This dart frog is so hot, in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user frogological , we are hoping it can melt all the post christmas snow! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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We hope this Ball Python in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user toshamc,will bring you a lot of Christmas Cheer! From our family to yours, we wish you a safe, healthy and happy Christmas! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Not a creature was stirring except for this Tokay in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user bloodpython_MA ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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This was one of 2 gravid female frosted flatwoods salamander we saw.
When we left at 1500 hrs, the forecast called for 3-5″ of rain in Liberty County. Remnants of the super hurricane, Patricia, heavy rains were forecast to begin at 4:00PM and continue for about 24 hours. The forecast erred. Badly! At first it had sounded like good salamander weather but by the time we got there (6:30 PM) we were wondering? Although it was obvious that it had rained a little, the clouds were breaking up and it was partially sunny. Not salamander weather at all.
Jake and I wondered aloud whether we should remain or return home, but on a whim, decided to head for the coast 20 miles distant. At 7:00PM we were treated to a sprinkle that encouraged us to stay. At 7:30PM we hit a rather widespread and significant shower. Perhaps not all was lost. The road dampened, road edge puddles formed.
At 7:45PM we found an ornate chorus frog, at 7:50PM the first flatwoods salamander crossed, at 7:55PM we found 2 more crossing flatwoods and another ornate chorus. By the time we left, 10:00PM, it had stopped raining again and we had seen 12 of the protected flatwoods salamanders (incl 2 gravid females), 3 more ornates, and a couple of dwarf salamanders. It had turned into a darn good nite.
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Eastern Black Kingsnake Lampropeltis getula nigra
Since 2003 Phil Peak and I have observed and recorded 760 live Black Kingsnakes in scores of different Kentucky counties. There is a lot of variation out there and I sure like them all, but at the end of the day I have limited space and resources and am only able to keep a handful of specimens. It took some time, but I soon realized that I like the ones around my home town the best of all. What I like so much about the Black Kingsnakes around Louisville are that they have the least amount of pattern and markings and are also a kind of shiny black coloration not seen in all examples of this species.
The captive hatched specimen in the photo is only around 30 inches long but has already lost all signs of the juvenile markings and has already developed the kind of shiny black coloration that makes these my favorite. I have noticed that a lot of my fellow field herpers tend to appreciate the animals that live in their own backyards too, and I think this is great. In addition to the natural beauty that these local snakes have, all of us who spend time hunting snakes also see something else when we look at our local favorites. Let’s face the truth here, life is tough. I can’t speak for everyone, but I can tell you right now that when I look at the snake in the picture I remember the day when I was out in the field with my good friend Phil and we flipped an old rotten board and found the clutch of eggs that this snake hatched out of. On that day there were no jobs, no family dramas, no bills to pay, and no cell phones ringing. Instead the sun was shining and I was a free man out in the woods breathing fresh air and doing what I wanted to do for once. I like that.
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By Herp News
On Monday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced that two subspecies of lions — Panthera leo leo and Panthera leo melanochaita – would be protected under the Endangered Species Act. The new rules, which will come into effect on January 22, 2016, will impose stricter permit requirements for trophy hunting, and will make it harder to import lions or their parts into the country, according to the announcement. Following new lion classification, lion populations in India, and west and central Africa have been clubbed into the subspecies Panthera leo leo. Only about 1,400 of these lions remain in the wild, and this lion subspecies will be listed as Endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the U.S. FWS said. The second subspecies, Panthera leo melanochaita, which includes lions found across southern and eastern Africa, will be listed as Threatened under the ESA. These lions number between 17,000 to 19,000 in the wild. “We’re protecting the most vulnerable lion subspecies in India and parts of Africa as Endangered,” Dan Ashe, Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said in a video statement. “Doing so will impose strict new permit requirements, and largely prohibit the importation of these lions into the US.” “We’re also designating the remaining lion subspecies in Africa as threatened, and issuing a special rule for their management,” he added. “That rule extends significant new protections to this threatened subspecies prohibiting most imports of live lions and sport-hunted trophies into the U.S.” African Lion…
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Somehow I don’t think we found the real Santa with this Phelsuma 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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A pretty adult Christmas tree phase eyelash viper.
Of the many tree vipers, one or more of the many phases of the Eyelash Viper, Bothriechis schlegelii, are often the first “hot species” kept as a hobbyist’s herp experience grows. Although this Latin American tree viper is often available in grays, olives, pinks, and oranges, there seem to be 3 phases, the yellow, the tiger, and the Christmas Tree, that are the most popular. All of these are normal and natural colors, designed by Mother Nature. Although they may have been line bred to “improve” or intensify color or contrast, none are the creations of hobbyist breeders. Since Christmas is tomorrow, it seems appropriate that I at least make mention of this color variation.
It was close to a half century ago when Patti and I first visited Costa Rica. On that trip we were fortunate to meet and be shepherded by Peter and Suzi Seigfried. Peter took us up mountains and down into valleys, into the forests, and along streams. And it was along the forested streams that we first became acquainted with eyelash vipers in habitat. The first we saw, a gray baby, was on an afternoon hike. As eyelash vipers go, this was a pretty “blah” but since it was my first I took photo after photo of the snake. Peter assured me that we would actually see some pretty ones before the trip was over. And he was right. The next one was a beautiful yellow (oropel) example and it was in a banana clump right next to the home of one of Peter’s friends. More pix and more assurances from Peter that we would see more of these pit vipers. Another drive and we were at a tiny hotel in Palmar Norte. The next morning we were on the road again and Peter drove us to visit another of his friends at a locale that if I ever knew I have long forgotten. But I haven’t forgotten the snake we saw. Again in bananas, Peter pointed out the most beautiful pit viper I had until then seen. It was big, it was green with pink and red trim, and although I then thought of it then as a “normal phase” I was looking upon my first “Christmas tree” (hobbyist name) eyelash viper. More pix and many, many fond memories. Herping just doesn’t get any better.
Happy Holidays to all.
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Dashing through the snow, two cute Bearded Dragons on a sleigh in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user ginag ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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By Herp News
What is a hackathon? ‘Hacking’ is creative problem solving, commonly through emerging technology. A ‘hackathon’ is an event where people, usually with tech backgrounds, come together to solve problems. Participants usually form teams and dive into the target problem(s), often for 1-3 days, and collaboratively produce (often through coding) a unique solution. The events are intended to be fun and productive sessions that channel the group’s collective positive energy toward solving real-world problems. But can such short events attended by folks with limited wildlife knowledge actually encourage tech innovation with potential to improve nature conservation? To learn more, WildTech attended a “Hackathon for Wildlife” in mid-November and spoke with Gautam Shah, creator of Internet for Elephants, a social enterprise that leverages information technology to improve wildlife conservation, and organizer of the Chicago Hackathon for Wildlife. The inspiration for a hackathon for wildlife. Photo credit: George Powell Who organizes hackathons? Anyone with a challenge and the ability to interest people in trying to solve it can organize a hackathon – here are some guidelines for hosting. WildTech asked Shah, an experienced data analyst with a passion for wildlife, what motivated him to organize and produce a hackathon for wildlife. “The aim is to help 20 million people engage with wildlife – I’m 44 and don’t have time to think small,” he explained. “We are using data from real wildlife studies; we are ready to take data and figure out the best ways to engage audiences. Having an event helps…
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By Herp News
A farmer chases bird crop pests from his fields. In Bolivia, the species that appear in pet markets for sale most frequently are considered crop pests. Previously shot and killed, they are now poached and sold for additional income. Photo by El deber/ Flickr Creative Commons Share alike 2.0 [dropcap]A[/dropcap] new shipment of illegally trafficked parrots arrives at the Los Pozos market in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. The sellers and middlemen are approached and questioned. The species, age and place of capture are noted down. This isn’t an enforcement sting, far from it; it’s research. The year was 2004, and scientists were trying to better understand local wildlife trafficking markets. To do so they needed to get closer to the dealers themselves. But that was no easy task when the data you are gathering could also be used as evidence of a crime. So to achieve their goal, the researchers hired a go-between, a trusted insider, to ask the survey questions. “Technically he’s part of the illicit trade, [and] he’s also a criminal,” Professor Stephen Pires, a criminologist at Florida International University told mongabay.com in a recent interview. The man they chose to conduct the survey had over ten years of experience working in the illegal parrot trafficking business. “There’s no reason why another criminal, like a trafficker or a poacher, would not trust him with this information,” said Pires. What the scientists learned about the clandestine domestic wildlife trade was surprising — and…
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By Herp News
In 2010, researcher Francesco Nardelli discovered two photographs of a certain species of langur, or leaf monkey, on the internet that he could not recognize. The caged langurs in the photos — which had been taken in a bird market in East Java in Indonesia — had black faces outlined by distinctive orange-golden colored hair. Over the next five years, Nardelli combed through zoo records, museum specimens, and published literature to resolve the identity of the langur. Then in October this year, in a paper published in the journal International Zoo News (IZN), Nardelli concluded that the langur in the photos was indeed a new species. He named it the golden-crowned langur, or Presbytis johnaspinalli. However, soon after Mongabay broke the news of the new langur species on October 23, some primatologists challenged Nardelli’s conclusions. One of the critics, Vincent Nijman, a primatologist at Oxford Brookes University who has worked on Presbytis and Trachypithecus monkeys for over two decades, recently published his arguments against the status of the langur species in the journal International Zoo News. Experts are debating the status of the “new” golden-crowned langur (Presbytis johnaspinalli). Courtesy of Nardelli 2015. Like Nardelli, Nijman investigated the origin of the photographs and traced the source of all photos — including two additional ones that he found online — back to “most likely a single trader [Mr M. Sabar] in the Ratu Soerjo bird market (a.k.a. Mantingan bird market) at the outskirts of the town of Mantingan…
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By Herp News
Scientists have discovered two critically endangered species of sea snakes, previously thought to be extinct, off the coast of Western Australia.It’s the first time the snakes have been spotted alive and healthy since disappearing from their only known habitat on Ashmore Reef in the Timor Sea more than fifteen years ago.
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This Chuckwalla is ready to start us on out path to christmas 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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By Herp News
Howler monkeys are often targeted by hunters. Photo by Rhett A. Butler Over-hunting contributes to forest carbon loss, claims a study published this week in the AAAS journal Science Advances. After looking at data from 31 sites from the Atlantic Forest — found along the southeast coast of Brazil — the researchers conclude that the over-hunting of large animals in those forests will eventually result in the widespread loss of the larger tree species responsible for storing the most carbon. The team of Brazilian and European researchers, led by Carolina Bello from Universidade Estadual Paulista, looked at seed dispersal by frugivores as well as the relationship between seed size and a tree’s carbon storage potential, and discovered a disturbing trend. Hunters in the region tend to harvest larger species of birds and mammals at unsustainable rates. These animals are often the species that eat, carry, and disperse large fruits and seeds. The tree species that produce largest animal-dispersed seeds tend to be taller and have higher wood density. Therefore, as these animals disappear, the trees with the greatest carbon storage capacity are less likely reproduce. Gradually, these tree species are replaced by smaller and less dense trees, and the total carbon storage capacity of the forest is reduced. “We found a positive correlation between seed diameter and wood density … as well as maximum tree height,” the authors write, and those correlations were especially pronounced in species with animal-dispersed seeds. Simulation pathway of…
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By Herp News
A snail so dangerous it warrants attention from Homeland Security [NBC] Earlier this month, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agriculture specialists discovered two live Giant African Snails at the Port of Oakland in California. The snails are considered to be the most dangerous in the world, as they carry diseases dangerous to humans and crops as well as cause structural damage to homes. President Obama says US Republican party’s views on climate are not sustainable [Guardian] On Friday, Barack Obama scolded the US Republican party for standing apart from every other rightwing party in the developed world by denying the science of climate change. The birth of this rare eagle chick provides a boost of hope for the species [Mongabay] On December 7, a tiny Philippine eagle hatchling was born at the Philippine Eagle Foundation’s (PEF) conservation center in the Philippines. This is the twenty sixth eaglet born at the center in 23 years. The Executive Director of the conservation center has called the birth a “breakthrough”. Giant African snail. Photo courtesy of USDA. How our world’s historic climate treaty could become public health treaty [WHO] This commentary from the World Health Organization explains how the recent international climate agreement can push countries to develop plans that will protect human health from the worst impacts of climate change, such as, droughts, heat waves and floods. The Paris climate talks have ended, but the real work is just beginning [Newsweek] While representatives from 196 nations were able to…
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By Herp News
South America’s Atlantic Forest is one of the most imperiled biomes on the planet. At its southern periphery in northeastern Argentina’s Misiones province, the country’s first ecological corridor links important protected areas within the Atlantic Forest region. A new study looks into the bird diversity of different types of Atlantic Forest habitats, finding that mature forest beat out secondary forest and grassland in terms of bird diversity. However, it also finds that secondary forest still contained relatively high bird diversity, and provided valuable habitat for threatened species. Its authors underline the conservation importance of mature forests, and urge their protection as well as the maintenance and creation of corridors that knit together protected areas. Hundreds of years ago, the Atlantic Forest was a vast tract of forest that stretched down the coast of Brazil and into Paraguay and Argentina. Today, it is one of the world’s most threatened biodiversity hotspots, facing severe pressures from human activities like logging and farming that has left the biome severely fragmented. Studies estimate only 6 to 10 percent of the Atlantic Forest remains, and its primary forest has dwindled down to 3.5 to 5 percent. Conservationists say restoration and maintaining connectivity between forest fragments is crucial to sustaining viable populations of the many species that depend on the Atlantic Forest to survive. The authors of the study published this week in Mongabay’s open-access journal Tropical Conservation Science also underline the importance of evaluating the impacts of different habitat types on wildlife diversity. Misiones…
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By Herp News
Fast response is critical to preventing the spread of disease, especially in remote places with few potential responders and challenging conditions. Dr. Margaret Driciru, a senior warden and long-time wildlife veterinarian at Queen Elizabeth National Park (QENP) in Uganda, understands this as well as anyone and has consistently promoted the use of practical technologies for her work to save wildlife. Dr. Driciru spoke with WildTech about the mobile-phone data collection application called Magpi and how she and her ranger team at QENP use it to monitor and respond to wildlife health issues. She also recently presented her work at the recent Kathryn S. Fuller Science for Nature Symposium, Wired in the Wild, in Washington, DC. Dr. Driciru presenting at the Wired in the Wild Symposium at National Geographic. Photo Credit: Andrea Santy/WWF Russell E. Train Education for Nature Program How did you become interested in becoming a wildlife veterinarian? When I was in primary school, I had the dream of being a doctor- irrespective of what kind of doctor, so when I went to university, I got admitted to do veterinary medicine. That was the beginning of my career. When I completed vet school, the first real employment I had was in wildlife. It was to do [research on] lions. I was a researcher on a project that was assessing the population of the lions. I worked with lions for 7 years, and it was very interesting. I got attracted to wildlife and then I realized…
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By Herp News
Frog embryos do not fully control which genes they can turn on or off in the beginning of their development — but their mother does, through specific proteins in the egg cell, molecular developmental biologists report.
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Countdown to Christmas! This Green Tree Python is in the holiday spirit in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user toshamc ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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By Herp News
New research out of Angola casts light on the impact of shifting cultivation on dense tropical woodlands. The study, published this week in Mongabay’s open-access journal, Tropical Conservation Science, finds that an increasing demand for agricultural land and a growing population could change the structure and composition of the embattled African country’s remaining southeastern forests. Dry tropical woodlands are the characteristic vegetation in southeast Angola, where the nutrient content of soil is very low and precipitation is seasonal. This means that condsitions are generally unfavorable for agriculture given highly variable rainfall and poor soils that retain very little water and nutrients. Subsistence farmers in this region often have limited knowledge of modern soil conservation techniques and little or no access to chemical fertilizers, according to the study, and instead overcome these poor agricultural conditions by using a practice called “shifting cultivation.”Shifting cultivation is a type of slash-and-burn agricultural technique that involves removing vegetation by cutting it down and then burning it, which both enriches and clears the land. Cultivation is generally followed by a fallow period during which farmers shift to surrounding areas while vegetation in previously used patches of land gets time to regenerate. According to the authors of the study, who hail from the University of Hamburg in Germany, the majority of previous research on the ecological impacts of slash-and-burn agriculture has focused on tropical rainforests. They write that it is important to give increased consideration to assessing the impacts of this method on dry tropical forests like…
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By Herp News
A red uakari (Cacajao calvus) for sale at Bellavista Market, April 2014. Photo courtesy of NPC [dropcap]A[/dropcap] determined collaborative effort between health officials and activists has resulted in the shutting down of one of the most egregious and flourishing illegal wildlife markets in all of Peru. Bellavista Market, after nearly twenty years of illegal activity, was finally not only closed but completely razed to the ground in November. Veterinarian Patricia Mendoza, together with the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Wildlife Health and Health Policy Program (since 2010, as a part of the USAID-PREDICT project), visited the market located in the city of Pucallpa repeatedly between 2007 and 2012. What Mendoza saw left an indelible impression on her. “Bellavista was just the worst,” she told mongabay.com. “It always had this pack of animal sellers concentrated in a section of the market, and everybody knew about it. Before the research project, I couldn’t go inside of animal markets without crying or feeling anger. At Pucallpa, I always avoided Bellavista Street. So it was a hard adaptation, harder when I had to explain [to] other members of the crew to [put] their feelings aside to work at the markets.” An extremely young Endangered spider monkey (Ateles chamek). Photo courtesy of NPC The bulldozed Bellavista market. Photo courtesy of NPC At every visit, she and her team introduced themselves as part of a health research project. They returned repeatedly until suspicious vendors eventually allowed…
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A blast in the past today with this old field shot of a Red Salamander in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user SNAKEMANOFLOU ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Somehow this old female mud turtle had survived this, now healed, terrible injury
The big female mud turtle, a common mud, Kinosternon s. subrubrum, was walking along in the shallows at riveredge. Carl was scooting along in the canoe, and I, as usual, was a few yards upstream firmly caught in a riveredge snag that had reached out and grabbed me while I tried to take photos.
Carl, who has an intense interest in all things kinosternid had been lured to the shore by a small mud turtle basking on a barely emergent limb. It was the 3rd example we had seen on this morning. This one had dropped from its sunny perch as Carl had neared and the turtle had inexplicably disappeared in the clear shallow water. It was as he was about to accept defeat that Carl noticed the big female in the shallows.
He reached over and as he lifted her from the water he exclaimed “this turtle has had a hard life!” When I glanced over it wasn’t difficult to see what had prompted Carl’s comment. Much of the turtle’s posterior carapace was missing and scarred and a closer look disclosed that part of her lower mandible had been over broken and had healed and although almost imperceptibly healed, most flesh from one temporal area had been scraped clean leaving a noticeable difference in bilateral facial configuration. What, we wondered, could have caused this? Outboard prop? A marauding alligator snapper? The jury is hung on the causative agent but is unanimous on the fact that this old girl has had a hard – a very hard – life.
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Northern Ravine Salamander Plethodon electromorphus
After herping a place for years and years a person can begin to learn what to expect to find during the course of an outing, but remember to never let your guard down because you just never can tell what your going to find!
Such was the case back in April 2015 when Phil and I returned to one of our favorite snake hunting sites where we expected to see the usual suspects. Instead we flipped up a pair of these Northern Ravine Salamanders. Heavy rains during the right time of year appear to have driven these specimens up to the surface where we could locate them under materials we had set out for well over ten years. After discussions with our local wildlife officials we learned that this species was suspected but not confirmed in this area. Thanks to our efforts, they are now confirmed! …read more
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By Herp News
With so much of Madagascar’s natural spiny desert forest cleared, Radiated Tortoises now feed heavily on the introduced prickly pear cactus (Opuntia sp). Photo courtesy of the Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) [dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Androy Region, Madagascar, October, 2011: Tandroy tribal elders in the village of Tragnovaho send runners to fetch government law enforcement officials to help apprehend poachers discovered in a nearby forest. A large group from the Antanosy tribe has walked over a hundred miles to hunt the formerly abundant Radiated Tortoise (Astrochelys radiata). The strikingly beautiful animals have disappeared from the margins of their former range once included in the Antanosy’s homeland, so the tribe is now forced to trek south into Tandroy territory to find them. It’s not a march of starving desperation. “Tortoise meat has always been a delicacy,” explains Rick Hudson, President of the Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA), a conservation non-profit working to help the Malagasy learn about and conserve their native turtles and tortoises. “They cure the meat and sell it in towns to the north because people won’t eat chicken if they can have tortoise. They also collect the smaller juveniles for the pet trade. This deals a big blow to the local tortoise population; making it doubly hard to recover. It was always a local resource, but now poachers have additional markets, plenty of incentive, and little chance of getting caught.” The markets Hudson is referring to are the rapacious black markets of a global, status-driven pet trade, as…
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By Herp News
Researchers have discovered half a dozen new species of the African clawed frog, and added back another to the list of known species, in the process uncovering striking new characteristics of one of the most widely studied amphibians in the world.
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By Herp News
Commonly known as fishing snakes, the Synophis genus has been expanded with as many as three new species following a research in the Andean cloud forests of Amazonian Ecuador and Peru. Not only is the discovery remarkable due to the rarity of new snake species being discovered, but also because this is the first time this mysterious and now eight-member genus is recorded from Peru.
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What a cool shot of an African Stump-tailed Chameleon (Ri. brevicaudatus) in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user pardalisberlin ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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By Herp News
The rare sight of an Amazon River Dolphin leaping out of the water. The dolphins are playful and curious, and threatened by hydroelectric dams. Photo © kevinschafer.com [dropcap]A[/dropcap] dam-building boom is underway in the Amazon. More than 400 hydroelectric dams are in operation, being built, or planned for the river’s headwaters and basin. Scientists know that tropical dams disrupt water flow and nutrient deposition, with negative consequences for aquatic animals, especially migratory species. But little detailed knowledge exists as to the impacts of dams on specific species, or as to the best mitigations to prevent harm. A recent study that tries to fill in that knowledge gap zeroes in on Brazil’s river dolphins. It found that as many as 26 dams could negatively impact dolphin populations and their prey. The research, led by Dr Claryana Araújo of the Federal University of Goiás, Brazil, focused on two freshwater species: the Amazon River Dolphin, or boto (Inia geoffrensis), which is sometimes famously pink; and the Tucuxi (Sotalia fluviatilis). The river dolphins of South America are charismatic emblems of rainforest biodiversity, and have captured the public imagination. Swimming in rivers, lagoons, and among submerged tree trunks in flooded forests to chase down prey, they can be found as far inland as the upper reaches of Amazonian tributaries, more than 2,600 kilometers (1,615 miles) from the Atlantic Ocean. The two species inhabit Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia, and in the case of the Amazon River Dolphin, Bolivia and Venezuela. Their…
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By Herp News
In April 2015, Vreni Häussermann, Director of the Huinay Scientific Field Station in Chilean Patagonia, and her team, discovered nearly 30 dead sei whales on the Gulf of Penas along Chile’s southern coast while surveying the region’s marine fauna. Sei whales (Balaenoptera borealis) are members of the baleen whale family, and can reach lengths of 50 feet and can weigh around 100,000 pounds (~45,000 kilograms). On returning to Puerto Montt, a port city in southern Chile, Häussermann notified the Chilean National Fisheries Service about the beached whales. Officials of the Fisheries Service then undertook a study to assess the situation, and in an official statement released in May, said that around 20 whales had beached along Chile’s southern coast. While whale beaching, or stranding, is not uncommon along Chile’s coast, Häussermann was convinced that the scale of deaths was larger than the official study had revealed. So supported by a grant from National Geographic Society’s Waitt Foundation, Häussermann, and Carolina Simon Gutstein of the Universidad de Chile and Consejo de Monumentos Nacionales in Santiago, set out on a four-day expedition in a small four-seater plane, and surveyed the area around Gulf of Penas. Using high resolution aerial and satellite photos, Häussermann and Gutstein identified 337 dead sei whales within the area they surveyed. The team’s analysis showed that all the whales had died around March 2015, within the same event. This, according to the scientists, is the largest known whale beaching event to have occurred within such a short duration. “We were all shocked by this finding,” Häussermann told Mongabay.…
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This Reticulated Python is just popping over to say hi in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user eschmit04 ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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By Herp News
A new tree frog species, Dendropsophus bromeliaceus, spends its tadpole stage in pooled water that collects in bromeliad plants in the Brazilian Atlantic forest, according to a new study.
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This gator snapper weighed about 50 pounds.
“Dick, bring your camera!”
Easier said than done.
I had just turned around in the canoe to take a photo of a big cypress tree when a strong wind gust blew me broadside into a barely sunken snag. And I was having a devil of a time trying to get free.
Carl, 100 yards down river had just dived to try and find a huge river cooter that had skedaddled off a fallen tree trunk into 5 feet of water. The cooter had disappeared beneath the undercut riverbank but it was obvious that Carl had seen something else while he was submerged.
Finally my snag decided to release my canoe and I was on the way towards Carl.
Carl directed me to haul out across the narrow river from him, ready my camera, and then he dove again. When he next emerged in a shallower spot it was obvious why he was excited for he brought with him a beautiful 50 pound Apalachicola alligator snapper, Macrochelys apalachicolae. Not big as the species goes (the record is 318 pounds!) it was still an unexpected find.
Within minutes photos were made, the snapper had returned to its deeper water den, and we, still buffeted by strong headwinds, were again making our slow way downriver, both wondering whether the headwinds or we would win the gusty battle. Eventually we did.
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A mature male Turks & Caicos Rock Iguana greets arriving guests at the Pine Cay dock, where he lounges on a seaside rock in late afternoon. Photo by B Naqqi Manco [dropcap]I[/dropcap]magine lounging on a white sand beach, clear azure water reflecting the tropical sun against a backdrop of rustling silvery-green palmetto leaves. It’s what most of us would consider the perfect island vacation and an ideal niche for the committed beach bum. But that spot’s already taken. Your ideal niche is the perfect home for the Turks and Caicos Rock Iguana (Cyclura carinata). The smallest of the fourteen species of Cyclura rock iguanas is a beach and dune specialist native to the Caribbean. It spends its days soaking up the tropical warmth to help digest a diverse vegetarian meal, before performing the duty of landscape architect on the remote cays where it’s still found. Locally referred to as “guana,” the lizard is endemic to the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), a small United Kingdom Overseas Territory that is part of the Lucayan Archipelago. Most of this beautiful island chain is occupied by the Bahamas. Though this rock iguana is the largest native terrestrial animal in the TCI, its small in size — typically measuring under 65 centimeters (26 inches) in length. Being island dwellers, the animals evolved with virtually no predators, and were not equipped to defend against the introduction of the numerous rats, cats, and dogs which accompanied European colonization. …
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Wild birds in the state of Amazonas in Brazil are being trafficked for food and pet trade, according to a new study published today in Mongabay’s open-access journal, Tropical Conservation Science. Researchers found that between 1992 and 2011, the state’s environmental agency had seized nearly 2,700 wild birds being traded illegally. The study shows that the use and trade of wild birds is common throughout the state, the authors write. However, “due to the clandestine nature of these activities, and the lack of basic biological data for many of the species traded, determining the impact of trade on bird wild populations is difficult,” they add. Much of the Brazilian state of Amazonas is covered by the Amazon rainforest. Despite being rich in biodiversity, very few studies have looked at the animals being illegally traded in the state, the authors write. To fill the gap, researchers from Brazil scanned through 20 years of seizure records of illegal wildlife trade maintained by the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (or IBAMA) in the state of Amazonas. The team found that IBAMA inspectors seized 2,698 wild birds — belonging to 40 species — between 1992 and 2011, mostly in the capital city of Manaus. Of the 40 species seized, around nine species did not occur in the state of Amazonas. Saffron finch is the most frequently seized bird in the state of Amazonas in Brazil. Photo by Greg Hume, Wikimedia Commons CC BY 3.0. The Saffron finch (Sicalis flaveola), Muscovy duck…
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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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Last year, Indonesia became the first country in the world to issue a fatwa, or religious decree, against wildlife poaching and trafficking. Now, a Malaysian state has followed suit. Islamic clerics (or the Mufti Department) in the state of Terengganu in northeastern Malaysia, in consultation with experts from the state’s Department of Wildlife and National Parks and university scientists, have put together a fatwa that calls upon Muslims to protect Allah’s creations and forbids them from hunting any species to extinction. The fatwa – likely the first-of-its-kind issued by a Malaysian state – recognizes that illegal hunting is ‘haram’, or forbidden. “I think there was an urgent need for this fatwa because not many Muslims in Terengganu are aware that the Malayan tiger and its prey such as sambar deer are facing extinction, not just in the state, but within the entire country,” Gopalasamy Reuben Clements, an Associate Professor with Universiti Malaysia Terengganu and a Postdoctoral Research Associate with James Cook University who was involved in shaping the fatwa, told Mongabay in an email. “We knew there was some precedence for such a fatwa because the Indonesian Ulema council recently issued their first ever fatwa against illegal hunting.” The critically endangered Malayan tiger is threatened by poaching. Photo by Rennett Stowe Wikimedia Commons. CC BY 2.0. A Muslim legal expert, or Mufti, announced the fatwa to over 500 local people at a conference organized by the Terengganu Mufti Department on November 26. “We do not naively believe that this fatwa will instantly stop the poaching,” Clements said. “We recognize that many…
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Undercover sting by Greenpeace exposes two prominent skeptics [The Guardian] Posing as consultants to fossil fuel companies, Greenpeace was able to uncover two prominent climate skeptics that were available for hire to write reports that would cast doubt on the dangers of global warming. Up to a quarter of Alaska’s permafrost could melt by 2100 [Guardian UK] So what’s the big deal with thawing soil? This permafrost, soil that’s been frozen for thousands of years, has been storing pools of carbon. As the permafrost begins to thaw, carbon and methane is released, thereby fueling more warming and melting, which in turn accelerates the warming of our climate even more. Affects from climate change has islanders pleading for help [Reuters] As rising sea levels and tidal waves wash away the coastlines of Maldives islands, the residents are asking for insurance to help cover the costs of the damage. There are some insurance options for other extreme weather losses, such as high waters and flooding, but not for costal erosion. Base of Mendenhall glacier in Alaska’s Inside Passage, Alaska United States. Photo by Rhett Butler. Nepal’s endangered river dolphins are making a comeback [SciDev.net] Conservation efforts in Nepal have been focused on tigers, elephants and one-horned rhinoceros, but not much focus has been placed on the lesser-charismatic Ganges river dolphin. However, the first river dolphin study in two decades estimates that the species has increased to about 50 individuals. What we’re risking by leaving oceans out of climate…
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The Tacana, a Bolivian indigenous group, have spent years developing sustainable land-use methods for their communities. Earlier this week their efforts were rewarded when U.S. actor Alec Baldwin presented the prestigious Equator Prize to the Tacana indigenous council during a ceremony at COP21 in Paris. The Equator Prizes, sponsored by the Equator Initiative, recognize sustainable development solutions. It is a difficult award to obtain; this year there were just 21 winners of the 1,461 nominations from 126 countries. The theme of the 2015 prize was deforestation prevention, seen as a pivotal player in slowing global warming. The Tacana consist of around 20 communities in northwestern Bolivia, near its border with Peru. Through their years of effort, they have legally secured legal rights to more than 389,000 hectares of their traditional land. They work to ensure its protection by developing sustainable livelihoods, conserving biodiversity, and protecting forests. The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has been facilitating their efforts since 2001, as well as those of other indigenous Bolivian communities. The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the Andes Amazon Fund, and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation are also partners in the Tacana initiative. Nicolas Cartagena (left) and Ruth Chuqui (center) of the Tacana Indigenous Council accept the prestigious Equator Prize (presented by actor Alec Baldwin) at a recent ceremony at the 2015 Paris Climate Conference. Credit: Getty Images for UNDP. In total, WCS estimates that areas under Tacana management have been subject to four times less deforestation…
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