Our Herp Photo of the Day shows and amazing look inside the egg of a Russian Tortoise to be, uploaded by kingsnake.com user tortusjack!
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Two years ago these little monsters took over in a whole new way. In our Herp Video of the Week, a group of second graders, with the help of their teacher, try to remind us that snakes do not need fear and they are just “Born This Way”. Happy Snake Saturday, we hope you enjoy this flashback!
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The Bird Snake (Pseustes poecilonotus) gets it’s first breath of air in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user SoLA!
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By Herp News
An independent researcher has described a spectacular red, white, and blue crayfish just in time for the fourth of July. The new species, named Cherax pulcher, was first discovered in Japanese pet shops by Christian Lukhaup before he finally tracked down the animal to creeks in remote West Papua, Indonesia.
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Mez, an adorable little black monitor lizard, is the first born to any zoo in the United Kingdom.
From Pirate FM:
John Meek, curator: ” This is a very rare birth for us here at The Zoo and Mez is doing very well, being carefully nursed by our diligent keepers. Mez currently weighs twelve grams and we expect him to make steady progress.”
Black Tree Monitors are at risk due to habitat destruction and the illegal trade in reptiles for pets, so the breeding programme at The Zoo will ensure the conservation of the species.
The Black Tree Monitors at The Zoo originated from Pilsen Zoo in the Czech Republic over five years ago and have very specific humidity conditions to encourage them to lay their eggs. The female Monitor has already laid a further six eggs which are currently under incubation and they should hatch sometime in the next few months.
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Jake said, “C’mon, let’s go hog-nosing.”
That’s not much of an incentive for me as hog-noses are just not my favorite critters.
But then Jake said “Good chance for a Florida pine, too.”
“Oh,” I replied. “You mean southern hog-noses, eh?”
Well, southerns are a bit better, and somewhere in the sandy country where they live Jake almost always runs afoul of sand-spurs, the latter occasion usually being an interesting interlude. Now we were looking at southern hog-noses, southern pine snakes, and sand spurs. Taken together this was a little more to my liking, so off we went.
And an hour and a half later we arrived. It was a dry, relatively cool, and very sunny day; the kind of weather which makes all good snakes active.
This hour and a half drive brought us to a grid of southern hog-nose, Heterodon simus, habitat that until recently was not well known to the herping community. Sadly (from a conservation viewpoint), one well known and very garrulous herper learned of the area and broadcast its potential far and wide.
This, of course, led to an influx of hog-nose hunters whenever weather conditions allowed. It led also to an adverse and vocal response from the homeowners who were suddenly faced with a notable change in traffic volume in their quiet, if sandy, community.
So, in the hope of avoiding controversy, Jake and I agreed to drive slowly, carefully, and to leave immediately if challenge seemed imminent. And not only did we follow these self-imposed rules, taking care that no roostertail plume of dust followed us, but we stopped and explained to a homeowner or two what we were doing (photographing wildlife) and that we would be very careful while looking.
This courtesy paid dividends. We spent an unchallenged hour and a half, found and photographed a beautiful adult male hog-nose, and left feeling pleased. Mission accomplished – uneventfully.
But, darn it! No sand spurs on this trip.
Continue reading “Hog-nosed snake with a side of southern hospitality” …read more
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What a stunning shot of a Satanic leaf-tailed gecko we have as our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user zmarchetti!
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By Herp News
A newly discovered, 48-million-year-old fossil, known as a ‘Jesus lizard’ for its ability to walk on water, may provide insight into how climate change may affect tropical species.
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Prompted by a petition in 2012 by the Center for Biological Diversity the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is reviewing 10 species of reptiles and amphibians to consider them for federal protection under the Endangered Species Act, despite many of the listed species enjoying protection of state laws in their home range.
According to media reports USFWS will seek to collect additional information for a more thorough review of the following reptiles and amphibians:
According to the USFWS “For those petitions that will move on to a more in-depth review, that process will include the opportunity for significant input from states, partners, stakeholders, and the public.” To read more about this issue, view the original article on GulfLive.com. kingsnake.com will post more information on the public input process here as it becomes available.
Alligator Snapper gallery photo by kingsnake.com user LEESTOPCUT.
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“Crocodile,” is an animal which makes you think twice before entering a river or lake, an animal which is responsible for numerous deaths every year, and a reptile which freaks out people more than a snake. Just imagine my reaction when I came across this magnificent and deadly reptile in the wild.
India has a good number of national parks and Sundarban National Park is one of them. Sundarban national park is a tiger and a biosphere reserve located in West Bengal. Visiting this national park has given me some unforgettable experiences. I was lucky to be accompanied by Debaprasad “Dev” Sengupta, a renowned wildlife biologist and herpetologist in Northeast India.
The best part about being accompanied by Dev was that he was very familiar with the place and that was the reason I was able to see many things. After roaming for a couple of hours in the woods, we headed towards the riverbank to check out some birds.
As we stepped on the sand of river bank and walked a few steps, Dev told me to stop and pointed at something 12 to 15 meters away. I was thunderstruck for a minute and I was getting goosebumps -it was a 11 foot long saltwater crocodile basking on sand! Saltwater crocs (Crocodylus porusus) are the biggest species of crocodile on earth.
Dev changed his camera’s lens and clicked some amazing photographs while I observed the creature. We didn’t move until the crocodile crawled in the water.
We were standing at a safe distance and had an excellent view to enjoy the show. I hope life gives me a chance again to encounter this monster in the wild.
I would especially like to thank Dev for allowing me to use this amazing photograph.
Photo: Debaprasad Sengupta …read more
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An incredibly unusual two-headed bearded dragon stunned their owner after hatching in Liverpool.
From the Mirror:
Owner Stephen Evans, 34 has bred bearded dragon lizards for 17 years and made the discovery this morning after checking a clutch of eggs.
Originally, he thought there were two lizards in one egg but says he was shocked to discover it was actually a conjoined twin.
He told the Liverpool Echo: “Last night I’d checked the incubator, we’d seen two heads and assumed they were twins, which can sometimes happen.
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One of these things isn’t just like the other! The Leucistic tadpole really stands out in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user retnaburner!
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By Herp News
A study published last week in Science showed that most of the ivory being trafficked today comes from two areas in Africa: savanna elephant ivory from southeast Tanzania in East Africa and forest elephant ivory from the meeting point of Gabon, the Republic of Congo, Cameroon, and Central African Republic.
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By Herp News
A study published last week in Science showed that most of the ivory being trafficked today comes from two areas in Africa: savanna elephant ivory from southeast Tanzania in East Africa and forest elephant ivory from the meeting point of Gabon, the Republic of Congo, Cameroon, and Central African Republic.
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By Herp News
Conservation work is important not just in tropical rainforests, but also in snow-covered peaks and steep slopes, the home of snow leopards and a number of unusual ungulates, including blue sheep and Asiatic ibex. When these and other native prey are scarce, snow leopards may resort to eating more livestock, which turns herders against them.
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By Herp News
The U.S. government has declared the Eastern cougar extinct more than 80 years after its a believed a hunter in Maine wiped out the last individual. Scientists still dispute whether the Eastern cougar was a distinct subspecies, but either way officials believe the original population that roamed much of the Eastern U.S. and Canada is gone—and has been for decades.
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In 2014, what once was one became three.
The venerable alligator snapping turtle, Macrochelys temminckii once ranged in 3 apparently non-contiguous basically riverine populations westward from the northern peninsula of Florida and southern Georgia, to southeastern Kansas and eastern Texas.
The range extended northward in the Mississippi Valley to central Iowa and Illinois. The southeasternmost population (now the Suwannee alligator snapper, Macrochelys suwanniensis, ranges throughout the Suwannee River drainage of Florida.
The central population (now the Apalachicola alligator snapper, Macrochelys apalachicolae) occurs in the drainage of the Apalachicola/Chattahoochee Rivers of Florida, Georgia and eastern Alabama.
The western population (still referred to as simply the Alligator snapper, Macrochelys temminckii, ranges westward and northward from Florida’s western panhandle throughout the remainder of the large range.
The separation and erection of these turtles was based on genetic and morphological differences.
For more information read: “Taxonomic assessment of Alligator Snapping Turtles (Chelydridae: Macrochelys),” with the description of two new species from the southeastern United States in Zootaxa 3786 (2): 141–165.
Continue reading “The alligator snapper trio” …read more
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A massive frog die-off is the latest sign of extreme pollution in Lake Titicaca which threatens wildlife and humans.
From Fox News:
As human and industrial waste from nearby cities increasingly contaminate the famed lake that straddles the border between Bolivian and Peru, the native Aymara people who rely on it for food and income say action must be taken before their livelihoods, like the frogs, die off.
“We used to live off of fishing,” said Juan Quispe, a local villager. “But now we have nothing to sustain us.” The fish have moved farther and farther from shore.
On a recent Saturday, the 78-year-old Quispe joined a cleanup brigade to remove dead dogs, tires and other refuse from the shore of Cohana Bay where the lake meets the Katari River.
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This adoreable Box Turtle begins it’s new life in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user norristhenut!
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By Herp News
On Friday, June 19, Philippine authorities raided a warehouse on the island of Palawan and confiscated more than 4,000 live, illegally harvested rare turtles, only days before they were to be shipped to foreign food and pet markets. The massive haul included over 3,800 critically endangered Philippine forest turtles – animals in very poor health and showing signs of severe neglect from long captivity.
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After having problems flushing her toilet, a woman was stunned to find a live iguana in the pipes.
From ABC News:
“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” plumber Alisa Scott told ABC affiliate WPLG-TV. “This is the first time I pulled something like that out of a toilet.”
Scott says she used her tools to reach far down into the toilet. What she began to pull out was still alive.
“To my surprise, I pulled out that large iguana,” Scott said. “At first I thought it was a toy, and then it started moving around.”
Iguanas are common in that part of Florida, but they aren’t commonly found inside your plumbing.
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In the city where I live, I have come across many snakes from the highly venomous to the non-venomous. The Russell’s viper (Daboia russelii) is one of the highly venomous snakes I confront. Rescuing Russell’s vipers and studying them has been one of my finest experiences in my herpetology career.
If I rescue 10 snakes a week, at least 4 of them are Russell’s vipers. While researching these snakes, I came to know many amazing facts about them. One such fact was actually so amazing that I never dreamed of witnessing it: “A female Russell’s viper brings 70 more venomous vipers in the world.”
Yes, my friends, you got it right. A few days back I saw a female Russell’s viper and all of her babies, which I rescued in their mini-hospital snake container. I was left awestruck for a few minutes after being told that it was really happening.
Though being in a large number, I could clearly see the babies with their mother, moving to and fro even though they weren’t in a spacious container. After seeing them a bit congested, I moved them to a larger crate where they were able to move freely.
I took some easy snaps, gave some privacy to this venomous family, and after some hours I released them into a suitable environment for the betterment of their future.
Continue reading “Russell’s viper: snake mama surprise” …read more
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This bearded dragon is looking forward to the short work week in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user dedragons!
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This female Cuviers’s is just waiting for the weekend in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user cpipes!
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Who ever said you can’t teach an old dragon new tricks was certainly wrong. In our Herp Video of the Week, from the London Zoo, keepers are working with target training their Komodo Dragons!
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By Herp News
Things appeared to be on the upswing in Cambodia’s vast Virachey National Park in the early 2000s. Conservation groups were surveying the area and the World Bank had committed $5 million in funds. But then the Cambodia government handed out a mining exploration permit covering 90 percent of the park.
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Only minutes earlier we had found on the pavement one of the prettiest little banded water snakes I had ever seen. Jake and I were up in Columbia County, Florida, and although conditions were a bit wet and cool, a few interesting snakes were crossing.
Garters, ribbons, waters, a corn, and a yellow rat had been seen. Actually our target for the night was a living example of the rough earth snake, Haldea (formerly Virginia) striatula, a tiny burrowing species.
A few days earlier we had been on the same roadway and had seen 3 rough earth snakes. Sadly all had been DOR. Since both Jake and I wished to upgrade our photos of this species, we had decided to try our luck once more.
Not only had we seen none, but until finding the little water snake mentioned above we had not seen anything of great interest.
We had just about given up on finding our target that night when, on the last pass, the rain having nearly stopped: bingo! An earth snake, the only one seen that night, was slowly crossing in front of us. Success!
Note: Based on genetic findings, the generic name of Haldea has recently been resurrected for this small snake. Whether this will be accepted remains to be seen.
Continue reading “Rough road herping: finding a rough earth snake” …read more
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What do you know about the “lesbian lizards” that reproduce asexually?
From the Guardian Liberty Voice:
This hybrid species, the Leaping Lesbian Lizards, also go by the name New Mexico Whiptail Lizard. In fact, the Whiptail is the state’s official reptile. It is one of a number of reptiles that is known to be parthenogenic. This means that this particular species of lizard uses asexual reproduction, so the development and growth of the reptiles embryos occurs without there being any fertilization.
The creation of the Leaping Lesbian Lizards takes place through the hybridization of the western whiptail and the little striped whiptail. Once the hybrid species is formed, they can actually reproduce through parthenogenic reproduction. If a male is born out of the hybridization process, they are actually sterile and seemingly do not live long, but through parthenogenesis the female population is able to reproduce.
Essentially the Leaping Lesbian Lizards, a hybrid species out of New Mexico, are actually a highly evolved reptile species capable of reproduction asexually, as well as through the hybridization process. These reproductive traits seem to be very prevalent across a number of different varieties of whiptail lizards.
Read more here. …read more
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Three days after Judge Moss ruled that he would be granting USARK a preliminary injunction, the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) filed a joint motion along with the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to intervene in USARK’s case.
The extreme position of CBD had been announced promptly after the Lacey Act listing of reticulated pythons and three anaconda species by Collette Adkins, a CBD attorney and biologist focusing on reptiles and amphibians: “Unfortunately, it appears that the agency caved to pressure from snake breeders in its decision not to restrict trade in the boa constrictor — a snake that is clearly damaging to U.S. wildlife.”
USARK has filed to oppose joint intervention by HSUS and CBD.
It seems very unlikely that CBD and HSUS will be allowed to intervene in the PI stage of the case, which would allow them to immediately appeal the PI even if USFWS decides not to appeal the PI at this time. (See my earlier discussion of a potential appeal of PI by USFWS.) Fortunately, the time period for CBD and HSUS to appeal the PI on their own has now expired.
It is also possible that the court will deny the motion to intervene because neither CBD nor HSUS established standing in their supporting declarations. Even if allowed to intervene, it is likely that the judge will limit the issues on which CBD and HSUS will be allowed to participate.
For the basics on the PI, please see http://www.kingsnake.com/blog/archives/2929-The-injunction-against-USFWS-What-you-need-to-know-now.html.
Photo: kingsnake.com user PSYCHOTRON
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This female Kimberly Rock Monitor is just hanging out in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user bob!
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By Herp News
Indonesia is a global hub for the wild bird trade, given its abundance of bird species and deep-seated tradition of bird-keeping. But while newspaper headlines regularly trumpet the most alarming examples of international smuggling, experts warn it’s the domestic pet trade that poses a bigger threat.
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By Herp News
In March 2012 poachers struck a South African game reserve. They drugged three rhinos and hacked off their horns, inflicting massive facial trauma to the immobile but unanesthetized animals. Wildlife veterinarian Will Fowlds attended to the victims.
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By Herp News
With all sea turtles being currently on the list of endangered species, authors now offer a critical review of what is being done towards saving injured Mediterranean loggerhead and green turtles. They also call for further development and implementation of rescue centers, first-aid stations and awareness campaigns.
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Whenever I am visiting an another state or city, I make sure that I get in touch with a snake rescuer in that area. And that is exactly what I did when I was leaving for Nagpur with my family.
Nagpur is a district in Maharashtra which is about a day’s drive away from my place. I was supposed to be visiting Nagpur to attend a wedding ceremony with family, but to be frank I was not at all interested in the wedding! All I ever wanted was to explore new snakes in Nagpur and I got one.
The stout sand snake (Psammophis longifrons) is a common non-venomous snake found in Nagpur, but was new for me. After attending some rescues of cobras and vipers with the local snake rescuer, I found this sand snake on the third day of my visit.
The stout sand snake is thick and it moves fast. The body is uniform brown with black-edged smooth scales. The maximum length is 123 centimeters and it is oviparous by nature.
I attended many more rescues on that trip – and it took some convincing from my mom, but I also attended the wedding! While returning I was really happy as I was leaving with some sweet memories of stout sand snake.
Photo: Riyaz Khoja …read more
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The latest clutch of Gray’s monitor lizards hatched at the Los Angeles Zoo is just the second time Gray’s monitors were born in captivity in the Western Hemisphere.
From My News LA:
Gray’s monitor lizards had long been considered extinct in the wild until some were discovered in 1975 on islands in the Philippines.
The species is considered one of the largest lizards in Asia, as the reptiles can grow to be 6 feet long and 20 pounds. The tree-dwelling, olive-green lizards usually dine on fruit and invertebrates.
The zoo’s reptile and amphibian curator, Ian Recchio, said his staff used their knowledge of other Asian monitor species and Komodo dragons to hatch the Gray’s monitor eggs.
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It isn’t shocking that movie’s have taken inspriation for dinosaurs from our reptiles. This frilled dragon in our herp photo of the day is a prime example, uploaded by kingsnake.com user frilly!
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By Herp News
Fencing is used to protect wildlife against poaching and human encroachment, and also to protect people and livestock from wildlife. As a conservation strategy, it has proponents as well as detractors. A recent paper by a team of 45 international researchers in the Journal of Applied Ecology questions the wisdom of erecting wildlife fencing in dryland ecosystems. It also seeks to ease decision-making on fencing initiatives by setting a research agenda to answer open questions that will help resolve the debate.
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By Herp News
A new update of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has categorized the West African population of lions—which is considered genetically distinct and separate from East and Central African lions—as Critically Endangered. Based largely on a paper in 2014, the researchers estimate that there are only 121-375 mature lions in West Africa today.
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On a rainy April night Jake and I were out road-hunting in Columbia County, up in northeastern Florida. It had been a warm day but an afternoon rain cooled both the temperature and the road surfaces.
But what the heck – the alternative was to sit at home and write blogs, so we elected to hit the road for a couple of hours. As might be expected under conditions such as these, the most commonly seen snakes were natricines, garter, ribbon, crayfish, and water snakes.
The garters and waters are variably colored and patterned. The former may be reddish with or without stripes or dark with bluish stripes. And the waters (these are Florida banded waters, Nerodia fasciata pictiventris) are even more variable, usually being black with thin or fat crossbands, cinnamon with only obscure banding, or rarely, like this juvenile, bright orange and reddish.
It had just begun to sprinkle again when this little snake chose to cross and beaded with rain droplets, it shown like a beacon in the headlights.
In my opinion, this was the find of the evening – almost!
Continue reading “Water snake glamor: shining in the lights “ …read more
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In just one year, researchers discovered 176 new species living in India.
From Mid-Day News:
According to official records by ZSI responsible for animal taxonomy under the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, 176 new species were discovered, described and reported from all over India last year.
Insects, which escape attention due to its size in areas with dense undergrowth, leads the pack among the animal kingdom as 93 new species of the invertebrates were found.
The list includes 23 species of fishes, 24 amphibian species like frogs, toads, etc, two species of reptiles, 12 species of arachnida (spiders) and 12 crustacean (crabs,lobsters, shrimps, etc).
Most of these discoveries have been made by ZSI scientists working across the country.
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