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  • aquatic snakes
  • Homalopsidae
  • Museums

Natural History collections are more important now than they were 10 years ago.

JCM September 19, 2023 0

Our knowledge of the biodiversity of Asia and Australasia continues to expand with more focused studies on the systematics of...

Read More
Riama, a light bulb lizard from Ecuador
  • Gymnophthalmidae
  • Sauria
  • squamata

Discovering the lightbulb lizards of Ecuador

JCM September 19, 2023 0

Alejandro Arteaga, a herpetologist in Ecuador sent out out the following email. If you have the resources for helping Alejandro...

Read More
A Mexican Black-tailed Rattlesnake
  • Crotalus
  • Serpentes
  • Venom

Ontogenetic shift in the venom composition of the Mexican Black-tailed Rattlesnake

JCM September 7, 2023

Abstract Abstract: Ontogenetic changes in venom composition have important ecological implications duethe relevance of venom in prey acquisition and defense....

Read More
The new snake species Paikwaophis kruki
  • Dipsadidae
  • new species
  • Serpentes

A new genus and species of snake from the Lost World (Guyana)

JCM September 7, 2023

The Pantepui is a remote, biodiverse region made famous by Arthur Conan Doyle's novel, The Lost World.  In a recent...

Read More
Anaxyrus debilis
  • Anura
  • evolution
  • phylogeny

Frogs are younger than previously thought

JCM September 1, 2023

In evolutionary and ecological research across various organisms, the utilization of large-scale, time-calibrated phylogenies derived from supermatrix studies has gained...

Read More
Spilotes pullatus a profile of its face and a photo of one in a tree
  • 3- fingered toxins
  • Colubridae
  • Serpentes
  • Venom

3FTx in four species of colubrid snakes

JCM August 28, 2023

Snake venom research has historically been predominantly focused on front-fanged species belonging to the Viperidae and Elapidae families. This focus...

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  • Crotalus
  • Serpentes
  • social behavior
  • Viperidae

Social Western Diamondbacks

JCM August 28, 2023

Many animal species live in fluid fission-fusion societies, where the size and composition of conspecific groups change in space and...

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An adult Copperhead starting to shed its skin.
  • Serpentes
  • Viperidae

Time to first shed

JCM August 9, 2023

The time it takes for snakes to undergo their first shedding event after birth or hatching, known as postnatal ecdysis...

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Rhabdophis
  • Natricidae

Cryptid Rhabdophis in the nuchalis group

JCM August 9, 2023

Cryptic diversity has been underestimated, but many examples have been documented in the scientific literature in recent decades. Researchers often...

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  • aquatic snakes
  • Natricidae

Rediscovery of a rare, aquatic Philippine Snake

JCM July 11, 2023

Snakes of the family Natricidae (or subfamily Natricinae) are cosmopolitan in distribution. They can be terrestrial, aquatic, or fossorial, cryptic,...

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Hypsiscopus indonesiensis.
  • aquatic snakes
  • Homalopsidae
  • new species

An endemic, highly aquatic homalopsid snake from  Sulawesi

JCM July 11, 2023

A recent paper (Hamidy et al  2023) describes a new homalopsid snake species, Hypsiscopus indonesiensis. The new snake is restricted...

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A lizard enters a burrow, morphs into a burrowing snake and emerges as a terrestrial snake
  • genome
  • squamata

Snake genome reveals burrowing past and re-adaptation to surface life

JCM June 21, 2023

The Chinese Academy of Sciences, China, has led a study that achieved chromosome-level assembly for 14 snakes, creating a detailed...

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  • Australia
  • Fossil species
  • Scincidae
  • squamata

A Giant Armoured Skink from Australia’s Pleistocene

JCM June 18, 2023

More species of lizards and snakes are alive today than any other order of land vertebrates, yet their fossil record...

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Two color morphs of the new parachuting gekko,
  • Gekko
  • northeast India
  • Ptychozoon

A new parachuting gecko from northeast India

JCM June 4, 2023

Within the diversity of reptiles and amphibians, a remarkable group of species has evolved a unique adaptation to navigate their...

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The Fujian Bamboo Salamander (Hynobius bambusicolus) in situ in Southern China on a mat of moss.
  • Caudata
  • China
  • new species

A new species of Hynobius Salamander from China

JCM June 2, 2023

The following is an adapted summary of a blog post by Amaël Borzée: Human activities, such as changing landscapes, have...

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  • Dipsadidae
  • evolution
  • Venom

Venom in the Blunt-headed Treesnakes

JCM June 1, 2023

Biological specialization refers to the process by which organisms adapt to occupy specific ecological niches, reducing the available niche space...

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California Kingsnake eating a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
  • Crotalus
  • Lampropeltis
  • predation
  • Serpentes

The Kingsnake and the Rattlesnake – predator and prey

JCM May 30, 2023

The feeding behavior of kingsnakes preying on rattlesnakes is a well-known example of a predator-prey relationship among snakes. Recently, my...

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Indigo snake close up
  • Climate Change
  • extinction
  • Geographical distribution

Modeling reptile distributions suggests climate change will exacerbate extinctions

JCM May 6, 2023

The impact of future climate change on global reptile diversity and distributions is a topic of concern. The potential effects...

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  • Brazil
  • Hylidae
  • pollination
  • Treefrogs

A frog that feeds on flowers and nectar, and pollinates plants

JCM May 5, 2023

Above. Top. Emerging from the Brazilian milk fruit flower with pollen grains on its back. Bottom. Xenohyla truncata Emerging from...

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taxidermized turtle
  • Chelonia

Largest Freshwater Turtle, nearly extinct

JCM May 1, 2023

The Yangtze giant softshell turtle, known as Rafetus swinhoei, is a critically endangered species characterized by its unique physical features,...

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Pituophis melanoleucus mugitus
  • Ecology
  • Florida
  • Serpentes

Florida Pine Snake, movement & ecology

JCM May 1, 2023

Studying organism movement patterns can offer valuable insights into species ecology and evolution. Various methods, including radio telemetry, have revealed...

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The Common Green Iguana has invaded Florida with human help.
  • Florida
  • invasive species
  • politics

Funding for Invasive Species in Florida

JCM April 26, 2023

The following is a post from Florida Politics. Its author is Wes Wolfe. Hunters removed around 18,000 pythons from Florida...

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  • Arizona
  • Chelonia
  • Terrapene

The western edge of Ornate Box Turtle’s distribution in Arizona

JCM April 13, 2023

Louis Agassiz described Cistudo ornata in 1857 "from the Upper Missouri ... and from Iowa" the type locality was restricted...

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Tonle Sap, Cambodia
  • Cambodia
  • harvest
  • Homalopsidae

Dry season snake harvest at Tonle Sap

JCM April 6, 2023

The following is an abstract and some lightly edited text from English et al. (2023) on the Tonle Sap aquatic...

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  • booids

A new fossil species of Sand Boa from China

JCM March 14, 2023

Sand boas of the Eryx (family Erycidae) are a group of stout terrestrial snakes with rather short, stubby tails and...

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  • auditory
  • Serpentes

Hearing in Snakes

JCM March 14, 2023

A University of Queensland-led study has found that as well as ground vibrations, snakes can hear and react to airborne...

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  • evolution
  • squamata

Snake teeth show more diversity than previously thought

JCM March 3, 2023

Above . A photo of the maxillary bone and attached teeth from a twig snake in the genus Thelotornis. JCM...

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  • evolution

Giant and Dwarf Body Sizes – a mechanism for evolution

JCM February 25, 2023

 Above. Alamosaurus was named after the Ojo Alamo sandstone formation in New Mexico. This titanosaur is from the late Cretaceous of...

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  • amphibians
  • Anura
  • Rain Frogs
  • Treefrogs

New Frogs from Ecuador

JCM February 23, 2023

In a paper by Sánchez-Nivicela et al. (2023)  they described a spectacular new stream-dwelling hylid from Río Negro-Sopladora National Park....

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  • diet
  • Neotropical
  • Serpentes
  • Viperidae

Terciopelo’s diet shift from juvenile to adult

JCM February 11, 2023

The Terciopelo (Bothrops asper) is one of the largest pit vipers. It reaches a length of 2.5 m and can weigh 6...

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Autohemorrhaging behavior is exhibited by some animals when they are under attack by a predator
  • autohemorrhaging
  • Serpentes
  • Trachyboa

Two more snake species that use autohemorrhaging

JCM January 29, 2023

Autohemorrhaging means an animal breaks blood vessels and releases blood at will. Often it is associated with stressful situations It...

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  • elapoids
  • Micrelapidae
  • Micrelaps

A new family of Elapoid snakes

JCM January 24, 2023

An international research team lead by Das (2023) have reconstruct the evolutionary tree of a major group of snakes, the...

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  • Australia
  • Serpentes
  • urban snakes

Snakes in urban habitats

JCM January 23, 2023

Urbanization changes landscapes, often simplifying and homogenizing natural ecosystems while introducing novel environments. Although this transformation often adversely impacts native...

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  • Urban lizards

Anoles adapt to cities

JCM January 23, 2023

The genetic variations linked to urbanization underlie physical differences in the urban lizards, including longer limbs and larger toe pads...

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  • invasive species
  • squamata
  • Teiidae

Argentine Black and White Tegus in Charlotte County, Florida

JCM December 25, 2022

Abstract - Argentine Black and White Tegus (Salvator merianae) are a popular lizard species in the live animal pet trade,...

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Glassfrogs become transparent by hiding their blood
  • amphibians
  • Anura
  • Centrolenidae
  • transparency

Glassfrogs hide their blood cells to become transparent

JCM December 25, 2022

"There are more than 150 species of known glassfrogs in the world, and yet we're really just starting to learn...

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Green Whip Snake, Hierophis viridiflavus
  • conservation
  • Invasive Snakes
  • Serpentes
  • squamata

The invasive Green Whipsnake threatens vulnerable squamates in Switzerland

JCM December 24, 2022

The photo above is a Green whipsnake, Hierophis viridiflavus, in Gradignan Gironde, France. Gradignan Gironde, France. Photography by Jean-Jacques Milan....

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a new gecko from northeast India
  • Sauria

Another new Bent-toed Gecko

JCM December 16, 2022

The bent-toed geckos of the genus Cyrtodactylus are diverse, with 330 species of Asian geckos, commonly known as bent-toed geckos, bow-fingered geckos, and forest geckos. which...

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  • amphibians
  • Australia
  • extinction
  • Pelodryadinae

Mountain Mist Frog declared extinct

JCM December 11, 2022

The Mountain Mist Frog or Nyakala Frog, Ranoidea nyakalensis (Liem, 1974) (Family Hylidae subfamily Pelodryadinae), was endemic to Australia. Its...

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  • behavior
  • Sauria
  • Varanus

Monitor Lizard – Otter Interaction

JCM December 7, 2022

Above. Two smooth-coated otters approach a monitor lizard in Singapore. Photo courtesy of Alicia Ellen Brierley. Smooth-coated otters (Lutrogale perspicillata)...

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Ankarafa skeleton frog’ was endangered before it was described in 2014.
  • amphibians
  • Madagascar

Madagascar Biodiversity – an opportunity

JCM December 5, 2022

Madagascar has been isolated from mainland Africa and Asia for more than 80 million years and has developed a distinctive...

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  • evolution
  • Fossil species
  • Sauria
  • squamata

A new lizard from the Triassic

JCM December 4, 2022

The origins of mammals and birds are relatively well understood, while the roots of squamates have been obscure. In a...

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Above. Eryops is a genus containing a single species Eryops megacephalus, of extinct, amphibious temnospondylid amphibian. Its fossils date to the early Permian (about 295 million years ago) in rocks of the Texas Red Beds, in Archer County, Texas. Fossils have also been found in late Carboniferous rocks from New Mexico. Complete skeletons of Eryops have been found in lower Permian rocks, but skull bones and teeth are its most common remains. Top Eryops fossil specimen and its larvae or “tadpole” (formerly known as Pelosaurus) in the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA. Photography by Daderot. Bottom Restoration of Eryops megacephalus by Dmitry Bogdanov. By Daderot - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8710123
  • amphibians
  • Fossil species

Estimating the size of ancient amphibians

JCM December 1, 2022

The last of the temnospondyls -- amphibians that look more like crocodiles -- became extinct during the Cretaceous period, about...

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  • Elapidae
  • Emydocephalus
  • Hydrophiini
  • mimicry

Mimicry in Turtle-headed Sea Snakes

JCM November 30, 2022

Image above. Photographs of colour morphs in turtle-headed sea snakes, Emydocephalus annulatus, and putative models that may be mimicked by the...

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  • environment
  • evolution
  • Lesser Antilles
  • Sauria
  • Sphaerodactylidae.

The Union Island Gecko population recovers

JCM November 30, 2022

The Union Island Gecko (Gonatodes daudini) is small, beautiful, and in demand in the pet trade The Union Island gecko...

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  • Ecology
  • environment
  • seed dispersal

Animals are our greatest allies in reforestation

JCM November 29, 2022

Above, an Eastern Fox Snake, Pantherophis vulpinus, feeds on mouse of the genus Peromyscus. It is like the mouse is...

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  • evolution
  • Jurassic
  • squamata

Squamates underwent rapid evolution in the Jurassic

JCM November 29, 2022

Above. The type specimen of Eichstaettisaurus schroederi. A Jurassic lizard that showed many oof the traits seen in geckos. Photography By Ghedoghedo...

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Leaving traces on soft sand dunes in Tadrart Acacus a desert area in western Libya, part of the Sahara. Photo taken by Luca Galuzzi * http://www.galuzzi.it.
  • cryptic diversity
  • deserts
  • Sauria
  • squamata

Overlooked species diversity in the Nidua Fringe-fingered Lizard 

JCM November 25, 2022

In a recent paper Liz et al. (2022) noted that hyper-arid sandy and rocky fields rank among the least biologically...

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  • Chelonia
  • Fossil species

Leviathanochelys aenigmatica, a huge fossil turtle

JCM November 24, 2022

The Press Story from the BBC says, This is the largest marine turtle ever found in Europe! It's called Leviathanochelys...

Read More
  • Daboia
  • Venom
  • Viperidae

Palestine Viper Venom

JCM November 24, 2022

Some of the most medically important snakes in the world belong to the in the genus Daboia. These vipers have...

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World Snake Day

World Snake Day is July 16. The day is important to the conservation of snakes. Snakes live on every continent except Antarctica and can vary from the longest species, the reticulated python, to the smallest Barbados Threadsnake. Snakes try to avoid human contact. They consider humans predators. Venomous snakes (and many) use their venom to obtain food and only use it for defense when forced to. World Snake Day can help remove people's fears and illusions about snakes, and help them gain recognition as a marvelous adaptable apex species. World Snake Day can be used to educate and inform people about how to deal with snakes. Let's not mis this opportunity.

World Lizard Day

August 14th is World Lizard Day. It's the perfect time to show some love for these remarkable creatures that have been sharing our planet since the time of the dinosaurs. With over 6,000 known species, lizards come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, colors, and patterns, and you can find them on every continent except Antarctica. But why should we celebrate lizards, you ask? Well, they're not just cool to observe in their natural habitats but also essential players in many ecosystems. Lizards help keep insect populations in check, which is vital to our ecosystems. So, let's give these amazing creatures the recognition they deserve on this special day! tems worldwide.

World Turtle Day

Turtles and tortoises have secured their enduring places as enduring symbols in folklore, fables, and popular culture, enchanting our imaginations with their representations of wisdom and resilience. Annually, on May 23, we gather with delight to observe World Turtle Day, a dedicated day that pays homage to these unwavering creatures. Turtles and tortoises, both esteemed members of the reptile family, inhabit an array of diverse environments worldwide, where they play pivotal roles within their ecosystems.

These extraordinary beings don’t merely excavate burrows that become abodes for various other species; they also provide a valuable service by assisting in maintaining the cleanliness of our beaches. Their diet includes the remains of deceased fish that wash ashore, making a substantial contribution to ecological equilibrium. This underscores the profound significance of safeguarding these gentle creatures.

World Turtle Day stands as an occasion specially designated to celebrate and protect both of these remarkable creatures. Its origins can be traced back to 2002 when American Tortoise Rescue introduced this meaningful event. It casts a spotlight on the myriad challenges that turtles and tortoises confront due to human intervention and environmental hazards. On this special day, educational institutions, rescue centers, and nature enthusiasts unite to deepen their understanding of these creatures and pledge unwavering commitments to their preservation.

Here are some impactful ways in which you can actively participate in the endeavor to safeguard these exceptional animals: Adopt a Turtle or Tortoise: Contemplate adopting a turtle or tortoise from a rescue shelter. These low-maintenance creatures make ideal companions, especially for families with young children.

Post List #4

Natural History collections are more important now than they were 10 years ago.
aquatic snakesHomalopsidaeMuseums

Natural History collections are more important now than they were 10 years ago.

JCMSep 19, 20235 min read

Our knowledge of the biodiversity of Asia and Australasia continues to expand with more focused studies on the systematics of various groups and their biogeography. Historically, fluctuating sea levels and cyclic connection and separation of now-disjunct landmasses have been invoked…

Read More
Riama, a light bulb lizard from Ecuador

Discovering the lightbulb lizards of Ecuador

JCMSep 19, 20232 min read

Alejandro Arteaga, a herpetologist in Ecuador sent out out the following email. If you have the resources for helping Alejandro I encourage you to do so. Today, I want to…

A Mexican Black-tailed Rattlesnake

Ontogenetic shift in the venom composition of the Mexican Black-tailed Rattlesnake

JCMSep 7, 20233 min read

Abstract Abstract: Ontogenetic changes in venom composition have important ecological implications duethe relevance of venom in prey acquisition and defense. Additionally, intraspecific venom variation has direct medical consequences for the…

The new snake species Paikwaophis kruki

A new genus and species of snake from the Lost World (Guyana)

JCMSep 7, 20232 min read

The Pantepui is a remote, biodiverse region made famous by Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel, The Lost World.  In a recent article, Kok and Means (2023) describe the new species, Paikwaophis…

Anaxyrus debilis

Frogs are younger than previously thought

JCMSep 1, 20235 min read

In evolutionary and ecological research across various organisms, the utilization of large-scale, time-calibrated phylogenies derived from supermatrix studies has gained paramount importance. Nonetheless, a notable issue persists with the existing…

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