Famous Reptiles

Show Caption Hide Caption Entangled North Atlantic right whale known as Snow Cone gives birth to calf The 17-year-old mom has been subject to numerous disentanglement attempts, but the stubborn rope remains stuck. Her first calf was killed by a boat Georgia DNR/taken under NOAA permit 20556 North Atlantic right whale calving season is off to a bright start, with nine mother-calf pairs already spotted off the coast from Florida to South Carolina. Fewer than 350 of the whales remain and the critically endangered species is currently dying at a faster rate than they can reproduce, so each birth is a cause for celebration. "It's really too early to say what kind of a season we're going to have," said Tom Pitchford, a wildlife biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Research Institute. The National Oceanic and ...

[unable to retrieve full-text content] More than 200 Texas Horned Lizards released into the wild, marking milestone    WFAA.com

Yellow-spotted lizards — as they're depicted in the film — don't actually exist. The scary-looking reptiles aren't real. ...

Because glass lizards don't have arms, legs or hands, a male holds on to a female by placing his mouth on her neck and biting down. Potentially, he could injure her in doing so, but for the most part the marks he leaves are superficial. Once she sheds her skin, they are all gone. Glass lizards are solitary in the wild, but they can be found together during breeding season. Robin introduced them when their behaviors indicated they we ready. Instead of removing the male quickly—as she had done in years past—she kept them together for an extended period. Our team observed them closely every day for any behavioral changes. They also checked the female's neck for any bite marks—a sure sign of a breeding attempt. Once Robin saw the marks, she removed the male and gave the female some alone time. If she did not lay eggs, Robin brought the male back to try again. During our rounds April 28, we saw that the female dug a nest in the soil and was wrapped around two soft and leathe...

Snakes living in the Fukushima Exclusion Zone can be used to track radioactive contamination, scientists have learnt. Ten years after one of the biggest anthropogenic radioactive disasters in history, a new study describes how the radionuclides accumulated by Japanese rat snakes ( Elaphe climacophora and E. quadrivirgata ) are uniquely positioned to help map varying levels of environmental radioactivity. "Snakes are good indicators of environmental contamination because they spend a lot of time in and on soil," said ecologist James Beasley of the University of Georgia. "They have small home ranges and are major predators in most ecosystems, and they're often relatively long-lived species." The snakes have a short range – travelling, on average, just 65 meters (213 feet) per day. A previous study by the team also found that radiocesium levels found in snakes at Fukushima closely correlated with radioactive contamination levels found in their environment. This ...

The Chapman's pygmy chameleon, about the length of a golf tee, was first described in 1992 and not seen again in the wild by scientists until 2016. An estimated 80% of the rainforests of Malawi Hills, where the chameleons live, have been destroyed over the past 40 years, mostly for agriculture. The chameleon is listed as critically endangered and the remaining populations are isolated, leaving them are at risk of losing genetic diversity. The researchers are calling for more surveys and monitoring of the chameleon populations as well as conservation action to safeguard what remains of the chameleon's habitat. [embedded content] One of the world's smallest and rarest chameleon species has been rediscovered in Malawi, living on the edge of extinction in just a few, scant patches of rainforest. "They are little, gentle creatures," Krystal Tolley, a professor from the South African National Biodiversity Institute and the University of the Witwatersrand and member...

Feeder mice that are sold at Pets At Home are being recalled due to the presence of salmonella. The mice, which have been imported from Lithuania, have been found to contain the bug, which can cause a severe illness in humans and sometimes even be fatal. Frozen mice are used to feed a range of reptiles including lizards and snakes, and also when feeding large spiders such as tarantulas. Monkfield Nutrition extends recall to all batches of frozen Feeder Mice products for feeding reptiles (53766079) The company, Monkfield Nutrition, has said on a FSA recall notice: "If you have bought any of the above products do not use them. Instead, return them to the store from where they were bought for a full refund. Monkfield Nutrition extends recall to all batches of frozen Feeder Mice products for feeding reptiles (53766082) "When handling and serving pet feed it is always advised to clean utensils after use. Consumers should wash hands thoroughly after handling reptiles, pet feed, ute...

The striped snake looked like it was slithering on the long, coffin-shaped nails. Each ring finger was covered in pink and silver iridescent gems. A few of those multicolored jewels lied right on the cuticle line on one finger on each hand. The pinky fingers were a sheer pink jelly finish with opalescent flecks that were encapsulated in the nail.  The New French   TikTok content This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from. The end result of Georgia-based nail artist Natalie Laguerre's freestyle challenge was a fun burgundy manicure with a multitude of designs. Her client got to pick among 10 options in total and ended up choosing "tapered square," "glossy," "burgundy," and "gold color," "glitter artwork," and "French tips." These long nails looked like they were made for the fall time.  The thumb, middle, and pinky fingers featured a burgundy French tip lined with a glittery go...

[unable to retrieve full-text content] Scientists find perfectly preserved dinosaur embryo preparing to hatch like a bird    The Guardian

[unable to retrieve full-text content] Prc Blindedbysound 904    Blinded By Sound

The prime-time TV grid is on hiatus in print. You can find more TV coverage at: latimes.com/whats-on-tv . SERIES Fantasy Island Recently renewed for a second season to air in 2022, this re-imagining of the vintage TV series airs a two-hour holiday episode in which Elena Roarke (Roselyn Sanchez) is challenged by a businesswoman's (guest star Lindsey Kraft) fantasy of a perfect Christmas, which includes meeting "Mr. Right" (guest star Eddie Cahill). Another arrival (guest star Mackenzie Astin) is forced to confront his past, while Ruby (Kiara Barnes) and Javier (John Gabriel Rodriguez) look to the future. 8 p.m. Fox Christmas Cookie Challenge The season finale of this baking and decorating competition imagines Santa recruiting new members for his team, and the five bakers must come up with suitable sleigh-pulling candidates. After hosts Ree Drummond and Eddie Jackson select which reindeer cookies make the squad, the bakers bake snowmen to complete the Christmassy scene....

There are over 3,900 species of snakes around the world, so it's no surprise that they come in a vast array of sizes, colors, and patterns. We humans tend to spend so much time fearing them that we don't always appreciate their beauty. We've gathered examples of some of the most extraordinary snake species found around the world, each of which highlight the diversity of beauty among these reptiles. Sri Lankan Pit Viper Utopia_88 / Getty Images If you visit Sri Lanka, be sure to look up in the trees to find the beautiful Sri Lankan pit viper. It's the only place to which the small, roughly 2-foot long species is endemic. The pit viper is noted for its green and black coloration and large triangular-shaped head. However, admire this creature's beauty from afar. The venomous Sri Lankan pit viper packs a painful bite, which can cause blisters and even death. Asian Vine Snake ePhotocorp / Getty Images This ...