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, May 15 2013
kingsnake.com is happy to welcome a new featured contributor, longtime herper and author Patricia Bartlett, who will be writing about herp keeping, care, and breeding on a regular basis.
Patti Bartlett spent her formative years chasing lizards and butterflies in New Mexico. Although she has more than dabbled in museum management, Asian studies, and publishing, at the end of every day she goes home to a resident population of snakes, frogs, turtles and mammals. She is the author or co-author of some 65 books-- most about reptiles.
For a list of her current titles, please visit her page in our bookstore
This image of a Skink, uploaded by kingsnake.com user ilovemonitorliza, is our herp photo of the day!
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Tuesday, May 14 2013
Dentists soon may be feeling a pinch in their profits, courtesy of lessons learned from alligator jaws.
From the UK's Daily Mail:
To uncover the chemical mechanisms of tooth renewal Professor Cheng-Ming Chuong and colleagues studied repetitive tooth formation in American alligators.
Most vertebrates can renew teeth throughout their lives whereas humans’ are naturally replaced only once.
Alligators have an average of 80 teeth in their mouth at any one time - and 50 sets of replacements to last their lifetime.
Alligators have well-organised teeth with traits similar to those of mammals - such as secondary palates and implantation in sockets of the dental bones - and are capable of lifelong tooth renewal.
Through a combination of molecular aqnalysis and scanning techniques the researchers showed each alligator tooth is a complex unit of three components in different developmental stages.
These are structured to facilitate replacement once they are dislodged, says the study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Early on the alligator dental lamina forms a bulge at its tip that houses stem cells. Molecular analysis revealed that the initiation of the tooth cycle corresponds with the dynamic expression of an array of signaling chemicals.
The researchers believe the findings could help adults who have lost teeth or have ones that appear in addition to the regular number - a common condition called supernumerary teeth.
Read more here.
This image of an Eastern Red Spotted Newt, uploaded by kingsnake.com user DeanAlessandrini, is our herp photo of the day!
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Monday, May 13 2013
Is the increasing development of renewable energy sources harming reptiles and amphibians. That's the subject of reseach for Jade Keehn, an award-winning biology post-grad student at the University of Nevada, Reno.
From the Nevada Sagebrush:
Keehn is focusing on research she was recently awarded the Regent’s Scholar Award for, which involves studying the effects of renewable energy on reptile populations and the ecosystem in general. Because she believes the transition to renewable energy is inevitable, Keehn began focusing on how renewable energy facilities affect surrounding ecosystems because the facilities take up mass quantities of habitat.
Though she hasn’t started her fieldwork yet, Keehn plans to soon so she can begin to understand how these huge facilities affect bird populations, plants, insects, reptiles and all other organisms involved.
“Because of the scale of impact from these situations, you aren’t going to lose species entirely, but it will impact our environment and affect the way things interact,” Keehn said.
Read more here.
Photo: Jade Keehn
Check out this video "Northern Caiman Lizard," submitted by kingsnake.com user quolibet.
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This image of a Firebelly Toad, uploaded by kingsnake.com user radar357, is our herp photo of the day!
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Friday, May 10 2013
An Alaskan firefighter was fighting forest fires in Idaho last summer, and he, like some of his other firefighter buddies, caught a few snakes. He brought one, or possibly five, garter snakes home with him, in a "snakes on a plane" incident with varying contradictory narratives.
The upshot? While garter snakes are numerous in Idaho, and it's legal to kill them, it's definitely not legal to catch and transport them across state lines without a permit. In fact, it's a Lacey Act violation that carries a potential $100,000 fine and one year in prison.
From the Alaska Dispatch:
Mayo, according to court documents, eventually confessed he'd brought the two-foot-long snake home with him, but said the other snakes on the plane belonged to others on the fire crew. Furthermore, he denied the claim that he had been told to release the snakes. And he revealed, according to the documents, "his snake had a baby in Fairbanks, but the young snake died.
"BLM agents took possession of the (mother) snake," leaving Mayo snakeless.
Then began the American-taxpayer-funded prosecution and defense of the out-of-work firefighter. Public defender Haden on Wednesday admitted she's been involved with few cases of less significance.
"I did have a client once who was charged with goose molestation on the (military) base," she said. "You can't pet a goose."
She also noted that "every case is significant to the person charged." There is no argument there. There is no telling what might have happened to Mayo without legal representation. He might have been headed for federal prison.
Lucky for him, Haden negotiated a plea deal with federal prosecutors, and Mayo is to be sentenced in Fairbanks on Friday.
Read the rest of the waste of money story here.
This image of a Water Dragon, uploaded by kingsnake.com user jeffb, is our herp photo of the day!
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Thursday, May 9 2013
Scientists at George Washington University have mapped out the first large-scale evolutionary family tree for every snake and lizard known to exist.
From Phys.org:
The findings were recently published in the journal BMC Evolutionary Biology. Alex Pyron, the Robert F. Griggs Assistant Professor of Biology in GW's Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, along with researchers from the City University of New York and Arizona State University, detail the cataloguing of 4,161 species of snakes and lizards, or squamates.
"Squamates include all lizards and snakes found throughout the globe, including around 9,500 species on every continent except Antarctica, and found in most oceans," said Dr. Pyron. "This is everything from cobras to garter snakes to tiny geckos to the Komodo Dragon to the Gila Monster. They range from tiny threadsnakes that can curl up on a dime to 10 feet monitor lizards and 30 foot pythons. They eat everything from ants to wildebeest."
The evolutionary family tree, or phylogeny, includes all families and subfamilies and most genus and species groups, said Dr. Pyron. While there are gaps on some branches of the tree, the structure of the tree goes a long way toward fully mapping every genus and species group.
Read the full release from Phys.org here, and the study at biomedcentral.com.
Photo: George Washington University
This image of a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Vittorio_K, is our herp photo of the day!
Upload your own reptile and amphibian photos photos at gallery.kingsnake.com, and you could see them featured here!
Wednesday, May 8 2013
Canadian researchers have discovered fossils of dog-sized dinosaurs, suggesting the prehistoric reptiles came in a much wider range of sizes than once believed.
From The Province:
A newly identified species of dome-headed dinosaur roughly the size of a large dog once roamed the plains of southern Alberta, a team of Canadian scientists announced Tuesday.
The discovery of the Acrotholus audeti touched off further investigation that suggested the world’s dinosaur population was more diverse than once believed.
Details of the study were published Tuesday in the journal Nature Communications.
Study lead author David Evans, curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Royal Ontario Museum, said Acrotholus’ comparatively diminutive size belies its scientific importance.
The two-legged plant-eater stood no higher than an adult human’s knee and weighed only 40 kilograms, measurements similar to a German shepherd or other large-breed canine.
Read the full article here.
Image: Julius Csotonyi , THE CANADIAN PRESS
This image of these Chuckwallas, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Gabby1, is our herp photo of the day!
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Tuesday, May 7 2013
Have you been enjoying the increasingly mild winters across much of the United States, particularly the Midwest, in recent years? Wildlife, including some reptiles and amphibians like the wood frog, pictured right, definitely haven't.
From the University of Wisconsin:
In a report published May 2 in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, a team of scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison describes the gradual decay of the Northern Hemisphere's "subnivium," the term scientists use to describe the seasonal microenvironment beneath the snow, a habitat where life from microbes to bears take full advantage of warmer temperatures, near constant humidity and the absence of wind.
"Underneath that homogenous blanket of snow is an incredibly stable refuge where the vast majority of organisms persist through the winter," explains Jonathan Pauli, a UW-Madison professor of forest and wildlife ecology and a co-author of the new report. "The snow holds in heat radiating from the ground, plants photosynthesize, and it's a haven for insects, reptiles, amphibians and many other organisms."
[...]
As is true for ecosystem changes anywhere, a decaying subnivium would have far-reaching consequences. Reptiles and amphibians, which can survive being frozen solid, are put at risk when temperatures fluctuate, bringing them prematurely out of their winter torpor only to be lashed by late spring storms or big drops in temperature. Insects also undergo phases of freeze tolerance and the migrating birds that depend on invertebrates as a food staple may find the cupboard bare when the protective snow cover goes missing.
The complete article is here.
Photo: Thomas Kitchin and Victoria Hurst/leesonphoto
This image of two Arrow Frogs, uploaded by kingsnake.com user stefan31, is our herp photo of the day!
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Monday, May 6 2013
A schoolteacher's son has discovered a new species of toad in Qatar.
From the Gulf Times:
It turned out to be a hitherto unrecorded species: the African Common Toad or Guttural Toad (Amietophrynus gutturalis). Easily recognisable from its pale dorsal stripe.
New species of fauna turn up in Qatar all the time – this dry desert country supports a surprising range of wildlife.
Animals that can adapt to the harsh weather conditions and the lack of water do well. These include reptiles, and mammals such as the Arabian Red Fox, the Ethiopian Hedgehog and the tiny Lesser Jerboa.
But toads? What is a creature that has a damp clammy skin and needs to spend part of its life in water doing in a land that, until recently, had no surface water at all?
Since the transformation of Qatar over the last few decades and the establishment of large sewage effluent lagoons, it’s become possible for amphibians to survive, even in the scorching summer months when they bury themselves deep in the mud. But the mystery is how they got here in the first place.
Read the full story here.
This image of a Blue Aru Island type Green Tree Python, uploaded by kingsnake.com user crocodilepaul, is our herp photo of the day!
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Check out this video "Catching Crocodiles," submitted by kingsnake.com user Crocguy.
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Friday, May 3 2013
Thanks to the power of kids, the endangered Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle is now the top turtle in the great state of Texas.
From The Houston Chronicle:
The Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle, an endangered species that nests between South Padre Island and Chambers County, was approved as the state’s official sea turtle by the Texas Senate Thursday. The resolution had already garnered approval by the Texas House.
Students at Galveston’s Oppe Elementary School, a coastal studies magnet campus, brought the bill to Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, after studying the animal, which is the smallest sea turtle in the world.
“They were told that the best way they could help is by simply making the public aware of how important the sea turtle is,” Taylor said.
kingsnake.com is also headquartered in Texas, so it's official, Kemp's Ridley Turtle: We salute you!
Read more here.
Photo: Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle (Courtesy: NOAA)
This image of a Ball Python, uploaded by kingsnake.com user cypresscreek, is our herp photo of the day!
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Thursday, May 2 2013
A snake slithered into a Florida wedding ceremony, then curled into the shape of a heart in an apparent blessing on the couple's nuptials.
From First Coast News:
A snake slid its way into the wedding ceremony at a Jacksonville Beach hotel, twice. The first time it slithered its way to the flower girl's feet.
"And she looked down and she yelled 'snake' and threw her hands in the air and before you know it everyone was running around," said Gubbini.
Gubbini says the snake disappeared and then came back right after the rings were exchanged, but not to object, the newlyweds think it had a message.
"It was circling around us into a little circle...as it was doing that somebody was taking a snapshot and it made a heart," added Gubbini.
The snake looks like it shaped itself into a heart, an unforgettable wedding day, just like the day Gubbini says he proposed.
Read the full story, and watch the video, here.
This image of a Fire Salamander, uploaded by kingsnake.com user jungleemporium, is our herp photo of the day!
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Wednesday, May 1 2013
As if the intense pressure on amphibian populations from climate change, habitat destruction, and disease wasn't enough. Now a demand for frogs' legs to satisfy the appetites of gourmets is being blamed for a spike in mosquito population, harm to frog numbers in the wild, and animal cruelty.
From FOX News:
The European passion for frogs’ legs is driving an international massacre of the reptiles which is endangering species and harming natural environments across south-east Asia. [...]
The “Frogmageddon” has prompted questions from the European Parliament about what the European Commission is doing about the problem, and about the cruel way in which the reptiles are parted from their limbs.
Read more here.
This image of an unusual toad, uploaded by kingsnake.com user galen, is our herp photo of the day!
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Tuesday, April 30 2013
Turtles are endlessly fascinating to scientists. Their biology is unique. They were around with the dinosaurs and survived the forces that led to their extinction. And now it turns out they have more in common with birds and those extinct dinosaurs than with reptiles.
From Science World Report:
It turns out that, surprisingly, turtles are not primitive reptiles as previously thought. Instead, they are related to the group that is made up of birds and crocodilians and also includes extinct dinosaurs. It's likely that the turtles split from this group about 250 million years ago during one of the largest extinction events on the planet.
"Turtles are interesting because they offer an exceptional case to understand the big evolutionary changes that occurred in vertebrate history," said Naoki Irie from the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology in a news release. "The work not only provides insight into how turtles evolved, but also gives hints as to how the vertebrate developmental programs can be changed to produce major evolutionary novelties."
Read more here.
Photo: (Photo : Flickr/USFWS)
This image of a Snapping Turtle, uploaded by kingsnake.com user draybar, is our herp photo of the day!
Upload your own reptile and amphibian photos photos at gallery.kingsnake.com, and you could see them featured here!
Monday, April 29 2013
Unwanted or illegal reptiles and amphibians, including three alligators, were turned over to the Suffolk County SPCA on Long Island in New York State in the state's first-ever illegal animal amnesty.
From LongIsland.com:
The event, which took place at Sweetbriar Nature Center in Smithtown, allowed people to drop off illegal animals, no questions asked. Only reptiles and amphibians were accepted, and no penalties were given to individuals who handed over illegal reptiles, as the primary goal of the event was to prevent people from letting unwanted illegal reptiles or amphibians loose on Long Island.
The event was particularly valuable in that three alligators ended up in the safe hands of the SPCA. The alligators were 3 feet, 3.5 feet, and 4.5 feet long. Keeping an alligator is illegal, and includes a fine of up to $250, but releasing an alligator into the wild is a misdemeanor that can lead to jail time.
Just last week, four alligators were fished out of the Peconic River in Calverton near a boat ramp. The 2- and 3-foot-long alligators were sent to the Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center.
At least nine alligators were found on Long Island last fall, including two alligators that were found in a supermarket parking lot in Baldwin, one found on a golf course in Wading River, and another found in the parking lot of an Applebee’s in Shirley.
In a separate story, the New York Post reported the alligators were subsequently adopted by the Rainforest Reptile Show, to appear in educational exhibits.
Check out this video "Summer Herping," submitted by kingsnake.com user jfarah.
Submit your own reptile & amphibian videos at http://www.kingsnake.com/video/ and you could see them featured here or check out all the videos submitted by other users!
This image of a Baby Mangrove, uploaded by kingsnake.com user vegasbilly, is our herp photo of the day!
Upload your own reptile and amphibian photos photos at gallery.kingsnake.com, and you could see them featured here!
Friday, April 26 2013
The news has been full of stories about snakes turning up where they don't belong, probably due to warming temperatures as a somewhat late and feeble spring finally takes hold.
In Mississippi, county employees are freaking out over harmless little brown snakes "invading" the local courthouse basement file room. Read more...
More than 100 gartner snakes have been found in a Canadian hospital. Read more...
Connecticut wildlife agencies have some advice for people who are fearful of snakes. “Snakes are probably some of the most misunderstood animals,” said Laura Saucier, a wildlife technician with the DEEP Wildlife Division. “There is no need to fear or hate these reptiles. If you leave snakes alone, they will leave you alone.” Read more...
We couldn't have said it better.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
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