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, December 11 2019
This gorgeous Ctenosaura quinquecarinata is just hanging around in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user rockabirdie ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Tuesday, December 10 2019
What an awesome frilled dragon in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user frilly ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Monday, December 9 2019
So precious! We love hatchling photos, like this awakening Gecko in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user SA! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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![](/blog/uploads/cubantreefrog2.jpg) Often brown, the Cuban treefrog may change colors in only a few minutes.
Let’s talk Cuban Treefrogs, Osteopilus septentrionalis. These interesting frogs are not only now a very real part of Florida’s unnatural history, but have been for close to 80 years now. And no matter your outlook on their presence, you might as well face the fact that unless Mother Nature herself takes a hand, this frog is here to stay.
The Cuban treefrog is a member of the bony-headed treefrog group. It was introduced to the Florida Keys, probably inadvertently in commerce, in the 1920s. It thrived in its new home but its presence was basically ignored. By the early 1950s the frog populations had outgrown their insular home and had become well established on the southern peninsula. This fact was commented on by herpetologist-researcher, Al Schwartz. By 1958, when I moved to FL comments were being made about the voracious appetite of the Cuban treefrog and laments were heard that it would out compete (it can do so) and eat all of our native hylid frogs (at a 5.5” body length adult females would certainly be capable of eating most native species) and the demise of our natives within the growing range of the Cuban was imminent—totally and completely. But here we are, nearly three quarters of a century later, and this disappearance still hasn’t happened. Populations of native hylids may be somewhat reduced here and there, and we may have some fat Cuban treefrogs, but I can still go to the Everglades or Lake Okeechobee or almost anywhere else and still hear vibrant choruses of green treefrogs, squirrel treefrogs, and when within their ranges and habitats, of pine woods and barking treefrogs. Compare the statistics with habitat reduction or loss caused by humans and the “damage” caused by Cuban treefrogs is negligible. In fact, it is in disturbed areas that Cuban treefrogs seem most abundant.
Researchers at the Univ. of Florida have this to say about Cuban Treefrogs:
Cuban Treefrogs eat at least five different species of native frogs, not to mention the occasional lizard or small snake, and their tadpoles compete with native tadpoles for space and food. Cuban Treefrogs are common in urban areas, where they hang out near lights on the walls of houses and catch insects. They often poop on walls and windows (leaving ugly stains), take over birdhouses, and lay eggs in fish ponds and bird baths. Sometimes Cuban Treefrogs even find their way into homes, hanging out in toilets and clogging sink drains. Cuban treefrogs grow very large, and are known to cause costly power outages by short-circuiting utility switches. Our native treefrogs are all much smaller, and aren't known to cause such utility problems.
In other words, the Cuban treefrog is doing exactly what every other treefrog, every other anuran for that matter, does to exist. Asking the same question posed by Rob Macinnis, how long is a species required to live here to be granted the same consideration as a native taxon?
Please understand that I am not even suggesting how you should treat this species if you live in their ever-expanding range. We have them in our yard where they coexist with several other frog taxa. Here they are welcome.
Continue reading "The Cuban Treefrog "
Friday, December 6 2019
Happy Rattlesnake Friday! We are seeing red with this gorgeous shot of a Pygmy Rattlesnake our herp photo of the day uploaded by kingsnake.com user Tamers1 ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Thursday, December 5 2019
Does a kingsnake really need an intro for our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user trevid ? Nope, but hey nice grayband. Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Wednesday, December 4 2019
Snakes and Cats living together, it will be anarchy! Wait what? Nah it is just a nice shot of a Cat Snake ( Boiga cyanea) in our Herp Photo of the Day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user ptahtoo! Be sure to tell ptahtoo you liked it here!
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Tuesday, December 3 2019
Poised and watching, what a stunning Mangrove in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user ptahtoo! Be sure to tell them you liked it here.
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Monday, December 2 2019
Grumpy Toad is judging you in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user galen will blind ya! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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![](/blog/uploads/chorus4.jpg) Here is a vocalizing male Barking Treefrog, Hyla gratiosa. By a small margin, this is our largest native eastern treefrog.
The calls echoed one another from both shoulders of the country roadway upon which Patti and I stood in the darkness. We were well away from the glare of city lights, and in the darkness of a new moon the heavens were fairly atwinkle with myriad stars.
From above us came the nasal "peeeents" of a nighthawk. We could picture it cleaving the darkened skies on white-barred wings as it sought its repast of flying insects. An occasional "whrroooomm" (wind through wing feathers) would divulge to us the fact that as well as feeding the nighthawks were indulging in courtship dives.
Even louder and more pervasive than the sounds of the nocturnal birds were those of the amphibians. A chorus of coarse, porcine, grunts from out the marshes were the calls of pig frogs, Rana grylio. Named for its porcine like notes, the pig frog is nearly as large familiar bullfrog, R. catesbeiana.
Vocalizing with the pig frogs, were fair numbers of a species at the opposite extreme of the size spectrum. This was the pretty and very variable little hylid frog that is known commonly as the Florida cricket frog. Scientifically it answers to the name of Acris gryllus dorsalis. This elfin frog must certainly have derived its name from its size for I perceive no similarity between its pebble-like clicking call and the notes of even a very out-of-tune cricket of any species.
During our evening's perambulations, we were serenaded by lesser numbers of numerous other species as well. Accompanied by the dot-dash calls of pine woods treefrogs, Hyla femoralis, inquisitive barred owls asked "who-cooks-for-you, who-cooks-for-you-all?" Green treefrogs, Hyla cinerea, "quonked," and a single barking treefrog, H. gratiosa, voiced its hollow notes. Wherever there was even a trace of moisture, little grass frogs, Pseudacris ocularis, our smallest anuran species, tinkled animatedly. These tiny hylids, adult females of which top out at a whopping 11/16ths of an inch, are the smallest species of anuran in the United States, and among the smallest in the world.
If closely analyzed Mother Nature’s evening choruses will introduce you to what is for many an unsuspected facet of the surrounding world. And it’s FREE! Partake.
Continue reading "A Florida Evening Chorus"
Friday, November 29 2019
Happy Rattlesnake Friday! We just love this close up of a Massasauga in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user venombill ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Wednesday, November 27 2019
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!
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Tuesday, November 26 2019
Red and black? Black and yellow? Mimics in nature are clear with this pair of South American hognose from the same clutch in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Longhitano!
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Monday, November 25 2019
![](/blog/uploads/gfrog1.jpg) Meet the Florida Gopher Frog, Rana capito aesopus.
Let's say that you're one of the lucky Floridians--one who still has a field or pasture near your home and a gopher tortoise has somehow missed be plowed under by big business. The open areas have been dry, baking in the torrid Florida sunshine. A/Cs running full blast. Then came the rains. Those fields that seemed so flat became shallow expanses of warm water--but the temps had dropped, as if by magic, from 93F to 68F. Then outside of your window, heard over the noise of the computer game or the drivel of TV-land there came a loud snore. Oh-oh. You rushed and turned down the volume on whatever it was that was making the noise and wondered who could be sleeping outside in the downpour. Another snorrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Then another but this one was more distant., then another, and another. Darkness edged its way over the landscape. The snores became a dull roar. Congratulations! You are one of the lucky few who not only has gopher tortoise neighbors, but you have a colony of gopher tortoise commensals-- Florida gopher frogs, Rana capito aesopus. How much better could life be?(LOL)
Continue reading "Gopher Frogs"
Loving this Blue tongue skink just chilling in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user PatS . Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Friday, November 22 2019
In our celebration of all things venomous on Friday, this little rough-scaled bush viper ( Atheris hispida) in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user eekster26 is looking forward to the weekend! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Thursday, November 21 2019
What more can we say but AMAZING! This is such a beautiful shot of a Desert Horned Lizard in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Brockn ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Wednesday, November 20 2019
How cool is this field shot of an Alameda whipsnake grabbing a meal in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user trevid ?! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Tuesday, November 19 2019
SO bright and brilliant, this Yellow Anaconda shines in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user mattf77 ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Monday, November 18 2019
This Boa is doing what they do best in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user minicopilot ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Friday, November 15 2019
Happy Rattlesnake Friday! Here's lookin' at you kid! Check out this gorgeous albino Southern Pacific Rattlesnake in our herp photo of the day uploaded by kingsnake.com user lichanura . Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Thursday, November 14 2019
What a handsome Caiman Lizard in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user stingray ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Wednesday, November 13 2019
What a great looking pair of Australian water dragons in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user cochran! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Tuesday, November 12 2019
Revisiting a classic with this Pied Ball Python in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user js! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Monday, November 11 2019
Leopard frog yin and yang! The Leucistic tadpole really stands out in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user retnaburner!
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Friday, November 8 2019
Happy Rattlesnake Friday! This big momma Timber rattlesnake shot in the field in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user throatoyster is a thing of beauty! Be sure to tell them you liked it here! As always on Friday, we celebrate all of our venomous reptiles for their contribution to the world.
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Thursday, November 7 2019
This is a gorgeous corn snake in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user dallashawks ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here! No offense USPS!
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Wednesday, November 6 2019
This frillie looks a little angry our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user nydon ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Tuesday, November 5 2019
This little White's Tree Frog has his eye on you in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user exoreds ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Monday, November 4 2019
![](/blog/uploads/hog2.jpg) The rostral scale of the Mexican Hog-nose is strongly upturned. It feeds on both anurans and warm-blooded prey.For their length they are heavy bodied, short-tailed snakes that occur, in their various species when adult (20 to 30 inches), in myriad colors. Of these it is the eastern hog-nosed snake, Heterodon platirhinos, that is the most variable. Hatchlings tend to be more uniformly colored. Collectively, hog-noses range from central New England to central Montana and Southeastern Alberta, then southward to southeastern Arizona, much of sorthern Mexico, southern Texas and the southern tip of the Florida peninsula.
These snakes are our great bluffers of snakedom. If frightened they may coil, they may hiss loudly, they may flatten the head and neck into a modified cobra-like hood, they may strike (usually with their mouth closed) or, if hard-pressed they may begin writhing spastically, contorting the body, open their mouth, then roll over and feign death. But as far as the hog-nosed snake is concerned the only position for a dead snake is lying upside down. If you turn the feigner right side up it will immediately roll upside down again. Southern and Eastern hog-nosed snakes are toad eaters.
Hog-nosed snake species and subspecies:
- Eastern, Heterodon platyrhinos
- Southern, Heterodon simus
- Plains, Heterodon nasicus nasicus
- Dusty, Heterodon nasicus gloydi
- Mexican,Heterodon nasicus kennerlyi, or if you prefer Heterodon kennerlyi
Hatchlings emerge from the eggs at about the same time metamorphing toadlets leave their pond sites.
Newly metamorphosed toads contain very low levels of the toxins that protect them as adults. So the hatchling hog-noses can safely eat them. As the toad grows and toxins strengthen, the resistance of the growing hog-nosed snake to the amphibian’s toxins also increases—seemingly a perfectly mutualistic program of symbiosis. It should be noted that the various western hog-noses accept a more varied diet than the eastern and southern hog-noses, toad specialists, both.
Hog-nosed snakes are generally considered nonvenomous. They are, however, dipsadine species, rear-fanged snakes, that in reality, produce a mildly toxic saliva. This usually matters not, for it is almost impossible to taunt a hog-noise into biting anything other than their chosen prey. Occasional bites however, whether deliberate or accidental, have resulted in pain, local edema, and some discoloration.
The uptilted rostral (nosetip) scale from which the common name is derived assists the snakes in unearthing burrowed prey items.
Continue reading "Hog-nosed Snakes, Natures Bluffers"
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