Daily Reptile News

Monster gator becomes dinner

That monster gator caught in the Flint River near Bainbridge last week produced more than 300-pounds of gator meat.

Gary Braswell, the man who caught and killed this 12 and a half foot, 560-pound gator, skinned the reptile and ground it up.

He now has plenty of lean meat, which he says tastes like chicken with a hint of fish, that’s worth up to 10-dollars a pound.

But Braswell says he never got around to checking the contents of the gator’s stomach.

“No, we never went that far. We were kinda pushing for time,” says a disappointed Braswell. “We have in the past done it before and you’d be surprised at what you find. All kinds of things. Rocks, turtle shells, remains of fish, that kind of stuff.”

Braswell says it took about 3 hours to process the alligator.

He’s still trying to figure out the exact age of the gator, but believes it is well over 20 years old after doing a little Internet research.

Man Taken To Hospital After Snake Bite

DELAND, Fla. — A 48-year-old man was taken to the hospital after a snake bit him on Monday.Officials said the man could have been bitten by a coral snake.The Volusia County man was taken to by ambulance to Florida Hospital.The bite occurred near DeLand, officials said. The man is reported to be in stable condition.

New gecko species found in Phu Quoc

VietNamNet Bridge – Scientists have discovered a new species of gecko in the Phu Quoc National Park, last week’s issue of Zootaxa, an international animal taxonomy journal, has reported.

It was found in a forest near the Tranh stream on the island and is believed to be endemic to the park.

The new species has been named Cyrtodactylus phuquocensis sp. nov. Ngô, Grismer & Grismer after the three scientists – Vietnamese zoologist Ngo Van Tri, “Reptile King” L. Lee Grismer, a world-renowned US herpetologist, and his son Jesse – who found it.

Geckos are small to average-sized lizards found in warm climates throughout the world and are unique among lizards for their chirping sounds during social interaction with other geckos.

Raveena poses for PETA to shun animal skins

Bollywood Raveena Tandon is trying to create awareness about the sufferings of snakes and other animals whose skins are used to make accessories, by posing for an for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).In the ad, the 35-year-old is wearing a slinky outfit that resembles snakeskin while lying in a pool of blood, with the words – Wearing Exotic Skins Kills. Leave Wildlife Out of Your Wardrobe – written below it.”Wearing shoes, clothes and other accessories made out of exotic skin is about as cold-blooded as it gets,” said Raveena in a statement released here Monday.”These days, there’s a wild kingdom of fake snake, mock crocodiles and python leather that pay tribute to the beauty of these animals without making them fashion victims.”The National Award winning actress wants consumers to know about the suffering that snakes, alligators and other animals endure before their skins are made into shoes, bags and other products.”Snakes are commonly nailed to trees or posts and skinned alive. After animals’ mutilated bodies are discarded, it can take hours for them to die. Alligators on factory farms are crammed into small spaces and then beaten to death with hammers or axes,” said Raveena.She has now joined the bandwagon of celebrities like John Abraham, Pamela Anderson, Sir Paul McCartney and Jackie Chan who have taken part in campaigns for PETA to save animals.

Workers find huge rattlesnake near water treatment plant

CAMERON PARK — Running across a rattler in California, let alone the foothills, is not uncommon. However, coming upon a nearly 8-foot-long rattlesnake is highly unusual.

El Dorado Irrigation employee Jim Sadler stumbled upon the large reptile at a waste water treatment plant south of Highway 50 in Cameron Park recently.

Spokeswoman for EID Deanne Kloepfer said all types of wildlife are found on the compound.

“We have deer, raccoons and all sort of creatures in the area,” she said. “There are lots of snakes out there, but I think this is definitely the largest.”

Joe Johnson, senior environmental specialist with the Department of Fish and Game, said rattlesnakes are prevalent in California and are usually about 2- to 3-feet long.

“I’ve heard of snakes getting that big, but not in California and I have never seen one that large,” Johnson said.

What does one do with an 8-foot rattler?

“We returned it to the wild,” Kloepfer said. “Not near homes of course. The area is surrounded by wildland and is in the middle of an unpopulated area.”

The EID plant is located in a rural area off Cambridge Road, about 10 to 15 miles south of Highway 50 and is not near many homes.

That fact didn’t necessarily calm the nerves of some residents.

“Are you kidding me,” said Cameron Park resident Mary Burkheis, when told about the behemoth reptile. “A snake that size could eat a child.”

The dos and don’ts in snake country:

First, know that rattlesnakes are not confined to rural areas. They have been found near urban areas, in river or lakeside parks, and at golf courses. Be aware that startled rattlesnakes may not rattle before striking defensively. There are several safety measures that can be taken to reduce the likelihood of startling a rattlesnake.

• Never go barefoot or wear sandals when walking through wild areas. Wear hiking boots.

• When hiking, stick to well-used trails and wear over-the-ankle boots and loose-fitting long pants. Avoid tall grass, weeds and heavy underbrush where snakes may hide during the day.

• Do not step or put your hands where you cannot see, and avoid wandering around in the dark. Step on logs and rocks, never over them, and be especially careful when climbing rocks or gathering firewood. Check out stumps or logs before sitting down, and shake out sleeping bags before use.

• Never grab “sticks” or “branches” while swimming in lakes and rivers. Rattlesnakes can swim.

• Be careful when stepping over the doorstep as well. Snakes like to crawl along the edge of buildings where they are protected on one side.

• Never hike alone. Always have someone with you who can assist in an emergency.

• Do not handle a freshly killed snake as it can still inject venom.

• Teach children early to respect snakes and to leave them alone. Children are naturally curious and will pick up snakes.

Three-metre crocodile rams fishing boat full of women in Northern Territory

A GROUP of women were shaken but unharmed when a three-metre crocodile attacked their boat, the ABC reported today.

The women were competing in a fishing competition in the Northern Territory on the weekend when the crocodile launched itself out of the water and hit the boat.

One of the women, Toni Flouse, said the crocodile hit the boat hard enough to leave “battle scars” on the vessel.

“He looked like he was aiming for (one of the women on the boat), that’s for sure,” Ms Flouse told the ABC.

No one on the boat was harmed but the women were shaken, Ms Flouse said, worried the reptile could have knocked them into the water.

“It got a bit crazy to be honest – a little bit of swearing and panic,” Ms Flouse said.

“We were beside ourselves, honestly. It was quite scary.”

Captured! Alligator found in Dedham, Mass.

A four-foot alligator spotted and photographed along the Charles River in Dedham, Massachusetts this week has been caught.

Oh, the rambunctiousness of youth — our thoughts as we watched a small alligator buck and wriggle as it was extracted from its temporary home — a small plastic container at Rain forest Reptile Shows in Beverly, Mass.


This roughly two-year-old youngster was pulled from the the cold strange, decidedly nontropical waters of the Charles River by herpetologist Michael  Ralbovsky — who showed her off along with Mass Environmental Police officer Matt Nardi.

Someone unknown dumped the roughly four-foot gator in the Charles near the Dedham-Needham line where the river narrows considerably.

That’s where Topher Cox spotted it Thursday as he was serenely paddling around in  the canoe he’d just bought from Craig’s List.

Topher: “I was pretty surprised. I think the alligator was pretty surprised to see me and I was pretty surprised to see her.”

Cox called 911 which drew local and Environmental Police — who contacted Ralbovsky, curator of Rain forest Reptile Show.

And he said, “Keep it in sight. Don’t let it out of your sight and when I get there I’ll try to capture it.”

Try he did — and failed once — then tried again early Friday morning, pulling it with is bare hands up into a canoe.

But who on earth put it there — a creature possession of which is illegal in most New England states?

Michael: “We get animals pulled out of all kinds of places. drug deals or a domestic dispute or, you know, being turned loose in the Charles River.

Ralbovsky and his colleagues  were calling him Charlie, until determining he is a girl….so now, she’s Charlene.

Michael: “Please, do not release these animals into the wild. Number one, it’s a death sentence for the animal. It’s going to die within a few weeks because of the cold.”

Number two. it’s dangerous, though Ralbovsky says Charlene, being skittish aloof and solitary, probably would have quietly lived and quietly died in the waters of the Charles.

Now she’ll go to a wildlife park in Florida or Texas…after a special one or two year stint with Rain forest Reptiles, educating folks about reptiles like her.

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