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Monthly Archives: May 2011

Using Driftwood as a Resting Site for Aquatic Reptiles and Amphibians – Part 1

May 10, 2011 15 Comments 7077 Views

Pieces of driftwood attached to slate bases have long been used to decorate tropical fish aquariums.  However, their important value to folks keeping certain semi-aquatic turtles, newts, frogs, crabs and other creatures is often overlooked.  Today I’d like to highlight some interesting herp-oriented uses for driftwood.

Submerged vs. Exposed Basking Sites

While a dry basking site is important for most semi-aquatic turtles, many species prefer to use structures that are at or  just below the water’s surface, and rarely expose themselves fully.  Included among these are the various Mud and Musk Turtles, Common and Alligator Snapping Turtles, Softshells and many Snake-Necked Turtles (Chelodina spp.). Read More »

The Natural History and Captive Care of the Mertens’ Water Monitor – Part 2

May 5, 2011 2 Comments 13097 Views

Merten’s MonitorPlease see Part 1 of this article for information about the natural history of the Mertens’ Water Monitor, Varanus mertensi, including the threat posed by introduced Marine Toads, Rhinella marinus.

Cage Size and Style

Mertens’ Water Monitors may be the ideal choice for folks interested in keeping larger monitors, but who lack the room for the true giants.  Averaging 3.5 feet in length, they are supremely-adapted predators, hunting equally well on land or in the water.  I’ve found that their alertness and aggression when hunting rivals that of any monitor I’ve observed, including the famed Komodo Dragon (keep your fingers out of their cage at feeding time!).  Read More »

2010’s Amphibian Discoveries – New Species and New Information – Part 2

May 3, 2011 2 Comments 4587 Views

Spotted SalamanderGlobal amphibian declines and extinctions spurred herpetologists to pay special attention to frogs, salamanders and caecilians in 2010.  In Part 1 of this article, I reported on the discovery of several new species, and the re-discovery of a few that had not been seen for decades.  Today we’ll look at interesting findings concerning a well-known salamander that houses algae in its cells and a rarely- seen species that lives for over 100 years.

Algae in Salamander Cells

It’s long been known that algae growing within the egg masses of Spotted Salamanders, Ambystoma maculatum, provides oxygen to the embryos and utilizes their waste products.  In 2010, however, Dalhousie University (Canada) biologists shocked the herp world by announcing that they had found living algae within Spotted Salamander cells, functioning as it does in the egg mass.  This is the closest known association between a vertebrate and a plant, mimicking in some ways the relationship between algae and coral. Read More »

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