That Reptile Blog – Reptile, Amphibian and Exotic Pet Care and Information
Many interesting amphibian and reptile field research reports are published in professional journals such as Copeia, Herpetologica and Herpetological Review, and are not available on the internet. Unfortunately, such journals are usually quite expensive (if well-worth the price). From time to time I’ll provide summaries of interesting articles that I come across. Today’s report is drawn from Autumn, 2010 publications and covers 2 unusual feeding records. The observations were made in Florida and, as might be expected, both predator and prey (Cuban Treefrog, Spectacled Caiman, Walking Catfish) were non native species! Read More »
Monthly Archives: February 2011
The Muggar or Marsh Crocodile – Encounters in Captivity and the Wild – Part 2
Hello, Frank Indiviglio here. Please see Part 1 of this article to read about the conservation of the Marsh Crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) and to see what it’s like to work with them in captivity.
Natural History
Marsh Crocodiles are aptly named – despite being powerful swimmers, they favor the calm, plant-choked waters of swamps and marshes over swift-moving rivers (the species name, “palustris”, is a reference to their habitat).
Their range extends from Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan through India and Sri Lanka. Read More »
The Asian Turtle Crisis – a Sobering Update – Part 2
Asia’s freshwater turtles face an unprecedented extinction crisis, which may soon result in the loss of 90 or more species. In 2001, I joined other turtle enthusiasts in south Florida to help process nearly 10,000 turtles of many species that had been confiscated on route to food markets in China. The magnitude of the response to their plight heartened me, but today, unfortunately, we are still fighting an uphill battle. Please see Part 1 of this article for details. Following is a bit more on this sad situation. Read More »
New Product – Artificial Bromeliads as Poison Frog Breeding Sites – Part 1
Today I’d like to introduce Hagen’s Smart Plants, a new line of artificial plants that hold great promise for those keeping Poison Frogs (Dendrobates, Phyllobates, etc.) and arboreal snakes, tarantulas, crabs and similar creatures. Read More »
The 10 Best Ways to Prepare for a Career in Herpetology – Part 1
It is said that people who make careers of their passions never work a day in their lives…those of us who have turned our hobbies into livelihoods are indeed fortunate. The following ideas have helped me along the way – I hope they are of some use to you.
Speak Up
Interacting with others is very important when you start and progress down your path. I was quite shy as a child, and this certainly hampered me…force yourself to ask questions of your relatives, teachers and folks working in the field. Read More »