Slide shows are collections of the best member photo uploads chosen by the editors from 10+ years of photo gallery postings.
To upload a photo to the gallery click here.
To see more reptile and amphibian photos click here.
Gray-banded Kingsnakes, Sanderson TexasPosted by:Collin Smith
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Our business directory lists some of the most popluar herp businesses in the world. To list your business on kingsnake.com click here.
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"The KING of Ball Pythons". The GREATEST ball python collection on the PLANET! Many double het and co-dominant designers available.
Please visit my website and check out the "original" Birthing Records Pages. RDR invented ball python style and culture……look around; RDR "style" is everywhere!
Also check out the RDR blog here on Kingsnake.com.
Business Listings kingsnake.com links to a wide variety of reptile and
amphibian related businesses around the world.
Expos, symposiums, museum and zoo events and more offer herpers an opportunity to meet friends,
learn about reptiles and more. Check out the upcoming herp events listed below. To submit a non-profit event for free listing please
contact our events editor.
To purchase a commercial event listing please click here.
To purchase a featured event listing click here.
Featured Event:
New York Metro Reptile Expo Westchester County Center
White Plains, NYhttp://reptileexpo.com
More than 200 vendor tables- one of the Northeast's largest reptile expos! Just off of I-287 Exit 5 Corner of Central Park Avenue (Rt. 100) and Tarrytown Road.
Snakes, turtles, lizards and frogs are in the news somewhere every day. Check out the
latest reptile and amphibian news and stories in the mainstream media from around the world by our partner site
PetPress.net
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Clubs
Herpetological societies are typically non-profit, private organizations, clubs or organized groups of reptile and amphibian enthusiasts that are geographically focused around a specific state, province, or region. Many groups accept corresponding members from anywhere in the world. Most are open to the public, having been founded by hobbyists and non-professionals to promote education and conservation while often sharing knowledge related to husbandry and breeding.
Our mission is to promote understanding, appreciation, and conservation of reptiles and amphibians; encourage respect for their habitats; and foster responsible captive care. Membership is open to anyone with an interest in reptiles and amphibians. Our members include professional biologists and amateur naturalists with years of experience, as well as those with a beginning interest in herps, either keeping and breeding them, or seeing them in the wild. .
The most amazing and unusual of the crocodilians, the Gharial, is getting a new chance at life at the Crocodile Breeding Centre at Kasara.
The farm in Chitwan National Park, some 82 km (51 miles) southwest of Kathmandu, was opened in 1978 by the government with support from the Frankfurt Zoological Society in an effort to save the rapidly dwindling gharial, which is also found in neighboring India.
Six decades ago, gharials -- known for their long, slim snouts and great length, with some growing up to 7 meters (23 ft) long -- were numerous in Nepal. There were 235 in the Narayani-Rapti River, which flows near the park, alone.
But their numbers fell rapidly as they were killed for their skins, used to make purses, shoes and belts. Their eggs have been stolen for food or as a remedy for tuberculosis.
In addition, their riverside habitat has been lost to agriculture and water-control projects, with fishing nets also taking a toll.
As a result, their population is now confined to only a small area of Nepal's major rivers. A national census last year found only 102, numbers at which survival in the wild becomes difficult without help -- but that was still up from 50 in 1970, Sharma said.
The centre has three male and 12 female gharials for breeding. Workers also collect eggs from the wild before the onset of the annual floods in July, raise hatchlings in captivity and then release them into the wild.
"If it were not for this, you and I would not be able to see them now. They would have been extinct 15 to 20 years ago," Sharma said.
In a partnership between UK and Indian scientists, a new caecilian was discovered -- by pure accident!
The creature - about 168mm in length and pink in colour - belongs to an enigmatic, limbless group of amphibians known as the caecilians.
Ramachandran Kotharambath, lead author of the report, told the BBC Tamil Service that the animal was identified as a new species following extensive comparisons with other, similar examples from this amphibian group.
According to the researchers, specimens of the novel caecilian - named Gegeneophis primus - were collected during field works in two consecutive monsoons, first in October 2010 and then in August 2011.
They were discovered at a valley on a plantation in the Wynad district of Kerala.
The new finding was made as part of a longstanding research collaboration between the department of zoology at the University of Kerala and London's Natural History Museum. The Central University at Kasargod in Kerala also contributed to of the discovery.
The Anhui Yangtze Alligator Nature Reserve working is on its eighth release of the endangered Chinese alligator:
So far, the nature reserve has succeeded in releasing 45 Chinese alligators into the wild, and the six new members will bring the total to 51, sources with the reserve said.
"The experiments were successful, as the released alligators began laying eggs in 2008 and the alligators that hatched in the wild are in good conditions," said Wang Chaolin, deputy director of the nature reserve.
Wang said researchers need to choose young and healthy alligators so they will survive harsh natural conditions. The alligators will also undergo DNA testing before being released to avoid in-breeding.
National Reptile & Amphibian Advisory Council's primary purpose is to host an annual symposium and workshop to bring together people, organizations, companies, and agencies to discuss the impact of laws, regulations, and restrictions on reptiles and amphibians and the people that work with them. If you would like to volunteer to help us put on our conference or to find out more,
click here.
nospam@example.com (Jeffrey Barringer) - Wednesday, May 09, 2012
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) today announced a 90-day finding on a petition to list the eastern diamondback rattlesnake as threatened and designate critical habitat for the species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).
This finding stems from a petition submitted last summer by the Center for Biological Diversity, the Coastal Plains Institute Inc., Protecting all Living Species, and One More Generation. The decision, known as a 90-day finding finds that the petition presents substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that listing the eastern diamondback rattlesnake may be warranted. The Service will undertake a more comprehensive review of the snake's status throughout the species’ range to determine whether listing is warranted under the ESA.
Eastern diamondbacks can grow to a length of about eight feet and are the largest rattlesnakes in the world. The eastern diamondback historically ranged along the coastal lowlands of the southeastern United States from North Carolina to eastern Louisiana, including all of Florida and its Keys. Although once abundant in longleaf pine ecosystems across the southeastern United States, its population size and range has declined. Nearly all of the old growth longleaf pine savannas are gone, and the eastern diamondback survives wherever its native habitats still exist or where open-canopy forests and grasslands are similar to longleaf pine savannas.
The Service is asking for information from state and federal natural resource agencies and all interested parties regarding the eastern diamondback rattlesnake and its habitat. Based on the status review, the Service will make one of three possible determinations:
• Listing is not warranted, in which case no further action will be taken.
• Listing as threatened or endangered is warranted. In this case, the Service will publish a proposal to list, solicit independent scientific peer review of the proposal, seek input from the public, and consider the input before a final decision about listing the species is made. In general, there is a one-year period between the time a species is proposed for listing and the final decision.
• Listing is warranted but precluded by other, higher priority activities. This means the species is added to the federal list of candidate species, and the proposal to list is deferred while the Service works on listing proposals for other species that are at greater risk. A warranted but precluded finding requires subsequent annual reviews of the finding until such time as either a listing proposal is published, or a not warranted finding is made based on new information
Please note that submissions merely stating support for, or opposition to, the action under consideration without providing supporting information, although noted, will not be considered in making a determination. The ESA says that determinations as to whether any species is threatened or endangered must be made “solely on the basis of the best scientific and commercial data available.”
Written comments regarding the proposal may be submitted by one of the following methods:
• Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov/. Follow the instructions for submitting comments to Docket No. [FWS–R4–ES–2012–0006].
• U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, Attn: Docket No. [FWS–R4–ES–2012–0006]; Division of Policy and Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, MS 2042-PDM; Arlington, VA 22203.
When it comes to reptiles and amphibians and the law, there is no shortage of opinions, but very little in the way of consensus or understanding among diverse groups of stakeholders.
The First Annual Reptile and Amphibian Law Symposium, scheduled to take place in Houston, Tex., on Sept. 28-30, will bring together herp keepers, biologists, legislators, school teachers, researchers, zoo keepers, breeders, academicians, and regulators for a series of panels, workshops, breakout sessions and talks with the goal of engaging all parties in dicussion of changes and issues with current and proposed reptile and amphibian laws and regulations at the local, state, federal, and international levels.
This event is being organized by the National Reptile and Amphibian Advisory Council (NRAAC), with the assistance of the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council and the East Texas Herpetological Society.
The Symposium is free, and open to anyone with an interest in the subject of laws and regulations pertaining to reptiles and amphibians.
Topics will include:
Impact of laws on conservation and habitat preservation
Impact of laws on reptile keeping and breeding
CITES, the Lacey Act, and other national and international laws and regulations
Ethics and obligations of reptile keepers
How laws and regulations affect researchers and educators
And more...
The event will be held at the Crowne Plaza Resort at 12801 Northwest Freeway in Houston. Special group rates are available at the hotel.
If you are interested in participating in this discussion, or possibly assisting/volunteering/participating in this event, please join our working group on Facebook, or/and email us.
The United States may propose amendments to the CITES Appendices for consideration at the sixteenth regular meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES (CoP16), tentatively scheduled to be held in Thailand, March 3–15, 2013.
With the published notice, USFWS describes proposed amendments to the CITES Appendices (species proposals) that the United States might submit for consideration at CoP16 and invites your comments and information on these proposals.
The United States as yet is still undecided on whether to submit proposals for CoP16 for the following taxa. In some cases, they have not completed consultations with relevant range countries and in others they expect meetings to occur in the immediate future, at which participants will generate important recommendations, trade analyses, or biological information on the taxon in question.
Reptile Changes Under Consideration;
11. Tokay gecko (Gekko gecko) — Inclusion in Appendix II
12. Burmese starred tortoise (Geochelone platynota) — Transfer from Appendix II to Appendix I
13. Crowned river turtle (Hardella thurjii) — Inclusion in Appendix II
14. Burmese peacock softshell turtle (Nilssonia formosa) — Inclusion in Appendix II
15. Roti Island snake-necked turtle (Chelodina mccordi) —Transfer from Appendix II to Appendix I
16. Yellow-margined box turtle (Cuora flavomarginata) — Transfer from Appendix IIto Appendix I
17. McCord’s box turtle (Cuora mccordi) — Transfer from Appendix II to Appendix I
18. Chinese three-striped box turtle (Cuora trifasciata) — Transfer from Appendix II toAppendix I
19. Big-headed turtle (Platysternon megacephalum) — Transfer from Appendix II toAppendix I
20. Painted terrapin (Batagur borneoensis) — Transfer from Appendix II to Appendix I
21. Burmese roofed turtle (Batagur trivittata) —Transfer from Appendix II to Appendix I
22. Map turtles (Graptemys spp.) — Inclusion in Appendix II and three species in Appendix I
23. Blanding’s turtle (Emydoidea blandingii) — Inclusion in Appendix I or Appendix II
24. Spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata) — Inclusion in Appendix I or Appendix II
25. Alligator snapping turtle (Macrochelys temminckii) — Inclusion in Appendix II
26. Diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) — Inclusion in Appendix II
You may submit comments pertaining to species proposals for consideration at CoP16 by one of the following methods:
Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments on Docket No. FWS–R9–IA–2011–0087.
U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS–R9–IA–2011– 0087; Division of Policy and Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, MS 2042–PDM; Arlington, VA 22203.
Reptile and Amphibian Live Stream
See what reptile owners and hobbyists are talking about right now on kingsnake connect's new public live stream. As part of kingsnake.com's connect social media project,
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Reptile and amphibian expos, symposiums, zoo and museum exhibitions and other educational events are great
places to ask questions, get answers and network with other herp keepers. Upcoming Reptile and Amphibian Events:
Our gallery allows registered users to upload their favorite reptile and
amphibian photos to the topic galleries and personal photos to the member galleries. Photos can be used on our forums, classifieds,
and Connect, or shared with friends and family.
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kingsnake.com's Connect is a beta project being developed to let the herp community stay in touch with
their friends and fellow hobbyists, keep each other up to date on legislative issues as they develop, and to build and strengthen
the herp community network. Registered users of kingsnake.com can use it to share photos, links, information, alerts, updates and more. log infind connections
Check out these reptile and amphibian submitted by staff, volunteers, and users of the kingsnake.com community.
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Some of them are legends known to every school kid in the world. Others are
revered mostly by their peers and the scientists and herpers who came after
them. They're the world's most renowned and influential herpetologists,
herpetoculturists and zoologists, and you can learn more about them and
their legacy to the hobby in kingsnake.com's Wikipedia-based index of herper
biographies.
Keeping reptiles and amphibians is often subject to a variety of laws, regulations, and restrictions.
These resources are here to help you navigate the sometimes complex issues of herp ownership.