Exotics News
EXOTICS NEWS The latest from the world of exotic animals
snakes use to live and hibernate. Steve Reichling, Memphis Zoo’s Director of Conservation and Research, said: “We provide the snakes in our snake factories, which are funded by the U.S. Forest Service, into habitat that the Fish and Wildlife Service and Forest Service have developed. It’s just a perfect marriage, really.”
A shingleback skink (T. rugosa rugosa) from Victo Today’s relative of Tiliqua frangens
Australian researchers discover extinct giant shingleback skink
An extinct species of shingleback skink has been discovered by researchers at Flinders University in Australia.
©Memphis Zoo
Louisiana pine snakes released in Memphis breeding programme
Five Louisiana pine snakes (Pituophis ruthveni) bred at Memphis Zoo in Tennessee have been successfully released into the wild as part of an ongoing conservation programme. Memphis zoos and the Texas cities of Fort Worth and Lufkin have collaborated to support the conservation of the species which has been classified as ‘threatened’ by the federal government. Every year, pine snakes are released into Kisatchie National Forest in central Louisiana, a precious resource for the conservation programme as the species cannot survive easily in other habitats. This year alone, more than 100 captivebred pine snakes will be released. The forest is the ideal habitat for the snakes, with a high tree canopy, plenty of grass, and sandy soil. The area is also popular with gophers, the prey of the pine snake, whose burrow system the
©Philippe J. R. Kok
New Stefania frog species described in in Brazil A new species of Stefania frog, found in the Wei-Assipu-tepui tabletop mountains in Brazil, has been described. The Stefania maccullochi sp. nov. is a larger species of the Stefania genus, with the female holotype measuring 72.9mm in length and the male measuring 54.6mm in length. Stefania carries their eggs and froglets on their back and the new species is a medium brown with dark markings. The nocturnal frog is classed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The species was described by Philippe Kok from the Department of Ecology and Vertebrate Zoology at the University of Łódź in Poland.
The Tiliqua frangens species, thought to have been covered with thick spiny armour, was directly related to modern shingleback skinks from Australia and were around the size of a human arm. They existed in Australia around two million years ago during the Pleistocene period and went extinct around 47,000 years ago. Dr Kailah Thorn, WA Museum Technical Officer for Terrestrial Vertebrates, described the extinct species: “Frangens was 1,000 times bigger than the Australian common garden skink and reveals that even small creatures were supersized during the Pleistocene.” The discovery could offer useful insight into the plight of the modern species. “Deciphering how Pleistocene animals adapted, migrated, or what eventually caused their extinctions might help us conserve today’s fauna, which faces pressures such as changing climate and habitat destruction,” said Dr Thorn.
Why are turtles always shopping?
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AUGUST 2023