Reptile & Amphibian News Blog
Keep up with news and features of interest to the reptile and amphibian community on the kingsnake.com blog. We cover breaking stories from the mainstream and scientific media, user-submitted photos and videos, and feature articles and photos by Jeff Barringer, Richard Bartlett, and other herpetologists and herpetoculturists.
Wednesday, January 17 2018
![](/blog/uploads/efox1.jpg) Eastern fox Snake waiting for a warbler meal on a cool morning.
From a distance we could see that 9 feet above the ground in a sapling there was a brown ball. Why? What was it? We were on a noted wildlife sanctuary. We neared the “ball” and…Uh oh! Trouble! Not for us but for the warblers that seemed to be using this sapling-top corridor. For just one branch over on this cool morning, coiled tightly around the waving upright trunk, was a beautiful eastern fox snake, Pantherophis vulpinus,(formerly Elaphe vulpina gloydi). We photographed the coiled snake and moved onward, leaving the migrating warblers to fend for themselves. This snake proved to be the first of many, the others being seen along the many dikes. The range of this this pretty northern rat snake closely follows the shorelines of western and northern Lake Erie, eastern Lake Huron, and the region between these two Great Lakes.
Continue reading "Eastern fox Snakes"
Happy Wednesday from this gorgeous pair of Blue Tree Monitors in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user roadspawn ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Tuesday, January 16 2018
It is hard to not see beauty when you look at the Asian Vine Snake ( Ahaetulla prasina) our Herp Photo of the Day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user 13lackcat! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Monday, January 15 2018
![](/blog/uploads/mapturtle1.jpg) The aberrant carapacial scalation of this wild hatchling common map turtle was probably caused by overly warm incubation temperatures.
Common map turtles, Graptemys geographica. First we saw one. A few moments later it was joined by 2 others, and 5 minutes later there were at least a dozen of these pretty turtles on the large snag we were watching from the car. Knowing how “skittery” this (and other map turtle species) can be, we sat quietly in the car. But there came a moment when we had to position the cameras and as we extended the telephoto lenses from the window of the car, as one the turtles scrambled, dove, and disappeared. Well, we’d try again later, next time from a greater distance.
And so we did. Two times more, in fact, before succeeding. But seeing the many turtles alive, well, and very alert was worth our efforts.
At 10. ½ inches, big-headed adult females of G. geographica, are about twice the size of the 5 inch males. In the western Ohio canal we were now checking, the females seemed to greatly outnumber the males. Here, as in other silted waters, the carapacial pattern tends to be muted by accumulations of water-borne debris. Population and parasite research of the map turtles on the preserve continues.
Continue reading "Common Map Turtles"
Often called the rubber eel, this Rio Cauca caecilian ( Typhlonectes natans) looks quite content in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user chrish!
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Friday, January 12 2018
This Cobra in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user MaxPeterson just learned we celebrate venomous animals every Friday! Boy is he happy for the respect! As always on Friday, we celebrate all of our venomous reptiles for their contribution to the world. It is our goal to help dispel the fears surrounding our beloved venomous creatures. Be sure to tell him you like it here.
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Thursday, January 11 2018
This boa is chilling out for photo in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user pythonas! Be sure to tell them you liked it here
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Wednesday, January 10 2018
Stunning is the only word to describe this Oregon red spotted garter snake in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Concinnitor! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Tuesday, January 9 2018
ADORABLE! There is no other way to describe the squee of cuteness that this hatchling Peach Throat Monitor has in our herp photo of the day uploaded by kingsnake.com user MikesMonitors ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Monday, January 8 2018
Hang in there, just like the Tree Frog in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user gerrygi! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/144128DSCN2150a-med.jpg)
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Friday, January 5 2018
Happy Rattlesnake Friday! Yeah we know, this Copperhead in our Herp Photo of the Day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user HerpLvr, isn't a rattlesnake! Remember, we salute all our venomous lovelies on Fridays to help raise awareness of their need for greater conservation efforts for their benefit to the entire human race! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Thursday, January 4 2018
The often-underestimated beauty of a Macklot's python shines through in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Bob Garby! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Wednesday, January 3 2018
From his toothy grin, even this Nile Crocodile knows today is a good day in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user CDieter ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Tuesday, January 2 2018
A wonderful field find in Mexico of this Lyre Snake brightens the start of 2018 in our herp photo of the day uploaded by kingsnake.com user Chuck_Ch ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Friday, December 29 2017
Happy final Ratttlesnake Friday of 2017! THis Crotalus tigris, found and photographed in AZ, is keeping her eye on you 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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Thursday, December 28 2017
This Eastern Red Spotted Newt is a bundle of cuteness in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user DeanAlessandrini ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Wednesday, December 27 2017
The cutest of our angry creatures, this great field shot of a Snapping Turtle takes the spotlight our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user anuraanman ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/24327cserpentina017-med.JPG)
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Tuesday, December 26 2017
The best asset of any Rainbow Boa is their iridescent sheen, which is captured wonderfully in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user curaniel ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Friday, December 22 2017
Kismet thinks Iguanas are better to lead Santa's Sliegh in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Really! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/61334Christmas_Kismet_2-med.jpg)
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Thursday, December 21 2017
What a festive Tokay in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user bloodpython_MA ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/62477hi-med.jpg)
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Wednesday, December 20 2017
This Chuckwalla is ready to start us on out path to christmas in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user rosebuds ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/142587Santa_chuck_in_sleigh-med.JPG)
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Tuesday, December 19 2017
Chondro Claus is getting in a quick nap before his big weekend in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user toshamc ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/75325IMG_8675-med.JPG)
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Monday, December 18 2017
When you have a serious case of the Mondays, a hatching iguana will help. This little Ctenosaura palearis in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user ilovemonitorliza is just the cure for the blues! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/116168P175004_13-04-10a-med.JPG)
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Friday, December 15 2017
Happy Ratttlesnake Friday! This Crotalus tigris, found and photographed in AZ, is keeping her eye on you 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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Thursday, December 14 2017
The Northern Leopard frog ( Lithobates pipiens) is an fairly widespread US Native species that get a spotlight in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Terry_Cox!
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Wednesday, December 13 2017
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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Tuesday, December 12 2017
May this adorable pair of Lygodactylus williamsi in our herp photo of the day brighten your midweek, uploaded by kingsnake.com user jamesmatthews ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Monday, December 11 2017
First breaths for this Chondro bring on the awws in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user MikeRusso ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/101091101091gtp_copy-med.JPG)
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Friday, December 8 2017
Wild in nature. One of the best places to see this Great Basin Rattlesnake found in Utah, but shared with us in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user crocman6594 ! On Rattlesnake Friday, we celebrate ALL things venomous! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/147768DSCN9906-med.jpg)
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Thursday, December 7 2017
Gotta love the smile from this Monkey Tail Skink in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user sreps ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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