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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.
Tuesday, March 17 2015Green keelback: The nightmare of toads The grass snake, or green keelback, (Macropisthodon plumbicolor) is a common snake found in india and a beautiful one indeed. As I mentioned in my previous vine snake post, I'm attracted to green-coloured snakes, so without any doubt I can call this one of my favourites. Grass snakes are relatives of the familiar garter snakes found in the United States. Grass snakes are also called "green cobra" by few local rescuers in India because the young ones raise their hood like a cobra -- and trust me, they look awesome in that position. When you hold a grass snake in your hand you can feel its rough scales, which are why it is called a keelback. Grass snakes are toad lovers, so I guess these snakes are more eager for rainy season than any other animal. The sad part about their toad-loving habit is that many times grass snakes have been seen eating larger toads as relative to their length, and they die due to over-consumption of prey. Although grass snakes are non-venomous, their saliva is toxic to frogs and toads, so even if a frog or toad escapes from the mouth or jaws of a grass snake it will die in a short span of time. The grass snake's body is green and stout with keeled scales and a short tail. It has large green golden eyes with black pupils. Adults are green in color and sometimes have white spots on the fore body. Young ones have a black inverted 'v' mark on the head, and blue-black bands on the body that disappear as the snake grows. Grass snakes are found in grasslands and forests, and also in densely-populated cities like Pune. They are very shy and do not bite. I have never seen an aggressive green keelback, but it can be capable of giving a painful bite, although it rarely does. It is a viviparous snake and lays 6-7 eggs between March and June. This was one of the snakes I used to handle during my early days of snake rescuing because it never used to bite and it helped me to elminate my fear of snakes. I'm always very grateful to these snakes. 
The little frogs with big voices
These elfin spirits of woodland and prairie care not whether you call them peepers, chorus frogs, or treefrogs. They are the various species of the genus Pseudacris, a genus comprised of about a dozen species.
 They include in their ranks the smallest frog of the United States, the southeastern little grass frog, P. ocularis, that is adult at only 5/8ths of an inch and the giant of the genus, the Pacific treefrog, P. regilla, that may be a full 2 inches long. The majority of the species, however are adult at about 7/8ths inch to about 1 1/8th inches in length. In other words, all are diminutive. Most of the chorus frogs have a vocalization that sounds like a fingernail being run along the small teeth of a plastic pocket comb. The pulse rate is slower and the frog's color darker when temperatures are cold. The trill is faster and the colors brighter when the frog is warm. Those that don't have an apparent ratcheting trill produce peeps. Truth be told though, if the pulse rate of the peeps were slowed you would again be listening to a very apparent ratcheting. Even where populations of chorus frogs are producing boisterous choruses, the little frogs, usually clad in camouflage colors and patterns, can be difficult to see. More often than not they position themselves in a clump of grasses emerging from the shallows of an ephemeral pond (or roadside ditch), nose pointing almost straight upward, and when so positioned are almost invisible. If searching, it is often the inflated and vibrating vocal sac that is most apparent. Of all chorus frogs, spring peepers, P. crucifer, and little grass frogs are the most arboreal. They may call from almost any available vantage position from water's edge to several feet high in vegetation. I wish you happy hunting and much luck as you search for these little frogs. You will probably need it. Continue reading "The little frogs with big voices" Monday, March 16 2015Ornate Flying Snake: The wingless flying beauty
In India, the ornate flying snake, Chrysopelea ornata, is also called the "ornamental flying snake" because of its unique and beautiful colour combination.
 There are five species of flying snakes found around the world. All of them are found in Asian countries and belong to the chrysopelea family. India is home to two of those species: the ornate flying snake and the paradise flying snake (Chrysopelea paradisii). While the paradise flying snake is found in the eastern parts of India, the ornate flying snake is found in some parts of Maharashtra, Goa, and Karnataka, as well as some central and north eastern parts of India. Many people think that this snake flies like a bird, but the truth is this snake does not fly, it glides from higher heights to lower heights. It is not able to fly from lower heights to higher. I am seriously in love with the colour of this snake. Its body is greenish-yellow with black bands and red spots between the bands. The head is black with yellow bands on top. The underside is pale green. The size of the snake varies from 150-175 cms, and it is oviparous by nature. I was the luckiest guy on the planet the day I found this snake while herping in the jungles of Karnataka with my friend Riyaz Khoja, a wildlife photographer and snake rescuer.  We were walking in the jungle around 8 AM and saw thin branches move like something had fallen on them. We ran to the tree and were surprised to see a good-sized ornate flying snake. I was so excited, I shouted like I had just won the lottery, and my voice echoed through the jungle. We lifted the snake from the branches and kept him in a relaxed position on the tree. After Riyaz clicked these beautiful photographs, we left the snake where we found it. The memory of finding this snake brings a smile to my face every time I think about it. There are not words enough to express how beautiful they are. Bullets, bombs, and snake bites: Military duty is hazardous A soldier assigned to a Kenya naval station was killed last month by a venomous snake, reports military newspaper Stars and Stripes.Pfc. Bailey Jerome Swaggart, 25, of the 4th Brigade, 1st Armored Division, died Feb. 19, a month after he was deployed to Manda Bay Naval Base. He was assigned to guard an air strip and got out of his Humvee to investigate a small brush fire nearby and was bitten. The military treats more bite victims than many realize. According to a 2013 U.S. Army Research study , 17 cases of venomous snakebite, most in Afghans but including two U.S. service members, were brought to three U.S. military medical units in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2011; all survived after treatment. The median time between being bitten and receiving treatment was 2.8 hours. East Africa has a wide variety of venomous snakes, including puff adders, cobras, vipers and mambas. Though it was unclear which type of snake killed Swaggart, it was thought to have been a viper or a black mamba. We all know members of the military are exposed to the hazards associated with a war zone, things like snipers, ambushes, and IEDs. It may not always occur to us hey're also subject to the normal hazards of daily life, like car accidents, workplace accidents, and snake and insect bites. However, these dangers occur often enough to produce a significant casualty rate on their own, and often in areas of lesser or no conflict are the main cause of injury among service men and women. To read more, check out the complete article on the Stars and Stripes website. Black mamba photo by site user 1sun. Thursday, March 12 2015A cat that doesn’t meow: The common Indian cat snake If someone asks me about my five favorite Indian snakes, I would include the cat snake.Cat snakes, Boiga trigonata, are the snakes I always like to hold in my hand and play with them. A cat snake is basically a tree snake, so it is a slow moving snake like many other tree snakes.The best thing I like about the cat snake is that, if I hold its tail upside down,bit will slowly slowly coil back to its regular position. There are 7-8 species of cat snakes found in the Indian sub-continent.The common Indian cat snake is the most commonly found amongst other cat snakes. Cat snakes are semi-venomous snakes which are also called rear fanged snake. Cat snakes are found across the world and in many places they are named as cat-eyed snake because of their vertical eye pupils which ressembles a cat's eye. The common Indian cat snake is long and thin, and the body and tail are slightly compressed. It has large head with large cat -ike eyes and vertical pupils. Colour is light brown with darker brown zig-zag markings. There's a brown streak behind each eye. The ventral part is yellow or white with small spots. The size varies from 100-125cms in an adult. As it is a tree snake it is mainly found on trees and bushes in grassland. It is a shy natured snake and usually does not bite but, when it is disturbed, lifts head to strike and vibrates its tail. Common cat snakes feed on lizards, frogs, geckos, small birds, and mice. It is oviparous and lays 5-8 eggs in tree hollows and it is nocturnal in nature. I never got a chance to rescue a cat snake as they prefer hilly and dense jungle areas and unfortunately I live in a city. For every time I go out on herping I wish I could find a cat snake, it's like looking for a diamond in a coal mine. Continue reading "A cat that doesn’t meow: The common Indian cat snake" The magnificent red snakes of the mangroves
There is in South Florida, a salt marsh in which dwell some of the prettiest mangrove saltmarsh snakes, Nerodia clarkii compressicauda, I have ever happened across.
 There are many, of course, that are rather run-of-the-mill, but there are some that are clad in scales that are the brightest red I have ever seen on a water snake. Many evenings the search first turns up one or more mangroves that are the more traditional dull olive green with variably distinct dark markings that are also variable in shape--sometimes blotches, sometimes bands, and sometimes stripes. The latter, if present, usually on the neck and anterior body. Although also variable, the red examples tend towards a solid, unpatterned color, be it a rather pale orange red, a medium red, or the bright red, the phase I search most eagerly for, for no reason other than I enjoy seeing it. As an entity, mangrove salt marsh snakes are fairly common in coastal areas along the southern two-thirds of the Florida peninsula and the Keys. The farther north in their range you find them, the more apt they are to be of grayish ground color and have broken dark striping. At the northernmost end of the range on both coasts, there is a intergradation with the subspecies next northward. That is the Gulf salt marsh snake, N. c. clarkii on the Gulf Coast and the Atlantic salt marsh snake, N. c. taeniata, on the Atlantic Coast. Continue reading "The magnificent red snakes of the mangroves" Tuesday, March 10 2015Looks can be deceiving when it comes to the leopard rat snake
Many, many, years ago when I first saw a photo of Elaphe situla (now Zamenis situla) I did a double take. Although it was captioned "Leopard Rat Snake," at first glance (and even at second glance) it sure looked like a corn snake.
 Eventually I was lucky enough to see a leopard rat snake and to learn there are two distinctly different patterns, a saddled and a striped. Later still, I acquired a pair of each phase and bred the taxon. I learned that despite the similarity of the saddled phase to our corn snake the slender, Old World, leopard rat snake was and is quite unlike the New World species. Please allow me to introduce you. First, although often referred to as a European taxon, the leopard rat snake is actually Eurasian in distribution. This snake has a ground color of warm brown to gray and, depending on the phase, either a pair of dark-edged red stripes or neck-to-tail irregular dark bordered red saddles. Both phases have a row of prominent black spots along each side. A dark interocular crescent is present as are other dark markings on neck and face. The venter varies from being nearly solid black to being light with black checkers. This scrubland snake is adult at a slender 2 to 3 feet in length. I was told that captive bred examples will feed readily on suitably sized lab mice. Those I had, though, were wild caught and refused lab mice, but readily accepted wild mice of the genus Peromyscus (white-footed and cotton mice). To comply with their tastes we began a breeding program of the desired mouse species. This was a bit time consuming but proved well worth the effort. The snakes thrived, bred, and as I had been told the hatchlings did indeed feed readily on pinky lab mice. Continue reading "Looks can be deceiving when it comes to the leopard rat snake" Monday, March 9 2015We need you to help giant snakes in need! Reptile rescues need the community's support now more than ever. With the recent addition of the the reticulated python and all species of anaconda to the injurious species list, rescues will lose a large adoption and placement pool. I have operated my rescue for 21 years now, and for much of that time I have relied on my friends to the south to assist when I had giant species. Depending on what I have in the rescue at any given time, I may need to call upon my Illinois friends to take even a large boa constrictor. Thankfully, I still have that outlet for boas, but at the end of our 30-day grace period, I will lose that ability with retics and all anacondas. Crossing state lines with those species will no longer be legal, and working with my partners in Illinois would make me an instant felon. I am not alone in this; there are rescues across the country that will need assistance from our community. As the community rallies behind USARK in the upcoming battle to remove these species from the list, it would be wonderful if those of you who have the ability to own one of the restricted species would take this moment and reach out. Contact your local herp society, which undoubtably runs a rescue program, as well as local reptile rescues to let them know you are willing to help. Need help locating a rescue near you? Please post in the comments or check out our rescue listing located here. Friday, March 6 2015USFWS: Reticulated pythons, anacondas added to list; boa constrictors spared An inaccurate report published last night in the Miami Herald set the stage for bad news, but while today the USFWS has chosen not to list the boa constrictor as an invasive species at this time, they did list the reticulated pythons and three species of anaconda. A press release issued today by the service stated: "The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) today declared the reticulated python, DeSchauensee’s anaconda, green anaconda and Beni anaconda as “injurious” under the Lacey Act. A fifth snake, the boa constrictor, is removed from consideration for listing as an injurious wildlife species. To read the complete press release, click here. Photo: kingsnake.com user Steve Ray Thursday, March 5 2015Report: USFWS to add boas, reticulated pythons, anacondas to invasive list The US Fish & Wildlife Service will be adding boa constrictors, reticulated pythons, and anacondas to the invasive species restricted list, banning their import and interstate transport, reports the Miami Herald. On Friday, agency director Dan Ashe will make the announcement in Florida at at the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in Boynton Beach.This is not likely to end the long fight between the USFWS and the reptile community, begun in 2006 when the ban was first proposed and the subject of an ongoing lawsuit by the United States Association of Reptile & Amphibian Keepers (USARK). While it is expected to impact the industry, many states will see legal local sales of restricted animals continue, so the overall impact is unclear. For more information, check out the complete story at the Miami Herald. Photo: kingsnake.com user Dewback The beautiful one hundred pace snake
Known as the one hundred pacer to some, a graphic reference to the supposed efficacy of the venom (one bite and you're dead in 100 paces or less!) and the snorkel-nosed viper to others, Deinagkistrodon acutus is one of the most recognizable and photogenic of the Asian snakes.
 Having a light ground color, the dark triangular pattern is boldly evident--unless the snake is lying quietly coiled on a substrate of variably colored leaves. Then the camouflaging benefits of the pattern will be truly appreciated. Adults of this oviparous crotaline may near a heavy bodied 5 feet in length. Hatchlings are a relatively slender 8 inches. A clutch typically numbers between 10 and 25 eggs, but up to 35 have been documented. Prey items of this crepuscular and nocturnal snake include amphibians, small ground nesting or ground active birds and rodents. Ranging over much of southern China and northern Vietnam, this taxon is of cultural significance in many areas, among which Taiwan is prominent. Continue reading "The beautiful one hundred pace snake" Tuesday, March 3 2015Chicken turtles wander, but they aren't lost
It was late spring, in the Apalachicola National Forest (ANF) and I happened to have an hour to kill before meeting Kenny for a couple of days of herping. I was within a few miles of a favorite puddle, so decided to stop by for a hurried visit. During the winter this bit of water was a breeding site for ornate chorus frogs, I had seen a banded water snake or two there, and in previous years had seen a few mole salamanders beneath water edge logs.
 But this time when I pulled up the site was unrecognizable. We had had an unusually wet winter and the rains had continued into the spring. The site, including the road-edge drainage ditch, was filled and overflowing with water. For a moment or two I contemplated whether I wanted to get wet just before leaving on a trip. But then a turtle surfaced in the flowing water of the ditch--a turtle with a narrow head and a prominently striped neck-- an eastern chicken turtle, Deirochelys r. reticularia. Unlike many of their semi-aquatic emydine stay-at-home relatives, the chicken turtles (3 subspecies) are known for their peregrinations. These turtles wander widely from flooded meadow to vernal pond to the still waters of canal edges. If things get uncomfortably dry they dig down and aestivate. And although I consider them one of the "everywhere and nowhere" turtles (meaning they are widespread but seldom readily seen), they are seen infrequently enough to consider each sighting a mini-event. So now, if you have interpreted the last paragraph correctly, you know I wasn't about to leave without at least trying to get some data from the chicken turtle. Yep. I got wet, but I was able to catch the turtle, a perfect example, an adult male. Hopefully he is still wandering, stopping now and again to sire more generations of wandering turtles. They are a delight to see. Continue reading "Chicken turtles wander, but they aren't lost" Thursday, February 26 2015Should reptile shows be legal in the U.K.? Last weekend saw the annual British Royal Pigeon Racing Association show in Blackpool. The show attracts around 15,000 visitors, with over 100 trade stands and around 3,000 animals. It’s the biggest pigeon show in the calendar and, as far as we are aware, it went off without a hitch.But this is a reptile site, so why am I telling you this? Because at the same time as the pigeon show was happening, the UK reptile show scene is preparing for a landmark legal case to determine if reptile shows are legal. The Federation of British Herpetologists, representing the interests of reptile societies and hobbyists, is confident that the judicial review will be a good thing for the hobby regardless of the outcome. Should the review find in favour of the shows then this will be a major blow to the extremist animal rights organizations who wish to see the shows banned. Should the review go against the hobby, then government will be under enormous pressure to revise the loophole in the outdated legislation in British law which makes the legality of shows ambiguous. It is hoped that the shows will eventually be licensed as this will vindicate local authorities who are pressured into stopping the shows by animal rights campaigners. Reptile shows are a hugely beneficial network facilitating the sharing of expertise. Many respected animal welfare organizations recommend hobbyists buy their animals directly from a reputable breeder, and these shows provide the best opportunity to achieve that aim. These shows and relationships help to advance the hobby. More worryingly, should reptile shows be banned then the ruling would likely be rolled out to cover all vertebrate animals – dogs, cats, fish, rabbits and pigeons included. Then where would we be? Raise your glass lizard
Although actually of Eurasian distribution, this hefty glass lizard is often referred to as the European Glass Lizard.
 Commonly an unmarked light to dark brown overall, occasional examples are lighter with variable patterns of a darker brown. Hatchlings are gray with irregular darker banding. It may grow to 3 feet or slightly longer when an adult. Although never of great hobbyist interest, it seems that there has always been a few of these brown glass lizards with the strongly keeled scales available in the pet trade. Prices have always been reasonable. For example, I just checked the Kingsnake.com classified section for "Other Lizards" and there are 2 ads for these interesting lizards asking $75.00 each. Sadly (and perhaps strangely) there are very few O. apodus bred in captivity. Availability has always dependent on wild collected imports. This renders the availability of this taxon vulnerable to changing and ever more restrictive laws. I would hope that we won't allow the availability of this interesting lizard to go the way of the Basin emerald tree boa or the Colombian horned frog, only 2 of many one-time common species that are now very difficult to find in the pet trade. Continue reading "Raise your glass lizard" Wednesday, February 25 2015Vine snake: The hidden predator As the name itself describes, the vine snake, Ahaetulla nasuta, is a tree-reliant snake that camofluages itself as a vine in foliage. There are five species of vine snake found in India amongst which the green vine snake is most commonly found.The green vine snake has a thin and long body that is expanded when disturbed to show a black and white scale marking otherwise hidden under the scales. The head is elongated and pointed, which appears like a leaf shape having attractive golden yellow eyes with black horizontal pupils. The body colour is bright or dark green with a bluish tint in exceptional cases. The ventral side is separated by two white lines in the greenish dorsal under side. In an adult green vine snake, size varies from 150 to 200 cm. The green vine snake is viviparous by nature.  Vine snakes are found across the world including the South American and African continents. Most of the places it is called a whip snake.I never got a chance to rescue this species because my area is a "concrete jungle," full of buildings, but I've come across vine snakes while herping. One fine morning in the jungles of Goa, I was herping for some vine snakes and pit viper snakes through the green trees and cool breeze. Although it was a sunny morning, I could not find anything. Then I took a few steps back and realized I'd missed something due to the previous night's booze effect, and I saw a vine snake hiding himself in the green leaves. It was almost 7am and indeed a good start. Vine snakes are a perfect example of nature’s beauty. Many of my friends call it "a snake from a different planet" because of its appearance, which makes it look different from other snakes. For me, "Green is my favourite colour and vine snake is my favourite creature in green." Ahaetulla nasuta in threat posture by Sandilya Theuerkauf This file is licensed under the license. Green vine snake by Manuspanicker. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Tuesday, February 24 2015Blue, orange, and beautiful
Since I live in Gainesville, Florida, and since blue and orange is the official color scheme of the Gaters, the University of Florida football team, it is only reasonable to think that I'm writing about football. And if I gave a twit about the game, perhaps I would be.
 But the blue and orange I'm thinking of is found from Charlotte and Brevard counties southward to the tip of the peninsula. They are the breeding colors of the males of a fast moving, very agile, introduced lizard. Known as the red headed agama, Agama agama africana, the dominant males of this African pet trade lizard actually have a bright orange head that contrasts sharply with the deep blue body coloration. Non-breeding males may be only slightly more colorful than the olive-gray females. It was more than 2 decades ago that the South African subspecies of this lizard, Agama a. agama, (identified by an all blue-green tail) was first found to be feral in Florida. It is not known whether cold weather extirpated this taxon from Florida or whether it interbred with and was out-competed by the West African form (identified by a tricolored blue-orange-black tail) that is now present in the state. The red headed agama may be seen on bridge abutments, old buildings, and ornamental exposed rocks in gardens and fences. It is quick to notice any movement that it considers threatening and quickly retreats to safety. Pretty? Yes! Does it belong here? No. But this form has been present for about 20 years now and continues to expand its range. It may just become a permanent lacertilian fixture in the state. Continue reading "Blue, orange, and beautiful" Monday, February 23 2015Checkered keelback: The serpentine mermaid The checkered keelback, Xenochrophis piscator, is one of the most commonly found water snakes in the Indian subcontinent. I call it "the serpentine mermaid" due to its aquatic habitat and a beautiful checkered pattern on its body personifying a mermaid. The word "keelback" describes rough scales in every keelback snake.This snake appears to have a thick, round, and cylindrical body growing more slender toward the tail, with size varying from 140n to 175 cm in length. Checkered keelbacks have large eyes with round pupils, and a checkered pattern of glossy keeled scales can be seen on the upper body with rows of black, yellow, or moss-green checks alternating with white ones. Colours on the fore body can be seen in reddish, greenish, yellowish, brownish, and bluish shades, with white underside and two black streaks behind the eye. These snakes are very aggressive and eager to bite when disturbed unexpectedly. A checkered keelback bite can be really painful because of its sharp pointed fangs, which help it to get a good grip on slippery fish and amphibians. I always prefer using a snake stick while handling a checkered keelback because I had a bad experience in the past being bitten by one, which was enormously painful with a deep scar. These snakes prefer living in marshy water bodies like gutters, drainages, rivers, ponds, and lakes while staying on land at night. If threatened, it flattens its neck and strikes with mouth wide open. It is an oviparous snake laying 20-40 eggs in crevices near water. It was recorded that a female checkered keelback 150 cm long laid 110 eggs at the Pune Snake Park in Pune, Maharashta. It's always fun handling a checkered keelback because of its active behavior, but the experience is scary, too!  kingsnake.com launches new Classified Vendor Directory kingsnake.com has launched a new cassified ad directory of those who have an active profile in our vendor profile system, which launched last year. Listing in the directory is free with the purchase of a classified advertising account, and the listing stays active while the classified account is active. If the classified account expires or becomes inactive the vendor profile, and its listing in the directory, will "hibernate" until the classified account becomes active again. The classified directory has an overview and detailed view of vendor listings, as well as vendors, classified ads, and events listed by state or province. To be listed, current vendors need to update their profiles. You can check out the new Classified Vendor Directory here! If you have a classified account but have not set up your vendor profile yet, you can set up or edit your profile by logging in at http://market.kingsnake.com/account/. If you already have a classified ad vendor profile, there is one minor update you'll want to make: adding a descriptive sentence about your business for the directory. After 18 years kingsnake.com is still the largest and most popular reptile and amphibian classified site on the web. A kingsnake.com classified account enables you to post dozens of ads per day, seen by thousands of reptile and amphibian people worldwide, all for just pennies a day. If you don't have a classified account, need to renew, or want to be listed in the Classified Vendor Directory, you can purchase a classified account for as little as $20 by going to http://www.kingsnake.com/shared/services/classified.php. Thursday, February 19 2015Smoky jungle frog in the darkness
One of the most characteristic sounds of the neotropical rain forests is a rather mournful whooping call that is often heard at dusk on rainy or very humid nights, but which may sometimes be heard well after the tropical darkness has fallen. Although many have heard this call, used in motion pictures and other sound tracks, far fewer realize that it is the breeding call of a frog--a big frog, a bullfrog sized frog.
 It is the call of the smoky jungle frog, Leptodactylus pentadactylus, a common, primarily terrestrial, rainforest denizen, and it is one that we usually easily see on our tours. In fact, when climatic conditions are ideal we can at times see the red eyeshine of 10 or more on the forest trail just behind the compound on Madre Selva Biological Preserve. The alert frogs often sit next to their burrows on the open trail, but they are wary and if not approached very carefully they will jump into the burrow long before you are close to them. They also breed in burrows with eggs laid in foam nests that may or may not be in contact with water. I should mention that the glandular secretions of this and related species are quite virulent. It is best not to handle these frogs if you have open cuts/scratches on your hands and need I say this? After handling one NEVER RUB YOUR EYES before washing your hands! Continue reading "Smoky jungle frog in the darkness" Wednesday, February 18 2015Lizard politics cost USFW agent his job Internal USFWS/DOI politics over the status of the dunes sagebrush lizard have cost a field agent his career and shed light on policy decisions at the DOI that bring into question the agency's compliance with the Endangered Species Act.The Houston Chronicle reports the decision as to whether or not the dunes sagebrush lizard would be listed, causing all sorts of problems for landowners and the oil industry, was pre-ordained by politics rather than determined by science, which is required by the Act. "There was no way we were going to list a lizard in the middle of oil country during an election year." This quote, said to have been uttered at a meeting by then-USFWS Albuquerque-based regional director Benjamin Tuggle according to court testimony by whistleblower and former USFWS agent Gary Mowad, is the "smoking gun" allegedly showing the listing decision was predetermined, a key tenet and violation of the Endangered Species Act. Mowad had told internal investigators the federally-approved plan to conserve habitat for the reptile through voluntary pacts between the state and landowners was not legal, verifiable, or enforceable under the Endangered Species Act, before being banished to an inactive role in the agency. Mowad sued and settled with the agency, an almost unprecedented conclusion to a USFWS whistleblower suit. However, that settlement leaves up in the air the question of the lizard's status, and to a greater extent, the USFWS decision to bow to politics rather than follow the law, a decision sure to haunt them in current and future lawsuits. If the agency charged with enforcing the laws won't follow the laws themselves, they make a mockery of having the laws in the first place, and surrender any moral or ethical high ground they may have occupied. Read the complete article here. Tuesday, February 17 2015Mistaken for a Kanburian bamboo viper
Terra cotta on olive green. The name on the tank was Trimeresurus kanburiensis, Kanburian bamboo viper. Unlike the all green bamboo vipers that looked much the same and only seldom had any collecting data, there was no mistaking this one for any taxon that I had seen before.
 It was in the 1970s and Patti and I were keeping and breeding a fair number of palm and bamboo vipers of both New and Old World origin. I wondered, as I looked at the little snake then before me, whether I would ever be able to pair it up. I decided nothing ventured nothing gained so when we left the dealer's that afternoon, the Kanburian pit viper accompanied us. It turned out that this snake lived for many years, but I was unable to pair it. In fact, it was not until 1990s that I saw another of these terra cotta on olive beauties. Rather than T. kanburiensis these snakes (there were about a half dozen of them) were offered as T. venustus (brown-spotted pit viper). Since both gender were available and since they reminded me so very much of my old "kanburiensis" I bought a couple of pair and proceeded to try to learn the differences between T. kanburiensis and T. venustus. It seemed that the most visible differences were the number of scale rows at mid-body: 21 for former and 19 for the latter. Venustus had the first 3 supralabials enlarged while the Kanburian did not. I checked and the new pit vipers all had 21 scale rows and enlarged labial scales. They were T. venustus. Then I pulled a photo of that old 1970s example and although I wasn't positive on the scale row count it did have enlarged labials. I don't think that I have seen T. kanburiensis yet. Continue reading "Mistaken for a Kanburian bamboo viper " Saturday, February 14 2015Thursday, February 12 2015Baby gopher tortoise jackpot
"Hey, Dick, here's a gopher!"
"Gopher tortoise, gopher frog, or pocket gopher?" "Gopher tortoise--and it's a baby."  It was early August and Jake and I were on a jaunt hoping to find a photogenic pale-throated anole (a green anole with a gray rather than a red dewlap). So far we had failed, but during our search we found several other interesting herps that ranged from six-lined racerunners to fence and scrub lizards. We were actually in terrain that was well-populated by gopher tortoises, Gopherus polyphemus, so seeing one would not be too much of a surprise. But seeing a juvenile is not an everyday or every gopher colony occurrence. "I'm on my way, Jake. Is it still visible." "Yep. It's just sitting here eating." And even after my delay as I wound my way through the prickly pear and cat's claw, the little tortoise, mostly hidden by grasses and brush, was still busily foraging. With that single sighting what had until then been a very mediocre day suddenly became memorable. Continue reading "Baby gopher tortoise jackpot" Wednesday, February 11 2015HSUS and dangerous wild animal laws The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has lobbied for dangerous wild animal bills in various states throughout the country. As we enter the legislative season in many states, it seems timely to review the stated position of HSUS regarding wild animals as pets. The organization states it "strongly opposes keeping wild animals as pets." It defines wild animals broadly to include "any non-domesticated native or exotic mammal, bird, reptile, amphibian, fish, or invertebrate, regardless of whether the animal is wild caught or captive bred." Thus, HSUS considers most pets to be wild animals. HSUS asserts wild animals make unsuitable pets under virtually all circumstances because very few people are properly equipped or have the expertise to maintain them. The extreme reach of dangerous wild animal legislation was revealed during a rule-making process in West Virginia last year. Pursuant to a DWA law supported by HSUS in the state, the proposed list of DWAs included all salamanders, tree frogs, clawed frogs, toads, and turtles (except those native to West Virginia). In response to this proposed list, the WV director for HSUS supported (on page 987) the proposed list with the exception of a suggestion to clarify that domestic rabbits were not DWAs, and a request to add boa constrictors. Although turtles, salamanders, tree frogs, clawed frogs and toads have been removed from the DWA list, it is very clear that HSUS supported their listing as DWAs. Image: Sixth grade class learning about snakes, uploaded by kingsnake.com user leslonsdale1. Tuesday, February 10 2015The coquis call says it all
Are there really coquis in Florida? The longer I search for these little frogs, the more certain I become that they are temporary visitors at best, and that nowhere in the United States are they resident.
 There is no question that a few occasionally are found in plant nurseries in southernmost Florida and a few were once found and heard in southeastern Louisiana. But it now seems a surety that these few have either been stowaways on plant shipments from Puerto Rico, the coqui's home island, or deliberate releases. Unless within a heated greenhouse, the little brownish frogs with a lighter triangle between the eyes, apparently succumb as soon as seasonally cooler weather set in. Over the many years I have searched for them, I have found only 3 coquis, all males, in Miami-Dade County, Florida. One discovered in our tropical garden in Ft. Myers was also a calling male. This lone example made its first appearance in mid-summer a day or so after I had returned from a Florida City nursery with a car full of heliconias. He was seen no more after our first cold snap when the temperature dropped into the low 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The favored calling site of this frog, from which it called almost nightly, was at an elevation of 3 to 7 feet on the smooth bark of a huge orange tree. The call of the coqui is unmistakable. It is an oft-repeated, loud, whistled "co-kee," with the accent on the second syllable. Heard once it will not be forgotten. Continue reading "The coquis call says it all" Monday, February 9 2015After year and a half, more details emerge on tragedy in Campbellton The owner of an exotic pet store in Campbellton, New Brunswick, Canada, was arrested on February 5, 2015, and then promptly released to face charges to be made public at a hearing to be held on April 27. A statement released by the New Brunswick Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) disclosed the pending charges are in connection with the death of two young boys in the pet store owner’s apartment, which was above the store. The RCMP statement also stated "[a]utopsies determined the boys died as a result of being asphyxiated by an African rock python that was being housed in the same apartment where the boys were attending a sleepover." This new information suggests the store owner will be charged with negligent homicide, i.e., the store owner's negligence caused the death of the children. A key fact in any such prosecution is likely to be the first-hand report that a ventilation fan removed from the ceiling of the snake's enclosure left an opening for the snake to escape and crawl onto the drop-ceiling in the adjacent room where the children were sleeping. Questions have remained in the reptile community and elsewhere about exactly what happened on that tragic night one and a half years ago, because it is extraordinarily rare for one of these large snakes to kill a human. Efforts are underway to obtain additional details from the autopsy report or any other documentation when such items become available. Thursday, February 5 2015New European animal laws worry UK hobbyists Reptile hobbyists in the UK are watching closely as new legislation unfolds in other member countries of the European Union. Legislators in Holland have imposed "white list" restrictions on the types of mammals that can be kept in that country, with similar lists for reptiles and birds to be revealed soon. White list legislation comprises a list of species that can be kept in that country, with all other species becoming illegal. Although this type of legislation is condemned by most pet and welfare experts, it is becoming the holy grail of animal-rights groups in Europe and around the world, as these laws impose the greatest restrictions on the number of species that can be kept. The alternative "black list" approach to legislation, which only outlaws those species that are proved to be problematic or invasive, is more widely adopted where proper research and consultation has been conducted. However, with several European countries considering white-list laws, British keepers are worried that this legislation could be adopted and rolled out across the entire Euro-zone. Britain’s reptile hobby and trade have been well protected by advocate organizations such as The Reptile and Exotic Pet Trade and the Federation of British Herpetologists, and so home-grown legislation is unlikely to be problematic. However, reptile keepers are poorly represented in European political circles where animal rights groups are active, well-funded, and organized. Should the EU Commission decide to heed the lobbying of these groups, the legislation produced there would override any British laws. Hide and seek with a greenhouse frog
Today the range of the greenhouse frog, Eleutherodactylus planirostris, (now one of the most common of Florida's frogs) extends, at least locally, as far north as coastal southern South Carolina and eastern Texas. This tiny Bahaman, Cuban, and perhaps Cayman Island interloper has a weak, almost tremulous voice: a chirping whistle that is often mistaken for the stridulations of crickets.
 However, the tinkling calls are more musical and have less of a cadence. Loose mulch, leaf litter and the moisture holding cups of terrestrial bromeliads are among the favored habitats, but any and all manner of surface debris - discarded newspapers, construction materials, or vegetable debris, be it in backyard or woodland - provide ready homes for this inch long tropical frog. Since this frog has direct development (no free-swimming tadpole stage), standing water is neither necessary nor sought. The eggs are laid in moist locales,such as on a bromeliad leaf, and when the young emerge they are miniatures of the adult. The ground color of this frog may be brown to reddish brown and usually blends remarkably well with the background. The pattern of lighter striping or darker reticulations serves to break up the outline making this anuran even more difficult to see. In fact it is only the almost imperceptible stirring of a dead leaf made as the alert frog darts quickly from sight that discloses its presence. So if you're herping in the deep south and you think you see a leaf move when you turn debris, take a moment and check it out. You might have just seen a departing greenhouse frog. It would be good to keep tabs on their actual distribution. Continue reading "Hide and seek with a greenhouse frog" Tuesday, February 3 2015The call of the Florida gopher frog
It had rained, poured, rained, then misted all day and Jake wanted to see a Florida gopher frog - badly. So badly that he swore that if I would just get him to where they were chorusing he WOULD NOT come back to the car without a picture.
 We visited and failed at some of my "tried and true" ponds the night before, so I prevailed on Paul Moler's better nature to provide the locale of a new pond. Thanks again, Paul! Jake and I headed west and for nearly the entire hour's drive the conversation varied from his headache (he got a lot of sympathy for that!) to how the next gopher frog he heard would not evade his camera. When we arrived it was almost dark. It was windy and cool. No gophers were singing. Finally after an hour's delay, I decided to walk down to the pond just to take a better listen. Jake accompanied me. Guess what! A few gophers WERE singing. We got to the water and I said something to the effect of "they're here, they're singing, go get 'em Jake." His response was "Um - I forgot my camera." By now the frogs were actually calling loudly so I told Jake to go and at least find one so he could add it to his life list. He went. I stood and shivered. Jake got a quarter of the way across the pond and the frogs stopped singing. Jake stood. One frog called. Jake, sounding like a distraught porcupine, answered. Lo, the frog answered Jake who was again stalking s-l-o-w-l-y towards the calling site. Then, as if a curtain had been lifted, the cloud cover dissipated. Within minutes stars twinkled overhead. Moonlight glinted brightly from the water's wind-rippled surface. Ranid calls ceased. Except for cricket frogs and the whistling of strengthening breezes there was almost absolute silence. It was time to acknowledge that the gophers had won this round. But there would be a next time and we would be ready. Now, if we could only find the path back to the car. Continue reading "The call of the Florida gopher frog" Monday, February 2 2015What makes India the land of the cobra
India is truly the land of the cobra, with five species of cobra found there, including the king cobram Ophiophagus hannah. The spectacled or Indian cobra, Naja naja, is one of the most common cobras found in the Indian subcontinent. They are found in all parts of India exept the snowy mountains of the Himalayan range.
 The average size of the Indian cobra is about 150-180, and its maximum lengthm which is rarely found, is about 220 cm. As its name suggests, it has a distinctive head with large black eyes and nostrils. When the hood is spreadm a spectacle mark is visible on the backside of the hood. This mark is subject to considerable variation and may even be absent. Body colour is yellowish, brown, dark brown, and black.   These snakes are shy by nature, and typically warn more than once before attacking. They usually raise their hood and move away from the other animals to prevent an encounter. They hiss and sometimes strike. This is their last defence mechanism before they attack. Cobras are a universal symbol for snakes around the world. In India this cobra is revered and worshipped. For example, lord Shiva has a cobra wrapped around his neck and Lord Vishnu has a cobra with seven hoods providing him shade. There are many myths and traditions associated with these cobras. The most common amongst them is that cobras search for vengeance if its partner is killed. It is still believed that cobras with five hoods are found in near divine places like temples as the protectors of god. One of the funniest misbeliefs I've come across is that cobras mate with rat s nakes (Ptyas mucosa) on selected weekdays. Some of these misbeliefs are also beneficial, as people hesitate to kill cobras because they believe they are sacred to Lord Shiva and Vishnu. Interestingly, dispelling these superstitions was one of the main motivations of herpetologists to research cobras, as they became curious after getting so many unrealistic views from people all over the country. For me cobras are one of the most beautiful and fascinating creatures on the planet -- and equally dangerous if handled carelessly. |
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