Category: Reptiles

Silence of the Rattlesnake Researchers: Snakes, Culture and Conservation

June 12, 2013  |  by: Matt Miller  |  3

Snakes should fear us more than we fear them. In Vermont, timber rattlesnake research unexpectedly exposes humanity’s tangled relationship with snakes. Can education shape a new future?

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Snake Fungal Disease: The White-Nose Syndrome for Reptiles?

June 11, 2013  |  by: Matt Miller  |  2

Researchers in Vermont were tracking the movements of timber rattlesnakes for conservation planning, but they also made an unexpected discovery: snake fungal disease. Could these lesions be deadly to snakes ? Could it affect snake populations the way white-nose syndrome affects bats?

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Snakes on a Cliff: Rattler Research in Vermont

June 10, 2013  |  by: Matt Miller  |  4

There could be a rattlesnake anywhere: Join researchers as they scamper up rocky slopes while tracking snakes in Vermont, all to gain a better understanding of the timber rattler’s movements, habits and health. Just watch where you put your hands.

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Boucher’s Birding Blog: Mamba Meets Bushbaby

March 15, 2013  |  by: Timothy Boucher  |  2

Sometimes when you go birding, you can’t help but see other animals – elephants, army ants, beautiful butterflies.

Occasionally, if you get out early (as birders always do), you can get to a park before the crowds and you might see something really special (and, in this case, gruesome).

In January, we traveled to Ghana for some superb birding. Our visit included the famous canopy walkway at the Kakum National Park near the Ivory Coast. The seven bridges strung high up in the trees usually teem with visitors who have no appreciation of the amazing birdlife.

They might notice the monkeys, but for most, the canopy walkway is just a low-tech amusement ride. They shriek as they bounce from one platform to the next on the narrow, swaying  wooden planks.

We arrived very early, our guide having arranged for the park to admit us before the regular opening hour.  We were the first visitors on the path that climbs to the walkway.

It was barely light as we tramped up the steep hill, trying not to trip over hidden roots and rocks. As we reached a turn, we heard a ruckus near the trail – about head height — and we all peered into the tangle of vines and branches.  We had the surprise of our lives.

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What is Cool Green Science?

Most projections say at least 9 billion people will be alive on Earth come 2050 -- putting tremendous pressures on the natural systems that we all rely on for survival and prosperity.

Cool Green Science is where Nature Conservancy scientists and science writers discuss and debate how conservation can help meet those challenges head on -- in partnership with you, of course. You'll also find photos, videos and dispatches from our fieldwork, book reviews, raves and groans about new research, natural history accounts, citizen science opps, and much much more -- including stuff about critters that are just cool.

Cool Green Science is managed by Matt Miller, senior science writer for the Conservancy, and edited by Bob Lalasz, its director of science communications. Email us your feedback.

Live Osprey Cam

They're getting huge! Watch live as two ospreys grow up in a parking lot nest in Orange Beach, Alabama--and read Conservancy scientist Jeff DeQuattro on why these birds of prey are a great indicator species for the health of the Gulf's ecosystem.

Editors’ Choice

Danya Gross: Science Illustration: More Than Pretty Pictures
Great illustrations often communicate conservation science when photos, text and CAD sketches fail -- and they can make all the difference in winning community support for a restoration project.

Tim Boucher: The Best Apps for Novice and Serious Birders
Tim reviews offerings from Audubon, iBird, Nat Geo, Peterson and Sibley and tells you which works best in the field.

Criag Groves: Genetic Engineers and Conservation Biologists: Scenes from a First Date
Synthetic biology is way more than "de-extinction" -- and its findings and their consequences could be profound for conservation practice.

Matt Miller: Big Fish: Return of the Alligator gar
Alligator gars were persecuted and eliminated for crimes they didn't commit. A new conservation effort is bringing them back.

Spotlight: Marine Restoration Science

The Future of Coral Reef Restoration Science
Conservancy coral scientist James Byrne says it's discovering how to plant corals in a way that optimizes genetic diversity--but without crossing a very thin line.

The Future of Sea Grass and Shellfish Restoration
Conservancy Marine Steward Bo Lusk argues that letting barrier island breaches remain open is the best thing for bay and sound ecosystems and the shellfish and fish they support.

Restoring Blue Forests--Opportunities for Mangroves
Mangroves grow like weeds -- which makes restoring them easy...unless you put them in the wrong places, says Nature Conservancy senior marine scientist Mark Spalding.

Tales from the Cab -- Risk & Restoration in SE Louisiana
Conservancy Marine Lead Scientist Mike Beck finds passionate support for coastal marsh restoration from a New Orleans cab driver who's lived through Hurricanes Katrina and Isaac.

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