An embryo of Cape house snake (Boaedon capensis) stained to show developing muscle blocks in the trunk. The embryo shows right-handed coiling. Credit: Raul Diaz, California State University Los Angeles.
That was the question that led scientists to a study during COVID lockdown after seeing many photo of snake embyos all coiled to the right. What makes them coil to the right? Do they stay tha… …read more
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Northern Leopard Frog from kingsnake.com user Terry Cox credit: kingsnake photo gallery
In 1952 the tiny town of Oconto, WI woke up to hundreds of thousands, reports even go as far as millions, Leopard Frogs. Now being a Wisconsin Herper you would think I would have heard this odd little story before today, but I had not and that is why I am sharing it with you! Driving around today fo… …read more
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Experts attached a satellite transmitter to Pancake's shell, which will track its location for up to 90 days. Mary Dixon / Wildlife Conservation Society
Every fall there are stories of cold stunned turtles on the East Coast and in spring and summer, their release stories brighten our days. Pancake is one of the more recent rehab successes! They are so cute! Pancake is an unsexed junenile… …read more
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Lemon frost gecko. Credit: Dr. Tony Gamble, Marquette University

The lemon frost Leopard Gecko morph is known for it’s high tumor rate. 80% of the morph develops tumors, but it is unknown why. Researchers at the University of Nottingham decided to look at the geckos to study not only their tumors but how they develop.

Unlike traditional laboratory models for cancer research, such as m… …read more
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A few new action alerts have hit USARK's page that may impact reptiles owners that we wanted to share here! If this impacts you, be sure to check the links!
Maryland
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources is looking to change their native keeping laws, including one provision to ban keeping all native herps, including captive bred ones. All Maryland herpers are suggested to join the… …read more
Read more here: King Snake

Screenshot of the live Pennsylvania den of I think “Pickle” one of their Timber Rattlesnakes. Yes they have names and profiles!
Snakes, especially rattlesnakes, have so many misconceptions on how the live. We as herpers know that they are not going to chase us through fields to bite us, but many people believe any terrible stories of these animals. While we spend so much time in real l… …read more
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The International Herpetoligcal Symposium turns 50 this year and kingsnake.com will be there to help them celebrate as a returning sponsor to kick off our 30th year! We all are celebrating. This year is going to be located in a true herpers heaven, The Chiricahua Desert Museum in Rodeo, NM. If you have never been to an IHS event, let me tell you that you are missing out. IHS is more than… …read more
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A new action alert has come out from our friends at USARK regarding Diamondback Terrapins and potential Endangered Species listings. From the action alert:

July 13, 2026: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) will post this in the Federal Register tomorrow (July 14) at https://www.federalregister.gov/public-inspection/2026-14098/endangered-and-threatened-species-90-day-findings-fo… …read more
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On the road again, we just seem to be on the road again and it feels so GOOD! I tell you, it is like the old days! Jon and kingsnake.com will have a booth at the Reptile Super Show in Pomona and he will have all our awesome swag. You can hit him up with any questions about the site and talk to him in person there! We will have a swag booth at the Pacific Northwest Reptile and Exotic Animal Sho… …read more
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Cindy and Seri at one of the many NARBC Tinley Park shows
Shortly after the March NARBC, Seri Dukart of Gallery Gekko and Creature Care Cards was preparing to go in for her second knee replacement when tragedy struck at home. A fire wiped out both her home and attached dog grooming business. It was a total loss. While most of her animals survived, she lost her beloved African Grey, Toba. With … …read more
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Are you ready?
This weekend kingsnake.com is going to be bringing the fun to the North American Breeders Conference Tinley Park, ya know, the Big one. I mean, we are one of the sponsors again!
The Dynamic Duo will be reunited again! Jon will be at the kingsnake.com booth during show hours and have all our merch there for sale. He will be able to help answer your questions about the site, what … …read more
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Photo from Reddit
We might be a little biased here but, we kinda think kingsnakes rule a little bit. Recently a reddit poster shared something some of us herpers would not be overly surprised to hear about but we may never have seen in person. A California kingsnake decided to prey on a Southern Pacific rattlesnake that was about the same size it was. I mean we ALL know Cali kings are garbage … …read more
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Photo of Noxen Fire Volunteer showing tubed venomous snake, rather than some more barbaric ways of other roundups such as sewing mouths shut while unsedated. Photo from Noxen Fire Dept Facebook page
Over the years I have ranted and raved about the evils of Rattlesnake Roundups and many of them have shifted from the torture events of yore to educational events. WHile looking for positive press … …read more
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Two Ibiza wall lizards. Photograph: Guillem Casbas
The Ibiza Wall Lizard (Podarcis pityusensis) has been struggling for years in 2022 was moved to Red status on the ICUN listing. These lizards spread across dozens of smaller islands throughout the Pityusic Islands off the Spanish mainland. Originally the the horseshoe whip snake (Hemorrhois hippocrepis) was accidentally imported via Olive tree… …read more
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Image screenshot from video from KVUE
The Texas Horned Lizard is one of the most iconic animals of our southwest, but their numbers have taken a sharp decline in the past 50 years due to primarily fire ants displacing their natural food sources, among all the other usual suspects. Heck, I will be honest, my rescue here had one that a Dad brought his daughter several years ago from the wild tha… …read more
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Researcher Corinna Hazelrig studies a snake. Credit: Taylor Miller
After a 4 year study of over 500 snakes of 29 different species showed troubling levels of pathogens and deadly viruses present in native populations throughout Florida, South Carolina and Georgia. The study ran by University of Georgia (UGA) researchers found a variety of pathogens, but the two most troubling were the contagi… …read more
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Tini, an olive ridley sea turtle, recently laid her eggs on Junitper Beach, Florida marking the first time ever for that species. While loggerheads, leatherbacks and greens do typically nest on the beach, this was the first ever record nest for the species recorded by Loggerhead Marinelife Center.
Olive ridleys are among the smallest sea turtle species and are known for their olive-green, hear… …read more
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Despite almost a year long battle with keepers, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources moved ahead on ban of all native species with an exception on only three color variants. This does include captive bred species, as well as a variety of color morphs. There is also a ban in place now on turtle and frog races, which is probably the only truly good things here. A few things of note from… …read more
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We aren't talking about the German Heavy Metal but here, but the actual arachnid! Scientists have recently discovered that 18 species of scorpions reinforce their stingers and pinchers with a variety of “heavy metals”.
Now, scientists have found that different species incorporate those metals into their exoskeletons in different ways, depending on how they hunt and defend themse… …read more
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Attenborough in pursuit of a giant anteater in the Rupununi Savannah, British Guiana
BBC

David Attenbourgh’s 100 birthday just passed and to many of us he introduced us to the wonders of nature and our beloved reptiles in their natural environments. Have you ever thought how he got his start? Amazingly he was not a naturalist but a film maker. His role was originally behind the camera… …read more
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image from Iowa County Sheriff facebook page of Burmese found in WI
This is WRONG and puts our entire hobby at risk.
The owner’s Burmese python died at the veterinarian. The owner took their pet home to bury it, but for some reason decided to stop and dump it on the side of the road instead.
This creates all kinds of questions and concerns for citizens while putting our hobby in the spotlig… …read more
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image from Iowa County Sheriff facebook page of Burmese found in WI

This is WRONG and puts our entire hobby at risk.

The owner’s Burmese python died at the veterinarian. The owner took their pet home to bury it, but for some reason decided to stop and dump it on the side of the road instead.
This creates all kinds of questions and concerns for citizens while putting our hobby in the spotlight in a bad way.

Please, do NOT dump animals dead or alive.
If you need help there are many resources. If you cannot find them, reach out to us here at Kingsnake and we’ll help get you in touch with help in your area.
…read more
Read more here: King Snake

image from Iowa County Sheriff facebook page of Burmese found in WI
Last friday in rural Wisconsin, a large Burmese python was discovered by the side of a road by a resident and police were notified. An investigation was launched and every rescue in Wisconsin was contacted by press. Seriously, the minute I saw the story, I had a text come through my phone asking if I was available and if I cou… …read more
Read more here: King Snake

image from Iowa County Sheriff facebook page of Burmese found in WI

Last friday in rural Wisconsin, a large Burmese python was discovered by the side of a road by a resident and police were notified. An investigation was launched and every rescue in Wisconsin was contacted by press. Seriously, the minute I saw the story, I had a text come through my phone asking if I was available and if I could bring reptiles with for the news piece.

By midday, the owner had been located and the full story emerged. The snake had gone to the vet and died there from an as of yet unknown medical emergency. The owner decided that he was going to take the snake home and bury it rather than let the vet dispose of it. In my opinion, this was likely due to the cost of cremation for the size of the snake and is somewhat understandable, HOWEVER, the owner should have continued with his initial plans rather than pulling over on a highway and tossing the snake out on the side of the road.

There are numerous issues here. First and foremost, it was a freaking Burmese Python, a non-native snake and it scared a lot of people. I am a certified euthanasia tech, so my next question is, was the snake euthanized with serum or did it die on it’s own? This is an important question because if there was serum involved, leaving the corpse in the wild would subject any scavenger to the same poison injected to induce death in the pet. So basically it would kill all scavengers as well if it was humanely euthanized. This is why you can not bury euthanized animals and they MUST be cremated. The next question is what was the medical emergency? Was is something bacterial or viral? Was it a pathogen that could be passed to our native species?

So what do you do when your reptile dies? Check your local laws now. Where I am in Wisconsin, many municipalities actually allow disposal of animals (yes even dogs and cats) in your trash cans when properly bagged. If you choose to bury it, do it on your own property and only if it was not given the euthanasia serum (that is sodium pentobarbital and it is poison) and be sure to go down several feet. Your vet can arrange a variety of cremation options. Lastly there is the option of your local humane society. Seriously, even if you can not afford things, reach out. They will still help. They may grumble or groan but they will help. Heck, consider even reaching out to herp societies or reptile rescues. In all seriousness, I would have asked him to bag and freeze it, but I could have found it a home in education or research.

DO NOT DO WHAT THIS OWNER DID.

This one incident may have spurned a …read more
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While at NARBC Tinley I spent a little time with a few vendors, one was Bryan Suson of Sundown Reptiles with his abronia and a few special monitors! It was super short because Bryan is ALWAYS a very busy guy at the show. Thanks for the time Bryan! …read more
Read more here: King Snake

While at NARBC Tinley I spent a little time with a few vendors, one was Bryan Suson of Sundown Reptiles with his abronia and a few special monitors! It was super short because Bryan is ALWAYS a very busy guy at the show. Thanks for the time Bryan!

…read more
Read more here: King Snake

Hey, it’s Earth Day.
Remember, get out there and make a difference. Leave only footprints when you herp.
Take a moment and clean up around your neighborhood so we have a nice place for our reptiles and amphibians. Then again, maybe this copperhead was just having a good ole party!
Thanks to member AlexNevgloski for this shot from Okeetee. Tell him you like it here in our photo gallery!
You can… …read more
Read more here: King Snake

Hey, it’s Earth Day.

Remember, get out there and make a difference. Leave only footprints when you herp.

Take a moment and clean up around your neighborhood so we have a nice place for our reptiles and amphibians. Then again, maybe this copperhead was just having a good ole party!

Thanks to member AlexNevgloski for this shot from Okeetee. Tell him you like it here in our photo gallery!

You can upload your own photos here and you too might be featured! …read more
Read more here: King Snake

Hear ye, hear ye!
You asked, we’ve made it happen.
Kingsnake Merch, previously found only in person at an Expo, is now available on our site!!
If you have not had the opportunity to pop by and meet us in person, we’re now happy to provide the opportunity to ship our merch to your door (or preferred USPS shipping location).
Thank you for all of your support!
Kingsnake.com/store …read more
Read more here: King Snake

Hear ye, hear ye!

You asked, we’ve made it happen.

Kingsnake Merch, previously found only in person at an Expo, is now available on our site!!
If you have not had the opportunity to pop by and meet us in person, we’re now happy to provide the opportunity to ship our merch to your door (or preferred USPS shipping location).

Thank you for all of your support!

Kingsnake.com/store

…read more
Read more here: King Snake

It has been ages since I have been able to say this and boy does it feel good!
This weekend Kingsnake.com is officially BACK at the mighty Tinley Park NARBC!!
Come meet Jon with me, it is my first time too!
Now we all know kingsnake has always been there with me (Cindy) and you all found me over the years to tell me what you needed, but this year now you have both of us!
Please make the time… …read more
Read more here: King Snake

It has been ages since I have been able to say this and boy does it feel good!
This weekend Kingsnake.com is officially BACK at the mighty Tinley Park NARBC!!
Come meet Jon with me, it is my first time too!

Now we all know kingsnake has always been there with me (Cindy) and you all found me over the years to tell me what you needed, but this year now you have both of us!
Please make the time to visit Jon at the booth in the hallway and chat with him. We will have T-shirts ($10) and a few hoodies ($30) for sale and trust me it is hoodie weather.
Jon will be at our booth while the show is open to the public, and I will be at Timberline and floating around, hitting some of you up for interviews here and there for the site like the old days. I can actually talk about the show again, so if you have something truly amazing that you want to show off, hit me up!
Put on your Kingsnake t-shirt, remind Jon you’d like a photo op when you stop by the booth. When I catch you at the show in our shirts, I’m stopping to take a pic with you! There’s a good chance you’ll see your face on our socials.

Get your swag like all the cool kids, Mom says it’s best!

We can’t wait to see you all this weekend!

— Cindy …read more
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A few weeks ago Jon and Cindy were invited to sit down and chat all things kingsnake.com past and present with Mike Stefani and Nick Lillis. It was awesome and we had a great time!
Mark your calendars! It premiered March 10 at 5 pm CST. As soon as it airs, we added the video after the jump! You can subscribe to Monitor Brains and bookmark this upcoming episode here! …read more
Read more here: King Snake

A few weeks ago Jon and Cindy were invited to sit down and chat all things kingsnake.com past and present with Mike Stefani and Nick Lillis. It was awesome and we had a great time!

Mark your calendars! It premiers March 11 at 5 pm CST. As soon as it airs, we will be sure to add the video here! You can subscribe to Monitor Brains and bookmark this upcoming episode here! …read more
Read more here: King Snake

Help us improve our look and make our site feel like your home!
Submit images for our new homepage.
Checkout the sneak peek at part of Kingsnake’s new homepage.
WHAT?! A Dark and Light mode?!
The 3 images for Classifieds, Forums and Blog are… generic placeholders.
We’re waiting on approval of a legendary photo for Forums, however need images for Classifieds and Blog.
What’ve you got?!
Upload… …read more
Read more here: King Snake

Help us improve our look and make our site feel like your home!
Submit images for our new homepage.

Checkout the sneak peek at part of Kingsnake’s new homepage.

WHAT?! A Dark and Light mode?!

The 3 images for Classifieds, Forums and Blog are… generic placeholders.
We’re waiting on approval of a legendary photo for Forums, however need images for Classifieds and Blog.

What’ve you got?!
Upload your images to the photo gallery, or drop them on our Facebook post.
Say BLOG or CLASSIFIEDS for where you think your image fits best.

We’ll pick a winner and put your beautiful photograph on our homepage.

…read more
Read more here: King Snake

A Japanese tree frog ( Dryophytes japonicus ). They are arboreal frogs, active from spring to autumn, and hibernate underground in winter. © Yorozu Kitamura | Dreamstime.com

There are so many ways that reptiles and amphibians give back to humanity and here is another amazing one. Are you on a GLP1? Thank a gila. Cancer research and blood pressure meds are using venom, however, this is a n… …read more
Read more here: King Snake

A Japanese tree frog ( Dryophytes japonicus ). They are arboreal frogs, active from spring to autumn, and hibernate underground in winter. © Yorozu Kitamura | Dreamstime.com

There are so many ways that reptiles and amphibians give back to humanity and here is another amazing one. Are you on a GLP1? Thank a gila. Cancer research and blood pressure meds are using venom, however, this is a new approach!
Gut bacteria of several amphibians is being studied for potential benefits related to cancer research; the Japanese tree frog, Dryophytes japonicus, appears to have a beneficial bacterium, Ewingella americana, hanging out in their intestines!

In a mouse colorectal cancer model, a single intravenous administration of E. americana achieved complete tumor elimination with a 100% complete response (CR) rate. This dramatically surpasses the therapeutic efficacy of current standard treatments, including immune checkpoint inhibitors (anti-PD-L1 antibody) and liposomal doxorubicin (chemotherapy agent).
…
This research demonstrates that unexplored biodiversity represents a treasure trove for novel medical technology development and holds promise for providing new therapeutic options for patients with refractory cancers.

The article breaks down exactly how E. americana works to breakdown the cancer and fight it. Let’s hope trials continue and this opens an amazing avenue of treatment and a positive outcome for many with this cancer. To read more about the study and access it, click here. …read more
Read more here: King Snake

Gorgeous Geckos a plenty.
What’s your favorite gecko? …read more
Read more here: King Snake

Gorgeous Geckos a plenty.

What’s your favorite gecko?

…read more
Read more here: King Snake