Reptiles Definition

WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A new, first-of-its-kind waterslide is opening at Noah's Ark this summer!  Previously the Flying Gecko attraction, the "Chameleon" is a color-changing lizard bringing an all-new ride experience to the park. Up to four guests will take the plunge together as they race past 74 color-changing lights and eight speakers. A news release from the park says riders will find a new surprise around every single twist as they hear an exclusive mashup of songs created just for Noah's Ark. "As America's Largest Waterpark, we are always looking for innovative ways to grow our attraction lineup to offer even more unique experiences to our guests," said Noah's Ark General Manager, Christopher Mortensen. "We know that the addition of the new Chameleon will deliver an unbeatable ride that guests won't be able to find anywhere else in the area." The news release say Chameleon will be fitted with i...

Share on Pinterest Ball pythons are popular pets — for those who have snakes as pets, that is. They are fairly docile, but may bite you for one reason or another. Ball pythons are not venomous and don't have fangs, so a bite may not be as severe as other snake bites. Always use caution if you're bitten by a ball python, and seek medical treatment. Ball pythons are also known as royal pythons. They are originally from West Africa in countries like Ghana and Togo. They are known as ball pythons because they form a ball shape when they are uneasy. They also use their bodies to capture prey by curling around it. Do ball pythons bite? Ball pythons can bite but they don't usually attack humans. Younger ball pythons may be more prone to biting, but even this is unusual. Ball pythons have small inward-sloped teeth. A bite may appear as several teeth marks in a curved shape. The bite may become more severe if you have to pry the python's jaws open to release the bite. A python m...

ORLANDO, FL — A Florida photographer recently snapped the photos of a lifetime at Orlando Wetlands Park when she stumbled upon a large alligator casually snacking on what appears to be a smaller gator. Barbara D'Angelo, who shared her images to a Facebook group for wildlife photos from the park, said she snapped the photos as she was leaving the wetlands later in the day on March 6. "I watched as the larger gator raised his head (three) times and slammed his catch in such a way as to fold it up like an old-time folding chair," she told Patch. She took about 35 photos in the series. Related Stories: Alligators are opportunistic feeders and tend to go for prey species that are abundant and easily accessible, according to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. Younger gators primarily eat insects, amphibians, small fish and other invertebrates, the agency said. Adult gators generally go for rough fish, snakes, turtles, small mammals and birds. As ...

Abstract Our understanding of the functions and mechanisms of sleep remains incomplete, reflecting their increasingly evident complexity 1,2,3 . Likewise, studies of interhemispheric coordination during sleep 4,5,6 are often hard to connect precisely to known sleep circuits and mechanisms. Here, by recording from the claustra of sleeping bearded dragons ( Pogona vitticeps ), we show that, although the onsets and offsets of Pogona rapid-eye-movement (REM P ) and slow-wave sleep are coordinated bilaterally, these two sleep states differ markedly in their inter-claustral coordination. During slow-wave sleep, the claustra produce sharp-wave ripples independently of one another, showing no coordination. By contrast, during REM P sleep, the potentials produced by the two claustra are precisely coordinated in amplitude and time. These signals, however, are not synchronous: one side leads the other by about 20 ms, with the leading side switching typically once per REM P episode or in betwe...

Mar. 23—MAHANOY CITY — Fifth graders at Mahanoy Area Elementary School got to see several reptiles in person Thursday during a special presentation in the auditorium. Jeannie Carl, a naturalist at Carbon County Environmental Education Center, presented a live reptile show, consisting of three snakes and a turtle, for the school's 86 fifth grade students. As the reptiles were shown to different sections of the audience, Carl fielded questions pertaining to the creatures' physical attributes, lifestyle and eating habits. The program was sponsored by the Schuylkill County Conservancy, a nonprofit organization that works to protect and enhance the quality of life in Schuylkill County by preserving open lands, forests, wetlands, streams and other natural resources. The first creature shown was a 52-year-old box turtle from Jim Thorpe. Carl said the turtle, which lives in the environmental center, is outgoing and receptive toward people, in contrast to wild box turtles, which typical...

More Great Content: ↓ Continue Reading To See This Amazing Video Since 1963, Clifford the Big Red Dog has become a beloved character among young readers across the globe. Norman Bridwell wrote over 80 children's books about the adventures of Clifford and his young owner, Emily Elizabeth. Clifford of course, is not any old ordinary dog. Although both of his parents were normal-sized dogs, Clifford somehow grew to be more than 10 feet tall! Clifford's abnormal size often gets him into trouble, but his loving heart and faithful perseverance make him an endearing character. Many children reading Clifford the Big Red Dog often dream of owning such an extraordinary dog — but what kind of dog is Clifford? Let's take a closer look!  What Kind Of Dog Is Clifford? The author of the famous Clifford the Big Red Dog children's book series, Norman Bridwell,  found himself needing to make some extra money to support his wife and new baby daughter, so he began doing...

If Tampa Mayor Jane Castor has a standout flex, it's an easy one: She was practically re-elected to the highest office in the region's largest city without opposition.   Technically, Castor will be on the ballot in March, but no one else will. Her only opposition is a write-in candidate, who stands about as much chance of being elected as a frozen iguana that just fell from a South Florida palm tree.   That sort of re-election isn't just a flex, it's a reflection of the kind of power that says, "Don't even bother." How Tampa's first openly gay Mayor got to that point though, is the fun part.   "Mayor Jane Castor embodies the power of determination and progress. Her visionary leadership is driving Tampa Bay towards a brighter future," said communications consultant Ashley Bauman , Castor's former Communications Director. To be clear, there have been bumps along the way, but Castor has weathered the ro...

In canine psychology, "working intelligence" is a metric used to assess how adept a dog is at following orders. Researchers are working on assessing instinctive canine intelligence (hunting, herding, retrieving), as well as adaptive intelligence, or problem solving. But for now, the best information we have about dog intelligence is centered on working intelligence, or how obedient they can become through training. In his 2006 book "The Intelligence of Dogs," Stanley Coren interviewed 200 dog obedience judges and produced a list of the breeds that display the highest degree of working intelligence. He organized his lists into tiers, with very effective working dogs who might learn a new command in fewer than five tries, 95 percent of the time, at the top tier. On the second tier he placed working dogs like the English springer spaniel, who might learn a new trick 8...

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - Colorado is known to be one of the most dog-friendly states in the country- and the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region hopes to keep it that way. According to the National Library of Medicine, more than 4.5 million people are bitten nationally by dogs each year. In the United States, each day around 1,000 people require emergency care treatment for serious dog bite injuries. In the last month, there have been five fatal dog bites reported. This week, the local Humane Society presented a dangerous dog ordinance to the city council. The ordinance focused on dangerous dog encounters and opportunities for proactive measures moving forward. In a statement from the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region, they said, "There has been an increase in Dangerous Dog cases in Colorado Springs/El Paso County, and Animal Law Enforcement believes that ensuring we have strict penalties such as mandatory education, mandatory spay and neuter, and defining contai...

More Great Content: ↓ Continue Reading To See This Amazing Video The Asian water monitor is a strong, clever lizard that looks like it belongs in Jurassic Park. Moreover, they belong to the world's largest lizard species. The eight-foot Asian water monitor grows swiftly and is often mistaken for a komodo dragon.  Varanidae is the family of lizards that includes Asian water monitors. 50 to 60 lizards make up their family, which also contains the well-known Komodo dragon. Giant reptiles that have existed for millions of years are called water monitors.  They weigh between 44 and 54 pounds. Male adults can reach lengths of nearly eight feet. Females can reach heights of six feet but are slightly shorter. With the aid of their strong legs and curved claws, monitors can effortlessly climb trees regardless of their stature. Closeup of a monitor lizard. ©iStock.com/heckepics These big lizards have stunning tails as well. To help them move through the water, their fl...

More Great Content: ↓ Continue Reading To See This Amazing Video Right off the bat, German shepherds and pit bulls are pretty different. From physical features to their lineage, these two dog breeds would appeal to diverse owners. However, they do have a few similarities. But the million-dollar question is, why would you choose either of the dog breeds?  German shepherds have cemented their place as guard dogs, while pitbull are friendlier. Also, the German shepherd's intelligence and star power have been recognized in Hollywood. German shepherds are two of the three dogs with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. That's a clear indicator of the German Shepherd's versatility. But along with its lineage and heaps of praises, there's the negative connotation with the Nazis and Adolf Hitler. He had a German shepherd called Blondi that tested his suicidal poison. At some point, the British voted to change its name to Atlassian. On the other hand, the pitbull is ...