Because I can, this morning I walked outside and across the backyard in 30º F. weather, a cup of coffee in hand, so I can check on Frankie snoozing in his warm 72º F greenhouse.

That’s right. Frankie sleeps in his new greenhouse…outside, not in my house but in his new Frankie shelter, even on really cold nights when otherwise I would haul his huge shell into my house to sleep in the bathroom.

Frankie is no longer the King of Cardboard. Frankie can now enjoy the winter in his own outdoor abode, his new greenhouse, in warmth and security.

He no longer snuggles with cardboard. Frankie is nestled shell deep in insulating hay. His Kane Livestock pad attached to his back wall, an oil heater near the front of his cave, and most important, a heated floor that keeps his toes toasty.

Frankie is the now Grand Gent of the Greenhouse.

Since the greenhouse was installed a month ago, the beginning of December, Frankie has only spent two nights inside our house and only because the greenhouse had not proven itself in freezing weather. After a few modifications last week, Frankie’s greenhouse keeps him safe and warm into the 30’s.

The greenhouse solves so many problems. We can now open the guest room to real humans as Frankie no longer lives in the bathroom during the winter. Greg can visit the gecko room with no fear of stepping in Frankie poop. No more mopping up gallons of Frankie pee off floor tile. The bathroom and laundry room don’t smell like a horse barn. Carpet cleaning with our Green Steam Machine is reduced to a couple times a year.

But I miss Frankie. Many days it’s just too cold for Frankie to walk around the yard. He spends many hours tucked up inside his greenhouse. Luckily, the greenhouse is big enough for me to sit in my own chair and enjoy the warmth with him.

So, cup of coffee in hand I head out to visit the Grand Gent of the Greenhouse. The low last night was 30º F, and confident as I am in the greenhouse, I still want to see how Frankie is doing.

Cup of coffee, and a camera in hand. Of course.

Walk gingerly across the lightly frosted grass. Open the greenhouse door and immediately I am greeted with a flush of warmth. I can’t see Frankie because he is deep within his box. An electric oil heater covers the open space into his box.

The temperature gauge on the wall says its 71º F. I grab the heat temperature gun so I can check to see exactly how warm Frankie is. I pull the oil heater back so I can peek at Frankie.

Awe. Frankie is so cute when he is sleeping. Hi, ya, Frankie! Frankie’s shell reads a toasty 74º F,

Frankie peers out at me through …read more
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Under construction…literally the page and Frankie’s house is under construction so check the date posted on the title for new additions…to the post and to Frankie’s house.

To accommodate Frankie’s increasing size and weight we decided to go really, really big with the hopes this may be the last installment of Frankie houses.

Goals: Fit the growing Frankie, handle the brief but cold coast temperatures, have an area that has the comfort and security of a cave, and keep him happier outside all winter long. I wanted Frankie to be “in the light” during the day so he isn’t so miserable during cold spells, and when the temperatures are good Frankie can get outside without help. Our solution is a green house.

We decided on a Sunglo Greenhouse Kit, the Lean-To 5X7X7 (actual 5′ 1.5″ x 7′ 6″ x 7′ &”), priced at just over $2,600 (his last cost just over $1,000 and lasted about five years). This was an investment and, hey, we can grow winter veggies.

The Sunglo included fan, thermostat and shutters. Greg planned customizing the basic model for Frankie.

The one big add on: radiant floor heating. We believe this will make the Frankie shelter a 100% suitable for year round habitation.

I may move in with him. The greenhouse has electricity and WIFI.

Here is the installation

Footings as required by greenhouse specifications. Can’t say much except Greg and I are doing all the work ourselves….mostly Greg. I make the sandwiches.

Once the footings were down and cured it was time to set up and install the radiant floor heat.

Insulation was set on the bare ground.

Insulation is placed in preparation for the 120 volt heating cables.

Greg picked up the parts for the radiant heat floor from a company called WarmlyYours. He assembled everything himself. Greg set the heating cables evenly on a metal grid and attached electrics in preparation for the cement pour.

Grid with the heating cables are set on spacers on the insulation.

Once everything was in place the cement was poured and left to cure.

A week later the cement was cured enough to start the build. Frankie did a test walk to make sure.

Foundation brackets were drilled into the cement.

Drilling into cement was about the hardest part of the whole installation. Picking up the right tools and bits helped but it …read more
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This gorgeous Shinisaurus crocodilurus in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user lavadusch will hopefully be the brightest part of your day! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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This is a subordinate male rainbow lizard from a Miami population.
The northeastern South American country of Colombia was once the predominant shipper of neotropical wildlife to the United States. Birds of all manner (cock-of-the-rocks to parrots), mammals (wooly monkeys to ocelots to anteaters), amphibians (remember the Colombia horned frog?), reptiles (boas to red-footed tortoises, to rainbow lizards).

Rainbow lizards?

So, How Does One Accurately Describe a Rainbow Lizard?

Well, if I chose to try, describing the little 8-striped (the vertebrals strip is divided!) brownish and greenish female would not be awfully difficult. But to describe the blue, yellow, green, brown (and several hues between) of a dominant male could prove to be a chore and would probably wind up being inaccurate anyways. So, to make things easy, allow me to suggest that you determine the origin of the example in question. As it now stands the lizards making up what is currently known as Cnemidophorus lemniscatus are probably a species complex. They will differ in color and pattern at different locales. Color intensity also varies according to the status of the male within a given population. Dominant males are much more colorful than subordinate males.

So have at it. At least you’ll be more satisfied with your description of the example at hand. That’s a certainty! Oh, by the way, the lizards depicted here are from a Miami-Dade County population that probably contains genes from several Colombian origins.

Rainbow lizards, a teiid, are adult at 10-12 inches in total length. Although the primary diet is insects and other invertebrates these lizards also eat seeds, berries, and blossoms.

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As you can see from our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user TomDickinson, garter snakes come in an amazing variety of colors! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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By Herp News

Brazilian torrent frogs may use sophisticated audio and visual signals to communicate, including inflating vocal sacs, squealing, and arm waving, according to a new study. The authors suggest their results indicate that Brazilian torrent frogs have one of the most diverse repertoires of visual and audio displays known to frogs, indicating that communication in torrent frog species is likely more sophisticated than previously thought.

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By Herp News

Brazilian torrent frogs may use sophisticated audio and visual signals to communicate, including inflating vocal sacs, squealing, and arm waving, according to a new study. The authors suggest their results indicate that Brazilian torrent frogs have one of the most diverse repertoires of visual and audio displays known to frogs, indicating that communication in torrent frog species is likely more sophisticated than previously thought.

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Happy Rattlesnake Friday from this Sidewinder in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Uncloudy ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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By Herp News

A new study offers a glimmer of hope for some amphibian populations decimated by the deadly chytrid fungus: climate change may make environmental conditions for the fungus unsuitable in some regions and potentially stave off the spread of disease in African amphibian populations struggling to adapt to changes brought about by global warming.

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This little Retic has it’s eye on you in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Steve_Ray ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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This is an adult female dusky ameiva in Miami.Until very recently this big lizard (to 22-24” total length, of which all but about 8” is tail length) was considered a dark (dusky) phase of the green and tan giant ameiva. A few years ago a closer look was finally taken at this impressive Central and South American teiid and it was found that rather than A. ameiva, it is actually Ameiva praesignis. At that time a common name of Borriguerro Ameiva, a long standing South American name, was suggested. However, since this lizard has long been known as the “dusky ameiva” in the USA, I suggest that this name be retained. Like the giant ameiva, the original examples in the Florida populations were shipped for the pet trade from Barranquilla, Colombia in the 1950s. Agile and fast, some escaped and were able to establish themselves in the benign climate of South Florida.

When the genus name of Ameiva is used as a common name, it is not italicized. Like other teiids (tegus and relatives) this lizard is usually active only on sunny days when it often remains active through the warmest hours. This alert and wary lizard will quickly dart into areas of dense ground cover or a home burrow if approached. Although omnivorous, this big lizard is primarily insectivorous and will dig insects from beneath the surface of the ground. Besides insects they consume all manner of small invertebrates as well as berries and other vegetation. Captives will accept pinky mice, and there is no reason to believe that those in the wild would not eat nestling mice or nestlings of ground nesting songbirds.

If kept captive this ameiva should be provided a spacious terrarium. I suggest they be provided with a brightly lit hot spot having a temperature of 110-120F. A thermal gradient having a temperature of 75F on the cool end should be provided.

Continue reading “Miami’s Ameivas – The Dusky Ameiva” …read more
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The cutest of our angry creatures, this great field shot of a Snapping Turtle takes the spotlight our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user anuraanman ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake Crotalus adamanteus
I travel to Florida with my family about every other year and only get to take one day to hunt snakes on each visit, so I am by no means an expert on the finer aspects of Florida snake hunting. Over the years I have been able to locate some really neat and even rare herps, but my favorite find of all time in Florida was this Collier county Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake.

When I discovered this snake crossing a road I was totally unprepared. All I had was a cheap little pocket camera. I was wearing tennis shoes like a true tourist. I did not even have a snake hook, and I had to resort to using a baby stroller to pose this snake for pictures. There were tourists taking pictures of me using the stroller to pose this snake! I got several pictures and I guess this was the best one. I know it is not the best pose and not so great of an EDB image, but for me it is GREAT! When I look at it I remember seeing that big fat beast from at least 200 yards away and stomping the gas so I could get to it before it escaped. The snake struck at me repeatedly and I can only imagine what I looked like with that baby stroller. The sun was bright, and I even remember how the air tasted when I look at the picture. Sometimes I am unable to get the kind of picture that I am after, but years later when I am at home looking over things I am always happy when I see images I got that may have not seemed so good at the time. Sometimes being able to relive the experience and the memories is a better reward than taking a killer picture. Keep this in mind as you are out in your travels, and just keep your cameras rolling! …read more
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Fire Salamander – Gallery Photo by firereptiles
To help prevent a deadly fungus from killing native salamanders, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is publishing an interim rule tomorrow to list 201 salamander species as injurious wildlife and barring their importation into the United States and interstate trade of those already in the country.

The fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans also known as Bsal or salamander chytrid, has wreaked havoc on salamander species overseas and poses an imminent threat to native salamanderpopulations. The fungus is not yet known to be found in the United States, and to help ensure it remains that way, the Service is publishing an interim rule that will take effect on January 28, 2016.

A species can be listed under the Lacey Act because it is injurious to the health and welfare of humans; the interests of forestry, agriculture, or horticulture; or the welfare and survival of wildlife or the resources that wildlife depend upon. In listing these species, the Service is responding to science that shows that Bsal is an imminent threat to U.S. wildlife.

For more information please visit this link http://www.fws.gov/injuriouswildlife/salamanders.html

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The Tsaratanana Massif –the highest mountain on Madagascar and one of the island’s most remote regions– is home to several indigenous species. Yet, the majority of these species remain unknown to science due to the fact that this woodland area is difficult to reach. Thanks to a European expedition to this area, however, a group of scientists has discovered, among other species, two new species of very elusive frogs that live on the forest floor.

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This hatching Leopard Gecko is cute as a button in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user radar357 ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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A robust build and a length of 16-17 inches (including the long tail) is a typical size for an adult giant ameiva.
For well over a half century Ameivas, the large, economy size of the whiptail/racerunner clan if you prefer, have been prominent in the hobbyist reptile trade. Of the 3 dozen or so species in the genus, 2 are by far the most commonly encountered. These are the giant and the dusky ameivas. For decades the two were considered diverse color phases of the giant ameiva, Ameiva ameiva, but they are now known to be 2 entirely separate species (but more on this later). Firstly, let’s take a look at the big, very pretty, and quite common “green phase” of the giant ameiva. In fact, although the amount of green may vary, the green phase is currently the only phase of this 15 to 20 inch long teiid lizard. Despite the color reference in its name, this neotropical lizard is not entirely green. It is olive-tan anteriorly, olive-lime posteriorly, sky blue in the groin, pale blue to sky blue on the lower sides fading to bluish white ventrally. Trying to describe the positioning of the black flecks and off-white ocelli would be an exercise in futility. It is far better (and much easier) if I simply refer you to the photos.

Like most teiids, ameivas (please note that when used as a common name the word is not italicized) are sun worshippers and can often be seen basking in full sunshine during the hottest part of the day. The examples on which the Miami population is based originated (or at least were shipped) from Barranquilla, Colombia in the 1950s. They are wary lizards and if startled will quickly retire to areas of ground vegetation or a home burrow. Omnivores, in the wild this lizard actively forages during the heat of the day, often scratching insects from beneath the surface of the ground. Besides insects this ameiva consumes all manner of small invertebrates as well as berries and other vegetation. Captives will accept pinky mice, and there is no reason to believe that those in the wild would not eat nestling mice or nestlings of ground nesting songbirds.

I have noticed that some care sheets mention a hot spot of 90F for these lizards. I submit that a brightly lit hot spot of 110-120F would be more appropriate, with the terrarium providing a a thermal gradient to a temperature of 75F on the cool end.

Continue reading “Miami’s Ameivas – The giant Ameiva” …read more
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By Herp News

It is difficult to protect endangered species without understanding how many individuals exist or where they’re located. However, learning this can be a daunting task when the species in question are rare and elusive carnivores — and all the more so when they live in areas that make tracking them difficult. The tropics is one such area. There, carnivores tend to be sparse and conditions humid, which make genetic samples like scat decay quickly. In a study recently published in Mongabay’s open-access journal Tropical Conservation Science, researchers investigated deploying scented hair-traps to gather population data in Peninsular Malaysia, home to 28 species of terrestrial carnivores, many with dwindling numbers. Since 1990, the use of hair traps has been rapidly expanding in wildlife biology, but mainly in cooler climates. Researchers set a trap that will collect hair from a wild animal if they touch or rub against it. Often appealing odors, like fatty acid or men’s cologne, lure the animals to the traps. By collecting hair samples, scientists can non-invasively collect DNA samples of wild animal populations. Using these samples, they can learn about the genetic diversity within animal populations and determine their habitat ranges. An example of one of the scent-baited hair traps used in the study, designed to target felids. Three past studies successfully used hair traps in the tropics. Two monitored several species of carnivores in Mexico, and one, as yet unpublished, monitored dingoes in Australia. For the present study, a team led by…

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This is a gorgeous corn snake in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user dallashawks ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here! No offense USPS!

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An unusual mountain lion shot in Idaho has spurred questions about its abnormalities. On December 30th a hunter killed a young male mountain lion after it was seen attacking a dog on a property in Weston, Idaho near the Utah border. When the hunter reported the kill to authorities, it became apparent that this was no ordinary mountain lion: the individual had a set of fully-formed teeth and whiskers growing out of the site of its forehead. The find stumped wildlife officials. “Idaho Fish and Game cannot definitively explain why this abnormality developed on this mountain lion,” said the agency in a statement. “Biologists from the southeast region of Idaho Fish and Game have never seen anything like this particular deformity before.” Photo released by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game showing a mountain lion with an unusual deformity-fully-formed teeth and what appears to be small whiskers were growing out of hard fur-covered tissue on the left side of the animal’s forehead The agency put forth two theories on the cause of the deformity. “It is possible that the teeth could be the remnants of a conjoined twin that died in the womb and was absorbed into the other fetus. It is also possible that deformity was a teratoma tumor. These kinds of tumors are composed of tissue from which teeth, hair, and even fingers and toes can develop.” It is unclear how the deformity may have affected the prospects of the mountain lion, which…

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Massive natural-gas leak forces California to declare a state of emergency [ABC] Since it was first reported in October 2015, a well owned by Southern California Gas Co., has been gushing up to 1,200 tons of methane a day, along with other gases. Experts say it will be months still before workers can contain the leak that now has California in a state of emergency. You’re only a download away from becoming a real life scientist [Penn State News] Chesapeake Commons, an environmentally focused app developer has partnered with Penn State to create a smartphone app called FISH. This app was developed to help nature enthusiasts to see how the health of local streams and the habitats around them are changing over time and to participate in data collection that is used to monitor these changes. The world’s largest-known population of giant Manta Rays gained another big supporter [Mongabay] Peru and Ecuador waters have the world’s largest known population of giant manta rays, according to conservation nonprofit Manta Trust. In 2010, Ecuador agreed to protect Manta rays, now a new regulation out of Peru will strengthen protection for the manta ray populations in the South East Pacific. A diver observing a giant oceanic manta ray. Photo by Elias Levy via Flickr. Surprisingly, climate change could have a greater impact on crops in developed nations [Globe and Mail] It makes sense that global food production is increasingly likely to be disrupted as a result of extreme weather driven…

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[dropcap]I[/dropcap]n late November, three South African judges lifted a ban on the domestic sale of rhinoceros horn in the African country, sparking controversy both at home and abroad. South Africa is at the dead center of a global rhinoceros-poaching crisis. Rhino horns are fed into a black-market pipeline leading to Vietnam and China, where they are used for their purported medicinal benefits. In an effort to protect its remaining animals, South Africa placed a moratorium on domestic trade in rhino horn, effective in early 2009. On November 26, judges Francis Legodi, Vivian Tlhapi, and Myron Dewrance of the Gauteng Division of the High Court of South Africa in Pretoria set aside the moratorium because of “substantial non-compliance” with the consultative and participatory process. Two South African private rhino owners — John Hume, who is the world’s biggest private owner of rhinos, and Johan Kruger — had launched the legal action to overturn the ban that the High Court decided. The country’s Minister of Environmental Affairs, Edna Molewa, appealed the judgment on December 8, suspending its operation and execution, according to a statement on the department’s website. “The moratorium on the domestic trade in rhino horn thus remains in place,” the statement reads, emphasizing that the ban on domestic trade does not relate to international trade in rhino horn, which remains prohibited under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). A white rhinoceros grazes in South Africa’s Kruger National Park.…

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Two months ago, on November 2, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park made the sad announcement that Nola, a 41-year old northern white rhino — one of only four left in the world — had passed away. “Nola, who lived here since 1989, was under veterinary care for a bacterial infection, as well as age-related health issues,” the announcement said. “In the last 24 hours, Nola’s condition worsened and we made the difficult decision to euthanize her. We’re absolutely devastated by this loss, but resolved to fight even harder to #EndExtinction.” According to the San Diego Zoo Global, a non-profit conservation arm of the zoo, three rhinos are killed every day, their horns hacked off so they can be sold on the black market. This post is by Rick Schwartz, national spokesperson for the San Diego Zoo Global, written in response to a conversation that started between him and parents on social media in the wake of Nola’s death. A photo of Nola taken on April 24, 2015. Photo by Jeffrey Keeton / Flickr. On Sunday, November 22, one of the last four northern white rhinos — a female named Nola — died at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. Along with an outpouring of sympathy, sorrow, and messages of condolence, I received a number of emails from parents who were overwhelmed themselves and trying to share the news with their children. The death of a much-loved animal is hard. When it is one of the…

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Making our return to Rattlesnake Friday with a bang with this stunning Tuxtlan jumping pitviper (Atropoides olmec) in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user PeteSnakeCharmer! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Painted dogs, also known as African wild dogs, are among Africa’s most endangered species. Habitat fragmentation and conflict with livestock and farmers are partly to blame — human encroachment across the dogs’ range has shown no signs of stopping. However, every dog has its day—and it seems Greg Rasmussen is the one to give it to them. Greg Rasmussen, founder of the Painted Dog Conservation Project (PDC) in Zimbabwe, now leading the Painted Dog Research Trust (PDRT), let the wild dogs have their day when he decided these endangered animals needed local support to survive. With snares, shootings, and road kills causing 95% of painted dog mortalities in the area in the early 1990s and little public support for conserving a species called wild dogs, Rasmussen was determined to give these dogs a better name – and a chance for survival. He tracks their movements to better understand their habitat use and population dynamics and has added special features to his tracking collars to mitigate rancher-dog conflict. WildTech interviewed ‘top dog’ Rasmussen to learn about some of the technological challenges and needs he has faced as a painted dog conservationist. Painted dogs defend their kill against a hungry yet outnumbered hyena in Botswana. Photo credit: George Powell You study an elusive species in rugged terrain. What are the biggest challenges that the project is facing and how might technology address them? One of the greatest challenges of field technology has been the reliability and cost of…

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Back in the field as this lovely Fire Salamander takes the spotlight in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user NYgaboon ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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The Concho water snake is a protected species.Although the two occur in different and non-contiguous drainages, the Concho water snake, (formerly Nerodia harteri paucimaculata, now Nerodia paucimaculata) is of very similar appearance to the Brazos water snake. N. harteri. As he had with the latter, Kenny had researched the locales and the probabilities of our finding and photographing the Concho water snake.

Like the Brazos water snake, the Concho has been considered federally threatened since the late 1900s and is primarily a snake of natural and man-made rocky riffles. It has adapted to a few areas of rock-edged quieter waters in reservoirs.

Rather small for an American water snake, the Concho is adult at 24 to 30 inches in length. The sandy dorsal ground color and 4 rows of poorly defined dusky darker blotches blends well with the substrate color on which this snake is found. The belly, usually immaculate but sometimes with a row of indistinct dark spots along each side, is of pink or orangish color.

We searched, we found, we departed. Other herp taxa of Texas still beckoned.

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By Herp News

Radiocarbon dating of atomic bomb fallout found in sea turtle shells can be used to reliably estimate the ages, growth rates and reproductive maturity of sea turtle populations in the wild, according researchers. The newly tested technique provides scientists with a more accurate means of estimating turtle growth and maturity and may help shed new light on the status of endangered sea turtles populations worldwide.

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A team of researchers has described 60 new species of dragonflies and damselflies from various parts of Africa, according to a recent study published in the journal Odonatologica. This is the most number of dragonfly species to be described at once in 130 years, researchers say. And with this discovery, the total number of known species of dragonflies has jumped from 700 to 760. Researchers write that most of the newly described species are colorful and easy to identify from photographs alone. “The current emphasis on molecular research in taxonomy creates the impression that undiscovered life is inconspicuous or hidden, but each of our new species is colorful and easy to identify,” lead researcher Klaas-Douwe B. Dijkstra, a member of the IUCN SSC Dragonfly Specialist Group, said in a statement. “It’s a matter of going outside and knowing what you’re looking for. It’s a biologist’s greatest importance today. Names introduce species to humanity. All awareness, conservation and research of nature starts with the question: which species is that?” Pale Cascader (Zygonyx denticulatus) male Photo by Jens Kipping. Naturalists Dijkstra, Jens Kipping and Nicolas Mézière scanned through swamps and streams in Africa and discovered the new species in varied — not especially remote – habitats. For example, they found new damselfly species called the Gabon Slim Sprite Pseudagrion dactylidium perching by muddy puddles in deep shade, a dragonfly called the Pale Cascader Zygonyx denticulatus hovering over sunny rapids, and the new Rock Threadtail Elattoneura lapidaria in the…

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What a wonderful field find! This in situ Indigo takes the spotlight in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user ACO3124 ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here! Have a safe New Years Eve!

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A new review provides intriguing insights on parthenogenesis, or virgin birth, in snakes.

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First came the horn From knee joints to human organs, and from prosthetics for pets to guns, it seems that the limits of 3D printing are bound only by imagination. Taking 3D printing to the next step are the founders of a start-up company, Pembient, who want to print synthetic rhino horns. The pointy, curved horn of a southern white rhino in Kenya looks tough compared to flamingos. Photo credit: Sue Palminteri Matthew Markus, one of Pembient’s founders, stated in an email interview with Wildtech that he has had the idea for making synthetic rhino horns for about two decades. “It originated from a wish that physical goods could be copied as easily as bits in a computer. Within the last couple of years, biotechnology has advanced to the point where fantasy is turning into reality. That’s why lab-grown leather (Modern Meadow), cow-free milk (Muufri), and chicken-free egg whites (Clara Foods) have all started to emerge. I view our undertaking as a natural extension of this movement to remove animals from commerce, a movement led by New Harvest.” So went the rhinos Currently, about 29,000 rhinos survive worldwide in the wild. Most are southern white rhinos, found in southern and eastern Africa; fewer than 3,500 rhinos remain in Asia. From nearly 500,000 rhinos across Asia and Africa at the beginning of the 20th century down to 70,000 in the 1970s, the population of these herbivores continues to plummet, mainly due to poaching. There is only one male northern white…

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The spring peeper’s species name, “crucifer,” is derived from the dorsal X (the crucifix).
In many areas spring peepers, Pseudacris crucifer ssp., a common chorus frog that ranges from eastern Texas to eastern Manitoba then eastward to Newfoundland to northern Florida is actually a spring breeder, but in the deep southeast it is a late autumn and winter breeding taxon. On wet years, in this latter area we expect to hear these harbingers of the northern spring chorusing from marshes, swamps, and roadside ditches by late November. They and other chorus frog species welcome in the seasonally cooler days and colder nights when our trees are still dropping their leaves rather than recovering from cloaks of snow and ice and greening with expanding buds. The strident peeps of the well named hylids (they are treefrog relatives), boisterous on warm nights, faltering when temps drop below 45F or so, are as eagerly listened for on our winter days as when the little “X backed”, tan harbingers of spring are making their appearance in the northland swamps and puddles.
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Eating increases the amount of damaging reactive molecules in the body, potentially shaping and constraining life history evolution across animal groups, new research on snakes shows.

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On Sunday, Joko “Jokowi” Widodo released 190 birds into the wild outside the Presidential Palace in Bogor, a suburb of Jakarta. “We have to protect the ecosystem,” the Indonesian president wrote on Twitter over the weekend. He did it in the name of preserving nature in urban areas, but some conservationists responded with one part dismay. The birds had been purchased at Pramuka, a notorious wildlife market in East Jakarta. “Our President means well in buying birds and releasing them, but all he is doing is supporting criminals who illegally sell wildlife at this terrible market,” said Gunung Gea, director of Scorpion, a wildlife trade monitoring group. “Our president should be closing down the market, not shopping in it.” https://twitter.com/jokowi/status/683513352857858048 No Asian country has more threatened bird species than Indonesia, according to TRAFFIC, another wildlife trade monitoring group, which conducted a comprehensive survey of Pramuka earlier this year. Posing as potential buyers, researchers counted 87 shops, 16,160 birds and 180 species in the market. The capture or trade of wild birds is generally banned in Indonesia, and 98 percent of the birds on display at Pramuka were said to be “harvested outside of the national harvest quota system or in direct violation of laws protecting select species.” Bird-keeping is an ancient tradition in Indonesia, especially among the Javanese, the country’s largest ethnic group. But Indonesia is depleting its songbird populations so fast it has begun to import from the rest of Southeast Asia. “It’s very encouraging to see the president of Indonesia taking note…

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Thailand officials have arrested two people in connection with the sale of critically endangered Burmese star tortoises on Facebook, according to an announcement by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). The officials were first tipped off about the Facebook ads in October 2015. They began monitoring the profile of the person offering to sell the tortoises, and found that the suspect continued to post similar offers. On December 22, the officials raided the home of the suspect in Khon Khaen Province, in northeast Thailand, and found seven Burmese star tortoises (Geochelone platynota). Using a microchip reader, the authorities were able to identify three of the confiscated tortoises as among those stolen in October from a wildlife sanctuary in central Myanmar. This was possible because the stolen tortoises had identification numbers and religious markings on their shell, and microchips embedded in them. The authorities were, however, unable to confirm the origin of the four remaining tortoises. The apprehended suspect claimed that he had purchased the tortoises from someone else in a market. The authorities managed to arrest the second suspect too, who did not seem to possess any tortoises. But the authorities were able to arrest him after they found an orangutan in his possession, obtained illegally. Posting discovered on Facebook which helped to lead to the arrest of two suspects in Thailand in possession of Burmese star tortoises stolen from a sanctuary in Myanmar in October. Photo courtesy of WCS Myanmar. All seven confiscated tortoises are now under…

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Let’s kick off the day with this gorgeous Furcifer pardalis Ambilobe in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user BIONCENTER! Be sure to tell them you liked it here! Have a safe New Years Eve!

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In 1996, researchers discovered a deadly cancer in Australia’s Tasmanian Devils. The transmissible cancer jumps from one Tasmanian Devil to another, and is often fatal to the animals. Since its discovery, the contagious cancer has wiped out over 90 percent of Tasmanian Devils in some areas. Now, researchers have discovered a second contagious cancer in these endangered marsupials, according to a study published last week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. This second cancer, first detected in a devil in south-east Tasmania in 2014, is genetically distinct from the first one, researchers from the University of Tasmania, Australia, and the University of Cambridge, UK, have found. “The second cancer causes tumors on the face that are outwardly indistinguishable from the previously-discovered cancer,” lead-author Ruth Pye from the Menzies Institute for Medical Research at the University of Tasmania, said in a statement. “So far it has been detected in eight devils in the south-east of Tasmania.” The new contagious cancer produces large facial tumors in Tasmanian Devils, much like the first form of cancer. Photo by Gregory Woods, Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania. Normally, cancers are not contagious. Only four forms of transmissible cancers have been found in nature so far, in Tasmanian Devils, dogs, Syrian hamsters and soft-shell clams. In the Tasmanian devils, the cancer spreads when the devils bite each other’s faces during fights for food, and at the time of mating. But the recent discovery of a second…

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Much like the adult Alligator in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user CDieter , take no prisoners today! Be sure to tell them you liked it here! Have a safe New Years Eve!

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Tortoise and turtle fossils, the first from the Miocene epoch found in Bolivia, suggest the Altiplano, near Quebrada Honda, was likely less than a kilometer above sea level 13 million years ago. Fossils of leaves and other animals support the suggestion.

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