HERP
NEWS 036/2010
AUSTRALIAN
BROADCASTING CORPORATION 05 February 10 Crocodile hunters scour Cairns
housing estate (Jessica Mawer)
Rangers are monitoring a
small crocodile that has taken up residence in a lagoon at a Trinity Beach
housing estate in north Cairns in far north Queensland.
Residents last week
reported seeing a 1.5 metre crocodile in the lagoon.
Scott Sullivan from the
Department of Environment and Resource Management says staff checked the area
and found a 60 centimetre crocodile.
Mr Sullivan says fencing
may need to be built if larger crocodiles appear, but at this stage there is no
need to remove the reptile.
"At 60 centimetres in
length, the crocodile's not really considered a concern to people and we do
have crocodiles at that size and bigger that live in fairly close proximity to
people," he said.
"As long as people
observe very normal safe behaviours in North Queensland and they're croc-wise,
then a lot of crocodiles aren't a risk."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/05/2811643.htm
AUSTRALIAN
BROADCASTING CORPORATION 05 February 10 A new crocodile control strategy
There has been a dramatic
increase in crocodile sightings as people move to the North West.
Dozens of Pilbara towns
will be declared crocodile control zones as part of the state's new strategy
for managing the reptiles.
WA's crocodile management
strategy is expected to extend control zones as far south as the Gascoyne.
The strategy outlines how
the Department of Environment and Conservation deals with aggressive crocodiles
and is being updated for the first time in 20 years.
In recent years, there has
been a dramatic increase in crocodile sightings which is being attributed to
the influx of people moving to the North West.
The department's Chief
Zoologist, Peter Mawson, says the new strategy will factor in increasing
reports of large, aggressive animals in the Pilbara and Gacoyne.
"If you're a long way
from either of those farms in the Kimberley then for logistic reasons, and also
animal welfare reasons, relocation of large animals isn't going to be an
option, in which case we need to euthanise, or shoot those animals."
"We need to ensure
that we've got people with the appropriate skills and training on hand to do
that."
He says there is also a
need for an improved education strategy.
"There're many naive
people thinking 'There's a nice river I can swim in' and that's the major
concern."
The strategy will be
released for public comment later in the year.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/05/2811035.htm?site=northwestwa§ion=news
PRESS
TV
(Tehran, Iran) 05 February 10 Persian crocodiles poached almost to
extinction
An expert in Iran's
Environment Protection Organization says poaching and habitat loss have placed
the three-meter Persian crocodile in danger of extinction.
“Persian crocodiles are
pushed to the brink of extinction by two factors: poaching and habitat loss.
The reason they are hunted almost to extinction in the wild is that their skin
is soft enough to produce crocodile skin products,” Mansour Heidari said.
The crocodiles are native
to Iran's southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan. Heidari pointed out that
measures are being taken to save the endangered carnivorous reptiles, among
them the creation of a crocodile nursery in Dargas district of Chabahar port
city.
“Eggs are collected from
wild nests to be hatched and reared at the farm. The hatchlings will be
released into the wild once they are two years old. The aim of the proposed
breeding program is to increase the number of mature animals in the wild so
that they would no longer face extinction,” Heidari said.
Persian crocodiles, also
know as mugger crocodiles, can be found in the southeastern part of Iran,
Pakistan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.
The reptiles are found in
lakes, rivers and marshes. They are also known to thrive in man-made reservoirs
and irrigation canals.
Experts now believe there
are between 200 and 300 Persian crocodiles living in the wild in southeastern
Iran.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=117915§ionid=3510208
GUARDIAN
WEEKLY
(London, UK) 05 February 10 Saving the snakes of St Lucia (Georgina
Kenyon - Adams Toussaint, 46, works for the Forestry Department based in
Castries in St Lucia in the eastern Caribbean. He describes the battle to save
the native Fer-de-lance snake, which is threatened with extinction)
St Lucia is simply
beautiful. For a small island we are blessed with great biodiversity and a
spectacular landscape. I am lucky to have been born here. But it’s sad that the
snakes and reptiles of St Lucia are threatened with extinction.
About 50 years ago the
geographical range of the snake covered a large part of the island. Yet
according to the latest study of St. Lucia’s reptiles and amphibians, completed
last December, the poisonous snake, the Fer-de-lance (French for ‘spearhead’ or
‘iron of the lance’) is now limited to two fragmented areas on the island.
This type [subspecies] of
Fer-de-lance (Latin name Bothrops
caribbaeus) is only found in St Lucia.
It is unfortunate that
people do not love the snake, which is regarded as a notoriously dangerous
species. The prevailing attitude is to exterminate it, rather than to conserve
or protect it.
Lobbying for its
protection or getting policymakers to buy into the idea of giving the
Fer-de-lance any form of protection is a mammoth task, that will require a
massive education campaign to first change people's attitudes and develop pride
and joy in the Fer-de-lance – similar to what was done for the St Lucia parrot.
Although the majority of
St Lucia’s wildlife is protected under the Saint Lucia Wildlife Protection Act
of 1980, the Fer-de-lance is not. The snake has the same status as rats and the
mongoose.
But while rats and the
mongoose are two alien invasive species that have a mostly destructive impact
on St Lucia’s biodiversity, the Fer-de-lance is an endemic species and should
invoke some sort of national pride.
I am hoping that
conservationists will become more interested in protecting the species and look
to focus more resources towards in-situ and ex-situ conservation. We also want
to create an education campaign to compliment a conservation programme.
We need to protect their
habitat, to educate the public not to kill them, and we need more applied
research.
I believe that the first
step to conservation of any species is an assessment of the population status.
This was done in December 2009. So that’s the first step. There is hope for
saving our snake.
http://www.guardianweekly.co.uk/?page=editorial&id=1456&catID=4
BROWNSVILLE
HERALD
(Texas) 05 February 10 Live snake found at international bridge
U.S. Customs and Border
Protection seized a live ball python snake measuring 1½ feet in length at a
Brownsville international bridge after the owner failed to provide proper
documentation, officials said.
The seizure took place
Thursday evening at Veterans International Bridge at Los Tomates when the
traveler drove his vehicle to an inspection booth. Inside the vehicle, the
traveler had a large aquarium in the front seat with the snake inside, CBP
said.
The traveler told the CBP
officer that he had the snake with him and was referred to a secondary
inspection area, the release said.
At the secondary
inspection area, CBP officers determined that the driver lacked the proper
importation documents and seized the reptile before turning it over to U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service.
The driver wasn’t charged
with any crime
http://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/live-108260-snake-python.html
EXPRESS
ADVOCATE WYONG (Australia) 05 February 10 Snake
alert after more than 20 people bitten (Alicia McCumstie)
People are being urged to
watch where they walk after a recent spike in the number of snake bites.
The Australian Reptile
Park and the Ambulance Service of NSW have teamed up to remind people to keep
an eye out for snakes and spiders.
More than 20 people were
bitten by snakes across NSW last month.
There are regular
sightings of snakes around the Central Coast in warm weather, with tiger snakes
often found on the bushy fringe in suburbs like Somersby, Peats Ridge and
Kulnura.
Red-bellied black snakes
are more common in coastal areas such as Wamberal.
“Most snake bites occur
from people trying to catch them,” reptile park senior curator Tim Faulkner
said.
“If they are cornered or
trodden on they will bite.”
The ambulance service has
released a list of precautions people should take to reduce the risk of a snake
bite.
These include never
touching a snake, always wearing sensible shoes and being vigilant and watching
where you are walking.
“The best thing people can
do if they come across a snake is leave it alone and head in the opposite
direction,” reptile park general manager Mary Rayner said.
If you were bitten by a
snake, Mr Faulkner said, the important thing to remember was to stay calm.
“Don’t wipe away the snake
bite, because if you don’t know what type of snake you were bitten by you can
be tested at the hospital,” he said.
“Also stay calm - this
will save your life - and phone 000.”
NEWS
JOURNAL (Daytona Beach, Florida) 05 February 10 Cold
snap turtle rescue a boon for scientists (Dinah Voyles Pulver)
A massive rescue of
cold-stunned sea turtles in January sent more than 3,600 of the creatures to
rehabilitation centers and left 948 dead but yielded valuable research
information that could benefit the species for years to come.
The turtles were measured,
tested, treated and tagged. That information will be shared with many
scientists.
Studies are planned
looking at just about every aspect of turtle biology, said Brian Stacy, a
veterinarian with the University of Florida and the National Marine Fisheries
Service. "We're really trying to make the most of an unfortunate
event."
Genetic researchers, for
example, will analyze skin samples taken from "a very large number of
turtles," said Blair Witherington, a biologist with the Florida Fish and
Wildlife Conservation Commission. "The genetics will help us understand
the population and where they were hatched.
"While people may think
most of the turtles came from nests on Florida beaches, that's probably not
true," he said. "They may come from all over the Caribbean.
"We had a really
fuzzy picture of where our turtles came from and now we'll have a much clearer
picture."
When tagged turtles are
recaptured elsewhere, scientists will be able to learn about their movement and
their growth rates, Stacy said.
More than 2,000 turtles
were rescued in the Indian River Lagoon, offering state officials crucial
information about the turtle population there.
Most of those were green
turtles, the sheer numbers surprising some. However, Witherington said the
wildlife commission always knew there were lots of green turtles in the lagoon.
"We just didn't have
a very detailed picture," he said. While most of the turtles were
basically teenagers, he said researchers were "a little surprised" at
the number of adult turtles they found.
Many of the turtles were
rescued in the Banana River -- part of the lagoon system -- and Witherington
said it's possible those animals had been trapped there and unable to find
their way out.
Typically, turtles leave
the lagoon when they're about halfway to maturity and make their way back to
the open ocean, he said.
Scientists also are
gathering information about fibropapilloma, tumors spread among turtles by a
virus. Researchers previously relied on a study of just 30 tumor-affected
turtles.
"We'll know more
about that now because we had such an enormous number of turtles,"
Witherington said. "We know there's a virus associated with the tumors,
but not every turtle that gets exposed to the virus gets the tumors."
Not all turtles react the
same way to the tumors. Some recover and some die.
While the turtles most
incapacitated by the tumors were either kept for treatment or had tumors
surgically removed, the sheer volume of turtles required the release of many
others with tumors. Because the turtles were tagged, if they are recaptured,
researchers will be able to see how the tumors changed over time.
Statewide, about 100 sea
turtles remain in rehabilitation centers, including seven greens and a
loggerhead at Volusia County's Marine Science Center. Anyone who finds a sea
turtle, stranded or dead, is asked to call the wildlife commission's wildlife
alert hot line at 888-404-3922.
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Enviro/bchEAST07ENV020510.htm?
PAYSON
ROUNDUP (Arizona) 05 February 10
The Louisiana alligator as big
game (Dennis Pirch)
Rim Country veterinarian
Alan Hallman and his son Rand recently returned from a big-game hunt for
alligator in Louisiana.The two killed an 11-foot, 500-pound reptile.
Throughout the United
States there is a common thread among outdoorsmen who enjoy the hunting
experience — the pursuit of the local game animals. In the extreme southern
tier of states, which are east of the Mississippi River, whitetail deer and
wild turkeys attract the bulk of the big game hunters.
The state of Louisiana has
a unique game animal attracting attention: the alligator. The bayou species has
spread from the Gulf of Mexico and along the delta of the Mississippi River.
This prehistoric reptile has a growing population that is warranting
recreational hunting to help curb the ever increasing numbers.
The local population has
been hunting the alligator for generations, so it is very much a part of the
Cajun culture. Alligator meat is considered a delicacy for family consumption,
and is being sold commercially to restaurants throughout the country. In
addition, the hide is extremely valuable as a leather product for making shoes,
boots, wallets and purses for high-end department stores.
Longtime local
veterinarian Dr. Alan Hallman, accompanied by his son Rand, made the trip to
bayou country in hopes of harvesting a mature ’gator. The pair has traveled
throughout the world enjoying the hunting experience as a father-son team and
this was another chapter in their adventures.
Rand received the
International Youth Hunter Award presented by the Safari Club in 2005 for his
extensive volunteer conservation work while he was a student at Payson High
School. His involvement included numerous projects by the Mogollon Sports
Association, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the Arizona Game and Fish
Department. Rand was able to accomplish this while being an athlete on the Payson
Longhorn football team and a member of the National Honor Society. He is
currently finishing a degree in wildlife biology at Arizona State University
and hopes to pursue a career in the outdoors.
In the three days of
exploring the bayous, this father and son team saw more than 300 alligators;
many were in the 8- to 10-foot range and considered mature trophy animals.
Nearing the end of their stay, they spotted a behemoth 11-foot ’gator, which
tipped the scale at nearly 500 pounds. A carefully placed shot with a 270 rifle
completed the hunt.
Louisiana offers this
unique big-game hunt because of healthy conservation measures of sportsmen
where the population of alligators has grown to more than one-half million in
the bayou state.
This is another successful
story of big game making a comeback because of the work of hunters volunteering
with game management agencies of a state.
This weekend enjoy the
Arizona outdoors, God’s creation.
http://www.paysonroundup.com/news/2010/feb/05/louisiana_alligator_big_game/
{Video link at URL}
BBC (London, UK)
05 February 10 Giant salamander: Human
threat, human promise (Richard Black)
As we pull into Toyohira,
an unusual and unexpected welcome committee is lined up ready to receive us.
The group of primary-age
children breaks into a song about the bonds of friendship between human and
salamander.
"It's everyone's
friend," they warble through the chilled afternoon air.
"Let's be friends
forever."
A small river burbles its
accompaniment - a river flowing past their school, which contains along its
length a number of concrete structures designed to make sure the Japanese giant
salamanders, or hanzaki, are still
around by the time the next generation of children stands in the same spot and
sings the same song.
The "hanzaki holes"
are a key conservation tool in a land where many rivers are now sculpted not by
nature, but by the hand of man.
When I ask Professor
Masafumi Matsui from Kyoto University, a leading Japanese authority on all
matters amphibian, to name the single biggest modern threat to this animal that
has been around roughly unchanged since the time of the dinosaurs, he answers
without demur: "The construction of dams and roads, which destroys the
habitats".
"We can't do without
constructing such things; and [the habitat] will be cut upstream and
downstream."
Many Japanese rivers are
now, in reality, canals - boxed in concrete, guided down valleys to keep
floodwaters away from homes and secure a supply to the irrigation systems.
To breed, hanzaki need to find nesting dens in
the riverbanks. Without dens, there will be no more hanzaki; hence the holes.
And while the idea of a
concrete nest might not seem very appealing to the human constitution, the
salamanders themselves seem OK with it.
Lifting the lid on one of
the dens, we see the rear half of a big, mature male. Its head is poking
through a small connecting tunnel into the river, where it can protect the nest
from any would-be usurpers.
The breeding plan appears
to be working; along the river we can find larvae just a few months old, and
presumably some at least have sprung from these nests.
But is this real
conservation?
Is keeping the species
alive with such a surgical strike a valid substitute for the much wider
restoration of these concreted channels that would also help everything else in
the ecosystem?
"Obviously in these
kinds of managed landscapes you do need to do some management, and what they've
been doing here in these artificial nests and so forth is a tremendous
management approach," says Claude Gascon, an amphibian specialist with
Conservation International.
"But obviously that's
not sufficient, and you do need to protect some of these natural habitats,
these watersheds, in their natural form so that you're protecting all of the
needs of this animal, which is a tremendous animal."
Move a curious finger down
the Red List of Threatened Species, and the factor you see more often than any
other as a cause of decline for just about every kind of creature - amphibians,
birds, mammals - is precisely what is facing the Japanese giant salamander:
loss of habitat.
Its sister species in
China, by contrast, must contend most urgently with the wiles of poachers -
hardly surprising, when the meat from an adult giant salamander can fetch
upwards of $1,000 on the black market.
Hunting has brought the
Chinese giant salamander to the unwelcome status of Critically Endangered.
In former times, the
Japanese salamander was hunted too.
After protection was
conferred in the 1950s, some bright spark had the idea of importing the Chinese
species, farming it, and supplying the meat demand that way.
In the inevitable way of
these things, the idea quickly proved a busted flush. But the Chinese animals
escaped; and though the farm itself is long gone, the once farmed salamanders
are thriving.
With Masafumi Matsui and
his team of assistants - one sporting the perhaps inevitable soubriquet of
"ninja turtle" - we clamber out into the bed of the Kamo river as it
hurries down a narrow valley between wooded slopes.
They find one larva, small
and black - then two, then three - and finally a roseate miniature of the real
thing, several years old.
Without DNA analysis it is
impossible to be sure, but the professor is pretty sure this is a hybrid.
"Last year, more than
50% were hybrids," he says.
Back in his lab at Kyoto
University, he demonstrates the extra aggressiveness of the Chinese species.
With a fish dangled in front of its nose, it turns in a flash from dopey sloth
to snapping tiger.
The aggressiveness is
helping the Chinese males take over the dens of the local rivers - and with the
dens, the right to breed. The Japanese giant salamander may soon be extinct as
a separate species in these waters.
With the hanzaki under threat from habitat
destruction, with invasive species threatening in some areas and with climate
change and disease lingering as other possible threats on the horizon, a number
of institutions have set up captive breeding programmes.
In a compound at
Hiroshima's Asa Zoological Park, Hidekazu Ashikaga shows us how it works.
An "artificial
river" flows between artificial nests just like the ones in Toyohira,
filled with the back ends of dominant males.
At breeding time, the
salamanders do their thing and little salamanders emerge from the fertilised egg
mass, just as in the wild.
The offspring are kept in
a sequence of caskets, lined up with military precision, each labelled with the
year in which its occupants hatched.
Recently, the facility saw
the first emergence documented anywhere in the world of third-generation
captive - animals whose parents and grandparents had been bred in captivity.
At some point, the
salamanders raised here might be put into the wild to replenish some depleted
stock. Until then, home is a bowl of concrete, plastic and steel, and food a
supply of insects and imported fish thrown in to order.
"If we take just the
area I have been looking at, compared to 40 years ago when we started the
research, I feel that numbers are down by around half," he says.
Clearly, Japan's amphibian
scientists are rallying to the call and doing what they can to keep the species
extant.
It is an effort that is
likely to receive more international attention later this year, when Japan
hosts the crucial meeting of the UN biodiversity convention.
What they face is a
microcosm of conservation across the planet; a multiplicity of threats, led by
habitat loss.
The Japanese government
placed the giant salamander under protection as a "natural living
monument" half a century ago, but has put little protection on its
habitat.
And perhaps, with so much
development and so many human mouths to feed, that is now impossible.
Making sure that new
construction includes hanzaki holes along the bank, and features
shallow-sloping weirs that adult salamanders can negotiate, appears to be the
most that conservation scientists are hoping for.
Perhaps the children of
Toyohira feel genuine affection for their hanzaki.
If so, maybe their
generation will find a more natural way of looking after the "living
fossil" creature and its environment than the current one is managing.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8498023.stm
SG (Budepest,
Hungary) 05 February 10 Találkozás egy élo oskövülette
A BBC tudósítója egészen
közelbol vehette szemügyre a világ egyik legfurább és legöregebb lényét, egy
óriás szalamandrát.
"Ez
egy dinoszaurusz. Elképeszto" - lelkendezik Claude Gascon a Conservation
International (CI) tudományos programjainak vezetoje. "Szalamandrákról van
szó, amik rendszerint elférnek a tenyerünkben, ez azonban akár a kezem is képes
lenne leharapni." Gascon jó néhány békát és szalamandrát látott már élete
során, azonban azok mind eltörpülnek a szóban forgó faj képviseloi mellett,
melynek egy példánya megtekintheto a Tokiótól 800 kilométerre fekvo Maniwában.
A
hanzakinak nevezett Andrias japonicus méretei valóban tekintélyesek, 1,7
méteres testét az évtizedek nyomait magán viselo borszeru képzodmény borítja,
vaskos fején a mozgásra érzékeny dudorok láthatók, amik a táplálékszerzésben
segítik a kétéltut. A helyi legendák szerint ez a faj csupán egy ebihal a
Maniwa közelében látott legnagyobb példányokhoz képest.
"Csontszerkezete
szinte teljes egészében megegyezik a 30 millió éves fosszíliák csontvázaival,
ezért is nevezzük élo kövületnek" - mesélte Takeyoshi Tochimoto, a Hanzaki
Intézet igazgatója. A hanzakinak csupán két közeli rokonáról tudnak, az egyik a
kínai óriás szalamandra (Andrias
davidianus), ami méretre, alkatra és viselkedésre is nagyon hasonlít a
hanzakihoz, így a két fajt könnyu keresztezni. A másik a sokkal kisebb
hellbender, azaz az amerikai óriásszalamandra (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis),
ami az USA dél-keleti részén honos.
Az
ilyen és ehhez hasonló lények már a dinoszauruszok korában egész biztosan jelen
voltak a Földön. A fosszíliák szerint sokkal nagyobb területen voltak jelen,
mint az a jelenlegi, viszonylag behatárolt elhelyezkedésük sejteti. Elvileg még
Európa északi területein is megtalálhatók voltak ezek a lények.
"Rendkívül
primitív lényeknek tartják oket, részben annak a ténynek köszönhetoen, hogy
ezek az egyetlen szalamandrák, amelyeknek külso megtermékenyítésük van" -
magyarázta Don Church, a CI szalamandra szakértoje. A megtermékenyítési rituálé
éppen ezért elég különös látvány. A domináns hím tanyájául szolgáló folyóparti
barlangba vagy hasadékba számos nostény úszik be néhány alacsonyabb rendu hím
társaságában. A domináns hím és a nostények kieresztik mindenüket, majd
forgásba kezdenek, hogy egy zavaros masszává elegyítsék a petesejteket és a
spermiumot.
A
kotyvalékhoz feltehetoleg az alacsonyabb rendu hímek is hozzájárulnak, az o
szerepük azonban nem egyértelmu. Amikor a víz elcsendesedik, csak a domináns
hím marad a hasadékban, egyedül orizve a fészket és a jövendo porontyokat. Ez nem éppen a
legideálisabb módja a szaporodásnak, de mindenesetre muködik. A párzási
idoszakon kívül a szalamandrák látszólag a leheto legfeltunésmentesebb életet
folytatják a folyóban, többnyire csak akkor mozdulnak ki rejtekeikbol, ha
valamilyen zsákmány közelít feléjük. A felnott példányok állkapcsát nem szabad
félvállról venni, Tochimoto fotógyujteményében látható egy véres emberi kar is,
ami a szalamandra harapásának az eredménye.
http://www.sg.hu/cikkek/72337/talalkozas_egy_elo_oskovulettel
NEW
TANG DYNASTY TV (New York, New York) 04 February 10 Suburban
UK Crocodile Dundee
It may seem a fairly
ordinary suburban bungalow but behind the net curtains Chris Weller shares his
home with some less than ordinary housemates.
Weller, the UK's very own
Crocodile Dundee, spent 20,000 pounds converting his flat to accommodate
Caesar, a four-and-a-half foot caiman, Hector, a six foot monitor lizard and
Rocky the iguana.
Weller has moved into the
loft, leaving his scaly friends in the penthouse, replete with TV and pool.
[Chris Weller, Reptile
Owner]: "I would say for a normal
person no, simply because you have to provide the accommodation. I'm fortunate
I can do that, and that's why I can have animals such as this, but they're not
the sort of thing you can keep. As a baby they look very nice in an aquarium, but
unfortunately they don't last as babies for very long and they do grow quite
quickly."
Hector has turned out to
be a bit of a lounge lizard, so Weller keeps him on a diet.
[Chris Weller, Reptile
Owner]: "He will eat anything you
put in front of him so you got to be careful not to overfeed him, so I only now
feed him three (3) days a week to try and keep his weight down, because he's
not the most... he doesn't like exercise, he doesn't need to hunt for his food
anymore and therefore has become rather lazy."
Caesar could still grow to
7 feet as a mature adult, and to be on the safe side, Weller, a retired civil
servant, has cctv cameras and a latch on the croc-flap.
So far the pets tolerate
each other, if they don't actually socialize.
Weller has a generous
visiting policy and the neighbors seem happy to rub shoulders with the suburban
reptiles
Even if they have been
slow to snap up the offer of a bite in front of the TV.
http://english.ntdtv.com/ntdtv_en/ns_europe/2010-02-04/258488154838.html
THE
AGE
(Melbourne, Australia) 04 February 10 Police escort wayward turtle hatchlings from
suburb streets
Police took extra care
with some wayward youngsters found wandering in the streets of a beachside
suburb north of Brisbane overnight.
While patrolling near Donkin
Street and Flinders Parade in Scarborough, the police came across a number of
tiny turtle hatchlings on the road just before 11pm yesterday.
The officers helped some
locals guide the hatchlings to the water's edge and the last of them were
safely on their way just after midnight.
A police spokeswoman said
the turtles were believed to be from a nearby rookery.
NEW
ERA
(Windhoek, Namibia) 04 February 10 Crocodile kills and eats villager (Helvy
Tueumuna)
Oshakati: A 23-year-old man from Otjamangu village was
reportedly caught and devoured by a crocodile at Ruacana last week.
Marimba Uaandjondunge was
attacked by a crocodile shortly after crossing the river at Okatjambuku village
in the Ruacana constituency.
He was coming from Angola.
Villagers who witnessed
the incident told the police that they saw Uaandjondunge crossing the river in
a canoe.
When he stepped out of the
canoe, he screamed but when they ran to the river to rescue him, he was gone,
having been dragged into the middle of the river.
His head and legs joined
together by a thread of skin from his back were found floating a day after the
incident.
Uaandjondunge, a Namibian
citizen, had crossed over to Angola to visit relatives on the other side of the
river.
Omusati Police Regional
Spokesperson, Sergeant Hesekiel Hamalwa, confirmed the incident.
http://www.newera.com.na/article.php?articleid=9410
DAYTON
DAILY NEWS (Ohio) 04 February 10 Officer knows about exotic animals
(Kelli Wynn)
Oakwood: When Tim Harrison was in his late teens and
early 20s, his pets were “big cats,” pythons and other exotic snakes.
Harrison did not think
about the consequences of keeping such dangerous animals. He said he thought to
himself, “I’m doing good for the animal.”
It was not until he became
a public safety officer that he changed his attitude about keeping exotic
animals as pets.
Harrison started his
animal rescue career while he was in high school. He was an assistant to a zoo
veterinarian. “He would go out and catch exotic animals,” Harrison said. He
noted the veterinarian used to allow him to help capture the animals.
The veterinarian used to
get five calls a year about exotic pets that had gotten loose. Eventually,
those five calls increased to more than 100.
“It’s so obvious what
caused it,” Harrison said. “Just as soon as Steve Irwin (“Crocodile Hunter”)
started playing with cobras on his TV show, the same year I had 20 cobras calls.”
Harrison is the director
of Outreach for Animals, which is a nonprofit organization started 12 years ago
by public safety officers. One of the organization’s goals is to educate people
on the importance of keeping wildlife in its natural habitat. The
organization’s membership includes public safety officers from across the
country who are called upon by various organizations to help capture exotic
animals.
Most people seeking exotic
animals as pets have bought their animals from exotic animal dealers over the
Internet, Harrison said. It’s not against the law to sell exotic animals over
the Internet, but it is illegal to bring nondomestic animals back to
residential communities in the Dayton area, he said.
The industry rakes in
between $6.5 billion and $12.5 billion a year, depending on where it is being
done in the country.
Education is key in
Harrison’s line of work.
He recalled the deaths of
some people who had come in contact with an exotic animal or tried to handle
the animal without help. One of the deaths involved a man who regularly
attended Harrison’s presentations. The man tried to handle a Burmese python and
ended up being “constricted to death.” This type of death involves the python
wrapping itself around its prey and using its teeth to grab the prey.
“Every time the prey takes
a breath in, it squeezes tighter,” Harrison said.
Fortunately, Harrison has
had good outcomes during rescue missions.
He recalled an incident
that occurred in east Dayton about 10 years ago. Two boys, ages 4 and 6, had found
a Gaboon Viper in a garage and were playing with it.
“One of the parents called
and said this was a weird snake, and we don’t know what it is,” Harrison said.
The snake was venomous and
had fangs that were more than two inches long.
Harrison said when he told
the boys’ parents that the snake their children had been playing with was
deadly, the parents “almost had a heart attack.”
For more information about
Outreach for Animals, visit www.outreach?foranimals.org.
http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/community/oakwood/officer-knows-about-exotic-animals-531048.html
KSL-TV (Salt Lake
City, Utah) 04 February 10 DWR considers making poisonous snakes legal
(Alex Cabrero)
Salt Lake City: Right now, it's illegal to catch and keep a
rattlesnake in Utah, but that could soon change. The Division of Wildlife
Resources is considering new rules that could allow people to keep the
poisonous snakes indoors.
DWR says the proposal is
an effort to try to make keeping snakes safer, even though they make a lot of
people nervous. James Dix, who owns Reptile Rescue Service, says he's worried.
"If you get bit in a
main artery, you could be dead in a matter of minutes," Dix says.
In his business, Dix
captures snakes that wander into homes.
"We deal with
hundreds of snake issues a year," Dix says.
The two species proposed
are the Midget Faded Rattlesnake and the Great Basin Rattlesnake. The
guidelines would allow for three of each species caught in Utah and six
additional of each species if from out of state.
"What we're trying to
do is be proactive and take a look at: Can we put some control on how many
these people collect?" says Krissy Wilson, native species coordinator for
DWR.
She says she knows people
already have rattlesnakes illegally. She thinks this plan will make safety a
priority.
"We're looking at
what the cages will be constructed of, where they hold them, the security of
the room, first aid kits," Wilson says.
The plan also allows for
breeding up to 25 baby snakes that could be held for up to a year.
Dix, who has the state's
only private permit to keep rattlesnakes for educational purposes, is worried
about poisonous snakes getting loose.
"I've had to remove a
lot of snakes in apartments and condos because they get loose and go up walls,
through the heater vents and around the pipes," Dix says. "They're
great escape artists."
DWR is planning public
meetings throughout Utah to get input about these new rules
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=9581362
MANLY
DAILY
(Australia) 04 February 10 Marie puts boot into red-bellies (John
Morcombe)
Marie Ensor won’t be
walking into her backyard without an old pair of boots after being bitten by a
red-bellied black snake that left her wheelchair-bound for two weeks.
Ms Ensor was in the bushy
backyard of her Elanora Heights home when she felt a stabbing pain in a foot.
When she looked down she noticed the snake slithering away as she reeled from
the intensity of the pain.
“It was like someone had
pushed a sharp metal rod through my ankle,” she said. “The pain was really intense.”
Despite the pain, Ms Ensor
remained calm and made her way to her house, where she applied a makeshift
compression bandage from a pair of tights and called 000.
“When I called 000 they
stayed on the line with me and asked me about my heart rate and how I felt,”
she said.
“They kept saying the
ambulance was coming and then I could hear it coming. They stayed for 20
minutes monitoring my heart and then took me to Mona Vale Hospital.
“I knew I was in the best
of hands but I did start to worry when my heart rate dropped and I started to
vomit.
“The emergency department
at Mona Vale was so good. I stayed in hospital for two days.
“When I came home I was in
a wheelchair but then the wound got infected with cellulitis, which prevented
the swelling going down, so I was on antibiotics for two days. It was probably
a freak accident but I won’t be going into the backyard without good footwear
now.”
An Ambulance Service
spokesman said there had been more than 20 cases of snake bite in NSW in the
past month, reflecting the ideal conditions for snakes and spiders at the
moment - overcast but warm days interspersed with hot dry days.
http://manly-daily.whereilive.com.au/news/story/marie-puts-boot-into-red-bellies/
PLA
PRESS
(Beijing, China) 04 February 10 Police vs python
An unidentified armed
policeman holds the head of a 3-meter long python that policemen unwrapped from
an elderly man that it was attempting to squeeze to death in the village of
Xikeng, near Shenzhen, Guangdong Province on January 19.
The man, identified only
as a beekeeper named "Uncle Deng" was gathering firewood when he
accidentally stepped on the 40-kilogram python, which wrapped itself around his
legs and began squeezing.
Trapped, Deng yelled for
help and two policemen who were nearby at a guard post on the Shenzhen-Hong
Kong border heard his cries and ran to his aid. They grabbed its head and tied
its jaws shut with a rope and then struggled for 10 minutes to unwrap the snake
from Deng. The python was released to the wild after it was measured, weighed
and had its photo opportunity.
http://life.globaltimes.cn/odd/2010-02/503654.html
THE
NAMIBIAN (Winhoek, Namibia) 04 February 10 13 February 2010 Two kids killed by crocs in Kavango
Kahenge (NAMPA): The bodies of two children killed by
crocodiles in the Okavango River two weeks ago have not yet been recovered.
The first, 10-year-old
Christine Mangundu Naita, was caught by a crocodile in the river at Tondoro
village in the Kahenge Constituency on January 24. She was allegedly caught
while swimming with a friend in the river.
Police Chief Inspector
Kavara Ewald told Nampa that the Police are still searching for her body.
The second victim was
14-year-old Paulus Karunda, who was caught by a crocodile at Shighuru village
in the Ndiyona Constituency on January 15.
His body has also not yet
been recovered.
Karunda allegedly went
swimming in the river with friends when he was caught by a crocodile.
The Regional Police
commander, Commissioner Olavi Auanga, appealed to parents to warn their children
of the danger of swimming in the Okavango River.
Meanwhile, the body of
Ndara Frans Kanyanga (18), who drowned in the river on Sunday, has been
recovered.
Kanyanga, a resident of
the Kasote informal settlement, was fishing with friends when their canoe
capsized.
His two friends made it to
shore safely.
Members of the Namibian
Police recovered Kanyanga’s body from the river on Monday evening, with the
assistance of community members.
He was the third person to
drown in the Okavango River in the last three weeks.
http://www.namibian.com.na/index.php?id=28&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=64294&no_cache=1
{Video link at
URL}
BBC (London, UK)
04 February 10 Close encounters with Japan's 'living fossil' (Richard Black)
It soon becomes clear that
the giant salamander has hit Claude Gascon's enthusiasm button smack on the
nose.
"This is a dinosaur,
this is amazing," he enthuses.
"We're talking about
salamanders that usually fit in the palm of your hand. This one will chop your
hand off."
As a leader of
Conservation International's (CI) scientific programmes, and co-chair of the
Amphibian Specialist Group with the International Union for the Conservation of
Nature (IUCN), Dr Gascon has seen a fair few frogs and salamanders in his life;
but little, he says, to compare with this.
Fortunately for all of our
digits, this particular giant salamander is in no position to chop off
anything, trapped in a tank in the visitors' centre in Maniwa City, about 800km
west of Tokyo.
But impressive it
certainly is: about 1.7m (5ft 6in) long, covered in a leathery skin that speaks
of many decades passed, with a massive gnarled head covered in tubercles whose
presumed sensitivity to motion probably helped it catch fish by the thousand
over its lifetime.
If local legend is to be
believed, though, this specimen is a mere tadpole compared with the biggest
ever seen around Maniwa.
A 17th Century tale,
related to us by cultural heritage officer Takashi Sakata, tells of a
salamander (or hanzaki, in local
parlance) 10m long that marauded its way across the countryside chomping cows
and horses in its tracks.
A local hero was found,
one Mitsui Hikoshiro, who allowed the hanzaki
to swallow him whole along with his trusty sword - which implement he then
used, in the best heroic tradition, to rend the beast from stem to stern.
It proved not to be such a
good move, however.
Crops failed, people
started dying in mysterious ways - including Mr Hikoshiro himself.
Pretty soon the villagers
drew the obvious conclusion that the salamander's spirit was wreaking revenge
from beyond the grave, and must be placated. That is why Maniwa City boasts a
shrine to the hanzaki.
The story illustrates the
cultural importance that this remarkable creature has in some parts of Japan.
Its scientific importance,
meanwhile, lies in two main areas: its "living fossil" identity, and
its apparently peaceful co-existence with the chytrid fungus that has
devastated so many other amphibian species from Australia to the Andes.
"The skeleton of this
species is almost identical to that of the fossil from 30 million years
ago," recounts Takeyoshi Tochimoto, director of the Hanzaki Institute near
Hyogo.
"Therefore it's
called the 'living fossil'."
The hanzaki (Andrias japonicus)
only has two close living relatives: the Chinese giant salamander (A.
davidianus), which is close enough in size and shape and habits that the two
can easily cross-breed, and the much smaller hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) of the south-eastern US.
Creatures rather like
these were certainly around when dinosaurs dominated life on land, and fossils
of the family have been found much further afield than their current tight
distribution - in northern Europe, certainly, where scientists presumed the the
lineages had gone extinct until tales of the strange Oriental forms made their
way back to the scientific burghers of Vienna and Leiden a couple of centuries
ago.
"They are thought to
be extremely primitive species, partly due to the fact that they are the only
salamanders that have external fertilisation," says Don Church, a
salamander specialist with CI.
The fertilisation ritual
must be quite some sight.
Into a riverbank den that
is usually occupied by the dominant male (the "den-master") swim
several females, and also a few other males.
The den-master and the
females release everything they have got, turning incessantly to stir the eggs
and spermatozoa round in a roiling mass.
Maybe the lesser males
sneak in a package or two as well; their function in the ménage-a-many is not
completely clear.
When the waters still,
everyone but the den-master leaves; and he alone guards the nest and its
juvenile brood.
It is not an ideal method
of reproduction.
Research shows that
genetic diversity among the hanzaki
is smaller than it might be, partly as a result of the repeated polygamy, which
in turn leaves them more prone to damage through environmental change.
But for the moment, it
seems to work.
Outside the breeding
season, the salamander's life appears to consist of remaining as inconspicuous
as possible in the river (whether hiding in leaves, as the small ones do, or
under the riverbanks like their larger fellows) and snapping whatever comes
within reach, their usual meandering torpor transformed in an instant as the
smell of a fish brushes by.
The adults' jaws are not
to be treated lightly.
Among Dr Tochimoto's
extensive collection of photos is one of bloodied human hands; and as he warns:
"you may be attacked and injured; please be careful".
When the chytrid fungus
was identified just over a decade ago, indications were that Japan would be an
unlikely place to look for its origins.
With the discovery of
chytrid on museum specimens of the African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis), an out-of-Africa migration spurred by human
transportation of amphibians once seemed the simple likelihood.
But just last year, a team
of researchers led by Koichi Goka from Japan's National Institute for
Environmental Studies published research showing that certain strains of
chytrid were present on Japanese giant salamanders, and only on Japanese giant
salamanders, including museum specimens from a century or so back; and that the
relationship seemed benign.
The hanzaki-loving strains of chytrid appear to differ from those that
are proving so virulent to amphibians now.
Unravelling all that, says
Don Church, might tell us something about the origins and spread of chytrid -
and there is so much diversity among Japanese chytrid strains that the country
is now being touted as a possible origin, as diversity often implies a long
evolutionary timeframe.
More importantly, the
discovery might also provide options for treating the infection.
"In the case of the
North American salamanders, what was found was that they have bacteria living
on their skin that produce peptides that are lethal to the amphibian chytrid
fungus," says Dr Church.
"And those bacteria
might be able to be transplanted to other species that can't fight off the
fungus."
This is a line of research
that is very much in play in laboratories around the world.
It appears likely now that
studies of the Japanese giant salamander can expand the number of
chytrid-fighting bacteria known to science, and so extend the options for
developing treatments for an infection that currently cannot be controlled in
the wild.
But that can only come to
pass if the giant salamanders endure; something that is not guaranteed, with
the challenges they face in modern Japan including, perhaps, new strains of
chytrid itself.
There is as yet no modern
hero able to still the pace of habitat loss or prevent invasion from rival
species.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8497330.stm
BORDER
MAIL
(Albury, Australia) 04 February 10 Snake man bitten at McDonald’s (John
Conroy)
Young North East snake
catcher Rhys Gloury will be back on the job today despite a scare at a
Glenrowan McDonald’s restaurant yesterday.
Mr Gloury, 20, was
attempting to catch a baby brown snake near outdoor playground equipment at the
restaurant on the northbound side of the Hume Highway, around noon, when a
second baby bit him on the finger.
After catching and bagging
both deadly snakes, Mr Gloury was taken to Wangaratta Hospital where doctors
gave him the good news that he had not been envenomed.
“I was aiming for one and
hadn’t seen the second and felt it tap me on the finger,” he said.
“They were both small
brown snakes, newborns, it looked like there had been a nest nearby.
“I was taken to hospital
as a precaution but I haven’t been envenomed and I’m fine and I’ll be back on
the job again tomorrow.
“It’s certainly not (going
to deter me), it’s just a hazard of the job.”
It was the first time the
snake catcher, who gained his licence at 18, had been hospitalised for a snake
bite.
He was expected to be
released from hospital later last night.
Mr Gloury, who is based at
Laceby and serves as a catcher for the Alpine, Wangaratta, Wodonga and
Strathbogie local government areas, said it had been a busy summer and the
snakes were likely to be out and about until the end of April.
“I’ve had quite a few
calls lately,” he said.
Mr Gloury only uses a hook
and bag when catching snakes and has a collection of more than 20 of the
venomous reptiles at his home, as well as a four-year-old freshwater crocodile.
He grabs the snake by the
tail, and does not use gloves or tongs because it makes the snake difficult to
handle.
The former Wangaratta High
School student, who is also studying to be a nurse, first developed a love of
reptiles after a visit to the Ballarat Wildlife and Reptile Park when he was
four.
Australian brown snakes
are among the top three most dangerous snakes in the country and even young
snakes can deliver a fatal bite.
http://www.bordermail.com.au/news/local/news/general/snake-man-bitten-at-mcdonalds/1742051.aspx
THE
INDEPENDENT (Joahannesburg, S Africa) 04 February 10 Ugandans
told: Bite back at killer crocs (Henry Wasswa)
Kampala: An angry Ugandan minister has stirred up
murky waters by urging villagers on the shores of Lake Victoria to hunt and eat
crocodiles that have been munching up locals.
Villagers in the Bugiri
and Mayuge districts in eastern Uganda have for years complained that
crocodiles attack fishermen and people fetching water or firewood around the
shores of Africa's largest lake.
Although no official
statistics are available, it is believed the cold-blooded predators devour
dozens of Ugandans each year. Press reports said that in the past two weeks
alone, crocodiles have eaten six people in Mayuge district.
Deputy Agriculture
Minister Aggrey Bagiire, who represents one of the constituencies in the area,
has been urging people to strike back.
"The previous day, I
saw the remains of someone who had been killed by these crocodiles. They are on
the rampage. It is incredible," Bagiire said on Thursday.
"We have brought this
to the attention of the government... people should be allowed to hunt and kill
these crocodiles."
Ugandans do not
traditionally eat crocodile meat, Bagiire said, but called on the government to
allow hunting because "people's lives are in danger."
Crocodile meat is
considered an exotic delicacy in neighbouring Kenya, where farms rear thousands
of the reptiles and send the meat to upmarket restaurants. The meat is said to
be delicious, although rather tough.
However, the calls to
allow the hunting of crocodiles in Uganda provoked angry reactions from
conservation officials and wildlife staff in the area, who have threatened to
arrest anyone found to have killed a crocodile.
A senior official with the
government-run Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) told dpa that people were
bringing the attacks upon themselves.
"The people in those
areas move in shallow waters and they also fish in shallow waters. They also
bathe there and because of that, they are eaten by the crocodiles," UWA's
Director of Operations Sam Mwandha said. "They encroach on the territory
of the crocodiles."
Mwandha said that urging
people to go crocodile hunting would endanger the lives of villagers as they
have no professional skills for killing the crocodiles.
"Crocodile meat is
very delicious, but when you tell people to go and hunt the crocodiles, they
will be exposed to more danger ... the animals will end up killing them
instead," Mwandha said.
Conservation authorities
are encouraging people to take precautions and fish in deep waters where the
crocodiles do not venture, he added.
Increased human
settlements in areas which were formerly natural crocodile habitats have led to
sporadic collisions between humans and the reptiles.
At the moment, it seems
that the crocodiles are winning the war.
The UWA could not readily
give the total number of crocodiles in the country, but ecologists say their
numbers have increased.
"For instance, in the
Murchison Falls park (in north-western Uganda) their numbers have increased
three to four times in recent years, from 300 to about 1000," said
Mwandha. - Sapa-dpa
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=143&art_id=nw20100204163641361C240283
OTTAWA
CITIZEN (Ontario) 03 February 10
Baird puts city on hook for road
through turtle habitat - Minister overrules staff, funds Terry Fox extension
(Kate Jaimet)
Ottawa: Federal Infrastructure Minister John Baird
overruled his departmental officials to make sure the City of Ottawa got $16
million in federal stimulus funding for the Terry Fox Drive extension project.
The roadway’s route runs
through the habitat of multiple threatened species, putting severe limits on
when crews can do the construction work.
In an interview Monday,
Baird said his officials were concerned the roadway project could not be
completed by the time federal stimulus money runs out in March 2011.
Baird said he trusted city
officials, who assured him the road could be built in time.
“My department officials
had real concerns it could be done by March. I overruled my officials and gave
the city (a) full vote of confidence,” Baird said. “It’s a great project.”
Baird said the federal
government has “moved away from micromanaging things,” to give municipalities
more control over projects.
However, he added, the
city will bear the cost to complete the roadway if the federal money runs out before
it’s finished. “With flexibility comes responsibility,” he said.
The road project — a
$47.7-million, four-kilometre extension of Terry Fox Drive, north of the
Queensway — is being fast-tracked by the city to take advantage of $32 million
in federal and provincial stimulus money.
If built, the road will
form an arc connecting Kanata Lakes to Morgan’s Grant, cutting through
undeveloped land that includes hardwood forest, marshy wetlands, disused farm
fields, and part of the Carp River floodplain. Over the following few years,
the area inside the arc will be filled with housing, while the area to the
north, outside the arc, will be left as natural habitat.
However, construction of
the roadway has raised environmental concerns, as its proposed siting runs
through wetlands identified as critical habitat for amphibians and reptiles,
including the endangered Blanding’s turtle.
Building the roadway will
also mean cutting down endangered butternut trees, uprooting endangered
American ginseng plants, and disrupting the habitat of federally protected
migratory birds.
The lead turtle scientist
with the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, Dr. Ron
Brooks, has already warned the road could wipe out the local population of
Blanding’s turtles unless extreme mitigation measures, such as fencing off the
entire roadway, are taken. And Ontario provincial biologist Brad Steinberg has
said developing proper mitigation measures for the turtles would require a
radio-telemetry study that could take two years.
In order to proceed, the
city will require agreements and permits from the provincial Ministry of
Natural Resources. Bruce Mason, Ottawa’s manager of design and construction for
economic stimulus projects, said the city is still working on getting those agreements
from the ministry.
“We’re going back and
forth with them, but it’s a long process,” Mason said. “We’re hoping to get it
resolved in the next month or two.”
Environmental mitigation
measures, meant to help protect some of the animals and plants being disrupted
by the construction, are likely to put further time pressure on the project.
In a letter sent to
Infrastructure Canada on Jan. 18, Environment Canada recommends a ban on
cutting trees between May 1 and July 23 to protect nesting golden-winged
warblers and other migratory birds.
That means if permits are
not in place to begin tree cutting by May, construction in treed areas will
have to wait until late summer.
Environment Canada also
recommends no dredging or dewatering of wetlands while amphibians and reptiles
are hibernating, a period that lasts until mid- to late April. Further,
wetlands should not be dredged after breeding has begun, the letter recommends.
It also advises that individual animals, and their eggs, should be transported
out of the construction area to a safe new home before anybody starts draining
any wetland.
Steinberg said those
recommendations would leave a small window in which animals such as Blanding’s
turtles could be found and moved after they emerge from hibernation in April.
“You could certainly move
them before they laid eggs. That would probably be beneficial, in that they
wouldn’t be laying eggs at your worksite,” he said. “That would leave you with
Blanding’s turtles for pretty much May, because they start laying in June.”
Mason said the city and
its consultants, Dillon Consulting, are modifying their plans to take
Environment Canada’s concerns into account.
“We feel we can work with
all the comments and still get the project done,” Mason said. “It creates tight
windows, but believe me, we’re going to do all we can to get this done …
without cutting any corners.”
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/story_print.html?id=2514764&sponsor=
SUNCOAST
NEWS
(Hudson, Florida) 03 Febuary 10 Now that's one really big snake (Carl
Orth)
New Port Richey: Kristal Stone had seen snakes before, but
nothing like this.
The New Port Richey
resident and co-workers were startled to find a 12-foot albino Burmese python
in a wooded area near a parking lot of an office building where she works in Wesley
Chapel.
The reptile was dead,
which was the only reason co-workers were able to coax Stone to pose next to it
for some photos.
"I have never seen a
snake even remotely as big as this," Stone wrote in an e-mail.
Landscape crews spotted
the snake last week coiled up by a bush in the wooded area next to the parking
lot, Stone said. They realized it was dead, so they stretched it out to measure
it.
"Needless to say, I
was stunned to think about how long it may have been slithering around the
office building before it died from the cold weather," Stone said.
"I went back in and
did some research on Google and determined that it was probably a Burmese
python."
Stone called the Florida
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which sent representatives to the
scene.
They were impressed, too,
Stone said. "It was probably someone's pet at one time, until it became
too big."
Because wildlife officials
think there may be thousands of pythons in the wild in Florida, state officials
have been allowing hunting of the non-native reptiles.
The state wildlife experts
confirmed the snake was an albino Burmese python measuring 12 feet long. After
documenting the snake, they "then pushed it in the woods and covered it to
let it rot and hope the vultures and nature would take care of the rest."
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/feb/03/pa-now-thats-one-really-big-snake/
JAKARTA
GLOBE
(Indonesia) 03 February 10 Turtle, Snake Smugglers Busted at Jakarta
Airport
An cargo consignment
documented as 2,200 kilograms of fresh fruits shocked even the most seasoned
customs officials at Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on Tuesday
when they discovered at least 700 snakes and over 3,400 pig-nosed turtles
inside.
“The document just said
‘fresh fruits,’?” said Gatot Sugeng Wibowo, chief of investigations at the
customs office.
Gatot said the illicit
cargo was being exported by a company identified only as PT IDT, located in
West Jakarta, and was scheduled to be shipped to Hong Kong on a Cathay Pacific
flight on Tuesday.
Gatot did not say whether
police had tracked down PT IDT’s executives. “These snakes and turtles are
mostly used to make soups and sex-enhancing drugs,” he said.
Following a thorough check
and seizure by the airport’s quarantine department, it was revealed that at
least 25 bags contained Chinese rat snakes and six other bags contained 3,492
pig-nosed turtles. In total, the cargo was worth at least Rp 5.7 billion
($616,000).
He said that the two
people in charge of the packages were being interrogated.
“They have not been named
as suspects yet,” Gatot said, without elaborating.
Gatot said airport
officials became suspicious after seeing two tons of fresh fruits scheduled for
shipment to Hong Kong.
“According to our
procedures, we have to check any unusual export activity at the airport, so we
opened the packages. That’s when we found the turtles and snakes,” Gatot said.
The smugglers violated a 1990 law on the conservation of natural resources and
a 1992 law on animal-quarantine regulations. They could face five years in
prison and fines of up to Rp 100 million ($10,800).
The pig-nosed turtles,
found in Papua, are sought mostly for their eggs. Their exports are regulated
in Indonesia.
In December, police
arrested a man accused of smuggling 10 rare kangaroos by boat from New Guinea
island.
Five of the kangaroos died
and the surviving five were given to a Surabaya animal sanctuary.
Illegal trade in rare and
exotic animals is rampant in Indonesia, owing to poor law enforcement and the
wide range of exotic species found here.
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/turtle-snake-smugglers-busted-at-jakarta-airport/356615
EXPRESS (India) 03
February 10 Bid to prevent snakes from becoming his(s)tory
Chennai: In a bid to
create awareness and clear misconceptions about snakes and save them from
extinction, a week-long exhibition on snakes began in the city on Tuesday.
Inaugurating the
exhibition, principal secretary, commissioner of archaeology and commissioner
of museums, T S Sridhar, said it would help create awareness about snakes, its
habits and habitats. He said the museum exhibits are part of the measures of
the Tamil Nadu government to conserve these species.
J R Asokan, the curator of
the zoology section in the museum, said there are about 2,700 species of snakes
worldwide, of which about 200 are in India.
“Of these, 50 species are
venomous. The krait is said to be the most toxic snake in India,” Asokan said.
“In India, there are
mainly four venomous snakes that we commonly encounter.
They are the cobra, common
krait, Russel’s viper and saw scaled viper. The other important poisonous snake
are King Cobra, coral snake and sea snakes,” he said.
He also pointed out that
many species of snakes were becoming increasingly rare due to shrinking
habitats, forests, urbanisation and road building.
Ironically, no census has
been conducted on snakes. As such, there are no authentic figures of the
species available.
SOUTH
WALES ECHO (Cardiff, UK) 03 February 10
Armed forces to defend newts –
with 21 ponds (Peter Collins)
Plans to create a newts’
paradise as part of the planned £12bn Defence Technical College look set to be
approved tomorrow.
The future of the great
crested newt is under threat in Britain and a colony of the creatures has been
discovered on the site for the massive Defence Technical College at the former
RAF St Athan site.
But the Ministry of
Defence is determined to live up to its name and defend the amphibians,
submitting plans for a “necklace” of 21 ponds around the development site where
the great crested newts can exist unmolested.
The scheme will be put before
Vale of Glamorgan councillors tomorrow.
The scheme submitted by
the site’s developers is part of an environmental protection plan included in
the college development, which includes five bat houses.
The 24 habitats comprise
land at and next to the proposed college site, including land at Picketston,
Castleton and Batslays Farm. Land will also be set aside for nature
conservation.
The Countryside Council
for Wales has raised no objections to the plan.
Peter Hill, conservation
officer for South and West Wales Amphibian and Reptile Group, said: “The great
crested newt has very specific habitat requirements.
“In other words, it is a
good deal fussier about where it lives than the other two British species of
newt.
“The specific habitat
niche that the great crested newt naturally occupies also supports a remarkable
diversity of plant and invertebrate life that is integral to the eco system or
bigger ecological picture.
“So, if you look after the
great crested newt and its habitat, you also look after a good deal else in the
process.”
In his report to
tomorrow’s meeting of the Vale planning committee, chief planner Rob Thomas
said: “The importance of ecological mitigation, especially on protected
species, has been recognised since an early stage of the development.
“The 21 ponds proposed by
this application are intended to create a ‘necklace’ of additional breeding
ponds around the outer peripheral areas of the site as part of the overall
ecological mitigation strategy.”
He recommends approval of
the scheme.
SCIENCE
DAILY
(Chevy Chase, Maryland) 03 February 10 Ancient Crocodile Relative Likely Food
Source for Titanoboa, Largest Snake Ever Known
A 60-million-year-old
relative of crocodiles described recently by University of Florida researchers
in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology was likely a food source for Titanoboa, the largest snake the world
has ever known.
Working with scientists
from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, paleontologists
from the Florida Museum of Natural History on the UF campus found fossils of
the new species of ancient crocodile in the Cerrejon Formation in northern
Colombia. The site, one of the world's largest open-pit coal mines, also
yielded skeletons of the giant, boa constrictor-like Titanoboa, which measured up to 45 feet long. The study is the
first report of a fossil crocodyliform from the same site.
"We're starting to
flesh out the fauna that we have from there," said lead author Alex
Hastings, a graduate student at the Florida Museum and UF's department of
geological sciences.
Specimens used in the
study show the new species, named Cerrejonisuchus
improcerus, grew only 6 to 7 feet long, making it easy prey for Titanoboa. Its scientific name means
small crocodile from Cerrejon.
The findings follow
another study by researchers at UF and the Smithsonian providing the first
reliable evidence of what Neotropical rainforests looked like 60 million years
ago.
While Cerrejonisuchus is not directly related to modern crocodiles, it
played an important role in the early evolution of South American rainforest
ecosystems, said Jonathan Bloch, a Florida Museum vertebrate paleontologist and
associate curator.
"Clearly this new
fossil would have been part of the food-chain, both as predator and prey,"
said Bloch, who co-led the fossil-hunting expeditions to Cerrejon with
Smithsonian paleobotanist Carlos Jaramillo. "Giant snakes today are known
to eat crocodylians, and it is not much of a reach to say Cerrejonisuchus would
have been a frequent meal for Titanoboa. Fossils of the two are often found
side-by-side."
The concept of ancient
crocodyliforms as snake food has its parallel in the modern world, as anacondas
have been documented consuming caimans in the Amazon. Given the ancient
reptile's size, it would have been no competition for Titanoboa, Hastings said.
Cerrejonisuchus
improcerus
is the smallest member of Dyrosauridae,
a family of now-extinct crocodyliforms. Dyrosaurids typically grew to about 18
feet and had long tweezer-like snouts for eating fish. By contrast, the
Cerrejon species had a much shorter snout, indicating a more generalized diet
that likely included frogs, lizards, small snakes and possibly mammals.
"It seems that Cerrejonisuchus managed to tap into a
feeding resource that wasn't useful to other larger crocodyliforms,"
Hastings said.
The study reveals an
unexpected level of diversity among dyrosaurids, said Christopher A. Brochu, a
paleontologist and associate professor in geosciences at the University of
Iowa.
"This diversity is
more evolutionarily complex than expected," said Brochu, who was not
involved in the study. "A limited number of snout shapes evolved
repeatedly in many groups of crocodyliforms, and it appears that the same is
true for dyrosaurids. Certain head shapes arose in different dyrosaurid
lineages independently."
Dyrosaurids split from the
branch that eventually produced the modern families of alligators and
crocodiles more than 100 million years ago. They survived the major extinction
event that killed the dinosaurs but eventually went extinct about 45 million
years ago. Most dyrosaurids have been found in Africa, but they occur
throughout the world. Prior to this finding, only one other dyrosaurid skull
from South America had been described.
Scientists previously
believed dyrosaurids diversified in the Paleogene, the period of time following
the mass extinction of dinosaurs, but this study reinforces the view that much
of their diversity was in place before the mass extinction event, Brochu said.
Somehow dyrosaurids survived the mass extinction intact while other marine
reptile groups, such as mosasaurs and plesiosaurs, died out completely.
The crocodyliform's
diminutive size came as a surprise, Hastings said, especially considering the
giant reptiles that lived during the Late Cretaceous. The fossil record also
points to the possibility of other types of ancient crocodyliforms inhabiting
the same ecosystem. "In a lot of these tropical, diverse ecosystems in
which crocodyliforms can thrive, you often see multiple snout types," he
said. "They tend to start speciating into different groups."
{Video at URL}
CBC (Toronto,
Ontario) 02 February 10 Blanding's turtle rescue efforts continue
The latest effort to save
the Blanding's turtle, an endangered species in Nova Scotia, began Tuesday at
Acadia University in Wolfville.
A group of 70 Blanding's
turtles being raised in captivity were pulled out of hibernation early to give
them more time to grow before they are released into the wild.
"These are endangered
species and a lot of hatchlings," said Lilanne Arsenault, a graduate
student of biology at Acadia University. "They're pretty much the future
of this population so it's a big deal."
Last week, Parks Canada
awarded Acadia a $74,580 contract to raise the Blanding's turtles and help
strengthen the population at Kejimkujik National Park in southwestern Nova
Scotia.
Only 400 of the turtles
are left in the wild in Kejimkujik, after 15 years of fighting to save them by
scientists, students and volunteers.
"These turtles are
meant to be released back into the wild in Keji in a year and a half,"
said Arsenault, gesturing to the hatchlings in her care.
Tom Herman, vice-president
academic at Acadia University, said keeping the hatchlings in captivity for the
next year in warmer temperatures should make the turtles stronger and better
able to fend off predators.
"They would like to
get them to the size that's a little bit larger than the gape size of a
raccoon," he said. "They fare much better once they're
released."
In the spring of 2009,
Parks Canada staff removed all the eggs from half the Blanding's turtle nests
at Kejimkujik. That summer, floods destroyed the remainder of the nests.
Herman said it will be
decades before scientists know whether this latest effort to save the turtle
will work.
"Turtles do things
slowly," he said. "It takes these turtles 20 years before they reach
sexual maturity. So whatever we do today, we'll see the impacts 50, 70, 100
years down the road."
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2010/02/02/ns-blandings-turtle.html?
LUSAKA
TIMES
(Zambia) 02 February 10 Crocodiles invade Kashitu residential area
The Zambia Wildlife
Authority (ZAWA) says quick action will be taken to control the presence of
crocodiles in Livingstone’s Kashitu Extension Area.
ZAWA Park Ranger, Moses
Kaoma said in an interview with ZANIS in Livingstone today that more
information would be gathered on the matter to ensure action is taken before
human life is lost.
Mr. Kaoma explained that
it was possible that crocodiles strayed into Kashitu extension area because of
pools of water in that area located near the boundary of the Mosi-O-Tunya
National Park.
Some residents of Kashitu
Extension today stormed ZANIS offices challenging ZAWA to protect human life by
preventing wild animals from straying into residential areas.
The residents claimed that
each year, crocodiles stray in their residential area during the rainy season
posing a danger to their well being.
http://www.lusakatimes.com/?p=23663
DAILY EXPRESS (Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia) 02 February
10 Shock
in KB village over capture of 2.5m croc
Kota Belud: The villagers
of Kg Marabau can breathe easy now with the capture of a 2.5-metre crocodile in
the Marabau River, Monday (pic).
The Sabah Wildlife
Department placed an iron trap to catch the crocodile last Saturday when
villagers informed it of the reptile's foot and tail prints along the
riverbank.
The crocodile was caught
through cooperation of the police, Fire and Rescue Department and villagers.
Many of the villagers were
shocked to know that quite a big crocodile was lurking in the river where they
bathed, fished and washed clothes.
Villager Mohd Karim Jibal,
49, said he realised the presence of the crocodile when visiting his banana and
sugar cane orchard near the river after the flood receded on Jan. 19.
"I informed other
villagers who also believed the footprints belonged to a crocodile," he
said. Another villager who nearly became victim, Hajjah Saidah Haji Saman, 66,
said she was looking for freshwater clams at the river when she saw what looked
like a monitor lizard not very far from where she stood.
"I went and hit it
with a pail and wondered why it did not move. Suddenly, I remembered the saying
of the elderly to whisper 'Kunyit, Kunyit, Kunyit' (quinine) three times and
walk backwards slowly.
"Fortunately, the
crocodile disappeared. When I saw the crocodile trapped in the iron trap today
(Monday), I had no doubt it was the reptile that I hit with my pail," she
said.
Another villager Sain
Badat, 41, said he saw another crocodile with a red neck and believed the
crocodile is a male and still present in the Sungai Marabau.
Meanwhile head of Umno
branch for Kg Marabau, Bening Adan, 55, said the presence of the crocodile in
the river was a shock to the villagers as there was no crocodile found in the
river since independence.
He said the capture of the
reptile proved that rivers in the district here are not safe. He urged the
authorities to take action immediately by killing all types of reptiles in the
district that pose danger to the locals.
The Sabah Wildlife
Department would be handing over the captured crocodile to the Lok Kawi
Wildlife Park near Kinarut.
http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=70525
BARTLESVILLE LIVE (Oklahoma) 02 February 10 Snake
hooked on cigarettes
A snake in Taiwan has
become addicted to cigarettes and smokes 20 a day.
Po reportedly became
hooked thanks to his owner's own habit.
The owner says that Po is
very tame and that one day "I threw a cigarette butt away and he went for
it and seemed to enjoy having it in his mouth."
The owner says one thing
led to another and now Po has one cigarette in the morning and one at night.
"He gets very
agitated if I don't have any to spare," the owner says.
AUSTRALIAN
BROADCASTING CORPORATION 02 February 10
That was no cane toad, it was a
pobblebonk
Wet weather in Central
West NSW has brought native frogs out of their burrows.
But the discovery of a
female eastern banjo or pobblebonk frog on the outskirts of Orange triggered
concern.
The man who found it
thought the large frog was one of Australia's most notorious pests, the cane
toad.
Peter West, from the
Invasive Animals CRC in Orange, says it was an easy mistake to make.
"Cane toads are a
large brown animal with warts across the back and stand quite upright," he
says.
"There are native
frogs that are brown in colouration and also quite large.
"Obviously
misidentification is a major problem."
http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/201002/s2816477.htm
NORTHERN
TERRITORY NEWS (Darwin, Australia) 02 February 10 Croc
shock for station couple (Annie Sanson)
A Territory couple was
caught by surprise when they found a couple of fish and a crocodile in their
driveway - more than 3.5km away from the nearest river.
"My husband was
working on the driveway after it had been damaged by the heavy rain,"
Paula Egan of Eagles View Station at Daly River told the Northern Territory
News.
"Suddenly he jumped
and yelled 'Oh s***' - I thought he had found snake, as we often have pythons
coming to the property to steal our chooks.
"Then I saw this
crocodile laying there in our driveway on a rock and I couldn't believe
it."
Mrs Egan said her property
was about 3.5km from the Daly River and although there was a causeway 2.5km
away, the 60cm freshie still must have taken a "long trek in the wrong
direction".
"It was quite a long
way away from the river - but after we found a few small fish in a drain on the
side of the road a few days ago, it was just another strange surprise."
Mrs Egan said the Daly
River area was a heaven for cane toads and she assumed the reptile had a feast
on a toad before dying in the driveway.
"The croc was still
soft and fresh, so I guess it must have died only recently," she said.
"There are millions
of cane toads in the area, maybe it ate one of them and died.
"It had a damaged
front jaw, but it didn't look squashed as if someone had run over it in a
car."
When Mrs Egan and her husband
Lionel retired and moved to Eagle View Station in the Daly River region three
years ago they had planned to "escape into the peacefulness of the
area", but had not put any thoughts into feral visitors.
"Fish in the drain,
croc in the driveway, python in the garden - I wonder what we will find
next?" Mrs Egan said.
She said she was worried
about the smell of the dead crocodile in her driveway and the plans was to
throw the cadaver into the river within the next few days.
"It crossed our mind
to put it on an ant hill and let the ants eat it so we get a nice skull out of
it - but that would take a little while and would be far too smelly."
http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2010/02/02/120521_ntnews.html
NEW
YORK TIMES (New York) 01 February 10
Editorial: Grappling With Pythons
The Internet is full of
ads: “clean, smooth, hypoallergenic” is the pitch for boa constrictors on one
breeder’s site. Other snakes can be delivered to your home the next day. The
problem is that owners often tire of these living conversation pieces.
Some snakes, like the
Burmese python, can grow to more than 20 feet long and weigh 200 pounds. And
their preferred diet runs to live animals instead of little pellets from the
pet store. So far too many owners do the worst thing possible for the
environment: they let these animals loose.
Florida’s fragile
Everglades are of particular concern. Over the last decade, more than 1,300
Burmese pythons and other constrictors have been removed from the Everglades.
And the rule of thumb is that for every one you can see (and their markings
make them very hard to see), there are another 1,000 out there. With no natural
predators, these eating machines are stripping the delicate ecosystem of birds,
mammals and fish.
Interior Secretary Ken
Salazar recently announced plans to ban the import or interstate transport of
nine snakes that are not native to the United States: Burmese and three other
types of pythons, boa constrictors and four different kinds of anaconda. Over
the last 30 years, about a million of these snakes have been imported into the
United States, according to federal wildlife officials, and domestic snake
breeders are believed to have added another million, at least, to the
constrictor population. The import and transport ban is a good start.
As with other invasive
species, like Asian carp or zebra mussels, it is much more difficult to get rid
of these pests once they have arrived. Florida’s wildlife officials are
allowing snake-hunting this spring in state areas — permits come with advice
about how the skins make lovely boots and wallets. This sounds like a good, if
temporary, fix — python hunting for fun, profit and preservation of the
Everglades.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/02/opinion/02tues4.html
ASIA
NET NEWS (China) 01 February 10
Dhaka gives green light to
crocodile exports (William Gomes)
Dhaka: For the first time in its history, Bangladesh
is going to export crocodiles for commercial purposes. On 21 January, the
Department of Forests authorised the country’s only crocodile farm, Reptile
Farm Ltd, to sell reptiles to Germany. Exotic animals represent a large market
in Europe, the United States and a number of Asian countries. The goal is to
generate up to US $ 5 million in revenues by 2015.
Mushtaq Ahmed, managing
director and CEO of Reptile Farm Ltd., said that on 31 August of last year, his
company applied for a permit to export 67 frozen crocodiles to Germany and 10
live ones to Malaysia. After months of waiting, the Forest Department gave the
green light.
He said an agreement was
reached with Heidelberg University of Germany to ship 67 crocodiles, ranging
from nine inches to five feet in length, which the university will use these in
research. “We will export the crocodiles next month,” he said.
Reptile Farm Ltd. is
situated in Hatiber village (Mymensingh district), and owns 825 saltwater
crocodiles, including 67 specimens that are big size.
Ahmed noted that the
regular export of crocodiles from Bangladesh would be an important source of
foreign exchange earnings. The aim is to export over 5,000 pieces of crocodile
skin annually and create a base for “earning up to US$ 5 million by 2015.”
There is a huge demand of
crocodiles in European nations like France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Crocodile
skins, meat and bones as well as charcoal made from croc bones used in the
perfume industry are in great demand.
To meet this demand, more
crocodile farms could be set up in Bangladesh, Ahmed said.
http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Dhaka-gives-green-light-to-crocodile-exports-17501.html
MIAMI
HERALD
(Florida) 01 February 10 Pet owners turn in exotics to Miami Metrozoo
(Diana Moskovitz)
Each animal arrived with a
story.
Zulu, the African spurred
tortoise, appeared on a Miami-Dade County lawn one day.
Sunny, the albino Burmese
python, slithered to a Fort Pierce boat yard.
And two other pythons
showed up with no names but big appetites.
At Nonnative Pet Amnesty
Day at Miami Metrozoo Saturday, the stories spilled from exotic pet owners as
they turned over their animals -- sometimes tearfully -- to officials with
Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission for adoption by new owners
with permits for the creatures.
The event allowed owners
of nonnative animals to give up their pets, no questions asked. It's meant as
an alternative to releasing the animals into the wild, which is illegal in
Florida.
Zulu arrived in a metal
tub carried by David Lagomasino. His mother adopted it as a family pet after it
was spotted in a cousin's yard. Zulu was 50 pounds back then -- and added
another 15 pounds in the last year. That's when Lagomasino's mother decided it
was time for Zulu to find a roomier home.
``She loves animals and
thought `I can take care of it,' '' Lagomasino said. ``Then it got to be a bit
too much.''
The event, in its third
year at Metrozoo, drew animal lovers, exotic pet owners and a video crew from
National Geographic. In four hours, wildlife officials gathered about 70
nonnative animals including 16 red eared slider turtles, 10 ball pythons, eight
Burmese pythons and three African spurred tortoises.
Most were greeted by FWC
biologist Larry Connor, who calmly took notes on a Dell laptop about each
animal -- name, weight and any quirks the owner pointed out.
He made sure to ask about
special needs like favorite foods, personality traits or that special spot the
animal liked to be scratched.
``For some folks, it's
traumatic,'' Connor said in between drop offs. ``We've had people in tears.''
Next came a checkup with
on-site veterinarians. Then the animals were moved to a holding area, where they
awaited FWC-approved animal adopters with proper permits and facilities for the
animals.
The new owners also had to
agree never to release them into the wild.
``They are going to
families that can take care of them,'' said Scott Hardin, exotic species coordinator
for FWC.
Almost all of Saturday's
animals were adopted, said Hardin, exotic species coordinator for FWC. A few
will require more veterinarian care due to illness, he said, before they can be
adopted. Two animals, a boa constrictor and Burmese python, arrived so ill they
died.
But for Sunny, the python
found in Fort Pierce, Saturday was a lucky day. He was adopted after living
with the Buehler family of Stuart for the last few years.
A few months ago, Sunny
began acting ``squirrely,'' according to owner Robert Buehler. He said the
snake had become difficult to handle at times, and he grew wary of the kind of
situation such a powerful animal could put him in.
Buehler began to think
twice about keeping Sunny much longer.
Then he heard about the
amnesty day.
``I really don't want to
do this,'' he said, ``but I'm trying to be responsible.''
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/southflorida/story/1467543.html
ITN (London, UK)
01 February 10 NHS treats for croc attacks and scorpion stings
NHS doctors treated a
variety of unusual injuries last year including crocodile and alligator bites,
scorpion stings and bites from venomous spiders.
According to NHS figures,
exotic animals, many of which can be kept as pets in Britain, caused a number
of bizarre injuries usually found in places like Australia and Florida.
As well as six crocodile
or alligator bites, doctors treated 52 snake or lizard bites, 23 rat injuries,
18 victims of poisonous spiders or scorpions, and 50 jellyfish stings, while
695 people required treatment after being stung by hornets.
Perhaps even more curious,
it was reported three patients had to be treated "for an illness resulting
from staying too long in a weightless environment", though the figures
allegedly fail to explain how this happened.
Fifty-seven Brits were
hurt in volcanic eruptions last year, ten were hurt in avalanches, while 11 had
to be airlifted home after suffering injuries in earthquakes.
Also high on the list were
self-inflicted injuries, with 3,256 people hurt while using power tools, 531
needing treatment after lawnmower accidents and 5,982 falling off ladders.
In addition, 5,000 people
had to return to hospital after suffering an injury or infection during another
medical procedure, The Sun reported.
http://itn.co.uk/a49d31a5c63bd3a64c1e35b8f2c1f7e2.html
TIMES
COLONIST (Victoria, British Columbia) 30 January 10 Missing
boa triggers tall tales
There's a snake on the
loose in Port Alberni.
"We've heard stories
that it's five to 10 feet long and it's eating alligators and kids," RCMP
Staff Sgt. Lee Omilusik said. "I don't know what to believe anymore."
The boa constrictor is
thought to have escaped from its glass tank sometime in the past week. Mounties
responded to a call on Thursday that the reptile had been spotted near Wood
Elementary School, but a brief search failed to turn up any signs of the snake.
The father of the man
whose roommate owns the reptile said it is only about five feet long.
"It's not a worry, not a problem. Except maybe for a cat or
something," he said.
According to the man, the
snake eats about two mice per month. It's an expensive tropical breed, and he
said if it actually made it out of the house he doubted it would survive long
in the cold. He said he thought the snake was probably curled up somewhere
warm, like on recently driven vehicle engines.
The RCMP's Omilusik doubts
the snake is outside the house. He said it's much more likely to be still
within the residence. As a cold-blooded creature it will gravitate toward
warmth.
CENTRAL
COAST EXPRESS ADVOCATE (Gosford, Australia) 30 January 10 Ranger
Mick says see ya later alligator (Denice Barnes)
Ranger Mick has been
keeping visitors to the Australian Reptile Park amused, entertained and
educated for more years than he can remember.
Last week Ranger Mick, aka
Michael Tate, presented his 30,000th show where he talks to visitors about all
things reptilian.
A chef by trade, Tate has
been with the park since June 1992 and is as much a fixture as the reptiles
it’s famous for.
It’s been estimated he has
been seen by more than 3.5 million visitors over the years - with more coming
this weekend.
“It was my 30,000th show
and I felt pretty proud about it,” Tate said.
“I really enjoy performing
and the adrenaline rush.
“I love to see people
happy and excited.
“I never get bored with
it.
“I am usually able to
adapt to whatever the reptile is doing, there’s no other job I’d rather be
doing.”
Tate’s sidekick Rosie, a
seven-year-old American alligator, has become his trademark.
“I have been bitten by
most of the animals in the reptile park at one time or another and you’re
usually guaranteed to see some of my blood by the end of the show,” he said.
The Australian Reptile
Park is now regarded as one of the country’s premier attractions winning
numerous toursim awards.
It was established in 1948
as a reptile park and wildlife sanctuary by the late Eric Worrell, regarded as
Australia’s first naturalist.
It is the only zoo in
Australia committed to saving lives with a venom-milking program in place for
more than 50 years, saving over 300 lives each year as the sole supplier of a
variety of venoms used for all snake and funnel-web anti-venene in Australia.
BRUNEI
FM
(Tutong, Brunei Darussalam) 30 January 10
Royal Honor for Crocodile Doctor
who save ‘Extinct’ Species
Phnom Penh: A British scientist from Cambridge has been
given a royal honour by the government of Cambodia - for saving one of the
worlds rarest crocodiles.
The Siamese crocodile was
believed to be extinct in the wild, but several years ago Dr Jenny Daltry, from
the Cambridge-based conservation charity Fauna & Flora International (FFI),
discovered a tiny number were still alive in Cambodia.
She has since spearheaded
a successful campaign to save them - and on Thursday the Royal Cambodian
Government recognised her efforts by awarding her the title Officer of the
Order of Sahemetrei.
The award is given for
'distinguished services to the king and nation'.
Dr Daltry, a senior
conservation biologist at the charity, told the News: "I'm
overwhelmed and grateful.
"For a conservationist
to receive this rare honour does, I think, signify the importance that Cambodia
places on its wildlife, forests, and protected areas."
She has worked for FFI for
15 years and much of her time has been spent in Cambodia, where she has led
several field expeditions, resulting in increased protection of forested areas
in the Cardamom Mountains.
After discovering Siamese
crocodiles surviving there in the year 2000, she set up a community-based
programme to protect the endangered reptile.
She has also led a ground-breaking
initiative to establish a new generation of Cambodian scientists.
An FFI spokeswoman said:
"Because the Pol Pot regime largely wiped out the educated classes, the
country lacks enough qualified practitioners to manage its wildlife and help it
to develop sustainably. Under FFI Cambodia's University Capacity Building
Programme, Dr Daltry created the first permanent Masters of Science programme
at the Royal University of Phnom Penh. Nearly 150 Cambodians have enrolled on
the course so far"
The honour was presented
to the Cambridge scientist at a ceremony attended by senior government
officials, international dignitaries and the British ambassador to Cambodia.
Dr Daltry said: "The
achievement I feel most proud of is helping talented Cambodians to become
leaders in biodiversity conservation. I also thank my colleagues and co-workers
for their tireless commitment and support for more than a decade".
http://news.brunei.fm/2010/01/30/cambodia-royal-honor-for-crocodile-doctor-who-save-extinct-species/
CYPRUS
MAIL
(Nicosia) 30 January 10 Cyprus has failed to protect grass snake
(Patrick Dewhurst)
The European Commission is
taking Cyprus to court for not following grass snake conservation directives.
Barbara Helfferich,
Spokeswoman for the Environment at the Commission said yesterday "The
Commission considered that the Cypriot Authorities had not taken the necessary
measures to protect the Cyprus Grass Snake, contrary to the requirements of
directives on the conservation and habitats of flora and fauna."
The case concerns a local
species of snake, Natrix Natrix Cypriaca, which is an endemic priority species
and which needs strict protection.
After sending an initial
notice, requiring the Government to designate a conservation area or Site of
Community Importance (SCI), the Commission sent a "Reasoned Opinion"
on July 6 2008.
Helfferich alleges that
the Government made several promises that designation was imminent but only
recently received notification that Paralimni lake, in which the snake lives, had
been set aside as an SCI.
She said: "The
Commission was informed on December 23, 2009... Nevertheless, designation is
considered as insufficient as the northern part of the lake is excluded.
Furthermore Cyprus still tolerates activities which seriously disturb the
species and destroy its habitat, such as motocross."
Surprisingly for a
conservation area, the government, on March 12 2009 authorised demarcation for
304 land plots in the north part of the lake for a private firm, before
changing the designated land use from "Protected Area" to
"Residential Area".
According to Helfferich,
construction permits are about to be granted, "Therefore the Commission is
taking Cyprus to the ECJ on grounds of insufficient designation and that no
protective measures have been taken.”
Dr Pambos Hadjipakkos,
head of the Natural Resources and Environment Department of the Agriculture
Ministry, said that 12 per cent of the land surrounding the north of the lake
was exempt from protection, and that the ministry considers enough is being
done to protect the snake.
Hans-George Wiedl, also
known as "Snake George" is a passionate Grass Snake conservationist
and expert in Cyprus. He is deeply concerned about the future welfare of the
endangered snake, and has even run a successful breeding programme, hatching
and releasing 100 into the wild.
“This is the last chance
for Cypriots to prevent the extinction of this beautiful snake. If people don't
listen, and the snake becomes extinct, then I know who is to blame,” he said.
While Motocross parks and
property development in the snakes' habitat are environmentally destructive,
the real cause of their decline, Snake George says, is the fishermen and
imported trout.
"There is increasing
evidence that trout eat the snakes, and not the other way around as some people
claim. In Paralimni the fishermen are also killing snakes, because they believe
the snakes eat the trout. They are fully responsible."
"I have tried to tell
the government and to offer my services in the conservation of the snakes but
they have kept me in the dark."
The government also seems
to have ignored the recommendations of the fisheries department within the
Ministry of Agriculture. Having enlisted the help of a Green Snake expert from
Germany, they have submitted their report to the Environmental Department.
Maroulla Hadji-christoforou, of the Fisheries department, said yesterday
"We conducted research into the Green Snake, published on our website in
Greek and English and the issue is now under the Environmental Department.
Paralimni Lake has now been submitted to be a protected site."
http://www.cyprus-mail.com/cyprus/cyprus-has-failed-protect-grass-snake/20100130?
THE
SUN
(Toronto, Ontario) 29 January 10 Venomous snake taken from Toronto home - Residents
breath a s-s-s-igh of relief (Don Peat and Chris Doucette)
A venomous snake pulled
from an east-end apartment is resting safely in the Toronto Zoo, much to the
relief of some surprised neighbours.
Toronto Police found the
deadly East African Gaboon Viper, named Gabby, inside a Queen St. E. apartment
near Greenwood Ave., with a cache of four other snakes on Thursday.
Const. Tony Vella said
officers had been called to the building for a noise complaint when they found
the 1.2-metre-long viper. Zoo staff were brought in to remove the snake and it
is now in quarantine.
Police said the
investigation is ongoing and no charges have been laid.
It’s believed the couple
who owned the snakes originally called the police to report a disturbance at
one of the other three units within the two floors of apartments above a
storefront.
“The officers went inside
the couple’s apartment and noticed their five snakes inside,” Const. Tony Vella
said.
“It’s concerning that such
a highly venomous snake was being kept in someone’s apartment.
“It could have endangered
the other tenants.”
Reaction was mixed among
neighbours and shopkeepers who work below the apartments.
One man, who didn’t want
to be named, said he knew the owner, whom he described as “a nice guy.”
He said Gabby the viper
seemed friendly enough.
“I wouldn’t want to play
with it, of course,” he said.
He and several neighbours
said the couple also have a dog, about 14 years old, and they have lived in the
apartment for several years.
“I was very, very surprised,”
Nick, who did not give his last name, said of learning there was a venomous
snake living across the hall.
Another tenant, who didn’t
want her name used, said she had no idea there was a deadly reptile so close to
her home.
“They’re always calling
the police on everyone else in here and yet they have more problems than you
can shake a snake at,” she said. “Once again they called the police, but this
time it backfired on them.”
Venomous snakes are
prohibited in the City of Toronto along with any adult snakes that are three
metres or longer.
“That’s not to say there
aren’t some in the city,” said Toronto Animal Services manager Eletta Purdy.
Animal services is also
investigating the case and the possibility of laying charges under the city
bylaw.
If charged under the bylaw
and found guilty in court, a person could face up to a $5,000 fine.
“It’s kind of unfortunate
these animals aren’t prohibited provincewide and Canada-wide,” Purdy said.
Bry Loyst, the curator of
the Indian River Reptile Zoo near Peterborough, said the Gaboon Viper is known
for having the longest fangs of any venomous snake in the world. Depending on
where it bites and how much venom is delivered, the Gaboon can kill within
minutes or days, Loyst said.
Most of the snakes at
Loyst’s zoo, including two Gaboon Vipers, have either been taken out of homes
or from snake smugglers who got caught.
“They are definitely
available out there,” Loyst said. “Cobras, rattlesnakes, Gaboon Vipers of all
sorts.”
A viper would cost between
$100 and $500, he said.
It’s not the first time
police have found a viper slithering in a Toronto apartment.
Back in October 2006, two
townhouses near Weston Rd. and Lawrence Ave. W. had to be evacuated after an
Egyptian cobra was spotted coiled behind a fridge.
Cops pulled a Gaboon Viper
out of the building but the cobra was never caught.
http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2010/01/29/12665781.html?
{Video at URL
below}
CITY
NEWS
(Toronto, Ontario) 29 January 10 Venomous Snake Found In East-End Home
Police made a startling
discovery this week when they uncovered a number of snakes, including a
venomous viper, in an east-end home.
Officers went to the home
in the Queen Street East and Greenwood Avenue area around noon Thursday on an
unknown trouble call. When they arrived they found five reptiles, including the
aforementioned snake - a four foot-long East African Gaboon viper.
“They were a little taken
aback that this very venomous reptile was present in the apartment. As a
result, they commenced an investigation with animal control and the Toronto
Zoo,” Det. Sgt. Adrianne Johnston revealed.
Officials from the Toronto
Zoo were called in and seized the poisonous snake.
“The potential danger is
great. They have very large venom glands and very large fangs. In fact, they
have the largest fangs of any snake in the world at 2.5 to 3 centimetres long,”
explained Zoo curator, Bob Johnson.
“Not only that, the only
thing that will save your life if you’re bitten by this species is anti-venom.
And obviously the owner doesn’t stock the anti-venom. You need a special permit
to import it.”
Just over three years ago
a cobra escaped its enclosure and slithered loose in a rooming house in the
Weston Road and Lawrence area.
Just a few weeks earlier,
a Barrie man was bitten by his friend’s pet viper. A snake expert had to be
rushed in from a reptile zoo in Peterborough to provide a rare anti-venom.
There are no federal rules
against importing snakes that aren't endangered. It’s up to municipalities to
ban them.
THE
MONITOR (Kampala, Uganda) 29 January 10 Minister tells residents to eat crocodiles (Fred Siminyu)
Mayuge: State Minister for Agriculture, Aggrey Bagire
has asked residents to kill and feast on the man-eating crocodiles of Lake
Victoria that have for long terrorised Mayuge residents.
“The Uganda Wildlife
Authority keeps telling us that we should not kill these crocodiles but today I
say kill and eat them. After all don’t they kill and feed on you when you are
hunting for your food (fish) in the lake?” he asked.
Mr Bagire’s patience ran
out when he learnt that the beasts had attacked and devoured yet another man at
Lwanika Beach in Bukatube Sub-county on Monday.
And as police counted the
third resident killed on the shores of the lake this month, the government
continues to drag its feet on the promise to capture and confine the
crocodiles.
Mr Bagire, who is also the
Member of Parliament for Bunya West, said this on Tuesday during the NRM
Anniversary celebrations in Wairasa Sub-county. The District Vermin Control
officer, Mr Leo Jazza, said the recent victim, Peter Kiviri, 42, had gone
fishing at night in the shallow waters along the shoreline without a boat when
the crocodile killed him.
He said only Kiviri’s
chest and head were found on the shoreline near Lwanika beach the next morning.
While addressing reporters
in Mayuge town on Wednesday, Mr Jazza could hardly contain his disappointment
on Mr Bagire’s directive.
“That is very misleading,”
he said of the minister’s order, “I will arrest and prosecute in courts of law
anybody who hunts and kills a crocodile”.
He blamed the constant
deaths on the mischief of residents whom he claimed have turned a deaf ear to
his advice. He said the people have continued to use small boats and even go
fishing in shallow waters on foot rendering themselves vulnerable to the
crocodiles.
He said UWA is in the
process of opening up a crocodile ranch at Namugongo Peninsula in Bukaleba
Forest Reserve, Mayuge.
“A crocodile census in
Jinja, Mukono, Mayuge, Bugiri and Busia districts has been done and the taming
is underway,” he said.
http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/-/688334/851564/-/whvlpn/-/
PRATT
TRIBUNE (Kansas) 29 January 10 Anglers
discover dead alligator in Kansas lake (Kansas Department of Wildlife and
Parks)
Burlington: On Jan. 27, a group of anglers were fishing
near the warm-water discharge in Coffey County Lake when they spotted an
unexpected wildlife specimen — a 5-foot, 4-inch alligator. Fortunately, the
grizzled reptile was dead, so the anglers netted the critter and notified lake
authorities, who called Jason Goeckler, aquatic nuisance species specialist for
the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP).
“Alligators do not survive
Kansas winters,” Goeckler said, “so this big guy was likely released by someone
and then found refuge in the warm water of Coffey County Lake. We have no way
of knowing how long it has been there. Lake staff estimate the animal to be 6-8
years old, but we can’t confirm that or at what age it was released. What we
can tell folks is that release of exotic wildlife such as this is
irresponsible, illegal, and potentially dangerous to native species.”
In recent years, the
spread of harmful, non-native species into Kansas waters has increased. The
most notable example is the zebra mussel, which has been discovered in a number
of Kansas waters and is known to be extremely destructive to native wildlife
and municipal water systems. The cost of invasive species in the U.S. amounts
to more than $100 billion annually.
The escape or release of
animals and plants from aquariums, terrariums, or ponds and water gardens is
harmful to pets and native wildlife, but it is avoidable. KDWP recommends that
instead of releasing unwanted pets — including alligators — owners should use
one of the following alternatives:
find a new home for the
pet;
contact a pet dealer for
proper handling advice or for possible returns;
give/trade with another
aquarist, pond owner, or water gardener;
donate to a local aquarium
society, school, or aquatic business;
contact a veterinarian or
pet retailer for guidance about humane disposal of animals; or
seal aquatic plants and
animals in plastic bags, freeze, and dispose in trash.
The American alligator is
a warm weather species found from the southern Virginia-North Carolina border
along the Atlantic Coast to Florida, and along the Gulf of Mexico as far west
as the Rio Grande River in Texas. The only possible way for this animal to have
reached Kansas is by human transport.
For more information about
being a responsible aquarium hobbyist or aquatic pet owner, go online to
www.habitattitude.net. For more information about aquatic nuisance species in
Kansas, visit the KDWP website, www.kdwp.state.ks.us.
http://www.pratttribune.com/newsnow/x1090828015/Anglers-discover-dead-alligator-in-Kansas-lake