Herp Photo of the Day

Each month like clockwork, five dollars disappears. I never really miss it, I get an email telling me it is gone. I am a Bronze Sustaining member of USARK. In total, it is $60 per year to them, a little more than regular bronze and it is a little more than two tacos a month for me so I never notice. USARK is essential to our community.

An embryo of Cape house snake (Boaedon capensis) stained to show developing muscle blocks in the trunk. The embryo shows right-handed coiling. Credit: Raul Diaz, California State University Los Angeles.

Northern Leopard Frog from kingsnake.com user Terry Cox credit: kingsnake photo gallery 

Experts attached a satellite transmitter to Pancake's shell, which will track its location for up to 90 days. Mary Dixon / Wildlife Conservation Society

A few new action alerts have hit USARK's page that may impact reptiles owners that we wanted to share here! If this impacts you, be sure to check the links!

Screenshot of the live Pennsylvania den of I think "Pickle" one of their Timber Rattlesnakes. Yes they have names and profiles! 

Researcher Corinna Hazelrig studies a snake. Credit: Taylor Miller

Tini, an olive ridley sea turtle, recently laid her eggs on Junitper Beach, Florida marking the first time ever for that species. While loggerheads, leatherbacks and greens do typically nest on the beach, this was the first ever record nest for the species recorded by Loggerhead Marinelife Center.

Olive ridleys are among the smallest sea turtle species and are known for their olive-green, heart-shaped shells. They are also famous for two nesting strategies: solitary nesting and the "arribada," a mass nesting event in which thousands of females come ashore at once.

We aren't talking about the German Heavy Metal but here, but the actual arachnid! Scientists have recently discovered that 18 species of scorpions reinforce their stingers and pinchers with a variety of "heavy metals".

Attenborough in pursuit of a giant anteater in the Rupununi Savannah, British Guiana BBC David Attenbourgh's 100 birthday just passed and to many of us he introduced us to the wonders of nature and our beloved reptiles in their natural environments. Have you ever thought how he got his start? Amazingly he was not a naturalist but a film maker. His role was originally behind the camera! His big break came with a python on the third film expedition.

With my parang in my hand, I swung myself up into the tree. The branch around which the snake had draped itself was about 30 feet above the ground. As I approached it, I saw to my relief that the reptile was lying at least 10 feet along it, looking straight at me with its yellow button-like eyes. I braced my back against the trunk behind me, and began cutting. As the branch shook beneath my parang the reptile lifted its head, hissed and flickered its long black tongue. One of its coils began slithering smoothly over the branch. I redoubled my efforts. The bough creaked and slowly hinged downwards. With two more blows, it fell clear, carrying the python with it, and landed with a crash close by the boy and the old man.

image from Iowa County Sheriff facebook page of Burmese found in WI

This is WRONG and puts our entire hobby at risk.

Hey, it's Earth Day.

Hear ye, hear ye!

You asked, we've made it happen.