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.
Monday, October 4 2021
![](/blog/uploads/russianrat1.jpg) This is a hatchling Russian Rat Snake
In bygone days the Russian Rat Snake Elaphe schrencki was the nominate subspecies, with the Korean Rat Snake, Elaphe schrencki anomala, being the second subspecies. Each were elevated to full species status several years ago.
Talking about this pretty constrictor should make all of the diehard wannbe users of the genus Elaphe, happy, because it, as well as several other Eurasian species, remain in that genus. Although commonly known as the Russian Rat Snake by USA enthusiasts, it is also commonly referred to as the Manchurian Rat Snake. The range of this white banded black snake includes Russia, Mongolia and Northern China (Manchuria).. Like other rat snakes, including those of the USA, the Russian Rat Snake’s preferred habitats include open forest, scrublands and farmlands. It is an agile climber and swimmer that does not hesitate to use lakes and streams as escape routes if harried.
As mentioned above, the ground color of this snake is black. This is interrupted by numerous widely separated narrow white (often dirty white) to yellow bands. The head is black but the labials are white to yellow(ish) with black interscale sutures. The venter is cream to pale yellow with numerous black spots. Adult size ranges from 4 ½ to 6 feet in total length.
Prey includes rodents and other small mammals, birds and their eggs.
Clutch size varies between 4 and 25+ eggs. Incubation duration is less that with other rat snake species, varying from 38 to 50 days. Ground color of the 10” long hatchlings is brown with black-edged lighter bars.
Continue reading "That Other Black Rat Snake, the Russian Rat Snake"
Friday, October 1 2021
Celebrating the start of Croctober with this head shot of a Nile Crocodile in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user CDieter! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/5381Ajaxfaceclose.jpg)
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Thursday, September 30 2021
Loving this Dumeril's basking in the sun for a photoshoot in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user liljenni ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Wednesday, September 29 2021
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, September 28 2021
Here is to hoping this hatchling albino Siamese Crocodile our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user crocodilepaul helps you survive this Monday!! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/156555AlbinoSiameseCrocodileinhandfrom_Uthen.jpg)
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Monday, September 27 2021
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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![](/blog/uploads/russellsviper1.jpg) Often associated with India, the snake also ranges into Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and other nearby countries. Despite the terrible toxicity and efficiency of the venom, when the Russell’s Viper Daboia russelii is available to hobbyists and zoos it is usually quickly purchased. Admittedly, this rough-scaled, grayish to brownish snake is a beautiful species.
To the pleasing ground color add 3 rows of lengthwise black and white edged oval, russet, markings. Dorsally these are occasionally elongated into a broad stripe. The top of the head has a dark edged half oval above each venom gland and the crown is outlined by light scales forming a V with the apex on the nose. Overall, what you now have, is 3 to 5 feet of beauty along a moderately heavy body.
This snake is ovoviviparous, birthing from 5 to 40 neonates. The largest substantiated litter contained 75 neonates. The babies are about 9 ½ inches long at birth.
Russell’s Viper is preferentially crepuscular to nocturnal.
The habitat of Russell’s Viper may vary from relatively dry, overgrown suburban areas to scrublands and open woodlands. These snakes are often seen wherever there are the rodents, their preferred prey. Ricefields form an ideal habitat and, sadly, workers are often bitten.
What seem to be bright colors when captive blend remarkably well with this snake's natural habitat.
Continue reading "Deadly Beauty, the Tic-Palonga or Russell’s Viper"
Friday, September 24 2021
A great shot of a live (as they should be) Pygmy Rattlesnake on concrete in the field in our herp photo of the day uploaded by kingsnake.com user JARHEAD1969 ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Thursday, September 23 2021
This Box turtle is loving life in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Jen350 ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/96590redeye1-med.jpg)
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Wednesday, September 22 2021
Alert and always keeping his eye on you, this Basiliscus plumifrons shines in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user kus! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Tuesday, September 21 2021
The camouflage in this Fleischmann's glass frog in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user rockrox83 is amazing! Awesome field shot! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/29412GlassFrog3.JPG)
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Monday, September 20 2021
![](/blog/uploads/barkingtreefrog1.jpg) A male Barker, content and vocalizing.
We have in the southeastern USA a treefrog, Hyla gratiosa, that is not only large, but is capable of chameleon-like color changes, and that when vocalizing from a flooded ditch or woodland pond has a call that is unmistakeable. Then it is an oft repeated, loud, hollow-sounding, “woooook.” However, while waiting in the warm weather for breeding sites such as ditches and vernal ponds, to be filled by spring and summer rains, this treefrog may ascend high in woodland trees and produce a very different sound, one that is more like a “whirrrrr” than a “woooook.”
As mentioned, Barkers (they’re called this by many) are capable of rather rapid color changes. When “content” such as when inflated and floating on the water surface, often while holding on to an emergent or floating plant stem or sitting on a grassy shallow, they are of some shade of green and have very visible rounded solid or open-centered dorsal spots or ocelli. These may be darker or lighter than the frog’s dorsal ground color. If stressed or for other reasons known only to the frog, the green may quickly become gray or brown, again with or without very visible dorsal spots or ocelli. There is often a white labial and lateral stripe and the belly is usually dark with irregular light spots.
When adult Barkers are of heavier build than most other treefrogs and are also larger, usually being 2 to 2 ½ inches svl (snout-vent length). The skin appears granular.
Most common on the southeastern coastal plain and lowlands from extreme eastern Louisiana to central-eastern North Carolina, there are disjunct populations in more northerly states.
Continue reading "A Most Wonderful Treefrog, The Barking Treefrog"
What do you mean it is a lizard, it ain't got no legs! Check out this field shot of a Glass lizard in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user rosycorn found in Florida! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/109140Glass_lizard_cutout_1-med.JPG)
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Friday, September 17 2021
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, September 16 2021
Although often called incorrectly a rubber eel, this Rio Cauca Caecilian ( Typhlonectes natans) in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user chrish is all amphibian! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/5263Typhlonectes-med.jpg)
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Wednesday, September 15 2021
This sassy lil watersnake had to stop and eat a toad in the yard before the photographer captured it for our herp photo of the day uploaded by kingsnake.com user dinahmoe ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Tuesday, September 14 2021
Through all the years, corn snakes remain our favorite for a great beginner snake! After seeing this one in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user cochran, it is pretty obvious why! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/96920tmpphpnXGrIk.jpg)
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Monday, September 13 2021
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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Friday, September 10 2021
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, September 9 2021
Back to our roots with this alterna found in Sanderson in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user StuTennyson! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/92642north_sandy_female-med.jpg)
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Wednesday, September 8 2021
Welome this little Chondro in our Herp Photo of the day to the world, uploaded by kingsnake.com user MikeRusso! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/101091101091gtp_copy.JPG)
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Tuesday, September 7 2021
What a stunning boa in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Sharkman20 ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Monday, September 6 2021
Good things come in small packages, like the Rough Earth Snake in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user gdy! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/109176IMG_0274small.jpg)
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Friday, September 3 2021
A great shot of a live (as they should be) Pygmy Rattlesnake on concrete in the field in our herp photo of the day uploaded by kingsnake.com user JARHEAD1969 ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Thursday, September 2 2021
What a stunning headshot of a Diamond Python in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user CincyGrady ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/17732420181225_121141-med.jpg)
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Wednesday, September 1 2021
It is a whole lotta squee for this pair of hatching Hognose in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user caracal ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/41851DSC07095-med.JPG)
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Tuesday, August 31 2021
What an awesome shot of this pair of Common Toads 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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Monday, August 30 2021
This lacerta is loving to lounge in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user krloucks . Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
![](http://gallery.kingsnake.com/data/200414079485_10210331528941934_284478863712469436_n.jpg)
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![](/blog/uploads/FLGarter1.jpg) This is a young adult of the brown-checkered phase of the Eastern Garter Snake.
It was perhaps a year, or possibly 2 years, ago that Jake and I began to notice that in North Central Florida we were no longer seeing garter snakes. This was strange because in one form or another, one color or another, one subspecies or another, garter snakes were one snake that we had always counted on seeing.
We looked most for the Eastern Garter Snake, T. s. sirtalis, and often on a normal drive we’d see a couple. Today (midJune 2021) we feel lucky if we see one at all.
Dr. Sam Sweet, who is conducting rat snake studies along FL’s “Nature Coast”, has told me that the Blue Striped Garter Snake, T. sirtalis similis, remains relatively common in his study area.
On the other hand Jake and I (or I alone) have seen only a single Eastern Garter Snake in the last year. The actuality of this paucity was brought home to me when earlier this year I started a serious search for a specific color phase in ncFL. This is a brown, checkered, phase. I had photographed this color phase about 5 years ago when we saw one on almost every trip but wished now to take new photos. But now, after couple of thousand miles of driving and poking about, I have seen only one and it was a DOR example. Is the reduction in sightings real or contrived?
Seems the only solution is to keep looking, racking up the mileage, and hoping to see a garter snake population resurgence. In the meantime here are a few old pix.
Continue reading "Mention of Florida’s Garter Snakes"
Friday, August 27 2021
Happy Rattlesnake Friday! All venomous snakes need our support! This Cottonmouth is screaming it from the field in our herp photo of the day uploaded by kingsnake.com user BowieKnife357 ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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