20th ANNUAL LIHS Reptile and Amphibian Show

Transcription

Support the LIHS
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$25.00
HERPETOFAUNA
Journal
of the
Long Island Herpetological Society
September/October 2009
Volume 19, Issue 5
NEXT LIHS MEETING DATE – October 11, 2009
ReptileMania: A 1-hour documentary by Bill Love ( U.S.A. ) and Adrian Hemens ( Australia ). It highlights how the hobby of herp-keeping evolved from its humble beginnings in the early 1960s to the
mega-business it is today. Bill and Adrian traveled widely to record the story from the people who
made it happen, filming and interviewing many of the 'herp-household' names (Mark O’Shea, Bob Applegate, Dr Bern Bechtel, Russ Case, Bill Brant, Richard D. Bartlett, Bert Langerwerf, Bob Clark, Kathy
Love, Jeff Barringer, Wayne Hill, and many more ) you know well. Bring your favorite beverage and
snack, and enjoy the movie
20th Annual LIHS Reptile & Amphibian Show
October 17th, 2009 ( pages 7 – 11 )
SPONSORED by ZOOMED
A Basic Guide to Corn Snake Genetic Manipulation – Part 2 - Page 12
What’s Exotic? - Page 15
Burms in South Carolina ( its TRUE – Read on…. ) – Page 20
NHS Recruits Snakes to Treat Depression – Page 24
Terrariums: Exo Terra versus ZooMed – Page 27
The Tentacled Snake – Page 30
Hellbenders – Page 32
Herpin’ Projects – Page 42 – 43
Mali Uromastyx – Page 44
Herp Marketplace – Pages 54 - 56
Meeting Dates & Information – Page 57
AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
PRESENTS: FROGS: A CHORUS OF COLORS – page 52/53 for additional info
LIHS Executive Board Nominations – CLOSE at October Meeting
LIHS PRESIDENT MESSAGE Summer 2009
Well, the summer is officially over & fall is almost upon us. I hope everyone had a great summer and after a long summer hiatus - I personally am looking forward to LIHS monthly meetings
again. We have a lot planned for the up & coming year starting with our annual Reptile Show this
October 17th at Roosevelt Hall in Farmingdale College. A few of you may even recall when we first
started this event over 20 years ago. That first Reptile Show was held at the Copiague Library & it
was strictly a Show with no vendors. It was run like a Dog show where members brought their beloved Reptilian pets to show off & win awards. The response of members was overwhelming & we
literally had to turn people away because the small Library room we had the show in was filled to
Capacity. The local news was even there & a few people got their 15 seconds of fame along with
their pet.
Since then the show has evolved into a somewhat different event with vendors & the animal
shows in a much larger space. The board has discussed a few times that we would like to bring back
the older theme with less vendors & more education in mind & more Reptiles on Display. So this
year we are trying something different by inviting a few not for profit organizations and having them
set up a booth to help educate the public on topics like – Indigenous Herps – Wildlife Rehabilitation
- Indigenous Ocean Creatures – Ecology & Biology etc. We will still have the vendors but we also
want to place more emphasis on Education & the Show itself.
So please – come down & bring your favorite Herp to show off & display. We hand out many
Ribbons & Trophies each year & a lot of kids ( and Adults ) go home with a
beautiful award on their Reptiles Cage to show off to family & friends.
You never know – you may even end up on TV like a few young members did in the past. I look forward to seeing you all and your favorite
Reptilian Pet there.
Vin Russo
President
LIHS
LIHS Executive Board 2008 / 2009
President:
Vice-President:
2nd Vice-President:
Secretary:
Sergeant-at-Arms:
Treasurer:
Programs Coordinator:
Herpetofauna Editor:
Vin Russo
John Heiser
Kirk Peters
Ed Bennett
Mike Russo
Rich Hume
Rich Meyer, Jr.
Rich Meyer, Jr.
Contact the LIHS
Web:
www.LIHS.org
E-mail:
[email protected]
Tel:
( 631 ) 884-5447
Mail:
476 North Ontario Avenue
Lindenhurst, New York 11757-3909
LIHS Herpetofauna Journal ~ September/October ~ Volume 19, Issue 5 ~ www.LIHS.org
Page 2
COLD SPRING HARBOR FISH HATCHERY & AQUARIUM HERP DAY
JUNE 07, 2009
r
CLOCKWISE ( from TOP LEFT ):
 Rich Meyer, Jeanette Richetti
(and iguana )
 Clara and Noelle Dunlop ( with assorted critters )
 John Heiser ( and his array of
Geckos )
 Wayne King ( assorted critters )
Page 3
CLOCKWISE ( from TOP LEFT ):
 Debbie Hoppe ( corn snakes )
 Harry Faustmann ( tortoises )
 Wayne King, Ann Ott, John Heiser, Debbie Hoppe, Clara and
Noelle Dunlop ( in foreground )
 Vin Russo and family
Photos of the animals and Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery and Aquarium – NEXT ISSUE
Page 4
Gut-Loading
As editor of the Herpetofauna ( and serving on the LIHS Executive Board for about 19 years,
and many of those also serving as editor of the Herpetofauna ) I get to do occasional “AS I SEE IT…”
So here goes…
Where are all the VOLUNTEERS???
We usually do several exhibitions during the year ( e.g., CSH Fish Hatchery and Aquarium )
and they always seemed to fall on the shoulders of the same people. Trust me it gets tiring, and after
a while you don’t want to do them anymore. But you know what??? These same people do make the
commitment because they care about the society. Part of joining the society is “to educate the public
about reptiles and amphibians”. I realize everyone has busy schedules, but is it too much to ask, for a
few hours of your time once in a while. I really don’t think so, but maybe I am wrong.
There are some great benefits in volunteering. For example you get too make many great and
lasting friendships with fellow members. Secondly, many children show up for our exhibitions, it is
our opportunity to educate them. Additionally, we may even increase the membership, as well as introduce new blood into the hobby. It is “OUR” chance to educate the public about, “what many consider, “our unusual” pets”. There are many ways to “VOLUNTEER”…. You can help us out at meetings
and exhibitions. Or spreading the word about the society, is another great way to give back.. How
about writing an original article or submitting a “print” article or photo for the Herpetofauna journal?
In order for the society to survive “WE” means “YOU”, and “WE” need “YOU” to pitch in from
time to time. You will be notified of LIHS events at the MEETINGS, by EMAIL, or POSTAL REMINDER
CARDS ( if I don’t have your email address, please get it to me ).
That being said…….
“We need VOLUNTEERS for our up-coming show on October 17th”
How about putting a little time back into YOUR society?
As always, I need herp related material. Be it reprinted material ( with proper credit provided ),
herp related cartoons, photos ( yes, of your herps, you, your set-up, other herp related photos ( a
trip to the zoo, museum, etc. ). You can submit articles, questions, suggestions, etc., to me at
< [email protected] >
Those of you who are volunteering your time, submitting articles, and material for the journal – I THANK YOU….
Rich Meyer, Jr.
LIHS Editor
Page 5
JOINING the LIHS or RENEWING an LIHS Membership
You can JOIN the LIHS or RENEW an LIHS Membership in several manners. Join or Renew at a meeting or LIHS Event or MAIL your completed LIHS MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION with $25.00 payment (
cash [ meetings only ], check or money order ) made to the LIHS. Not sure if your RENEWAL is due??
Email me at < [email protected] >. You can Print out an LIHS membership application from our
website at: http://www.lihs.org/files/member.htm or “CLICK” on LIHS MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION .
Fill it out and bring to a meeting or mail it to:
LIHS
476 North Ontario Avenue
Lindenhurst, New York 11757-3909
As ALL LIHS JOURNALS will now be sent
ELECTRONICALLY, so, PLEASE make sure
to include an EMAIL ADDRESS with your
LIHS Membership/Renewal Application.
“Sure, it’s protective, but it can drive you
bonkers in a hail storm.”
Page 6
Hi to One and All,
It is that of time of year again… The 20th ANNUAL LIHS Reptile and Amphibian Show rapidly
approaches ( October 17th, 2009 ) …………. and we NEEEEEEEED “YOUR” HELP!!!!
This show isn’t about the LIHS Executive Board ( or our family members who really aren’t as
passionate about reptiles as we are, but CHOOSE to HELP ), or a few individuals…
This show is about the LIHS, that is you, me, all of us….
So, please Volunteer
We need VOLUNTEERS!!!
Friday Night – October16th, 2009 – ( 7:00 PM )
 Setup the hall: tables, stanchions, and chairs…
o ( It should take no longer than 1-½ hours )
We will have PIZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZA and Soda
Saturday Morning – October 17th, 2009 ( 7:30 AM )




Help VENDORS
Make sure the VENDORs move their cars off the grass after they unload
Work the LIHS Table ( up-front ). You lucky dawgs, you’ll get to work with me
Keep a general eye out ( security )….
Saturday Breakdown ( 4:00 PM ):
 Breakdown the tables, stanchions and chairs
o ( putting them on a cart ) – this doesn’t take all that long
If you can help………..
Email me at: [email protected] ( preferred method ) or call ( 631 )
884-5447 ( leave a message )
Thanks for your time,
The LIHS Executive Board
Page 7
Long Island Herpetological Society, Inc.
A NYS Registered
Non-Profit Organization
Profits benefit L.I.H.S. Supported Programs including
Educational Programs & Environmental Causes
th
20 Annual LIHS
EDUCATIONAL
EXHIBITS
Equipment
Reptiles & Amphibians
On Sale
Reptile & Amphibian Expo
October 17th, 2009 ( Saturday )
Roosevelt Hall ~ Farmingdale State College
Farmingdale, New York
( Located on ROUTE 110, Melville Road ENTRANCE )
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Live Reptiles, Equipment, Books, Caging on Sale
LIHS Judged Reptile/Amphibian Show - Trophies, Ribbons
( Call for INFO to ENTER SHOW - see Box Below )
For additional information regarding:



The LIHS EXPO / VENDOR
TABLE
Entering the LIHS R/A SHOW
The LIHS



TEL: ( 631 ) 884-5447
Web: www.LIHS.org
Email: [email protected]
ADMISSION
Adults.................................
$6.00
Children & Seniors.............
$4.00
LIHS Members...................
$3.00 *
Children under 5................. FREE
FSC Students…………………. $3.00 *
FSC Faculty…………………….. $3.00 *
* Must be a “Current” LIHS Member
* Must have “Current” Student I.D.
* Must have “Current” Faculty I.D.
Page 8
2009 LIHS Reptile & Amphibian Show Entry Form
Name:
Address:
City:
Phone
State:
Email:
Zip:
Area Code
BRING with YOU to the SHOW – CATEGORIES on NEXT PAGE
# ( we will fill in )
Common Name
Scientific Name
( if Known )
Category
( we will fill in )
Page 9
2009 LIHS 2009 LIHS Reptile & Amphibian
SHOW RULES

NO entry fees to exhibit your animals

All animals MUST be on display by 12:00 PM

Animals must remain on display the entire day in order to be eligible for judging.

ALL animals must be in containers that can be seen by the public.
o Hint, hint, “NO OPAQUE CONTAINERS”

ALL cages must be CLEAN and SECURE.

ALL cages must be the appropriate size for the animals

Animals MUST be displayed 1 ( one ) per cage, unless permission is granted by an LIHS Officer.

Animals that are protected, may be entered, BUT, only with PROPER PERMITS

LIHS Officers and Show Judges have FINAL SAY on what animals will or will not be admitted to
the contest.
2008 SHOW
WINNERS
Grand Champion
Wayne King
Kids Open
Class
Jake Siffert
Page 10
2009 LIHS Reptile & Amphibian Categories
SNAKES
1. Colubrid ( American rat snakes, Corn snakes, King snakes, Pine snakes, Gophers, etc. )
2. Tri or Bi color Colubrid ( Grey bands, Milk snakes, etc. )
3. Boas & Pythons
4. Miscellaneous Snakes ( Garters, etc. )
LIZARDS
5. Monitors & Tegus
9. Skinks
6. Iguanids
10. Chameleons
7. Green Iguanas
11. Geckos
8. Agamids
12. Miscellaneous Lizards
TURTLES & TORTOISES
13. Aquatic
14. Semi-Aquatic
15. Tortoises
AMPHIBIANS
16. Frogs & Toads
17. Salamanders, Newts, Sirens, etc
KIDS OPEN CATEGORY
( 13 & under )
Same categories and rules as above apply
Kid’s Entry Winners will receive:

Ribbons: TOP 3 Winners in each category

Trophies: Overall “BEST ENTRIES” - ( TOP 3 from KIDS OPEN CATEGORY )
Kid’s ENTRIES CANNOT be entered in the ADULT CATEGORY as well
Page 11
A Basic Guide to Corn Snake Genetic Manipulation – Part 2
“The Genetic Cheat Sheet”
Are you thinking about starting a Corn snake
Project? Well, you might try contacting our resident experts, Vin Russo, or Rich “Corn snake the BEST Pet Snake
Ever” Hume. Or the following material might help you
eliminate the guesswork, associated with which two corn
snakes you should put together for breeding purposes. It
should help you determine which parent the hatchlings
may look like. Will they look like BOTH parents, or possibly NEITHER parent?
What is a phenotype? ( phe·no·type ); [(fee-nuhteyep)]: A phenotype is the observable physical or biochemiNormal corn snake
cal characteristics of an organism, as determined by both gePhoto: Ed Bennett
netic makeup and environmental influences. It is the expression of a specific trait, such as stature or blood type, based
on genetic and environmental influences. That is, a phenotype is the outward appearance of an organism; the expression of a genotype in the form of traits that can be seen and measured, such as
hair or eye color. Bottom line, the PHENOTYPE is what your snake will physically look like. ( see 4
Main Phenotypes below )
4 Main Phenotypes
1.
2.
3.
4.
Normal – having black and red pigment
Anerythristic – missing red pigment
Amelanistic – missing black pigment
Snow – missing red and black pigment
Genotypes ( in corn snakes )
What is the genotype? ( gen·o·type ) * jěn'ə-tīp' +: The genotype is the genetic makeup, of an
organism, as distinguished from the physical appearance, of an organism or a group of organisms. It
is the combination of alleles located on homologous chromosomes that determines a specific characteristic or trait. The genotype helps determine the phenotype. Some genes are DOMINANT, while
others are RECESSIVE. Genes generally occur in pairs of DOMINANT,
RECESSIVE or one of EACH ( see 9 Main Genotypes below )




B = DOMINANT gene for BLACK pigment
b = RECESSIVE gene for BLACK pigment
R = DOMINANT gene for RED pigment
r = RECESSIVE gene for RED pigment
Page 12
9 Main Phenotypes ( in Corn Snakes )
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Normal
Normal, Hetero for Anerythristic
Normal, Hetero for Amelanistic
Normal, Hetero for Snow
Anerythristic
Anerythristic, Hetero for Snow
Amelanistic
Amelanistic, Hetero for Snow
Snow
BBRR
BBRr
BbRR
BbRr
BBrr
Bbrr
BbRR
bbRr
Bbrr
Four basic Color Morphs of Corn Snakes :
( Remember this is ONLY a “Basic Primer” )
A. NORMAL – has DOMINANT GENES for BLACK and RED pigment
B. ANERYTHRISTIC – has DOMINANT GENES for BLACK and RECESSIVE GENES RED pigment
C. AMELANISTIC - has RECESSIVE GENES for BLACK and DOMINANT GENES RED pigment
D. SNOW - has RECESSIVE GENES for BLACK and RED pigment
1. Normal x Normal
2. Normal x Normal, Hetero for Anerythristic
3. Normal x Normal, Hetero for Amelanistic
4. Normal x Normal, Hetero for Snow
5. Normal x Anerythristic
6. Normal x Anerythristic, Hetero for Snow
7. Normal x Amelanistic
8. Normal x Amelanistic, Hetero for Snow
9. Normal x Snow
10. Normal, Hetero for Normal x Anerythristic, Hetero for Anerythristic
11. Normal, Hetero for Normal x Anerythristic, Hetero for Amelanistic
12. Normal, Hetero for Normal x Anerythristic, Hetero for Snow
13. Normal, Hetero for Anerythristic x Anerythristic
14. Normal, Hetero for Anerythristic x Anerythristic, Hetero for Snow
15. Normal, Hetero for Anerythristic x Amelanistic
16. Normal, Hetero for Anerythristic x Amelanistic, Hetero for Snow
Page 13
17. Normal, Hetero for Anerythristic x Snow
18. Normal, Hetero for Normal x Amelanistic, Hetero for Amelanistic
19. Normal, Hetero for Normal x Amelanistic, Hetero for Snow
21. Normal, Hetero for Anerythristic x Amelanistic, Hetero for Snow
22. Normal, Hetero for Amelanistic x Amelanistic
23. Normal, Hetero for Amelanistic x Amelanistic, Hetero for Snow
24. Normal, Hetero for Amelanistic x Snow
25. Normal, Hetero for Normal x Snow, Hetero for Snow
27. Normal, Hetero for Anerythristic x Snow, Hetero for Snow
29. Normal, Hetero for Amelanistic x Snow, Hetero for Snow
30. Normal, Hetero for Snow X Snow
31. Anerythristic x Anerythristic
32. Anerythristic x Anerythristic, Hetero for Snow
33. Anerythristic x Amelanistic
34. Anerythristic x Amelanistic, Hetero for Snow
35. Anerythristic x Snow
36. Anerythristic, Hetero for Anerythristic x Snow, Hetero for Snow
37. Anerythristic, Hetero for Amelanistic x Snow
38. Anerythristic, Hetero for Amelanistic x Snow, Hetero for Snow
39. Anerythristic, Hetero for Snow x Snow
40. Amelanistic x Amelanistic
41. Amelanistic x Amelanistic, Hetero for Snow
42. Amelanistic x Snow
43. Amelanistic, Hetero for Amelanistic x Snow, Hetero for Snow
44. Amelanistic, Hetero for Snow x Snow
45. Snow x Snow
21. Normal, Hetero for Anerythristic x Amelanistic,
Hetero for Snow
Probable Percentage of Offspring
:
:
Normal
Anerythristic
Amelanistic
Snow
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
Normal
Anerythristic
Amelanistic
Snow
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
0.00
75.00
0.00
25.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
37.50
0.00
50.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
12.50
0.00
Page 14
22. Normal, Hetero for Amelanistic x Amelanistic
25. Normal, Hetero for Normal x Snow, Hetero for
Snow
:
:
Normal
Anerythristic
Amelanistic
Snow
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
Normal
Anerythristic
Amelanistic
Snow
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
0.00
0.00
75.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
25.00
0.00
0.00
6.25
12.50
12.50
25.00
6.25
12.50
6.25
12.50
6.25
23. Normal, Hetero for Amelanistic x Amelanistic,
Hetero for Snow
:
:
Normal
Anerythristic
Amelanistic
Snow
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
Normal
Anerythristic
Amelanistic
Snow
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
0.00
0.00
37.50
37.50
0.00
0.00
12.50
12.50
0.00
0.00
25.00
0.00
25.00
25.00
25.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
27. Normal, Hetero for Anerythristic x Snow, Hetero for Snow
:
:
Normal
Anerythristic
Amelanistic
Snow
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
Normal
Anerythristic
Amelanistic
Snow
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
0.00
0.00
0.00
75.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
25.00
0.00
0.00
12.50
0.00
25.00
12.50
25.00
0.00
12.50
12.50
Page 15
31. Anerythristic x Anerythristic
:
:
Normal
Anerythristic
Amelanistic
Snow
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
Normal
Anerythristic
Amelanistic
Snow
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
0.00
0.00
25.00
25.00
0.00
0.00
25.00
25.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
100.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
29. Normal, Hetero for Amelanistic x Snow, Hetero
for Snow
32. Anerythristic x Anerythristic, Hetero for Snow
:
:
Normal
Anerythristic
Amelanistic
Snow
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
Normal
Anerythristic
Amelanistic
Snow
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
0.00
0.00
12.50
25.00
0.00
12.50
12.50
25.00
12.50
30. Normal, Hetero for Snow X Snow
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
50.00
50.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
33. Anerythristic x Amelanistic
:
Normal
Anerythristic
Amelanistic
Snow
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
0.00
0.00
0.00
25.00
0.00
25.00
0.00
25.00
25.00
:
Normal
Anerythristic
Amelanistic
Snow
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
0.00
0.00
0.00
100.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
Page 16
34. Anerythristic x Amelanistic, Hetero for Snow
37. Anerythristic, Hetero for Amelanistic x Snow
:
:
Normal
Anerythristic
Amelanistic
Snow
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
Normal
Anerythristic
Amelanistic
Snow
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
0.00
0.00
0.00
50.00
0.00
50.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
35. Anerythristic x Snow
0.00
0.00
0.00
50.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
50.00
0.00
38. Anerythristic, Hetero for Amelanistic x Snow,
Hetero for Snow
:
Normal
Anerythristic
Amelanistic
Snow
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
100.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
:
Normal
Anerythristic
Amelanistic
Snow
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
0.00
0.00
0.00
25.00
0.00
25.00
0.00
25.00
25.00
36. Anerythristic, Hetero for Anerythristic x Snow,
Hetero for Snow
39. Anerythristic, Hetero for Snow x Snow
:
:
Normal
Anerythristic
Amelanistic
Snow
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
Normal
Anerythristic
Amelanistic
Snow
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
25.00
50.00
0.00
0.00
25.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
50.00
0.00
0.00
50.00
Page 17
40. Amelanistic x Amelanistic
43. Amelanistic, Hetero for Amelanistic x Snow,
Hetero for Snow
:
Normal
Anerythristic
Amelanistic
Snow
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
100.00
0.00
0.00
:
Normal
Anerythristic
Amelanistic
Snow
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
41. Amelanistic x Amelanistic, Hetero for Snow
44. Amelanistic, Hetero for Snow x Snow
:
:
Normal
Anerythristic
Amelanistic
Snow
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
Normal
Anerythristic
Amelanistic
Snow
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
:
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
50.00
50.00
0.00
42. Amelanistic x Snow
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
25.00
50.00
25.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
50.00
50.00
45. Snow x Snow
:
Normal
Anerythristic
Amelanistic
Snow
:
:
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0.00
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100.00
0.00
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Normal
Anerythristic
Amelanistic
Snow
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0.00
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100.00
Part 1 – Nos. 01 – 19 may be found in the July/August 2009 LIHS Herpetofauna Journal
Page 18
Bruce Morgan: What's ‘exotic'?
By Bruce Morgan ~ Special to The Sun
Jennifer Hobgood, of the Humane Society (
Speaking Out, July 13 ) is correct that invasive species
are a threat and that large dangerous animals don't
make good pets.
It is fair to say that exotic invasive organisms, including various microbe, plant, and animal species, are
the single greatest threat to biodiversity worldwide,
worse even than habitat destruction.
It is easy for the average person to understand
the threat of a python killing a child, but most are oblivious to the exotic fire ants that destroy the other insects
In this photograph provided by the
that pollinate our fruits and flowers, or of the obscure
U.S. Senate, Sen. Bill Nelson, Dpernicious weed that goes unnoticed as it wrecks havoc in
Fla., during a Wednesday, July 8,
the marsh. Who still living can remember the spreading
2009 hearing on Capitol Hill, holds
chestnut tree, victim of an invasive fungus?
the skin of a 16-foot-long, 150
Such invasions have altered the face of the earth,
pound Burmese Python captured
and it is all our fault. Sometimes it is an accident such as a
along a Miami-Dade County, Fla.
pathogen hitching a ride on a jetliner, or an insect in a
canal. Nelson, who has introduced
block of wood, but more often we do it on purpose.
a bill to ban import of the snakes,
Those are our cows devastating the west, our bewas one of several senators who
loved dogs spreading disease and killing fauns, our cute
warned about the threat of invalittle kitties savaging the songbirds. We suppose that the
sive species. ( The Associated Press
lovely water hyacinth might look good in the St. Johns River, perhaps
along with a snakehead fish.
)
This has been going on for a very long time, and now the latest fad is to keep a disposable reptile. The problem is that the cat is out of the bag.
It is worthy of note that many thousands of species of plants and animals have been introduced
here in Florida yet relatively few have become invasive. A species that is a problem here may not be a
problem elsewhere, or vice versa. It is inappropriate to tarnish all exotics with the same brush, for
many enrich our lives.
Should we begrudge the benign azalea its place beneath the spreading oak? Is it necessary
to deny a responsible person the right to own any plant or animal that is unlikely to become invasive?
It is difficult to predict with certainty which species will become invasive, but
there are clues. A shrub such as Ligustrum with berries attractive to birds is a
problem waiting to happen. A wide ranging carnivore such as the Burmese python that eats dogs and cats might be a welcome addition were it not for the fact
that they consume native wildlife as well, all of which is easily predictable.
Rules are needed, but not blanket prohibitions based on either fear or the
convenience of regulatory officials. It is reasonable to ban specific species that beLIHS Herpetofauna Journal ~ September/October ~ Volume 19, Issue 5 ~ www.LIHS.org
Page 19
come invasive, but certainly not all others.
Exotic animals have long been an important part of people's lives. I can trace much of my own
lifelong commitment to conservation to the little green turtles I kept as a child, and which are now
banned. The real tragedy is not an accident with a python, but rather that children today have little
contact with nature. How can they be expected to become future advocates for conservation when
they have never seen any wild animal except on TV?
Abuses may happen, but that is no excuse to cut off our intimate contact with the living world.
Bruce Morgan lives in Archer.
The Gainesville Sun: Gainesville.com
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20090716/OPINION03/907159910/-1/OPINION?Title=BruceMorgan-What-s-exoticPosted July 16, 2009, Accessed July 20, 2009
LIHS EDITOR: Okay, this is how out of control this situation has gotten… Why not bring some “BURMS”
up to NY, and leave them outside… READ ON…
Huge Burmese Pythons Released in South Carolina
One by one, seven slithering Burmese pythons were dumped into a snake pit
surrounded by 400 feet of reinforced fence
at the Savannah River Ecology Lab in South
Carolina.
As they were released last week by a
handful of scientists, some of the serpents
hissed and lunged, baring their fangs. Others coiled up under the brush. Two slid into
a pond in the center of the pit, disappearing
in a snaking trail of bubbles.
Some were more than 10 feet long
and thicker than a forearm. And for the
next year all of them will call this snake pit —
an enclosed area of tangled brush and trees
— home.

Click here to visit FOXNews.com's Natural Science Center.
Ecologists will track the exotic pythons,
all captured in Florida, to determine if they can
survive in climates a few hundred miles to the
north. Using implanted radio transmitters and
data recorders, the scientists will monitor the
In a June, 2009 photo taken from video, a Burmese
python is seen in the snake pit at the Savannah River
Ecology Lab in South Carolina where scientists are
collecting pythons for study. Scientists and ecologists
will insert micro data loggers into each snake. The
data loggers record the internal temperature of the
python every hour. After a year, they will remove
the chips and download the information into a computer to discover how the snakes thermoregulate in
a cooler climate. - AP Photo/Alysia Patterson
Page 20
pythons' body temperature and physical condition.
The test could show whether the giant imported snakes, which can grow up to lengths of 25
feet, are able to spread throughout the Southeast.
The fast-growing population of snakes has been invading southern Florida's ecosystem since
1992, when scientists speculate a bevy of Burmese pythons was released into the wild after Hurricane
Andrew shattered many pet shop terrariums.
Now scientists fear this invasive species is silently slithering northward.
"They of course have an impact on native species," said herpetologist Whit Gibbons, a professor
of ecology at the University of Georgia and a member of the python project. "If you have a big old python eating five times as much as another species that eats the same prey, it's a competitive thing."
The pythons compete with alligators, among other top predators.
Gibbons said a human is "just another prey item" to a python — especially a small human. Pythons are constrictor snakes and have been known to eat people in their native areas of Southeast
Asia, he added.
"A 20-foot python, if it grabbed one of us, would bite us and then within just — instantly —
seconds, it would be wrapped all the way around you and squeezing the life out of you," Gibbons said.
While pythons don't make a habit of attacking people and most aren't large enough to eat a
person, Gibbons called the possibility a "nightmare."
"What about the first kitty cat they eat? Or the first little poodle? They'd love poodles, I imagine," he said.
Mike Dorcas, a professor at Davidson College in North Carolina, has sliced open pythons in Florida to find the remains of white-tailed deer, bobcats and large birds.
Dorcas is leading the experiment at the Savannah River Ecology Lab as part of a collaboration
between the U.S. Geological Service, the National Park Service and the University of Florida.
He was prompted by a study released last year showing that the native habitat of Burmese pythons in Asia is a climate match for much of the southeastern U.S.
"The question is really, well, can they survive in a place like
South Carolina or North Carolina or Arkansas or Tennessee?" Dorcas said.
One day before releasing the pythons into the pit,
Dorcas snapped on latex gloves and surgically implanted radio transmitters into all seven. The transmitters enable
scientists to keep track of the pythons' location and allow
them to hunt down any that manage to escape.
What are the chances of escape? "We never want to
say never. We've made the enclosure as snake-proof as
possible but we've taken some other precautions," Dorcas
said, noting that all of the pythons are males, so they
wouldn't be able to reproduce.
The ecologists also inserted micro data loggers into
each snake to record the internal temperature of the pyArea in South Carolina where the
thon every hour. After a year, Dorcas will remove the chips
and download the information into a computer to discover
Burmese pythons are to be “rehow the snakes thermoregulate in a cooler climate.
leased” penned.
Page 21
Pythons are masters of disguise — slippery and quick — and all but one of the serpents was invisible within minutes of being deposited into the pit.
So counting pythons in the wild is a daunting task. Scientists don't have an accurate estimate of
how many pythons are in Florida.
"It's certainly in the thousands, or tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands," said Gibbons.
See also:



FOXNEWS.COM HOME
SciTech
Huge Burmese Pythons Released in South Carolina
Downloaded from MyFoxNY.com
http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/news/scitech/Huge_Burmese_Pythons_Released_in_South_Carolina
_75823702
Published: June 24, 2009, Accessed July 5, 2009
Non-Native Species Bill Needs Changes, Sponsor Says
Madeleine Bordallo of Guam, sponsor of HR 669, the
Nonnative Wildlife Prevention Act, and chairman of the
Congressional subcommittee that heard the legislation in
April, acknowledged the legislation needed to be changed
before it progressed further.
“We recognize the bill is by no means perfect and
that changes will be needed to address various concerns before any legislation moves forward,” said Rep. Bordallo.
Her acknowledgment came toward the end of the
April 23 hearing and reflected the results of a grass-roots protest against the legislation from the pet industry and pet ownKoi is one species that could be
ers.
barred from trade under the origiSubcommittee members said they received thousands
nal proposed legislation.
of calls, emails and letters from pet owners and others urging
defeat of the legislation, which could mandate the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to approve or disapprove most non-native animal species, including birds, fish, reptiles and small mammals, for importation and trade within the United States.
“It is clear that committee members from both sides of the aisle heard from the pet-owning
public about their concerns with this bill,” said Marshall Meyers, CEO and general counsel of the Pet
Industry Joint Advisory Council, who testified at the hearing. “We’re extremely grateful to the thousands of groups who galvanized their members…PIJAC will continue working with members of the subcommittee, the Executive Branch, and other stakeholders to ensure the process proceeds in a transparent, inclusive and strategic manner.”
Page 22
During his testimony, Meyers said the pet industry was interested in addressing invasive species
but that the proposed legislation was problematic.
“We support the development of a strategic, risk-based process to prevent the introduction of
invasive species into the United States,” Meyers said in his testimony.
However, he continued, the current draft of the bill “does not adequately take socio-economic
issues and risk management options into account” and would “require funds and staffing not currently
available, nor likely to be available, to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.”
Meyers said PIJAC is willing to work with the subcommittee to craft more realistic legislation
that serves the public and affected industries alike.
“As it stands, PIJAC still has issues with points of this bill’s impracticality or lack of clarity,” Meyers said.
Some opponents proclaimed the bill “effectively dead” after a Congressional subcommittee
hearing April 23 in Washington, D.C.
The legislation could have halted trade in thousands of nonnative animal species in the U.S., including most birds, reptiles, fish and several mammals—hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs and ferrets—
commonly kept as pets.
Andrew Wyatt, president of the United States Association of Reptile Keepers, called the hearing
a “smashing success.”
“H.R. 669 is effectively dead,” Wyatt said.
“Two weeks leading up to the hearing, USARK mounted a grass-roots campaign of letter writing
and phone calls,” he said. “We swamped Capitol Hill with almost 50,000 letters that were delivered to
subcommittee members.”
Wyatt added that on top of that, thousands of phone calls were made and e-mails and letters
sent to subcommittee members.
“During the past few weeks I have received thousands of calls, e-mails and letters written by
constituents in strong opposition to this bill,” subcommittee member Rep. Henry E. Brown, R-S.C., said
during the hearing.
Later, Wyatt quoted Harry Burroughs of the subcommittee staff as telling him, "I haven't seen a
letter writing campaign like this in 30 years! You should be proud of yourselves."
Rep. Eni F.H. Faleomavaega of American Samoa, a bill co-sponsor, congratulated Meyers, PIJAC
and the pet industry for the tremendous grassroots response that has been generated, noting that it is
important to have input from constituents.
Wyatt added that Faleomavaega said that the letters and phone calls hit them like a “buzz
saw.”
“We’re so proud of all the people out there who sent letters and e-mails and made phone
calls,” he said.
PIJAC and USARK will continue to monitor the bill and plan to alert the industry and pet owners
of future developments.
PPN Editor's Note: This item updates "Effort to Ban Exotic Pets 'Effectively Dead'" which was posted April 24.
Reprinted from PetProductNews.Com
http://www.petproductnews.com/headlines/2009/04/30/non-native-species-needs-changes.aspx
Posted: Thursday, April 30, 2009, Accessed June 2009
Page 23
NHS Recruits Snakes to Treat Depression
Sophie Goodchild
Snakes are being recruited as animal "therapists" by the NHS to treat depression
A London clinic is the first to use reptiles to
help patients overcome low self-worth and "communication issues".
The Huntercombe hospital in Roehampton
has enlisted Angel, a seven-year-old 5ft corn snake,
in group sessions where patients can touch, feed
and care for her.
The majority of its 38 patients are referred
by the NHS for treatment for addictions and eating
disorders.
Doctors say those involved in animalassisted therapy (AAT) have already shown an improvement in concentration and mood.
Louise Helsdown, the occupational therapist
Raising spirits: a patient at Huntercombe
running the programme, said snakes were a "fantastic
hospital handles Angel, a corn snake used
aid" in helping people recover from mental health
in group therapy sessions
problems.
She said: "We have patients who can't get out of bed because they're so depressed. But snakes
are a great motivator especially for male patients who often don't want to look after furry animals.
"Snakes are also unusual and people don't come across them very often in this country. Handling them gives patients a sense of achievement which they can tell their friends and family about.
"They offer unconditional acceptance. They don't judge people who have self-harm scars, for
example.
"These animals provide a lifeline - the enjoyment of spending time with these animals really
lifts their spirits and gives them a real sense of purpose to their day.
"As part of the therapy, they are an innovative and fantastic aid to the recovery process."
Known for their placid characters, corn snakes are not venomous and are the most popular type
of pet snake.
They are ideal in therapeutic settings because they enjoy being touched and learn to recognise
their handler.
And the snakes, which originate from the middle and southern states of the US, are easy to care
for as they are extremely hardy.
Huntercombe also uses a dog and two hamsters to help relax patients. Scientific studies have
demonstrated that animal-assisted therapy can benefit people suffering a range of conditions.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania reported that stroking a cat or dog can lower
blood pressure in those with hypertension.
Page 24
It has also been shown that people who watch fish in an aquarium before a medical procedure
had less anxiety.
In the US, animals are used in convalescent homes, hospitals, daycare centres, and prisons.
Other clinics, including the Priory in north London, have pioneered "equine assisted psychotherapy" using horses to treat patients with anxiety and addiction.
All animals used at Huntercombe have regular health checks and breaks to ensure they do not
get distressed.
Reprinted from the London Evening Standard
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23706865details/NHS+recruits+snakes+to+treat+depression/article.do
Posted June 12, 2009, Accessed June 23, 2009
Reji Kumar's rainbow frog worshipped as a God
A FROG that constantly changes colour is being worshipped as a God
Hundreds of people are flocking to Reji Kumar’s home in India daily to pray and ask for miracles.
Now one of the country’s top zoologists plans
to study the rainbow frog. But Reji, 35, who keeps the
creature in a glass bottle after finding it while out watering plants, is afraid it might die first, The Sun newspaper in the UK reports.
“My one problem is that this frog does not appear to eat. I keep trying to feed it but it doesn’t eat
anything. I don’t know what else to give it,” Reji told
The Sun.
The frog was a dazzling white colour when Reji,
Worshipped as a God ... The rainbow
who is from Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala,
frog is constantly changing colour
in south India, first spotted it.
Then it changed to yellow and had gone grey by the time he got it home.
“By night the frog was dark yellow, and then it became transparent so you could see its internal
organs," Reji, a life worker, reportedly said.
"It seemed like a miracle to me that this frog had so many different coats. So now people come
to see him and pray to him.”
Professor Oommen V. Oommen from India’s Kerala University, said it was not uncommon for
animals to change colour.
“Frogs do change colour to scare away predators," he said.
“But from what I have heard, the frog at Kumar’s place changes colour so frequently it is a bit
unusual. I will collect it for study.”
Reprinted from the DAILY TELEGRAPH
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,25604485-5012895,00.html
June 09, 2009
Submitted by Debbie Hoppe
Page 25
Terrariums – Exo Terra versus Zoo Med
By John Heiser
Recent trends in herpetoculture
are to have more naturalistic enclosures.
It used to be you had to custom make a
terrarium for your herps. Now, thanks to
Exo Terra and closely followed by Zoo
Med, you can buy very nice looking and
functional terrariums. Both manufacturers offer plain terrariums as well as complete kits.
The Exo Terra “plain” terrarium
consists of the glass terrarium, a screen
top and Styrofoam faux rock background.
The terrarium has double doors in the
front and a snap lock mechanism to keep
Zoo Med terrarium
the doors secure. Exo Terra also offers a
semi-complete set up in one box. They have a desert set up as well as a rain forest set up and for those
wanting a little more detailed terrarium, at least aesthetically; they have a Mayan Rain Forest set up. In
Addition to the terrariums and set ups, Exo Terra offers a complete realm of accessories such light fixtures, artificial plants, water bowls, etc.
The Zoo Med “plain” terrarium consists of the glass terrarium and screen top. Zoo Med chose
to have one door on the front that covers the full width of the terrarium. As far as I know, Zoo Med
does not offer a complete set up in one box, but they do offer several kits that can be used to customize the terrarium. Like Exo Terra, Zoo Med offers a full range of accessories; light fixtures, thermometers, artificial plants, rock and mushroom ledges, backgrounds, etc.
I have been using both types although I have many more Exo Terras than Zoo Meds. Exo Terra
hit the market first and I found their vertical orientation ideal for my arboreal geckos. Over about a
year I bought a half dozen ten-gallon ( 12”w x 12”l x 18”h ) Exo Terras and four of the 18” x 18” x 24”. I
use the smaller ones for my small gecko species including Strophurus williamsi, Lygodactylus williamsi,
Gonatodes ocellatus and Eurydactalodes agricolae. These geckos require conditions from very humid
tropical to semi-dry desert and I have been able to attain these condition in the terrariums by adjusting
the substrate ( I use Cyprus mulch or coco-fiber to help hold moisture ) type and misting frequency. I
keep groups of crested geckos and a pair of Phelsuma m. grandis in the larger terrariums.
When Zoo Med came on to the market two things occurred; first Zoo Meds terrariums were a
few dollars cheaper, secondly, Exo Terra changed the way they sold terrariums to businesses and required purchases to be made directly through Exo Terra rather than through local distributors. This resulted in Zoo Med being the main terrariums sold at reptile shows were vendors tend to be smaller,
part timers. Exo terra terrariums are for the most part now mostly available only at reptiles stores, although the Exo Terra accessories still are readily available at the reptile shows ( not sure why the difference ).
Exo Terra terrarium
Page 26
At first I thought I would like the one door Zoo Med
for the aesthetics. The front glass that you look through to
see the herps is not obstructed by the split in the front as it
is in the Exo Terras. I bought one of smaller ten-gallon sized
units to try versus the Exo Terras.
Now that I have used both for more than a year and a
half I find there are three or four main differences between
the two; the screen top, the front door(s), the lock mechanism and to a lesser degree the backgrounds. Zoo Med has a
screen top that has a plastic frame around the perimeter,
Exo Terra has a screen top that has a plastic frame around
the perimeter but also has a plastic center “divider” that
runs across the center of the screen top. On this point I give
the nod to Zoo Med. The most popular size terrarium is the
smaller 12” x 12” x 18”. At this size the Zoo Med screen allows a dome lamp if this is preferred or a
strip lamp ( available from Zoo Med ). The Exo Terra unit makes using a dome lamp very difficult as a
dome lamp tends to sit on the plastic center support and the heat from the bulb warps/melts it. I have
used the smallest dome lamps and a strip lamp in combo on the Exo Terra, but I must make certain the
doom fixture is either in the back or front of the terrarium to keep it off the center support. This only is
a concern on a few of my heat loving geckos ( e.g., S. williamsi ). Nod to Zoo Med.
The second feature the front doors caused me to change my mind on what I thought I liked. The
Zoo Meds singular large door looks nice, but I have come to very strongly prefer the double door arrangement of the Exo Terra. I learned that my speedy little L. williamsi would race towards the open
door when I went to feed them. In the Zoo Med I must open the entire front of the tank, so feeding is
more like juggling geckos while throwing crickets ion as fast as I can. With the Exo Terra I have the option of opening only half the front of the tank and more importantly I can open the side of the tank
away from the geckos, so they do not see the direct path to freedom. Big nod to Exo Terra. In the larger sizes the double doors of the Exo Terra units are less a distraction as the doors are bigger and the
split between them is not necessarily in the center of your view. The large size of the Zoo Med door
can making opening more cumbersome as more room is needed. So for the larger units very big nod
to Exo Terra. Note: Zoo Med only makes four sizes with 18” x 18” x 24” being the largest. Exo terra
makes eight sizes topping out at 34” x 18” x 24”
The last major feature difference is the locking mechanism. The Exo Terra has a half turn “easy
latch” mechanism. This latch can be opened with one hand and the latch stays in the open position until you twist it back to the locked position. The Zoo Med latch is opened by pushing down on the latch
and pulling the door open. If you let go of the latch it returns to the up ( latched position ). It makes
one handed opening harder, although not impossible. I prefer the Exo Terra mechanism as I like to unlatch the door and leave it unlatched while I open the door to feed, close the door, open the door to
water, close the door, open the door to check for eggs, close the door, and lock it. With the Zoo Med if
I want to be able to open and close the door many times in a short period I must either keep unlatching
it or leave the door open about a ¼” or so. I cannot leave the door slightly open or my ¼” thick geckos
will find the opening. Slight nod to Exo Terra. There is another difference in the latches that is a bigger
concern to me. I have unlatched all of these terrariums at least three days a week for over a year and a
half. Not one of my ten Exo Terras has had a single failure ( and they are actually two years old ). My
Page 27
singular Zoo Med has had two latch failures. The plastic handle gets fatigued and the internal shaft
breaks. The first time I emailed Zoo Med and the graciously sent me a free replacement. It wasn’t to
too difficult to replace, taking about 15 minutes from start to finish. The second time it broke I cursed
it and decided an aluminum handle would be much better and last much longer. Fortunately, I can use
a machine shop and custom made an aluminum latch handle that I believe will last a long time. Big nod
to Exo Terra.
One last point I might add is the backgrounds. The Exo
Terras look better but the Styrofoam is easily chewed by crickets. The backgrounds get a worn look after a year or so. The
Zoo Med press board backgrounds are fairly natural looking and
crickets do not chew into them as much ( although they still do
chew them here and there ). The Zoo Med backgrounds do not
have spaces behind them for wires, etc. This means there are
no hiding places behind the background for crickets so they are
less likely to chew into the background as long as you keep the
background tight against the terrarium glass. The Exo Terra has
slots in the back of the background and crickets ( and smaller
geckos ) love to hide back there. I have taken to filling the slots
with sand ( stuff a wad of paper towel in the bottom slot so the
sand doesn’t run out the bottom and ) and this has kept the
geckos out but the crickets still like to dig a little of the sand out
and make a hide spot. Zoo Med backgrounds do swell a bit if
they get wet and are not as good in a wet environment such as a dart frog set up. Neutral to very slight
nod to Zoo Med, but you can remove the background in both terrarium types and use whatever you
like. Hint: Zoo Med back grounds fit in Exo Terras, so do 12” x “12 cork tiles.
I like these new terrariums and they work very well. They are much nicer than plain ten-gallon
aquariums and for arboreal herps the vertical orientation works well. The larger units are very heavy
and this may dissuade some from using them. The smaller ten-gallon sizes are ideal and have made my
life much easier and my set ups nicer to look at. They are more expensive than a ten-gallon tank, but I
think well worth it. There are also a few basically horizontally oriented terrarium sizes that work well
for dart frogs and some terrestrial herps. I will say, I prefer the ten gallon size and while I have four of
the X-lag Exo Terra units I find them very heavy and cleaning is laborious. It is nice to see my geckos
particularly the day geckos ( grandis ) and that is why I have the four units. It allows casual observation
of my herps. For my breeding projects I still use customized ( by me ) translucent plastic tub enclosures
for my crested geckos and light plastic commercial tanks ( Barr’s ) for my leachies and chahouas. With
over 100 geckos, tank cleaning is a major chore. The weight of the larger terrariums precludes my having too many of them. For a pet, the terrariums are ideal and make observing your pets easy and pleasurable.
LIHS Editor’s NOTE: these terrariums may be viewed at the following sites:

Zoo Med: http://Zoo Med.com/cm/Home.html and Zoo Med Terrariums

Exo Terra: http://www.exo-terra.com/en/index.php and Exo Terra Terrariums
Page 28
Discovery of a water snake that startles fish in a way that makes
them flee into its jaws
Forget the old folk tales about snakes hypnotizing their prey. The tentacled snake from South
East Asia has developed a more effective technique. The small water snake has found a way to startle
its prey so that the fish turn toward the snake's head to flee instead of turning away. In addition, the
fish's reaction is so predictable that the snake actually aims its strike at the position where the fish's
head will be instead of tracking its actual movement.
"I haven't been able to find reports of any other predators that exhibit
a similar ability to influence and predict
the future behavior of their prey," says
Kenneth Catania, associate professor of
biological sciences at Vanderbilt University, who has used high-speed video to
deconstruct the snake's unusual hunting
technique.
His observations are published
this week in the online early edition of
the Proceedings of the National Academy
This diagram of two of tentacled snake attacks shows
of Sciences.
how it strikes at the location where it expects the fish's
Catania, who is the recipient of a
head to be instead of tracking its movement.
MacArthur "genius" award, studies the
Credit: Kenneth Catania
brains and behavior of species with extreme specializations. He was attracted
to the tentacled snake because it is the only snake that comes equipped with a pair of short tentacles
on its nose and he was curious about their function.
"Before I begin a study on a new species, it is my practice to spend some time simply observing
its basic behavior," Catania explains. The snake forms an unusual "J" shape with its head at the bottom
of the "J" when it is fishing. Then it remains completely motionless until a fish swims into the area near
the hook of the "J." That is when the snake strikes.
The snakes' motions take only a few hundredths of a second and are too fast for the human eye
to follow. However, its prey reacts even faster, in a few thousandths of a second. In fact, fish are famous for the rapidity of their escape response and it has been extensively studied. These studies have
found that many fish have a special circuit in their brains that initiates the escape, which biologists call
the "C-start." Fish ears sense the sound pressure on each side of their body. When the ear on one side
detects a disturbance, it sends a message to the fishes' muscles causing its body to bend into a C-shape
facing in the opposite direction so it can begin swimming away from danger as quickly as possible.
Catania is the first scientist to study this particular predator-prey interaction with the aid of a
high-speed video camera. When he began examining the movements of the snake and its prey in slow
motion, he saw something peculiar. When the fish that the snake targets turn to flee, most of them
turn toward the snake's head and many literally swim into its jaws! In 120 trials with four different
Page 29
snakes, in fact, he discovered that an amazing 78 percent of the fish turned toward the snake's head
instead of turning away.
Next, the biologist noticed that the first part of its body that the snake moves is not its head. Instead, it flexes a point midway down its body. Using a sensitive hydrophone that he put in the aquarium, he confirmed that this body fake produces sound waves intense enough to trigger the fish's Cstart response. Because these sound waves come from the side opposite the snake's head, this reflex
action drives the fish to turn and swim directly toward the snake's mouth.
"Once the C-start begins, the fish can't turn back," Catania says. "The snake has found a way to
use the fish's escape reflex to its advantage."
As he studied the snake's actions even closer, he made an even more remarkable discovery.
When it strikes, the snake doesn't aim for the fish's initial position and then adjust its direction as the
fish moves – the way most predators do. Instead it heads directly for the location where it expects the
fish's head to be.
"The best evidence for this is the cases when the snake misses," says Catania. "Not all the targeted fish react with a C-start and the snake almost always misses those that don't react reflexively."
Catania's next step will be to determine whether this predictive capability is hard-wired or
learned. To do so, he hopes to obtain some baby snakes that have just hatched and videotape their
first efforts to catch prey.
###
The research was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation.
[ Note: To view the high-speed video go to:
http://sitemason.vanderbilt.edu/news/video/2009/06/18/video-tentacled-snake-in-action.82827 ]
Reprinted from EurekaAlert.com
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-06/vu-doa061809.php#
Public release date: June 18,-2009, Accessed July 3, 2009
Contact: David F. Salisbury: [email protected]
Tel: 615-343-6803
Vanderbilt University
A Little Background Information on the Tentacle Snake
REPTILIA: SQUAMATA: COLUBRIDAE: Erpeton
Erpeton tentaculatum
Tentacled snake
Photos & text by Dr. Robert Sprackland
Page 30
Range: Southeast Asia, from Thailand to Singapore.
Diagnosis: A small snake with keeled scales, small ventral scutes, and a pair of flat, oval projections at
the tip of the snout.
Description:
Natural History: Tentacled snakes are truly unique:
there are no other species that share the paired
tentacle structures, while those species with single
nose projections are arboreal. The ventral scales are
very small in this species, and though it can move
about on land, it does so both rarely and poorly.
Tentacled snakes are almost wholly aquatic, living
in fresh and brackish water. Their gray and brownmottled skin is generally covered with a coat of
green algae, lost only after a shed.
Like many other members of the Homalaspinae group of colubrids, tentacled snakes are rear fanged
and very mildly venomous. Their bite may subdue small fishes, but is harmless to humans. There has
been considerable speculation about any possible function of the odd snout appendages, ranging from
prey detection to feelers. My conjecture is that they act as flow detectors,
helping the snakes account for water movement when lining up a strike at
prey.
Reproduction:
Taxonomy & Relationships: This is a unique species with no particularly close
relatives.
Variation:
Additional Comments:
Type Specimen:
Literature:
Reprinted from the Virtual Museum of Natural History [ VNMH ] ( a non-profit organization )
http://www.curator.org/legacyvmnh/index.htm
http://www.curator.org/legacyvmnh/weboflife/kingdom/p_chordata/ClassReptilia/O_Squamata/InfraSnake
s/FColubridae/tentacled_snake.htm
Accessed July 3, 2009
LIHS Editor NOTE: The last time I saw live Tentacled Snakes was a few years back at COUNTRY
CRITTERS, on Medford Avenue, in Patchogue ( 631 ) 758-6777. Might be worth a trip/call. Store is nice.
Page 31
Missouri Works to Preserve Giant Salamander Population
By JACOB CARAH and JENNIFER ELSTON
ST. LOUIS — Inside the Ron Goellner Conservation Center at the St.
Louis Zoo, slimy creatures 2 feet
long hide under rocks in separate
tanks. These solitary creatures are
the largest amphibians in North
America, giant salamanders known
as hellbenders or "snot otters."
Hellbenders have been on
the federal endangered species list
since 2004.
Yet these salamanders, native to streams and rivers, call the
Missouri River Valley and Ozark reA rare Ozark hellbender crawls out from under a rock inside
gions home. In fact, Missouri is the
its tank on June 9 at the Ron Goellner Center for Hellbender
only state to have supported both the
Conservation at the St. Louis Zoo.
eastern hellbender and Ozark hellPhoto: JACOB CARAH / Missourian
bender.
An estimated 500 hellbenders
are left in the wild, and without the proper propagation methods, the creatures will be gone by 2020,
according to the Missouri Department of Conservation.
The St. Louis Zoo is a leader in hellbender conservation. The propagation work there is funded
by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Missouri Department of Conservation.
Through a head-start and reintroduction program, the zoo is working to harvest the eggs, raise
the amphibians to maturity and let them loose in the wild. Otherwise, unfavorable conditions in their
habitat are threatening the hellbenders' survival.
Hellbenders need clean, cool water to survive, and many waterways are losing the vital ecosystems to support their needs.
Like other amphibians, hellbenders breathe through their skin. They have evolved folds of skin
with millions of micro-capillaries that help them take in oxygen from the water.
Mark Wanner, the zoo's manager of reptiles, said the adaptation has proved to be detrimental
because the increased surface area of the folds allows the creature to take in more oxygen, as well as
more contaminants.
Wanner pointed to a number of factors that contribute to the animals' problems with water
temperature and loss of habitat. Endrocine disrupters in water, siltation, insecticides, pesticides, overcollecting and amphibian chytrid fungus have all contributed to problems, Wanner said.
The chytrid fungus is the newest and most serious threat to hellbenders, as well as all amphibians, Wanner said. The fungus attacks the keratin in the nails, feet and mouth of the hellbender. It can
Page 32
cause infertility in males and females and also affects the skin, making it hard for the animals to
breathe.
Hellbenders affected by the fungus can be found with open sores and missing limbs, and there
is no current treatment.
"We don't know for sure what’s causing all of these abnormalities and missing limbs," said Jeff
Briggler, state herpetologist for the Missouri Department of Conservation in Jefferson City, who has
been working with hellbenders for 10 years. "We still haven't determined the exact cause of their decline."
Chytrid has been found across the country and in all Missouri waterways. A specialist in Queensland, Australia, Ross Alford, professor of tropical biology at James Cook University at Townsville, said
the chytrid fungus is also a threat to amphibians worldwide.
"There's really no continent where amphibians occur nowadays that the fungus doesn't occur,"
Wanner said.
The fungus may have originated in African clawed frogs sold around the world during the
1930s. Although the frogs were carriers of the fungus, they were not affected by it.
One theory poses that the fungus spread when the frogs were flushed down toilets and deposited in local streams where chytrid became deadly for other species of amphibians.
Another factor in hellbender decline is the presence of endocrine disrupters in river systems.
When a person takes a hormonal medication, such as birth control pills, not all of the hormones are
absorbed into the body. The remaining hormones are released during urination. Sewage treatment facilities are not designed to remove these hormones, so they remain in the water, flowing into the
world's rivers.
These excess hormones affect amphibians directly, said Charlie Scott, the field supervisor at the
Columbia Fish and Wildlife Service. Because of its permeable skin, the hellbender is affected even more
than the average aquatic animal.
Scott said he believes there is hope for the hellbender through a proposal for polishing wetlands in Columbia. This is an innovative process created in 1990 in which aquatic plants in man-made
wetlands help remove chemicals and minerals before water is released into streams. Scott believes the
hormones are somehow eliminated in the process, which could be the key to saving the amphibians.
“This fungus is a global threat," Scott said. "It is spreading across the Earth. There are already
amphibians extinct in New Zealand and Australia.”
The animals are not safe in captivity, either. Scott said half the population of hellbenders in
zoos have died because of exposure to the fungus.
Wanner said losing the hellbender could mean trouble for humans who rely on them for foodchain balance. He hopes to prevent this extinction, and give these animals a fighting chance.
Conservation efforts at the St. Louis Zoo and elsewhere are moving forward quickly to prevent
the extinction of the species.
"In the 1970s, several scientists — biologists doing field work with hellbenders — they would
find, let's say, 100, 200 a day, on a good day on the river," Wanner said. "Since the 1970s, they've
probably declined about 80 to 85 percent, to the best of our knowledge."
"If you lose amphibians, you're gonna probably have a rise in some of the unbeneficial animals,
just because amphibians are a huge predator of any of our (aquatic) larval type insects,” he said.
"Once that balance (in the food chain) is disrupted, ... I don't think we really know what that
outcome will be. Unfortunately, we may find out one day."
Page 33
Reprinted from the Columbia Missourian
http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2009/07/14/hellbender-hed/
July 14, 2009
LIHS Editor NOTE: New York is home to the Eastern hellbender ( Cryptobranchus alleganiensis ).
Though, I’m not sure, a good place to view living Eastern Hellbenders might be at the Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery and Aquarium, Cold Spring Harbor, NY (http://www.cshfha.org/ ).
The following is an informational fact sheet published by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation ( D.E.C. )
Eastern Hellbender Fact Sheet
Eastern Hellbender ( Cryptobranchus alleganiensis )
New York Status: Special Concern
Federal Status: Not Listed
Description
Photo: HELLBENDER ILLUSTRATION
Inhabiting only two of New York State's river
drainages, the eastern hellbender is an intriguing and bizarre animal and hails as the Americas' largest aquatic salamander. Sexually mature adult hellbenders
range in size from 12-29 inches ( 30-74 cm ) and vary in color from grayish to olive brown and occasionally entirely black. Individuals usually sport dark mottling over the back and upper sides. Several loose
flaps of thick, wrinkled skin, which serve a respiratory function, run laterally along either side of the animal. These salamanders are perfectly adapted to their swift flowing stream habitats with their flattened head and body, short stout legs, long rudderlike tail, and very small beady eyes.
Life History
Hellbenders are aquatic organisms throughout their life and remain active year-round. These
salamanders generally spend the daylight hours in a natural or self-excavated den beneath large slabs
of rock or other shelter-providing objects ( logs and boards ) on the bottom of streams or rivers. Hellbenders become active after dark, leaving shelter to forage, feeding primarily on crayfish, fish, frogs
and a variety of invertebrates. Courtship and breeding begin in late summer. Sexually mature salamanders migrate to and congregate within certain areas to breed. Hellbenders are more conspicuous
at this time of the year and some diurnal activity may be observed on overcast days. Males excavate a
large nest chamber beneath a rock in preparation for breeding. Gravid females are either attracted to
or corralled into the nest sites by the males. Egg laying is initiated about the first week in September.
Page 34
Females simultaneously deposit two long strings of eggs in a softball-sized yellowish mass onto the
nest bed. The eggs are 5-7 mm in diameter and number between 150-400 per egg mass. Eggs are fertilized externally as they are being deposited. The breeding pair slowly sways within the nest cavity during fertilization, thereby ensuring a thorough mixing of seminal fluid and eggs. Males then drive out the
spent females and remain within the nest cavity to brood and safeguard the eggs until they hatch 6875 days later in November. The larvae at hatching are approximately 1-1 1/4 inches in length and retain
a large yolk sac. Very little is known about larval habits and survivorship, as very few are encountered
in the field. It is likely that they either suffer high mortality (falling prey to fish and other predators)
during the first years of life, or that they are utilizing some part of the aquatic habitat that makes them
difficult to locate and document. Males and females become sexually mature in approximately 5-7
years and can live up to 30 years of age.
Distribution and Habitat
The eastern hellbender's North American
range extends from southwestern and southcentral New York, west to southern Illinois, and
south to extreme northeastern Mississippi and
the northern parts of Alabama and Georgia. A
disjunct population occurs in east-central Missouri. A subspecies, the Ozark hellbender ( Cryptobranchus a. bishopii ), exists as an isolated
population in southeastern Missouri and adjacent Arkansas. In New York, the hellbender is
found solely in the Susquehanna and Allegheny
River drainages, including their associated tributaries. Hellbenders prefer swift running, well
oxygenated, unpolluted streams and rivers. An
important physical characteristic of these habitats is the presence of riffle areas and abundant
large flat rocks, logs or boards which are used
for cover and nesting sites.
Status
The hellbender was listed as a special concern species of New York State in 1983. It is listed as
Endangered in Maryland, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana and is threatened in Alabama. There is a lack of basic life history and distribution information on these animals. Insufficient historic data on population
densities has contributed to a shortage of knowledge on long-term population trends. Available evidence does suggest that numbers of these salamanders have declined and there is little evidence of
successful reproduction recently. Among the explanations that have been suggested to account for this
apparent decline are pollution of the aquatic habitat, damming of rivers and streams, which eliminates
critical riffle areas and lowers the dissolved oxygen content, and the siltation of streams and rivers resulting from agricultural practices and construction work ( e.g. bridges and roadwork ). An additional
Page 35
problem is the unintentional or intentional and senseless killing by fishermen who accidentally catch
hellbenders and erroneously fear that they are venomous.
Management and Research Needs
Continued surveys and long-term monitoring of populations within the Allegheny and Susquehanna River drainages are essential for developing a recovery plan for this species. Of particular importance is an investigation of larval and juvenile habits, survivorship, and habitat use to provide insight
into the hellbender's life cycle. Anglers fishing in hellbender habitat should be educated to understand
that these salamanders are not dangerous animals nor do they deplete game fish populations. Captive
breeding programs coupled with habitat cleanup and reestablishment of riffle areas and adequate
stream flow may be warranted.
A radio telemetry study was completed in the Susquehanna River drainage basin. All animals
captured were estimated to be 25 years of age or greater, indicating an ageing population with little or
no successful reproduction. Hellbenders demonstrated an ability to home after being displaced more
than a half mile. They also used a variety of microhabitats including large cover rocks, sunken logs, undercut banks and underwater talus piles for shelter and foraging. Over winter sites included deep water pools and fast flowing riffles that remain open year round.
Additional References







Blais, D. P. 1996. Movement, Home Range, and Other Aspects of the Biology of the Eastern
Hellbender ( Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis ): A Radio Telemetric Study. Master
Thesis. S.U.N.Y. at Binghamton.
Bishop, S. C. 1941. The Salamanders of New York. New York State Museum Bulletin No. 324, Albany.
Conant, R. and J. T. Collins. 1998. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America. Third Edition Expanded. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston.
Gottlieb, J. A. 1991. A Population Study of the Hellbender Salamander, Cryptobranchus alleganiensis, in the Allegheny River Drainage of New York State. Masters Thesis, St. Bonaventure
University, Olean, New York.
Nickerson, M. A. and C. E. Mays. 1973. The Hellbenders: North American "Giant Salamander".
Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee.
Petranka, J. W. 1998. Salamanders of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution
Press. Washington and London.
Pfingsten, R. A. and F. L. Downs. 1989. Salamanders of Ohio. Bulletin of the Ohio Biological Survey 7(2).
 Map adapted from Conant and Collins (1998) and Petranka (1998).
Reprinted from the NYS DEC FACT SHEET
http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7160.html
Page 36
Fox Snakes Get New Winter Home
By JOHN ROSZKOWSKI ~ Sun-Times News Group
For years, the basement and crawl space of a yellow house between Gurnee and Lindenhurst has been
the winter hibernating place for a large den of western
fox snakes. In fact, it is believed to be the largest known
population of western fox snakes in Lake County.
But the old "fox snake house" on Grand Avenue
just west of Route 45 will soon be torn down and the
snakes will have to find a new warm place to stay if
they're to survive the harsh winter months.
The Lake County Forest Preserve District is building the snakes a new home for the winter by installing a
man-made over-wintering site, or hibernaculum, in the
nearby Fourth Lake Forest Preserve near Lindenhurst.
"This is a man-made structure to hopefully replace
the over-wintering site they were using, which was in the
basement of an old house," said Allison Frederick, environmental communications specialist for the Lake County
Forest Preserve.
Forest preserve construction crews starting building the hibernaculum last week using large concrete cylinders at an excavated site in the Fourth Lake preserve.
Logs, branches, old cinder blocks and dirt from the old
house will be used to create an artificial nesting environment conducive to the fox snakes.
Michael Corn, professor emeritus of biology at the
College of Lake County in Grayslake, has been studying
the western fox snake for the past 12 years. He said construction of the hibernaculum is an effort to save the
snakes, many of which would not survive the winter
without a warm place to hibernate.
The tenants and owner of the old house had allowed the snakes to nest in the dirt basement and crawl
space for many years and allowed Corn to conduct his research on the snakes. Since 1996, more than 300 individual fox snakes have been captured, marked and released
from the basement of the house. However, the tenants
have recently moved out of the house and the owner has
sold the property to a developer.
Lake County Forest Preserve wildlife biologist Gary Glowacki inspects the interior of the forest preserve's overwinter
hibernaculum for the western fox snake
( August 13, 2009 ).
Photo: Michelle LaVigne / Staff
Lake County Forest Preserve heavy
equipment crew chief Erv Kvidera (
from left ), Lake County Forest Preserve
construction manager Patrick Bovill and
Lake County Forest Preserve wildlife biologist Gary Glowacki help (August 13,
2009 ) to guide the forest preserve's
over-winter hibernaculum for the western fox snake.
Photo: Michelle LaVigne / Staff
Page 37
"Working with Dr. Corn at CLC, we found a
new site nearby which is suitable for a new den
area," Frederick said. "That site is at the Fourth
Lake preserve."
Corn said the snakes spend about half the
year searching for food in the marshy areas of the
Fourth Lake preserve and then must find a place to
hibernate during the colder months of the year.
While the western fox snake is not considered a threatened or endangered species in Illinois, Corn said evidence suggests their population
in northeastern Illinois is declining.
"These snakes are an important part of the
ecosystem," Corn said. "They're important predators of small rodents. We don't know what would
happen if they were to disappear."
Corn and Rob Carmichael of the Wildlife
Discovery Center in Lake Forest captured some of the
snakes during this past winter and spring. More of
the snakes will be captured as they attempt to return to the old house this fall, and the snakes will
eventually be released at the new artificial hibernaculum at the Fourth Lake preserve.
Corn said one thing he doesn't know for sure yet is whether the snakes will return to their new
home in future winters.
"If we can get them to go the new hibernaculum, they will have a place to go for the winter," he
said.
Western Fox Snake ( Elaphe vulpina vulpine )
– courtesy Center for Reptile and Amphibian
Conservation and Management
Photo Credit: A. Resner
Reprinted from the Lake County New Sun
NewsSunOnline.com
http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/newssun/news/1737584,5_1_WA27_SNAKEHOME_S1090827.article
Posted and Accessed August 20, 2009
Western Fox snake photo: courtesy Center for Reptile and Amphibian Conservation and Management
http://herpcenter.ipfw.edu/index.htm?http://herpcenter.ipfw.edu/outreach/accounts/reptiles/snakes/W_fo
x_snake/index.htm&2
Page 38
Secret of Snake Slithering Found in Weights and Scales
Discovery Could Help Engineers Build Better Search-and-Rescue Robots
By Jim Giles
The secrets of how snakes slither across smooth surfaces have finally been pinned down by animal locomotion experts. The finding solves an age-old conundrum and could help engineers build better search-and-rescue robots.
It's clear that snakes push against rocks and other debris when moving across rough ground,
but exactly how do they negotiate flat surfaces, such as paved roads?
David Hu, now at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and colleagues at New York University
say they have found an answer.
The team administered anesthetic to 10 young Pueblan milk snakes - relatively small and harmless reptiles about 35 centimeters long. While the snakes were knocked out, Hu measured the force
required to slide them in different directions.
No Push-Over
He found that it was twice as hard to move
the snakes sideways as it was to slide the animals
forwards, and 50 per cent harder to push them
backwards. The friction is caused by the orientation of the snakes' scales, which are arranged to
resist such movements.
This difference is the key to crossing flat
surfaces like sand and bare rock, says Hu. The animals propel themselves using their muscles to
move their bodies in a wave. As the wave travels
backwards through its body, the snake's scales
catch the ground, generating a frictional force that
propels it forward.
Scientists think they've finally figured out how
Using video of the snakes in action, Hu's
snakes slither across smooth surfaces, such as
team also found that the snakes lift parts of their
paved roads. ( Getty Images )
body slightly off the ground when moving. This
helps reduce unwanted friction and helps apply
greater pressure to the parts of the wave that are pushing the snake forwards. When Hu combined
these two effects in a computer model of snake movement, it produced simulations that slithered as
fast as real snakes do.
Lakshminarayanan Mahadevan, a mathematician at Harvard University who has studied snake
locomotion, says that researchers have known about the frictional properties of snake skin since at
least the 1940s, but reckons Hu's work is the first to use the lifting and friction together to explain it.
Rescue Bots
The finding could help engineers working on robots that might one day search wrecked buildings for earthquake survivors: snake-like designs have been explored, but they have trouble crossing
smooth surfaces.
Page 39
Hu suggests that the robots would do better if they were wrapped in a skin that mimicked the
action of snake scales.
"It is an interesting thing to explore," says Gavin Miller, a software engineer at Adobe Systems
in San Jose, California, who builds snake robots in his spare time.
Miller suggests that a flexible version of the material used to coat the underside of crosscountry skis, which has an appropriate scaly structure, might be suitable.
ABC News Internet Ventures
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/AmazingAnimals/story?id=7794504&page=1
June 9, 2009
Duh, duh, duh,….. Duh,
duh, duh,….. Duh, duh, duh
Just when you thought it
was safe to go back in the
water….
RELAX… It’s just a Reeves’ (
maybe ) turtle outfitted for
Herp-o-ween
Page 40
LIHS Barbecue
August 15, 2009
at
“Kristin” & Gideon’s
Home
( we know who wears the
pants in the house )
Above/Below:
A great time had by all
Right:
EVERYONE in the pool
THANK YOU
Kristin, Gideon
&
Family
And all those
who brought
stuff to chow
down on…
Page 41
Herpin’ Projects
A new ( and I hope continuing ) column, where members can submit HERP PROJECTS they are
working on. Whether you breed Geckos, Corn snakes, King snakes, Leopard Geckos, Tortoises, Bearded
Dragons, Amphibians, etc., this column is for YOU. Please send a short description of the herp that you
are breeding, along with photos ( please caption photos appropriately. Email me your project/photos
at < [email protected] >.
So let’s kick this column off with the Helmeted Gecko and Lavender Striped Blood Corn snakes.
Helmeted ( USA ) / Spotted Mesa ( Australia DEP ) Gecko
( Diplodactylus galeatus )
Breeder: John Heiser
The following photos are of the normal spotted Mesa ( or Helmeted ) gecko and the line of
double spotted individuals that I am trying to develop. The double spotted group shows two females
from last fall and two hatchlings from this spring. I have two bloodlines of these and hope to breed
them and get consistent double spotted individuals.
I am also working on a fine spotted form and a striped form, but they are in the early stages (
maybe you'll see them in a few years ).
ABOVE: Double Spotted Mesa
Geckos
TOP RIGHT: Normal Spotted
Mesa Geckos
RIGHT: Double Spotted Mesa
Geckos
Photos: John Heiser
Page 42
Lavender Striped Blood Corn Snake
( Elaphe guttata guttata )
Breeders Rich Hume and Gideon Hodulick
A few years ago Gideon Hodulick and I had the
idea to try to create a lavender striped blood corn
snake, which to the best of our knowledge is a morph
that did not exist yet. It is three steps away from a
"normal" corn - lavender, striped, and blood-red ( aka
diffused ). We didn't have a lavender blood, so in
2007, we sent a female striped corn het for lavender
to a friend of ours on a breeding loan. He bred it to his
male lavender blood, and from that we acquired 1.1
lavenders and a normal female. These lavenders were
het for blood-red ( from dad ) and het for stripe ( from
mom ). The normal female was het for all three traits.
Fortunately, all three animals were savage
feeders from day one, so we were able to get them
large enough to breed at two years old. We bred the
ABOVE / BELOW: Lavender Striped Blood
lavender male to both of his sisters, hoping to get mayCorn Snakes
be one lavender striped blood. From the breeding of
the two lavenders, the odds were 1/16, about right to
BOTTOM LEFT: Striped Blood Corn Snake
get one, as a typical clutch for a first time breeding fePhotos: Rich Hume and Gideon Hodulick
male corn is around 12 - 18 eggs. From the lavender to
the normal, the predicted ratio was greater - 1/32 - so
the odds there were against us.
We got lucky and hatched out two lavender striped bloods, one from each female. They also all
turned out to het for albino, as we got opals ( amel lavenders ), opal bloods, and amels. Obviously, unbeknownst to any of us, the amel gene was in at least one
of the grandparents, and in this case is actually fortuitous ( it is not always a good thing to have an unknown
gene pop up in these types of projects ).
Page 43
Mali Uromastyx
by Glenn Bartley
This heat loving creature is a Uromastyx lizard. It was sold to me as a Mali
Uromastyx ( Uromastyx maliensis ) about
a year ago. I have been taking excellent
care of it and it has grown some but not
as much as I would have expected in the
course of a year given the size of adults.
Either these lizards are very slow growing or they are not Mali Uromastyx but
another smaller species. Note I did not
add on that maybe they are not cared
for well enough or that maybe they are
parasitized. My pair is in excellent condition. In fact some uromastyx lizards take
up to 8 years to reach full size. ( 1 ) They
are plump but not fat, they eat a diet of
about 99% vegetable matter consisting of
Mali Uromastyx ( Uromastyx maliensis )
about >79% green leafy plants, 10% of
Photo: Glenn Bartley
vegetables such as a variety of beans,
squash, tomatoes, corn, grated carrots, cut up cucumber, seeds and so on, 5% flowers, 5% fruit. The
remaining 1% is made of insects such as crickets and wax worms.
Mine get sprayed/misted with water about twice to 4 times per month. Yes that is right; they
get sprayed with water only up to 4 times per month ( once per week ). They get no water, such as in a
bowl, and get most of their water from what they eat. This suits them fine; they are creatures from hot
and arid deserts. In fact they probably get more water from the diet I feed them than they would get in
nature. As you can see from the picture mine is a healthy looking specimen with no signs of disease,
malnutrition or dehydration. My other one is in just as excellent a condition.
Mali Uromastyx are found throughout Northern Africa and in the Middle East in countries that
have arid and hot deserts. These areas receive a lot of sunshine. Many of those found in captivity are
wild caught although captive bred individuals are becoming more and more available in the hobby.
Mine are captive bred, if I remember right, but like wild ones mine love it hot - up to 135 degrees ( F )
on their basking spot. They are usually but not always found at the hot end of the tank but not necessarily in the hottest area at that end. They love to bask under the Mercury-Vapor ( MV ) lamp I have for
them. This type of light provides heat as well as very necessary UVA and UVB light. These two types of
light are essential for the health of basking lizards and other basking reptiles. The best source of this
type of light is natural sunshine, but it is often impractical to keep these lizards outdoors when either
too humid or too cool. So I use artificial lighting. While UVA and UVB can also be supplied by a fluorescent tube, I find the MV lamps to be better for these lizards because they also give off a lot of heat. ( I
mean they get VERY HOT so be careful when around these bulbs and note they require a ceramic fixLIHS Herpetofauna Journal ~ September/October ~ Volume 19, Issue 5 ~ www.LIHS.org
Page 44
ture that is made to handle the wattage of the bulb and the heat they produce. ) UVA and UVB are important parts of light that help a uromastyx process calcium. Without such light they can develop various diseases and have difficulties digesting properly. Some of the diseases include metabolic bone disease and blister disease ( a general name for blisters of the skin caused by various pathogens and or
metabolic problems ).
In addition to the mostly vegetarian diet and special lighting required to keep these lizards they
have a few other consideration in captivity. First of all you need a tank large enough to house them
properly. This could wind up being something at least about 3 feet long by at least 2 feet deep for a
sexed pair of adults. Younger ones can be kept in a 20 or 30 gallon long sized tank ( or something with
similar size ). A good fitting screen top is not necessary but is a good idea. While these lizards do not
climb glass they can climb atop any ornaments in their tanks and possibly have enough leverage from
that to reach the tank top and then be able to pull themselves out. So I recommend a screen top.
Screen tops also prevent unwanted guests from pestering the lizards. This is important if you have
young children or pets that roam the house freely. Cats or dogs probably would prove to be deadly to a
Uro.
As for the bottom of the tank, the substrate can be something as simple as sand. I use and recommend play sand that is available in building supply stores. I use the beige or tan colored natural
sand and absolutely do not use any sand made from or containing crushed sea shells ( this sand is often
white in appearance ). Beach sand is also not good. Play sand is clean, fine, and does not contain biological matter ( except that which gets into it coincidentally ) and seems as well suited for uromastyx
lizards substrate as it is for children as a play medium. To complete a tank the uromastyx will need
some hiding and basking places. I use things like bricks, curved pieces of cork bark, and pieces of
branch with a diameter of a couple to a few inches to set up both hiding and basking places. There are
also commercially available hide boxes for reptiles that you can purchase at online reptile vendors, pet
stores and reptile expos. Tine final piece of cage furniture that I use is a food dish. Something that is
fairly low ( sides up to about an inch or a bit higher ) and that is fairly wide ( up to 6 inches in diameter
) into which I can put their food. I do not use a water bowl although some people do so.
A water bowl for these lizards is, in my opinion, not needed but something that is probably not
a good idea for Uros. As I said they get sufficient water from what they eat and from a weekly misting
to keep them healthy. Too much water in their enclosure can cause too high humidity and spills can
cause sanitary problems. Speaking of sanitary conditions I scoop out poop when I see it and a thorough
cage cleaning is done once per week or sometimes every second week so long as I have been very good
about scooping out the poop. A thorough cleaning means removing all cage furniture and cleaning it in
water and mild detergent such as dishwashing detergent, then rinsing well. It was means taking out the
old sand and replacing it with new. ( If throwing out sand in the trash, be careful it adds a lot of weight
to a trash bag and can easily cause the bag to burst. ) It also means cleaning the tank or cage or whatever type of enclosure you use with a mild detergent and water.
These lizards are somewhat flighty. Even though mine are captive bred they do not like to be
disturbed and if basking on my approach they will often scamper for the protection of their hides.
Along those lines, they do not like handling either. When I pick mine up, such as for cage cleaning they
thrash their spiked tails wildly. This is a defensive mechanism that should not hurt you except maybe to
have you get startled and say ouch. Once I have them securely in hand they usually calm down fairly
well but I do not trust them to stay put and keep a firm grip on them. I imagine that Mali Uros would
acclimate to more handling. I do not keep mine as pet’s per-se but rather as animals I keep for my
Page 45
hobby and someday intend to breed and therefore I handle them minimally. Despite being flighty and
their not being handled often - they have never even attempted to bite me.
All in all they are fairly easy to keep. In the year or year plus that I have owned my pair they
have never even looked sick let alone required any sort of medical care. They are hearty if kept properly but like any animal - if you do not care for them properly they will suffer. Reptiles can sometimes go
a long time looking fit while they are actually not doing well health-wise. It is at that point that many
people decide to either terminate them, offer them for adoption, or try to give them to someone else
to get rid of them. Animals that you have chosen to keep are a responsibility that you should uphold to
your best ability. Parents need to remember this when allowing children to have pets. A child will almost always need checking on, guidance and prodding to have the child properly care for a pet; this includes teenagers. Adult supervision is a responsibility of the parent who allows a child to keep a pet.
Some uromastyx species can take over half a decade to reach their full size so you can bet they are
long lived lizards.
References:



http://www.lizards.com/index.php/mu.html
http://www.kingsnake.com/uromastyx/noframes.html
http://www.kingsnake.com/uromastyx/caresheets/Corzine.htm
Footnotes:
1
http://www.kingsnake.com/uromastyx/caresheets/MOROCCON1.htm
Reprinted with permission from Glenn Bartley
L.I. Herp Hobbyist
http://liherphobbyists.blogspot.com/2009/09/mali-uromastyx.html
September 20, 2009
Reptiles and Lizards Keep Man Cool in Summer
A man in Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, has found a way to
keep cool and comfortable without the use of any electricity.
Zhao Jing, 26, shares his bed with boas, lizards and other coldblooded animals.
Zhao has transformed his home into a mini zoo for reptiles and
insects.
The former chef spends more than two-thirds of his monthly income on food for the pets.
Reprinted from the Wuhan Evening News
Copyright By chinadaily.com.cn. All rights reserved
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-07/08/content_8392871.htm
Posted July 9, 2009, Accessed July 12, 2009
Page 46
Camel, er, wind spiders cause stir
By Chris Merrill - Star-Tribune environment reporter
LANDER -- You say camel spider, I say wind scorpion -- let's call
the whole thing off.
It turns out camel spiders are native to the American
West -- we just don't call them camel spiders. And they don't
get 6 inches long here, like they do in North Africa and the
Middle East.
A spider found by an Ogden, Utah, woman last week
created a stir when initial stories suggested it was a camel spider: a scary-looking, powerfully jawed critter that news reports
said was not native to this hemisphere.
North American Wind Spider
This weekend, after watching TV news coverage of the
Ogden discovery, a Kemmerer couple also captured one of these
hairy, beady-eyed creepy crawlers.
The thing is, camel spiders -- or wind scorpions, as they're known here -- are common throughout the West, usually emerging at night in arid
landscapes, hunting other bugs and small creatures with great speed and ferocity.
Camel spiders have gotten some press in
recent years -- and a lot of Internet buzz -- as
American soldiers in Iraq posted and sent back
photos of these disconcertingly large and menacing-looking creatures.
American arachnophobes can be thankful,
however, because these solifugae, as they're
known scientifically, usually stop growing here in
North America when their leg spans reach 1 to 2
inches, said James Barnhill, an extension agent
and entomologist with Utah State University.
"They're native to our area; they're not introduced," Barnhill said. "They look like a spider
African-Asian Camel Spiders being held by
with an extra set of legs out front. They're consiUnited States servicemen overseas
dered beneficial, and I've never heard of anybody
getting bit by them."
Wind scorpions -- also known as sun scorpions and sun spiders -- are not technically spiders at
all, Barnhill said. They belong to a different arachnid order altogether, like scorpions do.
According to the National Geographic magazine, pound for pound these critters wield the most
powerful jaws in the desert. Scientists like to point out that, relative to size, wind scorpions and camel
spiders have a deadlier bite than a great white shark.
Page 47
They will bite humans only in self defense, if handled, and although it can be very painful, the
bites are not poisonous, according to W.S. Cranshaw, an entomologist with Colorado State University.
"Because of their fearsome and unusual appearance, sun spiders often cause alarm when they
are discovered," Cranshaw wrote, but added they are essentially harmless.
Lori Good and her fiancé, Jim Vilos, of Kemmerer, were certainly startled by the wind scorpion's
appearance, they said, when Vilos captured one outside their home Saturday.
"It's got pinchers on it, on the front that is like ants' jaws. I don't know how to explain it," Good
said. "In a roundabout way, they kind of remind you of sand crickets, almost. You just don't imagine
you're going to have that kind of stuff in Wyoming."
Good and Vilos had watched a TV news story about the "camel spider" in Utah on Friday evening, and she and Vilos looked up pictures of the critter on the Web to see what they look like, Good
said.
"And then Jim came in Saturday and he said, 'You'll
never guess what I caught,"' she said.
Vilos saw the quick-moving spider in his yard when
he went to adjust a lawn sprinkler. At first he captured the
spider under a funnel from the garage, and finally got it
into an empty mayonnaise jar.
"I told her I caught a camel spider, the same thing
we'd just seen on TV, and she goes, 'Oh, you're full of
crap,"' Vilos said.
He plans to preserve the wind scorpion in alcohol,
as he did a regular scorpion he caught a couple of years
ago, Vilos said, to keep as a conversation piece.
In the American West, wind scorpions tend to invade
North American Wind Spider
people's homes in July and August, according to Cranshaw,
attracted to prey that are themselves attracted to nighttime lighting.
BREAKOUT
 Most powerful jaws in the West
 Camel spiders, or wind scorpions as they're known here, have pounded for pound the most
powerful bite of any creature in the desert.
 Their "jaws," or chelicerae, which are the insect equivalent, are more powerful, relative to size,
than the jaws of a great white shark.
 They are hairy, with beady eyes and "Popeye forearms," and they are lightning-quick.
 Wind scorpions' jaws are like a combination pincer and knife -- they chew their victims into pulp
with a sawing motion, and then exude an enzyme that liquefies the flesh, which they suck into
their stomachs.
 They not harmful to humans, however.
Source: National Geographic Magazine, July 2004
Downloaded from the Trib.com
http://casperstartribune.net/articles/2008/07/15/news/wyoming/6125e5c38a127ad8872574860083b555.txt
POSTED July 15, 2008; accessed JULY 16, 2008
Copyright © 1995–2007 Lee Enterprises
Page 48
===================================
Some common Camel Spider Myths:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Camel spiders can move at speeds over 30 MPH, screaming while they run.
Camel spiders can be as large as a Frisbee.
Camel spiders’ venom is an anesthetic that numbs their prey.
Camel spiders can jump three feet high.
Camel spiders get their name because they eat the stomachs of camels.
They eat or gnaw on people while they sleep. Due to the numbing effect of their venom, the
victim is unaware until they awake.
The Facts:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Camel spiders top speed - approximately 10 mph. This is very fast.
Size: Up to 6 inches although many of our readers report larger.
They have no venom.
They don't jump. However, many of our readers describe them leaping onto their legs, etc...
Called camel spiders because they live in the desert.
They actually aren't spiders at all, they're solpugids... Along with spiders, they are members of
the class Arachnida.
For more camel spider pictures... or http://www.camelspiders.net/
BABY BLUE - by Blue – March 12, 2009
Page 49
Boy or Girl? In Lizards, Egg Size Matters
Whether baby lizards will turn out to be
male or female is a more
complicated question than
scientists would have ever
guessed, according to a
new report published online on June 4th in Current
Biology. The study shows
that for at least one lizard
species, egg size matters.
"We were astonished," said Richard Shine
of the University of Sydney.
"Our studies on small alpine lizards have revealed
another influence on lizard
Eastern three-lined skink ( Bassiana duperreyi ).
sex: the size of the egg. Big
Photo: Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
eggs tend to give girls, and
small eggs tend to give boys.
And if you remove some of the yolk just after the egg is laid, it's likely to switch to being a boy, even if
it has female sex chromosomes; and if you inject a bit of extra yolk, the egg will produce a girl, even if it
has male sex chromosomes."
In many animals, the sex of offspring depends on specialized sex chromosomes. In mammals
and many reptiles, for instance, males carry one X and one Y chromosome, while females have a pair of
X chromosomes. In contrast, animals such as alligators depend on environmental cues like temperature to set the sex of future generations.
The new findings add to evidence that when it comes to genetic versus environmental factors
influencing sex determination, it doesn't have to be an either/or proposition. In fact, Shine and his colleagues earlier found in hatchlings of the alpine-dwelling Bassiana duperreyi that extreme nest temperatures can override the genetically determined sex, in some cases producing XX boys and XY girls.
His group had also noticed something else: large lizard eggs were more likely to produce daughters and
small eggs to produce sons.
Despite the correlation, Shine said he had assumed that the association was indirect. In fact, his
colleague Rajkumar Radder conducted studies in which he removed some yolk from larger eggs, more
likely to produce daughters, to confirm that assumption.
"We were confident that there would be no effect on hatchling sex whatsoever," Shine said.
"When those baby boy lizards started hatching out, we were gob-smacked."
Shine thinks there will be much more to discover when it comes to lizard sex determination.
Page 50
"I suspect that the ecology of a species will determine how it makes boys versus girls, and that
our yolk-allocation effect is just the tip of a very large iceberg," he said.
The authors include Rajkumar S. Radder, University of Sydney, Australia; David A. Pike, University of Sydney, Australia; Alexander E. Quinn, University of Canberra, Australia; and Richard Shine, University of Sydney, Australia.
Journal reference:
1.
Rajkumar S. Radder, David A. Pike, Alexander E. Quinn, and Richard Shine. Offspring Sex in a Lizard Depends on Egg Size. Current Biology, 2009; DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2009.05.027
Adapted from materials provided by Cell Press, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
ScienceDaily.com
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090604124015.htm
Posted June 22, 2009, Accessed June 29, 2009
Submitted by LIHS Member – Debbie Hoppe
LIHS visits the
Farmingdale
State
College
Day Camp
July 2009
( Rich Hume, Harry Faustmann,
and Rich Meyer )
Page 51
AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
Presents
A captivating exhibition showcasing more than 200 live frogs from around the world
Web: http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/frogs/?src=h_h
Admission***:



Adults: $24.00
Children (2-12): $14.00
Senior/Student with ID: $18.00
Timed entrance to Frogs is available every thirty minutes from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm daily. The last
timed-entry to the exhibition is at 4:30 pm.
An engaging, fact-filled exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History that features more
than 200 live frogs, including 9 species of colorful dart-poison frogs. On view from May 30, 2009,
through January 3, 2010, the exhibition explores the colorful and diverse world of these complex
amphibians by introducing visitors to their biology and evolution, their importance to ecosystems,
and the threats they face in the wild.
New to the exhibition this year are Amazon milk frogs. the females lay eggs in foam nests, created by
beating a frothy secretion into foam with their hind
legs, attached to branches overhanging the water;
and long-nosed horned frogs, which are camouflaged to mimic leaves.
The centerpiece of the exhibition - a 110-cubicfoot dart-poison frog vivarium - showcases more
than 70 dart-poison frogs. A soundscape featuring
the calls of more than 20 species fills this area
with some of the most unusual and bizarre vocalizations made 6+by these amphibians.
Ornate Horned Frog ( Ceratophrys ornate )
Joe McDonald, Clyde Peeling's Reptiland
Page 52
Photos: ( Left ) Smokey Jungle Frog ( Leptodactylus pentadactylus )
Dave Northcott; ( Middle ) African Clawed Frog ( Xenopus laevis )
Courtesy of Clyde Peeling's Reptiland; ( Right ) Golden Mantella Frog (
Mantella aurantiaca ) John Netherton, Clyde Peeling's Reptiland
Frogs also features a diverse array of species from around the world, including American and African
bullfrogs, Chinese gliding frogs, ornate horned frogs, African clawed frogs, and fire-bellied toads (see
full list below).
Species Featured in Frogs: A Chorus of Colors







African bullfrogs (Pyxicephalus adspersus)
African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis)
Amazon milk frogs (Trachycephalus resinifictrix)
American bullfrogs and tadpoles (Lathobates catesbeianus)
Borneo eared frogs (Polypedates otilophus)
Chinese gliding frogs (Rhacophorus dennysi)
Dart poison frogs ( 12 species represented )







Long-nosed horned frogs (Megophrys nasuta)
Fire-bellied toads (Bombina orientalis)
Ornate horned frogs (Ceratophrys ornata)
Smokey jungle frogs (Leptodactylus pentadactylus)
Smooth-sided toads (Rhaebo guttatus)
Vietnamese mossy frogs (Theloderma corticale)
Waxy monkey frogs (Phyllomedusa sauvagii)
Hours: The Museum is open daily, 10 am –5:45 pm ( closed Thanksgiving and Christmas )
Admission*** : Suggested general admission, which supports the Museum’s scientific and educational endeavors and includes 46 Museum halls and the Rose Center for Earth and Space, is $15 (
adults ) suggested, $11 ( students/seniors ) suggested, $8.50 ( children ) suggested. All prices are subject to change. The Museum offers discounted combination ticket prices that include suggested general admission plus special exhibitions, IMAX films, and Space Shows.
Information: call 212-769-5100 or visit the Museum’s website at www.amnh.org or got to
http://www.amnh.org/museum/welcome/
Visitors can also explore the Frogs Shop located on the first floor of the Main Shop, just outside the
exit to Frogs. The Shop features a wide selection of whimsical frog-themed merchandise.
Page 53
The Herp Marketplace
Zoo Med’s Turtle Tub replicates the natural “pond” environment
that aquatic turtles (in the wild) live in resulting in less animal
stress. Has built in water area with large land area that allows natural basking and egg laying behavior.


SIZE: 39"L x 21"W x 16"D Lightweight and easy to clean
Item Number: TT-40 - Size: 39"L x 21"W x 16"D
 Zoo Med’s Turtle Tub Turtle Tub Kit Includes: Reptile Lamp
Stand Power Sun UV & Heat Lamp Mini Deep Dome Lamp Fixture, 511 Turtle Clean Canister Filter, Reptisafe 8 oz, Eco Earth 8 qt, Forest Floor Substrate 8 qt, Natural Bush Plant and more......
Zoo Med Laboratories Inc.
www.zoomed.com
Zoo Med’s Floating Turtle Log is a new natural looking Floating Turtle
Log provides security, comfort, and stress reduction for aquatic turtles,
newts, frogs, mudskippers, and tropical fish. The hallow resin log floats
just at the surface so that turtles can bask on top of it or hide submerged inside. Bottom-weighted prevents the log from rolling over,
even with two 4" ( 10 cm ) turtles on top.
VIDEO LINK: VIDEO - Zoo Med Floating Turtle Log==

Item Number: TA-40 - Size: Large
www.zoomed.com
Zoo Med’s Turtle Dock is a unique floating dock for aquatic turtles
to bask on. Self leveling feature automatically adjusts to all water levels. Submerged ramp allows turtles easy access to a dry basking
area for maximum exposure to heat and UVB lamps. Available in 4
sizes to easily accommodate any size aquatic turtle.
 Item Number: TD-5 - Size: MINI - Gal Size/Color: +5 Gal
 Item Number: TD-10 - Size: SM -Gal Size/Color: +10 Gal
 Item Number: TD-20 - Size: MED - Gal Size/Color: +15 Gal
 Item Number: TD-30 - Size: LG - Gal Size/Color: +40 Gal
www.zoomed.com
Page 54
Diamondback Trading Cards - Diamondback Trading Cards manufactures unique trading
cards for the natural history enthusiast of all
ages.
Watch their video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8wVCrNsnoI
to find out more about us or click around to browse current stock and upcoming releases.


Now Available: 'Reptiles Series 1', ‘SS – Alterna’, 'Frogs and Toads'
September 2009: 'Reptiles Series 2'

Coming Soon: 'Arthropods'
http://www.diamondbacktradingcards.com/Home
Zoo Med Laboratories Inc. Aquatic Pet Foods pet foods come in three high-protein varieties. Aquatic Frog & Tadpole Food is made of sinking pellets for all types of aquatic
frogs and tadpoles, while the Aquatic Newt Food comes in a soft, moist form developed
by zoo nutritionists, according to the company. Aquatic Shrimp, Crab and Lobster Food is
formulated to be the ideal sinking-food-stick formula for the optimum growth and health of
these pets.
www.zoomed.com
The Exo Terra Light Cycle Unit Electronic Dimming Terrarium Lamp
Controller is designed to provide a flexible terrarium lighting solution by
combining a timer, electronic ballast and dusk/dawn simulator in one.
The timer can be set for 10-, 12- or 14-hour lighting periods. Long, water-resistant end-cap leads on the product give the versatility to mount
bulbs over any type and size of terrarium, the company states.
 PT2241 - Light Cycle Unit T8/T10 - 2 X 20W
www.exo-terra.com
http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/terrariums.php
Page 55
Tetrafauna ReptoFilter -10i uses Whisper filtration technology, the ReptoFilter provides quality three stage filtration, removing debris, discoloration and odors and ammonia from terrariums with up to 20 gallons of water. The design allows for operation in shallow-water environments, making it ideal for creating waterfalls and a top lid keeps reptiles out of the
filter chamber, while providing easy access for replacing filter cartridges.
Tetra
http://www.tetrafish.com/sites/tetrafish/catalog/productcategory.aspx?id=110&cid=820
Tetrafauna Decorative ReptoFilter allows you to instantly create a
beautiful waterfall and basking area for newts, frogs, and turtles in
any aquarium from up to 55 gallons. Features include integrated
three stage Whisper filtration, which use easily replaceable Bio
Bags keeping water clear and odor free. Large intake holes prevent
clogging. Cover keeps animals out of the filtration area and provides an ideal basking area. Realistic rock décor with waterfall. Includes Tetra Care with free assistance with setting up and maintaining your aquatic terrarium.
Tetra
http://www.tetra-fish.com/sites/tetrafish/catalog/productcategory.aspx?id=110&cid=820
The Exo Terra Dual Top allows reptile hobbyists to combine halogen and fluorescent
bulbs for maximum customization without
complicated maintenance, the manufacturer
reports. Fitting two Exo Terra Repti Glo fluorescent bulbs and one or two Exo Terra Sun
Glo Halogen Basking Spot Lamps, the Dual
Top provides terrariums with essential UV
and visual light, as well as heat. Made out of rigid anodized aluminum, the top’s canopy is easily
cleaned with a dry cloth. Designed for the Exo Terra Glass Terrarium, the Dual Top is mountable on the
front or back screen and features a cooling fan to prevent overheating.



PT2230 - 17.7" x 3.5" x 7.8"
PT2232 - 23.6" x 3.5" x 7.8"
PT2233 - 36” x 3.5" x 7.8"
Rolf C. Hagen (USA) Corp.
http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/terrariums.php
Page 56
MEETING DATES & INFORMATION
Meeting Dates
Speaker / Topic

September 20, 2009

October 11, 2009

November 15, 2009
TBD

December 20, 2009
HOLIDAY GET TOGETHER
MEMBERS ONLY

January 10, 2010
TBD

February 21, 2010
TBD

March 21, 2010
TBD

April 11, 2010
TBD

May 16, 2010
TBD

June 13, 2010
TBD
CB versus WC
REPTILEMANIA
ALL Meetings ( unless otherwise noted ):
 are OPEN and FREE to the PUBLIC… Bring your friends and family.
 will start at 1:00 PM. They may end earlier than the 4:00 end time, so please be on time.
 will be held at the Farmingdale State College Conference Center on the SUNY Farmingdale
College Campus.
DIRECTIONS to SUNY Farmingdale: http://www.lihs.org/files/meetingplace.htm
 SUNY Farmingdale College Campus Map: http://www.lihs.org/files/FSUNY_MAP.jpg
Speakers will be updated as they are scheduled. You will receive meeting updates via
email, the Herpetofauna Journal, REMINDER
POSTCARDS, or for the most CURRENT
INFORMATION check the LIHS Website:
www.LIHS.org
In case of inclement weather, please
check the LIHS Website and / or your
email
Page 57

20th ANNUAL LIHS Reptile and Amphibian Show

Transcription

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