#Squamate

[ppaleoartistgallery]

#Paleostream 26/10/2024

here's today's #Paleostream sketches!!! today we sketched Cambropachycope, Onychodus (i only drew the tooth whirl), Xenodens, and Lyrarapax (I drew, L. unguispinus)

[dougdimmadodo]

Louisiana Pine Snake (Pituophis ruthveni)

Family: Colubrid Snake Family (Colubridae)

IUCN Conservation Status: Endangered

Among North America's rarest snakes, the Louisiana Pine Snake's small population size is the result of its highly specific habitat requirements and the resulting sensitivity to human-driven habitat changes that comes with them; members of this species feed primarily on Baird's Pocket Gophers (a specific species of burrowing rodent,) and almost always live in abandoned Baird's Pocket Gopher burrows (often after having eaten the burrows creator,) and as such in areas where Baird's Pocket Gophers are not present Lousiana Pine Snakes cannot survive. Native to western Lousiana and eastern Texas, members of this species do best in pine forests (particularly those dominated by a specific species of pine, Pinus palustris, forests of which are noted to generally support high levels of biodiversity as a result of the loose canopies they form which allow many smaller species of plants to coexist with them,) and spend most of their lives underground, rarely travelling far from their stolen burrows. They emerge from their burrows mainly during the mid-day to hunt (targeting rabbits, frogs and other rodents when Baird's Pocket Gophers are scarce,) but otherwise remain concealed underground in order to avoid predation and unusually high or low temperatures; during the winter, when the weather becomes colder and prey becomes scarcer, they travel deeper into a Baird's Pocket Gopher burrow and hibernate until the early spring.

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Image Source: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/29041-Pituophis-ruthveni

[vickysaurus-art]

On the edge of a Miocene South American grassland, a group of Thoatherium is ambushed by a Phorusrhacos. They scatter, but the terror bird catches one of the litopterns, lifts it high up into the air, and SLAMS it down on the ground to kill it. Other nearby animals have mixed feelings about this situation. Tupinambis flees for its life, while Dryornis flies a little closer in case it can have a bit for itself. Hapalops and Astrapotherium are unbothered and have business of their own to take care of.

[vickysaurus]

Hisss

[hasellia]

I got a visit from a local legend today!

This is Rustle, the Carpet Python. They're named so for the sound of rustling leaves they make as they move. Other that, people in the street usually know he's around by their shed skin. Actually seeing them is rare to my understanding, so I feel blessed. Interestingly, my mum was alerted to him by a local couple that were making alarm cries. When my parents were harrasing Rustle with photograph, the magpies were surprisingly tolerant of our presence while we were taking photographs. Maybe we made them feel safe?

Rustle resting in a tree, or perhaps hoping g to catch a bird feeding on Wattle necter.

[vickysaurus]

Fun fact: this genus of snakes survived the K-Pg extinction! They made it all the way to the Eocene, with possible finds going as far as the Miocene.

Madtsoia madagascariensis - the fossil 'madtsoiid' snake of Late Cretaceous Madagascar - constricting the theropod dinosaur Masiakasaurus knopfleri.

Prehistoric Planet 2 - Episode 1 - Islands

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Uncharismatic Fact of the Day

Open wide! The boomslang snake has one of the biggest mouths of any snake, capable of opening its jaws up to 170°! This is because boomslangs are opisthoglyphous, meaning that the fangs which deliver venom are farther back in their mouths- so to ensure their venom is properly delivered, they have to have a very big bite.

(Image: A boomslang snake (Dispholidus typus) bearing its fangs by Duncan Noakes)

[serpentface]

Fuck it, Longisquama analogue. Attempting to show himself off on a painted Ganmache cult statue.

[markscherz]

Burning questions wanted!!

Tomorrow I'll be recording a new episode of the SquaMates podcast. So, now is your time: rebagel or comment with your burning herpetological questions you want myself and my co-hosts to answer on the show! Things we don't get to on this episode will be added to the list and we will try to get to them in the future!

[cringecorp]

*beep beep* Yupp,as Suspected… “Lizartd.”

[have-you-seen-this-animal]

blue tongued skink

Sure thing! I did one a while back but I'll do a different species this time.

Photos from Kelvin Marshall & John Sullivan respectively.

[dougdimmadodo]

Mud Snake (Farancia abacura)

Family: Colubrid Family (Colubridae)

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

Found mainly in rivers and swamps across much of the southeastern USA, the Mud Snake spends much of its life in the water, feeding primarily on large salamanders such as sirens and amphiumas and typically coming onto land only to bask, lay eggs or travel to other bodies of water during periods of drought. While they lack the venom that many aquatic snakes rely on to subdue prey, members of this species possess a large number of unusually long, curved teeth that aid them in catching slippery animals before swallowing them whole; when threatened they curl their bodies into tight coils and flash their striking red-striped bellies at perceived attackers, although as their teeth are made more for gripping than injuring and they lack venom, this is largely a bluff. Between October and November, when the weather in their native range becomes colder and their prey becomes scarcer, Mud Snakes enter a prolonged state of dormancy in muddy crevices or abandoned burrows, and after emerging again in the spring adults mate, with females laying clutches of over 100 eggs shortly afterwards, leaving them in wet, sheltered places where they will be kept warm and damp until they hatch roughly 60 days later.

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Image Source: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/30106-Farancia-abacura

[vickysaurus-art]

On a lovely evening 47 million years ago, Darwinius and Geiseltaliellus are forced to share their favourite lakeside tree. They do not particularly enjoy each other's company, but are unlikely to do something about it. Their tree has also become the grave of a couple of Titanomyrna infected with a cordycipitoid fungus, the giant ants spreading the fungus in their death grips. Meanwhile, a pair of Gastornis enjoys the evening Sun while a Eurohippus takes a drink, safe in the knowledge that these giant birds are herbivores. Archaeonycteris hunt insects above the lake, while various crocodylians hang out and get ready for the night.

[vickysaurus]

[hasellia]

Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! what's the thingy on your profile pic? My guess is somesort of creeeeture within amber, correct? If so, what kind of creeeeeture is it? it's got a funky head it's pretty cool

Also I just remembered I can color text on the tumble so yeah I'm having fun with that hope you don't mind

HHHHHHHHHHOIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

Thr creature is a chameleon! I didn't have a species in mind but after some research I guess it's a mix of the big crown of the Veiled chameleon and the angled jaw of a Panther Chameleon to get the arrow shape.

Panther Chameleon Skeleton by Exifia on Deviant art.

There was a hubbub a few years ago about an amber specimen containing a chameleon, but that was later proved to be an Albernapid amphibian calked Yaksha by Susan E. Evans.

So a few things inspired it, like Jurrasic Park abd some amber related news at the time. But I think the main inspiration was the power and golden eggs from Splatoon.

This was unintentional but I think it's transformative enough to be okay.

The bean shape was inspired by the famous "gummy bear" amber fossil from Slupsk, Poland.

Sometimes, my mind conflates gummy bears and jelly beans lol.

Sorry if this is a bit rant-y, I try to keep track of where the inspiration for my art and designs comes from. I want to remake it at some point with cleaner lines and a better gradient, but I also like the more janky lines atm so we'll see when/if it happens.

Oh and I DON'T MIND THE COLOURS.

WWWHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOPPPPPP!!!!!!!

[grabby-smitten]

Sylus defo has two hemipenis… HEAR ME OUT! WAIT! the adventage of this is that they not only secrete sperm in one but the other release a fluid that… well… helps the mating plug stay in place after copulating… and… glues together the female mate’s genitalia after that too so other males can’t get in… HAHAHAHAH and uh… yeah…

It’s sooo different from a merman’s *cough* Rafayel *cough*.

- your friendly neighbor the monster biologist👹✌🏻