Daily Reptile News

Dad dangles tot over lucky croc

The death-defying stunt is part of a ritual in Pakistan in which Sheedi devotees seek blessings for their children.

This father happily waved his five-month-old son in front of one of the fearsome reptiles.

The crocs are regarded as sacred to the African-descended locals in Karachi and to appease the beasts they suspend their children in front of them as part of an annual spiritual festival — the Sheedi Mela.

Each parent makes a pledge to a shrine dedicated to the reptiles and then offer the animals chunks of fresh goat.

If the crocodiles eat the meat it is a sign of good luck — and they feel free to goad the animals with their own flesh and blood believing that, as the disciples of the saint Khwaja Hasan, they won’t attack.

The crocs are so revered that when they die they are wrapped in a shroud and buried like humans in a special croc graveyard.

Teenager Unearths Dinosaur Era Marine Reptile in Vegetable Garden

A teenager in Queensland, Australia, recently dug up a 100-million-year old Dinosaur Era marine reptile in his school’s vegetable garden. A local museum has since identified the fossil as belonging to an ichthyosaur.

Ichthyosaurs, which could grow to 13 feet in length, were ocean predators that mostly fed on fish and shellfish. Some had such sharp, plentiful teeth that they could crush hard shells with just a few bites.

The Australian city where the fossil was found, Richmond, was once covered by a Cretaceous Sea, so fossils for now-extinct marine reptiles and other prehistoric animals are often found there.

Student Raymond Hodgson never thought he’d make such a discovery, especially while just digging in the veggie garden with some of his classmates.

When Hodgson first unearthed the fossil, he didn’t think much of it and was prepared to keep on shoveling. A groundsman who was also present, Ben Smith, happened to see the object. Smith studies paleontology as a hobby. He recognized the find’s importance.

Pakistan – a dreamland for snake researchers

Dr Takacs has travelled to133 countries, yet he believes, “The people of Pakistan are one of the friendliest in the world.” Most venom in Pakistan has never been studied in detail, “We are sitting on a toxin biodiversity goldmine that remains unexplored.” He cannot wait to return and after relishing nehari with tandoori naan, hit the trail with his local friends to explore the biomedical potentials of venomous snakes of Pakistan.

More than 20 medicines and clinical tests come from snake, lizard, and marine snail venom ranging from high blood pressure to diabetes, from lupus to cancer pain with over a billion dollar sales. There is even a skin smoothening cosmetic developed from viper venom, which unlike Botox does not require an injection.

Over millions of years, snake venom has evolved to immobilise and kill prey and predator. It is nature’s most lethal mix of molecules — toxins in the venom target vital systems of the body like nerve-muscle communication or blood circulation and potently inhibit those functions. This precision-targeting of toxins is what makes venom superb for drugs. But high throughput methods to screen toxins were lacking — until now.

While there is a lack of reliable statistics, snakes of Pakistan cause approximately 40,000 reported bites with death estimations varying widely from over 1,000 to up to 20,000 a year. To reduce this number the specific and affordable antivenom must be available in hospitals, along with physicians properly trained in management of snake bites. People bitten by snakes need to seek prompt medical attention. Traditional medicine will not work. “If you are bitten then go to the hospital immediately. If not bitten, then the best thing you can do when seeing a snake is to back up five steps, then you are at a safe distance. Take a photo if you like, call a sapaira to remove it, but never try to kill it — often that would result in a bite”.

As an Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago and chasing venomous snakes around the world — to make new medication; I recently received the National Geographic Society’s Emerging Explorer of the year 2010 award.

Since my childhood in Hungary, I have captured and kept reptiles. Now, geared as a pilot and scuba diver, facing wars and snake bites, I enjoy travelling to the world’s most remote jungles, deserts and oceans to collect venom from snakes, scorpions and spiders. I participated in a technology that creates ‘toxin libraries’, with millions of new toxin variants after which this library is screened on a target that can determine the outcome of a disease. It is like making a million different keys, trying them out all at once and finding the one that opens the lock. For me, a new key is a toxin that looks promising for autoimmune disease like multiple sclerosis, arthritis and diabetes.

With cobras and kraits, sea snakes and vipers, Pakistan is a dreamland for snake researchers. I have traversed the country from Sindh to Khunjerab collecting venom, bare-handedly catching kraits at night and teaming up with sapairas to hear their folk stories, some of which have significant scientific basis.

Pet store thieves target expensive, rare breeds

Pet-napping appears to be a growing problem, as thieves target expensive dogs and rare lizards in pet shops.

Stores have increased security and owners of rare pets are keeping quiet about the breeds they have.

Just last week, a thief tried to steal a $1200 puppy from the Animal Ark pet shop in Auckland.

“We thought his behaviour was odd, looked back on our security footage and he had an empty bag on him… He was actually attempting to stick the puppy in the empty bag,” says Sharon Crosbie.

The thief was sprung, but others have brazenly bundled items like a bird cage, with two birds in it, into the back of a van and two baby turtles – stolen by two boys.

“You just don’t think that people will pinch live stock, but it is becoming more prevalent and we have to be more on to it,” says Ms Crosbie.

Bird Barn pet store owner David Jones thought his pups were secure, in a wire cage with only a small gap.

“One the security footage we still found people were squeezing through the 12-inch gap and getting the pups out,” he says.

At least six puppies have been stolen from Bird Barn along with other animals.

“We’ve had turtles go missing just last month, goldfish put into ladies handbags and we lost our shop pets – a cockatoo and a king parrot,” says Mr Jones.

Other store owners say lizards and rare tropical fish have gone missing out of tanks.

Owners are being forced to keep quiet about what stock they have.

Store owners are beefing up security and limiting hands-on interaction with the animals.

Minnesota asks drivers to brake for turtles

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Why did the turtle cross the road?

Minnesota wildlife managers say it’s because turtles are trying to get from their winter homes to their warm-weather nesting areas. And the state Department of Natural Resources is urging drivers in Minnesota to give turtles a brake.

Carol Hall, an agency specialist in amphibians, says many turtles are killed on roads each year, especially during the nesting season.

The agency says drivers who see a turtle on the road should slow down and go around it. The department also says it’s best to let turtles cross unassisted. If it’s necessary to help, the department says to move them in as direct a line as safely possible.

Minnesota has nine turtle species, some of which are protected.

FWC sets June 23-24 meeting in Lake Mary

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will meet June 23 and 24 in Lake Mary near Orlando. The sessions will begin at 8:30 a.m. both days and are open to the public.

On Wednesday, June 23, the Commission will begin by considering several draft rules, starting with fox and coyote enclosures and their operation in Florida. Proposed draft rule changes will be recommended for restricting the method of take during the spring turkey season on wildlife management areas. In addition, the Commission will consider a draft rule to allow the use of crossbows during archery season on private lands.

Final rules on airport safety and wildlife will be presented. The rules address the taking of wildlife on airports when necessary for the safety of people and aircraft on airports.

Burmese pythons and several other reptiles and lizards will come under discussion as the Commission considers final rules to change the classification of these nonnative species from reptiles of concern to conditional species. If approved, the new rules would allow anyone currently in possession of and properly licensed for a Burmese python or other reptile of concern, to keep the pet for the duration of its life. However, the new rules would prevent possession of Burmese pythons, reticulated pythons, African rock pythons (northern and southern), amethystine python group, green anacondas and Nile monitor lizards, except for commercial purposes. The new rules also provide 24/7 amnesty for currently unlicensed owners of reptiles of concern or conditional species to turn over their pets to a licensed facility without penalty.

Commissioners will consider proposed revisions to the gopher tortoise permitting guidelines. The revisions will assist in making the permitting process more efficient. Wednesday’s meeting will conclude with a presentation of revisions to the Miami Blue Butterfly Management Plan that takes into account new information and research about the endangered species’ population.

On Thursday, June 24, the meeting will open with special recognitions for FWC staff. The Florida Guides Association will recognize tarpon biologist Kathy Guindon and law enforcement Officer William Holcomb for their outstanding efforts in fish and wildlife conservation. Varley Grantham of the Triple S Cattle Company in Orange County will be honored as the recipient of the Youth Hunting Program of Florida Landowner of the Year Award, and Roger Mitchell from Polk County will receive the 2009 Hunter Safety Volunteer Instructor of the Year Award.

Following the awards presentation, the Commission will hold a final public hearing on proposed rule amendments for weakfish, also known as gray seatrout or yellow-mouth trout, which would apply the FWC’s weakfish management rules only in designated state waters of Nassau County in Northeast Florida.  All weakfish-like fish (including weakfish, sand seatrout and their hybrids) would be covered under the rules in these waters. The current daily recreational bag limit for these fish would be reduced from four fish to one fish, and a commercial weakfish harvest limit of 100 pounds per vessel per day or trip (whichever is longer) would apply in the designated waters.

Commissioners also will consider proposed federal consistency rule amendments for swordfish, which would make the FWC’s rules for this species in state waters the same as regulations for swordfish in adjacent federal waters.  The rule amendments would increase the limit for recreational vessels from three swordfish to four per vessel, create a special charter boat vessel limit of six swordfish and a special head boat vessel limit of 15 swordfish, retain the individual daily bag limit of one swordfish per person except for the captain and crew of for-hire vessels, and remove the 33-pound-minimum swordfish weight requirement.

In other marine fisheries action, the Commission will review and discuss federal fishery management issues, including whether management of certain species in federal waters should be delegated to the FWC, and possible changes to Gulf of Mexico gag grouper regulations.

A proposed new rule will be considered to allow the Commission to review and approve local boating ordinances before they take effect. In addition, a rule amendment will be discussed that incorporates statutory changes in the approval process for certain waterway markers.

The day will end with an update from the Division of Freshwater Fisheries Management on development of the Black Bass Management Plan for Florida.

The meeting will be at the Orlando Marriott Lake Mary, 1501 International Parkway, Lake Mary.

Anyone requiring special accommodations to participate in the meeting should advise the FWC at least five days prior to the June 23 meeting by contacting the FWC’s Office of Human Resources at 850-488-6411.  If you are hearing- or speech-impaired, contact the FWC using the Florida Relay Service at 800-955-8771 (TDD) or 800-955-8770 (voice)

Trade Center To Sell Reptiles

TAYLOR, Mich. — Those seeking a new cold-blooded friend are in luck, as the Michigan Reptile Show comes to Taylor on Saturday.The Taylor Town Trade Center, 22525 Ecorse Road, will host the show from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.Tree frogs, pythons, turtles and more will be available for purchase.Aside from the reptile show, there will also be a flea market and antique section.Admittance to the show is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and free for children 10 years old and under.

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