This relatively common resident of Missouri marshes, river sloughs and reservoirs is best known for its atypical-looking shell: Unlike most turtles, this creature’s top shell is smooth, relatively flat and has a leathery feel. This turtle also is one of Missouri’s lesser-known game animals. Softshell turtles can be taken by a variety of methods (check Missouri Wildlife Code for details) from July 1 through Dec. 31. The daily limit is five. Leer más.
Nearly 250 species have been added to the threatened categories—i.e. Vulnerable, Endangered, and Critically Endangered—in this year’s update of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List. The 247 additions—including sixty bird species—pushes the number of threatened species globally perilously close to 20,000. Leer más.
The silver light of a waxing moon, ancient and deliberate, highlights the elevated black and white spotted contours and ridges of the leatherback turtle’s giant, prehistoric carapace, as the ancient beast makes its nest on the Costa Rican shore off of the island of Pacuare. Leer más.
Laws and regulations intended to protect reptiles and amphibians and their habitat are often met with resistance, enforcement problems, and scientific dispute. On Sept. 28-30, 2012, a group of veterinarians, herpetologists, zookeepers, breeders, regulators, keepers, and conservationists will meet in Houston, Tex., to discuss these issues at the First Annual National Symposium and Workshop on Reptiles and Amphibians and the Law. Leer más.
