The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Notice of Inquiry (NOI) regarding Boa, Python, and Eunectes constrictors generated more than 1,300 responses from reptile retailers, importers, online businesses, herp societies, hobbyists, and organizations, who voiced their opinions and findings. USFWS announced the NOI in the Jan. 31 issue of the Federal Register to better understand the […]

Professor Leo von Hemmen, a biophysicist at the TU Muenchen, and Professor Bruce Young, a biologist at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, have worked with snakes for many years, researching the sense of hearing in these reptiles. But a whole new field of discovery opened up unexpectedly when they started discussing how venomous snakes overcome

Fluffy, an 18-year-old reticulated python (Python reticulatus) measuring 24 feet long and weighing 300 pounds, has passed away at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Powell, Ohio. Preliminary findings from the zoo indicate a mass was found on her ovary, believed to be a tumor. Fluffy held the Guinness World Record for the longest snake.

Rattlesnake roundups are steeped in tradition yet remain controversial. These events provide tourist dollars to host towns but negatively impact local rattlesnake populations. Environmental groups, including the Center for Biological Diversity, Coastal Plains Institute and Land Conservancy, and One More Generation, have sent a letter to Georgia wildlife officials urging enforcement of existing laws designed

According to a news release from Hong Kong Baptist University, a six-month study found that a protein from the sharp-nosed viper’s venom reduced the size of colorectal tumors in mice by 28 percent within one month. Initial tests on the protein, taken from the sharp-nosed viper venom, confirmed it can shrink colorectal tumors in mice

A study of an indigenous Agta Negrito tribe in the Philippines explores their encounters with reticulated pythons (Python reticulatus) and suggests genetics play a key role in the fear of snakes. The research, titled “Hunter–gatherers and other primates as prey, predators, and competitors of snakes,” was co-authored by anthropologist Thomas N. Headland, who has lived

The Evans County Wildlife Club in Claxton, Georgia, has announced it will no longer hold rattlesnake roundups. Instead, the club will host the Claxton Rattlesnake and Wildlife Festival, an event that celebrates rattlesnakes through educational displays and family activities rather than collecting and butchering them. This decision was praised by organizations including The Center for

My first experience with a rattlesnake roundup was in Sweetwater, Texas. The Sweetwater roundup is generally considered the world’s largest, and I went to see what a rattlesnake roundup was like. To argue against them, I needed to know them inside and out. The first thing that hit me was the smell resulting from hundreds

The U.S. House Judiciary Committee has passed H.R. 511, a bill that would add more constricting snake species to the restricted trade list in the United States. Authored by Florida Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Tequesta, the legislation calls for restricting the trade of the Boa constrictor (Boa constrictor imperator) and all subspecies, the reticulated python (Python

Justin Bieber’s pet boa constrictor, Johnson, has found a new home at The Rad Zoo in Owatonna, Minnesota, according to TMZ. The snake was auctioned to support Pencils of Promise, a nonprofit focused on global children’s education. Bieber, a longtime supporter of the organization, helped launch the “Schools 4 All” campaign in 2011 and showcased