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Reptile & Amphibian
News Blog 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.
Sunday, October 31 2010Sour grapes? Nope, just a snake in the box Two news reports are reporting an adder was found in a box of grapes imported to the UK from Spain, but some information just doesn't add up. From the BBC (the Yahoo article just takes excerpts from the BBC article): The 10" long adder was found during a quality check by a worker at Orchard County Foods in Craigavon. Dr. Bryan Greig Fry posted this to his Facebook page, and a lively discussion ensued. One of his friends ID'd it probably more correctly as a Natrix Maura or perhaps, as Fry says, a Natrix tessellata. But it is most definately a Natrix. You decide; the grainy lead photo is from the news article, but after the bump, photos of the other two more probable species. Continue reading "Sour grapes? Nope, just a snake in the box" Saturday, October 30 2010Turtle vote counted at the Rally
The Rally to Restore Sanity hosted by John Stewart in D.C. is the least likely place you would the Turtle Contingent to be.
This just in from Pethobbyist Staffer, Christie Keith, who is in attendance. 
Thursday, October 28 2010Fluffy, the longest captive snake in the world, dies Fluffy was a record holder after being raised by python breeder Bob Clark from a hatching. She measured 24 feet and weighed in at 300 pounds. She died Tuesday at the Columbus Zoo in Ohio of what appeared to be a mass on her ovaries.Fluffy came to the Columbus Zoo as a temporary addition, but the Zoo actually ended up buying her from Bob for the whopping price of $35,000 in 2008. She was a crowd favorite and had an amazingly mellow disposition, which helped gain her fans. Fluffy will be cremated and the words of Carrie Pratt, Assistant Curator at the Zoo, to the Columbus Dispatch ring true. "To us and probably a lot of our guests, she really is an irreplaceable animal," While Ohio folks think of the Zoo and Fluffy, we folks here think of Fluffy with Bob. After the bump a few images and videos of Fluffy and Bob. Continue reading "Fluffy, the longest captive snake in the world, dies" Stalking the wild Fed Ex driver: New snake at Cindy's! I prefer by far to purchase animals in person in Tinley Park simply because I can drive them home, but this time I broke the rules.Shipping can be stressful, although I would almost say it was harder on me than the snake! I spent all of Tuesday stalking the Fed Ex tracking page. Not like the purple tracking bar was going to move, but if for some reason the package landed in say Africa, I would know. I woke up extra early, pottied the dogs so they would not be out and got some clothes on. I even had my shoes on and was ready well before 8:00 am. Last evening I was going to clean up the kitchen, but since that window overlooks my front side walk (exactly where the Fed Ex man would be this morning) I put it off and crashed. As of now, my dishes are half done, but Madness is in my house. At NARBC Anaheim, I was in heaven, finally getting to see some of the Psychotic Exotic snakes in person. Going through their boxes the night of set up was like Christmas, one purty snake after another. For some reason when I got home, I had a TON of pics of the same snake. On my cell phone, on both my cameras, even on my husband's camera. Yeah they had other snakes, but the head markings on this one caught my eye. So I made a deal with myself. If when I next saw Kerry, if he had NOT sold the snake, I was going to buy it. Amazingly, what I thought was the coolest looking Jag at Anaheim did not sell. Ahhhh, for once the fates were with me! Continue reading "Stalking the wild Fed Ex driver: New snake at Cindy's!" Wednesday, October 27 2010Burmese Pythons: Guilty until proven innocent The SREL study may have shown that Burmese Pythons pose no threat outside of Florida, but Everglades National Park wildlife biologist Skip Snow is determined to re-write national law to ban their transport and sale anyway. From the Christian Science Monitor:“We’re bringing them into the county under the idea that they’re all innocent until proven guilty. But we have historically had such a high standard of guilt, if you will, that it requires these animals to first of all escape, establish, get out in the wild, breed, and do something egregious like eat something that someone likes,” Snow said. “By then it’s way too late.” Wow, this hits all the regular notes: Blaming pet owners despite evidence that indicates the initial snakes came from one small, genetically isolated population more than likely displaced from a breeding facility during a hurricane. Implying that banning interstate transport will somehow reduce Florida's wild populations. And ignoring the science of the SREL study (just like we predicted everyone would do.) Even on the heels of that study, in which ten animals were left exposed and died (ummm, PETA, where is your outrage over intentional killing of pythons for science?), he is claiming NEW research is out there! All 10 pythons did well through the summer and fall, and even survived 12 December nights that were no warmer than 41 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius). Then, in January, the region was plunged into an extremely unusual cold spell. With temperatures dipping below freezing at night for long stretches, the 10 snakes died, according to a paper published in September online in the journal Biological Invasions. The problem is there won’t be people digging deeper holes to aid in python survival. Continually subjecting these animals to freezing temperatures is a drain on federal funds for real and valid research. It also is inhumane. Enough already; your first study did not get the hoped for result. Just accept it. Why must we again go through a winter with animals suffering needlessly to prove what we pet owners already know? For the full article click here. Elephants are a frog's best friend Elephants are nature's greatest ecological engineers. As they tramp through their habitat, the create microsystems in which reptiles and amphibians are able to flourish.A recent study pointed these damages out and I know NONE of this will come as a surprise to herpers. Notice what they call the heavy damage, sounds a bit like laying tin to me.
Not to mention their great ability to fertilize the landscape. He added that elephants' digestive system was not very good at processing many of the seeds that they eat. They had 4 areas that they looked at and the species count was variable. "Eighteen herpetofaunal (amphibians and reptiles) species... were sampled in areas of high elephant damage. Medium damage areas were comprised of 12 species, while areas of low damage had 11 species. For the full article, click here. Tuesday, October 26 2010Interview with Squamata Concepts - SIM Incubator Container The S.I.M. stands for Suspension Incubation Method relating to how the eggs are incubated on a grid off the substrate. This prohibits direct contact with a wet substrate and allows approximately 100% gas exchange between the container environment and the egg membrane. Eggs incubated buried in dampened substrate are subjected to excess water which often results in drowned egg(s). Also in contrast to this, too little water or humidity results in egg desiccation. Continue reading "Interview with Squamata Concepts - SIM Incubator Container" Monday, October 25 2010Sulcatta on walk-a-bout in Colorado is returned home Lucy, an African Spur Thigh Tortoise, or Sulcatta, decided a few weeks ago that she wasn't fond of the confines of her fenced in yard and proceeded on a walk-a-bout.For those not really familiar with these guys, there is a reason so many are named Tank. From The Denver Channel.com: "She can cover some ground," he said. "She walks 2, 3 miles an hour. So, in a single day she can potentially walk 10 miles easily." Returned, slightly lighter but no worse for the wear, Lucy is back home in time for the cold snap. Of course Lucy's story is the biggest reason my rescue microchips Sulcattas. So they can hopefully find their way home. Sunday, October 24 2010Saturday, October 23 2010Can a turtle play, too? Sure you play tug with your dog, but would a Komodo Dragon receive the same joy from that game? Can a turtle play ball and actually understand the fun? Gordon Burghardt is researching those questions, and he's found that play must match the following criteria: "Play is repeated behavior that is incompletely functional in the context or at the age in which it is performed and is initiated voluntarily when the animal or person is in a relaxed or low-stress setting.” He describes his first encounter with Pigface, a Nile Soft-shell Turtle at the National Zoo in his recent article called "Recess" in The Scientist: “It was by itself,” recalls Burghardt, currently at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, and “it had started to knock around” a basketball provided by its keepers. The year was 1994, and play had only rarely and anecdotally been reported in animals other than mammals, but he thought that might be what Pigface was doing. The 1-meter-long turtle exuberantly pushed the ball around its aquatic enclosure, swimming through the water with ease as it batted the ball in front of it with its nose. “If you saw a dog or an otter going around batting a ball, bouncing around and chasing it, and going back and forth and doing it over and over again, we’d have no problem calling it play,” he says. “And that’s what the turtle was doing.” The one key seen in all non-mammals is security. In the wild, reptiles particularly are engaged in avoiding predation, thermoregulating and outright survival leaving less time for fun antics. What we are seeing in captive reptiles is the ability to play. An amazing video is after the bump, showing various acts of play. Be sure to check out the full article to learn how octopi and even wasps play. Continue reading "Can a turtle play, too?" Reason #179 not to smuggle wildlife: Plane crash Smugglers are not getting any brighter -- this story from the Democratic Republic of Congo may earn a nod from the Darwin Awards.From news.com.au: The croc had been hidden in a passenger's sports bag - allegedly with plans to sell it - but it tore loose and ran amok, sparking panic. I don't even think Samsonite would make a carry-on that tough. Keeping Large Collection of Herps
For years, I have worked with adoptions and rescue of herps and often hear from the owners "it was too much", "my kid went to college and we don't have time to care for it....", etc. I look back at myself over these years and the state of my collection and others I know well with similarly large collections and wonder how we can do it and others can't or won't? Like anything else, it takes passion and commitment. I always joke with my non-herper friends that if you want a solid relationship, marry a herper! Though I have had herps my whole life, it was within the last nearly 20 years that I can claim to having a sizable personal collection. Those who know me know that I don't chince on my collection. A drug problem would be cheaper! But it gives me the satisfaction of know I am providing care for an animal or animals to allow them the ability to enjoy the best of their natural life cycle. To me the gauge of any being's quality of life is directly related to their overall physical health, including amount of stress as exhibited by their behavior and ability to reproduce periodically healthy offspring with out adverse effects to their own well being. Is this anthropomorphic? Maybe, but its the most understandable perspective I have.
It takes commitment, resources and cooperation. Commitment by you and your family over the duration often spanning decades. Dick Bartlett just posted on Facebook keeping a tortoise for some 60 yrs, that's commitment. Not everyone can provide that commitment and when life deals out challenges, a responsible owner acts accordingly. You seek out the best substitute for you. Whether a friend, a collegue or through local herp society or rescue group. Resources of course are needed in both time and money. Another resource often overlooked by novice keepers is fellow herpers either within your own family or herp societies. These fellow enthusiasts not only have the resources of knowledge and experience, but also physical assistance. Ever try going on a honeymoon or vacation with a large collection? How about selling and moving to a new house? What happens if you get sick or injured for a spell? Fellow herpers are more than they appear. Cooperation? It relates to your fellow herpers, but also to your family and funny as it sounds, your herps. Working with aggressive or dangerous animals may be thrilling at times, but what about routine maintenance? Moving a large snake every week or two to clean the cage is often challenging enough, but a fiesty or aggressive one makes it difficult. To address those unwanted behaviors zoos look to condition animals to certain activities to make it minimally stressful and often times fun. You can do this to some extent with herps. I routinely work with many of my snakes to hold their head and pull back their lips to examine their mouth. Over years, many will let me do this in public so people can see their teeth. You may not be able to do this with everyone, but it is an example of the conditioning that can be adapted for routine maintenance. I even had a monitor that would open his mouth using hand gesture so he would let me see inside. I am sure his incentive was to also close it on me, but we never tested that side  My advice to anyone is plan what you can handle and be prepared to set aside time on a regular basis, but also plan your other resources. Budget for your pets. Not just for food, but vet care, housing changes, replacement heating, etc. Identify your fellow herpers and work out details of who can care for your collection in your absence. Share this with your family so they know who to call in an emergency. And my last bit of advice, know your limits. Don't over-extend yourself. Its tough, trust me. But after all these years, I know where my limits are. Keeping to those limits and if you feel you are exceeded them, contact your local herp society, fellow herpers, etc. to help you compensate. Work to make your routine maintanance schedules efficient and effective. Think of how many times you may clean a cage over the years. Sometimes a little investment upfront goes a long way in saving time down the road. And last but not least, enjoy what you do! Its really the passion that will sustain you, otherwise it becomes tiresome work. Friday, October 22 2010Shout-out to the ladies of the herp world In December, I'll be speaking at the Southern Nevada Herpetological Society on a topic near and dear to my heart, "The Evolving Roles of Women in the Reptile Community."There are some amazing women who lead the way for us, and I have reached out to some of them for background on this talk. I would like to hear from everyone. Here's my story. When I meet new people and talk about reptiles, somehow it all boils down to this: "Oh, your husband must be happy you like his animals." My husband has no clue what animals live in our house nor what their care entails. I can't remember the last cage he cleaned or feeding he did. The animals are all mine, and their care falls to me. The reptiles are my world, he just gets to look at the pretty things. Last year, Tracy Barker and I collected stories on the proposed legislation would directly impact women. Again I ask for your stories. I want to know how reptiles in general came to be in your life, how it has changed your life and who inspired you along the way. I also want to hear how people perceive you as a reptile keeper. Tracy has always been one of my herper heroes. She is an amazing spitfire of a woman. Working in the zoological field and the private breeder field, Tracy has taken the python world by storm. She and her husband, Dave, pioneered many of the species I keep today. Grace Olive Wiley was another inspiring woman who lived and eventually died for her passion. While her handling skills still give venomous keepers pause today, she was a pioneer in a world that was at that time heavily male dominated. Both of our ties to the reptile community in Chicago add her to my list of inspirations. Women make up half of our membership here on kingsnake, and over the years I have always made it a point to spotlight women in all areas of the community. Who inspired or inspires you? What got you going in reptiles? What changes have you seen in folks' perceptions? Who are your heroes? Resort acts locally to save endangered salamander Most news stories focus on the harm being done to the environment by humans, but not this time. Timberline Resort in Tucker Valley, West Virginia, takes steps to help the Cheat Mountain Salamanders have a shot at survival.From The Charleston Gazette: But over the years, Timberline has spent time, effort and more than $100,000 to protect Cheat Mountain salamanders living adjacent to the ski trail, as part of a mitigation effort for habitat loss that occurred when the trail was cleared, opening the forest canopy, back in the early1980s. It's great to hear of businesses taking such an active interest in our natural resources, especially after a year of so much damage in the way of environmental accidents. Thursday, October 21 2010Frogs used in research for contamination Peptids found on the skin of African Clawed Frogs show a resistance to bacteria. This research will provide a new way to detect if medical equipment is contaiminated.From EurekaAlert!: Princeton engineers have developed a sensor that may revolutionize how drugs and medical devices are tested for contamination, and in the process also help ensure the survival of two species of threatened animals. Hopes are since frogs aren't harmed in the making of the chip, this will reduce the use of the horseshoe crabs (thus affecting the Red Knot bird population as well). Three new frogs discovered in Tanzania New species are being discovered every day -- unfortunately, often just before they go extinct:The three new species, dubbed Callulina laphami, C. shengena, and C. stanleyi, were discovered by an international group of scientists, including Tanzanian scientists. Dwelling in forest habitat, Callulina frogs spend their days hidden away in trees or under the leaf litter; at dusk they climb into the trees where they spend the night before descending again to the ground. Photo in corner is of one of the three new species, Callulina stanleyi. To read the rest of the article and see the other two frogs click here. Wednesday, October 20 2010Coal slurry threatens Hellbenders, other wildlife in Ohio It apparently is hell being a Hellbender. From the recent coal slurry in Ohio, to poaching and habitat destruction everywhere else, these guys are having a rough time.While the EPA is still investigating a spill from 2008 caused by Murray Energy, the sixth spill of coal slurry in a decade occurred this past week. Slurry is the water run off from washing fresh coal. From The Columbus Dispatch: Crews did not find any dead Eastern hellbender salamanders, an endangered species that lives in Captina Creek, Shelton said. They found and relocated three hellbenders to uncontaminated parts of the creek. Interested in what each life costs? Read after the bump to see the "value" of some of the dead animals. Continue reading "Coal slurry threatens Hellbenders, other wildlife in Ohio" Tuesday, October 19 2010Helen the Hellbender returns to New York How Helen the Hellbender ended up in Ohio is still unclear, but one thing is certain, she was illegally collected from the wild. Now, she's back where she started, thanks to a pit tag identifying her.From WGRZ in Buffalo, N.Y.: She was taken illegally from a New York stream and then resurfaced at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The poacher turned Helen in himself, but was uncooperative as to where he got her. The Ohio DNR determined her origin because Helen had been tagged by the New York Department Of Environmental Conservation (DEC). A short video after the bump shows some of the conservation efforts. Folks, please if you are collecting in the wild, be responsible and do not touch our endangered wildlife. Continue reading "Helen the Hellbender returns to New York" Monday, October 18 2010Sunday, October 17 2010Dr. Brady Barr at Wildlife Discovery Center: From humble beginings to dream career Regular readers know how much I love getting the chance to hang at Wildlife Discovery Center in Lake Forest, IL, so it shouldn't be a shock that when Brady Barr came to town to talk, I was there.With a bio that runs from an Indiana upbringing (much like our very own Jeff Barringer) to mediocre grades in school, a public school teaching position in Indianapolis, to being the only scientist to handle all 23 species of crocodilians in the wild, it's a huge understatement to say he has lived a rich life. Brady loves what he does, but what really came across in his talk was the passion for teaching kids. He shared a lot of the pictures kids have drawn for him over the years with ideas he has put into action while filming. The infamous croc costume was actually spawned from kid’s drawings. And the remote controlled car with the camera on top? Yep, that was kids, too. Continue reading "Dr. Brady Barr at Wildlife Discovery Center: From humble beginings to dream career" Saturday, October 16 2010I have arrived. Off Reptile Topic! Beware...
I have arrived!
Many people in this old world have normal taste buds. You know the type. Taste buds that taste food without the burden of the many negative food related experiences that this author has endured throughout life. Taste buds, that for most of what passes over them, tell the brain, “that’s good”. Those kind of taste buds I do not possess. Oh, for you people who love just about everything that you every find yourself consuming, the life of the picky eater is an utterly foreign concept to you. But believe me, this journey has been its own torture. Yes. I have endured more than fifty years of mostly unsatisfying meals and disappointments of the chemoreceptor type. One of the most unpleasant parts of traveling for me is the unpredictability of meals on the road. Though McDonalds is one of those restaurants that is always decent, and entirely predictable, the fact that a guy should probably not eat that food six or eight times over a weekend prevents me from enjoying those carbohydrate laden meals exclusively. I am not 100% sure of what the source of this burden actually is. I happen to have been blessed with an olfactory sensitivity second to nobody I have ever known. In my years, I have never had an instance when someone asked, “do you smell that”, and I didn’t. Of course I smell it. I have the sense of smell of a bloodhound relative to the average human. I could smell people arriving at work before I saw them. Literally. Having a great sense of smell is sometimes very handy. Actually, I really like having a great sense of smell. However, perhaps that contributes to the negative nature of most of my eating experiences. Maybe, just maybe the reason my sense of what tastes good is due to the fact that, stay with me now, maybe my taste buds just work a whole lot better than most people. It could be. I don’t know. I guess I could tell myself that so I could feel better about it. Right? This brings me to the reason for this dribble.  I have been, for all of my adult life, in pursuit of the consistent perfectly tasting hamburger. Is that so much to ask? More meat is NOT the answer either! If that was the case, the slab of meat served at Fuddruckers would be my choice. No way. No how. A hamburger is simple and must be perfect in every way. For me there is nothing more satisfying than a nicely cooked hamburger dripping with ketchup, my syrup of choice, and sandwiched between two halves of the perfectly prepared hamburger bun. I can tell you when and where and even the spot where I was sitting in a restaurant when I had the best hamburger of my life. Seriously! I remember at a company meeting eating at an Uno Italian Restaurant in Eden Prairie Minnesota, the very best hamburger of my life. I was on the right side of the open end in a booth sitting directly across from Zack Steven, when that most perfect of hamburgers was served to me that cold March day in 1997. What a burger that baby was! That my friends, was the burger every burger I have had since then has been measured by. The gold standard if you will. A burger to die for, or to live for! Surely this is what manna must have tasted like in the wilderness! Thick and juicy! An 8 oz. beast that was still a little bit pink in the middle but not really raw inside. The juices flowed with every bite. The juice ran into my whiskers and the ample ketchup I had applied oozed out the sides of that bun! Bun! I failed to detail the bun! WOW! What a bun! That bun was one of those really large soft hamburger buns with a light dusting of flour still on the outside of it. It seemed like it had been steamed prior, though I know that was just all the steam and juices that came from the burger itself. A hamburger bun, not some disgusting big honk ‘in hard roll that would go better with pasta. A grade A Jumbo Hamburger Bun! And the burger! A burger that had not only been cooked to perfection, but was delivered to my table while the juices were still almost bubbling on top of that charred and blackened exterior. Not a reheated miserable excuses of a hamburger that I have had served to me many times in the past. Oh yea. I got it bad. I am a hamburger snob and proud of it! Oh what a thing of beauty that burger was. My lifelong problem is obvious isn’t it? I cannot get that burger every time even at Uno. I know. Life isn’t fair. The sad reality is that even though I did get the perfect burger from Uno that single time, I have been back and they have never repeated the glory they rained upon me that day thirteen years ago. So. This year, this spring and Summer I began my quest. I am a guy who figures things out. This is what I do. This is who I am. I determined I was going to do what I had always believed previously likely impossible. Making the perfect hamber with my own two hands. Due to the fact that I have eaten homemade hamburgers barbequed by others and myself hundreds of times and have NEVER, not one time ever had even a great homemade grilled hamburger, I just didn’t think it could be done on a grill. This year, I decided I was going to figure this mystery out or die trying. This was my quest. I knew this was going to be tough if not impossible. There are many factors that go into the perfect hamburger. Here are the critical factors as I see them; - Choosing the right Hamburger. What proportion of fat makes the best burger? - Choosing and applying the perfect amount of seasoning. - Heat. This I think is the most important thing. Heat. Heat. And then yes… more Heat. - Timing. Cooking the perfect amount of time on each side for the perfect to die for hamburger. So. I began my quest. After trial and error and I don’t know how many bags of charcoal and less than perfect hamburgers I made throughout the spring summer and fall. However, I have done what I set out to do. I bought a gas grill and quickly converted it to a charcoal hamburger grilling machine. I had to customize the grill to allow just the right amount of airflow to trap in the right amount of smoke for the best flavor. I fitted two previously intended cookie sheets into the grill just above the gas burners. This allows me to load up plenty of charcoal that needs to be loaded right up to the grates of the grill itself for maximum heat. My heating surface is 16” deep by 24” wide. Loaded with charcoal. That’s a lot of charcoal you say? Yes. To make the perfect burger it’s going to take a lot of charcoal. HEAT is the key! The grate actually sits on top of the charcoal when I start the fire. Then I light the coals. The coals must all be burning evenly across the vast surface needed for the 8 oz. burgers. Cooking this takes a little preparation. I fire up the charcoal using plenty of lighter fluid. Then I check it in about 15 minutes to make sure it is burning evenly. If not, I do a little tweaking to help the coals lagging behind to get caught up. When I see it’s all burning evenly, I can toss the meat on the grill in about 30 minutes. I let this heat up with the cover down by the way. I can wait 45 minutes if I need to. The intense heat is really rolling now and those flames are licking the air just anxiously awaiting to do their duty in making the perfect ground up cow flesh man can eat. This has been a process. I make an 8 oz patty that is about 7” across. It is important that the patty not have any cracks in the edges. Those cracks will allow the yummy juices to escape denying you of the taste of a lifetime that awaits. When I place the patties on the grill, I do so without going any closer to the edge of the charcoal below that grate than about 3” from the edge of the heat. I slap those puppies on their now with confidence. Confidence that I have the times, heat and seasoning down exactly to satisfy the most discriminating pallet that I know of on the planet. Mine. After loading all the meat, which takes about 15 seconds, I close the cover of the grill. Then I begin counting the seconds. I return into the house to wash my raw hamburger stained hands and fingers. Then it’s back to the kitchen for fresh foil to wrap the completely prepared meat in very shortly. By the time I get back I only have about another minute of counting to do. 150 seconds is how long that meat endures the first leg of her journey to delivering me paradise. 150 seconds to char the top side of that burger and seal that baby up so the juices stay where I want them. Then the cover is opened and the meat is scrapped from the grate and flipped to the opposite now sizzling side for its bath in the flames of delectable delight. An additional 80 seconds is all that is required. Now this is important. The burger needs to be eaten soon. Very soon. The longer it sits, the more those juices will escape. The outside of the burger will dry out and the experience will be dashed upon the rocks. I wrap the cooked to perfection meat lightly in foil. Hurry that cookie sheet with its foil covering into the kitchen where the fresh giant hamburger buns are waiting. Slather on that ketchup and bite down on the best burger any human being will ever sink his/her teeth into. I did. I have found my way. I have reached the goal of being able to self prepare the best hamburger in the World, and I can repeat this now every single time. The mystery of the best burger on the planet that had eluded me with fleeting glimpses behind it’s curtain heretofore, has been found out. This must be nirvana and I have arrived… Five states, eight hours and a calling frog
It was an early morning wake-up call. For what it's worth, the Droid rooster alarm ring tone deterred me from even wanting to hit "snooze." We loaded up the HTV (our "herp transport vehicle"), positioning the critter containers so heat could reach them. Of course, we needed a supply of Red Bull and beef jerky!
So.., what do you do for 8 hours on the road? You make observations and have fun bantering with your travel partner! Being a native So. California beach chick, here are the things I noted: Japanese ivy is very invasive - noted lots of the trees and foliage being choked out. Limey and I had some crazy banter during the 8 hours; it's amazing how silly we can get. "I want a nap" "Fine, I'll drive" "But you'll whine" "But you'll be napping?" *slight pause* "But then I'll wake up to a barrage of whining" "Fine, don't nap" He eventually napped  Wow, that was the quietest part of the road trip!
Continue reading "Five states, eight hours and a calling frog" Herp Report: Moving eggs a success for Sea Turtles Finally, some good news about the Gulf oil spill.From the St. Pete's Times: Of the more than 25,000 eggs that were relocated, 14,676 successfully hatched and were released into the Atlantic Ocean, he said. That means more than half of them hatched — in fact, nearly six out of 10 made it into oil-free water. More releases are occuring in Collier County, FL as well. Kemp's Ridleys are getting a new lease on life in the 10,000 Islands area, but time is running short. The cooling temperatures in the Gulf may make releasing harder. Over 100 have already been released and 8 more are ready to go. From WINK News Now: "These guys are about two or three years old," said Dr. Jeff Schmid, Environmental Research Manager at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. Lastly, some hard work lays ahead for scientists. From the AP: Scientists examining dead animals that were discovered along the Gulf Coast in the wake of the BP oil spill are observing strict laboratory protocols, knowing everything they touch could become evidence in what may prove to be the biggest environmental case in U.S. history. BP has set aside $32 billion (with a B) to prepare for possible levies and fines while everything is under scrutiny. The dead must be proven to have been damaged by the oil to be considered part of the fines. With the vast majority not having obvious signs of oil damage, scientists must dig deeper to find cause of death. |
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During the busy October 
