Famous Reptiles

Climate change, loss of habitat and overfishing damage marine life around the world, the International Union for Conservation of Nature warns. Nearly two in five sharks are threatened with extinction due to overfishing, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has warned in an update of the wildlife Red List that also listed Indonesia's Komodo dragons – the world's largest living lizards – as "endangered". Overall, about 28 percent of the 138,000 species assessed by the global conservation body for its survival watchlist are now at risk of vanishing in the wild forever, as the destructive effect of human activity on the natural world deepens. Habitat loss, overexploitation and illegal trade have hammered global wildlife populations for decades, and climate change is now kicking in as a direct threat as well, the IUCN reported on Saturday. But the latest update of the Red List for Threatened Species also highlights the potential for restoration, ...

Shailendra Singh's work has been recognised for 'being the last hope for the wild survival' of some species of turtles in India Indian biologist Shailendra Singh has been awarded the Behler Turtle Conservation Award for bringing three critically endangered turtle conservation species back from the brink of extinction. A press statement issued by the headquarters of the Turtle Survival Alliance earlier this week said: "For some species, such as the Red-crowned Roofed Turtle (Batagur kachuga), Northern River Terrapin (Batagur baska), and Black Softshell Turtle (Nilssonia nigricans) Dr. Singh and his team's efforts are the last hope for their wild survival in the country." The award has been bestowed by several global bodies involved in turtle conservation such as Turtle Survival Alliance, IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group, Turtle Conservancy, and the Turtle Conservation Fund. "In just 15 years, there are few individuals that ...

CC0 Creative Commons It's long been understood that hair and feathers are cut from the same cloth, as both shield fragile skin. But this connection has puzzled scientists for many years: birds and mammals aren't evolutionary "sisters"—they didn't split in one fell swoop on the tree of life. Scientists at the University of Virginia may have figured out an answer to this perplexing conundrum. New research from the university suggests the first vertebrates to colonize dry land carried with them a souvenir from the sea: scales. This is not the first time that researchers have investigated this fuzzy topic. A vaguely reptilian common ancestor is theorized to have given rise to both mammals and birds. But for decades, scientists could not find the link, leading to the idea that mammals and birds may have separately "invented" these coverings, despite their b...

By Chelsea Whyte The most common Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus) turns out to be one of three similar species Nature Picture Library / Alamy Stock Photo The Chinese giant salamander, the largest amphibian in the world, is critically endangered – and now it's clear that there are at least three distinct species of this animal, each of which will need different kinds of intervention if they are to be saved from extinction. The Chinese giant salamander is a huge animal that has been know to grow up to 1.8 metres long. They are very rare in the wild, but millions are kept in farms. But these farm animals, we now know, mainly represent one of the three species found across China – Andrias davidianus. The other species are "largely eliminated from the wild," says Samuel Turvey at the Zoological Society of London, UK. "Each distinct species requires targeted and separate conserv...

There has been a surge in elephant populations in Kenya, according to the country's first ever wildlife census . The numbers have increased ever since the African nation cracked down on illegal poaching in its fight to conserve vital wildlife. Poaching is not a sport, it's an environmental crime posing a major threat to animal populations. Kenya's use of tracking, forensic science and improved prosecutions have now resulted in a dramatic drop in the poaching. The report shows an increase in elephants, rhinos , lions, giraffe, Grévy's zebra and hirola (hunting antelopes) - a 12 per cent surge since the last figures were recorded in 2014, when poaching activity was at its peak. This covers almost 60 per cent of Kenya's land mass overall. As of this week, Kenya is home to a total of 36,280 endangered elephants. "As the world grapples with both climate change and human activities that threaten botanical and zoological life as well as their habitats, Kenya is lead...

[unable to retrieve full-text content] Two exotic pet businesses to open; one will take visitors to a mini Jurassic Park    Wichita Eagle

Due to open to guests later this year, the commissioning process for Dreamworld's new Steel Taipan rollercoaster has commenced with the ride train being tested on its 1.2 kilometres of track. Representatives of German manufacturer, MACK have commenced the commissioning process, executing empty test runs of the unique ride experience that will be Steel Taipan. Optimistic for a late 2021 opening of what is Dreamworld's largest ever investment in a single attraction, Dreamworld Chief Executive, Greg Yong advised "it's incredibly exciting to see the train now making its way around the track and we can't wait to offer the experience to Dreamworld's guests. "We can, hand on heart, promise our guests that this will be the most incredible rollercoaster experience in the country - they'll have to feel it to believe it." [embedded content] The commissioning process is rigorous, with testing to continue until the completion of all relevan...

[unable to retrieve full-text content] 8-foot red-tailed Boa Constrictor on the loose in East Haddam    WTNH.com

eWhen Chris Kandelas, her partner of 11 years, passed away in April from multiple myeloma, Elizabeth De Haan was lost. "I felt as though part of me went with him," says the Stouffville resident. "It was a tremendous blow to me and the rest of the family." She was, she says, "sinking into a dark pit." Solace — four-and-a-half feet and 12 pounds of it — came unexpectedly last month. This summer, De Haan's daughter, Jacqueline Davis, was in talks with the North York-based Ontario Reptile Rescue about the possibility of adopting an iguana for herself. Around this time, someone happened to surrender a nine-year-old green iguana. Although De Haan hadn't planned on adding a pet to her home, she says, "It just seems [like] something that was meant to be." She describes her initial meeting with the iguana, whom she named Emma, as "love at first sight." "My mom," says Davis, "needed something to shower in love and take care...

They require breed-specific husbandry, appropriate handling, and many need a diet that involves feeding them live insects. Adblock test (Why?)