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[…]and he preferred a battle on land to another swim! I’ve included a photo of typical iguana habitat in Venezuela’s central llanos country, to perhaps show you why I was so surprised to find the lizards there (the creatures in the foreground are capybaras, world’s largest rodent). Also included is […]
[…]I of this article for notes on constructing a practical outdoor nesting area for Green Iguanas (Iguana iguana). Nests with Underground Access Some breeders (and commercial farms) prefer to provide an underground entranceway into the garbage can nest site (Please see Part I), which is more in keeping with the […]
[…]my experiences with wild green iguanas in another article on this blog. Please see The Green Iguana on the Venezuelan Llanos. An interesting article on iguana farming and conservation efforts in Belize is posted at […]
[…]see Part I of this article for background information. With introduced green iguanas (Iguana iguana) driving endangered burrowing owls from their nests and raccoons (Procyon lotor) devouring sea turtle eggs, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection initiated control measures. At a preserve in Dania Beach, an intensive trapping and collection […]
Those of you with a mature pair of Green Iguanas (Iguana iguana) may expect to see courtship behavior in February/March (Note: males may become aggressive at this time, please see article below). While these huge lizards can be quite a handful, captive breeding is a worthwhile experience that you’ll not […]
[…]the Rhinoceros Iguana at the Australia Zoo. Rhinoceros Iguana Conservation. Video of wild Rhino Iguana. Green Rhino Iguana image referenced from wikipedia and originally posted by Elliot […]
[…]we find some of the most the world’s most popularly kept lizards, such as the Green Iguana (Iguana iguana) and the Chuckwalla (Sauromalus obesus). As we will see, this diverse group is also populated by a number of oddities as well – rare island dwellers and lizards that dive into […]
The Green Iguana (Iguana iguana) is truly a study in contrasts. Captive-bred by the millions on farms in Latin America, the 7-inch-long hatchlings are widely considered to be suitable for novice reptile keepers. Indeed, with proper care, they mature into one of the most impressive and responsive of all reptilian pets. […]
Released and escaped green iguanas (Iguana iguana) have now established huge populations in southern Florida. Although I must admit to a certain degree of fascination with introduced species, there can be no doubt that the massive lizards have caused a great many problems in their adopted environment. An Impressive but […]
[…]accommodations, which translates into a room-sized enclosure for an adult. Green Iguana, Iguana iguana Cute, brilliantly-colored, and a mere 7 inches in length, hatchling Green Iguanas are often promoted as suitable pets for children and novice reptile keepers. But these arboreal lizards have very specific husbandry needs, and their […]
[…]as Food Additionally, rabbit pellets are useful as a substrate for older tortoises, green iguanas (Iguana iguana) and other herbivorous lizards. Comprised largely of alfalfa, they are a fine food item for these creatures, and so can be swallowed with impunity by animals that drag damp salad out of their […]
[…]with bars spaced ½ inch and 1 inch apart. Certain reptiles, such as adult green and rhinoceros iguanas, spur-thighed (“Sulcata”) and other large tortoises, tegus, and larger monitors are almost impossible to keep properly indoors. Others fare far better when given outdoor access for at least part of the year…success […]
[…]Zoo, I had the good fortune of participating in a long-term field study of Green Anacondas in Venezuela – the first and only one of its kind. Over 900 specimens were captured, and a treasure-trove of new facts was documented. Attempted Human Predation? Two incidents that occurred during the study […]
[…]can read more about the research mentioned above in these articles: Hunting Anacondas in the Venezuelan Llanos Anaconda Expert Wades Barefoot in Venezuela’s Swamps National Geographic Video of an Anaconda capturing a […]
[…]but I was none-the-less always impressed by the rapidity at which most learned. Rhinoceros iguanas, Cyclura cornuta, and water monitors, Varanus salvator, were particularly striking in this regard. Animals in the collection for over 15 years, long in the habit of approaching or ignoring a single keeper in their exhibit […]
[…]of the year, the balance of the diet can be comprised of a high quality commercial tortoise or iguana chow. Herbivorous Lizards Green, rhinoceros and desert iguanas, Uromastyx spp., chuckwallas and other herbivorous lizards become very excited as soon as novel fresh foods are offered. It is difficult to get across […]
[…]of any other lizard, anywhere on earth (please see article below for an interesting study on iguana-raccoon interactions)! Brown Anoles seem to have replaced the native Green Anole in many areas, and 6-8 other anole species are established as well. And, of course, one cannot escape news of introduced Burmese […]
[…]northern and central South America, including the Caribbean drainages of Guyana, French Guiana, Venezuela and Columbia. It also occurs in the upper tributaries of the Amazon River in Columbia, southern Venezuela, eastern Ecuador, northeastern Peru, northern Bolivia and Brazil. There are unconfirmed reports of small populations in Trinidad and Tobago. […]
[…]and frog eggs, snakes have been observed feeding on many “unexpected” food items. In Venezuela, a Green Anaconda grabbed my co-worker, in what appeared to be a feeding attempt, while a recent study documented 150 Reticulated Python attacks (6 of which were fatal) in the Philippines. Please see the articles […]
[…]can read more about the research mentioned above in these articles: Hunting Anacondas in the Venezuelan Llanos. Big Snake Meals – records of large and unusual meals. Field research reports and summaries. Anaconda Expert Wades Barefoot in Venezuela’s Swamps National Geographic Video of an Anaconda capturing a Capybara. Please write […]
[…]at 215 pounds – no Titanoboa, but then again not an easy animal to wrest from the muck of a Venezuelan swamp either. For the full story and some photos of myself and others with that snake, please see my article Hunting Anacondas in the Venezuelan […]
[…]55 gallon tank will provide you with infinitely more to observe than will an adult Green Iguana in a commercial iguana cage outfitted with a single shelf. Cost: Your pet’s initial purchase price is but one part of the cost of lizard ownership, which also includes electricity use, veterinary […]
[…]infection. This fungus is ever-present, but is easily handled by healthy immune systems. Green Iguanas and other reptiles have been found susceptible to Aspergillus as well; I would not be surprised if stress played a role as it does in birds. Please be aware that stress is not limited to […]
[…]markings that characterize hatchlings. Limited to the Rio Negro and Rio Casiquiare drainages in Venezuela and Brazil, it is a secretive species that mainly keeps to blackwater areas. This turtle’s wild status has not been well-studied, but it is assumed threatened by past over-collection and habitat loss. Those I have […]
[…]working with large snakes in zoos, was stunned when a 17 foot long anaconda I helped to capture in Venezuela disgorged a deer weighing 60 pounds (this at 3AM, below the hammock upon which I was trying to sleep)! I also observed anacondas swallowing a large side-necked turtle, Podocnemis unifilis, […]
Although I have kept reptiles and amphibians since childhood, and worked in zoos for most of my adult life, I remain amazed by the array of herp-care innovations that are available to us today. True, not all are necessary (and some are downright ridiculous!), but many are indispensable to serious […]
[…]coworker phoned me at 4 AM, frantically speaking in the rapid fire Spanish typical of her native Venezuela…and which I have great difficulty in grasping at 4 PM, much less 4 AM! Eventually I learned that 3 elderly millipede researchers had passed away recently, and that preliminary evidence indicated that […]
While working with Green Anacondas in the central Venezuela llanos (please see my article Hunting Anacondas in the Venezuelan Llanos) in the late 1990’s, I was delighted to find that Black Tegus, one of my favorite lizards, were quite common in the area. Sometimes referred to as “New World monitor […]
[…](the tortoise was an unfortunate exhibit mate; the deer fell to an anaconda at my study site in Venezuela) and 40 pound pigs regularly fed to Reticulated and Burmese Pythons under my care at the Bronx Zoo, for example. A few shell scutes, hoofs, some bone fragments and fur where […]
[…]California, Nevada, northern California, Japan (including in temple ponds in historic Kyoto!), Venezuela, St. Lucia and St. Croix. Such sightings, of course, are not noteworthy, considering that this plucky survivor is well established in 25 or more countries on all continents except Antarctica (actually, when referring to animals with large […]
[…] Certain large constrictors have also caused fatalities. In the course of field research in Venezuela, I observed a Green Anaconda attack a co-worker in what clearly was a feeding attempt. Please see “Further Reading”, below, to read about both this incident and a recent study of human predation by Reticulated […]
The Asian or Chinese Water Dragon (Physignathus cocincinus) superficially resembles the Green Iguana and is popular with those iguana fans lacking the space for a 6 foot-long lizard. Alert, beautifully-colored and interesting, they are among the best of all large lizard pets. Water Dragons are subject to several unique health concerns […]
[…]Blacktail Cribo ranges throughout much of Mexico south through Central America to northern Venezuela, Columbia and Peru. It’s presence in El Salvador, Panama and Peru needs further confirmation. The northern subspecies, sometimes known as the Texas Indigo Snake (D. m. erebennus), is found from southern Texas to Guatemala and Belize. […]
[…]departed to begin work with nesting King Cobras in India, and I was off to tag Green Anacondas in Venezuela (please see articles below). But, looking back, I see that we enjoyed our time at Ward Pound Ridge just as much as those “exotic” adventures. We herpers are indeed a […]
[…]that I encountered in the wild – a huge specimen that met my gaze inside a hollow tree in Venezuela (where I was searching for yet another bizarre beast, the giant vampire bat) – stopped me in my tracks. Although relatively harmless, these most unusual Arachnids certainly are formidable – […]
[…]in 1955 in South Africa – the 60 pound deer regurgitated by a Green Anaconda I tagged in Venezuela pales in comparison! Description Named for the renowned 18th century naturalist Arthur Seba, the African Rock Python is one of the world’s longest snakes. Individuals in excess of 20 feet have […]
[…]northern Florida, west to Kansas and New Mexico and south through Mexico to northern Columbia and Venezuela. A Slider among Sea Turtles The most “exotic” slider subspecies that I have handled are the Nicaraguan slider, Trachemys s. emolli, which was shown to me by a friend in Costa Rica, and […]
[…]study seemed to be a feeding response; other attacks were reported to me by several residents of Venezuela’s llanos region. The only reliably documented cases of human predation by snakes have involved Reticulated, African Rock and, possibly, Burmese Pythons. Please see the article below for more on huge snake meals. […]
[…]days. My Observations of Wild Black and White Tegus My observations of black and white tegus in Venezuela leads me to believe that, at least in llanos habitat, these lizards consume far more large insects, turtle eggs and frogs than rodents. Mammals are taken when available, mainly as carrion or […]
[…]high density of prey (rodents, insects) and in search of shelter. During the dry season in Venezuela, I collected numerous treefrogs, bats and spiders indoors. Snakes and Primate Evolution So, based on my experiences, I leaned toward a learning-based explanation. However, recent work at UC Davis has revealed a possible […]
[…]mega-vertebrates”. The Trust was the first to breed the Giant Jumping Rat, Lesser Antilles Iguana, Flat-tailed Tortoise and scores of others (please see article below). The Reintroduction The island selected for the new Round Island Boa population has been cleared of the introduced black rats, goats and rabbits that previously […]
[…]see articles linked below). One, a 60 pound White-tailed Deer taken by a huge Green Anaconda in Venezuela, would be hard for me “to swallow” (sorry!) had I not been awakened by the snake disgorging it below my hammock in the wee hours! A 5-foot-long Spectacled Caiman grabbed by another […]
[…]often productive. You can even find snake tracks outdoors, if conditions are just right. During Venezuela’s dry season, I was surprised to find that Green Anacondas (Eunectes murinus) left very clear drag marks when moving from one pool to another. As the wind usually erased the tracks within an hour […]
[…]was with great anticipation that, after some years as a reptile keeper for the zoo, I set off for Venezuela to assist in field studies of the green anaconda, arguably the world’s largest snake. Accounts of what I observed and learned during three visits to that country’s central llanos […]
[…]its unique habits in Part 2. Range This frog occurs from Honduras and northern Nicaragua through Venezuela to French Guinea and south to southern Columbia, Ecuador, northern Brazil, Peru and Bolivia. Due to its secretive nature, the southernmost limits of its range are not well known. Habitat Usually found in […]
[…]apparently spend a good deal of time foraging in rodent burrows, and have even been seen to enter iguana and sea turtle nests to prey upon eggs. Captive Care Mexican Dwarf Pythons can be kept as has been described for Calabar Ground Pythons, but need a drier substrate and less […]
[…]pound White-tailed Deer that was consumed by a 16 foot-long Green Anaconda, Eunectes murinus, in Venezuela. Other notable Anaconda meals include a Red-Footed Tortoise and a Yellow-Spotted Side-Necked Turtle (please see article below for details and other observations). However, when viewed in terms of predator vs. prey mass, the Hog-nosed […]
[…]attacks upon people always brings out wild claims. While working with Green Anacondas in Venezuela, I tried to track down 2 reports of human predation, but was unable to prove or disprove either. I recall reading several well-authenticated accounts in old issues of Herpetologica, and sadly, have first-hand knowledge of […]
[…]appropriate care while you are away from home. Further Reading Monitor & Rhino Iguana Learning Abilities Black Rough Neck Monitor […]
[…] The most commonly available subspecies, E. c. cenchria, is found from southern Venezuela, Guyana and Surinam south through Brazil’s Amazon Basin. The various subspecies occupy much of Central and South America, from Costa Rica to Argentina. Habitat Rainbow boas may be found in wet and dry forest, scrubland, savannahs, […]
[…]and moderate the internal effects of salt water exposure. Sea snakes, sea turtles and the Marine Iguana have taken salt-excretion and other adaptations further even than the Diamondback Terrapin, and are true marine creatures in every sense of the word Salt Water Amphibians? Amphibians are notably absent from estuarine environments. […]
[…]years ago, stomach analysis of several thousand toads collected in the central llanos country of Venezuela revealed not a single vertebrate prey item…this despite the fact that small rodents, lizards and turtles abound there. The Problem for Pet Owners The appetites of a number of commonly kept reptiles and amphibians […]
[…]confiscation of 5 adult Spectacled Caimans from a NYC apartment, and the investigation of several Iguana-filled Manhattan apartments. Animals removed from such situations are often in poor health and difficult to re-home. Pet Stores and Animal Displays Conditions are generally improving in these areas, but much work remains to be […]
[…]unstudied, and it rarely appears in public collections. While working with Green Anacondas in Venezuela, I tried to arrange a side trip to an area where they were reported to live, but was unable to arrange it. A review of the acquisition records at the Bronx Zoo, where I worked […]
[…]from the Guyana Shield region, which encompasses parts of Surinam, Guyana, French Guiana and Venezuela, are light green in color (often described as “lime green”), and have noticeably larger head scales than do those further south. The southern population inhabits those areas of Ecuador, Columbia, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil drained […]
[…]given the dubious honor of “World’s Rarest”, including the Batagur Turtle and Jamaican Iguana, and was heartened to see that zoos and private individuals are still contributing mightily to their protection. However, many of listed species are poorly-studied, and draw few supporters. Unfortunately, two such creatures that I’ve cared for […]
[…]is limited to the southern tip of Aruba Island (Netherlands Antilles), 15 miles off the coast of Venezuela. Its entire range covers a mere 10 square miles. Habitat The Aruba Island Rattlesnake is found only in those few areas of the island that are largely inhospitable to people. It frequents […]
[…]safety, please be aware that free-roaming dogs, cats, ferrets, tortoises, iguanas and other pets cause a number of fires each year (pushing papers and other flammable items close to heaters and bulbs, knocking over heaters, etc.). I have first-hand knowledge of several such incidents, as well as others caused by […]
[…]snake meal I’ve witnessed was a 60 pound White-Tailed Deer taken by a wild Green Anaconda in Venezuela. I’ve observed and read about many others…please see this article, and post your own experiences below. Other Giants The internet is stocked with claims of giant snake sightings, but many border on […]
[…]Spotted Sideneck inhabits northern and central South America, from Guyana, French Guiana and Venezuela to Columbia, Ecuador, northeastern Peru, northern Bolivia and Brazil; it may also be present on Trinidad and Tobago. An active, semi-aquatic turtle that reaches 12-18 inches in length, the Yellow-Spotted Sideneck is best kept by […]
[…]60 pound White-Tailed Deer taken by a 17 foot-long, 215 pound Green Anaconda, Eunectes murinus, in Venezuela. A 130 pound Impala consumed by an African Rock Python, Python sebae, is the largest fairly reliable meal I’ve been able to document (please see article linked below). But in terms of the […]
[…]see photo) have also accepted tadpoles, shrimp and other aquatic invertebrates. Ranging from Venezuela and Surinam to Columbia, eastern Peru and northern Brazil, this black water river denizen commands high prices in the pet trade, and is best reserved for well-experienced keepers. Range Snake Necked Turtles are found in […]
The beautifully-colored and charmingly-pugnacious Argentine Horned Frog, Ceratophrys ornata, may be the world’s most popular amphibian pet. No matter how many rare and wonderful frogs I encounter, I always save a place for Horned Frogs in the zoo exhibits I manage and in my personal collection. Despite their size (females […]
[…]and early 70’s being rarely seen in the trade today. I examined a great many in working in Venezuela, and most were in the 4-6 inch range (this comports with locally published accounts). Florida’s introduced animals are relatively small in size (but large as toads go), as are those in […]
[…]their bodies; most adjust to water bowls in time. Further Reading Hunting Anacondas in Venezuela Introduced Common Boa Populations Keeping Rosy and Sand Boas Rubber Boa Natural History Malagasy Tree Boa image referenced from wikipedia and originally posted by Tom Junek Emerald Tree Boa image referenced from wikipedia […]
[…]Reticulated Python in length. Of nearly 500 Green Anacondas that I and co-workers tagged in Venezuela’s llanos region, a 17 foot-long, 215 lb. female proved largest; several others measured 15-16 feet in length. Reliable colleagues report sightings of larger individuals along forested rivers within the Amazon basin, but in […]
[…]waxworms and wild-caught insects such as moths. Suntiger Tarantula, Psalmopoeus irminia Venezuela’s suntiger is quite large for an arboreal tarantula, and strikingly marked in black and red. These qualities, and its relative hardiness, have added to its popularity in recent years – in fact, this species has even been […]
Providing career advice is one of the most rewarding aspects of my work. There are many resources available to aspiring zoologists and herpetologists, but deciding the best path to take can be a confusing process. Today I’d like to provide some guidelines drawn from my experiences and those […]
[…]shows one grabbing a bait minnow from a miscast fishing line (I once accidentally hooked a hawk in Venezuela, but this is the only “fishing for a fishing spider” incident I know of!). Along with guppies and minnows, I offer wild-caught moths, grubs, tree crickets, caterpillars and such when […]
[…]Reptiles and Invertebrates Three trips to capture and tag Green Anacondas in the Venezuelan llanos provided me with a lifetime of interesting and sometimes dangerous experiences. Accidentally grabbing an electric eel or stepping on a fresh water ray were actually the most risky aspects of the work, but the snakes […]
[…]grams! At present, the genus contains two other species, – T. apophysis, described from Venezuela in 1991, and T. sterni, described from Guyana in 2010. The Panama Red-Rumped Tarantula was included in Theraphosa for a time, but is now classified as Sericopelma rubronitens. A Note Concerning Handling While […]