Table of contents for January 2025 in Practical Reptile Keeping

Evolution has resulted in the development of both herbivores and carnivores – but what type of food did extinct reptiles eat and how can we gain insight into the diets of those alive today? In living animals, we can simply observe what they are eating, whereas with extinct species, however, researchers rely on morphological (anatomy indicators) or chemical information obtained from the fossils. A team led by Professor Thomas Tütken of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) has now compiled a reference framework of chemical isotope compositions indicating the type of diet for extant reptiles that represents a useful reference dataset to gain a better insight into the diet of species known just from the fossil record. “This reptile reference framework is a convenient toolbox that will enable us to better…

Scientists have developed a new method to monitor the elusive eastern indigo snake (Drymarchon couperi), which is the longest native snake in the U.S., potentially reaching a length of as much as 2.8m (9.2ft). New research shows that genetic material in the soil can be used to indicate its presence in an area. This innovative approach looks for traces of environmental DNA (eDNA) in soil samples and can significantly assist efforts to conserve this threatened species. A new opportunity Eastern indigo snakes are notoriously difficult to find in the wild, making management of the species and its habitats challenging. More accurate distribution information can focus habitat restoration and management efforts with the aim of achieving more targeted and effective conservation. A team of researchers, funded by the Department of Defense's…

The bright colouration of this little-known South American species might suggest that it is venomous, but in reality, this is not the case. Nevertheless, this snake is unusual in a number of ways, as is reflected partly by the fact that it is classified as the sole member of its family, having no close relatives. It is restricted to northern parts of the continent, with its distribution centred on the Amazon basin, and it hunts both in water and on land. Red pipe snakes have a narrow gape though, which prevents them from swallowing large prey, as they cannot open their mouth very wide. They therefore tend to feed on creatures with a similar shape to themselves, including other snakes, although they are also known to eat eels, legless lizards…

In 1699, at the age of 52, Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717) undertook the perilous journey from her home in Amsterdam to the distant Dutch colony of Suriname in northern South America. For much of her adult life up to this point, the German-born entomologist and illustrator had been quietly pursuing scientific research, including the description and illustration of various plant and insect species in Europe. A voyage of discovery From a very young age, Merian had been fascinated by natural history, and under the tutelage of her stepfather, who was Jacob Marrel, the noted stilllife artist, she had subsequently become a remarkably talented and enthusiastic illustrator and naturalist. Indeed, by the time of her arrival in Suriname, Merian was already a respected author with several publications including an illustrated book…

When keeping groups of tortoises, it is absolutely imperative to have disease prevention protocols in place, in order to prevent any potential serious health problems from arising. This applies even if you are introducing a single individual to an existing group. It is also just as important to have well-thought-out management systems in place to deal with health issues as well, if they do occur within a group. The ‘perfectly healthy’ tortoise The first thing to understand about housing tortoises in groups together is that there is absolutely no such thing as a ‘perfectly healthy’ animal. Although you may well have had some tortoises in your care for the last twenty or so years which have never been ill, nor ever needed a trip to the vet's, this does not…

New proteins not found in nature have been designed by scientists to counteract important deadly components of snake venom. Excitingly, the deep-learning, computational methods used for developing these toxin-neutralising proteins offer real hope now for creating safer, cost-effective and more readily available treatments than those currently in use. The scale of the problem Each year more than two million people across the world suffer snakebites. More than 100,000 of them die, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), and 300,000 suffer severe complications and lasting disability from limb deformities and amputations, as well as other after-effects. Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Papua New Guinea, and Latin America are among the places where venomous snakebites pose the greatest public health concern. The computational biology method to discover better antivenom therapeutics has been…

The way in which cricket frogs (Acris species) move across the surface of water has long been thought to resemble walking on water, but researchers based at Blacksberg, Virginia in the U.S., at the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech, have discovered a different reality. Can these frogs walk on water? Several species of this group of amphibians have fascinated observers with their abilities to skip side-to-side and leap into the air from the surface of a pond, as if the water was land. This applies to the cricket frogs (Acris species) occurring in the U.S.. The way in which these frogs move in the water could offer insights to tools for the future of robotics, watercraft, and more. Jake Socha, the Samuel Herrick Professor in Mechanical Engineering, leads a…

University of Leicester palaeontologists have announced that they have reunited various members of a group that have been separated for 150 million years. A new study has found nearly 50 ‘hidden’ examples of Pterodactylus, the first recognised genus of pterosaur, allowing scientists to reconstruct this flying reptile's life history from hatchling through to adulthood. The original discovery It was nearly 250 years ago now that the very first pterosaur fossil was found in a quarry in northern Bavaria. Dubbed Pterodactylus, this 150-million-year-old fossil provided the first evidence for an extraordinary group of flying reptiles that filled the skies of the Mesozoic, soaring over the heads of dinosaurs on wings that could span up to 10m (33ft) or more in diameter. While this first pterosaur was only the size of a…

It is always exciting to find new species that you haven't encountered before, whether you have lived in a country for a long time, or recently moved to a new one. As many of you will know, it took me the best part of 14 years to find my first turtle in Botswana. In the first four months that I resided in Zambia however, I found no less than four different types of chelonian. My first was a Speke's hinge-back tortoise (Kinixys belliana spekii). My second turned out to be a Bell's hinge-back tortoise (Kinixys belliana belliana), and thirdly, on an excursion into the swampy area which is the subject of this article, I came across a serrated hinged terrapin (Pelusios sinuatus) and even more unexpectedly, a leopard tortoise. Perfect…

The Roti island snake-necked turtle (Chelodina mccordi) is a fascinating and highly engaging species of turtle, like other members of this group, thanks to its appealing eyes and large mouth. While represented both in zoo and private collections, this particular snake-necked turtle is sadly now highly endangered in the wild, to the point of being virtually extinct on the latest data, facing a range of threats from habitat loss, hunting and overcollection. Even so, it is still not too late to save it from disappearing from the planet. In the wild The Roti island snake-necked turtle is endemic to Roti, a tiny island of 1,240km2 (479 ml2) in area, lying within the Lesser Sunda group that forms part of Indonesia. The turtle's actual area of habitat here is less than…

If you're looking for a pet for children, which can be maintained easily and cheaply, then consider stick insects, particularly the Indian or laboratory stick insect (Carausius morosus). This is the most commonly-kept species and is very easy to cater for, although it is important to bear in mind that these stick insects can reach an adult size of 15cm (6in) when adult, and so they need reasonably spacious surroundings as they grow larger. Young hatchlings, however, can be kept in smaller sizes of plastic containers with ventilated hoods, provided that they cannot slip out through gaps in the roof of the vivarium, as they are very agile at this stage. Even a converted sweet jar can be used for this purpose. Wrapping a layer of fine black cloth over…

When a bird drapes its nest with snake skin, it isn't just making an interesting home décor choice. For some birds, doing so will keep their offspring safer. Researchers combined new and historical data to show birds that nest in cavities – covered nests with small openings – are more likely to use shed snake skins in their construction than those that build open-cup nests, and this practice helps to deter predators from eating the eggs. The importance of snakes to birds “What do snakes eat? They eat a lot of mice and small mammals,” says Vanya Rohwer, who led the study and is a senior research associate in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology in Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “We think that an evolutionary…

Ants learn from experience. This has been demonstrated by a team of evolutionary biologists based at the University of Freiburg in Germany, led by Dr Volker Nehring, from the Evolutionary Biology and Animal Ecology group, and Mélanie Bey. The researchers repeatedly confronted ants with competitors from another nest. The test ants remembered the negative experiences they had during these encounters: when they met ants from a nest they had previously experienced as aggressive, they behaved more aggressively in response to them than towards individuals from unknown nests. Ants that were placed in the company of members of a nest from which they had previously only encountered passive ants were also less aggressive. Displaying a dislike for their neighbours Ants use odours to distinguish between members of their own nest and…

Mexican black kingsnakes have become extremely sought-after over the course of recent years. I think this is largely due to social media, as these snakes often feature on popular YouTube channels, which has introduced them to the large number of followers who watch these videos. Natural history The Mexican black kingsnake is a member of the colubrid family, which occurs in the Sonoran Desert, in the northwestern part of the state of Sinaloa, Mexico, ranging across the border into a small area of Arizona in U.S.. They inhabit deserts and dry scrubland, with adults attaining a typical length of 1-1.2m (3.3-4ft), although exceptionally, they can attain 1.5m (5ft) overall. These snakes are generalist predators that will feed on lizards, rodents, nestling birds, reptile eggs and even other snakes including rattlesnakes,…

Bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps) are lizards that occur naturally in the arid interior of Australia, and can grow up to about 60cm (2ft) when adult. Their housing must take into account their adult size, although a youngster around a month old will obviously be considerably smaller, measuring just 10-13cm (4-5in), including its tail at this stage. There are two basic options when it comes to housing bearded dragons. Some owners prefer to choose a big aquarium for their pet, but the large expanse of glass here means that young bearded dragons in particular can suffer badly from stress. At this stage, they are naturally skittish, being very aware of real or perceived dangers, and they must have surroundings that offer them seclusion. It is, however, possible to get special naturalistic…

A little over a year ago, I stumbled across a group of dwarf sungazers (Cordlyus tropidosternum) in a local shop, and completely fell for them! This was not a lizard that I had thought about or even seen before, but watching their interactions, behaviours, and quizzical expressions meant that they were soon to be coming home with me. Knowing I had a few spare vivariums and some suitable equipment available, I reserved them and dashed back to spend the following week getting the enclosure set up as I wanted it for them. However, it was during this time that I noticed there was very limited information on their care available. As I was trawling forums, care sheets, and speaking with other keepers, I was beginning to notice that there was…