A tumblr devoted entirely to reptiles, in the wild or in captivity as pets. The purpose of this blog is to inform people about reptiles - their habits in the wild as well as some snippets as to their care in captivity, and the unsuitability and ethics of keeping some species in captivity. 
A juvenile Red Racer, (Masticophis flagellum piceus), trying to blend into the dirt. These snakes are a non-venomous colubrid species and they can be found in southern California, Nevada, Arizona, and into Sonora and Baja California in Mexico. This juvenile could grow to between 2 to 4.5ft long as an adult!
A juvenile Red Racer aka Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum piceus), outside of Palm Springs, CA, USA
(photo: Carl Brune)
Commonly called the Chinese Cave Gecko, (Goniurosaurus hainanensis), found within the captive reptile trade, though all Goniurosaurus species are not the most handleable of the Eublepharis or “Eyelid” geckos. They will tolerate being handled for short periods of time, like when removing to clean the enclosure, but they are not geckos that like being handled. Captive bred individuals may accept handling a little more, but generally, the less handling the better for this species. As these guys originate from eastern Asia, they also require a high humidity in their enclosures, and are nocturnal and secretive - so if you are looking for a gecko you can handle, interact with, is easy to look after and a joy to watch - get a Leopard Gecko.
Chinese Cave Gecko (Goniurosaurus hainanensis)
The Incredibly Expanding Snake Heart
by Daniel Strain
The ticker of the Burmese python (Python molurus) balloons greatly, and the cause is a big meal. A new study of recently fed snakes suggests that a precise mixture of fatty acids in the blood drives this cardiac growth, unveiling a possible treatment for heart disease in humans.The Burmese python, an imposing Asian native that can stretch to more than 5 meters in length, is the incredible, inflatable snake. This squeezing predator frequently goes months without eating and then gorges, sometimes downing an entire deer. To accommodate the sudden rush of sugars, fats, and proteins, its body goes into overdrive. Its metabolism speeds up nearly 40 times, and many of its organs, including its long digestive tract, double in size. Its heart also expands by 40%, presumably to pump greater volumes of blood throughout its body.
To flush out the causes of this dramatic enlargement, Leslie Leinwand, a molecular biologist at the University of Colorado, Boulder, turned her normally tame lab into a herpetological haven…
(read more: Science NOW) (photo: Stephen M. Secor)
Indian Cobra (Naja naja) or Spectacled Cobra is a species of the genus Naja found in the Indian subcontinent and a member of the “big four”, the four species which inflict the most snakebites in India. This snake is revered in Indian mythology and culture, and is often seen with snake charmers. It is now protected in India under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act (1972).
The Emerald Tree Monitor (Varanus prasinus), also known as the Green Tree Monitor, is a small-to-medium-sized arboreal monitor lizard. It is known for its unusual colouration, which consists of shades from green to turquoise, topped with dark banding across the back. This colouration helps camouflage it in its arboreal habitat. This species of monitor is about 75–100cm (30–39in) long with a slender body that helps it support itself on narrow branches. It also has a prehensile tail and long claws that it uses to grip branches. The soles of the feet of the emerald tree monitor have enlarged scales which aid the lizard when climbing.
When threatened, the Emerald Tree Monitor will flee through vegetation or bite if cornered, as unlike other varanids, this monitor defends its tail rather than lashing out at the threat. It is also one of the few social monitors, living in small groups made up of a dominant male, several females, and a few other males and juveniles.
Photo taken from here
A Psychedelic Gecko (Cnemaspis psychedelica), a new species discovered in Greater Mekong region | image by L Lee Grismer
Raddest Gecko ever.
The Common Adder is found in different terrains, habitat complexity being essential for different aspects of its behaviour. It feeds on small mammals, birds, lizards, amphibians and in some cases on spiders, worms and insects. Females breed once every two or three years with litters usually born in late summer to early autumn in the Northern hemisphere. The common adder, like most other vipers, is ovoviviparous; clutchs range in size from 3 to 20 with young staying with their mothers for a few days. Adults grow to a length of 60 to 90 centimetres (24 to 35 in).
Adder (Vipera berus) on Flickr.
The name and appearance of the Komodo dragon is straight out of legend. In reality these are huge, heavily-built monitor lizards - the biggest lizards in the world. The largest accurately recorded dragon was 3.1m long and a weighty 166kg. It was once thought that Komodos used deadly saliva containing toxic bacteria to poison their prey. Studies have now shown that they are venomous. Glands in the jaw secrete a complex mix of toxic substances into a wound made by the dragon’s teeth. Komodo dragons are at the top of the food chain on their Indonesian island homes of Komodo, Rinca and Flores.
Hey, this post may contain sexually explicit content, so we’ve hidden it from public view.
Orange-eyed Crocodile Skink
- Imported from the Indonesian country of Irian Jaya on the western end of the island of New Guinea
- Little information is available on their natural habitat
- Adult specimens are solid dark reddish brown with a startlingly bright orange ring around the eye and grow to be around 8-10 inches in length
- They have a tail which will fall off if frightened, and juveniles will play dead if frightened as well. They play dead so well that some owners have thrown out live specimens before realizing they were still alive
I do not own these images
Endangered Turtle Survives Trans-Atlantic Journey
by Christopher Joyce
A Kemp’s ridley sea turtle like this one traveled 4,600 miles across the Atlantic ocean in 2008. After being rehabilitated in Portugal, it is being reintroduced into its native Gulf of Mexico waters on Tuesday.
In 2008, a juvenile Kemp’s Ridley - Johnny Vasco da Gama (named for the 15th Century Portuguese explorer) washed ashore in Europe — cold, exhausted and 4,600 miles from home. Turtle scientist Tony Tucker reckons the turtle hitched a ride.
“Most little turtles — they’re living in the sargassum rafts,” Tucker says. “The sargassum brown seaweed that floats at the surface provides them shelter from predators like seagulls and albatrosses, but it’s also a rich source of food.”
Tucker, who works with the sea turtle conservation program at the Mote Marine Laboratory in Florida, thinks Johnny and his seaweed raft got caught in a big circular current called the North Atlantic Gyre. The journey would have taken over a year.
Johnny’s rescuers nursed him to health in the Netherlands and then Portugal. But they knew he was a rare species and needed to get home. So they flew him to Florida on a Portuguese airliner.
“They bolted out one of the passenger rows of seats and made a place inside a special container for Johnny, and he got to ride all the way across the Atlantic,” Tucker says. “This jet-setting turtle has already crossed the Atlantic twice now, but once in style.”
TODAY (27/12/11), scientists will set Johnny free in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. This time, he’ll be wearing a satellite tag on his back. After his release, we can all track him at http://www.seaturtle.org/
The Common European Adder(Vipera berus), is a venomous viper species that is extremely widespread and can be found throughout most of Western Europe and all the way to Far East Asia. Known by a host of common names including Adder and Common Viper, adders have been the subject of much folklore in Britain and other European countries. They are not regarded as highly dangerous; the snake is not aggressive and usually only bites when alarmed or disturbed. Bites can be very painful, but are seldom fatal.
p-e-r-e-g-r-i-n-e: female adder (photo by danny green)
Ahaetulla is a genus of colubrid snakes commonly referred to as vine snakes, or whip snakes. They are mildly venomous and what is commonly termed as ‘rear-fanged’ or more appropriately, opisthoglyphous, meaning their enlarged teeth or fangs intended to aid in venom delivery are located in the back of the upper jaw, instead of in the front as they are in vipers or cobras.
Another Rosette Nosed Chameleon, (Rhampholeon spinosus). Sadly I can’t find much on these little beauties, apart from a couple of forum threads. They sound to be a difficult little species to keep in captivity and not a lot is known about their husbandry needs.
Photo taken by Igor Siwanowicz aka Blepharopsis
This species is endemic to Tanzania. It is found in the Usambara Mountains (western and eastern), between an altitude of 800 to 1,400 m above sea level (J. Mariaux pers. comm. 2010). This arboreal species inhabits montane primary forest and woodland. It is sensitive to habitat loss as it is unable to adapt to deforestation or cultivated landscapes. This species is oviparous with clutch sizes of three to four eggs observed… (read more: IUCN Redlist)
The Chinese Soft Shelled Turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis, formerly known as Trionyx sinensis). Also referred to as the Asiatic Soft Shelled Turtle.
Chinese Soft-Shelled Turtle
- Chinese soft-shell turtle inhabits Russia, the Koreas, China, Indochina, and Japan
- The turtle inhabits rivers, lakes, ponds, and reservoirs where water flows slowly.В It is fond of quiet, clear, sunlit shores with gentle slopes where turtles are active when exposed to the sun
- Since 2000 the species has been recognized by IUCN as vulnerable and wild populations are reported to be in decline throughout the range.В It is included in red data books and protected species lists of four provinces of Russia, and wild populations are legally protected in Heilongjiang Province of China
- This turtle is the only reptile specifically covered by the Russia-China Agreement on Amur Fisheries as a species in need of protection
- Soft-shell turtles feed on snails, mollusks, fishes, shrimps, crabs, insects, frogs, and earthworms
- Hibernation extends for 7 months from October until the following May in the mud of the river or lake bottom.В Breeding season lasts from June to August on the Amur-Heilong
I do not own these images
