The Monitor

June, 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: Doreen Saccardo
Webmaster: Carrie Gardner
Membership Chair: Dennis Beeker
Field Trip Chair: Bill Murray

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

Congratulations to Jason Richardson! He had an article he wrote on viper boas published in a European magazine called Reptila, Issue 73. A VERY COOL achievement!

Another huge congratulations go out to Bill and Melissa, who are now officially engaged!! I'm so excited for you both!

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 John Coakley (no relation to Melissa) spoke on Egyptian Tortoises. He did a great job and had some awesome pictures. See Carrie's recap.

*****The field trip to Weedon Island in St. Petersburg on Sunday May 15, 2011 was fantastic. It was a beautiful day, nice fluffy clouds, and a cool breeze. Enjoying the day was Bill Murray, Melissa Coakley, Michele Patton and me. We saw a raccoon, horseshoe crabs mating, and a lot of fish. Bill is doing a great job setting up these mini field trips. This is a great way to get exercise, see flora and fauna and to enjoy these wonderful parks we have in this area.

*****I ended up at Weedon Island the next week to go kayaking. That was also an awesome day and I know Bill is looking into getting a canoe trip tentatively set for June 26. Make sure your dues are paid up so you can keep on top of all the events that are coming up.

*****Our June speaker will be our own Bill Murray talking on field herping. He will be giving pointers on what to bring, and what to expect when going out into the field. I know this will be a fantastic talk. Please don't miss it.

*****In July, we will have a collaboration talk on our last October trip to the Everglades. We will compile pictures and resources. We are hoping to peak your interest to attend our next Everglades trip which is set for the weekend of Friday, October 7, 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. 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.

*****On Friday June 24, 2011 from 9 am to 3pm at the Weedon Island Preserve Cultural and Natural History Center there will be a FREE one-day workshop for teachers to learn about invasive species through classroom sessions and group activities. All teachers will receive a copy of "Fish Invaders at Gypsy Point," which includes lesson plans and supplemental resources. All activities in the guide are aligned with national science education standards for grades 3-6. So if you know any teachers who fit this category, I will have flyers at the next meeting.

*****We had a very productive board meeting on Sunday, June 5. We discussed getting club t-shirts which Dennis will be in charge of bringing samples at the next meeting. The idea is that when we are at a show or event, it would be nice for all of us to have the same color and style shirt. We really want to make a presence of solidarity at these events. We also discussed getting membership cards. We had some years ago, I will search around and bring what I have to the next meeting. But the MOST IMPORTANT news it that Bill and Melissa got engaged. Our heartfelt congratulations go out to both of them and I know that will have many offspring. (reptiles that is).

*****Our tentative August speaker will be Joe Pittman from Venom One. 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.

*****September will be our scavenger hunt at Moccasin Lake. This is a wonderful time to explore our own backyard.

****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 dues fee, 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:

June 3 ~~ John Soto
June 16 ~~ Juli Shaw
June 17 ~~ Jason Richardson
June 19 ~~ Alice Gardner
June 20 ~~ Cayle Pearson
June 24 ~~ Dylan Beeker

July 12 ~~ Bill Murray
July 27 ~~ Melissa Coakley

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 CARRIE

Last month, John Coakley talked on Egyptian Tortoise. First let me say that these guys are cute little critters. He brought three with him. One was 2-weeks old, and about the size of a quarter, one was 4-weeks old but considerably bigger, and the oldest was 9 months to 1-year old. They are very small and would make a great apartment tortoise, if you have the proper settings.

You would think that Egyptian tortoises were from, well Egypt - and there is a sub species (or a separate species, depending on who you talk too) that live in the East Nile Delta through to the edge of Israel. However, the proper Egyptian tortoise is, for all intents and purposes, extinct in Egypt. Egyptian tortoises are found in Libya, from the coast inland for 60 km, where the fighting is now occurring. It is believed that most of the tortoises that were exported came from Libya when they had the borders open with Egypt and were shipped out of Cairo in the 1990's. This population in Libya seems to be stable.

We advocate researching an animal before purchasing. However, John works differently than that 9 times out of 10. However, he DID research for his Egyptians. He talked to zoos, and the keepers, and in 1993, he found a very expensive pair at a pet store. Instead of buying them, the owner would let him come in and take measurements, see how they were growing, and ask him husbandry questions. This went on for about a year and a half before the male died. The owner called John up and said that if he could find a male, he would loan John the female. John found a male that had been confiscated in California (remember the 4-inch rule on imports, and that the male Egyptian tortoise rarely gets bigger than 4-inches) and thus began a new chapter in John's life! In January of 1995, he got his first clutch. Now he is just shy of hatching out 300 Egyptian tortoises.

He also got eight tortoises really cheap in Washington D.C. at one time. He went to a pet store where they were unpacking some Egyptians, and John noticed that the cost was $150.00. So he asked the kid if that was per tortoise or per pair. The kid replied that it had to be for the pair. However, when he went in the next day with a friend, the owner was there and informed him that they were now $150.00 each! Between June and September of that year, the price on them doubled. He noticed that at Daytona last year, a pair of wild-caught tortoises were $4,000. Out of the original 8 that he bought, he still has six of those tortoises.

In 1995, he got a call about a woman in Texas who had 100 tortoises that were dropping like flies. She had only 55 tortoises left. When he finally contacted her, there were 35 still alive. When the cold weather had lifted in Connecticut (where he lived at the time), and they were shipped to him, there were only 20 left. Ten of those he gave to friends (whom he had made a deal with) and he kept ten - two males and eight females. Out of those tortoises, he still has the two males and four of the eight tortoises. They are kept in a separate enclosure because of the possibility of disease, and have been since 1994. Whatever it is they have has not spread to the other herds he maintains. Every tortoise he has lost has been a female, usually because there are too many eggs and they have constricted her internal organs. However, two-thirds of the overall wild-caught imports of Egyptians that died were males. He doesn't know why, but speculated that it was because they are very active, and between that and being stressed and probably dehydrated, they just didn't make it.

He treats each group as a herd. They have their own enclosures, and each area has its own disposable gloves and cleaning supplies for John to use. For enclosures, besides aquariums and plastic containers, he also uses plastic pools made for children. They are waterproof and perfect to maintain them in. Each enclosure (this is for adults) has oyster shell substrate, with hide boxes, a dirt box, and a sand box. Ideally, the female will nest in one of the boxes, but that doesn't always happen. I'm sure this is because they are females, and we all know that you cannot tell or suggest to them what to do! For lighting he likes Reptisun 5.0 fluorescent lighting, and usually 60 watt flood lamps. If it is cold outside, he will use 100-150 watt bulbs. The UVB incandescent bulbs seem to burn out easily, and are quite expensive. In theory, they would be a good idea, but in reality, it just doesn't work. I had a similar problem with the same kind of light for my bearded dragon.

As for using oyster shell for a substrate. The tortoises do ingest it, but it is basically calcium carbonate, and is easily dissolved in their digestion tract. This provides extra calcium for the animals as well. It is also easy to do spot cleaning and desiccates parasites. He has tried cypress mulch and coconut shells, but has not had the same type of productivity. And there is always a chance that the mulch or coconut shells can get ingested, and that wouldn't be digestible. He does not recommend play sand at all. Even though that is what they live on in the wild, it seems to cause more problems with impaction in captivity.

The main differences between males and females are that males only reach about 4 inches, are a little lower in the carapace height, and have longer tails. Females are more round, are higher in the carapace, and have short tails. Sexual maturity is usually attained at around 5 years. Egyptian tortoises are not shy about their mating behaviors, and will do so readily on exhibit. There also seems to be no territorial fights between males. Of course, the female has to be in the right mood, or she may just do something mean, like tip the annoying (or so she thinks) male over...or try and bite. Males are also quite vocal during the process. They will also mount other males, and other objects. Sounds to me like these herds live a soap opera - like life!!

Females usually lay 2-4 eggs in a burrow that they dig, deep enough for them to practically stand up in. Or, they may also just lay them without burying them. When first laid, the eggs are orangish but soon turn white. John takes them out and incubates them, each clutch in its own container, at around 86 degrees. There have been no studies done to determine if a certain temperature will produce more males or females. Usually in about 90 days, the blessed event comes. The shell starts turning grey (probably because the baby is absorbing the calcium) and the hatchling starts to pip. At this time, John may lay a wet paper towel over the eggs (without the paper towel touching the eggs) so the membrane doesn't dry and cover their nostrils, causing suffocation. If after a week they have still not emerged from the egg, he will gently help them out, careful to avoid the yolk. They kind of fold out of their eggs, and will grow in size length wise, from side to side, and in height. However, even after two-weeks, they are still a little bit flexible.

Babies are placed in 15-gallon aquariums on wax paper, so as not to irritate the yolk sac for the first two weeks (approximately the time it takes the yolk to be absorbed). Then they go on paper towels, and then argonite. Argonite is also calcium carbonate, but is very fine, making it easier for them to digest. The tanks are kept near heat lamps, but there are none directly on them, since this would cause them to overheat. After a month, if they are eating well and appear healthy, they are ready to be sold.

Egyptians are fed the typical arid tortoise diet...kale, mustard greens, escarole, romaine lettuce, collard greens, chickeree, tomatoes, dandelions, and sometimes some fruit (if they've been especially good). He dusts the food with Reptivite and Repticalcium. They are fed every day if they are babies, and every two days if adults . . . especially if they have food left over from the day before. He uses plastic plates with a paper plate inside for the food . . . however, they will trample in it, over it, and spread it around. John also soaks the tortoises at least twice a week, females more during nesting season (from December to May). They get soaked more often because he believes it softens the cloaca and keeps them hydrated. Babies get soaked every day.

The record age in captivity is 24 years. However, John has had some of his tortoises for 18 years and speculates that they are between 28 - 40 years old. Remember that these animals were exported as adults and no one has lived quite long enough to determine their total life expectancy.

Thank you, John, for the very informative talk, and for sharing your little ones with us. We enjoyed having you and listening to your stories!

Michele's Musings

COMING TO THEATERS JUNE 24TH!

TURTLE: THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY is the story of a little loggerhead turtle, as she follows in the path of her ancestors on one of the most extraordinary journeys in the natural world.

Born on a beach in Florida, she rides the Gulf Stream up towards the Arctic and ultimately swims around the entire North Atlantic across to Africa and back to the beach where she was born. But the odds are stacked against her; just one in ten thousand turtles survive the journey. She faces many hazards, her siblings are lost in the doldrums of the Sargasso Sea, she comes face to face with creatures of the deep and nearly dies at the hands of fishermen. She travels up north but she drifts from her life current, the Gulf Stream, into dangerously cold waters.

When she finally reaches the Azores on the other side of the Atlantic, she sees the greatest celebration of life on the Earth as sperm whale and baitballs explode from the water. But deep and powerful changes are happening in the oceans the fish are disappearing, sea levels are rising, the turtles birthing beach could be washed away and bring a way of life to an end.

Then her calling comes, she must return to her beach. When she finally reaches the shores of Florida, 25 years will have passed!

Under a million stars, she crawls out of the sea to lay her own eggs and keeps the Turtle's Journey alive.

View the trailer at www.Turtle-Film.com.

Loggerhead Turtle Facts

*Most common sea turtle in Florida

*Named for its large head

*Powerful jaws crush mollusks, crabs and encrusting animals attached to reefs and rocks

*An estimated 18,000 female's nest in the Southeastern U.S. each year

*A large turtle: Adults weigh 200 to 350 pounds and measure about 3 feet in length

*Hatchlings: 2 inches long

*Nest in Florida from late April to September

*Survival in Florida threatened by drowning in shrimp trawls, loss of nesting beaches, and beach lighting

Description

The loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) is the most commonly found sea turtle in Florida. This reddish brown turtle is named for its large head which may be 25-30 centimeters (10-12 inches) wide.

Powerful jaw muscles allow the loggerhead to crush heavy-shelled clams, crustaceans and encrusting animals attached to rocks and reefs. The shell is very thick, particularly toward the back, which may serve as protection from sharks that occasionally prey on this relatively slow swimmer. It is estimated that loggerhead turtles reach maturity between 20 and 40 years of age and could have a reproductive lifespan of 30 years or more.

Range and Population Estimates

The loggerhead turtle nests farther from the tropics than any other marine turtle and is found in temperate and subtropical waters in many parts of the world. Loggerheads forage along the inshore and coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico, the Florida Keys and along the eastern seaboard as far north as New England. Thousands of sub-adult loggerhead turtles forage on horseshoe crabs in the river mouths and deeper channels of Chesapeake Bay during the summer months. During the nesting season adult females remain in shallow areas near their nesting beaches. At other times loggerheads can range hundreds of kilometers out to sea.

The southeastern U.S. is one of the most important nesting areas in the world for this species. An estimated 18,000 female loggerheads nest in the southeastern U.S. annually. The majority of sea turtles that nest on the mainland of the United States are loggerheads. Only the population of Masirah Island, Oman, in the Middle East, exceeds that of the southeastern U.S.

Loggerhead turtles nest in Florida from late April until September. The female digs a nest cavity in the sand with her rear flippers and deposits about 110 eggs. The eggs incubate in the warm sand for two months before hatching.

Important nesting sites are found on the coastal islands of North and South Carolina and Georgia. The most important sites are located along the mainland coasts of Florida. In Florida, loggerheads nest on all the sandy beaches, but most nest from Volusia to Broward Counties on the east coast, and from Monroe to Pinellas Counties on the west coast. In the Florida Panhandle, loggerheads generally nest from Franklin County west.

After nesting in Florida from late April to September, loggerheads disperse to feeding grounds throughout the Bahamas, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, north along the eastern U.S. coast, and south through the Florida Keys and the Gulf of Mexico. A loggerhead tagged at Melbourne Beach was recaptured 11 days later on the northwest coast of Cuba. To make this journey the turtle must have traveled at least 70 kilometers (40 miles) a day, often against powerful ocean currents. Another loggerhead that nested at Melbourne Beach was recaptured less than 10 months later 1,500 kilometers (almost 1,000 miles) away in the Dominican Republic. It is not known why turtles travel so far to nest in Florida when seemingly suitable nesting beaches are available near their feeding grounds.

Reference: By Victoria Brook Van Meter; originally written for Florida Power & Light Company Miami, Florida.

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Until Next Month,
Carrie

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