Prescribed fires boost snake diversity in longleaf pine forests
Flames and snakes don’t just go well together on motorcycle decals and heavy metal album covers. According to new research, prescribed fires every few years in ...
reptiles
JWM: Predators overharvesting bog turtle eggs
Predators are stopping many bog turtle eggs from hatching and growing to adulthood. The bog turtle is the smallest turtle in the U.S., measuring only about three to ...
Building a better wall to keep ratsnakes off the road
Researchers in Ontario are looking into whether a great wall could keep snakes from getting onto highways that can be lethal to them. Canada’s two populations of ...
Wild Cam: Lights deter sea turtles away from deadly nets
Sea turtles have long held a special place in the traditional stories of Ghanaian fishing communities. In a story that varies depending on the community and who’s ...
Climate change may make lizards vulnerable to predators
Lizards may be able to cope with climate change by rapidly adapting to new temperatures, but not without physically slowing down. These changes in fitness might ...
Kentucky aquatic snakes have high fungal disease prevalence
Aquatic snake species in Kentucky have high incidences fungal disease, which may affect their behavior without impacting their short-term survival. “We did see ...
Fungal disease affects snakes in 19 states and Puerto Rico
A new large-scale snake survey has found that a deadly fungal disease has spread through 19 U.S. states and Puerto Rico. The snake fungal disease Ophidiomycosis is ...
Fake turtle eggs with GPS help track poaching
Researchers executed a bait-and-switch maneuver by placing 3D-printed turtle eggs in the clutches of real sea turtle eggs to capture poachers in Costa Rica. The ...
Fenced-in desert tortoises rebound after huge decline
Desert tortoises suffered a “catastrophic decline” over two decades due to habitat degradation, extensive predation, disease and a lack of sufficient ...
JWM: Gopher tortoise translocations deemed a “remarkable success”
Translocating gopher tortoises to a barrier island in Georgia has resulted in a “robust and secure” population two decades after major efforts. “If you do it ...