I went to the desert for a snake with no name. What a fabuoous shot of a Great Basin Rattlesnake in Utah in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user crocman6594! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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What a gorgeous gartersnake in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user TomDickinson ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Hope you enjoy this great shot of a Black Salamander in the field in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user sc_shark ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Let’s hope your Valentine’s Day was better than this! Kidding! A pair of Water Monitors meet for the first time in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user elaphehead ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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This captive pair of giant whiptails lived for several years.
Seemingly first reported in 1995, this beautiful sun worshipper, Aspidoscelis motaguae, had by then probably been established in Florida for at least 20 years. Strangely, although I recall several other teeids (even the seldom imported little 4-toed whiptail, Teius teyou) figuring prominently in the American pet trade, the mention of A. motaguae brings back no memories at all. That this species has now been present for decades in several small Miami-Dade County populations indicates that it figured to a greater or lesser degree in the inventories of some importers.
A beautifully colored lizard, males of the the giant whiptail attain a total length of 13 inches. Females are smaller and a bit less colorful. Males are olive-slate on the upper sides. This shades to gold dorso-anteriorly and to blue ventrolaterally. Gold flecks are liberally scattered over the dorsum. The flecks become white and elongate to vertical bars ventrolaterally. Although certainly not flamboyant, the colors and patterns of this lizard are pretty and memorable.
The eytomology of the scientific name commemorates the upper Motagua Valley of Guatemala, a portion of the natural range of the giant whiptail. Overall the lizard ranges southward from Oaxaca, MX to Guatemala, Honduras and adjacent Nicaragua, and El Salvador.
Like many, if not most, other teiids, the giant whiptail is omnivorous. Although its diet leans strongly toward invertebrates, it also readily consumes blossoms and berries.
Continue reading “Giant Whiptail” …read more
Read more here: King Snake
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By Herp News
During the last glaciation, a huge ice shield reached up to the region of today’s Berlin. By the time it started to melt about 20,000 years ago, it enabled a gradual re-colonization of the northern latitudes by many plant and animal species. Often, they took different colonization routes around the mountain ranges, for example the Carpathians – with astonishing outcomes for a special kind of re-unification that, for instance, happens in Poland: In the region of the Vistula River, two evolutionarily young species of tree frogs meet each other.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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This week I want to share my formula for taking semi close-up pictures of snakes. I like to use these kind of pictures to make business cards, post cards, calendars, and other promotional materials. When trying to sell a snake the buyers want to see as much of the body as possible, so these are not the best option when trying to sell individual specimens, but semi close ups are effective in promoting projects in general. When I take these kind of photos I want for the entire head to be in the picture. I also want the entire frame filled by the body of the animal with as little, “non-snake” materials as possible, especially around the edges of the frame. It is also important to capture as many interesting features of the specimen as possible. You want for everything to be in crisp focus if possible. I took several semi close-up pictures and posted them on social media recently. The picture in this blog got more views, likes, and comments than all the others combined so I would like to try to explain why. At the end of the day the subject needs to grab peoples attention, and this snake certainly does.
Many people in our hobby are sick and tired of seeing Ball Pythons, but even they liked and commented on this picture. The entire head is in the photo and it is in crisp focus, especially the eye. The frame is filled with the body of the snake, with only a little bit of mulch barely visible in perhaps 5% or less of the total field. The Paradox condition of this snake is what makes it interesting, and the semi close-up format really shows off the layering of the pigments. I was able to get some of the additional Paradox markings in the picture with the coils above the head. This snake is also a Super Genetic Banded morph, and I was able to get some of the classic pattern associated with this gene in the coil below the head. I plan to use this photo in my new business cards, on my website banner, and in a new updated kingsnake.com banner ad. I do not mean to come across like some kind of professional photographer, because I am not. In fact, when I look at this picture I see all kinds of things I wish I could have done better. I am just a regular guy trying to do my best and improve my picture taking. I hope that some of what I have shared here will give you ideas on how to improve your pictures as well. …read more
Read more here: King Snake
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We are fortunate to have a nice population of Red Milk Snakes (Lampropeltis triangulum syspila) in several western Kentucky counties. In our region it is possible to cruise roads and find these snakes from the time when it gets dark to the very wee hours of the morning prior to dawn. While we try to cruise under conditions that we believe are prime, often even then it is possible to not find any of these snakes…even when other snakes are being found.
The random offerings turned up by road cruising is something that’s problematic and usually we prefer to have a little more control over the hunt when possible. So we also deploy artificial cover to help in locating these snakes. We have found that these snakes are attracted to layered sheets of metal, so if you are having trouble finding them, try stacking your metal up. Red Milks in our area live in forested habitat, but like all reptiles they utilize open areas where the rays of the sun reach the surface. We have found layered metal set out where the canopy is open works very well. It is a sight to behold when you peel back a sheet of metal and see such a beautiful high-contrast snake sitting on dull colored metal of the earth tones of the soil underneath. Locating a Red Milk Snake in Kentucky makes any good day better and turns even the worst of days into a nice day for guys like myself. …read more
Read more here: King Snake
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We are still feeling the Valentine’s day love, much like this pair of Eastern Indigos in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user steve fuller ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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By Herp News
The huge variability among the desert tortoise populations of Mexico has finally been given an explanation after casting doubts for several decades. The puzzle was solved by an international team of researchers, who found out that there has been a previously unknown third sister species all along. Moreover, unlike their predecessors, the team have managed to provide enough evidence to prove its existence.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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Frankie and I used to go everywhere. We would go to the park, Petsmart, Petco, to pet parades, to schools and day care centers, and libraries, more parks, art festivals, around the block, down the street and wherever we wanted to go……when Frankie was smaller.
I would pick up Frankie, toss him into the car and off we went on many adventures.
When Frankie got bigger, about 45 pounds or so, we still went places but I had to use more muscle to get Frankie in and out of the car. The bigger he got the more difficult he was to lift so I relied on more and more on genius and ingenuity to get him places because let’s face facts, a woman over 50 has a few physical limitations.
I got lucky meeting a fellow turtle lover and near-by neighbor, Greta, who became a fellow tortoise traveler and partner-picker-upper of Frankie. Frankie above the 50 pound mark was bigger and heavier but Greta make it possible for Frankie and me to get to our favorite destination.
For better or worse, when Greg, Frankie and I moved our household to Mobile things changed drastically. Frankie broke the 100 pound mark and I found without a close-by Greta or the always-working Greg, Frankie and I were just not going to very many places. Since I couldn’t just float Frankie into the car we just couldn’t go anywhere.
But the last few days, boy-oh-boy, we got to go places. Frankie and I packed up and drove to B&B Pet Store, and then we drove to the park, and then we drove to the park again! Frankie spent time basking in the sun and grazing on some tasty green grass and weeds, and walking all over the pet store….over and over and over. I kept by Frankie’s side and answered the top 20 Frankie Questions.
So exciting! I am already planning more outings.
You are asking just how this 55+ woman is getting Frankie in and out of the car. No, the State of Alabama is still not allowing me to marry a second husband who can pick up Frankie when ever I need, and of course, Greg still works a lot. It’s not a neighbor stepping up as Frankie co-carrier.
Nope, Frankie is getting in and out of the car all by himself….with a bit of clever thinking, lots of measuring, hunting out some good sales, two dog ramps, and a bit of woodworking.
…..voila!Frankie Ramp!
Returning home, Frankie heads down the ramp.
The added wood platform keeps the ramp from separating or sliding.
Frankie’s getting really good at …read more
Read more here: Turtle Times
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By Herp News
The whooping crane, with its snowy white plumage and trumpeting call, is one of the most beloved American birds, and one of the most endangered. As captive-raised cranes are re-introduced in Louisiana, they are gaining a new descriptor: natural killer. A new study suggests Louisiana cranes are faring well thanks in part to their penchant for hunting reptiles and amphibians.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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By Herp News
Scientists have discovered a new species of chameleon in Tanzania.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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By Herp News
Researchers have uncovered evidence of turtle specimens at the 400,000-year-old Qesem Cave site, indicating that early humans enjoyed eating turtles in addition to large game and vegetal material. The research provides direct evidence of the relatively broad diet of early Paleolithic people.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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By Herp News
During a field trip in the mountains of central Chile, scientists discovered a new endemic iguana species. Noticeably, it was characterized by size and scalation, compared to the rest of the local lizards. However, what initially grabbed the biologists’ attention was its coloration. Not only was it unlike the already described ones, but also appeared surprisingly consistent within the collected individuals, even regardless of their sex.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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By Herp News
Snake-hunting Secretary Birds use the force of five times their body weight to stamp on and kill their prey. Researchers have discovered that Secretary Birds can kick with 195 Newtons, which is equivalent to five times their own body weight, when they attack and kill their prey. And the contact time between the bird’s feet and the snake is delivered extremely quickly — on average just 15 milliseconds.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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By Herp News
Snake locomotion is a source of inspiration for technology: graceful, silent, adaptable and efficient, it can be implemented on devices designed for the most diverse applications, from space exploration to medicine. A new study adds to this line of research and proposes a detailed mathematical account of one of the characteristic types of movement adopted by this animal.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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By Herp News
Satellite data on artificial nighttime light in Florida from 1992-2012 was compared to robust data on sea turtle nesting for the same period, showing regulations have cut light levels to the benefit of turtles. Still, adult females are impacted by skyglow as distant as 100 km, researchers found. The research shows the value of satellite data as a conservation tool.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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By Herp News
Found on a herb bush, a toad of only 24 mm average length, was quick to make its discoverers consider its status as a new species. After identifying its unique morphological and skeletal characters, and conducting a molecular phylogenetic analysis, not only did the team introduce a new species, but also added a new genus. The new ‘Andaman bush toad’ has now been described.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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By Herp News
Two endemic tree frog species, not recognized by science until now, have been identified in broadleaf forests in the island country of Taiwan. Unlike their siblings from mainland China and Southern Asia, they demonstrate reproductive behavior, characterized with egg-eating tadpole embryos feeding on eggs, while still inside the mother’s womb. What told them apart initially, however, were their gemstone-colored eyes.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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By Herp News
Rising global temperatures may skew gender imbalance among the marine turtle population, according to new research. The sex of marine hatchlings is influenced by incubating temperatures, and warmer temperatures produce a higher number of female hatchlings.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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This little Diamondback baby found Arizona is adorable in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user kevinjudd in the field! We can only imagine the excitement at this find! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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It is a whole lotta squee in this two for Thursday pair of hatching Hognose in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user caracal ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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This is an adult female northern brown basilisk.
I was totally enthralled when, some 25 years ago, I saw my first northern brown basilisk, Basiliscus vittatus, in Florida. I had been told that they were then tenuously established, but until then I had not seen one. The fact that the example that was then in front of me, resting quietly but attentively on a blade of grass overhanging a canal, was a hatchling disclosed that at least one pair of breeders could not be too far away. Although I did not find additional examples on that trip, when, a few weeks later I again visited South Florida, I happened upon a number of these intriguing lizards of all size classes in Miami-Dade’s Tropical Park
Today (2016) this 2 foot long lizard with the cranial crest (males) and strongly defined vertebral and mid-caudal ridge are locally distributed in Palm Beach and Martin counties are now common in Broward and Miami-Dade counties.
The predominant color is brown. Yellow facial and dorsolateral stripes (the latter best defined anteriorly) are usually easily visible. A second yellow stripe, sometimes interrupted, parallels the upper jaw line and continues rearward to the shoulder. Darker crossbands, best defined above the uppermore yellow stripes may be present. Females are smaller than the males, lack the cranial crest but do have a lobe on the back of the head and the stripes are more faded or even absent. Both sexes will be darkest and most poorly marked when cold, at night, or when frightened.
Insects, small frogs and other lizards, form the diet of these pet trade lizards. The species native range is from northeastern Mexico to northern Colombia.
Continue reading “Northern Brown Basilisk” …read more
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By Herp News
The whooping crane, with its snowy white plumage and trumpeting call, is one of the most beloved American birds, and one of the most endangered. As captive-raised cranes are re-introduced in Louisiana, they are gaining a new descriptor: natural killer. A new study suggests Louisiana cranes are faring well thanks in part to their penchant for hunting reptiles and amphibians.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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Look closely or you might miss the Uroplatus pietschmanni hiding here in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user mcamo3 ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Hope your Tuesday shines like this Northern Pine does in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Turekj ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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The pale yellow dewlap is a hallmark of this anole species.
Anolis cybotes cybotes, is known as the large-headed anole (aka largehead anole when the writer is too lazy to put in a hyphen and add two letters). Males, the larger sex, can attain a robust 8 ½ inches while the females are seldom more than 6 inches in length. This large size (for an anole) places this Hispaniolan species firmly in the position of 2nd largest anole in the USA, being
exceeded in size only by the comparatively immense knight anole, A. e. equestris. The large-headed anole (the head of adult males is noticeably enlarged) is a brown species, sometimes pale brown, sometimes rich, often darkest vertebrally, and equally often with a very pale (sometimes greenish) lateral stripe on each side. The stripe may be thick, thin, or absent and may or may not be outlined with a narrow edging of darker pigment. The male’s dewlap is pale yellow to pale gray.
The large-headed anole has been established in Florida since 1967. The first introduction was deliberate as was one in 1986. Pet trade escapees are probably responsible for several other small populations.The lizard is no longer present at the original release site but continues to exist in relatively small numbers at several newer locales. It is at one of these latter that Jake and I often stop to get our periodic “cybotes-fix.” (by the way, the species name is pronounced ki-boat-ees, not sigh-boat-ees). And sure enough, they were there.
A small population, before we left Jake and I were both speculating that it may soon become even smaller for perched quietly on an upright tree trunk we spied a 14 inch long knight anole as well. This latter looked fat and healthy and since lizards figure prominently in the diet of the knight anole we pondered whether this population of large-headed anoles would soon become even smaller?
I guess we’ll know after a couple of future checks.
Continue reading “The Large-headed Anole in Florida” …read more
Read more here: King Snake
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Happy Monday from the cute Asian Forest Tortoise (Manouria emys phayrei,) the one 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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By Herp News
Snake locomotion is a source of inspiration for technology: graceful, silent, adaptable and efficient, it can be implemented on devices designed for the most diverse applications, from space exploration to medicine. A new study adds to this line of research and proposes a detailed mathematical account of one of the characteristic types of movement adopted by this animal.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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The photo may be a bit blurry, but there is no mistaking that is a gravid Masssasauga in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user LetsConservate24 in the field! We can only imagine the excitement at this find! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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By Herp News
Rising global temperatures may skew gender imbalance among the marine turtle population, according to new research. The sex of marine hatchlings is influenced by incubating temperatures, and warmer temperatures produce a higher number of female hatchlings.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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What a great field shot of this Black Salamander found in a redwood forest in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user sc_shark! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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The green and black color of this beautiful newt blend well with the aquatic vegetation.
Newts, a subset of salamanders in the family Salamandridae, may be found in both the New and Old Worlds. The males of many of the Old World taxa develop nuptial finery (seasonally present and often exaggerated caudal, nuchal, and vertebral finnage) that, no matter the season, no New World species ever has.
And of these Old World salamandrid dandies, IMO one of the most beautiful is the black on forest green (more rarely the black may predominate) marbled newt, Triturus marmoratus, of Spain, Portugal, and France.
Black on green may sound flamboyant, and indeed it is when seen in a home terrarium or aquarium. But when at home in the dappled sunlight and submerged vegetation of a woodland pond, the color combination is a surprisingly effective camouflage.
Although high and very noticeable the even-edged black and green banded vertebral and caudal finnage of this large (it attains a stocky 4 ½ – 6”) newt is less ornate that that of several of its cousins. The nuptial fins of these latter are prettily scalloped. But what the marbled newt lacks in fin appearance is more than compensated for by beauty of color. And as just a bit of added splendor, when, following the breeding season the fins of the marbled newt are resorbed, they remain represented by an orange middorsal ridge. Can you say “pretty?”
Continue reading “Marbled Newts” …read more
Read more here: King Snake
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For a little excitement in your life, add a Ctenosaura pectinata to your home like the one 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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The Internet story of the red foot tortoise found alive in a box 32 years after it disappeared is so amusing to me that I thought I would add a bit of logic to this….as in Sherlock Holmes logic.
Hold on to your shells. We are going to use some smarts.
The story of the turtle is a riddle that today may need a genius thinker to solve because, regretfully, a lot of people think that what they read on the internet is true. Um, let me just repeat that: a lot of people think everything on the internet is true.
A lot of Internet stories are written as enhanced reality, or something fixed up to be more interesting. But let’s let Sherlock look at the facts.
A family had a red foot tortoise. It “ran away” or “disappeared.” The turtle was not located nor re-appear for the rest of the time the children lived in the house. The children grow up and move out of the house. These are accepted as fact.
Other facts: Dad died. House was left to the children. House had a lot of stuff left inside. All accepted as fact.
Children clean out the house but there is no mention of any turtle husbandry equipment when they clean up the house. A neighbor makes mentions of the turtle in the trash the children toss from the house. A turtle is found mingling within boxes once inside the house.
Now, here is the jump to fiction. Child says turtle must be the one lost 32 years ago.
Sherlock would say, “Well, first, let’s look at all the facts.”
Sherlock would ask, “Where is your proof that this is the same turtle? Do you have pictures to compare it to? Did a veterinarian attest that this turtle is 32 years old? Can a herpetologist verify that this turtle is the same species you had before? Can either the veterinarian or the herpetologist verify that the turtle’s physical condition is that of a turtle that lived in a house unseen for 32 years without any care?
Sherlock would then say, “You are an idiot.”
Okay, Sherlock wouldn’t say the kid was an idiot. That was me saying the kid was an idiot. Sherlock would be kind and say, the turtle is not the same turtle you saw when you were a child thirty-two years ago.
“First, the children said they did not see the turtle anywhere in the house during the years they lived there with their father. Records kept on the longevity of the species Chelonoidis carbonaria ssp. estimate that they can live from 30 to 50 years, depending on scientific literature and amateur observation. It is also obvious that this family were but amateur keepers.”
“At this point,” Sherlock said, “I would turn the conversation to Julie Maguire at Long Island Turtle Rescue to attest to the condition of …read more
Read more here: Turtle Times
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How cute is this hognose in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user nearhoofm brighten your Monday! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
Upload your own reptile and amphibian photos photos at gallery.kingsnake.com, and you could see them featured here! …read more
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This is a gravid female bronze frog at the edge of out pool.
Plunk, plunk, plunk. Hmmmm. Where’d they come from?
The calls were obviously those of bronze frogs, Rana c. clamitans, the southern and nominate form of the more northerly green frog. Bronze or green, the calls are the same—plunks best likened to the sound made while tuning a loose banjo string. And these calls were coming from what I felt was an unlikely place…
During our many year drought, when no ephemeral pools contained water, Patti and I decided that the southern toads in our yard needed a breeding puddle. So we bought a 20 foot square of pliable PVC, dug a slope-sided excavation about 15” deep in the center, laid in the liner, filled it with water from the hose, and sprinkled dirt over all of the liner that remained exposed. IOW, our intended toad pool was simple in the extreme. We threw in a few aquarium plants, sat back and waited to see if the toads would accept the new water filled hole.
They did. First in small numbers but then from the chorus it seemed that all in the yard converged there—and within weeks we had hundreds of toadlets. Then a few green treefrogs found the pool. Next came southern leopard frogs, dragonflies, and all manner of aquatic insects. And then for years nothing new seemed to find the pool—until a couple of months ago when those plunking notes told me we had new arrivals.
I was glad they were there but wondered then and still do, where these bronze frogs, a species pretty firmly tied to vegetated pond and swamp edges, had migrated from. The frogs stayed and vocalized for several weeks and then, seemingly overnight, en masse, they all disappeared.
Now I’m wondering “Where’d they go?” Did they choose a rainy night to migrate elsewhere? Was our puddle visited by an efficient raccoon? Will the bronze frogs return? Time may tell. Maybe.
Continue reading “Backyard Bronze Frogs” …read more
Read more here: King Snake
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By Herp News
Researchers have uncovered evidence of turtle specimens at the 400,000-year-old Qesem Cave site, indicating that early humans enjoyed eating turtles in addition to large game and vegetal material. The research provides direct evidence of the relatively broad diet of early Paleolithic people.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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By Herp News
Researchers have uncovered evidence of turtle specimens at the 400,000-year-old Qesem Cave site, indicating that early humans enjoyed eating turtles in addition to large game and vegetal material. The research provides direct evidence of the relatively broad diet of early Paleolithic people.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
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