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

Hello, Frank Indiviglio here.  Early June brings to NYC one of my favorite herp events, the NY Turtle and Tortoise Society’s (NYTTS) annual show.  The word “show”, however, does not due justice to this wonderful event, as you’ll see below.

A NYC Chelonian Tradition

The show is held outdoors, in a schoolyard located in the West Village, one of NYC’s most interesting and vibrant neighborhoods. While members do have a chance to display their turtles and tortoises and compete for trophies, much more goes on as well.  The vital, hands-on conservation work of NYTTS, the Wetlands Institute and other local institutions is highlighted and visitors learn how to become involved.  Of special value to me is the opportunity I and other turtle keepers have to share what we have learned with one another in person – a refreshing break from emails and such! This year, as always, I made many new contacts and was especially delighted to meet up with old friends that I had not seen in some time.  Read More »

Beetle-keeping is a small but expanding hobby here in the USA, but is amazingly popular in Japan, where beetle larvae are even sold in vending machines (I experienced this first-hand, and can say they survive the ordeal quite well!).  Beetles are classified in the order Coleoptera, which exceeds all other animal orders in species diversity, and they play a vital role most ecosystems.  Beetle conservation, however, is in its infancy, so I was very pleased to learn of new efforts on behalf of the UK’s largest species, the European Stag Beetle, Lucanus servus.

Elusive Quarry

The European Stag Beetle (please see photo) is likely in sharp decline, but no one knows why.  They are very hard to study…adults do not feed and so cannot be lured to traps, and digging for buried larvae often kills them and destroys their habitat. Read More »

Tortoises have long been immensely popular pets, and with good reason.  We know a good deal about their needs, but misinformation as to a proper enclosure abounds.  In Part 1 of this article I discussed the general unsuitability of glass aquariums and the usefulness of outdoor enclosures.  Today we’ll take a look at indoor cages that can be purchased or (if you are more skilled than I!) built.

Plastic-Based Animal Cages

Plastic-based wire animal cages are preferable to aquariums for small tortoises.  Please bear in mind, however, that all except the Egyptian Tortoise (Testudo kleimanni) and the Speckled Padloper (Homopus signatus) will outgrow most available cages (please see Part 1 for further information).  Read More »

Green Anoles (Anolis carolinensis) were one of the first lizards to be widely available in the US pet trade.  Although there were bright spots, our knowledge of their needs was severely lacking, and millions met untimely ends as a result (Horned Lizards, Phrynosoma spp., the other trade staple at the time, remain difficult captives still). Today we (and they!) fare better, but as my own experience indicates, the road has been rocky… Read More »

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 »