Crocs in the News

Bangladesh's only crocodile farm will be sending its first export to Germany next month. (News source.)

A UK aquarium is training its dwarf caiman to respond to commands. (News source.)

A UK man wants to start his own crocodile park. (News source.)

Big Retic

A 6-meter reticulated python at the Australian Reptile Park weighed in at 131 kg (or 288.8 lbs) at its bi-annual check. (News source.)

Galapagos Tortoise Rediscovered in Captivity

Nine captive Galapagos Island tortoises are descendants of an "extinct" species from Floreana Island, according to new genetic research. (News source.)

Reptile Zoo Fined

An Ontario serpentarium operator was charged with possession of four native species (some considered endangered in Ontario) and fined $8,000 (CAN). (News source.)

Jumping Gators

Gatorland is bringing in new blood for their Gator Jumparoo show, as the older alligators have gotten a bit lazy. (News source.)

Big Softshell

A Thai zoo/aquarium has put a huge softshell turtle on display. (News source.)

Python News

A 16-foot Burmese python was found in the Everglades. It will be radiotagged and released back in the wild by researchers. (News source.)

Florida legislators are considering a ban on internet sales of pythons. (News source.)

Fluffy, the reticulated python displayed at the Columbus Zoo, is a contender for the Guinness World Records. (News source.)

Toads Released

Endangered captive-born Houston toads have been released into the wild by the Houston, TX, Zoo. (News source.)

Hank the Croc Died

A 47-year old, 2000 pound hybrid croc featured at Jungle Island (Florida) died. (News source.)

Hellbender Conservation

Missouri is trying to preserve their hellbenders, along with the St. Louis Zoo's captive-breeding program. (News source.)

Pennsylvania: Snake Farm Profile

Pocono Snake and Animal Farm is profiled here.

Lion Dies From Snakebite

A white lioness in a zoo in India was found dead from snakebite. (News source.)

Massasaugas Removed

Officials are removing massasaugas from a Chicago wetland and putting them in a zoo breeding program. (News source.)

Snake Hunter / Venom Extractor

A Thai snake hunter / rescuer is profiled here.

A Florida man is setting up a facility (Reptile Discovery Center) where visitors can watch venom extraction. (News source.)

Crocodile News

A New Zealand just got a nice pair of saltwater crocodiles for exhibition. (News source.)

Crocodile farming in Vietnam may be bouncing back after years of falling prices. (News source.)

Frog and Toad News

Half of the zoo population of Archey's frogs at Auckland Zoo have died, apparently due to husbandry difficulties. (News source.)

Research shows that European tree frog females prefer a male with a reddish vocal sac. (News source.)

An oversized cane toad found in Australia was discovered to have eaten several whole crabs and molluscs. (News source.)

LA's Gator Farm

Some history here on the long gone Los Angeles Alligator Farm.

$50K Reward for Big Snake

If you come up with a 30-foot snake, Reptile Gardens in ND will pay you $50,000 for it. (Of course, you can probably get more for it elsewhere...) (News source.)

Anaconda Death

A 17-foot anaconda at Miami's Metrozoo has died; it has been replaced with two smaller anacondas until a larger snake can be obtained. (News source.)

Puff Adder Bites

Two separate puff adder bites were reported from South Africa recently: the first was a British tourist who was bitten while hiking, the second was a handler at the Pretoria Zoo, bitten while cleaning a cage. (News source.)

Famous Gator Moves

A 12-foot, 800-lb, 43-year old alligator was moved to the G. W. Exotic Animal Park after its Oklahoma owner accidentally killed himself with a chainsaw. The alligator had been used in several commercials and movies over the years. (News source, and here.)

Herp Tourism

A Snake Temple in Malaysia has undergone renovations, and is being marketed to the tourist industry. (News source.)

Gatorland has a limited-time exhibit, four leucistic alligators. (News source.)

Training Gators

An interesting behavioral training technique is used by the Fort Fisher Aquarium with their alligators, allowing safer upkeep of the cage. (News source.)

Snake Park Closes

The snake park in Paphos, Cyprus, is closing, apparently due to anti-snake sentiments of the public. (News source.)

Komodo Bite

A 3-year old Komodo dragon at the Virginia Aquarium got a little overeager at feeding time and bit a keeper. (News source.)

Broad-Headed Snake Exhibit

The Nowra Wildlife Park has a new exhibit of the endangered (and venomous) broad-headed snake. (News source.)

OOP Gator Might Have Been Stolen

The Australian Reptile Park might be the source for that OOP alligator found by scouts; apparently, at least five gators have been stolen from there since 1999. (News source.)

Australian Alligator News

A 1.5 meter long alligator has turned up on Australia's South Coast, puzzling officials. (News source.)

Australia Reptile Park has done their annual egg-snatching in the alligator exhibit, so that hatchling alligators don't get loose into Australia's waterways. (Too late...) (News source.)

India: New Serpentarium

The Mahender Chaudhary Zoological Park in Chhatbir will open up a new serpentarium soon. (News source.)

Snake Farm Fire

The Texas Snake Farm (New Braunfels) had a fire go through an animal house near the main building. (News source.)

Odd Croc News

A newspaper in India asks why a crocodile park in Kerala with healthy adult crocodiles hasn't had baby crocs born since 1998. (News source.)

A community in Burkina Faso embraces crocodiles as part of their life. (News source.)

NZ Zoo Theft

A New Zealand zoo was victim to a smash and grab heist. Two day geckos and two bearded dragons were stolen. (News source.)

Florida: Reptile Discovery Center

Deland, Florida, is getting the Reptile Discovery Center soon...

Snakes & Crime

An Oklahoma man who stole a python and tortoise from a zoo ended up getting himself arrested when he returned to the zoo to ask employees how to care for the reptiles. (News source.)

An Ohio woman ended up in trouble for owning an 8-foot boa in a county that only allows constrictors up to 5 feet. (Chalk one up for dumb laws.) (News source.)

Diving with Crocodiles

Another profile here on the diving cage in a crocodile exhibit at Crocosaurus Cove, Australia.

Snakes on the Attack

A python attacked a woman who runs a German reptile zoo, during a cage-cleaning. (News source.)

A snake (apparently a nonvenomous native species) bit two people at a Maryland renaissance fair, when a young woman tried to taunt her boyfriend with it. (News source.)

A Sydney, Australia, man was bitten on the finger by a brown snake. (News source.)

A Colorado Sheriff's deputy was bitten by a rattlesnake when he tried to move it, and had a severe reaction. Before help arrived, he also ended up crashing his car. (News source.)

And for non-attacking snake news, a man survived 113 days in an enclosure with 40 venomous snakes without being bitten, a Guinness world record. (News source.)

Zoo Python Stolen

A Norman, OK, zoo has had its albino Burmese python stolen for the second time in 10 days. (News source.)

Siamese Crocs Hatch

Detroit Zoo has bred Siamese crocodiles for the first time. Three hatchlings were found during exhibit maintenance. (News source.)

Cuban Croc Retires

A Cuban croc at the Bronx zoo is being retired to Miami's Metrozoo. (News source.)

Zoo Needs Snake ID Help

A zoo in Cameroon has a snake (apparently in the genus Grayia) that they can't identify, and are asking for help. Details here.

CB Program Infected Toads

Here's a study on a captive breeding program for the Mallorcan midwife toad that introduced chytrid-infected toads into the wild. The toads themselves were infected through proximity to a cb program for a rare Xenopus species.

Reptiland and Rachael Ray

Reptiland makes an appearance on Rachael Ray's new show, "Rach to the Rescue." (News source.)

Zoo News

Zulu Croc World opens soon in South Africa. (News source.)

A South African snake park was robbed by three armed men. (News source.)

Turtle News (Not So Good)

A Florida turtle preserve (successful in breeding several rare species) is shutting down, due to bills, hurricane damage, and zoo politics. (News source.)

Sea turtles that reproduce on beaches near humans are less fertile. (News source.)

Toad Conservation

The Bronx Zoo is breeding Kihansi spray toads. (News source.)

Good News, Bad News

First, the University of Colorado is studying Burmese pythons in an effort to treat heart disease. (News source.)

But, a student zookeeper in Argentina was killed by a 3m-long Burmese python. (News source.)

Moody's Bush Viper Found

A zoo crew found the little bush viper at Moody Gardens, outside the building in the bushes. They still claim that it is unlikely it escaped on its own. (News source.)

Terrarium Burns Down

A Terrarium in Varna, Bulgaria, burned down in an apparently accidental fire. Numerous reptiles were killed. (News source.)

More from Moody Gardens

On that missing bush viper... (News source.)

Exhibits in the News

Alligator Alley (Alabama) has added a new "giant snake" exhibit. (News source.)

That viper at Moody Gardens (Texas) has disappeared again, and this time it looks like someone tampered with the lock. (News source.)

Somebody Lied

Moody Garden's viper really did escape, and wasn't just camouflaged in the vivarium. Officials admit that it was found on the outside of the cage. (News source.)

Croc Exhibits

First, Crocodile Swamp opens at the Paignton Zoo (UK). (News source.)

And, a Kendrapara museum (India) has what may be the country's largest preserved crocodile skull. (News source.)

Rattlesnake News

A California girl was bitten on the toe by a rattlesnake. (News source.)

An Illinois wildlife center has bred ridge-nosed rattlesnakes. (News source.)

Bush Viper Lost, then Found

It didn't escape or get eaten by a cagemate -- the bush viper that supposedly disappeared from its cage at Moody Gardens (Galveston, TX) turned out to just be well-hidden in the cage's foliage. (News source.)

Croc News

40 mugger crocodiles have hatched out at the Arignar Anna Zoological park in India. (News source.)

Police shot a 14-foot crocodile stalking a village in the Solomon Islands. (News source.)

Minnesota Sea Turtle Goes Home

A young loggerhead sea turtle anonymously dropped off at the MN Herp. Society several years ago has been raised up at the zoo (among other places) and is now being returned to Florida. (News source.)

Crocodilian News

A Texas man tries to find a new home for his 5-foot illegal alligator. (News source.)

China is reporting (for some reason) the sighting of some Chinese alligators in the wild. (News source.)

Two gharials were spotted 30km from the Tata Steel Zoological Park (in India ), where they escaped during flooding. (News source.)

An Australian man was fortunate enough to fight off an attack by a 15-foot saltwater crocodile. (News source.)

Baby Nile crocodiles synchronize their hatching by chattering to each other beforehand. (News source.)

Croc Park Opening

The $29million Crocosaurus Cove theme park is set to open in July. One attraction will be a 15-minute personal encounter with crocs inside a fiberglass "cage" dropped into the croc tank. (News source.)

Czech Croc Zoo

A crocodile zoo is opening up in Protivin, Czech Republic. (News source.)

Snake Park

The Nairobi Snake Park in Kenya is undergoing renovations with plans to reopen in six months. (News source.)

Kuwait Gets Reptile Museum

Three young men in Kuwait have started a reptile museum, housed at the Aqua Park. They have 600 live animals, though not all are on display. (News source.)

Gatorland Revamped

Gatorland has unveiled a new park, after 18 months following a fire. (News source.)

Eviction

The Fitzsimons Snake Park in Durbin, South Africa, has to find a new home. (News source.)

Python Snatches Zoo Deer

An Indian python snuck into the deer enclosure at Sree Venkateshwara Zoological Park in Tirupati, India, captured, and ate a young deer. Story and photos here.

Komodo Coming

St. Augustine Alligator Farm is building a new exhibit for a Komodo Dragon. (News source.)

Tuatara Problem

Turns out older tuataras will eat hatchlings... (News source.)

Gharial Breeding

The Prague Zoo is starting a breeding program for gharial, the first in Europe. (News source.)

Zoo Breeding

Madras Crocodile Bank Trust in India has bred Indian painted roof turtles. (News source.)

Northern Territory Wildlife Park has bred a pair of death adders, resulting in a 25 baby litter. (News source.)

Zoo Rediscovers Turtle

From the announcement:

"Cleveland Metroparks Zoo today announced the discovery of a critically endangered turtle in northern Vietnam that previously was thought to be extinct in the wild. Experts from the Zoo's Asian Turtle Program confirmed they have identified the only known living specimen of a Swinhoe's soft-shell turtle (Rafetus swinhoei) in nature.
"After three years of searching, Zoo-sponsored researchers focused on a lake just west of Hanoi after residents reported spotting the gigantic turtle there. Field biologists, along with Education for Nature in Vietnam, found and photographed the turtle, allowing scientists to verify it was the rare Swinhoe's soft-shell turtle, which is considered a national treasure in Vietnam."

Green Snake in a Serpentarium

A visitor thinks a green mamba got loose from a NC serpentarium, but employees say it was only a native green snake that another visitor released inside. (News source.)

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.)

Crocodilian News

A Japanese aquarium has a dwarf caiman that entertains crowds by standing on its hind legs when water is poured on it. (Reminiscent of a waterfall?) (News source.)

Here is a profile on a South Carolina alligator wrangler, who captures problem gators.

And an article on South Carolina's new alligator hunting season. (News source.)

Lawsuit-Bait

A Tanzanian man has started up his own little zoo, calling it the Steve Irwin Zoo. Brilliant marketing ploy, but it won't be long before the lawyers come knocking... (News source.)

Europe's Albino Alligator

The only albino alligator in captivity in Europe is profiled here.

Dwarf Croc Stolen

A Norway aquarium lost its dwarf caiman (Paleosuchus trigonatus) to thieves. (News source.)

They're offering an approx. $4900 reward for a reptile they claim is worth about $2000 on the legal market. (Not sure where they get that info, as they're sold for about $300 or so here in the US...)

Frog Breeding

Memphis Zoo is planning to breed the endangered Mississippi gopher frogs. (News source.)

Tortoise Breeds

A 70 year old Galapagos tortoise at the Zurich Zoo had a baby hatch out. (News source.)

Gator News

Shifting lungs allows alligators to be agile and quick underwater. (News source.)

Two suspects in the vandalism at St. Augustine Alligator Farm have been caught. (News source.)

Frog Release

Taronga Zoo (Sydney, Australia) is releasing a number of boorolong frogs (the first bred in a zoo) back into the wild to help boost native population numbers. (News source.)

Croc Surgery

A 14-year old African dwarf crocodile at the Assiniboine Park Zoo (Canada) underwent surgery for removal of a corneal ulcer. (News source.)

Alligator Farm Crash

A driver suffering a seizure went off the road and through the exterior fence at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm, knocking down some signage. No animals were harmed (or escaped). This is the third time in 5 years a car has run into the Alligator Farm. The stretch of road has had 29 crashes over the last 5 years. (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.)

Big Retic

The St. Augustine Alligator Farm has imported a large reticulated python from Indonesia, that measures 21 feet, 9 inches. (News source.)

Too Many Crocs

The Manila Zoo has a surplus of crocodiles in its collection, and is hoping for trades... (News source.)

Croc Farm Keeper Bitten (then Shot)

A Darwin, Australia, crocodile farm staff member was bitten on the arm by a crocodile while he was trying to collect eggs. Another staff member shot the crocodile, managing to release his co-worker, but accidentally shot him in the arm. The man is doing fine after surgery. (News source.)

Zoo Babies

Perth Zoo hatched out 8 rare rough-scaled pythons recently. (News source.)

Fluffy's New Home

Fluffy, the 24-foot reticulated python on loan to the Columbus Zoo last year, proved so popular with visitors that the zoo persuaded the snake's owner (herpetoculturist Bob Clark) to sell her. (News source.) A pic of the snake here.

Albino Alligators Stolen

Seven rare albino alligators were stolen from Federal University's zoo in Matto Grosso, Brazil. (News source.)

Turtle Hospital

Sea World, in the Gold Coast, Australia, is taking care of a record number of injured sea turtles in its veterinary facility. (News source.)

Chinese Protect Turtle

What may be the last female Yangtze giant soft-shell turtle is being protected now with an armed guard at the Changsha zoo, in Hunan Province, where it has lived for over half a century in obscurity. (News source.)

Frog Exhibit

St. Louis Zoo is putting in a new exhibit, Awesome Amphibians, to celebrate the AZA's 2008 "Year of the Frog." (News source.)

Albino Gator

The NEW Zoo in Wisconsin is buying a small albino alligator to put on display with a $10,000 donation. (News source.)

Tadpoles Go Home

Several hundred Puerto Rican crested toad tadpoles are being sent back to their homeland after being hatched at the Miami-Dade zoo. (News source.)

Jacksonville Zoo Herp Curator

The Jacksonville Zoo (FL) has announced that Dino Ferri will be their new curator of herpetology. (News source.)

Croc Theme Park

Crocosaurus Cove, a three-story crocodile theme park, is under construction in Darwin, to open next year. A featured attraction at the $29 million facility will be Burt, the albino saltwater crocodile. (News source.)

Rattlesnake Bite

A pregnant woman in Texas was bitten by a rattlesnake. Doctors turned to the Gladys Porter Zoo for antivenom. (News source.)

Indonesia Reptile Park Profile

A profile of the Purbalingga Reptile and Insect Park in Kutasari, Purbalingga, Central Java, is here.

Slimy Salamanders Breed

Toledo (OH) Zoo has a new captive-bred clutch of slimy salamanders, though it apparently wasn't intentional. (News source.)

Uganda Croc

A 62-year-old crocodile died at the Buwama Crocodile Farm, Uganda, where it had been relocated in 2005 following decades of attacking fishermen at Lugaga Swamp. (News source.)