The post Eastern Box Turtle Feels the Sun for the First Time After Being Kept Captive for 50 Years appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>Rockalina has been kept captive since 1977 when a boy playing outside his New York home found her and brought her home with him. His family kept her as a pet for nearly 50 years, where she lived on a tiled kitchen floor, mostly living on cat food and lettuce.
The lack of rough outdoor terrains significantly impacted her health and physical appearance. She had pale skin, overgrown claws, and was missing a tail when she was brought in at the Garden State Tortoise, and its founder Chris Leone was afraid she was beyond recovery.
Luckily, he was wrong, and Rockalina was brought back to life after being placed under a veterinarian’s care, receiving antibiotics and a meal made of soft, mushed-up foods. Leone captured her journey to full recovery on social media and broke the internet with a video that shows her basking in the sun for the first time in decades. He also advised anyone who encounters an eastern box turtle in the wild to leave it where it is, because it’s already home.
The post Eastern Box Turtle Feels the Sun for the First Time After Being Kept Captive for 50 Years appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>The post 97-Year-Old Tortoise Becomes the Oldest First-Time Mom of Her Species appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>The 97-year-old Mommy and her 96-year-old partner Abrazzo are the two oldest animals at the Philadelphia Zoo, and they’re finally proud parents of four babies. The four hatchlings are presumed to be female, and they might be joined by more siblings because several of Mommy’s eggs still remain unhatched.
Lauren Augustine, the Philadelphia Zoo’s director of herpetology and birds, considers the birth of four babies a historic moment, considering how genetically valuable their species is.
“Mommy is considered one of the most genetically valuable Galapagos tortoises in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP)… With their ages and the fact that Mommy is so genetically valuable being a wild animal, this is such a huge success and accomplishment,” Augustine told The Washington Post.
The four hatchlings are currently being taken care of at the Reptile and Amphibian House, and they’ll make their first public appearance on April 23 – the 93rd anniversary of Mommy’s arrival at the Philadelphia Zoo.
The post 97-Year-Old Tortoise Becomes the Oldest First-Time Mom of Her Species appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>The post David Utrera Finds Viral Fame With His Impressive Gecko Collection appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>Utrera owned a variety of exotic animals throughout his childhood, and his love for reptiles is deeply rooted in the obsession he had with dinosaurs as a kid.
“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve had a fascination with animals. Growing up, I kept everything from bearded dragons to sugar gliders but it wasn’t until I got my first Crested Gecko in 2007 that my reptile addiction took off. Every day I would go through pictures of crested geckos online and the newfound obsession never seemed to dwindle,” he writes on his official website.
After acquiring the nicest geckos from various breeders, Utrera eventually decided he wanted to become a breeder himself. He eventually turned his favorite hobby into a business and Tiki’s Geckos was born out of his love for geckos and other lizards. He’s now using the power of social media to put his business on the map, in addition to encouraging people to learn how unique and diverse they can be.
The post David Utrera Finds Viral Fame With His Impressive Gecko Collection appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>The post Tilly G The Tortoise Finds Her Best Friend in a Dog Named Skippy appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>With 440,000 followers under her belt, Tilly is one of the most popular tortoises on Instagram, in addition to having an impressive following across several other social media platforms. She didn’t have to embark on this journey of her own because her owners welcomed many more rescue animals into their home.
Tilly may be the only tortoise around, but she has several four-legged companions, including five cats and four dogs. After seeing what an amazing bond they formed, Tilly’s owners decided to share their pets’ adventures on social media in an attempt to spread love and pawsitivity.
Tilly gets on well with all the cats and dogs in the household, but the adorable pup named Skippy is definitely her BFF. They grew up by each other’s side, and they enjoy snacking, napping, and playing together, always sharing their favorite toys. In addition to being the stars of countless viral videos on Instagram, Tilly and Skippy’s story was also captured in the children’s book Tilly G The Tortoise & Skippy, written by Karen Sisneros and illustrated by Nadia Ronquillo.
The post Tilly G The Tortoise Finds Her Best Friend in a Dog Named Skippy appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>The post 5 Mind-Blowing Facts About Frilled Lizards appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>Frilled lizards are native to northern Australia and southern New Guinea, and they’re the only member of their genus Chlamydosaurus, a Latin word that can be translated as “cloaked wizard”.
Frilled lizards are known as arboreal creatures because they spend 90% of their time in trees, only leaving to feed, interact with other lizards, and travel to a new tree.
The frills of these wizards usually have red, orange, yellow, or white coloration, determined by several factors, including their place of origin, carotenoids and pteridine pigments, and steroid hormones.
These lizards have a disc-shaped frill that can reach over four times the length of the animal’s torso. They’re a part of their defense mechanism system because they can use it to intimidate predators.
Female frilled lizards can lay up to 20 tiny eggs in an underground nest, and the babies can hatch and become independent after several months, capable of hunting and utilizing their frills.
The post 5 Mind-Blowing Facts About Frilled Lizards appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>The post Kaitlin Hoyt Puts a Whimsical Twist on Frogs & Other Reptiles appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>Hoyt describes herself as a visual artist who explores themes of connectivity and kinship through whimsical fusions of flora and fauna, and she uses a combination of different artistic styles to bring her paintings to life.
“Hoyt combines precise detail with dreamy playfulness that speaks to her fascination with both the natural and imaginary. With acrylic and colored pencil, her paintings express admiration for nature’s ability to persist and adapt – traits that have driven her own evolving self-taught practice,” she writes on her official website.
Hoyt’s Instagram page is filled with quirky animal portraits, but reptiles clearly hold a special place in her heart. She’s not too concerned about showcasing them in a realistic manner, and most of her illustrations put a whimsical twist on frogs, snakes, and other reptiles, giving them a fairytale-like feel.
In addition to sharing her art with 70,000 followers on Instagram, Hoyt also participated in many artist residencies and published several children’s books.
The post Kaitlin Hoyt Puts a Whimsical Twist on Frogs & Other Reptiles appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>The post Over 100 Endangered Northern Leopard Frogs Released Into the Wild appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>Things are looking up for the northern leopard frogs in Washington, and the Oregon Zoo played an important role in their conservation efforts. Over 100 endangered frogs spent the spring and summer growing in a protected area at the zoo, but they were eventually released into the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge earlier this month.
Jennifer Osburn Eliot had overseen the zoo’s frog-rearing efforts since they were brought to the zoo as eggs last spring by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife until they were released into the wild.
“They come to us as eggs, then they grow into tadpoles and develop into frogs. We care for them at the zoo until they’re big enough to have a better chance of surviving in the wild. Every frog we release makes a difference for this vulnerable species,” she said in a press release.
Despite living in abundance in other parts of the United States, the northern leopard frogs have been listed as endangered in Washington since 1999. The decline of their population was caused by several factors, including changes in water quality, a loss of wetland habitat, and predation by invasive species.
The post Over 100 Endangered Northern Leopard Frogs Released Into the Wild appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>The post Reptile Lovers Have To See Hen Tattooer’s Ink Art appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>Hen Tattooer is based in Seoul, South Korea, but their unique brand of tattoo art is sought out in Asia, Europe, North America, and beyond. This talented artist hosted residencies all around the world, and they’re planning to spend several months across London, Lisbon, Barcelona, Milan, and Paris this fall.
Hen Tattooer has been in the ink art game for several years and quickly developed an instantly recognizable personal style. Their tattoos will win you over with their retro charm and abundance of tiny details that make it seem like Hen’s subjects exist in a world of their own.
We’ve seen this talented artist tackle many different subjects, but most of their tattoos share a common thread. Animals are either the stars or lurking in the background of their tattoos, ranging from cats and dogs to birds and insects.
Hen Tattooer also enjoys using ink to craft the most magical reptile tattoos, and you’ll love them if you’re a fan of this species. Snakes are among their favorite subjects, but you’ll also find crocodile and lizard tattoos on the artists’ Instagram page.
The post Reptile Lovers Have To See Hen Tattooer’s Ink Art appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>The post Brooke Elder is the Internet’s Favorite Reptile Nerd appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>Elder fell in love with reptiles when she was around six years old—catching frogs and snakes outside while growing up in Wisconsin was one of her favorite childhood hobbies. She always loved all the wild creatures, both big and small, but reptiles eventually captured her heart.
She spent her teenage years working at pet stores and gained even more knowledge about animal care during an internship at the Milwaukee County Zoo in the Aquarium and Reptile Building.
She took care of dozens of reptiles over the years, from snakes to several different species of lizards, and they helped her grow into the person she is today.
“I have grown more as an individual since owning my reptiles, and I am more able to confidently express and embrace myself for who I am. Reptiles teach you to find beauty in everything and to be true to yourself,” she told Zilla Rules, adding she feels reptiles are more drawn to people who have confidence in themselves.
The post Brooke Elder is the Internet’s Favorite Reptile Nerd appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>The post V. Steiner’s Art Celebrates Underrated Beauty of Reptiles appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>V. Steiner is the alter ego of the painter and illustrator Veronica, who was born and raised in Florida. She’s been very artistic from a young age and now enjoys working with many different mediums, from watercolors to acrylics and oil paintings.
In addition to not limiting herself in terms of her artistic style, Steiner also enjoys exploring all sorts of different subjects in her body of work. Her love for nature is definitely her biggest source of inspiration, and her love for animals shines through in each of her paintings.
When Steiner decided to embark on her artistic journey, she decided to spotlight animals that typically aren’t seen as beautiful. Reptiles quickly became her biggest source of inspiration, and she paid homage to many different species through her art.
From alligators and armadillos to turtles, toads, and snakes, Steiner captured the underrated beauty of many reptiles through her paintings. She even transformed some of her best illustrations into magnets, pins, stickers, and more.
The post V. Steiner’s Art Celebrates Underrated Beauty of Reptiles appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>The post Eastern Box Turtle Feels the Sun for the First Time After Being Kept Captive for 50 Years appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>Rockalina has been kept captive since 1977 when a boy playing outside his New York home found her and brought her home with him. His family kept her as a pet for nearly 50 years, where she lived on a tiled kitchen floor, mostly living on cat food and lettuce.
The lack of rough outdoor terrains significantly impacted her health and physical appearance. She had pale skin, overgrown claws, and was missing a tail when she was brought in at the Garden State Tortoise, and its founder Chris Leone was afraid she was beyond recovery.
Luckily, he was wrong, and Rockalina was brought back to life after being placed under a veterinarian’s care, receiving antibiotics and a meal made of soft, mushed-up foods. Leone captured her journey to full recovery on social media and broke the internet with a video that shows her basking in the sun for the first time in decades. He also advised anyone who encounters an eastern box turtle in the wild to leave it where it is, because it’s already home.
The post Eastern Box Turtle Feels the Sun for the First Time After Being Kept Captive for 50 Years appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>The post 97-Year-Old Tortoise Becomes the Oldest First-Time Mom of Her Species appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>The 97-year-old Mommy and her 96-year-old partner Abrazzo are the two oldest animals at the Philadelphia Zoo, and they’re finally proud parents of four babies. The four hatchlings are presumed to be female, and they might be joined by more siblings because several of Mommy’s eggs still remain unhatched.
Lauren Augustine, the Philadelphia Zoo’s director of herpetology and birds, considers the birth of four babies a historic moment, considering how genetically valuable their species is.
“Mommy is considered one of the most genetically valuable Galapagos tortoises in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP)… With their ages and the fact that Mommy is so genetically valuable being a wild animal, this is such a huge success and accomplishment,” Augustine told The Washington Post.
The four hatchlings are currently being taken care of at the Reptile and Amphibian House, and they’ll make their first public appearance on April 23 – the 93rd anniversary of Mommy’s arrival at the Philadelphia Zoo.
The post 97-Year-Old Tortoise Becomes the Oldest First-Time Mom of Her Species appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>The post David Utrera Finds Viral Fame With His Impressive Gecko Collection appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>Utrera owned a variety of exotic animals throughout his childhood, and his love for reptiles is deeply rooted in the obsession he had with dinosaurs as a kid.
“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve had a fascination with animals. Growing up, I kept everything from bearded dragons to sugar gliders but it wasn’t until I got my first Crested Gecko in 2007 that my reptile addiction took off. Every day I would go through pictures of crested geckos online and the newfound obsession never seemed to dwindle,” he writes on his official website.
After acquiring the nicest geckos from various breeders, Utrera eventually decided he wanted to become a breeder himself. He eventually turned his favorite hobby into a business and Tiki’s Geckos was born out of his love for geckos and other lizards. He’s now using the power of social media to put his business on the map, in addition to encouraging people to learn how unique and diverse they can be.
The post David Utrera Finds Viral Fame With His Impressive Gecko Collection appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>The post Tilly G The Tortoise Finds Her Best Friend in a Dog Named Skippy appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>With 440,000 followers under her belt, Tilly is one of the most popular tortoises on Instagram, in addition to having an impressive following across several other social media platforms. She didn’t have to embark on this journey of her own because her owners welcomed many more rescue animals into their home.
Tilly may be the only tortoise around, but she has several four-legged companions, including five cats and four dogs. After seeing what an amazing bond they formed, Tilly’s owners decided to share their pets’ adventures on social media in an attempt to spread love and pawsitivity.
Tilly gets on well with all the cats and dogs in the household, but the adorable pup named Skippy is definitely her BFF. They grew up by each other’s side, and they enjoy snacking, napping, and playing together, always sharing their favorite toys. In addition to being the stars of countless viral videos on Instagram, Tilly and Skippy’s story was also captured in the children’s book Tilly G The Tortoise & Skippy, written by Karen Sisneros and illustrated by Nadia Ronquillo.
The post Tilly G The Tortoise Finds Her Best Friend in a Dog Named Skippy appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>The post 5 Mind-Blowing Facts About Frilled Lizards appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>Frilled lizards are native to northern Australia and southern New Guinea, and they’re the only member of their genus Chlamydosaurus, a Latin word that can be translated as “cloaked wizard”.
Frilled lizards are known as arboreal creatures because they spend 90% of their time in trees, only leaving to feed, interact with other lizards, and travel to a new tree.
The frills of these wizards usually have red, orange, yellow, or white coloration, determined by several factors, including their place of origin, carotenoids and pteridine pigments, and steroid hormones.
These lizards have a disc-shaped frill that can reach over four times the length of the animal’s torso. They’re a part of their defense mechanism system because they can use it to intimidate predators.
Female frilled lizards can lay up to 20 tiny eggs in an underground nest, and the babies can hatch and become independent after several months, capable of hunting and utilizing their frills.
The post 5 Mind-Blowing Facts About Frilled Lizards appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>The post Kaitlin Hoyt Puts a Whimsical Twist on Frogs & Other Reptiles appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>Hoyt describes herself as a visual artist who explores themes of connectivity and kinship through whimsical fusions of flora and fauna, and she uses a combination of different artistic styles to bring her paintings to life.
“Hoyt combines precise detail with dreamy playfulness that speaks to her fascination with both the natural and imaginary. With acrylic and colored pencil, her paintings express admiration for nature’s ability to persist and adapt – traits that have driven her own evolving self-taught practice,” she writes on her official website.
Hoyt’s Instagram page is filled with quirky animal portraits, but reptiles clearly hold a special place in her heart. She’s not too concerned about showcasing them in a realistic manner, and most of her illustrations put a whimsical twist on frogs, snakes, and other reptiles, giving them a fairytale-like feel.
In addition to sharing her art with 70,000 followers on Instagram, Hoyt also participated in many artist residencies and published several children’s books.
The post Kaitlin Hoyt Puts a Whimsical Twist on Frogs & Other Reptiles appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>The post Over 100 Endangered Northern Leopard Frogs Released Into the Wild appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>Things are looking up for the northern leopard frogs in Washington, and the Oregon Zoo played an important role in their conservation efforts. Over 100 endangered frogs spent the spring and summer growing in a protected area at the zoo, but they were eventually released into the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge earlier this month.
Jennifer Osburn Eliot had overseen the zoo’s frog-rearing efforts since they were brought to the zoo as eggs last spring by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife until they were released into the wild.
“They come to us as eggs, then they grow into tadpoles and develop into frogs. We care for them at the zoo until they’re big enough to have a better chance of surviving in the wild. Every frog we release makes a difference for this vulnerable species,” she said in a press release.
Despite living in abundance in other parts of the United States, the northern leopard frogs have been listed as endangered in Washington since 1999. The decline of their population was caused by several factors, including changes in water quality, a loss of wetland habitat, and predation by invasive species.
The post Over 100 Endangered Northern Leopard Frogs Released Into the Wild appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>The post Reptile Lovers Have To See Hen Tattooer’s Ink Art appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>Hen Tattooer is based in Seoul, South Korea, but their unique brand of tattoo art is sought out in Asia, Europe, North America, and beyond. This talented artist hosted residencies all around the world, and they’re planning to spend several months across London, Lisbon, Barcelona, Milan, and Paris this fall.
Hen Tattooer has been in the ink art game for several years and quickly developed an instantly recognizable personal style. Their tattoos will win you over with their retro charm and abundance of tiny details that make it seem like Hen’s subjects exist in a world of their own.
We’ve seen this talented artist tackle many different subjects, but most of their tattoos share a common thread. Animals are either the stars or lurking in the background of their tattoos, ranging from cats and dogs to birds and insects.
Hen Tattooer also enjoys using ink to craft the most magical reptile tattoos, and you’ll love them if you’re a fan of this species. Snakes are among their favorite subjects, but you’ll also find crocodile and lizard tattoos on the artists’ Instagram page.
The post Reptile Lovers Have To See Hen Tattooer’s Ink Art appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>The post Brooke Elder is the Internet’s Favorite Reptile Nerd appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>Elder fell in love with reptiles when she was around six years old—catching frogs and snakes outside while growing up in Wisconsin was one of her favorite childhood hobbies. She always loved all the wild creatures, both big and small, but reptiles eventually captured her heart.
She spent her teenage years working at pet stores and gained even more knowledge about animal care during an internship at the Milwaukee County Zoo in the Aquarium and Reptile Building.
She took care of dozens of reptiles over the years, from snakes to several different species of lizards, and they helped her grow into the person she is today.
“I have grown more as an individual since owning my reptiles, and I am more able to confidently express and embrace myself for who I am. Reptiles teach you to find beauty in everything and to be true to yourself,” she told Zilla Rules, adding she feels reptiles are more drawn to people who have confidence in themselves.
The post Brooke Elder is the Internet’s Favorite Reptile Nerd appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>The post V. Steiner’s Art Celebrates Underrated Beauty of Reptiles appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>V. Steiner is the alter ego of the painter and illustrator Veronica, who was born and raised in Florida. She’s been very artistic from a young age and now enjoys working with many different mediums, from watercolors to acrylics and oil paintings.
In addition to not limiting herself in terms of her artistic style, Steiner also enjoys exploring all sorts of different subjects in her body of work. Her love for nature is definitely her biggest source of inspiration, and her love for animals shines through in each of her paintings.
When Steiner decided to embark on her artistic journey, she decided to spotlight animals that typically aren’t seen as beautiful. Reptiles quickly became her biggest source of inspiration, and she paid homage to many different species through her art.
From alligators and armadillos to turtles, toads, and snakes, Steiner captured the underrated beauty of many reptiles through her paintings. She even transformed some of her best illustrations into magnets, pins, stickers, and more.
The post V. Steiner’s Art Celebrates Underrated Beauty of Reptiles appeared first on Our Funny Little Site.
]]>