Herp of the day: Rinkhals

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 →

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: Annelated Coral Snake

The Annelated Coral Snake (Micrurus annellatus) is a venomous species from South America, it is primarily found in Brazil, Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador.  These snakes are quite variable in color and may have a combination of black and white, yellow, blue, or reddish bands. They are found in wet forests at elevations of up to … Continue reading →

Herp of the day: Sonoran Coral Snake

The Sonoran Coral Snake (Micruroides euryxanthus), also known as Arizona coral snake, is a venomous species found in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. In the wild, this desert species feeds primarily on other snakes and small lizards. Adults are 11–24 inches (280–610 mm) in total length (including tail), females may lay up to 3 … Continue reading →

Herp of the day: Two-striped Forest-Pitviper

The Two-striped Forest-Pitviper (Bothriopsis bilineata) is a venomous pitviper species found in the Amazon region of South America. Adults usually do not grow to more than 70 cm in length, although some may reach 100 cm. The body is relatively slender, with a prehensile tail. Nocturnal, this species spends the day hidden in thick foliage, tree hollows, … Continue reading →

Herp of the day: Horned Adder

The Horned Adder (Bitis caudalis) is venomous snake species found in the arid region of southwest Africa, easily distinguished by the presence of a single, large horn-like scale over each eye. It usually averages 30–40 cm (12-16 inches) in total length (body + tail). The largest specimen reported is a female from southern Botswana measuring 51.5 … Continue reading →

Herp of the day: Little-Devil Poison Frog

The Little-Devil Poison-Frog (Oophaga sylvatica) is a species of frog in the Dendrobatidae family found in southwestern Colombia and northwestern Ecuador.  Its natural habitat is lowland and submontane rainforest; it can, however, can survive in moderately degraded areas, at least in the more humid parts of its range.  It is a very common frog in Colombia but … Continue reading →

Herp of the day: Saint Giron’s sea krait

The Saint Giron’s sea krait (Laticauda saintgironsi) is venomous species of snake from the elapidae family (such as cobras and mambas). It is found around the coast and in the coastal waters of the main island of New Caledonia. Widely spread in tropical reefs. Spends half of its lifetime on land but goes back to … Continue reading →