Cindy Steinle

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

Last friday in rural Wisconsin, a large Burmese python was discovered by the side of a road by a resident and police were notified. An investigation was launched and every rescue in Wisconsin was contacted by press. Seriously, the minute I saw the story, I had a text come through my phone asking if I was available and if I could bring reptiles with for the news piece.

While at NARBC Tinley I spent a little time with a few vendors, one was Bryan Suson of Sundown Reptiles with his abronia and a few special monitors! It was super short because Bryan is ALWAYS a very busy guy at the show. Thanks for the time Bryan!

It has been ages since I have been able to say this and boy does it feel good!
This weekend Kingsnake.com is officially BACK at the mighty Tinley Park NARBC!!
Come meet Jon with me, it is my first time too!

A few weeks ago Jon and Cindy were invited to sit down and chat all things kingsnake.com past and present with Mike Stefani and Nick Lillis. It was awesome and we had a great time!

Bryna Daykin, crew leader, is on an airboat during an American crocodile capture survey. (Photo by UF/IFAS Croc Docs) Today is International Women in Science Day and what better way to celebrate than to highlight some of the "Croc Docs" who track and research the alligators and even burmese pythons in the Everglades. The "Croc Docs" is a program through University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) carry out overnight conservation research projects that checks data on alligator populations as well as tracking invasive species.

For Pupo, a South Florida native, a career in science once felt unrealistic. Like many women in her family, she briefly considered medicine before rediscovering biology during her undergraduate years, inspired by female wildlife professors and peers who shared her passion. “I can’t imagine a more fulfilling way to spend my time than helping to conserve the environment and the fauna that taught me so much growing up,” she said in the news release.

There is a Testament song that I adore called "Practice What You Preach" and I do. Going back in our blogs as far as 2011 (check it out here and take the pepsi challenge), you can see me talking about the importance of public outreach and having positive public outreach. With rescue, I have been doing that for 32 years because honestly, that is how you find animals homes. This weekend however marks the 21st year of Pet Expo MKE, a huge pet event with a focus on rescue where no animals are sold or adopted out. It is dry goods only. I have run the reptile exhibit for 20 of the 21 years and we bring it bay bay! Our event usually averages around 10,000 people through the door in one day.

A devastating fungal pathogen has reshaped amphibian populations worldwide, but its true origins have long remained uncertain. By combining historical museum specimens, genetic evidence, and global trade records, researchers traced one major strain of the fungus back to Brazil, well before international frog farming began. Credit: Stock The devastation of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, otherwise known as chytrid fungus, to frog populations worldwide has been absolutely devastating, even wiping out entire species. How did it exactly start? Researchers think they finally have the clue.

Researchers believe the worldwide movement of Bd is closely tied to the commercial trade in bullfrogs (Aquarana catesbeiana), a species native to North America that is raised for food in many countries. Bullfrogs were first brought to Brazil in 1935, followed by another introduction several decades later during the 1970s. One particular variant, known as Bd-Brazil, was first identified in the country in 2012 and named accordingly. Its origins were later questioned after a 2018 study published in the journal Science proposed that the strain may have emerged on the Korean Peninsula. As a result, the genotype was subsequently referred to as Bd-Asia-2/Bd-Brazil.

Actual photo of author working on forums, circa 2010 in either Tinley Park or Daytona

I don't know about you but the world has been extra heavy lately. I find myself coming home and just locking down with my boyfriend, the animals and my music. Let's be honest, that is not healthy. I am having entire conversations with the bathroom frog y'all! Everywhere you turn it is gloom, doom and people want to fight.

While skin bone plates are well studied in crocodylians (shown here in a gharial, in purple), their presence in lizards and snakes has long remained poorly understood. CT data provided by Jaimi Gray (2022, UF 33421) via MorphoSource. With the horrible weather, it seems a great time to get into this study that looks at the how and why of osteoderms or the bony skin plate that many reptiles have and this awesome study gets deep into it! The original belief was that animals with the bony plated scales all had a similar ancestor, but now with modern technology that has been disproven. So what was the origin?

We found that most lizards first evolved osteoderms during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous, more than 100 million years ago. At that time, some of the most iconic dinosaurs roamed the Earth, including the towering Brachiosaurus, the fierce Allosaurus, and the plate-backed Stegosaurus. The climate and ecosystems were changing rapidly, creating new challenges and opportunities. Armour may have helped lizards survive predators, cope with harsh environments, or move into new habitats.

Tell Hicks, doing what he did best, painting reptiles at NARBC. Photo by Cindy Steinle

The reptile community lost one of our great leaders this Friday when artist Tell Hicks passed away. Tell was always a great friend to kingsnake.com and to me.

Aldabra giant tortoise foraging for food in a forest on North Island, which is part of Aldabra – the world's second-largest coral atoll. Credit: Rich Baxter/IOTA Seychelles In 1997, North Island located in the Seychelles was purchased by private investors for ecotourism and rewilding. Today, that venture took 200 heavy steps forward as 50 Galapagos tortoises were released to the island to roam free again as they did once before. Many of the tortoises were actually pets surrendered for the joint project with Indian Ocean Tortoise Alliance (IOTA) and North Island Environment Department.

Before the tortoises left Mahé, they were microchipped for the national tortoise census and fed only native leaves to prevent the spread of invasive plant species via their droppings. They underwent two quarantines, one in Mahé and one on North Island, before taking their first steps into their new wild home. Now, every day, they walk a little farther and explore a little more. “After months of planning, seeing them walk free was incredibly rewarding,” says IOTA assistant project officer Santosh Albert.

Jean Beasley with the Karen Beasley Rescue and Rehabilitation Center in Topsail Beach holds onto Southport a juvenile Kemp's Ridley sea turtle Wednesday Sept. 20, 2006. Southport along with Carolina held by Sandy Sly as Jeanie Marasco of North East, Maryland looks on were both released back into the ocean after being rehabilitated at the hospital. KEN BLEVINS/STARNEWS

Jean Beasley, the founder of the Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, passed surrounded by loved ones at the age of 90, but she leaves a huge hole in Sea Turtle conservation. She was the director and driving force behind the rehabilition center, named after her daughter who passed from Leukemia at the age of 29/ She and her daughter originally created the Topsail Turtle Project, which protected nests and hatchlings, eventually she expanded that into work with the hospital as well as public outreach through the center. Topsail is the midway point between New York and Florida, so the facility helps many cold stunned turtles each year on their migration. To read more about this amazingly dedicated woman, click here.

The "Wrestle a Gator" educational show at Reptile Gardens from when Cindy visited. Herper Approved.

Reptile Gardens had a tragic overnight fire in one of their off display buildings that impacted all of their American Alligators from their educational program as well as their African Spur Thigh Tortoises and their Red Foot Tortoises, their other giant tortoises are houses in a different building for winter and are safe. Long time members of the site might remember that Reptile Gardens hosts me for a week several years back for an amazing behind the scenes experience that I was able to share with all of you, including sharing their tortoises and alligators and their show. You can see the photos here.

Each Sunday USARK is reaching out to a new state and this week it is Kansas! They are trying to spread awareness about the organization and what work they do. From their post!

If you have a pet store, veterinary office, or public exhibit that works with reptiles or amphibians in Kansas, USARK will send you a FREE business package that includes brochures, stickers, and possibly more. Please tag any businesses that might be interested! Email vanessa@usark.org with your company name and address if you are in this week’s state and want to assist. We will randomly draw a new state every Sunday. Please feel free to comment and show your support as a member, advocate, fan, or herp owner.

Many people talk about how snakes live a primal existence driven by instinct, but those of us who work with them know they do have the ability to learn routines and people in some sense, but exactly how does that work? A recent study using corn snakes sheds some light on that!

In this study, corn snakes (Elaphe guttata guttata) successfully learned to navigate mazes and consistently found the correct route to reach shelter or prey. They also avoided areas where they had previously encountered stress, demonstrating their ability to store and recall experiences. This memory is not emotional or social, as seen in mammals, but functional; it allows snakes to adapt their behaviour to avoid threats, locate resources, and navigate their environment efficiently. Such findings challenge outdated assumptions about reptile cognition and highlight their evolutionary intelligence.