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

I’ve roamed the halls of NYC’s American Museum of Natural History since childhood, yet never come away without a sense of awe.  This week, the museum’s newest exhibit, The World’s Largest Dinosaurs, floored me.  Focusing on Sauropods such as the massive Mamechisaurus (the Brontosaurus, or “Thunder Lizard” of my youth), this ground-breaking exhibit goes beyond fossils to reveal just how these spectacular creatures moved, ate, reproduced and lived their lives.

Dinosaurs as Living, Breathing Creatures

Until recently, most of us could view and experience dinosaurs only by examining fossils in museums.  Certainly, this was more than enough to hold my attention, but there were limitations in viewing “remains” and in not being able to picture how these creatures actually went about the business of living. Read More »

Turtles and other reptiles are full of surprises when it comes to reproduction.  In the past few decades we’ve learned that incubation temperature, not genetics, determines the sex of many species, that some have dispensed entirely with males (i.e. the Brahminy Blind Snake) and that the massive Komodo Dragon is capable of reproducing without fertilization.  Recently (May, 2011), biologists have determined that turtle embryos move within the egg and actively seek heat.  This finding may cause us to re-examine conservation techniques, and raises an array of important questions – i.e., can turtle embryos actually determine what sex they will be? Read More »

The herpetology world lost one of its oldest and most celebrated members with the passing of the legendary Bill Haast on June 15, 2011.  Although surrounded by controversy for (literally!) most of his 100 years, Mr. Haast inspired millions of reptile enthusiasts, myself included, and saved countless lives by harvesting the venom needed to produce antivenin (the medicine used to treat bites from venomous snakes). He even donated his own blood, which he believed to contain antivenin, to snakebite victims (please see below). Read More »