Scientists believe that a protein in (snake) venom helps snakes relocate their prey so they can continue their dinner.
This protein, called a disintegrin, enables the snake to relocate its prey, explains (University of Northern Colorado researcher Anthony) Saviola. He says scientists performed studies where a rattlesnake struck a mouse, and when a second rattlesnake of the same species was given a choice between that mouse or one that had not been injected with venom, the second rattlesnake usually always chose the one with venom.
Snakes also have an advanced olfactory system and special chemosensory organs in their mouths. Snakes will tongue-flick rapidly, says Saviola, to pick up chemical cues in the environment. But it appears to be the disintegrin that helps them find prey.
Integrins, by definition, are a large group of molecules that promote cell adhesion. "Some of these you don't see in normal, healthy tissue," says Saviola, "but you will see them expressed 100 fold in abnormal, cancerous tissue."
The disintegrin protein in snake venom, when injected into cancer cells, binds the outside of the cell via these integrin receptors. Chemotherapy, used most often to help stop the spread of cancer, not only kills cancer cells but also the healthy cells. The disintegrin from snake venom acts differently. "It doesn't kill the cell," says Saviola. "It binds the outside and doesn't allow the cell to communicate with surrounding cells. That's when cancer becomes cancer ... when it spreads throughout the body."
Of the four anole species on Bimini, the twig or ghost anole is the most diverse and the most difficult to find.
This attenuate brownish gray, sharp-nosed, anole is very arboreal and prefers to move slowly and stealthily. The male’s dewlap is a pale yellowish peach and does not seem to be distended as readily as the dewlaps of most species. If approached, the twig anole will quietly and slowly sidle around the branch on which it is resting, adroitly keeping the branch between itself and the observer. The grayish coloration and lineate pattern blend so well with the bark of the trees on which this anole lives that the lizard is very easily overlooked.
In 1948, based on cranial scalation and lamellae count, Jim Oliver thought the Bimini twig anoles sufficiently distinct from those on Cuba and elsewhere in the Bahamas to assign them their own subspecies. He named them Anolis angusticeps chickcharnyi, the subspecific name being based on a mythical being -- a ghost, if you will, or perhaps a goblin -- that supposedly appeared on Andros Island.
Planning for the second annual Reptile and Amphibian Law Symposium and Workshop to be held in Washington D.C. at the George Washington University Foggy Bottom Campus November 8-10, 2013 continues, with a second round of speaker invitations slated to go out next week.
Recent additions to the speaker and panelist lists include Priya Nanjappa, the Amphibian and Reptile Coordinator for the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies and one of the authors of the book "State of the Union: Legal Authority Over the Use of Native Amphibians and Reptiles in the United States." Priya will be representing both the AFWA and PARC (Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation).
Also recently added is long-time reptile breeder Eugene Bessette of Ophiological Services in Florida, as well as Joni Scheftel, a veterinarian with the Minnesota Department of Health working on pet-related salmonella issues.
The 2013 law event is being co-hosted by The National Reptile and Amphibian Advisory Council (NRAAC), the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC), the Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV), the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), and the George Washington School of Law (GWU), which has provided the use of their facilities to host the event.
The 2013 Symposium will include three days of lectures, panels, workshops, breakout sessions, and talks bringing together all parties interested in reptiles and amphibians and the law to discuss changes and issues with current and proposed reptile and amphibian laws, including regulations at the local, state, federal, and international levels. The event will also discuss topics such as pet ownership, trade, conservation, and their impact of reptiles and amphibians on the environment and the environment's impact on them.
This event is free and open to all parties with an interest in reptiles, amphibians, and the law, but due to space limitations, seating is limited to the first 200 registrants.
Priya Nanjappa - Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, Partners in Amphibian & Reptile Conservation
More to be announced...
Hosted By...
For more information and to register online please go to http://www.nraac.org/symposium2013.html. Registration is free, but space at the 2013 event is limited to the first 200 registrants.
Laws
National Reptile & Amphibian Advisory Council's primary purpose is to host an annual symposium and workshop to bring together people, organizations, companies, and agencies to discuss the impact of laws, regulations, and restrictions on reptiles and amphibians and the people that work with them. If you would like to volunteer to help us put on our conference or to find out more,
click here.
Planning for the second annual Reptile and Amphibian Law Symposium and Workshop to be held in Washington D.C. at the George Washington University Foggy Bottom Campus November 8-10, 2013 continues, with a second round of speaker invitations slated to go out next week.
Recent additions to the speaker and panelist lists include Priya Nanjappa, the Amphibian and Reptile Coordinator for the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies and one of the authors of the book "State of the Union: Legal Authority Over the Use of Native Amphibians and Reptiles in the United States." Priya will be representing both the AFWA and PARC (Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation).
Also recently added is long-time reptile breeder Eugene Bessette of Ophiological Services in Florida, as well as Joni Scheftel, a veterinarian with the Minnesota Department of Health working on pet-related salmonella issues.
The 2013 law event is being co-hosted by The National Reptile and Amphibian Advisory Council (NRAAC), the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC), the Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV), the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), and the George Washington School of Law (GWU), which has provided the use of their facilities to host the event.
The 2013 Symposium will include three days of lectures, panels, workshops, breakout sessions, and talks bringing together all parties interested in reptiles and amphibians and the law to discuss changes and issues with current and proposed reptile and amphibian laws, including regulations at the local, state, federal, and international levels. The event will also discuss topics such as pet ownership, trade, conservation, and their impact of reptiles and amphibians on the environment and the environment's impact on them.
This event is free and open to all parties with an interest in reptiles, amphibians, and the law, but due to space limitations, seating is limited to the first 200 registrants.
Priya Nanjappa - Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, Partners in Amphibian & Reptile Conservation
More to be announced...
Hosted By...
For more information and to register online please go to http://www.nraac.org/symposium2013.html. Registration is free, but space at the 2013 event is limited to the first 200 registrants.
California Assembly Bill AB 339, set for an April 2nd hearing, lays out a series of regulations prohibiting the sales of live animals at flea markets and open air markets, that would essentially ban reptile shows and sales in the state. Introduced by Assembly Member Dickinson the bill would prohibit persons and businesses from selling or giving away live animals at events that meet the state's definition of a "swap meet".
According to Section 21661 of the Business and Professions Code the definition of “swap meet”:
21661. (a) As used in this article, the term "swap meet" includes a flea market or an open-air market and means an event at which two or more persons offer merchandise for sale or exchange and that meets one of the following conditions:
(1) A fee is charged for the privilege of offering or displaying merchandise for sale or exchange.
(2) A fee is charged to prospective buyers for parking or for admission to the area where merchandise is offered or displayed for sale or exchange.
(3) The event is held more than six times in any 12-month period.
(b) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), the term "swap meet," as used in this article, includes a flea market or an open-air market and means an event, regardless of the number of persons offering or displaying personal property or the absence of fees, at which used personal property is offered or displayed for sale or exchange if the event is held more than six times in any 12-month period.
All existing reptile shows in California would appear to fall under this definition.
The hearing is scheduled before the Assembly Committee on Public Safety for Tuesday, April 2nd at 9 a.m. in Room 126 of the State Capitol. Interested parties should attend the hearing to voice their opinion in person or should contact their State Assemblyman.
A study published this week in the journal Pediatrics touches on a topic that came up at least year's Symposium in Houston: the salmonella risk of pet amphbians.
From CNN:
Investigators from public health agencies across the United States found that African dwarf frogs are causing a nationwide outbreak of a specific Salmonella strain in children.
A group of health professionals make up the Salmonella Typhimurium Outbreak Investigation Team, which is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recently, the team has been examining the effects of African dwarf frogs on people’s health.
“Amphibians and reptiles should never be kept in homes with children less than 5 years old or with people who have immune deficiencies,” said lead author and CDC public health advisor Shauna Mettee Zarecki. This includes day care settings and nursing homes, she said.
This investigation is the first to report a nationwide Salmonella outbreak associated with amphibians.
The Centers for Disease Control will be represented on a panel about salmonella at the 2013 Reptiles and Amphibians and the Law Symposium in Washington DC on Nov. 8-10 at George Washington University. Get more information and register here. Registration is free.
(Press Release)
U.S. Leads Efforts to Protect Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises at CITES-All Turtles Proposals were Approved.
(US Species- Blandings, Spotted and Diamondback Terrapins & 44 species of Asian Turtles)
(Bangkok, Thailand—8 March 2013) Several United States proposals to increase protections for freshwater turtles and tortoises under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) have been adopted today by member nations of the Treaty. CITES member nations, referred to as “Parties,” voted to increase protections for 44 species of Asian freshwater turtles and tortoises and three species of North American pond turtles.
“We are extremely heartened by today’s vote to give greater protection to these highly imperiled species,” said Bryan Arroyo, head of the U.S. delegation to the CITES 16th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP16). “More than half of the world’s freshwater turtles are threatened with extinction, yet they continue to be traded, unsustainably, for food, as pets, and in traditional medicines. We’ve taken a significant step forward today to begin managing that trade.”
The United States jointly submitted with China two proposals to increase CITES protection for a number of Asian softshell and hardshell turtle species. These proposals included new additions to the Appendices, “uplisting” species from Appendix II to Appendix I, and the setting of zero export quotas. These proposals were agreed by consensus with strong support voiced by range states, Thailand, Japan, India, Pakistan, Liberia, Indonesia, and non-range states, Guinea and Paraguay.
Proposals to transfer species from Appendix II to Appendix I were also agreed by consensus—a proposal for big-headed turtles, jointly submitted by the United States and Viet Nam, and a U.S. proposal for Burmese star tortoise. A proposal for the Roti Island snake-necked turtle was agreed by consensus after being amended to maintain the species on CITES Appendix II with a zero export quota in wild specimens—effectively banning international commercial trade in turtles taken from the wild.
“Freshwater turtles worldwide are in desperate need of conservation, and the outlook for Asian turtles is especially grim. We are committed to working with China and Viet Nam and other CITES member nations to ensure the survival of these species,” said Arroyo.
As Asian species have become increasingly depleted, trade patterns are shifting to species native to the United States. To address this growing problem, the United States proposed to list three native turtle species—the diamondback terrapin, spotted turtle, and Blanding’s turtle—in CITES Appendix II to manage the trade in a legal and sustainable manner. Canada, Senegal, and Ireland, on behalf of the 27 member states of the European Union and Croatia, among others, voiced strong support for these proposals before they were agreed by consensus.
Turtles are in serious trouble around the world. Increasingly, freshwater turtles are in danger, with over half of the world’s species threatened with extinction. Tortoises and freshwater turtles are the most threatened of any major group of terrestrial vertebrates – more than mammals, birds, or amphibians. They are being collected, traded, and utilized in overwhelming numbers. They are used for food, pets, and traditional medicine. Eggs, juveniles, adults, and body parts are all exploited with little regard for sustainability. In Asia, turtles are used primarily as food and in traditional medicine, although a growing pet trade across the region impacts a number of threatened species.
The global commerce in turtles in the last 20+ years has followed a well-known pattern in international wildlife trade – once a species is depleted or regulated, the trade shifts to other species that are not as threatened or are less regulated.
“We must address this issue by taking a broad scale approach to protecting freshwater turtles and tortoises. If we fail to consider these trade patterns, we risk the depletion of turtles and tortoises one species at a time,” said Arroyo.
CITES is an international agreement initiated in 1973 and is currently signed by 178 countries regulating global trade in imperiled wild animals and plants including their parts and products. A meeting of the Conference of the Parties is held every 2-3 years to review, discuss, and negotiate changes in the management and control of trade in the various wildlife species covered by the agreement.
Species protected by CITES are included in one of three appendices. Appendix I includes species threatened with extinction and provides the greatest level of protection, including restrictions on commercial trade. Appendix II includes species that, although currently not threatened with extinction, may become so without trade controls. Changes to Appendices I and II must be proposed at a CoP and agreed to by a two-thirds majority of the Parties present and voting. In contrast, listings to Appendix III can be requested by individual Parties at any time. Appendix III includes species protected by at least one country that needs assistance from other Parties to control trade.
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals, and commitment to public service. Connect with our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/usfws, follow our tweets at www.twitter.com/usfwshq, watch our YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/usfws and download photos from our Flickr page at http://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwshq.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources plans to remove the Butler's garter snake from the state's protected species list, along with 15 other species of plants and animals, after a multi-year review of its status. From The Cap Times:
DNR zoologist Bill Smith says there are enough Bulter’s garter snakes to warrant removal from the threatened species list.
“There was a ton of data that we put through the grinder and we decided it wasn’t even close enough to be listed,” says Smith.
But some are taking issue with that assessment. Gary Casper, a herpetologist from West Bend, says the DNR refused to bring in any outside experts to the final process and is miscalculating how well the snake is surviving.
“It mystifies me why they are delisting,” says Casper. “I haven’t seen any evidence the snake has made any recovery that would warrant subjecting the population to more development.”
DNR endangered species spokeswoman Terrell Hyde says the department did involve Casper and others in meetings in 2010 and has followed policy. She also dismissed any claims that the move is politically motivated, noting the department had begun finalizing the new protected species list in 2009 — prior to Cathy Stepp, who owns a construction business, being named DNR secretary by Gov. Scott Walker.
“There was not any administrative interaction or directive to review any of the species on the list,” says Hyde. “This is all based on sound science.”
Check out this video "Twins and Triplets," submitted by kingsnake.com user prehistoricpets.
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Check out this video "The Perfect Bearded Dragon," submitted by kingsnake.com user oregonsnakes.
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Businesses
Looking for a reptile or amphibian related business? A reptile store, breeder, importer, maunfacturer or supplier?
Our business directory lists some of the most popluar herp businesses in the world. To list your business on kingsnake.com click here.
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Business Listings kingsnake.com links to a wide variety of reptile and
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Expos, symposiums, museum and zoo events and more offer herpers an opportunity to meet friends,
learn about reptiles and more. Check out the upcoming herp events listed below. To submit a non-profit event for free listing please
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Sometimes it's difficult for owners of non-traditional pets to find that special someone using traditional relationship sites.
kingsnake after dark is here to help pet owners find that extra special someone. Give it a try. It's FREE!
Clubs
Herpetological societies are typically non-profit, private organizations, clubs or organized groups of reptile and amphibian enthusiasts that are geographically focused around a specific state, province, or region. Many groups accept corresponding members from anywhere in the world. Most are open to the public, having been founded by hobbyists and non-professionals to promote education and conservation while often sharing knowledge related to husbandry and breeding.
There are several benefits to being a member of the ETHS...general meetings at The Houston Zoo, weekend field trips, socials/mixers -- just to name a few.
More importantly, though, being a member of the ETHS gives you the opportunity to make new friends and contacts with people who feel just as strongly as you do about lizards, snake, turtles, frogs and other cold blooded creatures.
The ARAV is a veterinary organization promoting conservation
and humane treatment of all reptilian and amphibian species through education, captive breeding, and habitat
preservation.
For information on the ARAV, or how you can become a member, please visit our web site at
http://arav.org
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The ARAV is a veterinary organization promoting conservation
and humane treatment of all reptilian and amphibian species through education, captive breeding, and habitat
preservation.
For information on the ARAV, or how you can become a member, please visit our web site at
http://arav.org
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Australia
The ARAV is a veterinary organization promoting conservation
and humane treatment of all reptilian and amphibian species through education, captive breeding, and habitat
preservation.
For information on the ARAV, or how you can become a member, please visit our web site at
http://arav.org
The ARAV is a veterinary organization promoting conservation
and humane treatment of all reptilian and amphibian species through education, captive breeding, and habitat
preservation.
For information on the ARAV, or how you can become a member, please visit our web site at
http://arav.org
Search by Country
About the ARAV
The Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV) is an international veterinary organization promoting conservation and humane treatment of all reptilian and amphibian species through education, captive breeding, and habitat preservation.
The ARAV advances programs for preventative medicine, husbandry, and scientific research in the field of veterinary medicine dealing with reptiles and amphibians. Also, the ARAV distributes scientific information relating to the field of husbandry, veterinary medicine and surgery of reptiles and amphibians through the Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery, the official publication of the Association, and the Annual Conference of the Association.
For more information about the ARAV or to join as an Associate Member for Non Veterinarians or as an Active Veterinarian Member please visit our website at http://arav.org, or contact us by mail, fax, or phone.
Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians
810 East 10th, PO Box 1897
Lawrence, KS 66044 USA
Phone 1-800-627-0326
International 1-785-865-9401
Fax 1-785-843-6153 http://arav.org
Zoos
Zoos, Aquariums, & Wildlife Parks
Zoos, aquariums, and wildlife parks provide an opportunity for the public to interact with species and learn about their habitats, care, and conservation. Zoological facilities such as these are involved in captive breeding and research programs for many endangered species, as well as for native and exotic species,and often provide assistance in the recovery and rehabilitation of injured and sick native species. The zoos, aquariums, and wildlife parks listed below are all Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited facilities.
Reptile and amphibian expos, symposiums, zoo and museum exhibitions and other educational events are great
places to ask questions, get answers and network with other herp keepers. Upcoming Reptile and Amphibian Events:
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Some of them are legends known to every school kid in the world. Others are
revered mostly by their peers and the scientists and herpers who came after
them. They're the world's most renowned and influential herpetologists,
herpetoculturists and zoologists, and you can learn more about them and
their legacy to the hobby in kingsnake.com's Wikipedia-based index of herper
biographies.
Keeping reptiles and amphibians is often subject to a variety of laws, regulations, and restrictions.
These resources are here to help you navigate the sometimes complex issues of herp ownership.
From the Reporter-Herald:
Planning for the second annual Reptile and Amphibian Law Symposium and Workshop to be held in Washington D.C. at the George Washington University Foggy Bottom Campus November 8-10, 2013 continues, with a second round of speaker invitations slated to go out next week. 
California Assembly Bill AB 339, set for an April 2nd hearing, lays out a series of regulations prohibiting the sales of live animals at flea markets and open air markets, that would essentially ban reptile shows and sales in the state. Introduced by Assembly Member Dickinson the bill would prohibit persons and businesses from selling or giving away live animals at events that meet the state's definition of a "swap meet".
A study published this week in the journal Pediatrics touches on a topic that came up at least year's Symposium in Houston: the salmonella risk of pet amphbians.
(Press Release)
Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources plans to remove the Butler's garter snake from the state's protected species list, along with 15 other species of plants and animals, after a multi-year review of its status. From 
