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

Many interesting field research reports are published in professional journals such as Copeia, Herpetologica and Herpetological Review, and are not available on the internet.  From time to time I’ll provide summaries of some of the fascinating articles that I come across.  Today’s report, drawn from Autumn, 2010 publications, covers a favorite topic of mine – feeding records.  As theses reports show, snakes and frogs often do battle – and the results are hard to predict!

Fer-de-lance and Smoky Jungle Frogs: Venom vs. Poison

In Costa Rica, a Fer-de-lance partially swallowed and regurgitated a Smoky Jungle Frog.  The snake was rendered lethargic incapable of defending itself for at least 45 minutes (and would likely not repeat the experience!).  Smoky Jungle Frogs produce Leptotoxin, a powerful chemical that causes rapid death from cardiac arrest when administered to rats.  People have reported experiencing “tingling” sensations after handling Smoky Jungle Frogs. Read More »

Turtle-keepers have a great many options when designing their pets’ homes…plastic bins, filtered aquariums, outdoor ponds, and many others all have their place.  In this article I’ll cover everything you’ll need to create an inexpensive habitat for most semi-aquatic and aquatic turtles, including Red-Eared Sliders, Painted and Map Turtles, Cooters, Reeve’s Turtles and others.  I’ll also mention money-saving alternatives to certain products, along with non-essential “extras” that can be added if you wish.  Please see Part 1 for information on enclosures, basking sites and shelters.

Ultra-violet “B” Light

Turtles that bask in the sun (heliothermic species) need a UVB source in captivity.  Most commonly-kept species, such as Sliders, Cooters, Painted and Map Turtles, fall into this category.  Musk, Snapping, Soft-shelled and other largely aquatic species seem to do fine without, but many keepers provide UVB as “insurance”. Read More »

Frogs and frog enthusiasts have much to celebrate these days.  The endangered Lake Titicaca Frog, Telmatobius culeus, has reproduced in captivity, and 6 Haitian frogs, lost to science for decades, have been found.

Lake Titicaca’s Aquatic Giant

The huge, skin-breathing, cold-adapted Lake Titicaca Frog ranks as one of the world’s strangest amphibians.  Known only from this lake, which straddles the Peru-Bolivia border at 12,500 feet above sea level, the unique creature is threatened by the food trade and pollution.

I had the good fortune to work with what was, at the time, the only Lake Titicaca Frogs in captivity.  Despite nearly 2 decades of trials, I and my co-workers failed to raise the few tadpoles that were produced (please see article below).  However, Peru’s Huachipa Zoo, in association with the Denver Zoo, has announced that 5 apparently healthy tadpoles are now being reared.  A museum in Bolivia has been successful in breeding a close relative, the equally-rare Water Frog, Telmatobius hintoni. Read More »

From simple, easily-cleaned habitats to complex environments, herp enthusiasts have many options when it comes to setting up terrariums for reptiles and amphibians.  Today I’ll cover everything you’ll need to create an ideal habitat for semi-aquatic, basking turtles, including Red-Eared Sliders, Painted and Map Turtles, Cooters and others.  With a bit of modification, your set-up can also accommodate largely-aquatic species such as Musk, African Mud, Snapping and Soft-shelled Turtles.  I’ll also mention money-saving alternatives to certain products, along with non-essential “extras” that can be added if you wish.

Enclosure

Surface area, to allow for swimming and bottom “prowling”, is a more important consideration than water depth for most species. Read More »

I’ve recently observed several frogs and toads to develop difficulties in feeding (American Bullfrogs, Gray Treefrogs, Southern Leopard and Green Frogs; several readers have written to me concerning difficulties with American Toads).  It starts with what looks like “bad aim” and progresses to the point where the frogs cannot catch insects at all and must be force-fed.  I’ve looked into the problem and found that a Vitamin A deficiency, leading to Short Tongue Syndrome, may be involved (please see this article by Dr. Kevin Wright of the Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital for details).  I’d like to request that readers send me their own observations, so that we can learn more about this serious amphibian health problem. Read More »