Latest news with #wildlife
The Sun
2 hours ago
- Science
- The Sun
Mysterious record-breaking snake that vanished for DECADES finally found after creature spotted ‘hiding under a rock'
A RECORD-breaking snake lost to science for nearly two decades has finally resurfaced on the island of Barbados. The Barbados threadsnake - the smallest snake in the world - was rediscovered under a rock during an ecological survey in March. The tiny reptile can coil itself to the size of a coin, and had been on a global list of 4,800 lost plant, animal and fungi species compiled by biodiversity organisation Re:wild. The Barbados Ministry of the Environment and National Beautification had been searching for the threadsnake and several other native reptiles for more than a year. 'Barbados threadsnakes are blind snakes, so they're very cryptic,' said Connor Blades, a project officer with the Ministry of Environment in Barbados, who helped rediscover the threadsnake. 'They're quite rare also, it seems. There have only been a handful of confirmed sightings since 1889, so there are not many people who have ever seen it, unfortunately.' The small serpent is at the limit of how small a snake can be, measuring only about three to four inches long when it is fully grown. Experts have long known that the Barbados threadsnake was an elusive species - with each confirmed sighting having several decades between them. The threadsnake also closely resembles the Brahminy blind snake, also known as the or flowerpot snake - which makes identifying them difficult. Scientists often need a magnifying glass to tell them apart. The Barbados threadsnake reproduces sexually and females lay a clutch of only one egg, while the Brahminy blind snake can produce fertile eggs without mating - a phenomenon called parthenogenesis. 'I began to look over the snake and it was clear to me that I really needed to take it to a microscope to get a proper look at it,' added Blades. 'The morphological differences between the threadsnake and blind snake are really difficult to tell by eye, particularly because it was the first threadsnake we had seen, so we weren't familiar with the species yet.' Meet the army of snake hunters prowling Brit holiday island for 7ft serpents 'leaving tourists too scared to go in sea' Blades, alongside Justin Springer, Caribbean programme officer for Re:wild, were looking under rocks for any signs of tiny threadsnakes during the survey in March. One rock trapped under a tree root caught their eye. 'I was making a joke and in my head I said, 'I smell a threadsnake,'' said Springer. 'I just had a feeling, but I couldn't be sure because we turned over a lot of rocks before that and we saw nothing.' To their surprise, they found a tiny threadsnake. 'When you are so accustomed to looking for things and you don't see them, you are shocked when you actually find it,' added Springer. 'You can't believe it. That's how I felt. You don't want to get your hopes up too high.' The snake was then taken to the University of the West Indies and examined under a microscope to confirm its identity before being returned to its forest in central Barbados. It had all the characteristics of a threadsnake - pale orange dorsal lines running from its head to tail, eyes located on the side of its head, a rostral scale on its nose and no gland lines on its head. The CBER project is set to continue surveying the island to better understand the threadsnake's habitat range. This way it can design conservation actions to protect it. The most recently found threadsnake was found in the forest, which only cover a small area of Barbados. Some 98 per cent of the island's primary forest has been cut down for agriculture over the past 500 years. 'It's an important reservoir for biodiversity on the island,' said Blades referring to the forests where the threadsnake was found. 'If the threadsnake population isn't very dense, I'm worried about their ability to find mates—particularly if their habitat is under threat and being degraded.' 2
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Alligator named Mr. Pickles moves into Florida restaurant's pond and refuses to leave
An alligator lovingly nicknamed Mr. Pickles has made itself at home in a pond outside a Florida restaurant. Last August, the gator found its way into a retention pond outside Five Bucks Drinkery in Seminole - likely swept in through storm drains stirred up by a hurricane, Fox 13 News reported. Mr. Pickles chose to settle in, turning the pond only feet from customers into its permanent residence. 'He's a beautiful creature. We've watched him grow. He's not going to be here forever,' the restaurant's general manager, Brett Pope, told the outlet. 'The plan is to find him a private lake or take him back by the rescuers that are actively trying to relocate him. We've been working hand in hand, so this can happen,' he added. 'But while he's here, just respect him from a distance and appreciate the wildlife of Florida.' Last year's hurricane season swept in the baby alligator, which measured two and a half feet long at the time. Although the restaurant isn't located near a lake or stream, the theory is that the reptile made its way in through low-lying storm drains, navigating a path during a hurricane. 'I wasn't shocked that he was here,' Pope recalled. 'I am a little surprised that he's taken home here, though. I thought he would find his way out.' Since then, the gator has become a fan favorite among diners, who affectionately named it Mr. Pickles. But the once-small gator has now grown to nearly five feet long. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), any alligator over four feet is considered a nuisance or a potential threat to people, pets and property. 'We did contact and got the right documentation for some rescuers to come in to help save him,' Pope told WFLA News. Now, with safety concerns on the rise, Mr. Pickles may soon have to be relocated as it refuses to leave on its own. A licensed trapper has visited the pond multiple times in an effort to move the growing gator, but so far all attempts have been unsuccessful. 'He's definitely smarter than people think,' Pope told Fox 13, explaining that Mr. Pickles 'goes into the storm drain and hides there all night until they leave.' 'As soon as he sees them, he goes into hiding. So it's been a game of cat and mouse with them,' the general manager added to WFLA. Mr. Pickles 'hasn't been a nuisance in any regard,' Pope told Fox 13. In fact, the gator has become the restaurant's top attraction, drawing in even larger crowds. 'We try not to market him,' Pope told WFLA. 'But he's definitely become the most photographed and most popular alligator in Pinellas County.' Staff have been told to advise guests to observe Mr. Pickles from a safe distance and never feed the gator - respecting the important boundary between wildlife and humans. 'There is a wild habitat underneath there,' Pope told Fox 13 of Mr. Pickles' home. 'There are a lot of fish, frogs, turtles, birds, and he's thriving down there.' Feeding alligators isn't just dangerous - it's illegal. It can cause the animals to lose their natural fear of humans, leading them to associate people with a ready food source. For now, the goal is to safely relocate Mr. Pickles from the pond to either Lake Seminole or a private property before it grows any larger. 'I think that he's living a really good life,' Pope told Fox 13. 'I would want maybe one day for him to find his way out because he would probably, or she would like to mate.' Capturing the gator has already been difficult, and it may become even harder since alligators longer than four feet often try to return to the spot where they were caught after being relocated. Relocating nuisance alligators to remote areas with healthy alligator populations can cause fights, sometimes leading to the death of either the resident or the newcomer. The FWC advises that if you're concerned about an alligator, you can call their toll-free Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286) and they will dispatch a licensed trapper to handle the situation.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Geese lose limbs due to discarded lines at fishing hotspots
Geese are being severely injured due to discarded fishing lines being left at angling hotspots. Social, Water Access, Network (SWAN) has issued a warning following repeated incidents where geese are getting caught on the scrap line. In severe cases, this has resulted in limb loss which happened to an Egyptian Goose at Thetford Sluice. An Egyptian Goose lost its foot due to a discarded fishing line (Image: SWAN) Chairman of SWAN, David Smith, said: "The line gets wrapped around their limbs, often held in place by a hook. "If it isn't removed, it cuts off the circulation, causing the limb to die and drop off." READ MORE: Richardson's Boating Holidays wins Tripadvisor award The non-profit organisation strives to protect Norfolk and Suffolk waters and its wildlife. However, catching wild birds in distress can "create risk for both the bird and the person handling". Fishing line caught on the foot of a goose (Image: SWAN) According to SWAN, other Thetford hotspots include the Mill Pond and behind Butten Island. "These locations are both surrounded by trees and anglers - usually teenage boys - often get their lines snagged in the trees," Mr Smith added. "I have personally removed dozens of fishing lures from trees over the years."
The Independent
3 hours ago
- General
- The Independent
Brave squirrel fights off rattlesnake in dramatic caught-on-camera battle
A dramatic face-off between a squirrel and a rattlesnake at a California wildlife refuge has gone viral after being caught on camera. The showdown happened at the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge where it was filmed by Sally Brown of the US Fish and Wildlife Service. In the footage, the California ground squirrel can be seen using anti-snake tactics such as tossing debris at the southern Pacific rattlesnake to ward it off. According to Brown, while the rattler lunged at the squirrel it did not pursue because it was likely too full from a recent meal.
CBS News
5 hours ago
- General
- CBS News
Fishing line by ponds in Colorado city piles up and tangles wildlife
Among those casting off at Longmont's Golden Ponds, Anna Rivas is stuck cleaning up. "Every time I come out here for a walk, I end up having to pick up fishing line," Rivas said. Rivas fills bags full of littered fishing line nearly every day, but the ones she misses are sometimes found by local wildlife. "The birds they get, like Percy our little pelican, got it wrapped around his wing. He ended up being unable to fly," Rivas said. Percy was a pelican in the Golden Ponds. After neighbors noticed he was hurt, the entire community rallied around him. Photos of Percy received hundreds of comments online and brought more attention from Longmont Park Rangers. "We were just trying to mobilize, and the best part was actually getting to pair with the community," Temporary Longmont Park Ranger Sommer Swasey said. Community members had been calling city resources about Percy for about a month. Rangers had attempted to rescue him twice. But finally, a third attempt, paired with the community's help, was able to get Percy out of the water. Once Percy was seen by professionals, unfortunately his injuries were too severe, and he had to be euthanized. Now community members want more to be done to help other wildlife when they get stuck. Regina Raeley led many of the community efforts to organize the water rescue. "Their bureaucratic tape, and the red tape for them getting out here delayed this Pelican from being able to be properly rehabilitated," Raeley said. Longmont Park Rangers say they are seeing more birds than usual getting tangled this time of year. But right now, they also shared their efforts to balance those calls and any human emergencies at their parks. "Whether it's a raccoon, a bird, anything of that nature, getting out there as quickly as we can, it just depends on the urgency of the call. Because we have a lot of parks under our jurisdiction," Swasey said. Meanwhile, Longmont neighbors like Rivas hope city hall can bring in a lifeline with more fishing regulations at local ponds in an effort to limit how many hooks, lines, and sinkers get left behind. "Make people be more careful with it. Yes, but we also need to leave some places safe for the animals and the birds," Rivas said. Swasey said that after this incident, rangers are working to spend more resources and time on fishing safety. Meanwhile, community members want more collaboration moving forward, as they all work for the same cause.
