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.
Thursday, May 14 2020
What a lovely field shot of a Northern Yellow-faced Turtle hatchling in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user frilly ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Wednesday, May 13 2020
Love is in the air with this pair of Gran Canaria giant lizards ( Gallotia stehlini) in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user John-C . Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Tuesday, May 12 2020
What an awesome field shot of a Blue Spiny Lizard in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user arkherps ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Monday, May 11 2020
The colors on this Madison County locale corn snake in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user draybar are screaming! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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 A pretty female Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizard.
Finding the creature, the Blunt-nosed leopard lizard, Gambelia sila, a Federally Endangered species.took several hours of concerted searching by Tom Tyning and me. We knew sila to be a resident of California's Carizzo Plains, and it was in that area that we centered our efforts. We had been told "you'll see 'em sunning on the rocks." But, I had failed to find out exactly where these rocks were. So we looked, we drove, we hiked, and we looked some more. We finally did find a few rocks along a dried streambed, but only side-blotched lizards and California ground squirrels seemed resident there. We traipsed through lush mountain meadows, yellowed with the blooms of California poppies, and low, drouth-browned grasslands. We found gopher snakes galore. We found a southern Pacific rattler, and eventually, after a full day of searching, we found a small population of the leopard lizards. On rocks? Heck no! There wasn't a rock in sight!
As we were driving slowly down a rutted sand road, Tom quietly said "I just saw a lizard."
My query was "What kind?"
"I don't know, but it was bigger than an Uta (side-blotched lizard)."
"Where did you see it?"
"In the middle of the road. I think it went down a hole."
So I stopped, and backed up.
Yep, there was a hole there. And I guess my right tires had gone directly over it.
So I parked the car, and we got out, and sat on the ground some dozen feet away from the hole.
After several minutes of sitting a tiny nose poked above the rim of the hole. A few minutes more and an eye emerged. It was a blunt-nose, no question about that. I congratulated Tom on seeing the creature. Now, could we get photos?
The short answer was “yes, we could.” And we did.
After another 15 minutes the lizard decided we were nothing more than misplaced dirt-clods and emerged from his hole.We both got pix. Mission accomplished but not yet over. Just as dark clouds began covering the face of the late afternoon sun, we happened across a prettily colored female leopard lying quietly on the side of the trail. We both got photos there and before we left the area we had succeeded in getting pix of several more.
An iffy day had become a banner day. Thanks, Tom.
Continue reading "Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizards"
Friday, May 8 2020
Happy Rattlesnake Friday! This stunning Guarico Rattlesnake, uploaded by kingsnake.com user robnimmo is a thing of beauty to behold! 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.

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Thursday, May 7 2020
May this wild Alligator on the Peace River in Florida in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user JonathanH bring you a peaceful monday. Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Wednesday, May 6 2020
This Chuckwalla is feeling the warmth of the sun in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user NDokai ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Tuesday, May 5 2020
Take a few moments today to follow the lead of this Giant Day Gecko in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user crazyrhacos and give yourself some time to relax! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Monday, May 4 2020
This Pine Snake looks so velvety smooth in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user Jack77 ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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 A normal colored half grown red-ear.Thanks to aid and abetting by the human race (and more specifically the pet trade) the Red-eared Slider, Trachemy scripta elegans, is now quite probably the most numerous and widespread turtle in the world. Originally known only from the Gulf Coast and Mississippi River Valley states, because of its popularity as a pet turtle and the ability of releasees and escapees to adapt to new and different temperature and habitat regimes, this turtle is now known far outside of its one-time range in the USA. It is now a well-known species in many other countries as well. Some of these foreign ports of landing and stability are ponds, lakes, and other waterways in Australia, Europe, Great Britain, South Africa, the Caribbean Islands, Israel, Bahrain, the Mariana Islands, Guam, southeast and far-east Asia, and several Central and South American countries. Where they are present they are usually easily observable, both while swimming and basking.
Although this species has been produced in many temperature and genetically influenced colors and patterns we are basically talking about normalcy here. Except for the yellow plastron hatchlings are green with lighter green to yellow markings and (usually) a red ear-stripe. The albinos are, of course, white with reddish ear stripes and occasionally additional facial striping.There are 6 pairs of darker ocelli on the plastron. And in keeping with turtles in this species complex in general, as males grow and age a suffusion of melanin darkens them. Some individuals become so dark that no other colors or markings remain visible. All colors can vary in intensity.
The red-eared slider is the same little turtle, the “little green turtle,” that was sold last century in the pet departments of almost every 5 and dime and department store in the nation. They, and the totally useless little plastic turtle bowls (adorned with a plastic palm tree) were also sold in the various countries where these turtles are now present and are considered an invasive species. The primary food then suggested for the turtles was dried ant eggs! If cared for as then directed soft shells, swollen and closed eyes were soon followed by the death of the turtle. On the other hand, if by either accident or intent the turtle was given ample room to grow and exercise, to swim and to bask, and provide with a diet of greens and fresh animal matter (worms, fish etc.), a lifespan of 25 to 60 years may be attained.
Adult at 6 to 9 inches in carapace length, an occasional individual may exceed 12”. Females are usually the larger gender. Determining gender of adults is an easy task. Not only do females have a short and rather slender tail but they have short claws on their forefeet. Males, on the other hand, have a long and thick tail and long claws on their forefeet. The elongate claws of the males are instrumental in courtship and may also help determine dominance over other males by the strongest and most persistent male. Sexing hatchlings is, in contrast, impossible.
A late winter to early summer breeder, the red-ear can have up to 6 clutches of from 4 to 25+ eggs each season. Clutch size depends on the health and size of the female. Based on temperature and ground moisture incubation varies from 2 to 3 ½ months.
Continue reading "The Red-eared Slider 101"
Friday, May 1 2020
Happy Rattlesnake Friday! This certainly is not a rattlesnake, but it is a beautiful venomous creature. What a great close up of a Gaboon Viper, uploaded by kingsnake.com user magnum26 is full of sassy and potentially life-saving venom! 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.

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