January 1991
TURTLES IN TROUBLE WORLDWIDE
Three hundred species of land and freshwater turtles are
affected by accelerating population decline. About 100
species require immediate conservation attention. Michael
W. Klemens, an herpetologist at the American Museum of
Natural History in New York City, said "That's a very high
percentage for a group of vertebrates," and attributes their
imperilment to chelonian reproductive strategies. Most
turtle species depend on individual longevity to insure
continuation. Although each female lays relatively few eggs
and hatchlings have high mortality rates, the ability of adults
to reproduce for 30 or more years has historically offset
these apparent disadvantages. All of this makes individual
adult turtles and relatively undisturbed natural habitats extremely
important. Roads and other man-made barriers can
reproductively isolate portions of a previously unseparated
population, reducing genetic variability and - in some cases
- preventing reproduction altogether. Humans can impact turtles
without cars, too. In many parts of the world, turtles are
an important protein source. Unfortunately, most turtles
are "collected" rather than "raised" and have therefore been
overexploited in some areas. Recognizing these problems,
the World Conservation Union, the American Museum of Natural
History and the Durrell Institute of Conservation and
Ecology have pooled their facilities and researches to
identify those populations most at risk and attempt to save
some species. They identify the following categories of
turtles in decline:
39 species are dwindling over a large part of their range,
but the status of individual populations are not clear. These
include:
- alligator snapping turtle (southeastern U.S.)
[Macroclemys
temminckii]
- bog turtle and Blanding's turtle (New York State) [Clemmys
muhlenbergii & Emydoidea blandingii]
- Mexican mud turtle (Yucatan peninsula) [Kinosternon
leucostomum ?]
- red-footed tortoise (South America) [Geochelone
carbonaria]
- big-headed turtle (Southeast Asia) [Platysternon
megacephalum]
- Egyptian tortoise (northeastern Africa) [Testudo
kleinmanni]
52 species are limited to very small habitats. Further
disruption could cause extinction of:
- Geometric tortoise (Cape Province, South Africa)
[Psammobates geometricus]
- Burmese star tortoise (Burma, southeast Asia) [Geochelone
platynota]
- Berger's tortoise (Namibia, Africa)
- Coahuila box turtle (Mexico) [Terrapene coahuila]
- Bolson tortoise (Mexico) [Gopherus flavomarginatus]
- aquatic box turtle (southeast Asia) [Cuora spp.]
16 species are heavily exploited for food in developing
countries:
- various river turtles in Madagascar, southeast Asia, South
America
- Fly River turtle (northern Australia, southern New Guinea)
[Carettochelys insculpta]
- Central American river turtle (Mexico, Guatemala, Belize)
[Dermatemys mawi]
- Madagascan big-headed side-necked turtle [Erymnochelys
madagascariensis]
Certain other turtles are known to be in danger of
extinction. This list varies from researcher to researcher
but generally includes:
- Some races of Galapagos tortoises that have
not already become ancient history. [Geochelone
elephantopus spp.]
- Western swamp turtle (Australia) [Emydura australis]
- The 15 living individuals of Geochelone
yniphora, the "plowshare" tortoise (Madagascar)
All species of sea turtles are endangered species
and legislatively "protected."
- leatherback sea turtle [Dermochelys coriacea]
- ridley sea turtle [Lepidochelys kempii]
- green sea turtle [Chelonia mydas]
- flatback sea turtle [Chelonia depressa]
- olive ridley sea turtle [Lepidochelys olivacea]
- hawksbill sea turtle [Eretmochelys imbricata]
- loggerhead sea turtle [Caretta caretta]
Presently, nearly 50 projects which intend to conserve
turtles have been undertaken worldwide with present funding
of $2 million contributed by various conservation
organizations. [From The New York Times, March 13, 1990,
contributed by P.L. Beltz; references and scientific names
primarily from Dr. Peter C.H. Pritchard's Encyclopedia of
Turtles, 1979, TFH.]
NATURAL CAUSES OR A DIVINE CURSE?At least 680 sea turtles washed up dead, comatose or
dying on the Pacific coast of Colombia, South America in
March, 1990. Roderic Mast, director of species conservation
for Conservation International, said "these turtles washed
up with no evidence of having been assaulted in any way - no
wounds, no signs of trauma. That's the really unusual part
about this stranding... There are reports of turtle
die-offs for no apparent reason in other parts of the
Pacific, indicating that something may be going on that
needs further research." Anne Meylan, a turtle specialist
with the Florida natural resources department in St.
Petersburg said the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
in Panama has received reports from fishermen of dead
turtles washing up on the Pacific coast of Panama and
floating at sea in early December, 1989. Some have
suggested that the turtles beached themselves as whales have
been known to do. Colombian fishermen attributed the deaths
to a curse put on them [the fishermen] for overexploiting
the sea's resources, according to Dr. Mast. [From the
Daily Sentinel, Grand Junction, CO, contributed by Larry
Valentine.]
PINEAL "EYE"-DENTIFICATION
Robert Brandner and Susan Basford, principal investigators
on the "Saving the Leatherback" Earthwatch project report
that they have confirmed that the shape of the pineal eye,
or pink spot, on the top of each leatherback turtle's head
is individually unique and provides a ready-made permanent
marking system that can be shared by researchers around the
world. Previously, flipper tags and shell filing was used
to identify individual turtles. The pineal eye is a
light-sensitive organ that is believed to help leatherback
turtles navigate. [From Earthwatch, December, 1989,
contributed by Karen Furnweger; and Wildlife Conservation,
March/April, 1990, contributed by Michael Dloogatch.]
SATELLITES TO TRACK SEA TURTLES
John Keinath of the Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences
has attached small radio transmitters to the shells of more
than half a dozen loggerhead turtles. Unfortunately for the
high-tech trackers and the turtles, most of the latter were
retrieved from fishermen's nets. Keinath is working with
Brandner and Basford attaching transmitters to leatherback
turtles on St. Croix. These new transmitters will show
where the turtles are as well as when and how long they
dive. Hopefully these fancy devices - and the turtles to
which they are attached - will not end up in shrimp nets,
too. [National Geographic, March, 1990, contributed by P.L.
Beltz.]
AN "EGGS"-ELENT RULING
An appeals court ruling, authored by Judge James Carlisle,
in West Palm Beach, FL reads, "Between 80 percent and 90
percent of marine turtle eggs deposited are fertile... We
conclude, therefore, that marine turtle eggs are units of
marine life..." Good news for agencies enforcing the
Endangered Species Act, that can now fine egg poachers
on a per egg basis. [From the Chicago Tribune, March 16,
1990.]
SEPARATING THE BOYS FROM THE GIRLS
Suzanne Demas and co-workers at the University of Tennessee
at Memphis have developed a promising technique for sexing
turtles based on genetic fingerprinting techniques. DNA is
fragmented from a small blood sample taken from living
animals - even hatchlings. Previously the only technique
that could distinguish the sex of hatchling turtles required
their deaths. [From Science News, Volume 137, 1-13-90,
contributed by Karen Furnweger.]
"CAUTION TURTLES" SIGNS REDUCE ROADKILLS
In 1989, 10 signs were installed in a well-heeled section of
New York better known for its fast-lane lifestyle than
conservation. The "caution turtles" signs are having a
positive effect. Larry Penny, Director of Natural Resources
for East Hampton, NY, says "Turtles are basically
defenseless and deserve respect from motorists... People
seem to really love turtles and the road signs just remind
them to do the right thing. We are constantly getting calls
and letters from people who have stopped their cars to help
turtles cross safely over the road." Mr. Penny plans to
erect more signs on local roads, but the NY State
Department of Transportation will not allow turtle signs on
state roads. "Deer crossing signs are okay, but turtle
consciousness is not yet part of the state bureaucracy,"
added Mr. Penny. [From The Conservationist, New York State
Department of Conservation, January/February 1990.]
GIVING THE LAW A BITE
The Ministry of Natural Resources in Ontario, Canada has
been studying turtles taken from industrial areas in
southern and eastern Ontario and has found substantial
amounts of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and low levels
of agricultural pesticides, DDE dieldrin and chlordane. New
regulations permit the taking of only two turtles per day
with a fishing licence. Total possession limit is five
turtles and a season to protect nesting females has been
implemented. For more information contact: MNR's Public
Information Centre, 99 Wellesley Street West, Toronto,
Ontario M7A 1W3, Canada.
PERSON PLOPPED WHILE HELPING TURTLE
Philip T. Coppola of Fort Collins, Colorado was hit by a car
while trying to save a turtle crossing the road. He said,
"I don't remember anything after I picked up the turtle...I
just remember waking up with the paramedics standing over
me." He suffered a broken arm, a broken leg and broken
ribs. No report of the turtle's condition was given.
[Daily Sentinel, Grand Junction, CO, June 23, 1990.
Contributed by Larry Valentine.]
LIZARD LAND
- A 2 1/2-foot iguana escaped and was lost in South Haven,
IN. The newspaper headline: "Godzilla is loose."
Familiar words from the bereaved pet keeper, "We were
going to put a new screen in [his cage top], but he got
out before we could." [The Vidette-Messenger, July 5,
1990.]
- The Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission cited the
owner of a 3 1/2-foot golden tegu for "maintaining
wildlife in a manner that allows escape." If convicted,
the owner could be jailed for 60 days and fined $500. [The
Daily Sentinel, Grand Junction, CO, June 16, 1990.
Contributed by Larry Valentine.]
- Some are calling it "Reptile Revenge of the Rain Forest."
Wild alligators rise from the polluted waters of Brazil's
coastal cities and terrorize boaters, joggers and
children's birthday parties. The alligators are losing
their native habitat, the Atlantic rain forest. In
October, fireman in Rio de Janiero fished 4 alligators out
of city parks, one surrounded by luxury high-rise
buildings. Eleven were snagged in Sao Paulo parks. The
question is, are the creatures moving in by themselves, or
are they discarded pets? A pro-alligator sentiment is
growing in Sao Paulo. The mayor, Ms. Luiza Erundina was
photographed recenly patting a baby alligator on its head.
[The New York Times, November 4, 1990.]
- The Chinese Alligator Research Center has succeeded in
artificially breeding a second generation of the Yangtze
alligator, at Xuanzhou, Anhui province. The farm was set
up in 1979 with about 200 wild caught animals. About 200
animals are bred every year. [Beijing Review, August
20-26, 1990.]
GIANT GECKO ELUDES RESEARCHERS
Several New Zealand locals apparently sighted a gecko
previously believed extinct. New Zealand herpetologists,
Tony Whitaker and Bruce Thomas went to the East Cape in
search of Hoplodactylus delcourti. If found, it would be
the largest living gecko. The fall search was unsuccessful,
but fieldwork will resume in spring. [Auckland Star, April
15, 1990]
SNAKE TALES
- A "fang-tastic" contract will make a Zhejiang Province
[China] resident a millionaire. Ms. Ni Lijuan raises
100,000 snakes on a quarter-acre farm, extracts venom and
sells snake skins on contract for a Japanese firm. The
Zhejiang Province has long had snake farms since snake is
on the Chinese menu and its organs are used for
traditional medicines. [Chicago Tribune, Wednesday, March
14th, 1990.]
- The Aruba Island rattlesnake will be commemorated on
postage Aruban postage stamps and on the new 25-guilder
currency. This reflects a change in local people's
attitudes. The AAZPA Newsletter {PLEASE ADD DATES, MUST
BE AFTER MARCH 1989, page 7} reports that a majority of
people asked "believed that the cascabel is part of the
heritage of Aruba and acknowledged its right to exist as a
part of nature."
- China has opened its first "snake museum" in Lushun,
Dalian. It cost 1.5 million yuan to build the 4,000
square meter exhibition facility which houses 25 varieties
of snakes and more than 120 snake products. It is located
just 25 km southeast of Snake Island in Bohai Bay. [China
Today, August, 1990]
- Two residents of Stephenville, Texas were shocked to find
a 12-foot boa constrictor coiled up on an old air
conditioner in their garage. When animal control officers
showed up, the pair was across the street from their home.
[Daily Sentinel, Grand Junction, CO, July 23, 1990.
Contributed by Larry Valentine.]
- One cup of cubed rattlesnake is required to make "Texas
Rattlesnake Chili," a lovely little recipe on the back of
Lone Star Pasta. Also included are instructions for
butchering the snakes, although they recommend saving the
rattles and skin for decorations. Ugh! The folks
responsible are Hershey Food Products, Hershey, PA
17033-0815.
- A 20-foot python reportedly killed an Indonesian woman and
ate her 5-month old baby in Sumatra. The report came by
way of the Kompas newspaper in Jakarta and was picked up
by Reuters. If anybody hears any more on this one, please
send the clippings! [Chicago Tribune, November 10, 1990.]
- Researchers at the University of Wisconsin, Madison have
produced an antidote to snake bite by treating hens to
resist the effects of venom and extracting antibodies from
their eggs. The chicken process may lead to safer
antivenin treatments because chicken antibodies apparently
do not cause as many complications as horse serum can.
[Associated Press, October 18, 1990.]
- "The venomous snakes of North Carolina," a video
produced by the N.C. Herpetological Society with
assistance from the S.S.A.R., is available on VHS for
$33.00 postpaid. Write Tom Thorp, N.C.H.S., 1906 LeVance
Street, Asheboro, N.C. 27203 for more information.
- Austrialian zookeepers were recently pictured carefully
cutting up a beer can to release the lethal three-foot
king brown snake whose head was stuck inside. [Chicago
Sun-Times, November 7, 1990.]
- More than 2,000 venomous snakes smuggled from mainland
China were burned to death at a garbage landfill in
northern Taiwan in early October. The confiscated vipers
and cobras had been smuggled in on fishing boats for food
or Chinese medicine. Why authorities did not just sell
the snakes to be tortured and butchered in Taipei City's
infamous Hwahsi Street (Snake Alley to tourists) was not
mentioned in the article. [Free China Journal, October 4,
1990.]
- From the folks who still make and sell snake, lizard and
elephant comes this season's hottest new fashion skin:
fish leather. Fish boots are even more fragile that
rattler and sell for about $290. [Insight, November 12,
1990.]
RATTLESNAKE ROUNDUP PROTESTS BUILDING IN ENGLAND
Clifford Warwick, director of the Trust for the Protection
of Reptiles, sent along a page that is being used by
conservationists in England to prepare letters protesting
rattlesnake roundups. He has traveled widely in the U.S.
and documented roundup practices. His reports have been
published in British conservation magazines and journals.
"It is our opinion that the only way to prevent the negative
impacts and implications of round-ups on conservation of
wildlife, animal welfare, ecology, public education, and
public wellbeing, is to ban large-scale collection of
snakes. Certain `improvements' have been recommended by
authorities in OK and TX but the actual results of these are
minimal or ineffective. It is most important that concerned
individuals register their comments...Please always ask for
a reply...[The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation]
appears to repeatedly misuse a report (Fitch and Pisani,
1988), which it commissioned, by saying no evidence was
found of stressed populations during the study. The report
actually cited stressed populations." He gives several
names and addresses including: 1.) Steven Alan Lewis,
Director, OK Dept. of Wildlife Conservation, P.O. Box
53465, Oklahoma City, OK 73105; 2.) Bobby G. Alexander,
Acting Director, TX Parks and Wildlife Department, 4200
Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744; 3.) Daniel J. Lamey,
Secretary General, Jaycees International, 400 University
Drive, P.O. Box 140577, Coral Gables, FL 33114-0577.
Please send copies of your letters and responses to
Clifford at TFTPR, College Gates, 2 Deansway, Worcester, WR1
2JD, United Kingdom.
FABING CASE SETTLED
A three-judge panel of the Illinois Appellate Court
overturned the conviction of a Chicago man based on the
Illinois Dangerous Animals Act, "life-threatening" reptiles
provision, March 26th, 1990, calling the statute
unconstitutionally vague. In 1987, police raided Thomas
Fabing's home and seized 4 reptiles they though looked
life-threatening: 2 20-foot pythons, a 7-foot boa
constrictor and a 4-foot American alligator. The alligator
was destroyed at the Chicago Animal Control Facility before
anyone could point out that it was an endangered animal.
Fabing was booked on a single misdemeanor for keeping a
dangerous pet but no charges were brought against CACF.
Having been to a couple of court dates with Mr. Fabing I
would have to say my personal opinion is that the original
judge just didn't like snakes, that the Department of
Agriculture official responsible for pressing this case
didn't like snakes, and that the prosecutor just wanted the
case over. Unfortunately for them, Thomas Fabing may have
been a disabled pipefitter who liked to have pool parties
with his motocycle buddies and his 20-foot snakes, but his
brother Michael is an attorney. We the snake owners of
Illinois could have asked for no finer test case.
Regrettably, only one of the animals survived to return to
Mr. Fabing after this ruling, but he still has his other
seven pythons, two pit bulls and a dozen rabbits. At last
report, the state still plans to appeal. [Insight, April
23, 1990, contributed by P.L. Beltz; Chicago Tribune, March
27 & 28, 1990.]
BABY WATCH
These are the believed to be the first zoo breedings of:
- Honduran Neotropical dwarf boas born to adult snakes
which had been wild-caught and held at the zoo since 1987.
- 2 Chinese softshell turtles hatched from adults kept in
an 18,000-square foot aviary with a waterfall, a stream,
and a small lake which they share with 136 birds of 58
species at the Lowry Park Zoological Garden, Tampa, FL
- 4 Malagasy Oustalet's chameleons hatched in August,
1989 at the Oklahoma City Zoo. They've had success with
two species previously and report that there are about
125 more Oustalet's eggs in the incubators.
[Wildlife Conservation, March/April, 1990, contributed by
Michael Dloogatch.]
TOADALLY RECYCLABLE
Australia - as all herpers know - has experienced an awesome
increase in the number of cane toads [Bufo marinus] since
they were imported by hopeful sugar farmers in the 1930s.
The farmers were told the toads ate cane beetles, but they
didn't. Instead the toads have eaten their way through the
local micro and medium-fauna and have reproduced their way
into a "toxic armada" feared and despised by Queenslanders.
Now the business development manager for the Office of
Economic Development in Brisbane reports, "We've got mothers
and children out there catching them for us." An order was
placed by the Shanghai [China] Industry Foundation for 4
ounces of freeze-dried toad venom. The toad-use committee
has also received inquiries from a firm in Hong Kong and is
looking into the feasibility of making toadskin wallets,
purses and jackets. Anybody for toad roundups? [Chicago
Tribune, Tuesday, April 3, 1990.]
SAFE SEX FOR TEXAS TOADS
A Texas Parks and Wildlife Department study showed that
individuals of Bufo houstonensis, a federally protected
toad, were getting squashed on State Highway 21. A 28,00
foot 16-inch high plastic "toadrail" was built leading into
underground toad tunnels which (as always) funnel amphibians
to and from breeding ponds. [The Wall Street Journal, July
30, 1990. Contributed by P.L. Beltz.]
SHORT HOPS
- A Chinese editorial cartoon from Beijing Review (July
30-August 5, 1990) shows an oriental man with a frog on
his fork. The caption quotes the frog: "Eat me and
beware the mosquitoes next year!"
- Carole Degen, the librarian for the Bay Area Amphibian
and Reptile Society (BAARS) is collecting herp humor and
cartoons with the exception of published Gary Larson
drawings.
- Congratulations to Wayne Hill, for being the first
herpetologist to appear in Forbes Magazine. He was
pictured with a slithery friend (ophidian) on page 252 of
the October 1, 1990 issue. The text mentioned the first
National Reptile Breeders' Exposition in Orlando in
August.
- My apologies to a fellow in Florida whose sad situation
was misreported in the newspapers. You may remember the
stories...a man goes on vacation, police enter man's home
after burglary and find dead and dying snakes all over.
What happened was that the burglars turned up the heat on
all the tanks and caused the deaths of the animals. The
owner, returning from his trip, was devasted not only by
the loss of his animals, but by the spin put on the
reports in the paper - AND picked up by this column.
TO REMIND YOU...This is a reader supported column. No
clippings, no column. Send your contributions to me and wait to see your name here.
February 1991
Anniversary News
-
February 23rd, 1991 is the 25th anniversary of the founding of
the C.H.S.!
-
Anniversary greetings have been arriving for the past several
months. Perhaps the most exciting is this letter from the
founders of the C.H.S.:
- "Someone said everyone seems to reminisce and the other day Care
and I were doing just that, and we thought it would be fun to
share our memories with you. I'll start by asking a few
questions: 1.) How many remember a little article that appeared
many years ago asking if there was anyone interested in reptiles?
2.) How about the first meeting at a two-story house on Troy
Street and displaying our pets on the pool table? 3.) How about
the thrill when the Chicago Academy of Sciences offered us a
place to meet?
I think you all have the idea by now. When Care and I got the
herp itch we had a few turtles and a lot of questions. We went
to Lincoln Park Zoo, the reptile house, and one great guy (Eddie
Almendarz) for help, which he offered readily and made the
suggestions that we put an article in the paper to see if we
could find others that were interested in keeping reptiles and
caring for them.
So a small article was put in the Chicago Tribune and with that
about twenty-three people responded. Then we held the first
meeting at our apartment, received the offer of a meeting place -
and the C.H.S. was formed. At first, we were a group of
hobbyists looking for answers, and then we grew. The rest is
history.
Now, as you know, we moved away from Chicago twenty years ago and
have lived in Florida ever since. We have stayed involved in one
way or another. First off we still have some turtles. I've
taught environmental science at St. Petersburg Science Center and
also a herp class. We helped form the Florida West Coast Herp
and Conservation Society. I've tagged sea turtles with the
Caretta Research Team and I've helped with several environmental
projects. We went down and visited Esther Lewis when she moved
down here. We look forward with pride to the Bulletin each time
we receive it; it seems hard to believe that twenty-five years ago
we would have never in our wildest dreams thaought that C.H.S.
would have progressed so far.
Congratulations on twenty-five years and hoping we'll be around
for your 50th!. Our best to all... Bob and Care Marek."
- One of the most prolific herpetological writers of this
century wrote:
"Although the Chicago Herpetological Society counts its official
birthyear 1965, it had a long preparturition developmental
period, going back to the era of the Kennicott Club and the
Chicago Herpetologists' Club which met regularly at the Chicago
Academy of Sciences. Back then the only herpetologists to speak
of were what we'd call professional or semiprofessionals. There
were few amateurs. How times have changed! Now there are few
so-called professionals, and many presumed amateurs. Taxonomists
and generalists like K.P. Schmidt and Howard K. Gloyd dominated
the meetings then, whereas now the focus of interest is in
conservation of the faunae made known by earlier workers. There
was little emphasis then on either captive breeding or
conservation.
The seemingly inevitable global proliferation of human
populations, accompanied by its twin evils of habitat destruction
and pollution, has changed emphases of herpetology completely.
Amateurism - with very little prestige - became professionalism,
at least tolerated if not encouraged by all. A large proportion
of current literature now pertains to various aspects of
herpetological husbandry. Technical books on herpetological
maladies abound, mostly by highly trained veterinarians, whose
counsel is widely sought by the burgeoning number of
herpetoculturists. Herp husbandry has become respectable, and its
adherents dominate herpetological meetings everywhere. Local
herp societies have proliferated to such an extent that they can
scarcely be counted. Most publish their own journals, which tend
to reflect the overwhelming conservation drives of their society
members. The concept of conservation has come to include not
only protection in nature, but also captive breeding as a means
to protect wild populations from over-collecting, although eager
breeders who are unsuccessful may well turn out to be part of the
problem instead of its solution.
However that may be, the evangelistic zeal of herpetoculturists
has raised severalfold a public awareness of an obligation to
value the lives of captive animals - to give them the best
possible care through understanding their individual needs.
The members of the Chicago Herpetological Society can take
well-deserved pride in their role in fostering and advancing this
new trend in modern herpetology, electing leaders who most
effectively implement the aims of the majority. No other local
group in the country has done an equally good job in personal and
public education in herpetological conservancy.
Congratulations are in order to all of the members of the Society
for their exercise of such outstanding good sense, and especially
to their officers for so eminently meeting the challenges their
responsibilities constitute, and for so thoroughly justifying the
faith placed in them by their fellow members.
The background of accomplishment now forged gives every reason to
hope and expect that in the future the Chicago Herpetological
Society will maintain its stature as the best if their kind.
Hobart M. Smith," EPO Biology, University of Colorado - member
since 1965.
-
A well-known veterinarian and member since 1966 wrote:
"I have always found the (Bulletin) articles to be informative
and interesting - and helpful at times to my veterinary practice.
I am always surprised by the number of people who own herps and
do not know of the society. They never leave our office without
knowing about C.H.S., and hopefully they seek out membership...
It hardly seems that 25 years have passed, but we can't argue
with the calendar. I wish you and the society continued success
for the upcoming years. Yours truly, Herbert A. Lederer, D.V.M."
Berwyn Veterinary Associates, Berwyn, IL.
-
From the current Curator of Herpetology at the Lincoln Park Zoo:
"Mike (Dloogatch) deserves many kudos for his many years of great
effort...I do hope to become more active...Congratulations on
your anniversary. Best regards, Clarence Wright."
-
From one of our best known members:
"We've enjoyed visits from old friends from Chicago including
Roger and Holly Carter, Dick Buchholz and his daughter April, and
Tom Weatherly and daughter Pam. Have really enjoyed the
Bulletins lately. My two tortoises which I've had for so long
are doing fine. They enjoy it here in Florida. Snoopy is now
38 years old and Zacky, though larger in size and heavier, is
still in his 20's. Twenty-eight really. They are kept in my
utility room at night or when I'm not home. I'm glad I brought
them with me. I miss my other reptiles so much. Best wishes.
Esther Lewis."
-
From the Curator of Herpetology at the Chicago Zoological Park,
and past president of the C.H.S.:
"In the early days of C.H.S., there were a lot of really
dedicated, active people like Bob and Care Marek, Sid and Hedda
Saltz, Lyman and Jean Nash and many others. We wanted to really
have a range of members, not just to cater to professional or
nearly professional herpetologists. We said let's attract
everybody! Time and trends were on our side and the membership
became increasingly sophisticated as it grew.
We see a more enlightened visitor group now (at Brookfield Zoo)
in the Reptile House. In the old days the most asked question
was `Are they alive?' Now the questions are more educated, people
want to know where the animals come from, how they live in the
wild, if they are endangered, etc. I feel that the C.H.S. is
considerably responsible for this change in the attitude of the
general public towards reptiles and amphibians.
The C.H.S. is functioning in an evolutionary model, paralleling
the generic reptile. It continues to adapt to a changing human
environment. I hope that it, like the turtles and crocodiles,
will always be around - making its presence felt! Ray Pawley."
Since many C.H.S. members (myself included) have only been around
for a few years, I thought it might be fun to do a brief history.
However, the more I got into the subject, the more details I
discovered! We've been a busy bunch!
March, 1966 - The first publication of the C.H.S., the Reptile
Review, was published. The cover and text were stenciled and
covered how the herp society came about (see Bob and Care's
letter above). In April, a rule banning the sale of
reptiles at the Academy was enacted. The July/August issue
had the first part of Care in Captivity.
1967 - Publication continued regularly, and the publication name
was changed to the Bulletin. Four Board Members resigned over
the issue of the keeping of venomous reptiles. The Society was
incorporated with by-laws authored by attorney Sid Saltz.
Reference was made to the overcollecting of herps at the Palos
Forest Preserves, and one author lamented that "alligators are
practically extinct" in the U.S. The first display advertisement
appeared in the Fall issue. The first Show and Tell meeting was
called "Bring and Brag."
1968 - Two issues of the Bulletin were published and the
Newsletter began with Frank Candreva as editor. Typed labels
replaced hand-addressed issues. Newsletters cost 6 cents each to
mail!
1969 - The first use of computers in the C.H.S. was for mailing
purposes. Robert Rubens became the editor of the Newsletter,
Lyman Nash edited the Bulletin. Dick Buchholz was a guest on
Today in Chicago and displayed several herpetological specimens.
The first mall show was at Ford City on October 4th.
1970 - The Bulletin switched to photographic covers and offered a
prize of $10 for the best article to be published in that year.
The Show and Tell meeting was so named and the first panel
discussion meeting was held in September. The ban on selling
animals was again discussed.
1971 - The first auction was held to raise funds for the Society
in March. Ross Allen was the guest speaker in April. Phil
Drajeske appeared on television discussing turtles. The Library
was moved to the Academy. Four candidates ran for president and
the proposed ban on the sales of live animals at the Academy was
upheld by the membership. Dues income was $1,164.50 for the
period of November '70 to October '71.
1972 - Stanley Dyrkacz became editor of the Bulletin, and Mike
Dloogatch took on the newsletter for a few months. In August,
there was $500 in the treasury and 292 members.
1973 - The C.H.S. participated in the Flower and Garden Show at
McCormick Place. Dues were increased from $7.50 to $10.00 for
individuals, families from $10.00 to $12.50.
1974 - The Bulletin began to use the familiar "wrapped" covers
instead of loose, stapled binding. A contest was held for the
C.H.S. logo with the current design being selected in October.
1975 - The first photocopies of clippings appeared in the
Newsletter and bulk mailing was adopted to cut postal charges.
John Murphy became newsletter editor in June. Logo decals first
produced and sold for $1.00 each. Insurance for the Woodfield
Mall Show was purchased for $44.00. The first Vita-lites were
ordered and sold to members.
1976 - Membership cards were designed and typeset by Karen
Furnweger. Phil Drajeske suggested a Membership Handbook be
sent including the By-laws, Care in Captivity pages, and the
membership list. It was approved and the first ones were
mailed in July. Lee Watson hosted the picnic. The first
Bulletin boxes were purchased. Fund-raising alternatives to
the annual live animal auction were discussed, but no action
was taken.
1977 - The office of Corresponding Secretary was added to the
Board. Dave Farber was appointed as first book sales
coordinator. John Murphy became the editor of the
Bulletin as well as Program Chairman. The possibility of
changing the site of the meeting from the Academy due to lack
of seating was discussed, but no suitable alternative could be
found. Kathy Murphy arranged for the production of the first
C.H.S. T-shirts. Embroidered logo patches were ordered and
sold for $1.25 each. The C.H.S. animal display module
was built by Len Franklin, Mike Dloogatch, Mel Bruns, Ron
Humbert and Henry Youker among others.
1978 - Continuing the tradition of using the best technology
available, an IBM-Selectric typewriter was purchased to
produce the Bulletin. A proposal to increase the size of the
board by two members at large was defeated. "The Adventures
of Spot" by Don Wheeler debuted in the Newsletter.
1979 - Mike Dloogatch takes on the Newsletter as editor again.
Ron Humbert leads the first salamander safari to Palos Forest
Preserves in April. A trailer to carry the module and other
show supplies was donated, but was too small.
1980 - July was the busiest month ever for C.H.S. shows with 3
in 4 weeks, followed by 3 more between August and October.
The First Turtle Swim was held at the Hyatt Regency Chicago in
August. The first letter protesting C.H.S. involvement in
turtle races was printed in the September Newsletter.
1981 - After two years of discussion, a trailer was purchased
for show supplies. The C.H.S. contributed to the purchase of
Massasauga Prairie in Warren County, IL by the Nature
Conservancy. The winner of the 2nd Turtle Swim was a 13-inch
softshell rescued from certain destruction by a friend of Mel
Bruns.
1982 - The raffling of live animals at general meetings was
prohibited. Dues were raised from $10 to $12.50 for
individuals, $12.50 to $15.00 for families and new catagories
were created for non-U.S. and institutional members. The
Board firmly established rules regarding animals at the
Academy: 1.) Non-venomous only; 2.) No commercial transactions
inside the building; 3.) Secure containers only; and 4.) No
animals out of containers in the auditorium, lobby only.
1983 - A wider range of herp supplies were offered including
plastic cages, hide boxes, Aztec heaters, cage tops, etc. The
first HerPETological Weekend at the Academy was a great
success. The Newsletter was produced by computer with dot
matrix printing beginning in December.
1984 - The first Bulletin of the year was a joint issue with
the Northern California Herpetological Society. People
parking on the grass at the Academy were regularly ticketed.
The display modules were refinished in Bernie Kean's yard one
weekend. He also painted the C.H.S. logo on our trailer.
1985 - The C.H.S. surveyed Wadsworth Prairie on behalf of the
Lake County Forest Preserve District prior to its construction
into an ambitious man-made water-reclamation marsh. Frozen
mice were added to the product line. The "Life-threatening
reptiles" clause was added to the Illinois Dangerous Animals
Act by the Legislature.
1986 - The nationwide insurance crisis precipitated a C.H.S.
insurance crisis - it now cost $1,200 for only 15 show days.
The McHenry County Conservation District sponsored a C.H.S.
field trip to some of their sites. A computer was purchased
to produce the Bulletin. In December, the monthly
Newsletter/quarterly Bulletin format was changed to the
current monthly Bulletin.
I hope you've enjoyed this brief look at 20 years of the
C.H.S. Since the last few have been so busy and have brought
so many changes to the Society, I think I'll leave 1987-1991
for later. The passage of time often makes the temporarily
important negligable, after all.
This column will return to its regular, clipping-oriented
style next month. Please send in any you may find, including
the date and name of the paper in which they were originally
published. Don't forget the birthday party on Saturday,
February 23rd, 1991, 4 p.m. to midnight. (omitted a list of all past CHS board members)
March 1991
CATCH 22, RELEASE NONE
The state of Colorado considers rattlesnakes a small-game
animal. There is no restricted season, but a hunter must
have a license and must not have more than 6 live snakes
at any time. There is no limit on the number of dead
rattlers a hunter can have in his or her possession. [The
Daily Sentinel, Grand Junction, CO, November 22, 1990,
contributed by Larry Valentine.]
A NEW SPECIE OF FROG
The new two dollar coin struck by the British Royal Mint for
the government of Bermuda shows a tree frog on a leafy twig.
The frogs were originally imported into Bermuda, too, having
come via a shipment of imported orchids about 1880. The
other side shows Queen Elizabeth II. [From Ribbit, Ribbit, the newsletter of the Frog Collectors' Club, January/February, 1991, contributed by
Merelaine Haskett.]
FROG SHORTAGE PROMPTS ACTION
What would France be without frogs? Even a popular
television puppet show features a bright-green politician,
"Kermitterand." And Gaulish gourmets are famous for their
love of frogs - perhaps they've loved too much. A serious
frog shortage began about 30 years ago. In a typical year,
about 8 tons of frogs (more than 3 million animals) were
being removed from the environment for table use. At the
same time, development and industrialization were having
their typical impacts. In 1977, the French government
banned all sales of native frogs. But demand for frog legs
soared with worldwide consumption now estimated at 100 tons
of live frogs per year. Overharvesting and development are
apparently wiping out much of the amphibifauna in both the
First and Third Worlds. Mosquitos love it. Malaria cases
are increasing. But help is on the way. Pierre Darre,
director of the Centre Jean Rostand, has 30,000 farm raised
frogs getting plump in man-made ponds in Western France.
He attributes his successes feeding frogs a special diet.
The three French frog farms have released several million
frogs back to wet spots all over the country. They hope to
have stable populations, able to tolerate tightly regulated
harvesting, within 10 years. All this is private effort, no
government funds are involved. [Wall Street Journal,
November 29, 1990.]
FROG SHORTAGE, PART TWO
Patrick David, a C.H.S. member from France, wrote me a letter
about the above situation: "I am not fond of this
dish...Most edible frogs are imported [into France] from
Yugoslavia, Albania, Egypt or perhaps Turkey...Frozen frog
legs are imported from Southeast Asia and are readily
available, and cheap, in any frozen products store. I don't
think that the shortage is there. It is true that large
populations of green frogs are less and less numerous in
France, but I think that most restaurants use imported legs.
In my opion, I would rather suggest that this shortage just
helps restaurant owners, who can offer frog's legs `made in
France'...at the highest price."
FROG SHORTAGES ELSEWHERE
Is the apparent decline, or outright absence of cricket
frogs in northern Illinois a case of Acris de-crepitans?
[Contributed by Eloise Beltz-Decker.]
THE SOUND OF FROGS QUIETLY WEEPING
Downtown Memphis, TN recently lost several million residents
overnight when the 51 year old Selph's Cricket Ranch moved
to Mineral Wells, MS. Some of their former neighbors were
sorry to see them leave apparently not being as accustomed
to crickets loose as most of us. [The Commercial Appeal,
January 9, 1991, contributed by William Burnett.]
NO FROG CALLS, PLEASE...
- The C.H.S. now has a recorded announcement giving
information about upcoming events. Please
use it if you need to know the who, what, when, how and why
of any C.H.S. event.
-
A joint project of the Chicago Public Library and the
Chicago Veterinary Medicial Association is their informative
"312-DIAL-PET" message system. Callers tell the operators
what tapes they'd like to hear by the numbers. Tapes are
five to seven minutes long. Herptile titles include:
#106-Care of lizards, #135-Myths about snakes,
#136-Poisonous and non-poisonous snakes, and #137-Snakes as
Pets. You may also find #105-Care of mice and rats, and
#134-Terrariums and vivariums of interest. [Pet Patrol,
Winter, 1990, contributed by Robert J. Keough, D.V.M.]
-
You can call the New York Turtle and Tortoise Society at
212-459-4803 if you think that turtles advertised for sale
may be illegal. They will determine if the turtles for sale
are illegal and contact the appropriate authorities.
OR PERHAPS, NO FROGS AT ALL.
The Golden Toad, Bufo periglenes, was first described in
1963 from the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve in Costa Rica.
In 1990, it was reported to have become extinct. Just a few
years ago, thousands of these two-inch amphibians clogged
mountain-top rain puddles in a frantic 6-week breeding
extravaganza. None emerged this year. The forest has been
protected since 1972 and - to our limited vision - appears
pristine. [Tropicus, Conservation International, Fall,
1990.]
BUGS BITE BACK
The New York Times, December 27, 1990 reports new warnings
about salmonella in turtle eggs. Dr. J.Y. D'Aoust, of
Health and Welfare Canada, and colleagues sampled 28 lots of
turtle eggs imported from four turtle farms in 1988. Six
lots (approximately 40,000 eggs) were infected with 37
different species of salmonella. Thirty of those were
resistant to gentamicin, an antibiotic used by the turtle
farmers in an effort to produce salmonella-free turtles.
The U.S. domestic sale and distribution of turtles with a
shell less than four inches long was banned in 1975 by the
Food and Drug Administration based on scientific reports
that 15 percent of human salmonellosis in the States was
attributable to tiny turtles. The export of millions of
baby turtles and turtle eggs for hatching has never stopped.
[Contributed by P.L. Beltz.]
ESCAPED SNAKE RETURNED
A 7-foot Burmese python was recovered by its owner 1 month
after it had slithered its coop. It apparently escaped
through a toilet after being left to excercise in the
bathroom of the appropriately named "Wet Pets" in
Alexandria, LA. [The Daily Sentinel, Grand Junction, CO,
September 16, 1990, contributed by Larry Valentine.]
MEMBERS' NEWS
- Vincent Congro, owner of VJ's Wholesale Reptiles, was
featured in the About New York column in the New York
Times (January 12, 1991). The reporter who visited his
Brooklyn, NY, headquarters wrote: [He] "is devoted to his
thousands of reptiles. In July, he gave up a well-paying
job as a plating-company executive in Queens (also NY) to
open the store and squirm for his dream."
-
Former board member Bernie Kean is known to us as a
wonderful leader of snake programs at libraries and nature
centers. Most recently he presented "Snakes Alive" for
children from 8 up at the Niles Public Library. Several
Chicagoland papers had nifty stories and, even better,
pictures of Bernie, snakes and quite fearless children.
-
The Gainesville, FL Herpetological Society (a CHS Exchange
Member) wants our help! The Herpetology Department of the
Florida Museum of Natural History is so underfunded that
they can't even buy all the current books and
subscriptions they need, and are raising funds toward
an endowment to enable the Department to survive and
prosper. This is not only a worthy cause, loyal readers,
but a book-worms' responsibility. Even if you can only
afford a couple of bucks, send your tax-deductible donations
to Dr. Walter Auffenberg, Herp Division - FMNH, University
of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.
-
A studbook for Shinisaurus crocodilurus is being mainted
by Andy Snider, Reptile Department, Audubon Park &
Zoological Garden, P.O. Box 4327, New Orleans, LA 70178.
-
Darrel Frost, Curator of Herpetology at the American Museum
of Natural History, NY, was quoted on the topic of
roach-eating geckos, "If you really have a roach problem,
they will work OK, but you need to keep them warm. I don't
really recommend the practice. Big pythons are natural
predators of rats, but I wouldn't recommend that people buy
pythons." I wonder if the reporter knew that Darrel was from
Kansas when the article was titled "Lizard of AHS"? [New
York Times News Service, November 15, 1990, contributed by
William Burnett.]
HOW TO CONTRIBUTE
Send clippings, letters, notes, etc. to me in care of the
CHS or to my home address.
April 1991
With great big thanks to
Everybody who volunteered for the Anniversary Party
including: John Christianson, John Levell, Brian Jones, Meg
Shepstone, Ilene Sievert, Todd and Amy Hixon, Eloise
Beltz-Decker, Howard Weiner, Joel Weiner (with family and
friend), John Raymond, Holly Collins, Stacy Miller, Ron
Humbert, Don Wheeler, Mike Dloogatch, Ralph Shepstone, Ken
Mierzwa, Paul Sievert, Matt Morris and Daelyn Erickson. Our
guests included founding members Yolanda and Kris Erickson -
and Ellis Jones, the only current CHS member who was also
a members of the Chicago Herpetologists' Club. Entertainment
included exceptional geckos by Jim Zaworski and marvelous
gecko slides by Mike Miller. Several people suggested making
a party a regular part of our year.
Membership at our 25th anniversary
Membership was at an all time high of 1663 on our Anniversary
comprised of: 1232 individuals, 245 families, 70 sustaining,
6 contributing, 36 institutions, 58 exchanges, and 16
honorary members. The anniversary posters were given out to
members and the rest were mailed 3rd class bulk rate. In 1990, we had 650 new members. To February 28th, 1991, 152 new members have joined. Practically every herpetological society in north America was
able to include notice of our anniversary in their publications. Walter Allen of the California Turtle and Tortoise Club even sent a great birthday card which our historian, Tom Anton, will add to his ever growing pile of anniversary related items. [Also please see Linda Maxon's letter reprinted elsewhere in this issue.] We are as always looking for old photos, slides, and clippings. The Ericksons
brought a copy of what looks to be the first ever C.H.S. clipping from 1966! Our librarian, Ralph Shepstone has a photocopied copy of the original minute book of the Chicago Herpetologists' Club. We are still working on obtaining or copying a full set of all Newsletters. Call Tom or myself if you'd like to make a contribution to the history.
News on the herps and herpers of England
Frank B. Gibbons, Secretary of the South Western Herpetological Society in Devon, England writes: This country includes only a very limited variety of herpetofauna: 3 anurans, 3 urodellans, 3 saurians and 3 ophidians, but no chelonians or crocodilians as the climate is not conducive to such reptiles. The three tailless
amphibians are the common frog (Rana temporaria), the common
toad (Bufo bufo) and the Natterjack toad (Bufo calamita). The three tailled species are the common or smooth newt (Triturus vulgaris), Palmate newt (Triturus helveticus) and crested newt (Triturus cristatus). Lizards include the common or livebearing lizard (Lacerta vivipara), the sand lizard (Lacerta agilis) and the legless slow-worm or blind-worm (Anguis fragilis). The snakes are the grass snake (Natrix natrix), the smooth snake (Coronella austriaca) and the viper (Vipera berus). Up to about 40 (maybe 30) years ago, these were all fairly well established throughout the country, but in the last dew decades, most have rapidly dwindled in numbers. The Natterjack toad, crested newt, sand lizard and smooth snake are all on the endangered list and
are heavily protected. Heavy fines can be expected for interfering with the natural habitats of any of these.
The smooth newt is now no longer common in this corner of
the country; the common lizard is not so easy to find, and
the chance of finding a grass snake is extremely low
apparently throughout the country. The viper, an extremely
shy snake at the best of times, is probably our most common
snake. Slow-worms are the likeliest of all reptiles to come
across. Common toads and common frogs are not so prominent
as in the past, but are still surviving fairly well.
This of course, all boils down to the destruction of
habitats, mostly from human hands although the weather cycle
has changed considerably over these last years, and acid rain
and other facts have all helped towards these diminishing
stocks, and the general destruction of all wildlife.
There are occasional reports of introduced (either
intentionally or otherwise) herps. A few years ago, it was
reported that an Aesculapian snake (Elaphe longissimma) had
escaped from a Welsh zoo or collection. A further report
mentioned 3 separate age groups of the snake. Presumably,
the escapee had been gravid and had produced offspring
following its slither to freedom. These in turn had given
birth and this seems to have been habit-forming. A third
generation seems to be existing. Another report was of the
clawed frog (Xenopus laevis). It seems that some had escaped
from a scientific collection and had colonised themselves -
also in Wales.
In the past, many species had been put loose in the hopes
that they could colonise in the wild. Now this is against
the law, of course. In 1979, a colony of Alpine newts
(Triturus alpestris) had been reported in a garden in Surrey.
In the same year, midwife toads (Alytes obstetricans) had
been reported in a former nursery garden in Bedford, and also
in an area near Worksop, in Nottinghamshire, as well as in a
garden owned by the late Lord Chaplin, in Devonshire.
Edible frogs (Rana esculenta) had been reported, again in
1979, in Norfolk; Surrey; Devon and Somerset. It is thought
that edibles were introduced into Southen England around
4,000 BC, possibly by Roman gourmets. It is known that they
had been introduced into Cambridgeshire in the 1770s, but
there is no evidence to show how. Between 1840-1910, several
introductions were made in various parts of England as well
as one in Scotland. Some of these are thought to be still
extant. Between 1929-1961, many were found in various gravel
pits in Surrey; Twickenham; Teddington; Sudbrook and Richmond
Parks. A colony on Esher Common from before 1958 could
possibly still be in existance. More recently, a colony had
developed close to Newton Abbot, in Devon, thought to have
been from adults escaped from private gardens.
In 1979, marsh frogs (Rana ridibunda) had been reported in
Kingsteigton, Devon, and also in the Romney Marsh area of
more than 100 square miles. These had probably escaped
originally from the garden od Edward Percy, the playwright.
European treefrogs (Hyla arborea) were also known to be in
existance in the Beaulieu Abbey Estate, from 1962, and also
in St. Lawrence, in the Isle of Wight.
Dice snakes (Natrix tesselata) had probably escaped from a
firm in Newdigate, Surrey during the 1950s. These had been
seen in 1979. And from the same area, probably from the same
source, painted frogs (Discoglossus pictus) and fire-belly
toads (Bombina bombina) and Italian crested newts (Triturus
cristatus carnifex) had been sighted.
Twelve wall lizards (Podarcis muralis) were released at
Farnham Castle in Surrey, in 1932. Two more followed the
next year, and these were rediscovered in 1951 in the garden
of a nearby estate. In 1937, 300 were released in the
grounds of Paignton Zoo, and these were still in existance in
the late 1960s. In 1954, Lord Chaplin released 15 into the
garden of his estate near Tornes, Devon; and by 1976, these
had been known to have multiplied to around 100. In 1980,
two flourishing colonies had been discovered on the Isle of
Wight, and from 1957, another colony is still believed to be
extant - in Hampton Court, in Middlesex.
In a private garden in Bishopsteignton, near Newton Abbot,
Devon, the previous owner had kept a thriving colony of
yellow-belly toads (Bombina variegata) and marsh frogs (Rana
ridibunda) in his walled-in garden. It is not known whether
they are still existing there.
Finally, green lizards (Lacerta viridis) had been let loose
in the grounds of Paignton Zoo, by its previous owner and
they were also known to be somewhere in Gloucester.
Collectively, I don't know the present state od any of
these for sure, but I would say there is a pretty good chance
of several small colonies of Un-English species surviving in
England.
Our Society was formed in 1972 for the purpose of
promoting an interest in the study of reptiles and
amphibians, both in the wild and in captivity...Meetings are
held monthly, generally on the second Sunday afternoon of the
month, and these are followed by the issue of a
Newsletter...We also publish an Annual Journal which includes
original articles, many of them from the members themselves,
as well as many other interesting facts, etc..." Annual
non-UK dues are 12 pounds, payable in pounds. Our copy of
the Newsletter of the SWHS arrives like clockwork about 1.5
months after the cover date and is always amusing,
informative and interesting. Some of the ads require and
English/American dictionary.
Tortoises, tortoises
-
Over 40 percent of the land area on the Seychelles Islands
(north east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean) has been
designated as natural parks and preserves. The government,
while seeking the tourist dollar, also limits their number to
not more than 100,000 by allowing only 4,000 hotel sleeping
rooms on the country's 115 islands. Existing hotels can be
expanded, but no new sites must be taken. The island of
Aldabra is a totally protected, remote atoll 500 miles south
of the main island. However, tortoise shell products from
hawksbill turtles are easily found in Seychelles' markets.
Some tourists have enven called Lindsay Chong Seng, the
director of the country's tourism support services and a
British-trained biologist, to complain about the items. Mr.
Chong Seng points out that the country has no means to
enforce its law against killing hawksbills but concludes that
the turtle questions may become a sticing point in the new
environmental management plan, sponsored by the United
Nations and the World Bank. (New York Times, August 9, 1990)
- The Tortoise Trust devoted its entire Autumn, 1990 issue to
an article by A.C. Highfield and J. Martin titled, "Is there
a tortoise AIDS in our midst?" Their argument is that
although the exact combination of parasite problems,
bacterial infection, jaundice, liver disease, and other
symptoms vary in individual cases, the sheer number of deaths
and their timing and location suggest an organism which
destroys its host animals' immune system. In over 50
autopsies of suspected infected animals performed by
Professor Walter Sachsse of Germany, electon microscopy has
revealed "nuclear inclusion bodies of at least three
different viral forms" accompanied by "an inflammatory, fatty
swelling of the liver, often with local necrosis." Prof.
Sachesse also commented that the "external symptoms do not
fit into any clinical picture because they are determined by
an overwhelming of the weakened animal by opportunistic,
commensal microbia of the most different kind." The authors
propose that tortoises imported from Turkey, from 1976 to
date, may be carriers of whatever it is that is killing other
tortoises. Turkish tortoises (Testudo ibera) were introduced
into collections in England and Europe after which long-term
healthy tortoises in those collections began to die. They
state that T. ibera was also imported into California and
speculate that the agent may have infected Xerobates agassizi
kept in captivity which then infected wild desert tortoises.
They suggest not taking tortoises to shows and other places
where they may come in contact with possibly infected
animals, not transferring or boarding tortoises with other
tortoise keepers, careful hygiene, and 6 month quarantine of
new animals from established animals. Please contact the
Tortoise Trust, BM Tortoise, London, WC1N 3XX if you want
more information. They also publish guidebooks for tortoise
maintenance.
- Support the work of the Desert Tortoise Preseve Committee
and receive a nifty, full-color patch. Send $3.50 to
DTPC, PO Box 453, Ridgecrest, CA 93555. They also send
information about the Preserve with the patch.
- Biologists Todd Esque and Eric Peters of Colorado State
University have been studying desert tortoise eggs and wild
behavior and have found that tortoises seem to be calcium
starved. They speculate that the calcium shortage began when
settlers and developers killed off countless species of
calcium-rich weeds and succulents which were preferred
tortoise food. Tortoise shells constitute up to 80 percent
of the skeleton and require and enormous amount of calcium to
grow and maintain. Female tortoises need an even higher
calcium intake to produce strong, sturdy eggs. Researchers
have reported finding porous brittle bones in dead tortoises
and suggest a resemblence to human osteoporosis (also caused
by calcium deficiency). Tortoises in the study area chewed
on bones when provided by the researcher. (Leesburg Daily
Commercial, January 26, 1991, contributed by Bill Burnett)
Quote of the Month
"As human activities increase, native species are lost. When
we lose keystone species, we can expect fairly rapid and
unexpected changes. This shows we need to more about what
kinds of species have disproportionately large effects when
present or removed, something surprisingly little research
has been done on." Dr. James H. Brown, Professor of Biology,
University of New Mexico. (New York Times, December 25, 1990)
Stamp on Snakes, 1991It's Rattlesnake Roundup season again. People who find
clippings on this subject are especially urged to send them
to me. People opposing these events need to have as much
information as possible, so every single clipping counts.
Snakes on Stamps?
Maybe, if Carole Degen and the Bay Area Reptile and Amphibian
Society (BAARS) successfully convince the U.S. Citizens'
Stamp Advisory Committee to include threatened or endangered
herpetofauna on upcoming issues. Write BAARS at P.O. Box
663, Ben Lomond, CA 95005 or call Carole at (408) 336-5612
if you are interested in having input on this worthy project.
I cast my vote for Eumeces gilberti cancellosus.
Weighty Ideas
Herp societies around the world are discussing legislation;
wild animal laws, pet animal laws and such. Two interesting
suggestions arose from correspondence between the New England
Herpetological Society and a regulatory agency: 1.) Consider
exempting albinos and all obvious color morphs derived from
captive breeding; and 2.) Use weight rather than length as a
criteria for large snake regulation although what criteria
could be used to define "too big" by either weight or length
is unclear.
Sea Turtles, TEDs and Ninjas
- Green and hawksbill turtles are threatened by war-related
Persian Gulf spills and burnoffs. Nesting grounds along
island beaches may also have been fouled. (Chicago Tribune,
January 28, 1991)
- Four species of sea turtles nest on Florida beaches and
communities in the prime nesting areas are working with the
FL Department of Natural Resources to resolve lighting and
other beach uses. Beach-cleaning vehicles, recreational
driving, sea walls, egg thieves and egg-eating predators all
contribute to hatching mortality. Some nests are relocated
from areas of greatest hazard. (Leesburg Daily Commercial,
November 4, 1990, contributed by Bill Burnett.)
- 967 Kemp's ridley sea turtle nests were counted on beaches
at Rancho Nuevo, Mexico, more than in any year since careful
surveys were started in 1978. 420 females are believed to
have nested in 1990, up from 308 in 1989. (Center for Marine
Conservation News, Winter, 1990)
- In the first 10 days of the Texas shrimp season, 31 dead
turtles, including 17 highly endangered Kemp's ridley
turtles, and tons of dead fish washed up on Texas beaches.
Enforcement officers found that some shrimpers weren't using
the TEDs they had on board, or else had tied the escape
hatches closed. National Marine Fisheries Service increased
the penalties, fines are now $25,000 per violation. In the
first three weeks after the penalties were increased, 23
people were arrested and compliance rose to 80 percent. TEDs
don't hurt shrimp harvests either. The 1990 catch was 92
million pounds, while the average annual catch is 55 million
pounds. (CMC News, Winter, 1990)
- Three Galveston shrimpers were sentenced to jail and fined
for unlawfully possessing a Kemp's ridley sea turtle after
Coast Guard officials caught them trawling for shrimp without
TEDs. Also discovered was a female Kemp's ridley tethered to
the boat by means of a line attached through a hole that had
been drilled in its shell. The turtle is recuperating at the
National Marine Fisheries Service in Galveston, TX. (Houston
Chronicle, January 25, 1991, contributed by Carole Allen)
- Ninja fans can order the infamous Ninja/Kemp's ridley Issue
from HEART for $2.50 postpaid. The cowabunga brigade
takes on the evil Cap'n Mossback, a man so vile he won't even
use a TED! HEART raises funds for head-starting about
2,000 Kemp's ridleys a year. Write them at Box 681231,
Houston, TX 77268-1231.
- A Houston, TX man pleaded guilty to illegally importing
endangered sea turtles and selling boots made from their
skin. He was sentenced to 4 years probation, 200 hours of
community service and fined $10,000 for violations of the
federal Lacey Act. (Houston Post, February 14, 1990,
contributed by Carole Allen)
The Greater Cincinnati Herp Society is seeking a
new newsletter editor and helpers. Write them: c/o The
Cincinnati Museum of Natural History, 1720 Gilbert Avenue,
Cincinnati, OH 45202.
Being a reader-supported column isn't easy. It helps to get
some material! Please send your contributions either
directly to me or addressed to me c/o the CHS. I'm sure
you've noticed I've been trying to include news about
members. So, if something nifty happens to you, let me know.
May 1991
The Collins's Strike Again...
One of the most attractive and interesting publications to
land on my desk in the last month was written and
photographed by CHS members Joe and Suzanne Collins of
Lawrence, Kansas. Titled "Reptiles and Amphibians of the
Cimarron National Grasslands, Morton County, Kansas," this
60 page publication has 40 magnificent color photos, 3
figures and a cover illustration by Marty Capron. The book
was jointly put out by the U.S. Forest Service, KPL Gas
Service, the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and the
Kansas Herpetological Society. This impressive list of
sponsors does not indicate that the publishing venture is
not-for-profit, but it is. The cost is $7.00, postage
included. Write U.S.F.S., Cimarron National Grasslands,
242 Highway 56-E, P.O. Box J, Elkhart, KS 67950 to order
your copy.
Product of a fertile mine
Bricker's Organic Farm in Augusta, Georgia is offering a new
type of natural fertilizer reported to be better than most
types of natural fertilizers although bat guano is richer.
Surprisingly it's made from a byproduct of herpetoculture
and is brand named "Kricket Krap." The recipe is to stir
three tablespoons of "Kricket Krap" into a half
gallon of water. For people with a lot of crickets, use
five pounds per 55 gallon garbage can. Let the resulting
"tea" sit in the sun for a few days before watering around
your favorite plants. Just for the record, Bricker feeds
his crickets a high-protein diet composed of fish, soybean
meal, ground corn and molasses. Bricker's crickets are so
"fertile" that they've produced a pile about 25 feet high
from which the final product is mined. [Horticulture,
December 1990, contributed by Ilene Sievert]
Herps Humorous
- A young snake once asked his mother, "Are we venomous?"
She replied, "Yes, dear. Why do you ask?"
The neonate replied, "Because I've just bitten my tongue!"
[Natural history corrected, but adapted from Readers Digest,
May 1990, contributed by Chester Mierzwa]
-
A tourist in China was admiring a local man's necklace.
"What's it made of?" she asked. He replied, "Alligator
teeth." She was startled but replied, "Well I suppose they
hold the same value for you as pearls do for us." The
villager smiled and said, "Not really, miss. Anybody can
open an oyster!" [From MM, April-May, 1991, contributed by
P.L. Beltz]
-
In the most recent Bulletin of the Victorian Herpetological
Society of Australia is a well-written article by Simon
Kortlang, V.H.S. titled "An alternative food for reptiles -
fish." After carefully discussing the pros of fish for
snakes, he mentions the fact that the snakes thrash around
when catching the fish and get the prey item covered in
their substrate. I thought, perhaps the snakes are just
trying to enjoy that typically British meal, fish and chips!
Good news
Railway police in the People's Republic of China have
re-released over 300 Andreas salamanders back into the
wild after confiscating them from smugglers in the western
city of Xian. The salamanders sell for up to $50 each at
Hong Kong restaurants, although Taiwanese pet owners and
gourmets have been known to pay several hundred dollars for
each amphibian. Maybe we could persuade the restauranteurs
to offer Swinney's captive-bred tigers as appetizers instead
of rare Chinese specimens... [Chicago Tribune, March 22,
1991, contributed by P.L. Beltz]
Millions Still Get Squished
The Wall Street Journal (March 27, 1991) reports on the
latest efforts of toad-lovers to help toads cross roads. The
U.K. has installed 6 toad tunnels and one newt tunnel since
1987. The Germans have built over 150 toad tunnels in the
last 12 years after a Bavarian road accident where several
people lost their lives after their car skidded on toad
kills. [Contributed by X. Francis Nolan]
Quote of the Month
Don Stickles, Massachusetts hunter: "When you kill an
animal, you take responsibility for that creature, just like
I'm sure you do when you buy part of a cow wrapped in
plastic."
Speaking of dead animals...
- The Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine, N.J.
found the first ever Green Sea Turtle washed up at Beach
Haven. The apparent cause of its recent demise was that
it's last 6 feet of intestines were impacted with digested
vegetation. Other deceased turtles in their latest report
included five Leatherback Sea Turtles and four Loggerhead
Sea Turtles. Several of these had propellor cuts, but the
rest were too decomposed to determine the cause of their
deaths. MMSC is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to
the rescue and rehabilitation of marine mammals and sea
turtles. Write MMSC, P.O. Box 773, 3625 Brigantine Blvd.,
Brigantine, NJ 08203 or call (609) 266-0538 for more
information.
- Prices for farm-bred alligator skins have declined from a
high of $35/foot to about $23/foot due to the easy
availability of skins in the 4 to 5 foot range. There were
only 3 alligator farms in Louisiana in 1977. Now there are
126 in the state and another 40 in Florida and Texas. The
industry is worth about $25 million a year to Louisiana
alone. 85 percent of the market value is the skin which can
leave the swamps of Louisiana, get tanned in a foreign
country and return to the U.S. to be sold in high-end
boutiques like Hermes or Neiman-Marcus. [Daily Commercial,
Leesburg, FL, April 1, 1991, contributed by Bill Burnett]
- One thousand residents of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
captured 1578 toads on a January evening at the city's
Botanic Gardens. Whole familes arrived with flashlights and
plastic bags into which the toads were placed, then frozen
in an attempt at humane euthanasia. Cane toads are
commonly believed to be harmful to native fauna,
although some researchers say that certain native animals
have figured out ways to eat the toads without being
affected by their toxins. [New Scientist, February 2, 1991,
contributed by Mike Dloogatch]
Death's the pits, and then you fry
One hundred eight protesters attended the Sweetwater, TX
rattlesnake roundup this year. Hosted by CHS-member, Bob
Sears, the participants legally and carefully made their
opposition to the proceedings known. National Geographic
sent a camera crew to collect footage for their Explorer
series. Signs carried by the protesters included "Support
our troops and snakes;" "Rattler's are Texans, too;" and
"Rednecks for Rattlers." If you would be interested in
participating next year contact Bob Sears. Don't kid
yourselves, though. This can be dangerous, and not just
right at the roundup. One protester (apparently observed on
her way home) was physically and verbally assaulted by a
rattlesnake roundup supporter in a washroom over 100 miles
from Sweetwater. [Contributed by Dez Crawford]
Kissimmee once, Kissimmee twice
Never before has government set out to restore a natural
landscape as large as half the state of Florida. The Army
Corps of Engineers is proposing to de-channelize the 98-mile
canal it built from the meandering Kissimmee River and
designing a system that will allow water to flow across a
water conservation area and unter the Tamiami Trail. The
South Florida Water Management District proposes to establish
25,300 acres of marshland to filter pollution north and
northwest of Fort Lauderdale. The Federal Government plans
to buy 107,000 acres to add to the 1.4 million acre
Everglades National Park. The acquisition will permit water
flowing in from the north to spread across a 30 mile-wide
basin known as the Shark River Slough. All in all these
projects have a combined price tag of at least $700 million
dollars. This restoration will be as much a test of
political skills as of engineering techniques. Do be sure to
write your legislators in Washington expressing your support
for the restoration of the south Florida ecosystem. Just
think of all the smiling alligators and crocodiles that will
benefit from this restoration! [New York Times, March 11,
1991, contributed by P.L. Beltz]
News from the Madras Crocodile Bank
Harry Andrews runs the Madras Crocodile Bank in the Tamil
Nadu State of India. He is also the holder of a rather
unusual claim to fame...he has measured more crocodile
penises thany anyone else on earth! Harry writes: "Busy to
heck around here, the crocs have started nesting and this
year we'll probably have 500-550 nests of mugger alone, which
would mean about 13,000 eggs to process, incubate, hatch,
mark, feed and grow out, and I'm not thinking of any of the
other species. We may have to start feeding crocs to crocs
if we run out of dough to keep `em. It's going to be a croc
eat croc world out here, and we're all geared up for a long
hectic season ahead. In the meantime, we are in need of more
subscribers and donors to Hamadryad (the only Biannual
herp journal with colour and black and white plates from
south east Asia), where people could get to read about and
see pictures of herps they've never heard or seen before. We
are also looking out for persons/organisations who would be
willing to sponsor the cover productions and cost of the
Hamadryad or the plates. Things we have to offer from
here are old world herp reprints, both old and current, and
herp books at nearly cost plus postage." Harry forgot to add
how you can subscribe to the Hamadryad, but I'm sure
he'll be glad to send you such information if you write him
at: Madras Crocodile Bank, Post Bag #4, Mahabalipuram 603
104, Tamil Nadu, South India. India is a very poor country
with very odd import laws, but I would strongly recommend
that you send him a herp book, reprint, photo, newsletter or
some other article of value when you write since it will cost
him to correspond with you. I do know that currency cannot
be mailed into India, so be sure to ask just exactly how you
should pay for your subscription and follow his advice to the
letter. Harry also sent a big pile of newspaper clippings
about the Croc Bank and its founder, Rom Whittaker, along
with the welcome news that Rom will be visiting the U.S. this
year on a film publicizing tour. Other herp societies please
take note. Rom is a dynamic speaker and a wonderful
photographer and would certainly be an asset to any herp
society meeting. You may wish to send an invitation to him.
From the clippings: 1.) The Tamil Nadu Chief Wild Life
warden set fire to a huge stock of contraband reptile skins
on December 17, 1990. India has totally banned the trade in
reptile skins in an effort to prevent decimation of
rat-eating species. [Indian Express, December 18, 1990] 2.)
Eleven years ago, the Irula tribals of the Madras area formed
a co-operative to produce and sell snake venom. The
quality of the venom sold by the co-operative is excellent
since they use only 'fresh' snakes and release the animals
after a milking. Most anti-venin centers milk the snakes
until they die. This last practice considerably shortens
the lifespan of the snake, and produces progressively
poorer venoms. Now the Irula Tribal Women's Welfare Society
has been formed and is planting trees on "wasteland" around
the city of Madras. Three hundred acres have been planted by
the women in drough resistant, multi-use species of trees.
The local village leaders (not Irulas) have agreed to fence
the tree lots with prickly growing hedges as well as provide
watchmen for the trees. The Irulas will share the tree
products with the villages 65/35. The Irula Society also
hires local people to help with land preparation. The "model
forest" includes 1,500 trees per acre. About half are fast
growing species and the rest a mix of indigenous trees that
produce everything from berries to timber, fodder and fuel
wood. There will be a continuing thinning out of trees,
providing a renewable resource for both the Irulas and the
villages. [Illustrated Weekly of India, August 27, 1989] 3.)
The Irula religion is based in part on ancient
serpent-worshipping cults, whose deities were known as Nagas,
and generally represented as Cobras. Irula lore remains
filled with Cobra-naga stories: women who want to conceive
male children pray to Shesha-nag, the world snake of Hindu
mythology, and the Irula shamen are said to consult
Naga-Kanni, a serpent goddess, over important village and
tribal concerns. Some of the tribal elders even feel that it
was the skin industry which engendered the Irulas' problems:
they were killing their goddess Kanni every time they took a
snake. Those ancient beliefs are ddeply rooted in the Irula
consciousness. Cobra bites are frequently interpreted as
deserved retribution for an affront against the Nagas and the
non-use of available antidotes is a way to allow the will of
the offended Naga to be carried out. [Irula, circa February
1991] Thanks, Harry for all the clippings!
Also regarding venomous snakes
The April issue of Notes from NOAH has a large section
devoted to letters about so-called "venomoid snakes," animals
which have had their venom apparatus removed. The dialog has
apparently occupied parts of their last several issues.
Notes from NOAH has recently undergone a format change
from faint typewriting on darkish paper to nice, crisp laser
printing on paler paper. The format change has induced me to
begin to READ this publication which formerly I skimmed since
I found it to be headache inducing. NOAH is the second
largest regional herp society (after CHS) and the fourth
largest herp society in North America (after AFH, CHS, and
SSAR). If you are interested in the venomoid issue, or wish
to obtain a copy of their fabulous "Battle Package"
(clippings and facts about herp exploitation) write: NOAH,
Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University,
Cleveland, OH 44106.
Excellent suggestions
Stan Grumbeck wrote a thought provoking article in the March,
1991 issue of the North Texas Herpetological Society
Newsletter. He suggests: ..."maybe it's time we adopted a
new term to describe this pastime of ours...we should impress
upon new herpers the importance of not `collecting' every
animal they encounter in the field. Catching the animal is
fine and indeed may be necessary for identification and
certainly for photographing; but once you're finished with
the animal, release it where you caught it unless there is a
specific need for this particular (specimen)...when you
go `herp watching' the area should look the same when you
leave as it did when you got there." If you'd like to
comment on Stan's proposed designation of "herp watching"
instead of "going collecting," you can write him, c/o NTHS,
P.O. Box 470771, Fort Worth, TX 76147.
Great news!
On the edge the newsletter of the Jersey Wildlife
Preservation Trust reports that a specimen of the
Jamaican iguana was turned in by Mr. Edwin Duffus to the Hope
Zoo in Jamaica. The last specimen was seen, dead, in 1969.
It had been feared extince. The Jamaican iguana, Cyclura
collei, is endemic only to Jamaica and was described by
Gray in 1945. Habitat destruction and hunting had decimated
the populations and the introduction of mongoose in 1872
brought the species to the brink of extinction. The species
is still very much in danger and a conservation and breeding
program is being proposed by an inter-institutional group
headed by Dr. Peter Vogel of the Zoology Department of the
University of the West Indies. Cyclura collei is one of
Jamaica's largest land animals and it is hoped that
experience with breeding iguanas on the mainland of Central
America will lead to solutions in breeding this endemic
species. Write JWPT for more information on how you can
support this and other worthy breeding programs: Les Augres
Mano, Trinity, Jersey JE3 5BF, English Cannel Islands, United
Kingdom.
Please send clippings with date and publication attached to me. All clippings used herein will be acknowledged to their contributors. Also, if something particularly interesting happens to you or another member of CHS, write it up and send it. New crib lizards and breeding records of family members will be considered as will embarrassing moments in herpetology, good herp ideas and bad herp jokes. Hope to hear from you soon!
June 1991
Members' News
- We regret to inform the membership of the death of Dr.
Loren Moehn of Jacksonville, Illinois. Dr. Moehn was a
long-time member of CHS as well as being a member of the
Ohio Herpetological Society (later SSAR) and many other
herp organizations around the country. Donations in his
memory can be sent to: Illinois College, Biology Honors
Society, Dr. Chapman, Department of Biology, Jacksonville,
IL 62650.
- John Levell, Tony Janowski, Richard Pick and Chester
Pieniazek are just back from a week in Texas, Louisiana
and other points south. John reports "great herpin' and
great herpers" down there.
- Steve Swanson, Director of the Grove in Glenview, is in the
U.S.S.R. on a collecting trip with Ray Pawley, Curator of
Herps at Brookfield Zoo. This fantastic trip was planned
after a visit last year from Soviet zoologists collecting Sistrurus catenatus, eastern massasauga rattlesnakes, for a cap-
tive breeding program at the Moscow Zoo. [Niles Journal,
April 24, 1991, contributed by C. S. Mierzwa]
Ridley Yourself of Guilt by Giving
Carole Allen writes, "Although HEART has donated tents
and contributed to funds needed for a real building in which
scientists stay at Rancho Nuevo, and although we have contri-
buted a generator for the new `north' camp there, the camp
itself was up and running long before I came on the scene.
The building I call the Heart Hyatt was built by funds from
HEART, USFWS and the Gladys Porter Zoo.[HEART]
has bought all the turtle food since 1982 for the Galveston
Lab, and it's true to say that HEART's work in building a
political constituency has prevented the government from
cutting the head start program from the federal budget "
Donations to HEART are as always needed to feed some
of the thousands of hungry little turtles. To feed a turtle for
a year, and have your name added to the thousands of hearts
on the Galveston facility walls, send $5.00 to HEART, P.O.
Box 681231, Houston, TX 77268-1231. Also, if you'd like a
video of headstarting, TEDs and Kemp's ridley sea turtles, a
30 minute color film prepared by Houston television station
KTMD is available from HEART for $22.40 postpaid.
Cricket Timing
The official formula for determining the Fahrenheit tempera-
ture by counting cricket chirps is: temperature equals 50 +
(chirps per minute - 40) / 4. There is also an approximation
formula: count the number of chirps in 14 seconds and add
40. Of course, a thermometer in your livestock room might
be easier. [Chicago Reader, May 3, 1991, contributed by
Eloise Beltz-Decker]
What We Do for Free
You can now pay $80 to an Ontario, Canada, dating service
called Science Connection if you'd like to be included in their
program to help unattached adults interested in science or
natural history meet others with a similar interest. [Chicago
Tribune, May 1, 1991]
Quote of the Month
"Hast thou named all the birds without a gun; loved the
wood-rose and left it on its stalk?" Ralph Waldo Emerson
(1803-1882), Forbearance.
If You Like to Write Letters
The Center for Marine Conservation has begun to send ac-
tion alerts to interested people who will write letters as asked.
Write: CMC, Sea Grassroots Activist Program, 1725
De Sales Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036.
It's once again time to write letters in support of the Archie
Carr National Wildlife Refuge. Last year the ACNWR re-
ceived enormous support from around the country, and even
the turtles expressed their support with more than 16,404
loggerhead and 588 green turtle nests within the boundaries
of the refuge! Federal funds to buy these beaches come from
the Land and Water Conservation Fund. In 1990, the U.S.
Congress allocated $2 million. The Carr Refuge needs con-
tinuing appropriations to continue operations. You can help.
Write your U.S. Senators and Representatives, especially
Rep. Sidney R. Yates (IL) and Senator Robert C. Byrd (WV).
They are on the Appropriations Committees and will be most
able to have their voices heard. Address both Senators and
Representatives as "The Honorable (name)." Please be polite
and mention that $15 million would be nice, especially since
the state of Florida is spending $10 million on the project
in 1991. Mail letters to either 1.) The U.S. Senate, Washing-
ton, D.C. 20510; or 2.) The U.S. House of Representatives,
Washington, D.C. 20515. Buttons, color brochures, fact
sheets and decals in support of the Refuge are available
on a limited basis from CMC (address above).
Illinois residents are urged to write their state representa-
tive in support of House Bill 2554 which, if passed by both
houses and signed by the Governor, would require owners
to get a permit before draining and/or filling a wetland, or
to create a new, larger wetland elsewhere in the same water-
shed. In the Chicago region, Lake County has the most wet-
land acres (30,487), with Cook (15,177) and Will (14,881) next
in descending order. By percentage, Lake still leads (10.2%),
but is followed by Du Page (3.9%) and Will (2.8%). Remem-
ber, wetlands and wetland edges are some of the best herpeto-
fauna habitat. Dr. Deanna Glosser, Vice-president of the
Audubon Council of Illinois, said: "If we pass a good version
of HB2554, I think we'll be on the leading edge of wetlands
protection [in the country]." [Chicago Tribune, April 22, 1991,
contributed by P. L. Beltz]
Don't Tell the Department of Agriculture
In the premier issue of Animal House Magazine, a commercial
publication out of Cypress, California, writer Todd Jarrett
manages to misunderstand just about every facet of snake
keeping, with the capper being the following quote attributed
to snake keeper Harlan Woods: "pythons can be vicious, and
are venomous, whereas boas are not." Also, Glen Carlton,
a "licensed animal health technician with the Los Angeles
chapter of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals" was quoted: "[the snake is] an animal I can abuse, but
still not hurt it." I have already written to the editors about
this issue, but you may wish to too: Marsha and Chuck
McIntosh, AHM, Inc. It is truly unfortunate that their writer either
totally misunderstood what he was told or selected ignorant
sources for this article. There are so many intelligent snake
keepers in California; surely he could have written a much
better article. [Animal House Magazine, April 1991, contri-
buted by Greg Naclerio]
Did Anyone Tell Them about Killer Bees?
One hundred five Nile crocodiles were imported in 1989 to a
"top-security facility" in southern Brazil for a captive breeding
program aimed at selling their skins abroad. Dr. William
Magnusson, a crocodile specialist at the Institute for Ama-
zon Studies in the city of Manaus remarked that if they get
loose, "they'll certainly attack and eat many humans, but
that's trivial compared to the destruction they'll do to the
continent's ecosystems." [Chicago Tribune, May 9, 1991,
contributed by P. L. Beltz]
Earthwatch Trips for 1991
Earthwatch is requesting volunteers for three herp-related
projects this year. Project one is titled "Saving the Leather-
back Turtle," and will take place at St. Croix, Virgin Islands.
Night patrols will find and record data from up to 500-
kilogram nesting mothers, measure nest temperatures, move
erosion-prone nests, and later in the season, chaperon hatch-
lings to the sea. This is not a trip for the weak, for couch
potatoes, or for people who simply cannot stay awake after
midnight. Accommodations are modern. Project two is
"Diamondback Terrapins, What Role Do Turtles Play in
America's Most Threatened Ecosystem?" Dr. J. Whitfield
Gibbons, Jeffrey Lovich and Anton Tucker will lead volun-
teers on their mission at Kiawah island, South Carolina.
Expedition members will capture terrapins, weigh, measure
and tag the animals, analyze their scats, hatch eggs and re-
lease the turtles and their offspring. Kiawah Island is com-
posed of 1,500 hectares of dunes, forests, marshes and lakes.
Amenities are modern and this program is not as physically
rigorous as Project one. Project three is titled "Australia's
Island Lizards." Led by Garry Connell and Dr. Dale Roberts,
volunteers will work on three islands, trapping, observing
and radiotracking lizards, and performing some lab work.
Amenities are modern and the project will be based in the
Jurien Bay Islands off Western Australia. Earthwatch volun-
teers pay their own way to the projects as well as part of the
the project cost. Call Earthwatch at 617-926-8200 for
more information. Please mention the CHS when you call.
And Don't Forget Your Sunscreen
The Environmental Protection Agency announced that the
ozone layer has been depleted in many areas of the globe, not
just in the so-called "ozone hole" over Antarctica, and that
the loss over the United States is proceeding more than twice
as fast as scientists had previously predicted. Ozone depletion
increases the risk of skin cancer and eye cataracts in humans
and has been implicated in the worldwide decline of amphib-
ian populations, although quantitative data for its effects are
lacking. [New York Times, April 5, 1991]
Japan Pledges to Protect Turtles
U.S. President George Bush gave Japan a 30-day reprieve
from possible trade sanctions after the Japanese pledged to
end all imports of hawksbill turtle products. Japan had ear-
lier agreed to stop importing the skin of the olive ridley but
had previously resisted the ban on hawksbill shells. For
centuries Japanese artisans have made expensive and prized
combs, ornaments and household implements from the
translucent, striped shells. No time limits were announced
although one report quoted a letter from President Bush to
Congress announcing that he would postpone taking any
punitive measures against trading with Japan, "pending an
assessment within 30 days of the adequacy of Japan's
actions." Personally, this time I hope he really means NO
NET LOSS. [New York Times, May 18, 1991; Wall Street
Journal, May 20, 1991; contributed by P. L. Beltz.]
The Mice Man Cometh
Robert Bremel, a professor of dairy science at the Univer-
sity of Wisconsin, is using mice to test new genetic combi-
nations that alter the protein levels in milk. Mr. Bremel
says, "the hope is to make milk a specialty product." It's a
lot simpler and easier to get the process right in small ani-
mals with a fast breeding turnover. But milking mice re-
quires patience and a very small milking machine. Each
mouse produces less than a teaspoon of milk a day. Who
knows what comes next pizzas with mouserella cheese,
even mice cream! [Wall Street Journal, May 16, 1991,
contributed by P. L. Beltz.]
Thanks to all who contributed this month If you don't like
how short this column is, how about sending in some news,
notes, clippings or letters to me c/o the CHS?
July 1991
Major contributor hospitalized twice
Readers of this column will recognize the name of P.L.
Beltz, this columnist's seventy-something father who has
contributed about 80 percent of all articles used in this column in
1991. Unfortunately, he may not be able to continue to
contribute with the regularity and consistency that he has
in the past. Will C.H.S. readers take the challenge and
begin to send in herp-related articles, or do C.H.S.
readers really not care? Send your clippings, get well
cards, letters, member news, etc. directly to me.
Does imprinting work?
HEART (Help endangered animals, Ridley turtles) reports:
"On April 30 about 10 a.m., a female Kemp's ridley sea
turtle crawled out of the water about one mile south of the
National Park Service ranger station at the National Sea
Shore near Corpus Christi and laid 107 eggs. A couple from
Houston alerted the park rangers who photographed her and
moved the eggs for incubating. No flipper tag scar was
visible so we don't know if it was a head-started turtle;
but it's still great news! Hopefully, there will be many
more nestings on the Texas coast." [Heart Newsletter, June
1991, contributed by Carole Allen]
Sea turtle strandings continue
Cynthia Gaya (the west coast HEART coordinator) wrote me a
letter recently urging "all sea turtle enthusiasts and
conservationists to write letters to the following
governmental agencies, demanding firm and appropriate action
be taken in response to the strandings of over 100
endangered sea turtles on the East Coast between April 1 and
May 15. This number increases daily and does not take into
account dozens of unreported or unfound carcasses. The
deaths of these healthy specimens can be directly attributed
to the beginning of the shrimping season, as well as
dredging activity going on up and down the East Coast. The
new Turtle Excluder Device regulations have yet to be
published, as as a result many shrimpers are still operating
without properly installed TED nets. Dredging can be
conducted at another season in the year which does not
conflict with annual migration and nesting patters of sea
turtles, yet year after year poorly timed efforts result in
mutilation of countless healthy turtles. HEART wants you to
demand that the government stop dragging its feet and
placing sea turtles at the very bottom of its priority list.
DEMAND that TED regulations be published immediately and
properly funded and implemented. DEMAND that all shrimpers
who violate TED regulations be severely punished, or they
will continue to disregard the laws. DEMAND thorough and
effective investigations into the causes of these repeated
deaths. Request that dredging be continued at a more
appropriate time of the year which will not endanger so many
turtles. Urge that turtles be given a high priority in
funding, before it is too late. Extinct means forever, and
that is the way sea turtles are headed due directly to man,
unless we all act NOW! Write those letters today to:
1.) Dr. John Knauss, Undersecretary, U.S. Department of
Commerce, 14th and Constitution, N.W., Room 5128,
Washington, D.C. 20238 or FAX #202-377-8203;
2.) Dr. Terry Henwood, National Marine Fisheries Service,
9450 Roger Boulevard, Saint Petersburg, FL 33702; and
3.) Major Ellias S. Smith, U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, P.O. Box
889, Savannah, GA 31402-0889. For more information on sea
turtle conservation write HEART, P.O. Box 681231, Houston,
TX 77268-1231. Thank you." I'd like to add that HEART has
several hundred to a thousand hungry little turtles to feed,
so if you write, include at least a self-addressed stamped
envelope - and, if possible, a donation.
Herpetological destinations
-
In 1980, a snake zoo was established near the Wuyi Mountain
Nature Reserve in Fujian Province, China. There are some
six tons of living snakes on view in enclosures designed
to resemble natural habitat. A research institute
and snake restaurant are attached to the zoo. [Fujian,
China's Undiscovered Land of Mists and Mountains, Passport
Books, 1991, contributed by P.L. Beltz]
-
Rayne, Louisiana is home to the largest bullfrog mural in
the United States. Painted by Robert Dafford in 1990, it
shows Rana catesbeiana amid swamp plants under a
crescent moon. [Bucyrus, Ohio Telegraph-Forum, May 11, 1991,
contributed by Bill Burnett]
-
Coney Island, New York has always had its share of the weird
and unusual. Now it is home to an old-style sideshow - a
snake charmer. Katherine Zavartkay is billed as "The
Elastic Woman" and works with her boas nightly in one of the
seaside clubs. [Chicago Tribune, May 27, 1991]
Oh, boa - a pig snake!
Maxwell, the pet of a New York police station house, may
be ordered to appear in a Manhattan court in connection
with a murder case. The judge has ordered the First
Precinct police to keep Maxwell alive and ready for a
possible appearance at a suppression of evidence hearing.
The defendant claims police threatened him with the
seven-foot snake to force a confession. Maxwell's been the
police station's pet since he was a foot long, and dines on
a large rat every three or four weeks. One officer was
quoted (NYDN): "We don't like to feed Max too often, only
when he gets hungry, or else he'll grow too big for his
aquarium." [New York Times, June 12, 1991, contributed by
P.L. Beltz and New York Daily News, May 24, 1991,
contributed by Phil and Dan, New York Reptilia]
Don't bite the hand that feeds you
The former governor of Illinois, James R. Thompson, has
sponsored the care and feeding of a timber rattlesnake at
Brookfield Zoo. Other supporters include an
Illinois State University sorority that cares for a python,
a Barry Manilow fan club in Country Club Hills sponsoring a
python and David Letterman who supports a giant cockroach
colony. [Chicago Reader, circa May, 1991, contributed by
H.S. Yu]
Herpetologists invited
The Third Central Illinois Prairie Conference will be held
in Charleston at the Eastern Illinois University Union Hall.
For information, call Professor John Ebinger. [Contributed by
Hanna Eiler, Chicago Audubon Society]
Finding the racers' edge
Three years of planning, and a determined snake study by a
developer has led to approval to built a 122-lot subdivision
in Kennebunk, Maine. The houses will be build on 465 wooded
acres adjoining a significant wildlife habitat. Before Mr.
Kasprzak of Waterboro, Maine, could apply to the town or
state for permission to build his salt boxes, he had to
prove his development would not harm the only known
population of black racers in the state. He spent $60,000 on
the study which used radio tracking to determine that the
snakes stayed on the blueberry plains next to the forest in
which he wants to build. Only 15 percent of the 465 acres
will be developed with 265 acres being reserved as a buffer
between the homes and the plains. In addition to the black
racer, the plains support a threatened wildflower,
grasshopper sparrows, ribbon snakes, trembling fallow moths
and toothed white-topped asters. [Real Estate section, New
York Times, June 16, 1991, contributed by P.L. Beltz]
New assault on wetlands
Pressured by the Farm Bureau, oil and chemical companies,
timber interests, land developers and the road construction
industry, the government at all levels is weakening wetlands
protection efforts. Industry efforts are concentrated on HR
1330, titled "The Comprehensive Wetlands Conservation and
Management Act of 1991," it is sponsored by Congressman
Hayed (D-LA). Another bill is expected to be introduced
in the U.S. Senate by John Breaux (also D-LA). If passed,
these bills will:
1.) designate the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as the sole
regulatory authority, eliminating EPA's ability to veto 404
permits issued by the USACE;
2.) create a system of high, medium and low value wetlands
and limit the amount of wetlands classified as high value to
20 percent of a county; and
3.) determine that Section 404 is not a wetlands protection
provision.
The result would be to open about 10 million acres to
development. The strength of the current policy is that it
affords general protection with room for case-by-case
exceptions. The solution is not to change the policy and
automatically give away more wetlands. It is to improve the
current system to make more sensible, efficient exceptions.
Your help is needed now to oppose House Resolution 1330.
Write to your congressional representatives asking them to
oppose HR 1330. Write your senators asking them not to
co-sponsor or support Breaux's bill. For those in doubt how
to contact your representatives and senators, please consult
your local phone book. I've been traveling a lot lately and
every local phone book I've looked in lists reps' and
senators'. If that doesn't work, call your local city hall
and ask them. Remember, loss of wetlands means loss of
herps, birds and other animals. We've already lost 75-80%
of pre-European settlement wetland areas, let's not lose the
rest. [Developed from the Chicago Tribune, May 22, 1991 and
Compass, the newsletter of the Chicago Audubon Society, June
1991]
Professor proposes building swamp
Mr. William J. Mitsch, a professor of natural resources at
Ohio State University, wants to build a 30-acre swamp just
north of the Columbus campus. It would be the site of
important ecological research, attracting muskrats, beavers
and waterfowl. Actually, Professor Mitsch envisions several
interconnecting swamps on a flood plain near the Olentangy
River on university-owned land. He figures the whole
project would cost between $200-500 thousand, but the school
has no plans to fund the project. In an effort to prevent
his project from getting bogged down, Mr. Mitsch will seek
private funding. [Wall Street Journal, May 21, 1991,
contributed by P.L. Beltz]
Not sharper than a serpent's tooth
The American Medical Association is symbolically pulling in
its fangs and putting on a smile as it prepares a new logo,
more suited to the kinder, gentler 1990's. The old AMA
serpent wrapped around the staff of Aesculapius (the Greek
god of healing) had a lean and hungry look, its forked
tongue protruding, tensed as if to strike. The new plumper
serpent sits placidly atop the staff, its mouth primly
closed. The group spent $800,000 to survey physicians for
their opinions of the organization and to design plans for
change. The old design was adopted in 1912. [Chicago
Tribune, June 5, 1991, contributed by P.L. Beltz]
New, green and slimy
A new childrens' book by Jon Scieszka, titled "The Frog
Prince, Continued" has been published by Viking ($14.95,
unpaged, illustrated by Steve Johnson). It picks up where
the legend of the frog prince leaves off. He's already been
kissed by the princess and is now a nice yuppie-looking man
in suit and tie, but is still not happy. His wife wants him
to stop sticking out his tongue as if he's catching flies,
and she never wants to go down to the swamp anymore. The
Prince leaves and tries to find a witch to change him back
into a frog. I'd spoil the tale if I told you more, but I
must share the fact that one witch uses a VCR-zapper to work
her spells. The book is supposed to be for children, but I
loved it - and I think you will, too.
Tourists pester Malaysian Leatherbacks
Spurred by travel writers' eager descriptions of female
turtle nestings, tourists in droves have descended on
Malaysian beaches this year, interfering with nesting
turtles and disrupting the ancient patterns of reptile
reproduction. Some leatherbacks are finding their reception
so disturbing that they return to the sea without laying
their eggs. Fisheries Officer Ahmad Tafiq says that so
little is known about the animals that even attempts to help
protect them sometimes do more harm that good. He said
that 33 nests will be fenced-in at the exact site chosen by
the females rather than moving them as has been done in the
past. He also despairs at the circus side-show atmosphere
and believes it is driving the turtles away. He said there
are as many as 1,000 tourists on the beach sometimes with
only eight enforcement officers to control them. He
reported children riding on turtle back, kicking sand over
them, pulling at their flippers and so on. "The turtle
cannot stand to see so many people around. Sometimes even I
myself feel suffocated standing inside the crowd" said Mr.
Tafiq. The Malaysians have already done much to save the
turtles, limiting construction, egg collecting, and fishing
offshore, although lack of enforcement officers remains a
problem. Tourists are now barred from 70 percent of the
beaches, but local guides (who are paid by each tourist)
often circumvent these regulations. A villager who used to
be a guide said, "I myself would put a fence around the
whole beach and make tourists look at the turtles with
binoculars." He says the sight of crowds harassing the
turtles makes him so angry he can no longer bear to go down
to the beach during turtle season. [The New York Times, May
19, 1991, contributed by P.L. Beltz]
August 1991
New Illinois Herp Regs Take Effect
For anyone who may not have been a member for the last two
years, or for those who didn't read the articles about House
Bill 2700, please be advised that it is now ILLEGAL to
collect reptiles or amphibians in Illinois for commercial
purposes. It is also (temporarily) illegal to collect any
reptiles or amphibians for any reason in the State of
Illinois without a scientific collecting permit. "What?" I
hear you scream, "I heard nothing about this! They're
taking away my god-given right to herp when and where and
how I want." Well, every C.H.S. member was repeatedly given
the opportunity to have input on this law, and although it
was discussed repeatedly at board meetings and on the pages
of this publication, only 4 people bothered to write down
their thoughts on the issue and send them in as requested.
Now, I'm sure, we'll get 200 letters of outrage, but I will
want to know where you were two years ago before I print
your cries of anguish.
Let's review the situation... The Illinois Department of
Conservation [IDOC] wanted a law which would prevent
commercial collecting of reptiles and amphibians for pet,
laboratory and school-dissection trade. The result was
House Bill 2700. However, several big concerns of the
C.H.S. were not answered by that bill and so IDOC prepared
an administrative rule. The Bill passed both the House and
the Senate and has been in effect since July 1, 1991. The
proposed administrative rules have been passed along to me
this week. The new rules will establish possession limits
for native amphibans and reptiles as well as defining what
can be caught and how it can be taken. If all the public
hearings and so forth go smoothly, the administrative rules
may take effect in December, 1991. What follows is an exact
quotation of the Proposed Rules:
NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULES
Title 17: Conservation
Chapter I: Department of Conservation
Subchapter b: Fish and Wildlife
Part 880: The Taking of Reptiles and Amphibians
Section 880.10 Prohibition of Commercial Use
It is unlawful to take, possess, buy, sell, offer to buy or
sell or barter any reptile, amphibian, or their eggs or
parts taken from the wild in Illinois for commercial
purposes unless otherwise authorized by statute.
Section 880.20 Methods of Taking and Capture
- a.) Only those persons who hold a valid sport fishing
license may take or attempt to take turtles and/or
frogs [Ill. Rev. Stat. 1989, ch. 56, par. 5.1].
- b.) Turtles may be taken as allowed by the Fish Code of
1971 (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1989, ch. 56, pars. 3.12 and
3.24].
- c.) Bullfrogs may be taken as allowed by the Fish Code
of 1971 [ Ill. Rev. Stat. 1989, ch. 56, pars. 3.6, 3.7
and 3.12].
- d.) No person shall take or posses any species of reptile
or amphibian listed as endangered or threatened in
Illinois (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1010), except as provided by
in 17 Ill. Adm. Code 1070.
- e.) All other species of reptiles and amphibians may be
captured by any device or method which is not
designated or intended to bring about the death or
serious injury of the animals captured. This shall not
restrict the use of legally taken reptiles or
amphibians as bait by anglers.
- f.) Any captured reptiles or amphibians which are not to be
retained in the possession of the captor shall be
immediately released at the site of capture.
Section 880.30 Daily Catch and Possession Limits
The daily catch limit for reptiles shall be eight (8) of
each species and for amphibians shall be eight (8) of each
species. The possession limit for reptiles shall be sixteen
(16) of each species and for amphibians shall be sixteen
(16) of each species.
Section 880.40 Captive Born Reptiles and Amphibians
Captive born offspring of a legally held reptile or
amphibian, not intended for commercial purposes, shall be
exempt from the possession limits of Section 880.30 for a
period of ninety (90) days.
Section 880.50 Protection of Habitat
Habitat features which are disturbed in the course of a
search for reptiles and amphibians shall be returned to as
near their original position and condition as possible, e.g.
overturned stones and logs shall be restored to their
original locations.
Write or call to protest roundups
This year, over 30,000 people gathered in Sweetwater, TX for
the "World's Largest Rattlesnake Roundup." About 100 hunters
supplied more than 4,500 pounds of meat. Each snake weighs
about a pound. This is the 23rd year for this event which
organizers say is primarily to teach people about
rattlesnakes. Ann Drummond, editor of the Gainesville
Herpetological Society Newsletter suggests that
herpetologists teach Sweetwaterans about rats and ecological
balance. She's even suggested that they substitute
annual "Rat Roundups, and do something festive with the
testes."
Update on Croc Penises
Harry Andrews of the Madras Crocodile Bank writes, "You're
quite right, I have just entered the Limca Book of Records
(the Indian version of the Guinness Book) for having sexed
the most number of crocs in these parts. Don't ask me how."
He also mentions that the annual subscription rate for
Hamadryad is $25.00 U.S. The next issue is to be mailed
in August. If you have an interest in Indian reptiles, this
publication is for you! The address is in your membership
list, under "Non-U.S. Herpetological Societies."
Shockingly stupid
This item is so totally weird that I'm going to quote it
verbatim: "A study of 218 rattlesnake-bite incidents
released last year by the University of Arizona Poison
Control Center included a report on one man who had been
bitten on the tongue while kissing a snake. Panicking, and
apparently armed with a hazy understanding of poisons, he
tried to break down the venom by wiring his tongue to a
six-volt battery. By the time the hospital was finished
with him, he had lost one lip and part of his tongue."
[Chuck Shepherd, News of the Weird, Chicago Reader, July
5th, 1991, contributed by K.S. Mierzwa]
"Python upstages dancers"
The New York Times (June 29, 1991) reports, "It is not often
that the real star of a dance production is a snake - not a
serpentine dancer, but a live python..." The writer pans
the human dancers as childish and ineffective and continues,
"The python, however, was ever lordly. A Minimalist, it
seldom moved. Yet when it occasionally shifted position to
assume a new pose, it did some stylish vogueing." Vogueing
is the new "club" word for striking poses, "modeling" or
"posing" would perhaps be what we over-30's might call it.
A few years ago, the New York Times never did "animal
stories" at all, even having a formal editorial policy
against mentioning the lower orders. Times change and I'm
really pleased that not only are animals being mentioned in
this publication, but they are being treated sympathetically
and with fascination.
Rattler remover
A resident of a suburb near Sacramento, CA is on call to
remove rattlesnakes, primarily from areas near the American
River used for recreation. As we all know, rattlesnakes
would rather leave than bite. Mr. Tim Garcia receives once
to three calls a day during "snake season" to remove animals
that are "bothering" local residents. He says he takes them
into the foothills and releases them. [The Fresno Bee, July
6, 1991, contributed by Robert W. Hansen]
Fangs for your Memories
Visitors to the American International Rattlesnake Museum
in Albuquerque, NM can earn an official "Certificate of
Bravery." Proprietor Bob Myers says only two people have
balked at entering the room in which live snakes are
displayed behind glass. The Museum gift shop sells shed
fangs and shed skins as well as a wide variety of
rattler-related items. For more information write the
A.I.R.M. at 202 San Felipe N.W., Albuquerque, 87104. [The
Albuquerque Journal, February 2, 1991, contributed by Tom
Taylor, Arizona Herpetological Association.]
Happy birthday to...
Ethelyn Rieves writes, "Please mention that the Houston
Turtle and Tortoise Society has been meeting the first
Saturday of each month since September of 1990. Programs
have been presented by veterinarians who treat turtles,
professional herpetologists and members.
Pollution threatens turtles
Karen Bjorndal, director of the Archie Carr Center for Sea
Turtle Research at the University of Florida said, "Surface
currents in the ocean bring all components together -
turtles, plastics, tar balls - everything that floats on the
sea. This is disastrous to little turtles, because they
feed on anything that comes past their noses." [Leesburg
Daily Commercial, June 21, 1991, contributed by Bill Burnett]
Indonesia to farm turtles
The poverty-stricken nation of Indonesia which has been
condemned by environmentalists for allowing mass slaughter
of turtles in its tropical waters announced that it is
committed to turtle protection. Environmental Minister Emil
Salim said, "We will farm protected and unprotected turtles.
The Protected turtles will be left in the sea and
unprotected ones will be developed for consumption by the
Balinese and for handicrafts." [The Memphis Commercial
Appeal, July 13, 1991, contributed by Bill Burnett]
Thanks to all who contributed this month As you can see,
this column was significantly shorter than usual - even with
the addition of the legalese from the state. If you like
news and notes columns, if you like this column, now is the
time to leave off your aestivation and send in clippings or
letters. This column will only be as long as you make
it.
September 1991
Urgent appeal for funds
Several very deserving turtle and tortoise projects
around the world need funding to continue. Time prevented me
from having my coverage of this reviewed and approved
by the program co-ordinator prior to publication,
but I'll have a full report in next month's issue. So, if
you're interested in making your tax-deductable contributions
to these projects, give me a call at home some evening and
I'll let you know all about them and how to participate.
One project is headed by a CHS member and will not be able to
continue if an absurdly low sum of money is not achieved by
January, 1992.
Don't bask on "The Rock"
While I was out of town last week, my homeowners insurance
was cancelled. Why? Because Prudential Insurance Company
has decided that my frogs, salamanders, lizards, turtles and
snakes are "exotic animals" and they won't cover anybody who
keeps "exotic animals." The fact that all my animals are
local critters found within 100 miles of the City of Chicago
has no bearing on the definition of "exotic." Needless to
say, should I ever become herp-less, Prudential will still
never be considered by me again.
30 Ridleys die of stupidity
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) is responsible
for the headstarting of Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles
(Lepidochelys kempii) at its Galveston, TX, facility.
Recently, it was decided to send 99 Kemp's Ridley turtles to
another facility in Florida run by a former NMFS worker who
is a highly-respected green sea turtle biologist. He was
going to run tests with the two year old turtles to determine
the effect of new turtle excluder device (TED) designs.
Presumably the turtles would have been removed before
drowning if the TEDs didn't work as promised. However, in a
horrible oversight, all 99 were placed in one enclosure and
then not properly supervised. 30 of the 99 turtles died of
bite wounds inflicted by other turtles. The size of the
enclosure was increased, but the fighting and aggression
continued. Why the turtles were housed together is unknown.
Kemp's Ridley turtles are well known to be aggressive little
beasts and are housed separately from their hatch day until
they are separately boxed and released in the Gulf of Mexico.
The 99 turtles sent to Florida were shipped in individual
containers by the H.E.A.R.T. folks in Galveston who also
provided enough food for the 8 to 10 pound animals for the
duration of their stay at the testing lab. 40 of the
surviving turtles were allegedly released immediately after
the deaths of the others, but no proof has been offered to
the press or the public. All of the 30 deceased were
necropsied and it is believed that their wounds were the sole
cause of death. Eleven of the remaining animals are being
housed separately in a Panama City, FL facility; 18 were
returned to Galveston. Incidentally, the NMFS has now killed
more Kemp's Ridley turtles in 1991 than have been stranded
and presumed drowned by shrimpers this year. [From many
sources, primarily Houston Chronicle, July 30, and 31, August
3 and 7, Poughkeepsie Journal, July 31, 1991; contributed by
Carole Allen, Dez Crawford and Nicholas Scire]
Illinois Legislative Update
The Audubon Council of Illinois sent me some material by fax
today about wetland bills, both good and bad currently being
considered in the Illinois House and Senate. There will be
public hearings for the Illinois House of Representatives in
Lake County, September 23, Southside Chicago, September 23,
Champaign, September 24, and Mt. Vernon, September 25. Call
Joan O'Shaugnessy at 312-554-0086 or Virginia Scott at
217-544-5954 for times and places of these hearings. When
the pioneers arrived in Illinois 23% of the state was
wetlands covering about 8.2 million acres. Due to draining,
filling, planting, paving or poisoning (or all of the above),
90% of Illinois wetlands have been destroyed. Only 2.6% of
the state is now wetlands covering only about 920,000 acres.
Bills, both good and bad for wetlands have been introduced...
Bad news first: House Resolution 1330 would reduce the
number of wetlands to be regulated in the state of Illinois
by 60%. Please oppose this bill, both in hearings and by
writing or calling your state representative. Another bad
news bill is Senate Bill 690, the so called "Wetland
Protection Act." It proposes the identification of high
quality wetlands by the agricultural community which would
then provide voluntary protection for these wetlands. Please
write or call your state senator to oppose this bill. (Call
312-939-INFO if you need their name or number.) On the good
side there are several bills which would increase wetlands
protections: 1.) House Bill 2554, The Wetlands Preservation
Act of 1991, would establish a goal of no net loss of
wetlands, types and transition areas. 2.) H.B. 2426, The
Natural Area and Wetland Fund Act, provides funding needed to
implement a wetland protection program through impact fees.
3.) H.B. 2430, Revisions to the Stormwater Management Act,
identifies wetland protection as an element of stormwater
management planning in order to clarify existing authority.
Please do take a minute to communicate with our elected
officials. I hope you will be able to attend the public
hearings. Without wetlands, we will lose all the
herpetofauna that is dependent on this vanishing habitat
type. Surely, we can do with one less shopping center, or a
few acres less in corn, soybeans, or winter wheat, in order
to pass along a legacy of wetland wonder to our descendants.
[Contributed by Deanna Glosser, Vice-President, Audubon
Council of Illinois, Inc.]
New pesticides may be frog-friendly
Mycogen Corporation has won approval from the Environmental
Protection Agency for its genetically engineered bacterial
pesticides. No opposition to their product has been voiced
since the bacteria that deliver the pest-killers are already
dead. The process uses heat killed Pseudomonas bacteria to
deliver Bacillus thuringiensis, a well-known organic
pesticide. However, this system is not in itself a panacea.
Insects can become resistant to Bt just as they can to any
other pesticide. In the long run, biotech companies hope to
include a gene into plant seeds that will let the plants make
their own pesticide. [The New York Times, July 17, 1991.
Contributed by P.L. Beltz]
Quote of the Month
"The total number of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians
in all the world's zoos is only about 675,000. About 94% of
all the mammals in accredited North American zoos were born
in zoos...There are more than 700 facilities in the U.S. that
call themselves `zoos,' but only 137 of them are accredited
by my organization...This is a time for those who care about
wildlife to work together for its survival. With human
population increasing at 90 million each year, zoos must be
helped and encouraged to do more for wildlife preservation;
for many wild creatures, zoos are their last chance." Robert
Wagner, Executive Director, American Assn. of Zoological
Parks and Aquariums. [The New York Times, July 6, 1991]
Gila be in jail a while
A California man was arrested in a 2 1/2 month undercover
operation during which he sold officers several protected
lizards and snakes (including Gila monsters). The value of
animals in his collection at the time of his arrest was
reported at over $5,000. The man may face 14 charges
relating to importation, possession and sale of resticted or
illegal wildlife. If convicted, he could receive a maximum
of 15 years in prison and $150,000 in fines. [Arizona
Republic, June 22, 1991, contributed by Tom Taylor of the
Arizona Herpetological Association]
Federal Legislation pending
Bills introduced in both the U.S. Senate and the House of
Representatives are essentially timber industry wish lists
which give timber harvest levels priority over all other
environmental requirements, including the Endangered Species
Act. The bills, H.R. 2463 and S. 1156, both called the Old
Growth Forest Resources Management Act, also severely limit
the right of citizens to challenge, in court, government
actions which violate existing environmental laws. If
enacted, the sweeping effect of these bills will be felt not
only in the Pacific Northwest, but in every national forest
in the country. Write to your reps and senators, now, asking
them to oppose the weakening of the Endangered Species Act.
Call 312-939-INFO if you need the name of your congressman.
Alternatively, House Resolution 842, The Ancient Forest
Protection Act of 1991, would protect tracts over 200 acres
and strengthen the Endangered Species Act. Although Congress
adjourned the 1991 session in July, your letters and
comments on issues such as these are still needed. It would
be nice for all our reps and senators to get back from
vacation to full mailboxes, don't you think? [From many
sources, primarily the Chicago Audubon Society and the
National Wildlife Federation.]
4-H offers 5th-H
For the first time, Porter County Indiana 4-H club has
offered a project in herpetology. Jon Orthman, 9, one of the
participants said, "Kids in herpetology, they're different,
but I can't put it into words." Dan Rozhon, 14, said, "we're
more intelligent." The 5th-H project was organized by CHS
member Chuck Keating. [From the Chicago Turtle Club
Newsletter, June-July 1991.]
Snake terrifies Memphis housing project
A frightened family called 911 to rid their public housing
apartment of a "green and black snake the size of a police
nightstick." A half dozen police and animal catchers
searched the apartment, some with shotguns ready, looking in
closets, heating ducts, dresser drawers and anywhere they
thought the snake might be. After 45 minutes, the search was
called off. The alleged kingsnake (for such he must have
been) apparently slithered out the way he came after all the
commotion began. I wonder if he's back in his burrow
watching re-runs of Miami Mice... [Memphis Commercial Appeal,
August 4, 1991, contributed by Bill Burnett]
Alarm sounded for hot frogs
A radiation safety bulletin released by the Oak Ridge
National Laboratory (Tennessee) said, "Frogs exhibiting
detectable levels of radiation, some dead and some alive,
have been found...Should a frog hop into or be found in your
area, contact health physics (personnel) and have the frog
checked for radioactivity...Return the frog to the retention
pool if it is alive. Manage the frog as radioactive waste if
it is dead and found...emitting detectable levels of
radiation." The frogs gre up in the contaminated mud of a
half-acre holding basin for wastewater from the lab's nuclear
research conducted in the 1940's and 1950's. The lab's
evnironmental coordinator, Frank Kornegay, said, "The frogs
are not surface contaminated. You can't be (harmed) by
rubbing them, picking them up or moving them around. Burt
they are contaminated internally." He added that the frogs
"aren't particularly cute, so I don't think anyone is going
to take them home as pets." [Memphis Commercial Appeal,
August 3rd, 1991, contributed by Bill Burnett]
Short takes
-
Florida authorities arrested a 38 year old Riviera Beach
resident for digging up 111 sea turtle eggs. The judge can
fine him up to $100 per egg. [Leesburg, FL, Daily Commercial
July 19, 1991, contributed by Bill Burnett]
-
A Dade City resident is recovering from alligator bites he
claims were received in self-defense, the authorities believe
that he was trying to capture or kill a gator out of season.
[Leesburg, FL, Daily Commercial, July 31, 1991, contributed
by Bill Burnett]
-
Ellen Nicol's new book "Life with Turtles" is hot off the
press. Softbound, this 4 1/2" by 8 1/2", 130 page book has
25 pen and ink sketches. The topics include 22 years of
personal experiences with turtles and general advice on a
variety of turtle-related subjects. Send $10.00 post paid to
Ellen Nicol, P.O. Box 248, Anthony, FL 32617.
-
Iguanas lost and found in Memphis gave rise to slimy
reporting including the now-famous "Leapin' Lizards" and
other scaly jokes. The first escapee was reunited with its
owner rapidly. Another loose iguana in Memphis become lost
when it jumped off the owner's shoulder in a midtown parking
lot. It was (at last report) still missing. [Memphis
Commercial Appeal, July 19, 20 and 23, 1991, contributed by
Bill Burnett]
-
A two-headed corn snake is alive and well at San Diego Zoo.
The 3 1/2 foot long double header was received from a private
collector. The heads are separate and perfect twins, which
join into one body with a single spine and one set of
internal organs. [Telegraph-Forum, Bucyrus, OH, July 9,
1991, contributed by Bill Burnett]
-
Anne Mazer, well known for charming children's books, has
authored one which should be dear to our slimy little hearts.
"The Salamander Room" is a story of a boy who brings home a
little orange salamander and then tries to take care of it.
Warning: if you don't keep salamanders now, this book will
make you want one. [Chicago Tribune, July 14, 1991]
Roadside zoo loses animals
Two alligators purchased by the Rimrock Deer Park and Trading
Post as an attraction either were released or escaped from
their chain link enclosure in early July. The owner of
the Post claimed he had proper permits, but the Colorado
Division of Wildlife had written him a letter telling him to
get rid of the critters, or else. One of the two was
captured on the 16th of July while basking on the bank of the
Colorado south of Fruita. The Colorado Division of Wildlife
subsequently confiscated the gator and three alligator
snapping turtles from the Trading Post. The other gator
is presumed dead, although fishermen are calling the
Wildlife folks daily claiming to have seen its beady
little eyes peeking out of the chocolate colored waters.
The snappers will be taken back to Louisiana.
Continental Airlines has offered to fly the turtles to a
wildlife rehabilitator in New Orleans. [The Daily Sentinel
from early July to July 27th, 1991, contributed by Larry
Valentine]
Request for information
Allen Salzberg of the New York Turtle and Tortoise Society
wants to know if anyone knows of an humane way to passively
trap snakes. Apparently there is an exterminator in New York
that uses glue boards to capture unwanted herpetological
animals. My personal experience is limited to one pet shop
animal that went wandering one night and got stuck. We
released him by rubbing with oil, but his next shed was not
complete and he later died. His death could just as well
have been a factor of bad care after the glue board incident,
or it may have been related to his sticky capture. Persons
with more information about snakes, glue boards and other
methods of passive snake catching are urged to write NYTTS.
CHS member misquoted
You may remember an item in this column in June 1991 about a
new magazine that completely misunderstood herpetological
animals as pets. I said that the quotees had either been
ignorant or misquoted, not knowing that their names hadn't
even been spelled correctly! The "Glen Carlton" mentioned
was really our own "Glen J. Carlzen" who has sent me a copy
of the article, his list of corrections and his demand for a
retraction which I reprint here, along with his note to me
about the situation: July 15, 1991. Dear Ellin: This is a
copy of my letter for a retraction. I was hoping no one
would print or mention Animal House Magazine, so I am
compelled to send you this letter and a copy of said
article. Best wishes, Glen." His letter specified the
article and the dates then continued: "I request you print a
full retraction for the above mentioned article. I find this
article to be a blatant example of yellow journalism. The
article has no main focus or direction of purpose or content.
This article as printed seriously damages my personal and
professional reputation. I strongly urge you to write a full
retraction to this article and print the correct
information...Sincerely, Glen J. Carlzen." I hope that this
situation gets taken care of by the editors of the magazine,
but I know that they haven't responded to my letter, so maybe
they just don't care.
With special thanks to all who contributed this month My
father's recovery is continuing nicely, but your continued
efforts to send clippings, news, notes, letters and etcetera
will result in longer (and I hope, more fun) columns. Next
month, "What I did on my summer vacation" and more of the
usual insanity. Please continue to send your contributions
to my house, it speeds up the process immeasurably!
October 1991
"Everything was dead. - Fish, turtles, snakes, everything in
the immediate vicinity," said Maureen O'Neill, a Louisiana
state water quality officer after observing the site of one
of the baffling fish kills that have resulted in the
mortality of not less than 750,000 dead fish this summer in
that state. The Federal Environmental Protection Agency said
that if a pesticide, azinphos-methyl, was behind the deaths,
the Louisiana incidents would be among the largest pesticide
related kills of the past decade. According to the State
Department of Environmental Quality, fishermen and others
have observed crop dusters spraying over or near bayous and
canals before some of the kills. Three pilots have had their
licenses suspended and one was arrested on charges of
negligent injury after a spraying incident on August 9th when
6 people were treated at hospitals for injuries relating to
the spraying of the town of Grosse Tete by the crop dusters.
In a July incident in the same town, 80 gamefish and 7 bass
died in a spring-fed pond behind the home of Cesar and Ruby
Romero. Mr. Romero said, "The pilot was so close, our
neighbor could tell he was blond." Declining amphibians,
anyone? [The New York Times, August 21, 1991, contributed by
P.L. Beltz]
Mutilated sea turtles and other dead marine fauna continue
to wash ashore on the beaches of Texas and Louisiana
according to the most recent H.E.A.R.T. mailing: "Revised
regulations strengthening conservation and enforcement for
sea turtles in the Gulf of Mexico have been delayed for
months due to the tactics of Louisiana Representative Billy
Tauzin. Since National Marine Fisheries Service was recently
able to require TEDs (Turtle Excluder Devices) during the off
season on shrimp trawls on the east coast, we expect the Gulf
(of Mexico) regulations to be published - at last - in the
Federal Register within a few weeks. They should call for
TEDs year round in the Gulf as well as other improvements in
the current regulations... There will be public hearings,
but we must get many, many letters written within a short
period... At present, shrimpers with smaller boats working
in the bays can catch a sea turtle and drag it for 90 minutes
without being penalized. This unenforceable rule which is a
green-light for catching turtles must be dropped. Turtles
are also caught and drowned during the off-season when TEDs
are not required. We must not be forced to settle for a
part-time use of TEDs... Only last week, a head-started
turtle with a tag was found mutilate near the National
Seashore at Corpus Christi. Carole Allen" The attached
stranding report shows that although we are at half the
average number of strandings from 1986-1990, the number of
strandings reported is still and unacceptably high figure of
122. Reported strandings do not include hatchlings, and may
not include juveniles. The data are also only indicative of
how many dead, adult turtles are (a) washed ashore, not out
to sea; and (2) found by someone who cares enough to report
it. The actual figure is probably much higher. Please take
a moment to write your representative and senator about the
need for immediate implementation of administrative rules to
make TEDs mandatory year-round off all U.S. coasts as well
as in bays, rivers and estuarine habitats. Call 312-939-INFO
if you need political information.
Scary numbers were released in a United Nations report,
The State of World Population 1991. In 1800, there were
about one billion humans. There were two billions in 1920
and now there are 5.3 billion. By 2025, at current rates of
growth, there will be 8.5 billion humans. It is fairly
obvious that with such explosive growth rates there will be
little room left for wildlife. We do need to protect what we
still have. Please participate in conservation programs.
The earth needs YOU. [Copies of the report are available
from UNFPA/Division of Information, 220 East 42nd Street, New
York, NY 10017 or call 212-297-5026.]
We'll missss you - Clarence Wright, our beloved curator of
reptiles at Lincoln Park Zoo, who came to Chicago five years
ago to fill the position vacated by the death of Eddie
Almandarz has left LPZ for another position. Recent reports
in the Sun-Times newspaper (August 6th, and August 20th,
1991) may have led some readers to an erroneous conclusion
that this resignation was sudden - or precipitated by events
surrounding the recent acquisition of Goliath frogs by the
Zoo. Clarence had first discussed resigning over a year ago
and had submitted a formal, written resignation as of
September in June, 1991. The loss of several Goliath frogs
happened after June - and regardless of the stories being
spread by Andy Koffman and other reptile importers - did not
influence Clarence's position or intent to leave Lincoln Park
Zoo. The black cloud cast by these irresponsible people on
Wright's reputation should be repudiated by any CHS member
forced to listen to their fantasies. Clarence Wright worked
miracles in our reptile house, limited (as are all curators
at that highly unionized institution) by factors known to all
who are familiar with LPZ. We wish him well in his new
position and are very sorry that he won't be with us in
Chicago for the construction of the new reptile house that
has been designed for LPZ under his direction and guidance.
Lincoln Park restorations - CHS members are probably most
familiar with Lincoln Park as a tough place to park on a last
Wednesday when going to the Chicago Academy of Sciences.
However, it has a long and interesting history beginning as
dunes and wetlands in 1865, and developing into the present
day 1,212 acre linear park/beach/zoo/parking lot complex we
know and struggle through. 20 of citizens' groups and the
Chicago Park District have just completed their Status Report
on Management and Restoration for Lincoln Park and are
looking for volunteers to begin the implementation... Please be advised that no matter how much time you devote to this project you will still not be able to legally park on the grass at the
Academy!
"Hunting is a croc" proclaimed animal activists' signs at a
recent protest of alligator hunting in Florida. The occasion
was the permit lottery for the states' fourth legal hunt to
control gator population. Permits are $250.00 and 186 were
issued. 15,209 people applied for permits, 25 demonstrators
showed up at the protest. [Daily Commercial, Leesburg, FL,
September 3, 1991, contributed by Bill Burnett]
Television may have saved his life George Blinn, a
71-year-old retired autoworker fell into a canal that leads
into Florida's Withlacooche River and was grabbed by an
alligator. The gator bit him on the left hand, then turned
him over in the water in an apparent effort to drown his
`prey'. The autoworker said he had long been a fan of nature
shows such as Wild Kingdom, and knew about the animal's
general behavior. "I wasn't a bit afraid. I knew what they
usually do. I was more concerned about getting away from
him." the victim said. He jammed his thumb in the
alligator's eye. The gator promptly let go and the man
escaped. "People who are attacked should fight for all they
can and hope the gator lets them loose." Mr. Blinn said.
The alligator was destroyed by Florida Game and Fish. [Daily
Commercial, August 17, 1991, contributed by Bill Burnett]
Indonesian frog bands are explained in a hand-out from
Eastern Arts a store located in New York's Greenwich Village.
"The Balinese believe the frog to be symbolic of the
transmigration of the soul (evidenced by the various stages
of development from egg to tadpole, to full grown frog). Buy
why the instruments? One has only to go to Bali and stand
amidst the rice fields at night to be able to fully
appreciate the symphony that a thousand frogs can create with
their varying multipitched voices, to be able to understand
how easily the Balinese might conjure up images of frogs
toting instruments in the velvet dark of a typical night in
Bali."
Indonesian turtles will be protected according to the
minister for the environment in Jakarta. Six species, some
protected by international accords, live in Indonesian
waters. Tourists spend millions of dollars annually on
turtle products such as shells and jewelry. [Wall Street
Journal, July 10, 1991, contributed by P.L. Beltz]
Tick, tick, ticks Which carry the dread Lyme Disease? Only
the small ones as we've been told time and again. But, how
do you know which small ones have it after you've been
bitten? The Illinois Natural History Survey can help. Send
the tick in question to John K. Bouseman, I.N.H.S., Center
for Economic Entomology, 607 E. Peabody Drive, Champaign, IL
61820. [North Park Village Nature Association Newsletter,
Summer, 1991, contributed by Laurel Ross]
Revenge of the amphibians According to a Reuters report
from the Nicosia, Cyprus bureau (August 29) that was
reprinted in the International Section of the New York Times,
August 30, 1991: "The Iranian port of Qazian has been
invaded and occupied - by frogs. The Iranian new agency said
today that frogs had been `occupying city streets and
encroaching on houses in large swarms' since Monday. The
agency blamed rising water levels in nearby marshes and a
defunct frog-breeding and canning factory that has been
closed since the 1979 Islamic revolution." [contributed by
P.L. Beltz] This report comes from the same bureau that sent
out the story (still unconfirmed) that a snake shot an
Iranian hunter by triggering a dropped firearm.
New turtle crossing signs were installed on Pennsylvania
Route 252 at Springton Reservoir in Delaware County. The
signs urge motorists to be alert for turtles crossing the
roads to lay their eggs in surrounding areas. Harold
Schaeffer of Broomall convinced the Pennsylvania Department
of Transportation to erect the signs after seeing too many
meandering turtles crushed last year. The first batch of
signs were promptly stolen and PennDOT put up new ones two
months later. [Daily Times, Delaware County, August 12,
1991, contributed by Pattie Marrandino]
One hundred seventy years ago on October 8, 1871, the first
Academy of Sciences burned to the ground. Recently, I
received a photocopy of a book written by M.E. and E. W.
Blatchford describing the Chicago Fire for their children. I
assume the book is both privately printed and rare, and
therefore would like to share with you the eyewitness account
of the appearance of the Academy when Mr. Blatchford and
Professor William Stimson, the first Director of CAS, saw
their formerly beautiful building: "The east front of the
Museum in its dreadfully wounded condition rose
supplicatingly before us. On an improvised ladder we worked
out way, aided by men, into the first story. What a tangled,
complicated mass of ruin met our gaze! Gas pipes wildly hung
in every direction; iron supports and delicate gallery
railings strangely mingled. The choice glass and metal cages
were demolished and robbed of every precious form of animal
life. And the dear Library! containing our invaluable
collection of Natural History literature, of the many richly
illustrated works, a favorite form of gifts from
friends...only surpassed in our own country by that of the
Smithsonian...All, all were gone. The polished southern-pine
floors had furnished a savage fuel to complete the
distressing destruction on every hand. Words fail to depict
the scene." Of particular interest to both men was the
fire-proof vault that was in the basement because it
contained the only copy of Stimson's manuscript on the
fishes, illustrated by some of the best known artists of the
day. Stimson's fishes was considered by its reviewers,
including S.F. Baird at the Smithsonian to be the best work
on the Ichthyology of the new world to its date. When
Blatchford and Stimson had themselves lowered into the
basement: "[We]... over accumulated rubbish worked
our way to the vault. I was astounded beyond measure to find
its iron door partly torn from its hinges and the vault open!
... The heavy stone cornice of the building had fallen and
crashed through the vault's ten inch thick roof, strange but
fatal fall, and admitted the fire. What a sight was before
us!...The precious manuscript - one of the scientific
treasures of the century...lay a blackened charred mass on
the floor...We were speechless, Stimson leaned heavily upon
me. A dire blow had been given him.." Stimson never
recovered from the shock of the loss of his life's work and
died soon thereafter. Also lost in the Chicago fire were the
specimens collected by Robert Kennicott, although some were
replaced by pieces of the collection he had deposited at
Northwestern University. The Academy of Sciences was rebuilt
by the Blatchfords and other wealthy Chicagoans in its
present location in Lincoln Park, twelve years after the
destruction of the first Academy. [Thanks to the rare book
librarian at the Chicago Historical Society]
Big snakes on the rampage Several recent news items have
documented loose and badly treated large reptiles. Here is a
selection: 1.) NY Newsday, June 24, 1991: "A 12-foot pet
python wrapped itself around a 9-year-old boy and was trying
to swallow him when help arrived to rescue him...`The snake
had its mouth around the boy's foot,' said Fire Department
spokesman Bob Caldon. `It was looking for its next meal.'"
[contributed by Allen Salzberg, NYTTS] 2.) "Pet boa eludes
snake hunt by owner...[Lisa] Relph, who has had snakes and
other reptiles as pets for much of her life, now suspects
that [her 6-year-old boa constrictor] Civa might have been
stolen when she was gone from home last weekend. `In the
five years I've had him, he's never gotten out of his tank
once,' she said of the 6 1/2-foot red tailed boa, which she
says is worth $1,000." [The Daily Sentinel, Grand Junction,
CO, contributed by Larry Valentine] 3.) "Cops put squeeze
on fugitive python...This snake's street-slithering days are
hiss-story. The 10-foot python was coolly slip-sliding down
Lafayette Street near Canal yesterday wondering wy everyone
was recoiling in horror. Rattled neighbors called the cops
and Fifth Precinct Police Officers David Chen and Pete Cruz
begged the creepy crawler...The python was `starved,'
according to ASPCA manager Dan Russell, who took custody of
the delinquent reptile...Some of the cops at the Fifth dubbed
the beast `Brennan' in honor of their well-loved precinct
captain, Patrick Brennan. How does the snake feel about
that? You'll have to asp him." [The New York Post, July 9,
1991, contributed by Allen Salzberg, NYTTS] Does anybody out
there think that after the so-called deadly garter snake
incident and the continuing string of snake escapes and
attempted human feedings reported in the press that we may be
facing even more restrictive reptile legislation? The python
eats boy story was reported in at least 20 clippings sent to
me by alert readers, it was even picked up overseas by German
and Japanese newspapers. Some reports said the snake was
loose in the house, others said that the boy had been playing
with it. This is the sort of story that merely adds fuel to
the fire of fear experienced by reptile-haters. Please, if
you know inexperienced or careless keepers, do try to get
them involved in responsible herp-maintenance. Try to have
them join their local herp society and show them how to make
escape-proof lids a part of their life. A sheet of plywood
and a rock is simply NOT ENOUGH.
Snake-a-way, snake repellent was studied by Harvey B.
Lillywhite, Department of Zoology at the University of
Florida, Gainesville, FL. I've just been sent a copy of the
study by Tom Ellis, Business Manager for Dr. T's Nature
Products Company which markets the stuff. In brief, the
study used neonate and freshly caught snakes of different
types in enclosures of both "Y" and "O" shapes. The
repellent worked better on some snakes than others and always
worked better in the Y-enclosures. Rattlesnakes and boids
were most affected by the product, but cottonmouths didn't
seem to notice it. Lillywhite concluded: "Snake-a-way could
be sold as a general snake repellent provided that package
labeling for the product informs potential buyers that
results will vary with species and not all snakes can be
expected to avoid the product...It would be appropriate for
the label to say that the product works especially well
against rattlesnakes and repels about 90% of such snakes
during field tests...Thus, it seems that Snake-a-way has the
potential to be of service to many people who are concerned
about the presence of snakes. Moreover, biologists and other
persons interested in ecological stability, biodiversity and
the conservation of wildlife should favor the use of a
product which allows people to repel snakes from their
property rather than killing them." If you'd like more
information about this rather unusual product, contact Dr.
T's, P.O. Box 682, U.S. 19 North, Pelham, GA 31779. [The
original clipping on this was sent in by a member, and
unfortunately mislaid. However, a big "thank you" to
whomever it was, you know if `twas you!]
Atrox-ities continue John Levell sent in a copy of an
article from CHIC [October 1991], which he says is "a sleazy
men's rag on the order of Hustler mag. Please note; altho
the article states `diamondback' the photo is obviously of a
trimber rattler, Crotalus horridus, probably a canebrake."
The article is an interview with John McDilda, a car repair
person from Claxton, GA, who has been the person responsible
for collecting the most ratttlesnakes turned in to the
Claxton, GA rattlesnake roundup. The article also claims
that this roundup is the biggest in America. Buried down
amidst the rest of the manure about pouring gas into holes in
the ground is a little tidbit that roundup protestors might
find interesting: "CHIC: What happens to the snakes once
the roundup is over? McDILDA: They sell them at $10 a foot.
A company buys them, milks them five or six times for their
venom, then chops off their heads and makes belt buckels out
of them. Then they skin them, take the hide and can the
meat. They use every part of the snake. CHIC: Do you ever
eat diamondback? McDILDA: Yeah, we were cookin' it at the
festival till the FDA stopped us. It's a real white meat -
tastes kinda like a pork chop. Once you cook it at 104
degrees [F or C not stated] there's no venom." I'd like to
know for what reason the FDA stopped the sale of rattler meat
at Claxton and if those reasons would also stop the sale of
rattler meat at the Oklahoma and Texas roundups. Can anybody
track this down?
Thanks to all contributors this month's column is as big as
and maybe bigger than last month's. There's still some
material that's been sent in that I haven't used yet - but
don't stop sending those strange clippings, letters and
quotes. Sooner or later, they all get used!
November 1991
Membership Information
As many of you know, this will be my last term as C.H.S.
Membership Secretary. Steve and Jan Spitzer who have been
handling membership mailings for the Chicago Turtle Club
will be taking over the massive task of maintaining the
membership list, mailing out all the cards and packages, as
well as developing new memberships and representing the
C.H.S. at meetings and events. Please let's give them a
chance to get started without too much confusion! For
example, WRITE - don't call, if you have changes of address.
We have almost 1900 members, I get about 100 calls a month
on address changes, name changes, membership problems, new
member requests, etcetera (3 per day). Steve and Jan have
two adorable toddlers who take naps and play and distract
their parents and eat phone messages! Please, pick up a pen
and write your request, then mail it to: C.H.S., 2001 N.
Clark, Chicago, IL 60614. Can't be that tough to write,
type or scrawl - plenty of people do it. ALSO, if you are
one of the students who changes address two or even four
times per year, please write and send your changes in
advance to the Society, Steve and Jan won't know who you are
and even though I will be showing them what I do and how
I've done it, that's no guarantee that personal services
such as gypsy changes will be remembered. Also, please
remember to type or at least write neatly. I used to
work for a medical doctor and can read just about
anything, Steve and Jan shouldn't have to try to figure
out hieroglyphics just to change your address. The
Membership Secretary job takes about 40 hours a month, now
that I know what I'm doing. When I started it was every
Saturday and Sunday for several months, 8 to 12 hours a day.
In those days we only had about 800 members! Best of luck
to Steve and Jan (they're going to need it).
Chicagoland uber allium
The Chicago Wild Onion Alliance, a group of concerned
environmentalists, planners and friends is beginning to
publish their bioregional newspaper here in the Windy City.
Called Downwind, this author has made a small
contribution to the C.W.O.A. by drawing a cartoon of a
treefrog clutching an Allium stem with the headline of
this paragraph for a caption. If enough interest is
generated, tee-shirts will be made.
Wooden yew know
For years concerned folks have been saying, "We've got to
save these plants and animals, because any one of them could
contain a cure for cancer." For years, we've been scoffed
at and ridiculed by non-environmental people who say, "We
can make what we need with chemicals." Well, we now have a
classic example in the Pacific yew trees that grow (or grew)
in the ancient forests of the Pacific northwestern U.S.
Loggers have cut and burned out the trees believed to be
"yews-less", but a derivative of yew bark has found
to be an effective cancer fighting drug. As much as 87
percent of the Pacific yew habitat (with all its faunal
allies) has been cut, burned or otherwise ruined. The
Department of Agriculture and Bristol-Myers Squibb have
signed a management agreement for yew trees growing on
national forest land. The agreement provides funds to
inventory and study the remaining trees. Finding a cancer
drug in this tree formerly considered a "weed" underscores
the need not only to protect this tree, but entire ancient
ecosystems. Mother Nature has had millions of years to play
with her chemistry set - we shouldn't ruin it all in two
human generations. [National Wildlife, EnviroAction,
September, 1991]
Snake reunited with owner
Sammy, a 5-foot ball python, lived undetected in a house for
nine months, seven months longer than his owner who had
moved. The new tenants discovered the python on the floor
of a closet. The police were called. Two officers were
unable to catch the snake, but snake expert Ed Alcorn did.
Sammy had a slithery reunion with his 12-year-old owner.
How did he get out in the first place? The owner said,
"This one piece on the screen was broken and she pushed it
up." Now please, a screen lid for a python? When will they
ever learn? Plywood, screens, plastic sheeting and glass
with rocks or books on top is NOT ENOUGH to keep in a large
and active animal such as a python. Buy a big Neodesha and
lock it or bolt it. The C.H.S. sells these tanks which are
just about as escape proof as you can get - and they look
nice, too. [Leesburg Daily Commercial, September 8, 1991,
contributed by Bill Burnett]
Another Oregon Herp Society Newsletter
For the third time in three years, this writer has received
an Oregon Herp Society Newsletter. I really don't know if
they only publish one a year (or so) or whether they send me
one every once in a while so I can publicize their
organization in this column. The newsletter is laser
printed this time and is very readable. It mentions quite a
few meetings and events they've had and will have. If
you've an interest in the herpetofauna of Oregon, are a
compulsive newsletter collector, or reside in the Northwest,
you may want to subscribe. Dues are $5.00 per year, send
your request to Deanne DuFresne, OHS Treasurer, 380 East
46th Avenue, Eugene OR 97405-3417. [Contributed by
John S. Applegarth]
A glimpse of stocking is looked on as something shocking
Rural Missouri Magazine (September, 1991) reports on
several snake rumors that simply won't die: "No, the
Missouri Department of Conservation is not swapping wild
turkeys for rattlesnakes and it certainly isn't dropping
rattlers from helicopters over Callaway County, Howell
County, or any other county for that matter. Apparently the
Conservation Department is so plagued by persistent rumors
of `save the rattlesnake' type activity it has decided to
attack the stories head on. A recent news release says that
rumors of snake stocking have been around since the
Depression. The department says the rumors have prompted
angry outcries from `everyone from farmers to congressmen'
but none of the stories are based in fact. According to the
release, the Conservation Department has never stocked
rattlesnakes anywhere in the state. `It's one of the most
stubborn myths we've ever encountered,' reptile specialist
Tom Johnson says of the rumor. `Sometimes I think we'd have
to find out where it sleeps and drive a stake through its
heart to get rid of it.'" [Contributed by Mr. Laverne
Copeland]
Possible source of Missouri's new rumors
Several readers including K. Ellett (Greenville, NY) and Ron
Caspari (New York, NY) sent clippings from the New York
Times and the New York Post, both dated July 31, 1991.
Apparently a hiker abducted 5 timber rattlesnakes
(Crotalus horridus) last year. When he found out that
what he had done violated New York State Law, he contacted
state environmental officials, turned the animals over and
paid his $100 fine. The animals were kept at the Wildlife
Resources Center while their condition was analyzed and then
released in an unknown but remote area in Orange County.
Officials warned local residents of fines up to $1,000 if
any rattlers are killed or harmed - even in self defense.
One New York Assemblyman, John Bonacic, blasted the
released, allegedly saying that the animals should have been
shipped out of state! He said, "It's the most asinine thing
I ever heard of. It increases the danger to the community
and makes no sense." Another Assembly member, Nancy Calhoun
said, "Anyone with small children would be very upset to
find out the state is putting additional rattlesnakes in our
area." Edward S. Feldmann, a spokesman for the Department
of Environmental Conservation said, "When a species is
endangered or threatened, we guard their numbers very
carefully. The fact that these happen to be rattlesnakes,
not four-legged furry things that go hippety-hop is not
relevant here." Alvin Breisch, a senior wildlife biologist
for the state, said that he estimated the odds of someone
being bitten by one of the snakes just released as "very
very close to zero." He also mentioned that all recorded
cases of rattlesnake bites in New York State involved people
who had picked up the snakes or were trying to feed them.
The New York Times said "a variety of state lawmakers
said today that they did not know enough about the matter to
comment on it" a tasteful understatement not shared by the
more sensational New York Post from which the
legislators' comments were quoted. One assumes that
these articles were repeated through the rumor network and
ended up as the most recent bunch of Missouri non-urban
legends.
Slowly, slowly he lived
Two residents of Wooster, Ohio found a box turtle with
carving on both sides of the shell. One of the carvers is
still alive and, although he didn't remember carving his
name and the date, when shown the turtle said it was
something he would have done as a child. The turtle has
been crawling around the Wooster area at least since 1931.
The carver said, "I guess they only get so big. It's
probably the same size now as it was then. That area there
- it's all strip mines. With the farmers planting, the
mining equipment and the automobiles crossing the roads,
that turtle's survived a pretty good life." The finders
will release the turtle where it was found. [Wooster Daily
Record, Wooster, OH, September 13, 1991, contributed by
Steven Frantz]
Zoovival extinct
Alert readers of many natural history publications may
remember an organization by the name of Zoovival that
advertised widely in 1989 and 1990. They said that
individuals could make money breeding endangered animals and
were mentioned in publications from Smithsonian to Buzzworm.
They wanted $2 or $3 to send an information package. I sent
them the money, read all the material when it arrived a
significant time later, discussed the material with our
editor (MAD) and filed it in a category I have of "when I'm
sure they're real, I'll mention them." Now come clippings
from two C.H.S. members (Phyllis Ruther and Mike Gascoyne)
which give the whole sad story... Zoovival was founded by
Gregory Cunningham in 1989. Members paid $24 to receive
information on how to purchase breeding stock and a
quarterly newsletter. Over 3,000 people signed up. Even
with all that money, Cunningham said that they couldn't pay
their expenses. At the end of 1990, Zoovival split into the
non-profit Biosurvival Trust, directed by Nicole Duplaix and
the profit oriented Biosurvival, Inc. run by Cunningham.
Cunningham claims that Biosurvival went under because a
former employee stole about $30,000 worth of animals, tools
and other items, leaving the organization broke and about
$5,000 in debt. Charges were not filed, the date of the
theft or the former employee's name not made public.
Cunningham has pledged that he will personally repay the
$5,000, which primarily represents deposits paid by members
for animals on order. Cunningham says that something like
Zoovival/Biosurvival will be refounded by him when this
cloud has been cleared. The article says that both these
organizations were based in Clearwater, Florida, although I
was unable to get either an address or phone number to pass
along. [Chicago Sun Times, August 24, 1991]
Turtle study solves mystery
Jonathan Art, assistant professor of pharmacological and
physiological sciences at the University of Chicago Medical
Center has been studying the function of hair cells in human
ears. Just how they work isn't fully clear, but Dr. Art has
solved some of the mystery by studying plain, old red eared
sliders. No, he's not studying the ear flashes, but their
actual auditory system which has the unique property of
continuing to function for 12 hours without oxygen. [Good
Health Magazine, Chicago Tribune, Chicago, IL, October 6,
1991]
The "I don't know if this is true" department
National Enquirer, always known for the high quality of
their science reporting writes: "When a colony of African
reed frogs faces a `manpower shortage' they solve it in an
astonishing way - the female frogs simply turn themselves
into males!...`The frogs change sex only when there are too
many females,' said Dr. Edward Linsenmair...professor of
zoology at the University of Wurzburg in Germany...The reed
frog...is found in Africa, south of the Sahara desert. The
hardy little creature can withstand daily temperatures of
100 degrees for up to 100 days without ever taking in
moisture or food. Scientists are baffled by the frog's
ability to sit under the blazing African sun so long without
getting sunburned. [Contributed by Mark Paul Henderson, no
date on clipping, but too good to pass up anyway]
Stamp out extinction
If you've ever wanted to lick the dorsum of a sea turtle or
other reptile, perhaps you should take a minute to write to
the Citizen's Stamp Advisory Council asking for endangered
herps on U.S. postal stamps. [From California
Turtle and Tortoise Club, Tortuga Gazette, September,
1991, contributed by Jill Horwich] It's kind of a shame
cane toads couldn't be considered... it would be a legal way
to lick `em.
Rob Streit strikes again
Rob is the only herpetologist I know about to have made
syndicated columnist Dave Barry sit up and notice. He also
has an astonishing number of family members all of whom are
listed as C.H.S. members! Now, he's sent in a clipping in
Czechoslovakian which he translated into English, typed up
neatly and mailed. Talk about extra effort! Anyway, the
clipping is from Mlady svet magazine, Volume 33, Number
21, 1991. Titled "Pomoc! Morsky had!" the English is
"Help! Sea Snake! For several years now we have been
reading scientists' warnings of all the things that could
happen to our planet as a result of the greenhouse effect
and atmospheric warming. To the list of catastrophic
predictions we may now add one that will alarm first and
foremost the inhabitants of coastal areas. According to
British zoologist Monty Pried, the rising temperature of the
seas and a shift in ocean currents will cause one of the
world's deadliest snakes to appear in great numbers along the
shores of Western Europe, the sea snake Pelamis
platurus, which now inhabits areas of the Indian Ocean and
Pacific." The 80 cm long snakes spend 87 percent of their life
below the surface and can dive to 50 meters. They can stay
down for over three hours on occasion, even though
scientists believe that their reserve of oxygen should only
be good for about 17 minutes. New studies reveal that they
absorb more oxygen from sea water. Their venom is reported
to be twice as potent as cobra venom and they will be
inhabiting the shores of Western Europe only if the waters
become warmer than 18 degrees C. The article fails to
mention that if that much warming does occur, the melting of
polar ice will probably submerge many of those coastal areas
long before sea snakes would pose any threat to human life.
In any case, this clipping is perhaps the most unusual one
I've received since I started this column in November, 1986.
Legislative Update
Glen Kruse, Project Manager at the Illinois Department of
Conservation has sent me the most recently published copy of
the proposed rules for the taking of reptiles and
amphibians. He stated in his letter that CHS members could
comment until October 20. I received his letter far too
late to put it in the October Bulletin. Glen's letter
reads, "Not much has been changed since the first draft that
you have already seen. We added Section 880.20 (c) and
880.20 (d) to better define legal methods for taking turtles
and frogs. This had always been vague in the Fish Code."
Section 880.20 (c) reads: "Bullfrogs may be taken only by
hook and line, gig, spear, bow and arrow, hand, or dip net."
Section 880.20 (d) reads: "No person shall take or possess
any species of reptile or amphibian listed as endangered or
threatened in Illinois (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1010), except as
provided by 17 Ill. Adm. Code 1070." Since neither of
those sections says much about turtles, I'm also including
Section 880.20 (b) which says: "Turtles may be taken only
by hand, hook and line, or dip net." I think what Glen may
have meant to write was that 880.20 (b) and (c) had been
changed. I don't see any other changes to what we
previously published nor do I personally have a problem with any aspect of these administrative rules.
Legislation Pending in U.S. Congress - would phase out and
subsequently outlaw importing wild birds into the United
States. The World Wildlife Federation, the National Audubon
Society and the National Wildlife Foundation support the two
companion bills introduced in Congress. Known as the Exotic
Bird Conservation Act of 1991, H.R. 2541 and S. 1218 slowly
outlaw imports while promoting captive breeding to supplant
the demand for pet birds and thereby undercutting the black
market. The bills will 1.) establish a regulatory system to
govern legal imports of wild birds after the phaseout; 2.)
establish civil and criminal penalties for violations; 3.)
authorize citizen suits to force compliance; and 4.)
establish a fund to support the conservation and management
of birds in exporting countries. H.R. 2541/S. 1218 should
not be confused with two other bills (H.R. 2540 and S.
1219). Concerns have been raised that the latter pair are
too restrictive of legal imports and not supportive of
captive breeding. [National Wildlife, EnviroAction,
October, 1991]
Cruelty to reptiles
For the first time in Massachusetts history, a complaint has
been issued by the Haverhill court against a man for cruelty
to a snapping turtle. Massachusetts Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MSPCA) investigated
neighbor's complaints that the defendant had boiled a
snapping turtle to death and eaten it. The enforcement
officer, Lisa Greaney, told the man "this was against the
law. I told him it's inhumane. I told him it was painful
to the turtle. And he said, `But I have this cookbook...'
He thought what I was saying was a joke.'" If convicted the
boiler could receive fines up to $1,000 and one year in
jail. [MSPCA Magazine, Animals, July/September 1991,
contributed by Larry Pearson, D.V.M.]
C.H.S. Member, Whit Gibbons on the Reptile Expo
Dr. Gibbons, the President of the Herpetologist's League,
and researcher at the Savanna River Ecology Lab in Aiken,
S.C. is a columnist for The Tuscaloosa in Alabama. This
particular column was syndicated to the Florida Leesburg
Daily Commercial (September 22, 1991) whence it was
clipped by contributor extraordinary, Bill Burnett. To quote
Whit: "The captive-bred reptile trade is controversial at
many levels. The Expo is attempting to dispel some of the
doubts critics have about the profession. One criticism is
that reptiles acquired as pets are often ill-housed, poorly
fed, or otherwise mistreated, mainly because many owners do
not know how to care for them. Another controversial issue
associated with captive breeding of wild animals is whether
this is truly a form of conservation. One position is that
making a species available to the pet trade through
captive-bred stock reduces the incentive to capture the
species in the wild. And captive-raised animals are often
more desirable as pets because they are healthier and free
of parasites. However, opponents of this position claim
that development of a pet trade creates a market, thus
encouraging the capture of wild specimens... When it is
legal to sell only animals born and raised in captivity then
poaching, smuggling, and illegal importation of wild-caught
specimens occur." I'm going to stop the quoting for a
second here to comment that those three little dots don't
represent any reasoning sufficient to arrive at the
sentence after them; and that the last sentence is just as
much a non sequitur in the original clipping as it is
here. Perhaps some editor's scissors took the reasoning -
or perhaps Whit thinks the reasons are obvious. I don't
follow it, though. He continues: "Illegal activities are
most likely to occur when it is cheaper to catch an animal
in the wild than to raise one to the same age or size.
However, once it becomes appreciably cheaper to raise a
species in captivity, illegal practices involving wild
capture dwindle in response to the profit loss. The issue
is a difficult one to resolve for the simple reason that
regardless of the profession, some do not play by the
rules." He said he enjoyed the Expo so much that he never
visited any other attractions in Orlando! I'd like to point
out that in reptile-breeding and dealing has just been
recognized, in print, as a "professional" activity. Let's
keep it professional - and police our own. Don't hesitate
to let your fellow herpers know about unsavory characters
and activities in the trade. Don't forget to complain to
the persons themselves. Don't buy illegal animals and don't
participate in illegal activities. Violators just wreck it
for the rest of us!
CHS readers have certainly begun contributing to this column
in record numbers! Believe me, it is appreciated... A few
months ago I mentioned I'd report on my summer trip wherein
I met quite a number of herpetologists (including Roger
Conant!) and had a few herpetological adventures. The
number of articles contributed keeps pushing this to the
background but, someday you'll hear all about it. Just a
quick note, I've never before experienced
"professional/amateur" prejudice before this year, but boy
did a couple of Ph.D.'s rip into me this year. It's really
ironic since I've just restarted my academic career and
intend to join their lofty ranks one of these days. I
promise, no matter how many degrees I get, I'll try never to
act like that to anyone, degreed or non-degreed. I've heard
about that attitude, but nothing could have prepared me for
the sheer venom aimed at me for just answering their
questions. Perhaps they're jealous... C.H.S. is now
known to be a larger society than two of the "professional"
groups. If the attitude I was treated to is any indication,
we're growing because of we are much nicer to potential
members!
December 1991
Rafael recovered Jose Canesco, better known as a
slugger for the Oakland Athletics baseball team, also keeps
tortoises at his home near Danville, CA. Recently, a
30-pounder named Rafael escaped from his backyard cage.
The sheriff's department found and rounded up the escapee
and returned it to the cinder block cage which Rafael shares
with other tortoises, some of whom weigh up to 100 pounds.
[Mount Vernon, IL Register-News, October 10, 1991,
contributed by Debbie Hatchett]
The kiss of pet An 8-year-old Hutchinson, KS boy and
a foot-long turtle ended their best-buddy relationship with
a lip-lock. The boy had been repeatedly warned to keep the
pet away from his face by his parents. The child had
a swollen lip, the turtle will be going to the local zoo.
[AP, Gary, IN Post-Tribune, November 14, 1991, contributed
by Chuck Keating and Grand Junction, CO, Daily Sentinel,
November 13, 1991, contributed by Larry Valentine]
Floridian saves freak turtles Ken Robertson, of
Lakeland Florida, has three weird turtles. The 4-year-old
has two heads and is described by its owner as "real shy,
but if it's me, he'll come up to the top." His 3-year-old
two header is "kind of nosy, it wants to know it all." The
youngest is a "Siamese turtle," different from the two
headers in that it has two shells, joined down the middle,
and the usual two heads and four legs. From the newspaper
photos, all appear to be red-eared sliders. [The Ledger,
Lakeland, FL, October 30, 1991, contributed by Melody Smith]
Eggpoacher wins court case Readers of this column may
remember James Bivens who was fined $100 per sea turtle egg
he had collected from the John D. MacArthur State Park on
Singer Island, FL in early 1989. In September, 1991, the
4th District Court of Appeal overruled the first judge's
ruling which would have fined Mr. Bivens $108,800 for the
eggs. The court ruled that because lawmakers excluded
"turtle eggs" from the penalty section of the state law, a
judge can only fine a poacher for taking a turtle, not
turtle eggs. Sounds like it is time for the Florida
herpetological societies to get busy and get this law
changed! I suspect this is not the last we will hear of Mr.
Bivens and turtle eggs. [Leesburg, FL, Daily Commercial,
September 20, 1991, contributed by Bill Burnett]
Sidelined by rattler A high school football player in
Leesburg, FL had to stay out of a recent game because he had
been bitten by an 8-inch pygmy rattler. He admitted it was
his own fault, that he had not been paying attention and had
been walking around without shoes. The paramedics applied a
tight tourniquet and transported him to the nearest hospital
where he received antivenin. [Leesburg, FL, Daily
Commercial, September 19, 1991, contributed by Bill Burnett
Electroshock again A snake rancher in Pine Bluff,
Arkansas who catches and raises snakes for snake skin was
bitten by one of his water moccasins and went to Jefferson
Regional Medical Center. Dr. Jesse Clanton handled the
case by administering electric shock from a stun gun kept by
a nurse in her purse for self defense. The swelling
allegedly went down after treatment, but the Dr. Clanton
says that he wouldn't necessarily recommend it to others.
[Arkansas Gazette, July 23, 1991, contributor from Little
Rock forgot to put their return address on the envelope.
Thanks anyway!]
On the other hand a recent report in the Annals of
Emergency Medicine [1991;20:659] describes possible
untoward consequences of using electricity as a snake bite
treatment. The case discussed is that of the patient bitten
on the upper lip while handling his pet rattlesnake. The
man then was helped by his neighbor to shock his lip with a
spark plug lead, while the other man revved the engine for
about five minutes. The patient became unconscious with the
first charge. Rescue workers transported him to a hospital
by helicopter. He developed severe facial laryngeal and
neck swelling, coagulation, a hypersensitivity to antivenin
and hypotension. Four days later he was released, although
he required reconstructive surgery to his upper lip where
the tissue loss had been greatest. Dr. Peter Chyka, the
director of the Southern Poison Center in Memphis, TN,
writes "Until proven effective, electrical therapy for snake
bite is not warranted as first aid for snake envenomation in
this country." Dr. Chyka's article on proper snake bite
treatment appeared in the Memphis Health Care News, July,
19, 1991 - four days before the above incident in Arkansas!
[contributed by Robert Greene, M.D.]
Flower power? BBC Wildlife Magazine [September 1991]
reports that the Madeira lizard Lacerta muralis dugesii
a local subspecies of the widespread European wall lizard
appears to regularly drink the nectar of flowers. Such
behavior has never been reported previously in any lizard
species and it is presently unknown whether the lizards do
any pollinating in exchange for their sweet treats.
[contributed by Jim Harding]
Owner loses pet alligators After two rulings in his
favor by lower courts, John M. Butler of Miami, FL, has lost
an appeals court case, effectively denying him the ability
to keep two 4-foot alligators as pets. Mr. Butler had
applied for a state permit in November 1989, but game
officers denied the request after checking out his mobile
home in suburban Miami. The decision of the Third District
Court of appeals read, "When the officers arrived they found
both alligators in the respondent's bed." Mr. Butler was
bleeding from gator bites at the time. The assistant
state's attorney noted, "This put these officers on notice
that something was not right there." Game officers
confiscated the alligators and cited Butler who sued,
arguing his property had been taken without a hearing. [The
Grand Junction, CO, Daily Sentinel, November 1, 1991,
contributed by Larry Valentine]
Wildlife forensics are being developed to trace illegal
animal and animal parts shipments by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service's National Forensic Laboratory in Ashland,
OR. Researchers can tell the differences in many products
that were hidden inside legal shipments, such as
illegal elephant ivory claimed to be legal Siberian mammoth
ivory. Work proceeds on other groups including snakes,
crocodilians and turtles. [The New York Times, October 29,
1991, contributed by P.L. Beltz]
"Lunching lawmen liberate lifted lizard" proclaims the
Southtown Economist in a banner headline on page one
[October 23, 1991]. The lizard in question - and the
captured thief - have both been in the news before. The
same man, Jeffrey A. Mrozek, stole the same lizard, Ziggy a
pet shop's mascot, last spring. In the most recent
incident, he entered and exited the pet shop quickly. The
owner called police immediately and two lunching officers
had just heard the theft described on their radios when
Mrozek walked into a local dining spot with Ziggy on his
shoulder! The shop owner was summoned and retrieved the
reptile directly from the restaurant. Mrozek was charged
with felony retail theft. The perpetrator was quoted by the
shop owner as saying, "He told me we weren't paying enough
attention to the iguana when he was in there, that's why he
took him. He said he wouldn't have taken him if I had been
playing with him." [contributed by K.S. Mierzwa]
Quote of the Month Sallie Tisdale on the Op-Ed page of
The New York Times, October 26, 1991: "People versus
people. The salmon are squeezed in the dams, between
fishermen and the power companies. The spotted owl is
driven from one shrinking island to another. The loggers
are hurting, like the fishermen, like the cancer patients.
My mother died of cancer a few years ago and both my sister
and I are at risk for a death like hers. I would welcome
almost any cure - but I reject the notion that our human
future requires the sacrifice of the human habitat, the
earth...The forest, like any ecosystem, is an organism
greater than the sum of its parts. Take away all the tall
trees, or all the spotted owls and it slowly bleeds to
death. Whole, the forest makes and keeps great secrets:
secrets like taxol, going up in smoke." [contributed by
P.L. Beltz]
Recipes from hell Readers may remember a man prosecuted
for cruelty to reptiles who claimed he was just following a
recipe. Alert reader, Robert Sliwinski, loaned me a
cookbook from which I believe that recipe to have been
taken. The snapping turtle recipe is not the only awful
advice on the preparation of reptiles as food. excerpts from
these horrors: "Lay two dozen frogs on their backs. Cut
from the neck along the side of the belly and cut again
across the middle of the belly..." "Success in preparing
turtle depends a great deal on proper dressing of your
catch. Scrub all mud and dirt from turtle, cut off head and
toes. Secure turtle to a large plank, breast side up by
piercing centre of breastbone with a spike..." "Stewed
terrapin. Terrapins must be alive. Plunge four terrapins
into boiling water and let them remain until the sides and
lower shell begin to crack..." "White Stew of Terrapin. Cut
off heads and soak in cold water to draw out blood..." The
cook book is called "Wild Game Cook Book II" and is
published by Gateway Publishing Co., Ltd., 811 Pandora
Avenue W., Winnipeg, Manitoba R2C 2Z9. It is the type of
cookbook "overprinted" for fundraising use by local
organizations so will appear with a variety of covers and
sponsors. There is also a U.S. sales office: Gateway
Publishing Co., Inc., 830 South 48th Street, Grand Forks,
ND, 58201. They claim to be "North America's most
diversified fund raising publisher." With today's
litigious atmosphere, though, they might think twice about
continuing to publish these recipes that encourage what has
been ruled "cruelty to animals."
Snakes used to guard drugs are being turned over to
herpetologists around the country. David Chiszar, a
University of Colorado herpetologist, was quoted in the
Gary, IN Post-Tribune [November 13, 1991] as saying that the
use of large or venomous snakes is the latest tactic of drug
dealers. The reptiles are usually used to dissuade thieves
or rival dealers, not to scare away police. However, a
Philadelphia narcotics officer who found a 10-foot python
wrapped around crack vials and glassine bags under a mattress
during a raid apparently screamed so loud and so hard that a
fellow officer thought he had found "the mother lode of
coke." The snake was turned over to an animal shelter.
Other reptiles confiscated include vipers in Chicago and
Dallas and a crocodile confiscated from a California crack
house. [contributed by Jack Schoenfelder]
Dear Abby on snakes: "Snakes have gotten a bad rap ever
since one made its debut in the Garden of Eden. A few more
reasons why snakes make good pets: They're quiet, you never
have to walk them and you'll never have to worry about
anybody stealing them." This is a marked change from just a
few years ago when Ms. Van Buren was condemning the keeping
of all reptiles, but somebody who has suffered a major snake
theft ought to write her about the last part of her comment.
Send letters to Dear Abby in care of the editorial
department of the local paper that carries her column. [The
Chicago Tribune, October 25, 1991, contributed by Eloise
Beltz-Decker]
40 more are missing Willie, the 7-foot watch snake, is
back on duty at Monster Motors, a Lilburn, GA, car
dealership, but Gwinnett County law enforcement authorities
have to wonder how many other boa constrictors are crawling
around their county loose. After reports that the boa had
been found, Gwinnett County Animal Control received more
that 40 calls from people who tried to claim Willie as their
own lost boa. [Chicago Tribune, September 22, 1991,
contributed by R.G. Schmitt]
King snakes are being studied by Dr. William Gutzke
of Memphis State University in an effort to develop a
natural rattlesnake repellent. Rattlers and other snakes
avoid the ophiophagous king snakes. Researchers have found
that a line of the king snake chemical odor drawn on the
ground will prevent rattlesnakes from crossing the line.
Campers now use mothballs or creosote, both dangerous
substances in an effort to repel snakes. The widely touted
Snake-a-Way repellant is also naptha-based. Dr. Gutzke
hopes to synthesize the kingsnake odor as a natural way to
prevent the use of naptha and creosote, which are both
potential carcinogens. [The Memphis, TN, Commercial Appeal,
October 15, 1991, contributed by Bill Burnett]
John Rossi, D.V.M. on Reptile Expo "I strongly support
all captive breeding efforts... however, I must express my
concern and displeasure over several policies and occurrences
at the Expo which I feel need to be corrected if the Expo is
to retain its' name and continue to achieve its' goal of
being a showcase for reptile breeders. First, the allowance
of peddlers of reptile parts should be eliminated...If the
specimens were captive raised for this purpose, I suppose it
would be no different from raising minks for their fur, but
this is not usually the case with reptiles at this time.
Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, wild caught animals
and young animals born to wild caught animals were being
sold at the Expo. I have photographs of non-native ticks
in situ on leopard tortoises sold at the Expo. Fecal
exams of these tortoises revealed five or six different
species of parasite, some of which have indirect life cycles
which could not have been completed in captivity. As to the
sale of captive born but not captive bred babies, I realize
that we must start somewhere. However, the state of Florida
considers these animals to be wild caught...it also reduces
the value of true captive bred animals and the value of true
captive bred animals and placed them at more risk of
infection...Keep [the Expo] a true showcase for captive
breeding. Don't let it become just another reptile show."
[From a letter to Wayne Hill, republished in the Newsletter
of the Jacksonville Herpetological Society, P.O. Box 26463,
Jacksonville, FL 32218 - a new CHS exchange member]
Letters are needed to your Senators in support of Senate
Bill #1491 which would provide $25 million to help state
fund conservation programs for disappearing fish and
wildlife. The House has its own version (H.R. #3195) which
will also need to be passed. Write Senators: U.S. Senate,
Washington, D.C. 20510; Congressional Representatives: U.S.
House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. 20515. [National
Wildlife Federation, September 1991] If you're still in a
letter writing mood, how about a few to Jay D. Hair,
President of N.W.F. asking him why there are so few articles
about reptiles and amphibians in N.W.F. publications and
why there are no new reptile or amphibian items in their
annual catalog. One sea turtle item and a frog tee shirt
are left over from last year and no new items have been
added. Frogs are extremely hot collectibles and snake stuff
is also very popular. I wonder if N.W.F. isn't more an
organization of the cute and cuddly set - or perhaps their
merchandise buyers misread their audience. [N.W.F., 1400
Sixteenth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036-2266]
Herp-Net, the herpetology on-line network now has
this column from 1990 and 1991 available to computer
bulletin board users. If you would like to search a
particular topic in herpetology, whether from this or other
publications, call 215-464-3562 with your computer modem.
Herp-Net is user friendly and will guide you through
the log-on process.
Tax-deductions in herpetology include many worthy
groups and projects worldwide. Here's a few near and dear
to me that I hope you would consider as December 31st nears:
1.) Ed Moll's Batagur project which will have to be
cancelled if sufficient funds are not received by the end
of this year. Counting Batagur not only benefits our
knowledge of this species (which is so rare it was believed
to be extinct in India), but also benefits local people and
Indian herpetological researchers. Make your check payable
to AMNH-Batagur and send it to Michael Klemens,
American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at
79th Street, New York, NY, 10024-5192. If every C.H.S.
member sent just $4.00, the Batagur study would be
saved by our efforts alone. Talk about contributions in
herpetology!
2.) The Gopher Tortoise Council seeks the wise management
and perpetuation of this animal and its natural habitat.
Contact the G.T.C., c/o Florida Museum of Natural History,
University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.
3.) Help head starting of endangered Kemp's ridley turtles,
Lepidochelys kempii, by contributing to H.E.A.R.T. As
little as $5.00 will feed a baby turtle for a year. The
head-starting program is in danger of federal funding
cutback or even elimination. This is the time for us to
support H.E.A.R.T. as much as we can. Write H.E.A.R.T.,
P.O. Box 681231, Houston, TX 77268-1231. If you want to
attend their annual Heart/Valentine's day Open House, it
will be held February 15, 1992 from 10 to 4 at the NMFS
Facility, 4700 Avenue U, Galveston, TX. For more
information, call 713-444-6204.
4.) Regardless of its name, the Marine Mammal Stranding
Center, P.O. Box 773, Brigantine, NJ 08203, is very involved
with rescue and conservation of turtles. When I visited
there this summer, the director, Bob Schoelkopf showed me a
box turtle they were rehabbing that had the top of its shell
sheared off by a lawn mower as well as sea turtles
recovering from close encounters with boat propellers. Bob
has developed a really nifty method for putting sea turtle
shells back together. Wildlife rehabbers can call him at
609-266-0538, or 609-348-5018 for a description of his still
unpublished technique. New Jersey members with box turtle
and other reptile permits are also urged to contact MMSC.
They need a resource list of permitted reptile keepers.
Please be generous with these and other herpetological
not-for-profits, and don't forget your local wildlife rehab
centers and nature centers. Give the gift of conservation.
I'd rather receive a note about a donation than just about
any other kind of present, wouldn't you? Volunteer if you
can't give cash. Keeping these programs going and these
centers open is far more important than a new tie, hanky or
Nintendo cartridge.
Thanks to everyone who contributed this month As you
can tell, however, the number of items received has dropped
off. This column is reader supported. No material means
no column. Please send clippings, news, notes, letters and
etcetera to me. As many of you know, I will not be continuing on the
CHS Board and may not be at meetings regularly due to my
school schedule, so mail addressed to me c/o CHS is unlikely
to arrive on a timely basis.
Merry Chrysemys to you and your critters. I hope that
each and every one of you has a healthy and happy holiday
season!
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