January 1996
Happy New Year!
And special thanks to all who've contributed to this column for the last ten years. This month, special thanks are due to Bill Burnett, P.L. Beltz, Mark T. Witwer, Steve Ragsdale, Clover Krajicek, Ray Boldt, Andy Viasmith, Lori King-Nava, Marty Marcus, Dreux J. Watermolen, Karen Furnweger, Alan Salzberg, Robert C. Danley, Denise and Frank Andreotti, E.A. Zorn, Kathy Bricker, Jack Schoenfelder, Theron E. Magers, David Webb, R.W. Hansen, Ernie Liner, Garrett Kazmierski, Jim Zimmerman, Sue Black, J.N. Stuart, David E. Johnson, and the usual suspects for their contributions. You can join this group of happy-clippers. Send the whole pages with herp stories or just the stories with the date/publication slug firmly attached with tape. Your name should be on every clipping sent; you can use address labels or rubber stamps or just scribble. Please do not use staples or self-adhesive notes - to see why staple newspaper together and try to separate without tearing. Those cute little yellow notes lift off type. Then I have to hold the note to the mirror to read what was lost! Send your contributions directly to me.
Congratulations... Roger Conant received the Roger Tory Peterson "Nature Educator of the Year Award" for his "lifelong contribution to people's understanding and appreciation of the natural world." Dr. Conant authored the "Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians" in 1958 which showcased hand colored photographs by his wife, Isabel Conant. He is an honorary member of CHS and has published recollections of the efforts put into the publication of the first edition of the field guide in our Bulletin.
Tuatara-napper Moko, the Newsletter of the New Zealand Herpetological Society recently published an article from the NZ Listener [October 28 - November 3, 1995]: "...Among our reptiles, the unique tuatara holds pride of place on the collector's mantelpiece... [A convicted smuggler's lawyer said] `Asians, Japanese and Koreans, for example, with their fascination for reptiles, will pay phenomenal prices $60,000 to $80,000 a pair'... [An enforcement official said he] has heard of American buyers spreading the word that for tuataras they will settle the price on arrival: `You get them there and the sky's the limit.' He worries that if attempts have been made to smuggle tuatara then statistically some must be slipping through the net." The article then described the activity of the same smuggler who has been put in jail twice for trading in tuatara. First he got three years after breaking into a museum and taking two young; and in another case for trying to get another animal into the U.S. The article continued: "Investigators believe that that tuatara was one of an unknown number taken from the... sanctuary in Cook Strait. They are haunted by the image of [the convicted man] stalking the island with a shovel in his hand and a sackful of tuatara; yet, although they intercepted his boat, they found him empty handed. He was caught trying to smuggle a single tuatara when an alert courier company worker became suspicious... [Officials] estimate that [he] is one of between 20 and 50 dealers of his ilk operating here." Also in the packet from NZHS, is their magnificent brochure on the Reptiles and Amphibians of that nation. It lists all the fauna and gives general legal guidelines as well as providing much other interesting information including how to join their society. You can contact them at 50 Pupuke Road, Birkenhead, Auckland 10 NZ or call 09-480-5430, fax 09-480-7588.
Arizona Frog News Fossils believed to represent the earliest frogs known to science were identified from rocks collected in the 1980s about 60 miles northeast of Flagstaff. The 2-inch frog fossils date from about 190 million years ago in the Jurassic Period. The basic frog body style was already well developed. One paleontologist remarked "If you saw one of these alive, you would know right away it was a frog." [Albuquerque, NM Journal, September 11, 1995 from J.N. Stuart] A slightly more detailed report comes from Science News which reports that "unlike protofrogs from the earlier Triassic period, this... skeleton's pelvis is designed for transmitting the jumping force of the hind limbs to the rest of the body. The tail of its amphibian ancestors evolved into a short bone that fits entirely inside the pelvis..." The original report was in the September 7 Nature authored by Neil H. Shubin and Farish A. Jenkins, Jr. [148(11) September 9, 1995:166 from Mark T. Witwer]
Population figures of Ramsey Canyon leopard frogs have plummeted from the known 1988 population of about 60 adults in The Nature Conservancy's preserve to an alarming 16 adults. Besides the usual suspects of frog decline - contaminated water, viruses and bacteria, decreasing ozone protection - researchers in the Canyon suggested that the frog is on a boom/bust cycle and has eaten all the available food. They're raising tadpoles, seeding the pond with algae, video- taping adult behaviors, and "crossing their fingers" according to Nature Conservancy magazine. [September/October 1995 from J. N. Stuart]
Australian Frog News
The Deseret News reports: "Australians harness frog power... A rare Australian frog got a radio for the holidays, complete with batteries, after it was found in a brick pit near the site of the 2000 Olympic Games. The green and golden bell frog was fitted with the radio tracking device and antenna mounted on a special harness so that scientists can keep track of its movements. The frogs are on the endangered list and there are fears they could fall into an Olympic pool at the Homebush Sydney site... [they] will measure the distances that the frog travels." [December 5-6, 1995 from David Webb]
The Wall Street Journal reported that the green and golden bell frog has become a "green monster for Aussie Olympics. It moves into the site rubble, bogging things down; oh, the stormy sex scenes." Their habitat is an old brick pit in Sydney, Australia that was used as a location in the Mad Max movie "Beyond Thunderdome." Merely molesting a member of this endangered species can get you two years in jail and a fine of up to $150,000 US. So, when the architects and planners realized that the brick pit had to go to put in facilities for the summer Olympics in the year 2000, they had a problem. The 2000 Olympics has been touted as an environmental event with public transportation, recyclable snack plates, solar-heating, and grey-water recycling. Even some of the stadiums are being built with salvaged materials. "Thus, mashing an endangered species under bulldozers is a little out of place... to make matters worse, the frogs' distinctive green and gold stripes happen to be Australia's national sporting colors, which has given the frog a small but enthusiastic fan club pushing to have it named official Olympic mascot... marsupials are front-runners for the honor." A biologist noted the Olympic qualities of the frog, "[Frogs are] good at long-jumping and high-jumping... [koalas] sleep all day." The bell frog used to be much more common and was used for school dissections until Sydney's urban sprawl wiped out its habitat. About 1,000 frogs are left in the wild. Biologists hoped to build a bunch of new ponds and toad tunnels as part of the Olympic project to save the frog. Then, they learned of another factor in the bell frogs' decline. A fish imported to reduce mosquito larvae eats bell frogs, so any ponds built have to be separate from all other waterways. Also, they have to be deep enough to permit the frogs to escape predatory birds. "The frogs also have a taste for trashy decor. `You look under a nice rock and there's nothing there' said [a biologist]... `Then you pick up a piece of rotten old plastic and there's five frogs going ''Hey, put it back.'' It's a problem, because you can't exactly leave old car tires dumped around the site.'" So, they're building "designer rubbish" which has the characteristics seemingly enjoyed by the bell frogs, but has a nicer appearance for us humans. Each is stamped with "University of Sydney... Do not disturb." The frogs have not moved into the designer ponds, yet, but they did colonize a demolition site of an old slaughterhouse which will be the commercial hub of the Olympics. The development people were not pleased. But Australian law is on the frogs' side, so the developers must hop softly near the brick pit. One biologist pointed out that it's not just any old brick pit, but "The Green and Golden Bell Frog theme park." [August 2, 1995 from P.L. Beltz and Gary Casper]
Frogs do it The "Bud" frogs are getting a lot of press, I do so hope some frog researchers have hit them up for research money. The first copy of the now-infamous Chicago Tribune Mike Royko column arrived from Daniel Kravitz [September 20, 1995]. Royko was in fine form describing what he called "one of the most peculiar sexually suggestive ads he's ever seen. So he called Illinois' state herpetologist, Chris Phillips, at the Natural History Survey to find out about frog sex. Royko summarized Phillips' description of frog sex as "Love 'em for two days and leave 'em, that's the credo of your male frogs... `It's really pretty brutal the way it all happens.' Obviously, he hasn't researched the bars on Lincoln or Halsted." The recent Bud frog ad campaign was created by DDB Needham of Chicago and uses animatronics-style animation techniques. The first Frogs commercial which was shown during last year's Super Bowl was done by D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles of St. Louis which no longer works for Bud. A representative of the new ad agency says that beer sales have been flat, or even down, and that Bud is hoping that the frogs give the product a new image for the peak 21- to 27-year-old market. [Chicago Tribune, September 4, 1995 from Lori King-Nava]
Cool, toepads! A pair of young artists in Toronto, Canada have been wiping out graffitti by airbrushing large murals over the unsightly spraymarks. "Painting murals is much better than the typical bureaucratic response to graffitti..." remarked a councilor who noted that leaving a blank canvas for "taggers" seems to inspire more of the same. The photo with the article shows the young artists' latest work, a treefrog with eyes as big as basketballs sticking politely to a leaf. [Toronto Star, September 17, 1995 from Lou Mason]
Information request The IUCN/SSC has formed a new group called the Invasive Species Specialist Group and is seeking information on introductions of Rana catesbeiana, specifically: 1.) Sites/countries of bullfrog introductions (if possible distinguishing between direct introductions, escapes from farms/ranches and incidental introductions via fish stocking). 2.) Information on the impacts on native fauna. 3.) Information on known eradication measures - successes or failures. 4.) Whether or not any known bullfrog farms/ranches have been economically viable. 5.) Any other comments of importance on the subject. Contact Michael Lannoo, Muncie Center for Medical Education, Room 209 Maria Bingham, Ball State University, Muncie IN 47306-0230 USA. Please include any references to literature cited in your remarks as well as your experience with herps, job title, etc. Personal observations are welcome, too. [Froglog, June 1995, Number 13]
Frogwatching Volunteer naturalists in Ontario have been recording anuran presence or absence after learning to identify the calls of the 14 different species found there. About a third of the volunteers live in rural areas, the remainder drive out to their designated route. The Canadian Task Force on Declining Amphibian Populations is working to establish more of these volunteer networks from coast to coast. [The Spectator, October 2, 1995 from Brian Bankowski]
Froghatching Shedd Aquarium recently reported the successful laying, hatching and raising of more than 100 golden mantella frogs. The tiny frogs are less than an inch long and little had been known about their husbandry. These natives of Madagascar are in trouble due to commercial overexploitation and habitat destruction and were placed on the CITES list shortly after the Aquarium began their breeding program. The species was also protected by the Malagasy government and trade in the mantellas was banned absolutely. The Aquarium recreated the mantellas natural habitat in vivariums and in less than six months, the first tadpoles were produced. [WaterShedd, September/October 1995 from Karen Furnweger] Also, mark your calendars! Shedd Aquarium will have an all frog exhibit starting in May, 1996. I'll provide all the details as soon as they're available.
The National Aquarium in Baltimore, MD announced success with giant leaf tree frogs, a member of the poison dart frog group. Adults are the size of a nectarine, the baby looks to be about the size of a chorus frog. Scientists at the Aquarium have bred 22 other species of poison dart frogs, but this is the first reported success with Phyllomedusa bicolor in an institution. The article reports that it is believed the frogs can live to be 35 years of age. The Aquarium has had adults on exhibit for 12 years, but all the specimens were male. A female was added last year from Surinam. They found that their artificial rain system didn't do "it" for the frogs, and found out that a "pea-soup fog" was preferred by the anurans. The following morning, the female laid 1,947 eggs, each the size of a BB pellet. The eggs were laid on a leaf which the adults then rolled like a cigar and the male tried to fertilize them. Unfortunately, the leaf tipped over and many of the eggs weren't fertilized. About two weeks later, tadpoles emerged from the leaf and flipped into the water at the bottom of the vivarium. After metamorphosis, 23 froglets emerged. [Baltimore Sun, July 8, 1995 from Mark T. Witwer]
A Swede tooth? More people in Sweden are bitten by adders than in any other European nation, according to a study by the Scottish Natural Heritage. Of the 77,000 people who have been bitten by adders in the last 125 years, 95 died. Among the mortalities, 44 were in Sweden, 25 in Switzerland, 14 in Britain, and 7 in Denmark. Only 12 percent of the victims were female. [New Scientist, December 2, 1995 from Michael Dloogatch] And are the vipers singing "How Swede it is to take a bite off you?"
Another good reason to quit drinking Two men in Anniston, Alabama got a little tipsy after work and found a 4-foot rattlesnake. So they started to play catch with the snake, one catching it by the tail and throwing it to the other. The Emergency Service medic who was called said "Then the snake got tired of being caught by the tail." It bit one man on the hand; the other man tried to kill it. Then the snake bit the second man on the arm. He was pronounced dead at the Regional Medical Center about an hour later; and the first man was hospitalized. Medics said that they waited for an ambulance instead of driving directly to the hospital as soon as the bites occurred. [Gainesville Sun, September 8, 1995 from Ken Dodd; Houston Chronicle, September 9, 1995 from David E. Johnson]
Partners in slime? Two guys in Alexander County, IL were out gigging frogs. They got busted. Seems they were doing it right in front of the site supervisor's home at Horseshoe Lake 1.5 hours before the frog season opened. [Chicago Tribune, August 23, 1995 from Steve Ragsdale]
Somebody swiped two red-tail boas and an 8-foot Burmese python from their home in Eustis, FL. The snakes' owner warns the big guy is hungry because he was due for a feeding when he was snatched. No clues were found by the sheriffs' office deputies assigned to the reptile heist. The owner is a junior at the University of Central Florida who hopes to teach high school science after he graduates. Animals not swiped included baby rat snakes, iguanas, a coachwhip, two albino pythons (over 50 pounds apiece), some hedgehogs and two bearded dragons. The owner said, "Come and get the stereo. I can replace that. Just bring my snakes back." [Orlando, FL Sentinel, November 8, 1995]
The Tony Lama Boot Company of El Paso, TX forfeited 907 pairs of boots worth more than $1 million after a federal investigation into the illegal trade of exotic animal skins. A grand jury returned a 15-count indictment against people who used a fraudulent permit to sell skins to the bootmaker. The 907 pairs in question were made of protected caiman skin; it takes four animals to make one pair of the $700 to $1,000 boots. [Austin American-Statesman, September 16, 1995 from William B. Montgomery]
Boas perish in school fire Four adult boa constrictors and about 50 rats died in a fire in a science lab at a Fresno Middle School. Damages were estimated at about $300,000; repairs may take until September. The snakes appear to have started the fire with a heating lamp which had been placed inside their cage. Several other animals including three blue-tongued skinks, some mice and hissing cockroaches survived the fire. Several smaller snakes had recently been put in the science teacher's garage to hibernate. Although this is the fourth fire at a Fresno, CA school this year, officials are ruling out foul play. [The Fresno Bee, December 3, 1995 from Bob Hansen]
Frequent flyers club America West Airlines refused to participate in a good-will effort by some 4th graders to ship a stuffed frog around the world saying "There are other people out there who aren't elementary school kids that could use a similar tactic to cause harm." The spokesperson suggested bombs could be hidden in such a container. [Chicago Tribune, May 23, 1995 from Steve Ragsdale]
Dave Barry strikes again! In a syndicated column published December 17, 1995 in the Chicago Tribune, Dave takes on the difficulty he has with the concept of loose snakes on airplanes. He describes the incident reported here earlier this year wherein a snake got loose from a gym bag and was noticed while it "planned" to "attack" a young passenger in the row behind its owner. The parents of the young passenger are suing the airline for megabucks. Dave writes: "As a frequent flier, I find this ironic. I mean, when I fly, I have to go through a checkpoint staffed by beady-eyed security personnel who act deeply suspicious about my laptop computer as though I'm going to leap up in the middle of the flight and yell, `Take this plane to Cuba, or I'm going to reformat my hard drive!' And yet these same personnel just let this guy waltz through carrying a major snake... On a recent flight I was handed a piece of alleged chicken that was much scarier than anything Sigourney Weaver ever fought with a flamethrower..." [Also, The Beacon Journal, December 3, 1995 from Jim Zimmerman]
February, 1995
Turtle-safe shrimp by May 1
A press release from the Sea Turtles Restoration Project reads: "70 Nations Must Adopt Sea Turtle Conservation Measures or Face Shrimp Embargo May 1. San Francisco (January 4, 1996)
In a ruling that is being called one of the greatest legal conservation victories for sea turtles, a federal judge has ruled that all countries that export shrimp to the United States must adopt sea turtle conservation measures for their shrimp fleet by May 1 or face an embargo of their shrimp products. The lawsuit was filed by Earth Island Institute, its sea turtle project director Todd Steiner, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, The Humane Society of the United States, and the Sierra Club.
"Judge Thomas J. Aquilino of the United States Court of International Trade (CIT), directed the Secretaries of State, Treasury and Commerce, the defendants in the case, to prohibit not later than May 1, 1996 the importation of shrimp or products of shrimp wherever harvested in the wild with commercial fishing technology which may affect adversely those species of sea turtles the conservation of which is the subject of regulations promulgated by the Secretary of Commerce on June 29, 1987... and to report the results thereof to the Court on or before May 31, 1996. The court, formerly called U.S. Customs Court, is in New York City.
"`This decision will save more than a hundred thousand endangered sea turtles from needlessly drowning in shrimp nets every year, ending the largest killing of endangered species occurring in the world right now,' said Todd Steiner, Director of Earth Island Institute's Sea Turtle Restoration Project. Steiner, a biologist, estimates that at least 124,000 turtles may be captured and killed every year in the nets of shrimp boats outside the United States.
"Turtle excluder devices have been required on most U.S. shrimp trawlers since 1989. The lawsuit was filed under a 1989 provision of the Endangered Species Act (PL 101-162) that required foreign vessels to reduce turtle mortality to levels comparable to those of the U.S. shrimp fleet as of May 1, 1991, as a condition for exporting shrimp to the United States. The State Department interpreted the provision to apply to just 14 Atlantic and Caribbean nations, and even those countries were not required to reduce mortality on their Pacific coasts. The court ruling compels the State Department to ban shrimp imports from all nations that have not reduced sea turtle mortality from shrimp fishing operations by 97 percent, the level that can be achieved with the proper use of TEDs on all vessels.
"About 70 countries export shrimp to the United States. The largest eight exporters to the United States (by weight) of wild caught (as opposed to farm-raised) shrimp are India, Indonesia, Thailand, Mexico, Malaysia, Brazil, Korea (ROK), and Japan.
"`This lawsuit has successfully accomplished what we set out to do: end the government's violation of the law in order to protect these vulnerable marine animals from ultimate extinction,'" said Josh Floum, an attorney [for] Heller, Ehrman, White and McAuliffe, which is representing environmentalists pro bono. Dr. John W. Grandy, a vice president of The Humane Society of the United States, said, `By accepting shrimp imports from countries that do not require their fleets to use TEDs, the United States inevitably contributes to the needless deaths of thousands of sea turtles. This is a wonderful victory for the turtles.' The decision (Slip Op. 95-208) was issued December 29, 1995. For more information, contact the Sea Turtle Restoration Project, seaturtles@earthisland.org or 415/488-0370." Individual herpetologists will want to get copies of the Earth Island brochure to pass along to retailers.
Iguana condos on tropical isle
A Caymanian project built 44 custom cages for their endemic Grand Cayman blue iguanas at a cost of $14,400 US. Occupancy is at present 75 percent, as 30 pure-breds have moved in. Volunteers for the National Trust will take care of the animals which range in age from just a few months to adults received from the wild. Funding came from The Zoological Society of Milwaukee County and The Foundation for Wildlife Conservation, Inc. The project's goal is to increase blue iguanas in the wild which are currently believed to number about 200. [The Caymanian Compass, December 22, 1995 from L.W. Reed]
Herp-Commercial News The owner of a Schererville, IN pet store was arrested and released on charges of the "sale or transfer of deceased animals, a felony, and abandonment and neglect of animals, a misdemeanor" according to the Lake County prosecutor. Police had served a search warrant on the store and, accompanied by local Animal Control and the Northwestern Indiana Humane Society, removed about 100 kittens, tropical birds, rodents and reptiles including one venomous snake. The electric was shut off and locks changed by mall management, leaving the fate of aquariums of tropical fish to your imagination. [Northwestern Indiana Post-Tribune, October 19, 1995 from Jack Schoenfelder] The owner of Scales and Tails, an exotic pet shop, watched helplessly as firefighters battled a blaze which cost the lives of many of his animals. A rabbit and several reptiles were "saved by the improvised technique of attaching small oxygen masks over the animals' heads..." according to the Gainesville Sun. The owner said, "It's the most helpless feeling in the world to know your friends are suffering and there's nothing you can do about it." The fire began in a photo studio next door to the pet shop. More than 30 rescue workers responded to the alarm. [January 1, 1996 from K. Dodd]
A world without _______________? The latest organisms to be reported missing in action are Southern Dusky Salamanders which have disappeared from Glen Springs, FL without any apparent cause. A biologist with the Florida Museum of Natural History said, "There's something odd going on. We don't know what it is." No apparent disruption in its watery habitat has been observed. [Gainesville Sun, January 5, 1995 from K. Dodd]
Meanwhile in Barton Springs near Austin, TX a group of specialists in engineering, biology and other disciplines have prepared a report which states that threats to the Barton Springs Salamander, an endemic species, are "real and growing." The report also proposes a series of hydrology projects including the installation of containment and channeling features to divert runoff and drainage from roads and other structures. At present, some new developments channel runoff directly into the recharge zones and spring habitats most at risk. Chemical and petroleum spills up-gradient from the springs need to be mopped up quickly and more attention paid to water quality monitoring, salamander population assessment, groundwater flow studies and testing for leaking sewage or increased sedimentation. Some Austin residents are speaking out against threats to the entire watershed which feeds Barton Springs. Unfortunately, "the salamander issue" raises two hot button topics, Texas-style: water and property rights. [Austin American-Statesman, September 24, 1995, two articles and original report from Chris Sanders who lives down the road from Barton Springs]
Some residents of the Galapagos Islands took over the road to the Darwin Research Station and the Galapagos National Park in September to protest the veto of a bill by the Ecuadorian President which had been drafted by a local congressman. The bill was proposed to limit immigration, regulate fishing, and establish quarantine to prevent spreading non-native species, however, opponents claimed it would have "put control of the park in the hands of local politicians." Upset by the veto, "a local mayor has also threatened to take tourists hostage and burn park areas," according to Science. The President of Ecuador plans to appoint a commission to draft a new law which may get to a vote soon. Workers at the Darwin Research Station e- mailed colleagues, "We are glad to be intact, but growing frustrated because the science and conservation efforts grow ever farther behind." [September 15, 1995 from Bill Burnett] More acreage burned in Brazil this year than ever before according to reports from health workers and satellite interpreters. Dry conditions may be leading to a series of accidental fires in areas previously burned over, but it appears that more virgin rainforest is burning, too. Brazil hosted the Earth Summit in 1992 but has not studied the extent of deforestation since 1991. A professor working with satellite pictures said, "There are millions of square kilometers covered with smoke in the Amazon basin. On one day, around August 30 we saw a smoke plume over 6 million square kilometers." [The Commercial Appeal, Memphis, TN, October 15, 1995 from Bill Burnett]
More than 30,000 species are threatened with extinction according to the United Nations' first comprehensive report on Earth's biodiversity. Only about 1.75 million species have been formally identified and named; the total is believed to be from 13 to 14 million. The 1,140 page Global Biodiversity Assessment resulted from the work of about 1,500 scientists worldwide. It reports that in the last four centuries, 484 known animal species and 654 recorded plant species have become extinct. [Post-Tribune, November 14, 1995 from J.H. Schoenfelder]
Living gators Alligator wrestling continued at the Monroe County, Wisconsin County Fair in spite of protests by an animal protection group from Madison. County humane officers inspected the show which owners claimed to "promote education and preservation of alligators." [Wisconsin State Journal, July 21, 1995 from Dreux Watermoelen] Regular readers may recall a story from about a year ago in which the battle to legalize a pet alligator in Florida was initially reported. All 7.5 feet of Gwendolyn, the 25-year-old friendly backyard alligator, have been declared legal after his owner spent a year in court and $15,000 on legal defense. Gwendolyn was removed from the backyard habitat even though in the quarter century he'd lived with the same person, he'd caused not one single injury. A party, complete with Gatorade, was held after his return. [Miami Herald, October 30, 1995 from Alan Rigerman] It seems that pet alligator prosecutions are going to be a fad in Florida. The day after I received the Gwendolyn clip from Alan, I received the following letter: "Right now I'm in the same situation [as Gwen's owner]. When I was living in Idaho I acquired two baby American gators from a Louisiana farm. When I moved to Florida this summer, I brought them with. I've been hassling back and forth with Fish and Game, which first said I could get a personal use permit and gave me the form to fill out, now they are denying this and stating that I have to have an alligator farm or a commercial exhibit. I have two weeks to appeal... I do love my gators. Though close to five feet long they are tame. I have spent over $1,000 on a 30 foot chain link enclosed habitat with pool, and $500 on the lawyer... Sincerely, Ardis Allen."
High school students at Hahnville, Louisiana were unimpressed by a 3-foot gator seen sunning itself alongside the pond adjoining the school. "He's a small one," said one junior. An administrative assistant said, "It's like a pet. Some classes go out to the pond as a reward. There are turtles there, too." [New Orleans, LA Times-Picayune, May 3, 1995 from Ernie Liner]
"It was initially hard to tell who was less perturbed by the confrontation: Mr. Chatellier, the dog or the gator, which found its way onto the porch from the swamp behind the house on Pine Street," in Madisonville, LA according to the Times-Picayune. The man's wife said, "I'm actually more frightened of snakes." [April 14, 1995 from Ernie Liner]
A live 2.5-foot caiman was captured in Medina County, Ohio by a wildlife rescuer who initially identified his catch as an alligator. It was found in a family's backyard. They believe it was abandoned by neighbors who had recently moved. The rescuer said, "It's kind of sad, in a way. People get these animals as pets and then they throw them away." [Akron, OH Beacon Journal, July 6, 1995 from Bob Pierson] - Does anyone know what happened to the 3-foot alligator found in Park Forest, IL? The Chicago Sun-Times ran an article on August 19, 1995 that said the gator was found under a car which had stopped at an intersection in a residential area. The animal was reportedly taken to Brookfield Zoo which was keeping it in a holding area. [from Claus Sutor]
Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission officers raised 48 alligator eggs into hatchlings and released them into Lake Dora after two weeks of headstarting on hotdogs. The mother had been killed because she built her nest too close to the park's public walkway which was "obviously a threat to people. She very likely would've shown some very aggressive behavior," said a wildlife biologist. [Orlando, FL Sentinel, August 2, 1995; September 21, 1995 both from Bill Burnett]
Taxidermied alligators are popular again according to an article in the Leesburg, FL Daily Commercial. So who wants a stuffed gator anyway? "Restaurants, trading posts, souvenir places and photographers who take pictures of people standing on them. I also do a gator standing on his hind legs for Gator fans," said a Wildwood, FL taxidermist. Fully stuffed, he gets between $3,000 and 4,000 each. [May 7, 1995 from Bill Burnett]
Which genus would you rather be? The September 20, 1995 Daily Commercial of Leesburg, FL reports: "Residents of seashore condominiums were surprised to see an alligator paddling in the Atlantic Ocean. Curious spectators flocked to the beach to see the wayward animal, normally found swimming or lazing around a swamp or freshwater lakes and streams." A gator trapper shot and killed the 7-foot animal on orders of officials of the Florida Game and Freshwater Fish Commission. [from Bill Burnett] In a separate incident a 9-foot crocodile that was found chilled and groggy at Miami Beach was taped, trussed and driven back home to the Florida Keys in the back seat of a car. [Chicago Tribune, December 28, 1995 from Ray Boldt]
St. Augustine Alligator Farm and Bird Sanctuary Birds are taking advantage of security services offered by the collection of 22 species of crocodilians on display in the nearly 100 year old St. Augustine farm. Raccoons have been decimating bird nests elsewhere, but "Nature's most effective built-in home security system" is at work in this swamp. A few fledglings are lost every year to the gators waiting below the trees. [The Daily Commercial, 25 August, 1995 from Bill Burnett] Why am I thinking "Cretaceous Park" here? Could this be an ecological driver for wings?
Hunting season, 1995 Louisiana wild alligator season opened September 2 and closed October 1, 1995. In June, state biologists surveyed nesting areas by helicopter to determine the start date for the season which is right after young alligators hatch. "Terrebonne Parish has excellent alligator habitat. There are other places, but [it] is in the top 10... There's the moisture, the bayous; nutria is the primary diet of alligators, and the habitat holds nutria," said a local expert. Wild alligators are getting to be a business down there with hides going for as much as $60 to $70 per linear foot. He added, "Those people in New Orleans will buy anything - heads, teeth, toes, jaws..." [Houma, LA Courier, July 9, 1995]
An 8-foot alligator was killed by licensed trapper on orders from the state Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission because it had attacked one of two men which had entered a pond on a closed golf course in search of "a lost golf club and golf balls" at night. The men had a sack of balls on the edge of the pond, when the gator pulled one young man below water. His friend got him away from the gator and took him to the hospital, but was too shaken up to be interviewed. The golf course has warning signs about its alligators. The course director said that the one involved in this incident was called Stubby because he had lost about 1.5 feet off his tail. Stubby was between 30 and 40 years old. The director added "[Stubby's] been around here as long as I have... There's gators in all of these ponds." [Orlando, FL Sentinel, July 25, 1995 from Bill Burnett]
"Hunting won't be a sport, some skeptic argue, until the deer start shooting back," Katherine Bouma wrote as the lead for an article about hunting alligators in Florida. One wonders what alligator hunting would be like if it were sporting! One gator that came close was an 12-foot, 5- inch male that just wouldn't give up. One hunter said, "He surged up out of the water and ripped metal off the side of the boat." They started taking on water and found a half dozen tooth holes in the boat. About one million alligators live in Florida; 3,498 hunting tags were issued. Curiously 8,909 people applied for $250 resident or $1,000 non-resident hunting licenses, and only 583 people won six alligator licenses each. The animals are sold to processors for $35 to 40 per foot for hides and meat. The minimum total taken in by the state by my calculation is $2,227,250. Environmental officials suggest that alligators will become an economic resource leading to habitat protection. [Orlando Sentinel September 19, 1995]
Florida hunting began in 1988 with 20,163 applicants in 1989 down to only 8,909 in 1995. Only 238 licenses were granted in 1988 compared with 583 in 1995. Each license is for six gators over 4-feet. From 1988 and 1994, hunters have taken 16,295 alligators. Also, 8,746 alligators were killed under "private land" permits. Thirty alligator farms collected 94,249 eggs from 1988 to 1994 from which 51,328 hatchlings emerged. Revenue from hide and meat sales in 1994 was $3.8 million in addition to tourism and licensing earnings. [Daily Commercial, November 8, 1995 from Bill Burnett]
South Carolina initiated its first legal alligator season in 31 years in 1995. About 100,000 alligators are believed to be living in the state which is twice as many as there were in the 1960s. About 200 permits were granted for a month-long season limited to private property owners in four counties on the coast. [USA Today, September 19 and 21, 1995 from Bill Burnett]
Revenge of the crocodilians A 10-year old boy was treated for a tear and puncture wounds after being attacked by an alligator while swimming in 4 feet of water with other children at about 5 p.m. in a 1700-acre lake. Officials promised to hunt and kill the 8-foot gator responsible [Orlando, FL Sentinel, September 25, 1995 from Bill Burnett]
Jungleland in Kissimmee is going to have a hard time finding help if their unlucky streak persists. The Orlando Sentinel reports that a second alligator wrestler was bitten at the attraction. The first man needed 12 stitches in his chin and cheek, the second lost the tip of a finger and received three puncture wounds. [July 28, 1995 from Bill Burnett]
"Surgeons reattached the left hand of [a 37-year-old] trainer, who was attacked by a 6-foot Cuban crocodile at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm where he was feeding the reptiles..." USA Today, September 27, 1995 from Bill Burnett]
After one woman reported seeing a crocodile in a flooded section of the city of Bangkok, "Crocodile Fever" swept that town. Kind of like the boy crying "Wolf," no crocodile was ever photographed or proven to be present, but it got worldwide press. The clippings came in from Jack Schoenfelder [Northwestern Indiana Post], Ernie Liner [The Courier, Houma, LA], and J.N. Stuart [Albuquerque, NM Daily Lobo] all from September 29, 1995. Bill Burnett [The Commercial Appeal] and J.N. Stuart [Albuquerque Journal] both October 1 continue the tale: "Armed with electric prods, nets and rifles, the Thai navy set off in search of crocodiles Saturday as the government confirmed fears that hundreds of the reptiles are on the loose. Two weeks ago floods let loose about 300 of the animals from pits at farms north and east of the capital. The crocodiles were said to have slipped into the Chao Phraya River, which runs into Bangkok, and reportedly have bitten two villagers while they were fishing." Sounds like this urban legend is growing and growing.
Thanks to everyone who contributed as well as to Ray Boldt, Kathy Bricker, Mark T. Witwer and Marty Marcus. Newspaper doesn't weigh much, so you can send whole pages or clippings with date/slug and your name (address labels are best) to me. Every clipping used or unused is acknowledged. Letters only via email.
March, 1995
Year of Snakefood According to Chinese astrology, 1996 is the year of the Rat. Famous people born in previous Rat years include: Shakespeare, Mozart, Churchill, Washington and Truman Capote. Incidentally, the year 2000 is the next year of the Dragon followed by 2001, the year of the Snake. [Chinese restaurant menu]
Lights, driving, action! The struggle between humans and sea turtles for Florida's beaches continued in 1995. Here's a running commentary on the issue from local journals. Please keep your eyes out this month as snowbirds arrive in Florida and Spring Break approaches, there may be more stories.
March 19, Palm Beach, FL Daily: "Town may strengthen lighting ordinance to protect turtles." Their existing ordinance prohibited lighting on a voluntary compliance basis to protect turtle nesting season, from April 1 to October 31. Hatchling sea turtles follow light. Before beach lighting, the sea reflected on the sky beckoned the tiny turtles into the surf. Now, cumulative megawatts of houses, cars, roadways, business signs and so on, drown out the ocean light in much the same way as orange street lights cancel starlight. Confused hatchlings have died after being attracted by artificial light. A research associate at the state's Department of Environmental Protection said, "I think [restricting beach lighting] is necessary because although no one really wants to see hatchlings die because of artificial lighting, not everyone remembers to turn off the lights." Town staff say few people in Palm Beach are not in compliance with the proposed ordinance since many buildings were built after the council prohibited beach-facing lights on new oceanfront construction in 1987. [from Kathy Bricker]
July 16, Daytona Beach, FL News-Journal: "Beach showdown. Turtle defenders hope lawsuit drives vehicles off sand." The County Attorney said, "I believe it's unlikely that the court would upset the status quo [driving on beaches]... without a strong showing of immediate harm, which we think is lacking." Residents and visitors are split nearly 50/50 on the issue of to drive or not to drive. Some believe that banning beach driving would "ruin the local economy." Others say that only two or three turtles a year are affected by driving without citing any source for their numerical belief. [from Philip Drajeske]
July 21, 1995 Daytona Beach News-Journal: "Artificial lights and tire ruts already have interfered with baby sea turtles' instinctive trek to the sea in seven instances since hatching started this month. Documentation on six of the seven... accompanied a brief... "
July 25 Orlando, FL The Sentinel: "Ormond Beach... About 100 baby turtles emerged from a nest... mistaking street lights for moonlight reflecting off the ocean, they scrambled up a beach ramp to busy [roads]... The turtles packed the intersection... at least 78 were crushed by cars... the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service... was notified..." Because the road lights are Volusia County property, "The incident caused much fingerpointing... over which agency was responsible for turning off the lights... A federal judge is trying to decide if Volusia County should be hit with an injunction to do more for sea turtles... toughen its coastal lighting ordinance and could prohibit driving on the beach during nesting season... `There were tons of turtles in the road,' said... a waitress at a nearby restaurant who dashed into the intersection to save the turtles. `I was frantic.'" [from Bill Burnett]
August 2 USA Today: "A federal judge in Orlando, FL banned nighttime driving or parking along 40 miles of seashore around Daytona Beach to protect endangered loggerhead and green sea turtle nests and hatchlings. The order is in effect until Nov. 1. The tradition of motoring and parking on the hard-sand beaches dates to the early 1900s." [From Bill Burnett and Steve Ragsdale Chicago Tribune]
August 4 Daytona Beach News-Journal: "Volusia keeps cars off beach for now. Beach-goers experience a rare sight Thursday on The World's Most Famous Beach - no cars (except beach ranger and lifeguard vehicles). The county has banned beach driving until further notice..." Some people were fuming, suggesting irreparable harm to the economy for every day it was closed. The beach was initially closed because of Hurricane Erin. Then came the U.S. District Judge's order to keep cars out of a 30 foot zone to the seaward of dunes where sea turtles place their nests and to get cars off the beach from one hour before sunset to one hour after dawn. So, the county banned all driving until it could be sure it was in compliance. [from Philip Drajeske]
August 5 Leesburg, FL Daily Commercial: Implementation of the judge's order is expected to take at least a week and the nighttime driving ban will do away with beach parking during Spring Break, 1996. Hundreds of thousands of collegiate visitors to Florida may be affected. The county manager said the judge's ruling was "prudent and reasonable." [from Bill Burnett]
August 12 Leesburg Daily Commercial: "For two days, the tides washed away many of the lightweight, plastic markers newly installed to designate turtle `conservation zones,' forcing officials to temporarily close portions of beaches to motorists [again]." The Orlando Sentinel reported "Many are tolerant of turtle postings..." One visitor observing construction of a car proof barrier said, "I think it's great. What's it for?" One resident said the markers would disrupt a volleyball tournament scheduled for the weekend. So far, Volusia has spent about $10,000 on 2,500 wooden posts needed mark the zone. [from Bill Burnett]
August 14 Daytona Beach News-Journal: "Three crews were scheduled to finish planting the row of four-inch by four-inch treated wood posts four feet into the sand, marking the edge of a conservation zone 30 feet east of the dune line... The county's environmental management department remeasured the conservation zone after high tide ... wiped out many PVC pipes placed Aug. 4 - 6... Two sections of beach will remain closed... until crews finish..." [from Philip Drajeske]
August 16 Daytona Beach News-Journal: "County's tab for turtle suit tops $100,000" That's just the legal bill for one month to an Orlando firm which lost the Federal case. The lead attorney on the suit said that future bills wouldn't be nearly as high. Some local residents are "aghast" that the county would have spent so much fighting a suit instead of finding ways to use it creatively to accomplish the same turtle protection goals it is now being forced to undertake. Buying beachfront land and studying preservation tactics were suggested as alternatives to litigation by the Volusia/Flagler Environmental Action Committee. [from Philip Drajeske]
August 19 Orlando Sentinel: "Abnormally prolonged high tides spawned by hurricanes Erin and Felix may have destroyed as many as 6,000 sea turtle nests in Brevard County, smothering 600,000 unborn turtles. As many as 1,000 of 4,000 turtle nests at the Canaveral National Seashore... may have been destroyed... turtle watchers said they have not seen any hatchlings emerge in Volusia since the storms... 37 nests in Walton County, which is in the Panhandle, were destroyed." [from Bill Burnett]
August 21 Orlando Sentinel: "In the debate over beach driving and turtle safety, six other counties look to Volusia... turtles have been harmed by cars in other areas... Nassau County, two hatchlings were smashed by a car last month... Flagler County, trucks and dune buggies drive on the beach, leaving deep ruts in the sand that can trap hatchlings. Driving is allowed day and night, but few vehicles go onto the beach because the sand is so soft." [from Bill Burnett]
December 7 Orlando Sentinel: Volusia County presented federal agencies with their conservation plan for sea turtles on county beaches. If accepted by the agencies, the county could apply for an "incidental take" permit by mid-Spring, 1996. Some turtle deaths on beaches would therefore be allowed and the terms of all this are to be covered in the conservation plan and agreement. The county's plan is less "severe" on humans than what the Federal Judge ordered in midsummer. [from Bill Burnett]
Not quite their year anyway As if the town of Daytona Beach hadn't enough excitement with the sea turtle injunction, the following also happened in 1995:
- more recorded shark bites (16) than ever before;
- several weeks of stinging jellyfish named "Portuguese men-of-war" and dangerous rip tides;
- reduced beach-driving toll revenues $3.2 million in 1995 down $400,000 from 1994; and
- unusual tides due to the high number of hurricanes.
The traditional beach season opened February 1. The county passed increased fees to make up for the revenue loss to the treasury of night driving. [Gainesville, FL The Sun, January 1, 1996, from K. Dodd]
A ship in time saves ten The U.S. Navy just saved the lives of some sea turtles after sailors in a helicopter spotted 11 turtles tangled in an abandoned fishing net. One turtle drowned, ten were saved after two hours of cutting by five crewmen in an inflatable boat dispatched by the guided missile frigate USS Curts. The net was drifting about 375 miles west of Bombay, India. [Albuquerque, NM Journal, October 21, 1995 from J.N. Stuart]
Other turtle and tortoise tales from 1995 The Tennessee Senate approved two herps as official state critters: the cave salamander and the box turtle. The bill was prepared by school students studying herpetology and legislation in class. [Memphis, TN Commercial Appeal, May 25, from Bill Burnett] Quite a curriculum! On a lighter turtle note, the London, Ontario, Canada Free Press reported that 300 turtles registered for the 21st annual Ailsa Craig Gala Days turtle race. The races were busted by Provincial Police in 1984 after receiving a tip that people were betting on the outcome. In 1993, the Ontario Fish and Game Act amendments made it illegal to trap midland painted turtles. Race organizers appealed for a permit to trap and release contestants. It was granted under the condition that turtle education is provided to participants. [July 11, 1995 from Ted Teachout]
A four-lane bypass of Mississippi Route 63 is on hold until land can be found to establish a gopher tortoise habitat. The only suitable nearby parcel is owned by a person who does not wish to sell. [Memphis, TN Commercial Appeal, December 12, 1995 from Bill Burnett]
In Florida, Uncle Donald's Farm in Lady Lake has participated in rehabbing gopher tortoises over the years. Two of their resident tortoises just hatched three babies which are reported to look just like their parents, but smaller [Orlando Sentinel, October 16, 1995 from Bill Burnett]
A Nevada Department of Transportation has approved spending $300,000 for the next two years to help Clark County dig tortoise tunnels and minimize roadway impacts for desert tortoises. [Las Vegas, NV Review-Journal, February 14, 1995 from Bob Pierson]
Clark County, NV commissioners unanimously voted to spend $40 million over the next 30 years to protect desert tortoises while maintaining development and economic growth. The County prepared and submitted a conservation plan to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and a temporary permit which has been in effect for four years will be replaced by a more permanent agreement. A development fee equal to about $110 for a standard house will be assessed. Fees will be deposited in the tortoise trust fund and monies will be disbursed for closing roadways and building tortoise tunnels under other roads. Research to guide management objectives will also be funded by the trust. No one appeared before the Commissioners to complain about the final plan after years of controversial public hearings. [Las Vegas Review-Journal, July 19, 1995 from Bob Pierson]
Another report from the Review-Journal points out that the long-term Clark County plan includes maintaining a 500,000 acre protected desert tortoise habitat and adds, "So maybe this long-range plan is a better deal for the desert tortoise. It acknowledges that we can't really protect the species on private land and asks developers to pay for their preservation... Anyone who bought a quarter-acre lot would be paying about $135 to help buy desert tortoise habitat... a small price to teach our children about conservation... Time will tell if it turns out for the best. And for the desert tortoise, which has been around for 160 million years, time is running out." [July 29, 1995 from Bob Pierson]
Twenty-Nine Palms, California is not the most tranquil site on earth. In fact Marine F-18 jets and other military ordinance, however, has to be put on hold whenever a desert tortoise is spotted on the 6,000 acres marked as "out of bounds: tortoise nesting areas." [New Orleans, LA Times-Picayune, February 5, 1995 from Ernie Liner]
Texas is home to the endangered Gopherus berlandieri which now have a rehab center on Freeman Ranch near San Marcos where they receive veterinary care, shell patches, reconstructive surgery and a diet rich in prickly pears and other native plants. The ranch is run by the Chair of Southwest Texas State University's Biology Department and one of the experts on the species, Francis L. Rose. [Houston, TX Chronicle, April 23, 1995 from Ethelyn L. Rieves]
Turtle and Tortoise Societies A woman who found a large box turtle trying to cross the Airport Road in Williamsburg, VA two years ago now has 22 turtles visiting, some will need permanent care. She founded the Williamsburg Turtle and Tortoise Society which now has more than 50 members who find caretakers for sick or injured turtles found by local residents. The Virginia Gazette wrote that while there are no dues to join, donations are always in fashion. They have a bimonthly newsletter, field trips and regular meetings. [July 26, from Kathy Bricker]
The Houston Turtle and Tortoise Society was founded to promote environmental consciousness of the value of turtles and tortoises in their natural habitat. The Society disseminates information and places animals for adoption. [from Ethelyn Rieves]
The non-profit Organization for the Protection of Nevada's Resident Tortoises, Inc. publishes a newsletter three times a year, arranges for speakers for other community groups and meetings, provides adoption services, and adoption guidelines and operates a lost tortoise pickup service throughout Clark County.
The eight-year-old Chicago Turtle Club emerged from hibernation with plans for an April 14 meeting at North Park Village from one to three p.m., they plan to have a turtle show and tell. Old friends and new friends are invited. Parking is available just outside the Nature Center. Contact Lisa Koester for more information.
Brought to you by readers like yourselves The Turtle Recovery Program of the Wildlife Conservation Society reported on its sixth year of operation assisting conservation of populations of wild turtles on all continents. I am pleased to report that the number of individuals supporting the program has increased, from one paragraph to three pages of the "who's who" of turtle/tortoise lovers. Last year the TRC was involved with conservation of the bog turtle, regulation of international trade in box turtles, gopher tortoise relocations, sea turtle community ecology in Panama, effects of harvesting green turtles in Nicaragua, ecology and management of yellow-spotted Amazon river turtles in Colombia, sustainable use program for the same turtle in Venezuela, a study of forest turtle ecology in a Cameroon Forest Reserve and of tortoises and turtles at a Tanzanian National Park, support for programs for the radiated tortoise in Madagascar, conservation of two rare land tortoises in the Western Ghats of India, turtle community ecology in Thailand, and monitoring and recovery of Testudo graeca nikolskii on the Black Sea Coast of Russia. The tales behind these brief clauses are contained in the TRP yearly report and make fascinating reading. In addition, the TRP is close to publishing Conference Proceedings from "Conservation, Restoration, and Management of Tortoises and Turtles" held in 1993 and cosponsored by the New York Turtle and Tortoise Society. The book is expected in early 1996. So, turtle lovers, get your checkbooks out and write your 1996 support for the "W.C.S.-Turtle Recovery Program." Every donation is tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law and annual reports are available. Mail to: Michael W. Klemens, Wildlife Conservation Society, 185th Street and Southern Boulevard, Bronx, NY 10460. [Every $10, $20, $100 or zillion helps. EB]
Spotlights, please! In addition to acknowledging this month's contributors, E.A. Zorn, Mark T. Witwer, No Name on Clipping, J.N. Schoenfelder, and Dreux Watermoelen, deserve thanks for sending articles, cards, photos, and so on that I found really interesting but couldn't quite figure out how to summarize. You can contribute, too. Send reptile/amphibian stories from your local paper by forwarding the whole page(s) or clippings with date/slug attached. Some people save clippings themselves, others save photocopies because eventually clippings fade. Copyright law prohibits me from urging you to make copies of newspaper stories for anything other than your own use. However you contribute, make sure your name is on every story.
April, 1996
War on the newts CHS member David Blatchford reports "At the moment, the [British] Government is enthusiastically constructing a major new road through a nature reserve in Berkshire" where the crested newts live. "This will destroy at least two sites of special scientific interest. [The government is] anxious to chop down as many trees as possible before the bird nesting season starts as then the Ministry of Roads will be [not be] liable for criminal proceedings for... killing nesting birds." Probably the Queen is more interested in the end of the Di/Chuck breeding season than that of the crested newts, but you could write His Royal Highness Prince Philip at Buckingham Palace, London, England, U.K. The Prince is a world-renowned nature lover and was the Royal Sponsor of the First World Congress of Herpetology in Canterbury in 1989.
Reptile investigation on four continents February 1, 1996 CITES press release: "Suspected smugglers of various reptiles were served search warrants by special agents of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). The warrants were issued as part of an international investigation involving reptiles illegally imported from Indonesia, Australia, the Netherlands, and other countries. The investigation into reptile smuggling in the United States was initiated by a request for assistance from the Netherlands Ministry of Justice, Netherlands National Police, and the Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture, Nature Conservation, and Fisheries.
"Federal search warrants were executed in New York, Florida, North Carolina, and New Mexico in coordination with other warrants executed at businesses and residences in Indonesia and the Netherlands. Officials from the Netherlands uncovered the elaborate smuggling scheme involving live reptiles, including the frilled dragon (Chlamydosaurus kingii), shipped out of Indonesia, into the Netherlands, and then on to other European countries and the United States.
"The United States is the world's largest importer of wildlife and in recent years the demand for live reptiles as collectibles and exotic pets has increased rapidly. The species of reptiles involved in the investigation, including the frilled dragon, the fly river turtle (Carettochelys insculpta), the green tree python (Morelia viridis), and two species of blue-tongued skinks (Tiliqua gigas and Tiliqua multifasciata), are highly prized by collectors in Europe, Japan, and the United States. Specimens of these species may sell in the United States for $250 to $1,500 each. These animals are protected by law in their countries of origin and their export is tightly controlled (the green tree python is also listed on CITES Appendix II). Although some of these species can be bred in captivity, the high level of demand by reptile collectors often encourages smuggling of wild-caught specimens.
"The Netherlands police began their investigation into the illegal trafficking of protected reptiles from Indonesia in September 1994. They gathered information for more than a year before initiating an official request for assistance through international channels to the U.S. Department of Justice. Through an agreement with the Kingdom of the Netherlands, known as the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, the United States and the Netherlands provide a broad range of cooperation with each other in criminal matters. Special agents of the FWS were chosen to assist the Department of Justice because of their expertise in wildlife import, export, smuggling, and illegal commercialization offenses.
"The FWS and Netherlands and Indonesian authorities continue to investigate illegal trade in reptiles. Reptile smugglers in the United States face possible Federal conspiracy, smuggling, false statement, and money laundering charges. The investigations in the United States are being coordinated by the U.S. Attorney's Offices in Miami, FL, New York, NY, Greensboro, NC, and Albuquerque, NM, with support from attorneys in the Wildlife and Marine Resources Section of the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice. Inquiries about this investigation can be addressed to Mr. Bruce Weissgold or Mr. Ernest Mayer, both with the FWS Division of Law Enforcement (703-358-1949)." [From James N. Stuart via Internet]
Golden toad update "The breeding habitat of the golden toad has been monitored by either experienced volunteers or paid staff every year since their disappearance in 1989. There have been a couple of false alarms (e.g. Eleutheradactylus that are very orange) but no confirmed sightings since the single male I caught in 1989. The hypothesis we presented was not simply that rainfall was inadequate, but that the transition from dry season to wet was too abrupt and this disrupted the toads' natural breeding pattern. Alan Pounds subsequently presented an analysis of the El Nino events of the early 1980s and their possible effects on the hydrology of the site. Alan hypothesizes that the toads were extirpated by an underground drought. His paper was published in Conservation Biology in about 1992 or 1993. One attempt was made to age golden toads thru skeletochronology on toe tips that were removed as part of a mark-recapture protocol. No rings were apparent in the bone. Thus we really have no idea of how long the toads live. The golden toad may represent one of the few (only?) vertebrate extinctions that has been observed and recorded by humans, but not caused by humans. On the other hand, we're keeping our fingers crossed that they will reappear, and keeping in touch with the people who monitor the habitat. Frank Hensley, Elon College & Duke University" [via Internet]
10,000 box turtles to emigrate? The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) accepted public comments until March 4, 1996 before deciding whether or not to permit up to 10,000 wild-caught American box turtles to be exported from Louisiana to Europe, for pets. The New York Turtle and Tortoise Society (NYTTS) urged all turtle-lovers to reply before the deadline, which (as always) was just too short to get it into print for the majority of CHS members. The situation is described in Allen Salzberg's press release: "At least seven million American turtles representing dozens of species are exported annually from the U.S. to other countries, mostly to Europe and Asia. Some are used as pets while others are used as food. Turtles that are exported from the U.S. die by the thousands every year during air transport, due to improper packaging and poor treatment prior to shipment. Some turtles are shipped in cardboard boxes where they are often crushed to death under their own weight or when other boxes are stacked on top of theirs. Many turtles are shipped are wounded, dehydrated or diseased. Few turtles survive long after they are purchased because buyers do not know how to provide them with the proper diet and environmental conditions. Most turtles mature late in life and have high juvenile mortality, so human capture of wild turtles is one of the leading causes of turtle population declines worldwide...
"American box turtles (Terrapene spp.), which can reach up to eight inches in length, are native to most U.S. states, except for those in the far north and west. Turtle collectors capture large, sexually mature adults, leaving wild populations depleted of breeders. This is particularly damaging to box turtle populations since the turtles can take five to 20 years to become sexually mature and lay only two to eight eggs per year. Although many U.S. states ban collection of box turtles for the pet trade, the legal trade in some states provides a cover for a substantial illegal trade in box turtles collected from states that have banned the trade.
"In 1994, American box turtles were listed on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), a United Nations administered treaty governing the international commercial trade in wildlife that has been signed by 130 nations. In order for box turtles to be exported from the U.S., the FWS must find that the export of box turtles will not be detrimental to the survival of the species and that the turtles will shipped in a humane manner...
"In 1995, FWS allowed the export of up to 9,750 eastern box turtles (Terrapene carolina) from Louisiana (no other state was allowed to export box turtles). FWS Scientific Authority admitted, in a memorandum of advice to FWS Management Authority, that they knew nothing about the size of box turtle populations in Louisiana, the basic biology of box turtles (other than age to maturity and growth rates), the number and age of box turtles collected in Louisiana, or the effect of collection on box turtle populations. The Scientific Authority stated that "we have been asked to make our finding without having had time to conduct a thorough population status assessment or review results of any existing population or harvest potential studies in Louisiana or nearby areas." The Scientific Authority warned that "based on studies of other species of turtles or tortoises exhibiting life history characteristics similar to those of box turtles (e.g. low adult mortality, high longevity, delayed sexual maturity, low fecundity), it can be assumed that box turtle populations will not rebound quickly from adverse changes in key population parameters. General declines in box turtle densities over the past several decades in various northern populations that have been studied extensively lend support to this prediction." The Service considered the 9,750 export quota to be "cautious", noting that they believed that this figure represented half of the number of box turtles that had been collected and exported from Louisiana in 1993."
The FWS Scientific Authority consulted with an entity referred to as the "Louisiana Reptile and Amphibian Task Force," that stated "there is no evidence to indicate that native box turtles are endangered or threatened in Louisiana." NYTTS stated: "The Task Force is not competent to determine the status of box turtles in Louisiana. The majority of the voting members of the Task Force are turtle trappers and traders, posing a clear conflict of interest. By Louisiana law, the voting members of the Task Force are: Five pet dealers, three representatives from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, one member of the Louisiana Wildlife Federation, one member of the Louisiana Science Teachers Association, and one representative from the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry. The three university herpetologists who advise the Task Force, do not have a vote. One herpetologist recently quit his advisory role because the Task Force would not listen to him."
Other points with which the NYTTS disagrees with the FWS Scientific Authority include resilience or lack thereof to collecting pressures, the establishment of export quotas based on what the box turtle exploitation "industry" considers its desired level of export, the absence of valid population data, the lack of a management system for box turtles in Louisiana, the overt influence of industry representatives on the advisory board, the absence of long-term population studies to know if the populations can sustain a 10,000 per year harvest level, and FWS concern with interruption of trade by legitimate businessmen and the establishment of a black market.
The NYTTS release continues: "The synergistic effect trade and destruction of box turtle habitat needs to be addressed. In some areas, such as northeast Louisiana, box turtle habitat is being destroyed, fragmented and subjected to chemical pollution from the use of pesticides in adjacent fields. Clear-cutting and the use of fire in the management of Louisiana's forests also impact box turtles, as does road building, which increases access by collectors to box turtle habitat and also increases the number of road kills.
"Captive breeding of box turtles is not feasible. Wild turtle populations may be detrimentally affected by removal of animals for breeding stock. It would be difficult to distinguish among captive-bred turtles and wild-caught ones in trade. It would take turtles years to become sexually mature and reproductive rate is low. Disease outbreaks on turtle "farms" may infect wild turtle populations.
"International Air Transport Association (IATA) regulations for transport of live box turtles are routinely violated by airlines and box turtles are cleared for export by Fish and Wildlife Service agents even when these regulations are violated. Certain ports, such as Miami and New Orleans, are well-known among turtle exporters for their leniency. The IATA regulations for shipping turtles should be improved by eliminating the use of corrugated cardboard boxes, and ensuring that turtles are, at all times during the transport process, kept at between 65-80 degrees F."
An article in the June, 1995 Harrowsmith Country Life magazine reported that "according to the U.S. FWS, some 78,000 box turtles were shipped to Europe between 1992 and 1994." Then in winter 1994-1995, the turtles were added to CITES appendix which meant they had to have a permit to be exported. The current request for information is related to the permit application to export 10,000 Louisiana box turtles. While it is too land to officially comment on the permit application, CHS members interested in commenting to the responsible agency can write: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Scientific Authority, Room 750, 4401 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203.
Breeding and selling tiny turtles Remember dime-store sliders? Louisiana turtle breeders hope to bring back the ubiquitous pet of yesteryear after trying for years to overturn the Federal Food and Drug regulation which prevents domestic sale of turtles with a carapace length of less than four inches. The breeders have been busy building up an overseas market. Last year 6.5 million baby turtles were shipped out of the country. The breeders claim the babies have been cured of Salmonella bacteria by means of a method developed by a Louisiana State University microbiologist Ronald Siebeling. Only 2 percent of baby turtles hatched at the farms have been found to carry the bacteria. Turtle farming is regulated by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, but has recently come under fire for alleged price fixing by the U.S. Department of Justice. Farmers deny price fixing; one said, "What we've got here is the cleanest, most documented pet in the world." [The Baton Rouge, LA Sunday Advocate, February 5, 1995] In Mississippi, turtle farmers are not as common as catfish farming, cotton, soybeans or rice farming. Even so, one farm sold 350,000 babies in one year, the offspring of 50,000 to 60,000 wild-caught breeder turtles. Two-thirds went to Southeast Asia, the rest to Canada, Europe and the People's Republic of China. Some of the offspring are retain for future breeding purposes and a very few are released in the wild. The Salmonella cleansing process is done to the Mississippi eggs, too, mostly by school kids earning summer money. [Houma, LA Courier, August 13, 1995. Both articles from super-clipper Ernie Liner]
Large turtle breeding Turtle watchers in the Florida Keys said that 1994 was the biggest green-turtle nesting season ever, but indicate that hatchling mortality due to human influence and animal predation was high, too. Residents of the Keys are required to aim lights away from beaches and reduce interior lighting which may disorient hatchlings. Also in 1994, the toughest sentence of a turtle egg thief (to that time) was handed down for a man who took about 500 turtle eggs. He got a year in jail and paid $11,250 in fines. Volunteers are being sought for the 1996 season. [Florida Keys Keynoter, May 20, 1995 from Dee Fick]
According to researchers at the primary Kemp's ridley breeding beach, 1995 was the biggest arribada of Lepidochelys kempi in 18 years. Around 1,800 nests were laid which is almost twice as many of the all time low 702 in 1985. All the eggs laid on the beach are transplanted to a fenced hatchery in an effort to protect them from coyotes, coatimundis and other predators. [Center for Marine Conservation Marine Conservation News, Winter 1995 from Kathy Bricker]
About a year ago, U.S. Senator John Breaux (D-LA) suggested raising more sea turtles in captivity so that shrimp trawlers would not have to be outfitted with turtle excluder devices (TEDs). [The Courier, May 16, 1995 from Ernie Liner] Then August 1, environmental organizations won a court case which requires TEDs on all shrimp nets in the Gulf of Mexico. The court case continues, however and the Texas Shrimp Association has filed a proposal with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to waive TED regulations for vessels outside a 10 kilometer limit. Then, in the budget battle, Congress proposed prohibiting NMFS from closing the shrimp fishery regardless of the number of sea turtles killed and required that only the shrimpers be allowed to monitor the number of dead turtle strandings. The last proposal was attached to a Department of Commerce appropriations bill. [Marine Conservation News, Winter 1995 from Kathy Bricker] In March 1996, Congress shot down a bill which would have permitted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to resume listing endangered species. [R. Featherstone via Internet]
Thanks to everyone who contributed this month and to Mark Witwer, Jack Schoenfelder, Bill Burnett, Marty Marcus and K.S. Mierzwa for stuff I read, but didn't use. Only 2.45 percent of the total CHS membership has contributed to this column in the past year. Let's up the average, hey? Send whole pages of newspaper, or clippings with the date/slug firmly attached with tape. Please put your name on every page. Return address labels work really well for this; several of my super-clippers get rid of all those freebie labels on their clippings. Others use rubber stamps, while Ernie Liner autographs each page with lovely flowing script.
May 1996
No legal export permitted In a decision which surprised even turtle supporters, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced on March 21 that the export quota for box turtles from Louisiana will be zero for 1996. Allen Salzberg of the New York Turtle and Tortoise Society reports: "There simply was not enough scientifically valid evidence supplied by Louisiana to support the U.S. government giving them a non-detriment finding as they must according to CITES, [specifically] that the collection of box turtles will do no harm to the wild population. The official in charge was quoted as saying this was clearly and repeatedly pointed out in the overwhelming number of letters they received from herpetologists and concerned citizens... We expect the state to respond, and other reptiles are being exploited overseas in a similar manner. So, stay tuned and keep your pens handy. Thank you to all who wrote in and spread the word." If you have an e- mail address, send it to Allen and ask to be added to the NYTTS rapidresponse team. NYTTS, 163 Amsterdam Avenue #365, New York, NY 10023. A scary thought was put forward by John Behler of the Wildlife Conservation Society/New York Zoological Society in comments on the box turtle export proposal: "We are in fact exporting our turtle disease problems around the world and the potential for problems of epidemic proportions to wild stocks is high." P.C.H. Pritchard, author of "Turtles of the World," observed: "The data presented indicate an extremely low incidence of turtles of less than adult size... a more probable explanation is that few turtles of these age and size groups are appearing in the commercial collections because they are intrinsically few in a given wild population." After reading the letters from these and other experts, it's easy to see why FWS set the export quota at zero. There was simply no scientific data to show that box turtle populations in Louisiana could sustain any commercial harvest.
New news on newts at risk
Hanson Trust land developers and crested newts in Huntingdon County, England have arrived at a stalemate. Hanson wants to built 5,000 houses, schools and shops on a green field site which contains the largest colonies of Triturus cristatus in Europe. The British Herpetological Society (BHS) has refused to participate in newt relocation. So developers approached English Nature, an organ of the national government. English Nature agreed to move the newts, but World Wildlife Fund protested and threatened court action under European laws which protect the species. A report in the October, 1995 BHS Newsletter reads: "If 30,000 newts could vote, John Major would be out. The great crested newt is to the British pond what the tiger is to the Indian jungle... over the past 100 years, 90 percent of the ponds in which these magnificent amphibians used to live have been filled in and built upon. Many of the ponds that remain are so saturated with fertilizers from local farms that the newts can no longer live in them... In most of the rest of Europe, acid rain has decimated [them]... Lord Hanson... stands to lose 30 million if he is not allowed to go ahead in fill the ponds in to build 5,000 homes [as well as schools, shops and infrastructure] ... English Nature's [spokesperson] said `The main thing is to protect the newts, not the habitat.'... The sad truth is that most of the greater crested newts will be guided by their homing instinct back to the original site, where they will be crushed to death in their thousands under the wheels of Lord Hanson's bulldozers... It does not take a great mathematician to work out that the current site holds just over 13 newts per acre. If 30,000 newts really are going to be captured and relocated on the new 80 acre site, they would find themselves crammed into a habitat containing 375 newts per acre. Surely no habitat could sustain enough food for such voracious predators, let alone room to hide, hibernate and breed... " The British Herpetological Society deserves a lot of credit for their efforts to try and stop the destruction of the homes of 30,000 primordial residents with nowhere else to go. Letters in support of the newts can be sent to Lord Cranbrook (Chairman) English Nature, Northminster House, Peterborough, PE1 1UA, United Kingdom.
Follow-up stories
- Last August, we reported the death of a mother of five after an envenomation in a snake- handling church in Kentucky. The children had been placed with a Cleveland, TN family, but now a Tennessee Supreme Court judge has ruled that their father should have permanent custody. The ruling stipulates that the father, who is a snake-handling minister, must not take the children to churches where venomous reptiles are handled, nor keep venomous snakes in the home. Both rulings may interfere with the minister's freedom of religion and the family which formerly had custody has vowed to appeal the ruling to a higher court in addition to asking a grand jury to convene on circumstances leading to the death of the children's mother. [Memphis, TN Commercial Appeal, December 22, 1994]
- A man bitten by a rattlesnake in a rural Texas Wal-Mart store was awarded $6,000 in damages. [Memphis, TN Commercial Appeal, February 16, 1996 from Bill Burnett; Austin American-Statesman, February 15 from Bill Montgomery]
- CHS member Joseph Jannsen, staff biologist at the Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery and Aquarium in Cold Spring, NY writes that red-eared sliders are becoming "an environmental nuisance on Long Island... common pet store turtles, raised on `turtle farms' down south... at one time were sold in just about every store, along with the plastic bowl setup containing a plastic palm tree..." Most baby red-ears died; the survivors, however, can reach 10 inches. "Here lies the problem. First it is unfair to drop your captive pet in an unfamiliar environment to which it is not even native..." Native painted turtles have been disappearing from Long Island and "other parts of the country where the red-eared slider has been introduced. Both turtles are occupying the same ecological niche." Painted turtles are losing. "The Hatchery receives 40 to 50 [red- ears] each year from people who no longer want them.... Never release the animal into a local lake or pond... [for] if we are not careful, the painted turtle, considered one of our most abundant turtles, may disappear forever." [Fish Hatchery News, Winter, 1995]
Horrid cruelty in Florida
Fourteen years of sharing property with gopher tortoises made a Venice, FL resident familiar with his neighbors, so he knew something was wrong when he saw one writhing and dragging its hind legs. At first, he just put the tortoise in its burrow, but later noticed that it wasn't eating. Animal Control workers took the tortoise to a vet who found that someone had tightly bound its hind legs with rubber bands. Both legs had to be partly amputated. The resident said, "We've just been so beside ourselves that we've got somebody living in our neighborhood, or visiting, that would do something like that." [Gainesville, FL Sun, January 1, 1996 from Ken Dodd]
Kindness in China
The Beijing Review reports that a green turtle rescued, treated and released by Chinese Navy sailors rejoined his "saviors" 100 kilometers away from where it had been let go the first time. In July of 1995, the turtle had swum around the ship several times before the sailors noticed it was injured and its wounds had festered. It was captured, treated and held for two weeks while it healed. Then the sailors wrote "setting free" on its carapace in red paint and put the turtle back in the ocean. [December 3, 1996 from P.L. Beltz]
Envenomation roundup
- A 28-year-old Maryland man almost lost his chance to become 29 when he was bitten by a Gaboon viper he has been keeping for about a year. The bite reportedly occurred after he had placed a water bowl in the Gaboon's enclosure. He picked up the viper, planning to put it closer to the bowl, when the snake struck and envenomated him. The man was taken to the county hospital and treated with antivenin provided by the National Zoo in Washington and the Philadelphia Zoo. The reptile curator at the latter institution described Gaboon envenomation, "There is immediate pain at the site of the injury, dizziness and nausea, swelling and loss of the ability of the blood to clot." After his recovery, the man reportedly plans to have the snake put down. [Washington Post, March 1, 1996 from Kathy Bricker]
- An Albuquerque, NM man was hospitalized after a bite from a pet rattlesnake. Investigating animal control officers found a foot-long alligator, several 2- to 2.5-foot rattlesnakes and a 3- foot python in the home. County regulations require registration of exotic fauna, but possession is legal. [Albuquerque Journal, February 2,1 996 from J.N. Stuart]
Jerry Garcia's ghost?
Call it instant karma. A 36-year-old Texas man killed a timber rattlesnake by cutting off its head. When he went to pick the head up, the dead head bit him. The 36-year-old was taken to the hospital by ambulance and then sent to another hospital with better facilities. He stopped breathing twice during transport, but was resuscitated both times. He was on life support for a couple of days and was then kept under observation for a few more. [Elgin Courier, October 11, 1995 from Bill Montgomery]
Souvenir salmonella
Fifty visitors to the Denver Zoo got sick with a rare strain of salmonella bacteria they picked up when they visited or petted Komodo Dragons at the zoo's "Dragon Days" festival. Health workers speculate that the dragons defecated in the temporary wooden enclosure and then spread the bacteria around with their feet and tails. Visitors who petted the dragons or merely hung on the barrier were affected, suggesting that the bacteria was fairly widely spread around the exhibit. One child was hospitalized with a 104-degree fever, bloody diarrhea and vomiting. He reportedly had held some straw from the pen. The victims ranged from four- to 23-years-old, although most were under 14 according to an epidemiologist with the Colorado Health Department. The Komodos are back behind glass and the zoo says they'll never be out to touch again. [Phoenix Gazette, March 1, 1996 from Tom Taylor; Houston Chronicle, March 2 from David E. Johnson]
"Sometimes, we become so comfortable with our pets and the animals we handle at the [Akron, OH] Zoo that we forget the `hazards'... and become complacent... Parents need to be made aware that children could become ill if they put their hands in their mouths while handling, or after handling reptiles... keep reptiles away from areas where food is prepared and [do] not wash aquariums, cages, food dishes, etc. in the kitchen sink. Also, if you clean containers in a bathtub or sink... [wash well] with soap and water before being used to wash or bathe in... [no] reptiles in childcare centers... [Caution] anyone with a weakened immune system, including pregnant women, to avoid reptiles..." [Akron Zoological Park Edzoocation/Information, February 1996 from Jim Zimmerman]
Guidelines issued recently by the U.S. Department of Health prevent the keeping of live animals where food is cut, prepared, or distributed. Local health agencies should be alerted if turtles or frogs are being kept live in grocery stores due to the risk of salmonella. [Allen Salzberg, NYTTS March 15, 1996]
Environmental toll
Automobile tolls collected on Florida's highway known as "Alligator Alley" will be the first highway in the nation to direct its monies to environmental projects. The state agency in charge of water resources in the area will direct the spending. The project is expected to generate $62 million a year to be divided between Everglades and Southern Florida projects. [Chicago Tribune, December 29, 1995 from Steve Ragsdale]
Gives a new meaning to "safe sex" An Akron, OH naturalist barricaded a local parkway to protect migrating spotted salamanders, spring peepers and wood frogs. He said, "It would be a real shame to have so many killed in the road," and outlined other threats to salamander survival in the area. Six volunteers joined the naturalist "oohing" and "aahing" at the salamanders crossing the road. [Akron, OH Plain Dealer, February 28, 1996 from Jim Zimmerman]
Home, home on the dunes The Coachella Valley National Wildlife Refuge supports a population of endangered fringe-toed lizards. Biologists have found that the lizards need moving dunes for habitat, so they are rehabilitating farm lands purchased to increase the size of the preserve. Unfortunately, no lizards have been found in the newly created artificial dunes, although conservationists point out that the first batch of dunes was only completed about 2.5 years ago and may not have built up whatever it is that the lizards need for survival. [U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Endangered Species Bulletin, January/February 1996 from J.N. Stuart]
Ssshow down in the show-me state Ever notice how legislators tend to take stuff personally? The most recent example of this trend occurred when a Missouri representative killed a reported "copperhead" snake he found on his front porch with a garden hoe. He discovered that he had violated the state wildlife code and could have been fined $500 if successfully prosecuted. So he introduced legislation making it legal to kill any snake by any means on private property. Reptile specialists, conservationists, and the general public protested mightily, pointing out the law could lead to organized snake hunts such as those in Texas and Oklahoma. No one testified in favor of the proposed law in a hearing, and so it died in committee. [Springfield, MO News-Leader, February 15, 1996 from Mr. Laverne A. Copeland]
Smuggling down under Reuters news agency reports that a 28-year-old German biology student was accused of trying to smuggle Australian lizards and snakes at Perth's domestic airport. A spokesman for Australian Customs said the man was arrested carrying "a total of 38 live geckos, including pregnant females, and four snakes, including a Pilbara death adder, a Stimson's python, and two Pygmy pythons. The student told Customs officials that the reptiles had been collected for research purposes. [February 3, 1996 from Allen Salzberg] More charges may be filed against an Australian who was previously sentenced for smuggling lizards worth $20,000 into New Zealand. The 19-year-old unemployed stable hand pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six months in jail (although the sentence was suspended) and fined $4,000. The lizards were found in pillowcases in a box with a false bottom. Of the 44 lizards placed in the box, 18 had died by the time Customs found them. [Daily Telegraph Mirror, May 5, 1995 from Moko, newsletter of the New Zealand Herp Society, Summer 1995/1996 (northern winter, not slow mail)]
Frog-tales Kermit the Frog, was the grand marshal of the 107th Tournament of Roses parade. The first non-human to lead the parade was perched on the back seat of a 1948 luxury car and surrounded by banks of green flowers. Space below was provided for the man behind the frog to preserve the illusion originally created by the late Jim Henson. [Chicago Tribune, January 1, 1996 from steve Ragsdale]
"Amphibia" a new eau de toilette "pour homme, femme, et frog" was reviewed as an unsatisfactory product by Mary Roach in TV Guide: "I wore Amphˇb a on my third date... he said he found me riveting which I heard as ribbitting, as in `ribbit, ribbit,' and I got all defensive... he assured me I didn't smell like a swamp... I stuck my tongue out at him, to which he responded that it was the wrong time of year for flies, and besides, the food would be arriving shortly." She concluded that neither the man, nor the perfume would be part of her future life. [February 10-16, 1996 from Tom Taylor] What's next? Aroma-therapy snake-oil?
Spearheaded by CHS member Jim Harding, Michigan's Department of Natural Resources has put together a statewide network of frog call monitoring volunteers. The plan is to gather baseline data from which apparent decline or increase can be calculated. [The Plain Dealer, February 6, 1996 from Jim Zimmerman] Researchers have discovered that right-handedness prevails in two common species of toad. Experiments constituted putting bits of paper on the toads' heads and counting which hand was most used to scrape off the paper. Then a series of cane toads were turned upside down. Most used their right hand to right themselves. [U.S. News and World Report, February 12, 1996 from Tom Taylor] Art imitates life in advertisements for Bad Frog Beer. The "Bad Frog" has its middle right hand digit elevated in a gesture interpreted as obscene by some humans, although others consider it merely a "brew-ha-ha." [Chicago Tribune, January 1, 1996 from Steve Ragsdale]
They monitor the monitors... "During a recent visit to Ghana in West Africa I engaged the assistance of a number of reptile catchers normally employed by animal exporters. None of the animal catchers are from Ghana, most are economic refugees from Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta). Thanks to their expertise we marked many hundreds of monitor lizards over a short time. The monitor lizards live in fields which are also home to a large number of cobra and vipers. None of the trappers have boots. They wear a couple of pairs of ragged socks and sandals cut from worn-out tyres..." He asked readers in Great Britain with old boots to let him know since he was going back to Ghana in March, 1996. He continues, "You will have the satisfaction of knowing that your redundant footwear is being put to good use and I can feel better about paying grown men paperboy wages to risk life and limb in the pursuit of monitor lizards. Daniel Bennett"
Good to the last drop At 85-years young, Bill Haast has returned to Florida where he is building a new serpentarium at Puenta Gorda. Haast had a famous serpentarium in Florida for nearly 40 years, but closed it after a child died from injuries sustained after it fell into the crocodile pit. The new facility is for venom milking and no tourist shows are planned. Haast has been bitten 162 times, most recently in December, 1995 but considers himself immune to venom. Since 1948, Haast has injected himself with snake venom and his blood contains sufficient venom antibodies that it has been used as an antivenin in other snake bite cases. [Plain Dealer, February 13, 1996 from Jim Zimmerman]
Thanks to everyone who contributed material for this column and to Mark T. Witwer, Steve Ragsdale, J.H Schoenfelder, Bill Burnett, Ernie Liner, Brian Bankowski, Dee Fick, J.N. Stuart, Alan Willard, E.A. Zorn, Allen Salzberg, Garrett Kazmierski, Marty Marcus, Jim Zimmerman, Ray Boldt, Dreux Watermoelen, Debra Patla, Sue Black, and David Blatchford for duplicates, photos, cards and letters. Become a contributor by sending whole sheets of newspaper or clippings with date/publication slug firmly attached with tape. Please put your name on each page. Mail contributions, but positively no redundant footwear me. Praise, comments, and all complaints to our editor, please - madadder0@aol.com - .
June 1996
Ploughshares vanish Allen Salzberg wrote: "72 juveniles and 2 adult females were stolen from the Amphijoroa Forest Park in Madagascar last week...Details are sketchy of who and what, but it is known they are headed for the pet trade. The nearest phone is miles away and news will be trickling in. For those who don't how serious this is... There are less than 400 [Yniphora] known in the world... wild populations are threatened by habitat destruction... [the] project was an attempt to raise these turtles in captivity, scientifically, for eventual release once the habitat problems have been solved. Now all that work is down the tubes and the future of the species is very, very gloomy. Please be advised that if anyone tries to sell you one, no many how many seemingly legal papers he or she has... and [you] would like to help, send the information to the [two major sponsors of the project] John Behler, Bronx Zoo, 718-212-5157 or Lee Durrell at the Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust. Your name will be held in strict confidence." Another source of information on this theft is through the WWF Global Network, or by contacting John Newby, Africa/Madagascar Programme, WWF International, Switzerland. Later reports indicated that half the hatchlings from the only breeding group in captivity were taken from a locked compound surrounded by a chain-link fence. The Malagasy head of the breeding station, Mr. Mamy Razandrimamilafiniarivo, is taking classes in Endangered Species conservation in Jersey, England said "I am devastated, that half the work of ten years could be wiped out so suddenly."
Poisonous turtles of the Caribbean? "The Zanzibar Revolutionary Government is conducting investigations to establish what kind of poison killed [24] persons who ate turtle meat on the island... The government chief chemist told the press... his office had already received the shell of the turtle, samples of the blood of the dead people, and utensils used in the cooking of the animal. The turtle was fished out last week at Vitongojini in Chake Chake District, Kusini Pemba region, and its meat was cut into pieces for sale. About 201 people are said to have eaten the meat... Minister for Agriculture, Brigadier General Adam Mwakanjuki, said poisonous turtles originated from Caribbean islands and that they had been injected with the poison to prevent fishermen from eating them. He said this was because of the turtle trade boom on the islands that greatly threatened their survival..." [The Guardian, March 22, 1996 from Fiona Clark] Scott Eckert from Hubbs Sea-World Research Institute wrote that "Marydele Donnely (Program Officer for the IUCN/SSC Marine Turtle Specialist Group) , Dr. Karen Eckert (Executive Director of the Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network: WIDECAST) , and Dr. Anne Meylan (Florida Marine Research Inst.), have already sent a large quantity of information to the Government of Zanzibar. Karen and Marydele were contacted directly by the[m]... last week and through them... [put] in contact with the World Health Organization and the Center for Disease Control... the allegation of Caribbean turtles being `toxified' to harm persons eating the turtles is absolutely without merit, and that it is virtually impossible for Caribbean turtles to even get to the coast of Zanzibar."
Frozen herps wanted "The leather industry has long had a love affair with the hides of certain snakes and lizards; currently the trade stands in the millions of dollars in the U.S. alone. While CITES rules and regulations appear to regulate this trade, enforcement is difficult... Identification of a snake species from ...the toe of a... shoe or comprising the whole of a watch strap is no easy chore. Without certification of the identification of species imported, the CITES rules provide little protection. The National Fish and Wildlife Forensic Laboratory is the only identification laboratory in the country working toward providing species level identification of wildlife used in producing commercial products. Right now, we are in need of Asian species of snakes and several species of Varanid lizards. If you are associated with an institution, or know of a breeder, hobbyist, or researcher who has material of this type, please help me find him/her. I am in a position to offer: 1) Tax deduction verification for market value of donated materials. 2) Loan of ice chests, coolers, etc. for transport. 3) Free packing material and the loan of "Blue" ice packs. 4) Prepaid overnight mailing labels (FedEx prepaid if necessary) for getting the material to me. ...in return for whole FROZEN (no alcohol, no formalin) specimens of taxa currently (and projected) in the leather trade. Virtually any medium to large sized snake from Asia counts (medium being Elaphe obsoleta or Pituophis melanoleuca size), as well as many of our larger rattlesnakes (Crotalus atrox, C. adamanteus, C. horridus, etc). I also need all Varanus except V. salvator and V. exanthematicus (unless you have some with accurate collection data). Collection data not required. If you can help, please consider it. I will have these specimens tanned and will retain the skulls and skeletons here in our comparative osteology collection." Contact - Steve_Busack@mail.fws.gov -.
Turtle-Safe* shrimp campaign launchedAt a news conference on April 25 in Houston, TX, the ASPCA, The Fund For Animals, The Humane Society of the United States Join Earth Island Institute in Turtle-Safe* Shrimp Eco-labeling Campaign joined pilots of LightHawk in announcing their support of a coalition of 30 environmental groups to end the slaughter of endangered sea turtles by the shrimp fishing industry in U.S. waters. The groups feel that the US government has not gone far enough in enforcing turtle excluder device (TED) use and propose a consumer-powered campaign may eventually be more effective. Shrimpers who sign onto the program will have their catch certified as "Turtle-Safe*" and will be able to use the logo on their boats and product, according to Todd Steiner, Director of the Sea Turtle Restoration Project of Earth Island Institute. "Don't eat shrimp unless it's Turtle-Safe*," added Carole Allen of Help Endangered Animals - Ridley Turtles (HEART), a Houston, Texas-based organization which has spearheaded the coalition-building effort. LightHawk, the "Wings of Conservation," is supporting the campaign by providing "eyes in the skies." They will be flying sea turtle conservationists over Gulf Coast beaches, searching for stranded sea turtles and monitoring the activities of the shrimp fleet. Federal data shows a strong correlation between sea turtle strandings and shrimping effort. Contact Todd Steiner seaturtles@earthisland.org for more information. [* = marca registrada r in circle character]
Nifty way to keep in touch On April 25, Colleen Coogan posted a "how-to" guide to get a copy of the 1996 amendments to the TED regulations, proposed rule from the Government Printing Office website at: http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/aces/aaces002.html. "[First] select the database to search from the list given: Federal Register, Volume 61, [then] enter the document ID number in the field labeled `Search Terms': 011696D, [and] press the button labeled `Submit.' This should find the proper regulation, dated 24 April, 1996. To view the entire regulation, select `Text.'" I tried this and it worked. In brief, the rules propose requiring "the use of top-opening hard turtle excluder devices (TEDs) in certain areas, and strengthening other existing sea turtle conservation measures during the 1996 shrimping season," according to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). "These proposed changes would provide permanent management measures and would likely alleviate the need for emergency restrictions such as those that have occurred in recent years... Comments on this proposed rule must be submitted on or before June 10, 1996 to the Chief, Endangered Species Division, Office of Protected Resources, NMFS, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910." Late comments are also acceptable, but may not be included in the agency reply to comment.
What has the right-of-way? "The state of Ohio is proposing a new highway, I-73... to connect Toledo to Columbus, Ohio. In so doing, it will pass through several areas noted for biological diversity. It will pass just south of the Delaware Wildlife Area in Delaware, Ohio. While the proposed highway will not, to the best of my knowledge, directly contact the wildlife area, there is some concern that run-off from the highway could easily enter the wetlands and ephemeral ponds in the Wildlife Area and the surrounding area. These ponds are used annually for breeding [by] salamanders, frogs and toads. In addition, the Wildlife Area is known for its breeding bird population, including waterfowl and wetlands species that rely upon the water to survive. The Olentangy River also runs through the proposed highway area. The Olentangy is one of the more scenic rivers in Ohio and hosts many species of fish, invertebrate, and some amphibians and reptiles. Occasionally, mudpuppies can be found in the Olentangy and less common salamanders can be found in its tributaries. This is due primarily to the water quality and the geology of the area... Environmental impact studies have not yet been done, but should be strongly considered. Meetings on the issue... have been held. So far the votes have been in favor of the new highway, despite local opposition... if there is a strong enough public out-cry, additional votes and opportunity for public comment [may] occur. The U.S. Representative from the Delaware, Ohio area is John Kasich. Central and District offices of ODOT should also be contacted as it is ODOT that will consider opposition to the project and rank it, along with other statewide projects. The Central ODOT office: Jerry Wray, ODOT, 25 S. Front Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215. The District ODOT office: Jack Marchbanks, ODOT District 6, 400 East William Street, Delaware, Ohio 43015." Gregory Watkins-Colwell, April 29, 1996.
Hiss "cheese" "The Garter Snakes: Evolution and Ecology" by Douglas A. Rossman, Neil B. Ford, and Richard A. Seigel, "is the first comprehensive review of the genus Thamnophis in nearly ninety years. The book includes color plates of all species (many never previously figured in color); extensive discussion of ecology, behavior, and captive care; and a modern key to all species
as well as species-by-species summaries of the systematics and natural history of the thirty different garter snakes now recognized. Of particular interest are the descriptions of lesser-known species in Mexico... This up-to-date, appealing book, written by the world's leading authorities, will be extremely useful not only to herpetologists but also to conservationists, ecologists, pet owners, and other readers generally interested in natural history... Douglas A. Rossman is Curator of Reptiles in the Museum of Natural Science and Adjunct Professor of Zoology at Louisiana State University. Neil B. Ford is Professor of Biology at the University of Texas at Tyler. Richard A. Seigel is Associate Professor of Biological Sciences at Southeastern Louisiana University." For more information, contact: Sara Hitch, University of Oklahoma Press, 1005 Asp Avenue, Norman, OK 73019-0445.
Yeah! The long-awaited publication of the Wisconsin Herpetological Atlas Project [WHAP], "Geographic Distributions of the Amphibians and Reptiles of Wisconsin" by Gary S. Casper was recently announced via e-mail: "... softcover ... new distribution maps for all species of amphibians and reptiles in Wisconsin... updates published ranges with over 450 new distribution records collected by... a scientific program of the Milwaukee Public Museum, Inc. All proceeds from the sale of this book go towards funding the Herp Atlas Project, which continues to collect data on the biogeography of Wisconsin amphibians and reptiles. Future publications including a new hardcover field guide, are planned. Museum Shop, Milwaukee Public Museum, 800 W Wells St, Milwaukee, WI 53233 414-278-2795.
FAQ#2 "Is Xenopus laevis a protected species, despite the fact that it was introduced?" Answer: "It is not protected per se, but its possession and importation in California are illegal without a permit.
Permits are normally only granted to institutions. The simple reason is that Fish and Game doesn't want them spread around any more than they have already been. About 20 years ago X. laevis was found, apparently reproducing, in a creek in northern California. This was several years after it had been established in Southern California, and all the conjecture that up north would be too cold for these frogs proved groundless. The greatest concern was that the creek is part of the vast Sacramento-San Joaquin River drainage, home to very substantial anadromous fish and native anuran populations, potentially vulnerable to clawed frog predation. The effort to eliminate the frog from the creek was very involved, very expensive, and ultimately successful only because waterflow could be controlled via dams, the creek was small, and the frogs had only invaded a limited area. It could easily happen again, and extirpation might not be so successful next time, and that is why possession of these frogs is illegal. Sean Barry
Turtle book for kids "Turtles" by Anita Baskin Salzberg and Allen Salzberg (of the NY Turtle & Tortoise Society) is aimed at the grade 3 to 7 readership, but is described as "perfect for any turtle book collection for all ages." The authors are selling them for $20.00, autographed on request.
Feral iguanas in US? Fri, 3 May 1996: "I live in Palm Beach County, Florida. There are [feral iguana] populations in Lake Worth, Ft. Lauderdale and especially Miami. One... has been around since the 1950's. I have caught babies through large adults, including gravid females."
Spanish Sea Turtle nicknames From Costa Rica: Olive Ridley - Tortuga Lora; Black - Tortuga Negra; Hawksbill - Tortuga Carey; and Leatherback - Tortuga Baula. Whitney L. Chamberlin, Programs Director, Fundacion TUVA, Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica
From Mexico: Olive ridley - la golfina; Kemp's ridley - la lora; Hawksbill - carey; Green - verde or blanca; Black - negra or prieta; Loggerhead - caguama, perica, or javalina; leatherback - siete filos, caguama altura, or laud; and flatback - kikila. Jeffrey Seminoff, SRNR-Wildlife Ecology University of Arizona - Tucson.
From Colombia: Loggerhead -Tortuga Gogo; Leatherback -Tortuga Canal, Siete Cueros; Hawksbill - Tortuga Carey; Green - Tortuga Verde; and Kemp's ridley (very rare) - Tortuga Lora. Nestor Raul Anzola, Biological Sciences Department, University of Southern Mississippi.
FAQ#2.1 "Is Xenopus protected, even though it is introduced? Answer: "I assume you mean in the U.S.? Possession of Xenopus laevis is prohibited in some areas because it is such a rugged species. It used to be used for pregnancy testing in the 1940's and it got out... They are tough competition for the local frogs for a few reasons: they have a sense of smell (apparently most frogs don't); they will eat anything, even if it is not moving; they can be very aggressive when necessary. Despite all that, you can get them in `grow frogs from tadpoles' kits... [although] you can't have Xenopus shipped to certain states. I don't remember the whole list, but [it includes] California (where they have established a presence) and Hawaii (which is sensitive about foreign organisms). Mark S."
Turtle rookery "in the way" "The Sri Lankan government is currently presiding over a decision to allow he construction of an oil refinery on 1,200 hectares of land bordering the Bundala Wildlife Sanctuary on the south coast of Sri Lanka (south coast measures approx. 250 km)... one of the most ecologically important wetlands in the country... [which was] declared protected under the "Ramsar International Convention for the Protection of Wetlands". The sanctuary provides wintering grounds for thousands of migratory birds... 149 bird species have been recorded to date. The 48 species of mammal fauna recorded in the sanctuary include the Leopard and the Asian Elephant. The 16 km of coastline forming the southern border of the sanctuary provides rookeries for the Green, Olive Ridley, Leatherback, Loggerhead and Hawksbill turtles. Breeding population numbers for the turtle species are unknown but described as significant... [Several] government departments and NGO's have submitted objections to the refinery project to the government's Technical Evaluation Committee... These organizations are protesting about various issues from destructive environmental impacts due to oil spills, terrorist attacks and construction oversights, to insufficient positive socio-economic impacts and inadequate national economic benefits (apparently, the Sri Lankan treasury will only receive 2.25 percent of revenue)... Although the project will provide 800 jobs to members of the local (and generally impoverished) fishing communities, the protesting organizations are worried that the local environment will be significantly damaged by oil contamination if the refinery goes ahead. However, despite these protests there is a general feeling that the refinery project will be given the go ahead by the Sri Lankan government because the project proponents have a lot of political clout. I have been asked to gather documents and materials from around the world that illustrate the potential negative environmental impacts of oil spills. These materials will be used in workshops held in local communities on the South coast which aim to educate local communities about potential hazards of oils spills. These sort of materials are in desperately short supply in Sri Lanka and most of the communities on the south coast have absolutely no idea about oils spills as they have never encountered anything of the sort. The TCP is particularly interested in obtaining information, pictures, videos, etc. about oil spills that have directly affected turtle rookeries and feeding grounds. I would be most grateful if anybody could send such items to the Turtle Conservation Project (TCP), 14/ A, De Saram Rd., Mount Lavinia, Sri Lanka, Fax: 94 1 732371. If anybody knows of any fax numbers, E-mail, postal contact addresses of organisations that have this sort of information please send me their details to the E-mail address given above... thanks very much to all those who wrote to the SL government regarding turtle conservation in Sri Lanka. Today, the TCP was granted permission to carry out "in situ" nest protection and rookery research on the south coast by the government's Dept. of Wildlife Conservation (DWLC). We will begin the programme in July... Writing letters to governments in support of causes really does work... and in this case the TCP's work towards the conservation of turtles in Sri Lanka would not have been possible without such letters... Yours, Peter Richardson"
They were "in the way" From the United Kingdom "Dear Ellin: Latest on the newt story. Looks like the Lord Hanson versus the newts conflict has been resolved with the not surprising result of Mega International Developer 1, newts 0. According to the latest issue (#15) of the British Herpetological Society Newsletter, half of the newts' habitat at a Site of Special Scientific Interest (i.e. please leave well alone) is going to be destroyed in creating a new town called Hampton. This requires a massive translocation of 30,000 Great Crested Newts (Britain's rarest and protected urodele) and reluctantly the Conservation Committee of the BHS have agreed to join a liaison group set up by English Nature (a Governmental body) and the developers Hanson Land. Three thousand newts have already been translocated, lets hope they've forgotten their way back home." Dave Blatchford, May 10, 1996.
Drugging reptiles Someone tried to administer liquid medications to a "medium-sized Russian tortoise" which wouldn't say "AH." Brian Lindsay replied: "You'll need a friend to help you. What we do at the clinic is have one person grab the two front legs and pull them out of the shell and hold them. The other person should have the medication in a syringe. The person with the syringe should tap the tortoise on the beak until it gets really mad and bites the syringe. After it bites the syringe slowly dribble in the medication and wait for the tortoise to let go of the syringe. It works for us."
Drugs and reptiles "In the US, drugs worth up to $26 million a year have been found in animal imports. But Samuel LaBudde of the Endangered Species Project said, `Only five per cent of shipments are inspected. The real value of this contraband may be approaching $500 million every year.' ...Interpol has uncovered at least one case of snakes stuffed with narcotics at Stockholm airport. And Jean-Patrick Le Duc of the Switzerland-based Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species has confirmed that his organization is investigating the links between drug smugglers and the trade in animals. The relationship between organized criminals such as the Chinese Triads, the Japanese yakuza, Russian gangsters and the Mafia, as well as the Cali and Medellin cocaine cartels in Colombia, and the $5 billion-a-year illegal trade in wildlife is well established..." [Electronic Telegraph, April 29, 1996 from James N. Stuart.]
FAQ#2.2 "Is Xenopus protected, even though it is introduced?" Answer: "... The intent of the ban (apparently) is to prevent further introductions; because of that, I suspect F and W wouldn't enforce it if they found somebody who was demonstrably catching and executing Xenopi, or something like that. On a related note, the bullfrog is protected as a game species in Oregon, though it's an introduced monstrosity that wreaks havoc with any number of sensitive native species. You can take all the red-legged frogs you want, if the bullfrogs have spared any, but you need a fishing license to take bullfrogs." Nathan Tenny, Qualcomm, Inc., San Diego, CA
Abnormal, eerie quiet Scientific research in the wilderness in and around Yosemite National Park documents "a large-scale collapse of an entire community of frog species... all seven native species of frogs and toads in the Yosemite region have declined since early in the century. Three of the species have disappeared from the still largely pristine study area... Researchers say the new study, published in the current issue of the journal Conservation Biology, provides some of the best evidence that the declines are a long-term problem... The researchers, Charles Drost, who was a zoologist with the National Park Service at the time of this research and is now with the National Biological Service, and Dr. Gary Fellers, an ecologist with the National Biological Service, took advantage of a survey done in 1915 by some of the country's leading zoologists... [Drost and Fellers] consistently turned up far fewer frogs and toads than did their predecessors. Three species, the red-legged frog, the foothill yellow-legged frog and the great basin spadefoot, were not found at any of the original or new sites searched..." Only non-native bullfrogs were doing better in 1992 than in the earlier study. Many factors were studied and, while fish "cannot be assigned all the blame... [they have] played a role. Before people began stocking trout heavily in the lakes and streams in the Yosemite area in the 1920s, no fish were present at elevations above 4,000 feet. Researchers on the 1915 survey noted that in the few places where fish had been introduced, frogs were essentially absent. The introduced trout eat eggs, tadpoles and adult frogs... other causes of the declines are unclear. The culprits might include chemical pollution, disease and increasing ultraviolet light. [New York Times, April, 30, 1996 from Gary Fellers]
Thanks to everyone who contributed to this column, particularly my e-mail correspondents who posted 309 messages during my recent three week vacation. Next month, back to the clippings. My "mail-pile" was 19 inches high and I'm about half through it. I should know better than to leave town! Watch for a resumption of normal, columnar behavior in the July issue.
Reader's Favorite Websites
Mick & Karen Fagre - The Uromastyx home page: http://home.earthlink.net/~fagre/uro/
Mike - 1) The Minnesota New Country School Frog Project deals with the problem of deformed frogs in local ponds: http://www.mncs.k12.mn.us/frog/frog.html 2) Deformed frog pictures: http://www.mncs.k12.mn.us/frog/picts.html
Ross Alford - email addresses of most Australian herpetologists, are available on the JCU Australian Herpetology www site maintained by Geordie Torr: http://www.jcu.edu.au/dept/Zoology/herp/herp2.html Marc Girondot database of tagged turtles (Leatherbacks mainly) in French Guiana. Choose "Kawana project" link: http://www.ijm.jussieu.fr/dnp/anglais/dnp.html
Daniel Shapiro - zoonoses (diseases of animals transmitted to humans). This includes some infections that can be potentially transmitted from reptiles and amphibians to humans: http://med-med1.bu.edu/dshapiro/zoo1.htm - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has launched two new World Wide Web servers. This effort supports our goal of sharing our data and information... - Region 6, Mountain-Prairie Region: http://www.r6.fws.gov/www/fws/
- Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge: http://www.fws.gov/~r3pao/mnvhome.html
- [Main]USFWS Home Page: http://www.fws.gov/
- for all of the USFWS servers: http://www.fws.gov/servers.html
Gary Casper - The first Great Lakes Declining Amphibians Conference was held on March 30... and was a smashing success. Over 150 people attended, from 5 states and Ontario... Abstracts of all papers presented are now available on our Web site at: http://www.mei.com/other/mpm/collect/daptf.html [which]... also contains links to many other amphibian resources.
Neil Ford - University of Texas - Tyler Biology Department's homepage: http://www.uttyl.edu/~biology/Biology.html
Kevin Reagan - FAQ ["Frequently Answered Question"] how to find people's e-mail addresses: http://www.qucis.queensu.ca/FAQs/email/finding.html
Kevin Ostanek - Pitvipers of the Americas: http://www.ncweb.com/users/gostanek/
Joshua Modover - NMFS Protected Resources - main page links to all the information available on the site: http://kingfish.ssp.nmfs.gov/tmcintyr/prot_res.html
James Webster - Lizards! Lizards! Lizards! site: http://www.sirius.com/~jwebster/Lizards/LizardsLizardsLizards.html
July 1996
Ugly trend developing? Bureau of Land Management workers discovered that 134 hatchling desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) had been stolen from the Clark County (Nevada) Desert Tortoise Conservation Center. "It's like someone broke into our hose and stole our children," said a biologist working for the center. Workers speculate that the hatchlings were taken for the illegal international trade in rare reptiles. The theft is a violation of both the Federal Endangered Species Act and the Lacey Act, which prohibits transportation of plants and animals removed illegally from the wild and transported across state lines. Violations carry up to $100,000 and a year in jail per count, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). In addition, the hatchlings were the data set for an ongoing nutrition study on the species. USFWS is offering a reward for information leading to conviction(s). [Las Vegas Review-Journal, April 23, 1996 from Bob Pierson]
The Caymanian Compass carried the AP - Johannesburg, South Africa story which read: "Half the babies of a rare species of tortoise in Madagascar, born at an isolated captive breeding site on the island, have been stolen... Ampijoroa, 450 kilometers (280 miles) northwest of Madagascar's capital, Antananarivo, is the only captive breeding site of the plough share tortoise in the world. In ten years, 162 babies have been born there..." [May 16, 1996 from Larry Reed]
Busted! Two Louisiana men were arrested and cited on "numerous violations" in connection with the theft and sale of two white alligators. They were charged with "possessing alligators in closed season, illegal possession of alligators, illegal possession of white alligators and illegal possession of stolen things... and selling alligators without a license," according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. The alligators were allegedly stolen from an alligator farm in a different parish. [April 12, 1996 from Theron Magers]
An "Accidental" Tourist? An officer from the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission showed up at an Indiana tourist's hotel room after the tourist called the FGFWFC to find out how to take home two alligators he'd just caught on a road. The man told FGFWFC that he already had two legal alligators which he'd bought from a pet shop in Hammond, IN. He said, "I'm a little bit embarrassed by the whole situation. Here I was, basically turning myself in." [Orlando Sentinel, January 26, 1996]
But, the plot thickens... Contributor Bill Burnett found the next part of the story in the same paper on February 3: "The caper of the alligators `found' by an Indiana tourist last week turned into a felony case Friday when commission officers arrested a maintenance worker at the Gatorland zoo and charged him with selling the gators to the tourist for $150... the tourist... denied buying the gators [from his home in Indiana]."
Shrimp vs turtles continues According to The Chicago Tribune the U.S. government has moved to ban importation of shrimp from countries that endanger sea turtles during the shrimp harvest. Most affected will be Thailand, India, China, Bangladesh and Honduras. "Shrimp may be imported only from countries whose boats use devices to prevent turtles from being caught, those with cold-water shrimping grounds that have no turtles or those where nets are retrieved manually," continued the report which mentioned that the U.S. imported $1.2 billion of shrimp "last year." [May 4, 1996 from Ray Boldt and Claus Sutor]
Sixteen months of litigation in the dispute over sea turtle deaths off Texas and Louisiana shores ended in March after a federal judge threw out a lawsuit in Galveston in February. The U.S. Department of Commerce had been accused by four environmental groups of failing to protect sea turtles. [Houma, LA Courier March 25, 1996 from Ernie Liner and HEART newsletter from Carole Allen]
Frog deities The Indian Express reports "Berhampur: Villagers of Khajuria in Ganjam district worshipped a frog... to please the rain God Indra, as the dry spell continued to delay cultivation... farmers... firmly believed that there would be adequate rain if the rain god was pleased with this unique method of worship. A big live frog tied with a bamboo stick was carried by villagers who roamed in and around the village chanting couplets in honour of the wife of Lord Indra." [March 16, 1996 from Harry Andrews]
In the southwestern U.S., similar rituals were being practiced by natives of Albuquerque, N.M. "Over at the Rio Grande Nature Center, they get a little punchy when the weather turns really dry... `We have bullfrogs out here,' jokes ranger Heidi Soergel. `We make people pray to the deity by kissing the frogs.'" [May 27, 1996 Alburquerque Journal from J.N. Stuart] It must have worked; it was raining the day the article was written.
In South Florida, the calls of mating frogs are keeping residents awake: "A series of torrential rain storms has triggered breeding season... wildlife officials said they have been swamped with calls from homeowners who can't sleep... wildlife experts said the noisy nights are here to stay until the end of the rainy season, in October." [Memphis, TN Commercial Appeal June 14, 1996 from Bill Burnett]
"On a dark and none too warm evening, the alder swamp rings with the triumphant chorus of a whole nation of spring peepers. The living, exultant noise sounds like a frenzy of tiny sleighbells, and through it one hears the musical trilling of the common toad, and the occasional jug-o-rum of a bullfrog. Heard nearby, the din from the swamp is almost deafening. It is a Dionysian ecstasy of night and spring, a shouting and | |