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.
Friday, August 7 2020
Happy Rattlesnake Friday! To end the week, this Jackson's Tree Snake ( Thrasops jacksonii) comes in to represent rear-fangs for our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Claus ! 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.
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/52053Thrasops016k-med.jpg)
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Thursday, August 6 2020
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!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/17923IMG_2221-med.jpg)
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Wednesday, August 5 2020
A shout out to the little guys! Loving this Vinales Anole in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user macraei ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/125387PICT0161v-med.jpg)
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Tuesday, August 4 2020
This Wood Frog in our herp photo of the day, makes me want to blow off work and head out herping. Uploaded by kingsnake.com user casichelydia . Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Monday, August 3 2020
![](/blog/uploads/flbox1.jpg) This box turtle is intermediate in color between the eastern and the Florida subspecies.
Like so many of Florida’s herps, Florida Box turtles, Terrapene carolina baurii, are no longer as frequently seen as once. Of course, when you stop to consider the very real reduction in natural habitat in the state of Florida, the immense increase in the traffic volume, and the slow, plodding gait of the turtle itself, this seeming reduction of the creature seems explicable—unfortunate but explicable. Of course the inexplicable segment in all of this is the deliberate destruction of road-crossing box (and other) turtles by the ROAD-IDIOTS that just have to prove that they know where each tire can do the most destruction to crossing wildlife.
But I digress. In the quarter century that I’ve lived in North Central Florida, I had seen what I thought to be a fair number in the earlier years and many fewer FL box turtles of late. An occasional one still wanders across our property or is seen elsewhere while I’m out scouring the roads and trails for photographable herps. And I see fewer still at the supposed point intergradation of the Florida box with the Eastern Box, basically at the St Mary’s River. And what have I found there?
The changes I’ve seen are gradual, not immediate as is often seen on range maps.South of the St. Mary’s I’ve see a couple that were obviously closer to an eastern than a Florida and a couple that have been just the opposite. Since I’ve never found any immediately north of the river I can make no statements regarding them. But staying south of the river and moving a bit further westward I’ve found 3 that are showing more signs of one subspecies than the other. Two have been judged on color and one has been on conformation, the latter meaning that when the turtle was viewed from above it was proportionately broader than a typical Florida box.
So what does all of this mean? Why nothing at all, but these facts did seem interesting at the time. Have you got any data to add? If so, send it along. I’d be interested in knowing your thoughts.
Continue reading "Borderline Florida Box Turtles"
With his nose peeking through the baby goo, this boa's first moments are here 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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Friday, July 31 2020
Happy Rattlesnake Friday! What a great field find Copperhead from Brown County, Indiana in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user ReptileProducts ! 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, not just rattlesnakes. They all need our help to change misconceptions.
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/141361Copperhead_1-med.jpg)
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Thursday, July 30 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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Wednesday, July 29 2020
We hope this Timor Python in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user carlovandunkicks your day off right! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/83115t-med.JPG)
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Tuesday, July 28 2020
Such a lovely contrast against the blue, this Angolan Python takes the spotlight in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user EdCB ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/99444SSC_0077-med.JPG)
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Monday, July 27 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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![](/blog/uploads/black2.jpg) In some of the shallows the spring-run bottom was blackened by Black Toad Tadpoles
On the way eastward we again spiraled our way upward (stopping at just under 11,000 feet!) to see the forests of the ancient Bristlecone Pines. Some of these twisted yet stately trees are more than 4,000 years old. They survive, in fact thrive only, at altitudes and temperatures unsuitable for most other trees and mammals, but are visited (at least in summer) by Clark’;s nutcrackers, a raucous raven and jay relative.
Photos taken, we then descended to a less ear-popping elevation to look up Black Toads, Bufo exsul, a protected species. The BLM access to the spring fed flat on which the narrow spring run that was home to this population of toads, was rocky and uncomfortable. But along it we saw a Northern Desert Horned Lizard, Phrynosoma platyrhinos calidiarum and some beautiful cactus blossoms.
The black toad, a species that is active both diurnally and nocturnally, is aptly named, being black dorsally with varied marblings of white and gray and a white vertebral line. Ventrally the color is white with extensive and varied black smudging. Adults are rather small, often being a mere 2 to 2 ½” in length. We did see a few of the adults as well as hundreds of metamorphs and what seemed thousands of tadpoles. Unfortunately occasional flooding carries toads and tadpoles onto the not too distant salt flat where they quickly succumb. As untenable as this may sound, this population of the Black Toad has probably existed under these conditions for centuries. It was formally described in 1942.
The breeding call, seldom heard, is a high pitched repetitive “trill” that is best described as a rapid-chuckle. After photos were made we moved onward.
Continue reading "Bristlecones, Desert Horned Lizards, and Black Toads"
Friday, July 24 2020
Happy Rattlesnake Friday! Isn't this a gorgeous Southern Pacific Rattlesnake in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Canes05 ! 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.
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/90323Southern_Pacific_Rattlesnake_KS-med.jpg)
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Thursday, July 23 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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Wednesday, July 22 2020
This female Kimberly Rock Monitor is just hanging out in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user bob! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Tuesday, July 21 2020
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, July 20 2020
Today's herp photo of the day reminds us to always flip that tin! This five-lined skink was found with her eggs under a paving stone, uploaded by kingsnake.com user CDB_reptiles!
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![](/blog/uploads/cal6.jpg) Tiny but a lifer, a pint-sized example of the Mt. Lyell Salamander
More Californ-I-A
The next day was spent first in the beauty of snow-capped mountains and later at lower elevations on some saline flats.
We had found a few of the more common toad and treefrog species and Jake wanted to add at least one salamander species to the trip total. So with the help of Mike, Jake pinpointed a tiny montane creek in the upper elevations of the Inyos. Thanx, Mike, I think . I think the term “up, up, and away” applies here, because we ascended, leveled, then ascended some more. Black-billed magpies flew overhead. The road spiraled upward, getting narrower as it gained elevation. Temperatures dropped then dropped again, Rain—cold rain—began falling. Trees were largely replaced by talus slides. Finally Jake said “OK, stop here. There’s a path somewhere.”
OK, here we were and there was actually a freshet tumbling downward. Then Jake broke the news. It was the wrong creek. The one we needed to access was much further up the mountain and around in back of the next peak over. But we had to walk from here. Well, that certainly placed the locale beyond my current ability. But Jake was “gung-ho” so to speak. And away he went. An hour later he returned wet but wearing a smile. After looking hard and hoping for an adult, he has found only a 1” long metamorph. But no matter the size, it, an Owens Valley phase of the Mt. Lyell Salamander, Hydromantes platycephalus, another lifer for him.
Deep Springs area, a roadside oasis, provided another lifer, this time for both of us. This was the Panamint Rattlesnake, Crotalus stephensi. Except for tail pattern and facial scalation this pretty and variable rattler is remarkably similar to the speckled rattler, C. pyrrhus. In fact, for decades both were subspecies of what was then the wide-ranging C. mitchelli. Jake found the single example seen by us coiled half in the shade of some chaparral. We looked hard for an example of the Panamint alligator lizard, Elgaria panamintinus, but failed to find one of these early-risers. I had seen this pretty and locally distributed lizard on an earlier trip but it would have been a lifer for Jake.
Again we headed eastward, slightly downward, then wayyyyy upwards.
Continue reading "A Salamander and Panamint Rattlers"
Friday, July 17 2020
Happy Rattlesnake Friday! Love this Harry Greene Approved field shot of a juvenile Timber in our photo of the day uploaded by kingsnake.com user jameswv ! 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. It is our goal to help dispel the fears surrounding our beloved venomous creatures.
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/103218tim_2.jpg)
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Thursday, July 16 2020
![](/blog/uploads/169260High_Orange_1_2016-10-12_17.56.40-med.jpg) Happy World Snake Day!
What is that? Well it is a day that is an easy one! It is a day to focus on conservation and education about snakes!
Snakes are one of the greatest fears in the world, but their importance to our environment as well as our health is enough reason to work to change minds. I grabbed a few fun articles for you to read and share today to help reach out and share the joy of snakes.
These articles give a breakdown on the holiday and the issues facing snakes. This post from RepublicWorld is a very basic breakdown that you can read here. Another option is this article from Newsd. It has some fun little trivia tidbits and again very basic info and can be found https://newsd.in/world-snake-day-2020-here-are-some-snake-facts-you-must-know/.
Continue reading "World Snake Day 2020"
Is this Irian Jaya Jag in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user StonedReptiles bright enough for you? Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/86897IJ_Jag.jpg)
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Wednesday, July 15 2020
As you can see here in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user mjmullis , there is no doubt where the name Rainbow Boa came from! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/21068620151210_211354-med.jpg)
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Tuesday, July 14 2020
A whole lot of AWWWWS for this newborn Collared Lizard in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user the4thmonkey! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/70483Hobbs.jpg)
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Monday, July 13 2020
![](/blog/uploads/cal1.jpg) Jake's lifer Red Diamond Rattlesnake
Californ-I-A
Once again before leaving AZ—we expended try number 6 for the white speckled rattlers and try number 4 for the Yuman sand lizards—we failed to see either. As of now I have officially given up trying. But the desert dunes did disclose several Goode’s Horned Lizards (these are one of the desert horned lizard clan) as well as an abundance of Desert Iguanas. The iguanas were so common that they seemed to outnumber the tiger whiptails.
Now westward again.
California was less than an hour away. In southern California, where we actually stayed for a couple of days, the temperatures moderated (read that “warmed”) just a bit allowing us to road hunt by both day and night.
That night on the desert flats we did a bit better, finding besides leaf-toed and banded geckos, Colorado Desert Sidewinders, Colorado Desert shovel-nosed snakes of both tricolor and bicolor phases, a Desert Glossy Snake, a beautiful Lyre Snake, and a classic desert phase California Kingsnake. Our luck finally seemed to be changing for the better.
The next day a group of avid local herpers (none were collectors) allowed us to join their party as they searched for (as Jake had hoped) red diamond rattlers and rosy boas. Both were found (along with a bonus Red Racer that had entangled itself in some lawn netting). The first (and only) red diamond rattler was found by Jake who barely avoided stepping on the quiet snake as it rested in deep grasses near a boulder. It was the only rattlesnake found but a single beautiful rosy boa was also located and photographed.
Later that day the group also provided a Southern Pacific Rattler (that we later turned loose) and a brownish phase speckled rattler that had been rescued from a swimming pool and was also later released.
Continue reading "California Desert Dunes, Desert Flats, and Rolling Hills"
Here is to hoping this Northern Pine in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user orchidspider can cure any case of the Mondays!! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/92118P8300005.JPG)
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Friday, July 10 2020
Happy Rattlesnake Friday! This is such an amazing shot of an eyelash viper ( Bothriechis schlegelii) in our photo of the day uploaded by kingsnake.com user beckherps ! 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. It is our goal to help dispel the fears surrounding our beloved venomous creatures.
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/32257B_schlegeli_0511-med.jpg)
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Thursday, July 9 2020
Most commonly known as the harlequin toad, this Atelopus barbotinitakes center stage in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user jamesmatthews! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Wednesday, July 8 2020
What amazing colors Uros come in, like this ornate in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user plietz! Be sure to tell them you liked it here.
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Tuesday, July 7 2020
Newborns are always something that cures a bad day. 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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Monday, July 6 2020
Love the detail in this headshot of a Uroplatus fimbriatus in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user zmarchetti ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/160848gecko-med.jpg)
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