Search found 848 matches

by John Vanek
April 16th, 2014, 2:48 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Springtime in the Adirondacks
Replies: 0
Views: 261

Re: Springtime in the Adirondacks

Awesome! Now post some Mink Frogs.
by John Vanek
April 11th, 2014, 10:14 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Early Spring in New England
Replies: 0
Views: 282

Re: Early Spring in New England

This is great!
by John Vanek
April 11th, 2014, 9:39 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: New paedomorphic Eurycea described from the Ouachitas
Replies: 0
Views: 380

New paedomorphic Eurycea described from the Ouachitas

Larval masquerade: a new species of paedomorphic salamander (Caudata: Plethodontidae: Eurycea) from the Ouachita Mountains of North America. Zootaxa 3786 (4): 423–442. MICHAEL A. STEFFEN, KELLY J. IRWIN , ANDREA L. BLAIR & RONALD M. BONETT Link to the article: http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2014...
by John Vanek
April 11th, 2014, 9:10 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Two new species of turtle described in the southeastern US
Replies: 0
Views: 280

Re: Two new species of turtle described in the southeastern

Excellent, thanks for posting the link to the full article. Before I read it in full, the abstract mentions that there is also morphologic variation? Is this to the extent that someone could identify field marks and visually assign a turtle to it's proper watershed? Edit: Oh, very cool. For those in...
by John Vanek
April 3rd, 2014, 2:03 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Are "New" Leopard Frogs in Massachusetts?
Replies: 0
Views: 301

Re: Are "New" Leopard Frogs in Massachusetts?

I alerted one of the people who discovered the new frog about this post, I'll see if they say anything.
by John Vanek
February 28th, 2014, 1:17 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Unusually Cute
Replies: 0
Views: 290

Re: Unusually Cute

Brown County, IN 2011:

Image
by John Vanek
February 28th, 2014, 12:22 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: "Burmese Pythons Pose Little Risk to People in Everglades"
Replies: 0
Views: 1006

"Burmese Pythons Pose Little Risk to People in Everglades"

Press release: http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=3815&from=rss_home#.UxDu7fn6F8E "EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK, Fla. -- The estimated tens of thousands of Burmese pythons now populating the Everglades present a low risk to people in the park, according to a new assessment by U.S. Geol...
by John Vanek
February 27th, 2014, 9:10 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Biology cub herping trip to the carolinas, question re: laws
Replies: 1
Views: 202

Re: Biology cub herping trip to the carolinas, question re:

millmoss wrote:John,

What part of NC are you hitting? Are you looking for anything specific? And how many are you?

Jeremy
We will be in the smokies near Highlands Biological Station. Our goal is plethodontid diversity. About 7. :beer:
by John Vanek
February 25th, 2014, 8:41 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Rattlesnake Talk in Vermont - 3/7
Replies: 0
Views: 320

Re: Rattlesnake Talk in Vermont - 3/7

Wish I could make it! I shared it on FB though, so hopefully you get a great turnout.
by John Vanek
February 24th, 2014, 9:03 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Thought this was interesting... at first
Replies: 0
Views: 277

Re: Thought this was interesting... at first

ok, i'm sober now. i just don't get it. taxonomy was created to make things simple. describe phenotypical traits in order to get a correct identification. as we all know, taxonomy constantly changes. this happens quite often, in my opinion, so some scientist can make a name for him/herself. now, sc...
by John Vanek
February 21st, 2014, 4:10 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: A big Burmese python in Everglades National Park.
Replies: 3
Views: 430

Re: A big Burmese python in Everglades National Park.

Bob claims I won't be swayed by evidence based arguments. The fact is, its when there is a nearly complete lack of evidence in arguments that it fails to sway me. Admittedly they don't know as much about the biology and impacts of invasive pythons as they would like. It'll take a lot more research ...
by John Vanek
February 20th, 2014, 2:01 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Biology cub herping trip to the carolinas, question re: laws
Replies: 1
Views: 202

Biology cub herping trip to the carolinas, question re: laws

Hi everyone, As part of a biology club field trip, I may be heading to North and South Carolina in a few weeks. We have no plans to collect anything other than photos. Because this is a semi-official trip, we would like to do everything by the book. So, what are the regulations regarding LOOKING for...
by John Vanek
February 20th, 2014, 12:44 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Rosy Boa now Three-lined Boa?
Replies: 1
Views: 207

Re: Rosy Boa now Three-lined Boa?

Here is the abstract and some relevant passages to further the discussion: Wood, D. A., Fisher, R. N., & Reeder, T. W. (2008). Novel patterns of historical isolation, dispersal, and secondary contact across Baja California in the Rosy Boa ( Lichanura trivirgata ). Molecular phylogenetics and evo...
by John Vanek
February 19th, 2014, 8:16 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Rosy Boa now Three-lined Boa?
Replies: 1
Views: 207

Re: Rosy Boa now Three-lined Boa?

Is this it? Graham Reynolds, R., Niemiller, M. L., & Revell, L. J. (2014). Toward a Tree-of-Life for the boas and pythons: Multilocus species-level phylogeny with unprecedented taxon sampling. Molecular phylogenetics and evolution, 71, 201-213. Interestingly, I was also not able to load the CNA...
by John Vanek
February 17th, 2014, 12:17 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Unsupport National Wildlife Fed. they support python ban
Replies: 0
Views: 282

Re: Unsupport National Wildlife Fed. they support python ban

This seems like a thread for the Board Line, or at least the Captive Bred Forum. I'm not a supporter of this particular bill, but I also wouldn't want to stop supporting any good work the NWF does just because I disagree with them on a pet snake issue. And I know that there are plenty of field herp...
by John Vanek
February 17th, 2014, 9:52 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Yet another study showing snake relocation is a bad idea
Replies: 0
Views: 299

Re: Yet another study showing snake relocation is a bad idea

Here is some interesting information from a cool study in AR:

Image

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by John Vanek
February 16th, 2014, 7:51 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: A big Burmese python in Everglades National Park.
Replies: 3
Views: 430

Re: A big Burmese python in Everglades National Park.

Attacking the people coming to your defense is a sure way to get people to listen to you :beer:
by John Vanek
February 13th, 2014, 6:30 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: A big Burmese python in Everglades National Park.
Replies: 3
Views: 430

Re: A big Burmese python in Everglades National Park.

Here is a completely unbiased ( :roll: ) "review" of the article in question:

http://vpi.com/sites/default/files/Bark ... HS47-4.pdf

That said, they do bring up some great points, several of which I'm sure will be brought up in future articles.
by John Vanek
February 12th, 2014, 10:16 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: A big Burmese python in Everglades National Park.
Replies: 3
Views: 430

Re: A big Burmese python in Everglades National Park.

OK, let's actually discuss this. Here is the abstract, and link to the article (which is FREE). Severe mammal declines coincide with proliferation of invasive Burmese pythons in Everglades National Park http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2012/01/23/1115226109.full.pdf "Invasive species represent...
by John Vanek
February 12th, 2014, 9:53 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Why Writing About Exotic Species Got Me Called a Fraud
Replies: 0
Views: 321

Re: Why Writing About Exotic Species Got Me Called a Fraud

Kelly Mc wrote:
It seemed to be publicly opportunistic, disingenuous ass kissing to me, of a kind I have seen before with females in a genre, to an alpha established male in same genre.
This is ridiculous and really doesn't belong here.
by John Vanek
January 5th, 2014, 11:24 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Test your Turtle ID Skills
Replies: 0
Views: 285

Test your Turtle ID Skills

Here's a fun game: identify these turtles from eastern NC based only on their plastrons!

Bonus: tell me the sex of the first 3!

Image

Turtles were trapped, marked, then released with permission from USFWS officials.
by John Vanek
December 19th, 2013, 11:54 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: You thought the milksnake changes were bad?
Replies: 4
Views: 367

Re: You thought the milksnake changes were bad?

But now look at a Western and Eastern Meadowlark: Much more similar in appearance, but completely different species that cannot and will not interbreed. John: According to information I gathered from the Cornell Ornithology Lab, Eastern and Western Meadowlarks will occasionally interbreed at the ed...
by John Vanek
December 18th, 2013, 2:44 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Here's one for the lumpers: Box Turtle Phylogenetics (2013)
Replies: 1
Views: 220

Here's one for the lumpers: Box Turtle Phylogenetics (2013)

Martin, B. T., Bernstein, N. P., Birkhead, R. D., Koukl, J. F., Mussmann, S. M., & Placyk Jr, J. S. (2013). Sequence-based molecular phylogenetics and phylogeography of the American box turtles ( Terrapene spp .) with support from DNA barcoding. Molecular phylogenetics and evolution. Abstract: T...
by John Vanek
December 17th, 2013, 9:35 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: You thought the milksnake changes were bad?
Replies: 4
Views: 367

Re: You thought the milksnake changes were bad?

Furthermore, if you'd like to use that argument, my internal anatomy, my DNA is different from yours by a fractional amount. One of my ancestors was a Cherokee Indian, are we two different species? The debate is exactly that. To what degree of genetic differentiation makes two things a different &q...
by John Vanek
December 17th, 2013, 9:02 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: You thought the milksnake changes were bad?
Replies: 4
Views: 367

Re: You thought the milksnake changes were bad?

Without reading the paper in question, you have no idea whether it is splitting hairs or very correct. Some DNA studies are junk, and some are excellent. DNA studies often identify cryptic species, which may need conservation help. A species cannot be targeted for conservation until it is identifie...
by John Vanek
December 17th, 2013, 8:30 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: You thought the milksnake changes were bad?
Replies: 4
Views: 367

Re: You thought the milksnake changes were bad?

Here is the abstract for the other mentioned paper: MARTÍNEZ–SOLANO, I. Ñ. I. G. O., Jockusch, E. L., & Wake, D. B. (2007). Extreme population subdivision throughout a continuous range: phylogeography of Batrachoseps attenuatus (Caudata: Plethodontidae) in western North America. Molecular Ecolog...
by John Vanek
December 17th, 2013, 8:27 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: You thought the milksnake changes were bad?
Replies: 4
Views: 367

Re: You thought the milksnake changes were bad?

Ridiculous, both of them. Regardless of whether it may be "correct" or not, depending on how you wish to run taxonomy, I fail to see how splitting hairs on species can possibly help to further the scientific endeavor and benefit the human race. We were all fine, and would have been fine w...
by John Vanek
December 17th, 2013, 8:07 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Milksnake changes published
Replies: 1
Views: 236

Re: Milksnake changes published

That "biological species concept" has not been lost to the "DNA" crowd, in fact, it works quite well for many species! However, there are often fundamental problems with the BSC, and that is why new concepts are needed. A classic example is the split between western and eastern m...
by John Vanek
December 14th, 2013, 6:02 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Milksnake changes published
Replies: 1
Views: 236

Re: Milksnake changes published

What makes them not gentilis? Morphology, behavior? What if the morphology is a result of a homoplasy like convergent evolution?
by John Vanek
November 13th, 2013, 12:35 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: fox or black rat?
Replies: 1
Views: 215

Re: fox or black rat?

Thanks, interesting information.
by John Vanek
November 13th, 2013, 11:47 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: fox or black rat?
Replies: 1
Views: 215

Re: fox or black rat?

[quote="troy hibbitts" Captives raised from juveniles or hatchlings never get the diet of larger prey items, exposure to UV which allows them to produce D3 which enables proper calcium metabolism all of which leads to the shortened head shape seen in many captive obsoleta . . . like this o...
by John Vanek
November 3rd, 2013, 5:47 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Protection--a flawed policy
Replies: 2
Views: 247

Re: Protection--a flawed policy

Brian Hubbs wrote:Wow...so what have we learned from 3 pages of argument and agreement here?


2) Those who are young lab scientists or students with little field experience don't get it.
I don't see this trend at all.
by John Vanek
November 2nd, 2013, 4:43 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Halloween Hognose
Replies: 1
Views: 203

Re: Halloween Hognose

37 this field season, 2 of which were dead. Study area is incredibly small, about 2 square km.
by John Vanek
October 31st, 2013, 12:15 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Halloween Hognose
Replies: 0
Views: 759

Halloween Hognose

It's a Christmas ... erm... Halloween miracle! Hognose snake 37 from 2013, unmarked male, trying to burrow into radio-tracked Snake 6's hibernacula. Was he horny or sleepy? Who can know, maybe both! Re-posted from the Main Forum, because we all know those weirdos don't seem to appreciate NY platirhi...
by John Vanek
October 31st, 2013, 12:03 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Halloween Hognose
Replies: 1
Views: 203

Halloween Hognose

It's a Christmas ... erm... Halloween miracle! Hognose snake 37 from 2013, unmarked male, trying to burrow into radio-tracked Snake 6's hibernacula. Was he horny or sleepy? Who can know, maybe both! After recording weight, length, unique head markings, and taking a DNA sample, this little dude is re...
by John Vanek
October 22nd, 2013, 12:37 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Protection--a flawed policy
Replies: 2
Views: 247

Re: Protection--a flawed policy

If collecting and 100 fold population fluctuations are so impact-full, than why is the the Burmese Python population still with us and growing? Isn't there a bounty on them and large eradication efforts going on for them? Didn't the Python just suffer a massive die off due to extreme cold? Yet thei...
by John Vanek
October 18th, 2013, 9:59 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Protection--a flawed policy
Replies: 2
Views: 247

Re: Protection--a flawed policy

I think it should also be noted that blanket bans are rarely the result of "university degrees in wildlife science" and more often the result of administrators and legislators.
by John Vanek
October 13th, 2013, 6:10 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Best gps app for Android
Replies: 0
Views: 884

Re: Best gps app for Android

I also use GPS Status. I have the PRO version, so I can save waypoints as well.
by John Vanek
October 5th, 2013, 6:13 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: looking for salamanders at school
Replies: 0
Views: 789

Re: looking for salamanders at school

Awesome. Also, you learned what all experienced Plethodonofiles all know: Slimy salamanders should be called STICKY salamanders!
by John Vanek
September 30th, 2013, 10:24 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Breeding Broadhead Skinks (request)
Replies: 1
Views: 187

Re: Breeding Broadhead Skinks (request)

Thanks guys. We have a several broadheads and inexpectatus already doing well on crickets, so we are just trying to figure out the best way to set up a breeding colony.
by John Vanek
September 27th, 2013, 7:05 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Breeding Broadhead Skinks (request)
Replies: 1
Views: 187

Breeding Broadhead Skinks (request)

Hi everyone,

Has anyone ever bred any of the Eumeces species? What worked best for you? Trios? What was your set-up like? Did you use UVB?

Thanks,
John
by John Vanek
September 22nd, 2013, 1:53 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Another hognose video I KNOW you will all enjoy
Replies: 0
Views: 464

Another hognose video I KNOW you will all enjoy

Stay on through till the end. It's right up your ally, I guarantee it.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXx9W6H21oo
by John Vanek
September 9th, 2013, 4:07 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Photos from the Field (DUW)
Replies: 0
Views: 298

Re: Photos from the Field (DUW)

Wow.
by John Vanek
September 6th, 2013, 8:24 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Eastern Hognose Radio-tracking (video)
Replies: 1
Views: 199

Re: Eastern Hognose Radio-tracking (video)

I still hope to get some really good trails from traveling hognose snakes from someone. If you come across and photograph any, let me know! I have a bunch, and I can "force" some if you have a specific image you are looking for. Some examples: https://sphotos-a-lga.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-as...
by John Vanek
September 5th, 2013, 10:28 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Newly hatched Duskies!
Replies: 0
Views: 271

Re: Newly hatched Duskies!

Amazing.
by John Vanek
September 5th, 2013, 10:27 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Eastern Hognose Radio-tracking (video)
Replies: 1
Views: 199

Re: Eastern Hognose Radio-tracking (video)

Thanks guys. PNWHerper: Thanks! How's the book coming? I really look forward to it. Brick: I currently have radios in 4 snakes, and I just caught TWO new ones today, bringing my season total up to 10 (12 last year, 5 with radios). https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1240153_101012...
by John Vanek
August 11th, 2013, 10:32 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: ...
Replies: 0
Views: 150

Re: Apalachicola Kingsnakes rare and declining?

What do you think you are doing differently to have this success? Also, without knowledge about how frequently they used to be found, it's hard to draw any conclusions about population trends. Perhaps 49 a year was considered a shitty year. Also, are you marking them? Someone of the snakes my be re-...
by John Vanek
July 23rd, 2013, 11:06 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Snake Predation
Replies: 0
Views: 145

Re: Snake Predation

I'll join in here!

Image

Image
by John Vanek
July 23rd, 2013, 10:58 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Biggest eastern hognose?
Replies: 0
Views: 111

Re: Biggest eastern hognose?

WOW that black beast is impressive. This girl was 38 inches and nearly 640g: https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/197705_10100603116706136_1774946025_n.jpg This is also a fairly large male at 28 inches and 303g: https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/402821_10100680...