Image by Jason White
Last March the CDFG was ordered to stop issuing importation permits for frogs and turtles for food. The ban on importation was original instated after a 15 year batter with animal welfare groups. The reason for the ban being lifted in short is because a small group of lobbyist say “the ban unfairly targets Asian-American business owners”. Sen. Leland Yee said it was part of the Asian culture to consume frogs and turtles.
Image from vietnamnet.vn
A new snake has been discovered at the Chu Mon Ray National Park in Sa Thay district, Kon Tum province in the Central Highlands
The stream snakes of the genus Opisthotropis have speciated in many of the streams to become localized endemics. There are 19 species in the genus most of which have not been researched. Most are found in China, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia but species occur from Sumatra to the Philippines.
Most probably eat fish, but a few eat crustaceans, and it seems likely that some are more aquatic than others – spending most of their lives in the water and perhaps leaving the water only to lay their eggs.
The U.S. Fish and Wild Life Service has set aside 98,366 acres of habitat for the endangered Aroyo Toad in California. The habitat stretches from areas of Monterrey to San Diego Counties. This new habitat designation ends a decade long fight between the USFWS and the Center for Biological Diversity over the future of the Toad. At the beginning the USFWS attempted to designate 478,000 acres to the Toad but this was scaled back after it was met from opposition from the public and private developers. The final designation for the arroyo toad includes about 72,596 acres of private lands, 21,982 acres under federal jurisdiction, 2,128 acres of state property and 1,660 acres of locally owned lands, said Lois Grunwald, a spokeswoman for the USFWS.
Photo by Jason White
A new study says that the lower jaw teeth in frogs are re evolving after being gone for more than 200 million years. The discovery runs counter to a principle called Dollo’s law, which states that physical structures lost during evolution are never regained, according to Wiens, an evolutionary biologist at Stony Brook University in New York State. Scientists are saying this challenges the core idea of evolution itself.
Kennett Fire Fighters rescued several Alligators, Turtles and snakes from a burning truck. The truck belonged to Ken Henderson “The Alligator Man” When fire fighters arrived Ken was attempting to unload the truck and sustained burns in the process. All the animals survived and were turned over to the Humane Society. I cant help but to cringe that the HS has the animals and I honestly hope Ken gets them back. The kind of love it take to rescue your animals from a burning vehicle is the kind only found in a real reptile enthusiast. Unfortunately here at DRN we know how it works and in short order would expect the HS the attempt to levy regulations, more than they already are.
According to biologists the Pythons in Florida are recovering. Some of them expected a 50%-60% decrease in population after the cold snap in Jan 2010 but they are now saying that only 10% of the invasive snake succumbed to the cold. One cant help but wander if this is just a ploy to help them push the new ban HR511 through. Look out boys and girls, looks like they are setting up for a long fight.
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