The Monitor

August, 2011

From the Editor's Desk

President: Melissa Coakley
Vice-President: Michele Patton
Secretary: Carrie Gardner
Treasurer: Doreen E. Saccardo
Chairman of the Board: John Soto
Editor: Carrie Gardner
Co-Editor: Doreen Saccardo
Field Trip Chair: Bill Murray
Webmaster: Carrie Gardner
Membership Chair: Dennis Beeker

WE MEET THE THIRD WEDNESDAY OF EVERY MONTH AT:
Moccasin Lake Nature Park
2750 Park Trail Lane
Clearwater, FL
727-462-2976

~~~~~~~~DON'T MISS IT~~~~~~~~

WE ARE ON FACEBOOK NOW! Please come and see us at www.facebook.com/suncoastherpsociety

Alton of Smelt Feed and Pet Supply is donating a $15.00 gift certificate every month for our raffle. His store is located at 4116 East 7th Avenue, Tampa, FL 33605, 813-248-2359

Herp Hobby Shop is celebrating their 20th Anniversay!! Please go and visit them at 103 Douglas Road, Unit E, Oldsmar, FL 34677, or give them a call at 813-925-0041! They provide the highest quality in captive-bred and imported reptiles and a full line of reptile supplies.

Web Page info: Calendar page is updated all the time as is Adoptions and Advertisements.

If you have photos you would like added to the "Club Photos" page, please email Carrie to have them added. YES, WE HAVE A PHOTO ALBUM THAT IS UP AND RUNNING AGAIN!

Carrie's Notes

Our very esteemed President had a letter printed in the September, 2011 issue of Reptile's Magazine - on page 10, to be exact. It's a wonderful comment about being a part of Herpetological Societies, and all the benefits that come from being a member!

Note from Jason Richardson:

Good day all,

My name is Jason Richardson, longtime member of the Suncoast Herp Society, but unfortunately due to schedules, an infrequent attendee of meetings. I write to you all today to ask a favor. I am an undergraduate researcher with the Integrative Biology Department at the University of South Florida. My mentor, Dr. Marc Lajeunesse and myself are currently performing a study examining the blood parasites in endemic green anoles versus invasive brown anoles in the Tampa Bay area. As you may all be aware, being Florida residents and herp lovers, anole populations are a little more crowded in urban areas, a perfect condition for our study. Unfortunately for us, this poses a bit of a problem, as most of our study thus far has been confined to public land where our target species are not as prevalent. This is where I seek your assistance. If your yard is a haven for anoles, I seek permission to come and take some samples. Our approach is non-invasive to the animals' well-being, as we take only a small sample of blood and return the animal on its merry way. I ask this groups assistance for the following reasons: 1) As herp enthusiasts, you know the difference between anoles, skinks, and geckos, and can accurately tell me what you've got around. 2) During my time in the Suncoast Herp Society, you've all proved to be a most generous group of people :)

If you'd be willing to let me come collect some blood samples, please contact me at JCRicha3@mail.usf.edu or call (352) 745-0539. I look forward to your response!

Sincerely, Jason Richardson

Our 3rd annual Everglades Field Trip is scheduled for October 7-8, 2011. Because this requires hotel and rentals, we will start a sign up sheet at this upcoming meeting. A $50.00 deposit will also be required ($25.00 of that is refundable) at the time you sign up. The last chance you have to sign up will be September 21, 2011. Any room we have after that date is subject to availability.

Please note with the Everglades trip. This is not a herp collecting mission. All animals within National Everglades Park are protected and collecting them prohibited. We can look for them, photograph them, and make ourselves an annoyance, but we cannot take them.

Also, we would like to say that Suncoast Herpetological Society IS NOT liable for anything that happens on the trip. We are going to be in a place where there are wild animals, some venomous, some big, and some a little ticked, insects of a much larger proportion, most of mosquitoes, and other surprises, I'm sure.. Closer to the time of the trip, we will hand out what would be a good idea to bring, etc.

I, on behalf of the Board, would like to THANK Dennis Beeker for all that he does for the club. He is always coming up with great and new ideas.

We are now on Facebook! Please sign up at www.facebook.com/suncoastherpsociety, and click on "Like". Doreen, Melissa, Michele, and myself are the administrators, so if you're wondering who's behind the posts, you know who it is!

In March we started a contest for members. If you refer 5 people in a 12 month period, you get your membership free for 1 year. If you refer 10 people in a 12 month period, you get a free 1 year membership and a $20.00 Gift Card. We start in the month that you have someone come to the meeting.

Though I have yet to add the auction pictures (the computer froze up when I tried it - they are on Facebook), I have added a whole bunch of photos on the website, and we're posting photographs on Facebook too, so come and take a look.

Please, join www.usark.org's mailing list to see what you can do to help with the increasing number of proposed bills that are coming. Become a member or donate some money. All money donated is matched by ZooMed.

Ciao,
Carrie

Doreen's Column

Hi there~~

*****Last month we had a collaboration talk on our trips to the Everglades but it wound up being Melissa and Bill speaking most of the time and they were the ones who put together an awesome slide show. I thought I had some pictures saved on a disk, but to my dismay, the disk was empty, but that did not prevent me from interjecting a few comments. Thanks to Michele also, for submitting pictures for the slide show.

*****We had a great show in Tampa and we welcomed a lot of new people at our meeting as a result of us networking. Thanks to Michele Patton and John Soto who manned the table the whole weekend. Thanks also go out to Dennis Beeker, Ed Bennett, Ray Kaylor, Railey Kaylor, Bill Murray and Melissa Coakley.

*****Another road trip for me, I will be heading to Islamorada in the keys to go lobstering for a week. This is a first for me and I am happy just to be taking a new adventure.

*****Our Everglades trip is set for the weekend of Friday, October 21, 2011. Since we plan on having more people than last year, and we have to rent a hotel and a vehicle, we will be taking a $50 deposit. We can begin taking names and deposits, so if you are interested, bring your check book. The deadline will be September 21 with only $25 refundable if you decide not to go after that date. It was decided that if we get too big, we will break up into two groups. This was an AWESOME trip and I highly recommend it to everyone. We will be talking about it at every meeting.

*****August speaker will be Joe Pittman from The Florida Poison Information Center Network. I had seen him at a show and he said he would be happy to speak at our meeting. August is also election month so if you are interested in taking a thankless job with no pay, let me know so I can put you on the ballot. If we do not have anyone who is interested in running against the current board, we will just ask for a general assent to keep the current board in place for another year.

*****On Sunday, August 14 a few of us are heading to Plant City to discuss our participation in Amnesty Day. We were going back and forth on this and we decided to see what it entails. We will let you know of our progress.

*****I know that Bill has been to the east coast volunteering for sea turtle watch. I am anxious to hear of his adventures.

*****September will be our scavenger hunt at Moccasin Lake. This is a wonderful time to explore our own backyard and slow down to notice nature. It is also good training in trying to spot things when we venture out on our herping trips.

*****October will be show and tell. We encourage members especially the little ones to bring in their favorite pet and speak about ten minutes and share your experiences with us.

*****This schedule is subject to change upon availability of speakers and the weather. That is why it is important to make sure your dues are paid up so you can be in the loop as far as getting all the information. We do not make any money on the membership fees, but it does defray the cost of mailing out the newsletter.

*****I think our club is in an upward swing and we would love everyone of you to be a part of this excitement.

***** I just wanted everyone to know that I am back selling Reptiles Magazine two years for the one year price of $24. If anyone is interested, please let me know.

*****I want to continually thank Carrie for doing all she does for the club. She keeps up with the newsletter and the website. I also want to thank Alice for keeping up with the member list and my monthly reminder call.

*****Happy Birthday to:

September 8 ~~ Dennis Beeker
September 15 ~~ Van Knight
September 16 ~~ Claudia Gunther
September 17 ~~ Anthony Spikes

I don't have any members' birthdays in August.. I know we have had a lot of new members and if you do not see your birthday listed, please let me know, it means I do not have it.

*****Thank you to all who do their part for this club. You guys are what make our society the GREATEST in Florida!!!!

*****Have a Herpy Day!!!***** Doreen~~

SPEAKER RECAP BY CARRIE

October 21 - 23, 2011 will be our third annual Everglades trip. To promote this, last month we had a talk about our previous trips, which I was unable to attend. This is my first year to go. However, we were entertained by the stories told by Bill, Melissa, and Doreen, and the pictures that went along with them.

To find snakes and other creatures, look in dilapidated buildings (especially under the rafters), under garbage, cardboard, carpets, tires, etc. Tall plants and grasses are also good hiding spots. But always be aware of what is around you. In dilapidated buildings you will see signs of sheds, but you also may see black widow eggs, or black widows themselves.

To find animals, Bill and Melissa are not above picking through roadside debris. And it is important to expand your view all around you - up AND down, and not just down. You can see much more that way in ways of wildlife. Moreover, you never know when that pesky little bunny is going to jump out at you and make you jump nine feet in the air!

Alligators and American crocodiles are both found in the Everglades. And Doreen had a close encounter of the almost fatal kind with a large croc. She was leaning over to take a picture of him, where sand had eroded and lost her footing. Luckily, Bill was there to catch her. Otherwise, she would've been grabbed, dragged underwater, drowned, and wedged somewhere to ripen enough for the crocodile to eat. So a word of caution . . . be careful trying to take pictures and/or make sure Bill is behind you when you take them.

This crocodile was huge, and unfortunately he passed away last year. There is a feeding station there, where people clean out their fish or whatever and throw the carcasses in the water, where this big guy was waiting for things to be thrown in.

Bring a couple of good flashlights. If you scan the water with them at night, you will see all the alligators hanging around, including lots of babies (and we will be there around hatching season). John has even called out to them and had them answer back. And I've heard that if its yellow eyes you see, it's an alligator. If its green eye shine, then it's a bullfrog.

It is amazing where you find snakes too. Bill and Melissa stopped and walked down some ways, finding a few snakes and came back to the car. Low and behold, sitting next to the car was a little yellow ratsnake with an attitude. While they were aggravating this little guy, some people stopped and asked if they were going to kill it. Bill replied that they don't kill, they take them home and name them. The person shook her head and left.

They were hunting for kings on a cold day in cane fields and came across a hive of bees. Bill booked out of there real fast - and right past Melissa. Melissa told him that she'd never seen him move so fast. To which Bill stated that if she saw him run like that, then she should follow. Be wary of Africanized bees, because they are also down there.

The noise is the coolest thing at night with the frogs and insects singing. It's like God's symphony. And each frog has their own sound that they make and only pay attention to that their particular sound and not any of the others.

One of the trails they walked down they renamed "The Mosquito Bite Trail" because they walked down it and were attacked. Melissa always goes and gets the 99% deet mosquito spray, and even that didn't faze them. So I guess this is a warning - if you want to come out of the Everglades with a drop of blood left, then avoid this trail at all costs.

There was a baby American crocodile that Melissa wanted to take home but Bill wouldn't allow it. And he was very cute too. It was a surprise that the Mom wasn't there to protect him. Alligators are very protective of their babies, but either crocodiles are not, or he got really mad at his mom and decided to strike out on his own.

Someone from the Audubon Society was down there once years ago and said that there was a flock of birds so large that it blocked out the sun for 15 minutes. When you're out field herping, you're not just seeing the herps, but you see all the wildlife that is out there.

Bill was out there hunting with a bunch of guys and they found a shack. Everyone except Bill went over to the shack to see if there were snakes there. Bill stayed back and ended up finding a very large yellow ratsnake that was as long, if not longer than him. It was all up in the engine of this big piece of machinery. It is assumed that it would crawl to the top to bask, then would go back down to cool off. It took all of them to get the snake out, and by the end, it was so exhausted that it had stopped biting everybody.

However, larger specimens do not make good pets. They are set in their ways and are used to being wild. It won't eat well and will just slowly wither away. If you're going to collect snakes (and we're not doing that on this trip), it is best to get them when they're young.

Unfortunately, there are people that just don't respect the land and treat the Everglades like a dumping ground. There was an alligator with a baby by her, and it was obvious that she had swallowed something because she appeared to be all bloated. As beautiful as the Everglades are, there is a ton of garbage there too. Which is very sad, considering how it can have an impact on the wildlife there. On Alligator Alley, they also saw some people feeding a gator chicken and Melissa yelled at them. The alligator got closer and they could see that a fish hook was stuck in its snout.

If you've listened to the news in the last few years, you've heard more and more about exotic animals. However, a lot of these species were probably brought over by boats carrying fruit. Eyelash vipers were known to hide in banana shipments. And that is probably where the Cuban anoles came from and the brown basilisks. The basilisks are super fast, and John was able to catch one, which is very cool.

Bill is always looking for papaya trees. Birds eat the fruit, and well, expel the seeds, usually when they're flying. So it isn't uncommon to see weird fruit trees or bushes around there. If you want to get a good papaya plant, it is best to get the unisex one, and not a male or female plant.

One of the adventures was traveling with John's car one year. Bill was driving and they would spot something, Bill would stop and yell at everyone to get out, however, the back doors wouldn't open unless the car was in park. So he's yelling at everybody to get out and no one could.

Two - thirds of snakes found are water moccasins and they have beautiful colors that are more like the juvenile colors than the black ones we see up here. Probably because they grow so fast down in the Everglades with the warmer weather and plenty of food.

Road cruising is the most fun part of the trip. Especially with Bill's eagle eye for small reptiles. They move animals off the road to keep from getting hit. They couldn't get this one snake off the road. They'd move it but it would come right back out. So John threw his shoe at it, and it moved away from the road. There is speculation as to whether the fact that he was struck by a shoe made him turn around, or the smell of the shoe did it. Either way, it got him off the road!

During a group picture taken last year was a gator that kept coming up to them in the water behind. Probably one that was used to being fed by humans, and was expecting something from them. And this is why it is important to NOT FEED ALLIGATORS!

There are so many different habitats in the Everglades and it is so beautiful that it is well worth the experience. And we hope that you can join with us.

And to remind everyone of the info for the trip: It is Friday, October 21st - Sunday, October 23rd. We are asking for a $50 deposit, as we have to book hotel rooms and a vehicle. The last day to sign up is at September's meeting, which is the 21st. If for some reason you put down a deposit and can't go, only $25.00 is refundable. Please send your name, e-mail address, phone number, and a check or money order to: Suncoast Herp Society, P.O. Box 2725, Dunedin, FL 34697.

Michele's Musings

Reptile Tank Cleaning and Disinfecting

Proper diet, calcium/vitamin supplements, lighting, and a secure tank enclosure are all very important to keeping your reptile or amphibian healthy. Keeping your reptile's environment sanitized is just as important as proper lighting and diet is. It is also a great way to avoid an expensive trip to the reptile vet.

Many people may not make a distinction between cleaning and disinfecting, but when it comes to proper reptile care, it is important to know the difference and to do both.

For cleaning, almost any good liquid soap or dish washing soap works well. There is no need to buy special "antibacterial" soaps. All soaps are antibacterial in that they, in conjunction with hot water, help to remove bacteria from surfaces.

A disinfectant is a substance that is applied to non-living objects to destroy microorganisms that are living on the objects. Most disinfectants are most effective when allowed to stand on the surface for several minutes.

When you are cleaning and disinfecting enclosures which cannot be taken to a tub, sink or outside to be washed and rinsed out; cleaning must be done with a sponge, paper towels or rags.

There are tank cleaning products available that are specially made for use in disinfecting reptile tanks. Zoo Med has a product called Wipe Out, and Healthy Habitat is made by Natural Chemistry. Remember to fully read and follow the directions on the back of the product for proper use. I have not personally used these products and don't have any tips to offer.

If you are like me and on a tight budget; household bleach is one of the most inexpensive and readily available disinfectants. You can make a disinfecting bleach solution by mixing 1 part bleach to 16 parts water (or 1 cup of bleach to 1 gallon of water). Apply this bleach solution to the cleaned tank, decorations, and accessories for 5-10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly with clean water.

Hydrogen peroxide is used in hospitals to disinfect surfaces and it is used in solution alone or in combination with other chemicals as a high level disinfectant. Hydrogen peroxide is inexpensive, and is a powerful bleaching agent. It is composed of water and oxygen and kills microorganisms by oxidizing them. And, as an added benefit, it is good for the environment. I personally use hydrogen peroxide to sanitize my reptile and cricket tanks. It is safe to use on glass tanks & plastic tubs. The only downside is that hydrogen peroxide does not come in 1 gallon bottles like bleach does.

For disinfecting tanks, I use a 50/50 mix of hydrogen peroxide and water in a spray bottle. I remove the substrate, water dishes, hides, etc. I spray down the tank and let the bubbles work for 10 – 15 min. Then I wipe down with paper towels and let air dry. I also soak water dishes in the hydrogen peroxide and scrub with a tooth brush, rinse with tap water and dry with paper towel. When everything is dry I put the tank furniture back in and finally the reptile. The reptiles are always happy to be back inside their home. They seem to appreciate a clean tank, even though it may not stay clean for very long.

Bleach is a good sanitizer; I used it when I kept mice a few years ago. It was great for neutralizing the mice odor and for killing and controlling a mite problem.

Hydrogen peroxide does not leave a residue or fumes that needs to be rinsed down like bleach does. Plus, if you are clumsy like me and you happen is spill some hydrogen peroxide, it will not harm your carpet or other furniture like bleach can.

A tank that is clean should have no smell to it. When you put your face into the tank; if you can smell bleach or cleaner inside the tank, even a tiny bit, then you have not rinsed the bleach or cleaner completely out. Remember that your reptile is in that tank 24/7. Any cleaning fumes that remain will harm your pet and can cause respiratory problems and skin & eye irritations. So when using bleach or other cleaners, make sure to fully rinse.

Depending on the species of reptile you keep, you may need to clean your reptile's tank more or less often. For my leopard geckos, they poo in one corner of their tank, every time I feed I will spot clean any poo. Once a month I will change the newspaper substrate and do a full tank sanitizing.

My corn snake is kept on aspen shavings; whenever she poops I just remove the soiled shavings. I sanitize her tank every 1 or 2 months. She is a very clean snake and does not require a full tank sanitizing as often. My ball python on the other hand, tends to be on the messy side, I should have named him Pigpen. I keep him on newspaper and I do a full tank sanitizing whenever he poops.

I keep my gargoyle gecko on reptile carpet and once a month I sanitize the full tank and replace the carpet. I have 3 sets of reptile carpet so it is easier and faster to clean his tank. I soak the dirty reptile carpet in 50/50 hydrogen peroxide mix for 30 minutes or longer to soften any poop. A tooth brush helps to get off any poop or Repashy diet stuck to the carpet. I will then rinse the carpet in tap water and hang to air dry.

For my Indo-Pacific geckos, they are a bit tougher because they do not like be handled, AT ALL. I use Exo Terra Plantation Soil, in combination with moisture a day lamp it helps to break down the poo. I will clean the glass by misting a paper towel with 50/50 hydrogen peroxide mix and wiping the glass. The smaller tanks, I will catch and move the gecko to a clean tank. That is normally how I get escapees and it really stresses the geckos out. I do a full tank sanitizing as needed for them.

For my cricket tubs, I throw out all paper tubes and sanitize the tubs every 1 to 2 weeks. My crickets require more work and daily upkeep than any of my reptiles combined. (I keep geckos of various sizes & ages, so breeding crickets still saves me $$$ and many trips to the pet store, so it is well worth it.)

It is a good idea to label and store your reptile cleaning supplies separate from other household cleaning tools to ensure that cross-contamination does not occur. You do not want to clean the tank with something you cleaned your toilet bowl with nor is it a good idea to clean any areas that are used for food preparation with a tool that you used on the tank.

Some reptile health problems are simply because their tanks were not kept clean and sanitized. Before getting a reptile (or any other pet), make sure you are prepared to keep their home clean. The proper food, supplements, and lighting are all extremely important for reptiles but so is a clean environment.

References:
Melissa Kaplan's – Cleaning, Disinfecting and Sterilizing
Doctor Foster and Smith – Cleaning & Disinfecting reptile tanks
Wikipedia – Hydrogen peroxide & Disinfectant
Truth of Fiction - The Many Uses of Hydrogen peroxide
http://www.ausefulguide.com – How to properly clean your reptile tank

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Until Next Month,
Carrie

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