Heterogeneity

Zoology grad Reptiles are rad

[sundarsunya]

Bastimentos Strawberry Poison Dart Frog (Oophaga pumilio). Just one of the many beautiful localities of this small anuran.

Photo: Pavel Kirillov

[sundarsunya]

Increased ossification visible in the skull of Anotheca spinosa, more commonly known as the Coronated or Crowned Tree Frog.

Source: AmphibiaWeb

[sundarsunya]

Crotalus ehecatl, until recently described as C. simus. The species is named after the Aztec god of the wind.

Photo: Halla Mayoral

[sundarsunya]

Northern Eyelash Boa (Trachyboa boulengeri)

A diminutive snake found in Colombia, Ecuador, and Panama.

Photo: Melissa Costales

[feralrosie]

Regarding the Amazon Rainforest

I barely have followers here, but here we go:

The Amazon Rainforest has been burning for the last 16 days straight. The Brazilian government says the wildfire is caused by the winter itself, since it doesn't rain a lot there... in a rainforest. It is actually, partially true. Winter is indeed a dry season and wildfires may happen, specially close to the Cerrado (a brazilian biome similar to the african Savanna), but what they're not telling us is that:

The deforestation has increased 80% since last year

The native peoples and animals are being slaughtered for their lands (legally protected green areas)

The government is hiding and lying about scientific data, saying that environmentalists and NGOs are communists trying to destroy the nation. They are brainwashing people to think that sustainability is terrible for the economy

Our Minister of Environment is couldn't care less about the environment and is only there to support the livestock producers and give them what they want. The President and his Minister won't put a single dollar on environmental safety

The wildfires are just so huge that its black smoke and ashes reached the skies of São Paulo, a state over 2.000 kilometers away from the Amazon.

We are hostages or our own government

I could just keep going all night about how our environment is being threatened by this new government. We need every single help we can possibly can.

Please don't let this go unseen. Search for yourself, talk to people about it, make noise, be angry and be scared. Let the world know about it and demand action. This is not about Brazil, is about the planet. The Amazon Rainforest is one of the most important biomes in the world, being responsible for the climate, rains, biodiversity, carbon sequestration and life itself.

[exotic-venom]

Malcolm’s pitviper (Trimeresurus sumatranus malcomi)

East Malaysia at 1,000-1,600 m elevation (3,280-5,250 feet).

[sundarsunya]

Crested geckos (Correlophus ciliatus) inhabit forests of New Caledonia. They are listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List due to decline in quality and extent of their natural habitat. 

Photos: unknown, reptilefact

[sonic-gems-collection]

I know that this is an article on the normal behaviour of goliath frogs, but i like to interpret the headline as if its reporting on a single event where the single biggest frog in the world just got up and built a pond

[bufobufobufo]

Event Unlocked: Pond Construction

[ecuadorlife]

Rainfrog, Pristimantis sp. by Andreas Kay Via Flickr: from Ecuador: www.youtube.com/AndreasKay

[sundarsunya]

Sun Beetles (Pachnoda marginata peregrina) are insects found in tropical Africa. Adults will eat fruit and blossoms, while larvae consume decomposing leaf litter and rotten fruit. 

Photos: Josh More, Zooniverse

[sundarsunya]

Blue Tongue Skink (Tiliqua scincoides). These lizards are native to Australia. Despite their stout appearance they can be swift and agile when chasing live prey. 

Photos: unknown, normf

[sundarsunya]

The Savannah Monitor (Varanus exanthematicus) or Bosc Monitor is a large Varanid lizard native to sub-saharan Africa. They are primarily insectivores, although they will occasionally eat small mammals.

[sundarsunya]

San Luis Potosi Kingsnake (Lampropeltis mexicana mexicana). Females of this species tend to have darker colouration, while males often have brighter dorsal saddles.

[sundarsunya]

Corn snakes (Pantherophis guttatus) originate from North America, but can be found all over the world in the pet trade. Their docile temperament and tendency to feed well on commercially available rodents make them an excellent starter snake for those who are new to the hobby.

Photos: Tom Spinker, ArpeggioAngel

[lovingexotics]

Desert Rain Frog Breviceps macrops Source: Here

[sundarsunya]

African Spurred Tortoise (Centrochelys sulcata). They are the largest mainland species of tortoise, and the third largest species in the world after Galapagos and Aldabra tortoises. 

Photos: M. Ramgrab, Reptile Database

[sundarsunya]

The Mexican Blind Cavefish (Astyanax mexicanus) may look totally different to the Mexican Tetra (bottom left), but is in fact the same species. Adaptations to life in pitch dark caves such as heightened sense of smell, as well as use of the lateral line organ, have made vision and pigmentation unimportant. 

The two different morphs made this species an excellent candidate for research into circadian rhythms and metabolic processes, which you can read about here.

Photos: Josh More, Damian Moran