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

Please see Part 1 of this article for more on Giant Centipedes, Scolopendra gigantea, including escape stories and a video of a bat-hunting centipede in Trinidad.

Centipede Diversity

Over 3,000 species, classified within the invertebrate order Chilopoda, have been identified to date.  Many more will certainly come to light in time – several years ago a new centipede was discovered in the heart of New York City’s Central Park (please see article linked in Part 1).  All, including the thinly-built and ubiquitous House Centipede (please see photo in Part 1), are capable of inflicting painful bites; fatalities, while unlikely, have occurred. Read More »

While pet-keeping suffices for many herp enthusiasts, some with particularly deep interests can only be happy when working with reptiles and amphibians full time.  My own path to career in herpetology, while twisted (even “tortuous” at times!), was well worth the struggle…as you can see by the attached photos, I’m very fortunate (please also see this article).  In Part 1 I highlighted several important steps one can take to lay the foundation for a career in herpetology.  Following are some further thoughts. Read More »

This article is one of a series in which I plan to provide a brief introduction to both popular and rarely-kept species.  I’ll cover such topics as unique habits, common husbandry concerns and little-known tips, pet pros and cons, and so forth.  Detailed care articles will follow…until then, I would enjoy receiving your questions and comments.  Today we’ll take a look at the Mossy Treefrog or Tonkin Bug-Eyed Frog, Theloderma corticale.

Ultimate Camouflage Artists

Mossy Treefrogs made quite a splash in the zoo world when they began showing up about 10 years ago.  I was fortunately able to work with some of the first specimens to arrive here, and was immediately taken in by them.  Read More »

A recent article in the journal IRCF Reptiles and Amphibians (V17, 1) provides evidence that the African Rock Python (Northern African Python, Python sebae), may have established a breeding population in southern Florida.  The huge constrictors are adapted to take small antelopes and other large animals, and have been killed and consumed people in their native habitat.

Florida’s Introduced Constrictors

At least 45 species of non-native reptiles and amphibians have established breeding populations in Florida; many others have been observed but are not known to be reproducing.  Among these are 2 of the world’s largest snakes, the Burmese Python and the Boa Constrictor.  Other large constrictors, including the Green Anaconda, Yellow Anaconda and White-Lipped Python, have been found at large in Florida.

Anacondas and others Established?

Given the extent of Florida’s wetlands and other densely-vegetated habitats, it is not unlikely that reproduction of other species has occurred unseen.  Anacondas, being aquatic, are especially difficult to find.  Years ago, I was told by a reliable source that an entire litter of Green Anacondas escaped from a roadside zoo near Florida City in the early 1970’s…nothing would surprise me at this point!

Northern African Python Study

The article mentioned above looked at Northern African Python sightings and captures in south Florida from 2002-2009.  In that period, 7 individuals were found in a small (less than 10 square miles) area in Dade County.  Among the captured snakes was an 15.5 foot-long adult female with eggs forming in the oviduct, reproductively active males, and several young-of-the-year.  The ages and sexes of these snakes, and their proximity to one another, suggests a breeding population.

Also notable is the fact that the capture sites were less than 1 mile from the border of the Everglades, an immense habitat that could easily hide other African Rock Pythons.

Recent meals – a Domestic Turkey and a Boat-tailed Grackle – were recovered from 2 of the snakes.

Python Hybrids

The African Rock Pythons were found in an area that abuts or overlaps with the range of Florida’s introduced Burmese Pythons.  The 2 species will mate with one another in captivity; the fertility of the resulting hybrids, and their possible affect on south Florida ecosystems, bears further study.

Further Reading

The African Rock Python in Florida (National Geographic)

Video: Rock Python found in Florida

News Article, Photo: African Rock Python Captured in Florida

Study: Burmese Python Winter Tolerance

Python Sebae image referenced from wikipedia and originally posted by Brian.Gratwicke

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 »