Accident Frees Reptiles

A car crashes into two houses, one the home of a herp enthusiast -- six reptiles are missing, but believed to be hiding in the house. None are venomous. (News source.)

Pet Shop Inside Theft

A California reptile specialty store thinks an employee is behind a series of stolen reptiles (subsequently sold elsewhere) worth $2,600. (News source.)

Giant Pliosaur

A fossil pliosaur discovered in 2006 has been confirmed as the largest marine reptile ever, with an estimated length of 50 feet. (News source.)

Stupid Lawyer Tricks

In order to get felony charges reduced (for a woman who stabbed her husband's bearded dragons during a fight), a defense attorney is trying to argue that bearded dragons aren't actually pets. (News source.)

Ohio Species of Concern List Revision

Five herps will be added to Ohio's species of concern list, if a revision is approved: smooth earth snake, smooth green snake, queen snake, ground skink, and Blanchard's cricket frog. (News source.)

MD Herp Law Changes

Maryland DNR is planning some changes to the herp regs, adding 6 more turtle species to the regulated species list, with a few other herp species receiving increased protection. (News source.)

State Reptile for Colorado Coming?

Students are trying to get the western painted turtle appointed as Colorado's State Reptile. (News source.)

Documentary Set-Ups

Apparently, some people in the UK are surprised that captive animals are often used to create scenes in wildlife documentaries. Attenborough's "encounter" with a spitting cobra in his latest documentary involves a captive animal, for example. (News source.)

Attenborough on Herps

David Attenborough has filmed his last wildlife documentary, to come out in 2008. It's on reptiles and amphibians, titled Life in Cold Blood. (News source.)

Smuggling to Ireland

A package of various common pet-store arachnids and herps from a US pet shop was confiscated by Irish customs. The package was labeled "aquatic plants." (News source.)

Louisiana Cookbook

Alligator and rattlesnake make it into a new cookbook, "After the Hunt," by Chef John Folse. (News source.)

UK Reptile Theft

Burglars stole almost £3,500 worth of reptiles from a Yarnton pet shop: bearded dragons, ratsnakes, kingsnakes, a rainbow boa, tortoises, etc. The news account focuses on the "venomous" western hognose, of course.

Herp Taxidermy

A New Hampshire taxidermist tells a little about his award-winning work, which includes a specialization in reptile taxidermy, here.