From the Chron/National, a new species is starting to bring the attention of Florida Fish and Wildlife:

As if the latest reports of Burmese pythons, monitor lizards and Cuban tree frogs crawling around Florida are not enough to creep you out, there's a scary new invader in town.

It's an exotic lizard called a tegu, a 4-foot-long reptile from Argentina with sharp claws and a voracious appetite for meat that could possibly tip the ecological applecart. One was spotted last week in Ocala National Forest, a place teeming with campers, swimmers and hikers.

Forest officials said the black-and-white critter was likely dropped off in the forest by an overwhelmed pet owner.

“We're taking this very seriously,” said Carrie Sekerak, a forest-wildlife biologist. “A tegu is known to go inside gopher-tortoise burrows and dig out mice and tortoise eggs. ... It can tip the balance suddenly.”

An op ed piece in the North Florida Herald points things in our favor to some extent:

And now that the hunt has been completed, the grand total of pythons bagged during the entire six-week season is…zero.

The FWC is spinning this as good news, which I suppose it is if you happen to be a Burmese python living in the wild.

There is currently a public comment opening to a proposed change in the Lacey Act for Injurious Wildlife Evaluation; Amphibian Trade and Chytrid Fungus. Not just the big 9 anymore, I will share the abstract.

We are reviewing a petition to add all traded live amphibians or their eggs to our list of injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act unless certified as free of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (chytrid fungus). The importation and introduction of live amphibians infected with chytrid fungus into U.S. natural ecosystems may pose a threat to the interests of U.S. agriculture, fisheries, and commerce, as well as to the welfare and survival of wildlife and wildlife resources. For live amphibians or their eggs infected with chytrid fungus, an injurious wildlife listing would prohibit the importation into, or transportation between, States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any U.S. territory or possession by any means, without a permit. Permits may be issued for scientific, medical, educational, or zoological purposes.

Lastly I would like to remind everyone we received an extension on the submission of comments in the Lacey Act Change Notice of Inquiry. To make your public comment visit . We as a reptile community MUST do this.

I learned the troops in Afghanistan have found new ways to entertain themselves and let's hope learn a thing or two along the way about their deployments inhabitants. From the AP

Staff Sgt. Aaron Christensen, a self-described reptile nut who grew up exploring the woods and coastlines of Oregon, leads the charge at night. Unlike most soldiers on their first deployment, he was just as fired up about the wildlife in the Afghan countryside as he was about potentially battling Taliban insurgents.

"I knew we had our job to do, but I was thinking in the back of my mind that I hope to see some of the cool things I have only seen in pictures or at exotic reptile shows," said Christensen, who has owned cobras, rattlesnakes, lizards and a small alligator as pets. He even has two of his pet snakes tattooed on his left biceps.

The 30-year-old native of Portland, Oregon, has not been disappointed with what he and his fellow soldiers have found around the 200-foot (60- meter) rock and mud hill where their base is located. It is teeming with a wealth of snakes, scorpions, spiders and other wildlife.

"I found a black widow spider, and the body alone was the size of my fingernail," said Sgt. James Wilkes, the platoon's 23-year-old radio operator. "It was ridiculous."

Christensen's most exciting discoveries have been the world's most dangerous scorpion, the death stalker, and one of Asia's deadliest snakes, the saw scaled viper.

Not completely wild, but this encounter in a Florida Wal-Mart resulted in a lawsuit. I couldn't find the ID of the snake, but in Florida, who knows what it could be with the natives there!

While shopping in the store, [the plaintiff] felt a sharp sting in her forearm. When she pulled her arm back from the plants, a large, black snake was attached to her arm. The snake had bitten deeply into her arm and attached itself to her with its fangs. The snake was long enough that it hung down below her knee.

From Delmarvanow.com, a story of a different kind of census.

The presence of other species of reptiles and amphibians, collectively referred to as herpetofauna, or "herps," can sometimes be difficult to confirm. However, documenting the diversity of herps can serve as testament to the quality of the habitat.
With their thin, highly permeable, mucous-covered skin, amphibians, which spend part of their lives in water and part on land, are sensitive to the slightest changes in the aquatic and terrestrial habitats in which they live.
They are considered biological indicators of the health of the environment. The increasing challenges that amphibians and reptiles face often result from human-induced causes such as environmental pollution, habitat loss, introduced species, and over-harvesting or collecting. Worldwide declines in amphibian and reptile populations have been occurring at an accelerated rate over the past 20 years, raising concerns for their continued success and survival.