Educational Articles

I can see Nick’s face now. ‘I didn’t ask for that.’ Know it or not Nick, you actually did. So, let me give some quick background on this story, then we can talk about Nick and why I am writing this article. Nick is Jason White’s son and he wanted a turtle. Jason in his wisdom thought at the time, this wasn’t a great pet for someone so young. He was right.
All pets are investments of time and materials, which should be fully understood before taking them on as a responsibility. Before buying or even thinking about a new pet please do yourself a favor and spend a few extra dollars to get at least one book on the pet to better acquaint yourself with the species. You can also look for magazine articles and other sources talking about the reptile you’re planning to purchase. This will save you and your dad many future issues and help avoid trips to the veterinary clinics.
Too many times kids get animals they think they want and then lose interest. Nick however, isn’t one of those kids. He reminded his dad that he still wanted a turtle or a tortoise. Jason asked around on the social networks which would be the best kind of turtle or tortoise. Lots of people gave their thoughts and so did I. In my opinion, a Russian tortoise would make a great first turtle or tortoise pet. Here’s where your research comes in Nick.

Taxonomy
So too many years ago to count now, a really smart guy decided to classify all living things into an order so that we could better identify them. We now have all these really long scientific names and things are all in order. You will learn about this later in school, for now though, know this. All turtles, tortoises, and terrapins are in the Order of Testudines that’s taxonomy speak for they are distantly related. So, you are looking into tortoises because they are a little easier to take care of and not as messy. Tortoises, all belong in the family known as Testudinidae.
The Russian tortoise is the one known in the science community as Testudo horsfieldii. The reason it’s important to know that; is the common name Russian tortoise may actually refer to another animal when you talk with someone else. So we try to use the scientific names.Their natural homes include the dry open areas of Afghanistan, Northern Pakistan, and Kazakhstan. They also occur in sand and clay deserts which have very little spots of plants, usually grasses and bushes.

Description
Male Russian tortoises tend to be smaller in size than females. This is probably because the males don’t have to carry the eggs that the females do. Females Russian tortoises get 8-10 inches while males generally get to a size of 6-8 inches. Usually, they have a brown colored shell with yellow between the scutes or rings of the shell. The back or top part of the shell is naturally bowed in a convex shape, where as the plastron or bottom part of the males shell may have a slight indent to more easily mount the female. Their skin is a yellowish straw color in areas not usually exposed to the sun, such as behind the neck and upper legs just before entering the shell. The areas where sunlight is in regular contact with their skin is usually a darkened brown color.

Remember when selecting a Russian Tortoise Testudo horsefieldi as a new pet, to look for one that is free of any boogers or goop coming from the eyes or nostrils. Also be aware, when they are frightened they may expel any water they are holding so, make sure to hold the tortoise away from you when inspecting them. They are not an overly active species in my experience, when encountered in some of the pet stores where I have worked they tend not be moving a whole lot. So it’s tough to watch them eat, as I would recommend for most reptile species. If they are sluggish to respond to touches, I would consider a different tortoise that is more responsive and alert.

Housing
When it comes to housing the Russian Tortoise Testudo horsefieldi, you need a lot of room. These reptiles have instincts to wander the open spaces where they’re from, whether or not they actually came from Kazakhstan or were born in captivity. They will have the instinct to wander. I recommend using an outdoor pen in an area where it doesn’t get below 40°-45° F at night. I would recommend investing in a 75 gallon plastic tub, which are found at most home improvement centers and are inexpensive. I would steer clear of metal tubs as these may pull heat from the substrate (the stuff you put in the bottom of the enclosure) and many actually use more energy than needed for heating.
Quite a few pet stores and their employees would recommend that tortoises be kept in a large aquarium. This is not their fault, it’s how they are trained and most of them do not do their own research. Glass or clear aquariums are detrimental to the tortoises’ health because they do not comprehend the glass as a wall that they cannot walk through. This could lead to problems like the tortoise flipping over and possibly getting stuck. Depending on décor, and if this happens under a heating element, well I am sure you could imagine what would happen.
Within the 75 gallon tub you can safely heat and keep your tortoise with all the things that they will ever need for their entire life. They will not be able to see out the sides but they will have enough room to wander as they want safely, without risking injury.

Outdoor Pens
Outdoor pens must be of a solid material such concrete block, plywood, or solid plastic sheets that the tortoise can not see through. I recommend digging a burrow for your tortoises if they are kept outdoors by digging a ditch about two to three feet long at a 45 degree angle like a downward facing ramp. Over this place a piece plywood and then place the dirt back onto the plywood and throw some grass seed on it for a more natural look. Leave the entrance exposed so that the tortoise can enter and exit freely. I would also place a line of blocks buried under the sides of the outdoor enclosure to make sure that they do not burrow their way out into the yard. Usually rocks a couple of feet down are sufficient to prevent this. The ditch itself should be about 18” wide.

Substrate
The best substrate I have found for housing the Russian Tortoise Testudo horsefieldi in a captive indoor environment is 50/50 mixture of topsoil and washed play sand, both of which are available at most home improvement stores and are inexpensive. If you can’t find topsoil you can also use the expandable bedding bricks available at most pet stores. This allows for some humidity to be held by the substrate, but not so much moisture that it molds begin growing. You might be thinking that this seems odd being that the Russian Tortoise Testudo horsefieldi comes from an arid environment.
We must also remember that these Tortoises dig burrows which are kept at approximately 70% humidity. They may actually dig burrows for themselves in your tub as well. Substrates to stay away from are newspaper, rabbit pellets, and recycled newspaper bedding. All of these can become moldy if they get wet and this could lead to other health issues with the tortoise itself.

Lighting
During the day it is a must that you provide the tortoises with a source of UVB lighting which will stimulate the production of vitamin D3. This allows proper growth of both bone and shell. Without this, the tortoise will develop many medical conditions such as soft shell and improper bone growth, inevitably leading to a large veterinary bill. Russian tortoises Testudo horsefieldi must also be provided with a proper heat source.
My personal preference is to keep the two elements as separate sources. I keep a fluorescent type lamp for the UVB and ceramic heating element for the heat itself. As with all reptiles, you must provide them with what is known as a thermal gradient. This means you have to have a basking spot around 90 to 95° F on one side of the pen. This will insure that the tortoise will be able to thermoregulate (warm themselves up as they don’t heat up like humans do) their core temperature to digest the food and remain active. The other side of the pen should be around the mid to low 70s.

Diet
When it comes to diet there is still quite a few misunderstanding about what is good and what is not. Rather than run through a huge list of what should and shouldn’t be fed and why, I will make it really easy. Go to the local grocery store and buy the organic mixed spring greens. There is nothing to my knowledge or experience with this type of diet that will harm the tortoise. For a treat every so often, throw in some Hibiscus, Dandelion, Rose, and also Prickly pear cactus. The flowers and leaves of all of these can be eaten as long as they are prepared as if a human was to consume them. Be sure that no pesticides or systemic has been used on them, as this may make the tortoise sick. We must also give them a regular dose of calcium on their greens that we feed them. There is a wide array of calcium sources and you should use the brand name that you’re most familiar with.

Water
In my experience, a shallow rimmed bowl of water should always be provided for drinking. Not once in over ten years have I ever seen a Russian Tortoises Testudo horsefieldi drink standing water from a bowl. Once a week they are to be soaked in lukewarm water which just goes above their plastron or bottom of the shell. This causes them to poop and helps to keep the enclosure a lot cleaner and healthier for the tortoise.

Lifespan/Captivity
Since I have personally not out lived a healthy Russian tortoise I can only go with the reports of them living in captivity up to at least 50 years that I have seen. Some report, they can live into the centurion mark of age (100 years) which given the typical slow metabolism (how the body processes food) of other species, I wouldn’t doubt it. They could easily achieve extremely long lives in captivity.

Hibernation
This is the favorite argument of most reptile breeders. Whether or not to hibernate; next to size, this is one of best and most often asked questions when it comes to Russian tortoises Testudo horsefieldi. In my experience, the tortoises in question should be an average size of at least 5 inches total length for males and the females should be at least 6” overall. I have heard reports of smaller, but the most successful attempts have been these sizes.
Hibernation is usually achieved naturally if they are kept outside without the intervention of humans. As the seasons change the tortoises automatically hibernate themselves. In an indoor enclosure, I would begin shortening the light cycle to match the daylight cycle outside. Also gradually drop the temperature to 50 degrees or so as well over a period of a few weeks during the onset of the winter season where you live. At the end of the cycling process, the heat should be completely off and the lights coinciding with the regular daylight outdoors.
You should gradually decrease the amount of feeding until you are sure that their stomachs are completely empty. This makes sure that there will be no food to spoil in the gut and potentially cause infections. Hibernation lasts about three months, and then the temperature and light cycle changes as does outdoors. With the reheating the tortoises, you will see them become active again. Males will typically become very restless and begin searching out females immediately. Females will also become restless and may become disinterested in feeding.

In Closing
The best tortoise to start with is the Russian Tortoise Testudo horsefieldi if you are interested in keeping tortoises. They are readily available and their care is relatively easy when compared to most of the other species of tortoises available. While they do require room to move and grow they do not have the same requirements as say an African Spur Thigh Tortoise (Sulcata) Geochelone sulcata or other species which grow to enormous proportions.

How much is that alligator in the window?
By: Chris Law

Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus)- Photo by the author

The title of this article might seem a bit silly, however, this question is asked in pet stores across the nation much more often than one might think.

There are many people throughout the world who question the sanity of any individual who has any admiration for these prehistoric reptiles, much less an individual who wants to keep one as a “companion animal” in their dwelling. The biggest problem today, is that pet alligators and other crocodilians such as caimans and crocodiles are becoming increasingly popular. The popularity boom in pet crocodilians is a direct result of cheap prices, easy access and smooth sales pitches from pet store owners/employees which is often-times misinformation on care and proper accommodation. At this point, you are probably curious about the inaccuracies in these statements and what makes them false. It is only natural that potential owners be curious and skeptical of new information, beyond what they were told by, whom they felt, were experts on the topic.

Some of these commonly used sales pitches are:

– Crocodilians only grow to the size of their enclosure
– Limiting the animals feeding will limit the animals growth
– Regular handling will tame the animal and make them more suitable pets
– Goldfish make for good crocodilian food
– Crocodilians don’t require veterinary care

These kinds of sales hype are used by a large number of pet stores, because this approach is often known to end with a sale. This article will attempt to cover each statement as thoroughly as it can to help provide you a better understanding as to why these statements are used and why they are false.

1.) Crocodilians only grow to the size of their environment. – Pet stores use this statement because this gives the potential purchaser a false sense that they will always be able to manage this animal. Presumably, first time potential purchasers consider housing accommodations first before bringing the prospective pet home. By a believed “expert” on these animals informing them that these animals’ size can be controlled, it relieves this concern of the purchaser. However, a potential purchaser should not assume that the seller is an “expert” on these animals.
Truth- Crocodilians, along with other reptiles, grow according to Caloric intake and temperature. Reptiles, after capturing their prey and ingesting it, utilize their environmental temperature, along with their strong stomach acids to aid in the digestion of the food item. If appropriately warm temperatures and a constant food supply are provided (as it should be) these animals will continue to outgrow enclosure upgrades, until they reach adulthood.

2.) If you reduce food intake, it will limit the animal’s growth- Once again, this is used to give a purchaser a false sense of control over this animal’s size and over-all growth. This statement is actually true, but not quite in the manner you might think.

Truth- While this statement is actually true; its practice is unethical as well as unhealthy for the animal in question. All crocodilians grow and develop for their entire lifespan. As with all other animals in the Wild Kingdom, crocodilians and other reptiles require specialized diets in appropriate quantities in order to support its development. Lack of appropriate diet in sufficient quantities can lead to poor muscle tone and bone deformities (among other ailments) due to a severe calcium deficiency. It is imperative that you thoroughly research the correct nutritional requirements for crocodilians (or any animal for that matter) before bringing it into your dwelling. Beyond the health factors associated with this practice, it is ethically questionable. Just as a parent would want to ensure proper nutrition for their child, a pet owner owes it to the animal to have the same.

3.) Regular handling will tame your Alligator and make it a more suitable pet in your home. – Obviously, another concern among most purchasers of these animals is the risk of injury due to the animal’s powerful jaws and lacerating teeth. Many buyers purchase a crocodilian thinking they can condition the animal to behave like a dog. Presuming that frequent handling will tame the animal gives the impression that the animal will be fully controllable and easy to manage.

Truth- It is no surprise that some handling is unavoidable. There is routine maintenance to keep in mind as well as veterinary procedures that might at some point require the handling and restraint of your crocodilian. However, these handling sessions should be only on an “as needed” basis and only long enough to perform these functions and then the animal should remain undisturbed for the remainder of the time. During handling sessions, proper physical support should be provided to the animal to prevent injury to the animal or keeper, even if this requires an additional person to get the job done correctly. Routine handling will only help the animal to build some “tolerance” for it. However, it is important to note that “tolerance” does not equate to “enjoyment”. Crocodilians, in general do not enjoy being handled, as it is unnatural and can be a rather stressful experience for it. Most animals upon being grasped will proceed to thrash and struggle. This struggle causes a build-up of lactic acid in the bloodstream which in most cases causes the animal to become tired; however, too great an increase of this build-up can be fatal. A result of the general newness and uniqueness of such animals as pets, is that they are frequently handled upon purchase. However, the comfort and security of the animal must be taken into consideration and thus generally means frequent handling should be avoided for the well being of the specimen in question.

In the hands of professionals with proper care, limited handling and a rotation of animals to be used, stress on individual specimens is minimized. There are cases where sometimes crocodilians are used for entertainment or educational purposes where they are being physically restrained or handled in a manner that causes the animal to become stressed. In general, when this is the case, it is best to have 2-3 additional animals to use so that that they may all be cycled in/out of the show or program to prevent too much stress on one animal. Limited handling is always the best policy. This reduces stress to the animal and reduces chances of physical injury to the animal or keeper. Flavio Morrissiey of reptilebehavior.com, a specialist in reptile behavior, states, “Health issues are typically anorexia and infections from stress. Each animal responds differently to handling. Handling is defined in my terms as touching, using foreign objects to move the animal (stick, rope, hook etc.).”

Chris Dieter, director of Crocodile Encounters in Angleton, Texas says, “Up to about 2 years of age limited handling doesn’t adversely affect them at all. However excessive handling appears to increase the animal’s stress, slows growth and diminishes overall health. After 2 years virtually all handling is stressful”.

4.) Goldfish (Carassius auratus) are a good staple diet for hatchling crocodilians.- Pet owners want simplicity, not complexity. Throwing common goldfish to the animals seems to be an easy way to feed it.
Truth- There is little nutritional value in goldfish. Raising a crocodilian on goldfish would be about the equivalent of a parent raising their child on junk food. Goldfish simply do not provide adequate nutrition that would help your young animal to develop into a strong, healthy adulthood.

As a hatchling, Rosy red feeder fish, crickets, fuzzy mice, chicken and beef among other food items make a good staple diet for a young crocodilian. When it comes to captive crocodilian diet- variety is the key. If you are not feeding whole prey items (as in whole rodents, chickens, etc) then likely the animal is not satisfying its nutritional needs. Hence, vitamin and mineral supplementation is very necessary. In addition to this, goldfish are known to carry a harmful enzyme known as ‘Thiaminase’. To make a long story short, Thiaminase destroys Thiamine which is Vitamin B1. A staple diet of goldfish will lead to the malnourishment and death of your animal. Simply put, your animal should never see a goldfish.

Crocodilians never have to be taken to a vet because they are a reptile. – What else could make a pet alligator or other crocodilian seem even more ‘low maintenance’ than never having to receive veterinary attention? No wonder pet sales agents may say this. If a potential crocodilian purchaser feels that they can spend less money, but can still have a pet to brag about to their friends, this animal will sell. Many pet stores will use this as an additional ‘perk’ to owning one of these animals. No trips to the vet office, means less money spent. This makes these animals seem even more attractive to own.

Truth- While crocodilians seldom require veterinary care if kept in proper conditions and provided an excellent diet, this alone doesn’t mean that a trip to the vet’s office will never be needed. Improper temperature and humidity levels will lead to a serious respiratory infection. Unsanitary conditions could result in a bacterial infection.

Photos courtesy of Shane Heck- Rescued American Alligator w/ bacterial infection

There are other issues to keep in mind as well for the health of these animals, but the two listed are most common. Crocodilians are far more complex, biologically and physiologically, than what meets the eye. It is automatically assumed that they are reptiles and carry all the same basic needs and requirements of other reptiles. However, it’s not as simple as that. Crocodilians, being evolved on this planet for approximately 200 million years, have a variety of biological and physiological adaptations that are not anything reptilian-like. In all rights, these animals are a mixture of many of our world’s animal inhabitants, and are more closely related to birds than reptiles.

Still interested in keeping a pet crocodilian? J Please, read further…
Let’s get down to brass tacks. The housing of a hatchling seems pretty inexpensive, right? Have you thought about what it would cost to house this animal properly 3-4 years from now? How about as an adult? What do the experts say about the economics of keeping a crocodilian in a private capacity?

“The keeping of a large crocodilian is not an inexpensive endeavor”, says Judith Bryja, Supervisor of Herpetology for the Houston Zoo. “Presuming one has the space and no restrictions disallowing the keeping of the animal, it is a big project to provide an environment with clean water and a secure containment system,” said Bryja. Most would also require some type of heating. I won’t guess on the cost of initial setup but it would not be cheap. Food would probably run about $100.00 per month. Veterinary care would be a challenge and quite expensive.”

Things to consider when deciding upon keeping a pet crocodilian:

1.) Currently, I have a 12 inch American Alligator, but what do I plan to do when this animal is 8,9,10 feet or larger?- Keeping possession of these animals when they are young animals 1-2ft seems easy enough. You might even be successful housing and keeping it at 3-4ft. However, you can’t ignore the fact that the animal WILL get larger if it is properly cared for. What do you plan to do then? Let it free-roam around the home, only to cause you or one of your family members a severe injury because of a simple accident? You must keep ALL life-stages of these animals in mind before deciding whether you want to take upon the responsibility of keeping one in your home.

2.) Is the animal legal where I reside?- Some states have legal restrictions on possession of such animals. Even if the state doesn’t, your local laws pertaining to your city, county, or township will most likely have some sort of laws restricting the ownership of certain animals. In most cases, these are due to houses being too close together and high population of children in the area, etc. What if the animal were to escape its enclosure somehow and get loose into the neighborhood? This most certainly is not unheard of.

3.) Will I have the financial stability to care for this animal when it is an adult?- You may have the space to house this animal as an adult and be completely willing to do so, but there might be ONE thing getting in your way…your wallet. If you are barely able to pay your current bills now and you are living off of the basics with no luxury items to get rid of, then most likely you are going to have a terrible time providing for your animal. Think of the frequent water changes, electric for heating, and food bills. A large enclosure requires a lot more heat, which costs a lot more to provide. A larger animal eats considerably more than that 20” animal you have now. If you can’t afford to provide everything that the animal needs, the animal only suffers.

4.) How do those living with and/or around me feel about this? – It’s simple enough to say, “The heck with what my neighbors think, this is a free country”! The problem with this is that your neighbors are concerned about their own safety. Again, what if your animal escapes and meets them on their doorstep one morning? You don’t really think you’re going to keep a 10’ Alligator inside the house do you? Usually, nobody frets about the hatchling you just brought home, but as this animal grows, it will create a greater concern. What about your family living with you? Could this possibly cause a strain on a marriage? If so, you’re only going to have to find another home for this animal anyhow (unless of course you don’t mind forfeiting your marriage for this animal) so why bother to get one if you can’t provide for it for the rest of its life?

5.) Am I willing to risk serious injury or even death for the sake of having an interesting or cool pet?- People are often under the assumption that they will tame this animal down so that it is basically a scaly puppy dog. The fact of the matter is that no matter how “tame” this animal seems, it is still a wild animal with wild instincts that you could unintentionally trigger. This could easily result in the loss of a limb or extremity.
Photo courtesy of Jarrod Forthman (3ft Caiman injury)

6.) Are you currently living in the north or south?- If you are living in the northern U.S. housing this animal is going to be much more difficult. The winters are MUCH harsher and housing outdoors is rather difficult unless you happen to build a barn or something similar that is heated and insulated. The construction of such a building will run thousands of dollars and the maintaining of that building will be expensive as well. Again, remember heating, water filtration, water changes, basking bulbs or other forms of lighting. Some of these aren’t necessarily expensive standing alone, but all together it certainly adds up.

7.) Are you living in a house or apartment?- If you’re living in an apartment, why are you even considering this? Do you know for 150% certain that you are moving out of that apartment within the next couple of months and into a house that you own? This goes the same for renting a house. Renting isn’t going to do you any good as you can’t build anything permanent for the animal. You should only be considering this IF, you are stable in your living environment.

8.) Do you have a veterinarian that can treat your crocodilian if the need arises?- If not, you better find one. You never know when your animal might need some medical treatment. What if the power in your house goes out for a few days and the temperature drops to a dangerous level and the animal develops a respiratory infection? In many cases, this can be corrected simply by correcting the environmental conditions. However, sometimes, the infection is developed enough that it requires medical treatment to resolve via the use of antibiotics. Who is willing to do this in your area? You just can’t waltz into any veterinary clinic and check your Nile Crocodile in for a checkup! If you are curious about where you can find a crocodilian vet, please see: http://www.crocodopolis.net/directoryvetr.htm

9.) What about transportation of a large adult animal?- If you think you’re going to load your 10’ Nile crocodile into your 2-door Chevy Cavalier, think again! A large truck, even an F-150 would do the trick, but what about during the winter time? This might seem easy enough to resolve, but it still requires consideration as if you’re not already driving such a vehicle, you would be required to buy one just because of your “pet”.

10.) Do you have a backup handler for safety?- Do you honestly think that you’re going to be able to handle this animal all on your own? It’s easy enough to do up to around 4-5’. After that, it gets a little tougher. It’s more difficult to physically restrain the animal and when carrying the animal, you run the risk of not properly supporting the animals’ weight and causing injury to the specimen in question.

Would you seriously want to take your chances handling this on your own? – Photo by the author

“If I’ve decided that crocodilian ownership is not for me, however, I do want to have opportunities to work with them…what can I do”?

That is certainly a good question. After all, animals across the globe need all of the help they can get. Someone such as you would be an excellent asset. Perhaps the first thing that must be considered is exactly how far do you want to take your interaction opportunities? Are you interested in just a part time interaction, a few times per week or are you considering a zoological career related initiative? Zoos at times are looking for keepers if you’re willing to put in the volunteer time or get a degree. For many zoos, both would be a requirement.

Rescues and rehabilitation centers many times need volunteers to help with cleaning, feeding, and sometimes educational outreach programs. Does any of this sound like something you would be interested in? If so, please check out: http://www.crocodopolis.net/directoryemploy.htm for a list of web sources that can help you figure out how to get started in a career with crocodilians and other exotic wildlife. It is understandable why some feel the desire to keep certain animals within their possession, but it is without a doubt that in many regards it is not to the animals’ benefit. Please educate yourself well before undertaking the challenge of keeping a dangerous predator.

The Dollars & Sense of Captive Bred Reptiles

By John F Taylor

Calling out the retailers

On Friday morning, my colleague and I Gary Rolfe of Northampton Reptile Centre were discussing the much-debated topic of captive bred reptiles versus wild caught reptiles. Anyone who’s passionate about reptiles knows the subject. It’s talked about in most circles, whether you’re working with bearded dragons Pogona vitticeps or the West Indian Epicrates that Tom Crutchfield is currently working with the subject has been broached by someone that you know.

To put this all into perspective Gary and I were discussing the advantages of purchasing a captive bred reptile and I relayed the fact that I had seen some breeders at shows who would put the initials ‘CB’ on the containers when the reptiles were actually wild caught usually signified by ‘WC’. This is a common practice in the reptile industry and most people know this and accept this. However, at one show I saw a breeder using these initials to represent Captive Born reptiles. Now if this particular breeder were asked they would say that yes it was a ‘farmed or captive born animal’ Why not be upfront in the first place. I think Gary put it best when he said, “I call for all retailers to honestly display the origins of their reptiles for sale.”

Now at first to the uninitiated captive born may sound just as good as captive bred reptiles. This couldn’t be farther from the truth as diseases and parasites can be passed on to the hatchlings from the mother. There are many cases of people; unaware of the difference between captive breeding and wild caught or captive born species taking the reptile home only to discover months later that their new reptile is infested with some type of parasite or has a disease. At this point what generally takes place is not only is the new reptile owner been given a dire look into the world of herpetoculture but now is stuck with a vet bill that could have been prevented. Worst-case scenario the reptile is released in the wild or abandoned as it was purchased so cheaply it’s now considered a disposable pet. However, the discussion doesn’t end there.

No dumb questions

Now I am in not saying that this is the common practice of reptile breeders. I am stating that I have seen it occur on more than one occasion. It’s a buyer beware market as can be evidenced by Bryan Hughes whom you might recall from our first ever guest post here Rattlesnakes & Baseball Cards Lessons on Keeping Venomous Reptiles. He explained the following,

“any day, you can find lists of illegally offered animals.” This brought up another subject that I hadn’t even considered. How do we know that the wild caught reptiles we may or may not purchase were captured legally? Even further Bryan goes on to say,

“Any animal that originates from Arizona, whether it be wild caught or CB, or CB in another state, is illegal to sell. Of course when its over state lines it can’t be prosecuted, but it doesn’t mean it is legal. Breeders will say that CB from WC is fine, but calling game and fish dept will tell otherwise.”

Therefore, as you can see, there are never any dumb questions and if the person you’re buying from is hesitant to answer your questions or cannot produce documentation to prove the reptiles that you’re purchasing were obtained under legal circumstances then I wouldn’t buy from them period. For any breeder that wants to maintain a good standing in this industry it is the opinion of many people, myself included that transparency is of the utmost importance so that people purchasing reptiles can make a better informed decision on what they are buying. As an example Gary Rolfe of the Northampton Reptile Centre and Jeff Peterson of Flying Fish Aquatics and Pets both stated that their stores buy captive bred as much as possible and to my knowledge Northampton Reptile Centre only buys and sells captive bred animals.

Excuses or Genetics?

The reasoning some people give for collecting wild caught reptiles is that the current genetics that exist in their particular state or country are too close to one another to breed together and if they did breed them, there would be an issue. Chris Law stated the following.

“To be honest, there will always at some point be a need for fresh blood at one point in time or another. The reason for this is, since all of these specimens are wild caught, it is highly unlikely that anyone is keeping records on specific locals, etc. So, eventually, and at the rate everyone is breeding things now this could happen sooner rather than later, blood lines will be ran too thin if you outlaw import of any new blood.
So, it’s best to have a process that safeguards protection of wild specimens, but still allows breeders who are willing to jump through a couple hoops, the opportunity to obtain fresh blood for their genetic diversity.”

I understand what Chris is saying, not being a breeder personally, but being privy to some in depth conversations on the subject I would agree. Now then, this is another point for another story but we need to remember that there are people out there who started this industry and have tips, pointers, etc and are willing to help us ‘younger folks’ get our stuff together as it were. This can be seen in the words of Tom Crutchfield when he says.

“inbreeding in most herps can go on for quite a while with little problems BUT some things are becoming seriously inbred which is why all these morphs pop out from time to time. I’m in agreement that on some species the private sector needs to set up something similar to the SSP programs in the AZA”

Tom went on to mention that some species of snakes especially the West Indian Epicrates look very similar to one another so much that unless is DNA is tested there could indeed be cross-breeding of species going on unbeknownst to the breeder due to them not having access to test the DNA. This would again lead to the new morphs of boa this boa species, which according to Tom ‘seriously imperils pure Boa c. constrictor and many others.’

Now if you’re an avid herpetoculturist you might ask yourself, why all the misinformation and how do we fix it? Again, Tom has the answer to this. “There is a paucity of folks with baseline info.” In order to remedy this Tom says we need to have meetings and educate ourselves with herpetology 101 insofar as taxonomy and ethology. I do believe what Mr. Crutchfield is correct and many breeders have only baseline knowledge and therefore are willing to collect wild caught specimens for captive breeding without seeing the larger picture which is that of destroying the species in the wild due to lack of knowledge.

Internet resources vs. Books

Julie Bergman of Gecko Ranch LLC states ‘People these days don’t use all their info resources or know what those resources are in the first place.’ I must agree here that if you go into any large retailer the lack of knowledge is abhorrent as can be evidenced when I wanted to purchase my Yellow Spotted Night Lizards Lepidophyma flavimaculatum. The person helping me had no idea first what they were as they were labeled as Nicaraguan Alligator Lizards without any genus or species names. After a long conversation, I asked to see the shipping manifest where I was able to at least find a genus name and then went home to correctly identify the species.

Julie also said ‘For those of us raised with reading books and journals that are edited and cited properly it just makes us roll our eyes!’ My contention with this statement is the fact that even today being an amateur herpetologist and knowing how to research I am very capable of finding many journals or papers online. The issue is, these journals and papers generally speaking cost money to get and being a ‘starving writer’ as it were spending anywhere from thirty-five dollars and up on a paper is not always an option. This goes without saying that there is a certain amount of contention when a member of academia knows that you’re a herpetoculturists and sees us as just making a buck instead of actually caring for the species we enjoy. Whether our intentions are good or not if we reveal that we are interested in breeding a certain species the doors to the ‘Ivory tower’ are closed and the drawbridge brought up. This is not the case with all academia and I can say, from personal experience there are some academia out there that are willing to work with our community.

On the flipside of this same topic, there are extremely knowledgeable breeders out there and I have interviewed several for our internet radio program. However, others simply refuse to talk about their chosen species, as they do not want to reveal trade secrets that may allow a competitor an edge. To these breeders and the academia that turn us away I say this. If we don’t start sharing the various amounts of knowledge we have with one another we are all losing out and especially herpetoculture as this one simple thing may kill our industry and who will we have to blame then? It’s no secret that the government is already trying to regulate the industry but if we don’t provide our customers and future herpers with the proper knowledge it’s our own fault isn’t it.

Export and Import

Another thing is that some countries have closed their doors to exportation due to populations being collected to the point of dangerously low levels and they feel the need to protect them. Well, at least that’s what I thought anyway. But here again, Tom Crutchfield sets the record straight.

“Bearded Dragons even though smuggled into the U.S. have done more to take pressure off wild caught Pet Store lizards than any other single factor. Were the populations of Pogona in Australia hurt by taking a few lizards? The answer is a resounding no it did not. It is against Australian law so it was illegal at the time. Was it good or bad that now these are produced by the tens of thousands in captivity. One thing is for sure and that is that NO ONE would ever smuggle another one because they are cheaper here than in Australia…Most wildlife laws are archaic and some downright harmful.”

To back up this claim Tom gives the example of the crocodile specialist group within the IUCN which is the acronym of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.  Tom stated that Alligators were poached in Florida until Alligator farming was allowed. He also makes a point to explain that once a law is put into place that it ‘Takes and act of God to undo.’ Tom believes in and coined the term “Conservation through commercialization.” Is this the right path to go down? Looking at past incidents of where this is applicable, it would seem as thought it just might be a viable option.

Now the overall question driving this entire discussion is this. Who gets the wild caught species? Should we allow new reptile owners to obtain these potentially valuable species, which could be the last progenitors of their species to ever be imported? How do we regulate this practice of bringing in new bloodlines to boost the inbred populations that are already here? You may recall above where Chris Law talked about limiting the number of species to be imported and to those breeders who were willing to “jump through some extra hoops”. Is that answer in the end?

Spreading the Wealth

Again referring back to Tom Crutchfield, he said we needed to have meetings to establish these practices and educate ourselves. This idea is lost on none of the people that were involved in the discussion but the glaring fact, which I personally never revealed until this moment, is this. I asked people to take a survey regarding their personal ownership of reptiles, where they purchased them; where they got their information, and in my opinion, the most important question of all did they belong to herp club or reptile society? The numbers were frightening. 63% didn’t/don’t belong to club or society. Now I cannot say why this is I just know that this is how people answered the question.

Therefore, here’s the question that I pose to you as reptile enthusiast and reader of this article. Are you going to allow this industry to fall because of your personal inaction or are you going to stop complaining and do something? I am not asking you change the world, just change your part of it. If there’s not a herp club in your area start one. If there is already one that’s available join in and get educated. Talk with people, find those with more knowledge than you have and ask them questions. Then pass on that knowledge to anyone willing to listen. There are enough avenues to get the information out there don’t let it waste away without sharing it. People hunger for knowledge. They may never read a journal or a book. But does that give us the right to look down our noses at the technology today? If you’re that vehement about it get in there and do something. Not to blow up my own ego, but I run three separate websites and dedicate my life to educating the public at large about reptiles. What are you doing?

John F. Taylor

When people talk to me about snakes that are not within the herpetoculture community there are generally two things I can almost guarantee without even knowing the person who I am speaking with.

1) ‘Have ever worked (read into this handled) a ‘poisonous’ snake?’ This of course raises my hackles and I immediately want to generally throttle the media et al for the mass distribution of incorrect information.

2) ‘Have you ever been bitten?’

My answer to both of these is yes. Yes, I have handled venomous animals, and yes I have been bitten. Now this requires some immediate clarification on both points because they are shocked at my reply. I first of all make an attempt to explain that first of all there is a major difference between ‘poison’ and ‘venom’ which I will explain here. The second point is yes I have been technically envenomated once but by a very unlikely source. A small Garter snake Thamnophis sp. but that is for another post.

Poison vs. Venom

By definition a poison is a toxin of some type which may enter the body by ingestion, inhalation, or topical application. The topical portion of this throws some people off, so for that I use the example of poison oak which by the way you can handle its only when its leaves and stems are broken and the sap comes into contact with skin that it has the much renowned results of raising welts and being itchy.

Venom on the other hand is a toxin as well but most of the similarities if not all of them end right there. The toxins in venom are injected by one animal, insect, or arachnid into another animal (such as a human). Snakes (some), bees, wasps, scorpions, spiders, Slow Loris, and even the Platypus (yes they really exist) are all venomous. These venoms have wide array of uses and toxins but for this post we will concentrate on how the are medically relevant. Before going on venom has either one of two of uses according what I have studied. They are either for defense or offense i.e. prey capture.

Hemotoxin & Neurotoxin

For our purposes here we will be discussing venom on a more general level. However, we must understand that there is a lot more going on in venom than just hemotoxin and neurotoxin. Venom is at its base level, a complex cocktail if you will, of varying proteins and peptides which include but are not limited to hemotoxins and neurotoxins. An example of this is myotoxins and cytotoxins which are also found within venomous snakes. As I said above we are covering generalities here so we are going to cover the hemotoxic and neurotoxic properties found within almost all snake venom. For relevance, myotoxins effect muscle tissues directly and cytotoxins effect various cells within organs in the body of mammals.

I am sure we can all understand what a toxin is but just to clarify a toxin is classified as a poison produced by an organism capable of causing disease when introduced to the body. Therefore, a hemotoxin by definition when introduced to the body would attack or cause ‘disease’ via the bloodstream the prefix hemo meaning having to do with blood. While neuro, would have to do with the neurological processes or functions and generally refers to the central nervous system and its components. Now that we have that understanding lets take a look at the actual effects of each on the human body.

Hemotoxic Effects

So we know that hemotoxin effects the blood so within this realm of venom once a human in envenomated there are some generalities we can expect to see. Hemotoxins when they enter the human body destroy red blood cells which means it disrupts clotting and causes general tissue damage by breaking down the cell walls in the veins and arteries which then allow blood to leak out into the surrounding tissues. This destruction of the veins and arteries then of course leads to the lowering of blood pressure the venom if left untreated may also go to the heart muscle itself. Swelling or edema is the primary reaction to a hemotoxic envenomation as well as intense pain dependent on the amount of venom injected it also may cause bleeding internally as the venom destroys the vein and artery walls.

Neurotoxic Effects

When it comes to neurotoxins is where for me personally that venom gets really interesting. With a neurotoxic envenomation there may be no local symptoms as would be seen in a hemotoxic venom injection. Neurotoxic venoms enter the blood stream as would any venom injection but the symptoms are not immediately apparent. This is in my opinion due to the fact that the proteins are circulating to the central nervous system where they then react with specific nerves and the electrical impulses that control the aspects of breathing, speech, and so on. Some of the other symptoms of neurotoxic envenomation that have been personally relayed to me are ptosis which is uncontrollable drooping of the eyelids and a metallic taste within the mouth.

Fact vs. Fiction

If you watch any main stream news media feed then you’ll now doubt see the yearly report of when the rattlesnakes are coming out to warm up and tell us we should all be ‘very aware’ because an ‘attack’ can occur at any time. Now then I have read studies which state that there are approximately one rattlesnake per football field. Given that they are trying already to avoid a predator such as a human then it’s in their best interest to stay hidden. They are never out to get humans.

The fact of the matter is you’re more likely to be struck by lightning than you are to be bitten and killed by a rattlesnake[i]. In fact about 25% of all rattlesnake bites are what are known as dry bites which mean that there is no venom injected at the time of the actual bite. This is especially true with defensive bites where the rattlesnake is defending itself against a potential predator. Rattlesnakes make a decision when and where to use venom as this is a resource which they manufacture and one they do not want to waste upon a non prey item such as a human which they know that they cannot eat.

Spending time outside

We’ve all seen the signs at times when entering different hiking trails and or parks “Danger rattlesnakes.” Understand this means that somewhere within the hundreds to thousands of acres that there are or may be rattlesnakes present. The rattlesnakes have not met up the night before and plotted out where they are going to encounter a human in order to bite them. As a matter of fact rattlesnakes use chemical trails left by prey potential prey items to select ambush sites[ii]. So simply being aware of your surrounding areas will keep you safer when out in the ‘wilderness’ when hiking.

Photo by Jason White

A King among Snakes

By

John F Taylor

Kingsnakes are touted by a lot of people in the herpetoculture realm as one of the better snakes to start out with.  While their popularity in herpetoculture cannot be denounced my personal experiences with both wild caught and captive bred Kingsnakes Lampropeltis getula leaves something to be desired.  We’ll get that in a minute.  First, let’s get a better idea of Kingsnakes Lampropeltis getula and how they fit into the realm of Colubrids (basic snakes).

Breaking it Down

Before moving on here’s a little bit of interesting information you might not realize.  The 25 species of Milksnakes described today are in the same genus as Kingsnakes which is Lampropeltis.  So technically speaking, all Milksnakes are subspecies of Kingsnakes.  This can and is somewhat confusing but still good to know as a fact.

Given the above there are approximately 14 species of what most call Kingsnakes and according to some 23 to 25 subspecies of Milksnakes.  For the sake of your boredom I’m not going to go into the taxonomy of how their split except to say that Lampropeltis triangulum is the genus and species of Milksnakes which is then further broken down into subspecies.

In the Name of a King?

From what I have been able to discern everybody seems to agree that the name Kingsnake originated from this particular snake being able to withstand being envenomated by Rattlesnakes Crotalus sp.  Now then whether this is an actual immunity or a resistance is still up to debate which you can read more about in the forums of the premier venom expert Dr. Bryan G. Fry Venom Forum.  Not to mention that it is now considered common knowledge that Kingsnakes L. getula will kill and consume a Rattlesnake Crotalus sp. Long story short, no one that I know of actually can surmise with any accuracy the definite answer of how the Kingsnake L. getula got its common name.  But the closest thing we have been able to get is that some early settler saw a Kingsnake L. getula consume a Rattlesnake Crotalus sp. and thought this made it the king of snakes and the name stuck.

The Kings Court

Kingsnakes L. getula are found in an extremely wide range of habitats from southern Canada to the northern areas of South America.  Within that range they inhabit deserts, swamps, and mountains alike.  It seems that they are none to picky about habitat.

Coat of Arms

The Kingsnake L. getula as it is found in the wild comes in some colors that would be considered drab when compared to the morphs available in captivity.  Some are brown and yellow or grey and orange banded, as well as speckled varieties.  In the captive environment however breeders such as Bob Applegate of Applegate Reptiles have species they have created such as the stunning Applegate Arizona Mountain Kingsnake Lampropeltis pyromelana which is Red and white in color as well as the Light Phase greeri Lampropeltis mexicana greeri.

Final Decree

As I stated earlier when I began this post my personal experiences with Kingsnakes L. getula leave something to be desired as each one that I have owned eventually became very nippy as they got older and would bite anyone that attempted to handle them.  That said I have heard from countless sources that their snakes are extremely calm and never bite.  Another aspect of Kingsnakes L. getula that I have found disheartening is the fact that when frightened or caught in the wild is their practice of musking which is the equivalent of a snake fart for lack of a better term.  They evert the cloaca and poop and pee all over the handler in order to get the threat to release them.  Now this is a great tactic as in the wild a coyote or some other predator will probably not want to eat something that smells like crap.  Captive breeding may lessen this behavior and as I have said earlier my experiences are not echoed by the hundreds of people that I have spoken with over the years who have raised and owned Kingsnakes L. getula.  If you’re interested in an intelligent snake which will bring many years of enjoyment as well as being a piece of living art then I would recommend you give the Kingsnake L. getula a try and please let me know about your personal experiences with them.  Who knows, maybe Kingsnakes L. getula don’t like me because I like one of their food sources better that I do them.  I am somewhat of a venom junky and I really enjoy Rattlesnakes Crotalus sp. and find them to be one of the best snakes to work with.  But that’s another topic we may cover later.