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 handsome Caiman Lizard 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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“You’re kingsnake.com, where are all the kingsnakes?” Right here 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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This lacerta is loving to lounge in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user krloucks . Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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This caecilian (Typhlonectes natans) is often incorrectly called the Rubber Eel, we just like his “smile” in this awesome close up in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user chrish ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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The large-headed anole is very locally distributed in South Florida.
This is a confusingly variable, sexually dimorphic (males being the larger (to 8 inches) and bulkier) trio of anoles. Several anole species lack the ability to change colors from brown to green or vice versa, and these 3 are among the “unables.” Two of these, the Puerto Rican crested and the large-headed anoles may occasionally assume an olive gray blush, but they are unable to become the bright green that is so often associated with anoles.

The brown anole, Anolis s. sagrei, has become one of the best known lizards in the southeastern USA. Of Cuban/Bahaman origin, this persistent heliotherm was imported into the USA as both a pet and to be used as a food by the keepers of lizard-eating snakes. Many of these quick, agile, lizards had escaped their captors and were known to have acclimated and bred in extreme southern Florida in the 1950s. Today, after some 60+ years of freedom, the always expanding range of this blotched and striped brown lizard with a gray edged red dewlap now includes most of FL, some of GA, LA, and TX, locally in CA, widely in HI, and almost assuredly in locales not yet reported.

The Puerto Rican crested anole, Anolis cristatellus, is very similar to the Cuban brown anole in appearance, but the former is restricted to the Miami-Dade County region and is very often found in areas of deep shade. Body color may vary from pale gray (occasionally with a vague greenish tint) to charcoal, but it is usually of a variable brown. Individuals (especially males) may have broad darker lateral bands and a lighter vertebral stripe. Adult males usually have a fin-like tail crest and glandular nuchal and dorsal ridges may be seen. A light stripe may be present above the apex of each forelimb. The dewlap is yellow with a broad orange edging. Females and young males lack the cresting. This anole species is usually seen close to the ground on the shady trunks of large trees, fallen logs, railings, low cinder block structures or limestone boulders.

The large-headed anole, Anolis cybotes, is the most uncommon and localized of these 3 species. Except for a light gray or greenish-gray lateral line usually being visible, both the head and body of this anole are often a clear, unmarked, tan or light brown. The large dewlap is yellow with a variable amount of paler striping. When disturbed this anole has a tendency to bend its head downward and to arc its tail upwards.
Continue reading “Three Non-Native Brown Anole Species Now In Florida” …read more
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Happy Rattlesnake Friday! Today we bring you this serene headshot of a lovely Black-tailed Rattlesnake (Crotalus molossus), uploaded by kingsnake.com user MartinWhalin1 ! This guy was found in the wild in Arizona and as you can see, he was respected by the herpers and he gave them respect in return. 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 gorgeous Ctenosaura quinquecarinata is just hanging around in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user rockabirdie ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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This kingsnake has perfect camouflage in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user rick d ! 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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So many colors! This is one gorgeous Dumeril’s boa 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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The green bark anole, Anolis distichus dominicensis, may still be seen in a few isolated Florida hammocks.
The established alien anoles in Florida range from Lake Okeechobee southward to the Keys and in size from the 4 ½ inch long bark anoles, A. distichus ssp., to the gigantic, foot and a half long, knight anole, Anolis e. equestris. However most are in 7 to 8 inch range with females a bit the smaller gender. All are capable of at least a little color change and some make dramatic changes. Let’s take a quick look at 3 of the rather typical smaller examples.

The Hispaniolan green anole, Anolis chlorocyanus, may vary in color from green to brown with a bicolored white and blue-black dewlap. It is in overall appearance like a slender, long-nosed, example of the more familiar northern green anole, A. c. carolinensis. Females often have brown dorsal striping. This anole is imported from Haiti for the pet trade and their presence in Florida can probably be attributed to escapes from the importing facilities.

The green bark anole, Anolis distichus dominicensis, a dark flecked forest green species with a yellowish to red and white or yellow and white dewlap. This is another of the several pet trade anole species imported from Hispaniola. It is of chunky appearance and where it has interbred with the native Florida bark anole, it may be more brown than green.

The blue-fronted anole, Anolis allisoni, is a relative newcomer to Florida. The origin of the sFL population is unknown, but this species is occasionally seen in the pet trade. It is probably the most variably colored anole species in FL. The long snout is strongly ridged. The dewlap is pink to red. Capable of pronounced color changes, the common name of “blue-fronted” may seem entirely erroneous for many examples. Some may be an overall brown and may retain that color for hours or even days. Others may be entirely green. Many males have a variable amount of blue that may vary from powder to bright in the color scheme. The blue may incorporate the entire head, just the sides of the head, the head and neck, or the entire anterior head and dorsum. In other words, this taxon may vary from one of the dullest to one of the most beautiful anole species.

More anoles to come in future blogs., may still be seen in a few isolated Florida hammocks.
Continue reading ” Three Non-native Color-changing Anoles Now in Florida” …read more
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Happy Rattlesnake Friday! The true American Icon, the Atrox, or Western Diamondback stands his ground in our 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. It is our goal to help dispel the fears surrounding our beloved venomous creatures.

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This Mexican Pine Snake (Pituophis deppei jani) is ready for action in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user pitparade . Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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This beautiful Trans-Pecos Rat Snake is holding on to her most valueable treasure in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user pecoskid ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Loving this Blue tongue skink just chilling in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user PatS . Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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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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Native or not, that is the question. The Florida bark anole, Anolis distichus floridana.
Of the Baker’s dozen (maybe 14) anole species that are still listed as being present in the USA, there are probably at least 2 taxa that no longer occur. And of those listed only 2 are native. These are the color changing, arboreal, green (or Carolina) anole that has 2 recognized subspecies (the northern form, Anolis c. carolinensis, and the very questionable southern form, A. c. seminolus). And then there’s the primarily treetrunk dwelling Florida bark anole, A. distichus floridana.

The northern form of the green anole ranges westward and southward from southern Virginia to eastern Texas and southern Florida, surrounding the relatively small range (western Sarasota to Collier counties) of the southern race.

The subspecies of the the green anole are recognized and differentiated by dewlap (throat fan) color. The northern race has a red dewlap and the southern has a gray dewlap. I feel that the gray throated race is “questionable” because when utilizing the subspecies concept there supposedly cannot be 2 subspecies existing sympatrically. However throughout the South Florida range of the southern green anole one can also encounter green anoles with red dewlaps. Perhaps just calling the gray throated form an occasional variant would be more accurate.

Questions of a different kind are often raised about the Florida bark anole; is it or is it not a native form. It would seem that the current concept is either “yes” or “maybe” to that ques

This race of the bark anole (A. distichus is a Bahaman and Hispaniolan group) is found from southeastern Palm Beach County southward to Monroe County and in many areas has intergraded with the non-native but established green bark anole, A. d. dominicensis. In its purest form it is a gray or brownish lizard with dark dorsal chevrons and a yellow to orange dewlap.

These two are only the tip of Florida’s anoline iceberg. I’ll say a few word about the others in future blogs.

Native or not, that is the question. The Florida bark anole, Anolis distichus floridana.

Green anoles in southern Florida may have a red or a gray dewlap. Currently those having gray dewlaps are considered A. c. seminolus.

Red dewlaps are the more common color with the green anole, A. c. carolinensis.

Continue reading “One (and Maybe a Second) Native Anole” …read more
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Happy Rattlesnake Friday! Loving the close-up of this Southern Pacific Rattlesnake in our photo of the day uploaded by kingsnake.com user goombaorigato ! 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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How awesome is this group of breeding Gharials in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Lucky_7 . Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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This is a once in a lifetime shot! How cool is this field shot of an Alameda whipsnake grabbing a meal 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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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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What a cool field shot of this Collared Lizard (Crotaphytus reticulatus) in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user reptoman ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Once thought to be restricted to southernmore locales, Cope’s gray treefrog is now known to occur pretty much over the entire range of the gray treefrogs. This is Hyla chrysoscelis.
Two genetic terms, diploid and tetraploid come into play when discussing these 2 lookalike species, the Gray treefrog, Hyla versicolor and Cope’s gray treefrog, Hyla chrysoscelis. At one time it was thought the the two could be identified by range and/or call with versicolor being the more northerly and having the more slowly trilled, more pleasing (=musical) call. These are now known to be invalid criteria. A friend has found versicolor as far south as Tallahassee, FL and others have found chrysoscelis as far north as Michigan and Massachusetts.

So, exactly how do you separate these 2 common treefrogs? Well, unless you have a genetics lab available you do so inexactly. With a lab, chromosome count can be determined. The gray treefrog is tetraploid, having twice the number of chromosomes as the diploid Cope’s gray treefrog. Without the lab you’ll have to extrapolate and hypothesize, determining the findings of previous researchers for the frogs from a given locale, then comparing whether the calls are pleasant and rather slowly trilled or harsh and rapidly pulsed (almost like a rivetgun)—and of course this latter will only work on the males—the females are silent. And I still find that gray treefrogs are the more common in the northerly climes while Cope’s gray treefrogs are more common in the south.

So you should now be able to at least guess at the identification of the treefrog you are listening to or watching. And of course the name, “gray”, is definitive, right. Nope. While they are often gray, they might actually be a pretty green through shades of gray to almost white. But in all phases they do have a white marking beneath each eye and extensive orange in the groin region.

Have fun.
Continue reading “The Gray Treefrogs” …read more
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Do you know a diabetic? LLet them know that animals like this Gila Monster in our herp photo of the day in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user LJs Herps Are helping to save their lives! Medication made from the venom of Gila Monsters helps to keep blood sugar balanced for millions in the world. We celebrate all things venomous on Rattlesnake Friday to help remind people of the importance of the malaligned animals 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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Amazon Tree Boas are some of the most photogenic snakes in our world, like this one in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user BPruett , always perfectly posed! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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San Diego ringneck, D. p. similisAmazingly, even today, in the midst of nomenclatural clownery, there remain 12 subspecies of ring-necked snake, Diadophis punctatus, in the USA. When you add the 2 exclusively Mexican forms (Todos Santos ringneck, D. anthonyi and the Michoacan ringneck, D. dugesii) there are 14 subspecies.

But for now let’s stick with the USA forms. Of the 12, 1 is northeastern (plus adjacent Canada), 3 are southeastern, 2 are more or less centralian, and 6 occur along the Pacific Coast from southern CA (and nearby Baja) to central WA. Interestingly, although a couple extend beyond CA, all 6 of these subspecies may be found somewhere in CA. And among those 6 are some of the most resplendent subspecies (not that all ringnecks, no matter where they may be found, aren’t of noteworthy beauty).

Here is a listing of the USA ringnecks as well as pix of three of the most brightly colored Pacific Coast subspecies.

Northeastern ring-necked snakes:
D. p. edwardsii — northern ring-necked snake

Southeastern ring-necked snakes:
D. p. acricus — Key ring-necked snake
D. p. punctatus — southern ring-necked snake
D. p. stictogenys — Mississippi ring-necked snake

Centralian ring-necked snakes:
D. p. arnyi — prairie ring-necked snake
D. p. regalis — regal ring-necked snake

Pacific Coast ring-necked snakes:
D. p. amabilis — Pacific ring-necked snake
D. p. modestus — San Bernardino ring-necked snake
D. p. occidentalis — northwestern ring-necked snake
D. p. pulchellus — coralbelly ring-necked snake
D. p. similis — San Diego ring-necked snake
D. p. vandenburgii — Monterey ring-necked snake
Continue reading “West Coast Ringnecks” …read more
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San Diego ringneck, D. p. similisAmazingly, even today, in the midst of nomenclatural clownery, there remain 12 subspecies of ring-necked snake, Diadophis punctatus, in the USA. When you add the 2 exclusively Mexican forms (Todos Santos ringneck, D. anthonyi and the Michoacan ringneck, D. dugesii) there are 14 subspecies.

But for now let’s stick with the USA forms. Of the 12, 1 is northeastern (plus adjacent Canada), 3 are southeastern, 2 are more or less centralian, and 6 occur along the Pacific Coast from southern CA (and nearby Baja) to central WA. Interestingly, although a couple extend beyond CA, all 6 of these subspecies may be found somewhere in CA. And among those 6 are some of the most resplendent subspecies (not that all ringnecks, no matter where they may be found, aren’t of noteworthy beauty).

Here is a listing of the USA ringnecks as well as pix of three of the most brightly colored Pacific Coast subspecies.

Northeastern ring-necked snakes:
D. p. edwardsii — northern ring-necked snake

Southeastern ring-necked snakes:
D. p. acricus — Key ring-necked snake
D. p. punctatus — southern ring-necked snake
D. p. stictogenys — Mississippi ring-necked snake

Centralian ring-necked snakes:
D. p. arnyi — prairie ring-necked snake
D. p. regalis — regal ring-necked snake

Pacific Coast ring-necked snakes:
D. p. amabilis — Pacific ring-necked snake
D. p. modestus — San Bernardino ring-necked snake
D. p. occidentalis — northwestern ring-necked snake
D. p. pulchellus — coralbelly ring-necked snake
D. p. similis — San Diego ring-necked snake
D. p. vandenburgii — Monterey ring-necked snake
Continue reading “West Coast Ringnecks” …read more
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This is dedicated to everyone who thinks Pythons are just fat lazy snakes. I present the glorious Savu Python (Liasis mackloti savuensis) in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user chefdev ! Agile, active, light bodied and their color, you can only appreciate their beauty in person. Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Happy Rattlesnake Friday! This big momma Timber rattlesnake shot in the field in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user throatoyster is a thing of beauty! 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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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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This frillie looks a little angry our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user nydon ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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What a chunker! I’m just gonna go out on a limb and say that the Barking Tree Frog in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user saltycity has never missed a meal! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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The hobbyist favorite, the colorful South African coral cobra.
Of the 3 subspecies of this interesting, 23 to 30 inch long, burrowing, elapine snake, it is the most brightly colored, southernmost, race, the Cape coral cobra, Aspidelaps l. lubricus, that is the hobbyist favorite.

A snake of arid habitats of the Cape region of South Africa and southern Namibia, when young this narrow-hooded cobra relative is clad dorsally and laterally in broad red and, except for the broad black nuchal marking, narrow black rings. When its anterior is elevated in the defensive posture, 2 or 3 broad black bands are displayed across its white throat and anterior venter. The red body rings are brightest dorsally and may fade noticeably on the sides. As the snake grows and ages the rings tend to break and become incomplete ventrally. The triangular nose-tip rostral scale is noticeably enlarged and helps this little snake with its burrowing proclivities. In nature it crepuscular and nocturnal and is often found beneath rocks.

The 2 more northerly forms, A. l. cowelsi of central Namibia and A. l. infuscatus (this latter being of questionable validity) of northern Namibia and southern Angola, are duller in color and may attain a slightly larger size. They are only marginally differentiated from each other, the former having a dark head and the latter having a light head, and are best identified by range.

Captives are easily maintained and, if cooled slightly in winter breed readily Frozen/thawed mice of suitable size are usually hungrily accepted as are various lizards. A clutch may contain from 4 to 8 (rarely a few more) eggs.

No matter how long they are captive, the coral cobras usually retain a feisty disposition, huffing, puffing, and occasionally striking at any and all disturbances.

Human deaths have been caused by bites from this small snake. The venom is neurotoxic. Extreme care should be used at all times.
Continue reading “The Coral Cobras, Cape, Namibian, and Angolan” …read more
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We totally LOVE this Cribo in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user steve fuller ! We are so jealous! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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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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That’s a whole lotta bull. Bullsnake that is! Loving the colors on the one here in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user orchidspider has never missed a meal! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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There might be a poem that matches this Sinaloan Milk Snake’s colors in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user kingzilla but we promise that poem is not 100% correct! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Ever wonder what a group of frogs would talk about? This batch of White’s Tree Frogs seem like they are having a meeting of the minds in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user DanitaParapai ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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