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, July 15 2020
As you can see here in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user mjmullis , there is no doubt where the name Rainbow Boa came from! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Tuesday, July 14 2020
A whole lot of AWWWWS for this newborn Collared Lizard in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user the4thmonkey! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Monday, July 13 2020
 Jake's lifer Red Diamond Rattlesnake
Californ-I-A
Once again before leaving AZ—we expended try number 6 for the white speckled rattlers and try number 4 for the Yuman sand lizards—we failed to see either. As of now I have officially given up trying. But the desert dunes did disclose several Goode’s Horned Lizards (these are one of the desert horned lizard clan) as well as an abundance of Desert Iguanas. The iguanas were so common that they seemed to outnumber the tiger whiptails.
Now westward again.
California was less than an hour away. In southern California, where we actually stayed for a couple of days, the temperatures moderated (read that “warmed”) just a bit allowing us to road hunt by both day and night.
That night on the desert flats we did a bit better, finding besides leaf-toed and banded geckos, Colorado Desert Sidewinders, Colorado Desert shovel-nosed snakes of both tricolor and bicolor phases, a Desert Glossy Snake, a beautiful Lyre Snake, and a classic desert phase California Kingsnake. Our luck finally seemed to be changing for the better.
The next day a group of avid local herpers (none were collectors) allowed us to join their party as they searched for (as Jake had hoped) red diamond rattlers and rosy boas. Both were found (along with a bonus Red Racer that had entangled itself in some lawn netting). The first (and only) red diamond rattler was found by Jake who barely avoided stepping on the quiet snake as it rested in deep grasses near a boulder. It was the only rattlesnake found but a single beautiful rosy boa was also located and photographed.
Later that day the group also provided a Southern Pacific Rattler (that we later turned loose) and a brownish phase speckled rattler that had been rescued from a swimming pool and was also later released.
Continue reading "California Desert Dunes, Desert Flats, and Rolling Hills"
Here is to hoping this Northern Pine in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user orchidspider can cure any case of the Mondays!! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Friday, July 10 2020
Happy Rattlesnake Friday! This is such an amazing shot of an eyelash viper ( Bothriechis schlegelii) in our photo of the day uploaded by kingsnake.com user beckherps ! 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. It is our goal to help dispel the fears surrounding our beloved venomous creatures.

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Thursday, July 9 2020
Most commonly known as the harlequin toad, this Atelopus barbotinitakes center stage in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user jamesmatthews! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!
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Wednesday, July 8 2020
What amazing colors Uros come in, like this ornate in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user plietz! Be sure to tell them you liked it here.
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Tuesday, July 7 2020
Newborns are always something that cures a bad day. This little Ctenosaura palearis in our herp photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user ilovemonitorliza is just the cure for the blues! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Monday, July 6 2020
Love the detail in this headshot of a Uroplatus fimbriatus in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user zmarchetti ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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 A red diamond rattler was one of Jake's target species. Done.
There’s simply no other way to say this. Jake’s and my primary target on our recent western jaunt—a jaunt that comprised nearly 9,000 miles—had been to photo not only a white speckled rattlesnake, Crotalus pyrrhus, but a red one and a blue one as well (the ground color of this species varies in accordance with habitat color). One by one we failed. Neither were a white nor a red found, but the only blue we managed to see was found by friends (thanx again Nick and Mike) who called us and allowed us to photograph their find.
Dismal? Well, not quite.
The one way trip from home to white rattler habitat is actually only about 2,625 miles. That makes the round trip a mere 5,250 miles. So how do we account for the other ~3,000 miles?
Well, we herped TX, other parts of AZ, CA, NV, & UT. Those miles added up quickly. And with the variety of species seen the trip was actually quite successful, especially for Jake for whom many were lifers.
Jake wanted to see a red diamond rattlesnake. We saw these and several other buzztail species. Ditto variable sand snake, Nevada and Desert shovel-noses. Some Glossy, Gopher, King, and Patch-noses. To the total we added a salamander and several toad species. Then we terminated the trip with a few eastern natricines. So I guess whether this trip was a failed attempt or a success depends on how much importance is placed on the various color phases of speckled rattler. But I’ll close by saying that Jake got about 10,000 pix and I got close to 7,000. It’ll be a while before we wade through all of them.
Continue reading "Failure or a Success? Your Call!"
Friday, July 3 2020
This little Diamondback baby found Arizona is adorable in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user kevinjudd in the field! We can only imagine the excitement at this find! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Thursday, July 2 2020
How precious and tiny is this! This wee Gargoyle Gecko is delicately perched on a finger in our Herp Photo of the day, uploaded by kingsnake.com user madisyn74 ! Be sure to tell them you liked it here!

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Wednesday, July 1 2020
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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 Starting July 1, 2020, Iguanas ( Iguana iguana) and Tegus (all species in the genera Salvator and Tupinambis) are now added to Section 379.372, the Florida Statute that regulates species of concern.
This change will restrict ownership, however there is a grandfather clause for animals owned prior to July 1, 2020 as well as exemptions for education as well as breeders. To learn more about your special use permit, click here.
The draft rules will be presented at an upcoming meeting July 22-23 which will be held remotely and you can attend by visiting MyFWC.
To learn more, visit this USARK post.
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