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Amphibians, Reptiles, & Natural History

Suizo Report — The Third Dimension of Desert Herping

JCM

posted on

June 26, 2013

Howdy Herpers, 24 June 2013 Typing Boy here has always thought that herping in the Sonoran Desert as being a two dimensional affair. The herps are either on the ground, or under it. But on occasion, a third additional dimension exists out there. We’ll let the pictures do the talking: Image 1: This would make…
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The decline of cantils and systematics

JCM

posted on

June 26, 2013

Agkistrodon cf bilineatus. JCM The idea that a single species could occur in several different forms, varieties, or subspecies can be traced to Ernst Mayer’s book Systematics and the Origin of Species. The idea advanced evolutionary thought but also added confusion to the concept of species and concealed the concept of cryptic species. Molecular analysis…
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Molecular phylogeny of a possibly extinct snake

JCM

posted on

June 23, 2013

Coluber cursor Lacépède, 1789, was described from Martinique and has been placed in the genera Herpetodryas, Dromicus, and Liophis at various points in time. But molecular work suggests the snake is one of 41 species in the now greatly expanded genus Erythrolamprus. Erythrolamprus cursor. Jowers and colleagues (2013) failed to find the snake in a search…
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Psuedoboini diet & microhabitat

JCM

posted on

June 18, 2013

A Psuedoboa neuwiedii that contained the remains of an Ameiva atrigularis. JCM Recently, I found a large Pseudoboa neuwiedii lying in vegetation about 50 cm above the ground with its head down. It was most certainly waiting for prey to pass by. We collected the snake, and when removed from the bag the snake regurgitated…
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Evidence for reptiles filling mammalian roles in the Paleogene greenhouse

JCM

posted on

June 6, 2013

Artist’s rendition of Barbaturex morrisoni. Credit Angie Fox, Nebraska State Museum of Natural History, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Some 40 million years before rock singer Jim Morrison’s lyrics earned him the moniker “the Lizard King,” an actual king lizard roamed the hot tropical forests of Southeast Asia, competing with mammals for food and other resources. …
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Oil palm plantations favor frog species of least concern

JCM

posted on

June 4, 2013

Species like Hylarana erythrea thrive in oil plam plantations while other species disappear. Oil palm plantations in Malaysia are causing threatened forest frogs to disappear, paving the way for common species to move in on their turf, scientists have revealed. The study, carried out by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) describes how forests converted…
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Why female loggerhead sea turtles always return to their natal beach

JCM

posted on

June 2, 2013

Above a Loggerhead Sea Turtle. Photo: V. Stiebens, GEOMAR Marine turtles are among the most endangered species of the world ocean. For a better protection of these fascinating animals, scientists try to understand why turtles return to their birthplace in order to reproduce after rather long distance migrations. Using molecular tools applied to turtles from…
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Invasive treefrog changes calls of native frog

JCM

posted on

June 2, 2013

Cuban Treegrog, USGS May 30, 2013 — Human-produced noises from sources such as traffic and trains can substantially impact animals, affecting their ability to communicate, hunt, or even survive. But can the noise made by another animal have the same detrimental effects? A new study presented at the 21st International Congress on Acoustics (ICA 2013)…
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Suzio Report: Some animals from the famous hill

JCM

posted on

June 1, 2013

Howdy Herpers,We got our good photographers, and we got our bad photographers. When I say “bad photographers,” there are 2 meanings. These are those who, like me, dumbly point the camera, squeeze the trigger, and pray that something good will somehow miraculously happen. (Most times, it doesn’t.) Then there are those “bad photographers” who are…
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Lung ventilation & the evolution of the turtle shell

JCM

posted on

June 1, 2013

The skeleton of the South African reptile Eunotosaurus africanus fills a gap in the early evolution of turtles and their enigmatic shell. Photo Credit: Tyler Lyson. Through careful study of an ancient ancestor of modern turtles, researchers now have a clearer picture of how the turtles’ most unusual shell came to be. The findings, reported…
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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.

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.

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

California Kingsnake from se Arizona

Invasive Snakes refugia

Microhabitat use by the California Kingsnake in the Canary Islands

JCM Jan 14, 2026 3 min read

In this study, Maestresalas et al. (2026) characterize the shelter-use regime and the biotic and abiotic factors driving microhabitat selection by California kingsnake shelters on Gran Canaria, in the Canary Islands. The intent is to help inform management. They expected that…

The Pacific tree frog (Pseudacris regilla), also known as the Pacific chorus frog, has a range spanning the Pacific Northwest, from Northern California, Oregon, and Washington to British Columbia in Canada and extreme southern Alaska. They live from sea level to more than 10,000 feet in many types of habitats, reproducing in aquatic settings. They occur in shades of greens or browns and can change colors over periods of hours and weeks.

Pacific Treefrogs, one, two, or three species?

JCM Oct 16, 2025 2 min read

Evolutionary divergence in sexual signals may lead to and maintain reproductive isolation between populations. Both selective forces—such as ecological and sexual selection—and random processes like genetic drift may influence the…

A female Burmese python with eggs.

Burmese Python Nest in Great Cypress Swamp

JCM Oct 16, 2025 3 min read

Lisa McBride, a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) biologist, led a study to document a record-setting Burmese python nest found in Big Cypress National Preserve in 2022. McBride’s work details the…

Jurassic reptile fossil discovery blurs the line between snake and lizard

Jurassic reptile fossil discovery blurs the line between snake and lizard

JCM Oct 7, 2025 3 min read

by American Museum of Natural History edited by Sadie Harley, reviewed by Robert Egan New research has uncovered a species of hook-toothed lizard that lived about 167 million years ago and has a…

Riama, a light bulb lizard from Ecuador

Discovering the lightbulb lizards of Ecuador

JCM Oct 7, 2025 2 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…