HerpVet Services

HerpVet Services Veterinary surgeon with 25 yrs dedicated exotic pet experience running a veterinary service for thes Veterinary service for exotic animals.

I routinely treat:
reptiles - tortoises, turtles, lizards, snakes and crocodiles
amphibians - frogs, toads, newts, salamanders, caecilians
fish - pond fish, tank fish, freshwater and marine, special interest seahorses
pet invertebrates - spiders, scorpions, millipedes, mantises, snails, stick insects

Please note that I cannot comment directly on a veterinary case without seeing the animal.

18/10/2025

๐ŸšจNew Report Alert: ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—˜๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ป ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐—Ÿ๐—ถ๐˜€๐˜ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—”๐—บ๐—ฝ๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฏ๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜€ ๐—ถ๐˜€ ๐—›๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ!

How are Europe's frogs, toads, newts, and salamanders really doing? The results are in!

This comprehensive new assessment, "๐— ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ฃ๐˜‚๐—น๐˜€๐—ฒ ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—˜๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ป ๐—•๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ถ๐˜๐˜†," provides a continent-wide health check for every native amphibian species in Europe. The study covers a vast geographical scope from Iceland in the west to the Urals in the east, and from the far north to the Canary Islands in the south.

Read the full report here: https://doi.org/10.2779/035237

13/10/2025

Scientists from the Swiss capital Bern, together with an international research team, have discovered eight new species of so-called "guardian frogs" on the island of Borneo.

Tortoise hibernation/brumation reminder!Your tortoises may still be enjoying some sunny days, but it's about time to sta...
02/09/2025

Tortoise hibernation/brumation reminder!
Your tortoises may still be enjoying some sunny days, but it's about time to start thinking about preparing them for hibernation, and part of that should be getting a health check at your vets. I advise doing this at least a month before they start winding down, in case any treatments (e.g. worming) are necessary. Please contact me for appointments.

15/08/2025

Three-spined stickleback fish recognise familiar individuals by facial recognition. To establish stable sociality, vertebrates often recognise familiar individuals by face. The three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) is territorial but its ability to visually recognise familiar individuals remained unclear. Researchers have revealed that focal fish frequently attacked photographs of a strangerโ€™s face more frequently than that of familiar neighbourโ€™s face. These results suggest that the three-spined stickleback distinguishes familiar neighbours from unknown fish via facial recognition. Aggressive behaviour of the three-spined stickleback is instinctively triggered by the maleโ€™s nuptial red colour on the belly but the aggressiveness of males was found to be independent of the presence of red nuptial colour on photograph-models. The findings suggest that this fish controls its aggressiveness against opponent conspecifics in the context of social relationships independent of the sign-stimulus.

Read the article in Royal Society Open Science:
https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.241888

12/08/2025

๐Ÿ“ท Check out our guide to seahorse-friendly photography to help keep these little ocean treasures safe while capturing them through your lens.

And if youโ€™ve spotted and snapped one ๐Ÿ“ท, we want to know! ๐Ÿ‘€ on is our citizen science platform where ๐Ÿคฟ divers, snorkellers, and ๐ŸŒŠ ocean lovers can share their amazing sightings.

Each sighting helps our scientists fill research gaps to better protect these magical fishes!

Learn more at www.iseahorse.org

11/07/2025

New research in JZBG looked into the effects of food enrichment and visitor presence on the behaviour of two aquarium-housed freshwater fish species: curimbas and pacus.
๐ŸŸSlow-dissolving food ("acorns") introduced as enrichment.
๐ŸŸDecreased inactivity observed in both species.
๐ŸŸCurimbas during enrichment phase: increased foraging, agonistic interactions and use of specific tank areas.
๐ŸŸVisitor presence decreased inactivity, encouraged foraging and interaction with enrichment.
๐ŸŸApplications to ex-situ husbandry and management of this species.
---
Read paper (open access): https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5636/6/3/35 #
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09/07/2025

A collaborative global review of piebaldism in sharks and rays, a rare pigmentation disorder with potential implications for understanding elasmobranch genetics, development, and population health. A comprehensive review that brings together records of piebaldism in sharks from around the world, with sightings contributed by researchers, divers, and citizen scientists.

Open-access - https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.71680

๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฐ๐—ต ๐—ง๐—ถ๐˜๐—น๐—ฒ
The Phenomenon of Piebaldism in Sharks: A Review of Global Sightings and Patterns

๐—–๐—ถ๐˜๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป
Whitehead, D. A., A. Parmegiani, J. Gobbato, et al. 2025. "The Phenomenon of Piebaldism in Sharks: A Review of Global Sightings and Patterns." Ecology and Evolution 15, no. 7: e71680. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71680.

๐—”๐—ฏ๐˜€๐˜๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐˜
Chromatic disorders in elasmobranchs (sharks and rays) have been reported in several species, but little is known about their true abundance or consequences for survival and fitness. Piebaldism, a form of leucism characterized by partial loss of pigmentation, is among the rarest and least understood chromatic disorders reported in elasmobranchs. We conducted an extensive assessment of published and unpublished cases of piebaldism observed in sharks in the wild.

Here, we report the observation of 25 incidences of this condition witnessed in 17 species of sharks from 11 families (Carcharhinidae, Dalatiidae, Galeocerdonidae, Ginglymostomatidae, Hexanchidae, Heterodontidae, Lamnidae, Odontaspidae, Scyliorhinidae, Squatinidae, and Sphyrnidae). The anatomical distribution and severity varied across shark families, with Ginglymostomatidae showing widespread aberrations on the flanks and pectoral fins, while piebaldism in Galeocerdonidae is more restricted. A single Sphyrnidae individual exhibited piebaldism across its body, while in the speciose Carcharhinidae family, piebaldism varied widely in intensity and distribution.

We further discuss the taxonomic and geographical distribution of piebaldism reports, the potential fitness consequences, and uncertainty regarding the terminology used to discuss chromatic disorders in elasmobranchs.

Finally, we comment on the importance of ecotourism and citizen science for improving our understanding of rare phenotypic conditions in marine megafauna such as elasmobranchs.

๐—ฃ๐—ต๐—ผ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—–๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐˜
Top - Piebald Hammerhead shark, photo by Travis T. Matteson - The Miyaru Programme.
Bottom - Patterns of Piebaldism across records of shark species.

Copyright ยฉ 2025 the Author(s). Published in Ecology and Evolution journal. This paper is released under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

07/07/2025

According to a recent paper, climate change can affect several aspects of ectotherm life history including thermoregulation, reproduction (including s*x ratios), development, habitat dependence and dispersal capacity. Understanding how climate drives demographic shifts can help predict which species are most vulnerable, as well as identify climate refugia. Advanced genetic tools (using whole-genome and genome-reduction data) can reveal how ancient and recent climatic events shaped the demography of reptile and amphibian populations. This research highlights the urgent need to consider both local conditions and evolutionary history in conservation planning as well as the gaps in the knowledge on amphibian and reptile genomes.

Find the paper at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10531-023-02772-y

Figure taken from the paper, on the figure: potential effects of climate change on amphibians and reptiles.

04/07/2025

๐ฟ๐‘–๐‘ ๐‘ก๐‘Ÿ๐‘ข๐‘Ÿ๐‘Ž ๐‘’๐‘™๐‘œ๐‘›๐‘”๐‘Ž๐‘ก๐‘Ž, a new species of fossorial (burrowing) Microcambevinae catfish is described from the Rio Camboriรบ basin, an isolated small river basin in the Atlantic Forest of southern Brazil.

Open-access - https://zse.pensoft.net/article/139205/

๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฐ๐—ต ๐—ง๐—ถ๐˜๐—น๐—ฒ
Relationships of a new fossorial Microcambevinae catfish species from southern Brazil supporting multiple dorsal-fin losses in ๐ฟ๐‘–๐‘ ๐‘ก๐‘Ÿ๐‘ข๐‘Ÿ๐‘Ž (Siluriformes, Trichomycteridae)

๐—–๐—ถ๐˜๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป
Costa WJEM, Feltrin CRM, Mattos JLO, Vilardo PJ, Katz AM (2025) Relationships of a new fossorial Microcambevinae catfish species from southern Brazil supporting multiple dorsal-fin losses in ๐ฟ๐‘–๐‘ ๐‘ก๐‘Ÿ๐‘ข๐‘Ÿ๐‘Ž (Siluriformes, Trichomycteridae). Zoosystematics and Evolution 101(3): 1177-1185. https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.101.139205

๐—”๐—ฏ๐˜€๐˜๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐˜
Extreme reduction or loss of fins is a common evolutionary feature in fossorial and semifossorial trichomycterids.

Here, we analyse the possible occurrence of independent evolutionary events of dorsal fin loss in ๐ฟ๐‘–๐‘ ๐‘ก๐‘Ÿ๐‘ข๐‘Ÿ๐‘Ž, a genus of fossorial species endemic to the Atlantic Forest of eastern Brazil, in a molecular phylogenetic context involving all species of the genus, including three nominal species lacking a dorsal fin and another one that is described here. Ancestral state reconstruction analysis indicated the occurrence of three independent events of dorsal fin loss: one in the subgenus ๐ฟ๐‘–๐‘ ๐‘ก๐‘Ÿ๐‘ข๐‘Ÿ๐‘Ž (๐ฟ. ๐‘š๐‘’๐‘›๐‘’๐‘ง๐‘’๐‘ ๐‘–) and two in the subgenus ๐‘ƒ๐‘Ÿ๐‘œ๐‘™๐‘–๐‘ ๐‘ก๐‘Ÿ๐‘ข๐‘Ÿ๐‘Ž, in ๐ฟ. ๐‘‘๐‘’๐‘๐‘–๐‘›๐‘›๐‘Ž๐‘– and in the clade comprising ๐ฟ. ๐‘๐‘œ๐‘ก๐‘–๐‘๐‘Ž๐‘Ÿ๐‘–๐‘œ and the new species. Osteological comparisons indicate that there are no intermediate stages in the genus; species either possess a well-developed dorsal fin or completely lack both the fin and its internal skeletal support. It was not possible to identify distinct environmental characteristics or ecological preferences between species with and without a dorsal fin.

The new species is distinguished from ๐ฟ. ๐‘๐‘œ๐‘ก๐‘–๐‘๐‘Ž๐‘Ÿ๐‘–๐‘œ, its hypothesised sister species, by a different colour pattern, a different number of caudal-fin procurrent rays and interopercular odontodes, and a larger eye.

๐—˜๐˜๐˜†๐—บ๐—ผ๐—น๐—ผ๐—ด๐˜†
From the Latin ๐‘’๐‘™๐‘œ๐‘›๐‘”๐‘Ž๐‘ก๐‘Ž (elongate), referring to the slender and long body of the new species.

๐—ฃ๐—ต๐—ผ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—–๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐˜
Top - ๐ฟ๐‘–๐‘ ๐‘ก๐‘Ÿ๐‘ข๐‘Ÿ๐‘Ž ๐‘’๐‘™๐‘œ๐‘›๐‘”๐‘Ž๐‘ก๐‘Ž sp. nov., UFRJ 13418, live paratype, 49.0 mm SL.
Bottom - Stream tributary of the upper Rio Camboriรบ, type locality of ๐ฟ๐‘–๐‘ ๐‘ก๐‘Ÿ๐‘ข๐‘Ÿ๐‘Ž ๐‘’๐‘™๐‘œ๐‘›๐‘”๐‘Ž๐‘ก๐‘Ž sp. nov.

Copyright ยฉ 2025 the Author(s). Published in the Zoosystematics and Evolution journal. This paper is released under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

03/07/2025

New paper out!
We reviewed all male sea turtle tracking studies to date, revealing key behaviorsโ€”some unique to males! We highlight major knowledge gaps and set priorities to guide future research on this overlooked half of the population. ecology https://bit.ly/esr_57_273

03/07/2025

Herpetologists have assumed, with very few exceptions, only male frogs call. Santana et al (2025) turns that assumption on its head: many female frogs call, too. The authors reviewed nearly 3,000 publications and recorded reports of female vocalizations in over 100 frog species, three times more than reported in earlier studies. These species span 29 of the 55 recognized frog families, yet they still represent just 1.4% of known species. In addition to summarizing the current knowledge on female frog vocalizations, the authors also propose a revised classification for frog calls with six specific categories, applicable to both s*xes.

Why have female frog calls been overlooked despite being documented since the early 20th century? One reason is that they tend to be softer and harder to detect. Additionally, researchers have long assumed that any calling frog must be male, which has led to missing (or dismissing) female vocalizations. In fact, over 10% of the reviewed studies, mentioned female calls in passing. Correcting this male-biased perspective is essential to advancing frog bioacoustics research. This starts with recognizing that perhaps not all vocalizing frogs are male. Researchers should move beyond anecdotal observations of female vocalizations and provide the behavioral and ecological context in which these calls occur. Furthermore, using specific keywords can improve discoverability of these records. It is also essential to clearly indicate the s*x of the caller in scientific papers (e.g., "male advertisement call" rather than simply "advertisement call"). Importantly, female calling remains a rare phenomenon, which is precisely what makes it so fascinating. Studying the species where both s*xes vocalize offers unique opportunities to understand frog communication and how s*xual selection may be acting on each of the s*xes.

Link to Species of the Week: https://amphibiaweb.org/cgi/amphib_query?where-genus=Crossodactylus&where-species=schmidti

Leer en Espaรฑol: https://bioweb.bio/faunaweb/amphibiaweb/Noticias

Link to Santana et al. 2025: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2025.0454

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