Latest Reptile Stories
Turtles nesting along the Mississippi River and other areas are altering their nesting dates in response to rising temperatures, says a researcher from Iowa State University.Fred Janzen, a professor in ecology, evolution and organismal biology, has studied turtle nesting habits and also accumulated research going back decades in order to track the habits of the turtles to find out when they make nests and lay eggs."The results have been astonishing," says Janzen. "In some cases...
Sea snakes may slither in saltwater, but they sip the sweet stuff.So concludes a University of Florida zoologist in a paper appearing this month in the online edition of the November/December issue of the journal Physiological and Biochemical Zoology.Harvey Lillywhite says it has been the "long-standing dogma" that the roughly 60 species of venomous sea snakes worldwide satisfy their drinking needs by drinking seawater, with internal salt glands filtering and excreting the salt. Experiments...
Officials said Friday that a rare reptile with lineage dating back to the dinosaur age has been found nesting on the New Zealand mainland for the first time in about 200 years.Conservation manager Rouen Epson said staff at the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary in the capital, Wellington, found four leathery, white eggs from an indigenous tuatara during routine maintenance work Friday.Epson said the nest was uncovered by accident and is the first concrete proof we have that our tuatara are breeding....
A 7-year-old boy allegedly broke into a reptile farm in Australia and fed 10 live reptiles that were the farm's main exhibits to the resident crocodile. Police said they couldn't file any charges against the boy, who also allegedly bludgeoned three lizards to death in their pens, The Australian reported Friday. Security camera footage reportedly captured the youngster's 35-minute rampage through the Alice Springs Reptile Center in Australia's Northern Territory Wednesday. Center Director Rex...
IN SHORT What: Life In Cold Blood Where: Prime When: 8.35pm, Sunday -------------------- SIR David Attenborough presents the final chapter of his epic overview of life on Earth as he transforms perceptions of cold- blooded animals in Life in Cold Blood. "Reptiles and amphibians are sometimes thought of as slow, dim- witted and primitive," says Sir David. "In fact, they can be lethally fast, spectacularly beautiful, surprisingly affectionate and extremely sophisticated." Sir David...
Chloee Bird shows delight instead of fright as Big Thunder, a bearded dragon, climbs on top of her head Sunday at the Reptile Expo at the Utah State Fairpark. Hundreds of people turned out to look at spiders, snakes, lizards and insects. (c) 2008 Deseret News (Salt Lake City). Provided by ProQuest LLC. All rights Reserved.
Researchers discover first prehistoric pregnant turtle and nest of eggs in badlands of Alberta, CanadaA 75-million-year-old fossil of a pregnant turtle and a nest of fossilized eggs that were discovered in the badlands of southeastern Alberta by scientists and staff from the University of Calgary and the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology are yielding new ideas on the evolution of egg-laying and reproduction in turtles and tortoises.It is the first time the fossil of a pregnant turtle has...
World News IN BRIEF *WELLINGTON An indigenous New Zealand reptile regarded as one of the last living descendants of the dinosaurs will become a father at the age of 111. Henry the tuatara and his mate Mildred, aged between 70 and 80, produced 12 eggs after mating this year at the Southland Museum in Invercargill. Tuatara are the lizard-like last descendants of a species of reptile that walked the earth 225 million years ago. (c) 2008 Independent, The; London (UK). Provided by ProQuest...
FRANKFORT, Ky. - State conservation officers seized more than 125 venomous snakes, arrested 10 people and cited one other Thursday after a nearly two-year undercover investigation of those who allegedly illegally possessed, imported and trafficked the deadly reptiles. Forty-four officers with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife confiscated the snakes and other reptiles, including an alligator, in the investigation, and are expected to issue more than 700 charges. Animals seized...
Herpetologists discover that a Malagasy chameleon spends most of its short life in an eggThere is a newly discovered life history among the 28,300 species of known tetrapods, or four-legged animals with backbones. A chameleon from arid southwestern Madagascar spends up to three-quarters of its life in an egg. Even more unusual, life after hatching is a mere 4 to 5 months. No other known four-legged animal has such a rapid growth rate and such a short life span. The new research is reported in...
Latest Reptile Reference Libraries
The Brown Basilisk or Striped Basilisk, Basiliscus vittatus, is a species of lizard native to Central America, but have been introduced into the wild in the U.S. state of Florida. They are also called the common basilisk and, the "Jesus Lizard" because when it flees from predators it runs very fast and can even run on top of water. Basilisks actually have large hind feet with flaps of skin between each toe. The fact that they move quickly across the water, aided by their web-like feet,...
The Diamondback Terrapin, Malaclemys terrapin, is a species of turtle native to the brackish coastal swamps of the eastern and southern United States. They are found from as far north as Cape Cod, Massachusetts to as far south as Corpus Christi, Texas. The species is named for the diamond pattern on top of its shell, but the pattern and coloration varies greatly by species. The coloring of the shell can vary from browns to grays, and their body color can be gray, brown, yellow, or white....
The Spectacled Caiman, Caiman crocodilus, is a crocodilian reptile found in much of Central and South America. It lives in a range of lowland wetland and river habitat and can tolerate salt water as well as fresh. Due to this adaptable behavior, it is the most common species of caiman. Males of this species are between 6 and 8.2 feet long, while females are smaller, usually around 4 and a half feet long. The species' common name comes from the bony ridge between the eyes, which give the...
The Perentie is the largest monitor lizard native to Australia. They are found west of the Great Dividing Range in the arid regions of Australia. They are not a common sight and can usually escape detection before it has a chance to be seen. An adult Perentie can grow up to 8 feet long although its average size is 5.5 to 6.5 feet long. It is likely the third largest lizard on earth, after the Komodo Dragon, and the Water Monitor. Crocodile Monitors rival the Perentie in being the third...
The Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis) is the largest lizard in the world, growing to a length of about 10 feet (3 meters) and weighing between 175 to 310 lb (80 and 140 kg). It is a member of the monitor lizard family, Varanidae. Dragons have keen senses and are considered among the most intelligent living reptiles. They are carnivorous, hunting live prey with a stealthy approach followed by a sudden short charge (they can run briefly at speeds up to 20 km/h). They have a strong bite...
