Reptile & Amphibian
News Blog
Keep up with news and features of interest to the reptile and amphibian community on the kingsnake.com blog. We cover breaking stories from the mainstream and scientific media, user-submitted photos and videos, and feature articles and photos by Jeff Barringer, Richard Bartlett, and other herpetologists and herpetoculturists.
Thursday, June 21 2012
When we were kids, all of us had to write at least one "How I spent my summer vacation" essay for school. I never grew out of writing the essays or taking the summer vacations, but that's because I get to take some pretty cool "vacations" as an adult.
This year I spent Fathers' Day weekend with Cindy Steinle and more than 100 other herpers attending the "Snake Days" celebration in Sanderson, Texas. Part work, part vacation, part adventure it was three days spent deep in the Texas desert learning about the reptiles and amphibians of that area. Then we spent our nights trying to catch and photograph some of them. Along the way we ran into some interesting people, some old (old) friends, some new friends, all with the same passion for the animals and the desert. We also picked up some trash along the road ways and raised some much-needed funding for reptile programs in Texas.
Though this is the "First Annual" Snake Days celebration, in fact it is only a continuation of a long history of unofficial reptile meet-ups that have occurred in the Trans-Pecos stretching all the way back to the 1960s. Many of those same people were in attendance last weekend, some making an annual pilgrimage, others showing up again for the first time after 10, 20, or 30 years. Comparing the two photographs on the right, one taken this year, the other taken in the late 80s, you won't be surprised to see many of the same people appearing in both.
Cindy and I want to thank Jeff Adams for putting together the first "official" Snake Days in Sanderson. It's good to finally have a home. We look forward to seeing everyone again next year!
| 
Snake Days 2012 Attendees
"Snake Days" in the late 80s in Del Rio |
 Politics and reptiles make strange bedfellows, especially in an election year. Controversial Texas Land Commissioner and candidate for Lieutenant Governor, Jerry Patterson, has weighed in on the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard issue. From the Texas Insider:
Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson today claimed victory in an initial battle after U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced federal bureaucrats will not list the dunes sagebrush lizard as an endangered species.
“Texans stood up and were heard,” Patterson said. “The drive to list this lizard wasn’t based on science, but was in response to abusive lawsuits filed against the federal government by a radical environmental group — and Texans showed that we don’t get intimidated so easily.”
With all the controversy over the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard, all the lawsuits, finger pointing, and blame, a little overlooked fact is that Texas had already extended protection to the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard some years ago. In fact, it, along with dozens of other reptiles, amphibians, and mammals, were extended protections not " based on science," to use Jerry Patterson's words, when they were included on Texas Parks and Wildlife's blacklist of non-game species. Implemented under Rick Perry's administration, the list prevents private industry from working with, commercializing or studying those species. Oddly, the same regulations include exclusions allowing exterminators to kill many of the species afforded protection by the blacklist, which is probably good since it includes 11 species of rats and 25 species of mice.
To see all the species, like Cotton Rats, the Deer Mouse and the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard, that Texas taxpayers are paying to protect, click below.
Continue reading "Dunes Sagebrush Lizard already protected under Texas law"
Wednesday, June 20 2012
By
Wed, June 20 2012 at 19:36
Hi, I'm Oliver Jones I would appreciate any help at all you can give me. I am trying very hard to find a job working with reptiles, in a zoo, or in a venom lab. Im not having much luck and this is the only thing Im happy doing more so what I love. I have years and years extensive experience Im just trying to find somewhere I can get in at. I feel like I'm practically begging at this point lol. Heres a copy of my resume I also put together if you'd like to take a look.
Professional Experience
ACS Xerox (sprint)
Sprint Android Agent April 2012 -present
· Trouble shoot customers phones on a first call resolution· Use various tools and computer programs to solve customers issue· Suggestive selling to improve customers experience · Taking payments· Assist customers with billing questions· Meeting goals and company metrics each month Michael’s Arts and Crafts, Raleigh , North Carolina
Stock team, Sep 2010-present
•Greet and assist customers
•Estimate quantity and cost of merchandise required.
•Describe merchandise and explain use, operation, and care of merchandise to customers.
•Watch for and recognize security risks and thefts, and know how to prevent or handle these situations.
•Clean shelves, counters, and tables.
•Answer questions regarding the store and its merchandise.
•Maintain knowledge of current sales and promotions, policies regarding payment and exchanges, and security practices.
•Recommend, select, and help locate or obtain merchandise based on customer needs and desires.
•Ticket, arrange, and display merchandise to promote sales.
•Price clearance merchandise and sign merchandise for the upcoming sale and promotion ad.
•Inventory new stock and requisition new stock.
•Make sure merchandise is always fully stocked on flow as needed by down stocking the items.
•Stock merchandise on floor and place overstock up properly.
•Unload merchandise from delivery trucks.
•Assist in new employee training.
PetSmart, Raleigh , North Carolina
Pet Care, Jan 2010-March 2011
•Perform Back-washes in the aquatics systems.
•Observe all animals for signs of illness or changes in behavior.
•Compute sale prices, total purchases and receive and process cash or credit payments.
•Feed, Water, and medicate all animals before the store opens and make sure all habitats are presentable to the public.
•Ticket, arrange, and display merchandise to promote sales.
•Answer questions regarding the store, animals, and merchandise.
•Clean all animal habitats.
•Prepare sales slips or sales contracts.
•Estimate quantity and cost or merchandise required.
•Retain knowledge of current sales and promotions, and store policies.
•Describe merchandise and explain use and operation to the customer.
•Exchange merchandise for customers and except returns.
•Place special orders or call other stores to find desired items.
•When selling animals ask the customer questions to make sure it is the right animal “pet” for them and that they are aware of all the necessary care and maintenance the animal requires to stay in good health.
•Maintain records related to sales.
•Prepare merchandise for purchase.
•Clean shelves and counters.
•Watch for and recognize security risks and thefts and how to handle the situations.
•Clean aquatic plant systems out weekly, algae scrub, prune, and remove and decaying plants.
•Inventory stock and requisition new stock.
•Greet customers and ascertain what each customer wants or needs.
•Recommend, select, and help locate merchandise based on the customer’s wants and needs.
Petco, Durham , North Carolina
Pet care/Register/Reptile Specialist, Jan 2008-Aug 2008
•Provide customers with information on animal/reptile adoption agencies in the area to consider before purchasing a new pet.
•Open and close cash registers, performing tasks such as counting money, separating charge slips, coupons, and vouchers, balancing cash drawers, and making deposits.
•Maintain all items in reptile department and habitat.
•Assist customers with any reptile related questions.
•Stock items to floor.
•Observe all animals for signs of illness or changes in behavior.
•Compute sale prices, total purchases and receive and process cash or credit payments.
•Feed, Water, and medicate all animals before the store opens and make sure all habitats are presentable to the public.
•Ticket, arrange, and display merchandise to promote sales
•Answer questions regarding the store, animals, and merchandise.
•Clean all animal habitats.
•Prepare sales slips or sales contracts.
•Estimate quantity and cost or merchandise required.
•Retain knowledge of current sales and promotions, and store policies.
•Describe merchandise and explain use and operation to the customer.
•Exchange merchandise for customers and except returns.
•Place special orders or call other stores to find desired items.
•When selling animals ask the customer questions to make sure it is the right animal “pet” for them and that they are aware of all the necessary care and maintenance the animal requires to stay in good health.
•Maintain records related to sales.
•Prepare merchandise for purchase.
•Clean shelves and counters.
•Watch for and recognize security risks and thefts and how to handle the situations.
•Clean aquatic plant systems out weekly, algae scrub, prune, and remove and decaying plants.
•Inventory stock and requisition new stock.
•Greet customers and ascertain what each customer wants or needs.
•Recommend, select, and help locate merchandise based on the customer’s wants and needs.
Sears, South Hill , Virginia
Stocker/Sales/Electronics Department manager, Sept 2004-Feb 2008
•Stocking items to the sales floor.
•Compute sales prices, total purchases and receive and process cash or credit payments.
•Greet customers, determine their wants and needs, and help find the product that fits their lifestyle.
•Estimate cost of repair or alteration of merchandise.
•Delivery items/large merchandise to customers home.
•Place special orders or call other stores to find a certain item.
•Describe merchandise and explain operation, care, and the benefits of the product.
•Maintain all items in electronics department up to company standards and beyond.
•Ticket and display merchandise to promote sales.
•Establish customers for life.
•Put together large merchandise for customers or for the sales floor.
•Sell or arrange for delivery, insurance, financing, or service contracts for merchandise.
•Inventory stock
•Maintain records related to sales.
•Estimate quantity and cost of merchandise required.
•Open and close cash registers performing tasks such as counting money, separating charge slips, coupons, and vouchers, balancing cash drawers, and making deposits.
•Assist customers with loading merchandise.
•Maintain knowledge of current sales and promotions, and policies regarding payments and exchanges.
•Unloading merchandise trucks.
•Estimate and quote trade-in allowance.
•Watch for and recognize security risk.
•Prepare sales slips and contracts.
Education
Park View Senior High School , South Hill , Virginia
•Head of the Ecology Club (herpetology)
•Enrolled in College prep classed with honors.
•Involved in the BETA Club.
Southside Virginia Community College , Alberta , Virginia
•Biology, September 2009
•Completed pre-requisite classes for Veterinary Medicine
Central Carolina Community College , Sanford , North Carolina
•Veterinary Technician Candidate, Sept 2014
North Carolina State University
•Veterinary Medicine (Exotic Animal) Candidate, Sept 2017
Additional Skills
•Microsoft word and excel
•Typing skills.
•Owned and operated Southside Virginia Central North Carolina Reptile Rescue and Sanctuary for almost ten years.
•Have experience working with over 200 species of reptiles including native and exotic venomous snakes, crocodilians, large constrictors, lizards, turtles, and tortoises.
•I have worked, assisted, aided and been involved with over 30 endangered and threatened reptiles in breeding programs with rescue work, partnership rescues, Missouri Reptile Zoo. Have worked with Veterinarian Robert Dennis, Veterinarian Dan Johnson and Dr. Leonitti, Missouri Reptile Zoo, Chris Follestead, Jeffery Sellers, Marini Reptile Rescue, Peaceable Kingdom exotic and native wildlife center, TIAMET Wildlife Rehabilitation Center , and several state parks.
•Other than my reptile experience I have also had the chance to work with several different raptors, lions, wolves, coyotes, fox, several parrots, black bear, raccoons, Virginia and Brazilian opossum, sugar gliders, llamas, camel, zebra, bison, peafowl/pheasant, waterfowl, emus, ostrich, rhea, East African crowned cranes, zebu, as well as different livestock.
•Have Carried out several reptile education programs to educate the public on best/worst reptile pets, venomous snakes, reptile care, reptile husbandry, endangered/threatened reptile species, how we work as a rescue, reptile safety, and the roles reptiles play in the worlds ecosystem. These events have been done at several museums, reptile expos, state parks, schools, fairs, daycare centers, nursing homes, state childcare homes, pet stores, and festivals.
•Have carried out several reptile adoption events at local petco stores to find permanent homes for the available animals in our custody by using a application/contract and information system by Melissa Kaplan.
•Doing reptile rescue I have seen/dealt with a number of injuries, diseases, parasites, and different forms of malnutrition in reptiles and I’ve now learned to recognize these illnesses I have dealt with the most as well as some others and their easiest forms of treatment in the best being of the animal.
References
available upon request
List of species I have kept successfully and worked with in the last ten years:
Pythons
1.Burmese
2.Reticulated
3.African rocks
4.Ball
5.Ring
6.White lipped
7.Calabar burrowing
8.Carpet
9.Green tree various localities
10.woma
11.blood
Boas
1.hybrid anaconda green x yellow
2.yellow anaconda
3.green anaconda
4.various locality red tail boas
5.viper
6.Solomon island ground and tree
7.Emerald tree
8.hog island
9.dumerils
10.Brazilian rainbow
kenyan and saharan sand boas
Colubrids
1.Various Milk snakes
2.Various Kingsnakes
3.Brown, Banded, Red belly water snakes
4.black, buttermilk, yellow belly, red racers
5.western coachwhip
6.Eastern, western, tricolor, speckled, golden, giant hognose snakes
7.Red mountain racers
8.Taiwan Beauty rats
9.Various other rat snakes
10.greens, garters, etc
11. Red tail green rat
12.Rhino rat
Hots
1.desert horn viper
2.hairy bush viper
3.red tail green tree viper
4.eyelash viper
5.sawscale viper
6.puff adder
7.gaboon viper
8.rhinoceros viper
9.sedge viper
10.wagler temple viper
11.coral snake
12.timber rattler
13.eastern diamondback rattler
14.dusky pygmy rattler
15.western diamondback rattler
16.Arizona black tail rattler
17.neo-tropical rattler
18.copperheads
19.cottonmouth ( Florida and eastern)
20.red spitting cobra
21.black and white spitting cobra
22.black neck spitting cobra
23.various monocle cobras (normal, albino, formosa )
24.banded Egyptian cobras
25.black Pakistan cobra
26.Sri Lanka spectacled cobras (breeders)
27.black forest cobra
28.east African green mamba
Crocodilians
1.Nile
2.saltwater x Siamese
3.smooth front dwarf caiman
Turtles
1.snappers
2.red ear
3.yellow belly sliders
4.snake necked
5.mud
6.stinkpots
7.softshells
8.map
Tortoises
1.spur thigh (sulcattas)
2.forest hinge backed
3.box turtles
4.red footed
5.yellow footed
6.greek
7.Russian
8.leopard
Inverts
1.black fat tail scorpion
2.yellow fat tail scorpion
3.death stalker scorpion
4.emperor scorpion
5.tricolor scorpion
6.flat rock scorpion
7.giant millipedes
8.Haitian giant centipede
9.Vietnamese giant centipede
10.hissing roaches
Tarantulas
1.goliath birdeater
2.king baboon
3.usumbara orange baboon
4.cobalt blue
5.rose hair
6.pink toe
7.zebra
8.skeleton
9.Mexican red knee
10.Mexican blood leg
11.ornamental Indian
Amphibians
1.whites tree frog
2.tomatoes frog
3.giant rococo toad
4.darts
5.Brazilian milk frog
6.waxy monkey tree frog
7.pac man frogs
8.pixie frogs
9.albino bull frogs
10.tiger salamander
11.fire salamander
12.marbled salamander
13.red salamander
14.siren
15.mudpuppy
Various Lizards:
1.panther chameleons
2.quad chameleon
3.Jackson chameleon
4.veild chameleon
5.Senegal chameleon
6.fischers chameleon
7.rudis chameleon
8.flap neck chameleon
9.green basilisk
10.brown basilisk
11.green iguanas by the tons
12.red iguana
13.desert iguana
14.spiny tail iguana
15.Rhino iguana
16.blue tongue skink
17.fire skink
18.berber skink
19.oscillated skink
20.green tree skink
21.monkey tail skink
22.sandfish skink
23.jeweled lacerta
24.jungle runner
25.water dragons (Australian and Chinese)
26.webers sailfin dragon
27.bearded dragons
28.helmet iguana
29.horned toads
30.monitors (nile, savannah, sumatra water, yellow, dumerils)
31.geckos (leopard, fat tail, tokay, marble, crocodile, fan foot, flying, various days, crested, gargoyle, white linned skunk, green eye,)
32.frilled dragons
33.various uromastyx
34.beaver tail agamas
35.red head, blue head agamas
Sunday, June 17 2012
 Friday night we headed east on I-90 with plans to herp the cuts and head to Langtry. That was until we came across a young girl who had run out of gas.
We started the night fairly early, which allowed for us to actually see a ton of lizards. We had Andy, a biologist from Texas Parks and Wildlife; Rom, a paramedic from Arizona; and a reporter and photographer from San Antonio joining us on our runs.
Jeff may have caught the first snake of our trip, but I spotted the first four lizards. Several side blotched lizards and Desert spiny lizards were out all evening. The snakes, however, were not. Or at least for our crew. I had a lot of concern going into this about my ability to spot things on the cuts, but after the lizards, I lost all doubts.
As we were headed towards Langtry on a very sharp and blind curve another herper flagged us down. A girl was trying to make the drive west and had hoped to make Sanderson before she ran out of gas and didn't quite make it. We didn't have gas, but we had a group of MacGyvers who attempted to create a siphon hose out of two camel backs. Unfortunately, we were a bit short. We escorted her as far as she could make it west towards Sanderson, left her at a rock cut with another herper who promised to keep and eye on her, and then ran to town to grab a few gallons to get her the rest of the way.
The oddest thing happened while we were talking. The girl turned out to be a turtle keeper who had never met herpers. She also had never met a woman who liked reptiles! But here she was stranded and we got to share a bit of our world with her. Right after she pulled off and got on her way, we herped the cut. Karma shined down on us, rewarding us with a Suboc that was found on the top of the cut directly above where she was parked! It turned out to be the only live snake of the evening.
We had planned on trekking 285 to the 2400 to look for something that rattles for me, but an accident prevent that route. We went west and worked a few cuts before heading up the highway. About this time Andy and I each grabbed a seat of our own and crashed. Walking the last cut, we both hit that exhaustion wall. It was 3 AM, after all!
Jeff and Ron kept searching and Jeff found his Sanderson grayband. Well, kinda. The organizers of Snake Days placed three plastic snakes on the cuts. Each one has a prize associated with it when we turn them in. As sad as it is for Jeff to not have found a live grayband, I think it is amazingly ironic that the man who started the Alterna Page and kingsnake.com is the man who found the grayband. Almost as if it was fate!
We were the last to roll in at 5 AM. Everyone else was asleep and we stumbled into our rooms leaving a trail of field gear from the door to the bed. We were up at 10 AM in the morning to make the talks and plan for the night.
Lead photo John Lassiter just before we hit the road, the orange vest is required when working the roads.
Continue reading "Field Report Sanderson: Herpers save stranded motorist "
Friday, June 15 2012
 A bad night snake hunting is better than a good day at work, right?
Well, Jeff and I can combine snake hunting and work and rationalize heading to Sanderson, Tex., to join the Snake Day celebration. I got off the plane right around noon and hopped into the "Herpin' Death Truck," and we began the long trek from Austin to Sanderson. Jeff gave me some tips and explained a bit of the natural history and how to search the cuts. I am an amateur and I readily admit that, but I think Jeff was quite pleased that I didn't think each tire strip on the highway was a snake.
We rolled into Sanderson around 8:30 pm with some very impressive storms surrounding us. We managed to completely miss all of it on the drive so we unloaded our gear, put on the new fashion trend hitting the herp world (orange reflective vests with 144 square inches of reflective tape) and hit the road.
Despite our best efforts, we turned up a ton of inverts, but only one snake. A night snake popped out about 5 minutes before the rain hit Sanderson. We also found a few of Wayne Howell's "surprise snakes," but since they were planted animals, they really do not count. I think the rain skunked us all. Jeff and I headed back to the Desert Air at 2:00 am and collapsed.
We are preparing to head to the convention center shortly for registration and then I suspect we will take a nap so we are raring to go tonight. Here's to finding something that buzzes!
Are you in Sanderson with us? We have a photo gallery set up for the event! Please post all of your finds here.
Thursday, June 14 2012
By
Thu, June 14 2012 at 03:56
Wednesday, June 13 2012
 Somewhere, someone thought that the new "Snakes and Rats" ad campaign by the United Way of Greater Milwaukee was a good idea.
Pet reptile owners, and pet rat owners, however, are likely to disagree.
The public awareness campaign by United Way and Serve Marketing continued in its tradition of shock advertising to address statutory rape and the high birthrates among 15- to 17-year-olds in Milwaukee. It portrays a young girl covered in rats and another enveloped by a snake, asking, "What kind of man preys on underage girls?"
Pet owners are more liable to ask, "What kind of organization defames defenseless animals and their owners?"
The United Way of Greater Milwaukee's choice to use a captive bred pet Burmese python to symbolize a sex offender preying on underage girls has raised the ire of many reptile owners who feel that the advertisement inaccurately portrays reptiles as evil and infers that reptile owners are sex offenders.
Others feel that the United Way's use of a Burmese P\python is just a shameless way to catch the media wind that the Burmese python problem in Florida has exacerbated, and will further increase animosity towards the species and pet owners, either intentionally or unintentionally.
We have contacted the United Way of Greater Milwaukee for comments or a statement and will let you know when we receive a response.
To read more about the United Way of Greater Milwaukee's "Snakes and Rats" marketing campaign, check out the whole article at the Journal Sentinel website. If you would like to contact the United Way of Greater Milwaukee please visit their website and Facebook page and drop them a polite note.
Tuesday, June 12 2012
I started collecting in 1988, back when gas prices were high at $1.50 a gallon, and snake hunting had just become legal again, drawing hobbyists from around the world to some of the roughest country in Texas. I collected actively from 1989 until 2001, when kingsnake.com overwhelmed my free time, averaging 40 nights a year in South Texas and the Trans-Pecos. Along the way I wore out one car, twice, and two trucks. I left the car for dead in the desert once, after sleeping in it for several nights until I could hitch a ride back to civilization.
Over the years in my adventures I have been pelted with rain, sleet, and hail so many times I quit counting. I've been trapped by flood waters three times, chased by tornadoes twice, had more than my share of UFO encounters, and met members of virtually every law enforcement agency in Texas, federal, state or otherwise. I have had flat tires, lost windshields and windows, broken timing belts, lost a transmission, a set of valves, lifters, and pistons. Twice I have let people drive me up dry creek beds, miles away from civilization, and get stuck, once having to walk 7 miles back to pavement. It seems once you hit the Trans-Pecos, something always happens. And if it hasn't happened to me, it's happened to my friends.
All those life experiences were the starting point for what one game warden recently described as "The Ultimate Snake Hunting Truck." | 
Ready for Sanderson and Snake Days!
This is our base kit for the field. |
Continue reading "Building the ultimate snake hunting truck for Sanderson"
Monday, June 11 2012
First on my list of critical items to bring snake hunting is always batteries. Make sure you bring them. Make sure you have them. Make sure you charge them. Make sure you re-charge them.
Sanderson is a very small town, with limited places to acquire batteries, in an emergency or otherwise. With all the locals and all the herpers coming into town, batteries will be tough to find locally. Bring all you need so you don't find yourself 50 feet up on a cut with a light that just went dim. Make sure to bring any chargers you need for batteries or devices as well. Finding an iPhone charger might prove difficult, finding a camera charger impossible.
First thing I do when I get in from hunting is put all my gear and all my batteries on chargers. Cameras, lights, phones, laptop, everything. A dead battery is dead weight,
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Continue reading "Things you need to BRING to Sanderson Snake Days this weekend"
Saturday, June 9 2012
By
Sat, June 9 2012 at 01:25
I am in the works of getting ready to open a reptile business. With us getting ready to open our own place where we sell suplies and live reptiles.
I am trying to get or find a web site or business / distributor that sells wholesale an I am able to supply my shop with the items that I am needing. Back home we have a pet store that is over priced. Everything is cramed together in a small space and there is no room for my wheel chair when I go in there. I know the owner. They dont sell much live animals. Some birds, cats, puppies, mice rats and hamsters and thats it. They have very high prices on there things
I am going to be seeling New Used and also take on consignmentas. I will sell other things then just reptiles but my focus is my reptiles. I want to be able afordable for our small town again like it was a few years back. With my used items I want to be able to put together a set that I can sell to some one who can not afford the big nice set ups. I want to try and make sure that if a kid wants a pet and there parents say "yes" that i have set up for them to buy that they might be able to afford.
If someone can please help me and send me in the dirrection of finding a couple good wholesalers to buy supplies like; bedding, enclosures, housings, heating and UVB supplies, set ups and decorations insert items. I have a distributor now but I think that I am able to find better pricing. Did a search on line and didnt come up with much.
I also have an account with a company from Florida to purchase my reptiles. We do our own custom enclosures and builds for people.
So I am looking for Reptile and Supply Distributors.
I am from Washington State but I am not conserned on where the distributors are located.
Thanks to all
Friday, June 8 2012
I may be an "old hand" when it comes to herping in the Trans-Pecos and other parts of Texas, and I can identify just about anything I've seen more than once, but I still bring my field guides out with me on every trip, and I still encounter a variety of plants and animals I've never seen before.
Texas has such a huge variety of habitats and wildlife it really is like a "whole other country." These books can help you figure out which one, or at least help expand your library. | | | | | | | | | | |
By
Fri, June 8 2012 at 20:49
I keep finding these stories…
Another report that a pet dog has killed a child, further evidence supporting the fact that dogs are far more dangerous than pet reptiles. This time a toddler in Las Cruces, New Mexico was killed by the family dog.
The story is here:
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/05/09/new-mexico-toddler-fatally-mauled-by-family-dog/
It’s awfully ironic that on 18 May 2012 a little girl named Makayla Darnell was killed by a dog in Toledo, Ohio (read that story here):
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/05/18/3-day-old-girl-dies-after-dog-attack-inside-ohio-home/?test=latestnews
and less than three weeks later Ohio’s Governor Kasich signs SB310, the “Ohio Dangerous and Wild Animal Bill” which, oddly, does not cover dogs!
You Ohio reptile/exotic hobbyists might want to contact the Governor’s office and ask him why pet dogs are not banned by SB310, when clearly they are dangerous animals, and as we see, are responsible for far more human injuries and deaths than snakes or crocodilians.
Governor John Kasich
Riffe Center, 30th Floor
77 South High Street
Columbus, OH 43215-6117
Phone: (614) 466-3555
An email contact form is available here:
http://www.governor.ohio.gov/Contact/ContacttheGovernor.aspx
 The endangered San Salvador Iguana ( Cyclura rileyi rileyi) has a second chance at survival, thanks to efforts of Tom Crutchfield, William Hayes, and funding provided by Seacology and CIBC FirstCaribbean.
From the official press release announcing the new facility, San Salvador Living Jewels:
“We are really excited to have this facility,” says Tom Rothfus, Director of the Gerace Research Centre. “Now we have something people can get behind, and see that there is an endangered animal we're protecting right here—and the greater significance of protecting their communities and environments.”
Public education comprises a major goal of the Iguana Conservation Centre. Guests at the Centre will be able to see the highly photogenic iguanas in the beautiful open air pen. Attractive signage describes the plight of these iguanas and some of their more fascinating habits. Prior to the creation of this facility, few visitors to San Salvador even knew the iguanas existed. Presently, the lizards are largely confined to a few offshore cays and to small islets in the inland lake that are difficult to access. Although a few iguanas persist on the main island, they are very rarely encountered.
[...]
Another goal of the new iguana facility—perhaps the most important—is to bring formal protection to San Salvador Island’s unique but highly threatened habitats. In addition to the iguanas, the island hosts some of the largest and most diverse seabird colonies in the archipelago. Other endemic animals found nowhere else cling to a tenacious existence on what many believe was the first land in the New World that Columbus set foot on. Beautiful reefs surround the island, which comprise a major tourist attraction but are susceptible to overuse.
According to Michael Goffe, President of San Salvador’s Living Jewels, “we hope to work closely with the Bahamas National Trust to reinvigorate our efforts to establish a new national park on this island. Many of the island’s residents want the benefits that come from habitat protection.”
Saving one species opens minds to the need of conservation. Thank you to Tom Crutchfield for keeping us in the loop. After the bump, a video from Conch Salad TV, and a few more photos.
Continue reading "Endangered Bahama iguana gets a second chance"
Thursday, June 7 2012
Tromping around the road cuts while snake hunting in the desert at night can be hazardous to your health. The right foot gear and lighting can protect you from all kinds of dangers.
Although I used to walk the cuts in flip-flops when I was younger, I had enough encounters with wildlife to re-consider my actions. The majority of the things that can bite you, stick you, or sting you occur below the knees, and that's why a stout set of "snake proof" boots is a good idea to have in your field kit.
Yes, they can save you from that 4-foot atrox you missed, but more important, they protect you from the myriad cactus spines and thorn bushes, allowing you to work your way through some tough spots. I like the boots I got, the only flaw being that the soles do not seem to offer quite the desired level of protection against penetration, and I had a 3 inch thorn come vertically through the sole like I'd stepped on a nail, which made me watch where I put my feet afterward. | |
Continue reading "More cool things you NEED for Sanderson Snake Days"
Wednesday, June 6 2012
 The Ohio Dangerous and Wild Animal bill (SB310) was officially signed into law on June 5, affecting owners of snakes exceeding 12 feet, venomous species, and crocodilians.
The Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC) worked with legislators to obtain amendments favorable to reptile keepers, including:
having boa constrictors removed completely from list of restricted snakes
ensuring that any species of constricting snake listed as a "restricted" snake may be owned without a permit if the snake is less than 12 feet in length
exempting constricting snakes from liability insurance/surety bond mandate
allowing employees and volunteers of permitted facilities to not be considered “members of the public”
permitting public contact with constricting snakes for educational purposes for school-aged students
prohibiting the Director of Department of Natural Resources to add new animals to the restricted list by going through the legislative process
reducing signage requirements to only require owners of restricted snakes to post signs on the cage of the snake or any vehicle transporting the snake.
To read the full press release from PIJAC, click here.
From Governor Kasich's Facebook page:
Good to have the support of Jack Hanna as I signed the Dangerous Wild Animals bill into law this afternoon. It's an important bill that helps improve the safety of both humans and animals alike, and it's thanks to bipartisan efforts that this day was possible.
You can read the full law here.
Tuesday, June 5 2012
After spending a week with some of the latest gear I have put together a list of things that I field tested and can recommend, or that will be required to comply with Texas Reptile & Amphibian Stamp for hunting along the road right of way. Here are a few of the items I would recommend.
Lighting is the most critical tool for roaming around in the desert at night, and LED lighting technology is probably the best technological advance (other than WiFi in the hotel rooms) since I last spent any time in the field.
The first generation of LED lighting was hardly, if ever, an improvement over the halogen bulbs long in favor with light manufacturers. With the second generation of LED lights, however, LED lighting has truly come into it's own, offering lights that far exceed even the brightest halogens in the tiniest packages. Huge 5 million candlepower corded spotlights from back in the day, with massive reflectors that could open a shopping mall, have been supplanted by units like the Cyclops, a 9 watt LED rechargable unit smaller tham most corded lights of old, and yet with the power that far exceeds the 5 or 10 million candlepower units from back in the day.
Best of all LED technology is an energy miser, I was able to use my Cyclops for 20+ hours straight before I needed to recharge it. The Cyclops comes in a bubble pack with both a an AC and a 12V car charger. I liked this so much I bought a second one! | |
Continue reading "Cool things you NEED in Sanderson next weekend"
Monday, June 4 2012
I was wondering if it would be possible and successful to house a Brazilian Rainbow Boa and an Amazon Tree Boa in the same enclosure. All thoughts, idea, and criticism welcome...within reason of course!
Also, looking for an Amazon Tree Boa! I just don't know much about the color morphs and price for each morph.
Friday, June 1 2012
hi I recently added a savannah monitor named rocky to the family. I noticed a sore on the side of his mouth. it has a scab and its swolen a little bit but theres no puss. I didnt see the last mouse he ate, iv only had him a day. im guessing its a bite that got infected. between, no real sunlight, calci sand, and no water to soak in, since hes been with me he has a litter pan for a water bowl (plenty big for him to bathe in), news paper substrate, and spends his days basking in the florida sun. my ? , should I just do the precautions, clean it, neosporin, or since he seems unaffected by it should I see a few days of better conditions helps?
 "The snakes move when they want to move."
It's an old herpers' axiom that certainly rang true for me for the last six days as I wandered around the Sanderson area checking out a few herps, a lot of invertebrates, and more than the usual number of law enforcement types. Sadly, I did not encounter any gray-banded kingsnakes, nor did I find a milk snake, and the only rat snake I saw was unfortunately dead on the road. But I did see a gorgeous black tailed rattlesnake, a banded gecko, a bright red coachwhip, a tiny night snake and a half dozen Western diamondbacks.
I tested a lot of new gear, including LED headlamps, flashlights, and spotlights that weren't available when I last hunted. And technology in the Sanderson area had changed since I had last been there. Wireless internet in the hotel, cell phone service in limited areas. It was pretty weird to be standing on the cuts east of town and have your phone start ringing. The truck was also tested extensively, and I have a list of fixes, changes and upgrades before I go out again. One of the game wardens I spoke to described it as the "ultimate snake hunting truck, like a bass boat for reptile people."
I spent quite a bit of time talking with the game wardens in Sanderson for the Memorial Day weekend. The four I met were all young, in their twenties and thirties, and were really nice guys. They checked my license and stamp, checked out my truck (just because they thought it was cool), and we talked a bit about the new regulations. As far as I know they didn't ticket any hunters this weekend, though they asked me and a couple others to correct equipment or method errors that could have easily resulted in a ticket, but didn't.
I had spoken with David Sinclair over at Texas Parks & Wildlife before I left and asked him to give me a synopsis of the current regs. that would impact the Snake Days participants. I am reprinting it below, with my later clarifications in italics, so everyone has the correct information before they go and can prepare themselves accordingly.
Continue reading "Sanderson is ready for Snake Days - are you?"
By
Fri, June 1 2012 at 10:57
As I live and breathe- more hate. I'm sick of all the homosexual hating, but hating something that can't stand up for itself? Emailed to Bev Mattocks (CILC) and John Earnhardt (Cisco):
"Snakes play a very important part to the environment. They keep the rodent population from spreading like wildfire, especially at the rate they reproduce- as well as the diseases they carry. They do not eat only twice a year. I keep snakes that I do conservation demonstrations, including dangerous ones, and I can assure you these animals eat like every other reptile. They hibernate, they eat twice a week, they drink water- just like every other reptile. Teaching children this is important, not to kill one on sight. While it is true that a headless snake's severed head can harm you, if you prick yourself on the fang and venom happens to enter the bloodstream, the body cannot harm you. When the head is severed the nerves are still firing, causing the body to move, however it is not alive, it's in the dying phase. Pouring gasoline and any other liquid/gas into a snake den is an abomination. Someone with a problem of a snake den on their property should call their state's Department of Natural Resources to handle the situation and the problem will be moved. Cattle are not in immediate danger to snakes. The snake sees that the cattle are too big and won't make a meal, so it leaves it alone unless the cattle harass the snakes, in which case they will bite in self defense. Whatever hatred adults have for snakes should not be passed on to children lined with falsified information. Snakes will not try to chase you either- if you are "chased" by a snake, you happen to be escaping in the same direction. I am from Texas, born and raised, and there is a large important, but fragile ecosystem that shouldn't be bothered. Some rattlesnakes are now on the verge of extinction because of uninformed adults who as children, like these, had fear implanted into their brains. As for the Rattlesnake Roundups, the beheading, draining blood, and overall abuse is unacceptable. To catch, do demonstrations about milking and anti-venom and then releasing them in very un-suburbian areas is important and should be the guidelines for the Roundup. The abuse that is being taught is cruelty in every sense. There is no "protecting ourselves and animals". How is killing an animal that is hiding from you, and is terrified of humans, protection of animals? Everything being told to these children is a bold faced lie. I know you probably won't reply to this, but you've read the truth now."
It's pretty hard to stay professional. The more emails I write to people regarding things like this, the harder it is to weld that huge filter on my mouth. My last email to HSUS was never replied to out of cowardice and this one won't be either. As much as I want to bash these idiots over the head with a large pane of glass---
Thursday, May 31 2012
I was wondering if it would be possible and successful to house a BRB and ATB in the same enclosure. All thoughts, idea, and criticism welcome...within reason of course!
Also, looking for an Amazon Tree Boa!
 "Some people think it's cruel for us to kill these venomous snakes. We would like for you to know we are protecting ourselves and our animals."
These words, spoken by a cute little blond third grade boy from Snyder Elementary School in Texas, left me in shock while I was watching the KC3-4Kids (Kids Creating Community Content) 2011 Contest presented by CILC and CISCO. The program was also shared with a school in Arizona.
The level of mis-information was shocking -- for example, they were taught that snakes only eat twice a year, that a headless, dead snake can still hurt you, and that the venom milked at the notorius "rattlesnake round-ups" is used to create anti-venom. No less staggering was the children discussing how pouring gas into snake den is a necessary measure to capture, the danger to all the cattle (even though they have to leave the ranch and head to rocks to capture the animals).
Adults prepared the script for these children, by the way. Children are the future and it is what they learn at this time that shape their minds. In Snyder, Texas, they are learning to practice and justify animal abuse.
Tell the program organizers this is not eduction, this is cruelty. Contact the program sponsors here:
Bev Mattocks
Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration
bmattocks@cilc.org
Tweet @cilcorg
John Earnhardt
Cisco Corporate PR and Social Media communications
jearnhar@cisco.com
Tweet him @urnhart
Tweet Cisco @CiscoSystems
Tag your Tweets with #stopanimalcruelty for additional impact.
ETA: It worked! The video has been removed:
Tuesday, May 29 2012
 The Mountain Chicken frogs now have a new chance at life in their native island of Montserrat, and things are looking good for the species.
The frogs have been hunted for their meat, and Smith says that they were served up to restaurants and hotels to tourists that visited the island.
Not only does the island’s active volcano threaten the species, but also the infectious disease known as Chytridiomycosis.
Only two uninfected populations remain, and conservationists from Durrell, London Zoo, Chester Zoo and Parken Zoo set out an emergency rescue mission to airlift 50 of the frogs from the island.
A dozen of the frogs were then relocated to Jersey, U.K., where herpetology keepers successfully bred them in captivity.
After breeding, the conservationists then released 33 healthy frogs back onto the island in January, and since then a field team has spent three months tracking their progress.
“Some of the frogs were calling in the forest in the first night,” Smith told BBC. “Three months later the fact that we still have live frogs in the release site looking healthy and calling is a very encouraging sign.”
To read the full article, click here.
Thursday, May 24 2012
 There are very few Louisiana pine snakes remaining in the wild, but exact numbers are unknown. The good news is efforts are underway to re-establish this native snake.
Scientists don't know how many Louisiana pine snakes exist. They're native only to Louisiana and Texas, and it's been several years since one was trapped in any of the three Texas areas where they had been caught in the 1990s and early 2000s.
That's "cause for pretty serious concern," Craig Rudolph, a scientist at the U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station in Nacogdoches, Texas, said Wednesday. The other four populations, like the Kisatchie reintroduction site, are in Louisiana.
Another cause for concern is that plans to release 50 to 100 hatchlings a year have been stymied. Only 20 hatched in 2010 and 14 last year. Louisiana pine snakes have the largest eggs and hatchlings of any North American snake, coming out of the egg about 18 to 22 inches long, but each female lays only three to five 5-inch-long eggs.
"Some of the snakes in the zoos are getting older and not breeding," said Beau Gregory, a zoologist with the Louisiana Natural Heritage Program.
To read the full article, click here.
Wednesday, May 23 2012
 Never seen before in Tennessee, the Gulf Coast spiny softshell turtle, is the newest subspecies of turtle native to the Conasauga River.
“We are very excited about our new resident here in the state," Hedrick said. "The last time a new turtle was found in Tennessee was in 1986 when threatened bog turtles were discovered in Northeast Tennessee."
When contacted about the zoo’s discovery, Dr. A. Floyd Scott of the Department of Biology at Austin Peay University said, “David Hedrick and Rick Jackson’s discovery of the Gulf Coast spiny softshell turtle is significant because it adds a new taxon to the vertebrate fauna of Bradley County and, more importantly, to the state of Tennessee. Their find, coupled with a preserved specimen [recently confirmed as the Gulf Coast spiny softshell] in the North Carolina State Museum of Natural Sciences that was collected in 1974 from the Conasauga River in eastern Bradley County, suggest there is an established population there that has been overlooked until now."
The spotting of this subspecies is especially momentous because softshelled turtles are an extremely wary aquatic species that disappear at the first sign of danger. They spend a great deal of time buried in the stream bottom, waiting to ambush prey. Their necks are long, and they have tiny, pig-like noses that allow them to stretch up to the surface and breathe while the rest of their body remains buried in the sand and mud.
To read the full article, click here.
Monday, May 21 2012
 Recently, the newsworthy public displays of reptiles in the US have been the disgusting animal abuse events called Rattlesnake Roundups.
In Italy, things are different. There, in the tiny town of Cocullo in the Province of L'Aquila of Italy, the first of May is the Festa dei Serpari, or Snake Festival.
From Wikipedia:
Cocullo is known for his singular patron saint's holiday, named Festa dei Serpari, in which the patron saint's statue (Domenico di Sora) is transported in procession covered with lot of snakes (mainly four-lined, aesculapian, grass and green whip snakes). The reptiles themselves are transported in procession by local serpari[4], a sort of "snake breeders", and released in the surrounding woods at the end of the holiday[5][6]. The festival, set every first May since 2012 (in the past it took place every first thursday in May), is a receptive event for Italian and foreigner tourists. In 2009 it was cancelled due to some structural damages occurred into the village after the L'Aquila earthquake [7]. This tradition, present also in coat of arms symbolism[8], substituted the ancient Roman mythologic ritual of Angitia, a snake goddess worshipped by the Marsi.
A few amazing slideshows are out there. Check out the first one from the UPI and the second one at Demotix.com. The inset photo was taken from Demotix.com.
Friday, May 18 2012
By
Fri, May 18 2012 at 22:38
Another person has been tragically killed by a family pet. A dog killed a three-day-old baby in Ohio 17 May 2012. A dog, again, not a python or a boa or a monitor lizard. As politicians on all levels of government are clamoring to “save us” all from the dangers of exotic pets, two children in the United States have been killed by family pet dogs in three weeks’ time (a Nevada toddler was killed by his family’s dog 28 April 2012).
If you happen to live in a state or municipality where YOUR right to choose your pets is threatened by nanny-state legislation, ask your nanny-state legislators why they refuse to really defend public safety and ban dogs! The proof is right there – two children dead in less than a month. Imagine, just imagine, if two children were swallowed by pet pythons in a span of three weeks. I don’t need to describe the hysteria which would ensue.
Here’s the story from Ohio:
http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2012/05/18/Infant-dies-after-attack-from-pit-bull.html
And if you missed it, here’s the story from Nevada.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2012/apr/28/first-birthday-ends-tragedy-when-family-dog-attack/
Of course, as I have clearly stated in earlier posts, I am not advocating that any dogs really be banned. The point is that attention to cases such as these needs to be brought to the politicians who are very eagerly passing laws (in the name of “safety”) limiting or eliminating YOUR right to keep exotic pets. Keeping pythons and boas does carry a certain amount of risk – and as we plainly see, keeping dogs does also. Just ask either of those two families. Tell your elected officials to leave you and I to decide for ourselves what kinds of pets we will keep, and leave us to accept the associated risks involved with our decisions.
And for Heaven’s sake, be responsible with your animals! An escaped python gets more negative press than a killer dog.
While I have your attention, HR511 is still lurking in Congress. This one bans reticulated pythons, boa constrictors, and green anacondas in the same way the USFWS declaration banned importation and interstate transport of Burmese and African rock pythons and yellow anacondas. The reasoning is that these snakes are potentially “invasive” and/or potentially “injurious”. You owe it to yourself and your fellow hobbyists to contact your representative and tell him or her that you oppose HR511. Find your representative here (it’s easy and you can email them if you are not motivated to telephone or write).
http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/
Congressman Thomas Rooney of Florida is primary sponsor of the bill. I believe that he’s probably a good guy with good intentions, but he is way off with HR511. Florida’s issues are not America's issues (almost all of HR511’s co-sponsors are also from Florida!)
States are very capable of handling invasive species issues as needed. This is not a federal issue and thus has no place in Congress. You can tell Congressman Rooney your opinion if you feel so inclined.
Here’s his contact information:
https://forms.house.gov/rooney/webforms/issue_subscribe.html
Thursday, May 17 2012
 We know the beauty in the beasts we keep, but it is always refreshing to see others capturing that beauty.
First up is a stunning photo spread from National Geographic of a new viper species, Matilda's horned viper, posing gloriously for the camera.
The "beautiful, heavy-bodied bush viper" sports black and yellow zigzag markings and yellow, hornlike scales above its olive-colored eyes, Tim Davenport, the Wildlife Conservation Society's country director for Tanzania, said in an email.
But few would be envious of this green-eyed creature's rare status. Its forest habitat, already smaller than about 40 square miles (a hundred square kilometers), is declining due to human development and other factors, said Davenport, whose group made the joint discovery with the Science Museum of Trento, Italy.
Combat between males of species is quite common, but to capture the combat between two wild male iguanas is impressive. Click here to see the full photo spread from Mongabay.com.
By
Thu, May 17 2012 at 11:39
I FOUND A BLACK KING-SNAKE ON MY PORCH THE OTHER MORNING SO I DECIDED TO KEEP IT FOR A PET BUT THIS MORNING I WENT TO GET IT OUT TO HOLD IT FOR A FEW MIN.TO TAME IT DOWN MORE IT DIDN'T ACT LIKE ITSELF ,LIKE IT'S WHOLE BODY STARTED TO JUMP LIKE IT WAS SPASMMING OUT ,& YES I HAVE OWNED SNAKE'S IN THE PAST SO I HAD A UNDER AQU.HEATING PAD SO I PLACED THAT THERE THE OTHER DAY AT {1} END OF THE CAGE,I HAVE FRESH WATER IN THE CAGE AS WELL,I ALSO WENT OUTSIDE & GOT SOME SMALL ROCK'S THAT HAD BEEN HEATING IN THE SUN BECAUSE THE SNAKE WAS VERY COLD,SO I PLACED THEM ON THE END WITH THE HEATING PAD SO THE ROCKS WOULD GET WARMED BY THE HEATING PAD...I WOULD LET IT GO BUT NOT IN THIS STATE OF NOT KNOWING IF IT WILL LIVE OR DIE...YOU KNOW WHAT I AM SAYING...
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