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.
Tuesday, March 31 2020
This Mexican Pine Snake is SUPER sassy in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user pitparade ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/190436My_baby_Gibsoni_and_Jani_082.jpg)
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Monday, March 30 2020
![](/blog/uploads/PenKings1.jpg) A portrait of a canefield king.Time and again Jake and I had mentioned taking a drive to South Florida and trying our luck at locating 1 or 2 of the once common and now much less common Florida peninsula kingsnakes. By today’s genetic standards these are simply eastern kings. By Linnaean standards they are easily differentiated from the eastern kingsnake. Some researchers have simply considered them an intergrade between the eastern and the South Florida kingsnake. Others (and I prefer this designation) have assigned the subspecific designation of Lampropeltis getula floridana to these. With this latter designation Florida would be populated by 4 kingsnake subspecies, the Apalachicola Lowlands, the common, the South Florida (aka Brook’s), and the Florida.
It was early in January 2020 that we finally made the jaunt southward. We beat a southbound cold front by 36 hours. And in those 36 hours we searched hard for the Peninsula (or Florida) kings. Found were garter snakes, a very disfigured yellow rat, some banded and brown water snakes, and some baby American crocodiles. No kings---Florida or otherwise.
The next morning dawned a bit “brrrrrish”—close to 50F. For Floridians that’s brrrrrish. We decided to recheck a few boards just in case a wandering king decided to seek shelter from the cool. Few boards zero kings but one bobcat. We drove 15 miles to a new venue. First several boards, zero. One more board area to recheck and the we’d be heading north again.
Glad we rechecked. 1 yearling king was at home. Quite a thrill, for it was the first one either Jake or I had seen for 10+ years.
Homeward bound!
Continue reading "Florida Peninsula Kingsnakes"
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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Friday, March 27 2020
Happy Rattlesnake Friday! Yes, it isn't a Rattlesnake, but it is a venomous snake! What an awesome shot of this Lansberg's hognosed pitviper ( Porthidium lansbergii) in our photo of the day uploaded by kingsnake.com user Neverscared !
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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.
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Thursday, March 26 2020
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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Wednesday, March 25 2020
Love this cage set up for this Arizona Mt. Kingsnake in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user rbichler !! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/42669M1514-DSC07402.jpg)
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Tuesday, March 24 2020
Welcome to the world little one! That magical moment when a baby takes it's first breath is captured here with this boa in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user dpiscopo69 ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/69466baby_boa_still_in_sack.jpg)
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Monday, March 23 2020
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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Friday, March 20 2020
Upclose and personal with this gorgeous Eastern Diamondback in our herp photo of the day uploaded by kingsnake.com user seed0529 ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Thursday, March 19 2020
That's a whole lotta bull. Bullsnake that is! Loving the colors on the one here in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user orchidspider has never missed a meal! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/92118P9150004.JPG)
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Wednesday, March 18 2020
Blue Tongue Skinks are such amazing pets, they deserve the spotlight of Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user PatS !! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/7406hbts-med.jpg)
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Tuesday, March 17 2020
So small and precious, this baby Broad Banded Water Snake in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user cochran gets up close and person with the mighty herper! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/96920BB_baby__1.jpg)
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Monday, March 16 2020
Sonoma County has some beautiful Black Speckled Salamanders, just like this one in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user skyserpent ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/11409IMG_NEW_NEW-med.jpg)
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Friday, March 13 2020
It would be pretty hard to tread on this Albino Atrox in our herp photo of the day uploaded by kingsnake.com user krantz ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Thursday, March 12 2020
So very underestimated but how many of you caught a Garter like the one in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user snakekate for your first field find? Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/94201DSC01563-med.JPG)
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Wednesday, March 11 2020
A True Giant. This Komodo Dragon takes center stage in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user cowboyfromhell ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/168714100_2286-med.JPG)
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Tuesday, March 10 2020
Some might "wonder what is it?" with this Glass Lizard in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user rosycorn, but we all know what it is!
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Monday, March 9 2020
If this axolotl in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user tadpoleo doesn't make you smile, I am not sure what will! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/43012Sideshow-smilin.jpg)
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Friday, March 6 2020
Baby pics make #RattlesnakeFriday so much better! Loving this baby timber rattlesnake in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user jameswv! Be sure to tell them you liked it here! No round-ups this week, just a look at a new life.
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Thursday, March 5 2020
The West Alpine locality momma is holding tight to those new eggs in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user oursnakes ! Be sure to tell oursnakes you liked it here!
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Wednesday, March 4 2020
A neat close up view of the Philippines Flying Dragon ( Draco spilopterus) in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user johnny888 !! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/143197DSC01466-med.JPG)
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Tuesday, March 3 2020
Take on your day like this sassy Cribo in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user steve fuller ! We are so jealous! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/11236DSC00462-med.JPG)
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Monday, March 2 2020
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!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/152760ANACONDA1_2-med.jpg)
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Friday, February 28 2020
Happy Rattlesnake Friday! Massive support is needed in the conservation of the gorgeous Massasauga Rattlesnake all across the country. That is why they take the spotlight today in our herp photo of the day uploaded by kingsnake.com user ratsnakehaven ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Thursday, February 27 2020
Diamond's aren't just a girl's best friend, they are everyone's! This stunning Diamond Python our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user CincyGrady shows us why! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/17732420171209_160905.jpg)
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Wednesday, February 26 2020
There is no denying the extreme cute factor of this Xenopus laevis in our herp photo of the day uploaded by kingsnake.com user Krallenfrosch ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Tuesday, February 25 2020
Love this gorgeous Moluccan python , Morelia clastolepis, in all its shimmering beauty in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user krantz!
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Monday, February 24 2020
![](/blog/uploads/whip1.jpg) Desert striped whipsnakles may vary geographically in color intensity but are always busily striped.
Whipsnakes including coachwhips and the closely allied racers are a snake group that is all too often completely ignored by hobbyists. Although as adults many of the racers and coachwhips can be of dark and uniform color, many of the whipsnakes are colorful at hatching and remain so throughout their their lives. For example let’s take a look at the Striped Whipsnakes. The Central Texas subspecies, Masticophis taeniata girardi, ranges southward from Central Texas well into Mexico. In contrast the Desert subspecies, M. t. taeniata, ranges northwestward from western Texas and adjacent New Mexico to central Washington. Both subspecies are snakes of the thornscrub, shrubby western grasslands, rocky and scrubby deserts, and dry open forestlands.
Like all of the racers and whipsnakes, these two are oviparous and produce only a single clutch annually. Hatchlings measure about 15”; adults may attain a length of 5to 6 feet. Their slenderness and the speed with which they disappear between and behind desert shrubs often makes the adults seems smaller.
Of these 2, the Central Texas whipsnake is the darker, usually having only a single light ventrolateral stripe and light, elongate dorsolateral blotches on each side. The latter are most prominent anteriorly. Because it has numerous white stripes on each side the desert subspecies is much the lighter of the 2. Both have whitish chins, cream to yellowish bellies, and coral subcaudal scales. Hatchlings are much like the adults in color and pattern.
It seems probable that lizards are the primary prey of these whipsnakes, but they also eat insects, amphibians, birds, and small rodents.
When taken captive they are often nervous and should e provided with ample secure hiding areas. They soon quiet down but seem to always dislike being physically restrained.
Continue reading "The Striped Whipsnakes, Desert and Central Texas"
The infamous "stink eye" is glaring here with this Tegu in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user MrSickle ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/6752talyn.jpg)
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Friday, February 21 2020
We give all venomous species some love on Rattlesnake Friday, especially these baby Cobras in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user SouthernHerp !? Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/141571babies.jpg)
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