Kingsnake Journals

Cindy and Seri at one of the many NARBC Tinley Park shows

Shortly after the March NARBC, Seri Dukart of Gallery Gekko and Creature Care Cards was preparing to go in for her second knee replacement when tragedy struck at home. A fire wiped out both her home and attached dog grooming business. It was a total loss. While most of her animals survived, she lost her beloved African Grey, Toba. With a week to surgery, Seri got everything set. She shipped her geckos across the country to a friend who could hold them until she had a place to live again that was not a camper, a local pet shop opened for her reptile pets to hang out and educate people about reptiles and she ended up finding a place to rent to continue serving her grooming clients. Her home was older and to rebuild, she needed to come up with $10-$15,000 to get the electrical upgrades to get insurance to kick in to start the repairs so she could move back home and restart her life.

Are you ready?

Photo from Reddit

Photo of Noxen Fire Volunteer showing tubed venomous snake, rather than some more barbaric ways of other roundups such as sewing mouths shut while unsedated. Photo from Noxen Fire Dept Facebook page

Two Ibiza wall lizards. Photograph: Guillem Casbas

Image screenshot from video from KVUE

Researcher Corinna Hazelrig studies a snake. Credit: Taylor Miller

Tini, an olive ridley sea turtle, recently laid her eggs on Junitper Beach, Florida marking the first time ever for that species. While loggerheads, leatherbacks and greens do typically nest on the beach, this was the first ever record nest for the species recorded by Loggerhead Marinelife Center.

Olive ridleys are among the smallest sea turtle species and are known for their olive-green, heart-shaped shells. They are also famous for two nesting strategies: solitary nesting and the "arribada," a mass nesting event in which thousands of females come ashore at once.

Despite almost a year long battle with keepers, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources moved ahead on ban of all native species with an exception on only three color variants. This does include captive bred species, as well as a variety of color morphs. There is also a ban in place now on turtle and frog races, which is probably the only truly good things here. A few things of note from the new rules:

NR 16.01 (2m) “Color variant” means any of the following atypical native amphibians and
reptiles of any age class:
(a) Individuals, regardless of species, that are:
1. Tyrosinase-negative albino (light pink or yellow body with red eyes).
2. Fully melanistic animals (entirely black).
3. Piebald (10% or more of the animal is pure white).
(b) Gophersnakes and milksnakes that are patternless.
....
(2) POSSESSION RESTRICTED. No Beginning on January 1, 2027, no person may take from the
wild or possess any live or dead native amphibians or reptiles or their eggs, except as provided under
sub. (3) and s. NR 19.26, or turtles taken under the authority of ss. NR 19.275, 21.13 and 22.13. Any live
native wild reptiles or amphibians possessed before January 1, 2027, must be registered with the
10
department in a manner determined by the department on or before June 30, 2027. Any native wild
reptiles or amphibians not registered with the department on or before June 30, 2027, will be presumed to
be in violation of this chapter.

We aren't talking about the German Heavy Metal but here, but the actual arachnid! Scientists have recently discovered that 18 species of scorpions reinforce their stingers and pinchers with a variety of "heavy metals".

Attenborough in pursuit of a giant anteater in the Rupununi Savannah, British Guiana BBC David Attenbourgh's 100 birthday just passed and to many of us he introduced us to the wonders of nature and our beloved reptiles in their natural environments. Have you ever thought how he got his start? Amazingly he was not a naturalist but a film maker. His role was originally behind the camera! His big break came with a python on the third film expedition.

With my parang in my hand, I swung myself up into the tree. The branch around which the snake had draped itself was about 30 feet above the ground. As I approached it, I saw to my relief that the reptile was lying at least 10 feet along it, looking straight at me with its yellow button-like eyes. I braced my back against the trunk behind me, and began cutting. As the branch shook beneath my parang the reptile lifted its head, hissed and flickered its long black tongue. One of its coils began slithering smoothly over the branch. I redoubled my efforts. The bough creaked and slowly hinged downwards. With two more blows, it fell clear, carrying the python with it, and landed with a crash close by the boy and the old man.

image from Iowa County Sheriff facebook page of Burmese found in WI

This is WRONG and puts our entire hobby at risk.

image from Iowa County Sheriff facebook page of Burmese found in WI

Last friday in rural Wisconsin, a large Burmese python was discovered by the side of a road by a resident and police were notified. An investigation was launched and every rescue in Wisconsin was contacted by press. Seriously, the minute I saw the story, I had a text come through my phone asking if I was available and if I could bring reptiles with for the news piece.

Hey, it's Earth Day.

Hear ye, hear ye!

You asked, we've made it happen.