Tortoise Surgery

A 13-year old spur-thighed tortoise successfully underwent surgery for a bladder stone. (News source.)

Gator Bite Update

Surgeons managed to save the thumb, but only half of the index finger, after the recent gator bite on a Florida man's hand. Details here.

Snake Hunting Techniques

Researchers in Georgia are using a trained Labrador retriever to sniff out eastern indigo snakes. (News source.)

A Malaysian man has created a snake catching device for hands-off capture of venomous snakes. (News source.)

Amphibians

A new (strange-looking) toad found in Tanzania, pictured here.

Researchers are looking at a compound in tadpoles as a potential resource to prevent skin cancer. (News source.)

Snake vs Snake

It's not always easy for one snake to eat another. (News source.)

Herp Crimes

Someone stole an albino timber rattler and an Ethiopian small-eyed viper from Victoria Reptiles in Florida. (News source.)

Four men in India were arrested for possession of 150 rare tortoises. (News source.)

Gator Bite

A contractor picking up litter in a Florida park was bitten on the hand by an alligator, partially severing the hand. (News source, and here)

Herp-Related Salmonella

Four cases of reptile (turtle) related salmonella were reported from Lewis and Clark County, Montana, last year. (News source.)

[So don't slather your turtles in peanut butter...]

Herp Tourism

A Snake Temple in Malaysia has undergone renovations, and is being marketed to the tourist industry. (News source.)

Gatorland has a limited-time exhibit, four leucistic alligators. (News source.)

Snakebites

A woman bitten by a rattlesnake in California ended up with close to $150,000 in medical bills, with no health insurance (due to a "lack of faith" in Western medicine). (News source.)

A tiger snake bite victim is going through rehabilitation. (News source.)

A couple more Australian snake bites noted here.

111-Year-Old Dad

An old tuatara has fathered babies. (News source.)

Antivenom?

A Kansas dog breeder used Azium to treat an alleged rattlesnake bite, as reported in this piece. The news article (an outdoors column) calls Azium an antivenom, though, which is incorrect... It may have helped with some symptomatic relief (I'm not a toxicologist or doctor, so no statements of fact here), but the columnist is doing a major disservice (and a dangerous one) in spreading false medical information.

[Update: Per a recent comment, no, I'm not going to comment on their site. I've already sent a letter to their editor. I don't believe it is up to an online "community" to correct this sort of misinformation, (at most, we can bring issues to attention, and even then, public forums are low-rung options); it is up to medical professionals to correct medical information.]

Survives Cobra Bite

An Indian boy has survived being bitten by a cobra while the electricity in his home was out. (News source.)

Saving the AZ Poison & Drug Info Center

A poorly-considered legislative move in Arizona could spell the end for the AZ Poison and Drug Information Center, considered a key educational, research, and consultive facility for (among other things) venomous animal bites/stings. Info here. News story on this here.

Croc News

Another article on the crocodile deaths in Kruger National Park.

White estuarine crocodiles in India have been resighted in the wetlands of Bhitarkanika. (News source.)

Retic Attack in NV?

An "eighteen-foot" python attacked a young boy in Las Vegas, and was killed (apparently, the article is a little vague) by the boy's mother. Boy and mother are fine. (News source.)

Snake Bites

A black mamba killed an infant in South Africa. (News source.)

A man in Indiana was bitten by his pet rhinoceros viper. He was also be charged with possessing an illegal pet without permit. (News source.)

Cobra Spitting Explained

New research shows that spitting cobras rely on a two-part method for accuracy. (News source.)

Training Gators

An interesting behavioral training technique is used by the Fort Fisher Aquarium with their alligators, allowing safer upkeep of the cage. (News source.)

Snake Park Closes

The snake park in Paphos, Cyprus, is closing, apparently due to anti-snake sentiments of the public. (News source.)

Chelonian Conservation

A discussion here on the $$$ spent on conservation efforts for the desert tortoise in Utah.

Cambodian wildlife officials are trying to pay locals not to disturb the eggs of nesting Cantor's soft-shell turtles. (News source.)

Python Attack

A 12-foot python attacked a 3-year old Indonesian girl, who was saved by relatives and neighbors. (News source.)

Croc Death Stirs Outrage

Aboriginal leaders in Australia's Gulf of Carpentaria want to know why a trapped crocodile was killed by police. (News source.)

Getting Past Ophidiophobia

A good column here by a woman who moved past her fear of snakes.

Indigos in Texas

A Texas wildlife column profiles the Texas indigo here.

Viper Collector

A profile here on a South African man who collects venomous snakes.

Croc Scare

A 5-meter saltwater crocodile rocked a small boat with three passengers (one a park ranger) at Kakadu. (News source.)

Australian Field Guide

Australian reptiles and frogs are the subject of a new Cronin's Key Guide. (News source.)

Lizard Cage Fire

The ceramic heat lamp over a lizard cage started a fire in Ontario. (News source.)

Croc on the Menu

A Chinese supermarket is now offering a farmed crocodile in advance of the Chinese New Year. (News source.)

Married to Frogs

Two minor girls in India were given ceremonial marriages to frogs in a village ritual for warding off spirits and diseases. (News source.)

Sea Turtle Recovery Plan

NOAA and USFWS have put out a new recover plan for North Atlantic loggerhead sea turtles. (News source.)

Komodo Bite

A 3-year old Komodo dragon at the Virginia Aquarium got a little overeager at feeding time and bit a keeper. (News source.)

Horned Toad Study

Texas biologists are studying the genetics of horned lizards across populations in that state. (News source.)

Tracking a Sea Turtle

Ecuador is tracking a hawksbill turtle via satellite as it lives its life along the Ecuador coast. (News source.)

Venomous News

An Australian man was bitten by a brown snake on a Gold Coast beach. (News source.)

The drug Viprinex, using viper toxin to fight strokes, has been cancelled, failing a large drug trial. The CEO was retired/fired. (News source.)

A village in Thailand takes extra precautions for their king cobras, which they breed, during colder weather. (News source.)

Herp Legality News

Hard to believe that there are still ignorant herp laws out there, but a 3-foot ball python was recently confiscated from a Sioux City, Iowa, home. (News source.)

On a more positive note, a Delaware county is proposing to allow (small) snakes to be bred by residents. (News source.)

In Malaysia, 2300 monitor lizards were confiscated from poachers. (News source.)

Saved from Croc Attack

A 12-year old South African boy saved himself (with the aid of friends) from a crocodile attack, while he was swimming in the Umhlathuze River. (News source.)

Sea Turtle Controversy

Nesting sea turtles are at the center of a debate between Queensland Park & Wildlife and campers at Inskip Point. (News source.)

Marsh Crocodile Decline

A brief article here on the decline of marsh crocodiles in Balochistan.

Broad-Headed Snake Exhibit

The Nowra Wildlife Park has a new exhibit of the endangered (and venomous) broad-headed snake. (News source.)

Frog Hunting to Protect Crop

South Carolina crayfish farmers have to hunt frogs to keep the predators from ruining the crop. (News source.)

Python Skin Deal Goes Bad

A Malaysian snakeskin and mineral deal ended up in a hostage situation. (News source.)

Snake Bite News

A 9 year old Australian girl was bitten by a tiger snake. (News source.)

And a few more details about the king brown bite at Australia Zoo here.

Snake Death Investigation

Swaziland rangers (and possibly the police) are interested in who killed a 4 meter long python. (News source.)

Malayan Box Turtles Endangered by Smuggling

Illegal export of Malayan box turtles continue to threaten their natural populations. (News source.)

Australia Zoo Snakebite

A reptile handler at Australia Zoo was bitten by a brown snake. (News source.)

Boy Saved After Brown Snake Bite

A 3-year old Australian boy was bitten by a brown snake, but saved after a stranger quickly applied compression bandages until they could reach a hospital. (News source.)

Gator Business

A profile here on a Florida alligator processing plant.

Indiana: Snake Thieves Identified

Police are close to busting a group of snake thieves targeting Evansville area pet shops. (News source.)

New Galapagos Iguana

The "rosada," a Galapagos land iguana from Isabela, has been designated a new species. (News source.)

Saved Snakes from Fire

A Colorado pet shop owner/snake breeder was able to save a couple hundred snakes in his home when a fire broke out in his garage. (News source.)

Snake Hunter

An orphan in Zimbabwe became entrepreneurial, catching snakes and smuggling them over the border into Mozambique where he could find ready buyers. (News source.)

OOP Snakes in Barbados

Up to four large snakes (including a possible 16-foot Burmese) are believed to be roaming loose in Barbados. (News source.)

And, commentary here from the president of the Caribbean Herpetological Society.

New Herps from Tanzania

17 species of reptiles and amphibians have been discovered in the South Nguru Mountains in Tanzania. (News source.)

Rattlesnake Bite

A Hillsborough County, FL, Verizon worker was bitten by a 4-foot rattlesnake. (News source.)

Croc Bites Keeper

A 19-yo keeper was bitten by a 1m saltwater croc at Oceanworld in Manly, Australia. (News source.)

Tortoises Reintroduced

123 c.b. Hood Island Galapagos tortoises were reintroduced to the island. (News source.)