By Herp News
Good news on the environmental front in Madagascar has been rare and fleeting in recent years, but today the Indian Ocean island’s Prime Minister gave conservationists a bit of hope by officially decreeing seven new reserves that target critical habitats for endangered lemurs, chameleons, and frogs.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
No products found.
By Herp News
In the remote, poorly explored and unprotected forests of Sorata, northern Madagascar, there are some bizarre and unknown animals lurking around. A new species of diamond frog has just joined their ranks. Its unusually long legs set it apart from all but one of its closest relatives. Unfortunately, it is already endangered and action is needed to protect its forest home.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
No products found.
Grumpy Turtle demands you have an amazing weekend in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user andystorts!
Be sure to tell andystorts you liked it here!
Upload your own reptile and amphibian photos photos at gallery.kingsnake.com, and you could see them featured here!
…read more
Read more here: King Snake
No products found.
By Herp News
Good news on the environmental front in Madagascar has been rare and fleeting in recent years, but today the Indian Ocean island’s Prime Minister gave conservationists a bit of hope by officially decreeing seven new reserves that target critical habitats for endangered lemurs, chameleons, and frogs.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
No products found.
Kenny had already visited it. I had never heard of it. You’ll love the Bruni dump he told me. Cool stuff. Really cool.
If you’re a herper, you’ll probably already have guessed that it was not the trash that was of interest to us. It was what had found their homes beneath the trash: the herps, and for me at least, the small mammals, that were the “cool stuff.”
We jogged down a couple of short blocks, paralleled the railroad tracks for a block or two and voila, instant herp habitat. Even before we left the car we were able to observe the first herp, a group of very alert and active prairie racerunners, Aspidoscelis sexlineatus viridis.
We flipped a few pieces of trash and beneath a piece of tarp, we found the first snake, a beautiful Texas patch-nose, Salvadora grahamiae lineata. Cool indeed.
Beneath a small piece of plywood was a pair of flat-headed snakes, Tantilla gracilis. Then our luck dried up for a while.
But just before we left, beneath a huge torn and discarded tarp we found the prize of the day–a magnificent adult Schott’s whipsnake, Masticophis s. schotti. Cool stuff for sure!
Picture taking time now.
Continue reading “The Bruni dump: one man’s trash is a herper’s treasure” …read more
Read more here: King Snake
No products found.
World Snake Day is a perfect time to reflect on why snakes are so amazing.
From the Deseret News:
It is incredible that any creature can crawl, swim, dig, climb, capture prey and in some cases, glide through the air, all without the benefit of limbs, fins or wings. Rather than fear them, we should be in awe of their beauty, mystique and diversity.
There are over 3,400 snake species in the world, ranging from the semi-frozen tundra of northern Canada to the steamy jungles of the equator and most of the world’s oceans. As highly effective predators, snakes play a vital role in maintaining the balance of nature in each of these realms.
Snakes have a prehistoric lineage, giving us a glimpse back to a prehistoric time when the earth was ruled by reptiles; modern reptiles are literally the living, breathing cousins of dinosaurs.
Read more here.
…read more
Read more here: King Snake
No products found.
Why stop with one, when a pile of Drymarchs are so much nicer! Check out the great variety of these snakes in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user alanB!
Be sure to tell alanB you liked it here!
Upload your own reptile and amphibian photos photos at gallery.kingsnake.com, and you could see them featured here!
…read more
Read more here: King Snake
No products found.
By Herp News
Twenty-one captive-raised southern river terrapins have been released back into their native habitat in southwest Cambodia.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
No products found.
When the summer heat index reaches 109ºF it prompts me into immediate action to keep Frankie cool. The temperature is actually only 92º which isn’t really all that hot (having spent years in Phoenix, Arizona) but when the humidity is 65% then it’s hot.
Frankie doesn’t sweat and he is cold-blooded which for anyone deprived of an honest high school biology class that just means that Frankie is the temperature of the area he sits for more than 10 minutes. For anyone desiring a moment of intellectual stimulation, Frankie is poikilothermic: an organism that is incapable of thermal homeostasis.
During these really hot days Frankie, and all other cold blooded animals, will do what is required to be somewhere cooler and more comfortable. The sulcata tortoise will do this:
Frankie, and other sulcata, will dig a huge tunnel into the cool earth. A tunnel up to 12 feet long and deep enough that one could convert it into a cistern when not occupied by said large beast. Never to allow Frankie to dig again I pledged to do one thing: accommodate Frankie’s need for security and comfort in his preferred temperatures zone.
Thus began the ten year quest of the perfect outdoor habitat for Frankie. We’ve done well. We’ve invested much money and effort. Sometimes it works. The extreme temperature is most challenging. Once temperatures begin to rise above 92º F it often required serious Frankie temperature intervention.
In the past Frankie has been happy to sit and soak in water.
For some reason this year Frankie is afraid of his kiddy pool and will not go inside willingly. I am tired of dragging him inside the pool only to get trampled as he runs back out.
As I do every summer, I try to make cool areas cooler by adding shade cloths.
Yesterday I took a hand towel, seriously dampened it (wet would be a disaster) and put it into the freezer for 30 minutes. I then took the frozen towel and placed it over Frankie’s shell. About eight minutes later it softens enough to conform to Frankie’s shell providing him with coolness for an hour or so.
These simple techniques seem to fall short today. I checked in with Frankie and he was just looking miserable. Hot and miserable. So I do the one thing I shouldn’t but those sweet black eyes just looked so miserable. I let Frankie come inside for a cool down.
Frankie was prompt to come inside and polite enough to just sit in the hall waiting for his shell to absorb that cool 74ºF indoor air. He got restless about 30 minutes later so I put …read more
Read more here: Turtle Times
No products found.
One of the species rarely found in my area is the variegated kukri snake, Oligodon taeniolatus. A non-venomous snake also called Russell’s kukri snake.
I have mentioned in one of my previous posts these snakes are named as kukri snakes because of their fangs, which looks similar to a Nepali weapon called a kukri.
In India you can find 15 species of kukri snakes and I would definitely say that this is one of the largest families of snakes in India. Kukri snakes are also found in many other countries including China, Japan, Thailand and Malaysia.
The variegated kukri snake is small in size with a maximum length of 59 centimeters and has slender body with short tail. These snakes are found near human settlements and prefer living on ground. They feed on geckos and even eggs of other animals. This little fellow is oviparous by nature and lays 7-9 eggs around April.
It has been 5 years since I became interested in herpetology, but I never got a chance to rescue a variegated kukri snake. Luckily I have seen this snake a couple of times, thanks to the snake rescuers who showed me this beautiful slithering creature.
Photo by: Kumar Rks …read more
Read more here: King Snake
No products found.
After suffering from habitat loss, the Blanding’s turtle may move from “threatened” to “endangered.”
From the Pioneer Press:
The sand dunes, marshes and backwaters of the upper Mississippi River, including the Weaver Dunes of southeastern Minnesota, hold one of the largest remaining populations of the Blanding’s turtle, which the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources already classifies as threatened. A population in Valentine National Wildlife Refuge in northern Nebraska, where the species is classified as at-risk, is more secure but still vulnerable.
In response to a petition from the Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental advocacy group, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last week began a formal assessment of whether 20 amphibians or reptiles found in various parts of the country, including the Blanding’s turtle, and one plant species should be listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Such listings would give them greater protection.
The center says the fragmented, remnant populations of Blanding’s turtles across their historic range aren’t enough to sustain what’s left of the species.
Read more here.
Photo by kingsnake.com user Andrew Myers. …read more
Read more here: King Snake
No products found.
Tick Tock. The week passes quickly but today is easier starting with the smile of a Nile Croc in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user CDieter!
Be sure to tell CDieter you liked it here!
Upload your own reptile and amphibian photos photos at gallery.kingsnake.com, and you could see them featured here!
…read more
Read more here: King Snake
No products found.
By Herp News
Africa is famous for its lions and other large carnivores, but populations are dwindling and even vanishing all over the continent. A new study published in mongabay.com’s open-access journal Tropical Conservation Science quantifies the disappearance of the lion (Panthera leo), cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus), and wild dog (Lycaon pictus) from 41 protected areas in West and Central Africa, and finds that together the three species disappeared from 74 percent of the sites they once inhabited.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
No products found.
The desert sun was dropping quickly behind a sizable butte. Within minutes the searing heat of the day would begin to cool. The beauty of an orange sunset spread quickly over an orange land that would soon give way to dusk. Full darkness would follow soon and we intended to be road-hunting as the changes occurred.
From an afternoon temperature that had neared 100 degrees Fahrenheit, by the time darkness had fallen it was 10 degrees cooler.
We drove slowly in this land of cliffs and canyons. Snake! The first find of the night was a juvenile Great Basin gopher snake.
Snake! Snake number 2 was a very pretty night snake. Then nothing. We drove a few miles up and a few miles back. Again and again. Things had “dried up.” One more run and we’d call it a night. Up to the turning point. Nothing. Back to where the cliffs almost hugged the road and… Snake!
2 feet of sand orange snake was crossing the road slowly. And there was no mistaking it. Rattlesnake. We had found a coveted Hopi rattlesnake, Crotalus viridis nuntius. Closer examination disclosed that this was a tagged (painted rattle segments) study specimen.
Today, we are told, if we were to find that same snake we should simply call it a prairie rattlesnake. Hopi has been “sunk,” merged with the prairie. Subspecies are in disfavor. But guess what: it is still a Hopi to me.
Continue reading “Hopi rattler: an orange rattler crossing the path” …read more
Read more here: King Snake
No products found.
Trunk-ground anoles removed from their trees find their way back home, but now one knows how they do it.
From the New York times:
Several years ago, Dr. Leal was studying competition between two species. If he removed all of the trunk-ground anoles, he wondered, would the trunk-crown lizards extend their territory farther down the tree? He ran into a problem, however. He would take the trunk-ground lizards far from their home territory to make room for their upstairs neighbors, and then release them. But in a reptilian version of the children’s song, “The Cat Came Back,” the lizards wouldn’t stay away. “Lizards kept showing up in the territory that had just been scoured for lizards,” he said.
Dr. Leal wondered whether new anoles were appearing in empty territory or the old ones were returning. But how could a lizard that had never left home find its way back through 25 yards or so of dense rain forest?
First, he established that they do find their way back. A graduate student would take one, put it in a box, shake it to disorient the anole, walk about 80 yards or more away in a randomly chosen direction, shake the box again and let the lizard out. “The graduate students got lost,” Dr. Leal said, but not the lizards. It took them a few hours or a few days, but about 80 percent of them found their way back.
Read more here. …read more
Read more here: King Snake
No products found.
A truly prehistoric looking creature, our spotlight turns on the mighty Mata Mata in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Geo!
Be sure to tell Geo you liked it here!
Upload your own reptile and amphibian photos photos at gallery.kingsnake.com, and you could see them featured here!
…read more
Read more here: King Snake
No products found.
India is home to 13 species of wolf snake, so I would like to say that this is one of the largest family of snakes in India. The yellow-spotted wolf snake is a non-venomous snake found in Maharashtra and rarely found in my area. But luckily I found it twice!
Yellow-spotted wolf snakes (Lycodon flavomaculatus) are small compared to the common wolf snake (Lycodon aulicus). I have come across 2 to 3 species of wolf snakes and I find yellow-spotted wolf snake the most beautiful because of its color pattern. Just imagine, my friends, how beautiful a snake looks with a dark shiny black color and thin yellow bands on it.
The maximum length of these snakes is 52 centimeters and they are oviparous by nature.
These snakes are often mistaken by people thinking that it’s a common krait (highly venomous) because the color pattern is somewhat the same. The only difference is that the bands of a krait are white in color instead of yellow. It’s similar to the scarlet kingsnake and coral snake: both look the same with a slight difference, but one is venomous and the other is not.
I would like to thank my friend Saleel Gharpure for allowing me to use this photograph.
Photo by: Saleel Gharpure …read more
Read more here: King Snake
No products found.
Staten Island University Hospital started an anti-venom sharing program to make sure anti-venom can reach people who need it, from zoo keepers to owners of exotic pets.
From NBC New York:
The anti-venom comes from a sharing program launched at Staten Island University Hospital by Dr. Nima Majlesi at Staten Island University Hospital, which unites the zoo, the hospital and toxicologists.
“We understand poisoning, we understand the treatment with anti-venom,” said Majlesi.
The hospital understands the importance of having anti-venom stocked on the shelf, ready to help not just vulnerable zoo keepers but anyone in the tri-state region — like those who keep venomous snakes as pets.
Read more here. …read more
Read more here: King Snake
No products found.
Looking forward to the new week with this adorable Chuckwalla in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user thommy!
Be sure to tell thommy you liked it here!
Upload your own reptile and amphibian photos photos at gallery.kingsnake.com, and you could see them featured here!
…read more
Read more here: King Snake
No products found.
By Herp News
A prominent Indonesian wildlife trafficker who was arrested while trying to sell a baby orangutan in February was sentenced last week to two years behind bars. The trafficker, Vast Haris Nasution, admitted to running a trading network that stretches from Indonesia’s westernmost provinces of Aceh and North Sumatra, where he illegally sourced a variety of protected species and animal parts from local hunters and dealers, to Java in the center of the country.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
No products found.
By Herp News
The creation of protected areas often causes problems for people living nearby, even as it brings a potential source of income in the form of tourism. In Zimbabwe, people living near protected areas have positive perceptions of wildlife conservation but negative perceptions of tourism, according to a new paper.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
No products found.
By Herp News
The Indonesian government has promised to crack down on the growing number of people showing off dead or abused endangered animals on social media. In February, for example, residents of the Sumatran village of Sibide posted pictures to Facebook of themselves posing with a dead Sumatran tiger, whose dwindling population in the wild amounts to no more than a few hundred. Similar cases abound and have been widely condemned in the country.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
No products found.
In our Herp Video of the Week we visit the wild deserts of Canada in search of reptiles. Wait! What? Deserts in Canada! You Betcha!
Submit your own reptile & amphibian videos at http://www.kingsnake.com/video/ and you could see them featured here or check out all the videos submitted by other users! …read more
Read more here: King Snake
No products found.
Do you remember YOUR first? tjromick shares Lily, his first in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user tjromick!
Be sure to tell tjromick you liked it here!
Upload your own reptile and amphibian photos photos at gallery.kingsnake.com, and you could see them featured here!
…read more
Read more here: King Snake
No products found.
New fossils reveal that the earliest ancestor of Jesus Lizards lived in tropical Wyoming 48 million years ago.
From ZME Science:
The lizard was named Babibasiliscus alxi, where babi means “older male cousin” in Shoshone Native American – a tribute to the local heritage. Judging from the fossils, the lizard was likely two feet long, was active during the day and likely spent most of its time in trees. Like other casqueheads, the lizard has a ridge over its skull that likely made it look fiercer to its prey. Its teeth had three points suitable for eating snakes, lizards, fish, insects and plants. The larger cheekbones suggest it also hunted large prey.
Based on phylogenetic analysis Babibasiliscus is closely related to the modern genus Laemanctus, which includes the famous Jesus Lizard. The Jesus Lizard likes to live near water, that way, when it is frightened by an approaching predator it can get to the water and run across the surface. The lizards can run on water because they have a fringe of scales on their hind toes which makes little webs that can trap bubbles of air and water beneath their feet. This keeps them from sinking into the water if they run quickly enough across. When they do stop running they don’t mind taking a little swim. It’s not clear whether Babibasiliscus also skimmed water.
Read more here. …read more
Read more here: King Snake
No products found.
New fossils reveal that the earliest ancestor of Jesus Lizards lived in tropical Wyoming 48 million years ago.
From ZME Science:
The lizard was named Babibasiliscus alxi, where babi means “older male cousin” in Shoshone Native American – a tribute to the local heritage. Judging from the fossils, the lizard was likely two feet long, was active during the day and likely spent most of its time in trees. Like other casqueheads, the lizard has a ridge over its skull that likely made it look fiercer to its prey. Its teeth had three points suitable for eating snakes, lizards, fish, insects and plants. The larger cheekbones suggest it also hunted large prey.
Based on phylogenetic analysis Babibasiliscus is closely related to the modern genus Laemanctus, which includes the famous Jesus Lizard. The Jesus Lizard likes to live near water, that way, when it is frightened by an approaching predator it can get to the water and run across the surface. The lizards can run on water because they have a fringe of scales on their hind toes which makes little webs that can trap bubbles of air and water beneath their feet. This keeps them from sinking into the water if they run quickly enough across. When they do stop running they don’t mind taking a little swim. It’s not clear whether Babibasiliscus also skimmed water.
Read more here. …read more
Read more here: King Snake
No products found.
Around us was sand in various hues of oranges and yellows and reds; above us towered sand stone cliffs in similar colors. A few miles distant we had encountered mesas, buttes, and dark, deep – perilously deep – sheer-walled canyons. Here and there a cactus, a succulent, a juniper, or a patch of drought tolerant composites was growing. But for the most part we were surrounded by miles and miles of sand and sandstone cliffs.
We were on a quest and the target was a tiny (up to about 3″) lizard, the Utah night lizard, Xantusia vigilis utahensis. This was our second attempt. We tried a year earlier and had failed. But being either gluttons for punishment or dedicated, Kenny and I were back again. Same time of year, same place, but hoping for a different outcome.
As we searched, carefully turning loose chunks of sandstone, ahead of us we could see cars inching their ways in both directions along the section of 261 called the Moki Dugway. This 3 mile stretch of road consists of narrow graveled switchbacks having grades of 10% that carry you up or down 1,100 feet of cliff face with nary a guardrail to be seen, an interesting experience to say the least.
I was just about to comment to Kenny about a sizable truck coming down the dugway when he exclaimed, “lizard.” And as I flipped a small chunk of sandstone in the shade of an overhang my turn came: “Lizard!” Mission accomplished or even exceeded.
Both of us had found a little sandstone-orange Utah night lizard. Time for photos.
Continue reading “The search for the Utah night lizard” …read more
Read more here: King Snake
No products found.
By Herp News
Indonesian customs officials foiled an attempt to smuggle 455 dead pangolins to Singapore from an airport in the country’s second city of Surabaya, a hotbed of wildlife trafficking. Suspicious of a man with 43 cartons he claimed were full of fish, officers checked the boxes and found the scaly mammals instead. By the hundreds.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
No products found.
Sometimes you need to look outside the box! This stunning Sunbeam Snake may not be the most colorful on first glance, but as you can see in our Herp Photo of the Day, they are a truly beautiful snake, uploaded by kingsnake.com user mecdwell!
Be sure to tell mecdwell you liked it here!
Upload your own reptile and amphibian photos photos at gallery.kingsnake.com, and you could see them featured here! …read more
Read more here: King Snake
No products found.
You know you are a herper when you have snakes instead of towels on your towel rack! This Mexican Pine Snake is just hanging out in our Herp Photo of the Day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Steve_G!
Be sure to tell Steve_G you liked it here!
Upload your own reptile and amphibian photos photos at gallery.kingsnake.com, and you could see them featured here! …read more
Read more here: King Snake
No products found.
By Herp News
The world’s tropical forests are threatened by deforestation due to agricultural, industrial and urban expansion; as well as by drought, fire, and disease, all worsened by climate change. Human reforestation efforts are limited by budget and capacity, so the restoration of degraded habitats by means of animal seed dispersal is essential to the future of global forests.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
No products found.
Scientific Name:
One of the moments I love during my herpings is a ‘tea or coffee break’. It is really an enjoyable moment when you are sitting with your friends, sipping your refreshing drink, and recalling the adventures that took place during the herping.
This incident happened during a trip to the Western Ghats. After herping for 2 to 3 hours, my friends and I took a break and drove to the nearest tea stall. We were sitting on wooden tables and we just had a few sips of tea when I saw a lizard on the wooden plank next to us.
I ignored the lizard thinking that it might be an ordinary house gecko, but one of my friends who is studying lizards saw it and excitedly shouted, “Spotted leaf-toed gecko!” I took a close look at the lizard and it was really beautiful with an amazing color pattern.
Spotted leaf-toed gecko (Hemidactylus maculatus) is a species of large gecko found in Western Ghats of India. The best part is that I was able to get this gecko easily without doing any hard work!
My friend Riyaz Khoja snapped some pictures and we continued with our tea and snacks.
Photo: Riyaz Khoja …read more
Read more here: King Snake
No products found.
Speed, a Galapagos tortoise brought to America over 80 years ago, was euthanized last month.
From the LA Times:
At an estimated age of more than 150 years, Speed had been in geriatric decline for some time, with arthritis and other maladies. Keepers treated him with medication, hydrotherapy, physical therapy, even acupuncture.
Finally, a decision was made Friday to euthanize Speed, who had been at the zoo since 1933.
He was brought to the zoo as part of an early effort to preserve the endangered species from the Volcan Cerro Azul Island of the Galapagos Islands, off Ecuador.
Read more here. …read more
Read more here: King Snake
No products found.
Our Herp Photo of the Day features a cute field find of a Salamander, uploaded by kingsnake.com user cochran!
Be sure to tell cochran you liked it here!
Upload your own reptile and amphibian photos photos at gallery.kingsnake.com, and you could see them featured here!
CHRISTIE!!!!!!!!!
I am waiting for full ID on this animal so I am sure it is correct species. I will change the XXX to the proper name and delete this line and all else will stay intact. …read more
Read more here: King Snake
No products found.
Our Herp Photo of the Day features a cute field find of a XXX Salamander, uploaded by kingsnake.com user cochran!
Be sure to tell cochran you liked it here!
Upload your own reptile and amphibian photos photos at gallery.kingsnake.com, and you could see them featured here!
CHRISTIE!!!!!!!!!
I am waiting for full ID on this animal so I am sure it is correct species. I will change the XXX to the proper name and delete this line and all else will stay intact. …read more
Read more here: King Snake
No products found.
By Herp News
Police in Indonesia’s second city of Surabaya, a hotbed of wildlife trafficking, seized 16 eagles of various types from a trafficker who was using Facebook to connect with potential customers. A tip alerted the authorities to the trafficker. They used the Internet to confirm his activities before moving to arrest him at his house in Surabaya’s Bubutan area.
…read more
Read more here: herpetofauna.com
No products found.
A few years ago, for reasons that I can no longer remember, I decided to get an African mole snake, Pseudaspis cana, from Linda Switzer. It had been decades since I had last had one and as I remembered them they were big and savagely defensive.
They were in no way pleasant creatures to keep. They had come, I think, from either Lofty Whitehead or Jonathan Leakey, both of Kenya. The snakes, adults all, had been wild collected, and were not the least bit hesitant to show their unhappiness about the situation. I was equally unhappy.
So when Linda mentioned having a “nice” mole snake my first question was “how nice?”
“Handleable,” she said, “easily handleable.”
I wondered to myself whether the snake was actually alive.
But I purchased it and when it arrived, it seemed in perfect health. Not only was it “handleable,” it was docile. The big constrictor took thawed and warmed rodents eagerly but gently from forceps, and overall acted about as non-mole snake-like as any mole snake I had ever seen or heard of.
As the old saying goes, you can’t judge a book by its cover. This was a lesson well learned with this very atypical African mole snake.
Continue reading “A manageable mole snake” …read more
Read more here: King Snake
No products found.
A few years ago, for reasons that I can no longer remember, I decided to get an African mole snake, Pseudaspis cana, from Linda Switzer. It had been decades since I had last had one and as I remembered them they were big and savagely defensive.
They were in no way pleasant creatures to keep. They had come, I think, from either Lofty Whitehead or Jonathan Leakey, both of Kenya. The snakes, adults all, had been wild collected, and were not the least bit hesitant to show their unhappiness about the situation. I was equally unhappy.
So when Linda mentioned having a “nice” mole snake my first question was “how nice?”
“Handleable,” she said, “easily handleable.”
I wondered to myself whether the snake was actually alive.
But I purchased it and when it arrived, it seemed in perfect health. Not only was it “handleable,” it was docile. The big constrictor took thawed and warmed rodents eagerly but gently from forceps, and overall acted about as non-mole snake-like as any mole snake I had ever seen or heard of.
As the old saying goes, you can’t judge a book by its cover. This was a lesson well learned with this very atypical African mole snake.
Continue reading “A managable mole snake” …read more
Read more here: King Snake
No products found.
Shannan Yates discusses the powerful and life-changing adventure that is herpetological field work.
From National Geographic:
At a conference on Bahamian natural history, I met Shedd Aquarium’s Dr. Chuck Knapp, who oversees the conservation research program at Shedd and has spent decades researching rock iguanas in The Bahamas. At the time, I had been struggling with the decision of attending medical school. Would I make a difference working in a ‘normal career’, as in a sterile hospital wearing a white lab coat, be any different than working as a field researcher?
For me, Dr. Chuck helped to provide that answer. Without thinking twice, I accepted his invitation to accompany him on a citizen science iguana research exhibition to the Exuma Cays. My experience on that expedition–adjusting to the harsh weather and elements – proved to me that the white lab coat in some hospital was not going to be my career path. I found an unexplainable love for field research and the Exuma Cays Rock Iguana (Cyclura cychlura figgisi), in an experience that I will never forget.
Read more here. …read more
Read more here: King Snake
No products found.
This male Angel Island Chuck seems quite proud of himself in our Herp Photo of the Day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user reptoman!
Be sure to tell reptoman you liked it here!
Upload your own reptile and amphibian photos photos at gallery.kingsnake.com, and you could see them featured here! …read more
Read more here: King Snake
No products found.