Book Review: The New Encyclopedia of Snakes

Snakes often get a bad rap from the mainstream public, but we herpers know the truth. They are fascinating and fun creatures. So what if Voldemort has one as a pet. It doesn't make them evil! If you want to learn more about snakes then i recommend you buy "The New Encyclopedia of Snakes" by Chris Mattison. It has plenty of good information but it is not overwhelming- an easy read for anyone. It has beautiful photographs, and every few pages there are colored boxes filled with interesting facts. You Will be an expert on snakes after reading this must have reference book for the novice herpetologist.

Price Comparison: Pet Shop vs. Reptile Expo

If you need a reason to by your animals at a reptile expo, or exotic pets expo look at these numbers.

Green treefrog: petshop- $12.99
reptile expo- 2 for $7

Ball Python: petshop- $89.99
reptile expo- $25

Bearded Dragon: petshop- $89.99
reptile expo- $75

Green Anole: petshop- $12.99
reptile expo- 2 for $7

Leopard Gecko: petshop- $45.99
reptile expo- $25

Firebelly Toad: petshop- $9.99
reptile expo- $5

Sulcatta Tortoise: petshop- $199.99
reptile fair- $125

Red Eared Slider: petshop- $14.99
reptile expo- up for adoption with a $5 donation

These are actual numbers from a local petshop and the New York Metro Reptile Expo. I believe they speak for themselves.

Species Profile: American Alligator

The American Alligator (Alligator Mississippiensis)is a spectacular reptile. They are very well adapted to their environment and belong to group of reptiles (crocodilians) that have lived nearly unchanged for 150 million yrs, surviving the mass extinction at the end of the Cretaceous. Males can reach lengths anywhere from 10-15ft while females are a still impressive 9ft. They can weigh upwards of 1000lbs and live 35 to 50 yrs. This mighty animal was once near extinction but thanks to human help it is thriving in its native habitat (the wetlands of the American Southeast, mainly Florida and Louisiana) with a wild population of over 1 million. Alligator farms help protect the wild population from hunting by growing "gators" their skins and meat (which is quite tasty if I do say so myself- just like chicken!). They are opportunistic feeders eating anything they can catch, and can stay submerged for quite a while looking like a log so I wouldn't advise swimming in just any deep south waterway you come across. As adults they may be top predators but as hatchlings they can be food for birds, raccoons and other animals. They have a very interesting method of sex determination. Mothers lay eggs in mounds of basically compost. If the temperature is 86 degrees F or less you get females, and if it is 93 degrees f or more you get males. This leads to a sex ratio of 5 females to 1 male (not to bad!). You might believe American Alligators will abandon their young, but this is not true. The mother guards the nest ferociously, and when they hatch she carries the young to the water where she usually protects them for about 1 yr. The pictures above are some I took in florida. One shows an alligator in the water. Ther other shows a mother gaurding her nest.

New York Metro Reptile Expo

The next New York Metro Reptile Expo will be on november 28, 2010 from 10am to 4pm at the Westchester County Center in White Plains, NY. Admission is $10 for adults, $4for kids 7-12, and free for kids under 7.

What Are Red Efts?

September: The month of the Red Efts! It seems these little critters are everywhere in the forests of the northeastern US this time of year. They are the immature form of the Eastern newt which you may remember from an earlier post. I just recently took a hike in my campus nature preserve and saw so many I stopped counting after 30. You see, this time of year they are making there way down to bodies of water too live as semi-aquatic adult newts (as efts they are terrestrial). these guys range in color from brownish to bright red (their color marks them as toxic to predators). They can be kept as pets as you would any other salamander for 2 to 3 yrs and then must be cared for like newts. Go out and explore your local woods and see if you find any.

New York Metro Reptile Expo

The New York Metro Reptile Expo will be held Sunday, July 11, at the Westchester County Center. Vendors from all over will be selling exotic pets and supplies.

How to Care for Newt Larvae

One summer I had 3 eastern newts in a ten gallon tank. I came in one morning to make my usual observation. To my surprise I see the leaves of a plant curled up and in them little newt eggs. Caring for the eggs and larvae that summer was a fun and interesting experience. Here is some info on how to care for newt larvae.

Housing: use clean, dechlorinated water. With larvae keep the tank as bare as possible. A few plants wont hurt. No heat or filters are necessary. As with anything, don't crowd them.

Feeding: They wont eat as soon as they hatch. They will feed off their yolk sacks for a little while. Feed them daphnia and/or brine shrimp after this for a few weeks. Then when they are larger move on to blood worms and black worms.

Metamorphosis: When they are larger and their gills begin to shrink lower the water level and add rocks or sticks for them to crawl out on