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.
Thai, the resident King Cobra,, was not in the mood to come out, so Rob Carmichael brought out dinner. Thai was very interested and then hung out while we had our own dinner, Lou Malanti's Pizza. Sorry for the less than stellar video quality; this was taken on my Blackberry.
kingsnake.com will be covering NARBC live, just like we did Anaheim last month. I'll be meeting up with Rob Carmichael of the Wildlife Discovery Center tonight and then on to Tinley Park for it's tenth anniversary show.
If you're there, look for me at set-up on Friday as well as at the show and auction over the rest of the weekend. Stop me and say hi!
You can follow us here on the blog, or by connecting with me (PHFaust) on Kingsnake Connect.
We also have a photo gallery made specifically for this show. Upload shots from the show while you're down there to share with everyone! You can find the NARBC Tinley Park gallery here.
Be sure to "like" us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter, to be reminded of our updates.
Are you a regular Twitter user? We have started a hashtag for the event! Post from the show with #narbc to join in on the fun! Not familiar with how hashtags work? No problem! Check out this helpful link for more information.
Safe travels to all on their way to and from the show. If you see me, please stop and say hi! And don't be shocked if I ask for a photo with you!
The neurotoxic properties of cobra venom can be used as an amazing pain reliever, however when used in horses at the race track, it tips the scales of the outcome. The use relieves the pain in the horses and allows them to push beyond safe limits.
A recent investigation of the use is flaring up folks down in Australia, causing a lot of turmoil. In the states possession is not illegal for anyone, however the racing industry has banned the use. The drawback is there is such a minimal amount used, it is impossible to detect.
HRNZ chief executive Edward Rennell took the report seriously – only nine months ago New South Wales harness authorities uncovered evidence that snake venom was in use in Australia.
Several trainers, including renowned thoroughbred trainer Patrick Biancone, have also been disqualified or suspended for using cobra venom in North America. Biancone's vet Rodney J Stewart, who admitted buying cobra venom from a Florida supplier, was banned for five years.
Last August the Sunday Star-Times also revealed Carl Forrester, now running a Morrinsville stable for Foxton-based Peter Scaife, was still wanted by United States police for his role in a conspiracy to dope horses with cobra venom and the blood-doping agent EPO.
The end result is a breakdown of the horse leading to it being destroyed. If many of you are scratching your heads wondering what use the cobra venom would have on a horse, check out this page on the Saratoga County Disctrict Attorney website.
The use of a highly toxic substance in order to win a horse race may seem paradoxical, but the chemical structure of cobra venom makes it an effective painkiller when administered under the skin in very small quantities. By deadening the nerves that lead from the source of pain to the brain, cobra venom can allow a horse to ignore physical problems and run through them, officials say. It is believed to be effective only when administered within four hours of a race.
Well not illegal, the ethical problems with this are too numerous to touch on. A race is not worth the death of an animal under any circumstances. Now I can't wait to see what the Self Envenomation crowd has to say.
It's certainly worthy of some kind of "recognition": An oil well spilled for almost three months off the Gulf Coast, killing at least 6,104 birds, 593 sea turtles and 98 mammals, not to mention untold numbers of blue fin tuna. This spill destroyed families, killed numerous jobs, and left beaches and swamp lands in ruin.
In honor of the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history, former BP head Tony Hayward has been presented with the Rubber Dodo Award from the Center for Biological Diversity. From their website:
“If there was ever a deserving Rubber Dodo Award recipient, it is Tony Hayward,” said Kierán Suckling, the Center’s executive director. “While famously whining that he ‘wanted his life back,’ Hayward showed no remorse for the thousands of rare and endangered animals BP killed in its spill.”
....
“History will remember Hayward as the man at the helm of BP when it unleashed the worst environmental disaster in American history,” said Suckling.
“Hayward not only pushed BP into causing the spill by creating a corporate culture of risk-taking and cutting corners, he failed to take responsibility after the spill and make all of BP’s resources available to contain it.”
Why a "Dodo?" The site gives a little history on it:
In 1598, Dutch sailors landing on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius discovered a flightless, three-foot-tall, extraordinarily friendly bird. Its original scientific name was Didus ineptus. (Contemporary scientists use the less defamatory Raphus cucullatus.) To the rest of the world, it’s the dodo — the most famous extinct species on Earth. It evolved over millions of years with no natural predators and eventually lost the ability to fly, becoming a land-based consumer of fruits, nuts and berries. Having never known predators, it showed no fear of humans or the menagerie of animals accompanying them to Mauritius.
Its trusting nature led to its rapid extinction. By 1681, the dodo was extinct, having been hunted and outcompeted by humans, dogs, cats, rats, macaques and pigs. Humans logged its forest cover and pigs uprooted and ate much of the understory vegetation.
Tony Hayward couldn't be more deserving of this award.
Do you remember your first experience with reptiles? I do, and it was painful.
The first reptile I remember was a “gardener” (ok I was 5 or so) snake that I took home. This was back 30 or so years ago when snakes were still plentiful in our neighborhoods. Not much has changed with the area, but the snakes are gone.
Proudly walking into the kitchen with my prize in hand, I encountered a very upset mother. Apparently she was not a fan of snakes, let alone a worm of a local garter. And, needless to say, the garter was not happy with my stress-induced squeezing and proceeded to musk my mother.
I was the kid who brought frogs and toads back to the family trailer at the campground. I was the kid chasing snakes thru the fields. I took a while to reconcile that 5-year-old child with my adult self, but eventually I did.
As we look at pending and proposed laws, I wonder, how many of our lives were shaped by those 5-year-old selves? For those of us who make our living from the industry portion of our community, do we remember that kid inside?
Let’s hear where your inner kid came from. What is the first experience you remember with a reptile?
Photo of the probable species garter I took home thanks to Erik Williams of the CHS.
There's a whole new way to search for reptile-related businesses on kingsnake.com -- don't miss your chance to be part of it!
As part of our ongoing upgrades, kingsnake.com has launched a brand new business search feature. This allows our users to search reptile and amphibian businesses in our directory by keywords in a "live" format similar, to Google's new live search.
While kingsnake.com has long maintained a reptile and amphibian business directory, this is the first time we have offered a keyword search that allows you to search our listings by products and services rather than just business name.
The search block will appear in numerous locations around kingsnake.com, including the main index page, as well as the classified and forum indexes.
Businesses that have a kingsnake.com storefront or hosting account that is listed in the business directory may update their keywords by updating the information in their user profile.
If you would like to list your reptile or amphibian oriented business in the directory and have it appear in the new "live" search results, you'll need to purchase a storefront account online. Regularly $162.38 per year, right now we have a trial offer that will allow new storefronts to register for only $108.25 per year. To take advantage of the trial offer click here!.
The feeling of rushing in and saving the day can be heady at best, but really what sort of lesson are you teaching kids when you open fire on a retreating snake in a school yard? Apparently the lesson of that day was it is cool to kill native wildlife.
In Mesa, AZ, this week, the news glorified a grandfather who shot a diamondback on their property, even according to reports that the animal was retreating and unable to be killed with a shovel.
From KPHO.com:
A grandfather rode to the rescue of a Mesa school when he shot and killed a diamondback rattlesnake on school grounds Tuesday.
[....]
Normally, a shovel would be the weapon of choice, but the diamondback had scurried into the bushes.
Not wanting the snake to endanger the kids again, Rich Drappo said he grabbed his .22-caliber pistol out of his pickup truck and made quick work of the unwelcome serpent.
“You gotta do what you gotta do,” Drappo said.
Taking advantage of a show-and-tell opportunity, he called the kids out of their classrooms to show them the headless harasser.
This act of "bravery" earned him the glorious nick name of "Rich the Snake Killer." I'm sure the family is quite proud. Of course, I'm sure he'd be the first to complain about the rodent problems once all the snakes are gone.
There's a new breed of animal television show out there, and it's not your friend.
When I was growing up in the '60s and '70s, we had three whole TV channels to chose from -- at least til PBS came along and made it four. On Sunday nights in our house it was always Mutual of Omaha's "Wild Kingdom" followed by Disney. If we were real lucky after that there might even be a Jacques Cousteau special. I can almost hear Marlon Perkins nasally twang "I'll be upstream in the duck blind with a pitcher of margaritas while Jim wrestles for his life with the mighty 20-foot anaconda in the river." Big stuff when you're a six-year-old kid.
Animal programming back in the day was simpler, more honest, wholesome (at least onscreen), and viewers were taught to respect animals. Marlon, Jacques, Marty Stouffer and the others of the era really cared about the animals they were working with. I guess it was a different time and a different culture then, with far fewer distractions and a lot fewer media-hours to fill.
Today, the right message about animals has gone by the wayside. While some current and recent shows carry on those traditions to an extent, like "O'Shea's Big Adventure," Nigel Marvin, and of course the late Steve Irwin, a new crop of shows is taking over. These self-described "reality" shows are about animal abuse and misery, about people with mental illness, and about using shock and gruesomeness, and the real suffering of people and animals, to attract an audience.
And if you think the people who make those shows are our friends, think again.
Where to start? Well my name is John Light and I'm 25yrs old. I like romantic evenings and long walks on the beach...Just kidding lol. Well my name is John Light and I am 25yrs old. I live in South Florida, pretty much lived here all my life. I'm married to a wonderful wife (Ashley)whom has given me 2 little girls (Autumn 6, Olivia 4 months). I currently work for the Seminole Tribe of Florida, Fire Rescue. It's the greatest Job I could ever wish for! My work schedual is 24hrs on and 72hrs off which leaves me plenty of time for my passion, working with reptiles.
When I was younger growing up I had always enjoyed reptiles but my parents would never let me keep them. I'm one of 5 children (the middle child, lol - "the forgotten one") and I'm sure that was more then enough for my parents as it was. That was never good enough for me, I was always out catching lizards and snakes. I had the usual names growing up such as Snake Boy or Lizard Boy lol. It wasn't till I was in the 6th grade that I met a friend whom was really into reptiles like myself. He had told me about the "Daytona Reptiles Breeder Expo". He kept ball pythons and that's pretty much where I got started. Later that year we had contacted a wholesaler and purchased about 30 baby ball pythons which we split between us. My parents had no idea, I kept them in shoe boxes in my dresser! One night I was feeding them and my oldest sister caught me. I had already had these animals for about 3 months without anyones knowledge. She grabbed the box of baby ball pythons and ran into my parents bed room. I can remember this moment all to well. Melissa said "Mom, Dad, look what John has!". My dad was never a fan of snakes, both he and his father had the motto "The only good snake is a dead snake". My mom was pretty freaked out by them. Anyways after they had calmed down we had come to an agreement. I could keep two of them but the rest had to go. I explained I had them 3 months with zero smell or any other problems and that was a good arguement. I picked out two of the ball pythons and the rest went to a pet store. I was then able to purchase a cage and heat lamp. Finally I was keeping them correctly and began working on my husbandry. My parents both changed their mind over the course of a year and they would actually handle the animals! Later on when I wanted new animals my parents explained that they didn't want a zoo and I had to sell what I had in order to get other animals. Well I was one of 5 kids so I sold the two ball pythons to my sister so they were still basicly mine and I went out and purchased a Suriname red tail boa. This went on and on over the years. My dad even got into them enough to assist me in building cages along the way for my animals.
My interest in Venomous Reptiles really became a big thing for me around the time I was 17. I had tried to begin logging hours around that time but when I gave my parents the paper to sign that would enable to me begin working with them they wouldn't sign it. They had agreed right up untill the time that they began reading and it stated about 10 times or more "The person and company you will be working with are not liably for Serious Injury or Death". Mom and Dad didn't know a whole lot about venomous snakes and that really turned them off! So I had waited untill my 18th Birthday to sign the paper. I went from Pygmies and Cotton mouths to Cobras the third day. Elapids had always been my passion and I was a quick learner. Like anyone in the hobby I had a few close calls in which I had to step back and really think about what I was doing. I was given bad info and had mentors that didn't know what they were doing. I had learned I really need to get serious and look into whom I was going to work with! I had an Egyptain Cobra come within Inches of biting me in the chest. I was told before I began to work with the snake that Cobras do not come out of their cages. Well that animal shot out and if my arms weren't fully extended I may not have been here to write this blog today. I owe most of my experience and mentoring to Joe Switalski. He helped me to fine tune my skills. Joe imported many rare and exotic species which gave me experience with animals I may have never seen in person if it weren't for him. I've had experience with animals such as the "Ethopian Mountain Adders!". Joe was smart in that he evaluated my skills and let me move up when he had thought I was ready. My experience with venomous now includes pretty much everything from Pygmy rattlers to Paupa New Guinea Taipans and Mambas! It wasn't untill I got married at the age of 23 that I applied for my venomous permit in the State of Florida. I had logged well over the required 1000 hours and had two letters of recommendation from two well known people.
As I stated earlier my parents had come up with a rule for getting new reptiles. I had to sell what I had to get something new. I credit this rule for the reason I had gotten into brokering reptiles. I've had some very rare and exotic species some still have never had the chance to work with especially at such a young age. I must admit I reget selling them and wish I could of kept evertything along the way! Eventually I wanted to progress and breed the animals I had. My first success was a pair of Rio Fuerte Beaded Lizards. I had a female lay 20 eggs. This is not only a hard species to breed but the incubation period was not a joke. I had managed to make every rookie mistake in incubation! I was however lucky enough to hatch 1 baby beaded lizard! The following year I produced the first clutch of True Indian Local Spectacled Cobras in about 5 years! I had a much better success rate this time. Out of 20 eggs I hatched 16 of the little ones! You can bet I was estatic when these little guys began to hatch!
After my second child was born I began to rethink things a little. I still love working with venomous but I wanted to bring my now 6yr old daughter into the hobby. She was into reptiles early on but now she had wanted to get involved. I sold off my venomous collection and had decided to get into breeding ball pythons which is where I am today. There are so many colors and patterns that there is a flavor for everyone! My daughter began naming the pythons and runing around the house with them around her neck. She was always eager to show off her animals to anyone that came over. I now have about 60 ball pythons which will be breeding this year. I will likely keep venomous in the future but for now I'm happy without them.
Well that's a pretty good background of myself and how I became a part of this amazing hobby. Sure there are many more stories including ones with 12' reticulated pythons roaming my room, wild caught rat snakes leaving sheds around my house, and so on. But for now this will give you a pretty good idea of where I'm at.
I've manage to build a great reputation in this hobby by the means of selling quality animals at great prices. Not to mention customer services for life. I will go out of my way to help people out. With this day in age the Herp Trade has evolved and I want to eventually be right up top next to those well respected breeders. I plan on getting into alot of different reptiles in the next few years, stick around as I will surely update my blod as to what's going on around these parts!
Thanks for reading,
John Light
Here are a few photo's for your enjoyment:
First reptile ever hatched a Rio Fuerte Beaded Lizard:
In a fight that has lasted longer than the war in Afghanistan and Iraq combined, the U.S. Navy is now attempting to bomb Guam's invasive Brown Tree Snake out of existence. They're doing it not with explosives or GPS and laser guided smart weapons, but with dead mice equipped with wings and packed with Tylenol, according to a news story in today's "Stars and Stripes."
By airdropping 200 mice equipped with wings, a tail streamer, and a tracking device, the Navy is studying effectiveness before considering a broader implementation.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, along with the Environmental Protection Agency, started researching ways to poison the tree snakes with commonly available commercial products. They provide a regulatory advantage because they’ve already undergone extensive testing, said Dan Vice, assistant state director of USDA Wildlife Services in Hawaii, Guam and the Pacific Islands.
After years of research, they discovered the household pain reliever acetaminophen was a deadly poison to snakes in small doses, and the EPA approved its use in Guam, Vice said.
Sadly, acetaminophen is a deadly poison to many other species as well, and this method of targeting is liable to be found to be too broad for application on a wide scale. Who knows what else will eat the mice and die or how far up the food chain it will go? Hopefully this study will provide that data. To read more check out the article in Stars and Stripes.
The long-awaited results of the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL) study are finally in, and none of the animals in the study survived the winter. While that is not much of surprise to someone who has kept Burmese pythons, the real question remains. Will the results of this independent scientific study finally end the debate that has taken so much time, energy, money and jobs from our community and industry?
Not likely.
This has never been about science. It's been about the money and it's been about the media and it's been about getting re-elected -- but mostly it's been about the money. Pythons and our community just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Regardless of the fact that the SREL study was an unbiased scientific study by an unbiased organization, since its conclusions have come down on "our" side of the fence it's now "our science." We can expect the opposition to either ignore it completely or find ways to discredit either it or the people involved. Millions of dollars in federal funding for the removal and remediation of these species, needed or not, are on the line, and you can expect that the individuals and organizations set to get a piece will all line up to take shots at the study.
To read the abstract of the SREL python study click here.
For newbies who wish to get into keeping any larger species of snake, the following was created and used to share with others to avoid common mistakes made when keeping large snakes. A recent story by a fellow rescuer with the Chicago Herp Society reminded me of this paper I created a few years ago(and a little encouragement by another CHS member).
Rules to Live by when Keeping Large Constricting Snakes
1. Avoid handling any constrictor over eight feet in length without assistance.
2. Use snake hooks and tongs to move the snake and cage furniture around in the enclosure or shield the head to block potential strikes by the snake.
3. Never rush into a cage without alerting the snake, use a gentle stroke with the snake hook on the body. A reassuring hand on the lower part of the body well away from the head can also be used, but stay out of the striking range of the snake’s head.
4. Be alert for warning signals such as huffing, hissing, gaping of the mouth, tail wagging or circling of the cage. These are all signs that the snake would rather be left alone and is in a defensive mode.
5. Never wear the snake around the neck or waist without sufficient people to pull it off.
Damage Control – What to do if you make a mistake
1. Remain calm. Sometimes the snake will release if there is no struggle.
2. If you have others with you, keep them calm by talking to them, let them know your status and instruct them on what to do.
3. If you are wrapped up begin by uncoiling beginning with either the head or the tail. If you have help spin away to help uncoil and straighten the snake out to avoid follow-up strikes.
4. If you cannot unwrap the snake using the head or tail because the snake has bitten and is hanging on, try flushing vinegar into the mouth. If the snake does not let go or cannot dislodge its teeth, use a large wood or plastic spoon and slide between the jaw and bite area, sliding the head forward slightly to dislodge the teeth.
5. Immediately place the snake in a secured cage or compartment. A strike is stressful for you and the snake so leave them be and get assistance if necessary to return the snake to its enclosure.
6. If any teeth are lodged in the skin, remove them with tweezers, wash with water, apply antiseptic and wrap with gauze. Seek medical attention for treatment of possible secondary infection and internal tissue damage. 7. Learn from your mistake and identify what you did wrong.
a. Did you smell like food?
b. Did you act like food entering the cage?
c. Did you startle the snake or invade its territory?
You can get a copy of this from my website in case you know of someone with big snakes.
Now, to be fair, the snake was dead, the victim of revenge by one Zaver Rathod, a 35-year old man whose grasp on common sense and reason apparently weakens when incredibly small amounts of money are involved. Rathod, who killed the snake after it bit his friend in the city of Surat, was encouraged by his friends to eat the dead snake for 100 rupees.
The farm laborer eventually became violently ill and ultimately ending up in the hospital with a severe case of nausea and vomiting. In between the violent expelling of his stomach contents, one can only presume he was laughing over the fact that he totally won the bet.
This is one of those stories where you have to wonder if it's true. If it is, the snake species wasn't identified. My best guesses are one of these four: Indian cobra, common krait, Russell’s viper (pictured), and the saw-scaled viper.
What do you guess? And do you think it's real? And what would you do for two days' wages?
This months CHS meeting will feature the double dueling doctors Steve Barten and Gery Herrmann talking about their recent tropical adventures in Ecuador. Steve and Gery are both long time members, former board members, and all around great guys to herp and hang out with. Steve is a fantastic photographer so this will be a visually awesome presentations and the duo Dr.s are experienced presenters so the talk itself will be excellent as well. Here is the write up off the forum,
Drs. Steve Barten and Gery Herrmann will present “Ecuador Expedition: Galapagos Islands and Rain Forest.” In June, 2010, Steve and Gery traveled with a group of veterinarians to Ecuador. They spent three nights in the rain forest of eastern Ecuador, seeing the abundant local wildlife including herps, birds, monkeys and insects. The group then flew to the Galapagos Islands, where they boarded a ship, visited 10 of the islands and saw giant tortoises, land and marine iguanas, lava lizards, three of the four endemic snake species, and many birds, sea lions, insects and fish. They crossed the equator eight times. Their presentation will showcase descriptions and hundreds of photos of the native wildlife and scenery.
Steve and Gery are long time (decades) members of the CHS. Both are veterinarians with special interest in herp patients, and both have been active field herpers for many years.
Still not excited to make it in?? Well we are planning a great raffle and who knows what will be drug out the river by then by Bob for a quick little show and tell... (hopefully nothing) Our lending library will be open for members and and and... I will be there, that should impress John at least. (Seriously, it should be a great presentation, this will be a good one to drag in that one friend for their first meeting and impress them with the CHS awesomeness!!!)
While out stalking deer, Sitesh Ranjan Deb was attacked by a Himalayan Black Bear. Nearly loosing his life gave him a different perspective on the native species, and changed his path forever.
From the AFP:
"Many of the species I grew up with -- wild boars, leopards -- are hardly ever seen now. These animals are in their last days.
"Illegal logging has damaged the forest so much there is no food for the animals. Unless we act now, they'll be gone forever in a few years."
Sitesh, 62, nurses injured wild animals brought to him by villagers back to health and also appears regularly on television shows campaigning for better public attitudes towards wild animals.
If possible, he releases the animals back into the jungle, while others he keeps in his small zoo -- including two hand-raised Himalayan black bears after the mother was killed, a 5.5 metre (18 foot) python and a rare albino fishing cat.
Even Sitesh's family home is filled with animals, the more "difficult cases" which need 24-hour care. Two jungle cat cubs, a baby python and a badly-injured Slow Loris (a primate species) are currently in residence.
"So far, I've freed more than 1,000 animals and that's not counting 2,000 birds," he said, displaying photographs of many former patients.
We all know snakes get a bad rap. Tell a stranger you love snakes, and you're usually rewarded with a cringe. But the state of New Jersey is trying to change that, and save native wildlife at the same time.
The Venomous Snake Response Team uses facts and understanding to help people overcome their fear and loathing. This cuts both ways — sympathizing with peoples' fears while helping them see the world from a snake's-eye point of view.
New Jersey has 22 species of snakes. Of these, only two are venomous: the timber rattlesnake and northern copperhead. Snakes are a vital link in the food chain; they help control insect and rodent populations and, in turn, provide food for raccoons, bears, coyotes, hawks and owls.
Snake populations have long been on the decline in New Jersey due to factors like road traffic, destruction of habitat, pollution, human persecution and snake collectors, to name but a few. As development encroaches on snake habitat, people find themselves living on top of the pathways snakes have used for centuries to travel between dens and foraging areas. Some new developments have been built right on denning sites!
Despite wildlife laws prohibiting killing, collecting or harassing native snakes, fear drives many people to kill them. Non-venomous species like northern water snakes are often mistaken for venomous varieties, increasing the fear factor.
Here's to one state taking a proactive stance on education!
Hoarding is a serious animal welfare problem that affects every community in the country… but hardly anyone is doing anything about it. It’s only when the hoarding degenerates into criminal animal abuse that authorities can get involved. Before then, it festers, with helpless pets locked away inside the homes of people who are often suffering from serious emotional problems.
With more than 3,500 cases a year, animal hoarding puts a strain on families, finances, the 250,000 animals and reptiles affected annually and the health of everyone involved.
Animal Planet is filming a new documentary series, that tries to find solutions to the problems of animal hoarding before it becomes criminal animal abuse. With no existing protocol, the series coordinates task-force style mediation by psychologists, animal welfare experts, veterinarians, friends and families. Animal Planet provides safe opportunities to explore the compulsive care-giving, digging deep into desire for love and paralyzing fears of loss to understand how the problem grew so extreme and to provide tools to put a healthy plan into action. We work with families and friends to help hoarders who may want help with humane placement of pets, veterinary care, house cleaning, psychological help to prevent recidivism, and other support. We have been successful in developing Humane solutions for both the animals and their owners.
If you know someone who has more than the typical number of companion animals, who is failing to provide even minimal standards of nutrition, sanitation, shelter, and veterinary care, with this neglect often resulting in illness and death from starvation, spread of infectious disease, and untreated injury or medical condition.
Is this person in denial of their inability to provide this minimum care and the impact of that failure on the animals, the household, and human occupants of the dwelling?
Other concerns with the Commonwealth Games in Delhi aside, some are making the biggest complaint about the snakes. A South African athlete had a surprise in his room, and the teams are expressing concerns over safety.
From Yahoo News:
A South African athlete discovered the unwelcome guest in their room and the South African High Commissioner Harris Mbulelo has admitted he is now worried about the Games.
"We have very grave concerns," Mbulelo told the Press Trust of India news agency.
"If snakes are found we can't ask our teams to stay there."
From an interview an an ABC article, the Aussies put a lighter spin on it:
JOHN TAYLOR: And an unexpected hazard has emerged for India's organisers. Indian media is reporting that the South African team found a snake in one of its rooms in the athletes' village. And the Times of India newspaper carried a front page photo today of a man removing a one metre long Cobra from the Tennis Stadium.
STEVE MONEGHETTI: You don't want to see one. We come from the country got the most venomous snakes in the world so if any country is prepared it's probably us. Maybe we've planted a couple, I'm not sure, what sort were they? Did you get the identification of them?
REPORTER: Cobra.
STEVE MONEGHETTI: Cobras. Right, okay. Maybe, maybe, yeah well, its only a Cobra. What are we worried about?
MARK COLVIN: Well maybe just bring in some Mongeese.
With all the other problems, I think at this point they are just looking for something else to pile on.
snappy snap snap snapping turtle walking on the bottom of pond ....looking like a bulldozer plowing through the mud... with a streach of the neck your nostrils break the waters surface...air...then down you go plowing around the pond bottom snappy snap snap snapping turtle... you move by shore...with a grab of your tail pulled out... wondering what ruined your day....its just a human...snappy snap snap snapping turtle .... you snap the hand and you are dropped back in the water....snappy snap snap snapping turtle ...your at peace again back in the water... How would you feel if your picked up by your butt ?.... snappy snap snap snapping turtle plowing around the bottom of pond.... so peaceful snappy snap snap
The main theme was tiger conservation, but for herpers, the efforts in Nepal aid the survival of the most unusual of the crocodilians, the Gharial.
From NepalNews.com:
Speaking at the event, Constituent Assembly chairman Subas Chandra Nemwang, chief guest of the event, lauded and paid tribute to the contribution of the Conservation Heroes who lost who lost their lives in the tragic helicopter accident on 23 September 2006 at Ghunsa, Kangchenjunga.
While reflecting on the status of conservation in Nepal, he reiterated his stance that his reflection was in no way questioning the efforts of conservationists in Nepal but rather a request to them to investigate carefully the means to improve such conservation efforts in the future, be it for the tiger, dolphin or gharial, and their habitats.
"Forests are the most important habitats for species such as the tiger, rhino and elephant; it is interesting to note that cases of forest degradation and encroachment have been highest during recent times when Nepal has been facing a volatile political climate," he added.
old Mr box turtle walking slowly throughout the woods ... When predators threaten you... You close your shell tight ..... When dangers gone , you pop out to wander again... what a wonderful life being old mr box turtle...
Jd Hartzel
In early 2002 I decided I wanted to get a pet green iguana. As I was planning on moving I decided to wait till after the move before picking up a pet. Since I had time, I decided to learn all I can about green iguana's, hopefully find a local breeder and get anything I need ahead of time. So I headed online and researched....and what I learned and discovered was certainly unexpected.
Green iguanas get big...as long as 5', with about half being tail. They need special heating, lights and lots of space...like bedroom sized cages as adults. They live 20 or more years...males can be temperamental during mating season, or all the time if not socialized properly. Females can produce infertile eggs and may suffer problems with egg binding etc. Not to mention a pissed off adult green iguana uses its tail like a whip, can deliver a nasty bite and have big claws which can rip through human skin with ease....On top of all this, I also learned they are extremely difficult to rehouse if one has to find a new home for it, as so many people end up surrendering or trying to sell these lizards when they start to out grow the 20 gal tanks pet stores swore is all they need.
Fortunately, after learning all this about green iguanas I discovered another lizard I never heard of before, bearded dragons. Sure they needed similar heat and light as green iguanas, but they don't get anywhere near as big, averaging about 18-20" and rarely exceeding 24", had a much calmer disposition and not prone to tail whipping, biting or scratching. Also, they didn't live anywhere near as long (at the time most seemed to live an average of 6 years). That and the idea of owning a 'dragon' even one that was nothing like the mythical creature which has fascinated me since I was a child, appealed to me. Thus I switch my research to learning more about bearded dragons.
In the process of my research, I came across www.kingsnake.com. It didn't take me long to realize what a wonderful resource this site was and I registered and starting reading old posts in the bearded dragon forum, then other forums as my interest in reptiles grew. I also spent a fair bit of time in the exotics section of the website, since I also enjoyed keeping many pocket pets.
I have learned many new things about bearded dragons over the years, read what different breeders, large and small, have to say about dragon care and after more than 8 years, I know more about proper dragon diets than I do proper human diets. (actually in alot of ways, a healthy bearded dragon diet would work quite efficiently for a human diet...as long as the 'insects' are substituted by meat more palatable to humans (ie chicken instead of crickets).
Even though its been a long time since I started researching dragons, I feel there is always new things to learn and continue to conduct research and view new things with an open mind. I hope future owners of breaded dragons and other reptiles continue to research well after they purchased their new pet as there are always new information coming out. Some new information may not be the best, but some are better. I also hope new comers research the animal they want before buying it, to make sure it is something they can provide for for the entire life of the animal.
That really is the question at least these days....
I hear so often people gripping about not selling their babies, having to buy more caging to house them since they continue to grow, yada yada yada....
Here is a suggestion to those who are having a tough time with moving animals, don't breed them so much. What?! The reason the animals are moving is simply supply and demand. Too much supply and not enough demand. Don't worry I won't school you on basic economics (or advanced economic theory for that matter), but I am reminding young/inexperienced hobbyists the downside to breeding. You should actually PLAN your breedings beyond the hatching of eggs. You need to plan to house them, feed them and yes hang on to them for a year or two in case they don't sell quickly.
I don't claim to be good at pricing and marketing reptiles, I am pretty good at breeding them and sometimes too good for my own good. I am a hobbyist with a decent sized collection (my friends and family would argue this point) and love to breed my animals. The excitement of the breeding season is almost euphoric and yet must be tempered with some restraint. Too much of a good thing, and well, you get my point. So what does one do when you have a banner year and a not so banner time selling the animals? Be creative. It is called USP or Unique Selling Proposition, come up with something that markets you differently from others. In the reptile business, we thrive and survive on what is exotic. But be honest and be supportive, because people expect that from a breeder. For those who like descriptive phrases, "don't crap where you eat..."
And if at the end the season you have lots of babies, hold off breeding next year or scale back. You and your animals will do better then. Budget for the upkeep, plan your time or find friends who are willing to help out either by sharing effort or even fostering animals you want to holdback.
It'll come as a disappointment to the media, no doubt, but it looks like giant Burmese Pythons aren't going to flood out of the Everglades and take over half the United States after all.
The Savannah River Ecology Laboratory (SREL) study is completed, and the findings are clear -- and no surprise at all to those who know anything about Burmese Pythons. From the Aikenstandard.com:
Of the 10 pythons tracked, none survived the winter, all succumbing to one of the most brutal winters on record in South Carolina.
"Our results suggest that Burmese pythons from the population currently established in Florida are capable of withstanding conditions substantially cooler that those typically experienced in southern Florida, but may not be able to survive severe winters in regions as temperate as central South Carolina," the researchers reported.
[....]
Half of the snakes perished on Dec. 11, when temperatures dipped to around 25 degrees. Of those initial deaths, none of the snakes had sought cover or refuge in the artificial dens. Three more snakes died between Dec. 17 and Jan. 4, each having failed to seek cover during subfreezing temperatures. The last two snakes were found in underground cover in mid January during an extreme cold spell.
The study initially drew fire from the reptile community because of the provision of artificial dens, food being provided as opposed to the snakes having to fend for themselves, and warmer temperatures caused by run-off from the local power plant. Even with all those factors taken into account, however, the pythons still did not survive the winter.
To read the study, click here. Just a warning, the full study will cost $34.00. The abstract, however, is presented in its entirety after the bump.
Labor day, 2009 at about 9:45 am on a short walk, I came across this pair of adult male Movaje rattlesnakes (Crotalus scutulatus) battling it out. A definite rarity in the field, even for those of us who are herpetologists, wildlife photographers, or just avid reptile enthusiasts. I've been in the field a lot and have seen a LOT of snakes, but this is my first encounter with this behavior, although it is a well known part of their courtship behavior. Basically, during certain parts of the year, female rattlers are in their prime for courtship and the males know it (won't get too scientific here, because I'm not writing a book LOL) If a female is nearby, and one adult male encounters another, they may battle. The one who crawls away first is the looser... I watched these two go at it for at least an hour. In fact, there was a third male in the bush to my right, and i only saw him once, but he was bigger, and apparently uninsterested in this war. Once these two were done, I walked back out of the wash, and on my ran into a female snake 25 yards down from these guys. Maybe she was the one causing all this... who knows?
Harry the Croc - who has already successfully predicted the winner of the Soccer World Cup (Spain) and the Australian Federal Election (not Spain) - eyed both flags warily yesterday before he settled on a winner.
Staff at Crocosaurus Cove dangled chickens from Collingwood and St Kilda flags as the crowd waited in tense silence for the reptilian Oracle to speak.
And he's no Saint. Almost predictably for a croc as big as Harry, he went straight for the Pies.
Harry then went on to pick the winner in the federal election. Of course the real giggle is that this is national news.
The captive breeding in the Boa world is providing study data for the scientific community. A supremely beautiful Female Ghost Boa was bred this season with a Dominant or co-dominant pattern mutation Key West Boa. This female had the most massive ovulation I had this past season.
Her mate was this proven Key West Boa.
Together we expected them to make a wonderful litter of baby Boas that would all be het for Anerythristic. Half of those babies should have been Key West Boas and half of those would have been Hypo Key West Boas. However, the results were astounding. There were 19 babies total. Zero Key Wests among them. In fact the entire litter consisted of Anerythristic and Ghost Boas. In fact, all the babies are female as well pointing to the possibility of a Parthenogenetic litter.
Six of the offspring were either stillborn or deformed. They along with shed skin samples are being collected to send to Dr. Warren Booth who will do genetic analysis of the tissues to determine if in fact, as suspected, if this female produced these babies without a contribution from a male. This is a science experiment in the making.