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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, May 29 2015The Indian monitor lizard In all the time I've been writing for kingsnake.com, most of my posts have been about Indian snakes. It's like I've forgotten there are other reptiles and amphibians that also exist in India. So here are some thoughts on the most common monitor lizard of India.The Indian or Bengal monitor, Varanus bengalensis, is a monitor lizard found widely distributed over the Indian subcontinent, as well as parts of Southeast Asia and West Asia. This large lizard is mainly terrestrial and grows to about 175 cm from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail. The juveniles are more colorful with dotted bands, but as they grow the color of the body is grey or light brown. It is been said that a monitor lizard has a very powerful grip with claws and there is a story sys that a legendary warrior and his group of soldiers climbed a fort with the support of a monitor lizard and rope. In India, monitors are hunted for their meat, especially in rural areas. It is believed by these villagers that monitor lizard meat helps to prevent joint pain. For me, it is always a sad thing seeing these reptiles getting killed, and I am doing my best to protect them by making people aware of these magnificient creatures, and I'm sure a change is coming! Photo: Riyaz Khoja Thursday, May 28 2015Two Texas map turtles and not one camera
Reduced in size and flow during a drought, at the bridge where we stood the river was still about 30 feet wide and looked to be cool and fairly deep with even deeper holes. Kenny and I were watching some very wary diamond-backed water snakes that were using some cracks in the bridge abutment as hideaways when a turtle head broke the water surface, spied us, reversed, and sped to the bottom.
Texas cooter? No. But it was definitely an emydine, not a mud turtle.  After checking the various range maps, it seemed that there was only one other choice - a Texas map turtle, Graptemys versa. Suddenly the sighting took on new importance for this was a species with which neither of us was overly familiar. So we stood quietly and patiently and watched the water slowly pass by. No turtle. We admitted defeat and clambered back to the roadway. Before returning to the car we glanced once over the edge of the bridge and there, below us, swam the turtle. Correction: swam 2 turtles. They were Texas map turtles, a small male and a larger female, and they were courting. Picture taking time! Whoops, our cameras were still in the car. Of course. Where else would they be when needed? Continue reading "Two Texas map turtles and not one camera" Tuesday, May 26 2015An arboreal beauty: the green tailed rat snake
There's just that something about a green snake! Whether they are of the comparative chunkiness of a tree viper or the slender build of a rat snake, it seems that snakes of green color are hobbyist favorites.
 The racer-thin, rodent and bird eating, red-tailed green rat snake, Gonyosoma oxycephala (this snake also occurs in less popular blue-gray and reddish-brown phases) is one of the latter, an aptly named arboreal beauty. Adult at 6 to 7 feet in length, occasional examples can exceed 8 feet. Females are often the larger sex. Although this large and beautiful Southeast Asian snake is occasionally bred in captivity, many that become available are wild caught imports. If freshly collected before importation, survival rate may be termed "fair." But if held at a collection facility for days or even weeks (as is often the case) stress, dehydration, and endoparasites will have weakened the snakes rendering them difficult to acclimate. Although I seldom advocate routine purging of endoparasites, I have found that it does seem to benefit the newly imported examples of this taxon. Captive hatched examples are often as feistily defensive as the adults. With a bit of teasing, hatchlings will accept pinky mice from forceps. Be aware that as an arboreal species, examples of all sizes may be reluctant to drink from a water dish. This reluctance can usually be overcome by placing an aquarium air stone (attached to a small vibrator pump) in the water and/or elevating the water dish to perch level. This taxon is not for all hobbyists, but for those having interest, they are well worth the extra effort that is often required. Continue reading "An arboreal beauty: the green tailed rat snake" Monday, May 25 2015Malabar gliding frog: A flying amphibian Here I come with my first amphibian blog post!India is home to good number of amphibians, including frogs, toads, salamanders, and caecilians. Toads and frogs are found in every part of India, whether it’s a city or a jungle, and according to me they are the cutest cold blooded creatures on earth. I have been catching frogs and toads since I learned to walk and grab things. I find them really cute and the reason is their face; it always appears a smiling and a happy face. I was always the odd man among my friends because whenever and wherever I used to see a toad I would pick it up, and my friends found it really disgusting. The Malabar gliding frog, Rhacophorus malabaricus, is my favorite frog amongst the Indian frogs, because of its gliding jumps and green color. This frog has a body length of about 10 cm, making it one of the largest moss frog. The color is vivid green without markings and the belly or underside is pale yellow. The webbings between fingers and toes is large and orange-red. The Malabar gliding frog is common in the western ghats of India. My first meeting with this frog was really surprising; I was herping for Malabar pit vipers at night and I found a few, so I decided to search for some of these frogs. For 10-15 minutes I couldn’t find anything and I sat on a rock for a break. As I was removing my head torch, I felt something sitting on it, I just grabbed it gently and saw it was a Malabar gliding frog I wasn’t aware of it sitting on my head torch. An unforgettable meeting. Photo: Roland zh. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Friday, May 22 2015The injunction against USFWS: What you need to know now USARK and its lawyers worked at a frantic pace to get a nationwide preliminary injunction (PI) for every single responsible reptile keeper in the continental United States since the recent USFWS Lacey Act listing of reticulated pythons and three species of anacondas. We submitted multiple legal briefs/memoranda to, and had several hearings before, the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia. Hundreds of hours from numerous individuals have been invested. I am not sure when Phil Goss sleeps! A PI is an extraordinary legal remedy that is only granted upon satisfying extremely stringent legal requirements. For example, USARK had to establish that its members would suffer irreparable harm without a PI and it is likely to prevail on the merits (when the court eventually hears the main case). The law also requires the judge to grant a PI as narrow as possible. Because there is no full blown adversary process at the PI stage, the judge essentially assumes that the facts provided by USFWS are accurate for purposes of ruling on the PI. All of these strict legal principles and requirements are why you rarely see a PI granted, especially one on a nationwide basis enjoining enforcement of an environmental law. Preliminary Injunction Granted Against all odds, the judge ordered a nationwide PI "with respect to transportation by any Plaintiff or USARK member of the reticulated python and/or green anaconda" (1) out of any of the 49 continental United States, and (2) into all of those states except for Florida and Texas. Questions and Limitations on Preliminary Injunction When will the PI be effective? June 2, 2015, unless USFWS appeals to the Federal Circuit Court and a stay of the PI is granted by the Federal Circuit Court before June 2, 2015. USFWS stated it would take them about 75 days to make a decision on such an appeal. Does the PI allow every reptile keeper in the continental United States to ship/transport green anacondas and reticulated pythons across state lines? At the last minute, USFWS made numerous arguments to try to restrict the scope of shipments. In response to USFWS arguments and to protect the PI ruling if appealed, the judge ruled that the PI allows transportation/shipment by anyone who was a member of USARK as of April 8, 2015. A nationwide injunction for every reptile keeper, including shipments into Florida and Texas, will be issued if/when the judge rules favorably on the interstate transportation issue as part of the main case. Since the judge has already ruled during the PI stage of the case that USARK is likely to prevail on the interstate transportation issue on the merits, it is likely that such an injunction will be granted. How do I determine my status/qualification for USARK membership? ALL questions regarding USARK membership must be directed to contact@USARK.org. Please do not flood USARK with emails unless you have a current expectation of shipping/transporting green anacondas or reticulated pythons across state lines. The limited USARK resources are needed to focus on future issues in the case, etc. Does the PI allow transportation/shipment to or from Hawaii, Puerto Rico, territories and possessions of the US or Washington, DC? No. These activities are prohibited by a provision of the Lacey Act that was not challenged in the PI. This issue may be resolved in our favor when the court hears the merits of our case. Does the PI allow importation from other countries into the United States? No, but exportation to other countries is permitted. In addition, the ban on importation will be addressed when USARK presents the merits stage of the case. Does the PI allow transportation/shipment into a state in violation of that state’s law? No. Does the PI allow transportation of Beni anacondas or DeShauensee’s anacondas across state lines? No, such an injunction could not be granted because these anacondas have not previously been available in trade. Does the PI allow me to ship out of the 47 continental US states through Miami or Dallas? No. Shipments out of the 47 continental US states must go through one of the other 16 USFWS designated export ports. Shipments beginning in Florida can go through Miami and shipments beginning in Texas can go through Dallas. Below is a full list of the other designated ports (Miami and Dallas are excluded): Anchorage, Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, Louisville, Memphis, Miami, New Orleans, New York, Newark, Portland, San Francisco, and Seattle. Is anyone restricted from making a shipment via plane solely because it flies over Florida, Texas, Washington, DC, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, or any territory or possession of the US? No. For a lawsuit timeline and other frequently asked questions, click here. Photo: kingsnake.com user Joan Mas The Ceylon cat snake If you are a hardcore fan of tree snakes, then I would suggest you put herping India on your to-do list. India is the place where you can find 50-60 species of tree snakes. Most of the tree snakes are from the family of Pit Vipers, Bronzeback Tree snakes, Vine snakes and Cat snakes. In India you can find 14-15 species of cat snakes, I would rather say that this is the second largest family of any snake in India after the pit vipers which has 18 species.The Ceylon cat snake, Boiga ceylonensis, is one of my favourite snakes. I love the way they recoil, and their thin and long body mesmerizes me. This snake has an attractive color pattern that makes it shine sometimes like gold during early morning sunrise. Ceylon cat snakes are greyish-brown with dark brown spots or stripes, a brown diagonal streak is present behind the eye. The maximum length is 130 cm and it is oviparous by nature. Finding this snake in the jungle during early morning was something unforgettable. It was something more than finding "gold." Photo: Riyaz Khoja Thursday, May 21 2015Burrow borrowers: the blotched tiger salamander
Black-tailed prairie dog burrows scar the landscape. Stop for a moment while driving through Wind Cave National Wildlife Refuge in the Black Hills during the hours of daylight and a dozen or more prairie dogs will come running in hope of a handout.
 Look both ways before you begin driving again because a curious bison just might be standing in front of your vehicle. But things are quieter at night. Bison drift away from the road to bunk down on the open prairie. The prairie dogs are all snoozing in their burrows. As a great horned owl flies over on silent wings, a summering burrowing owl ducks into a prairie dog burrow for safety. But what is that tiny head emerging from the next prairie dog burrow? It's a salamander - a blotched tiger salamander, Ambystoma mavortium melanostictum! And we were to learn that the use of these havens by the salamanders was not at all uncommon. The blotched tiger salamander attains a robust 6 to 11 inches in total length. Some examples have a well-defined reticulum of black against the predominating olive-yellow to olive-green, while others are less precisely patterned. Neoteny is well documented, and it is this subspecies that is often offered for sale as "waterdogs" in the pet trade. Captive conditions usually cause waterdogs to metamorphose so be ready to change its housing from aquarium to terrarium. But, whether adult or larva, this is a hardy salamander that often survives for more than a decade as a captive and that is easily fed on pelleted salamander food and/or earthworms. Continue reading "Burrow borrowers: the blotched tiger salamander" Tuesday, May 19 2015Desperately seeking smooth green snakes In many areas where once common, the smooth green snake, Opheodrys vernalis, seem to have become hard to find. In various areas where I have searched - Michigan, Massachusetts, Virginia, West Virginia, South Dakota, and New Mexico among them - in locales where the taxon was known to have once been fairly common, I have often failed to find any. I may have found only one or two after extensive searches. Jake, who grew up with smooth green snakes common on the family property in Maine looked long and hard for the last several years, finding none until in 2014 when he found one - just one. The last ones that I saw were in the Black Hills of South Dakota (a single snake) and then, while returning to Florida, I found two examples in Missouri. The Black Hills example was beneath a recently fallen dead tree trunk of moderate diameter in a blueberry flat. The Missouri specimens were beneath pieces of cardboard at the edge of a pasture. A friend who visits Wisconsin on fairly regular intervals has found this little snake to still be common in Door County, a peninsula jutting eastward into Lake Michigan. Not only is the smooth green snake still common there, but it occurs in at least 2 color phases, the typical leaf green and a gray-green. And as I write this I'm thinking that it is long past time for me to visit Wisconsin. And just as a "by the way," smooth green snakes, known to be insectivores (perhaps arachnivores would be more accurate), have proven to be difficult to feed, delicate captives that are best left in the wild. Continue reading "Desperately seeking smooth green snakes" Monday, May 18 2015A surprising rescue: Montane trinket snake I've been rescuing snakes and other animals for a long time now, and I'm very well aware of the species found in my area. Nonetheless, my last rescue really surprised me.Two days ago, somewhere around 7 PM or half past, I received a rescue call from a nearby area where I had rescued common trinkets twice before. The person said it was the same snake I had rescued previously, so I was sure it was a trinket. When I saw the snake, though, I couldn’t believe my eyes: it was a Montane trinket snake, Coelognathus helena helena. I was never so surprised before while on a rescue, and for a minute I just stood there, wondering how it was possible, since these wild siblings of common trinkets prefer staying in the wild. But it was real. It was a semi-adult Montane trinket, around 60-70 cms. I had to travel 30 miles to the jungle to release this snake where it belongs. The only places where I have encountered these snakes are the jungles in the outskirts of my cities, and I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would get this snake on a rescue in my urban area -- but sometimes there are unexpected surprises in life. Photo: Riyaz Khoja Friday, May 15 2015Crested Geckos linked to Salmonella outbreak A salmonella outbreak in 16 states, linked to crested geckos, has been confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although usually associated with turtles, salmonella in its various sub-types is found in all reptiles and amphibians. This outbreak is a reminder to all that proper hygiene is required after handling any reptile or amphibian.According to the bulletin posted by the CDC: As of May 13, 2015, a total of 20 persons infected with the outbreak strain of Salmonella Muenchen have been reported from 16 states since January 1, 2014. For more tips on how to enjoy your pet reptile and protect yourself and your family, please visit the CDC page at http://www.cdc.gov/Features/salmonellafrogturtle/. Gallery photo by LSU_Tigress. White-lipped pit vipers rule the trees of northern India The white-lipped pit viper, Trimeresurus albolabris, is one of the most common species of pit vipers found in southeastern parts of Asia, which includes some northern states of India. As I mentioned in one of my previous posts, India is home to 17 species of pit viper; among these 17, the white-lipped pit viper is most commonly found in northern and northeastern parts of India.The white-lipped pit viper is green in color like other green tree vipers, and the ventral body is pale yellow or whitish yellow in color. A light ventrolateral stripe is present in all males, but absent in females. The color of the tail is reddish-brown or reddish-maroon. The size of these snakes varies from 2-2.7 feet, and these snakes are viviparous by nature. It’s very difficult for a snake lover in the southwestern part of India to encounter such a beautiful snake, but I find myself very lucky because I’m native to Uttarakhand, one of the northern states of India. I found this snake during the summer of 2013 in Uttarakhand. The thing that surprised me the most was that I always thought pit vipers are found only on trees and sometimes on land, but this fellow was enjoying himself in a stream. When I picked him up I noticed that its belly was fully loaded with small fishes. This is one of the main reasons I love snakes as I've been studing them for a long time, but they never stop surprising me. Photo: Hazard-Bot. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Thursday, May 14 2015Brazilian Horned Frog: Reminiscences and hopes
Awareness! There was such a thing as a horned frog, and a giant one at that.
 My first awareness of this genus of frogs occurred at about 7 years old as I was, with parents, riding the rails - the rails of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford - home from New York. We had been to the Bronx Zoo and in my hand was a zoo guide, a thick paperback, devoted to identifying and discussing some of the creatures we had seen that day. I scanned the mammal and bird sections and remember turning the pages to the reptiles and stopping at a picture of a horned frog in the amphibian section. I was dismayed for I had not seen this creature at the zoo, yet here it was, bigger than life, pictured in the guide. I'm almost positive it was a giant horned frog, a Ceratophrys aurita, a horned frog about which to this day I know precious little. The Brazilian horned frog is supposedly the largest of the genus, larger even that the biggest of the female ornate horned frogs. However, the very few breeders of "C. aurita" today have smaller frogs and believe that the actual size of C. aurita has been exaggerated or if not, that the species varies in adult size populationally and/or individually. I know that having not seen one yet, I am anxiously awaiting the availability of a dinner-plate sized, long-horned, Brazilian horned frog in the pet trade. Continue reading "Brazilian Horned Frog: Reminiscences and hopes" Tuesday, May 12 2015Cancer claims NM herpetologist Charlie Painter After a long, hard fight against cancer, former New Mexico state herpetologist Charlie Painter succumbed to the disease early this morning. His wife and partner, Lori King Painter, said, "Charlie lived his life with everything fiber of his being, and did not want to leave the world that he loved so much."Charlie's contributions to herpetofauna over the years include authoring over 80 peer reviewed articles, serving as editor for Herpetological Review, and becoming the first state herpetologist for the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, a role he held for over 25 years. Charlie authored the 1996 book Amphibians and Reptiles of New Mexico and, with the Museum of Southwestern Biology at the University of New Mexico, helped build and maintain one of the best herpetofauna collections in the nation. Painter was the 2013 recipient of the Allison Haskell Award for Excellence in Herpetofaunal Conservation from his peers in the Partnership for Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, and his decades-long efforts working with students and herpers of all ages imparted a long-lasting legacy in the herpetology of the western United States. Photo: Courtesy Lori King Painter A Black Hills Venture: The search for a red-bellied snake
Kenny and I agreed that it was a long way from North Central Florida to southwest South Dakota just to try to see one little snake, so time and again we delayed the attempt. But finally the time seemed right.
 We were planning a salamandering trip that would take us along most of the Pacific Coast so we'd start at the north (Washington) and work our way southward to southern California, then eastward and towards home. By starting in the north we could travel through the Badlands and Black Hills of South Dakota, up into Montana. The time had come to try to see the Black Hills red-bellied snake, Storeria occipitomaculata pahasapae. We allocated 3 weeks for the entire trip (and as it turned out we used every minute of it), allowing a couple of days to search out the Black Hills target. Despite locales provided by a friendly researcher, finding the targeted "west of the heartland" red-bellied snake took more time and work that we had thought it would. It seemed that we had arrived a week or two later than was best and the little snakes had already left the hibernaculas. Not only had they dispersed, but seemingly most were already in subsurface retreats. We persevered and after several hours of searching, Kenny found one of the reclusive and seclusive snakes. It was the only example of the subspecies found. Remembering how difficult it had been to justify the trip to the Black Hills, many more photos than were actually needed were taken. Then westward, ho! Continue reading "A Black Hills Venture: The search for a red-bellied snake" Monday, May 11 2015Indian rock python freaks out tea farmers
Python! A snake that everyone is aware of because they are found on every continent of earth except Antarctica.
India has three species of pythons that are famous across the world: The reticulated python, the Burmese python, and the most common in India, the Indian rock python, Python molurus molurus. This is a snake that averages 13-16 feet in length, with a maximum of 25 feet. The body has dark brown blotches on a grey, off-white, or pale brown body, with an arrow-shaped incomplete mark on the head.  On a recent trip, our herping destination was Wayanad, a district in Kerala famous for a tea plantation. At around 8 in morning, our teacher, Iqbal Sheikh, my friend Axy, and I were heading toward the forest in our car. Suddenly we saw a crowd of tea farmers gathered on the edge of the road. After some enquiry, our driver told us there was a big snake in the field, and the farmers were damn scared to enter it. After hearing the word "snake," the three of us jumped out and entered the farm. I heard my driver saying that it’s a big snake, so I was desperately expecting a king cobra. When I saw the snake, however, it was a 10-foot Indian rock python.  It wasn’t an easy task to catch this fellow, but somehow we managed it. After coming out of the farm with the big guy in hand, everyone from the crowd gave us a big round of applause. The farmers also gave us fresh tea bags. It was a great achievement for us. The python was a good natured fellow, which made our task easy. |
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