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Reptiles of the United States  
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A Guide to the Reptiles &
Amphibians of the United States
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Snakes of the U.S.

Invasion!: Burmese pythons decimate mammals in the Everglades
The Everglades in southern Florida has faced myriad environmental impacts from draining for sprawl to the construction of canals, but even as the U.S. government moves slowly on an ambitious plan to restore the massive wetlands a new threat is growing: big snakes from Southeast Asia. A new paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) has found evidence of a massive collapse in the native mammal population following the invasion of Burmese pythons (Python molurus bivittatus) in the ecosystem. The research comes just after the U.S. federal government has announced an importation ban on the Burmese python and three other big snakes in an effort to safeguard wildlife in the Everglades. However, the PNAS study finds that a lot of damage has already been done.
U.S. implements snake ban to save native ecosystems
Last week the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) announced it was banning the importation and sale across state lines of four large, non-native snakes: the Burmese python (Python molurus bivittatus), the yellow anaconda (Eunectes notaeus), and two subspecies of the African python (Python sebae). Although popular pets, snakes released and escaped into the wild have caused considerable environmental damage especially in the Florida Everglades.
Will Taiwan save its last pristine coastline?
Voters in the January 14 Taiwanese presidential election will decide the fate of the island’s last pristine wilderness known as the Alangyi Trail. Amongst the three candidates, only one (Tsai Ing-wen from the Democratic Progressive Party) may support the conservation of Alangyi Trail and its coastline. One of the top domestic stories of 2011 were the efforts by the Pingtung County government, indigenous tribes, and NGOs to preserve the Alangyi Trail, according to the Taiwan Environmental Information Center. Alangyi is now a major issue reflecting steadily growing environmental concern amongst the Taiwanese, but its fate is sadly uncertain.
The dark side of new species discovery
Scientists and the public usually rejoice when a new species is discovered. But biologist Bryan Stuart has learned the hard way that the discovery of new species, especially when that species is commercially valuable, has a dark side-one that could potentially wipe out the new species before protections can be put in place. Stuart has discovered 27 species unknown previously to scientists - so far. That includes 22 species of frogs, three types of snakes, and two salamanders. His experience with one of these, a warty salamander from Laos with striking markings (Laotriton laoensis), opened his eyes to a dark side of scientific discovery: commercial overexploitation before protections are in place. Shortly after Stuart described the previously unknown species Paramesotriton laoensis in a scientific paper published in 2002, commercial dealers began collecting this Lao newt for sale into the pet trade. In essence, the dealers used Stuart's geographic description in the paper as a “roadmap” to find the rare newt.
Herpetology curator: behind-the-scenes of 'new species' discoveries
Bryan Stuart’s mission as a curator of amphibians and reptiles at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is to understand the diversity of life on earth. For that, he documents what species occur where and why. He’s particularly attracted to areas where there’s a dearth of knowledge, like Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Gabon, and so far has discovered 27 species unknown previously to scientists: three species of snakes, two types of salamanders, and 22 kinds of frogs.
 

Snakes of the United States


A snake is an elongate reptile of the suborder Serpentes. Like all reptiles, snakes are ectothermic and covered in scales. All snakes are carnivorous and can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids, hind limbs, external ears, and the presence of only vestigial forelimbs. The 2,700+ species of snakes spread across every continent except Antarctica ranging in size from the tiny, 10 cm long thread snake to pythons and anacondas at 9 m (30 ft) long. In order to accommodate snakes' narrow bodies, paired organs (such as kidneys) appear one in front of the other instead of side by side.

 

While venomous snakes comprise a minority of the species, some possess potent venom capable of causing painful injury or death to humans. However, venom in snakes is primarily for killing and subduing prey rather than for self-defense. Snakes may have evolved from a lizard which adapted to burrowing during the Cretaceous period, though some scientists have postulated an aquatic origin. The diversity of modern snakes appeared during the Paleocene period.

 

A literary word for snake is serpent (a Middle English word which comes from Old French, and ultimately from *serp-, "to creep"). The serpent is also a symbol of the healing arts.

 

There are 5 groups of snakes found in the United States. They range through all of the states, including Alaska! They are as follows:

 

Colubrids (Colubrid Snakes)

The majority of the world's snake belong to the family Colubridae. There is so much diversification of structure within this family that it has been divided into groups known as subfamilies. Most of the colubrids, as the snakes of this family are called, are the typical harmless snakes that predominate in every continent except Australia.

Viperidae (Pit Viper Snakes)

Snakes of the family Viperidae, commonly called vipers, are found only in the eastern hemisphere and are absent from Australia. Typically, the snakes of this family are rather stout-bodied terrestrial reptiles, though some have taken to subterranean habits and others live in trees. The colors and patterns of some of the species are positively gorgeous.

Elapidae (Coral Snakes)

Some of the world's most infamous snakes belong to the family Elapidae - the group which includes caobras and mambas. Elapid snakes, as they are called, are found on all the continental land masses except Europe. In Australia, they predominate over other kinds, and that cntinent is the only one which has more venomous species than non-venomous species.

Boadis (Boas and Pythons)

The Boas of the United States appear as pygmies when compared with the larger forms of the tropics. They are stout-bodied, blunt-tailed snakes which seldom exceed two feet in length.

Leptotyphlopidae (Slender Blind Snakes)

The blind snakes are mostly tropical snakes, but have a few representatives in the United States. They are diminative burrowing reptiles that are confined to the southcentral and southwestern portions of the continent. They are commonly 12 to 15 inches long, brownish or even pink in color, with degenerated eyes that have all but lost their function. Ants and their pupae, as well as termites, make up the bulk of the diet of these snakes.

 
 

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Recommended Snake Books at Amazon.com


       

 

 

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