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.
SEWERFest, one of the major shows in Wisconsin, could use a name change, but it does hold true to the promise of "captive-bred only."
"SEWER" actually stands for "South East Wisconsin Exotic Reptile," and it is one of the two major reptile shows here in Wisconsin. The organizers are pretty strict about the captive bred rule, and it offers a nice alternative.
I had to share Gavin's table from SoLA for best in show. Gavin really tends to put a bit of effort in presentation and while I tend to give him a really hard time, it's nice to see someone put effort into presentation.
I, on the other hand, was far less inspired. Unlike most vendors here, I am just displaying a variety of reptiles available for adoption, with no placements today. I spent my time chatting about what make good pets, promoting good breeders of species we do not currently have, discussing the pending reptile laws. All in a days work, and thankfully the organizers offer free table space to rescues, herp societies and other non-profit groups. This is also one of the rare shows I actually work from this side of the table. I usually am working for kingsnake, but today I am doing a bit of personal promotion.
Each show, the organizers also donate a portion of the door. Aaron LaForge, one of the promoters, just lost his father-in-law to lung cancer, so today they stepped outside the reptile realm and chose the Lung Cancer Research Fund.
After the bump are a few shots from the show, I didn't place anything but I had several folks interested in my cal king as well as my blue tongue skink. Cross those fingers I have placement by thanksgiving! To see the full gallery, click here.
A land transaction is being proposed with the intent of wetlands restoration; however, the underlying impacts of allowing public access and potential lack of suitable maintenance, may in the end jeopardize the area's local animal and plant life and compromise its natural state.
The deadline to comment is November 15, 2010, at 3 pm.
David Attaway
Environmental Supervisor
City of Los Angeles
Department of Recreation and Parks
221, N. Figueroa Street, Suite 100
Los Angeles, CA 90012.
A letter can be faxed to him at (213) 202-2611 followed with mailing of the original letter.
For additional information: 213-202-2660.
After the bump is a request for help from SWHS board member Rande Gallant with a sample letter.
Taipans rank up there as some of the most deadly snakes and now a third species has been recently discovered.
During a recent biological survey, two more of these rare Taipans have been located bringing the count worldwide to a grand total of 5 animals.
From PerthNow:
The two western desert taipans (Oxyuranus temporalis) were found as part of a survey in October by the WA Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) and the Spinifex People, in partnership with the WA Museum, the Adelaide Zoo, and Museum Victoria.
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The inland taipan has the most toxic venom worldwide, and the coastal taipan is the third most toxic. The venom toxicity of the western desert taipan is, as yet, unknown but likely to be extremely dangerous.
The adult male and female snakes, measuring more than one metre, are being housed at the Adelaide Zoo to allow the venom of the snakes to be assessed, and determine whether a species-specific antivenom is needed.
With the numerous reports each year of taipans in urban locations, this research may be life saving for many.
As the supply of Coral Snake anti-venom dwindles down to nothing and the expiration date approaches, Pfizer announces that it has broken ground a facility to start production again.
The initial production of antivenin (the clinical term for anti-venom) for treating coral snake bites is the function of an 11,500-square-foot facility Pfizer is building near the center of the 2,100-acre animal health research farm it has in Richland Township. The facility is being built at a cost of $3.75 million.
During the last week of October, ground was broken on it as well as a $6 million, 24,000-square-foot facility to research new medicines for horses. Both facilities are to be completed by summer of 2011.
“This investment by Pfizer underscores the important role that our Kalamazoo County site plays in both human and animal health,” said Pfizer spokesman Rick Chambers.
With the facility for horses, Chambers said, “This expands our capacity to research new treatments for horses.”
This move will also create a few additional jobs at their new facilities.
Every year for the past 10 years I have loaded up animals on a very cold day and taken a short trip to my museum. Run by Bob Henderson and hosted by the Milwaukee Public Museum, Snake Day is basically a free for all educational event. We have had some people over the years who were not thrilled with the animals in the show, but this year, folks were not only interested and intrigued but shared a genuine love for reptiles. I did have a few discussions about those lovely "animals will kill you" shows, but people seemed very receptive to the fact that those are rare instances used to make the rest of the community look crazy. One thing repeatedly pointed out to me by attendees was the fact that reptile keepers come from all walks of life. This is something I have been going on and on about for years.
Our group included everything. Zoo professionals Rob Carmichael and his crew from Wildlife Discovery were on hand, as were breeders, keepers, educators, conservationists and rescuers; we were all there. We share all walks of life in the real world. We spanned all ages from Anna (6 years old) with her corn snakes and Harmony (7 years old) with her scorpion, all the way to Nancy and Mike who are both well into their 60s. Some have tattoos and some don't, some listen to classical and some listen to heavy metal. We work in every profession imaginable. But we share one thing, and that is our love for the cold-blooded.
Our displays ranged from the tiniest amphibians to native Wisconsin species of colubrids to cobras and vipers, rare iguanas and the giants of the reptile world. We talked good pets and bad pets. Kids of all ages got their first chance to hold a snake or touch a lizard. And even more amazing is people learn about the reptiles in their own back yard.
I have a few photos after the bump, but most of all, I just wanted to share that it is important to put your money where your mouth is. Public outreach right now is so very important to our community. If you are doing things like this, let us know here on our blog.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced its annual Candidate Notice of Review, a yearly appraisal of the current status of plants and animals considered candidates for protection under the Endangered Species Act.
A number of reptiles and amphibians remain candidates, including the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake, but none were added or removed this year. Being listed as a candidate species is the first step towards an "endangered" listing, but many plants and animals have languished on the list for years in a form of bureaucratic limbo (many already enjoy protection under state laws and regulations). As of yesterday's announcement, there are now 249 species recognized by the USFWS as candidates for ESA protection.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today released its Candidate Notice of Review, a yearly appraisal of the current status of plants and animals that are considered candidates for protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Four species have been removed from candidate status, five have been added, and eight have a change in priority from the last review in December 2008. There are now 249 species recognized by the Service as candidates for ESA protection.
The Obama administration today denied Endangered Species Act protection to 251 plants and animals that government scientists have said need these protections to avoid extinction. Instead, the administration has placed them indefinitely on a list of “candidate” species, where many have already languished for years without help.
The Texas Department of State Health Services has proposed a rule change requiring retailers selling live reptiles and amphibians to post new signs and make handouts available regarding the transmission and prevention of reptile and amphibian salmonellosis. These changes would reflect the current recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and clarify existing language.
Salmonellosis has long been a concern of herpetoculturists, and this effort represents an attempt to present a single consistent message in line with the CDC recommendations. Texans have until November 21 to submit comments on the proposed rule change, which was published in the October 22 Texas Register. The proposed changes appear on the Texas Register web site; an overview of the changes appears below the jump.
Comments should be sent to Tom Sidwa, DVM, Department of State Health Services, Community Preparedness Section, Zoonosis Control Branch, Mail Code 1956, P.O. Box 149347, Austin, TX 78714-9347 or via email to Tom.Sidwa@dshs.state.tx.us.
Russ Gurley will be joining us tonight at 9 pm EST to discuss the upcoming Turtle and Tortoise Preservation Group's conference, which will be held this week in Mesa, Ariz. The event will be held in the Reptile and Amphibian chat room.
If you have questions for Russ, drop a line here in the comments or email me at phfaust@pethobbyist.com.
Winter is coming and for the people in certain states, its already here. When winter arrives, its time to prepare for changes in the home environment to help avoid health problems with our herps. Winter is notoriously dry as forced-air heat dries out the already dry winter air. Some homes experiencing single digit humidity that saps the humidity out of everything from your wood floors to your tropical herps cage. This is a critical time of year when cold drafts and low humity work to make your animals suffer respiratory distress leading to infection and illness. So what do you do to prevent this? Isolate your herps to a room that you can control the humidty with a good humidifier. Change the filter in the humidifier using the manufacturers instructions to avoid bacteria build up. If you cannot do that, then increase the water bowl and spray the cage periodically (daily mostly). There are great misting and fogging systems for smaller cages. Avoid soggy cages that can also lead to mold and fungus.
Also, drafts happen in our older homes dropping temps in the house below level too low for the cage heaters to keep up with. Don't just rely on your remote thermometers. Use infrared thermometers to scan the various temp ranges of your enclosures. Be aware that cages close to walls, windows and concrete floors can be 10-20 degrees lower than other cages connected to a cetnral thermostat. Increasing basking lights helps increase day time temps or using a larger under tank heater. Incandescent lighting will reduce the humidity so you need to compensate.
Also during this time as with our holiday decorations and scented candles, be wary of fire hazards! Don't overload your circuits and use properly rated powerstrips and avoid the electrical octopus. Watch out for extension cords that are hot to the touch as they are being overloaded. This is critical when you are dealing with space heaters which draw lots of current. If you use an oil heater, make sure you get one that has tip over protection.
Keep it safe for you and your herps. Remember that signs of illness are subtle so keep a close eye on your herps during this time.
The Snow Skink is the first reptile to determine sex of the offspring in two locations with completely different methods. We as humans know there are a variety of way to determine sex of an incubating clutch, but with these guys, they do it on their own.
From ABC Science:
At low altitudes, the lizard's gender is determined by temperature, while at high altitudes where the climate is more extreme, it's all down to their genes, according to a study in Nature.
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The snow skink is a small six centimetre long lizard which lives in coastal and sub-alpine areas beneath rock slabs, eating insects and wild berries. It gives birth to live young rather than laying eggs, producing between one and six babies.
Previous research shows that the sex of baby skinks is determined during the first half of the pregnancy, depending on how long the mother remains in warm sunshine. Warm temperatures generally produce females, while cooler temperatures produce males.
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The researchers found that lowland mothers had very different ratios of boys to girls, depending on how much sunshine they had. By contrast, the highland mothers showed no difference in sex ratio of offspring, regardless of how long they spent in the Sun
A 130-year-old festival aims to educate locals about the snakes that live in their backyards.
In India, there is a reason to have hesitation of some snakes; even reptile folks would need to double check closely before reaching out and just grabbing the snake on the ground. Kraits and Cobras are not things of child's play.
From the Times of India:
"Legend goes that gunins and ojhas used to worship the snake goddess on this day. Snakebites were very common in these parts. The ojhas and gunins were the ones who used to treat the victims. During the fair, the goddess was worshipped and snakes were made to perform. That tradition has stayed on," said Subodh Patra, a descendant of Jhatunath Patra.
A postal department employee, Subodh is now one of leading figures in the fair and a rescuer of snakes. "We rescue the snakes, look after them throughout the year and then release them. Snakes are a very important part of our environment. Through the fair, we try to educate and inform the people about the different kinds of snakes. Not all snakes are poisonous but people have misconceptions," he explained.
During the year, Subodh and other villagers are on the lookout for poisonous snakes and cases of snakebites in the adjoining villages. The snakes are caught and their fangs taken out (in most of the snakes), they are kept for the rest of year and then released in forests or rivers.
The festival pays tribute to Manasa, the snake goddess. To read more, click here.
Any herper knows, you say you have snakes, someone will exhibit fear. An article by the Houston Chronicle tries to take some of that fear away, just in time for NARBC to hit town.
Like spiders, most snakes are not harmful to humans, especially the ones common in urban and suburban Texas, says Corey Roelke, a biologist and past president of the Texas Herpetological Society.
Rattlesnakes, coral snakes, copperheads and cottonmouths are dangerous, but if you leave most venomous snakes alone, you're likely not going to be bitten.
"The vast majority of people who are bitten by snakes are trying to catch or kill them," Roelke says. "People think snakes are charging after them. In general, they want to get away from you."
Snakes are also useful. They're experts at catching rodents, slithering into small spaces cats can't reach.
King snakes and indigo snakes eat their venomous brethren, such as rattlesnakes.
Some snakes make great pets, Roelke says, because they don't need frequent feeding or complicated habitats.
The article was inspired by things that make people go jump in the night and also touches on bats and spiders. Any time a snake gets good press, it is a good day.
Six hundred dead sea turtles in the Gulf might seem like a fairly small number given the enormity of this year's catastrophic oil spill, but the fact that each species is struggling for survival makes the impact greater than its numbers alone.
Among the saddest images from BP Plc's three-month-long oil gusher in the Gulf of Mexico were those of oil-slicked birds struggling to survive. US officials said preliminary information showed the disaster may have killed up to 6,104 birds and 609 turtles.
But on the positive side, the figures showed that more than 14,000 turtle hatchlings emerged from nests that were relocated to beaches away from the oil spill.
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The report was based on input from wildlife collection centres, government departments and other sources, but officials warned that the figures reflected "only the initial, field-level, evaluation".
More investigation was needed and not all of the injured and dead wildlife were "necessarily" caused by the BP spill, officials said.
Nest relocation may have helped prevent a true tragedy. There were 278 nests relocated, and as of today 14,676 hatchlings have emerged.
Upset that the turtle traps placed by New Jersey Fish and Wildlife were trapping and drowning not nuisance Snapping Turtles but other species, primarily Painted Turtles, Audra Capps tried to help. That's where she got in trouble.
From NJ.com:
While the traps were apparently put in place to capture snapping turtles, Audra Capps contends they were poorly assembled and instead were trapping and drowning another species of the aquatic reptiles — painted turtles, the report said.
A conservation officer with the New Jersey's Division of Fish and Wildlife caught Capps and a friend pulling out the traps, the report said. Both were issued four summonses each but Capps hopes to convince the judge she was just acting as a Good Samaritan looking out for helpless wildlife.
Capp has quite a bit of public support behind her. To read the full article, click here.
With many sea turtle eggs hatched and released into the Atlantic Ocean as a way to avoid the Gulf Oil Spill, things may be hard for the Loggerheads. From Eureka:
During embryonic development turtle eggs spend long periods covered by sand under conditions of high humidity and warm temperatures, which are known to favor the growth of soil-born fungi.
Dr Diéguez-Uribeondo's team focused their study on the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) population on Boavista Island, Cape Verde, off the West African coast. While Boavista Island represents one of the most important nesting regions for this species a high hatching failure rate is driving population numbers down.
The team sampled egg shells with early and severe symptoms of infection, as well as diseased embryos from sea turtle nests located in Ervatao, Joao Barrosa and Curral Velho beaches and discovered 25 isolates of F. solani associated with egg mass mortalities.
Although this fungal species has been previously described in association with different infections in animals, its relationship to hatching failure had not been investigated before this study.
The finding that strains of F. solani may act as a primary pathogen in loggerhead sea turtles represents an extremely high risk to the conservation of loggerhead sea turtles across the area.
The good news for this year's releases is that they were hatched in secure locations. Furthermore, the identification leads conservations and scientists to a starting path of recovery. To read the full press release, click here.