Week #12......Diploglossus millepunctatus

This spotted galliwasp is one of the cooler skinks I have seen in collections.  Indigenous exclusively to the Malpelo island of Columbia, this lizard is a strict carnivore.  I just read on wikipedia that Malpelo island is void of trees, and feeds on crabs and seabirds, as well as guano!  That's pretty interesting I thought!  

Again, special thanks to Steve Cemelli of www.leapingleachies.com for allowing me to photograph his collection.  It's sometimes not easy to get photos of 52 alternate species.  Twice none the less.  

Week #11 Phyllobates terribilis!

So, this week I'm bringing to you one of my favorite amphibian frog species, the terrible dart frog. The ones pictures here are of the mint variety, but I personally like the yellow and the orange types just as much.  These frogs will try and consume just about anything they can fit in their mouths as you can see from the video, and they are not skittish to say the least. They are always out and in the middle of everything.  Special thanks to Steve Cemelli of www.leapinleachies.com for allowing me to video his collection.  Enjoy the pictures and videos. Don't be afraid to comment!  Oli

Week #10 Nephrurus vertebralis!

Here, again, I'm bringing another knob tailed gecko to the 2nd 52 week countdown. This may be the last knob tail species of the countdown, so I had to make it a good one. This gecko, like all other Nephrurus is indigenous to Australia. It miraculously popped up in the reptile hobby approximately 7 years ago, and has been coveted ever since!  Hardy, beautiful, as well as prolific make this captive very sought after.  Enjoy these pictures of my animals. 

Week #9. Colopus wahlbergi furcifer

For week nine I'm coming up with a gecko from the genus Colopus, indigenous to the Kalahari desert, specifically Namibia. Commonly named as a "Kalahari ground gecko" this gecko possesses some nice dorsal stripes as opposed to the closely related Colopus wahlbergi wahlbergi which had more of an irregular back pattern.  Special thanks to JT Baginski for these pictures of his current group.  Enjoy.....Oli

Week #8 This week we have another Nephrurus species, Nephrurus asper.

Here we have yet another Australian gecko on the countdown, and again, another knob-tailed (Nephrurus) species.  These are by far one of my favorite in the genus, and hopefully one day I will be fortunate enough to care for a group myself.  This species can vary greatly in color depending on their native location.  They can be black like the animals pictured below, but they can also be a reddish brown, somewhat similar to N. amyae, and they can also be a nice washed out grey with bands.  All of them are exceptional.   N. asper are smaller in size compared to N. amyae, which is known as the most massive Australian gecko.  Enjoy the pictures below, they were taken by my friend JT Baginski.

Nephrurus asper pair

Nephrurus amyae vs. Nephrurus asper comparison

comparison

Defensive posture

Two of my favorite species out of all geckos.  

Week #7. Without a doubt this gecko needs to make the list...Nephrurus wheeleri cinctus

Here is a close up so that their rosettes can be seen.  You cannot see these in a lot of pictures I see on the web

Shedding N. wheeleri - phantom of the Opera scene

This was taken at night.  Sometimes referred to as 'pink phase' this is a common occurrence in N. wheeleri.


Nephrurus wheeleri cinctus, another species from the 'knob-tail' gecko genus; Nephrurus.  Indigenous to a small area in Australia, this gecko lives in a desert environment, and is accustomed to its harsh terrain.  There is another Nephrurus wheeleri, it is the N. w. wheeleri.  The only difference is that it has one less band across it's body; four as opposed to five.      

Week 6 Agamura persica!!!

Im very excited to bring you an incredible species of gecko that I've always found to be very interesting. Also know as spider geckos, or Persian spider geckos, these lookers are indigenous to Afghanistan, Iran, as well as Pakistan. Their scraggly limbs allow them to navigate their rocky habitat, and are said to make them look similar to a spider, hence their common name.  These geckos can be quite vocal, which is another characteristic I like in a gecko.  I want to thank Laura Mansfield for the pictures, she is at www.goodlifeherps.weebly.com.

Here's a video of a male chirping/calling for a female:

Sorry for the delay in postings. Life can get hectic, but I will try to post a few a week until I am caught up....Öli