The Monitor

February, 2011

From the Editor's Desk

Newsletter Material

This is YOUR club. The more you give into it, the more you will get out of it. Your opinions, suggesions and submissions are welcome. Please feel free to submit any ideas or suggestions to: luvcatz7@yahoo.com

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: Doreen Saccardo
Webmaster: Carrie Gardner

NEXT MEETING:
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Anthony Spikes on Venom, toxins and venomous animals
Moccasin Lake Nature Park
Clearwater, FL
727-462-2976

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

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

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

Howdy!! Well, a sinus infection knocked me out for the better part of a month, and I missed Bruce's talk AND the field trip. I was not a happy camper.

Bruce was kind enough to send me a recap of his talk to us. Thank you, Bruce. Very much appreciated!

We got our bookmarks and postcards printed, and they look FABULOUS (and no, I'm not just saying that because I designed them). We're planning on distributing them out at the shows, pet stores, and the bookmarks to libraries or other educational places. If any of you have more ideas on where we can put them, we'd be glad to hear it.

At the end of March (March 26-27) is the Repticon show in Tampa. Michele and I usually man the tables, and Doreen will be selling subscriptions to Reptiles magazine. If we could have a couple more volunteers on those two days, it would really help. We could actually fan out, talk to people and try and get more memberships. And of course, you can walk around and look at all the animals too! We usually have a lot of fun at these shows.

Florida has PASSED the "Python Ban Law". You must already have your permit to own an ROC species except for the anaconda - you have to have a permit by October 1st. You can no longer buy, sell, trade, acquire any Burmese pythons, Africa Rock pythons, reticulated pythons, anacondas, amethystine pythons, Nile monitors or any other animal they decide to put on the list.

If you have one of these animals and got your permit before July 1st, you can keep your CURRENT ROC species until their death. You cannot acquire more.

However, go to www.myfwc.com to look for a map for people who are legally able to take your ROC if you no longer want it. And Amnesty Days will continue. For more information, please see our website or go to the above site.

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

*****Bruce Shwedick was our speaker for January. He spoke on what is new at the reptile zoos and aquariums. He is a wealth of information. He travels around the country giving talks and has done numerous reptile discovery programs and always does a fantastic job when he speaks for us. Since it was so dark and I was so tired, I did not write any notes from the meeting. I sure miss Carrie when she is not here

***** We decided to change the auction to April because Repticon will have their Tampa show on March 26 and 27, after our March meeting.

*****We had our field trip to Homosassa on January 22. I had free tickets to get in. The people who enjoyed the trip were John and Sandi Soto; Pat Gannon and her granddaughter; Ed, the new guy from Long Island, my parents and yours truly. This was an extremely cold and windy day and I am glad we opted out of the canoe trip. We did get to go on a boat ride to the park and see the manatee show and feeding; hippopotamus talks, as well as a croc talk. We ate across the street at a wonderful Italian restaurant. This was an enjoyable day. I took a lot of pictures, when I get a chance; I will put them on our website (along with the Everglades pictures that I have not posted yet).

*****Anthony Spikes will be our speaker for February and his talk will be on poisons and toxins and venomous animals in the environment. This should be very interesting, do not miss this one.

*****If anyone is interested there will be a big regional backgammon tournament on February 18, 19 and 20 at the Hampton Inn and Suites, 39284 US 19 North, Tarpon Springs. Go to tampabaybackgammon.com for times and more information

*****Repticon will be having their Sarasota show at the Robarts Arena on February 26 and 27, 2011. Then the Tampa Show on March 26 and 27, 2011 at the fairgrounds.

***** 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:

February 16 ~~ Sylvia LaFave
February 28 ~~ Red Klavins
February 28 ~~ Rachel Segal

March 5 ~~ Carrie Gardner
March 6 ~~ Brandon Klavins
March 6 ~~ Charles Batdorf
March 16 ~ Sean Tanner
March 24 ~ Pete Richardson
March 31 ~ Charles Brown

If your name is not on the birthday list, let me know and I will add it, (Either I don't have it or I forgot).

*****Thank you to all who do their part for this club. That is what makes our society the GREATEST in Florida.

*****Have a herpy day!! Doreen~~

SPEAKER RECAP BY BRUCE SHWEDICK

Since there was no speaker in December, I get to wing it this month. I saved an email from USARK to put here. Enjoy!

What's new at the Zoo!

Since 200, Bruce Shwedick, owner of Reptile Discovery Programs in Plant City has been crossing the country providing educational live reptiles programs to schools in 44 states. This has given him the opportunity to visit many zoos and aquariums and at our last meeting he shared some photos and information from his travels.

Bruce talked about the focus that zoos and aquariums have placed on rearing and breeding Asian Fresh-water turtles due to the crisis in Asia from the over harvesting of wild turtles for the food market. Over the past decade reports have indicated that wild populations have declined and that rare turtle species have been frequently offered for sale in Asian food markets.

He shared photos of several new Amphibian displays in zoos that are focusing on the Hellbender, the largest salamander native to the US.

The St. Louis Zoo has undertaken a project to head-start these Salamanders and is sending them to other zoos and aquariums in order to establish captive colonies to help insure the species survival. They are threatened in the wild due to the effects of pollution and habitat degradation.

New Amphibian conservation centers have been created at the Henry Doorley Zoo in Omaha, the Detroit Zoo and at the Jacksonville Zoo.

At these centers and at other zoos and aquariums, many species of amphibians are being bred in order that they can be returned to the wild to bolster wild populations or for their species future survival. Amphibian populations have been declining in the wild due to the Chytrid fungus and to changes in their natural environment brought about by people. Some zoos such as the National Zoo, Cincinnati and San Antonio have built new exhibits for the Chinese or Japanese Giant Salamanders and many zoos and aquariums built new amphibian exhibits for 2008, which was the AZA's Year of the Frog. These exhibits highlight amphibian diversity and threats to their survival.

Bruce showed photos of the new Galapagos tortoise exhibit at the Gladys Porter Zoo in Brownsville,Texas, where keepers hatch these endangered tortoises every year. He also talked about reptile training programs such as one that involves feeding the large male Komodo dragon hard boiled eggs at the San Antonio. Keepers enter the enclosure every Saturday to the delight of the zoo's visitors and the lizard as well!

Most impressive was MOLA, the Museum of Living Art. This is a very large and brand new exhibit of reptiles and amphibians that Bruce toured at the Fort Worth Zoo. MOLA displays these animals in beautiful designed enclosures almost like a natural history art gallery. The exhibit features a restaurant where visitors can have lunch while watching Gharials swim underwater and it also features A giant Salt-water crocodile recently brought to Texas from Australia.

Bruce also talked about Mighty Mike, a 14 foot alligator that he purchased from a Florida trapper in 2000. Bruce now arranges for Mighty Mike to visit zoos and aquariums for a temporary exhibit to highlight the importance of alligators in the wild. Mighty Mike is currently on display at the Newport Aquarium in Kentucky until late May when Bruce will transport him to the John Ball Zoo in Michigan for the summer.

Bruce donated a copy of his new published, "Crocodilians of the World" poster for our auction and he brought a juvenile African Slender-snouted crocodile for everyone to meet up close. Copies of his poster are available for purchase at www.crocodileconservation.org. Proceeds from poster sales support the Crocodilian Conservation Center of Florida, Inc. This non-profit organization has just been established by Bruce and several of his colleagues in order to create a Crocodilian Conservation Center near Frostproof, Florida. Progress of the croc center can be followed on Facebook (Search for Crocodile Quest) and at www.crocodilequest.org in the coming months.

Michele's Musings

As I was researching my article on Chameleons, I came across these amazing little creatures called the pygmy chameleon. I have discovered that there are many species & subspecies of the pygmy chameleons, some are so tiny they can sit on your thumb nail with room to spare.

Pygmy Chameleons

Rhampholeon or commonly known as pygmy chameleons or African leaf chameleons, are a genus of small chameleons found in central East Africa, extending slightly into adjacent DR Congo.

They are found in forests, woodlands, thickets and savanna, and most species are restricted to highlands. They are brown, gray or green, and typically seen at low levels in bushes, or on the ground among grass or leaf litter.

Taxonomy

* Rhampholeon acuminatus - Nguru Pygmy Chameleon
* Rhampholeon beraduccii - Bearded Pygmy Chameleon
* Rhampholeon boulengeri - Boulenger's Pygmy Chameleon
* Rhampholeon chapmanorum * Rhampholeon marshalli - Marshall's Pygmy Chameleon
* Rhampholeon moyeri * Rhampholeon nchisiensis - Pitless Pygmy Chameleon * Rhampholeon platyceps * Rhampholeon platyceps platyceps * Rhampholeon platyceps carri * Rhampholeon spectrum - Spectral Pygmy Chameleon * Rhampholeon spinosus - Rosette-Nosed Chameleon * Rhampholeon temporalis - Usambara Pitted Pygmy Chameleon * Rhampholeon uluguruensis - Uluguru Pygmy Chameleon * Rhampholeon viridis * Brookesia superciliaris – Horned Pygmy Chameleon * Brookesia stumfii – Brookesia Stumpffi * Brookesia thieli – Thiels Pygmy Chameleon * Rhampholeon (Rhinodigitum) acuminatus – Montane Pygmy Chameleon

General Pygmy Care Sheet

Origin: Brookesia are found in Madagascar, Rhampholeon are found in Africa.

Size: Varies with different species. The most common pygmy chameleon in the pet trade, R. brevicaudatus, reaches a maximum total length of 3.2".

Lifespan: Varies. Usually 2-5 years.

Housing: It is important to house your pygmy chameleon in an enclosure that has adequate ventilation. Glass aquariums used for fish do not allow the proper amount of ventilation and, therefore, are not a good choice. Good enclosures are mesh, screen, or special chameleon enclosures that have a glass front and back, but the sides and top are ventilated. Reptariums work well, as do Oceanic Lizard "E" Series Lizard Lounges.

>Be sure to set your enclosure away from direct sunlight. Pygmies have a tendency to overheat, and keeping your enclosure near a window will increase the chance of having a pygmy fatality.

Once you have chosen your enclosure, it's time to landscape. I have a step-by-step guide on creating a naturalistic pygmy enclosure on this page. I use at least 2" of 50/50 mixture of organic potting soil and peat moss. Dried sphagnum moss is placed on top and sprayed thoroughly. Ficus benjamina trees are a favorite of my pygmies, though other pygmy-safe plants such as pothos, ferns, etc. are used as well.

Temperature: Varies. Pygmy chameleons easily overheat and should be kept at room temperature or slightly above. The maximum temperature for R. brevicaudatus is 77 degrees Fahrenheit. Please carefully research the specific type of pygmy you are purchasing to make sure that the temperatures are correct. Feel free to e-mail me anytime if you have any temperature questions. If I don't know, I'll help you find the answer.

Feeding: Pygmy chameleons will eat many different types of small prey items. Small crickets, fruit flies, springtails, firebrats, nymph roaches, etc. are all readily accepted. Don't forget to supplement! I "shake and bake" my feeder insects in Rep-Cal and Herptivite before tossing them into the pygmy enclosure.

Also, be careful of how many feeder insects you put into the enclosure. Too many insects will stress your pygmies.

I manually spray my enclosures 2x a day. Misting systems can also be used if you spend a lot of time away.

Breeding: (General breeding info. Mostly for R. brevicaudatus.)

QUICK TIP- Only house one male pygmy per enclosure.

When a male approaches a female, she will either be ready to mate or will be non-receptive. If she is not receptive, she will rebuff him by turning away, opening her mouth to threaten him, etc. A receptive female will let the male mount her, and may also go for a casual stroll around the enclosure (carrying the male during the process).

About a month after mating, the female will dig a tunnel to lay her eggs. Clutches are usually about 2-6 eggs, though I have found as many as 10. I prefer to remove the eggs from the enclosure and incubate them separately, using the same perlite method as I do with my crested geckos. Hatchling pygmies will emerge between 41-92 days (depending on incubation temperature) and are less than an inch long. If you have not already done so, hatchlings should be separated into a different enclosure to be raised on fruit flies, pinhead crickets, and springtails. I raise my hatchlings in pygmy "nurseries", with groups of up to 12 same-sized individuals.

Other: When threatened, certain types of pygmies will "play dead" (akinesis) if their camouflage strategy does not work. When touched, they will fall to the ground in a curled position until the threat has passed. Another behavior that some pygmies exhibit when threatened is "buzzing" or vibrating. You can feel this sometimes when you transfer a pygmy chameleon from a deli cup to its enclosure. Some believe this vibrating serves as a defense against ant attacks, however, at this point it still remains speculation.

If you are interested in Pygmy Chameleons, I highly recommend purchasing the book, "Stump-tailed Chameleons; Miniature Dragons of the Rainforest" By Petr Necas and Wolfgang Schmidt. (www.zoobooksales.com)

HERE WE GO AGAIN

ALERT: New Python Ban/ HR511

On January 26, 2010 Congressman Tom Rooney of Florida introduced HR511. To amend title 18, United States Code, to prohibit the importation of various injurious species of constrictor snakes. This bill if passed would add 9 constrictors to the Injurious Wildlife list of the Lacey Act. We were informed of the introduction within minutes of the bill being filed. At that point there was no bill text or Committee assignment. We received the text and full Committee assignment Monday and the Subcommittee assignment today.

HR511 has been assigned to the US House Judiciary Committee, Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. Over all this is a very reasonable committee that needs to be educated to the facts surrounding this issue. This is a committee USARK is familiar with. USARK CEO Andrew Wyatt provided expert testimony to this committee in 2009. Much misinformation has been spread; intentionally by special interest groups opposed to the Reptile community, and unintentionally by well meaning politicians that have been given poor information by staff and special interest groups.

It is clear that there is little justification for a Lacey Act listing which would kill thousands of jobs while failing to have any real world effect in south Florida where a population of pythons is struggling to survive. The few pythons that are left are still limited to the 3 southern most counties and have never demonstrated an ability to move further north. The state of Florida has already banned many of these animals from private ownership. Congressman Rooney stated that Florida needed Lacey Act protection to keep pythons out of the state. But it is already illegal to bring these pythons in from out of state because Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) put a statute in place last summer. State law has already done what Congressman Rooney states he wants to duplicate with HR511

FWC has estimated that as many as 90% of the feral python population in south Florida have already died due to the cold in winter of 2009- '10 and 2010- '11. Cold weather studies done by the US Dept of Agriculture, University of Florida and Savannah River Ecological Lab have confirmed that pythons exposed to cold die unless artificially kept warm. The USDA is on record stating that they dont believe pythons can exist for any length of time outside of south Florida.

Mother Nature and Florida FWC are doing what the Lacey Act could not do in south Florida; address the small python population in an effective way. At stake is a $1.4 Billion industry in captive bred reptiles with no environmental benefit to Florida. We feel confident that once Congressman Rooney and Committee Members understand the job killing nature of this bill proposal, coupled with the ineffectiveness of Lacey Act to address invasive species issues in a meaningful way, they will do the right thing and KILL HR511.

Lacey Act is a Job Killer with NO Environmental Benefit!

View text of HR511.: http://www.usark.org/uploads/HR511.pdf

STAY TUNED FOR ACTION STEPS IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS!

Questions:
Andrew Wyatt
president@usark.org

SNAKE MYTHOLOGY

Cows, monkeys and dogs are revered by some cultures yet consumed as food by others. So, too, snakes are respected in some parts of the world and despised in others. The way that people feel about snakes is heavily influenced by cultural beliefs and mythology.

Some cultures held snakes in high esteem as powerful religious symbols. Quetzalcoatl, the mythical "plumed serpent," was worshipped as the "Master of Life" by ancient Aztecs of Central America. Some African cultures worshipped rock pythons and considered the killing of one to be a serious crime. In Australia, the Aborigines associated a giant rainbow serpent with the creation of life.

Other cultures have associated snakes with medicinal powers or rebirth. In India, cobras were regarded as reincarnations of important people called Nagas. Our modern medical symbol of two snakes wrapped around a staff, or 'caduceus,' comes from ancient Greek mythology. According to the Greeks, the mythical figure Aesculapius discovered medicine by watching as one snake used herbs to bring another snake back to life. Picture of snake in an apple tree

Judeo-Christian culture has been less kind to snakes. Tales of the Garden of Eden and the serpent's role in "man's fall from grace" have contributed to a negative image of snakes in western culture. In Appalachia, some Christians handle venomous snakes as part of ritual ceremonies, relying on faith to protect them from bites. Among Catholics, Saint Patrick is credited with ridding Ireland of snakes, a feat celebrated by many as a good thing.

Deep rooted cultural biases may be responsible, in part, for widespread fear and disdain for snakes. However, modern myths, from folk tales to plain old misinformation, also contribute to their negative image

Modern Myths

Size. Snakes are almost always described as larger than they really are. Stories about New England water snakes eight and ten feet long are simply not true. Northern water snakes rarely exceed three and a half feet in length, with the largest stretching only four and a half feet. While the black rat snake, our largest native snake, can reach lengths of just over eight feet, most New England snakes are less than three feet long.

Poisonous Snakes. The regularity with which people kill a snake first and ask questions later might lead you to believe that the world is overrun with venomous snakes. In fact, venomous snakes only make up about 10 percent of snake species worldwide, and in Massachusetts only two of the state's fourteen species of snakes are venomous (timber rattlesnake and northern copperhead). Both are rare, reclusive and generally confined to isolated areas.

Folk Tales. Folk tales about snakes are handed down from generation to generation and include such things as snakes that charm prey, swallow their young for protection, poison people with their breath, roll like hoops, and suck milk from cows. These folk tales could be just interesting and amusing stories except that many people still believe them. As we learn more about the true nature of snakes, we can begin to base our perceptions of them on fact rather than fiction.

Myths

Myth: When frightened, hoop snakes will bite their tails and roll downhill like a wagon wheel.

Reality: Anatomically, snakes are not well equipped for rolling and there are no reliable accounts of this ever occurring. The hoop snake myth may have been associated originally with mud snakes found in the southern United States. Mud snakes will occasionally lie in a loose coil shaped like a hoop, but they slither away from danger like other snakes.

Myth: When confronted with danger, mother snakes swallow their young, spitting them out later once danger has passed.

Reality: Parental care is not very well developed in snakes and there is no evidence that mother snakes protect their young in this way. The myth may result from the fact that some snakes eat young snakes of their own species or of other species, though usually not their own brood.

Myth: Snakes have the ability to charm prey, especially birds, so they cannot flee.

Reality: There is no evidence that snakes charm their prey. Small animals may become "frozen with fear" when confronted by snakes but they are not charmed. Birds may flutter about in front of a snake in an attempt to lure it away from their nests; occasionally a bird may actually be captured by the snake, giving the impression that it was charmed. The fact that snakes never blink may also have played a role in this myth's origin.

Myth: Milk snakes are so named because of their ability to suck milk directly from the udders of cows.

Reality: Although milk snakes are common around barns that house cows, they completely lack the anatomy necessary to suck milk (or anything else for that matter). Barns are attractive to milk snakes because they provide abundant food in the form of small rats and mice.

Myth: Puff adders (hognose snakes) mix poison with their breath and can kill a person at a distance of twenty-five feet.

Reality: Although the bite of a hognose snake can produce swelling and a burning sensation, these snakes rarely bite people and are not considered venomous. When confronted, they do puff themselves up and hiss, but their breath is harmless.

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MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Until Next Month,
Carrie

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