Famous Reptiles

H ave you heard of "Lu" of Magalu? Would you be surprised to hear that Lu is a 100% computer-generated woman who has 32M+ avid followers across her social media profiles? I certainly was when I first heard about her many years ago. ‍ Lu is the fully-virtual brand spokesperson for leading Brazilian retailer "Magalu", and she (yes, she) has one of the most far-reaching and innovative brand social media presences in the modern world. Lu standing in a store wearing a blue Magalu vest Here's the simple premise of why she works... brand mascots aren't necessarily a new thing, right? However, platforms emerge, mediums shift, and interests evolve in time. Many of the beloved brand mascots "of yesterday", however, are stuck in their ways... for some reason, with the onset of social media, they were left behind. ‍ Rather, they were kept in their canned corned delivering surface-level lines like "They're Great!" as a result of social media manag...

[unable to retrieve full-text content] Analysis: Do plodding Portland home sales set up 'tortoise market' in ...    The Business Journals

[unable to retrieve full-text content] Natural disasters, dangerous beasts, exotic lands. The pump business can be an adventure    Miami Herald

Express News Service KOCHI: Managing a pet becomes an even harder task. This factor alone has made cold-blooded animals and birds an attractive option for many. Small birds like different varieties of parrots, hamsters, reptiles and spiders are becoming popular. Iguanas, ball pythons, golden kings (spiders), tarantulas, black and white tegus, and turtles (specific ones only) are the most popular purchases. They need space but not too much, which enables them to move around. Reasons for keeping exotic pets  Owning a non-conventional pet makes people curious, as they are new and not as familiar as cats or dogs. So, it's a whole new world and a whole new set of behaviours. And some revel in discovering new facets about their cool, new pets.   People who are allergic to fur can freely raise these animals. They also don't need to be walked, though they need a bit of time out of their cage. These pets have a relatively longer lifespan t...

 INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Whenever Gerry-Anna Jones passes a gopher tortoise struggling to cross a busy road, she pulls over, picks it up and moves it across — but always in the same direction it was going. "They know where they're going," Jones, 36, said. "And you're not going to change their mind." Jones frequently saw injured tortoises on roads near her home in Sebastian, and she wondered if anyone else hated the sight a much as she did. So she started a Facebook group a year ago — the Tortoise Team of Indian River County — to mobilize others in her tortoise-saving effort. "I started it in the hopes to find other people who also stop, put the brakes on, get their hazards on, get out in the road and get the tortoises out of the way," she said. "Because I felt having that camaraderie would help me feel a little better." Manatees: FWC won't expand manatee lettuce-feeding program beyond Brevard County this winte...

[unable to retrieve full-text content] Reptile Enclosures See High Demand | Trends | petproductnews.com    PetProductNews.com

New York City slickers are getting rattled. The 311 hotline saw a 69% s-s-s-urge this year in complaints against snakes and their slippery owners, with 22 cases, up from 13 in 2021. Seven of the "coils" were logged in Manhattan and the Bronx each, followed by six in Brooklyn and one apiece in Queens and Staten Island, the data show. None of the Gotham gripes involved snakes on a train. In the Bronx, a vexing viper was said to have slithered into a residence on Park Avenue and East 172nd Street in Claremont shortly before noon on Feb. 17. On March 17 a caller hissed to 311 that a serpent was being housed in a dwelling on Clinton Street and Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. The claim could not be substantiated. The 311 data does not provide specifics, so it's impossible to know if a venomous caller ratted out a neighbor for keeping a cobra or a neighbor went ballistic over a boa. All vipers, cobras, pythons (inc...

This is one of the cutest things I've ever seen. Watch this tiny gecko hatching out of its egg. First it cracks the shell in a few places, and then suddenly pops its adorable tiny head out. Look at its little face and giant eyes looking at you! It then crawls all the way out and ta-da! The sweet gecko has arrived! This video was posted by Instagram user @king_bob_andrepticrew, who also posted this accompanying text: Well majority voted "yes" to see last the baby hatch. And here it is! This is Puck, as in Wolfgang…instantly named because this egg was the egg that cried wolf so many times 😆 by far the hardest footage for me to capture. 11 days overdue according to everything I read about gold dust day geckos' incubation period and exactly 5:09 am. My hands were prepped and clean to welcome the little one.

I looked up and it is already mid-December! Where did the year 2022 go? All my friends seem to be asking the same question… I have always heard that time marches on, but this year it is in a full out sprint to the end! As I look back at 2022 and forward into 2023, I must say I am delighted to see some amazing and beautiful things have happened and will continue to happen in 2023. Giving Back: In December 2022, I told you about AKC Reunite donating its 50 th lifesaving AKC Pet Disaster Relief trailer. On Nov. 22, 2023, AKC Reunite donated its 100 th AKC Reunite Pet Disaster Relief Trailer to Honesdale, PA! https://www.prnewswire.com/new-releases/100thakc-reunite-pet-disaster-relief-trailer-donated-tohonesdayle-pa-301685201.html In 2022 AKC Reunite also awarded more than 200 grants totaling more than $2 million in grant moneys for the Adopt a K-9 Cop program. Reunite works with AKC Clubs to donate funds for the purchase of K-9 police dogs to police departments around...

[unable to retrieve full-text content] San Antonio Zoo receives award for successfully breeding the Psychedelic Rock Gecko    FOX 29

This Newly Discovered Dinosaur Looks Like Part Dino, Part Duck - Nerdist Dec 7 2022 • 2:34 PM Scientists uncovered fossils that have a lot in common with modern-day swimming birds like ducks and penguins. This new dinosaur species fills in gaps about what we know about the aquatic lifestyle of Cretaceous critters. The artist's recreation below shows off its ability to float on the water's surface but also dive below and swim after fish. The team dubbed the new dinosaur Natovenator polydontus , which is Latin for "swim hunter many tooth." It's those teeth that give the otherwise friendly looking creature an air of danger. Will we see them in the next Jurassic World movie, nibbling at the toes of unsuspecting tourists? Yusik Choi Paleontologists discovered the fossils in the Gobi desert of Mongolia. Sometimes teams only find a few bones and have to recreate complete skeletons based on their best educated guesses. Fo...

Charles Darwin and his crew had just embarked on the expedition that would inform the theory of natural selection. Andrew Jackson won re-election as President of the United States of America — which had recently turned 50. And Egyptian armed forces defeated the Ottoman Empire in several decisive engagements in the First Syrian War. The year was 1832. And most importantly of all, it's the same year that in the Seychelles Islands of the Indian Ocean, a tortoise hatched from its egg and began the life of a beloved celebrity. That individual is Jonathan the tortoise. As I write this 190 years later, Jonathan is the oldest living land animal on Earth. (The Greenland shark can potentially live 500 years, and one Japanese fish called a koi reportedly lived for 226 years.) Birthday cake for a tortoise It's actually impossible to know Jonathan's exact age. He might be even older than we think. But while only Jonathan himself knows his true age and birthday, he's ...

Cullen skink fish pie. Image: Albert Bartlett. [[title]] [[text]] This take on a fish pie using Cullen skink from Albert Bartlett is a real winter warmer, just what we need during cold and dark nights. For more recipes, visit our Recipes section or www.albertbartlett.co.uk. Cullen skink fish pie (Serves 6) Cullen skink fish pie. Image: Albert Bartlett. Ingredients 500g undyed smoked haddock 250ml whole milk 250ml cold water 50g unsalted butter 2 leeks, white only, washed and diced ¾ tsp mild curry powder 1 tbsp plain flour 250g Albert Bartlett Apache potatoes, small quartered, par cooked 125g frozen peas 1 small bunch snipped coriander Salt and pepper 3kg Albert Bartlett Rooster potatoes, peeled and diced 150g unsalted cold butter, diced 100ml warm whole milk 1 bunch spring onions, sliced Pi...

A 12-year-old wild mountain lion named P-22 was euthanized Dec. 17 after being struck by a car and wandering into a backyard in Los Angeles. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife captured the cat; an examination revealed liver, kidney, and heart disease, immense weight loss, parasites, and an unhealthy coat in addition to the ruptured diaphragm, herniated organs, skull fracture, and eye trouble likely resulting from the impact. When a person passes away, outpourings of grief and support are appropriate. People leave behind a breadcrumb trail of memories, interactions, and moments shared with loved ones and acquaintances. Here's the thing: P-22 was not a human. He was a wild animal. But in the wake of P-22's death, members of the puma's home community in Los Angeles are in a dark place. "I am so sad for the passing of P-22 and am crying as I write this," one contributor said in an L.A. Times article commemorating P-22. "He was...

PORTLAND, Ore. — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced today that the whitebark pine will be listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. The pine is the most widespread tree to receive such protection. It occurs in high-elevation areas of Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Nevada. The tree is primarily threatened by an introduced fungal pathogen known as white pine blister rust. It is increasingly threatened by climate change, which is leading to increased fires and mountain pine beetle outbreaks. Like most imperiled species, the tree is also threatened by habitat destruction. The whitebark pine is threatened specifically by development for winter recreation. Despite this additional threat, the Service declined to designate protected critical habitat. "It's just incredibly sad to see so many dead whitebark pines in the high country," said Noah Greenwald, endangered species director at the Center for Biological Diversity. "Th...

If you like reptiles and are looking for an animal companion, a gecko might be the perfect fit. Geckos can be awesome pets, according to Ashley Callihan, a registered veterinary nurse with DodoVet. (And as an added bonus, they won't totally tear up your furniture like some pets might!) But before you take the plunge, there are a few things you should know about adopting a gecko into your family. Types of pet geckos Here are three types of geckos that make great pets. Leopard gecko Leopard geckos can be up to 8 inches long and are typically yellow, white or spotted. And according to Callihan, they're great for beginners. "They have a docile nature and are great for the whole family," Callihan told The Dodo. "They're receptive to handling and can live to be around 20 years old with proper care!" Crested gecko Crested geckos have little projections above their eyes that look like eyelashes. These spines run from the gecko's head to his tail, creating a ...

The word 'rare' is often associated with something limited, unique, and distinctive, such as rare gems, jewels, antique items, and various collectibles. However, being rare also means that once something is gone, it's gone forever. In the animal world, rare also stands for endangered, which is exactly what the rarest animals are. According to WWF's recent report, since 1970, wildlife populations worldwide have decreased by an average of 69%. Pollution, global warming, deforestation, and other outcomes of globalization, as well as poaching, are some of the leading causes putting rare animal species on the verge of extinction. And unfortunately, destruction is often easier than recovery. Thus the list of rarest species and endangered animals is unlikely to decrease any time soon. According to the IUCN Red List, more than 42,100 species are threatened with extinction. Most of those threatened belong to the animal kingdom, making them some of the rarest animals in the world...

Dec 17, 2022 Dan Hajducky ESPN Close Hajducky is a reporter/researcher for ESPN. He has an MFA in creative writing from Fairfield University and played on the men's soccer teams at Fordham and Southern Connecticut State universities. Protesters gathered outside the New York City Nike store to to speak out about the use of kangaroo skin in soccer cleats.  Lori Hillsberg As the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar winds down, 7,000 miles away in Washington, D.C., a quiet, bipartisan effort involving the beautiful game stirs on Capitol Hill. It's not over soccer, at least not directly. It's about kangaroos. 2 Related If enacted, the Kangaroo Protection Act of 2021, introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, would prohibit and criminalize the import, transport, and sale of all kangaroo products in the United States for commercial purposes. Kangaroo leather has roots in sports to at least the mid-1800s in the manufacturing of croquet equipment. Today, kangaroo hi...