Power Outage

20,000 South Florida homes lost power after an iguana got fried by high-voltage equipment. (News source.)

Iguana Crime

Six endangered blue iguanas were killed at a captive-breeding center in the Cayman Islands. The animals were stomped and mutilated, and police are investigating. (News source.)

Whiptail Profile

A nature columnist in Colorado ponders the whiptail lizard. (News source.)

Lizard Saved From Fish

A fisherman in Australia caught a fish which regurgitated its last meal, a small skink. Though the tail was partially digested, the lizard resuscitated and went on its way. (News source.)

New Gecko

A new species is being described in the news as the largest gecko yet found in India, at 250 mm. (I'm a bit leery of this claim; the Tokay gecko, for example, is found in northern India, and can surpass that length in at least parts of its wide range.) The new species has been named Hemidactylus aaronbaueri, after lizard expert Dr. Aaron Bauer of Villanova. (Dr. Bauer, of course, should be a familiar name, as he has written on the cryptozoological giant gecko and other unusual cases.) The lizard was first photographed two years ago, and the photos forwarded to the Bombay Natural History Society for identification, where they realized it was a new species. Since then, about 20 more have been found on rocky cliffs in north west Ghats. (News source.)

Gomeran Skink Described

Genetic research shows that the skink on La Gomera (Canary Islands) is an endemic species, not just a subspecies. (News source.)

Lizard Smuggling

3000 chameleons and 350 other lizards were confiscated from two men at a Yemen airport. (News source.)

Invasive Lizards

Southeast Asian skinks are spreading through Taiwan, outcompeting the native lizards. (News source.)

Rapid Changes in Podarcis

The Italian wall lizard, Podarcis sicula, was introduced to a small island in the Adriatic in 1971, and show a variety of significant changes in the current population. (News source.)

New Reptiles

A few new species of snakes and lizards described in the last couple months:

A pitviper from Hon Son Island in Vietnam, Cryptelytrops honsonensis. (Zootaxa)
A xenodermatid snake from Vietnam, Fimbrios smithi. (Zootaxa)
A night-lizard from Mexico, Lepidophyma cuicateca. (Zootaxa)
Two geckos from southern Vietnam, Cyrtodactylus takouensis and Cyrtodactylus huynhi. (Zootaxa)
A gecko from Borneo in the genus Luperosaurus. (Zootaxa)
A gecko from Cuba, Tarentola crombiei. (Zootaxa)
A gecko from Thailand, Gekko nutaphandi. (Zootaxa)

Komodo Research

Research on Komodo dragon skulls shows that while the bite force is low and the skull is comparatively lightweight, but sharp teeth and unique biting methods driven by strong neck musculature make for an effective predator. (Eurekalert.)

Gila Bite Update

Here is an update on the New Mexico zookeeper bitten by a Gila monster.

More Venomous Bites

A New Mexico zookeeper was bitten by a Gila monster. (News source.)

An Orissa, India, folk dancer died when he was bitten by the cobra he was dancing with. (News source.)

Smuggled in Books

A couple of packages intercepted in the mail from Australia to the Czech Republic turned out to hold hollowed-out books with native Australian geckos. (News source.)

Smuggling Beardies

A Dutch passenger was caught trying to smuggle 16 small bearded dragons through an airport in Spain. No word on where they came from. (News source.)

Lizards Saved

Malaysian wildlife officers rescued 222 endangered monitor lizards poached for the meat trade. (News source.)

Two-Headed Beardie

A NC bearded dragon breeder hatched out a two-headed lizard... (News source.)

Cayman Iguana Mystery

A mystery Grand Cayman blue iguana was found in George Town. It is untagged and believed too big to be from reintroduction efforts; it may represent the original population, unseen for 60 years. Or it may be a released illegal captive... Research is ongoing. (News source.)

Gecko Tails

Research on house gecko tails shows some interesting new functions, including helping the lizard stabilize while running on slippery surfaces. (News source.)

Sand-Walking

Here is an article in Nature regarding sand-walking by zebra-tailed lizards.

India: Varanid Poaching

Two Hakki Pikki tribe members were busted selling monitor lizards for meat by a CID officers. (News source.)

Gecko-Mimicking Bandages

Some US researchers have devised a waterproof sticky bandage based on principles found in some geckos' sticky feet. (News source.)

Gecko Behavior

BBC's Life in Cold Blood series has been advertising various segments lately. The latest involves a day gecko "begging" for honeydew from a plant-hopper. It is an interesting behavioral partnership, though they don't know what the plant-hopper gets out of it. (Maybe the reassurance it won't get eaten...) (News source.)

PNG Lizard Search Cancelled

The search for a "Komodo dragon" reportedly roaming loose on the west coast of PNG has been called off, as it appeared to be a case of hysterical rumors with no substantial evidence that such a lizard was actually present. It may have been a hoax, or a misidentification. (News source.)

Komodo Dragon Rumors in PNG

Lae city, in Papua New Guinea, has Komodo dragon rumors, as stories of a giant lizard are being passed around, along with the rumor of an expatriate offering a bounty on a Komodo dragon that was supposedly smuggled into the country as an egg, raised up, and which got loose to terrorize the countryside. (News source.) (Rumor story here.)

Nine Days of Labour

A lizard, the skink Egernia whitii, will, under warm light conditions, spread the births of its live young over a period of up to nine days. Under reduced light conditions, the births happen quicker, so that the offspring can take advantage of the light as soon as possible. (News source.)

Thailand Lizard Scandal

Well, not really, but apparently a couple of monitor lizards found mating behind the Government House in Bangkok set reporters into a frenzy. It's been suggested that the lizards somehow represent the government, as the Thai name for the lizard is also a derogatory term. (News source.)

Australian vs Red Tape

The president of the Southern Tasmania Reptile Club bred several native lizards with the intent of giving the offspring away to children, but government departments won't allow him to do so, despite previous assurances that it would be OK. He wanted to do this to keep children from collecting them in the wild, which is legal with a permit. But, once again, short-sightedness in governmental "wildlife conservation" agencies gets in the way. (News source.)

More Parthenogenic Komodos

The Sedgwick County Zoo in Kansas has hatched a couple of male Komodo dragons from eggs laid by an unfertilized female. This is the third documented case of parthenogenesis in the species. (News source.)

Gecko Adhesive

University of California, Berkeley, engineers have designed a gecko-foot mimicking adhesive that is very strong but easy to separate. 42 million tiny hard plastic microfibrils are found on a single square centimeter. It takes hold when it slides down a smooth surface, rather than being pressed against. Two square centimeters can hold .88 lbs. (News source.)

No Camouflage for Chameleons

New research proposes that the color changing in chameleons is strictly for mating displays, and has no camouflaging purpose. (News source.)

New Skinks

13 new snake-eyed skinks have been discovered in Australia, primarily through genetic differentiation -- though a few are morphologically distinctive. (News source.)

Lizards for Dinner

India police have raided several roadside restaurants, finding lizards being served illegally (spiny-tailed lizards and monitor lizards). (News source.)

A New Threat to Varanus

Misguided attempts to find a cure for AIDS in Africa has led to the injection of white-throat monitor blood into patients. Besides being dangerous, and useless against AIDS, the practice could cause conservation problems for the species if the treatment becomes widespread. (News source.)

Gecko Photographed

A rare New Zealand gecko species, the Wellington green gecko, was photographed in the city of Karori for the first time in about thirty years. It's occasionally seen elsewhere. (News source with photos.)

Invaders

First, the Cuban tree frog (Osteopilus septentrionalis) has found its way to northeastern Florida (Clay County). (News source.)

Second, a profile on the European wall lizard (Podarcis muralis) in Victoria, British Columbia. (News source.)

New Geckos

Four new geckos in the genus Cnemaspis have been described from Vietnam. (News source.)

New Anoles

A 2006 expedition to Serrania de Tabasara, in the Panamanian highlands, found four new anole species. The expedition found a new salamander and two more new anoles closer to to Costa Rica in the western highlands of Cordillera Central. (News source.)

Lancelin Island Skinks

Introducing the rare endemic Lancelin Island (Australia) skink to a nearby island in 2003 has paid off, as 133 skinks have grown to what is thought to be about 500 skinks. (News source.)

Tougher Laws in Florida

New rules for Florida herp owners:
"Anyone seeking to own a python, green anaconda or Nile monitor lizard is now required to get a permit and microchip. The reptiles must be caged. Owners have to answer questions about basic reptile care and have a 'bite response plan.' There's also an annual $100 fee.
"A permit is also required for red-eared slider turtles. It's illegal to allow the turtles to reproduce, and all eggs must be destroyed.
"More information about the reptile permits is available on the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Web site, MyFWC.com/permits."

New Gecko

A new gecko from Vietnam has been described: Cyrtodactylus pseudoquadrivirgatus. (News source.)

Gecko Stickiness Research

Research continues into the adhesive properties of gecko feet... (Eurekalert.)

Giant La Palma Lizard Rediscovered

The thought-extinct giant lizard of La Palma, Gallotia auaritae, may still be around. A 300+ mm lizard was found by José Antonio Mateo, from the species recovery center on La Gomera. (These are in the Canary Islands.) A search is planned to hunt for more of the lizards. (News source.)

Lizard For Christmas

An alligator lizard popped out of a tree purchased for Christmas in Hawaii. Apparently it was confiscated, but no word on whether it was destroyed or given to the zoo. (News source.)

Day Gecko Invasion

The Madagascan day geckos accidentally (or intentionally) released on Mauritius are a threat to that island's native day geckos. Other species are also causing trouble. (News source.)

Misc Herp News

A South African man was charged with possession of a python, which he was using for healing purposes. (News source.)

The Iowa state director for political candidate Mike Huckabee is a snake enthusiast. (News source.)

Two American crocs have been confirmed in the Sans Soucí port region, Dominican Republic, concerning the locals. (News source.)

Here is a profile on a luxury resort in Oman with beaches used by nesting sea turtles.

Here is a profile on a gila monster that had to be x-rayed, and the steps taken to do so safely.

Iguanas Attacked

Someone is shooting their crossbow at feral iguanas in Cape Coral, Florida. (News source.)

Mountain Boomers

Here is a profile on eastern collared lizards in the Twin Lakes, Arkansas, region.

Hong Kong Herp Crimes

First, two men and a woman were arrested for selling mislabeled crocodile meat, punishable by up to 5 years in jail and a $500,000 fine. Monitor lizard and snake meat is often sold as crocodile meat. (News source.)

A smuggler was caught bringing in 15 snakes and 22 lizards from Indonesia, mostly baby pythons and monitors. (News source.)

Bronzeback Legless Lizard

A rare specimen of the bronzeback legless lizard was found near Coober Pedy, South Australia. The species was first discovered in 1890, but the next specimen wasn't discovered until 1977. (News source.)

Tenarife Facility

The giant lizard breeding facility in Valle Gran Rey, La Gomera, Tenarife, is using natural methods for hatching eggs of the endangered species. Last year, incubator methods produced far more males than females, so they are hoping this produces a more number of both genders. (News source.)

Albino Lizard

An albino shingleback skink about 12cm long was found in Victoria, Australia. (News source.)

Australian Lizard Seizure

27 shingleback skinks were taken by Australian wildlife officials, with charges against two men who apparently were trying to sell them. (News source.)

Lizards Listen to Birds

Galapagos iguanas keep an ear out for alarm calls by the islands' mockingbirds, warning of predatory hawks. (News source.)

Developer vs Slow Worms

Protests are being lodged against development in the UK that would force the relocation of the protected slow worms. (News source.)

Lizards Play Rock-Paper-Scissors

The "rock-paper-scissors" competition of mating strategies known among side-blotched lizards in North America has also been found in the European common lizard (Lacerta vivipara). From the Eurekalert:

"A quick look at their undersides reveals the strategy: males who sport orange bellies are brutes who invade other lizards' territories to mate with any female they can catch. But while they're gone, drab yellow-bellied males slink onto the vacant territory and mate with unguarded females. White-bellied males guard their mates closely, and cooperate with other white-bellied lizards to keep the yellows at bay. Hence the analogy to rock-paper-scissors: force (orange) defeats cooperation (white), cooperation defeats deception (yellow), and deception defeats force." ...

"The cycle goes like this: one color type--orange, for example--is common in a patch of habitat for a year or two. During that time, the orange bullies spend their time attacking white-bellied lizards on nearby territories. The effort leaves females on their own territories unguarded, allowing yellow-bellied lizards to sneak in and sire offspring. So yellow males become prevalent for the next year or two. After that, white-bellied lizards proliferate as they team up to protect their mates from yellows' intrusions. But once the white-bellied males become numerous, they're easy pickings for the remaining orange-bellied males, who regain superior numbers as the cycle starts again."

Uh, Oh: Geckos Can Bite!

Those mean, nasty giant day geckos, with jaws like "pliers," are being outed by the Hawaiian media. It's one thing to point to the ecological problems of invasive species, but demonizing a day gecko? Please.

More Crocs in the News

Another large saltwater croc has moved into the pen of the late Eric, at the Australian Reptile Park. (News source.)

Cleveland, OH, police picked up an alligator found strolling loose. (News source.)

An alligator call in Las Cruces, NM, turned out to be an iguana instead. (News source