Rinkhals, or the Ring Necked Spitting Cobra (Hemachatus haemachatus) is a venomous snake species from Africa. Although it looks similar to a cobra, they are not, these spitting snakes can spray its venom up to 2.5 m. Its spitting mechanism is primitive and it has to rear up and fling its body forward to spray … Continue reading
Tag Archives: herpetology
Herp of the day: Equatorial Anole
The Equatorial Anole (Anolis aequatorialis) is a small lizard species native to Ecuador and Colombia. They are known to inhabit low montane and cloud forest on the western slopes of the Andes, between 1300 and 2300 m elevation. Continue reading
Herp of the day: Puget Sound Garter Snake
The Puget Sound Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis pickeringii) is a subspecies of Common Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) that exhibits striking black and blue colors. Adult males are typically approximately 70 – 80 cm long and they are relatively slender build while females become much larger and heavier, around 80 – 100 cm. Continue reading
Herp of the day: Mutable Rainfrog
The Mutable Rainfrog (Pristimantis mutabilis) is a species of frog found in the Ecuadorian Andes in the Pichincha and Imbabura Provinces. It is the first known amphibian species that is able to change skin texture from tuberculate to almost smooth in a few minutes, an extreme example of phenotypic plasticity. The specific epithet mutabilis (changeable) refers … Continue reading
Herp of the day: Paradise Flying Snake
The Paradise Flying Snake (Chrysopelea paradisi) is a mildly venomous species native to southeast Asia. These brilliantly colored snakes are one of the few adapted to long-distance gliding, able to flatten their bodies and soar 100 meters (328 feet) between trees. Continue reading
Herp of the day: Osborne’s Lancehead
The Osborne’s Lancehead (Bothrops osbornei) is venomous pitviper species from south America that inhabits the forests of Peru and Ecuador. Adults commonly grow to more than 100 cm in length and may exceed 150 cm. The shape of the body and long tail suggest that it is semi arboreal. The head is long and lance-shaped and … Continue reading
Herp of the day: Catesby’s Pointed Snake
The Catesby’s Pointed Snake (Uromacer catesbyi) also known as Blunt-headed Green Tree Snake is a mildly venomous species endemic to the Dominican Republic and Haiti. This species is often found sitting in bushes and low branches. It is both an active forager and a sit-and-wait forager and it preys on both frogs and lizardsmainly. Some … Continue reading
