HERP NEWS 231/2009
NORTH STAR (Parry Sound, Ontario) 19 August
09 Bites
draining antivenin supply (Carli Whitwell)
James Thompson
was getting ready for bed on Saturday night when he walked around his tent to
put some food away in the cooler and he felt something on his ankle.
“It was just a
bite mark and I thought it was a raspberry bush (scratch),” said the Barrie
man, 35, who had just started a week of camping in Ardbeg with his son Justin.
“I talked to
the other campers and they said I should get it checked out. By the time I was
halfway to the hospital, my foot had swelled up.”
Thompson
became the seventh person the West Parry Sound Health Centre has treated with
antivenin this season for an eastern massasauga rattlesnake bite.
Four of the
bites have happened in the last two weeks.
Last Tuesday,
Aug. 11, a woman was bit and earlier in the month two men bit after handling
snakes.
“This is
shaping up to be one of the busiest summers of rattlesnake bites,” said
hospital spokesperson Jim Hanna.
The hospital
has also treated four ‘dry’ bites — when no venom is injected — the most
recent, a 15-year-old teenage girl on Saturday.
In the
process, the hospital has already used up extra stock of the expensive
antivenin CroFab they obtained from a Welland hospital and have almost
exhausted their supply of Antivipmyn, which came via police escort from the
Indian River Reptile Zoo in Peterborough earlier in the month.
Just hours
before this latest bite, the hospital received 24 vials of Antivipmyn from the
United States through a special access program. By Friday, said Hanna, a
long-awaited 24-vial supply of the antivenin CroFab should finally be in the
hospital’s hands. How they will pay for all these doses is another story.
According to
Hanna, the hospital has already exhausted the one-time $60,000 provincial
funding they received this summer to stock the antivenin.The health centre was
once the province’s antivenin depot and as such received funds to supply the
drug to all of Ontario’s hospitals.
Since the
depot funding was cut two years ago, they have had to ask for external funds,
unable to shell out from their budget for the antivenin – a cost $20,000 for
one, 12-vial treatment. Staff is seeking a permanent funding arrangement,
including settling up the bills with Welland and the reptile zoo. “Between our
pharmacy and the finance department, we’re working on that,” said Hanna.
A spokesperson
from the Ministry of Health said they are working with the North East Local
Health Integration Network, which doles out provincial funds to area hospitals,
and the hospital on the permanent funding matter.
Hanna said
people should constantly be aware of the snake threat.
“It was on my
mind,” said Thompson, recovering on Monday.
He was wearing sandals when the rattlesnake bit.
“Long pants
and jeans would help.”
http://www.parrysound.com/press/1250710354/
HAMILTON SPECTATOR (Ontario) 19
August 09 Goldfish cull coming to conservation area; Fish dumped in ponds
threaten rare salamander (Eric McGuinness)
Tens of
thousands of goldfish in two Dundas Valley Conservation Area ponds will be
poisoned this fall to protect habitat for the endangered Jefferson salamander.
The Hamilton
Conservation Authority says someone is using the ponds as an illegal fish farm,
introducing the Asian fish to let them breed, then netting the offspring to be
sold as live food for aquarium fish.
Some might
also be sold for use in back yard ponds, but authority ecologist Shari
Faulkenham says the fish lose their gold colour unless bred in controlled
conditions.
Authority
board members recently approved a plan to kill the unwanted goldfish with the
botanical pesticide rotenone, because the invaders are eating salamander eggs.
Dundas Valley is one of only 34 recorded Canadian breeding sites for the
Jefferson salamander.
An estimated
50 goldfish were found in the McCormack Pond in 2005. The number has grown to
an estimated 40,000, despite the use of traps, nets and electrofishing tools to
capture and remove them. Faulkenham says the once-pristine pond has turned into
a brown pool of goldfish-churned silt, and new goldfish continue to be dumped.
The number in
the other pond, at the site of the former Merrick Field Centre, is put at
several hundred.
Faulkenham
says the goldfish are a special threat "because they are omnivorous; they
eat both plants and animals, whatever they can get into their mouths,
potentially even an adult salamander."
She calls
poisoning a drastic measure, but says it's been judged to be the most effective
and least destructive solution.
Rotenone,
derived from tropical plant roots, is federally approved for killing fish,
though other uses are being phased out. The authority is seeking provincial
permission to use it on the ponds.
The World
Health Organization considers the chemical extremely toxic to insects and
aquatic life, but only moderately toxic to humans and other mammals. The
authority says birds or other mammals consuming water or fish treated with
rotenone would have to ingest at least 1,000 times their normal daily intake to
be harmed. It says a 160-pound human would have to drink 87,000 litres of
treated water in one sitting for the dose to be lethal.
Faulkenham
says the only other creatures likely to be affected are green frog tadpoles,
though they are not normally susceptible to the dose needed to eradicate
goldfish. She says the green frog is common, its populations are strong and any
tadpoles showing signs of distress will be removed and put in untreated water
until the rotenone breaks down and disappears.
Authority
members were told the plan is supported by the Ministry of Natural Resources,
the province's Jefferson salamander recovery team and the Hamilton Naturalists'
Club.
Asked how the
authority can stop illegal re-stocking of the ponds, Faulkenham said more
monitoring is planned, along with explanatory signs and efforts to educate
visitors not to release pet fish and keep watch for others doing so.
Her message:
"Don't even put fish from your fish tank in our ponds. Don't dump your
stupid fish in our ponds."
http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/620832
GRAVENHURST BANNER (Ontario) 19
August 09 Rattlesnake antivenin to arrive this week (Matthew Sitler)
By this
Friday, Aug. 21, West Parry Sound Health Centre will be better equipped to
handle Massasauga rattlesnake bites, says a centre official.
Twenty-four
vials of antivenin are expected to arrive at the hospital at that time through
a special access program request handled by the federal ministry of health, the
centre’s communications officer Jim Hannah confirmed.
In addition,
the hospital’s regular shipment of 28 vials of antivenin will likely have
arrived by then too, he said.
This would put
the hospital, which has historically acted as the provincial depot for
rattlesnake antivenin, in a good position to deal with any snake bites that
occur in the near future, as it takes between 12 and 18 vials to deal with
moderate bite cases.
“We are also
aware of where the antivenin is located throughout the province if we need
any,” said Hannah. The antivenin is located at places such as the Metro Toronto
Zoo, which can have it shipped quickly to the region if necessary, he
explained.
Last week,
Parry Sound-Muskoka MPP Norm Miller sounded the alarm about the issue in order
to avert a tragedy.
Miller blamed
Ontario Minister of Health David Caplan for failing to protect the public from
venomous snake bites by not providing the necessary funding to equip an
antivenin depot at West Parry Sound Health Centre.
“Obviously, a
bite by a Massasauga rattler is a serious event,” said Miller. “We are kind of
the hub for them here on the Parry Sound side of the riding. Along the eastern
coast of Georgian Bay is kind of the hot spot for Massasauga rattlers.”
Miller said he
had written Caplan back in May regarding the issue and he has yet to receive a
response.
“It’s pretty
basic that you need to provide enough antivenin for snake bites, which happen
every year in the Parry Sound area,” said Miller. “I wrote about the fact that
we need more antivenin and I passed on a number of municipal resolutions and numerous
emails saying that as well. It seems like such a basic thing that you would
think he would just deal with it. Now we’re in the situation where there is no
antivenin in the Parry Sound area.”
In reality,
there was a quantity of antivenin at West Parry Sound Health Centre, confirmed
Hannah on Friday, but he couldn’t say exactly how much.
This year
there have been eight bites in the region and 11 in total across Ontario.
Miller said
the last bite that occurred in the Parry Sound locale necessitated antivenin
being brought in from Welland.
“It takes
12-18 vials to treat each bite,” he said. “I wouldn’t have thought I’d need to
raise awareness on the issue, because it’s such a basic thing. I think the
minister has been negligent and irresponsible in not dealing with this issue,
because human health is at risk.”
Miller said
back in 2002, West Parry Sound Health Centre wanted to create an antivenin
depot.
“They lobbied
in 2002 to make Parry Sound an antivenin depot,” said the MPP. “I supported
that and they successfully set it up. It worked very well. They had expertise
there from Dr. Terence Fargher at West
Parry Sound Health Centre and (had) all the supplies there. They were able to
send it (antivenin) out to satellite hospitals, where needed. It worked very
well from 2002 to 2007.”
After that,
Miller said funding was cut by the province.
Contacted last
week, Neala Barton, Caplan’s spokesperson, said the ministry is working with
the North East Local Health Integration Network and the hospital on the matter.
“All parties
are committed to finding a solution to the problem,” she said. “We’re currently
evaluating several options to address the issue. We’re committed to helping the
hospital ensure that any Ontarian who might suffer from a Massasauga
rattlesnake bite gets the treatment they need.”
On Friday,
Hannah said the centre is confident that with co-operation between the
province, the centre and the LHIN, there would be a return in the future to the
same type of depot system that had existed previously.
http://www.gravenhurstbanner.com/article/143381
CITIZEN PATRIOT (Jackson, Michigan) 19 August
09 Jackson
County homeowner discovers rattlesnakes under porch (Heidi Fenton)
When Troy
Fairbanks got a call Tuesday from his daughter telling him she found snakes
near his porch, he didn't consider it too big of a deal.
Fairbanks
headed over to the Dahlem Environmental Education Center, 7117 S. Jackson Road,
and picked up a brochure with several photos of the reptiles, hoping to
identify what he had on his hands.
When he and
his father, Craig Fairbanks, removed several porch steps, they were surprised
to see two eastern Massasauga rattlesnakes — one they estimated at 3 feet in
length.
"We
didn't really know what to do, and (Troy) was on the phone with the DNR and stuff
and they didn't want him to kill them," Craig Fairbanks said. "We
just didn't want them around here."
The men made
phone calls to area agencies and could not find anyone who would remove the
reptiles from the property on Paddock Lane near S. Jackson Road. So armed with
a rake and a large garbage can, Troy and Craig Fairbanks set out to accomplish
the task themselves.
"Their
heads were not real big compared to what their bodies were. The head was about
the size of your little finger," Craig Fairbanks said. "They rattled
like heck at us."
After working
for a couple of minutes, the men wrangled the snakes without incident. They
took the creatures to the Dahlem Center on the back of a mowing trailer. The
snakes were released in a nearby wetland area.
Gary Siegrist,
a People for Wildlife coordinator at the Dahlem Center, said eastern Massasauga
rattlesnakes are the only poisonous snakes native to Michigan and tend to avoid
interaction with humans.
"They
really have to be provoked for you to be bitten; they are very shy
creatures," he said. "Normally, they try to move away from you."
Siegrist
suspects the snakes migrated under the porch from a wetland area, likely
because of significant rainfall in the past couple of weeks. He said rattlers
are not uncommon in Jackson County. Since the animals are a protected species,
it is illegal to kill them, he said.
Chad Fedewa, a
wildlife technician for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, said
eastern Massasauga rattlesnakes are not a significant concern. The animals have
small teeth and a striking distance of only about half the length of their
bodies. Unless they pose a danger to someone, Fedewa said, the DNR will not
remove them.
"If they
bit a person and you are wearing boots or something, it probably wouldn't go
through the boots," he said.
Joyce
Williams, public affairs manager for Jackson Community Ambulance service, said
she hears maybe one report of a snakebite per year. One such report came in a
couple of weeks ago, and the victim was taken to Allegiance Health as a
precaution.
"We
always transport any kind of snakebite because we don't know how the patient is
going to react, and they don't react sometimes right away," Williams said.
http://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/index.ssf/2009/08/jackson_county_homeowner_disco.html
BREWTON STANDARD (Alabama) 19 August 09 Brewton
hunting duo snags big gator on hunt (Adam Robinson)
There are many
different types of hunting. You can deer hunt, turkey hunt, dove hunt, squirrel
hunt and plenty more. But for one Brewton duo of hunters, gator hunting was the
choice.
Local hunters
Lee Barrentine and Jarrett Dykes recently were chosen from an 125 name lottery
and killed a 12-foot, 2-inches and 535 pounds gator with a compound bow.
“The gator
hunt was awesome,” Barrentine said. “I enjoy bow fishing as a hobby. The thrill and excitement of shooting fish
with a bow and arrow is something I love to do.”
Barrentine
said that last year, he heard about the state gator hunt and knew that he had
to apply.
“Last year we
tagged out on a 9 foot, one inch gator,” Barrentine said. “When the opportunity
came to apply this year, Jarrett and I both applied. The process of winning a tag is through a
lottery type system. Luckily, I was able to draw another tag. When I informed Jarrett of the hunt, we
decided we were not going to shoot anything less than 11feet.”
The duo left
out for Boatyard boat landing Saturday afternoon and after launching the
airboat, they immediately began searching for a “big alligator.
“At
approximately 9:30 p.m. we found the gator,” Barrentine said. “Gator hunting
requires a great deal of patience. We
stalked the gator for sometime and at about 11:15 p.m. we shot our first arrow
into the gator. At about 11:30 p.m. we shot our second arrow into the
gator. The splashing and commotion of a
535-pound alligator is absolutely amazing.”
Barrentine
said the gator went down to the bottom of the river after the second shot and
he stayed down for an hour and 40 minutes.
“When he
decided to come back up, it immediately became intense,” Barrentine said. “The gator put up a great fight. After, the
gator was secured, per state regulations, we then had the fun task of hoisting
the gator into the boat. At 2 a.m., the alligator was officially tagged and in
our boat. We were exhausted, but had a
great time. We then transported the
alligator to the game wardens weigh in station. Here the alligator was
officially weighed and measured.”
Restoration of
the American alligator is a national conservation success story in which
Alabama played a lead role M. Barnett Lawley, Commissioner of the Alabama
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources said in an open letter about
alligator hunting season in Alabama. Unregulated alligator harvest throughout
the South in the 1920s, 30s and 40s threatened the species with
extinction. In 1938, Alabama took action
and became the first state to protect them.
Other states followed Alabama’s lead and, in 1967, the U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Service placed the American alligator on the Endangered Species List. Two decades of protection enabled the species
to rebound. By 1987, it was removed from
the Endangered Species List but retained as a federally protected species.
Alabama’s
alligator population has grown to the extent that they pose a nuisance in many
areas. Implementing a regulated
alligator hunt on a small scale is an important step toward controlling
populations and better managing this unique reptile.
The season was
open in the Mobile and Baldwin counties Aug. 14-17 and 21-24 from 8 p.m. until
6 a.m.
http://www.brewtonstandard.com/articles/2009/08/19/sports/doc4a8c11fd5b77b293703949.txt
HOUSTON CHRONICLE (Texas) 19 August 09 Man
charged with stealing turtles from Spring pet store (Dale Lezon)
A man accused
of stealing two turtles from a Spring pet store last week has been charged with
theft.
Brady Hough,
22, is charged with a Class A theft, accused of snapping up the Indian king
tortoises on Aug. 12 at Pet City, said Harris County Constable Precinct 4 Chief
Deputy Mark Herman. The tortoises are valued together at $600.
The incident
was recorded on the store's security camera.
News reports
initially said one tortoise was stolen, but Herman said two were taken.
Hough's mother
saw her son's photographs on news broadcasts about the theft and returned the
turtles to the store on Sunday. She also gave police information about her son.
Precinct 4
deputy constables contacted Hough and he admitted that he had nabbed the
tennis-ball sized turtles.
A man is seen
on the store's surveillance videotape taking a turtle from its cage and
cramming it down his pants. Then he flashes a peace sign with his hand at the
security camera as he leaves the store.
Herman said
that Hough told deputy constables he thought he could give the pair of reptiles
a better home than they had at the store.
An arrest
warrant has been issued for Hough.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/6577970.html
GAINESVILLE SUN (Florida) 19 August 09 Close
encounters with snakes - Snakes are everywhere and worthy of respect,
aficionados say (Ben Stearns)
Snakes are
everywhere in Florida. They are in college students' dorm rooms. They are
invading parks and possibly threatening the Everglades ecosystem.
In recent
weeks, snakes have slithered onto the agendas of Sen. Bill Nelson and Gov. Charlie
Crist.
"There
are probably snakes in your yard," said Jim Weimer, a park biologist at
Paynes Prairie. "You'll never see them, but they are there."
Nelson
introduced a bill last month that would ban the import of Burmese pythons after
a Sumter County toddler was strangled by one in early July.
In January
2008, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission established new
rules for people who own or exhibit wildlife. The new law requires anyone who
wants to buy one of six reptiles, including Burmese pythons, to pay a $100
yearly fee and have a microchip implanted in the animal for tracking.
Estimates of
the number of Burmese pythons living in the Everglades range from 30,000 to
150,000. Confirmation that the non-native snakes - former pets that either
escaped from or were released by their owners - were reproducing in the wild
was first made in 2006.
A study
released by the U.S. Geological Survey in 2008 warned that climate factors
alone could accommodate Burmese pythons. Another study released that same year
by researchers from the University of Florida and Davidson College warned that
pythons already had migrated as far as Key Largo.
And yet, many
of those who know the most about snakes say the recent negative attention is
largely making a mountain out of a relative molehill.
"There
are no wild populations this far north, and there never will be," said
Shawn Heflick, president of the Central Florida Herpetological Society in
Winter Park. "It's too cold up here."
Heflick, a
biologist from Palm Bay, was one of seven people the FWC granted an official
permit in July to hunt Burmese pythons in the Everglades. He has captured two
pythons since receiving his permit, which expires Oct. 31.
Apart from
invasive snakes, Florida still is teeming with its own homegrown variety. Pygmy
rattlers, eastern diamondback rattlers, cottonmouths and coral snakes are all
common to Alachua County - and venomous.
Yellow rat
snakes and corn snakes also are common in the county, although they are not
venomous.
Weimer has had
plenty of close encounters with snakes in the 30 years he has worked at Paynes
Prairie, but he has never been bitten.
"When I
encounter a snake, the snake goes to the right, and I go to the left. We have a
mutual non-aggression pact," he said.
He said that
only two types of people ever get bit by snakes in Paynes Prairie: rangers
transporting them and show-offs playing with them.
"And even
then, most of the time, you get a dry bite."
There have
been no reported snakebites in the park this year, Weimer said.
Isabel Anasco,
an epidemiologist with the Alachua County Health Department, has received
reports of dog, raccoon and squirrel bites in the county this year - but no
snakebites.
Homeowners who
find a snake near their home should stay away from it and wait for it to leave
or call the police for help, Heflick said.
Weimer said he
has grown to admire, not fear, snakes in his time at the park.
The mud
snake's ability to sleekly emerge from a pile of goopy mud without a speck of
slime on its scales has charmed him, he said.
He is not
alone. Snake owners appreciate the many different appearances of snakes as well
as the relative ease of caring for them, said Abby Heit, former manager of
Pangaea Pets in Gainesville, which sells a number of snakes.
The store used
to sell more exotic breeds, but Pangaea Pets stopped stocking species on the
state's Reptiles of Concern list.
"It's
more of a display thing than anything," she said.
The ball
python and the corn snake are the most popular snakes at the store, most likely
because "they stay small, they are easy to care for and they're
docile," Heit said.
"They are
a lot more common than you would think," she said. "They are pretty
popular with the college students."
DECCAN HERALD (Bangalore, India) 19 August
09 Two-headed
snakes ‘worth Rs 80 lakh’ for just Rs 10,000!
How much would
a two-headed snake fetch? While the Dharwad police say that it could fetch
nearly Rs 80 lakh in the international market, their first information report
(FIR) states that it could be sold for just about Rs 10,000.
Six persons
comprising two separate teams were arrested by the police here on Wednesday on
charges of selling a tortoise and a pair of two-headed snakes. The snakes and
the tortoise have been recovered by the police.
The police
team led by Assistant Commissioner of Police (CCB) A R Badiger, arrested
Shanmukh Satyappa Shivalli, Veeresh Andanayya Channayyanamath, Shambhu K Reddy,
and Suresh Naik, when they were trying to sell a two-headed snake weighing four
kilograms for Rs 80 lakh through two persons near the Kittura Chennamma Park
here. A car has also been recovered.
At the same
time, the Town Station police also arrested two persons of the same gang, and
recovered a two-headed snake and a tortoise. The arrested are Imamsab alias
Rajesab Doddamani of Bailahongal, and Abdulgafar Jamadar of Konnur village,
Gokak taluk.
The tortoise
and snakes were kept in two separate boxes, which were closed. The accused and
the snakes were produced before the court. The accused have been remanded to
judicial custody, and the court has ordered for the handing over of the snakes
and the tortoise to the Forest Department.
In all
likelihood, the two snakes and the tortoise will be sent to zoo at Binkadkatti
near Gadag, around 70 kilometres from here, on Thursday.
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/20589/two-headed-snakes-worth-rs.html
WDIV (Detroit, Michigan) 19 August 09 Woman
Finds Snake Skin In New Car - Michigan Woman's Family Scared To Ride In Car
Rochester,
Mich.: A Michigan woman got more than
she bargained for when she purchased a new vehicle from a Toyota dealership.
Adrianna
Wisniewski said she went to place new car mats in her car when she noticed
snake skin dangling under the glove compartment, reported WDIV-TV in
Detroit.
The frightened
car owner looked around the vehicle and found even more snake skin under the
hood.
"I can't
sleep, panic attacks now and then, I mean it's just been one horrible thing
after the next," said Wisniewski.
Wisniewski
called the Fox Toyota dealership in Rochester Hills, Mich., requesting a new
car, but after inspecting and driving it, the dealership said there was no need
to replace her vehicle.
The sales
manager assured Wisniewski that her car was safe to drive.
The vehicle
was transported to Michigan from California. However, no one can confirm
whether the snake got into the vehicle in California, along the way, or at
Wisniewski's home.
http://www.clickondetroit.com/automotive/20459968/detail.html
THE TRENTONIAN (Trenton, New Jersey) 19
August 09 City lake monster is an alligator indeed
Trenton: Wildlife experts yesterday determined that
the “mini-monster” seen Monday in the lake in the Island neighborhood’s Stacy
Park is an alligator after all, not a caiman.
But they
couldn’t lure it out of the muddy waters even with tasty snacks.
“They baited
the lures with chicken wings, without the sauce,” said Darlene Yuhas,
spokeswoman for the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection.
“But it was
not captured today — in fact, we didn’t even see it,” she said, “perhaps
because there’s a lot of activity around that lake now. It may have just gone
to the bottom to hide out.”
State wildlife
officials worked with Trenton Animal Control into last night watching for a
glimpse. At one point yesterday, one of the five soda-bottle lures bobbed
vigorously, apparently the result of a big snapping turtle taking some dessert.
Will “Gatey”
eat a child or a dog, if push comes to shove?
“There’s
nothing to suggest the alligator is posing a threat to public safety,” Yuhas
said.
Meanwhile,
mystery lingers. In 2006 during the floods that covered the Island in West
Trenton, volunteers went house-to-house checking on vacated homes. In one apartment,
they heard scratching in an otherwise silent room. Behind a sofa, in a glass
tank, they came upon a 4-foot-long gator, aggravated from being trapped too
long.
Where is he
now?
Also, last
week in Marlboro, Monmouth County, police checking a house for a break-in found
four 3-foot pet crocs in a room and called for animal control. When they
arrived and went back in, they found only three crocs.
What happened
to the fourth? Monmouth is only 30 miles from here. Is he swimming around,
munching on carp, in Stacy Park?
http://www.trentonian.com/articles/2009/08/19/news/doc4a8b821f8282d927380751.txt
MORNING BULLETIN (Rockhampton, Australia) 19
August 09 Big crocs enjoy life near city centre (Nikita Watts And Darryn
Nufer)
This monster
crocodile can cruise the city reaches of the Fitzroy River at its leisure.
Unless it
decides to dine at the barbecue facilities at Riverside Park, under the
Queensland Government's crocodile management strategy it is declared to be in a
crocodile habitat area.
A spokeswoman
from the Department of Environment and Resource Management yesterday said crocs
were deemed to be in their habitat if they were in the water or on the river
bank.
She said if
they were to go on, or over, the top of the bank, they would be considered in
the crocodile urban management area (which covers a large part of the river's
city reaches) and could be targeted for removal.
Yesterday keen
fisherman Ian Atkinson provided this photograph which he took last Friday and
Sunday of two (three-to-four metre) crocodiles on the southern bank of the
Fitzroy River between Devil's Elbow and Gavial Creek.
It was less
than a kilometre from the Rockhampton CBD.
The
37-year-old firefighter, who has fished the river commercially and
recreationally for more than 20 years, said he had seen a lot of crocodiles,
but never so close to the city.
He said there
were many people fishing on the riverbank only 200 metres from the two
crocodiles on Sunday.
“We were 10 to
15 metres away from him (the crocodile) and he wasn't worried about us at all,”
he said.
“There were
people almost waist deep in the water throwing cast nets.”
Ian said he
was concerned about people fishing in the area as it was a popular spot.
“I don't know
whether the answer is to remove them or make people more aware,” he said.
“There are
signs at all boat ramps (warning of crocodiles) but there are no signs where
people fish.”
He said he was
concerned that people might not know there was a risk when fishing on the
riverbank.
“The average
people don't see crocs in the river but if you spend enough time there you will
see them,” he said.
“I'm always
aware of them and always have been but normally they are more timid.”
The
spokeswoman said there were no recent reports of crocodile sightings to
Department of Environment and Resource Management.
She said if
people seeing crocodiles, they should report them on 1300 130 372.
NEVADA NEWS (U of Nevada, Reno) 19 August 09 Nevada
Scientist Makes Adaptation Discovery (Mikalee Byerman)
Geographic
distributions of focal Thamnophis
species. In California and Oregon, the garter snakes T. sirtalis (gray), T.
atratus (blue), and T. couchii (green)
broadly overlap with newts of the genus Taricha
that possess the lethal neurotoxin TTX.
Questions
involving adaptation and genetic mutation have new answers through the work of
Chris Feldman, research scientist in the University of Nevada, Reno’s College
of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources, and peers from Utah State
University and the University of Virginia.
The scientists
have discovered that garter snakes, Thamnophis,
took more than one path to adaptation as they evolved resistance to a powerful
neurotoxin found in Pacific newts, Taricha
— a favorite food of the snake.
The findings
appeared in the July 28 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of
Science. The research — conducted by Nevada’s Feldman, a scientist in the
University of Nevada, Reno’s Department of Natural Resources; USU biology
professor Edmund Brodie, Jr.; Brodie’s son, Edmund Brodie III of the University
of Virginia; and Mike Pfrender, USU associate professor of biology — is funded
by the National Science Foundation.
“There are so
many outstanding questions in evolution, and this helps us understand one
aspect much more clearly,” Feldman said. “We looked at three different species
of the garter snake and found three different ways that they’ve adapted to the
same challenge.”
The broader
implications: Feldman’s research could provide clues about how species adapt at
a genetic level to environmental stressors like climate change, drought,
pesticides and pollution.
“The common
thought with insecticide resistance, for instance, is that the first time you
apply an insecticide, it might take five, 10 or 15 years for a species to
become resistant,” Feldman said. “But research suggests that some insects may
already have the beneficial genetic mutations needed to overcome pesticides,
and those mutations can develop into adaptations when they become useful to the
insects in overcoming pesticides.”
The garter
snake species studied are able to consume the poisonous newts with no negative
effects.
“These are
newts that are so poisonous, they would kill you and me — some newts have
enough toxin to kill a dozen people,” Feldman said. “Yet these small snakes, weighing less than a
pound, are nearly immune to the poison — some can deal with enough toxin to
kill 900 people.”
The Nevada
scientist presented the research at the 2009 Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists
and Herpetologists in Portland, Ore.
“This research
is remarkable because it illustrates that a simple genetic change can underlie
major differences in how animals cope with their environment,” Feldman said.
http://www.unr.edu/nevadanews/templates/details.aspx?articleid=5145&zoneid=8
DAILY STAR (Dhaka, Bangladesh) 19 August 09 Appeasing
the snake goddess with music, recitation and offerings (Manasa Puja)
Rafiqul Islam,
Barisal: The festival of 'Manasa Puja' was
celebrated peacefully amidst religious fervour and harmony at the Goila Manasha
Temple in Agoiljhara Upazila, Barisal district last Monday.
Ardent
devotees from different parts of the Bangladesh and West Bengal (India), as
well as groups of bedey (gypsies) and shapurey (snake charmers) thronged the
temple premises to observe the festival and make their offerings to the snake
goddess.
Goats were
sacrificed to the goddess, "Manasa Mangal" was recited, and Royani
Gaan was performed at the festival that began early morning on Monday.
A mela
(village fair) also held on the occasion and law enforcement officers took
adequate measures to ensure safety of the devotees and visitors.
Rabindranath
Adhikari, Sebayet (caretaker) of the Goila Manasa Temple, told The Daily
Star that the temple -- about 500 years old -- has an illustrious history.
He further
informed that the festival goes back to the time of Bijoy Gupta, the late 15th
century Bengali poet who wrote "Manasa Mangal."
The
reconstruction of the temple was completed last year and locals have repeatedly
called to declare the venue as a heritage spot.
http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=101961
INDIAN EXPRESS (New Delhi, India) 19 August
09 Crocodile
sighted in pond near Lucknow
Lucknow: A crocodile was spotted at a pond near near
Abhinav Girls Inter College in Bahadurpur village on Tuesday. Forest department
officials immediately rushed to the village — on the outskirts of Lucknow.
While the
department is keeping a vigil in the area, an operation to trap the animal will
be launched on Wednesday. “We received a call from the Godamba police station
today about the presence of a crocodile in the area. We sent a team, but could
not carry out rescue operation as the area is too large. We will go in with
additional force tomorrow,” said B M Singh, Range Officer in Kukrail.
The four-foot
crocodile has been seen in the area during the last few days. “As it had
remained mostly in water, no one noticed its presence earlier,” said Singh.
According to
Forest officials, such incidents regularly take place during the monsoons.
“Last year
too, we had rescued three crocodiles from the area,” said Singh.
Earlier, there
used to be several low-lying areas here, where new colonies have come up now. “There
are a number of water bodies in the area and the crocodile must have come in
from the Kukrail drain, which is hardly a kilometre away,” Singh added.
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/crocodile-sighted-in-pond-near-lucknow/503807/
WCPO (Cinncinnati, Ohio) 19 August 09 Snake
Shipment Gives Police/ FedEx Worker Scare (Deb Silverman)
A box dropped
off at a local FedEx Kinko's store created quite a scare.
The police
were called to help investigate the suspicious shipment at the Fairfield
Township store on Princeton Road in the Bridgewater Falls Shopping Center.
Turns out, the
box contained two live Boa Constrictors.
Police say one
was three-feet long. The other was five-feet.
A Liberty
Township man was sending them to Phoenix, Arizona.
"The package
was marked ‘frozen rodents.’ That is suspicious," said Fairfield Township
Police Chief Richard St. John.
"The
FedEx personnel opened the box in the officer's presence and found two pillow
cases in the box – and there was a boa constrictor in each pillow case. Now
that is extremely unusual," said St. John.
A 9News
investigation in 2007 revealed it's pretty simple to order a snake and have it
delivered to your home.
We learned
then, it's not illegal to ship a snake.
The Fairfield
Township police officer brought the box of Boas back to the police department
as investigators looked into the situation.
He put the box
in a holding cell until a reptile rescue person could pick the snakes up.
"The
gentleman who was shipping the snakes had all the legal permits and so forth
necessary. Probably where the issue arose was the box was marked ‘frozen
rodents,’" said St. John.
A national
spokeswoman for FedEx tells 9News that she doesn't know exactly why the
employee called police.
If proper
procedures are followed, the company will ship non-venomous snakes.
The man who
shipped the snakes tells 9News he's not angry.
He describes
it as a misunderstanding. He'll be getting his Boas back Wednesday night.
CYPRUS MAIL (Nicosia) 19 August 09 Bumper
year for Akrotiri turtle hatching
A total of 90
Caretta Caretta baby turtles hatched from their nests at Akrotiri peninsula
this month, with three nests hatching over the weekend.
The Akrotiri
area is one of the few nesting grounds the rare turtle species choose each
year.
“This was an
absolutely outstanding year for turtle nesting at Akrotiri. Usually we get 30
to 33 nests and this year we have 53.
Ninety baby
turtles hatched so far all over the Akrotiri peninsula and we hope to see
plenty more,” said Clive Burt, volunteer for Akrotiri Turtle Watch.
Akrotiri
Turtle Watch has been monitoring and assisting the turtle nesting in the area
since 1993. The group also organises frequent beach cleanups particularly
before nesting begins.
“Akrotiri
Turtle Watch was set up on account of the decline of turtle populations in
Akrotiri and the Mediterranean in general. We work closely with the SBA
Environmental Centre and have students from Glasgow University helping us,”
said Burt.
The appearance
of the turtle hatchlings, approximately 5cm long and weighing a mere 17grams,
at Akrotiri beach caused the excitement of beachgoers and onlookers who saw the
baby turtles start their long Mediterranean voyage.
As Burt
explained, the incubation period for turtles takes 45 to 65 days. The nesting
period runs from May until August and the hatching period from August until the
end of September.
http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=47368&cat_id=1
ZEE NEWS (India) 19 August 09 63
crocodiles emerge via 'rear and release' programme
Kendrapara
(Orissa): Wildlife lovers are jubilant
as babies of estuarine crocodiles have emerged out of the artificially hatched
egg-shells in the crocodile research farm of Orissa's Bhitarkanika Wildlife
Sanctuary.
As part of the
'rear and release' programme of these endangered species, eggs collected from
the wild were hatched artificially, said Rajnagar mangrove (wildlife) division
officials. Of the 79 eggs hatched this year, there has been emergence of 63
babies from equal number of nests, they said.
The young
crocodiles released into a captive pond would be reared for more than a couple
of years before being freed into the wild. The rear and release of these
hatched reptiles has been going on since 1975, funded by the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP).
The
conservation project undertaken in Bhitarkanika tested success while a similar
UNDP-funded 'gharial' conservation project launched simultaneously in Tikarpada
Sancuatary was a failure.
From hardly a
hundred, the croc population has swelled considerably over the years. Now 1572
crocs inhabit along Bhitarkanika's water bodies, according to the latest census
of these animals. The estuarine crocodiles are not found in any other river
system in Orissa.
Besides the
mangrove forest along with its fauna, these reptiles are a major tourist
attraction of Bhitarkanika sanctuary.
http://www.zeenews.com/news556472.html
SAN FRANSCISCO CHRONICLE (California)
19 August 09 Sonoma salamander battle expected to heat up (Peter Fimrite)
The sniping
over a decision to restore protections in Sonoma County for the California
tiger salamander is expected to heat up over the next two months after the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service opened the public debate Tuesday.
Environmentalists,
developers, farmers, homeowners and salamander aficionados have 60 days to
comment on a decision by the Obama administration to restrict development on
74,223 acres of habitat deemed critical for the survival of the endangered
amphibian.
The proposed
rule, which will take two years to become final, would reverse a Bush
administration decision to drop restrictions on development in an area between
Windsor and Petaluma known as the Santa Rosa Plain.
"We know
there is going to be heavy lobbying by development and agricultural
interests," said Jeff Miller, conservation advocate for the Center for
Biological Diversity. "It is an opportunity for the Obama administration
to clean up the Bush legacy."
In May, the
Fish and Wildlife Service settled a lawsuit by the nonprofit center challenging
the decision made in 2005 under President George W. Bush to withdraw the
designation of the land as critical habitat for the salamander.
The tiger salamander,
which has distinctive black and yellow coloring and spots and grows up to 8
inches in length, once occupied the entire Santa Rosa Plain, but now lives in
only seven locations. It is threatened with extinction by urban sprawl, roads
and pesticides. The salamander's Sonoma County population was declared
endangered in 2003 in response to earlier lawsuits. Farmers, home builders and
others whose development or commercial activities were restricted responded
with their own lawsuit.
A federal
judge upheld the listing, but the Bush administration instead endorsed a local
conservation plan that was supposed to have banned development in a few areas
and required builders to replace salamander grounds they damaged, but the
funding to carry out that plan never materialized.
The
settlement, approved by a federal judge, requires the agency to submit the
final salamander habitat boundaries by July 2011.
How to comment
To comment on
the California tiger salamander proposal, submit written comments under Docket
No. FWS-R8-ES-2009-0044 until Oct. 19 at www.regulations.gov. Comments can also
be mailed to the attention of FWS-R8-ES-2009-0044, Division of Policy and
Directives Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive,
Suite 222; Arlington, VA 22203.
Information
can also be found at www.biologicaldiversity.org.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/08/18/BALH19A7F0.DTL
COUNTY GAZETTE (Cornwall, UK) 19 August
09 Porthleven
turtle on road to recovery (James Toseland)
The tiny sea
turtle that was found near Porthleven last week is recovering well.
Squirt, a 15cm
young loggerhead turtle was found at Loe Bar beach surrounded by its favourite
food, stranded Portuguese man o’ war jellyfish.
Staff at
Newquay’s Blue Reef Aquarium have kept Squirt, named after the character in the
film Finding Nemo, in quarantine and he has now began feeding.
David Waines
from the aquarium said: “He started eating again in the middle of last week
which has helped him bring his strength up. But he’s still not very strong and
we are putting him on antibiotics because he may have an internal infection.”
It is thought
Squirt was pushed further north by storms because his natural habitat is in
warmer waters. Most loggerheads are born along the coast of Mexico and Florida
although there are separate populations in the Mediterranean and the Middle
East.
It was lucky
he was found because the turtles are prone to hypothermia in British waters and
are in danger of being caught in fishing nets.
David added:
“He is progressing well but it could take a few months before we release him,
turtles don’t do anything quickly.
“He will
continue his rehabilitation and we could release him back into the wild in a
few months time in Gran Canaria.”
If anyone
spots any more of the turtles on Cornish beaches, they should report them to
the animal welfare services or to the aquarium rather than release them into
the water.
PALM BEACH POST (Florida) 19 August 09 Lobbyist
hisses: Give snakes fair shake (Frank Cerabino)
For Andrew
Wyatt, a fascination with snakes began when he was the son of an American
serviceman stationed in India.
"The
snake charmer would come to our street, and the first time I saw a cobra come
out of the basket, I was hooked," Wyatt said. "My mother hoped I
would outgrow it, but instead it got worse."
Today Wyatt,
45, is a snake lobbyist, a guy who tells federal lawmakers that the bad stuff
they've heard about Burmese pythons is probably wrong.
As president
of the U.S. Association of Reptile Keepers, Wyatt is one of a small group of
exotic pet trade enthusiasts trying to soften the proposed legislation that
would declare Burmese and African rock pythons "injurious" species
and bar them from importation and interstate commerce.
"The
story of snakes in the Everglades is taking on a bigger-than-life dimension
because people are excitable about snakes," said Wyatt, a python breeder,
master falconer and eco-tour operator on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
"When
people go on my tours, the two things they always ask about are snakes and
sharks," he said. "They have a morbid fascination with these animals
and want to hear horror stories about them to confirm their fears."
Fighting
'bias' against snakes
The real-life
horror story of a Central Florida girl who was suffocated in her bed this
summer by an improperly kept Burmese python pet has fueled calls to ban these
snakes.
U.S. Sen. Bill
Nelson, citing estimates of tens of thousands of feral pythons in the
Everglades, has asked for action before a snake attacks a tourist.
Wyatt doesn't
think that's about to happen.
"Since
2006, there have been two people killed by snakes, while there have been 15
people killed just this year by dogs," Wyatt said. "Traditional
livestock are much more dangerous to us than snakes, but we have a bias against
them."
Wyatt and
other snake enthusiasts have already managed to get the smaller and more
popular ball python excluded from a bill in the U.S. House aimed at regulating
the python trade in America.
Law threatens
breeders?
And while the
snake enthusiasts are not opposing the importation ban on new snakes, they are
lobbying to remove a provision that would ban interstate sales.
"If they
get what they want, the law will be worthless," said Peter Jenkins,
director of international conservation for Defenders of Wildlife. "Most
pythons are captive bred and sold in interstate commerce. And captive-bred
snakes are as likely to be released into the wild as imported ones."
The law as
written, countered Wyatt, would put snake breeders out of business, turning
animals that are sometimes individually sold for thousands of dollars into a
worthless investment.
"There's
no telling what some of those people might do with those snakes," Wyatt
said.
Jenkins scoffs
at this:
"They're
saying they're going to release them if we don't allow breeders to make a buck
off these injurious snakes?"
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2009/08/19/a1b_binocol_0819.html
MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL (New York) 18
August 09 Albany man finds alligator in yard
Albany: An Albany man got an unexpected fright while
working in his yard.
The man called
police Sunday afternoon after finding a 3-and-a-half-foot alligator in his
yard.
An officer
arrived, tied up the gator and waited for assistance.
Dougherty
County police Sgt. Lee Reynolds said he thinks it might be the same gator that
was found a few months ago in someone's goldfish pond because it's about the
same size.
Officials with
the Department of Natural Resources took the alligator to a creek and released
it.
http://www.mdjonline.com/content/index/showcontentitem/area/1/section/21/item/138414.html
THE LOCAL (Hamburg, Germany) 18 August 09 Poisonous
snake bites British tourist in Bavarian supermarket (Sabine Devins)
The relaxing
Bavarian holiday of a British tourist recently took a dramatic turn after she
was bitten by a poisonous snake in an Oberammergau grocery store.
According to
police in the small town in southern Bavaria, the 44-year-old woman from
England was walking into the discount supermarket when she felt a sharp pain in
her foot. In a freak attack, the snake bit her big toe after the woman
unwittingly stepped on the common European viper, or adder.
“The snake
managed to get a hold of her toe and then sneaked away just as she looked down.
It was a small bite but it did manage to get some of its poison through the
bite,” Officer Walter Schmidt told The Local on Tuesday, describing the
incident that happened last week.
The woman
spent one night in hospital as a precautionary measure and was released the
next day.
“At no time
was there any danger to her life,” said Schmidt, who was called to the scene
along with ambulance crews.
The
25-centimetre snake was then caught by the owner of a nearby reptile house,
Thomas Lücke, who released it in the Pulvermoos nature area near the
neighbouring town of Unterammergau.
“In the 19
years I’ve had the reptile house in Oberammergau, this is the first time that
I’ve had to catch a European viper,” Lücke told the regional daily Merkur.
Schmidt
confirmed that the snake attack was a very unusual case for the region.
“We have no
idea why the snake was in front of the store – you don’t typically see them
sitting out in the sun and it could be that it was looking for a cool refuge,”
he said.
The bite of
the European viper (Vipera berus) is
known to be very painful but not always poisonous. The largest specimens of the
protected species can grow up to 90 centimetres.
http://www.thelocal.de/society/20090818-21321.html
THE TELEGRAPH (London, UK) 18 August 09 Woman
describes crocodile moment as 'like being in Jaws' (Nick Britten)
Photo: Maria Sherring gets up close and personal with
a crocodile during a holiday to Costa Rica (BNPS)
Maria
Sherring, a holidaymaker who was caught on camera the moment a crocodile
launched itself at her head in Costa Rica, said it was "like being in a
Jaws film."
Mrs Sherring
was on boat trip with her family when her tour guide lured the giant animal
closer with a stick.
The 40
year-old was snapping away with her camera as the crocodile approached, but
then, jaws gaping, it leapt out of the water and lunged at her.
After staring
into its open mouth for a split second, the family watched as the crocodile
sank back into the muddy water and slid away.
The remarkable
moment was captured by another tourist who was on another boat crocodile
spotting from across the Tempiski River.
Mrs Sherring,
40, from Christchurch, Dorset, saw the photo but thought nothing of it until
she spotted her picture splashed across newspapers around the world.
She said:
"When I saw the picture had made it into the papers I was stunned. My
first thought was disbelief that I was in a national paper.
"I saw it
on the TV and even in a magazine I picked up at the doctor's surgery.
"It
originally said I was German. Now I don't mean any offence to Germans, but I am
proudly British.
"At least
I've got a great holiday snap to show people."
She said her
experience was "exhilarating" and within seconds the family were
laughing about it.
Mrs Sherring,
a manager for a local hospital trust, said: "The tour guide was brilliant
but absolutely crazy. He started sharpening this wooden stick, skewered a piece
of chicken on the end and the next thing we knew, this crocodile started coming
towards us.
"I had
never seen one before, so it was really fantastic to be there. Once we realised
what was happening we were excited.
"It did
get very close to the boat indeed and it looked like a real monster, but we
quickly got used to it as the guide started teasing it.
"The croc
had jumped up to catch the stick about six times and there was no more chicken
left, so the guide tied a white plastic bag on the end of it and tried again.
"This
time, he tapped it on the side of the boat and the croc just jumped straight
towards me.
"I
screamed and jumped back - it's not every day you have a crocodile that close
up.
"It was
like being in a Jaws film with these teeth coming towards me.
"But a
moment later we were all laughing about it. We realised I wasn't really in any
real danger, but it was a shock."
She added:
"My mother was frantic with worry that I was nearly eaten, but of course
it didn't look that serious from where I was sitting.
"I was
exhilarated, but not exactly close to death. That croc was a seasoned pro and I
think he made the most of his photo opportunity."
Paul Stodolny,
29, from Toronto, Canada, who took the photo, said: "I was thrilled to get
the photo, it really was a once-in-a lifetime shot."
BOISE WEEKLY (Idaho) 18 August 09 Snake
out for a jog in downtown Boise (Rachael Daigle)
So there we were
my dad and I, walking down Idaho Street on our way to lunch Monday afternoon
and running toward us was a guy out for a noon-time jog.
But it was
clear there was something different about this jogger. Something was different
in his gait. He was favoring his left arm—not swinging it nearly as hard as the
right. As he got closer, it was obvious that he had something on his left
wrist. From afar it looked like a turtle. But why the hell would someone strap
a turtle to his wrist to go for a jog, I thought to myself.
Just as he was
about to pass us on the sidewalk, my dad and I both realized what was wrapped
around his wrist: a snake. A green and black and shudder-inducing snake as big
around as nice fat kielbasa.
No shit, the
guy was just jogging down the street with a snake wrapped around his arm,
maneuvering through the juggernaut of pedestrian traffic, through the narrow
spaces between bus stops and patio diners, some of whom, like myself, probably
detest snakes and don't have any expectation of being near one on a city street
while trying to enjoy a bowl of pad thai.
When I got
back to the office, I had to know if it was legal to take your pet snake out
for a little afternoon exercise downtown.
Short answer:
yes.
Long answer,
thanks to city officials: Certain kinds
of snakes are prohibited as pets in Boise per the code (see bolded items 30-33
below). There are many that are perfectly fine to have as pets. If someone
chose to have one as a pet and wanted to walk down the street with it on their
neck, per City Code, it is perfectly legal. It would not be legal if the thing
were harassing or threatening folks walking by. We could charge animal nuisance
or disturbing the peace for this kind of conduct.
Reptiles
Sea turtles of
any kind
Aldabra or
Galapagos tortoises
Komodo dragons
All members of
the order Crocodilia
Wild-caught
Gila monsters and beaded lizards
Elapids
(family of venomous snakes) except North American species, such as coral
snakes, that
are housed under state guidelines.
Viperids (family
of venomous snakes) except North American species, including but
not limited to
rattlesnakes, cotton mouths, and copperheads, that are housed under state
guidelines.
Tuataras
Anacondas
OK, so the
killer snakes are no good. But come on, neither are the non-killer snakes.
I detest
snakes. I have like Indiana Jones kind of snake disdain happening here. I've
had nightmares about them several times a week for as long as I can remember.
(Go ahead, Freudians, have a field day with that admission.) I live in a city
rather than out in the desert for many reasons, among them that I don't want to
have to deal with snakes. I don't go anywhere near the zoo. And I don't mean
that I skip the reptile house when I'm at the zoo. What I mean is that I don't
go to the zoo, period, because I know there are snakes there. When I worked in
a school library, one of the most popular books among the kids was a book on
snakes. I couldn't even bring myself to touch the book to check it out for the
kids.
Now I have to
add the sidewalks of downtown Boise to my list of places where I might see
snakes. Thanks, guy.
http://www.boiseweekly.com/Cobweb/archives/2009/08/18/snake-out-for-a-jog-in-downtown-boise
PALM BEACH POST (Florida) 18 August 09 Lobbyist
hisses: Give snakes fair shake (Frank Cerabino)
For Andrew
Wyatt, a fascination with snakes began when he was the son of an American
serviceman stationed in India.
"The
snake charmer would come to our street, and the first time I saw a cobra come
out of the basket, I was hooked," Wyatt said. "My mother hoped I
would outgrow it, but instead it got worse."
Today Wyatt,
45, is a snake lobbyist, a guy who tells federal lawmakers that the bad stuff
they've heard about Burmese pythons is probably wrong.
As president
of the U.S. Association of Reptile Keepers, Wyatt is one of a small group of
exotic pet trade enthusiasts trying to soften the proposed legislation that
would declare Burmese and African rock pythons "injurious" species
and bar them from importation and interstate commerce.
"The
story of snakes in the Everglades is taking on a bigger-than-life dimension
because people are excitable about snakes," said Wyatt, a python breeder,
master falconer and eco-tour operator on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
"When
people go on my tours, the two things they always ask about are snakes and
sharks," he said. "They have a morbid fascination with these animals
and want to hear horror stories about them to confirm their fears."
The real-life
horror story of a Central Florida girl who was suffocated in her bed this
summer by an improperly kept Burmese python pet has fueled calls to ban these
snakes.
U.S. Sen. Bill
Nelson, citing estimates of tens of thousands of feral pythons in the
Everglades, has asked for action before a snake attacks a tourist.
Wyatt doesn't
think that's about to happen.
"Since
2006, there have been two people killed by snakes, while there have been 15
people killed just this year by dogs," Wyatt said. "Traditional
livestock are much more dangerous to us than snakes, but we have a bias against
them."
Wyatt and
other snake enthusiasts have already managed to get the smaller and more
popular ball python excluded from a bill in the U.S. House aimed at regulating
the python trade in America.
Law threatens
breeders?
And while the snake
enthusiasts are not opposing the importation ban on new snakes, they are
lobbying to remove a provision that would ban interstate sales.
"If they
get what they want, the law will be worthless," said Peter Jenkins,
director of international conservation for Defenders of Wildlife. "Most
pythons are captive bred and sold in interstate commerce. And captive-bred
snakes are as likely to be released into the wild as imported ones."
The law as
written, countered Wyatt, would put snake breeders out of business, turning
animals that are sometimes individually sold for thousands of dollars into a
worthless investment.
"There's
no telling what some of those people might do with those snakes," Wyatt
said.
Jenkins scoffs
at this: "They're saying they're going to release them if we don't allow
breeders to make a buck off these injurious snakes?"
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2009/08/19/a1b_binocol_0819.html
TIMES OF INDIA (New Delhi) 18 August 09 People
desert village fearing snake (Vinay Lokesh)
Bellary: The people of Akkapura village near Kudligi
taluk are migrating to their neighbouring taluks. No, not because of drought.
Thanks to the presence of a snake which has triggered a scare of sorts among
them the past one month. So far, it has claimed the lives of 15 persons.
Akkapura has
40 houses with 250 people living there. However, now there are only 25 of them
in the village, while other fear-stricken people have deserted the village.
On Nagara
Panchami - the day when devotees worship Snake God - the snake had claimed two
lives and its score was five on August 13 alone.
Whenever the
snake bites, the villagers treat the victims using hens - they slit the bitten
portion of the skin and make the hen suck venom through that. In the process,
the hen dies and the victim recuperates. Because of frequent use of hens, their
number has come down.
Claiming
anonymity, a villager said the local administration has not bothered to solve
the problem. As a last resort, they are now seeking divine intervention to
solve the problem. Special poojas are being offered in temples of Bellary and
Davanagere. Veerappa, a villager, said: "We are yet to figure out whether
it is the same snake which is haunting us."
THE TELEGRAPH (London, UK) 18 August 09 Woman
with fear of snakes finds python in shopping bag
A woman in
Chard, Somerset, with a fear of snakes opened a shopping bag and found a three-foot
long python curled up inside.
Lesley Coles,
63, made the frightening discovery at her home. She was planning to go shopping
in town and went to get a hessian shopping bag from the bottom of a cupboard.
But after her
pet papillon cross dog, Trixie, started barking frantically she immediately
dropped the bag on the floor.
"I looked
inside and I saw a snake," she said. "I'm terrified of snakes and I
couldn't believe it when I saw it. I was shaking for ages afterwards - I was
scared to death. If it hadn't been for my little dog I would have taken the
snake shopping to Lidl."
Mrs Coles then
threw the bag - and the snake - outside and phoned her daughter, Sara Cross,
who lives nearby, for help.
Mrs Cross
said: "My mum was hysterical - she really doesn't like snakes at
all."
The RSPCA was
called and an officer said the snake was a baby python. It could have been
living in Mrs Coles' cupboard undisturbed for up to six months.
"The
RSPCA officer said my mum was lucky it was only a baby because they can grow up
to 15-ft long," added Mrs Cross.
Mrs Coles
thinks the snake may have got in through the electricity meter cavity.
"The
RSPCA told me pythons can squeeze through the tiniest spaces. I've no idea how
long it was there for but I've got a dog and two cats and I know pythons can
eat them by wrapping their body around them and squeezing them. It could have
been there months."
The python has
now been re-homed.
EXPRESS & STAR (Lichfield, UK) 18 August 09
Snake theft victim fears pets
targeted
The theft of a
pair of valuable snakes from a Midlands pet shop is evidence of a disturbing
increase in animal thefts, according to the owner.
Thieves stole
two four feet long female corn snakes, worth around £100 each, from Betta Pets
in Lombard Street on Thursday afternoon. The two-year-old creatures were not
venomous. Store owner Gwen Duckhouse said there had been a noticeable rise in animal
thefts in the area. “It’s really concerning that there is so much of it going
on,” she said.
“I know there
are a lot of canaries being stolen at the moment – one breeder I know had all
their birds taken recently.”
A Lichfield
family had 11 rare Orpington chickens stolen from a pen at the back of their
house in Curborough last Thursday. The theft occurred just days after
Barton-under-Needwood based Packington Poultry had 500 pheasants taken in an
overnight raid – at a cost of thousands to the firm.
Mrs Duckhouse
said: “The recession seems to get blamed for everything, but maybe these people
see stealing animals as a way to make easy money.”
“It’s so
upsetting because we don’t know where the snakes have gone or what’s happening
to them.”
The shop owner
said the distinctively patterned creatures – one pink and one red – were taken
during a busy spell at Betta Pets, which is divided into four rooms, on
Thursday afternoon.
“I had taken
them out of their cages at around 3pm to show them to a customer,” Mrs Duckhouse
said.
“At closing
time I checked around to make sure everything was okay, and the newspaper at
the bottom of their cages was all rustled up – I just assumed they had gone
under the paper.”
Anyone with
information about the whereabouts of the snakes is asked to call Staffordshire
Police on 0300 1234455 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
http://www.expressandstar.com/2009/08/18/snake-theft-victim-fears-pets-targeted/
WILDLIFE EXTRA (Hereford, UK) 18 August
09 World’s
most threatened crocodile released into the wild
50
captive-bred Philippine crocodiles (Crocodylus
mindorensis) have been released into the wild in Dicatian Lake, Isabela
Province, Luzon Island. This was the end of a long journey for the 1.2m long
crocodiles which began their journey in Palawan, were flown to Manila before
being transferred to their release site.
Ten of the
crocodiles have been fitted with radio transmitters and their movements will be
monitored by the Mabuwaya Foundation and the Department of Environment and
Natural Resources to see how they adapt to their new habitat, and to gather
scientific information as a basis for future crocodile reintroductions.
The critically
endangered Philippine crocodile is the most severely threatened crocodile
species on the planet and is endemic to the Philippines. It has virtually
disappeared due to hunting, destructive fishing and habitat loss and it is
estimated that only 100 mature individuals survive in the wild.
Dicatian Lake
was selected as the best site for the reintroduction as it is located within
one of the most important protected areas of the Philippines (the Northern
Sierra Madre Natural Park), it contains an abundance of prey species, and no
people living directly adjacent to the lake.
Nearby
communities, which have been actively involved in a consultation process, are
supportive of the reintroduction scheme and it is hoped that they will be able
to generate an alternative income from a small community-based ecotourism
project. They have received training from the Department of Tourism and
facilities for crocodile-spotting, bird watching and camping have been built on
the edge of the lake. The community-based crocodile conservation programme was
implemented by the Mabuwaya Foundation with funding from the Rufford Maurice
Laing Foundation.
In recent
years the Mabuwaya Foundation, in collaboration with the provincial government
of Isabela, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Isabela State
University and rural communities, has worked tirelessly on the ground to save
this critically endangered species from extinction. The release of these
crocodiles is a major step towards a recovery of the wild population and the
future survival of this species.
The
Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP) started supporting this team
(comprising of Filipino and Dutch conservationists) in 2002, and a CLP
follow-up grant in 2003 funded the establishment of the Mabuwaya Foundation.
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/philippine-crocodile938.html#cr
MUSCATINE JOURNAL (Iowa) 18 August 09 See a
snake? Don't have a hissy fit (Cynthia Beaudette)
When the
summer sun beats down on a dirt path in the woods, many a snake is tempted to
take lay there and enjoy the warmth.
An
unsuspecting hiker may be a surprised to see a lounging snake blocking the
path, but don’t panic, says Dave Bakke, a Muscatine County Conservation Board
naturalist.
When it comes
to snakes, Muscatine County is a good place to spot some interesting and
colorful varieties, says Bakke, and most of them are harmless.
Many snakes
found in Iowa backyards and woodland paths are not aggressive or venomous, and
several are even known for their ability to become rather domestic.
Bakke and the
other members of the County Conservation Board staff even keep company with a
trio of friendly serpents during their work days and don’t mind sharing what
they know about snakes.
The three
snakes are so tame, they can be touched by young children.
All the snakes
at the conservation office were donated by professional agencies.
Maize, a corn
snake, and Louie, a speckled king snake, came to the Learning Center from the
Auduban Nature Center in Slidell, La.
The Center’s
director, Mike Boley, once lived in Muscatine and volunteered for the
Conservation Board.
Benny the bull
snake is said to have hatched at Perry High School in Perry, Iowa, where he was
a “member” of the science department for 12 years.
Pet snakes. Snakes can be fine pets if an owner knows how
to treat them and understands their needs, said Bakke. Choosing the right type
of snake makes a difference too.
People who
want to own a snake need to purchase one, said Bakke.
“In Iowa it’s
not legal to go out and capture a snake and keep it as a pet,” said Bakke.
“Most people buy snakes from breeders so they know the history of the breeder.”
Once a person
has a snake, frequent handling is recommended to help the animal become
accustomed to human company.
Soft, slow
movements that are not aimed at the snake’s face are the best way to earn the
animal’s trust, said Bakke.
Snakes are low
maintenance pets when it comes to eating and keeping them clean. In captivity,
snakes can wait several weeks between meals and have a bowel movement with
similar frequency. Many snake owners give their pets frozen mice which they buy
from a commercial seller, said Bakke. Live mice are another option and can be
purchased at many pet stores.
Exotic and
venomous snakes ordinarily do not make good pets, especially with families who
have children. Bakke said owning those kinds of snakes is best left to experts.
Some snakes,
such as boa constrictors, are large when full grown and require special
provisions.
Looking for
snakes. For those who prefer to view
snakes in their natural surroundings, Iowa offers ample opportunities.
But all snakes
should be approached with caution because it can be difficult to distinguish
one type of from another.
“Iowa is not a
bad place to look for poisonous snakes,” said Bakke.
The massasauga
or swamp rattle snake, has been spotted in Fairport and south of Nichols. The
mounted massauga on display at the Environmental Learning Center was found dead
near Cedar River Road hill seven or eight years ago.
The chances of
encountering a poisonous snake are small compared to meeting a harmless one.
Bakke said
there is some misinformation about snakes.
“Many people
will talk about how snakes chase them,” said Bakke. “Their brain doesn’t
process things that way. In many cases, it may be it’s home or burrow was
behind the person the snake appeared to be chasing, or there was some food
there.”
http://www.muscatinejournal.com/articles/2009/08/18/news/doc4a8ac5f382c51301446492.txt
CAIRNS POST (Australia) 18 August 09 Sexy
snakes slip into suburbs
Photo:
Entwined: A pair of pythons "dance" in front of Greg Dowling's
home yesterday. (Marc McCormack)
This pair of
dirty dancers have become entwined in a suburban love story outside the home of
former State of Origin great Greg Dowling.
Mr Dowling
spotted this affectionate pair of pythons in a raunchy dancing act out the
front of his home yesterday.
As the
temperatures rise, the cold-blooded reptiles are coming out to sunbake, feed
and look for mates.
This pair
found each other on Pheasant St at Bayview Heights yesterday.
Mr Dowling
said he was more than happy to stay the "bloody hell away from them".
"Bloody
oath I’m scared of snakes," he said.
"I walked
out on my veranda and I thought it was a palm frond in the breeze.
"I had
another look and it was a pair of snakes. They went for about an hour –
twirling and lifting about a metre off the ground and hissing.
"All the
neighbours came out for a look and one of them put them in a bag and got the
snake handler to collect them.
"It was
one of the most fascinating things I’ve ever seen."
http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2009/08/18/58821_local-news.html
SUN TIMES (Owen Sound, Ontario) 18 August
09 Rattlesnake
visiting annual meeting this Saturday
Sean Liipere
of the Bruce Peninsula National Park will speak at the Friends of Oliphant
Coastal Environments annual meeting Saturday at 7 p. m. He and his friend
Fluffy, a massasauga rattlesnake, will provide information about this species
at risk that makes Oliphant and other areas of the Bruce Peninsula home.
According to
the Government of Ontario Species at Risk Public Registry website (www.sararegistry.gc.ca),
the greatest threat to the massasauga is the destruction and fragmentation of
its habitat. Development and the deliberate killing of the snake are also
significant threats. It is protected under the Species at Risk Act.
In Canada it
is found in only four localities, the Bruce Peninsula being one of them. It is
illegal to kill, capture or trap this snake.
Education and
public outreach programs have led to a reduction in the mortality of massasauga
and other snakes, such as the Eastern Foxsnake which is sometimes mistaken for
the massasauga.
Members of the
Oliphant group hope to increase awareness, appreciation and a desire to protect
the habitat of this species among residents, cottagers and visitors. Public is
welcome to attend. For more information about the group's membership, go to:
www.fooce.org
http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1704281
NORTH COUNTY TIMES (Escondido,
California) 18 August 09 Officer's family expands to include boa
constrictor (Colleen Mensching)
He was a real
snake in the grass, a Colombian red tail boa constrictor, between 6 feet and 8
feet long, hanging out on a lawn in the area of Centre City Parkway and
Felicita Avenue in Escondido last week.
And he's been
staying with Escondido police Officer Damien Torres ever since.
"My
partner and I always get the animals calls," Torres said. "I've got
two cats and a dog and they were all rescues from on the job."
Torres said he
happened to be in the dispatch center as firefighters were trying to figure out
what to do with the snake, which was spotted in the road at about 1 a.m. last
Wednesday morning and moved to a lawn.
None of the
local animal services would come for the creature and the snake's owner ----
the boa was obviously a pet ---- was nowhere to be found, Torres said.
"I
thought the best thing to do would be to take him home," he said.
He and his
family have been caring for the boa for the past week and the snake still
hasn't been reported missing, he said.
The Torres
family has had some help from Susan Nowicke, president of the San Diego
Herpetological Association.
Along with
teaching the family about the snake, Nowicke came by with a terrarium and other
accessories to help them foster the boa properly.
"They
tend to be very mellow snakes ---- they're the ones that we use frequently in
education classes with very young preschool students," Nowicke said of red
tail boas.
She said the
boa Torres is caring for is about 8 years old.
"He did
appear to have a little bit of scale damage and some minor burns on his belly,
possibly from being on hot pavement," Nowicke said. "But he is in
excellent condition. He shows no signs of neglect."
Nowicke said
the boa could have escaped, perhaps if the owner was on vacation and a
temporary caretaker didn't correctly seal the snake's enclosure.
But the owner
may have let the snake go because they felt they could no longer afford to care
for it in a weak economy, she said.
"We are
seeing double-digit increases of animals that need homes," Nowicke said.
"Just this week I've had calls about corn snakes, a ball python, a Burmese
python, frogs, a dragon and a leopard gecko that have come to me directly. And
other members of the society have been getting their own calls."
Jonathan
Rheins, manager of LLL Reptile and Supply Co. in Escondido, said the shop he
works for would rather not sell a large snake to someone who won't be able to
care for the creature as long as it lives. And big snakes can live for decades.
He said
releasing the snakes outdoors instead of trying to find them new owners can be
a problem ---- and not just because it could result in a citation from the
California Department of Fish & Game.
"It's not
good for the ecosystem and it's not good for the hobby," he said.
The boa found
loose in Escondido can look forward to a much cushier fate. Torres has been
soaking him in the bath tub to keep him hydrated and serving up a rat a week
for lunch.
"We have
not named it, but I'm sure we're going to because my wife has conceded to let
me keep it," Torres said.
Torres said
he's now in the market for a special enclosure for the boa.
"It's
going to blend in perfectly with all our Victorian furniture," he said.
http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/escondido/article_fb3f031b-c322-51cc-8a36-1f8468e0e008.html
IL GAZZETTINO (Venezia, Italy) 18 August
09 Padova.
Paura tra i campi di mais, un altro pitone si aggira ad Arre
Arre : Avvistato un altro
serpente, a pochi metri di distanza da dove è stato trovato un esemplare di
pitone alcune settimane fa, attorcigliato attorno ad una barra rotante di una
mietitrebbia.
L’avvistamento sarebbe stato fatto da una donna, residente in via
Mardeveje, una stradina di campagna che corre parallela alla superstrada
Monselice-Mare.
Secondo la testimonianza della signora, il serpente sarebbe di colore
chiaro. La scoperta l’avrebbe fatta una mattina mentre stava passando in
bicicletta, vicino ad un campo di mais quasi maturo e pronto per la
trebbiatura. La donna ha riferito di aver notato un movimento repentino in
mezzo all’erba e di aver visto il serpente, di grosse dimensioni, srotolarsi e
dirigersi lentamente in mezzo agli alti fusti di mais.
Il fatto che il colore fosse abbastanza chiaro, e le dimensioni
notevoli, ha fatto subito capire alla donna che non si trattava della solita
biscia di campagna, di quelle che ogni tanto si vedono in mezzo ai campi. Dopo
l’inquietante incontro, la signora è fuggita pedalando a tutta velocità fino in
centro ad Arre, dove ha dovuto chiedere un bicchiere di acqua nel bar del
centro prima di riuscire a raccontare quello che aveva appena visto.
Una delle ipotesi che sono state formulate è che il pitone trovato
alcuni giorni fa a poche centinaia di metri di via Mardeveje possa essere stato
il "compagno" dell’esemplare di rettile avvistato l’altro giorno
dalla donna. Il colore potrebbe essere attribuito proprio a quello di un
pitone, visto che dalla testimonianza predominavano il giallo, il bianco e
alcune macchie di marrone.
In ogni caso, come spiegano gli esperti, sono esemplari non pericolosi,
probabilmente ancora più spaventati degli uomini che incontrano sulla loro
strada. In mezzo alla boscaglia potrebbero trovare il luogo ideale dove
ripararsi. La cosa più difficile da fare, in
situazioni come queste, è spiegare alle persone che hanno visto un serpente che
quell’animale lungo quasi due metri è più spaventata di te.
http://www.gazzettino.it/articolo.php?id=69995&sez=NORDEST
DE TELEGRAAF (Amsterdam, Netherlands) 18 August
09 Gifslang
bijt vrouw in supermarkt
Oberammergau: Een Engelse toeriste is in een supermarkt in
Beieren gebeten door een gifslang. De 44-jarige vrouw liep door de winkel, toen
de 40 centimeter lange adder toesloeg, meldde de Duitse krant Münchner Merkur
dinsdag.
Het is een
raadsel hoe de slang in de winkel in de plaats Oberammergau is beland.
Kennelijk heeft het reptiel zich ernstig bedreigd gevoeld, want het komt zelden
voor dat een adder mensen aanvalt.
Overigens maakt de vrouw het goed. Ze heeft na
het voorval maandag een nachtje in het ziekenhuis doorgebracht. De beet van een
adder is voor gezonde mensen niet dodelijk.
http://www.telegraaf.nl/buitenland/4632351/__Gifslang_bijt_vrouw_in_supermarkt__.html