Daily Reptile News

Norwegian Man Killed by His Own Cobra Snake

On Thursday afternoon, Police and Rescue Workers were called the New Nordic Village in Soi 4 off the Pratamnak Road by staff working at the apartment complex who noticed a foul odor coming from room number 212 occupied by Mr. Per Christian Lindgaard aged 51 from Norway.

He was seen 3 days before taking a snake into his room, along with a glass case which he intended to keep as a pet. An inspection of Mr. Lindgaard’s body indicated a bite mark on his leg and the pet snake, identified as a Cobra, was found next to the bed and safely removed from the location.

Khun Oranoot aged 34 is a cleaner working at the apartment complex and explained that Mr. Lindgaard was an unusual man who did not socialize with others at the complex.

In September 2009 he was arrested after stabbing an employee of the apartments following a noise dispute. His body has been sent for a post mortem examination to confirm the exact cause of death and the Norwegian Embassy in Bangkok have been informed.

Scientists take heart over lizard venom

Scientists have discovered five new types of lizard venom which could prove a goldmine for researchers working on the next generation of blood pressure and heart disease medication.

The results of a wide-ranging four-year study, led by University of Melbourne venom expert Bryan Fry, also found some lizard species thought not to be venomous actually were.

”Their venom is unlike anything we’ve ever seen,” Dr Fry said. ”These are brand-spanking new toxin classes, completely unique.”

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Of the five new classes of venom discovered, three already show huge potential for drug design and development because of the small size of their compounds. ”You want to start with something small,” Dr Fry said. ”If you start with something big then there is a greater chance of the immune system reacting violently to it … we have found three that aren’t going to be picked up by the immune system at all.”

Dr Fry said the next step was to ”reinvent the wheel” and make an artificial version of the venom. The aim would be to make it more potent and stable than the naturally occurring venom and also to extend its life in the human body.

The study involved collecting and analysing the venom of 25 lizards from around the world including the monitor, North American alligator lizard and European legless lizard. These lizards belong to a group of venomous lizards called anguimorphs which have, scientifically speaking, been an untapped resource.

However, Dr Fry said it was possible that ”obscure little lizards” could hold the key to the next wonder drug – and this being the case, it was vital that their habitat was preserved.

Historically, reptile venom has proved a handy tool for scientists developing drugs for high blood pressure. ”But these three [toxins] are completely different, which is important because they hit the blood pressure system completely differently,” Dr Fry said. ”Basically, we now have three more opportunities for treating high blood pressure.”

$11,000 fines and costs for smuggling native reptiles

A 46-year-old man from New South Wales has been fined $2000 and ordered to pay $9735 in court costs after being convicted of illegally possessing 29 native reptiles.

Neil Andrew Simpson, 46, was apprehended at Perth Airport on April 25 last year after officers from the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) intercepted the illegal consignment of reptiles which had been flown to Perth from Newman and were scheduled to be put on a flight to Sydney.

The consignment included a death adder, geckos of various species, dragon lizards, a blue-tongue lizard and pythons. The reptiles were concealed in plastic containers.

Simpson was convicted this week in the Perth Central Law Courts following a two-day trial.

There was also a second conviction in the Perth Magistrates Court this week, when a 33-year-old Nollamara man was fined a total of $600 and ordered to pay $110 in court costs for illegally keeping a 2m south-west carpet python at his home.

Rikki James Piromalli pleaded guilty to possessing and keeping the carpet python in captivity without authority. The snake is a specially protected species in WA.

DEC prosecutions coordinator Gail Ritchie said he was charged following a search warrant executed by WA Police on his property in January this year.

Ms Ritchie said wildlife smuggling was an ongoing problem and removing protected fauna from the wild had serious implications.

“In the Piromalli case, the carpet python cannot be released in a different location from where it was taken due to the possible effects on the local gene pool of this species. It also poses a risk of introducing disease to wild populations, but we will ensure that it is appropriately cared for,” she said.

“Wild reptiles should be allowed to remain in their natural habitat. DEC takes the unlawful possession of protected reptiles and reptile trafficking very seriously, and we will continue to investigate these matters.”

Under the WA Wildlife Conservation Act the maximum penalty for taking or possessing and keeping specially protected fauna is $4000.

Anyone who has information about the illegal removal of reptiles or notices any suspicious activity suggesting that reptiles are being illegally moved should call DEC’s Wildcare hotline 9474 9055.

Should Columbus Zoo’s Python Snake be Named Fido or Rover – Mother’s Name was Fluffy

Powell, OH – The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is conducting a naming contest for its newest snake, a reticulated python that arrived at the Zoo two weeks ago.

“Since her arrival she has been known as Fluffy’s daughter”, said Columbus Zoo President and CEO Dale Schmidt. “We are asking the many fans of Fluffy to help us choose a suitable name for her offspring.”

The contest is being conducted on the Zoo’s Facebook page which can be found under the name The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. The Zoo will compile all of the name suggestions posted on the site between 9:00 a.m. on December 1, 2010 and midnight December 7, 2010. If any names are suggested multiple times, the first poster to suggest that name will be the only one entered in the contest.

Three finalists will be selected by Zoo staff and posted on Facebook on December 10, 2010 for final vote by those who “like” the Zoo on Facebook. The contest will end at 9:00 a.m. on December 17, 2010 and the winner will receive four individual Gold Memberships to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium which includes the 2011 Zoombezi Bay season.

Fluffy’s daughter hatched in 1998 and is currently about 200 pounds and 18-feet in length. Her famous mother was 300 pounds and 24-feet long and held the title of longest snake by Guinness World Records. Fluffy came to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in 2007 and died on October 15, 2010 due to an apparent tumor on her ovary.

Fluffy’s daughter can be seen in her mother’s former habitat in the Asia Quest region of the Zoo including each evening during Wildlights.

Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is open 363 days of the year. General admission is $12.99 for adults, $7.99 for children ages 2 to 9 and seniors 60+. Children under 2 and Columbus Zoo members are free. The Zoo was named the #1 Zoo in America by USA Travel Guide and is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA.) For more information and to purchase advance Zoo admission tickets, visit www.columbuszoo.org.

To view Columbus Zoo’s web page on Zoo ad Aquarium Visitor, go to:   http://www.zandavisitor.com/forumtopicdetail-20-Colombus_Zoo_and_Aquarium

Dozens of animals rescued from hoarder

Animal Control officers are hoping animal lovers out there are willing to open their hearts and homes to a group of rescued animals.

More than 40 animals, from ferrets to cats, a few fish and some snakes, where seized from the home of a hoarder in Montville.

It all started when neighbors called complaining about a horrible smell coming from an apartment. When Montville Animal Control officers got there, they never expected to see what they found inside.

Neighbors at the Mountain View Apartments in Montville say before November 17th when the animals were taken from the apartment, the stench was so bad you could smell it three doors away.

Rob Antisdel says he went in before Animal Control officers got here.

“The rooms were just impacted with feces all over the floor, all over the bedding. The animals were just laying in their cages, no food, no water. There were some dying in the cage. There were four of them dead in the cages.

“And all the stench was just overwhelming the entire apartment. I took three steps into it, had to turn around and step back outside and vomit over the side. It was just too unbearable.”

Even now, two weeks later, the smell still lingers. The air conditioner is kept running to try to air the place out.

Across town at the animal shelter some of the animals are being nursed back to health… and adopted out to new homes. Officers say it’s one of the worst cases of animal hoarding in Montville ever.

“There were more than 40 animals found in the apartment ranging from tropical fish to ferrets, rats, guinea pigs, cats, a hamster, a dog, snakes, and a bearded dragon, several birds,” described Chris Martel with Montville Animal Control.

Some were dead. Two others had to be put down.

It’s still unclear whether the man who was keeping all the animals will face charges. Police are not releasing his name and say the case is still under investigation.

“I know that people didn’t intend to harm these animals necessarily,” Chris Martel added. “Unfortunately, they were overwhelmed.”

Animal shelters from all around the region have offered to take in some of the animals. Their goal is to keep as many as possible alive.

UPDATE: American Airlines passenger ‘found lizard’ in onboard meal

An American Airlines passenger testified how she “wanted to die” after allegedly eating a lizard served up as part of an in-flight chicken dinner, the New York Post reported Wednesday.

Monserrate Luna, a beautician from Puerto Rico, said she absentmindedly popped the creepy crawler into her mouth while watching a movie onboard an American Airlines flight from JFK to San Juan in 2003.

After chewing for a while, she was unable to swallow the mystery meat and spit it into a napkin.

Her five-year-old son confirmed it was “an animal,'” she testified in Manhattan federal court Tuesday.

Airline lawyer Kenneth Gormley claimed the masticated mess was chicken skin, and that “there may have been some feathers, or what looked like feathers … but there was no lizard.”

4WD occupants nearly become croc food

Northern Territory Police say it is lucky five people, including three children, did not become “crocodile food” when their car got stuck on a remote river crossing in Arnhem Land.

The group were trying to cross the East Alligator River at Cahills Crossing.

More than one metre of water was flowing over the crossing at the time and their four-wheel drive was quickly pinned against a rock wall.

It was nearly high tide and the water levels continued to rise.

Police and rangers had to launch a boat and pull the group out one of the car’s windows.

Brevet Sergeant Adam Russell says he spotted several large saltwater crocodiles near the car.

“There were quite a few around the area, so we weren’t too keen to get too far into the water either,” he said.

The 51-year-old man driving the car did not have a licence.

The car blocked the crossing until police were able to tow it to the nearby community of Gunbulunya on Wednesday.

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