus. The venom seems especially virulent against lizards and amphibians on which calico snakes primarily prey. Small rodents and birds are also prey items.

I have found this snake reluctant to bite.
Continue reading “The Banded Calico Snake” …read more
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It would be pretty hard to tread on this Albino Atrox in our herp photo of the day uploaded by kingsnake.com user krantz ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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A True Giant. This Komodo Dragon takes center stage in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user cowboyfromhell ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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This lovely Gila monster poses perfectly in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user vegasbilly ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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This female Kimberly Rock Monitor is just hanging out in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user bob! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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If this axolotl in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user tadpoleo doesn’t make you smile, I am not sure what will! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Juvenile Common Bird Snakes are strongly patterned and highly arboreal.
A common snake in Amazonian Peru, the actual range of this feisty snake is from Mexico through most of northern South America. Both the genus and the species/subspecies names for this snake are currently in flux. Some refer to it as Pseustes poecilonotus, some as Phrynonax polylepis, and others simply refer to it, as I have, as the Common Bird Snake. At the moment I’ll also use the long-standing name of Pseustes poecilonotus for its scientific designation. The snake simply doesn’t care what you call it but is apt to display resentment if you approach it too closely.

We have found many of these snakes, but have never yet found one that was happy to see us. Neck distention, similar to that of the better known Spilotes, is a defensive ploy that may be used before, during, or after the snake has struck at you. Bird snakes are nonvenomous. Juveniles are strongly patterned and quite arboreal often being found at face level or above in trailside trees. Adults are more often found resting at night while coiled atop fallen trunks or simply on the trail.

The common name comes, of course, from this snake’s fondness for birds and their eggs. Small mammals, lizards, frogs, and insects are also eaten.

Continue reading “The Common Bird Snake” …read more
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Happy Rattlesnake Friday! This Timber Rattlesnake in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user herpermike1 was found in a very populated area in Tennesee, and moved to a more safe location! Great Message! ! 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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A Happy Hanukkah to all from us, including this cute lil guy in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user natsamjosh! Be sure to tell them you liked it here.

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