One of the most common, yet misidentified, snakes in Northern New England is the Eastern Milksnake. Unlike species such as Northern Watersnakes, which are often confused for similarly-patterned Copperheads or Cottonmouths, the Milksnake is mistaken not only for Timber Rattlesnakes, but also another venomous species that doesn’t actually exist: the “checkered” or “spotted adder”. Early […]
Increasing globalization has led to a truly astounding number of reptile and amphibian species being easily available for purchase as part of the massive reptile and amphibian pet trade. Take a trip to a reptile show or browse the internet and you can buy anything ranging from alligators to large tortoises to some of the […]
For the last two years, the Orianne Society has been involved in a multi-state effort to document the current distribution of Alligator Snapping Turtles. In many places these turtles were harvested commercially for the production of turtle soup, causing severe declines in wild populations. The purpose of these survey efforts is to help the U.S. […]
A Boyd’s Forest Dragon (Hypsilurus boydii) from northeastern Queensland, Australia. These lizards inhabit tropical rain-forests, spending a majority of their time perched vertically on tree trunks. Their excellent camouflage helps them avoid potential predators.
Few aquatic organisms in freshwater environments elicit such strong negative reactions as a leech. They are gross, slimy, bloodsuckers and they creep people out. For those willing to dig a little deeper into their biology, however, leeches are very fascinating animals. For starters, leeches are hermaphroditic and some provide parental care to their young. Then […]