Project Heloderma: Saving the Guatemalan Beaded Lizard
The story of Project Heloderma sounds like the plot of a Hollywood blockbuster; a young, idealistic scientist who teams up with a grizzled and cynical animal smuggler to bring a …
Case Studies
Conserving the Endangered Blue Iguana: A Case Study, Breeding Dragons
Reintroducing Britain’s Rarest Snake: A Case Study
After an absence of more than half a century, Britain’s rarest reptile, the Smooth Snake ( Coronella austriaca) is set to return to Devon as part of a project undertaken …
Conserving the Endangered Blue Iguana: A Case Study
The work of the Cayman Islands’ Blue Iguana Recovery Programme (BIRP) in rescuing one of the world’s rarest and most threatened reptiles from the edge of extinction, ranks high amongst …
The Madras Crocodile Bank Trust: A Case Study
About 25 miles south of the city of Chennai, nestling beside the Bay of Bengal, there lies a small patch of ground where you’ll find the highest number of crocodiles …
Breeding Dragons in Captivity: A Case Study
Reaching a length of up to 10 feet (3m) and an average weight of 10 stones (64kg) or more, the world’s largest living lizard, the Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis) bears …
The Giant Tortoises of the Galapagos: A Case Study
Of all of the unique species to be found on the Galapagos islands, the giant (Geochelone nigra) – the world’s largest tortoise – is probably the best known and certainly …
The Case of the Escaped Corn-Snake: A Case Study
The Corn Snake (Elaphe guttata) has long been a popular pet with reptile keepers. Its characteristically docile nature, uncomplicated demands and relatively modest size make this native of the southern …
Discovering Butikaw a New Species of Monitor: A Case Study
For the most part, animals that are new to science tend to be fairly small; it’s being little and relatively inconspicuous amongst the undergrowth that allows them to avoid detection …
Bringing ‘Dragons’ Back to Wales: A Case Study
You could be forgiven for thinking that the only dragons you’re likely to see on a trip to the Welsh coast are the ones on the road signs that say …
Saving the World’s Rarest Snake: A Case Study
It’s not often that any animal can be said to have been brought back from extinction, but in the case of the Antiguan racer (Alsophis antiguae), it is quite literally …