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.
Bear, a captive Heloderma suspectum cinctum, photo courtesy of kingsnake.com user DennisDeLapJr from our galleries.
Venom is a magical thing, it can both destroy and save. When the diabetic drug Byetta hit the market, it was originally marketed as derived from the "spit" of Gila Monsters. The stigma of the destructive properties of venom was too much for the marketing team. Now Ozempic is on the market and making waves for more than it's ability to balance A1C. Ozempic is the newest rage in medical weight loss. But it is the where it came from that interests us. A second medication made from the venom of Gila Monsters moving forward and advancing medicine thanks to the venom of our cold blooded friends.
It all started back in the early 1990s, when government researcher Dr. John Eng discovered that Gila monsters have a special hormone in their venom. The hormone is quite similar to a hunger-regulating hormone humans harbor in the small intestine, which helps control blood sugar levels.
In people, it's called glucagon-like peptide-1. In Gila monsters, Eng named it exendin-4.
Thankfully now, they are marketing it as a venom protein, something we herpers already knew! Here is to hoping this helps increase understanding and conservation into venomous species! To read the full article, click here.
New footage shows hundreds of thousands of baby giant South American river turtles hatching. (Source: Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) / ECOVALE)
Between Brazil and Bovlia along the Guaporé River, scientists recently captured video of the world's largest turtle hatching! Conservation efforts caught the South American River turtles emerging this winter.
Conservationists say coordination between the two countries is important for the protection of the species and hope to establish some sort of protected area for them.
The Wildlife Conservation Society has been working with scientists to use technologies such as drones and thermal images in order to estimate the population of the species there. But, the hope is to be able to use artificial intelligence soon to automate the process of counting the turtles.
Check out the awesome video of these animals hatching here.
A thermal image of the leatherback sea turtle digging sand, in Phang Nga, Thailand January 14, 2023, in this screen grab taken from a handout video obtained by Reuters on January 17, 2023. Department of Marine and Coastal Resources/Handout via REUTERS
Conservation officials in Thailand recently caught an endangered Leatherback Turtle laying their eggs in a nest on drone footage.
The department said a thermal drone was able to record more information than labour-intensive human patrolling techniques, as its sensors could detect the body heat of warm-blooded animals - or more specifically the thermal differences between animals and their surrounding environment - despite the darkness.The technology was helpful in preventing noise and light from disturbing the turtles while nesting, it said.
Crocodile researcher Jonathan Triminio talking to students in BelizeJONATHAN TRIMINIO
Saving a reptile species can be a challenging in it's own right, but what if the benefits are saving an ecosystem too? The Crocodile Research Coalition is attempting to do not only that, but potentially save the world! While it seems like lofty goals, it is all butterfly effect. Or should we say Crocodile effect instead?
THe CRC has been tracking the impact of pollution on the native Morelet's Crocodiles since 2019 for impacts of local pollution on the current stable population. This research can then be used to impact not only the animals in the study, but the ecosystem as a whole. With public outreach provided to residents through the CRC, changes happen.
Dr. Marisa Tellez, Executive Director of the Crocodile Research Coalition, says that the biggest challenge at the moment is breaking down over a century of misguided information and false stereotypes about Belize’s crocodiles while simultaneously fighting against the sensationalism of TV shows and media about crocodiles.
"If we want to ensure the long-term success of any conservation program, not only do the local communities need to be educated about the Do’s and Don’ts living alongside wildlife, but they also need to know the facts, along with being involved to further pride and stewardship of one’s natural world," she says.
A side view of the lizard's skull and razor-sharp teeth. (Image credit: David Whiteside, Sophie Chambi-Trowell and Mike Benton/Natural History Museum UK))
The discovery of a new prehistoric lizard shifts the timeline of when reptiles evolved! The remains were found embedded in a rock in storage since the 1950's at the National History Museum in London.Cryptovaranoides microlanius dates back about 202 million years, placing it firmly in the Triassic period. It is also 35 million years earlier than previously recorded reptilian life!
But despite the lizard's small stature, its sharp teeth would have delivered a menacing bite, which inspired the paleontologists to name it Cryptovaranoides microlanius; the species name means "small butcher," while the genus means "hidden" and "lizardlike," a nod to the decades it spent languishing unnoticed in NHM storage. When C. microlanius was alive, it likely preyed on arthropods and small vertebrates on the limestone-rich islands that once surrounded what is now Bristol, according to the study.
To read more about our new favorite dinosaur, click here.
The Manning River turtle has had it's population decimated over time, but recent conservation efforts have been proving successful. In the four years the species has been surveyed, they have only found one potential nest but no evidence of any eggs surviving. However now there is light! 4 hatchlings estimated at a week old have recently been discovered proving the start of species recovery.
"Finding hatchlings for the first time in four years gives us a good indication of habitat, where they are nesting and breeding successfully," he said.
"It means we can target follow-up surveys there and we can learn a bit more about their nesting and early life stage ecology."
Although originally discovered in 1986, the Galapagos Pink Land Iguana (Conolophus marthae) took a few years to properly type as their own species. The aging population is critically endangered with an estimated 200-300 animals left. Now we are seeing the first official nesting sites of this rare Iguana, for the first time since the species was fully identified in 2009.
“The discovery of the first-ever nest and young pink iguanas together with evidence of the critical threats to their survival has also given us the first hope for saving this enigmatic species from extinction.” Paul Salaman, president of Galápagos Conservancy, says in a statement. “Now, our work begins to save the pink iguana.”
VIsit the Smithsonian Magazine to read more about this amazing conservation effort here.
Engineer and YouTuber, Allen Pan decided to give snakes their legs back recently and blew the minds of millions of non-herpers who learned, snakes once had legs! Me personally? I initially thought it was a skink in a wheelchair!
Typically when we share stories of famous people encountering reptiles, it is because they ended badly and stupidly.
Today I want to pay tribute to footballer and hometown boy to me, JJ Watt. If you know me, you know my stance on football. I gave it up for Vick, but JJ here, might get me to buy a Jersey. See in Wisconsin we don't have many rattlesnakes. We only have two species and running across them does take effort and knowledge. We just don't happen upon them in our homes. On occasion, snakes do get into homes, but more often than not it is your basic garter snake or occasionally a milk or fox. Every single rattlesnake call I have gotten to my rescue has been a Fox Snake. But JJ recently joined up with the Arizona Cardinals and had a bit of excitement when a baby snake was in his bathroom. He went to the internet for advice and then promptly disappeared for several hours.
"Alright, here's an update on the snake situation," Watt said. "For those of you who don't know, woke up this morning, went into the bathroom. Found a baby rattlesnake in the corner of the bathroom, curled up in the corner. I'm from Wisconsin, I don't have a lot of experience with snakes. Couple garden snakes here or there, couple in Houston, but don't know a lot about snakes. Don't know how to handle snakes. Not a big fan of snakes. When I got down here to Arizona, everybody said 'watch out for the scorpions and watch out for the rattlesnakes, they live close to the mountains, there's going to be snakes. Monsoon season brings out the snakes. Stay away from rattle snakes. Babies are the most venomous rattlesnakes because they don't know how to handle their venom. They shoot it all in their first bite.' So I got all of this stuff in my head. So I call a guy, I don't know what to do. So, I call this guy and he comes out to the house and he takes a look at it and he just picks it up with his bare hands. And he goes 'ah, it's not a rattlesnake. It's a long nose snake. Completely harmless.' And then he left.
"So, if you ever want to feel like a wimp, that's the way to do it."
Hey JJ, from one cheesehead to another, it isn't being a wimp. It is called being smart. You gave the animal the respect it deserved not knowing what it was. You called an expert in to properly remove and relocate it. You didn't harm the animal in any way. Lastly, you learned a little bit along the way. Next time you are up visiting your folks, hit a sista up. I'll meet up with you and take you somewhere that you can learn some basic stuff to help you out in the future. And thank you for respect that snakes like and not killing it. We need more good guys like you.
If you want to see JJ's tweet about this, click here.
Inset photo from kingsnake gallery user NDokai - see image at http://gallery.kingsnake.com/photo.php?id=381028
In yet another victory on behalf of the reptile community by USARK, the changes to the Lacey Act hidden deep in the America COMPETES act in the "CHIPS-Plus" bill have been removed!
For months USARK lobbied and members of the reptile community contacted their representatives and it worked! For now, there will be no changes to the Lacey Act.
We have been posting relevant updates on our main alert here (scroll down). To be brief, the “CHIPS-Plus” bill that passed in the Senate passed the House on 7/28 (243-187 vote). This bill includes some of the technology initiatives included in the America COMPETES Act, USICA, and other bills. The portions of COMPETES that were not germane to the intent of the bill (including the bad Lacey Act amendments) were not added to the CHIPS-Plus package. This should be the end of any threat from these Lacey Act amendments for this Congressional session.
For those who spent the past few months messaging, calling and writing letters, YOU DID IT! And a HUGE thank you to USARK!
Long time member, friend and nemesis of kingsnake.com, Tim Cole of Austin Reptile Service has been hit with some major heath issues. He has been in and out of the ICU. Last week he was placed in a medically induced coma due to breathing issues. It as learned that he has an enlarged thyroid and they do not know if it is cancer or not, but surgery happened yesterday. Pathology is going to take about a week. Tim is back in the ICU with breathing issues.
While Tim can be a bit of a pill at times, he has been a great asset to the reptile community. His dedication to rescue and education is amazing. His support of up and coming herpers is amazing. I can speak from personal experience that even while Tim and I would butt heads over what he could and couldn't do on this sit, he was always there to offer support and guidance with my rescue work, while badmouthing my moderation skills.
Tim is self-employeed like so very many of us are in the reptile community. It has been a few very hard years for everyone but if you could consider even donating $5.00. He has been in the ICU over a week, he has had surgery, he is eating hospital food. He has a TON of rescue animals at home. His GoFundMe can be found here.
Also Tim is a bit of an old school kinda fella. For those not local who feel so inclined, I bet he would love actual get well cards. You can mail them to:
4500 Williams Drive,
Suite 212-113
Georgetown, TX
78633
New changes to state law could impact some keepers in Alabama. The state however has opened a comment period until August 4th where you can lodge objections. Some of the more important changes to be aware of:
-Makes all king snakes (Lampropeltis spp.) and hybrids illegal to own, breed, and sell without a scientific collection permit or permit from the Commissioner. Currently, only Eastern, prairie, and black “speckled” king snakes are listed.
-Makes it illegal to own more than one box turtle (all Terrapene spp.) or sell/trade a box turtle without a scientific collection permit or permit from the Commissioner.
-There are other new rules including, but not limited to, additional protected nongame species and Eastern diamondback rattlesnake regulations.
As always, the folks at USARK have made it simple to respond. They have all the contact information and a template here. You can read the full proposal here.
Although it does include a grandfather clause for current owners, the new law passed this week in Raleigh, NC is quite restrictive.
Spurred on by a viral loose spitting cobra last year, the city council passed a new law banning
Under the ordinance, keeping a pet from a species considered a “dangerous wild animal” will be prohibited within city limits.
A “dangerous wild animal” is considered by the city to be “any non-domesticated animal, which is normally found in the wild state, is inherently dangerous to person or property, and which generally does not live in or about the habitation of humans.”
The city’s definition includes “medically significant snakes.” The city defines those as any snake whose venom can cause death, serious illness, or injury. It also includes snakes whose venom would require emergency room care or immediate care of a physician.
The law does include a grandfather clause for current owners of animals this may apply to. You must register your animals before July 1, 2023. However be ready, the law goes into effect in two months!
These are the extensive requirements for the grandfather clause:
- Detailed inventory of animals with descriptions and photo(s) of animals
- Requirement to notify the City when the animal is moved to another location
- Plan for transfer of ownership or destruction if owner can no longer care for the animal
- Maintain health records of the animal
- Proof of ownership, such as a bill of sale
- Certifies that owner will only keep up to 10 medically significant venomous snakes
- Must possess liability insurance
- Will immediately report the escape of any dangerous wild animals in their possession
A criminal background check would also be required to ensure owners don’t have any previous felony charges or convocations of animal abuse.
To read more, visit CBS17
Inset image courtesy of Bob B. Chicago Herpetological Society Rescue Program.
There are several issues that USARK-FL is currently dealing with in Florida that they need the help of Florida Residents.
First up is a rule requiring owners to report all injuries from their animals to the authorities. This opens your medical files to the government and could also be used as violations against you. You can read more about that here This rule is coming up for a vote at the FWC meetings next week. You can learn more about attendance here.
There is also the ongoing issue of the white list and banned animals in Florida. From their most recent alert, which can be read here:
From Kristen Penney Sommers of FWC to USARK FL President Elizabeth Wisneski on June 9, 2022:
"Per our discussion yesterday, the attached list is a repository of species that we have either had risk work completed on, or species that have been suggested to have risk work conducted on. In no way is this the “white list” that your members are claiming. One of the duties of the Nonnative Fish and Wildlife program is to evaluate the risk of species that may be introduced into the state. This spreadsheet is in part documentation of our efforts to address responsibilities to all of the citizens in Florida."
While use of the term "White List" was discouraged by Sommers and other FWC staff at the last "Technical Assistance Group" (TAG) meeting, FWC did introduce the terms "Unrestricted List," "Restricted List," and "Not Allowed List."
If you are a Florida herper, you really need to follow and join USARK-FL to keep abreast of the ever changing legal environment!
This week I have the honor of speaking at the International Herpetological Symposium in Atlanta. I will be sharing a variety of stories of my over 25 years working in reptile rescue and with a limited time, only so many stories can be shared. I thought I would share one that didn't make it here as a preview!
The IHS is a fantastic conference held annually in different locations around the world in partnerships with local zoos. The speakers range from people like me who love reptiles and people in the trade to experienced researchers, vets and zoo professionals. There is always the greatest banquet and behind the scenes tour at the local zoo. Just in case you were unaware of what IHS is.
One story I had to cut was that of Wylde Stallion. Sit back and grab a drink, because this is a long one.