Daily Reptile News

Snake pops out Bus’ luggage trailer

A 1.2 metre-long snake dropped out of the luggage trailer of a South Africa-bound City Liner bus on Friday triggering excited speculation among vendors on how the reptile came to be part of the travelling party.

The incident occurred as the bus pulled out of a service station along Harare’s 4th Street.

Passersby saw the snake slither out of the trailer and raised alarm before the reptile was run over by a car as it tried to escape.

However, the bus driver did not notice the drama and continued with his journey.

Some people in the crowd were convinced it was a case of juju, and claimed a cross-border trader on the bus was possibly using charms to boost their business.

One vendor, who identified herself as Mrs Mukaka, said she saw the snake drop out of the bus’ luggage trailer before it was run over by the car.

“It is natural that people think that this is about juju. We have heard that some cross -border traders visit witchdoctors to improve their businesses and to travel safely.

“But we must not rush to condemn anyone. Maybe something else happened and the snake ended up in the luggage trailer,” she said.

The woman added: “If it is about juju then people must learn that the only way to make money is through hard work.

Recently, a snake was also found in the car of a prominent Chitungwiza businessman who failed explain how the reptile had ended up in his vehicle.

Search under way for pet owner after snakes found dumped in bin bag in river

A PET owner is being hunted by the RSPCA after two dead snakes were found in a bin bag dumped in a Lincoln river.

Officers from the charity were called after a boat owner spotted the creatures black plastic tomb at the boat moorings on Brayford Pool, near to the University of Lincoln.

Inside was an eight-foot reticulated python, an as yet unidentified two-foot long snake, snake skins and items from a tank used to keep the reptiles.

RSPCA animal collection officer Fran Whitten said it appears the snakes could have been in the water for a number of days.

“It’s very strange to find one snake dumped let alone two,” she said.

“We do not know at this stage if the snakes were alive when they were put in the bag and placed in the river.

“Currently we have specialists reviewing photographic evidence of the snakes and the bodies are being preserved.

“We would really like to hear from anyone who may have any information about these snakes to get in touch with the RSPCA, so we can establish where they came from and discover why they were just dumped.”

John Wilkinson, research officer for Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, said the snakes could have been dumped due to an inexperienced owner not knowing what to do with their pet and panicking.

“Snakes should not be seen as a light alternative, they are still living vertebrate creatures.

“We are against people keeping a number of large species because they are so difficult to keep responsibly – and a reticulated python would definitely come under that category.”

Anyone with information about the dumped snakes should contact the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999.

A DINOSAUR with 4ft horns

The 72million-year-old rhino-sized plant-eater Coahuilaceratops magnacuerna was 22ft long, 6ft to 7ft tall and weighed in at five tons.

It was an ancestor of the famous three-horned Triceratops. The Coahuilaceratops had two enormous horns that jutted out from above its eyes.

The fossil bones of the adult and one of its young were found in Coahuila, southern Mexico.

Dr Mark Loewen, from the Utah Museum of Natural History in Salt Lake City, US, said: “Finding this horned dinosaur so far south in Mexico offers us a different picture of what the ancestors of Triceratops were like.”

The discovery site is desert but 72million years ago was an estuary with lush vegetation.

Boy Hospitalized After Venomous Snake Bite

A 6-year-old boy is recovering in the hospital after being bitten by a venomous snake Friday afternoon. Ethan Booco was playing in the grass outside a restaurant in Ken Caryl and C-470 when he was bitten.

“When I got the snakebite, it hurt a very lot,” said Ethan.

He thought he had been stuck with a thorn, but the swelling, pain and bruising prompted his family to rush him to the hospital.

“It looked like a bee sting, that’s what I saw. All of a sudden, it started getting worse and worse,” said Ethan’s grandmother Theresa Booco.

Doctors at Swedish Medical Center, where Ethan is being treated, said it shows classic signs of a snakebite.

“When we saw the extent of the swelling and the bruising and the redness, it was progressing quite rapidly,” said Dr. Martin Alswang.

When asked if he cried, Ethan said, “When I hurt myself I didn’t, but when I got inside I did.”

Ethan is expected to go home over the weekend. He’s still hoping for the plate of chicken nuggets he ordered at the restaurant before he was bitten.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Says Lake Erie Watersnake Has Recovered

Washington, DC –-()-The Lake Erie watersnake, a harmless species once threatened with extinction, has rebounded to the point that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to remove the snake from the list of federally endangered and threatened species. Lake Erie watersnakes inhabit offshore islands in western Lake Erie in Ohio and Ontario.

In a proposed rule published June 1, 2010 in the Federal Register, the Service said the Lake Erie watersnake has responded well to measures aimed at restoring its population and eliminating or reducing threats to the snake.

Recovery efforts included protecting the snake’s habitat and conducting outreach to island residents and visitors about the snake.

“As with the bald eagle, the American alligator, and many other species, the delisting of the watersnake demonstrates once again how effective the Endangered Species Act can be in bringing species back from the brink of extinction when we work hand-in-hand with states, local communities, and other partners,” said Tom Strickland, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Fish and Wildlife and Parks.

“As with most conservation success stories, the comeback of the Lake Erie watersnake is the result of different groups of people working toward a common goal,” said Tom Melius, the Service’s Midwest Regional Director. “All partners – local citizens to government agencies – worked hard to address threats to this species and ensure its long-term survival.”

Lake Erie watersnakes were listed as threatened – defined as at risk of becoming endangered under the Endangered Species Act – in 1999. Threats to the species included intentional killing and loss of its shoreline habitat to development.

A recovery plan, developed by a range of agencies and interest groups, was finalized in 2003. The plan called for protecting habitat and providing outreach to reduce threats to the Lake Erie watersnake. Recovery criteria include a combined population of at least 5,555 snakes on the U.S. islands, sustained for six years, and protection of key habitat.

Through habitat protection and public education, the Lake Erie watersnake population grew to about 8,600 in 2008, and has exceeded the minimum recovery level since 2001. About 300 acres of inland habitat and 11 miles of shoreline have been protected for the snake since it was listed.

Partners in the efforts to recover the Lake Erie watersnake include the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Northern Illinois University, Lake Erie Islands Chapter of the Black Swamp Conservancy, Western Reserve Land Conservancy, Put-in-Bay Township Park District, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, and The Ohio State University Stone Laboratory.

The ESA requires that a species be monitored for a minimum of 5 years after delisting, to ensure that the species remains stable after the protections of the ESA are removed. The Service is issuing a draft Post-delisting Monitoring Plan for public and peer review and comment, concurrent with the proposed rule to delist the Lake Erie watersnake.

The Service is seeking comments on the proposed rule and the draft post-delisting monitoring plan. Comments may be submitted by August 2, 2010, through the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. Comments are also accepted via U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R3-ES-2010-0039; Division of Policy and Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 222; Arlington, VA 22203.

The Service will evaluate information received from the public and, based on the best available scientific information, make a final decision within one year on whether to delist the Lake Erie watersnake.

For the complete proposed rule to delist the Lake Erie watersnake and the draft post-delisting monitoring plan, visit www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.

Hot Dog! Man Charged With Feeding Wieners to Gators

No matter the holiday, the rule in Florida remains: Don’t feed the gators.

A Port St. Lucie man was slapped with several citations after a law enforcement officer noticed him enticing a 6-foot reptile with a beef frank.

The gator had crawled out of a lake in Matthew P. Bucci‘s backyard, but instead of using a broom to push it back into the water, the 39-year-old pulled out a package of hot dogs and tossed it in the gator’s mouth.

Now it will be a Memorial Day of sorts for the reptile, who was captured and put down as part of Florida’s nuissance gator law.

As for the gator-feeder, it’s safe to call him a real wiener.

Two Milwaukee Reptile-Handlers Charged

MILWAUKEE, Wis. () – Two reptile-handlers in Milwaukee have been charged with a total of 19 counts of animal abuse and violating rules for endangered species.

60-year-old Terry Cullen was also charged with a sexual assault that police were investigating when they found over 200 exotic animals living in squalor. Cullen is charged with felony counts of second and third degree sexual assault, felony false imprisonment, and a dozen animal misdemeanors.

His conservancy associate, 50-year-old Jane Flint, is charged with 7 animal misdemeanors. A judge ordered a $10,000 bond for Cullen Thursday. He’s due back in court June 16th for a preliminary hearing. Flint does not have a court date yet.

The sexual assault reportedly happened in late February. According to prosecutors, Cullen was at a reptile show in Chicago when he met a 24-year-old woman – and he took her to Milwaukee to interview her for an internship with his conservancy.

Among other things, she told police she was startled by a crocodile at the facility that was roaming free. Later at Cullen’s house, she said she began to cry before Cullen sexually assaulted her. He reportedly took her home the next day, and she waited until this month to report it to police.

Cullen’s attorney, Stephen Glynn, denied the sexual assault charges and said Cullen has an international reputation for doing good things with the creatures he was accused of abusing.

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