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

Assassin Bugs, while not the best known of invertebrate pets, are actually quite popular with insect specialists and in public collections.  I began working with 2 African species in the early 80’s, and soon built up a collection of native forms as well.  Recent studies at Australia’s Macquarie University have revealed that one Assassin Bug captures spiders by tweaking their webs in imitation of a trapped insect.  I’ll cover the care of some commercially available Assassin Bugs in Part 2.

Hunting the Hunters

Assassin Bugs are predatory insects of the Order Hemiptera (insects with piercing mouthparts).  Most lie in wait for invertebrates to stray within reach, others feed upon blood, and a few employ elaborate ruses in order to trick their prey within striking range.  Read More »

I remain awed by the learning abilities and complex behaviors evidenced by the Water and Lace Monitors I cared for at various zoos…spend time with any species and you’ll quickly see why.  Despite being popular study subjects, monitors are constantly surprising us.  For example, the current issue of The Journal of Herpetology (V44, N3, Sept 2010) documents an entirely new behavior for any monitor species – cooperative nest building and nest guarding in Rosenberg’s Monitor (Varanus rosenbergi).

Nest Defense by both Sexes

A 16-year-long study of this species on Australia’s Kangaroo Island has revealed that females guard their nest sites for up to 3 weeks after egg deposition, a behavior that has not been documented for any other monitor (3 species, including the Komodo Dragon, may return to the nest site on occasion, but seem not to remain nearby).  Amazingly, in 8 instances a male joined the female in protecting the eggs. Read More »

In 2008, a computer-based study by the US Geological Survey stated that Florida’s introduced Burmese Pythons (Python molurus bivittatus) might colonize up to 1/3 of the United States in time.  While the snakes’ presence in Florida is a severe problem, the release of this study generated a flood of illogical fears and predictions.  Recently, another study conducted by a noted herpetologist and utilizing live snakes has injected some sanity into the controversy. Read More »