That Reptile Blog – Reptile, Amphibian and Exotic Pet Care and Information

The following article is writen by That Reptile Blog Guest Blogger Joseph See and contains information that may be of interest to our readers.

Hello all, I am Joseph See. As a college student working towards a degree in biology, I thought I would write about a very underrated group of snakes, which also happen to be the first snakes I kept and bred. When I was younger I kept all the manner of creatures around the house, except snakes, which my parents disliked. But upon moving out in college I decided to try my hand at one species that I read much about and always fascinated me.

Egg-eating Snakes (Dasypeltis) are fascinating, highly specialized colubrids that are featured in almost any book on snakes, due to their bizarre feeding habits. Egg-eating Snakes feed solely on bird eggs, and can swallow eggs several times the size of their heads. They are also undemanding and easy to keep, as long as you start with established specimens. Read More »

Most invertebrate keepers have noticed that individuals of the same species often behave quite differently under the same circumstances.  For example, one Giant Bird-Eating Spider might feed in broad daylight and be content to remain in the open, while another refuses to eat unless provided with a deep burrow and complete darkness – I can recall countless similar observations.  Does this mean that these “simple” creatures have personalities?  According to a recent study, the answer may be “yes”…

How Does One Test Insect Personalities?

An article published in the September, 2010 issue of The Proceedings of the Royal Society (B), reveals that individual insects exhibit distinct personality traits, and that these traits remain consistent in different situations. Read More »

Some time ago I posted an article concerning possible new Federal regulations that could limit the trade in live amphibians (read it here), and promised to notify folks when the government asked for public comments.  That time is now upon us.

The Proposal – History and Intent

The proposed regulations stem from concerns that the trade in live frogs and salamanders (and frog legs) is aiding the spread of 2 deadly amphibian diseases, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (“Chytrid fungus” or Bd) and Ranavirus (please see the article mentioned earlier for details).   Read More »

Hundreds of amphibian species have been drive to extinction in recent years, and an estimated 30% of those remaining may soon follow.  Because most are difficult to find, herpetologists are now asking the public’s help in locating 100 species that are considered extinct but may still hold on in small numbers.

The recovery effort, launched this month (August, 2010) by Conservation International and the IUCN, spans the globe.  Even questionable sightings and photos are welcome –after all, a dog in Montana tipped researchers to the fact that the Black-Footed Ferret was not extinct (by killing one!), so you never know…

There is even a “10 Most Wanted List”, the members of which I’ll describe below. Read More »

I apologize for the awkward title, but try as I might this was the best I could do!  Today I’d like to propose a new use for the Penn Plax Turtle Pier, a wonderful product that was originally designed as a resting/basking area for turtles, newts and frogs. Read More »