Nestled in Bolivia’s northwestern region, Madidi National Park boasts a staggering diversity of flora and fauna, occurring in nearly 2 million hectares of primary forests. It is touted by renowned organizations, such as Conservation International, Wildlife Conservation Society and National…
The tiny little grass frog (Limnaoedus ocularis) is indeed tiny. About a half-dozen can fit on a quarter, and one can rest quite peacefully on your fingernail if it chose to do so. Also despite being so minute they do…
I felt like Humphrey Bogart in "The African Queen" as our boat chugged up the chocolate-brown river, though we were in Borneo and not Africa. Not sure what to expect, we kept a close eye on the riverbanks and trees for…
Two wheels allow herping in areas that four wheels can’t go. Botswana may be landlocked, with an interior comprised mostly of the Kalahari Desert, but that has not stopped this country from being colonized by more than 150 species of reptiles…
"After only a few minutes of searching, we found a Gaboon viper! The sheer joy of fulfilling one of my dreams was almost indescribable. I wasn’t far from tears when I saw her. Emotion overwhelmed me, I had feelings which are so…
I love to seek herps out in their natural haunts, so when Reptiles USA asked me to write about my favorite 20 herping spots, it was a challenge to whittle my choices down to so few. Fieldherping was my most…
Spring peepers literally dominate the Florida nightscape on winter evenings, and stepping outside in the evenings may reveal a chorus of them in a variety of places. A large distant chorus sort of reminds me of sleighbells, which is appropriate since I…
Home to around 139 species of snakes and nearly as many species of frogs and toads, Costa Rica is an incredible and popular destination for herping enthusiasts. More than a quarter of the country's land has been designated protected national…
The Cuban Treefrog (Hyla septentrionalis) is a large and invasive species of treefrog that was introduced and is spreading in range, with its only limitation being freezing weather. It grows to an impressive size and even eats local species of frogs.…
Ensatina eschscholtzii, salamander, Plethodontidae
The rain. It can ruin a day for many, and drive people indoors to their favorite DVDs. However in the natural realm it is the giver of life, and it brings things out of hiding - often in great numbers! Some…
In the world of reptile and amphibian field research, looking for salamanders can be fun and rewarding, but doesn’t immediately come to mind as a grand adventure. For a real herpetofaunal adventure most people would imagine wrestling alligators in Louisiana,…
The Canary Islands make up a volcanic archipelago that is located off the northwest coast of Africa. It is adjacent to the border between Western Sahara and Morocco and considered to be a geologic extension of the Atlas Mountains in…
Just recently I posted an article concerning the captive care of the wood turtle. Here's a little look at their "wild side." Read More Wood Turtle Care Sheet joe myers I have encountered wood turtles (Clemmys insculpta) in two areas…
Searching for the threatened desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) sometimes felt like looking for a needle in the haystack somewhere in the Desert Tortoise Natural Area of the Mojave Desert. Read More Desert Tortoise Habitat Opens in El Mirage, Calif. Desert Tortoise Species…
The Sandhills of Central and Western Florida are an incredible place to explore. . . and to "herp" for frogs! Very dry and scrubby, and too hot in the summer to spend any real length of time there when the sun…
Shingleback, shingle-back skink, pinecone lizard, stump-tailed skink, bobtail, sleepy lizard or just plain “stumpy” are all names that identify one of Australia’s reptilian icons. Scientifically, we know it as Trachydosaurus rugosus, but a few authors refer to it as Tiliqua…
Question: I saw you give a talk once many years ago, and you poked fun of people who used their cell phones to take herp photos. I bet you’re eating those words now with all the new camera phones available,…
The Florida chorus frog (Pseudacris nigrita) is one of the prettiest little frogs I have ever encountered, and yet one of the hardest to find, even though hearing them during the Florida winter is nothing unusual, since these are quite…
After spending much of my life living in Ohio, among the flatlands near Columbus where open-field marshes dotted the countryside, (and the Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens) was a big part of my childhood), my move to Florida was something…
The Eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) has a rather complex annual cycle, which will put it into different areas at different times of the year. This species has a fairly large range over the eastern United States, and are…
Herping in your own backyard can be fun provided you do a little planning.
The changing color and patterns of the same species of frog is interesting.
The state has labeled the smooth green snake as "in greatest need of conservation."
