HERP NEWS 259/2009

NEWSSHOPPER (London, UK) 16 September 09 RSPCA helps widow fight for return of Little Tortoise

A tortoise cared for by an 81-year-old widow has become the centre of a bizarre “tug of love” battle, after it wandered out of her garden.

Big Tortoise and Little Tortoise belonged to Kit Allen’s husband Ray, a former Bexley mayor who died in December 2007.

He had looked after them for more than 25 years at the couple’s Barnehurst home and when he died, his widow took over their care.

A neighbour found the tortoise and unknowingly handed it to the RSPCA which rehomed it.

Now its new owner has refused point blank to give Little Tortoise up.

Meanwhile, Big Tortoise is pining for its companion and is refusing to eat.

Mrs Allen has written to the woman via the RSPCA and the charity has also beseeched her to give the tortoise back.

But she will not.

And the RSPCA says there is nothing it can legally do about it.

When Little Tortoise went missing, Mrs Allen said: “I knocked on all the neighbours’ doors asking if anyone had found it.

“I put notes through the doors and a notice in the local shop.”

Then Mrs Allen visited an adjoining road after realising several back gardens bordered hers.

And one houseowner had found a tortoise which they handed to the RSPCA.

Mrs Allen rang the charity and discovered the tortoise had been rehomed.

She said: “I asked if I could write a letter to the new owner, via the RSPCA explaining Little Tortoise had belonged to my husband and held such a lot of memories for me.

“Both tortoises used to come to the back door for my husband to feed them.

“Now Big Tortoise just wanders round and round the garden, looking for Little Tortoise and is barely eating anymore.”

Mrs Allen added: “I thought, once the new owner had heard the story behind Little Tortoise she would give it back.

“Now I don’t know what to do.

“Legally, she doesn’t have to give it back, but morally, she should.”

She said she has not given up her fight for Little Tortoise and would even be willing to pay.

Mrs Allen added: “I feel like I have let my husband down.”

A spokeswoman for the RSPCA said it had been in extensive contact with the new owner, to persuade her to give up Little Tortoise.

She explained: “We have asked her to rehome two other tortoises in the past, which she has given back, when their original owners made contact with us.

“But this time she said no.

“We have visited her on several occasions trying to explain the strong emotional ties Mrs Allen has to the tortoise.

“We would very much like to see it back with Mrs Allen”

The spokeswoman added: “We have even offered her another tortoise, but she refuses and legally, she is perfectly entitled to.”

She said the RSPCA would continue its efforts to get Little Tortoise back.

http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/bexley/4629408.BARNEHURST__RSPCA_helps_widow_fight_for_return_of_Little_Tortoise/

NEWS-JOURNAL (Pensacola, Florida) 16 September 09 Living in paradise -- but not alone

It began like most mornings: I was running late and needed to take a quick shower. After removing my glasses and stepping into the not-nearly-heated-enough water, I spotted it out of the corner of my near-sighted eyes. Shivers ran down my spine in spite of the now warm water. There it was at the corner of the sill, poised and ready to pounce.

"You've got to be kidding," I said to myself, not daring to speak aloud for fear of alerting the beast to its prey. There it was — a giant, I was guessing at least two inches long not including the tail, modern-day dinosaur (a.k.a. gecko).

Shampoo, quick, eyes affixed on my visitor. Conditioner, forget it; my hair would have to go unmanageable today. Soap down, hmm, did I really smell before I got in? Sweating now, I lather up quickly, my squinting eyes glued to the window sill. "Don't move, don't move or I will scream," I pray. Whew; still no movement at the enemy camp.

Not daring to reach any closer its way, I refuse to turn off the shower head until I'm armed with clearer vision. I open the shower door, fumble for my glasses and step back in. Okay, so I'm not a rocket scientist. Steam plus glass equals foggy glasses. My plan is foiled as my glasses prove worthless. I muster up the courage to turn off the shower, first remembering the dreadful scene from the movie "The Parent Trap" when the gecko slithers into the soon-to-be-stepmom's mouth and thereby closing mine and holding my breath. Water off, I grab my towel and leap out. Still no movement from the enemy camp.

After the steam lifts, I muster up the courage to check on my "friend." "You've got to be kidding," this time I say aloud as I reach its way. Who would've guessed that ceramic tile markings could look like a lunging gecko to a visually-impaired frightened woman? That's right. False alarm.

Stop laughing at me. Remember, I was born and raised in the north. Our mosquitoes may be as big as birds, but their buzzing prevents most sneak attacks.

I've lived in the South for more than a decade. Two decades actually, considering Maryland sits below the Mason-Dixon Line. Nonetheless, I'm still learning about and adapting to the indigenous reptiles and insects.

Take, for example, Phoebe, the several foot long black snake that slithers through my yard. It's all fine and dandy that she eats bugs, frogs and rats, but is she really harmless if I fall off the porch and sprain an ankle in her presence?

Then there's the salamander that crawls out from under the garage to sun itself, typically at the exact moment that I head out to water my plants. This bi-reptile thing is a cross between a snake and lizard. I recently learned that they have four toes on the front and five on the back. Why someone would get close enough to count them is beyond my comprehension.

According to the Northwest Florida Environmental Conservancy, we're lucky to have 27 different types of frogs and toads native to the Florida Panhandle. My favorite, from a distance, are the green treefrogs that serenade us to sleep.

For the budding herpetologists out there, you can find a checklist of our local amphibians and reptiles at www.nwflec.com/northwestfloridaenvironmentalconservancypart2/id24.html. Good luck tracking down the 132 total species, which include 27 Anura (frogs and toads), 25 Caudata (salamanders), 1 Crocodylia (alligators and crocodiles), 25 Testudines (turtles), 13 Lacertilia (lizards), and 41! Serpentes (snakes). That's a scavenger hunt you can count me out of.

But you can count on me wearing my contacts in the shower from now on so as not to be caught off-guard again. Southern hospitality shouldn't include inviting amphibians and reptiles into your home, or shower worse yet.

http://www.pnj.com/article/20090916/NEWS05/909160306/1006/NEWS01

BBC (London, UK) 16 September 09 Holidaymaker's surprise souvenir

A holidaymaker brought back more than she intended when returning from a holiday in Spain as a Turkish Gecko was found at her home a week later.

Sarah Clifton from Watchet found the small lizard in her bathroom window. The same one was seen on her bathroom window at her hotel in Costa Blanca.

Tropiquaria Zoo director Chris Moiser, who has seen the lizard in question, said it was lucky to have survived the trip.

"If the heating hadn't been on in the baggage hold of the aircraft the lizard would certainly have perished.

"As this is effectively a baby gecko at only 40 mm in length, when the adults are normally 100 mm long we obviously have concerns about feeding it, but we are giving it fruit flies which it seems to enjoy and hope that we can succeed in rearing it."

This species has historically been spread around the world by human travellers from its origins in Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It even crossed the Atlantic and entered the USA in 1830 as a result of stowaways on a ship that docked in Mobile Alabama, and it has since spread outward from there.

"Whilst we often hear of animals being introduced through commercial imports of timber, food-stuffs and other cargo, this is perhaps a reminder that even a holiday maker can unwittingly bring back animals.

"Fortunately this little lizard, even if imported in greater numbers would be unlikely to breed here and establish a viable population."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/somerset/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8259000/8259398.stm

EUREKALERT (Washington, DC) 16 September 09 Study of isolated snakes could help shed light on venom composition

(Contact: Sarah Carey, careysk@vetmed.ufl.edu, 352-392-2213, University of Florida)

Gainesville, Fla.: While studying a way to more safely and effectively collect snake venom, University of Florida researchers have noticed the venom delivered by an isolated population of Florida cottonmouth snakes may be changing in response to their diet.

Scientists used a portable nerve stimulator to extract venom from anesthetized cottonmouths, producing more consistent extraction results and greater amounts of venom, according to findings published in August in the journal Toxicon.

The study of venoms is important for many reasons, scientists say.

"The human and animal health benefits include understanding the components of venom that cause injury and developing better antivenin," said Darryl Heard, B.V.M.S., Ph.D., an associate professor in the UF College of Veterinary Medicine's department of small animal clinical sciences. "In addition, the venom components have the potential to be used for diagnostic tests and the development of new medical compounds."

But in addition to showing the extraction method is safer, more effective and less stressful to both snake and handler than the traditional "milking" technique, Heard and Ryan McCleary, a Ph.D. candidate in biology in UF's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, discovered the venom from these particular snakes differs from that of mainland snakes, likely because of their unique diet of dead fish dropped by seabirds.

Heard and McCleary collaborated to develop a safe, reliable and humane technique for collecting venom from cottonmouths as part of a larger study on a specific population of snakes that reside on Seahorse Key, an isolated island near Cedar Key on the Florida's Gulf Coast.

The venom collection study included data from 49 snakes on Seahorse Key.

"Snakes on this island are noted for their large size," said Heard, a zoological medicine veterinarian with additional expertise in anesthesia. He added that Harvey Lillywhite, Ph.D., a professor of biology at UF and McCleary's predoctoral adviser, has confirmed that cottonmouths on Seahorse Key eat primarily dead fish dropped by birds in a large seabird rookery.

Lillywhite also directs UF's Seahorse Key Marine Laboratory, located in the Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge. McCleary hopes to build on earlier studies about the snakes' ecology and to explore whether evolutionary changes may have affected the composition of the snakes' venom.

"My interest is in the evolutionary aspect," McCleary said. "If these snakes already have an abundant source of dead prey, why do they need venom?"

Preliminary findings show some differences in venom components, he added.

Traditionally, venom has been collected from venomous snakes by manually restraining the animal behind the head and having it bite a rubber membrane connected to a collecting chamber.

"This requires the capture of an awake snake, which increases the risk of human envenomation and is also stressful to the snake," Heard said, adding that manual collection of venom also does not guarantee that all of the venom is collected.

The nerve stimulator is used in human anesthesia to measure the effect of muscle relaxants.

"It delivers a series of electric stimuli, of very low voltage and amperage, and causes no pain or tissue injury," Heard said. "The electrodes are placed behind the eye, across the area of the venom gland. The nerve stimulator sends a current across the gland, causing reflex contraction and expulsion of the venom."

The technique allows collection from snakes that might not otherwise give up their venom, which is an essential in the process of creating antivenins for victims of snake bite, Heard said.

"The stimulator is battery-powered and relatively inexpensive," he said. "In addition, the anesthetic we used, known as propofol, can easily be transported."

Propofol, which has been prominent in news headlines recently as being linked to the death of singer Michael Jackson, is a short acting anesthetic administered by intravenous injection. The drug is commonly used to anesthetize animals in veterinary clinical practice, but it is not believed to have previously been used to anesthetize snakes for venom collection.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-09/uof-soi091609.php

THE HINDU (Chennai, India) 16 September 09 Man arrested for possessing rare snakes

Tumkur: The police arrested an inter-State gang of nine persons and seized from it rare two-headed snakes and other atypical range of wildlife in Kodipalya in Tumkur district on Tuesday.

Harsha P.S., Superintendent of Police, said the main accused Krishnappa, a realtor from Bangalore, owned a farmhouse in the village. Srinivasa Reddy, Satyanarayana Reddy and Gopalakrishna, all realtors from Hyderabad offered lucrative price for these animals on the belief that riches could be pocketed by worshipping them.

Chickanna of Kunigal, Balaakrishna of Hospet, Suresh of Rajajinagar, Murugesh of Dasarahalli and Suresh Kullappa of Adigerahalli helped Krishnappa in procuring these animals.

On a definite clue, the police raided the farmhouse on Monday night. About Rs. 20 lakh was spent on procuring the animals, which were about to be sold for over Rs. 1 crore. The snakes were known as “double-engines”. In technical parlance, they are called Eryx Johnii, also as Common Sand Boa.

http://www.hindu.com/2009/09/16/stories/2009091651630500.htm

TAIPEI TIMES (Taiwan) 16 September 09 Taipei Zoo to ink pact on rare tortoises

The Taipei Zoo said it would sign an agreement with the US-based turtle conservancy Behler Chelonian Center today to cooperate in the conservation of endangered turtle and tortoise species, especially Burmese star tortoises.

The two organizations began exchanging Burmese star tortoise breeding and hatching techniques last year.

Under today’s agreement, they will send Burmese star tortoises bred in the zoo to Myanmar, zoo officials said.

Several baby Burmese star tortoises were hatched in the zoo in June 2003, the first time any zoo had succeeded in hatching Burmese star tortoise eggs.

The Burmese star tortoise is one of the rarest tortoise species in the world.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed the tortoise as “critically endangered” since 2003.

The tortoise is becoming extinct in its native Myanmar, where it lives in the dry, deciduous forest. It is eaten both by Burmese and Chinese and it sometimes found in food markets in China.

The California-based Behler Chelonian Center provided the zoo with advanced hatching techniques and procedures that helped its staff increase the zoo’s population of new Burmese star tortoises from one baby in 2003 to 26 as of this year.

The zoo has also developed a gene pool of rare turtles and tortoises under the assistance of Lee Shou-hsien (李壽先), a professor at National Taiwan Normal University. The center has also provided the zoo with gene samples.

Of all the tortoises characterized by the highly distinctive “star” or “radiating” patterns on their upper shell, the Burmese star tortoise is perhaps the rarest and most beautiful. Its dark brown to black, domed carapace is marked with up to six radiating yellow stripes emerging from small, yellow, central areas, creating the star pattern that gives the tortoise its unique appearance.

The Behler Chelonian Center has achieved great success with its captive breeding program since its inception in 2005, hatching 13 rare turtle and tortoise species.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2009/09/16/2003453684

SINA / 新浪网 (Beijing, China) 16 September 09 蛇想闯进家消防员一口袋收了它 本报讯（记者李逢春实习生杨康平摄影谭曦）

昨日上午10点半，家住成都红星路二段85号某单位宿舍一单元4楼的陈福成家来了个不速之客， 一条体长约两尺的蛇(上图）。经过斗智斗勇，败倒在蛇手下的陈福成只好叫来119，帮他赶走这位陌生客。

上午10点半，陈福成坐在家里的电脑前看股票。正当他恼于今日股票价格走低时，突然听到阳台外面传来“嘭”的一声闷响。以为是什么重物从楼上摔下来了，陈福成赶紧跑到阳台上看，结果他看到一条体长约两尺的黄蛇，“晾”在了自家的晾衣杆上。

陈福成刚想走过去，蛇便立马在晾衣杆上翻卷身体，并试图窜向屋内。他顺手就拿起身边的撑衣杆挡住蛇的去路。不管陈如何堵路，蛇还是要往屋里硬闯。就这样来来回回，10多分钟过去了，双方陷入僵持。陈福成一边用撑衣杆将蛇往后拨，一边打了119电话求助。

不一会儿，几名消防队员赶到了现场。为不让蛇从高处摔落，几名消防员找来两根竹竿并在一起，然后用竹管去拨小蛇的身体，企图让它盘绕在竹竿上再将其取下，蛇却连看都懒得看。消防员继续用竹竿去拨动蛇。这下，蛇猛一下缠住竹竿顶端，不停地吐着信子。消防员慢慢收回竹竿，拿出事先准备好的透明塑料袋，准备将蛇放进袋中，不想，蛇却突然从竹竿上滑落下去，掉在了3楼阳台外的一根木杆上。

几名消防员再次转战3楼阳台，使用同样方法和蛇又斗了半个小时，蛇终于被装进了塑料口袋。据一位民警分析，蛇是从4楼楼上掉下来的，一般的蛇不会爬那么高，很可能是楼上住户饲养的宠物蛇。

http://news.sina.com.cn/c/2009-09-16/065116304504s.shtml

SOUTHEAST EXPRESS /东南快报 (China) 16 September 09 两条蛇溜出蛇店闯进小区惊吓居民

“啊！有蛇！”昨日凌晨，在单位加班的林先生，听到两名女同事的尖叫声。他走出办公房间一看，一青一红两条蛇闯进了办公场所内，让人毛骨悚然。

林先生办公的地点，位于福州台江区光明城小区E座二层居民楼内。而这已经是林先生第二次发现有蛇爬进办公场所。

林先生说，前晚他和3名同事留在单位内加班。凌晨0时15分许，两条蛇突然爬了进来，一青一红四五十厘米长，还不时发出“嗞嗞”的声音。

两名女同事吓得呆在一旁不敢动，林先生和另一同事找来工具，将蛇赶到外面一斜坡处后，打死了红色的蛇，青色的蛇则趁黑溜走。

附近居民表示，小区内经常会发现蛇出没，在近一两年内，已经出现不下10次，这都源于一家开在小区前的蛇店。

昨日上午，蛇店老板证实了蛇确实是从他店里跑出的。不过，老板称蛇没有毒性，可能是装货时没注意看好，才导致蛇偷偷溜走。老板表示，以后会注意看好店里的蛇。

然而，居民仍然整天提心吊胆的。为此，小区物业处也多次和蛇店老板交涉，物业人员称，他们只能提醒蛇店老板注意看好店里的蛇。

福州市森林公安人员表示，会尽快派人到场查看。如果蛇店是正规经营，将督促老板做好相关工作，如果该蛇店没有营业执照或者非法经营野生保护动物，将依法进行查处取缔。

http://news.163.com/09/0916/07/5JAM02L000011229.html

VANCOUVER SUN (British Columbia) 15 September 09 Conference looks to reduce roadkill; International scientists meet to resolve threat to endangered species (Jacob Berkowitz)

Duluth, Minn. You might think coffee talk about roadkill in northern Minnesota would involve jokes about tips for squashed squirrel stew.

But this week hundreds of scientists from 16 countries are gathered for the world's only international roadkill conference, one at which the punch line is about how, rather than why, wild animals safely cross roads.

Scientists at the International Conference on Ecology and Transportation say that in the past decade flattened fauna has emerged as a major global ecological issue.

A 2008 report commissioned by Parks Canada found roadkill is among the top threats to endangered species in Canada's National Parks. "We're no longer debating if this is a problem; we're discussing how can we fix it," says Geoffrey Gartshore, an ecological consultant from Kitchener, Ont.

He's leading efforts to reduce roadkill on one of the world's deadliest roads for amphibians and reptiles -- the 3.5-km Long Point Causeway that links the Long Point Peninsula on Lake Erie with mainland southern Ontario.

Known as one of Canada's most popular bird watching destinations, the two-lane causeway divides the Big Creek Marsh, a UNESCO-designated World Biosphere Reserve, from Lake Erie, creating a lethal gauntlet for frogs, turtles, toads and snakes.

In just two years in the early 1990s, more than 32,000 amphibians and reptiles were run-over on this roadway, according to a 1996 study by Canada Wildlife Service scientists. This included several endangered species, including the eastern hog-nosed snake and Blanding's turtle.

"It's a small piece of road, but it's a worldwide issue in terms of species at risk," says Gartshore.

Road ecologists say roadkill is the overlooked factor in the highly publicized global decline of amphibian populations, and is a major threat to endangered species.

"Animals are getting run over faster than they can reproduce," says Bruce Eilerts, an environmental official with Arizona's Department of Transportation.

The Long Point World Biosphere Reserve Foundation, which funded Gartshore's research, is proposing a $14-million eco-retrofit of the Long Point causeway to provide animals with 'ecopassages,' tunnels under the road for safe crossing.

It's an approach pioneered in the 1970s in the Netherlands in response to the roadkill decimation of the country's badgers. There are now thousands of badger ecopassages under Dutch roads -- and a healthy badger population

TAIPEI TIMES (Taiwan) 15 September 09 ‘Harvesting’ the highways: Roadkill becoming trendy

Finders Keepers: As one UK roadkill consumer puts it, of 40 carcasses on the road, 20 will be edible, which are good odds for food that’s free of charge

Presumably following the maxim of “waste not, want not,” utilizing roadkill has become a trend.

In Britain, top forager Fergus Drennan (wildmanwildfood.com) has taken to holding roadkill suppers. In Australia, one Les Hall published a handy guidebook to spotting deceased species on the road. And in Canada, designer Amy Nugent has taken things one step further, “harvesting” highway hits from bears and moose through to porcupines to fashion a celebrated jewelry range (roadquill.ca) that includes bracelets and tie slides.

The first rule of sustainability is using abundance — and there is an abundance of roadkill. At one famed US junction, Highway 27 at Lake Jackson near Tallahassee, Florida, a turtle has a 98.86 percent chance of being killed. On British roads, the People’s Trust for Endangered Species estimates that 1 percent to 2 percent of the national population of hedgehogs dies each year.

Carrion appeals to those who hate waste and, as one prolific UK roadkill consumer put it, of 40 carcasses found on British roads, 20 will be edible, which are good odds for something that’s free.

The eighth Mammals on Road survey from last year placed rabbit hit-and-runs in first place, followed by hedgehogs.

But a separate study by Royal Holloway and Bedford university found that hedgehogs have the poorest road skills. That is worrying because hedgehog numbers appear to be declining by 7.5 percent, suggesting the species is in need of more strenuous conservation efforts.

In terms of reducing road deaths, this could include special wildlife walkways and tunnels to help them cross unharmed.

Many animal rights campaigners give roadkill the green light, including PETA, which deems roadkill meat acceptable because it isn’t produced by the “barbaric” meat industry.

Still, it’s hardly a natural end.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/world/archives/2009/09/15/2003453552

IRISH EXAMINER (Dublin, Ireland) 15 September 09 Huge python found during river survey

A routine river survey took an unexpected twist today after scientists pulled a 10ft monster python from the water in Co Wexford.

Relieved fisheries staff hauled in their nets on the River Slaney to discover the dead reptile – believed to be an aggressive African rock python.

Experts said the giant snake had not eaten for some time but may have only died recently.

Dr Cathal Gallagher, Central Fisheries Board director of research, warned about keeping exotic and dangerous animals.

“The real message from our point of view is that we have a lot of problems with invasive and non-native species,” he said.

“Although this is very unusual.”

The exotic Slaney snake was pulled out of the river estuary near Enniscorthy and is believed to have been about 10-years-old and recently dead.

It is thought to be an African rock python, a large snake more at home on the Savannah which kills prey by squeezing it to death. It’s usual diet as an adult in the wild is small mammals such as antelope but it can live on rats and rabbit.

The pythons can grow to more than 20ft long making it third largest snake in the world.

They are regarded as aggressive, mean and worryingly they can also live for one year without feeding, if their last meal is large enough.

Ben Lyons, owner of Reptile Haven in Dublin, said this breed of python was relatively cheap to keep with food costing about €25 a month.

“The last rock python I had I donated it to the zoo about 20 years ago – it was psychotic,” Mr Lyons said.

“They are not necessarily a great pet. This is a bit of a generalisation but they are known for being temperamental and angry.”

Despite being in the water it had not yet begun to decompose or rot.

Nature and wildlife experts were said to be debating what to do with the dead creature.

The possibility of stuffing and mounting the giant reptile has been discussed but it is understood that is unlikely.

The snake has been frozen and taken to Dublin where it will be stored for tests with experts in the zoo and universities believed to be keen to examine it.

http://www.examiner.ie/breakingnews/ireland/huge-python-found-during-river-survey-426480.html

THE CHRONICLE (Toowoomba, Australia) 15 September 09 Firemen rescue Myrtle the Turtle (Megan Masters)

The devastating story of a fire that destroyed a Harlaxton family home now has a happier ending.

Tamara Suey and her three children lost their home and possessions in a fire last Wednesday.

They also had believed they had lost their much-loved pet turtle.

When returning to the scene the morning after the blaze, Anzac Avenue fire station officer John Burrows found the turtle in its tank, buried amid the devastation of the burnt residence.

The caring firemen cleaned out the tank with fresh water and expected animal welfare to take it from there.

“We returned later that day with the police forensic team and he was still there, so we put him in a box and went to take him to the vet,” Mr Burrows said.

“On the way there, we got called to a car crash and we completely forgot about Myrtle the Turtle.”

The fire crew was at the crash for three hours when someone recalled the extra passenger who had by this stage escaped from the box into the fire truck.

The intrepid turtle was looked after by a carer and was returned to Queensland Fire and Rescue Service yesterday afternoon.

The turtle will be reunited with its owners, who are over the moon about finally getting some good news.

“You've really put a smile on my face,” Miss Suey said. “I can't wait to tell the kids. They'll be so happy.”

If anyone wishes to help the Suey family, contact 0423 775 291.

http://www.thechronicle.com.au/story/2009/09/15/firemen-rescue-myrtle-the-turtle/

THE HERALD (Sierra Vista, Arizona) 15 September 09 Ornate box turtle numbers seem to decline (Shar Porier)

Bisbee: Southeastern Arizona may have another Chelonia species (reptiles that carry their homes on their backs) that is in decline — the ornate box turtle.

Audrey Owens, a wildlife specialist with Arizona Game and Fish, wants to make the public aware that these turtles are not to be collected and are protected like their cousins the Sonoran Desert Tortoise.

“Ornate box turtles were once described as a common species in Southeastern Arizona’s grasslands. In recent years, encounters with ornate box turtles are becoming more and more infrequent,” said Owens. “Although we have no estimate of the number of box turtles in Southeastern Arizona, recently researchers and box turtle enthusiasts have noticed that they appear to be in decline.”

About the turtles

Male box turtles can be distinguished from female box turtles because males have red eyes and orange coloration on their forelimbs. Female box turtles have brown or yellow eyes and yellow coloration on their forelimbs. Female box turtles lay on average three eggs per clutch in nest dug in sandy soil. After she lays them, she covers them up with soil, and the hatchlings emerge about three months later. The female does not stay by the nest once she is done laying the eggs, said Owens. The hatchings are dark-colored with a yellow line down the center of the shell.

They generally hang out near waterways, but can also be found in semi-desert grasslands, Sonoran desert scrub and Madrean evergreen woodland in altitudes up to 7,100 feet. They eat some insects and lots of vegetation, even cactus pads.

The state officially prohibited possession or the harvesting of box turtles in Arizona in 2005. It is not on an threatened or endangered list, yet.

“They were historically common in the Santa Cruz River valley, but have apparently disappeared from the area in the past century, as they have not been found there during recent surveys,” added Owens. “Their stronghold in Arizona appears to be the San Pedro River valley, where they are still being found with some regularity.”

Why they are in decline

Ornate box turtles are victims of habitat destruction through development and road building. It’s hard to resist a sunbath on those warm asphalt roads after a rain and that puts them at risk to motorists.

“In fact, box turtle populations are negatively affected by busy, paved roads, possibly because of high rates of mortality,” added Owens.

Then there are the folks who see a turtle and give it a lift home for a life as the family pet. That, too, has added to the decline in numbers.

So, how does Game and Fish determine that a population is in decline? It’s not easy. Finding them can be difficult because they spend most of their time in underground burrows. When the monsoon comes, they get more active and can be seen more frequently as the humidity rises. Most often they are seen from mid-July through September.

“We survey them by intensively searching in areas of known habitat (semi-desert grassland is their preferred habitat), which allows us to get a general idea if they are present in an area,” she explained. “We walk a series of 500 meter lines, searching for them along within 50 meters on either side of the line. This method allows us to estimate the number of turtles within the surveyed area.”

Ornate Box Turtle Watch

However, since weather conditions can vary and wildlife staff may or may not see any turtles on a given day, Game and Fish started the Ornate Box Turtle Watch program, a citizen scientist project. Individuals who live, work or conduct wildlife activities in Southeastern Arizona’s grasslands are being asked to let Game and Fish know when they encounter box turtles.

“Each time you encounter a box turtle, fill out and mail us a box turtle observation form (they can be found on the state Web site), along with photos of the individual,” said Owens. “Remember that it is illegal to handle wild box turtles, so participating in this program does not allow or require you to handle any turtles. We hope that with enough participation, we will be able to monitor where the species is still common and what types of habitat it is being found in, which will help us determine and address threats to their populations.”

The “don’t touch” rule includes collecting box turtles for the annual Willcox turtle race. Though Game and Fish hasn’t been in touch with city officials about the no-contact rule, some people may have had their turtles as pets prior to the 2005 ruling. Those turtles are allowed to compete.

“If you find a box turtle, the only situation in which you may handle it is if it is crossing the road, in which case you can (gently) move it across the road, facing the same direction it was heading,” she warned. “Please do not relocate it to another area. Reptiles have a strong homing instinct, and will likely try to get back to where it came from, possibly encountering many roads along the way. You will be doing no favors to that turtle.”

How you can help the population

Do not collect a box turtle if you encounter one in the wild. It is illegal to remove a box turtle from the wild in Arizona.

Captive turtles released into the wild can severely jeopardize local wild turtle populations through the introduction of diseases and parasites. Also, captive box turtles released into the wild can displace individuals or populations of wild box turtles by competing for resources. If you have a captive box turtle that you can no longer care for, contact Arizona Game and Fish.

For information, call (623) 236-7504 or visit the Web site at: http://www.azgfd.gov/w_c/boxturtlemanagement.shtml. Forms for the Ornate Box Turtle Program can be downloaded at http://www.azgfd.gov/boxturtlewatch.

Information provided by Arizona Game and Fish

http://www.svherald.com/articles/2009/09/15/news/doc4aaf56042e3c7850150284.txt

PRESS-ENTERPRISE (Riverside, California) 14 September 09 Man seeking to breed threatened reptiles, amphibians in Lake Elsinore (Gene Ghiotto)

An Orange County man wants to open a business in Lake Elsinore that would breed threatened, protected and endangered reptiles and amphibians to help preserve the species.

"There are very few breeders around the country who specialize in protection of species," Mitchell Behm said. "I have this hobby I want to turn into a business to raise endangered, protected and threatened species with the option of returning them to the wild."

The business, Global Captive Breeders, is proposed for an industrial area along Third Street.

Tonight, the Lake Elsinore Planning Commission will consider a request for a conditional-use permit to operate the business in a 6,100-square-foot building in an area zoned as limited manufacturing, according to a staff report.

If approved, snakes, lizards, tortoises, turtles and amphibians would be bred on the site and sold wholesale to colleges, pet stores and individuals, accord to the staff report.

Behm also said he hopes to work with local schools to provide learning experiences for children.

A conditional-use permit is being sought because reptile and amphibian breeding businesses are not specifically listed as a permitted or a conditional-use item in the area that Global Captive Breeders is seeking to operate, according to the report.

Lake Elsinore municipal code allows the Planning Commission to permit such uses when they are determined to be similar to those listed, according to the staff report. City code does allow wholesale businesses and commercial kennels and veterinary clinics.

The staff report indicates that Global Captive Breeders has "characteristics similar" to the allowed uses and that a conditional-use permit allowing the business is appropriate.

"There just seemed to be a need for this," Behm said of the business.

http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_S_frog15.44267ad.html

THE STAR (Wilmington, N Carolina) 15 September 09 With nudging, sweeping, and guiding light, 70 baby leatherbacks make it out to sea (Shannan Bowen)

It was like watching several stages of a child’s life, birth through high school graduation, in the span of 30 minutes or less.

After 70 baby leatherback sea turtles hatched Monday night, simultaneously emerging above the sand at Carolina Beach in a fashion that can only be described as looking like boiling water, they were guided down an aisle and sent to grow up on their own.

Then several people, who we can call sea turtle nest mothers and fathers, jumped, cried and hugged one another in celebration of successful parenting.

“I am just in shock,” cried Nancy Busovne, Carolina Beach coordinator for the Pleasure Island Sea Turtle Project.

“It is the most beautiful thing we have ever seen,” she said, standing ankle-deep in the surf.

While sea turtles hatch every year on local beaches, this nest was different. These hatchlings were rare leatherbacks as opposed to the usual loggerheads, and it was the first time in the 20 years that records have been kept that a leatherback sea turtle laid a nest on Pleasure Island.

In fact, this breed is the largest of all sea turtles and can reach nearly 7 feet long and weigh more than a ton. Equipped with huge flippers that help it navigate the great ocean distances it travels, the leatherback is one of five turtle species that regularly visits the North Carolina waters and one of three that nests on the state’s beaches.

Two other leatherback nests were found this year in Cape Hatteras and Corolla, but this nest was the first to be documented south of Carteret County in the state.

The “moon” was especially elated.

She was Kimberly Belfer, 29, a volunteer with the Pleasure Island Sea Turtle Project for almost a year. She had been “sitting the nest” for a couple of weeks from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. each night, making sure predators such as foxes or birds didn’t disturb the nest.

Sea turtles naturally navigate toward the moon when they hatch, but Monday night’s starry sky was without the light. So, Belfer was the moon.

At 9:51 p.m., after more than 100 volunteers and bystanders gathered in anticipation at the Driftwood Court beach access, Belfer hoisted a lantern above her head and began to slowly walk backward to the ocean.

The “boil” of the turtles coming out of their nest was in full effect, and bystanders stood or sat on both sides of a 50-foot-long trench created by volunteers.

“It’s a little premature, I think,” one watcher in the dark said. Then, about 10 minutes later, the words “they’re coming” passed down the line like a telephone game.

There are rules when watching the sea turtle navigation: You can’t talk too loud, and you can’t shine lights or use camera flashes on the turtles. Houses nearby the nest were banned from turning outside lights on, and the volunteers used red-light flashlights and an infrared camera to properly capture the process.

The volunteers, wearing badges saying “Leatherback Nest Access,” worked like a colony of bees, each with a specific job aimed at getting the turtles to sea.

Some volunteers had been camping out in shifts between 6 p.m. and 7 a.m. for about two weeks, waiting for any sign of hatching to begin. Monday night, the 69th day since the nest was laid, one volunteer on duty noticed a small depression atop the nest, a sign like water breaking in a pregnant mother.

Sally Johnson, a fifth-year volunteer, was one of the counters. She sat by the middle of the trench and counted as each turtle passed.

“They are bigger than loggerheads,” she said. She said the dark figures, crawling awkwardly through the trench, reminded her of bats.

“This is all new to us,” Johnson said. She and other volunteers were more excited than nervous, though, at seeing leatherbacks for the first time.

Johnson also spent time “sitting the nest” in shifts, and the sea turtle project, specifically this leatherback nest, took up a lot of her time. “I come home from work, snarf up as much food as I can, and out I go,” she said.

Other volunteers were sweepers, taking a big broom and making sure the trench they built was kept smooth. At one point, a hatchling got stuck in one of the “moon’s” footprints, but it quickly turned around and corrected its path.

Some hatchlings started climbing the walls of the trench, but volunteers, who kneeled in the sand, took their gloved hands and gently pushed them down.

The baby sea turtles created a unique track that had tiny Xs on each side, and many of the hatchlings followed the tracks others had made. As they crawl across the sand, they make an imprint of the beach so they can return there to hatch their eggs decades later.

The first turtle to emerge from the nest was at the forefront for most of the time, but the second-runner caught up with it near the ocean.

At 10:30 p.m., the last turtle reached the sea and the applause started.

But wait.

A wave quickly washed the baby turtle back onto the sand, so everyone had to stand still – so they didn’t accidentally step on it – and a volunteer tenderly nudged it back in the direction of the sea.

This time the wave took the baby with it, and the applause, jumping, hugging and crying started again.

“There’s no words,” Belfer said.

Page Gebsen, a volunteer with the Wrightsville Beach sea turtle patrol, came to help and to witness the rarity of the nest. “That’s what makes it exciting,” she said. “We may never see another one.”

Busovne said the process went smoothly, and she was still breathless and wiping tears moments after the last turtle left. She said she felt like a new parent.

Busovne and the other volunteers did their job. They protected the hatchings from animal predators, egg poachers and harsh weather.

But now the leatherback babies are on their own, battling whatever they encounter in the sea.

Maybe, though, at least one will survive dangerous odds of surviving to maturity and will return decades later to that same spot on Pleasure Island, where another crop of volunteers will be waiting.

http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20090915/ARTICLES/909159986

ORLANDO SENTINEL (Florida) 15 September 09 Python reports on the rise (Anthony Colarossi)

Florida wildlife officials say all this summer's publicity about Burmese pythons may be leading to more reports of illegally held reptiles.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokesperson Joy Hill said her agency has seen an uptick in the number of people reporting pythons suspected of being held without state required permits. Her office could not immediately provide reporting numbers to demonstrate the trend.

Since a Burmese python killed a Sumter County girl on July 1, barely a week has gone by without the constrictors making news somewhere in the state.

Last week started with officials pitching new legislation to control sales of the reptiles and ended with the capture of Delilah, an 18-foot-long python kept in a backyard chain-link enclosure in Apopka. In between, an 11-foot male and a 17-foot female, both Burmese pythons, were seized from a Lakeland residence.

The number of captive Burmese pythons kept illegally is hard to determine. Python publicity may be prompting reports of a few suspicious cases. But Hill encourages unlicensed python owners to contact the FWC voluntarily and obtain required permits and microchips for the snakes.

Permitting helps wildlife officials ensure that owners are familiar with caring for and providing safe housing for the snakes. It also lets experts know exactly where these "reptiles of concern" are. Well-cared-for Burmese pythons will grow rapidly and eventually become difficult to conceal.

Snake owners considering ways to safely get rid of pythons with no questions asked can attend FWC's "Pet Amnesty Day." For reptiles of concern only, it is scheduled for Oct. 3 at Gatorland, south of Orlando.

People who suspect a Burmese python is being held without a permit can call FWC's Wildlife Alert hotline at 1-888-404-3922.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/environment/orl-python-roundup-follow-091509,0,2609103.story

ARIZONA REPUBLIC (Phoenix) 15 September 09 Zoo-bred frogs released near Payson - Threatened species will be monitored in new habitat (Shaun McKinnon)

Biologists have released nearly 1,400 Chiricahua leopard frogs into riparian habitat outside Payson, the latest step - or hop - toward rescuing an ailing native species.

The frogs, actually a mix of tadpoles and small froglets, hatched and developed in a roomful of closely watched tanks at the Phoenix Zoo. Spending their early days in a safe environment, rather than in the wild, where they can become a food source, increases their chances of survival.

The goal is to help the frogs establish a breeding population in their new homes, in this case a series of ponds along Ellison Creek in the Tonto National Forest.

State and federal biologists, who released the amphibians last week, will continue to monitor the frogs as they adapt to their new surroundings.

"We don't really know how the survivorship of these captive-reared animals compares to wild animals," said Jim Rorabaugh, a biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "We know usually that if we've selected the site correctly, we will establish a breeding population there almost every time."

The captive-breeding and repopulation program is part of the recovery plan established for the frog when it was listed as a threatened species. The fist-size frog once thrived in Arizona and New Mexico, but it has fallen victim to shrinking riparian habitat and non-native predators.

The Phoenix Zoo began breeding leopard frogs more than a decade ago, working with the federal wildlife agency, the Arizona Department of Game and Fish, and national-forest managers.

The first of the spring season's egg masses arrived at the zoo in May. As they hatched, the future frogs were dispersed among glass tanks, where they underwent metamorphosis over the summer.

For the first time, zoo biologists varied the water temperature of the tanks to see how the tadpoles and froglets responded to different conditions. Tara Sprankle, the zoo's conservation manager, said they anticipated that the frogs in warmer water would grow fastest and those in room-temperature water would grow slowest.

The results befitted Goldilocks: The fastest-growing group swam in neither the warmest nor the coolest water, but in temperatures somewhere in the middle. Biologists are now comparing the size of the froglets at metamorphosis to see which temperature produced the largest specimens.

"Ideally we want to release the largest froglets possible to increase their chances of survival." Sprankle said.

The frogs were released on areas selected using several criteria, Rorabaugh said: the presence of water year-round, the lack of non-native predators such as bullfrogs and fish, and the absence of a fungal skin disease that has infected frogs elsewhere in Arizona and around the world.

Timing is also important, he said. Release them too early and monsoon storms could disrupt the sites; release them too late and they might not have enough time to adapt to their new home before they go dormant for the winter.

The final count when the 13-member team released the frogs was 1,393, Sprankle said.

"Getting to take the little frogs back to the wild and let them go is the best part of my job," she said. "I look forward to the day when the frogs are doing so well on their own that I get put out of business. Of course, there will always be another species that needs help, so my work may never be completely done."

http://www.azcentral.com/12news/news/articles/2009/09/15/20090915env-frogs0915-CP.html

WOAI (San Antonio, Texas) 15 September 09 Rattlesnakes found in San Antonio backyards (Leila Walsh)

San Antonio: It is not the kind of surprise you want to discover at your home. People who live near Sea World have been finding baby Diamondback Rattlesnakes in their backyards.

The South Texas Herpetology Association and volunteers said within the past month, they have had roughly two dozen calls for rattlesnakes in that area of the Northwest Side.

Experts believe there are several reasons for the increased sightings. First, the drought forced rattlesnakes to look for shade and water. Additionally, recent development and the mowing of some fields has sent the rattlesnakes out of their normal habitat.

News 4 WOAI spoke with one man whose dog was bitten by one of the snakes. Derrick Eaton's dog, Keeley, had to be put down after the snake bite. Eaton said he wants to warn other families to watch out for their own animals and children. He is particularly worried about kids who walk to school and use a grassy area as a shortcut.

"Any kid walking along and listening to their IPod, talking with their friends, is going to step into a hole. And the next thing you know, they're going to find a Rattlesnake," Eaton said.

Experts say you should wear shoes whenever you go outside, check the ground when you are walking, and if you go outside at night, take a flashlight.

Rattlesnake bites are rarely deadly, but can cause a lot of pain and tissue damage along with other problems. If you are bit by a rattlesnake, get to a hospital or clinic where you can receive antivenin treatment.

If you do find a rattlesnake or any venomous snake, the South Texas Herpetology Association says you can try to contain it using a bucket or jar. You should then call 3-1-1 and one of the volunteers from the South Texas Herpetology Association will try to go to your house to pick up the snake.

http://www.woai.com/news/local/story/Rattlesnakes-found-in-San-Antonio-backyards/yuMAr0lqjka5fNKXmi9qkA.cspx

BBC (London, UK) 15 September 09 Reptiles' walk 'evolved faster'

Reptiles learned to walk upright much more quickly than was originally thought, new research has shown.

The development was originally considered a slow process, taking between 20 and 30 million years.

But new research at Bristol University shows reptiles began walking with their legs tucked underneath their bodies, like modern mammals, much earlier.

This probably occurred shortly after a mass extinction, which occurred 250 million years ago, academics said.

Professor Mike Benton of the university said: "Dinosaurs, and later the mammals, owe their success to being upright. An upright animal, like an elephant or a diplodocus, can be very large because its weight passes directly through the pillar-like legs to the ground.

"Another advantage is that other upright animals, such as monkeys, can use their arms for climbing or gathering food."

Upright walking was a key component in the evolutionary success of the dinosaurs, which originated 25 million years after the mass extinction.

Newly-found footprint evidence suggests upright-walking reptiles quickly replaced the sprawling reptiles of previous epochs, rather than the two groups competing to cohabit the earth.

The results have been published in the Journal of Palaeontology.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/bristol/somerset/8256270.stm

BERKELEY INDEPENDENT (Summerville, S Carolina) 15 September 09 Copperhead snake strikes Goose Creek Walmart shopper (Jim Tatum)

A 31-year-old Goose Creek man got a nasty surprise when he reached down to pick up something in the Walmart Garden Center in Goose Creek: a bite from an ornery Copperhead.

Goose Creek Fire Chief Steve Chapman said the man was shopping in the outdoor area of the lawn and garden center on Monday of last week when he reached down to pick up an object.

The snake struck him in the left hand, leaving one puncture wound. The man was transported to Trident Medical Center without incident; the snake was killed and sent with EMS as well to aid in identification and treatment.

Chapman noted that, while snakebite is fairly common in the Lowcountry, snakebite in a store is not. The Goose Creek Fire Department handles maybe one or two snake bite calls a year; this one was the first reported for 2009, he said.

Walmart Spokeswoman Ashley Hardy said this seems to be an isolated incident, however, Walmart is working with animal control and other sources to implement preventative measures.

“First and foremost, the safety and security of Walmart customers and employees is our number one priority,” Hardy said. “We are concerned about the man and are checking in to make sure he is okay. We are also taking precautions to ensure this won’t happen again.”

This is apparently not the only incident of someone suffering a snake bite in a Walmart store. A Brevard County, Florida, man reported getting bitten by a pygmy rattlesnake at a Walmart in 2007. An Arizona man reported being bitten by a western diamond back rattler, also in 2007.

A copperhead is a pit viper, the least venomous of pit viper species in this area. A bite from a copperhead is painful and can cause such complications as abnormally low blood pressure and pain in the joints, but they are rarely lethal. Copperheads account for most bites from poisonous snakes in the U.S. Generally, they are from 20-40 inches long, and chestnut colored with dark bands, with a copper-colored head.

http://www.berkeleyind.com/news/Copperhead-snake-strikes-Goose-Creek-Walmart-shopper

CAIRNS POST (Australia) 15 September 09 Killer rabbits attack snakes (Sean Muir)

A pair of rabid rabbits has been caught killing a series of snakes near Cairns.

For three weeks Armando Del Manso believed his dog was responsible for the dead snakes showing up with teeth marks all over them on his East Barron property’s lawn each morning.

But it turns out it was a pair of rampaging rabbits killing the snakes.

The 42-year-old boilermaker first made the discovery Tuesday night when he spotted the two wild rabbits attacking a king brown snake.

“The snake was raised up in the air in the striking position and the two rabbits worked their way around him and killed him in two minutes,” Mr Del Manso said.

“I’m gobsmacked, it’s absolutely incredible.

“We were watching from the veranda with a spotlight, and I thought, who is going to believe this, they’ll think I’m crazy.”

He said the rabbits lived under a pile of wood in the backyard and were around the same size as a household cat.

“These are killer rabbits man,” he said.

“I’ve never ever seen or heard anything like this happening, it could be a breakthrough.”

A day after discovering the killer rabbits, Mr Del Manso noticed the rabbits had two baby bunnies which he said might explain their attitude towards the snakes.

Two days after first spotting the killer rabbits Mr Del Manso was bitten by a python on the foot while going for a midnight snack in his kitchen at around 2am.

“My partner joked that we should train rabbits to come inside the house to clean out the snakes,” Mr Del Manso said.

“We are absolutely inundated with snakes.”

Senior wildlife manager at the Cairns Wildlife Safari Paul O’Callaghan said he’d never heard of rabbits attacking snakes before but that didn’t mean it wasn’t possible.

“Animals are capable of learning, and it’s not impossible that these animals have learnt to deal with snakes in this way,” Mr O’Callaghan said.

“They’re certainly taking a risk doing it though.”

Mr De Manso also farms exotic bantams and said with more than 50 chooks he had neveronce lost a fowl to a snake due to the guard rabbits.

http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2009/09/15/63975_local-news.html

WETM (Elmira, New York) 15 September 09 Python Owner Speaks Out (Camille Williams)

Elmira Heights, (NY): The owner of the lost and found 10 foot python that scared some neighbors in the heights is speaking out.

He's remorseful and plans to get rid of all of his snakes.

20 year old Jarred Triesler recently moved from Ohio to Elmira Heights not knowing he needed a permit for his Burmese python.

Collecting snakes is Triesler's hobby.

He owns 10, 3 are illegal to own without a permit.

On Wednesday, Bianca escaped her owner's home on Horseheads Boulevard in Elmira Heights, scaring some of her new neighbors.

"I want to apologize to all those people," Says Triesler.

On Sunday, Bianca was found by a neighbor.

However, others were left feeling uneasy since this was the second illegal snake to escape from Triesler's home.

In August, a Reticulated python made a hole in the screen of his sliding door.

"I still like to open the door to get fresh air in the room and I left for work without closing the door again, so she came out the same way."

Now Triesler is paying for what he calls a careless mistake.

He's received two citations for having exotic animals without a permit.

Out of the 10 snakes, the seven legal ones have been sent back to his parents’ home which is out of New York State.

"Hopefully they'll look after them until I get homes for them."

The illegal ones, two pythons and Black Rat snake, are still with him in Elmira Heights.

He's hoping to find them new homes where they can live together, legally.

Triesler is expected to appear in Elmira Heights village court later in September.

http://www.wetmtv.com/news/local/story/Python-Owner-Speaks-Out/XyNBI8dO1UOI-YQaMuPG0A.cspx

LA STAMPA (Torino, Italy) 15 September 09 Cina, donna si trova nel letto un serpente con una zampa

Roma : Un serpente con una zampa è stato scoperto da una contadina nella città di Suining, provincia sud occidentale cinese del Sichuan. Lo ha riportato il sito del quotidiano Huaxi Dushi.

Duan Qiongxiu, 66 anni, ha raccontato di avere trovato il serpente nel cuore della notte. «Ho sentito uno strano fruscio, ho acceso la luce e ho sorpreso il serpente che si arrampicava sul letto con l’aiuto del suo artiglio», ha dichiarato la donna che infine, terrorizzata, ha ucciso l’animale a colpi di scarpa.

Il serpente si trova ora nel dipartimento di Scienze naturali dell’università China West Normal di Nanchong (provincia del Sichuan). «Non ho mai visto nulla del genere, potremo dare una risposta solo dopo avere condotto l’autopsia e averlo analizzato», ha affermato Zhou Caiquan, direttore del dipartimento.

http://www.lastampa.it/lazampa/girata.asp?ID_blog=164&ID_articolo=1389&ID_sezione=339&sezione=News

METRO XPRESS (Copenhagen, Denmark) 15 September 09 Chok: slange med fod fundet - En slange med en enkel fod er angiveligt fundet i en kinesisk provins (Joséphine Renard)

Den 66-årige Duan Qiongxiu gjorde et noget særligt fund, da hun opdagede et krybdyr, der hang på væggen i hendes soveværelse. Det skriver telegraph.co.uk.

»Jeg vågnede, da jeg hørte en mærkelig ridsende lyd. Jeg tændte lyset og så dette monster arbejde sig langs væggen ved hjælp af sin fod," sagde Duan Qiongxiu fra Suining, en sydvestlige kinesisk provins.

Duan Qiongxiu blev så bange, at hun greb en sko og slå slangen ihjel, for derefter at opbevare slangen i en flaske alkohol.

Slangen, der er 40 cm lang og har en tykkelsen på størrelse med en lillefinger, bliver nu undersøgt på Life Sciences Department på Kinas West Normal University i Nanchang.

Slangeekspert Long Shuai udtaler at fundet er virkelig chokerende og at de ikke kender årsagen den mærkelig slange, før de har foretaget en obduktion.

En mere almindelig mutation blandt slanger er væksten i et andet hoved, som opstår på samme måde til dannelsen af siamesiske tvillinger i mennesker. Disse slanger, som ofte bliver fanget og opbevaret som lykkeamuletter og talisman, har en meget lille chance for at overleve i naturen, da fordi de har en tendens til at angribe.

http://www.metroxpress.dk/dk/article/2009/09/14/14/0318-83/index.xml

EL SIGLO DE TORREÓN (México) 15 September 09 Cazan serpientes para la venta ilegal del veneno

Timjanik, Macedonia (EFE). En el centro de Macedonia hay personas que ponen en riesgo su vida para cazar las víboras más peligrosas de Europa y vender, por buen precio y de forma ilegal, su veneno o la serpiente entera.

Este pequeño país balcánico alberga dos especies de serpientes venenosas: la víbora cornuda (Vipera ammodytes, según su nombre en latín) y la víbora común europea (Vipera berus).

También hay varias no venenosas, como la culebra de Esculapio (Elaphe longissima y Zamenis longissimus) y diferentes reptiles acuáticos no peligrosos.

En todo caso, a los cazadores de serpientes macedonios sólo les interesan los venenosos.

La víbora cornuda, la más venenosa del continente europeo, vive en casi todas las zonas de Macedonia, sobre todo en el montañoso oeste y el rocoso centro del país.

Se reconoce con facilidad por su característico "cuerno" sobre el hocico y su veneno es mortal para los humanos, pero al mismo tiempo está en la base de numerosas sustancias que se usan en farmacología.

Ciudadanos de la aldea de Timjanik, en el centro de Macedonia, a unos 120 kilómetros al sur de Skopje, aseguran que la venta ilegal del veneno de serpiente es allí una realidad.

Se vende ante todo en la vecina Grecia, cuya frontera está a unos 50 kilómetros de Timjanik, y el precio de una víbora cornuda puede alcanzar los 500 euros.

"Hace unos días, vi a unos cazadores cerca de un barranco. Eran tres jóvenes. No ocultaban que habían venido por las serpientes. Ya habían cogido dos víboras cornudas, me las mostraron", declaró a Efe un viejo pastor local, quien se negó a revelar su nombre.

"Me dijeron que les extraen el veneno y después las sueltan", indicó y explicó que "ponían el líquido en frascos de cristal, se disponían a ir a Grecia porque aquí nadie lo compra".

En Macedonia, un pequeño y empobrecido país balcánico de unos dos millones de habitantes, es una tradición centenaria cazar víboras venenosas.

Los cazadores se llaman aquí popularmente "zmijari", que en macedonio sería algo así como "viboreros".

Para la mayoría de ellos, atrapar serpientes siempre ha sido un pasatiempo, con el que ahora pueden ganar algo de dinero.

El director de la Oficina estatal de Medicamentos, Ilcho Zahariev, cree que habría que organizar la compra y producción de medicamentos relacionados con el veneno, pero reconoce que Macedonia no tiene recursos financieros suficientes para ello.

"Sería útil, ante todo, para la producción del contraveneno, pero supondría una inversión muy cara. Nuestro país compra el contraveneno de Serbia y Croacia, pero habría que pensar en ese negocio", opina Zahariev.

Para las compañías farmacéuticas nacionales, el veneno de serpiente es muy caro, aunque podrían usarlo no sólo en la producción de contraveneno, sino también en cosmética.

"Se usa mucho en productos cosméticos para la cara, para cremas contra el envejecimiento de la piel", explica Gabriela Georgievska, farmacéutica de la fábrica de medicamentos "Alkaloid", en Skopje.

La venta ilegal de serpientes y veneno se castiga, según la ley macedonia, con multas y condenas de hasta un año de cárcel.

El agricultor Ilija Jovanov, de 49 años, es uno de los intrépidos cazadores que guarda en su casa una víbora cornuda, de unos 30 centímetros de largo, bajo un recipiente de cristal.

"Conozco a muchos que cazan serpientes para venderlas, pero temen a la Policía. No obstante, el dinero no es poco", cuenta Jovanov, mientras agarra con la mano a la víbora por detrás de la cabeza.

La caza de serpientes es para él un pasatiempo desde su adolescencia: le gustaban mucho y quería tenerlas en su casa como animal preferido.

Además, no pocas veces salvó a algún vecino o compañero de víboras que se acercaban a sus casas.

Jovanov asegura que no ha entrado en el "negocio" y agrega al respecto: "de ninguna manera, sería condenado a pena de prisión".

Señala que en la región abundan las serpientes y considera que el Estado macedonio debería permitir su caza, organizar la compra del veneno y mejorar así la situación económica de esta parte del país.

http://www.elsiglodetorreon.com.mx/noticia/460453.cazan-serpientes-para-la-venta-ilegal-del-ven.html

NGÔI SAO (Hà Nội, Vietnam) 15 September 09 Con rắn có chân (Hoài Vũ)

Bà Dean Qiongxiu ở Trung Quốc hoảng hốt khi nhìn thấy con rắn bò lên tường trong phòng ngủ vào lúc nửa đêm, đặc biệt khi nó có thêm một cái chân với 4 móng.

Người phụ nữ 66 tuổi ở tỉnh Giang Tô kể: "Tôi thức dậy và nghe thấy âm thanh sột soạt. Tôi bật đèn và nhìn thấy con quái vật này đang bò dọc bờ tường với các móng vuốt gớm ghiếc".

Bà Duan sợ hãi dùng chiếc giầy đập con rắn đến chết. Sau đó, bà bảo quản xác của nó trong một chai rượu. Con rắn dài hơn 40 cm và có một cái chân trồi lên ở giữa thân với bốn ngón. Hiện tại, nó được đưa tới Phòng Khoa học đời sống tại một trường đại học ở Nam Xương, tỉnh Giang Tây, Trung Quốc.

Chuyên gia về rắn, Long Shuai, chia sẻ: "Chúng tôi rất sốc khi nhìn thấy con rắn kỳ lạ này và không thể đoán được nguyên nhân cho đến khi tiến hành một cuộc mổ xác".

Theo Telegraph, sự đột biến gen ở loài rắn khiến chúng mọc thêm đầu thứ hai, hiện tượng xảy ra tương tự như một dạng sinh đôi ở người. Những con vật như vậy thường bị bắt và được bảo quản như một vật kỷ niệm may mắn nhưng chúng cũng có ít cơ hội sống sót trong thế giới hoang dã, đặc biệt khi những cái đầu này có xu hướng tấn công cái đầu khác.

http://www.ngoisao.net/News/Buon-chuyen/2009/09/3B9CB983/

WETM (Elmira, New York) 14 September 09 Missing Python Found (Camille Williams)

Elmira Heights, NY: On Sunday, Darla Nash of Elmira Heights got up-close and personal with a 10 foot Burmese python.

The python, reported missing on Wednesday, was found by Nash's cat.

She says she saw the cat looking at the snake.

Once she saw it herself she ran to her neighbor, Jarred Triesler who's the pet owner.

"He pulled the snake out of the grass and wrapped it around his neck and the thing was huge," Says Darla Nash, Neighbor.

Elmira Heights police say Triesler received citations for having an exotic animal without a permit.

Last month, Triesler's Reticulated python got out and was found in another neighbor’s yard.

In New York, Burmese and Reticulated pythons are illegal to possess without a permit.

Police say out of the ten snakes Triesler owns, three are illegal.

We went to 20 year old Jarred Triesler's home to speak with him about the whole situation.

There was no answer.

But you can clearly see one of the snakes lying near the window.

The future of the three illegal snakes is now up to the village judge.

The DEC officer handling the case did not return our phone calls for comment.

http://www.wetmtv.com/news/local/story/Several-Snakes-in-Home/Bk0HEPIqSUK3mgzF8hFqNg.cspx

EVENING POST (Nottingham, UK) 14 September 09 Three snakes stolen from Mansfield house

Three snakes were stolen from a house in Mansfield.

Two corn snakes and a garter snake, none of which are poisonous, were taken during a burglary at a property in Fiskerton Court between 7pm on Saturday, September 5 and 11pm the following day.

The snakes, which range from 1ft to 2ft in length, were taken in a clear plastic case with a yellow top.

Anyone with information about the snakes' whereabouts or who saw anyone acting suspiciously in the area at the time is urged to contact police.

Anyone with information should contact Det Con Mark Titley on 0300 300 9999, ext. 3135 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/crime/snakes-stolen-Mansfield-house/article-1335944-detail/article.html

WLTX (Columbia, S Carolina) 14 September 09 Cheerleader Hunts, Kills 10 Foot Long Gator

Pelion, SC: A Midlands teenager spent Saturday night on a boat hunting of all things, alligators--and she came back with a big one.

Cammie Colin, 16, helped catch a gator that was 10 feet, five inches long and weighed 353 pounds.

Colin, who's from Pelion, was on a boat with family and friends in a swampy area near the town of Santee and caught the reptile.

The group used a fishing pole to both lure the gator and drag him close to their boat.

"I was very shocked when it got to the boat that it was that size," Colin says.

Colin then used a crossbow to shoot the gator. She and four others then taped the alligators mouth shut and took it back to land.

The junior varsity cheerleader at White Knoll High School has been on deer hunts with her father, but this was her first time alligator hunting.

In South Carolina, 16-year-olds can sign up to register to hunt gators, and Colin had done that earlier this year.

http://www.wltx.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=78363

BRUDIRECT (Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam) 14 September 09 Croc Attack : The Aftermath

Two separate fatal crocodile attacks occurring almost concurrently within a week in areas upstream and downstream of a river could only mean one thing, an infestation of crocodiles in our rivers.

Telling the people to avoid the man-eating crocs in our rivers may not be good enough as a preventive measure. There has to be some kind of CONTROL MECHANISM which monitors the population of these reptilians and their migration patterns. More so, the areas of human contacts should be meticulously patrolled and the bigs ones fished out. If a serious plan is not engendered soon enough to counteract the crocs menace, there could be probabilities of attacks ensuing in the near future. Let us not forget that civilisation in Brunei evolved along the Brunei River and its tributaries. And we can expect people using these rivers for their livelihood and system of transportation.

As such, there will be more encounters as the crocodile population increases to encroach population centres like Kampong Ayer. Already, there have been reports of sightings very near to human habitations close to our Water Village. And we are also aware that some children do play and swim in the water close to their homes. As food sources dwindle due to the increasing numbers of crocs, they will become more aggressive in search of food and this will highten the human risk factor. Fishing in boats along the rivers is a common leisure and supplemental form of sustenance among the village folks for decades, if not centuries. But, is fishing in boats safe, especially in shallow waters close to the banks?

Numerous incidents have been told of anglers being whipped out of their boats and never to be seen again. Never underestimate the power of the crocodile's tail as a hunting weapon. Those of us who are fond of CRABBING or LOBSTER FISHING at the river banks must be extra vigilant of ripples in the waters or red eyes appearing from the surface at night when scanned with lights. But, in any case, the HUNTER is more Determined and Focused than the HUNTED.

Therefore, given this differing WILLS, the hunter prevails. It is hoped that The Marine Police can form a CROCODILE MONITORING TASK FORCE (OR AN WILD-LIFE AGENCY) to keep the crocs population and encroachments in check and to double-up this Force as AN ANTI-SMUGGLING PATROL outfit. Majulah Negara!

http://www.brudirect.com/index.php/200909146644/HYS-Topic-Of-the-Day/croc-attack-the-aftermath.html

HÜRRIYET DAILY NEWS (Turkey) 14 September 09 'One death is too many': The sea-turtle tragedy (Jane Tuna)

Fethiye, Muğla: Once again, Fethiye's residents discussed the sad news of the death of a sea turtle. Many individuals and authorities lack awareness of these endangered species, but a team of biologists led by Yakup Kaska on Iztuzu Beach hopes to turn things around

Last week, a mature female green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) was found floating in the Mediterranean, barely alive, outside the famous Olüdeniz lagoon. Covered in slime as a result of being unable to dive, the turtle had lost both its front flippers.

The right flipper appeared to have been severed at some point in the past. The left was an open wound, around which a fishing line was still attached, cutting deeply into the flesh. Local businessman Apo Tanç spotted the turtle and brought it ashore in his boat. The injured creature was then taken to a rehabilitation center in Dalyan by Meryem Tekin, the local representative for the Underwater Research Society, or SAD.

A loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) found dead on the shore between Fethiye and Çalış the following day was the victim of a boat propeller, which cut off its hindquarters. Both of these sea turtles are endangered species and both were adult, reproductive females. As sea turtles can live for more than 100 years and only become sexually mature after 25-30 years, any death or injury has a dangerous impact on the species. Tekin points out that any death or debilitating injury to an endangered species is totally unacceptable, especially given that with some regulation many of these deaths could be avoided.

“It is really important that the authorities start thinking about how to decrease or contain sea-turtle deaths. Propeller guards and no-go zones near nesting beaches for motor boats are just two ideas that should be discussed.”

These are just two of the many sea turtles that have been killed or injured on this part of the Mediterranean coastline. Tekin has asked that all sightings be reported. So far this season, she has recorded seven deaths. “But these are only the ones that are either seen or reported to me,” she said.

Ali İhsan Emre, a colleague of Tekin’s who has been working to protect sea turtles for more than 20 years, said his records suggest an increase in these injuries and deaths. “Unfortunately, it is not unusual to find up to 14 fatalities in the Gulf of Fethiye each season, and as the number of boats in the area increases, so do the injuries. There is a big problem with fishing lines, hooks and plastic bags, all of which can kill or injure sea turtles.”

Environmental and marine authorities should take immediate action to protect these rare and beautiful creatures. Research suggests that only one in 1,000 sea turtles reaches maturity. Activists are now becoming more vocal in their concern, reiterating time and again that virtually nothing is being done to safeguard these magnificent aquatic reptiles.

“It seems that everyone wants to use the Caretta caretta as a iconic symbol to make money. … Just look at the tourist trade around here,” said Ismail Nalbantoğlu, a coastal- and marine-management specialist. “They are used for everything from the name of a bar to a plastic-turtle keychain to the design on a T-shirt. This is no less than exploitation of the sea turtle. Every one wants to benefit from their popularity with tourists, but no one is prepared to do what is needed to protect them.”

The outlook for sea turtles may still be grim, but there is a small beacon of hope in the form of a rehabilitation center that opened in Dalyan in 2008. Although basic in design and in much need of additional resources, it is staffed by a committed team from Pamukkale University, led by an assistant professor of biology, Dr. Yakup Kaska. It was to this rather remote but crucial facility that Tekin took the rescued green turtle (now named Şanslı, or Lucky).

She is now being cared for by the facility’s post-graduate students, although Kaska does not think it is likely that Şanslı will be able to survive at sea. “It is unlikely that she will be able to dive to the sea bed to feed on the grasses that form her staple diet. Like all green turtles, she is a vegetarian. At the moment, we are feeding her lettuce and other green vegetables, which are not her normal food although she seems to enjoy them.” Her future is uncertain, unless Şanslı can be fitted with a prosthetic limb. Meanwhile, the center hopes to attract sufficient funds to purchase a dive tank.

A dive tank, roughly 5 meters deep, would cost about $10,000. Housing turtles in such a tank is the only way to discover whether rehabilitating turtles like Şanslı are fit enough to be released. Until then, three loggerheads – two with propeller wounds and one with fishing-line lacerations to her front flippers – and Şanslı will be long-term residents of the center.

Kaska is devoted to his reptilian patients and is happy to discuss how, 20 years ago, he first came to the beach at Iztuzu, Dalyan, as an undergraduate to study the nesting of the loggerhead. “There was no development here in 1988, but soon afterwards hotels were planned, and it was only through the determined effort of conservationists, environmentalists and people who care about the sea turtles that this area, known as the Köyceğiz-Dalyan Special Environmental Protection Area, came to be.”

“The female Caretta caretta hatchlings that struggled down to the sea 20 years ago and survived to adulthood are now beginning to come back here to lay their eggs. Their reproductive years can last from 25 to 30 years. Every sea turtle that dies is one too many. I am now beginning to see the hatchlings that I helped on their way 20 years ago come back as adults. This is a great honor.”

The dream for all those who work in the facility is that they will soon be able to build a visitor’s center. Kaska imagines a building in the shape of a loggerhead turtle. “Maybe something like that would attract people who want to find out more about sea turtles and support our important project.” Many hope that he won’t have to wait another 20 years.

Kaska and his colleagues are appealing to anyone who is interested in helping or supporting them in their year-round work to contact him at caretta@pau.edu.tr or call 0533 573 5339.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=one-death-is-too-many-the-sea-turtle-tragedy-2009-09-14

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE (California) 13 September 09 A push to protect Miami Beach sea turtles (Carmen Gentile)

(AP) Under the cloak of nightfall, dozens of freshly hatched sea turtles beat tiny flippers against the wet sands of Miami Beach, inching their way toward the ocean.

It is the first of many challenges these turtles will face in a lifetime that can exceed that of the average human.

Those female sea turtles that make it to maturity return every summer and fall to lay eggs of their own, in dozens of nests that each typically contain more than 50 eggs. But the sea turtles' way of life here is under increasing threat because they must share their breeding ground with throngs of beachgoers.

Conservationists do their best to protect turtle nests by roping them off and posting signs warning that it is a felony to disturb the eggs, but it is sometimes not enough. Egg poachers and vandals have destroyed many nests in recent years along Miami Beach, the authorities say.

Sea turtle advocates have been pressing the local authorities for help. Last year, Miami Beach passed a law limiting the amount of light that can shine on the beaches at night. Hatchlings navigate their way to the ocean by the moon and stars and can become confused by too much artificial light.

Along one stretch of sand, the sea turtles have a little extra protection. Cliff Buchanan, who calls himself the Turtle Dude of Miami Beach, spends his nights during breeding season camped out next to nests with eggs ready to hatch.

A freelance photographer, Buchanan voluntarily protects the nests from what he says is the constant threat of drunken nighttime visitors who pour out of nearby nightclubs to go for a midnight swim or make-out session in the sand.

"I've seen drunks pulling up stakes roping off nests and kick the sand inside," Buchanan said on one of his recent nighttime vigils. "I don't carry a gun, but sometimes I wish I did."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/09/13/MNE919L32T.DTL

EL DIARIO DE YUCATÁN (Mérida, México) 12 September 09 Temor por una extraña serpiente (Martín Chac)

Photo: Serpiente extraña que encontraron anteayer vecinos de Caxaytuc

Tzucacab: El hallazgo de una extraña víbora, en la comisaría de Caxaytuc, preocupa a campesinos que creen que estas nuevas especies pueden ser más venenosas.

Anteayer una persona mató una víbora de 45 centímetros de largo que tenía la mitad de su piel con los colores de una coralillo y la otra mitad con los de una huolpoch.

Feliciano Canché, vecino de esa comunidad, indica que en los montes han visto otras especies extrañas de serpientes, como la víbora de cascabel con características similares a la cuatro narices.

http://www.yucatan.com.mx/noticia.asp?cx=51$1401010000$4152980

BORNEO POST (Kuching, Malaysia) 30 July 09 Tales of two croc-catchers

Lawas: They have a strange profession for a living.

Ensnaring crocodiles is hardly one’s definition of a profession. It is even more baffling to hear that these pre-historic creatures are caught not with brute force like jumping on them like the late (Crocodile Hunter) Steve Irwin in his show.

Jemain Tahir, 61, of Kampung Tanjong Bakong in Sundar sub-district strikes one as a genial man with a quick smile but he is one of a few reputed crocodile hunters in the land of the hornbills. His croc-tamer buddy, Zaini Mardi, 53, has formerly worked in Brunei Zoo and Sabah.

They tame the targeted crocodiles and remove them from the area when called upon by locals who believe in their skills and prowess drawn by chants and ancient practices confined to a select few.

Jemain said it has been his calling since 1969, and his exploits have taken him to Kuching, Sibu, Miri, Sabah and even Brunei where his services are required to tame and catch crocodiles.

“I am really passionate about this job although I am fully aware it is a high-risk career which no one is interested in,” he said.

The introduction of Wildlife Ordinance 1995 to include crocodiles under the protected endangered species list has inadvertently caused a decline in requests, and hitherto lean pickings on the pay cheque.

“However, we still serve those who really need our services when faced with threats from these reptiles,” he said.

His calm and easy-going demeanour masks the steely determination and heart when he waddles into crocodile infested waters where ordinary folk fear to tread.

Jemain said fear was part of the game, but he could control it with cautious steps.

“The most important element is courage and skill in catching crocodiles for the peace of mind of villagers who need our services,” he said.

His arsenals against the crocs are hooks, ritualistic chants and other practices, which he inherited from his father.

This bagful of specific chants and traditional practices from the family has been put to good use since he was barely 15 years old.

Zaini, on the other hand, has worked with thousands of crocodiles in Brunei Zoo, and has caught them for Sabah National Park.

He recalled the heydays shared with Jemain in the 70s where they were frequently involved in crocodile catching operations.

“Back then demand was high. I could earn RM1,000 for each crocodile caught, but since they have been classified as protected species, income is irregular and has dropped to about RM400,” he said.

Zaini has been in this business since he was 16, and he is always cautious when facing a crocodile to be ensnared due to its unpredictable nature.

“I don’t fully trust the wild creatures as there are times they can turn violent towards anyone,” he said.

He however stressed that the reputation of crocodiles as ferocious beasts was a misconception.

They were scared of human beings as reflected in their attempts to move away when approached unless they were provoked, he said.

http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=55706