He Bit Off More Than He Could Chew

A Texas man recently reached out to a snake service called Big Country Snake Removal when he encountered several rattlesnakes slithering under his house.  He discovered them when he crawled under his house to fix a TV cable (which had been damaged by a recent storm).  The service ended up pulling 45 rattlesnakes of different species from under the man’s house.  The owner of Big Country stated that snake bites increase as the temperatures rise and the snakes begin to seek out food.  He states that most people end up being bitten when they are harassing the snakes.  They report that over 7,000 bites each year with only several being fatal.  He states that there was been an increase in snake bites over the last few years.

The writer of this new story mostly put the blame on the increased presence of rattlesnakes (and the increase of snake bites) on the destruction of the snake’s natural habitat because of housing developments. I feel that the article was written without a hidden agenda and reported the facts that were there.  It was nice to see that the snakes were not portrayed as the enemy and the blame was put more humans and the destruction of natural habitats. 

Frogs in the News: Amphibian 'Apocalypse'?

National Geographic came out with a report on a recently published article in Science about a chytrid fungus that is affecting frogs worldwide.  Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) are the major strains of the fungus that are threatening 501 species of frogs.  The study researchers compared this fungus for frogs to a zombie apocalypse.  I hadn't realized that this was such an extensive threat to amphibians until I had read this article.  I had seen reports here and there, however delving into this article has made me realize how critical a solution to this problem is.  Due to frogs having to breathe through their skin by cutaneous respiration, this fungus inhibits that process and slowly kills its victims.  Interestingly enough in Asia the frogs and the fungus are able to coexist without any negative effects, and one of our own local species Lithobates catesbeianus (American bullfrog) is not killed by the fungus either.
Scientists started to notice that the fungus was taking hold in frog populations starting in the 1970s and has gotten progressively worse.  The lead study researcher recounted how he used to have to watch his step when going out at night because there were so many frogs at his research station. Now they are extremely hard to find.  Considering how much that amphibians contribute to the overall biodiversity of the earth, it is disheartening to know that many of these species are suffering by something that we caused ourselves, however unintentionally.  In many cases this fungus is traded through the amphibian/pet trade.  The article talked about how in pet stores the disease is present too.  Makes you think twice before getting a frog from the pet store, doesn't it?  If you do, don't release it into the wild though!  You might spread it even more than it already has.






Left picture is of a Great Barred frog with the fungus, the right picture is of a healthy Great Barred frog. (Picture credits to www.tas.gov.au and www.mindenpictures.com)


Through all of the rain though, we can see the sunshine coming through!  The U.S. has been fighting Bsal since 2015, and in 2016 they banned the importation of 201 species of salamanders into the country.  Bsal has been affecting large amounts of salamanders in Europe hence the importation ban.  The U.S. has also been working with the World Organization for Animal Health to figure out a solution to the spread of the fungus while also being able to trade the frogs that might have them.  Some preventative measures that have been put into place have been to protect the frogs' natural habitat, to have more strict searches of frogs being transported from one place to another, and advocating for captive-breeding programs to have a safety net in case more species are subject to these threats.  Although more could be done, these stepping stones might be the frogs' saving grace!

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/03/amphibian-apocalypse-frogs-salamanders-worst-chytrid-fungus/

Diving with Slug and Kelsey: Brown Anole Natural History

This past week I had the pleasure of diving in a natural sink hole called Blue Grotto in Williston, Florida. In between dives, I came across a little brown anole (Anolis sagrei), whom I have dubbed Slug, after my dive instructor on the trip. Though no dewlap is discernible in the photograph, Slug has very visible light lateral and vertical lines. With this pattern and his large size, I can reasonably conclude Slug is a he. Slug was first spotted scuttering along this boat rope that acted as a railing for tired divers -like me- at the resort. If it were not for his movement, I likely would have missed him. Look how well his dull brown color and scattered light patterning blend into the rope! Slug is an excellent example of a terrestrial/arboreal wanderer. After his glamour shot, he scampered along the rope and sailed onto the ground out of sight- shy little guy. Nonetheless, his profile shot reveals his long, thin tail and toes, which help him navigate quickly and effectively away from giants in mask and fins. Slug was so quick I had no chance to get better acquainted with him, but he apparently did not like me stepping into his territory because he began bobbing his head before he left. Maybe he also saw a neighbor encroaching a little too far into his space, maybe he saw a cute she-anole, or maybe he just had a really good rock song stuck in his head. Later that evening, I met his female friend, Kelsey, named after my dive master. I spotted Kelsey outside our cabin hanging out on a wooden post. She was a great deal smaller and less patterned, and also less active. A cold front swept in that night, so Kelsey chilled with me while I called my mom to say goodnight. Slug and Kelsey live in an ideal environment for anoles. Blue Grotto is surrounded by pine and oak forests with plenty of ground foliage for coverage and hunting. As I learned from several mosquito bites and a cockroach scurrying out of the dresser, there was no shortage of crawly foods for them. Slug and Kelsey were great friends during my trip to Blue Grotto. If you ever visit, be sure to say hi to them… ‘I-nole’ they’ll love the attention.

Symbiosis Between Frogs and Bacteria

News Article Name: Bacteria may help frogs attract mates

Date: March 14, 2019

Story Source:

Materials provided by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo. Original written by Peter Moon. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Citation:

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo. (2019, March 14). Bacteria may help frogs attract mates. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 18, 2019 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190314123141.htm

               There was a discovery that an odor that was once thought to be produced by some species of amphibian is derived from a symbiosis between bacteria and frog. This strong odor was believed to be a defense, like what skunks use to warn off predators, such assumption made in connection to various frogs having the ability to use poison as a means of protection.

               There was a study performed by Argentinean biologist Andrés Eduardo Brunetti, supervised by Professor Norberto Peporine Lopes that revealed that this odor was produced from a symbiotic relationship between B prasina and bacteria, Pseudomonas sp. They looked at the species Boana prasina whose sexual dimorphism is quite distinct and behave similarly to what other anurans do to attract mates, through calling. Through this study, they believed that this species of frog takes mate signaling even further in using this odor. The environments they reside in can be noisy and difficult in distinguishing select species. Using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, the researchers found that between the male and females, three compounds were present in both of their skins, but at different levels between them. These were interesting results because two of which, thioethers and methoxypyrazines are usually produced by microorganisms. The study proves the symbiotic relationship between these species but does not yet prove that the odor helps distinguish species from each other, something that Brunetti expresses to find out soon. If successful, this later research can open up a new field in herpetology among anuran communication.

Banded Watersnake (Nerodia fasciata)

While at Caw-Caw Park our herpetology class was using a boardwalk to make our way to the next trap set location when I rustle in the grasses caught my eye. I turned to find a large (seemingly) all black snake just lounging about in the tall grasses possibly basking or heat absorption. This snake was identified as a Banded Watersnake using the slightly visible red banding on the dorsal surface and the staggering small hill shaped marks along its ventral surface. This species is native to the coastal planes of the south eastern states with lakes, ponds and marshes being its primary habitat where they primarily prey on small fish and amphibians. It was pretty humbling to see the snake in such a relaxed state after just being told to watch out for cottonmouths. If it wasn't so far away from the boardwalk I would have loved to get a close look at it with the class.

Spring is here! Natural History: Southern Toad

I know spring has arrived when I have to start zig-zagging around the toads as I drive through my neighborhood at night. I found this adult Southern Toad (Anaxyrus terrestris) outside of my house in Mount Pleasant. We live across the street from a pond and based on the calls I've been hearing over the past few weeks this little guy or gal lives in close proximity to some Spring Peepers and Squirrel Tree Frogs. I identified this toad by the pronounced knobs on it's cranial crests. It was sitting on the sidewalk where I assume it was waiting for a tasty insect to wander across it's path. Can anyone tell the sex of this toad?

Herps in the News: Turtle Smuggling in the Philippines

On Sunday, March 3rd, 2019 Filipino customs official were shocked to find four suitcases full of different exotic turtles and tortoises at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Officials found approximately 1,500 duct-taped turtles wrapped and hidden in clothing in the four abandoned suitcases. Amongst the species of turtles and tortoises found were Star Tortoises, Red-foot Tortoises, African Spurred Tortoises, and Red-Eared Slider Turtles. The first three species of tortoises are all marked as "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. If found, the passenger responsible for smuggling these turtles could face a hefty fine of up to 10 million Hong Kong dollars and 10 years in jail. If found, the passenger could be expecting jail time from Hong Kong authorities or Filipino authorities, but they both hold similar laws.

I was saddened to see that these turtles and tortoises had been in this condition, especially after visiting the Turtle Survival Center and hearing that around 60% of turtles and tortoises are threatened of extinction. It's quite obvious that the passenger had intentions of taking these turtles and illegally selling them, but after years of hard work from people such as the workers at the Turtle Survival Center, it is devastating to see that people would still do such a thing. These animals could have easily been overlooked and would have died had the Filipino customs officials not found them and this would have done even more damage to the number of these turtle species that exist.

                             
                             Photo Courtesy of CNN


                               
                                Photo Courtesy of CNN 

Link to the article:https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/04/asia/philippines-turtles-duct-tape-suitcases-scli-intl/index.html 

From Brown to Green: Anolis carolinensis

Green Anole: Anolis carolinensis

Location: Caw Caw Interpretive Center (Charleston, SC)

The organism is an adult male approximately 6 inches long.  He was found in the dry scattered leaves hiding under a log. He was about 50 yards away from the nearest water source (a channel in a swamp). I noticed when I turned over the log that was accompanied by another member of the same species. He was difficult to catch because he repeatedly scurried away from my reach.  I finally was able to sneak up and catch him.  Shortly after catching, he turned into his bright green color (seen in the picture). It was interesting to feel his digits stick to my skin as I was holding him.  I often see these little guys running around the local area and it was awesome to finally see one up close!

Little Brown Skink

Although my encounter was very quick seeing a little brown skink (Scincella lateralis) it still amazed me by its quick retreat into the pine needle substrate. In Caw-Caw Interpretive Center the environment is very diverse from wetlands to drier pine forest in just a few steps, the amount of reptiles that can be seen are endless. My encounter with the little brown skink was in the drier part of the pine forest. It was on a fallen branch, which was surrounded by pine needles. When I attempted to catch it quickly disappeared. Its movement was very snake like moving through the needles with ease. The skink was very easy to identify although it took me a couple of seconds to think about it. Its copper brown single bold dorsal stripe led me to my identification. It was most likely around 4 inches long and had extremely small legs. Little brown skink have an extremely large home range covering most of the eastern part of the United States.

https://ourherpclass.blogspot.com/