Table of contents for April 2024 in Practical Reptile Keeping

A fungus devastating frogs and toads on nearly every continent may have an Achilles’ heel. Scientists have discovered a virus that infects the fungus that causes this deadly infection, and it could be engineered to save the amphibians. The fungus itself, called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis or simply ‘Bd’ for short, ravages the skin of frogs and toads, and eventually causes heart failure. To date, it has contributed to the decline of over 500 amphibian species, and 90 possible extinctions including yellow-legged mountain frogs in the Sierras and the Panamanian golden frog. Why it matters The UC Riverside (UCR) researchers who found the new virus are excited about the implications of their discovery. In addition to helping them learn about how fungal pathogens develop and spread, it offers the hope of ending…

Knowledge from local communities has resulted in the first-ever nesting evidence and discovery of a breeding population of an incredibly rare turtle in India. Cantor's giant softshell turtle (Pelochelys cantorii) is native to the rivers of south and southeastern Asia, although its exact distribution is unclear. Known for its rarity and secretive nature, this species has long been a subject of fascination and concern among conservationists. Habitat destruction has resulted in its disappearance from much of its former range. These turtles are also heavily harvested by locals for meat and are often killed by fishermen when caught in fishing gear. Local insight Currently, this freshwater turtle is classified as Critically Endangered (CR) on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, and its numbers today…

FEATURE | USING THE TONGUE TO CATCH PREY You cannot help but wonder in amazement at the speed of the chameleon, and the dexterity with which it shoots out its tongue to ensnare its victim. Or the frog, which sits motionless and waits for ages for its suitable prey to venture close-by, and then ensnares it with its sticky tongue. It is interesting how the tongue in both the reptile and amphibian world has developed into such an important feeding projectile, especially bearing in mind that these two groups are basically unrelated. But when, and why did it evolve this role in the first place? A mouthful of water Unfortunately, because the tongue is a boneless, fleshy organ, it is very rarely preserved in fossils. We therefore have to look…

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS 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 I have recently started keeping small frogs – both dart frog and mantella species – in their own 45×45×60cm (18×18×24in) enclosures. I wish to provide my animals with a set-up that is as close to their natural environment as I can. One particular aspect that is confusing me is how to establish leaf scatter illumination in the best way for them? Your approach really helps to reconnect with the way that these animals live naturally, and gives…

FEATURE | WHAT TO FEED YOUR BEARDED DRAGON Introduction The bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) is undoubtedly the world's most popular pet lizard, and is often recommended as a good starter for new reptile enthusiasts. Indeed, this species is definitely one of the best for new owners: most of these lizards are easy to handle, fairly hardy and will come to recognise their owners. These lizards often show a calm temperament too, particularly as they grow older, and they are usually enthusiastic feeders. Despite this though, formulating a balanced, healthy bearded dragon diet can be surprisingly difficult. What should they be fed? How often? This article aims to help you to meet your pet's nutritional requirements, allowing these charismatic lizards to live long, healthy lives. An Australian agamid This species occurs…

A team of scientists on location with a film crew in the remote Amazon has uncovered a previously undocumented species of giant anaconda. Professor Bryan Fry from The University of Queensland led the team which captured and studied several specimens of the newly-named northern green anaconda (Eunectes akayima), located in the remote Bameno region of Baihuaeri Waorani Territory in the Ecuadorian Amazon. “Our team received a rare invitation from the Waorani people to explore the region and collect samples from a population of anacondas, rumoured to be the largest in existence,” says Prof. Fry. “The indigenous hunters took us into the jungle on a 10-day expedition to search for these snakes, which they consider sacred. Concealed giants “We paddled canoes down the river system and were lucky enough to find…

Kleptoparasitism, or food theft, is a well-documented behaviour in many animal species but is seldom reported among snakes in natural habitats. This latest observation, detailed in a recent study by Henrik Bringsøe and Niels Poul Dreyer, showcases two red-tailed coral snakes engaging in a tug-of-war over the limbless amphibian. Most elapid snakes are venomous and the deadliest serpents in the world. There are more than 400 species in the group, which comprises a very diverse list of snakes such as mambas, cobras, kraits, taipans, tiger snakes, death adders, sea snakes and coral snakes. The battle between the coral snakes occurred in the dense rainforests of Valle del Cauca, western Colombia. Surprisingly, in the tussle, one snake also bit the body of the other but the researchers suggest this was probably…

Insects of all types are in the midst of a vanishing act, a catastrophic sleight-of-hand occurring so rapidly that scientists can't keep up. Things get even trickier when you consider that insects have a complex life cycle involving eggs, larvae, pupae and adults. Are they all disappearing at equal rates, or are some being lost faster than others? Few people have checked. The importance of life-cycles In a new study, researchers presented the results of a year-long survey in which they monitored the abundance of adult and larval moths in an urban, sub-tropical environment. It is the first time that researchers have analysed multiple life stages to assess the severity of ongoing insect declines. It's also one of only a few studies that have tackled the problem in lower latitudes,…

OUT OF AFRICA | AFRICAN CLAWED FROG T he African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis) is a very unusual amphibian, and was introduced to the hobby in a truly unique way. They were originally used in laboratories for pregnancy testing. Once modern medicine made the need to have African clawed frogs in laboratories obsolete, they entered the pet trade where they turned out to be very easy to keep as pets. Biology There are approximately 20 species of clawed frog forming the genus Xenopus, which are distributed across most of sub-Saharan Africa. But by far the most commonly-kept species in collections is the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis). These frogs are fully aquatic, as reflected by their streamlined, flattened body shape, and they can be found amongst underwater vegetation in the…

This rare, almost mythological creature is a young albino alligator. In spite of stories down the centuries, there has never been a confirmed sighting of an adult of this colour from the wild. On the relatively few occasions when individuals do hatch, the odds against them surviving for long in these surroundings are seemingly overwhelming. Their colouration makes them highly vulnerable to predators, and also leaves them at risk of suffering from severe sunburn. To date, young albino alligators have only been recorded from the state of Louisana, and nowhere else within the species’ range, which extends from central parts of Texas through the Gulf Coast states up to North Carolina. Nevertheless, a few albino alligators can be seen in zoological collections, with one of the most famous being Claude.…

I can scarcely believe that almost 40 years have gone by since I penned what became my very first investigative cryptozoological article, published as a two-parter in the September and October 1986 issues of a now long-defunct British magazine called The Unknown. And what was my article's subject? None other than a certain mysterious sea beast found dead a few years earlier on a beach in Gambia, West Africa - the very same creature whose extraordinary history I am writing about now in this much-expanded, updated article for Practical Reptile Keeping. Clearly, time not only flies but also, on occasion, it takes delight in looping the loop! A life-changing impact Back then in 1986, I was the first cryptozoologist to write in detail about the Gambian sea serpent. Indeed, it…

A new strategy has been pioneered to protect vulnerable native species from the devastating impacts of invasive cane toads (Rhinella marina). This new approach has been co-ordinated by wildlife biologist Dr Georgia Ward-Fear, from the School of Natural Sciences, based at Sydney's Macquarie University. It resulted in high survival rates in groups of goannas (Varanus species) in the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia that had been trained to avoid poisonous cane toads. “Our work in adaptive management for conservation is based on decades of cane toad research and involves a broad group of people and organisations,” explains Dr Ward-Fear. “Cane toads crossed into Western Australia in 2009 and have made it most of the way across to the Kimberley area, with disastrous results. When apex predators like goannas eat…

The chance sighting of a dead snake beside a sandy track in remote Western Australia, and the investigation of its stomach contents, has led Curtin University researchers to record the first known instance of a spotted mulga snake consuming a pygmy spiny-tailed skink, raising concerns for a similar-looking, endangered lizard species. Lead researcher Dr Holly Bradley from Curtin's School of Molecular and Life Sciences said the discovery of the partially digested pygmy spiny-tailed skink within the snake had implications for the vulnerable western spiny-tailed skink species. A worrying indicator “Found about 300 km (186 ml) east of Geraldton and probably killed by a vehicle, the snake's consumption of the pygmy spiny-tailed skink raises concerns about the susceptibility of similar-sized juvenile western spinytailed skinks, which also inhabit the mid-west region and…

Several surprisingly similar and large, fossilised bone fragments have been discovered in various areas across Western and Central Europe since the 19th century. The animal group to which they belong has been the subject of much debate to this day, but finally, thanks to a study carried out at the University of Bonn in Germany, this uncertainty is set to be resolved. Various ideas In 1850, the British naturalist Samuel Stutchbury reported a mysterious find in a scientific journal, stating that a large, cylindrical bone fragment had been discovered at Aust Cliff – a fossil deposit site near to Bristol in the west of England. Similar bone fragments have since been unearthed in other different places around Europe, including Bonenburg in the North Rhine-Westphalia region and in the Provence area…

TOP 10 SNAKE MYTHS There are still abundant myths regarding snakes, thanks in no small part to their traditional portrayals in folklore and religion. Many such stories have changed over the years – we no longer believe snakes can hypnotise us with their eyes, for example – but these have been replaced with fresher, more modern and thus believable myths. With so many people still afraid of these misunderstood reptiles, it is time to clear up some of these false accusations, so in no particular order, here are 10 of the most widespread myths surrounding snakes, and the truth of the matter. 1 The majority of snakes are venomous. Based on the latest figures, there are over 3,970 species of snake in the world, of which only around 600 are venomous…

FEATURE | MEDITERRANEAN-TYPE TORTOISES It is fair to say that providing the correct lighting is one of the most important factors in successful reptile keeping. When Zoo Med first introduced their Reptisun fluorescent tube, this served to revolutionise the keeping of reptiles indoors, and probably did more to advance the keeping of pet reptiles than any other single product. But however great a light is, in terms of meeting a reptile's ultraviolet (UV) requirements, it can never be the sun and reptiles that can be kept in outdoor enclosures exposed to direct sunlight gain many benefits. This is particularly true of Mediterranean tortoises that do particularly well when accommodated outdoors during the warmer months. But these species are not native to the UK and they cannot simply be placed outside…

FEATURE | NEWTS AND SALAMANDERS Learning is a very important skill for animals as it enables them to improve their interaction with their environment, increasing their chances of long-term survival. For example, if an area of land or water contains increased danger, such as greater numbers of predators or particularly skilful predators, then it is very useful to learn to avoid this location. Similarly, being able to recall which areas are particularly valuable hunting grounds, and those where food is scarce increases efficiency, and saves time and energy. Popular misconceptions Despite these obvious advantages associated with the power of learning however, it has long been believed that caudates are not capable of displaying this behaviour. Instead, it was thought that all of their behavioural patterns were based on instinct and…