HERP NEWS 257/2009

SCIENCE ALERT (Australia) 14 September 09 Frogs survived Black Saturday

Current research by museum herpetologists has found surprising numbers of frogs in areas ravaged by the February 2009 Victorian bushfires.

It seems extraordinary that any frogs remain here given the widespread habitat loss caused by the fires. “The frogs probably survived by sheltering in the dams or in vegetation around the edges,” said Bec Bray, a research assistant working with Curator of Herpetology Jane Melville on this project. “We even got a recapture from last year at the most heavily-burned site at Toolangi.”

The museum holds frog field data for the wider Kinglake area that was collected 40 years ago by Murray Littlejohn. The ten field sites central to the current study have been monitored by PhD candidate Katie Smith for the past three years. Combining the early data with more recent results provides a detailed picture of frog populations before the bushfires. Five species - Crinia parinsignifera, Crinia signifera, Litoria ewingi, Litoria paraewingi and Litoria verreauxi - have been recorded historically at the ten field sites, and all five have been observed after the fires.

In other countries, the full impact of fires on amphibian populations is difficult to assess for some years. Populations may seem to rise immediately after a fire as surviving frogs congregate in the few remaining habitat ponds. “It might be that in future years, the population goes down,” said Bec, who believes that the reduced vegetation around the dams may limit how effectively frogs can breed in the next few seasons.

The team combines a number of approaches for a comprehensive survey. At night, male frogs call from ponds and dams to attract females to breed; since species are easily identified from their distinctive calls, listening at night gives an idea of the species and abundance of frogs around each dam. The night surveys are followed by daytime checks for egg masses and tadpoles in the water and the level of fringe vegetation such as reeds and tree seedlings.

Museum researchers will continue monitoring the field sites in coming years. Since vegetation is important for shelter and to attach egg masses, the succession of regrowth will affect how frog populations recover over the longer term.

Editor's Note: Original news release can be found here http://museumvictoria.com.au/about/mv-news/2009/victorian-frogs-and-bushfires/

http://www.sciencealert.com.au/news/20091409-19736.html

WESH (Orlando, Florida) 14 September 09 Huge Python's Owner: She's Safe; I Want Her Back

Bushnell, Fla.: A large 350-pound Burmese python remains at a herpetology farm in Bushnell after capturing national attention Friday.

Neighbors said the snake, which is 20 feet long and 30 inches around, kept getting out of its enclosure.

A neighbor called the Fish and Wildlife Commission Friday after noticing the snake in his backyard.

Owner Bobby Cheever said the snake, named Delilah, is friendly and he wants the reptile back.

Cheever said he frequently took Delilah to Lake Eola to educate children about snakes.

Cheever said over the phone that Florida Fish and Wildlife officers have agreed to allow Delilah to be kept with a licensed snake permit holder for the time being.

He is still facing a fine and possible court appearance and hopes to move Delilah to West Virginia.

http://www.wesh.com/news/20908116/detail.html

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR (Boston, Massachusetts) 14 September 09 Hybrid man-eating pythons? Florida is on alert. - Scientists worry that two species of nonnative pythons now near the Everglades could breed, yielding more aggressive offspring. (Patrik Jonsson)

Atlanta: In an case of real life imitating Hollywood, the US scientific community is increasingly concerned that two nonnative python breeds currently slithering free in south Florida could morph into a giant man-eating swamp coil.

The capture of five African rock pythons recently near an Everglades already teeming with the gentler Burmese pythons has scientists worried about so-called "hybrid vigor" – a phenomenon that occurs when interbreeding uncorks volatile recessive genes, passing traits such as aggression onto the offspring. Think Africanized bees.

The two species have interbred in captivity. While Burmese pythons aren't known to eat people in their native habitat, the African rock python, unfortunately, has been known to do just that.

The rock python "is mean right out of the egg, and they don't ever tame down," says Kenneth Krysko, a senior biologist at the Florida Museum of Natural History.

Whether African rock pythons and Burmese pythons could produce fertile offspring remains a big question. But the looming possibility of "hybrid vigor" between nonnative species means the Everglades are turning into a herpetologist's version of Dr. Frankenstein's lab.

"It's a big petri dish," says Kevin Enge, an invasive species expert with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in Gainesville. "You keep introducing things and, yeah, you don't know what's going to turn out."

This summer, Florida began a python bounty hunt after the population of illegally introduced Burmese pythons exploded and their range expanded. So far, 18 snakes have been captured under the new hunt, which got approval from the US Department of Interior after a toddler was killed by a released python this spring.

Critics including Mr. Krysko say that the state is not doing enough to crack down on those who release snakes against the law. But Mr. Enge says the law is basically "unenforceable" since it's practically impossible to catch people in the act. Moreover, lawmakers have for years tried to ban exotics, but the rare pet industry, much of which is based out of Miami, is a powerful economic force that has so far held off efforts at import reform.

Banning exotics could also drive the trade underground and actually result in more releases as owners try to stay within the law, experts say.

A 1994 report by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection first raised alarm about an explosion of invasive species in the Sunshine State – driven by the welcome conditions of Florida's subtropical interior and Miami being one of the major import points for exotic animals to the US.

That report pointed to specific concerns about the African rock python, but doubted whether it could breed in the wild.

New evidence is throwing doubt on that analysis.

The five African pythons caught or sighted recently include a 12-foot adult specimen, a hatchling, a two-foot snake that had eaten a common grackle, a large snake that had eaten a backyard turkey, and a large pregnant female run over by a car.

The wide variety of age and size of the snakes is worrisome, and is the main reason why some scientists believe the snakes have already found their way into the national park. But trying to forecast whether the two species will breed and what the result would be is virtually impossible.

"Are the offspring meaner or more resilient in the wild? I have no idea," says Krysko.

The state has dispatched bounty hunters to the 1 square mile area where all five snakes were found. "It's definitely habitat they can populate, and I'm sure they could easily probably eventually hook up with the park," says Enge.

Whether the bounty hunters can stop the invasion or not, such targeted hunts are likely to epitomize what creature control will look like in Florida going forward, Enge says. The state is attempting to protect people and sensitive wildlife areas such as a wading bird rookeries from invasive snakes.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0915/p02s01-usgn.html

ASAHI SHIMBUN (Tokyo, Japan) 14 September 09 Islanders aim to stamp out poisonous toads (Yumi Nakayama)

Ishigaki, Okinawa Prefecture: Introduced to this subtropical island to combat insects damaging sugar cane crops, the cane toad is today a far greater environmental pest than the creatures it was meant to stamp out.

Operations are under way to cull the toad, a voracious feeder that secretes potentially lethal toxins when attacked, and prevent it further damaging the island's ecosystem.

The population of the amphibian soared to an estimated 30,000 to 50,000, comparable to the human population of 45,000, in the 31 years since it was introduced from a nearby island.

Islanders and researchers fear the toads, which can devour huge quantities of insects, could upset the natural balance of Ishigakijima island, part of a national park, as they compete for food with other animals, including amphibians.

They are especially concerned that cane toads could inundate neighboring Iriomotejima island, posing a risk to the Iriomote yamaneko, a wild cat designated for special protection by the central government. The endangered cat preys mainly on insects, lizards and rats, but occasionally eats toads.

Preying on a cane toad could be lethal to the Iriomote Yamaneko because of the amphibian's strong venom.

Islanders say dogs and snakes have died after swallowing the toads.

Originally from Latin America, cane toads inhabit ponds and rice paddies, breeding throughout the year.

Growing to 8-15 centimeters, it typically preys on insects, but has also been known to eat snakes and rats.

It secretes poison from the skin behind its ears when threatened.

The main component of the venomous substance is bufotoxin, which is powerful enough to cause cardiac arrest in mammals and other vertebrates.

The toad was designated as an introduced pest species in 2005 and there are regulations on keeping and disposing of the creature.

One night in late July, all 39 students, their parents and teachers at Ibaruma Junior High School in the northern part of Ishigakijima gathered in the school gym for a special lesson on cane toads.

Equipped with flashlights, work gloves and plastic bags, they were scheduled to go out and catch the unwelcome toads later that night for the first time.

Itsuha Katsube, an official with the Ministry of Environment Ishigaki Ranger Office, opened the session by explaining the life of the amphibian.

"Cane toads across Ishigakijima island devour the equivalent of 600 kilograms of insects a month," Katsube said. "One toad lays a whopping 10,000-50,000 eggs at a time."

When they went outside, a girl cried, "I've found one!" A flashlight caught the animal sitting in the grass.

The cane toad moved to flee when boys rushed to it. But it was so big and slow that it was easily caught. Twenty-six cane toads were captured in an hour of hunting.

Cane toads were apparently introduced to Ishigakijima around 1978 from Minami-Daitojima island, more than 700 km away.

Shigeru Nakama, who works for a company in the sugar cane industry in Minami-Daitojima, recalls a visitor from Ishigakijima.

"A person in the sugar-refining business came over one day and captured several cane toads and scooped tadpoles in a pond in order to get them to remove insects damaging sugar canes," Nakama said.

Cane toads can be seen around Ishigakijima throughout the year. They are very active in summer and come out from their habitats at night.

On Aug. 9, the island started a full-fledged campaign to cull the amphibian, with many islanders joining the effort.

Collection boxes were placed at 12 locations for islanders to dispose of their catches.

The first such effort last fall culminated in the capture of 2,582 cane toads in just two weeks. The number totaled about 3,200 in one year.

This summer, 5,097 were caught between Aug. 9 and Aug. 31.

While the eradication campaign is designed to preserve the ecosystem of Ishigakijima, it also has a growing urgency to prevent cane toads from reaching neighboring islands.

Ishigakijima, about 410 km southwest of the prefectural capital of Naha, is a hub for ships traveling on to Taketomijima island, Hatomajima island and other islands in the Yaeyama island chain.

Cane toads could potentially become mixed in with cargo bound for the other islands.

The ministry last year hired Katsube, who has studied amphibians, to lead efforts to cull the creatures.

The island deemed most vulnerable to an explosion in cane toad population is Iriomotejima, a 40-minute trip by boat from Ishigakijima, with which it has a steady flow of people and cargo.

The survival of the Iriomote yamaneko, a critically endangered species, could be further threatened.

Iriomotejima confirmed the presence of a cane toad for the first time in 1986. The amphibian has been sighted almost every year since 2000.

One island where the poisonous toads are welcomed is Minami-Daitojima, a habitat for cane toads since before World War II.

Many islanders say they would be in trouble with more insect pests if not for the cane toad.

Sugar cane cultivation accounts for 90 percent of the island's agricultural produce.

Locust outbreaks are a much greater source of fear for farmers than cane toads.

Records show that a plague of grasshoppers in the early Showa Era (1926-1989) forced islanders to toil day and night for three days to eradicate the insect pest.

In recent years, swarms of locusts have devoured sugar cane crops.

Kazuaki Higashi, an official with expert knowledge of the flora and fauna of the island, says any attempt to stamp out the amphibian could end up harming the ecosystem of the island.

Higashi works at Shima Marugoto Kan, a facility to explain the island's culture and history.

"Three species of the amphibian here were all introduced from elsewhere," he said. "If they were gone, it would give a rise to the number of bugs, destroying the ecosystem that was established in the pioneering days of the island."

http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200909140041.html

EAST HAMPTON PRESS (New York) 14 September 09 South Forks Outdoors (Mike Bottini)

Last week I received an e-mail from Luke Ormand, an environmental analyst with the Town of Brookhaven who has worked on conservation projects involving some of Long Island’s mole salamanders, specifically spotted and tiger salamanders. Attached to the e-mail were several photos taken over Labor Day weekend of salamander larvae from a Southampton site. Luke could not positively identify most of the larvae; those that he could were spotted salamanders.

He needed help identifying the rest.

Identifying the larval forms of salamander species—as well as many other wildlife species—is difficult. Even some of the experts prefer to wait until they metamorphose into their adult forms before making appositive ID. That can be done by periodically revisiting the pond, or in this case, permission was granted to take six individuals to the South Fork Natural History Museum for observation.

Having participated in many late winter and early spring surveys of salamander breeding ponds (when we searched for adults and egg masses) and early summer seines of those ponds (when we were looking for the larvae just before metamorphosing and leaving the ponds), I assumed all these species had adapted to Long Island’s fairly regular summer drought, and would have left the temporary pools of water before they completely dried out in early August. So I was surprised to learn that spotted salamanders were still in their larval form over the Labor Day weekend.

Other more knowledgeable naturalists with a keen interest in herps, including Chris Chapin and Andy Sabin, were not. Chris mentioned finding young, recently metamorphosed spotted and tiger salamanders in the Sag Harbor area in August. And he pointed out that this year’s unusual cold, wet spring and early summer could have delayed the transformation from aquatic larva to terrestrial adult.

Researchers in nearby Rhode Island found that the larvae’s development did not follow a rigid timeline. Although emigration from the vernal ponds began around mid-July and most juveniles were in the adjacent forest floor by mid-August most years, if food—tiny freshwater copepods and water fleas—was plentiful and water levels adequate, the larvae would prolong their metamorphosis, opting to leave the aquatic environment later in the year as larger, more robust terrestrial juveniles. In the case of a site fed by spring water that never completely froze or dried up, larvae would overwinter, delaying transformation until spring when they would exit the pond.

On the other hand, if pond water levels drop precipitously or food supply dwindles, the larvae can accelerate metamorphosis, averting potential disaster and emerging earlier as smaller juveniles.

In their terrestrial form, the salamanders occupy the leaf litter and subterranean passages made by burrowing organisms, consuming a wide variety of soil invertebrates: earthworms, slugs, beetles, spiders and insects. A newly transformed spotted salamander is approximately 2.5 inches in length. Juveniles spend several years beneath the forest floor before reaching sexual maturity—two years for males and three for females—and returning to the breeding pond.

Because of their fossorial habits, most researchers never encounter juveniles. And despite their size, up to 9 inches in length, and 10-year lifespan, most researchers only see the adults when they are in the breeding ponds in early spring. Their habit of remaining underground, along with tiger, marbled, and blue-spotted salamanders, gave rise to their group name: the mole salamanders.

For more information about spotted salamanders, visit the South Fork Natural History Museum in Bridgehampton, or the following website: http://www.uri.edu/cels/nrs/paton/LH_spotted_sal.html.

http://www.27east.com/story_detail.cfm?id=233884

ORLANDO SENTINEL (Florida) 14 September 09 Snake's alive — somewhere in the office (Sherry Boas)

Many people don't like snakes, but I'm not one of them. I think snakes are beautiful, interesting and beneficial animals with skin that's surprisingly smooth and cool to the touch. But just because I like snakes doesn't mean I don't get startled if I come upon one unexpectedly — for instance, curled up on the hallway rug.

"Quick!" shouted my husband, "there's a snake in the house! It just went behind the bookshelf."

Sure enough, some sort of slithering being was indeed inside our house. I saw it with my own eyes even though I was, at the time, not wearing my glasses or, for that matter, much of anything else. In response to the seriousness of my husband's tone, I ran out of my office fast enough to see the snake retreat into an extremely narrow space behind a tall oak bookshelf.

"Open the door," Ralph commanded. "Let's try to scoot him outside."

This might be a good time to note that snakes that happen to wander into human habitats are not usually cooperative when said humans are trying to corral and catch them. The snake in our hallway reacted the way any self-protecting reptile might respond in a similar situation: It disappeared.

It's amazing how fast these creatures without feet can move. One minute it was calmly resting on the rug. The next minute it had wedged itself into a finger-wide slit between the wall and the bookshelf. Not that either of us was about to stick a finger into that slit. We were too smart for that; we used a stick instead. Unfortunately, the first stick we could put our hands on was too thick to fit far enough into the space to prod the snake out of hiding. All the stick probably did was frighten the poor thing more than two screaming humans already had done.

"Get a flashlight," Ralph directed, in the hope that illuminating the area would shed some light on what we should try next.

I ran into the kitchen and pulled open drawers. We had to have at least one working flashlight. By the time I returned to the hallway with a dimly lighted bulb, the snake had already removed itself from its hiding place and was heading toward the bedroom.

"Shut the door!" I heard myself scream. A snake in the hallway was one thing, but one in the bedroom was quite another. Ralph slammed the door in time to prevent the snake from entering our sleeping quarters, but in that particular part of the hallway there are two other doors, and both were still open. I closed the door to the bathroom but wasn't fast enough to shut the one to Ralph's office.

Some people have offices with smooth, uncluttered surfaces. My husband's office is not like that. His 9-by-12-foot nook looks more like a depository of recycled boxes and assorted electronic equipment than the efficient workroom it actually is. Floor-to-ceiling shelves line the walls with piles of paper on every surface. Add to that a labyrinth of cords and wires weaving their way over, under and around and you have what may appear — at least in the eyes of a pursued snake — to be a hiding-place bonanza.

Our hope of capturing the serpent vanished as we watched it slip effortlessly behind a stack of cardboard boxes. It might have been possible to empty out Ralph's office — dismantle the shelves, untwist the wires, move out the desks — but the thought of doing so was too overwhelming to consider.

Our decision was clear: We'd live with the snake.

It has been more than a week since the snake incident, and we have seen neither hide nor hair — I mean, skin or scale — of it. I assume it slithered out of the house the same way it slithered in — undetected. Snakes can fit through incredibly small spaces.

It's a good thing that Ralph and I like snakes. If we didn't, this whole snake-in-the-house incident could have resulted in a prolonged hotel stay, an expensive extermination fee or a series of costly visits to a therapist. Instead, it gave us yet another story of a close encounter with the animal world. As long as it doesn't decide to slither its way into the bedroom, I'm feeling good.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/lake/orl-lklake-simply-living-091409091409sep14,0,5220908.column

THE TELEGRAPH (London, UK) 14 September 09 Snake with foot found in China - A snake with a single clawed foot has been discovered in China, according to reports.

Photo: Snake that grew a foot out of its body (CEN/Europics)

Dean Qiongxiu, 66, said she discovered the reptile clinging to the wall of her bedroom with its talons in the middle of the night.

"I woke up and heard a strange scratching sound. I turned on the light and saw this monster working its way along the wall using his claw," said Mrs Duan of Suining, southwest China.

Mrs Duan said she was so scared she grabbed a shoe and beat the snake to death before preserving its body in a bottle of alcohol.

The snake – 16 inches long and the thickness of a little finger – is now being studied at the Life Sciences Department at China's West Normal University in Nanchang.

Snake expert Long Shuai said: "It is truly shocking but we won't know the cause until we've conducted an autopsy."

A more common mutation among snakes is the growth of a second head, which occurs in a similar way to the formation of Siamese twins in humans.

Such animals are often caught and preserved as lucky tokens but have very little chance of surviving in the wild anyway, especially as the heads have a tendency to attack each other.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/6187320/Snake-with-foot-found-in-China.html

HAMBURGER ABENDBLATT (Germany) 14 September 09 Vögel verschmähen ungewöhnlich gefärbte Waldsalamander

Nordamerikanische Blauhäher handeln nach dem Motto: Was der Vogel nicht kennt, frisst er auch nicht.

Aus einer Gruppe von Salamandern picken sich die Räuber gerne diejenigen Individuen heraus, die eine besonders häufig vorkommende Zeichnung haben - und ignorieren anders gefärbte Beutetiere der gleichen Art, selbst wenn diese deutlicher zu sehen sind.

Benjamin Fitzpatrick von der University of Tennessee in Knoxville glaubt, dass die jeweils seltenere Variante von den Vögeln schlichtweg übersehen wird, weil diese sich bei der Beutejagd auf bekannte Muster verlassen. Weil so die jeweils rare Salamander-Version (Plethodon cinereus) häufiger überlebt, bieten beide Farbvarianten zu bestimmten Zeiten einen Vorteil, erklären die Forscher im Fachjournal "BMC Ecology". Bislang rätselten die Biologen darüber, warum Rotrücken-Waldsalamander überhaupt in zwei verschiedenen Streifenvarianten vorkommen.

Manche Individuen dieser in nordamerikanischen Wäldern lebenden Art tragen einen rotbraunen Streifen auf dem Rücken, während die übrigen Exemplare einheitlich dunkel- bis schwarzbraun gefärbt sind. Nun bietet die Theorie von den konservativen Essgewohnheiten der Vögel eine Erklärung. Haben die Vögel die Wahl zwischen Individuen mit oder ohne roten Streifen auf der Haut, wählen sie immer diejenigen Reptilien, die in der Überzahl sind.

http://www.abendblatt.de/ratgeber/wissen/article1182281/Voegel-verschmaehen-ungewoehnlich-gefaerbte-Waldsalamander.html

TENCENT TIMES / 腾讯网 (China) 14 September 09 蛇身上长了一只“脚” (汪仁洪）

9日凌晨1时许，夜深人静，屋内沙沙作响。“不好，有贼—— ”主人拉亮电灯， 眼前一幕让人倒抽一口凉气：墙壁上爬着一条长着脚的蛇，这脚死死抓住墙壁，头还翘首望着主人……去年和今年夏天，遂宁市仁里镇灵泉路422号段琼秀家怪事连连，各种大小不一的蛇频频不期而至。蛇为何频繁在段琼秀家出没？蛇为什么长脚？一时间，仁里镇居民众说纷纭，莫衷一是。

老房抓“贼”原是一条蛇

仁里镇位于遂宁市近郊，灵泉路系仁里镇的老街，房子多已改造成水泥砖瓦房，但段琼秀家仍是解放前修的木屋。“木屋虽然陈旧，但冬暖夏凉，我很喜欢住在这里。”66岁的段琼秀身体很好，平时性格也很乐观，说起她的老房子，她脸上总露出把它当成宝贝的神色。

8日晚上10点多钟，外面暴热，而段琼秀家里颇为凉快，于是段琼秀早早上床睡觉，很快她就进入了梦乡。9日凌晨一点多钟，一阵“沙、沙、沙—— ”的声音，把段琼秀惊醒。 在万籁俱寂的深夜，这声音格外令人恐惧。“不好，有贼—— ”段琼秀心里“咯噔”一跳， 但想到左右都有邻居， 马上冷静下来，悄悄把手伸向电灯开关，迅即拉亮电灯后高声呼喊“抓贼呀”。

段琼秀环顾四周，空无一人。但是，床前墙壁上的新情况，令段琼秀倒抽一口凉气：墙壁上爬着一条长着脚的蛇，这脚死死抓住墙壁，或许是忽然一亮的灯光和主人的吼声，把它也吓着了，它的头还翘首望着主人呢！

惊奇发现这蛇竟有只“脚”

发现有脚的蛇后，段琼秀壮着胆子将其打死。段家发现有脚蛇的消息传开后，9日、10日，前来参观的市民络绎不绝。段琼秀用筷子把蛇从酒瓶夹出来。这条蛇有40厘米长，小手指拇粗，全身只长了一只脚，脚就长在离它头部15厘米的身上，脚有两厘米长，脚还有4个爪子。看见这一条长脚的怪蛇，没有人不惊呼的。

到底何故？专家也很诧异

蛇为什么长脚？昨日下午，记者就相关问题咨询西华师范大学生命科学院院长周才全。作为资深专家，周老师也从来没有见过长一只脚的蛇，他对此非常诧异。

昨日下午，受周院长委托，他的学生、遂宁某单位技术人员龙帅赶到段琼秀家。龙帅观察后认为，由于此蛇还处于亚成体状态(未长大)，且被酒浸泡，色泽有了变化，是什么蛇还需进一步研究，“蛇的脚是怎么回事？只要把蛇解剖后分析研究，就能弄清楚了。”对于蛇为何频繁在段琼秀家出没，龙帅认为，段琼秀家阴暗潮湿，又是老房子，这正是蛇喜欢的环境。

http://tech.qq.com/a/20090914/000137.htm

BRUNEI TIMES (Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam) 13 September 09 Killer Croc At Large (Liza Mohd)

Bandar Seri Begawan: Two large crocodiles were captured and cut open yesterday morning, six days into the hunt for a 41-year-old man identified as Awg Tuah bin Yahya believed to have been killed by a crocodile when fishing and remains missing since Monday.

However, police confirmed that that no human remains were found inside any of the two freshwater crocodiles captured using cow lungs and chicken as bait set up since Friday evening at 5pm.

The findings have created quite a spectacle among the public who flocked to the Mumong sewerage plant area in Kuala Belait to catch a glimpse of the killer reptiles.

ASP Haji Azree bin Haji Abdul Manaf reported at about 2.15am, a male crocodile measuring 12 feet six inches ate the bait set up within a 2-3-km distance away from the location where the victim was attacked. The crocodile was discovered and hauled out by three local civilians who are also involved in the search and rescue operation.

About seven hours after the first capture, the team further caught a female crocodile measuring 8 feet 10 inches. It took several men to haul the reptile to the riverbank.

Both the crocodiles were sliced open at a secluded area near the riverbank yesterday morning at 10.45am and the team found only a dead cat inside the male crocodile, indicating that both crocodiles are not the ones that mauled the victim, said ASP Haji Azree.

Nevertheless, the search and rescue will continue for seven to 10 days since the victim has been reported drowned and after that authorities will just carry out normal boat patrol.

For five days, firefighters and the army carried out boat patrol while Marine police divers hunted for the victim or any crocodile fitting the description of the reptile that attacked the victim.

After me mute search, the search party used the baits tied around floaters allocated about 1-2 km along the river towards direction of the sea. Continuous prayers and doa were also recited at the area during the search. A similar search along Tanjong Panjang River in Tutong is still ongoing for the missing 4-year-old boy reported to have been snatched by a crocodile two days after the incident in Kuala Belait on Wednesday evening.

As the search in Tutong shows no progress, the same method of baiting the crocodiles may be applied, said ASP Haji Azree. Talks are also underway to build a parameter or signboards in the river vicinity to warn people of the risk of fishing or netting for shrimps at the river due to fatal crocodile attacks.

http://www.brudirect.com/index.php/200909126539/Second-Stories/killer-croc-at-large.html

INTERNATIONAL NEWS (Karachi, Pakistan) 13 September 09 Report slams NIHS snake catching methods (Jan Khaskheli)

Karachi: A report jointly prepared by Snake Research Academy (SRA) and University of Sindh, Jamshoro (SUJ) has slammed the snake catching methodology of the National Institute of Health Sciences (NIHS), Islamabad.

The authors of the report, Prof. Dr Ghulam Sarwar Gachal of SUJ and Snake Research Academy (SRA) Project Manager Tanveer Ahmed Shaikh, had both recently undertaken a visit to NIHS to observe the methodology of extracting venom employed, and to initiate interaction and exchange expertise to save snake species. However, they returned with unfavorable impressions.

They said that Sindh contributes 2,000 venomous snakes annually to fulfill the entire NIHS requirement of extract venom to manufacture anti-snake bite vaccines (ASVs). To achieve this purpose, NIHS had hired traditional snake charmers to catch poisonous reptiles from the wild and hand it over to them. The two researchers however maintained that this was an unscientific methodology for extracting venom.

The report said that when the researchers observed NIHS officials extracting venom, they realised that the methodology being employed was traditional and unscientific. The researchers alleged that NIHS personnel extract venom from the snakes after every 15 days, and continue doing so till the reptile dies.

It is worth remembering here that NIHS produces between 30,000 and 32,000 vaccines annually. Each vaccine contains 10ml, and is sold at a fixed price of Rs700.

The report warned that if the NIHS continues to apply its method of catching poisonous snakes and killing them for extracting venom, Sindh will be deprived of its natural species within three years.

The researchers further observed that the unavailability of a natural environment for reptiles at NIHS Snake House was deplorable, and this situation needed to be rectified. At the moment, the report said, snakes were kept in cages in a large room without proper environment and temperature according to their natural niches.

NIHS Principal Scientific Officer Nasreen Naumani told the two researchers that besides snake charmers, there are a sufficient number of people who catch reptiles and sell them at cheap prices. She added that whenever they need snakes they get them through their network.

Shaikh disagreed with this approach, and told The News that the most venomous and precious snake called Indian Krait, which is locally famous as Sindh Krait, is no longer found in many natural habitats of Sindh. Apart from this, other venomous species Cobra, Russell Wiper and Echis Wiper have also become rare in the province.

The SRA has initiated meetings with the public sector universities of Sindh to encourage research on indigenous snakes. SRA officials claim that the government currently spends millions of rupees to import ASV, which is sold at a price which common people could not afford. Due to this, snake charmers suck poison out immediately to provide relief to the patients. However, some times the delay in receiving proper treatment results in the death of patients.

The SRA, which runs a Snake Farm and Snake Bite Treatment Center near Nasarpur Town, Tando Allahyar, plans to establish an ASV manufacturing unit in Hyderabad so as to cater to the need of these vaccines in Sindh, and to provide quick treatment to the patients.

Realising the beliefs of locals, SRA has also hired spiritual healers at their snake bite treatment centre, while allopathic, homeopathic, and herbal practitioners continue to treat and provide quick relief to patients.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/print1.asp?id=198207

THE COLUMBIAN (Vancouver, Washington) 13 September 09 Study: Urbanization appears to have impact on amphibians in county (Erik Robinson)

An ever-expanding human population appears to be squeezing Clark County's population of amphibians, according to a two-year baseline study undertaken by volunteers.

More than 100 volunteers waded through ponds and bogs across the county in the late winter and spring of 2008 and 2009. Peter Ritson, a chemistry instructor at Clark College, worked with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to organize the study.

Volunteers noted a dearth of red-legged frogs and northwestern salamanders, which require deeper water connected to upland forests.

"These data do suggest that levels of urbanization around a breeding site may affect the presence and abundance of amphibian species with stricter habitat requirements," the report concluded.

The goal was to establish a county database for native amphibians. Target species included the western toad, northern red-legged frog, northwestern salamanders, long-toed salamanders and Pacific chorus frog.

Volunteers set out to examine 53 sites throughout the county, many of them on private land.

Ritson said many landowners agreed to participate in the project because they care about the environment, yet they would have been wary of allowing state biologists onto their property.

"They're interested in maintaining the natural qualities of their land," he said.

Others, such as Hazel Dell volunteer Elizabeth Koch, thought it would be a good opportunity to learn about the environment by studying it directly. Koch and her 16-year-old son conducted surveys of a wetland area in Jorgenson Park, near their house.

"I've been sort of protective of the wetland with my kids," she said.

Koch, who's lived near the park for 12 years, said she saw the amphibian survey as an opportunity to raise public awareness about how interconnected wetlands are to the subdivisions surrounding them. The data suggest it could be important to conserve not only the wetlands themselves, but also conserve forested upland areas where amphibians such as red-legged frogs spend much of their adult life.

Even though the number of amphibians seemed to decline near urban areas, Ritson said he was heartened to see at least a few amphibians discovered virtually everywhere.

For example, volunteers discovered egg masses of red-legged frogs in the wetland mitigation area sprawling around the intersection of Andresen Road and state Highway 500. Ritson said the same could not be said in similar sites surveyed in some other Portland suburbs, including Hillsboro and Gresham.

Ritson makes it clear that the survey is not comprehensive and merely represents a snapshot in time. But it's a start.

"I don't really have an agenda," Ritson said. "My agenda is to get the information out there."

http://columbian.com/article/20090914/NEWS02/709149955/-1/NEWS

BRUNEI TIMES (Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam) 13 September 09 Keeping A Safe Distance From River (Azlan Othman)

Bandar Seri Begawan: As the search for a missing 41-year-old man and a four-year-old boy snatched by crocodiles in separate attacks continues, police yesterday urged the public not to carry out activities in rivers where crocodiles tend to lurk and to keep their distance from areas infested with crocodiles.

The public should be cautious, alert, not to be ignorant and to avoid swimming and fishing in rivers.

In the span of one week, two crocodile attacks were recorded at two separate places and snatched a 41-yearold man and a four-year-old boy in the river at Mumong sewerage plant in Belait and at the river in Tanjong Panjang, Lubok Pukat in Tutong.

Awg Tuah b Yahya, 41, was pulled underWater by a crocodile while he was fishing in the river on Monday. The second attack occurred on Wednesday, when Sharizan Anak Sumua was dragged away by a crocodile while bathing with his father and siblings in another river.

The police also advised parents to scrutinise and supervise their children and urged them not to play near the river.

http://brudirect.com/index.php/200909126572/Local-News/keeping-a-safe-distance-from-river.html

BEIJING YOUTH DAILY /北京青年报 (China) 13 September 09 四川老宅出现长脚蛇续： 专家称可能是返祖现象 (记者汪仁洪)

遂宁长脚的蛇是返祖现象?下周解剖望揭开谜团

遂宁市仁里镇灵泉路422号段琼秀家，出现一条长脚的蛇，当地居民众说纷纭，莫衷一是，长脚的蛇也引起读者和专家的广泛关注。

蛇为什么长脚？这是不是蛇的脚？是蛇出现返祖现象？对此，西华师大教授和省林业厅专家的意见出现较大分歧。昨日下午，中央电视台《走进科学》栏目致电本报，表达了对长脚的蛇的浓厚兴趣。

西华师大教授：此脚非蛇脚

在遂宁市环保局工作的龙帅，是西华师范大学生命科学院野生动物保护专业硕士毕业生，他对蛇有一定研究。龙帅到达现场后，用手触摸该怪蛇的蛇身和脚，感受到蛇身和脚手感有明显差别，龙帅初步认为，此脚很可能非蛇之脚，乃其他动物的脚……

龙帅把照片传给他的导师、西华师范大学生命科学院院长周才全教授。周院长详细询问情况，仔细观察照片。最后，周院长得出结论：此蛇为赤炼蛇，这条赤炼蛇身上的脚非蛇之脚，乃其他爬行类动物的脚。

其他爬行类动物的脚怎么“长”到蛇身上去了？周院长分析，这条赤炼蛇捕捉了一只个头较大的、有脚的爬行类动物（如四脚蛇、蛤蟆、蜥蜴），由于这条赤炼蛇个头太小，在吞噬有脚的爬行类动物时，爬行类动物锋利的爪指撑破了蛇的肚子，爬行类动物的一只脚刚好从蛇肚皮上伤口伸出来。

然而，周院长的观点又难以解释这些问题：撑破肚子，蛇为何还能存活下来？爬行类动物的脚和赤炼蛇蛇身为何衔接得天衣无缝？赤炼蛇对外来的脚为何没有排斥性反应？

林业厅专家：一种返祖现象

“长脚的蛇”也引起林业部门的关注。遂宁市林业局森警支队支队长补志强将此事向省林业厅报告，并将“长脚的蛇”的照片传给四川省林业厅野生动物保护处的专家。

“此蛇为锦蛇。”昨日上午，四川省林业厅野生动物保护处的专家向遂宁方面阐释了他们的观点：蛇的祖先是爬行类的四足动物，也就是说，蛇本来是长四只脚的，但是随着蛇类的进化，蛇的脚在逐渐退化，并进化成现在“无脚”的模样……可以推断出这条长脚的蛇是一种几率非常小的返祖现象。

《走进科学》栏目：期望揭开谜团

西华师范大学生命科学院的周老师称：是蛇自己长的脚，还是其他爬行类动物的脚，只要把蛇解剖后分析研究，就能弄清楚了。遂宁市林业局森警支队支队长补志强说，说遇见长脚的蛇会倒霉、说蛇多的地方不吉利……这纯属迷信，这些说法毫无科学依据。

“这脚是蛇自己长的，还是其他爬行类动物的脚，我们都要用科学的观点来解释、来看待，科学一定能帮助我们解开这个谜的。”昨日下午，中央电视台《走进科学》栏目记者于海波致电本报，表达了该栏目对长脚的蛇的浓厚兴趣。于海波表示，将在近期到遂宁采访此事，以揭开蛇长脚之谜。

目前，段琼秀仍将长脚的蛇浸泡在酒里。下周专业人士将对其解剖。

http://china.ynet.com/view.jsp?oid=56077620

BRUNEI TIMES (Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam) 12 September 09 Crocodile Attacks: Call For Safety Campaigns (Genevieve Tan)

Bandar Seri Begawan: Commenting on recent crocodile attacks, the Director of the Tourism Development Department Sheikh Jamaluddin Sheikh Mohamed told The Brunei Times that more should be done to keep the public safe from such unfortunate incidents.

He said, crocodile attack cases may worsen if nothing is done since more crocodiles will breed over time. Awareness campaigns to educate the public of the danger of crocodiles may be conducted, but at the same time, people should also be taught to appreciate and respect this species.

The Director is. in fact, proud to tell tourists that they can see crocodiles in abundance in Brunei rivers saying that it shows that the country is rich with flora and fauna. "They do not have to go for a two-hour journey to see wildlife."

The Tourism Department may also initiate a night crocodile spotting trip in the future said Sheikh Jamaluddin. When asked whether implementing such an idea is dangerous, he replied that one should be safe so long as one does not jump into the waters.

Locals and tourists visiting Brunei for its natural attractions have, however raised their concerns over the safety of Brunei waters due to the recent attacks.

In Brunei to explore nature, Geraldine Watson is now skeptical of participating in any water activities fearing that she may be the next victim. "I am no crocodile hunter like Steve Irwin, so I am not going to risk putting my life straight into a crocodile's mouth," she joked, though acknowledging that adventure entails danger.

Saying that she is still weighing the consequences, Geraldine is of the opinion that it is better for one to "play safe" and to return home to the UK "in one piece", despite the fact that she nay be missing the thrills and excitements from a Brunei river excursion.

Having read of two recent crocodile attacks reported in the newspapers, local member of the public Talia Nuraini Hj Rabu said that 'questions have been running through her mind". She would like to know the reason for the sudden attacks that occurred one after the other in so short a time.

Justifying her curiosity, Talia recalled that Bandar had previously been "invaded" by large numbers of moths and cicadas for ".some unknown reasons". She said. "Insect invasion is still acceptable since it is harmless, however, crocodile attacks aren't," she said.

Elly Chang Siaw ping on the ether hand believes that crocodile attacks are, in fact, not new. It is not at all surprising" for a country like Brunei so rich with nature, to face attacks from wildlife. "There are so many people living near jungles and it is a common sight for them to even see snakes attacking animal life, so what more people;' she said.

The 29-year-old from Jerudong also told The Brunei Times that there might have been previous similar cases that were unreported, dismissing the hype about recent crocodile attacks as mere "sensationalisation" by the media.

http://www.brudirect.com/index.php/200909116489/Local-News/crocodile-attacks-call-for-safety-campaigns.html

TIMES OF INDIA (New Delhi) 12 September 09 This Bronzeback likes frogs

Panaji (TNN): Researchers documenting reptiles and amphibians (herpetofauna) in the wilds of Mhadei wildlife sanctuary witnessed a rare sight of a Boulenger's Bronzeback tree snake trapping a Malabar gliding frog on a tree recently, but taxonomists are yet to learn about its proper eating habits.

Indian Bronzeback tree snake is a common species, but Boulenger's Bronzeback (Dendrelaphis bifrenalis) - also found in Sri Lanka - is known from a handful of locations in the western ghats, including Mhadei wildlife sanctuary in Goa, Anshi national park in Karnataka and forests of Amboli and Matheran in Maharashtra, and is in a state of classification.

"Though Boulenger's Bronzeback is found here, more research is needed to tally specimens from regions in India and Sri Lanka," says Nirmal Kulkarni, a researcher on herpetofauna. After Kulkarni and Namdeo Gaonkar sighted the Boulenger's tree snake trailing the Malabar gliding female frog (Rhacophorous Malabaricus) on a wild jamun tree, they thought it fit not to disturb its natural behaviour. "We did all observations using a pair of binoculars and an SLR with a zoom lens attached to it," Kulkarni said. The snake gulped the amphibian head first and took just over an hour to complete its meal, he informed.

The documentary evidence of the snake (and its prey) was dispatched to Madras Crocodile Bank and Indian Herpetological Society, Pune for confirmation whether the snake is Boulenger's. "Confirmation has come that it is indeed Boulenger's," Kulkarni said.

But behaviourial habits of Boulenger's found in western ghats and its prey base have not been documented. "More studies are required to tally it with its Sri Lanka counterpart and complete the classification process," he said. "At least, now the researchers know that it also feeds on frogs."

The Mhadei region, along the trail of River Mhadei, spans border areas of Goa, Maharashtra and Karnataka and many rare and endemic species have been reported in this region and is part of the global biodiversity hotspot of the western ghats.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/goa/This-Bronzeback-likes-frogs/articleshow/5000586.cms

TIMES OF INDIA (New Delhi) 12 September 09 White crocodile as mascot for National Youth Festival

Bhubaneswar (PTI): Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik has zeroed in on 'Gori', the female white crocodile, for the mascot of the National Youth Festival (NYF), 2010.

Patnaik while chairing the first preparatory meeting for the festival scheduled to be held here from January 8 to 12 next, suggested name of the 34-year-old Gori, inhabiting the Bhitarakanika National Park in Kendrapara district, as the mascot.

The world's first captive white crocodile, Gori, the about 20 feet long reptile, was considered as an angry croc as she had refused mating all along her life.

"Gori had left at least three male white crocodiles injured when attempts were made for mating", wildlife department sources said.

The female reptile had also sustained injury on her left eye during a clash with a male crocodile in 1998. Three unsuccessful attempts were made for mating with Gori in 1994, 1995 and 1998, the sources said.

While many at the meeting were of the view to make the world famous Sun Temple at Konark Temple as the mascot, Patnaik stressed on the white crocodile as many other national and international sporting events in the past had used animals as mascot.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/india/White-crocodile-as-mascot-for-National-Youth-Festival/articleshow/5003177.cms

THE STAR (Petaling Jaya, Malaysia) 12 September 09 Youths’ close encounter with turtles (Allison Lai)

Alor Gajah: A total of 50 youths from Malacca and Muar in Johor had the chance to experience nature up close when they spent a day at the Turtle Hatchery and Sanctuary Centre in Padang Kemunting, Pengkalan Balak here recently.

Organised by Kota Melaka Rotaract Club (RCKM), the event helped to create better awareness among youth on the importance of protecting marine turtles, in particular Malaysia’s critically endangered Hawksbill turtle.

The youths, between 13 and 30 years old, also did their bit for the environment by cleaning up the centre and surrounding beach in a gotong-royong.

RCKM programme co-ordinator Wee Yik Chuang said that such field trips allowed the younger generation to get first-hand knowledge on efforts to conserve one of the country’s natural treasures.

Youths looking at the fresh water terrapins at the sanctuary.

The club would make it a point to organise such study trips every year to better expose the younger generation to the importance of conserving nature and the turtles, he said when met here recently.

He said the youths also listened to a talk and briefing by the centre chief Hamzah Abu Bakar who later fielded questions.

They then visited the exhibition hall displaying information on turtle species found along the coasts of Malaysia and the threats faced by the marine animals.

The highlight of the trip was a chance to see two live Hawksbill turtles and several freshwater terrapins housed in specially built pools, before visiting the turtle hatchery farm located nearby.

Form Four student from SMK Gajah Berang, M. Sockalingam said he gained a lot of valuable knowledge from the visit and talks.

“I learnt a lot today from the audio and visual presentation. Most of all, I am really happy to be able to finally see a live Hawksbill turtle and even saw its hatchlings,” he said.

For 19-year-old Lim Su Ann from Bukit Baru, she said learning about the negative impact of eating turtle eggs was an important message that she would be spreading to others following her trip here.

The turtle hatchery and sanctuary in Padang Kemunting was founded in 1989 and is one of the country’s main nesting and hatchery for Hawksbill turtles.

http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/9/12/southneast/4647614&sec=southneast

MORNING CALL (Allentown, Pennsylvania) 12 September 09 Expert says big gator a first for the Allentown area - Other reptiles have been found before in the Lehigh Valley but not one this size, he says. (Manuel Gamiz Jr.)

In more than three decades of helping area municipalities corral the creepiest of creatures, Gary Lee, a local reptile expert and retired middle school science teacher, has never seen an alligator as big as the one caught Wednesday in Allentown's Jordan Park.

In some cases, Lee has brought smaller abandoned gators to his Emmaus home and let them roam around his living room with his dogs.

However, Wednesday's 6-foot gator got a room of his own.

''When they get that big, they can be clumsy and bump into things and knock things over,'' he said. ''I just wanted to try to keep it warm and try to minimize the stress on the animal.''

The following day, Lee moved it to a more tranquil environment -- a reptile farm in Marshalls Creek, Monroe County, where visitors will be able to see the animal that stunned local residents and left many wondering how an animal that size ended up just yards from a youth baseball field.

The alligator -- weighing in at 50 pounds, not 130 as previously reported -- could have easily survived for some time, feasting on vines and other vegetation, fish and small animals, maybe even cats and dogs, Lee said.

However, he doesn't think this alligator could have reached its full potential growth of 14 feet, at least not on a Lehigh Valley diet.

''It can get to that size, maybe in the southern part of the United States,'' he said. ''They can do well in warm and even medium weather, but they don't survive in the cold weather, down into the 30s.''

Allentown authorities say they may never know how the alligator, believed to be a male, made its way to Jordan Park.

Allentown police and animal control officers used snares to catch the alligator as it sunned itself on a bank of the Jordan Creek.

Lee said there are only two ways the alligator could have arrived at the park: It escaped from someone's home or, more likely, was released by an owner who no longer wanted to care for it.

Even with the slim chance the gator did escape, Lee said, no one is likely to claim it because owning one is illegal.

Ann Saurman, manager of the Recycling and Solid Waste Bureau, which oversees animal control in Allentown, says it is illegal in the city to own alligators and other exotic animals described as ''wild, fierce, dangerous, noxious or naturally inclined to cause harm.''

But such laws don't stop people from trying to keep illegal reptiles as pets.

In recent years, alligators and crocodiles have been captured in Northampton County's Hanover Township, Bethlehem and Upper Macungie Township, but none has been longer than 4 feet.

In 30-plus years working with local municipalities, Lee said he has probably been involved in the capture of a dozen gators. In some cases, people have called him directly to say they want to turn the animals over because they can no longer care for them, he said.

Lee said calling the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals instead of abandoning the animal can help get a gator a good home.

''You should never release one into the wild,'' Lee said. ''It is not fair to the animal and not fair to the public.''

http://www.mcall.com/news/all-a7_5gator.7018113sep12,0,7829605.story

SOUTHERN DAILY ECHO (Southampton, UK) 12 September 09 A snake in my van! (Will Carson)

A Boat Show driver got the shock of his life when he came to drop off his delivery – and found a 3ft python in his van.

The driver had been making the delivery to the Mayflower Park site on Thursday, as exhibitors were making their final preparations for the show’s opening.

Opening the doors to his van, the driver was amazed to see the snake – later identified as a rock python – lying among the items for delivery.

A boat show spokesman said: “A delivery man was making a drop to the show on Friday morning.

“He went to open the back doors of his van and there staring back at him was a 3ft rock python.

“He shut the door immediately and an announcement was put out on the show tannoy.

“A guy who was working for a logistics company happened to know all about snakes and answered the call.

“He picked it up, put it in a box and took it to the organisers’ office.

“The RSPCA were called and they came to pick it up later on in the day.”

He added that the snake had been taken to a local RSPCA centre, where it was said to be healthy.

“Rock pythons are constrictors,” he said.

“But only being 3ft long, the snake wasn’t a danger to anyone.

“It is a mystery as to how it got in the van – it certainly wasn’t the normal kind of boat show delivery!”

http://www.dailyecho.co.uk/news/4625912.A_snake_in_my_van_/

TAMPA TRIBUNE (Florida) 12 September 09 Large boa no longer roaming St. Pete streets

St. Petersburg: The 70-pound snake spotted slithering the streets of St. Pete was subdued Saturday.

The 11-foot reptile was captured across from Derby Lane dog track after a witness called the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Authorities called in trapper Vernon Yates, founder of Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation in Seminole, who hauled the beauty back to headquarters.

"In my 58 years of life, this is the biggest boa constrictor I've ever seen," Yates said. "You usually see a body like this on a python."

Yates, who needed assistance from two others to move the snake, said it was unfortunate the creature could not be kept in the wild, adding nonnative snakes "shouldn't be running loose." A permit is not required for boa constrictors.

The beefy snake has been in the wild for some time, Yates surmised.

"From his demeanor he's been loose for a long time," he said. "He does not like to be messed with at all."

In August, 12 pythons were seized from a New Port Richey home by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. In July, a pet Burmese python escaped from its cage in Sumter County and smothered a 2-year-old girl.

The incident gave new urgency to a bill U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson introduced this year to ban such exotic species. The commission lists Burmese pythons and reticulated pythons as reptiles of concern. Licenses are required to own and sell them.

The boa appears to in good health, said Yates, who wants to find it a good home.

"He's been living off of something mighty well out there," he said.

It was the second large-snake seizure in two days. On Friday, Delilah, an 18-foot-long, 400-plus-pound python who fed on rabbits in an Apopka-area backyard, was seized.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/sep/12/large-boa-no-longer-roaming-st-pete-streets/news-breaking/

TAHITI PRESSE (Papeete, France) 12 September 09 Au secours des tortues de Tikehau

Depuis 2006, un programme de conservation des tortues marines est expérimenté à Tikehau. La protection des tortues est confiée à la population de l'île, plus précisément à un "Gardien des Tortues" recruté parmi les pêcheurs locaux. Financé par le Ministère de l'Environnement, ce programme est mené par l'association Te Honu Tea, qui s'appuie sur l'association de protection de l'environnement Tikehau Te Ora et la mairie de Tikehau.

À Tikehau, c'est William Harrys, 59 ans, qui veille sur les tortues. Cet ancien chasseur de tortues –jusqu'à une certaine époque, la tortue se vendait librement sur le marché de Papeete – connaît parfaitement les mœurs de Chelonia mydas, la tortue verte, classée "en danger" par l'UICN. Il sait dater un nid, prévoir l'émergence des bébés-tortues et déceler les traces d'une tortue sur n'importe quel type de sol. Voir William décrire sans hésiter la trajectoire de la tortue sur la plage, là où l'on ne perçoit soi-même que des gros fragments de corail indifférenciés, blanchis par le soleil, est une expérience étonnante, et l'on se demande un instant s'il n'est pas un peu magicien.

Avec les années, William a pu constater qu'à Tikehau, les tortues venaient moins nombreuses, qu'elles étaient de plus en plus petites et que des plages autrefois connues pour être des sites de ponte importants n'accueillaient plus aucun nid... Aujourd'hui, au sein du programme "Gardiens des Tortues", il recense les nids, les protège jusqu'à l'éclosion, car les crabes, les rats, mais aussi l'homme se régalent des œufs, et veille à ce que les petites tortues trouvent le chemin de la mer.

En trois ans, le nombre de nids a augmenté de 300%.

http://www.tahitipresse.pf/2009/09/au-secours-des-tortues-de-tikehau/

PACKET & TIMES (Orillia, Ontario) 11 September 09 If looks could kill, hognose would be lethal snake (Mark Bisset is the executive director of the Couchiching Conservancy, a nonprofit, non-government land trust which holds important natural areas for future generations. For more information, go to www.couchconservancy.ca.)

If looks could kill, the dark-coloured snake at your feet would have dropped you like a stone in the first second of your encounter.

As it flattens out its head and neck and hisses, you scan your memory for news reports of an escaped cobra. A very puffed-up, escaped cobra, because the big snake in front of you has also expanded to an alarming degree.

But there's something not quite right about all of this, and while both your instincts and your intellect tell you to back slowly away, you can't help giving it a little prod with your sturdy walking stick.

And that's when the whole fearsome serpent thing turns into Mother Nature's best Monty Python skit.

The snake rolls over onto its back, opens its mouth, convulses a couple of times and "dies."

"You're not dead yet," you might be forgiven for saying, and having had your initial horror replaced with a growing sense of hilarity, you use your walking stick to roll the snake back onto its belly.

"Yes I am," the serpent seems to say, and he rolls over again.

You're on a first-name basis with the eastern hognose snake.

Much to the delight of local naturalists, the eastern hognose has been making regular appearances at one of the properties managed by the Couchiching Conservancy. These fascinating creatures are all-too-often persecuted and killed because their antics do exactly what they are intended to do: strike fear into those who meet them.

Unfortunately, humans are a dangerous lot when they're afraid, and the eastern hognose ends up being killed out of ignorance in too many chance encounters with people.

It's a shame, since the snake is completely harmless, unless you're a toad.

They very much enjoy toads. And the occasional frog. Young hognoses will sometimes dine on crickets and other insects. Note that people aren't on the menu. The hognose isn't venomous, either.

But its defensive adaptation has earned the eastern hognose a number of frightening names, like "Blower" and "Puff Adder."

That bad PR has had tragic consequences. As of 2007, the snake is listed as a threatened species in Ontario. Habitat fragmentation -- also a result of humans carving natural areas into ever-diminishing, isolated islands -- is another major cause of the decline of the eastern hognose, according to the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. These snakes travel a bit, and they often die under the wheels of a passing car.

To make matters worse, there are poachers out there who trade in illegal wildlife. The snake was first identified as a species of special concern in 1997. Within a few years, it was upgraded to threatened on the short classified continuum to extinction.

That's not at all funny, but increasingly, it is the fate of too many species, no matter how elaborate their defence mechanisms.

http://www.theobserver.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?archive=true&e=1750354

THE OBSERVER (Sarnia, Ontario) 11 September 09 Repeat turtle poacher nets 150 days in jail

A repeat poaching offender has netted himself a 150-day jail sentence after he was convicted of illegally hunting protected wildlife.

Pak Sun Chung, 56, from the Toronto area, was convicted on various charges that included violating a previous court order prohibiting him from capturing reptiles, amphibians and fish.

Court was told that an investigation was launched after Ministry of Natural Resources officials were alerted to ongoing turtle poaching in the Wallaceburg area.

On July 10, 2007, conservation officers came across Chung, who has three spotted turtles, a snapping turtle and 13 bullfrogs in his possession. The season for hunting these animals had closed and Chung also did not possess a fishing licence.

At the time the spotted turtle was deemed a specially-protected animal by the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, making it an offence to capture them.

Since June 2008, the spotted turtle is now listed as an endangered species.

Chung was convicted on four charges, pleading guilty to hunting protected wildlife, unlawfully possessing bullfrogs and snapping turtles, and violating a 15-year court order.

To report a natural resource violation, call 1-877-TIPS-MNR.

http://www.theobserver.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1749356

PRESS-ENTERPRISE (Riverside, California) 11 September 09 Army to move forward with tortoise relocation (David Danelski)

The U.S. Army has told the U.S. Bureau of Land Management it plans to move 90 imperiled tortoises from Fort Irwin next month, despite the bureau's position that it will not participate in the effort because of uncertainty over how many of the reptiles will survive.

John Wagstaffe, a Fort Irwin spokesman, said the Army will relocate the desert tortoises after it gets an OK from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The Army wants the tortoises cleared from 24,000 acres to make way for expanded training with tanks and other military vehicles.

Desert tortoises are threatened with extinction, and questions remain about whether moving them makes them more vulnerable to coyote attacks.

The Army suspended a tortoise relocation effort from the same area last fall after about 90 of 556 tortoises moved in spring 2008 died, most of them killed by coyotes.

The BLM participated in the previous relocation, because many of the animals were moved to public land managed by the agency.

One environmental group vowed Friday to take legal action, if necessary, to make sure tortoises are not moved this fall.

The Army is awaiting a determination from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on whether the military can go ahead with is plan to move the reptiles to Army-owned land south of Fort Irwin.

Ray Bransfield, a Ventura-based biologist with the wildlife agency, said Friday that he will consult with wildlife scientists from the BLM and the U.S. Geological Survey who are familiar with tortoise relocations before making a decision by the beginning of October.

A BLM biologist who had been meeting with the Army about the relocation plan said Friday that his agency has decided not to proceed because of uncertainty about the tortoises' safety.

"They have apparently decided they can move the tortoises on their own," said Chris Otahal, who is based in Barstow. "We (the BLM) are not involved. This is strictly an Army action."

Earlier in the summer, the BLM announced plans to move tortoises this fall and next spring from Fort Irwin expansion areas to public land between the training base and Interstate 15.

At the same time, the agency issued an environmental analysis that relied on research by a USGS ecologist that found coyotes were killing and eating tortoises in greater numbers throughout the California and Nevada deserts, most likely because of a prey shortage brought on by years of drought.

The ecologist's work supported the government's conclusion that deaths among the tortoises from Fort Irwin were unrelated to the relocations.

But the ecologist, Henderson, Nev.-based Todd Esque, asked the BLM last month not to use his research until he was able to further analyze his observations, Otahal said.

The BLM decided last week to re-do its environmental analysis, Otahal said. The new work isn't expected to be ready until late October or early November. The tortoises begin hibernating underground in November.

Otahal said he met Tuesday with Army officials, who told him they still plan to move the 89 tortoises from the 24,000-acre training area starting Oct. 1. By moving the reptiles to Army-owned land, the military will not need the BLM's cooperation or approval.

Army officials told Otahal they can move forward under the authority of an earlier environmental analysis of the overall plan to relocate tortoises from areas where Fort Irwin was expanding.

Ileene Anderson, a biologist for the Center for Biological Diversity, said her organization will try to the stop a fall relocation, even if it means going to court.

"The Army appears willing to sacrifice another 89 tortoises, using the old translocation plan that has shown itself to be fatally flawed," said Anderson, who is bases in Los Angeles.

She said she's also concerned about moving the animals in the fall, because little food is available for them at a time when they would need energy to find or dig new burrows.

Earlier this year, Anderson disputed government claims that relocated tortoises are no more vulnerable to coyotes than any other tortoises. She said the relocated tortoises were easy targets for coyotes.

Tortoises have natural homing instincts, and many tried to head back to the military property after they were moved, Anderson said.

Roy C. Averill-Murray, desert tortoise recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said Friday that Esque and other researchers have found that resident tortoises near Fort Irwin were just as likely to be eaten by coyotes as relocated tortoises.

Regardless of what the Army does next month, the BLM will prepare an environmental analysis on the military's next step: moving 1,100 tortoises from a 70,000-acre expansion area on the west side of the base.

http://www.pe.com/localnews/sbcounty/stories/PE_News_Local_S_tortoises12.4670d4a.html

ORLANDO SENTINEL (Florida) 11 September 09 Wildlife officials seize 'monster' 18-foot python in Apopka (Anthony Colarossi)

Photo: A python named Delilah was moved by Florida Wildlife officials to a temporary home when his cage near Lake Apopka, Fla., was deemed unsuitable on Friday, Sept., 11, 2009. They measured her before moving her to a more secure location. She had escaped in the past. The 16 year old snake was measured at 18' long and 30" around. She will be moved to a snake handler in Bushnell, Fla. (George Skene)

Apopka: Delilah, an 18-foot-long, 400-plus-pound Burmese python who had enjoyed a swell existence in an Apopka-area backyard feeding on rabbits, has a new home -- for now.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officials removed the Burmese python from a home on Section Drive on Friday due to concerns about Delilah's size and whether the chain-link cage she was in was secure enough to contain her.

A complaint prompted wildlife officials to visit the home and check out the snake, which some officials called the largest python they had ever seen.

The snake was removed from her enclosure and brought to a caregiver with a permit for reptiles of concern. Officials were trying to determine if the Burmese python's owner had the proper permit for Delilah.

"To me it's a Goliath. It's a monster of a snake," Lt. Rick Brown with Fish and Wildlife's Investigations section said, adding it is the "largest I've ever seen."

Recently, the snake was being cared for by Melvin Cheever of Apopka, the brother of her owner.

Cheever said his brother was moving to West Virginia and left the snake behind to prepare her new accommodations. Cheever said his brother has owned the snake for 16 years.

"I fed her this morning, gave her seven rabbits," Cheever said soon after the snake was placed in a container and prepared to move Friday from the small community alongside Lake Apopka. "She is as docile as can be. She's as happy as can be."

Cheever acknowledged the snake, which measures 30 inches around, had escaped its enclosure in the past.

The snake's discovery comes at a time when Burmese pythons are being hunted in South Florida and state lawmakers are looking at legislation to make laws governing python owners tougher.

Fears about the snakes escalated following the early July death of a 2-year-old girl in Sumter County killed by her family's pet python.

Cheever said that snake was maltreated and blamed its owners. Delilah, meanwhile, was well fed and not aggressive, he said.

But her history of wandering out of her cage and her immense size caused wildlife officials to investigate Friday in the small community alongside Lake Apopka. The snake was kept in a chain-link cage behind a duplex-style home.

Charlene Boush, 39, who lives in the home where the snake was living, said she had reservations about letting her two dogs near Delilah.

"She got out just last week. They had to put her back in," she said.

"I don't let them go back there at all."

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/orl-bk-python-seized-apopka-091109,0,732521.story

TIMES OF INDIA (New Delhi) 11 September 09 Sunken ship could threaten Olive Ridleys in Orissa

Bhubaneswar (IANS): The mass breeding of rare Olive Ridley turtles is likely to be hit due to the sinking of a cargo ship, carrying iron ore fines and oil, in the Bay of Bengal off the Orissa coast two days ago, a marine expert warned on Friday.

The Mongolian vessel capsized in the harbour area of Paradip port, some 100 km from here, carrying about 25,000 tonnes of iron ore fines and 900 tonnes of oil.

The site where the ship has gone down is very close to the Gahirmatha marine sanctuary, one of the few remaining nesting sites for Olive Ridley turtles in the world. The turtles come to the site every year around this month for breeding.

Port authorities say they have deployed officials and taken all steps to prevent any spillage from the ship, but Biswajit Mohanty, coordinator of Operation Kachhapa, a turtle conservation group, said he sees a threat to the turtles.

The ship contains iron ore fines which can be washed away by sea currents. If the iron ore fines settle on the floor of the sea, benthic fauna - tiny creatures found on and within the seabed - can be wiped out inside the sanctuary, Mohanty said.

"That could lead to a food crisis for turtles. The authorities must step in and recover the oil completely before it spills off into the surrounding environment," Mohanty said.

Senior port officials said they have already apprised the ship owner about the possible danger.

"Certainly it will affect marine life if the oil spills. We are keeping a close watch and taking steps to prevent pollution," the port's deputy chairman Biplav Kumar said, adding no spillage had been reported from the ship so far.

The Olive Ridley turtle, which can grow up to 75 cm in length, is found in tropical regions of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. In India, they are protected under the Wildlife Protection Act.

Orissa is home to more than 50 percent of the world's turtle population. Besides Gahirmatha in Kendrapada district, the other mass nesting sites are the Devi river mouth in Puri district and the Rusikulya river mouth Ganjam district.

The turtles start arriving in the coastal water from end of September onward and return in the month of May after mass nesting.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/environment/flora-fauna/Sunken-ship-could-threaten-Olive-Ridleys-in-Orissa-/articleshow/4999254.cms

THE TELEGRAPH (London, UK) 11 September 09 Tortoise found two years after disappearing from French holiday home

John and Linda Heinzelmann took Tora with them to their home near La Roche Bernard in southern Brittany in 2007.

The nine-inch long tortoise somehow escaped and they searched for days without success around their home, which is surrounded by corn fields.

The couple, from Potterne, near Devizes, Wiltshire, who have a 16 year-old son William, returned seven times to France from Britain to search for Tora but feared she had died in the harvest.

But they recently received a phone call from a neighbour in France who had spotted a notice in the local baker's shop stating that a tortoise had been found by the side of the road four miles away.

A photo was then emailed to the Heinzelmanns, who realised it was Tora.

Mrs Heinzelmann, a 50 year-old accountant, said Tora had "suffered a lot of damage to the surface of her shell".

"She had obviously been attacked by wild animals like foxes. But she is an extrovert. She likes people," she said. "I thought she had been killed during the harvest. We had given up hope of ever seeing her again. We thought she must have died. Then suddenly out of the blue we had a phone call from France from a woman who could speak very little English that she had found our tortoise.

"The lady who found her was walking her dog and she saw the tortoise by the side of the road."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/wirecopy/6169091/Tortoise-found-two-years-after-disappearing-from-French-holiday-home.html

SUNDERLAND ECHO (UK) 11 September 09 Turtle-y unexpected guest at park's lake

An unexpected visitor has put in a surprise appearance at Herrington Country Park.

A terrapin was spotted by eagle-eyed staff and visitors in the middle lake near Greenheart Bridge.

Park ranger Ian Graham said: "I think someone has got rid of him and somehow he has ended up in the water system.

"We've had stormy weather recently and he could have come in that way."

The tiny terrapin proved quite elusive and only made a few appearances, but Ian managed to catch the critter this week.

Given its size it was not doing any damage, but Ian warned the creature would only get bigger.

He said: "At Bolam Lake in Northumberland they had them and they were the size of dustbin lids."

The U.S. reptiles became popular pets during the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle craze of the early 90s.

But when they outgrew their tanks scores of owners dumped them into nearby waterways.

Life in country ponds obviously agrees with them as the UK is now home to one of the largest wild terrapin populations.

Many have swelled to the size of hub caps chomping through native fish, newts, toads, frogspawn, dragonfly larvae and small birds.

The terrapin at Herrington is a red-eared slider, which is easy to identify from the markings on its head.

http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/Turtley-unexpected-guest-at-park39s.5639407.jp

PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER (Pennsylvania) 11 September 09 Alligator caught sunning itself in an Allentown playground (Peter Mucha)

One week after a 4-foot alligator was snared in a Trenton pond, a much larger cousin was caught in Allentown.

Early Wednesday afternoon, a passerby reported seeing a 6-foot gator sunning itself on the bank of Jordan Creek in a park with a playground, basketball courts, and baseball fields.

"We formulated a little bit of a plan," said Police Capt. Stephen Mould. "I think it was based primarily on what we watched with The Crocodile Hunter" - the TV series hosted by Steve Irwin before the Aussie was killed by a stingray's barb.

After the gator's neck was snared in a loop of rope at the end of a pole, one of the police or animal-control officers straddled the creature and forced its head down as it thrashed its tail. Tape secured the jaws, rope the legs.

"He looks healthy. He's nice and fat and sassy," said Gary Lee, a reptile lover from Emmaus, who said he would probably keep it in a bathtub until he could find a home, perhaps at a Poconos reptile farm.

The critter, probably an abandoned or escaped pet, seemed to be about 10 to 15 years old, Lee told the Allentown Morning Call.

It was estimated to weigh about 130 pounds.

The Trenton gator, recovered by state biologists Sept. 2, was lured into a big trap using chicken legs and chicken livers, according to Darlene Yuhas, spokeswoman for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/pa/20090911_Alligator_caught_sunning_itself_in_an_Allentown_playground.html

TIMES OF INDIA (New Delhi) 11 September 09 Python strays into classroom

VYARA: Primary schoolchildren in Kanagha village of Vyara do not need Steve Irwin of Crocodile Hunterfame. A 16-feet-long python entered their classroom to demonstrate practical lesson in reptiles on Thursday.

According to forest officials, as the python entered the class in the middle of academic sessions, students and the teacher ran helter-skelter. The commotion spread to other classes and soon the entire school was evacuated.

"Children claimed that they first spotted a cock in the class, after which the python entered, following its trail. Teachers said that they had evacuated children in a matter of minutes. However, they were relieved, as the reptile's attention was focused only on its prey - the cock," said a forester.

Soon, snake handlers from the forest department were called at the site who drove the python out of the school premises. However, the incident left a deep impact on the school authorities who demanded that the government construct a compound wall around the school to prevent such incidents in the future.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/surat/Python-strays-into-classroom/articleshow/5000727.cms

TUổI TRẻ (Ho Chi Minh City?, Vietnam) 11 September 09 Endangered sea turtles rescued in central Vietnam

Police in the central province of Khanh Hoa have released 849 endangered sea turtles into the wild after confiscating them from a local man now under investigation.

The hawksbill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata), most of whom weighed between seven and eight kilometers each, had been bought since last October, Mac Tien Nang told the police.

Nang said he had never sold turtles.

Hawksbills are not allowed to be used for commercial purposes under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, to which Vietnam became a signatory in 1994.

Despite being categorized as “critically endangered” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, hawksbills did not receive proper protection in Khanh Hoa Province until local authorities cooperated wit some international organizations to found a marine reserve and applying conservation measures in 2001.

After almost 20 years of absence from Nha Trang Bay, the turtles have recently been seen laying eggs on the bay’s Hon Tre Island.

http://www.thanhniennews.com/society/?catid=3&newsid=52443

GAZETA (Warsaw, Poland) 10 September 09 Salamandra - mniej strawna niż obiad teściowej (Krzysztof Duniec)

Nie ma dwóch takich samych salamander. Rozmieszczenie i rozmiar plam pokrywających ich ciała są równie niepowtarzalne jak nasze linie papilarne - pisze Krzysztof Duniec

Żaba jest płazem, ropucha jest także płazem i traszka też. Salamandra również jest płazem. Tyle, że ładnym. Nie żebym miał jakieś zastrzeżenia estetyczne do ropuchy, ale salamandra jest moim zdaniem mimo wszystko ładniejsza, chociaż ropucha, jakkolwiek postaci dość paskudnej, to oczy ma jednak piękne - bursztynowe. Salamandra odwrotnie. Oczy takie sobie, ale cała postać... tuszowa czerń naznaczona malarską żółcią nieregularnych plam.

Ich deseń nigdy się nie powtarza, podobnie jak ludzkie linie papilarne, podobnie jak barwa upierzenia bataliona - to ptak taki. Jak się ma szczęście, to można go jeszcze zobaczyć nad Biebrzą czy Notecią. U nas już tylko na jesiennych przelotach, na stawach w rejonie Niemodlina, czy na zbiorniku nyskim.

A salamandrę wciąż można u nas zobaczyć - nie wszędzie. To zwierzak o dość sztywnych wymaganiach środowiskowych - potrzebuje wartkich, dobrze natlenionych strumieni, o kamienistym dnie. Nie żeby w nich siedział - takie wody niezbędne są, by złożyć jaja, tam też rozwijają się larwy, czyli kijanki.

Takich wód na niżu Opolszczyzny nie ma - bywają tylko w Górach Opawskich. I tu też można jeszcze napatoczyć się na salamandrę. Najłatwiej o nią w dżdżysty ciepły dzień, gdzieś nad strumykiem czy na poboczu drogi, gdy wszystko kapie wilgocią.

Pełna dekadencja

W odróżnieniu od pozostałych naszych płazów salamandra jest związana niemal wyłącznie z lądem. O ile żaby, ropuchy i reszta bractwa na ziemi spędza tylko niewielką część życia, tak salamandra do wody wchodzi niechętnie. W zasadzie tylko na czas składania jaj. Pływa marnie, nie potrafi nawet nurkować i gotowa utopić się, jeśli za długo trzymać ją w wodzie. W ogóle, jeśli chodzi o sztukę przetrwania, wydaje się być kompletną łajzą: ledwie łazi.

Poluje też dekadencko, jakby jej na tym absolutnie nie zależało - żadnych efektownych akcji. Jak dojrzy dżdżownicę czy ślimaka to do niego człapie. Bez pośpiechu, niczym znudzony rutyną pluton egzekucyjny. Gdy dojdzie, gapi się refleksyjnie przez jakiś czas, a potem próbuje capnąć - czasami się udaje, czasami nie.

Gdy nie wyjdzie, żadnych szarż, popatruje tylko z bezradnym zdumieniem za umykającym ślimakiem. A potem rusza dalej. I w końcu trafia na jakąś depresyjną dżdżownicę albo pająka, który skutkiem perturbacji rodzinnych uznał, że jego życie straciło wszelki sens.

Lepiej mnie nie zjadaj

Jak taka salamandra jest w stanie przeżyć w naszym złym świecie, pełnym różnych stworów gotowych zjeść wszystko, co tylko da się dorwać? Otóż salamandra jest toksyczna - gruczoły jadowe zlokalizowane są w skórze, a cała zabawa z plakatowymi kolorami na grzbiecie i głowie ma sens ostrzegający - nie ruszać, bo kulinarnie jestem mniej strawna niż obiad teściowej.

Jadowitość salamandry ma charakter bierny, w dłoń brać ją można bez obaw, gryźć natomiast nie należy - uwalniają się bowiem wówczas toksyny, które wprawdzie zabić bezpośrednio nie mogą, ale co się nakichasz, to twoje.

http://miasta.gazeta.pl/opole/1,35086,7024856,Salamandra___mniej_strawna_niz_obiad_tesciowej.html

HAMBURGER ABENDBLATT (Germany) 08 September 09 Nordmark kämpft um die Schlangen (Michael Rahn)

Uetersen: Zweimal hat Peter Tonne (68) eine Schlangenfarm für medizinische Zwecke aufgebaut. Schon einmal hatte sein damaliger Arbeitgeber, die Knoll AG, die Forschungen abgebrochen und Schlangen sowie Studien in die USA verkauft. Mit seiner Nordmark (siehe Infokasten) startete Peter Tonne einen neuen Anlauf. Diesen Weg will er jetzt weitergehen, auch nach dem Ausstieg amerikanischer Investoren.

Ein vorbildlicher UnternehmerUm eigenständig mit der Wirkung des Giftes der malaiischen Grubenotter forschen zu können, muss Nordmark vom Knoll-Nachfolger Abbott und den amerikanischen Investoren die Rechte erwerben. Derzeit werde über die Formulierungen im Vertrag gerungen.

Bis Jahresende, so hofft der Nordmark-Chef, sollte der Vertrag stehen. Dann wird mit Fachleuten das Material gesichtet. Und am Ende könnten die Studien in neue Richtungen laufen. In den vergangenen Jahren ging es hauptsächlich um die Behandlung von Schlaganfallpatienten, die mit dem aus dem Schlangengift gewonnenen Protein Ancrod behandelt wurden.

Tatsächlich war in den 70er-Jahren ein Medikament aus dem Gift der Grubenotter bereits auf dem europäischen Markt zugelassen. Bei Erfrierungen und Durchblutungsstörungen sorgte das Mittel mit dem Namen Arwin dafür, dass es den Patienten besser ging. Den Anstoß dazu hatten in den 60er-Jahren Tropenärzte der Brauerei Guinness gegeben. Sie stellten bei der Behandlung von Schlangenbissen fest, dass das Gift stark auf die Blutgerinnung wirkte.

Dann der Fehler: Statt auf der genehmigten Basis das Medikament weiter zu entwickeln, gab die Knoll AG die Zulassung zurück und neue klinische Studien in Auftrag. Diese Untersuchungen brachten nicht den gewünschten Erfolg, und Knoll verkaufte Schlangen und Rechte in die USA.

Vor vier Jahren setzten plötzlich amerikanische Investoren darauf, doch noch viel Geld mit dem Mittel zu machen, dass bei Schlaganfallpatienten verstopfte Gefäße wieder durchblutet und unterversorgte Gehirn-Areale wieder mit Sauerstoff versorgt.

Peter Tonne griff die Anfrage aus den USA sofort auf und baute - unterstützt aus Amerika - eine neue Schlangenfarm auf. Das aufgereinigte Rohgift ging in die USA. Auch Nordmark investierte in das Projekt, nach eigenen Angaben mehr als fünf Millionen Euro.

Einen Tag vor Weihnachten 2008 kam das Aus.

Aus Amerika hieß es: "Wir haben kein Interesse mehr an dem Projekt" - und kein Geld dafür. Nur Dr. Peter Tonne glaubt weiter an den Erfolg. Um das finanzielle Risiko für die Nordmark bis zur endgültigen Entscheidung gering zu halten, hat das Unternehmen 1000 der 1100 Schlangen nach Tschechien verkauft. Mit einem dreiköpfigen Team werden die Schlangenfarm in Uetersen und die Hoffnung für Schlaganfallpatienten weiter aufrechterhalten.

http://www.abendblatt.de/region/pinneberg/article1173781/Nordmark-kaempft-um-die-Schlangen.html

DANAS / ДАНАС (Belgrade, Serbia) 07 September 09 Prijatelj zmija (Dragoljub Petrović)

Potrebno je samo malo koncentracije i bez naglih pokreta. Hvatam ih golim rukama, retko s rukavicama, stavim u pamučnu vreću i vratim do obale reke. Nema ubijanja

„Bez brige, gospođo. Ako ima romboidne šare, to je smuk. Nije otrovan“ - ubeđivao je u petak preko telefona Rastko Ajtić ženu iz ulice Uroša Predića u Beogradu, objašnjavajući da ono što je upravo videla u dvorištu nije ništa strašno. „Jeste velik... Smuk može da naraste i do tri metra. Slobodno izađite iz kuće, ona će pobeći kad vas vidi, ako već nije pobegla“- savetovao je Ajtić smirenim tonom.

Ali, otkud zmije u Beogradu?- pitala je i dalje uspaničena žena, inače Srpkinja iz Amerike.

Ima ih, naravno. Ali, ima tu jedna odlična stvar - ako imate zmije, nemate pacove - rekao je Rastko, nonšalantno. S druge strane slušalice čulo se: „Pacoveee!“

Rastko Ajtić je herpetolog Zavoda za zaštitu prirode Srbije i smirivanje uspaničenih Beograđana koji su videli zmije mu je u opisu radnog mesta.

Ljudi reaguju burno. Kažu: „Danas je 21. vek, a zmija u Rakovici?!“ Moj odgovor je: „Ništa čudno. Bilo bi čudno jedino da ih nema.“ Ima ih i na Slaviji! Gde god su mirna mesta, rastinje, ruševine, ima i njihove hrane, miševa i pacova, pa su tu i zmije. Posebno na obalama reka. U Beogradu, međutim, nema otrovnica. Motaju se uglavnom ribarice, belouške, smukovi i smukulje. Kod nas ne postoji služba koja se bavi hvatanjem ili odnošenjem zmija, te nedeljno imamo preko 20 prijava. Zovu miliciju, vatrogasce, zoološki vrt, pa onda nas. Opisuju kako izgleda, mada su opisi uglavnom neprecizni. Pokažemo im pet fotografija raznih vrsta, za svaku kažu: „Ta je!“ Ljudi malo znaju o zmijama, a i ono što misle da znaju uglavnom je zasnovano na praznoverju. Čak su i eksperimenti pokazali da niti smuk pije kao smuk, niti pije sveže mleko sa kravljeg vimena, niti poskok skače. Ali je to običnom čoveku teško objasniti. Pričao sam jednom obrazovanom čoveku da poskok ne skače i čak ga doveo do terarijuma i pokazao mu poskoka. A on će: „Da, da... Sad ne skače u tom akvarijumu. Da ga pustiš napolje, on bi skakao“ - priča Rastko.

Neretko izlazi i na teren. Uglavnom ako ima prijavu o većem broju zmija na jednom mestu.

U proleće ih ima po podrumima kad mužjaci imaju ritualno borbe pre parenja. Tada se upletu, pa se čini da ih ima puno. Na jugu Srbije, opet, ima ih po grobnicama i bunarima s plikom vodom, kad kolektivno zimuju. Imate mesta koja su im omiljena za sunčanje, pa ih tu možete naći po tri na jednom mestu. Kad dobijem takvu prijavu, sednem u kola i odem na lice mesta. Hvatam ih golim rukama, retko s rukavicama, stavim u pamučnu vreću i vratim do obale reke. Nema ubijanja. Otrovne zmije nisu preterano brze, a neotrovne jesu, pa bogami po Beogradu ima i trčanja. Potrebno je samo malo koncentracije i bez naglih pokreta - objašnjava Ajtić.

Na periferiji prestonice zmija ima znatno više, ali su ih zaticali i u strogom centru, u Kosovskoj i Nemanjinoj ulici.

Zmije su zbunjene zbog svih gradskih vibracija, automobila, gradilišta. Mogu da pređu velika rastojanja pre svega u toku noći, kad je mirnije. Ima ih u šahtovima za atmosfersku vodu i onda one tuda prođu i dođu donekle. Najčešće su to smukovi koji umeju da šište ako ih uplašite, hoće da ujedu ako ih napadnete, ali nemaju otrov. Ono o čemu se ne vodi računa, niti se o tome piše u novinama, da niko nikada nije dao statistiku koliko je dnevno ujeda od pasa lutalica, a koliko je godišnje ujeda zmija otrovnica na teritoriji cele Srbije. Naime, godišnje se u Srbiji zabeleži u proseku samo dva-tri ujeda otrovnica. I neotrovnice hoće da ujedu kad ih napadnete, ali tu nema medicinskog tretmana. Belouške i ribarice ne ujedaju, i s njima možete da radite bukvalno šta hoćete. U Beogradu je jedne godine zmija ušla u motor automobila, pa su u opštoj panici morali da ga nose kod autolimara, da skida delove, i našli unutra - ribaricu. Ima dosta prijava sa Farmaceutskog fakulteta jer su okolo livade koje se retko kose, pa su ulazile u kabinete i laboratorije u prizemlju. Imam i prijava tipa: „Mislim da sam video zmiju, a imam decu.“ Kod nas je inače zakonom zabranjeno ubijanje zmija, ali je ovde normalno ubijati ih. Ne samo kod nas već i u svetu. Mi smo radili istraživanje na tri kontinenta i nema zemlje gde ljudi kad vide zmiju nemaju nameru da je ubiju. U nekim krajevima se opet smatra da je to nesreća, a kod nas ima verovanja da se kućna zmija ne sme dirati, mada ni to ne pomaže - kaže Ajtić, jedan od 14 herpetologa u celoj Srbiji.

On je „prijatelj“ zmija. Zna da ih nađe nekad i po mirisu, ali nikad ga nisu ujele. Jednom se samo ubo na zub sveže ubijenog poskoka.

Moj posao je, pre svega, zaštita zmija. Običnom čoveku ništa ne znači kada se kaže da ove godine nema tako puno zmija kao prošle. Međutim, bitno je da kad ima puno zmija, nema glodara koji prenose razne bolesti - kaže Ajtić.

Prvi susret sa otrovnom zmijom imao je 1988. godine na Kosovu, gde je odrastao. Bio je u pitanju poskok.

Uhvatio sam ga da vidim kako izgleda. Sad je to rutina. U okolini Mionice samo u jednoj kući oštećenoj zemljotresom našli smo preko 120 smukova. Pohvatali smo ih, uradili istraživanja, i vratili u prirodu. Hvatao sam i otrovne zmije, preko hiljadu, na čitavom Balkanu i dobrom delu Evrope. U mom poslu nema egzibicionizma, mi to radimo zbog posla, zbog istraživanja, a ne da bismo se pokazali. Trudimo se da radimo bezbedno, da nas ne ujedu, jer smo često na terenima gde ni helikopter ne može da sleti, a ne nosimo serum jer nemamo frižidere. Procedura je sledeća - lagano se priđe, hvata se za rep s rukavicama, stavi se na ruke, i ona ako ne oseti otpor, neće da ujede. Ili se poklopi rukavicama, uhvati za glavu i odloži u vreću - priča Ajtić.

Međutim, ne zovu ga samo zbog zmija. Prilikom izložbe zmija u Prirodnjačkom muzeju jedan posetilac je primetio: „Trebalo je da ovde izložim svoju bivšu ženu. Zvali smo je mamba!“ Desi se, opet, da zovu i zbog žaba: „Krekeću celu noć, šta da radim?“

Strah stvara škola

Zmija je jedno najobičnije stvorenje koje niti trči, niti skače, niti ujeda iz čista mira. Ne treba ubijati zmije. Ljudi slabo prave razliku između otrovnih i neotrovnih. Kod nas se tokom školovanja stvara potpuno pogrešna predstava o zmijama. Plaše decu. Strah od zmija nije urođen. Okolina je kriva. Ima slučajeva da se deca uopšte ne boje zmija dok ne krenu u školu.

http://www.danas.rs/vesti/drustvo/terazije/prijatelj_zmija.14.html?news_id=171279

BLIC (Belgrade, Serbia) 26 August 09 Dečak spavao pored zmije otrovnice - Vatrogasci ubili šarku u stanu (Milica Ivanović)

U garsonjeri porodice Jašarević na prvom spratu zgrade S-1 u Radničkom naselju u Leskovcu u noći između ponedeljka i utorka otkrivena je zmija šarka, dok je mirno ležala u krevetu pored glave šestogodišnjeg Lukasa, najmlađeg člana ove romske petočlane porodice.

Jurnjava za otrovnim gmizavcem trajala je celu noć. Vatrogasci su uspeli da je uhvate i ubiju u stanu Jašarevića tek ujutru, pošto su pomerene sve stvari iz sobe. Jašarevići veruju da je zmiju neko ubacio kroz prozor.

Zahvaljujući prisebnosti Lukasove majke Marine Ljubić (41), koja je prva primetila otrovnicu dugačku jedan metar, dečak nije povređen, ali cela porodica je prošla kroz pakao.

Ceo dan se tresem i pijem "bensedine". Ko zna šta bi bilo s mojim detetom da je nisam primetila - priča vidno uznemirena žena.

Marina je te večeri do kasno gledala televiziju. U sobi je bilo ugašeno svetlo, otvoren prozor i spavali su njen suprug Trajče i maloletna deca Kristina (13) i Kristijan (12).

Pola sata posle ponoći krenula sam da legnem pored Lukasa i videla da pored njega svetluca neki dugačak predmet. Pružila sam ruku u nameri da taj predmet dohvatim i stavim na stranu, ali on se mrdnuo. Trgla sam se, upalila svetlo i zaprepastila se kada sam videla zmiju ispruženu pored glave deteta. Premrla sam od straha, ali nisam smela ni da šušnem. Polako sam izvukla dete ispod čerge, iznela ga iz stana i rekla mu da stoji pored vrata. Probudila sam tiho muža. Našao je negde pajser i njime pritisnuo glavu zmiji, ali ona se brzo izmigoljila i uvukla u krevet - priča Marina dok briše suze.

Na poziv komšija, pola sata kasnije stigla je policija sa vatrogascima, a Marina je sa Lukasom i Kristinom otišla kod rođaka.

Celu noć smo tražili, ali od zmije nije bilo ni traga - kaže Kristijan, koji tvrdi da se jedino on nije uplašio.

Ujutru je došla druga ekipa vatrogasaca i pri dnevnom svetlu našla "šarku", sakrivenu iza regala. Odmah su je ubili, pa se majka, koja veruje da se sa njima grubo našalila "manguparija" iz susednih zgrada, vratila u stan sa decom.

Petoro članova Jašarevića spavaju u jednoj sobi, u dva ležaja. Zbog vrućine, prozor i danju i noću drže otvoren.

Zmija se tu nije našla slučajno. Oko zgrade je sve čisto. Nikada niko nije primetio nijednu zmiju. Sigurna sam da ju je manguparija namerno ubacila kroz prozor - kaže Marina koja je sa suprugom Trajčetom juče podnela krivičnu prijavu protiv nepoznatog počinioca.

http://www.blic.rs/hronika.php?id=107800

GAZETA LUBUSKA (Zielona Góra, Poland) 23 August 09 Jeden z wędkarzy zamiast taaakiej ryby złowił... żółwia (Renata Ochwat)

Byłem na rybach nad pięknym leśnym jeziorem w okolicy Karska w gminie Nowogródek Pomorski i tam widziałem, jak inny wędkarz złowił żółwia błotnego - powiadomił nas pan Krzysztof. Żółw błotny to zagrożony wyginięciem jedyny polski gatunek żółwia.

Dla mnie to sensacja - mówi wędkarz (nie chce nazwiska w gazecie).

To raczej niemożliwe - odpowiada Bartłomiej Najbar, krajowy konsultant do spraw ochrony żółwia błotnego.

Złowił się na wędkę

Od 35 lat jestem wędkarzem, łowiłem na setkach jezior, a po raz pierwszy zobaczyłem coś takiego - opowiada pan Krzysztof. Kilka dni temu wybrał się na ryby nad jedno z jezior położonych w okolicach Karska. To mały zbiornik z brzegami porośniętymi trzciną. Spośród niej gdzieniegdzie „w jezioro” wychodzą małe pomosty dla wędkarzy.

Ten żółw po prostu złapał się na wędkę jednego z wędkarzy - opowiada pan Krzysztof. Zaintrygowani wędkarze dokładnie obejrzeli zaczepionego na haczyku gada. - Był brązowy, miał skorupę około 25 cm długości, na ciele i pancerzu żółte plamki. Sprawdziłem w internecie, to musi być żółw błotny - mówi pan Krzysztof.

Tłumaczy, że na tym terenie nigdy nie odnotowano obecności tych gadów. Dlatego zgłosił to organizacji Natura 2000 zajmującą się ochroną dzikich zwierząt. - Sprawą już zainteresował się wydział ochrony środowiska na Górnym Śląsku, który zajmuje się właśnie żółwiami błotnymi. Być może jeszcze jacyś specjaliści zechcą im się przyjrzeć - mówi.

Już wie, jak będzie spędzał najbliższe wolne chwile. Uzbrojony w aparat fotograficzny i ponton zamierza „polować” na żółwie. Chce je sfotografować, aby już nikt nie miał wątpliwości, że tu żyją przedstawiciele ginącego gatunku.

Na pewno czerwonolicy

W to odkrycie powątpiewa Bartłomiej Najbar, konsultant do spraw ochrony żółwia błotnego w Polsce. - Na pewno był to żółw czerwonolicy wyrzucony przez kogoś, komu znudziła się jego hodowla - mówi z przekonaniem. Tłumaczy, że żółwie błotne to prawdziwa rzadkość. W woj. lubuskim jest tylko jedno ich stanowisko - koło Słubic. Nie podaje żadnych szczegółów, bo gady wpisane są do „Polskiej Czerwonej Księgi Zwierząt” zagrożonych wyginięciem.

Tłumaczy, że żółwie błotne najlepiej się czują w środowisku, które jest połączeniem błotnisto-bagiennych, nieskażonych jezior i z drugiej strony silnie nasłonecznionych stoków, a takich po prostu w Polsce nie ma. Na pytanie, skąd mogłyby się wziąć żółwie bagienne koło Karska, Najbar odpowiada, że mogły przywędrować. - One szukają domu, spokoju, towarzystwa innych żółwi. Tak się trochę błąkają, bo nie bardzo wiedzą dokąd idą - mówi specjalista. Ale potwierdza, że gady spod Karska warto przebadać.

http://www.gazetalubuska.pl/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090823/POWIAT09/766093412

VECERNJE NOVOSTI / ВЕЧЕРЊЕ НОВОСТИ (Belgrade, Serbia) 22 August 09 "Gosti" gmižu i po kućama (Sofija Babović)

Paraćin: Niška boa "Boško", nehajno spavajući pre dve noći na bankomatu u centru, na noge je podigla ceo grad. Bez razloga, pokazalo se, jer je to u odnosu na ono što se događa u selu Skorica nadomak Paraćina bezopasni zmijski incident.

Jer, ovo pitomo ražanjsko selo sa 200 kuća naoružano strepi od neobične najezde crnih zmija koje im se bez straha "useljavaju" u atare, šetaju po dvorištima i nepozvani svraćaju na ručak. Dok je Ruzmilka Stanojević spokojno prala suđe ispod sudopere u njenoj kuhinji iskočila je zmija. Odmah je pozvala muža, koji se hitro obračunao sa nezvanim gostom. Pre Ruzmilke, zmije su uplašile Nadu Milošević, Radoslavu Nikodijević, Slavoljuba Milenkovića, Milju Milutinović i brojne domaćine, koji svedoče za "Novosti" da je ovo prvi put da sa planine Saminjac zmije u koloni "siđu" sve do sela. A tu im se očigledno dopalo.

Dešavalo se ranije da po neka zmija do sela dopuže sa 750 metara nadmorske visine koliko se u nebo proteže Saminjac, ali nikad u ovolikom broju. Pa, nema kuće gde neka od njih nije prestravila narod - priča za "Novosti" paraćinski profesor i pesnik Tomislav Đokić, pokazujući nam mesto bliskog susreta sa zmijom u dvrorištu majčine kuće.

Starina Branko Stević u svom je dvorištu zmiju doslovce nagazio, pa mu je u pomoć pritekao Slobodan Cone Milošević. Ispred štale je domaćica Božica Nikodijević zatekla prošle nedelje tri zmije kako kravama "čuvaju stražu". Od kuće do kuće, putuju iskustva meštana sa neobičnim posetiocima u toj meri da celo selo bruji, pa je vest stigla i do Paraćina, a prepričava se i u Ražnju. Skoro da se iz društva izopštava svako kome zmija nije svratila u goste.

Ja nikad zmiju videla nisam, iako živim u selu - kaže za "Novosti" Ruzmilka. - Čujem od komšija da ih i oni prvi put vide. Jedva čekamo da prođe leto, primiriće se sa prvim snegom.

Front između zmija i Skoričana rodio je i istinske heroje,koji su komšijama junački priskakali u pomoć. Tako je, priča se, autoinstruktor Slaviša Nikodijević golim rukama uspeo da izvuče zmiju koja se zavukla u rupu, što je, kažu, podvig za Ginisa. Zmiju za rep uhvatio je i šumar Mija Vukadinović, kada se zavukla pod krevet u kući Radoslava Živkovića.

Dva su objašnjenja zašto nas zmije posećuju - ima svoju teoriju iskusni poljopivrednik Milisav Ž. Antić. - Zmije su sišle u selo, jer je na planini nestalo vode

Tek u Skorici nema kukurozovine, voćnjaka, seoske međe, gde nisu viđene zmije. Iako se do Skorice stiže iskrpljenim, lošim putem, vest o niškom "Bošku" brzo je savladala maršrutu. Skoričani na senzaciju iz grada samo odmahuju rukom i poručuju Nišlijama da svrate do njih, da se nauče pravom životu sa zmijama. Bankomata nema, pa skoričanski "Boško" spava gde poželi i stigne!

Čekaju da odu

Niko od Skoričana nije od stručnjaka tražio pomoć ili savet .Oni ne znaju ni da li su zmije opasne, ne znaju ni o kojoj vrsti je reč. Neki tvrde da su ugledali smukove, drugi, opet, zle otrovnice. Do sada zmija nikog nije ugrizla, pa otud verovatno odsustvo neke akcije. Čeka se izgleda da prođe leto i da zmije odu tamo odakle su došle. Ako odu.

http://www.novosti.rs/code/navigate.php?Id=10&status=jedna&vest=154650&title_add=%22Gosti%22%20gmi%C5%BEu%20i%20po%20ku%C4%87ama&kword_add=zmije%2C%20zmije%20u%20stanu