By Herp News

Laurie Marker’s passion for cheetahs was kindled far from the grasslands of Africa. In 1974, she got a job working for a new wildlife park in Oregon, and as she worked with the park’s captive cheetahs, her interest grew to their wild cousins back in Namibia. When Marker reached out to biologists and researchers, she quickly realized just how little people knew about the species, and decided to do something about it. As the founder and executive director of the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) in Namibia, Marker has essentially written the book on cheetahs, developing methods to re-introduce captive-bred animals, studying cheetahs’ habitat and movement patterns in the wild and discovering the species’ lack of genetic variation. She is now distilling the knowledge and insights gleaned in the past 25 years, developing strategies to solve the growing conflict between farmers and wildlife. WildTech sat down with Marker to learn about how she got her start, CCF’s work with cheetah and human communities in Namibia, her views on the future of conservation and tips for aspiring field biologists. Dr. Laurie Marker with Cheetah Conservation Fund’s famous late ambassador cheetah Chewbaaka. Photo courtesy of the Cheetah Conservation Fund. You pioneered a lot of the research to understand cheetahs and the factors at play in their conservation. Can you tell us about how you got your start working in the field? Well I had been running a wildlife park and breeding cheetahs in captivity, but nobody really knew much about…

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By Herp News

A fishy ghost story in time for Halloween [Nature] Ghost fishing, as it’s known, is when marine life is drawn into nets and traps by the dead and decomposing bodies of marine animals already caught in these fishing devices. This problem goes largely unnoticed yet the ‘dead’ gear is often responsible for more sea creature deaths than kills during active use. The inevitable climate fact no one wants to recognize [New Scientist] The UN’s analysis finds that our world’s nations have fallen short of what’s required to effectively limit greenhouse gases. It seems now that time would be better spent on preparing for a world that will become two degrees warmer than it is now. Universally cherished treat faces impending shortage [Christian Science Monitor] National chocolate day was October 28, but this treat, that is appreciated throughout the world, may become much harder to come by. Due to unsustainable supply chain models and climate change, chocolate is facing an impending shortage crisis. Cacao pods in Nosy Komba, Madagascar. Photo by Rhett Butler. Biased climate change reports aren’t beneficial for anyone [Mongabay] We’re all affected by climate change, so shouldn’t we all be informed about it? Especially people in places being affected the most? A recent study shows the opposite to be the case – scientific knowledge about climate change is geographically imbalanced and biased. These species were named after monsters [Treehugger] Halloween is right around the corner, making it a perfect time to check out the…

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By Herp News

[dropcap]M[/dropcap]urilo Reis was guiding a group of tourists on his private nature reserve in a remote part of northeastern Peru two months ago when he came across more than a dozen people who were digging up turtle nests on the riverbank to steal the eggs. When they refused to leave, he called in the police, but the law-enforcement officer sided with the poachers, and Reis told Mongabay he was powerless to stop the pillaging. He worries that illegal logging, hunting, and fishing not only jeopardize his tourism business, but also threaten an area that he is preserving as a refuge for animals fleeing illegal human activity in the forest. He is not alone. Although news reports have highlighted illegal logging and mining, drug crops, squatters, building of unauthorized roads, and poaching in government protected areas and on indigenous lands in the Peruvian Amazon, owners of private conservation areas face similar problems, but get less attention. “Much of the problem has to do with a lack of land-use planning,” Bruno Monteferri, director of the private conservation program of the non-profit Peruvian Environmental Law Society (Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Ambiental, SPDA), told Mongabay. That is often aggravated by conflicting land claims and lack of law enforcement. A Monk Saki (Pithecia milleri), one of numerous species of wildlife living on the Tapiche Reserve. Photo by Deborah Chen. Peru has more than 80 legally recognized private and communal conservation areas, covering some 250,000 hectares, Monteferri said. In addition, some landowners,…

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By Herp News

Reptiles are becoming increasingly popular as pets. The number of reptile pets, such as lizards, turtles and snakes, has doubled in the past ten years. Researchers recently showed that grasshoppers used as reptile food can be a source of allergies.

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By Herp News

Money brings many things. It can bring great happiness and it can cause great suffering. It depends on how it is used. Ethics are important. New prosperity following Vietnam’s accession to the World Trade Organization in 2007 has improved life for many in the country, but unfortunately Vietnam’s new wealth has brought great suffering for South Africa’s rhinos and the people who manage them. Consumption of rhino horn (sung te giac) follows new pockets of wealth. Vietnam’s rising tiger economy put more money in the pockets of the growing middle class who have become the world’s biggest consumers of rhino horn. Having lived in Vietnam for four years, my experience of the Vietnamese is as a deeply conservative and respectful people with a great appreciation for natural beauty. However, some interesting contradictions and tensions arise as a result of the utilitarian attitude toward wildlife that prevails in the country. A southern white rhinoceros in South Africa. The country is the last remaining stronghold of rhinoceroses, but is facing an unprecedented poaching crisis fueled by Vietnamese demand for the animals’ horns. Photo by Rhett Butler. Whereas people had traditionally used rhino horn to reduce fevers and to treat poisoning, today’s consumers use it as a general health tonic, a hangover cure, a status symbol, or an expensive gift. Governments generally also have a fairly utilitarian attitude toward wildlife. They aren’t very good at protecting the environment. It just doesn’t fit into their main concerns of preserving power and…

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Happy Rattlesnake Friday! We caught a tiger by it’s tail with this (Crotalus tigris) in our herp photo of the day uploaded by kingsnake.com user kevinjudd ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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By Herp News

Onya Tega, a proud member of the Waorani culture, maintains many age-old hunting traditions in the face of innumerable modern pressures. Oil companies in Ecuador often provide “gifts” to indigenous people, including high powered hunting rifles and ammo that dramatically increases pressure on wildlife. Photo courtesy of Kelly Swing [dropcap]E[/dropcap]cuador’s troubled relationship with oil began in 1964, when Texaco first discovered ‘black gold’ in the Eastern Amazon. That discovery led to some times violent cultural clashes between modern society and indigenous people, who were forcibly removed from isolation, and uprooted from their homes and traditional ways of life. Today, the Ecuadorian Amazon makes up 80% of the country’s remaining forest cover, but oil exploitation, which depends heavily on new road construction, continues to threaten previously untouched rainforest. New roads continue to impact indigenous culture as well, making sustainable hunting practices unsustainable and gravely threatening endemic wildlife. The slow degradation of Yasuni National Park, established in July 1979, is a case in point. Located in far eastern Ecuador, Yasuni was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1989, and when combined with the adjacent Waorani Ethnic Reserve covers about 6,500 square miles. It is a treasure house of global biodiversity; researchers have counted nearly as many tree species on just 2.5 acres inside the preserve, as are found in the entire U.S. and Canada combined. The region also happens to be underlain by an estimated 850 million barrels of crude oil, some 20% of Ecuador’s reserve. In 1992,…

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By Herp News

‘Warm-bloodedness’, a characteristic of mammals, is a trait encompassing a suite of physiological processes that helps to maintain a relatively high, constant body temperature. A new study shows that this character may have shown up in the ancestors of modern mammals far earlier than was previously thought.

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In the end it was probably the sign.

There is a right way to run a reptile education program, and then there are other ways.

The first thing any reptile educator needs to do is check to make sure they are not violating either state and local laws, unless they want to get a rather unpleasant education of their own.

Erstwhile reptile educator Jeremy Phillips in Louisville, KY learned this lesson the hard way, when on Tuesday, Louisville Metro Animal Services came and took his four venomous snakes away. Animal Services says that while Kentucky law allows those snakes, a Metro Louisville ordinance does not and the local ordinance supersedes the state law. Phillips says someone snaked him out and reported it to authorities, but he now wants a change in the Metro Louisville ordinance. Phillips will face a judge for his arraignment next month and his case is the first of its kind in Louisville.

He had been putting on free snake shows, but recently was asking for five dollars to cover costs of snake food and electricity to keep them warm. No one has paid for the shows. Phillips said he just put up a sign advertising his $5 snake shows, which he thinks may have gotten him in trouble.

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By Herp News

Clouded leopards are being increasingly traded for commercial purposes, and their skins and other body parts are flooding illegal wildlife markets, according to a recent study published in Biodiversity and Conservation. In fact, in some illegal wildlife markets in southeast Asia, clouded leopards are more commonly traded than tigers, researchers have found. Fewer than 10,000 mature individuals remain of each of the two clouded leopard species found in Southeast Asia — the mainland species (Neofelis nebulosa) and the Sunda clouded leopard (Neofelis diardi), which occurs only on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. These attractive big cats with distinctive cloud-like markings on their coats, and thick and plush tails, are gaining popularity in commercial markets, authors write. To investigate the extent of the clouded leopard trade, researchers, Neil D’Cruze and David Macdonald, from University of Oxford’s Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, scanned through reports filed with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), published scientific literature, and interviewed experts who study clouded leopards. Clouded leopards are in danger. They are the most traded big cats in some illegal wildlife markets, according to study. Photo by Charles Barilleaux, Wikimedia Commons. They found that between 1975 and 2013, CITES received 316 records of clouded leopard trades. Of these over 70 percent records referred to trade in live clouded leopards, while the rest included trade in skins, bones, skulls, and other body parts. Japan is the most active importer of live clouded leopards for commercial purposes,…

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Air quality in Indonesia was slightly improved in most areas on Thursday following rain on Tuesday night as President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo landed in South Sumatra to monitor the archipelago’s firefighting and humanitarian response. But in East Kalimantan, fires continue to threaten the Sungai Wain Protected Forest, a 9,852-hectare expanse of ancient virgin forest near the provincial capital, Balikpapan. “We don’t know how the fires started or the extent of the forest that has been burned,” Nunuk Kasiyanto, who is coordianting volunteers in an effort to stave off the flames, told Indonesia’s state-owned Antara news agency. In 1997, Sungai Wain forest was saved from destruction after a massive fire fight. It burns again. Please help. https://t.co/DzAEMchbW4 — Erik Meijaard (@emeijaard) October 26, 2015 Sungai Wain is home to several protected species, including the sun bear (Helarctos malayanus) and Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus). It serves as an important water catchment area for Balikpapan residents. It also supplies the city’s oil industry. “This water is used for power generation, pumping of oil, cooling of the refineries and for drinking water,” according to the Pro Natura Foundation, which is raising money to aid the firefighting. An orphaned baby orangutan in Kalimantan. Photo by Rhett A. Butler In the wake of Tuesday’s rain, only Siak, a regency in Riau province, registered “dangerous” air quality at 5 a.m. on Thursday, with a pollutant index of 336. Air in Pekanbaru, home earlier this month to a small-scale anti-haze protest group dubbed Blue…

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A gorgeous field shot of a very dark Black Rat Snake brings memories of summer back 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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By Herp News

Deep in the mountains of eastern Bali sits a traditional Aga village, whose inhabtants – legendarily the island’s first – still reside and abide by ancient ways. Long before Indonesian independence, and even before the 11th century, when the fleeing courtiers of Java’s Hindu Majapahit dynasty landed in Bali, the village of Tenganan Pegringsingan had written forestry regulations. The edicts defined the forest as the 225-square-mile area of trees in these steep, 40-percent-grade hills. According to the ancestral notes, the woods must be communally owned and managed, and cannot be sold or transferred to anyone outside the Aga community. There are even oral and written regulations on hunting and woodcutting. Only dead branches can be collected, and no woodcutting is permitted, except with permission from customary leaders. And today, residents old and young still honor these edicts, choosing to follow the written instructions of their ancestors instead of pushing forest resources to the brink. Thirty-three-year-old Durpa Adnyana, for instance, makes a living collecting wild honey in self-designed, homemade bee houses he fashions from short lengths of bamboo. He collects sweet mango flower honey six times a year, and the tiny kele bees’ sour honey, favored by local shamans, twice a year. In tune with the ancient conservation statutes, Durpa sets personal limits. “If six hives are ready for harvest, I will only take honey from two,” he explained. “To take more would be heartless to the bees.” Thirty-three-year-old farmer Durpa Adnyana with his beehives. Photo by…

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Vertically elliptical during the daylight hours, the pupils of the Great Basin spadefoot are almost round on dark nights.
It has always amazed me how some relatively common—or even abundant—species can evade all efforts to find them. Or at least they evade almost all efforts. I encountered such difficulty when I was trying to photo the Great Basin spadefoot, Spea intermontana. Of course the fact that I lived in Florida, a couple of thousand miles east of the range of this taxon added significantly to the difficulty I had in encountering it.

Without going into a lot of the painful details, I’ll just say that on my first 3 attempts (about 13,000 miles of travel), I failed. Then on another trip, after Gary and I returned to the mainland from the Channel Islands (CA), I decided I REALLY wanted to succeed in finding this anuran. Gary knew a couple of locals only a couple of hundred miles away, so we got in the car, drove to the areas—and failed–again! Then Gary mentioned that he knew of a place in Washington, very near the Canadian border, where these critters would be calling—guaranteed. Lets see now. We were south of Los Angeles and the toads were east of Seattle—that was only about 1500 miles. So off we went. The good part for Gary was that he lived in Seattle. The bad part for me was that from Seattle I would have to drive another 3,000 miles diagonally across the USA. Awwww, what the heck. It was only gasoline, time—and as Patti later reminded me, money.

But as it turned out the spadefoots were out and calling in a vast sandy area that was still holding many pools of rainwater. And I finally—after 14,500 miles of trying—actually photographed them. But now I can’t remember why it was so very important to me(LOL).

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By Herp News

Fairs and small markets scattered throughout the country are one of the main venues where animals are trafficked. Between 60% and 70% of the trafficked animals in Brazil are purchased by Brazilians. Photo by Juliana M Ferreira [dropcap]J[/dropcap]uliana Machado Ferreira moves quickly through the chaotic sprawl of tables and stalls at Vila Mara, one of São Paulo’s busiest street markets. The vendors hawk shoes, clothing, piles of ripe tomatoes, mangoes and other produce, household items made from cheap plastic, and various sundries. At least that’s what is immediately obvious. Machado Ferreira is tailing a small group of men who move towards the interior of the market, each of them hefting a large, bulky duffle. Suddenly the men take off running, and she jogs after them. She brings down the nearest one, though he’s a big guy and the slim woman is a fraction of his size. Plainclothes cops swarm in and handcuff the men while more police storm into the center of the market. There, they target and arrest others. Some perpetrators bolt down the streets that radiate out from the market, tossing their goods into garbage cans or under vehicles, but nearly a dozen police cars block the roads and there’s nowhere to run. They’re captured, and officers search the area to retrieve what they’ve tossed away. The Vila Mara market has a notorious reputation for selling a wide range of stolen goods and assorted contraband, including illegally captured wildlife. Tips from informants prove effective:…

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How cute is this baby Abronia graminia in our herp photo of the day uploaded by kingsnake.com user uggleedog ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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By Herp News

At a time when U.S. and China have pledged to take steps to end ivory trade in their countries, Hong Kong — one of the largest hubs for illegal ivory — has refrained from making such commitments, and continues to insist that their “legal” ivory markets are strictly controlled. But according to a recent investigation by WildAid and African Wildlife Foundation, and an undercover video by independent investigators, Hong Kong’s “legal” ivory stockpiles in markets are regularly replenished with illegal ivory obtained from recently poached African elephants. The report and video shows how the system of keeping track of “legal” ivory is full of loopholes. For example, one ivory trader in Hong Kong revealed in the video how Hong Kong government officials “only record the weight of raw materials and finished products.” “So I can simply exchange with anything. After I sell an [ivory] item, I can use illegal ivory to make another item to top off my stock again. The government officials have no idea on how to govern,” the trader said in the undercover video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkUcmlc5TA0&feature=youtu.be International ivory trading was banned in 1989. But Hong Kong has allowed domestic sale of ivory of its pre-1989 ivory stocks. At the time of the 1989 ban, Hong Kong had 670 tonnes of commercial ivory, according to the report, which should have run out by 2004. However, ivory stocks continue to flood the markets. In 2014, for example, over 111 tonnes of ivory remain, the report notes. Hong Kong government’s…

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This pile of noodles in our herp photo of the day uploaded by kingsnake.com user hermanbronsgeest reminds us of the variety in the most basic of “morphs”, the normal! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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This Peruvian example, an adult Phrynonax polylepis, has assumed a defensive posture.
Phrynonax polylepis? What in the world is that?

Actually it is a snake that you might know well. Think the Peruvian and Brazilian lineage of Pseustes poecilonotus, the common bird snake, aka the common puffing snake. As mentioned in an earlier blog this month, there has been a “shake up”—a reclassification of the genus once called Pseustes. The big yellow-bellied bird snake, once Pseustes sulphureus, is now Spilotes sulphureus. With this change the remaining 2 (now elevated to 3) taxa are in the genus Phrynonax. P. poecilonotus, once ranging from Central America to South America, has now been restricted to Central America. P. shropshirei, a yellow flecked black species, ranges from Panama to Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela and the species P. polylepis has been resurrected for the southernmost of the 2 South American forms. Based on current knowledge it is likely that at least 2 additional species will be erected.
Continue reading “The South American Bird Snakes” …read more
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Photo: Allmusic, Facebook/Kevin Fowler
Country Musician Kevin Fowler recently took to facebook to criticize people he feels are “rattlesnake sympathizers”.

“All of you people who cry about folks killing rattlesnakes have probably never seen what it looks like when you get bit by one,” wrote Fowler. “All of you rattlesnake sympathizers will change your tune when your kid gets bit playing in your backyard.”

The article does point out the obvious, that rattlesnakes prefer to be left alone and are often hiding for their safety thankfully.
To read the full article, visit Wide Open Country. …read more
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How smart are reptiles? Can they be trained like other animals? You might be surprised at just how smart some of our reptilian friends are!

The San Diego Zoo recently released a video of one of their Anegada Iguanas(Cyclura pinguis) named Gus being trained using the target method. The Anegada Iguana is a endangered iguana species that was once distributed over the entire Puerto Rico Bank but its natural range is now restricted to the island of Anegada in the British Virgin Islands. Gus is part of the breeding program at the San Diego Zoo for this critically endangered species.

To watch the video, visit Reuters. …read more
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By Herp News

While there is no doubt that climate change is affecting many organisms, some species might be more sensitive than others. Reptiles, whose body temperature depends directly on environmental temperature, may be particularly vulnerable. Scientists have now shown experimentally that lizards cope very poorly with the climate predicted for the year 2100.

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Brazilian Lancehead – Gallery Photo by Neverscared A nanofiber hydrogel infused with snake venom may be the best material to stop bleeding quickly, according to scientists at Rice University in Texas.

The hydrogel incorporates batroxobin, a venom produced by two species of South American pit viper. It can be injected as a liquid and quickly turns into a gel that conforms to the site of a wound, keeping it closed, and promotes clotting within seconds. The hydrogel may be most useful for surgeries, particularly for patients who take anti-coagulant drugs to thin their blood.

“It’s interesting that you can take something so deadly and turn it into something that has the potential to save lives,” Jeffrey Hartgerink Rice University

Batroxobin, also known as reptilase, is a snake venom produced by the Fer De Lance Bothrops atrox and Brazilian Lancehead Bothrops moojeni, venomous species of pit viper found in South America. Batroxobin was recognized for its properties as a coagulant in 1936 and has been used in various therapies as a way to remove excess fibrin proteins from the blood to treat thrombosis and as a topical hemostat. It has also been used as a diagnostic tool to determine blood-clotting time in the presence of heparin, an anti-coagulant drug.

See more at: http://news.rice.edu/2015/10/26/snake-venom-helps-hydrogels-stop-the-bleeding/ …read more
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By Herp News

Echidnas have strong legs, well adapted for digging. They dig their claws into the soil and push it aside, making it almost appear as if they are sinking straight down into the earth. They sometimes vanish below ground for more than 24 hours, though no one knows with what purpose. Photo by Muse Opiang. [dropcap]T[/dropcap]housands of sometimes argumentative pages have been written about conservation priorities, advocating that the more threatened or ecologically important a species is, the more it deserves immediate protection and a big conservation budget. Another school of thought emphasizes evolutionary/genetic differentiation — contending that a species with a highly divergent genetic lineage should have priority over, say, a barely distinct sister species to an unthreatened species. Using genetic distinctiveness criteria, few mammals rank higher than New Guinea’s Long-beaked Echidna. With that concept in mind, the Zoological Society of London’s EDGE (Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered) Conservation Program emblazoned its logo with the echidna’s image. Just what are echidnas? Picture a 10-20 pound mammal with spines similar to those of a hedgehog, but lacking teeth and with a primitive jaw comprised of a single bone with no ability to bite or chew. Instead it has a long boney tube called a “beak” protruding from its face, through which it sucks up food, mainly earthworms and other soft invertebrates, just like a kid slurping spaghetti. Now picture that beak having electro-receptors able to detect the faintest electrical fields produced by its underground worm and insect…

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This little Frilled Dragon is ready to take no prisoners in our herp photo of the day uploaded by kingsnake.com user Mizzy every once in a while! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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From Frankie’s visit to Pet Supermarket dressed as Frank-O-Lantern

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By Herp News

Bat poop matters. So says a study examining a little-known species, the Caucasian parsley frog, and its reliance on insects that breed in bat guano. This is yet another study showing how critically important are bats for the environment. Their role is not limited to controlling agricultural pests; entire cave ecosystems with dozens of species depend on bats for survival, and many of these species are yet to be discovered.

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By Herp News

Bat poop matters. So says a study examining a little-known species, the Caucasian parsley frog, and its reliance on insects that breed in bat guano. This is yet another study showing how critically important are bats for the environment. Their role is not limited to controlling agricultural pests; entire cave ecosystems with dozens of species depend on bats for survival, and many of these species are yet to be discovered.

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By Herp News

Could this giant 3D printer stop climate change? [National Geographic] You may be familiar with this amazing technology. It is a 400-million-year-old solar-powered device that extracts CO2 from the atmosphere and converts it into material useful for construction. First observations of the least understood species in the world [UPI] For decades this species was misidentified as dwarf version of Bryde’s whales. But DNA testing in 2003 confirmed the species’ genetic uniqueness. Until now, scientists had not studied the species live in the wild. Patricia becomes strongest hurricane ever recorded [The Weather Channel] Hurricane Patricia is expected to reach the Mexican state of Jalisco Friday evening as a dangerous Category 5 hurricane capable of causing catastrophic destruction. Residents and authorities in Mexico are rushing to prepare for what is being called the strongest hurricane ever. Dark clouds approach and waves break off the coast of Mexico. Photo by Rhett Butler. They found that the status of these 14 species should be changed [Mongabay] This study re-assessed the conservation status of 38 amphibian species that an earlier study had determined might meet IUCN criteria for listing as Threatened species. A new marine reserve bigger than the state of California [National Geographic] A tiny island country in the western Pacific Ocean has approved the creation of an enormous marine reserve that will protect 80 percent of the Palau nation’s ocean. Could climate change slash income around the world? [Christian Science Monitor] A study finds evidence that climate change is…

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By Herp News

Could this giant 3D printer stop climate change? [National Geographic] You may be familiar with this amazing technology. It is a 400-million-year-old solar-powered device that extracts CO2 from the atmosphere and converts it into material useful for construction. First observations of the least understood species in the world [UPI] For decades this species was misidentified as dwarf version of Bryde’s whales. But DNA testing in 2003 confirmed the species’ genetic uniqueness. Until now, scientists had not studied the species live in the wild. Patricia becomes strongest hurricane ever recorded [The Weather Channel] Hurricane Patricia is expected to reach the Mexican state of Jalisco Friday evening as a dangerous Category 5 hurricane capable of causing catastrophic destruction. Residents and authorities in Mexico are rushing to prepare for what is being called the strongest hurricane ever. Dark clouds approach and waves break off the coast of Mexico. Photo by Rhett Butler. They found that the status of these 14 species should be changed [Mongabay] This study re-assessed the conservation status of 38 amphibian species that an earlier study had determined might meet IUCN criteria for listing as Threatened species. A new marine reserve bigger than the state of California [National Geographic] A tiny island country in the western Pacific Ocean has approved the creation of an enormous marine reserve that will protect 80 percent of the Palau nation’s ocean. Could climate change slash income around the world? [Christian Science Monitor] A study finds evidence that climate change is…

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By Herp News

The 2012 film ‘The Flight of the Butterflies’ documented the year-long annual migration cycle of the Monarch Butterfly. But now, scientists believe that fewer numbers are actually taking this epic journey. Photo credit: Dave Hart. A recent study concludes that a new, overwintering population of the Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) in the Southern U.S. is the direct result of ideal breeding conditions created by increased plantings of a non-native tropical milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) — plantings that are cultivated by gardeners attempting to aid the migrating butterflies. Unfortunately, these overwintering populations of Monarchs unexpectedly suffer from higher rates of disease and parasitic infection, and pose “an additional emerging threat to the long term viability of migratory Monarchs by altering infectious disease dynamics among still-migrating Monarchs,” says a research paper published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Surprising detrimental results  The scientists from the University of Georgia who performed the study believe that increased plantings of Asclepias curassavica, commonly known as ‘tropical milkweed’, in the U.S. South has prompted a population of formerly migrating Monarchs to overwinter. This overwintering trend has been occurring for decades, as more and more concerned gardeners plant the readily available tropical milkweed. Native milkweeds die back in autumn, giving a clear signal for butterflies to move south. However, tropical milkweed does not, providing a ready food source and perfect breeding habitat for the butterflies, and, unfortunately, their diseases. Monarchs infected with Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE) often do…

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By Herp News

Basic research into the mechanisms of cell division, using eggs and embryos from frogs and starfish, has led researchers to an unexpected discovery about how animal cells control the forces that shape themselves. During a key point in cytokinesis a cell’s cortex becomes an excitable medium resulting in waves that serve to regulate enzyme activities.

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Happy Rattlesnake Friday! Massive support is needed in the conservation of the gorgeous Massasauga Rattlesnake all across the country. That is why they take the spotlight today in our herp photo of the day uploaded by kingsnake.com user ratsnakehaven ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Photo: Chris Dresh
Instead of a forceful relocation, ecologists in Bournemouth changed the landscape directly impacting the road changes only to allow the animals to relocate naturally.

Dorset County Council’s environment councillor, Peter Finney, said: “We’re incredibly proud of our natural environment in Dorset and we strive to find new ways to work alongside our many protected areas and species, and enhance it – even when we are doing something as destructive as rebuilding a road.”

To read the full article, visit The BBC. …read more
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This is the Mexican form of Spilotes pullatus, S. p. mexicana.
Spilotes, long a monotypic genus of beautiful black and yellow, neotropical, arboreal, snake, has recently become bitypic—and polymorphic. This was accomplished when a group of herpetologists (see paper mentioned below) undertook the reevaluation of the genus Pseustes, the bird snakes.

The result of their studies are that 3 species previously in the genus Pseustes are now in the resurrected genus Phrynonax and the 3 meter long, olive and brownish Pseustes sulphureus has become Spilotes sulphureus.

In a facebook quote Cesar Barrio Amoros (a member of the research team) stated “in this article we change the use of Psustes (sic) (no longer a valid genus) per Phrynonax for poecilonotus, shoepshirei and polylepis and sulphureus become Spilotes.”

In explanation of the above, with the removal of Pseustes sulphureus, the type species of the genus, Psuestes becomes an invalid generic name and has necessitated the elevation of the senior synonym, in this case Phrynonax as the valid name for the remaining 3 taxa.

So those among you who used to have Pseustes sulphureus now have Spilotes sulphureus and those that have any of the other three Pseustes species now have Phrynonax sp. But fret not. As long as they are properly cared for the snakes couldn’t care less.

And for further information please reference: Jadin, R., Burbrink, F., Rivas, G. Vitt, L., Barrio-Amorós, C.L. & Guralnick, R. 2013. Finding arboreal snakes in an evolutionary tree: phylogenetic placement and systematic revision of the Neotropical birdsnakes. J. Zoolog Syst Evol Res doi: 10.1111/jzs.12055: 1-8.
Continue reading “And Now There Are Two! The Genus Spilotes is now Bitipic” …read more
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By Herp News

The Wildlife Conservation Society has a long, proven track record of environmental stewardship. So when the New York City-based group recently announced an ambitious new global conservation strategy, Mongabay got in touch with WCS president and CEO Cristián Samper to get more details. WCS has identified 15 of the world’s largest wilderness regions and laid out a strategy for how to protect them from climate change and other human-induced environmental pressures — and in the process, save half of the world’s biodiversity. Conserving those 15 priority regions, ecologically intact wild places on land and at sea, is the crux of the group’s WCS: 2020 Strategic Plan. The group says that it hopes to reverse the population declines of six priority species across their entire range: elephants, apes, big cats, sharks & rays, whales & dolphins, and tortoises & freshwater turtles. Dr. William Laurance, a Distinguished Research Professor at James Cook University in Australia and a world-renowned tropical forest conservation expert, told Mongabay that many of the regions WCS has selected are obvious priorities, such as the Lower Mekong Basin in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam; the Southeast Asian Archipelago (including the forests, coastlines and reefs of Indonesia and Malaysia); MesoAmerica and the Western Caribbean; the northern Andes/Orinoco/Western Amazon; and Madagascar/western Indian Ocean. Image via Wildlife Conservation Society. Other regions seem less urgent to Laurance, such as the North American Rocky Mountains and Eastern North American forests. “Not that these latter areas are unimportant,” he said,…

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By Herp News

Two photos taken in Jakarta’s notorious bird market suggest that Indonesia’s forests may be hiding a previously undocumented species of monkey. The photos, which showed a langur or leaf monkey with distinctive coloring, including a black face outlined by gold hair, spurred researcher Francesco Nardelli to embark on a five-year survey of zoos, museums, and the Internet to determine whether the primate was in fact new to science. His findings are published in the current issue of International Zoo News. “From 2010 to 2015, comparative data from other Presbytis species were obtained by inspecting and photographing captive animals in the UK, in Indonesia and in the United States, and by observing skins and skulls in museum collections,” Nardelli told Mongabay. “For the uniformity of traits amongst the photographed subjects and dissimilarity of most of the same traits with other Presbytis species, the golden-crowned langur Presbytis johnaspinalli should be considered species nova.” Nardelli named new species Presbytis johnaspinalli in honor of John Aspinall, a conservationist who founded the Howletts and Port Lympne Wildlife Parks in the U.K. and the Aspinall Foundation. “Aspinall’s longsighted and innovative conservation methods permitted, among innumerable success stories, the establishment outside Indonesia of breeding colonies of several langur species,” he said, noting that Aspinall helped conceive the first Sumatran rhino conservation project. Nardelli served as director of the project from 1984 to 1992. Juvenile syntype of the Golden-crowned langur (Presbytis johnaspinalli). Courtesy of Nardelli 2015. The discovery boosts the number of known Presbytis…

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By Herp News

Eight Peruvian amphibian species listed as Data Deficient by the IUCN should be re-assessed as Threatened. That’s one conclusion of a new study published in Mongabay’s journal Tropical Conservation Science. The study re-assessed the conservation status of 38 amphibian species that an earlier study had determined might meet IUCN criteria for listing as Threatened species. The team of researchers, led by Laurence Jarvis of the Epping Forest Field Centre in Essex, UK, used criteria set out by the IUCN to take a fresh look at the species’ status. They found that the status of 14 of the 38 species should be changed. The authors recommended that eight species should be moved from Data Deficient to Threatened; two should be changed from Data Deficient to Near Threatened and Least Concern, respectively, and a further two should move from Least Concern to Threatened. They also recommended down-listing two species from Endangered, to Near Threatened in one case and to Least Concern in another. In response to the study, the IUCN Red List updated the threat status of several of the reassessed species. Pristimantis pardalinus., one of the amphibian species that were re-assessed. Photo by Rudolf von May. The scientists made their recommendations based on new knowledge about the species in question, rather than changes in the threats themselves. A lack of knowledge around Peru’s amphibians presents a major problem to conservation. Of the estimated 588 known amphibian species in Peru, nearly half of which cannot be found anywhere…

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Among those who search for reptiles in North America, there has always been great interest in Eastern Hognose Snakes, Heterodon platirhinos. They are beautiful, variable, display unique behaviors, have an interesting natural history, and are unlike all the other snakes we find locally.

Getting a nice picture of a wild Eastern Hognose Snake can be very difficult because they will roll over on their back and play dead when they feel threatened, and once they go into this routine it is not only hard to make them stop, but they also seem to never look as good once they play dead. During their defensive process they tend to disgorge their belly contents and also stop filling up with air to hiss which makes them look thin and deflated. Take my advice and try to get your pictures of this species before they feel too disturbed and roll over on their backs.

Neophytes will quickly reach down and pick up snakes as soon as they are discovered. When a specimen is discovered the best thing to do is to try to get pictures immediately. When I am on Hognose hunting grounds I carry my camera with me, sometimes it is even already turned on. If the snake tries to escape use a stick or branch to move the animal but whatever you do, DO NOT TOUCH IT WITH YOUR HAND! For whatever reason, these snakes are less disturbed by the feel of natural materials but the feel of your hand will often cause them to play dead upon contact. THINK when you find one of these snakes! Calm down and be patient. Do not give up. Instead, just focus on keeping the snake calm. They will often turn their heads sideways just before they flip on their backs, so if you see them doing this back off a little bit. If they do flip over you can put the snake in a bag for 20 minutes and then carefully dump it out and try again, but even if this works the snake will not look as good as it did the moment you found it. I hope this information proves useful and I wish everyone good luck in finding and getting nice pictures of these spectacular snakes! …read more
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By Herp News

The dense undergrowth of tropical forests presents a mysterious prospect to wildlife researchers. Often what is easily spotted does not represent the whole, and scientists in the past could spend months, or even years, studying a species before ever observing it. Now traditional data collection methods are being augmented by advanced technologies such as camera traps — motion sensitive still and video cameras that can unobtrusively capture animal behavior. Samantha Zwicker, a Masters student and PhD candidate in the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences at the University of Washington, is using camera traps to analyze animal behaviors as they are impacted by human presence and development in one of the wildest parts of Peru. Her study, as featured in the institute’s bulletin, focused on four indigenous cat species and the factors dependent on their movement, including land use, habitat type and distance from human activity. A female jaguar (Panthera onca) pauses on the trail to eat some grass. Just like domestic cats, big cats eat small amounts of grass to help them bring up fur-balls. Deforestation and hunting remain the two major threats to jaguars across their range, causing them to become listed as near-threatened (IUCN). Photo by Samantha Zwicker. In this exclusive interview with Mongabay, Samantha Zwicker explains the unique aspects of her work: Mongabay: What attributes of your study do you consider revolutionary? Samantha Zwicker: Most camera trapping studies take place in parks, reserves, and sanctuaries because these areas are more accessible, well…

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