Tabla de contenidos para December 2023 en Practical Reptile Keeping

Researchers from Yale University in Connecticut have identified a new fossil lizard, found in the western United States, which they say was an ancestor of modern geckos. The discovery of the new species, which they named Helioscopus dickersonae, suggests that gecko ancestors appeared in North America much earlier than was previously known. “This discovery emerged from a larger investigation of two fossil lizard skulls from Dinosaur National Monument in Utah,” explains Dalton Meyer, from Yale's Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences. “These skulls had both been previously described as part of a European genus of skink ancestors, but we wanted to investigate that further with 3D data.” Meyer and his colleagues therefore used computed tomography (CT) scans to develop 3D images of the skulls, which both dated back to the…

Afield survey in Vietnam searching for members of the genus Loboscelidia, representing a rare group of parasitoid wasps, has increased the total number of known species worldwide by 30% and uncovered evidence of their unique egg-burying behaviour. Researchers at Kyushu University and Vietnam's National Museum of Nature have discovered 16 new species of Loboscelidia, a strange-looking and elusive group of parasitoid wasps. The scientists also reported for the first time the unique parasitic behaviour of a captive female of one species, Loboscelidia squamosa, who was observed digging a hole in the soil to hide her host's egg. Easily overlooked While we are more familiar with typical hunting wasps, often known as yellow-jackets, with their dramatic black and yellow stripes and painful stings, it is actually parasitoid wasps that make up…

Out of Africa SPEKE'S HINGE-BACK TORTOISE There seems to be an awful lot of confusion over the African hinge-back tortoises which form the genus Kinixys, depending on which field guides you read (as these can quickly become out of date!), not to mention relevant scientific papers too. Taxonomists and biologists are continually revising genera and shifting species and subspecies about, and this seems to be happening frequently with this genus at present. The other problem, adding to the confusion, is that some people who have websites do not know the difference between a 'species' and a 'subspecies', and, as a consequence, this can create even more confusion. Trying to unravel the currently accepted taxonomy for these tortoises has proved to be a bit of a nightmare. It was rather like the…

This particular chameleon is found in eastern parts of Madagascar. It was first discovered there during 1970, in the national park known as Périnet, which explains its name. This is a small chameleon whose distribution is directly linked to areas of forest, and it favours the lower levels here, hunting for invertebrates close to the leaf litter. Its appearance, which can be likened to a dry leaf, provides excellent camouflage, as does its ability to remain immobile if it senses danger. It is an egg-laying species of chameleon, with females burying their eggs on the forest floor. Occurring over a relatively wide area, the Perinet leaf chameleon is not currently considered under threat, but obviously, loss of habitat does represent an on-going risk. It is feared that its numbers have…

FEATURE | THE REPTILE HOUSE I have always been good at getting up in the morning. My more normally comatose partner abhors the fact that once my feet touch the bedroom floor, I am instantly awake. I have never needed to resort to the use of an alarm clock and will always be awake as long as I have enjoyed my eight hours of sleep. However, if not, I usually emerge from my bed rubbing my eyes and blinking at the sunlight, rather in the manner of one of my favourite amphibians. A stunning appearance As its name suggests, the red-eyed tree frog (Agalychnis callidryas) has bright red eyes, with vertical pupils. This little amphibian is also known as the “monkey frog”, on account of its excellent powers of co-ordination.…

Back in the pioneering days of North America, when European settlers were attempting to tame the vast wildernesses full of unfamiliar creatures in what to them was the new and very strange, even somewhat frightening continent of North America, rural workers such as lumberjacks and loggers would often spend appreciable periods of time away from their families and homesteads. Consequently, for company and to keep safe, they would bond together by gathering around fires in their campsites at night, deep within the dark, forbidding forests. They would while away the hours by telling tall tales to amuse and play-scare each other, seeing who could spin the most outlandish, spine-chilling yarns, full of daring feats and terrifying monsters – the latter often being inspired by sightings and sounds of what to…

Deep in the forests of Haiti lives the blue-eyed La Hotte glanded frog (Eleutherodactylus glandulifer), which once went 20 years without being observed by scientists. It belongs to a diverse genus of some 200 species, many of which hail from the Caribbean. It includes the much more common coquí frog (Eleutherodactylus coquí), a cultural icon in Puerto Rico where it originates. Now, a new fossil study shows that frogs from the genus Eleutherodactylus are geologically the oldest Caribbean vertebrates to be found in Florida. They also arrived in North America much earlier than previously thought. Although scientists knew some North American frogs had origins in the Caribbean, they lacked fossil evidence showing when and how this movement had occurred. But María Vallejo-Pareja from the University of Florida has now used…

By studying the skull shapes of dipsadine snakes, researchers at The University of Texas at Arlington, working in conjunction with colleagues from the University of Michigan, have found how these snakes have evolved and adapted to meet the demands of their habitats and food sources in parts of Central and South America. “We now have evidence that this group of snakes represents one of the most spectacular and largest vertebrate adaptive radiations currently known to science,“ says Gregory Pandelis, collections manager at UTA's Amphibian and Reptile Diversity Research Center. “We found that both habitat use and dietary preferences are strongly correlated to skull shape in this group of snakes, indicating these are likely factors driving cranial evolution for these species.” An overview of the group There are more than 800…

Researchers have recently described a new Japanese mosasaur, which was the size of a great white shark and terrorised Pacific seas some 72 million years ago. Extra-long rear flippers might have aided propulsion in concert with its long finned tail. And unlike other mosasaurs, which represent a group of large extinct marine reptiles, it had a dorsal fin similar to that of a shark, which would have helped it to turn quickly and with precision in the water. University of Cincinnati Associate Professor Takuya Konishi and his international team have named the mosasaur after the place where it was found, in Wakayama Prefecture, and it is now known as Wakayama Soryu, which means 'blue dragon'. Dragons are creatures of legend in Japanese folklore. “In China, dragons make thunder and live…

DO YOU NEED A HELPING HAND OR ADVICE? Email your queries to practicalreptilekeeping@gmail.com. A selection of submitted questions will appear here every month. Regrettably, replies can only be given through this column, and if you are worried about the health of your animal, seek veterinary advice without delay. Q&A Is it better to use formulated diets or make up my own? Considerable research over recent years has been focused on the development of formulated diets, especially for the most popular reptiles and amphibians, and these do have a number of advantages. Just like prepared dog and cat foods, these are easy to store and should eliminate the risk of any nutritional deficiencies. There are now foods designed especially for individual species, such as bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps) and crested geckos…

So what's as aggressive as an African rock python, as black as an indigo snake and as quick as a taipan? It has to be the black racer of course! These snakes are fantastic. I have been interested in them since I was a kid when I first saw them in magazines and books. I can still remember that when I turned six, we had a number of them come in from North America. My first encounter All of them were adults, incredibly fast and very snappy! As soon as the bag was opened they all started to whip out of the bag faster than anything I had ever seen in my life. I went to grab one by the tail as it was heading towards the top of the…

FEATURE | BREEDING THE BLACK TREE MONITOR These monitors are found on the Aru Islands of Indonesia, close to New Guinea, and they are distinguished by their entirely black colouration. Also known as Beccari's monitor, this is a relatively small species, with adults growing to between 90-120cm (3-4ft). The first individual that I obtained turned out to be female and then, during the following year, I managed to acquire a young male. The lizards were introduced slowly to each other, particularly as the male was still slightly smaller than the female at this stage. Within a year, however, he had doubled in size and is now noticeably larger than his mate, as is normal in this species. These monitors typically grow to between 0.9 and 1.2m (36-48in) overall, and rely…

The first extensive assessment of methylmercury in adult amphibians in the U.S. to date shows that this toxic compound is common, widespread and, at least in some cases, can reach very high levels. Scientists from around the country tested more than 3,200 amphibians representing 14 species from 26 populations, to create an overall picture. “Amphibians are now the most endangered group of vertebrates worldwide, but until this study, we knew relatively little about the variability of mercury bioaccumulation in amphibians,” explains Anne Kinsinger, United States Geological Survey (USGS) Associate Director for Ecosystems. “Ground-breaking science, like this study, provides a solid foundation for research and helps managers to address the most pressing issues facing fish and wildlife conservation today.” The findings The amount of methylmercury present in amphibians varied by site…

Inspired by a small and slow snail, scientists have developed a robot protype that may one day scoop up microplastics from the surfaces of oceans, seas and lakes. The robot's design was inspired by the apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata), a common aquarium species that uses the undulating motion of its foot to drive water surface flow and suck in floating food particles. Currently, plastic collection devices mostly rely on drag nets or conveyor belts to gather and remove larger plastic debris from water, but they lack the fine scale required for retrieving microplastics. These tiny particles of plastic can be ingested and end up in the tissues of marine animals, thereby entering the food chain where they become a health issue and potentially carcinogenic to humans. Plastic waste makes up…

Some reptile hobbyists are attracted to keeping snakes, but avoid doing so because they do not like the idea of feeding rodents to their snake. Not everyone is comfortable handling rats or mice and don't want dead rodents next to the frozen vegetables in the household freezer! Garter snakes are the ideal choice for these reptile enthusiasts as they do not require a diet of rodents and can be fed on fish, earthworms and even tinned cat food. What other species of snake can live on a diet of cat food? Garter snakes as a group North American garter snakes form the genus Thamnophis, which also includes several species of ribbon snake. There are some 37 species in total currently recognised, along with around 56 different subspecies, with those featuring…

Q&A I've recently acquired some lizards that were originally wild-caught. Do they present any particular health worries? One of the major problems that can afflict wild-caught reptiles in particular is an overwhelming burden of internal parasites. These can have a very harmful effect on the reptile's over all state of health, resulting most demonstrably in a loss of appetite. This can then start a downward spiral—as the reptile loses weight and its condition deteriorates, it will then be at greater risk of acquiring a potentially fatal bacterial or fungal infection as a result. Testing for such parasites requires a sample of droppings and is a relatively inexpensive procedure. Seek the assistance of a veterinary practice that is used to treating exotic patients. There are now drugs available for deworming purposes…

FEATURE | CONVERTING A BOOKCASE A step-by-step guide There comes a time when most reptile keepers will face the need to upgrade or replace old wooden vivariums. For me, that time came a few months ago. I have had a stack of wooden vivariums in my reptile room for around ten years now, and they were beginning to look a bit battered, tired and generally in need of replacement. Limited lifespan Wooden vivariums in particular do have a limited lifespan, especially because they are often built with furniture board. When the board becomes damp, so it can start to rot, while if exposed to extreme heat, it is then likely to warp and bend. This in turn is likely to impact adversely on the glass, causing it to become stuck…