Famous Reptiles

An artist's reconstruction of Ignacius dawsonae surviving in the warm but dark forests of Ellesmere Island Kristen Miller, Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, CC BY-SA 4.0 Fifty-two million years ago, the now frigid islands of northern Canada featured lush cypress swamps where alligators splashed. Now, for the first time, scientists have revealed that this ancient Arctic ecosystem was also home to primate-like animals. A new study published Wednesday in PLOS One describes two species of lemur-like creatures, the first primate-like animals known to have inhabited the Arctic in the Eocene Epoch. "Finding a close relative of primates up north of the Arctic Circle is unique," says co-author Chris Beard, a vertebrate paleontologist at the University of Kansas. "That hasn't existed in the fossil record up till now....

Golden lion tamarins are native to the Atlantic coastal forest of Brazil. Historically, the forest used to span the entire coast. Today, only 7% remains due to severe habitat loss and fragmentation. Imagine getting in a car in Washington, D.C., and driving two hours away. You pass through the crowded city, then the sprawling suburbs until, eventually, you see more green spaces in between towns and farms in the countryside. The small, fragmented forest about two hours from Rio De Janeiro is where these endangered primates live.  In the early 1970s, less than 200 golden lion tamarins remained in the wild. Zoos united to breed and reintroduce hundreds of tamarins back to their native habitat. Today, 72% of the golden lion tamarins living in the wild today are the descendants of zoo-born animals. 72%! What would this population look like now if scientists and zoos had not collaborated to reintroduce these tamarins? They may have already gone extinct. The golden lion t...

The Denver Zoo made a sad announcement this week, regarding one of its most beloved residents. Unfortunately, the zoo was forced to say goodbye to Cinnamon, their coppery titi monkey after observing a major decline in her health. Keepers had noticed a change in Cinnamon's health recently, which was ultimately revealed to be because she was in late-stage kidney failure. A dedicated care team was able to keep Cinnamon comfortable with medication, but her condition and quality of life continued to decline at a rapid pace. Sadly, keepers made the difficult decision to humanely euthanize the monkey. The adorable titi monkey captured the hearts of so many people over the years. The zoo even held a special 30th birthday celebration for Cinnamon last year. Keepers who worked with her say she was very trusting and had no problem going into her crate for exams or injections. She loved bananas and hard-boiled egg...

David Veselenak  |  Hometown Life Livonia police are asking for the public's help in identifying a man they say broke into an exotic pet store and stole thousands of dollars' worth of reptiles. Capt. Robert Nenciarini said a masked man broke into Stingers Exotics, 18774 Middlebelt, about 1:30 a.m. Monday, using a rock to smash the front door window. The suspect was seen on security footage taking several reptiles, including several pets belonging to the shop's owner. "He stole a whole bunch of lizards," Nenciarini said. "A couple of them were personal pets of the store." Read more: Nenciarini said police were called by an employee of a nearby business who noticed the door was damaged. Reptiles taken include: bearded dragons, blue-tongued skink, savannah monitor, leatherback bearded dragon, citrus leatherback bearded dragon, tiger leatherback bearded dragon and a yellow uromastyx. Hazel Bunting, a Ta...

October 16, 2019 Looking for a large, exotic lizard as an anniversary gift? Perhaps a designer python for that special person? Meet Kevin McCurley, breeder and trader of extraordinary creatures. Most have scales. Some have eight hairy legs. McCurley also consults with government agencies, is a prolific author and was a close associate to the late Steve Irwin and his family. Visit his huge Plaistow facility where he raises things that dreams (or nightmares) are made of. Or, for less exotic fun, bring the kids to the free petting zoo. They have an alligator named Wally, and some very ordinary chickens running around. I started catching snakes as a kid and finally went all-in at 12 with a pet boa constrictor. My mom and dad were divorced, so my dad was willing to buy it for me, but my mother had to say yes. She made me do a report on it and convince her I was serious — and, boy, did I do that! NERD (New England Reptile Distributors Inc.)...

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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 ...