Custody Turtles

A Georgia man was acquitted of charges last year, but still hasn't gotten back all of his turtles. Many died in custody, while others have been returned in poor condition. (News source.)

Faked for Publicity

Old news, but an article on the Florida man who faked catching a big Burmese python. (News source.)

Famous Local Gator Not Poached

The Georgia gator that was feared poached turned up alive, and the carcass has been traced to a suspect. (News source.)

Snake Bites

A Washington, D.C., man bought a "python" from a neighbor that turned out to be a copperhead, which bit him. (News source.)

A coral snake bit a Florida man this weekend. (News source.)

Lake Erie Water Snakes

There has been a rebound in the endangered Lake Erie water snake, with about 10,000 in the wild. (News source.)

Snakebites & Antivenom

A Florida coral snake bite got a bit tense as antivenom was delayed. (News source.)

No snakebite, fortunately, but a woman picked up a coral snake by accident in a Texas church, thinking it was a rosary. (News source.)

An Iraqi girl was helped with expert advice from the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue's Antivenom Unit. (News source.)

More on Philippine Crocs

A few more details on the reintroduction of young Philippine crocodiles in a lake on Luzon island. (News source.)

Snakebite Survey in Bangladesh

At least 6000 people in Bangladesh die every year from snakebite, according to a recent survey. (News source.)

Sea Snake Behavior

Sea snakes use their tail to mimic their heads. (News source.)

Rattlesnake News

A pair of conjoined rattlesnakes were found in Tucson, and scheduled for surgery. (News source.)

A Florida woman shelled out double for human antivenom for her three dogs after they were bitten by a pygmy rattlesnake. (News source.)

An Ontario hospital is stocking up on massasauga antivenom. (News source.)

A Missouri toddler was bitten by a pygmy rattlesnake. (News source.)

A British Columbia teenager was bitten by a rattlesnake. (News source.)

An 87-year old Florida woman was bitten by a pygmy rattler, then strangled it with her bare hands. (News source.)

Threats to Green Sea Turtles

Transcript of an Australian news interview here.

Turtles & the Law

A Massachusetts developer has run into restrictions from box turtle conservation requirements. (News source.)

The US Army wants to relocate 1100 endangered California desert tortoises. (News source.)

The USFWS is reviewing the desert tortoise for possible ESA inclusion. (News source.)

A Canadian turtle keeper was sentenced to nine months in jail for keeping threatened species, mostly Blanding's turtles. (News source.)

Sea turtles and their eggs will be banned for possession, consumption, etc., in the Bahamas soon. (News source.)

Vietnamese officials seized 10 tons of tortoise and pangolin shells smuggled in from Indonesia. (News source.)

Poachers continue to threaten the Madagascar spider tortoise. (News source.)

Rattlesnake Bite in Arizona (Pics)

Some interesting images of a rattlesnake bite to the ankle, here.

Fine for NC Dealer

Most of the 100 snakes seized from a North Carolina reptile dealer were returned to be moved to a different location. The dealer was fined $300 for keeping venomous snakes, against county regs. An alligator and four eastern diamondbacks were not returned, due to state laws. (News source.)

Sherando Salamander Research

A Washington and Lee University professor and his students are trying to determine if the Sherando salamander in the George Washington National Forest is actually a distinct species. (News source.)

Salamander News

Sonoma County, CA, is the center of a heated exchange over setting land aside for protection of the California tiger salamander. (News source.)

The Jefferson salamander is getting political in Guelph (Ontario). (News source.)

Axolotls can regenerate lung tissue. (News source.)

Smuggler Busted

If he had had the proper documentation, he could have brought them across the US/Canada border legally, but he didn't want to wait the "several months," and got busted carrying four pit vipers and six tree frogs into Canada. The fine was $1000. (News source.)

Some Frog News

The first protein-based toxin in an amphibian has been discovered, in a treefrog. Most amphibian toxins are obtained from other sources like prey. (News source.)

An interesting photo gallery of treefrogs from Vietnam, here.

Mountain chicken frog tadpoles have some very strange cannibalistic behavior. (News source.)

A new Costa Rica treefrog shows distinctive coloration differences between adults and juveniles, and between genders. (News source.)

Spadefoots

The Great Basin spadefoot is profiled here.

More on the New Georgia Salamander

The recently described "patch-nosed salamander" is pictured here, and one of the researchers who described it is profiled here.

Philippine Crocs Released

"50 captive-bred Philippine crocodiles (Crocodylus mindorensis) have been released into the wild in Dicatian Lake, Isabela Province, Luzon Island." (News source.)

Hank the Croc Died

A 47-year old, 2000 pound hybrid croc featured at Jungle Island (Florida) died. (News source.)

Poachers Kill Gator

A 9-foot gator was killed by poachers in Evans, Georgia. (News source.)

Crocodilian Farming and the Economy

A Saigon venture is training craftspeople to work with crocodile skin. (News source.)

A Bangladesh man has started up a crocodile farm there. (News source.)

The Florida gator skin market is drying up as luxury buyers are holding off. (News here, and here.)

Gator Hunting

A "new, undisputed Alabama state record alligator" was shot during the latest season. It was 13' 5" and 701 pounds. (News source.)

The Florida season started up, with some animal rights protesters showing up. (News source.)

India: Crocodile Attacks

A 9-year old Indian girl was killed by a crocodile at Traj Lake in Matar Taluka of Kheda District. (News source.)

A 50-year old Indian woman was killed and several others injured in a series of croc attacks " in and around the Bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary." (News source.) Wildlife experts suggest that an error in choosing release sites under a crocodile conservation program makes human-croc encounters far too common. (News source.)

A 60-year old Indian man was killed by a crocodile while bathing in the Kharasrota river. (News source.)

Forced Vacation

Computer issues over the last few weeks have meant I'm only now just getting back to herp news updates. I'll be sifting through older news slowly, putting them up as I have time.

Another Sistrurus Bite

A Florida man was bitten by a pygmy rattlesnake in his driveway. (News source.)

Giant Garters

The endangered giant garter snake has been found in San Joaquin County, CA, for the first time in 15 years. (News source.)

Iguana Cookbook

A Florida author is promoting his new book, Save Florida, Eat an Iguana - An Iguana Cookbook. (News source.)

Big Snake in Everglades

A 17-foot Burmese python was killed on the grounds of the Okeechobee Veterinary Hospital. (News source.)

Titanoboa Speculation

A researcher thinks the fossil giant snake could have kept itself warm even in a cooler climate than originally speculated. (News source.)

Bites

An Ohio man was bit by his pet Gila monster. (News source.)

A UK man was bitten by an adder. (News source.)

Python Banning Bill is Back

The HSUS and other anti-reptile factions are pushing for the bill to ban pythons again. More details here, and here.

Gator Bite

A Florida woman was bitten by an alligator while pulling weeds. (News source.)

Labrador Snapper

A snapping turtle was picked up in Labrador, outside of its known range. (News source.)