Please, let me introduce myself.  My name is Don Juan. I am a lizard and I am looking for love.

Oh what a fine day for romance.  The birds are singing.

The air is sweet.

The scenery is breathtaking.

SHE is breathtaking. Oh my, just look at how her scales glitter.

Her eyes shine like tiny amber stars in her sleek arrow shaped head.  Her stripes, did you see her stripes?

That yellow!

Oh, she has the brains to go with those gorgeous stripes.  She has impeccable taste.

Just look at that delectable brilliant emerald green cadydid leg she is crunching on.  What strong, fast legs she must have to catch such prey.

I must go talk to her.  I must tell her how I feel.  What a beautiful creature she is.

“Oh creature of my heart; jewel of my eye.”

“I am known as the great Don Juan.”

“Just look at my strong claws; my brilliant blue flash of scales down my side.”

Hey!  Where are you going?

Come back!

I did not mean to frighten you little lady.

No, no I do not mean to eat you!

Please, just give me a minute of your precious time.  I heard you were interested in laying some eggs over there underneath the pineapple plant.  I wish for you to consider me to assist you with that.

I am known to be the largest and strongest lizard in these parts.  I am able to catch the tastiest and largest of all the insects under the banana tree.  My legs are strong and fast.  My tail quick and flexible for balance.

Just look at my blue scales, they are as beautiful as the noon sky.

Have you seen any lizard more handsome than I?

Just take a moment to consider.

Let me know your decision.  I assure you there is no other lizard better suited for your needs.

They are also known as the Black Ctenosaur (pronounced Teen -oh- soar).  Ticos call them, Iguana Negra or black iguana.

The black iguana is much like his better known cousin, the green iguana, in many ways.  They both love to hang out in trees to catch the rays.  Or on a roof as with this iguana.

Both iguanas have spikes on their backs and can use their tails as whips if you get too close. They lay eggs in the ground and can live in many different habitats.  During the dry months, both iguanas eat lots of flowers and fruit.  During the wet season, both types of iguanas eat leaves, but Ctenosaurs also eat meat.  That’s right, green iguanas are strictly vegetarian.  Black iguanas are omnivores eating crabs, eggs, bugs, rodents, bats, and even other lizards with their salad!

What is this guy up to?

There seems to be no leaves on this tree, only flowers.  That must mean it is the dry season.

Oh look, he is climbing up that thin branch!

Maybe he is going to go and smell the flowers.  They look so pretty together.

I thought I counted more flowers.  Where did they go?

Hey!  You naughty iguana you ate all of the flowers!

Well, that was yummy.

Find out more about Costa Rican black iguanas here:

http://www.anywherecostarica.com/flora-fauna/reptile/black-ctenosaur

They would hang from the ceiling, crawl along the ground, skitter under my feet, sneak under the table tops, stick to the light fixture, plaster themselves to the mirror, and chirp happily while clinging to the mosquito netting above my bed.  They also joyfully consumed thousands of little insects that were out for blood, my blood.

This little Yellow-headed Gecko (Gonatodes albogularis) greeted me in the morning at the top of the stairs.  Most of the geckos in Costa Rica are nocturnal, but these guys enjoy sunshine. Only males have the nice yellow head.

Don’t you just love his blue lips?

There were many lizards that peered at me from the walls.  The most common were these little guys.

I had trouble spotting these lizards until they moved.

Really nice camoflague there buddy.

This beautiful rusty red creature is an anole.  There are over 400 different species of anoles.

Perhaps someone out there will tell me which one this is?

He lived in my cabin.  The entire building was his domain.  I would wake up in the morning with him sitting on the open windowsill, catching the morning sun.  Sometimes he would sit at the very edge of the handrail waiting for me to return from my shower.

Mr. Red had no interest in me, however.  He was looking for love.

Hey!  Is that a girl anole over there?

I better get her attention!

That brilliant red gem of a flag fanning from his throat is called a dewlap.  Mr. Red’s dewlap is quite impressive.  I have no doubt that the scaly girl he was trying to woo noticed this handsome display.

Different anoles, different dewlaps.

This anole reminded me of agate I used to polish in my rock tumbler.  My favorites were always the small bursts of color encased in a glass clear drop of transparent rock.

Everywhere I looked there was a lizard resting in the sun, sitting in the shade, munching on a bug, or trying to attract love.  I would sit for hours just watching them go about their lizardy business.

At night they seemed to disappear, replaced with nocturnal geckos chirping from hidden places among the palm fronds.  Following the sound, I would not find the gecko, but the anoles fast asleep.  The gecko would chuckle his chirps at me from his new hiding place.

It is time for me to find my own frond to snuggle up on for the night.

sueños dulces

They may be the smallest of the animals you may see in the tropical rain forest, but the variety and beauty of invertebrates is staggering.

When I say insect, do you think of ugly creeping monsters attempting to crawl into your clothes?  Do you say, “Gross!”  The first insect I captured on film was this creature.

Before this gorgeous creature gained his spots, what did he look like?

That’s right, a caterpillar!

Not all butterflies have brilliant scales.  What was that?  You thought only reptiles and fish had scales?  The “skin” on a butterfly wing is made up of what entomologists call, scales too.  This one took the camouflage route. (Although I think he is going to have a hard time blending in with that flower.

Butterflies are not the only creature that loves the sweet nectar of flowers.  Check out the bee flying in for a landing on this lovely flower.

The tropical rain forest is crawling with interesting invertebrates.  I began to see them wherever I looked.

On a leaf.

On the water.

On my camera bag.  (That tiny white fuzzball on the right the picture had six legs!)

In the sink.

This scorpion, an arachnid not an insect, was only the size of a quarter. The grey ring to the right is the drain to the sink.

In my hand.

Across my path.

Leaf cutter ants are busy at work.  They use the leaves to grow an edible fungus that the ants eat.  Farmer ants, how cool!

These tasty tiny termites build huge nests in trees.  If you are ever stuck in the jungle without a sandwich, pop a few thousand of these in your mouth for a healthy snack.

Speaking of eating bugs, anyone hungry for a giant roach the size of your hand?

This beautiful tree gem scared the daylights out of me.  I nearly walked straight into her neon yellow sticky web.

A Golden Orb Weaver Spider with a tiny red male spider above her.

I wonder what these guys are talking about.

A beauitful bunch of ripe banana!
(daylight come and me wanna go home)
hide the deadly black tarantula!

Well, Mr. Belafonte I certainly did not want to go home yet.  Especially after finding THIS fantastic black tarantula.  She was nearly as large as my hand!

Stay tuned here for my further adventures in Costa Rica in the weeks to come!

Pura Vida

~RattlerJen

On October 19, 2010 I flew to Reno to meet up with my brother from Hawaii and my Dad who lives in Reno in the summer and Arizona in the winter. Our mission: drive from Reno, NV to Surprise, AZ via Colorado and visit as many National Parks as we could along the way.

We started our epic journey by packing up Dad’s 2000 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. We had a lot of stuff, including two boxes of home-grown tomatoes plus three grown adults to take, but my experience loading vehicles for live animal shows has taught me a thing or two about how to pack!

Will and Dad and a Packed Monte Carlo

We headed out of Reno on I-80 east, along the Truckee River.

The Truckee River

We were following much of the Truckee River Route of the California Emigrant Trail. We stopped at a rest area that marked the Forty-Mile Desert.  This part of the trail was described as the most dreaded section of the entire route to California.  We decided to have lunch.  Too bad those emigrants in the mid 1850′s could not have gotten in a time machine to join us.

Lunch in the Forty-Mile Desert

We continued heading east until we reached Wendover NV.  We spent the night there and in the morning, we toured the historic Wendover Air Base. “Wendover Air Base operated primarily as a training site for the crews of B17, B24 and B29 aircraft, including the Enola Gay and Boxscar, the crews of which were responsible for the first deployment of nuclear weapons over Japan in 1945.” – (Tooele Co Website)

Wendover Air Base

The Great Salt Lake loomed ahead – and we stopped at one of its shores to explore and have lunch.

Great Salt Lake

CobraCaroline examines the Great Salt Lake

CobraCaroline wonders what will happen to her hand

The Great Salt Lake is too salty for most plants and animals to survive, however, there is one famous resident of the salty lake: Sea Monkeys! Sea Monkeys are actually shrimp that are able to exist in salty inland lakes around the world.

No reptiles live in the Great Salt Lake, however, many species of snakes and lizards live in the surrounding desert. Sadly, I found a juvenile gopher snake in the parking lot of the lake’s marina, but it had been squashed by a car.

Smooshed Gopher Snake

Next Posting…Arches National Park

Arches National Park

Curator and Wildlife Educator

Reptiles Alive Name: RattlerJen

Hissstory: RattlerJen spent her early years leading her terrified mother  around the reptile house at the Rio Grande Zoo in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  Her mother kept her eyes covered the entire time.  Jen also spent many hours after school exploring the desert around her home for snakes and lizards.  She was very careful not to bring any home, however.

RA Diet: It is well known that RattlerJen will eat nearly anything.  Except canned peas, those are just gross.

Natural Diet: Jen is a bit of a foodie. Her favorite foods are flavorful cuisines from around the world.  Sushi, curry, linguine, pho, steaks, ribs, gyros, and especially green chile cheeseburgers. Her favorite foods are cooked by her awesome husband, who cures and smokes his own sausages and bacon from local free-range, humanely raised, organic, heritage animals and includes herbs from her very own garden.

Range: RattlerJen has been away from New Mexico for over a decade now, but she still considers it her native home.   She is completely enamored with the DC area as it has everything.  (Although she believes you can have your traffic DC)

Habitat: You might encounter RattlerJen performing a show at a school or special event.  She can also be commonly seen driving the reptiles to shows.  When not in public view, RattlerJen spends time working on the Reptiles Alive website, the Reptile Ranger Certificates, and assists with managing the office and the animal collection.

Size: Fluctuating.  (See natural diet for further details)

Lifespan: Depending on bacon intake, she could live for 80 years or more.

Reproduction: Early on in their dating relationship, RattlerJen’s husband lost track of her while on a hike in the desert. He found her standing on the side of the trail with a live rattlesnake’s tail in one hand with the rest of it happily looped over a branch held in her other hand.  She was talking to it as if it were an adorable puppy while moving it to a safe place off the trail.  From that point on, he realized he was not allowed to be afraid of anything.

Conservation: Before coming to Reptiles Alive!, RattlerJen had a huge amount of experience working with reptiles and other animals. She worked as keeper and educator at the American International Rattlesnake Museum, home to the largest collection of live rattlesnakes in the world.

In 2000, she transferred to Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay, Florida. While at Busch Gardens, she gained experience caring for a variety of animals including: crocodiles, giant snakes, giant tortoises, and Komodo dragons. In 2001 she moved to Northern Virginia and became the curator at the Reston Zoo.

Cool Facts: Most of RattlerJen’s free time is spent hiding in the woods from search and rescue dogs.  She is a member of a wilderness search and rescue group as a dog handler.  Jen is training her dog Grom to find lost people in the woods.

Did you know she also is training many of the animals at Reptiles Alive too?  Gary, the plated lizard, knows how to sit up and beg.  Splash, the water dragon, is learning to do her taxes.

A tale of a Reptiles Alive trip

That started from our headquarters

Aboard our reptile van – ship.

Sycamore Island in the Potomac River

The mate was a mighty nature photography man,

The skipper brave with snakes.

2 passengers + 8 live animals set sail that day

To perform a 1 hour reptile show, a 1 hour show.

Our Animals Aboard Ferry Boat to Sycamore Island

The weather started getting rough,

The pollen was really bad and wind knocked trees on the ground,

If not for the courage of the fearless RA crew

The show would not go on, the show would not go on.

Caroline on Sycamore Island

The ship set ground on the shore of this charted Potomac River isle

With Caroline

Jon Kerr too

The Ferry boatman, his name is Joe

The animal show stars

The black rat snake and the rest

Here on Sycamore Isle.

Ferry Boat Captain Joe

So this is the tale of the show we performed

It was on Saturday May 8

We had the best of times,

Even though loading was a truly uphill climb.

One LONG, TOUGH Load In for a Show

The first mate and the Skipper too

Did their very best,

To perform a fantastic live animal show

In the Potomac River island nest.

Inside the Sycamore Island Canoe Clubhouse

There were phones and lights, but no motor cars,

Lots of luxuries,

Not really like Robinson Crusoe,

Not exactly as primitive as can be.

Caroline with Pink the Corn Snake

So join us here each week my freinds,

You’re sure to get a smile,

From all the people and animals,

Here at Reptiles Alive!

]]> http://reptilesalive.com/news/2010/05/12/an-island-tale/feed/ 3 http://reptilesalive.com/news/2010/04/06/herpetological-spring-has-sprung/ http://reptilesalive.com/news/2010/04/06/herpetological-spring-has-sprung/#comments Tue, 06 Apr 2010 12:39:50 +0000 reptilesalive http://reptilesalive.com/news/?p=897 Last weekend we had some beautiful early April weather here in Northern Virginia.  After our brutal winter – we deserved it!  We headed out to Hemlock Overlook Regional Park to look for some signs of herpetological spring.  And we found it!

Our first find was one of the most common vertebrate creatures in the eastern United States:  the red-backed salamander.

Red Backed Salamanders

Red backed salamanders come in three different colors:  red backed, yellow backed and black or “lead” backed.

A "lead backed" red backed salamander

Red backed salamanders are different from many other amphibians.  They are members of the lungless group of salamanders – so they get all their oxygen absorbed into their blood stream through their slimy skin.  They also lay their eggs on land and the the larvae go through metamorphosis in the egg.  So, red backed salamanders never have to leave the land to lay eggs in the water the way most amphibians do.

Toads, on the other hand, must return to the water each year to mate and lay eggs.  At Hemlock, the woods were alive with the pleasant music of male toads singing to attract females.

American Toad

The male will “hug” the female (the science word for this toad hug is amplexus), and the female will lay hundreds of eggs encased in gelatinous goo into the water.

American Toads

In a few weeks, the temporary pools in our area will be filled with millions of black tadpoles that will quickly grow tiny legs and metamorphose into tiny toadlets.  To attract insect and slug eating toads into your garden, consider adding a toad home

We did not find any snakes on our trip at Hemlock, but the next day, one of Caroline’s neighbors called her to come and get a visitor out of her bathroom.

Baby Black Rat Snake removed from a bathroom!

Yep, I would definitely say that herpetological spring has sprung!

Last Friday night a few of the team members from Reptiles Alive had the special opportunity to visit a wetland area that is usually off-limits to the public. Off limits because it is behind a shooting range! We were invited by master naturalist Greg Zell along with a handful of other professional herpetologists and naturalists.

We met up at dark in the cool rain. Perfect weather. Well, maybe not perfect for humans, but definitely perfect for amphibians! On the road into the park, we discovered our first amphibians of the night – American toads!

American Toad

After putting on our rain gear, we crossed the shooting range walking over millions of broken clay targets until we reached the wetlands.  Immediately someone yelled “Spotted!”  Then more shouts were heard, and we realized, we were in the middle of hundreds, possibly thousands of spotted salamanders!  It was AWESOME!  They were everywhere!  Large female salamanders were being surrounded by 5 to 10 males at a time.  Salamanders were almost everywhere you pointed your flashlight, crawling through the mud or swimming like fish in the cold, clear water.  After an hour or so, spermatophores from the males began to fill the water as the ancient amphibian breeding rituals took place. It was the most amazing salamander sight I have ever witnessed.

Salamander Rhapsody in the Rain

Spotted Salamander

We spent a few hours observing them, photographing them and discussing them before we all decided it was time to come in out of the rain and dry off.  A few of us headed to Dogfish Head to warm up and have a late night dinner, but that, is another story…

]]> http://reptilesalive.com/news/2010/03/16/amphibian-action/feed/ 0 http://reptilesalive.com/news/2010/03/02/snap-ssssslurp-gulp-splasssshhhh/ http://reptilesalive.com/news/2010/03/02/snap-ssssslurp-gulp-splasssshhhh/#comments Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:32:59 +0000 RattlerJen http://reptilesalive.com/news/?p=850 Behind the scenes on a typical Monday at Reptiles Alive.

Today is feeding day for the snakes.  What, they only get fed on Mondays?!

the menu

That’s right.  Put your hand on your neck.  Does it feel warm?  Oh good, that means you are still alive.  Humans are endothermic that means that we have a heater inside our body to keep us a nice warm 98.6 degrees F.  What powers that heater is the food you must eat every day.

Reptiles are ectothermic or exothermic meaning “outside temperature.”  They are the same temperature inside their body as the temperature outside their body.  That means they don’t burn much food to make heat energy.  That is why we must eat much more than reptiles do.

Some of the snakes don’t even eat every week!  One snake, the Kenya Sand Boa, often goes nine months in the wild without eating!

Lot’s of people ask us what we feed our carnivores.

fresh ratcicles

Since snakes aren’t to excited about the culinary delights of dog food or hot dogs, we have to resort to a more wholesome approach to their diet; ratcicles!  These are humanely killed rats from a zoo food supply company are shipped frozen.  We defrost them in warm water and its lunch time!

The baby alligator sure looks excited about his lunch.

Check out the video of the alligator and snapping turtle eating on the Reptiles Alive Facebook Page and become our fan!