World Of Reptiles

FUN SCIENCE FACT: did you know that one legit way (like there are actually published papers that reference this method) to sex a snapping turtle is to dance it back and forth like so? For reasons unknown it inspires the males of the species to let everything hang out, as it were. And, as a bonus, it amuses us scientists, which is nice when you are dealing with angry, aggressive animals with sharp claws, dangerous mouths that have a ridiculous amount of reach, and that REEK and are covered in leeches.

Fieldwork is awesome. Herpetology is awesome.

Pardon the iphone shots.

So this girl came in, advertised as a healthy 2yr-LTC female janseni. She arrived completely filthy with mites and immediately do not pass go do not collect two hundred dollars went out back for me to soap and hose bathe her off.

I think she might also have a yeast infection, but unsure if it’s that or just irritated crusty skin from the infestation.

In any case, I’m hoping to clean her up as well as possible, and eventually put her with Fenris.