Happy Rattlesnake Friday! This baby Cobra is getting it’s first breath in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user SouthernHerp! 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 pair of Blue Tree Monitors can see the weekend coming in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user roadspawn ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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This Sulawesi forest turtle in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user andystorts , wants to make sure you know today is World Turtle Day! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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How high can you stack your dragons? Another pic overloaded with cuteness, uploaded by kingsnake.com user dedragons! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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What a cutie! Happy Monday from this totes adorbs horned lizard in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user jcraft75 ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Although an agile climber, the leopard rat snake is entirely at home on the ground.
Because of superficial similarities to our corn snake, not the least being that of color and pattern, this pretty rat snake was often referred to by American hobbyists as the European Corn Snake. Like our corn snake, the leopard rat snake, Zamenis situla, was also once contained in the then cosmopolitan genus Elaphe making the nomenclatural analogy even more understandable.
Today most North American rat snakes are contained in the genus Pantherophis while the leopard rat snake, now in the genus Zamenis, is the most brightly colored of the three species in that Old World genus.
The leopard rat snake occurs in both a saddled and a striped morph. The ground color varies through shades of gray to a warm tan and the red dorsal markings may be strongly or vaguely outlined in black. A black band extends across the top of the head from eye to eye and the anteriormost red marking is in the form of a spearpoint, pointed end foremost.
Occasionally reaching a length of 3 ½ feet, these slender snakes are usually adult at 3 feet or slightly less and the females are often the larger sex.
Our captives have proven shy, seasonably active, and spend most of their time securely hidden in their hideboxes. They prefer small prey items, and several of ours were reluctant to accept white mice of any size but would readily eat deer and white-footed mice. A 90 day period of hibernation is recommended.
During their active period a cage temperature of 70-75F is satisfactory but a basking hot spot of 85-90F should be provided.
Clutch size is usually 4 to 6 large, elongate, eggs. Incubation (60 to 70 days) should be at about 82F. Hatchlings may refuse food until they have been hibernated.
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Happy Rattlesnake Friday! This prairie rattlesnake in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user DanL shows us exactly what a rattlesnake does in the wild if they feel threatened! First they warn and then they try to run away! Rattlesnakes are so very important to our ecosystem and it is so very important to understand that it is important to watch for them, respect them and give them their space for freedom. Despite the urban legends, they run away! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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We hope that this amazing field shot of a Wood Frog kicks off your day right 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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Tick Tock. The week passes quickly but today is easier starting with the smile of a Nile Croc in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user CDieter! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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This Pine Snake looks so velvety smooth in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Jack77 ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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It’s Monday, feeling kinda like this hoggie in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user jeffb ! Be sure to tell jeffb you liked it here!
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Although capable of climbing, the peeper does not usually ascend very high.
Although peeper season down here in the “deep southeast” (nFL, sGA and sAL) is now almost over (it’s mid-April), it was brought to my attention the other day that it has just started up in the northland that I still think of as “home.”
Unlike in New England, where winter is a fearsome period of unruly (and usually COLD) weather and warmth providing fireplaces, down here, rather than by climatic extremes, “winter” is best defined by calendar dates. Depending on rains and temperatures peepers, Pseudacris crucifer, in the southeast may be heard calling in the late autumn to and through the winter months (November to March). So in actuality they (and most other chorus frogs, of which the peeper is one, are winter peepers.
Peepers are capable of limited metachrosis. They are usually darker when cold than when warm. And a darker, often imperfect, X (the crucifix from which the species name crucifer, is derived) is usually visible on their back. This little frog, a hylid (treefrog), has tiny toetip discs that allow it to climb, even if haltingly, and is adult at a SVL of 1.5” or less.
For the most part, our chorus frogs are done vocalizing until next autumn. Now with the advent of warmer weather it’s treefrog time, with the green treefrog often leading the other choristers. It’s nice to have frog voices year round.
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Happy Rattlesnake Friday! Time to crack a cold one and celebrate the weekend. This A. c. contortrix is already a step ahead of us in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user AlexNevgloski! p.s. Always pick up the trash you see in the field. Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
Remember, on Rattlesnake Friday we celebrate ALL venomous reptiles, not just the rattlesnakes, to help raise awareness of their benefits on this planet!
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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 them you liked it here!
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Sassy as babies, sassy as adults! This roaring baby snapping turtle is our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user makonai777! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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How cool is this African Herald Snake (Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia) in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user MVH4 . Gotta love colubrids of all types! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Alligator lizards are becoming more popular as reptile pets and it is easy to see why in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user SalS ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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It is during the breeding season that the head of the male broad-head is fiery and enlarged.
The broad-headed skink, Plestiodon laticeps, is easily kept but not always easily bred.
It was way back in the early 1950s that I first saw this species. It was then known as the “greater five-lind skink.”
I was on the 2nd floor of a deserted and decrepit house on Okeetee Hunt Club. Gordy and I had just left Carl, Bob, and Zig, and were hoping to find a few more herps before nightfall. I was infatuated with the region’s resident rat snakes, the black (actually more greenish than black) and corn snakes. Knowing that the former were accomplished climbers, I had climbed the rickety stairs and was checking the rotted and loosened window sills. No rat snakes yet but as I moved to where a hefty limb lay against the house I saw what was until then the prettiest lizard I had ever seen in wild. Having it’s body a burnished brown and it’s head a fire orange, I had just met a male broad-headed skink.
I soon had acquired a pair of these beauties—the male from SC and the female from FL. They were kept in a 36gal savanna terrarium with climbing/basking limbs and profuse ground cover/hiding areas that included enough soil to burrow. The diet consisted of insects and occasional small pinkies. They had a large ceramic dog watering bowl. The terrarium was sprinkled occasionally. A natural photoperiod and a hotspot of 105+F was provided on a uppermost limb. The lizards thrived, breeding several times during the years I kept them.
Today I live in Florida and wild examples of this taxon are almost daily warm weather visitors on our back deck. I never tire of seeing them.
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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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Does a kingsnake really need an intro for our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user trevid ? Nope, but hey nice grayband. Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Gotta love the smile from this Monkey Tail Skink in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user sreps ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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No need to remember rhymes with this Milk Snake in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user sballard! Be sure to tell them you liked it here.
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Despite the similarity of appearance to that of a slimy salamander, the white-spot is more closely allied to the Wehrle’s salamander
“Looks bad, Jake.”
There was 4” of snow and the higher we climbed the faster the snow was falling. We were on a mountaintop on the WV-VA stateline hoping to find a white-spotted (Cow Knob) salamander, Plethodon punctatus. Although having the white-spots on a black ground color of a slimy salamander, this 6-inch long montane caudatan is more closely allied to Wehrle’s salamander.
As I had done a decade-plus earlier, Jake was now trying to accrue a life list of all USA herps, and P. punctatus was one of the few Appalachian caudatans remaining on his “wannasee” list. But despite our efforts on that day and the next to two locales, we failed to find this wanted and localized taxon.
On day one, after a slow, rocky, muddy, several mile climb on a Jeep trail, my trusty CRV made it to within .8 mile of the destination. At that point we encountered a Jeep-only puddle that prevented us going further. But it mattered not. Because of the snow cover and existing snow storm, we had learned by that time it that it was almost impossible to find the habitat we had hoped to see, and the cover we did find was still frozen to the ground.
Except for not being stopped by a puddle, conditions on day two conspired equally against us. The snow was even deeper, the ground cover was still frozen. And if salamanders were there they succeeded in hiding from us. It was time to give up.
C’mon spring!
.
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What a gorgeous chondro in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user bsuson!
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Happy Rattlesnake Friday! We just love this close up of a Massasauga in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user venombill ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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What a great sighting of a California newt in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user AndrewFromSoCal ! Makes you fell like you are right there the field. Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Clean, simple and classic. What other way could we describe this Anery Boa in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user pythonas ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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This male veiled is hanging on tight for whatever is in store for him in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user GECKOPERSON ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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One of my favorite animals in education, the Glass Lizard shines in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user sweetpea ! They help broach the fear of snakes so well, one people learn they are lizards! And they are just damn cool! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Happy Ratttlesnake Friday! Loving this Black-tail Rattlesnake all posed up in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user SDeFriez! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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What a fabu shot of Atelopus barbotini in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user jamesmatthews ! These guys are native to French Guyana. Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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These Uroplatus pietschmanni in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user mcamo3 ,show us what amazing masters of camoflague they truly are! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Rumor has it, spring is around the corner and so is finding awesome herps outside! Loving this field found Speckled King, uploaded by kingsnake.com user kingzilla! Be sure to tell them you liked it here.
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I have a case of the Mondays. A hatchling reptile picture, like this totes adorbs Radiated tortoise, uploaded by kingsnake.com user marcp! Be sure to tell them you liked it here.
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Happy Ratttlesnake Friday! This Crotalus tigris, found and photographed in AZ, is keeping her eye on you in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user kevinjudd ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Leopard frog yin and yang! The Leucistic tadpole really stands out in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user retnaburner!
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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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Now that is a nice kingsnake! This gorgeous Mex mex king in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user rod_mcleod is amazing! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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We hear ya buddy! We feel the same about mondays as this Eastern Coachwhip in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user jodscovry does. Gotta love colubrids of all types! 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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