Author: John Virata
New Species Of Andean Water Frog Discovered In Peru
A new species of Andean water frog that hails from the Pacific slopes of the Andes Mountains in Peru has been discovered and described in the February [...]
Kentucky Reptile Zoo Director Survives 9th Venomous Snake Bite in 38 Years
Jim Harrison, director of the Kentucky Reptile Zoo has survived a bite from an 8-year-old South American rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus) and is back t [...]
Rat Eradication Effort Pays Dividends For Galapagos Island Tortoises
Scientists in 2012 started a program to cover 18 square kilometers of Pinzón Island in the Galapagos Island chain with poisoned rat bait in an [...]
Chinese Officials Busted For Eating Chinese Giant Salamander
The Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus) is a critically endangered species and now a group of government officials in Shenzhen, China are in [...]
50K People Sign Petition To Stop Georgia’s Last Rattlesnake Roundup
Center for Biological Diversity urges Whigham Community Club to switch to Humane Wildlife Festival
The last known rattlesnake roundup in the s [...]
Suspects In Murder Of Costa Rican Sea Turtle Activist Acquitted
Seven men who were charged with the May 2013 murder of Costa Rican sea turtle activist Jairo Mora Sandoval were acquitted of the crime January 26. The [...]
Snake Fossil Record Rewritten
Researchers digging not out in the field but in museum fossil collections, have discovered four new snake species that are older than the oldest known [...]
Bearded Dragon With Cancer Needs Transport To Florida
A bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) with liver cancer needs some assistance getting to Florida from Maine for an emergency liver surgery, accordi [...]
Texas Designates Austin Blind Salamander As Endangered Species
The Austin blind salamander (Eurycea waterlooensis), native to the state of Texas, has been added to the state’s endangered species list, [...]
Politics Kill 14-Year-Old’s Bill To Name Idaho Giant Salamander as State’s Official Amphibian
Two years ago, Illah Hickman, then a 12-year-old sixth grader sent a proposal to the Idaho State House to designate the Idaho giant salamander (Dicamp [...]
5 Great Beginner Pet Snakes
Here we present you five beginner friendly snakes, in no particular order. [...]
Scientists To Study Lesser Known Flatback Sea Turtle
The Australian flatback sea turtle (Natator depressus) is a tough little chelonian that is native only to Australian waters, Papua New Guinea and cert [...]
Shingleback Skinks Found To Be Anemic In Chemically Controlled Aussie Croplands
The Shingleback skink (Tiliqua rugosa ) of Australia has been adversely affected by agricultural chemicals according to research from the Universty of [...]
Rain and Reptiles at the 2015 Pomona Reptile Super Show
The 2015 Reptile Super Show in Pomona went on in spite of the rain. Actually, I think the rain helped because later in the day the floor was fairly bu [...]
Tortoise Found On Hawaii Man’s Driveway
An Oahu man found a tortoise in his driveway in a Kaneohe neighborhood and in spite of calls to the Honolulu Zoo, the Department of Land and Natural R [...]
X-Ray Footage Of A Shovel-Nose Snake Moving Under A Sand Bed
Researchers with Georgia Tech wanted to know how certain reptiles move underneath a sand bed, so they studied two herps that are known to travel under [...]
Do You Wanna Build A. . . Snow Sea Turtle?
When I was a kid growing up in Utah we built snowmen during our times off from school. My older sister always led the charge and I built the head, com [...]
Ancient Marine Reptile Discovered In Scotland
Researchers with the University of Edinburgh in Scotland have described a dolphin-like marine reptile that prowled the Scottish seas during the Jurass [...]
North Carolina Hellbender Salamanders Threatened By Chytrid Fungus
New research shows that the eastern hellbender salamander (Cryptobranchus a. alleganiensis) , the largest salamander in North America (capable of [...]
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake Venom Is Genetically Different Based On Location
Did you know that the venom of the eastern diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus) varies genetically based on where it is located? Bu [...]
Vet Attaches Lego Wheels Onto Tortoise to Help it Walk
What happens when a juvenile spur-thighed tortoise can’t use its hind legs due to metabolic bone disease? You equip it with a set of wheels, as a Germ [...]
Steve Irwin's Classic Response To A Python Bite In Early TV Footage
In early Steve Irwin footage, dated to 1991, he is on a local Australian television show discussing pythons, explaining to the viewers that the partic [...]
Indonesian Fanged Frog Gives Birth To Live Tadpoles
A new species of frog that gives birth to live tadpoles has been discovered in the rain forests of Sulawesi Island in Indonesia. The frog, Limnonectes [...]
World’s Smallest Varanus Lizard Species Discovered In Australia
A new species of Varanus lizard has been discovered in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, the Western Australian Museum announced today. The l [...]
