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7th of July 2026: Travancore Rock Gecko

Today’s critter post is a bit shorter after yesterday’s mini-essay, mostly because the Travancore Rock Gecko (Hemidactylus paaragowli) was only described formally in 2018 [1].

They’re large in size, with a body length of up to 12 cm and a tail of up to 15 cm. They were found in low- and mid-elevation hills in Kerala in southern India, congregating on a boulders. This is also where they get their name from, as in both Malayalam and Tamil, paara means rock and gowli means gecko [2].

They’re mainly nocturnal and have been observed to feed on crickets and other insects in the evenings alongside a stream. While they’re common in the area where they were found [2], they are still categorised as Data Deficient by the IUCN, as it could very well be the case that they are micro-endemic, so only inhabit this one specific region [3].

Since their description, they have only really been mentioned in the scientific literature as a comparison to other newly discovered Hemidactylus species [4][5][6], although one of those papers did also call out the authors who discovered the Travancore Rock Gecko for accidentally calling their new species Hemidactylus paaragowlipaaragowli in the abstract of the paper [6].

Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [Image]

#gecko #gecko species #reptile #reptilia #herpblr #herpetology #herps #critter of the day #animal facts #animal #zoology #animal species

FUCK USA INDEPENDENCE DAY

today is the birthday of

TOASTER STRUDEL THE BLUE TONGUED SKINK

Toaster Strudel is an Alveus Ambassador. Toaster Strudel was part of an educational program at a zoo and was rehomed to Alveus. They are an

#alveus sanctuary #blue tongue skink #blue tongued skink #lizards #herpblr

I need this pool snake from Sam’s. It looks like Poptart

#animal tag #poptart #herp #herpblr

28th of June 2026: Diplolaemus vulcanus

Today I am coming at you with a hot new critter published about only one and a half years ago in December of 2024: Diplolaemus vulcanus.

They’re a lizard from Argentina, specifically the Patagonia region in the southern segments of Payenia volcanic province at heights of above 1700 m. You may already guess that this is where their name comes from, as the vulcanus is a reference to the volcanic lava fields where all individuals of this species have been collected.

They were actually identified as a species in a paper demonstrating a new workflow for identifying species. The Diplolaemus genus in particular was chosen because there had recently been discoveries of hidden genetic diversity, with ten distinct lineages (though not all evolutionarily independent) for a genus with four species. D. vulcanus are on the larger end of Diplolaemus species, being just over 10 cm long on average, when including the tail.

Source: [Info and Image]

#lizard #lizard species #herp #herpetology #herpblr #lizardblr #reptiblr #critter of the day #animal facts #animal #zoology #animal species

27th of June 2026: Zaire’s Snake-eater

Not too much info on today’s snake, as they are “rarely encountered” [1], so let’s sum it up quickly: Zaire’s Snake-eater (Polemon robustus), a venomous snake whose scientific name derives from being “strong like an oak” [2].

They are a burrowing snake found in moist tropical forest in Central Africa. They’ve been observed in the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and with such a large range they have been classified under Least Concern by the IUCN [2].

The largest Zaire’s Snake-eater ever measured was almost 73 cm long, and in general they appear to be 45-55 cm (all measurements including tail length). They can be recognised by their black head with a narrow, distinct, usually cream yellow, collar, combined with a cream white or greyish white stomach and a black or brownish black back [3].

Sources: [1] [2] [3] [Image]

#snake #snake saturday #herpetology #herps #herpblr #snakeblr #reptiblr #critter of the day #animal facts #animal #zoology #animal species

26th of June 2026: Durant’s Rocket Frog

For Frog Friday today we have Durant’s Rocket Frog (Aromobates duranti) [1], also known as the La Culata Rocket Frog [2]. The former name refers to Pedro Durant, who the frog was named in honour of [3], while the latter refers to the location where they are found, which is in the Venezuelan Andes [1].

They are 2-3 cm long, with females averaging a bit larger than males [3]. Females also tend to have a bulkier belly and a pale throat [4]. Both sexes can be differentiated from other species of frog by their unique colouration, sporting pale and light blue spots along their side and stomach, with their stomach being a pale pink colour [3].

While they were discovered in 1979 and published about in 1985 [3], they then went missing at the end of the 80s and despite several search attempts between 1992 and 2015, could not be located again. It wasn’t until 2019 that they were rediscovered, though their population likely remains very low [2]. While their current struggles are likely due to the classic case of livestock, horticulture, and tourism related habitat destruction, as well as toxic agrochemical pollution, their earlier disappearance is a bit unclear. It is suspected that the extensive droughts caused in the late 1980s by El Niño may have been responsible [4].

They are now classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN [2], and there have been captive breeding programs started to maintain a small population. Little is actually known about their natural history. They prefer sheltering in humid and shadowy places near bodies of water. While their exact diet hasn’t been determined, they do eat a wide variety of flies, beetles, and larvae when in captivity [4].

Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [Image]

#frog #frog friday #frog species #herpetology #herpblr #frogblr #endangered species #endangered animals #critically endangered #critter of the day #animal facts #animal #zoology #animal species #frog facts

There's a new program that you can use to design vivariums/terrariums and see how they'll look before you actually go and start buying or building! It's called Critter CAD!