Odatria V10

Odatria Newsletter of the Victorian Herpetological Society No 10, August 2011 Contents 2011 VHS Committee: Editorial by Brian Barnett President: Brian Barnett Secretary: Kevin Welsh Treasurer: Andrew McKenzie Exec Comm Member: Peter Comber Exec Comm Member: Phil Elliott Meeting Review John McGrath May 25th, 2011 Odatria Editors/Producers Andrew Owen Kevin Welsh “Odatria” is published by The Victorian Herpetological Society Inc, Copyright 2010 all rights reserved Apart from any fair dealing, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced or stored by any process without written permission Enquiries should be directed to VHS committee 10 Fascinating and Unique Crocodilians Profile Bryan Fry Any views or opinions are entirely those of the relevant author and not necessarily represent the views of the Victorian Herpetological Society Inc Correspondence: PO Box 4208, RINGWOOD VIC 3134 vhs@optusnet.com.au Jerry’s Adventures by Steph McKenzie & James Branagan 11 www.vhs.com.au Photo credits with photos Uncredited photos are from VHS archives Photos published are the property of both the Victorian Herpetological Society Inc and the respective authors Subject to full copyright and all rights are reserved Langkawi Reptile Sanctuary by Kevin Welsh 13 Any articles should be sent to the editor in electronic form and/or in printed paper format All articles are refereed to person/s in the respective field Photos, slides and diagrams are encouraged as all can be used and should be sent via registered post or email Taxonomy usually follows Wilson & Swan, 2003 but authors can cite other references if used The VHS editorial staff have the right to refuse publishing any articles that are deemed unsuitable, offensive or controversial WPTAC Update by Peter Comber 16 Herp Happenings 18 The VHS would like to thank the following individuals for their help & support: 2012 VHS Reptile Expo Seeking Sponsors 34 Lani Barnett, Daavid Turnbull, Judy Turnbull, Jennifer Lewin, Marrianne Beatty, Kerrie Alexander, Jo Comber, Steph McKenzie, Robyn Welsh, Mike Swan, Mimmo Zagarelos Cover Photograph: Central Netted Dragons Ctenophorus nuchalis by Shannon Plummer  www.shannonplummer.com EDITORIAL by Brian Barnett In February of this year I was presented with the Order of Australia Medal (O.A.M) I’ll take this opportunity to share with you, the lead up to and final presentation of the award by our new Governor of Victoria the Honourable Alex Chernov AO QC this award Brian proudly displaying his medal I would believe that most of us are proud to be Australians, I always have been but to be recognised in this manner really brings the pride to a much higher level It is another indication that the sky can be the limit in this ‘lucky’ country and that we should all aim for the sky Fortunately I was born in a period where herpetoculture hardly existed and have come through a pioneering period where knowledge was only gained through experience, by making a lot of mistakes and through trial & error I have always said in the past, nothing wrong with making a mistake, but don’t it twice Brian and the Hon Alex Chernov, Governor of Victoria Photo - VJP Photography, Nth Fitzroy I received a letter from Canberra in November last year informing me that I had been nominated for the Order of Australia Medal asking that, if it was finally accepted and approved, would I accept it? After some consideration and trying to get my head around the whole thing, I replied ‘yes’ The whole procedure started almost years prior and I must say that all involved, (in the herpetological scene), did keep it quiet as requested I knew nothing about it The title became official on the 26th January 2011 but the Investiture and presentation of the Honour & Award was not to take place until 12th May at Government House in Melbourne My wife Lani, son Ty & grandson Taipan accompanied me on the day There were 97 recipients in total from military, police, fire, ambulance and general (such as myself) categories There was a lot of pomp and ceremony, which was a pleasure to be part of, but I was also glad to get back home and celebrate the day with some close family, friends & herps The best way to explain what the award is about and how it proceeds is explained by Association National President Shane Stone in an article in the Order of Australia Association Victoria Branch Newsletter Vol: 66 July 2011 “ ……………………… the award of the Order of Australia is adjudicated by 19 individuals from around Australia ably assisted by case officers from Government House and originate from other individual Australians making nominations that are scrutinized more than your tax return hence the number of nominations that fail There are no Prime Ministers, Premiers or Chief Ministers lists – this is Australia, not the U.K The process is awash with integrity and driven by Australians from all walks of life.” A special thank you to all that had anything to with this achievement and my head is held high with this special recognition The pride is bubbling This was also recognition for the field of herpetoculture Yours in herp, Brian Barnett It did take some time for the actual approval to sink in There are a lot of questions like, why me and not him? That sort of thing runs through your mind You have to be comfortable to accept it and take all that comes with it My peers gave me considerable support and assured me that it was something to accept and many of these people are responsible for being part of my life and sharing the mutual enjoyment of herpetoculture with me Without them, in more ways than not, I would not have received Lynne and Roy Pails  Phil Elliott, Peter Comber and Mike Swan VHS MEETING REVIEW May 25th 2011 John McGrath The first Victorian Herpetological Society meeting of 2011 was held on 25th May This meeting was well anticipated as our speaker, John McGrath was going to entertain us with “The Holden Ute vs the Elfin – Road Testing Australian Geckos” What on earth was he actually going to talk about? the world was still flat) and is particularly interested in the potential for line breeding variants of some of our species He has contributed many articles to herpetological publications, is co-author of “Keeping & Breeding Australian Lizards” and has conducted (irregular) presentations on Australian geckos Before the meeting proper got underway the usual auction was held The auction was a bit better subscribed than others that have been held recently boosted by some animals from our usual donors and lots of herpetological equipment John’s other hobbies include playing drums and, with wife Lala, travel and fishing Unfortunately Lala catches all the big ones He remains hopeful that, if there is room in Australia for a “Crocoseum”, a Gecko World theme park may just be viable Remember, the auction is one of the only ways that the society can get a bit of funding to continue its work We all benefit from the extra species that we are allowed to keep and no doubt there will be some exciting changes to the schedules and licensing system in the 2012 update, so how about having a look around and see if there’s anything that you can donate for the next VHS auction at our meeting on 21st September Please contact us at vhs@optusnet.com.au John McGrath stepped up to talk - unfortunately, the ubiquitous “Gecko Wrangler” is not the curator of a reptile park, zoo or museum (he remains open to offers) To his chagrin he is also yet to make his debut on syndicated television, although he has roughed out a couple of scripts Marbled Velvet Gecko Oedura marmorata Once John got started - the reasoning behind the title of his talk became aparent - in his own words “Homegrown products are often the best; the enduring success of the Holden Ute is underpinned by capacity to function effectively as a workhorse in a wide variety of conditions Elfin, which has the distinction of being the oldest continuous manufacturer of sports cars in Australia, have adopted a completely different approach, and since 1951 have relied upon appealing to a small niche market Admittedly, this talk is (predominantly) about geckos, not motor vehicles, but the two native sub-families of gekkonids have also adopted very different strategies in order to conquer the continent As a result, Australia is blessed with an assemblage of species – some incredibly bizarre in appearance – to rival any other region of the globe Many are highly prized among hobbyists, both in this country and overseas Guest Speaker - John McGrath As a small child in his native England, the budding hobbyist became fascinated by newts and slow worms (there’s not much else in the UK) Upon arrival in Australia at the age of 10, a host of herpetological wonders were to be found outside the back door The capture of his first snake (a copperhead) proved to be extremely fortuitous, since his parents quickly negotiated a trade-off, whereby John could keep any animal he desired so long as it wasn’t venomous Tonight we will examine the lineage and evolution of both sub-families, together with the captive maintenance of a variety of species We will also explore recent advances in husbandry equipment, and to this end a couple of leading authorities have agreed to design and exhibit state-of – the-art gecko display enclosures John has kept Australian geckos since his teens (when  So there may not be much of interest for petrol heads after all – unless they also happen to be amateur herps…” The Holden Ute! Fringe-footed Gecko Oedura filicipoda Elfin Sports Car Eastern Spiny-tailed Gecko Strophurus williamsi Thick-tailed Gecko Underwoodisaurus milii NEXT VHS MEETING Wednesday 21st September 2011 7:15pm - 10:30pm DAVID KIRSHNER SPEAKING about MONITORS Photos from the meeting  10 Fascinating and Unique Crocodilians There are 23 species of crocodilians in the world Usually, we think of these reptiles as being all the same; big head, short legs, many teeth and an eternal appetite for whatever unfortunate creature falls into their reach (humans included) Although it is true that modern day crocodilians share a very similar basic design, each species is really unique, and has its own interesting traits This list (by TyB from listverse.com) features the least “mainstream” crocodilians, often overshadowed by their more famous relatives, including the Nile Crocodile, the Saltwater Crocodile and the American Alligator African Dwarf Crocodile (Osteolaemus tetraspis) Found in the tropical rivers and swamps of western and central Africa, this is the smallest true crocodile species; it measures only 1.5 metres long (rarely 1.8 metres ) and is a shy predator that feeds on insects, frogs, fish and whatever carrion it can find It is not dangerous to humans unless harassed (although a female protecting her nest will attack any intruders, as almost all crocodilians) An interesting physical trait is that they are not only armoured on the back, as usual in crocodilians, but also in the belly and the throat This may be a defensive adaptation to compensate for their small size, which makes them more vulnerable to predators such as Leopards These little crocs dig burrows in the riverbank and only come out of said burrows at night; this makes them very hard to see and study, and therefore, we don’t know a lot about this interesting species Some experts believe that there may be more than just one species of dwarf crocodile Although the bush meat trade (the hunting of wild animals for their meat) and habitat destruction have caused a decline in dwarf crocodile populations, they are not considered to be as highly endangered as other crocodilians 10 Cuban Crocodile (Crocodylus rhombifer) Found only in certain swamps of Cuba and Isla de la Juventud, this crocodile is highly endangered nowadays At three metres long, it is not particularly large for a crocodile, and it doesn’t have a very unusual appearance either, but don’t let this fool you; it is actually one of the most unique crocodilians, and according to zookeepers who have worked with them, they are also the most aggressive of them all Due to the rarity of the species, and their extremely limited range, attacks of Cuban crocodiles on humans are uncommon and seldom reported; even so, they are very dangerous, not only because of the usual reasons (bone crushing jaws, puncturing teeth and immense strength), but also because of their unusual agility and intelligence Keepers have reported that Cuban Crocodiles can work as a team to surround and subdue large prey (humans included!), the same way “raptor” dinosaurs are supposed to have done in prehistoric times Although Nile Crocodiles have also been reported to hunt in coordinated groups, they don’t seem to this as often, or as skillfully, as Cuban Crocodiles This is a very active species that spends a lot of time on land Slender Snouted Crocodile (Crocodylus cataphractus) Another native of tropical Africa’s rain forests, the Slender Snouted Crocodile is much bigger than the Dwarf Crocodile, growing up to metres long It feeds mostly on fish, but has been known to accept red meat in captivity; one kilogram of meat per day is enough to keep a Slender Snouted Crocodile happy, and just like other crocodilians, it can go without eating for several days, or even weeks Although not considered dangerous by scientists, the tribes of certain African regions fear these crocodiles, as they claim that they are quite aggressive Even so, they are physically adapted to go after fish and small prey, and it is unlikely that they will attack humans unless harassed or defending their nest The call of these croco diles is said to resemble a truck exhaust backfiring; they also emit a chirping sound, similar to the one produced by baby crocodilians of other species Unfortunately, this crocodile is endangered due to habitat loss and the bush meat trade plains of Brazil, Bolivia and Argentina Fortunately, they are rather small (2 metres, rarely 2.5) and they seldom if ever attack humans (although they can bite if harassed, of course) Unlike Nile or Saltwater crocodiles, which are apex predators and very rarely hunted by other animals, Yacares are preyed upon by Jaguars and Anacondas, and possibly even by the larger, aggressive Black Caiman False Gharial (Tomistoma schlegelii) Native to South Eastern Asia, particularly Malaysia and Borneo It is seldom mentioned as one of the largest crocodilians, but there is plenty of evidence of them reaching incredible sizes, in the range of the to metres They are called false gharials because their slender snout resembles that of the actual gharial, another crocodilian found in India; however, their jaws are still broader and the largest individuals can prey on large prey, from monkeys to wild boar and deer, instead of only fish They also feed on carrion when they get the chance On the other hand, they only attack humans very rarely, and when this happens, it is usually to protect their nest or because they have been harassed first The False Gharial is endangered due to habitat loss; it is also killed sometimes out of fear and ignorance Spectacled Caiman (Caiman crocodilus) The Spectacled Caiman is the only caiman that can be found in the Northern Hemisphere (its northernmost range includes the states of Chiapas and Oaxaca in Mexico), and is also the most common crocodilian in the world, with a total population of one million individuals Spectacled Caimans are unusual because they are known to change the colour of their skin (although they so rather slowly), as well as the pattern of black markings on it As for their name, they owe it to the bony ridge between the eyes, which to some people looks as if the caiman was wearing glasses Spectacled Caimans grow up to metres long, but are usually smaller Spectacled Caimans in Mexico are seemingly smaller on average than those in South America Yacare (Caiman yacare) Sometimes called the “piranha” yacare, the Yacare belongs to the group of the caimans, mostly South American relatives to the famous alligator The piranha seems to be its favourite prey, hence its popular name It has also been said that they are called “piranha yacare” due to the protruding teeth of its lower jaw, which resemble the piranha’s Besides piranhas, they feed on any other fish they can catch, as well as aquatic birds, small mammals and carrion This is one of the most abundant crocodilians in the world; there are supposedly 100,000 to 200,000 of them living in the swamps and flood- Dwarf Caiman (Paleosuchus palpebrosus) There are actually two species of Dwarf Caiman Due to their small size (usually under metres long), rather cute appearance (big eyes, short upturned snout and what not), and the fact that they are not endangered, Dwarf Caimans have recently became somewhat popular as exotic pets However, they actually don’t make good pets; just like any other crocodilian, they have powerful jaws and their teeth, although small, can puncture human skin easily and cause wounds that go septic very quickly; even what may seem  like a non life-threatening wound may cause an irresponsible owner to end up in the hospital As is always the case with wild animals, Dwarf Caimans are best left in the wild These little crocodilians are native to the Amazonian basin in South America; they feed on whatever small animal they can catch and often hunt on dry land, especially at night Unlike crocodiles, caimans, and particularly Dwarf Caimans, tend to walk with their neck and head raised well above the ground I highly recommend www.http://crocodilian.com to those who may be thinking of getting a pet caiman or any other crocodilian ter crocodile is yet another crocodile with a slender snout adapted to catch fish Although it bites people on occasion, this happens usually when the crocodile is protecting its nest or territory, or when it has been provoked; most of the time it is a very calm, harmless animal and Australians often swim in places where freshwater crocodiles (locally known as “freshies”) are known to live Freshwater Crocodiles are notorious because of their agility; they are actually capable of galloping on land like a mammal Usually, they gallop when they feel threatened and want to return to the safety of water as soon as possible However, they have also been known to charge at intruders in this way Young individuals of other crocodilian species have also been known to gallop, but the Freshwater Crocodile is the fastest, reaching speeds of 18 kms p/h Compare that to the average running speed of a normal, healthy man, which is of 24 kms p/h It’s not a big difference really! And let’s consider that Freshwater Crocodiles have much shorter legs These crocs can grow up to 3, sometimes metres long, but are usually smaller Although not considered endangered, they are vulnerable to the infamous Cane Toad plague which is spreading in Australia; having evolved separated from Cane Toads, Freshwater Crocodiles have no natural defenses against the amphibian’s poison, and often die while trying to eat one of them Chinese Alligator (Alligator sinensis) This little reptile is sometimes credited as being one of the inspirations for the Chinese dragon myths (Unlike the western dragon, the Chinese version was a short legged, aquatic animal with no traces of wings) This is the only species of genus Alligator, other than the more famous American alligator But while the latter can grow up to lengths of meters and is aggressive and powerful enough to devour humans, the Chinese gator is a small (1.5 metres long), shy animal that feeds mostly on mollusks It will also eat any fish or small animal it can catch Unless provoked, it poses no danger to humans whatsoever This is one of the world’s most endangered crocodilians, with as few as 200 of them living in the wild nowadays, mostly in the Yangtze River Fortunately, they breed readily in captivity, but habitat loss and pollution may spell doom for the species in the wild in a few years Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) The Gharial is undoubtedly the most bizarre looking crocodilian It’s very long, very slender snout is adapted to catch fish, as are the interlocking, needle-like teeth Gharials are possibly the most aquatic of all crocodilians, and they have very short and weak legs; they actually only leave water to bask in the sun and to lay their eggs This crocodilian is found in India and Nepal, and is among the largest members of the group, reaching metres in length Despite their huge size, they are usually harmless to humans; however, they can bite in self defense if provoked Gharials get their name from the protuberance in the adult male’s snout, which is called a ghara Gharials use the ghara to produce a sound which is supposed to attract potential mates Freshwater Crocodile (Crocodylus johnstonii) Also known as Johnston’s Crocodile, the Australian freshwa It seems that males also use their ghara to produce bubbles with the same purpose Some prehistoric crocodilians such as the enormous, dinosaur-eating Sarcosuchus also had a ghara Who knows what amazing sounds they may have produced! There are around 1500 gharials living in the wild nowadays, and the population seems to be declining due to water pollution with heavy metals Profile: Bryan Fry This is a transcript from an article that was presented by Lucinda Schmidt in the Melbourne Age on 21 June 2011 It features the story of another of those unique characters who has done so much to enhance our knowledge of reptiles, venom and their place in the scheme of things The VHS was fortunate to have Bryan as a guest speaker at our meeting in May 2008 Some photos accompanying this transcript are taken from those presented on that night however, inject venom to speed up blood loss from the wound ‘’Komodo dragons are very clean animals; that stuff about bacteria never sat well with me,’’ says Fry, who nominates the dragon as his favourite animal ‘’But the toxic bacteria idea became the paradigm, the stock and staple of every documentary about them.’’ His approach to his work conjures up images of Indiana Jones or Steve Irwin, rather than a white-coated laboratory scientist hunched over a microscope Fry catches and milks his own animals, then takes his samples to laboratories all over the world to test the compounds World expert on venom Associate Professor Bryan Fry Photo: University of Queensland This world expert on venoms has rewritten the scientific voodoo on komodo dragons At age four, Bryan Fry announced he was going to make venomous snakes his career True to his word, Fry is now a world expert on venom and spends much of his time catching and milking poisonous snakes, lizards, spiders, fish, octopuses, scorpions and jellyfish, then studying the compounds at his laboratory in Brisbane ‘’I have this child-like curiosity about the evolution of these animals,’’ says Fry, 40, an associate professor at the University of Queensland and the head of its Venom Evolution Laboratory In May, Fry was presented with the Australian Academy of Science’s Fenner Medal, for distinguished research in biology by a young scientist ‘’My competitive advantage is that I am able to seek out entirely new venomous animals to study and thus have a complete monopoly on an area,’’ says the self-confessed adrenalin junkie, who does skydiving, rock climbing and big-wave surfing in his spare time The medal follows a string of awards and research grants over the past 20 years for his work, which has established that snake venom is much older than previously thought and there are more than 2000 venomous snakes His hands-on ‘’extreme science’’ has led to plenty of injuries, including 26 snake bites, 23 broken bones, 400 stitches and three concussions His ‘’eureka moment’’ came in 2006, when he discovered venom in the Komodo dragon lizard Previously, it was thought these giant lizards had toxic bacteria to infect prey they had wounded with their large serrated teeth His scariest moment was being bitten by a Stephens’ banded snake at Mount Nebo, near Brisbane, while he was researching his PhD By the time tiger snake antivenom was effective, 18 hours later, Fry was bleeding out of every hole in his body Fry’s work showed the real source of the toxic bacteria was swampy water, where wounded larger prey, such as water buffalo, stood and became infected Komodos did,  Biggest achievement - Debunking the scientific voodoo surrounding Komodo dragons and the myth of toxic bacteria It was a combination of field observations of what was really going on with water buffalo [after they had been bitten by Komodo dragons] and then following this up with rigorous laboratory work Biggest regret - Falling off a four-metre termite mound and breaking my back Luckily a mate of a mate is a worldleading neurosurgeon in Beverly Hills and did a magnificent job repairing it using a procedure not done in Australia But there were occasions where the pain was so great that I tasted madness Best investment - All the money I poured into my education - nine years at uni Worst investment - Many cars along the way The worst was probably a Pajero - the false economy of buying a used car Attitude to money - Very casual I have all my bills on auto-pay and just glance at my bank account every now and then As long as my balance doesn’t dip below an arbitrary amount I have set, then money is pretty much the last thing on my mind Fry was born in the US and came to Australia in 1997 to his biochemistry doctorate on taipan venom at the University of Queensland after completing undergraduate degrees at Portland State University in Oregon Personal philosophy - Pillage before you burn And follow your passion, what makes you happy I use my passion as my fuel He then spent two years at the National University of Singapore, followed by eight years at the University of Melbourne before returning to Queensland this year As to where his interest in toxins comes from, Fry points to a four-month stint in hospital when he had bacterial meningitis as a toddler, causing permanent deafness in his right ear ‘’It’s a daily reminder of the power of toxins and my own mortality,’’ he says NEXT VHS MEETING THE BIG QUESTIONS Biggest break - Being offered a PhD scholarship to the University of Queensland in Paul Alewood’s venom laboratory - a positive, intellectually stimulating environment Wednesday 21st September 2011 7:15pm - 10:30pm PRAHRAN RSL - 301 HIGH STREET - PRAHRAN 10 Stay-at-home Parents Make For Cooperative Family Of Lizards about him and we wanted him to get used to his new home before we introduced him to any females.” Banjo sired two joeys in Queensland last year and Ms Rayner said the park was planning to keep him for its breeding program rather than putting him on public display A The great desert burrowing skink, a lizard living on the sandy plains of Central Australia, has been discovered to live in family groups within elaborately constructed tunnel complexes Published in PLoS ONE, researchers Steve McAlpin, Paul Duckett and Adam Stow from Macquarie University, in partnership with Parks Australia, found that family members of the great desert burrowing skink contribute to the construction and maintenance of burrow systems that can have up to 20 entrances, extend over 13 meters, and even have their own specifically located latrines Great Desert Burrowing Skink Liopholis kintorei That these social lizards invest in a long-term housing structure that benefits them, their offspring or siblings is unprecedented in a lizard and may provide a unique insight into the evolution of family groups and cooperation According to the researchers, the faithful nature of adult pairs, which were found to breed together over consecutive years, is likely to be essential for this family cohesion, though they also observed that 40 percent of the male lizards had produced offspring with different females Koala named Banjo, missing from the Australian Reptile Park at Somersby, near Gosford “We’re all scratching our heads, to the best of our knowledge it’s the first time a koala has been stolen from a zoo in Australia,” she said “We’re wondering why has this happened but the thing we’re concerned about is because he came down from Queensland, he had lost some weight, he’s old and we’re concerned for his welfare This work was carried out at Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park as part of Steve McAlpin’s research for his Masters degree under the supervision of Dr Adam Stow It has revealed fascinating life history traits of a lizard species that is listed as threatened From over 5000 species of lizard worldwide, no other has been found to cooperate to construct a long-term home for their family members “We are pleading for anyone who may have taken him to return him, he can be returned anonymously “If he’s not eating he will deteriorate.” The shared home of the great desert skink, Liopholis kintorei, can be continuously occupied for up to seven years Multiple generations participate in construction and maintenance of burrows, with tunnels mostly excavated and maintained by adults, and immature lizards contributing small ‘pop’ holes to the network Parental assignments based on DNA analysis show that immature individuals within the same burrow were mostly full siblings (all immature lizards were full siblings in 18 of 24 burrow systems), even when several age cohorts were present Offspring were therefore delaying their dispersal to stay at home Police are investigating RICHARD NOONE The Daily Telegraph May 2011 23 Parents were always captured at burrows containing their offspring, and females were only detected breeding with the same male both within- and across seasons BrightSource Energy, the developer of the 392 MW solar thermal plant, claims that only 38 tortoises would be disturbed from the sprawling solar site in California near Nevada A spokesperson for the company, which received a $1.6-billion federal loan guarantee for the project, believes the government projections are inaccurate, saying the largest concentrations of tortoise are outside the project areas “For adults to invest so much in a home within which kids mature, it makes evolutionary sense that these adult individuals are sure that they are providing for their own offspring,” says Dr Adam Stow, Senior Lecturer in Biology at Macquarie University, New South Wales, Australia The dispute underscores the conflicts between conservation groups and renewable energy interests, such as the ongoing issue with wind turbine farms imposing dangers to birds Solutions like bird-smart wind power include carefully planned sites and monitoring, intended to mitigate the problem The construction and maintenance of a long-term family home occurs in many other taxa; in vertebrates there are examples from most phyla Cooperative behaviours generally occur among related individuals, but mate fidelity is not common in lizard species, and this may explain the rarity of such social behaviour Future work will further investigate the parental care that the great desert skink provides, the effort different individuals put into home making and identifying lazy siblings that might be shirking their home maintenance responsibilities, and how this is managed by other group members Environmental groups prefer that solar energy be located to not endanger wildlife and disrupt wilderness They maintain that smaller solar arrays on rooftops of commercial and residential properties are the best alternative In addition, this would eliminate the requirement of transmission lines from remote locations to urban areas via the grid Sustainable Business reported on the advantages of small vs big solar, questioning the use of public lands for huge industrial solar fields Funding and considerable in-kind support was provided by Parks Australia for all monitoring and the direct observations of lizard behaviour carried out at Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory, Australia Parks Australia designed the monitoring program for Liopholiskintorei; data for the monitoring program was collected by the first author under contract to Parks Australia Macquarie University funded most of the collection and analysis of genetic material used in this study This paper results from the partnership between Parks Australia and Macquarie University Science Daily May 2011 Threatened Tortoises Slow Down Desert Solar Project Threatened Desert Tortoise The building of the massive 5.6-square mile Ivanpah solar project in the Mojave Desert by BrightSource Energy has been suspended in the midst of construction while the U.S Bureau of Land Management assesses whether more than 3,000 acres of tortoise habitat would be lost It is believed that an estimated 600 endangered desert tortoises could die as a result of the solar complex and 160 tortoises might be captured and displaced They didn’t fare so well with the US Army’s translocation a couple years ago Gopherus agassizii California desert tortoises, normally living to be 80-100 years old, have well-established home ranges with food, water and mineral resources But disease, predators and loss of hospitable habitat have caused up to a 90% decline since the 1980s When the US Army moved 650 tortoises in 2008, 90 died The Center for Biological Diversity and Desert Survivors sued the Army, U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Land Management for violating the Endangered Species Act With the suspension on construction of the Ivanpahsolor complex, the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service will further investigate its construction’s effect on tortoises and determine whether finishing the project puts the species at risk If not, the agency will set limits on how many may be killed or injured Alternative plans could try to locate another appropriate tortoise habitat ROBERTA CRUGER LA Times May 2011 Rendering of BrightSource’s Ivanpah Solar Power Complex 24 Zoo Hops To It To Save Critically Endangered Frog ‘’Success is that you are breeding from the animals that you have bred,’’ she said The frogs reach sexual maturity at four years of age The oldest batch of captive-bred frogs at Melbourne Zoo are 18 months old MELBOURNE Zoo has boosted its southern corroboree frog captive breeding program, with the arrival of 30 eggs from the alpine marshlands of Mount Kosciuszko The eggs, soon to hatch into tadpoles, will be housed in a new $75,000 climate-controlled facility especially built for the critically endangered species The new additions are vital as scientists work against the clock to deepen the genetic pool of the captive populations Fewer than 100 southern corroboree frogs remain in the wild Southern corroboree frogs are small ground-dwelling frogs measuring no more than centimetres long They not hop, but clamber over their mossy habitat The species, which has no natural predators, has been decimated by a water-borne disease known as chytrid fungus, which starves them of oxygen The fungus attacks the keratin in the frog’s skin cells Because frogs breathe through their skin, they die from asphyxiation However, other problems such as habitat loss, increased UV, fire and pollution have hit the species hard These eggs may save the species The Zoo’s new facility can replicate wild conditions Summer temperatures for the alpine species range between 15-20 degrees, while winter drops to between 58 degrees when the frogs hibernate Daylight hours, night time temperatures and humidity levels are also controlled, according to the season Photo: Wayne Taylor There are fewer than 100 southern corroboree frogs remaining in their natural habitat Just 16 males were recorded calling when scientists visited Mount Kosciuszko National Park in January and February, the lowest number recorded to date BRIDIE SMITH The Age May 2011 Zookeeper Raelene Hobbs, from Melbourne Zoo’s herpetofauna department, said some population modelling suggested the wild populations would disappear within a decade Biophysics Of Snakebites: How Do Venomous Snakes Inject Venom Into Victim’s Wound? ‘’Captive breeding is now the most important factor for the plight of this species,’’ she said Snakes inject venom into their victims bodies using hollow poison fangs or so most people believe However, fact is that most snakes and many other poisonous reptiles have no hollow fangs Physicists have now uncovered the tricks these animals use to force their venom under the skin of their victims The frogs bred in captivity are part of a national recovery program and are destined for release in the wild either as eggs, tadpoles or frogs Miss Hobbs said while the breeding programs - which take place at Taronga Zoo, Melbourne Zoo, Healesville Sanctuary and the not-for-profit Amphibian Research Centre - had been successful in producing eggs, tadpoles and frogs, the real achievement would be breeding a second generation For years Professor Leo von Hemmen, a biophysicist at the TU Muenchen, and Professor Bruce Young, a 25 biologist at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, have been researching the sense of hearing in snakes While discussing the toxicity of their snakes, it dawned on them that only few snakes inject their venom into their victims’ bodies using hollow poison fangs Yet, even though the vast majority of poisonous reptiles lack hollow fangs, they are effective predators The researchers also found an answer to the question of how snakes manage to ferry the venom well under the skin of their prey After all, only there can it unfold its deadly effect Here too, snakes developed a trick in the course of evolution: When a snake attacks, the fang grooves and the surrounding tissue form a canal Just like blotting paper, the tissue sucks the venom through this canal And snake venom has a very special property to facilitate this effect: Just like ketchup, which becomes significantly more fluid upon shaking, the sheer forces that arise from the suction cause the venom to become less viscous, allowing it to flow through the canal quickly as a result of the surface tension Scientists refer to substances with these characteristics as non-Newtonian fluids These have a very practical consequence for snakes: As long as there is no prey in sight, the venom in the groove remains viscous and sticky When the snake strikes, the poisonous “tears” flow along the groove just like wine along a glass and into the wound, where the venom takes its lethal effect The German Federal Ministry for Education and Research funded portions of this work via the Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Munich Professor van Hemmen is a member of the Excellence Cluster Cognition for Technical Systems (CoTeSys) Science Daily May 2011 Like a drop on a wine glass the venom tear runs down the groove The surface tension acting on the venom is the dominant physical force underlying envenomation And venom is a non-Newtonian fluid It sticks when necessary while waiting for prey whereas any break in the prey’s skin acts as a venom attractant and soaks the venom into the deeper tissues Endangered Tortoise Has Her First Baby at Age 90 Having children is one of the most important, life-changing decisions a person can make and one endangered tortoise in particular certainly didn’t rush it After many long decades of life unfettered by offspring, a zoo-kept Galapagos tortoise has delighted conservationists by finally embracing motherhood at 90 years old The new mom, known as T3 by her keepers, had been attempting to breed for the last ten years, but she was only successful recently with a male tortoise less than half her age In other words, this tortoise is a cougar too Only around one seventh of all poisonous snakes, like the rattlesnake, rely on the trick with the hollow poison fang The vast majority has developed another system A typical representative of this class is the mangrove pit viper, Boigadendrophila Using its twin fangs, it punches holes into the skin of its victims The venom flows into the wound between the teeth and the tissue But there is an even easier way: many poison fangs simply have a groove the venom flows along to enter the wound The researchers asked themselves how this simple method could be so successful from an evolutionary perspective, considering that bird feathers, for example, should be able to easily brush away any venom flowing along an open groove To get to the bottom of this mystery, they investigated the surface tension and viscosity of various snake venoms The measurements showed that snake venom is amazingly viscous The surface tension is high, about the same as that of water As a result, the surface energy pulls the drops into the fang grooves, where they then spread out In the course of evolution, snakes have adapted to their respective preferred prey using a combination of optimal fang groove geometry and venom viscosity Snakes that prey on birds developed deeper grooves to keep the viscous venom from being brushed away by bird feathers 26 The birth of a new Galapagos tortoise isn’t just a big deal for the new mother, it’s a positive step forward for the species as a whole With only around 20,000 of the big tortoises left on the planet, any new additions helps ensure they’ll be around for future generations and that’s precisely why T3’s keepers at Taronga Western Plains Zoo in Dubbo, Australia had been nudging her towards motherhood Apart from the obvious teeth and fang issue, salmonella is likely to bite over-affectionate owners And, while smooching a skink is an acquired taste, Dr Carmel says it happens in reptile-loving homes and in his Warranwood clinic’s waiting room “They’ll be there saying goodbye for the day They’ll say, ‘Look after my poor bearded dragon or sick snake’, and give it a big kiss,” he says “We have been working towards breeding Galapagos Tortoise for almost 10 years and to finally achieve success is a testament to the dedication and animal husbandry expertise of the team,” said zookeeper Addy Watson in a statement “Or they might get it out of their enclosure at home to watch TV with them and kiss it when they get it out or give it a kiss when they put it back.” While in human terms, 90-year-olds are more likely to be meeting their great-grandchildren than giving birth themselves, for Galapagos turtles it’s really not that old considering the fact that they often live to be well over 150 The young tortoise’s father was quite a bit younger, a spry male aged 40 Still, raising the newborn to maturity will take a team effort Dr Carmel delivered the warning at the Australian Veterinary Association annual conference and says the risk is more real than people might think In the United States in 2004, 74,000 reptile owners were struck down by salmonella poisoning Dr Carmel says most, if not all, reptiles carry salmonella in their gut and kissing one is like eating gone-off chicken Owners are also at risk if they eat or smoke while handling their reptiles, and should wash their hands well before putting anything in their mouth And he says young children, people with compromised immunity and the frail elderly are most at risk “As the popularity of reptile ownership grows in Australia, cases of severe poisoning have increased,” Dr Carmel says Zoo officials say that since baby tortoises are usually left to fend for themselves, they’ve taken steps to ensure the tiny newborn is cared for and protected from any missteps from the grown ups, and it’s quite a long process with plenty of growth in store “The hatchling is currently only 0.033% the weight of our largest male It will take approximately 20 - 25 years for this hatchling to reach full size At just five years old it will still be only 30cm in length,” says Watson And, if everything goes well in the young tortoise’s life, it will have a long, long one to look forward to Chances are it will still be alive and kicking in the year 2200 Salmonella risk: Reptile exhibitor Tracey Sandstrom puckers up to her central bearded dragon Picture: Alex Coppel Tracey Sandstrom, whose reptiles the rounds of kids’ parties and kindergartens, says a lot of children want to kiss the animals because they’ve seen people kissing fish on TV STEPHEN MESSENGER Treehugger June 2011 She washes her snakes before she shows them off, but is still careful children don’t touch the reptiles then suck their fingers Crocodile Kisses Can Make You Sick NEVER smile at a crocodile - and don’t even think about kissing one Unusual-pet vet Dr Brendon Carmel says reptile kissing is riskier than it looks, and it already looks risky enough And besides the salmonella issue, there’s another problem 27 “Crocodiles don’t have lips, so they’re not very good kissers,” Ms Sandstrom says The cane toad, which is native to Central and South America, was introduced in 1935 to combat the greyback beetle that was threatening lucrative sugarcane crops TERRY BROWN Herald Sun June 2011 In what is now regarded as an epic failure, the toads were spectacularly disinclined to eat the beetles and instead set about doing what they best - multiplying, migrating and thriving Cane Toads Get A Bad Rap Lewis, a former ABC journalist, became fascinated by the way the toads were demonised in the 1980s and made his first documentary, the irreverent Cane Toads: An Unnatural History, in 1988 Filmmaker Mark Lewis reckons cane toads get a bad rap Sure, they are monstrously ugly and toxic and reputedly Australia’s most notorious environmental blunder, but the lumpy amphibians deserve our respect for, if for nothing, else, their simplicity of thought In the ensuing two decades, the hopping hazard has not only spread geographically - well into NSW and as far west as the West Australian border - but has also stubbornly resisted mankind’s repeated efforts to wipe it off the face of the earth “Here is an animal whose sole pursuit is food and sex,” says Lewis, whose new documentary Cane Toads: The Conquest opened in cinemas this week “Since the first film was made we have thrown all these different control methods at the toad which have failed - fences, traps, genetically modified organisms, viral campaigns, you name it we have done it,” he says “There’s nothing wrong with that And in fact, if my life was simplified down to food and sex and the pursuit of that, I would be a very happy man.” Lewis is not alone Most of the scientists he interviews for the light-hearted but informative doco concur that the cane toad is one extraordinary organism - resilient and highly adaptable Lewis maintains that the damage caused by the spread of the toads has been vastly overstated and is certainly disproportionate to the venom directed by various governments and action groups, who have exhorted citizens - including children - to make merry with golf clubs, cricket bats and chemicals “When you talk to the scientists who study the toad they all use the word respect,” he says “As a biological creature you have to give it great respect It’s very successful, but that doesn’t mean it is evil or dangerous.” “That line has come from various politicians over the years pushing this barrow and I have never understood it,” he says “Apart from all the cruelty aspects and the fact that you are inciting kids to go out and kill a living creature, it also suggests that these politicians’ platforms and policies are so absolutely vapid and empty that to drum up a bit of pathetic publicity for themselves they jump up and down and make these stupid statements.” The moral of the story, he says, is that “to succeed in life, one has to be good-looking” “The ugliness thing is abhorrent and leads to ‘we have to kill it because it’s ugly’,” he says Sunday Herald Sun June 2011 Chameleon Bandage Helps Wounds To Heal A smart bandage that changes colour when a wound is infected has been developed by Melbourne researchers The invention, still in its early stages, could reduce the $500 million cost of chronic wound care in Australia Lead inventor Louise van der Werff, a CSIRO materials scientist and Monash University doctoral student, said the bandages could lead to the more rapid and effective treatment of chronic wounds, such as leg ulcers Cane toads found in Taren Point New South Wales 28 handling an African black mamba at her home north of New York City, the Danbury News Times reported Ms Stacey was found dead by her boyfriend as he returned home from work on Tuesday evening A ‘chameleon’ bandage that changes colour like the famous lizard has been developed by Melbourne researchers “We’ve created a fabric that changes colour in response to temperature - showing changes of less than 0.5 of a degree,’’ Ms van der Werff said ‘’We expect that when incorporated into a bandage it will allow nurses to quickly identify healing problems such as infection or interruptions to the blood supply, which are accompanied by a local increase or decrease in temperature.’’ A venomous black mamba snake Dendroaspis polylepis The 1.5m-long black mamba was still in its pen but the locks had been removed, signalling to investigators that Ms Stacey had been handling the serpent shortly before she died The research team has created the fabric and will have turned it into a bandage within six months A medical trial will follow Police are now waiting on the results of toxicology tests to confirm the cause of death Up to per cent of Australians suffer from chronic wounds, costing the healthcare system more than $500 million a year Ms Stacey was a devoted snake-lover, keeping about 75 serpents in her home The African black mamba is the fastest moving snake in the world as well as one of the most venomous Bite victims suffer a mortality rate of nearly 100 percent unless promptly treated with anti-venom Nine MSN June 2011 Sex-crazed Turtles Cause Flight Delays At New York Airport Flights at New York’s John F Kennedy Airport crawled to a halt for over an hour this morning - thanks to a bale of breeding turtles The smart bandage uses temperature sensitive fibre The Federal Aviation Administration said it was forced to shut down runway Left at 9:30am as workers cleared 100 diamondback terrapins from the tarmac and moved them to safety The Age June 2011 US Woman Killed By Pet Snake But officials have brushed off the turtle invasion, insisting delays were ‘nothing significant’ In A US woman has died after being bitten by a venomous snake she kept as a pet FAA spokeswoman Arlene Salac said some flights were delayed up to 30 minutes Police believe 56-year-old Aleta Stacey was bitten while 29 She told the New York Post: ‘We may have a few delays, but nothing significant,’ noting the runway is not frequently used this time of year due to changes in wind direction ‘It is a naturally provided turtle maternity ward When your airport is virtually surrounded by water, your neighbours sometimes come in the hard shell variety.’ Clearing the animals, however, has not always been such a swift process In July 2009, 78 turtles crawled out of the bay and onto the tarmac, causing delays of up to two hours New York Daily Mail July 2011 Skin Cream Slows Down Snake Venom DEADLY snake-bite venom could be slowed on its way into the blood by a cream applied to the bite site, giving victims time to seek help Snake bites penetrate tissue, not blood vessels, so most of the toxins enter the blood via the lymphatic system To slow this journey, Dirk van Helden at the University of Newcastle at Callaghan, Australia, and colleagues applied nitric oxide cream - which stops the pumping of the lymphatic system - to mice injected with venom The cream increased the time it took the venom to reach the blood supply from 65 to 96 minutes (Nature Medicine, DOI: 10.1038/nm.2382) One of the turtles crawls slowly across the tarmac at JFK where staff were forced to shut down a runway JetBlue reported the news with a series of light-hearted posts on its official Twitter account at approximately 9:40am This would buy bite victims around 50 per cent more time to seek treatment, says van Helden New Scientist July 2011 Couple Whose Daughter Died In Python Attack Face Court In Florida A MAN and a woman whose pet Burmese python killed their 2-year-old child were set to stand trial in Texas this week, with jury selection beginning yesterday Charles “Jason” Darnell, 33, and Jaren Ashley Hare, 21, face third-degree murder and manslaughter charges stemming from the 2009 death of their daughter, Shaiunna Hare, myFOXtampabay.com reported It’s a slow journey but we’ll get there in the end! One tweet read: ‘Running over turtles is not healthy for them nor is it good for our tires.’ Prosecutors will allege that “Gypsy,” a 260 centimeter albino Burmese python, escaped from its glass tank, slithered down the hall and attacked the child in her crib The turtle invasion is an annual event at the Queens airport and had already delayed several flights at JFK earlier this week as females crawled out of Jamaica Bay in search of higher ground to lay their eggs, reports the Post Port Authority spokesman John Kelly said: ‘The sandy spot on the other side of Runway 4L is ideal for egg laying Darnell told detectives he found the snake in the hallway a day before the attack and had placed it back inside its tank and put a quilt on top of it He also admitted that the snake had gotten out of the tank - which did not have a lock on it - at least five times prior to the incident ‘Nothing significant:’ An FAA spokesman said some flights were delayed at JFK up to 30 minutes Documents released in January and cited by the Orlando Sentinel claim that the snake had not been fed for a month 30 when the child was attacked less In other words, if a lizard makes a mistake, it has to remember how to correct it until the next day, Leal said He and Duke graduate student Brian Powell describe the experiment and results online in Biology Letters Leal’s experiment “clearly demonstrates” that when faced with a situation the lizards had never experienced, most of them were able to devise a way to solve the problem Their ability to “unlearn” a behavior, a skill that some mammalian species have difficulty in, is the mark of a cognitively advanced animal, said Jonathan Losos, a biologist at Harvard who was not involved in the study The results “should cause researchers to re-evaluate what they think they know about the evolution of animal cognition,” Losos said Leal tested the cognition of the Puerto Rican anole, Anolis evermanni, after seeing sparrows flip a cap to get a worm and wondering if lizards could the trick, too “They’d put their snout under the little plastic chip and then quickly bump it,” Leal said “They don’t this in the wild.” The death, in a rural community called Oxford about 96 kilometers northwest of Orlando, spurred a statewide hunt of exotic reptiles and fueled a crackdown on the imported constrictors Even when Leal covered both wells, the lizards chose to flip the cap covering the well with the worm They had learned to associate the color or brightness of the chip with their reward Newscore July 2011 Brainy Lizards Pass Test for Birds Tropical lizards may be slow But they aren’t dumb They can problem-solving tasks just as well as birds and mammals, a new study shows A Duke University experiment tested Puerto Rican anoles on several cognitive tasks and found they can learn and remember to solve a problem they’ve never faced before The results challenge the scientific stereotype that reptiles have limited cognitive abilities and methods for finding food Puerto Rican anole Anolis evermanni To see if the lizards could reverse this association, Leal next placed the worm under the other cap At first, all the lizards bumped or bit the formerly lucrative blue cap But after a few mistakes, two of the lizards figured out the trick “We named these two Plato and Socrates,” Leal said The lizards’ success on a worm-based test normally used on birds was “completely unexpected,” said Duke biologist Manuel Leal, who led the study He tested the lizards using a wooden block with two wells, one that was empty and one that held a worm but was covered by a cap Four lizards, two male and two female, passed the test by either biting the cap or bumping it out of the way The lizards’ performance doesn’t necessarily mean that reptiles are smarter than birds, said McGill University biologist Louis Lefebvre, who studies learning and behavior in birds and was not involved in the new study He said a better way to use these new results would be to compare cognitive abilities among reptile species, rather than between reptiles, birds and mammals The lizards solved the problem in three fewer attempts than birds need to flip the correct cap and pass the test, Leal said Birds usually get up to six chances a day, but lizards only get one chance per day because they eat “We know birds and mammals have bigger brains and that within bird species and within mammal species, the bigger 31 Dr Chosets told IEEE’s Spectrum:“We’re hoping to use a remote-controlled robot to go through small caves in Egypt and find remains of ancient Egyptian tombs.” poisonous,” Yang added “They said that some local peoples had been bit by this snake and then got poisoning—one was dead who had not got treatment in time.” Science Daily July 2011 Yang’s team also found dead snakes that had been killed by people—the Miao, a local minority, believe that a snake encountered in the wild will bring bad luck unless it’s killed immediately, he said New Pit Viper Found—One of World’s Smallest The new pit viper was described July in the journal Zootaxa A good thing recently came in a small package for scientists: A new snake species found in China is one of the littlest pit vipers in the world CHRISTINE DELL’AMORE National Geographic News July 2011 The new snake, Protobothrops maolanensis, was an unexpected “surprise gift for us,” study leader Jian-Huan Yang said in an email What’s Rarer For Snakes? Being An Albino Or Having Two Heads? Yang and colleagues found the species during a recent survey of forests in Maolan National Nature Reserve in Guizhou, China At a maximum length of about 0.7 metre, the new pit viper is the smallest known so far in the country This California King Snake amazingly has two rare disorders: it’s albino and has two heads That combination only comes about every 50 years Surprisingly though, the two-headedism (or polycephaly) of the snake is actually more common than albinism Though the grayish brown species easily blends into its habitat, the ground-dwelling species ended up being the most common snake found during the research, noted Yang, of Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou Each head takes on a different personality, one is more agressive and seems to control the movement of the body, while the other is more passive They can usually get along with one another (what choice they have?) but once feeding time hits all hell breaks lose Their heads have to be ‘separated’ with a divider because they will fight each other for food (even though it’s going down the same body) The snake is on display in a zoo in Ukraine The new Pit Viper Scientists have found two other new pit vipers in China so far in 2011: Sinovipera sichuanensis and Protobothrops maolanensis, he added WISTV via Gather July 2011 The group of snakes known as pit vipers includes wellknown species such as the copperhead, the rattlesnake, and the water moccasin Customs Prevent ‘Snakes On A Plane’ Scenario All known pit vipers are venomous, although their potency varies across species SNAKES ALIVE!: Iranian Ghahremani Arash, right in photo, allegedly tried to hide snakes he bought from Chatuchak market in the socks of his luggage, but was foiled by airport customs The toxicity of the new pit viper species is not yet known, but “kindly local peoples warned me that this snake is very 32 Psychedelic Toad Comes Back From The Dead Ghahremani Arash, 23, is suspected of attempting to smuggle the reptiles out of the country He was detained around 1.30am yesterday, following a tip-off that his bag probably contained illegal products For nearly 90 years the only testament to the existence of the Bornean rainbow toad (Ansonia latidisca) - pictured below - were a few sketches of the weird spindly legged creature penned in 1924 by the European explorers who discovered it Since then the animal had never been seen again, leading many to believe it had become extinct, and the IUCN placed it on their list of the ‘World’s Top 10 Most Wanted Lost Frogs’ But after an 87-year wait, the psychedelic amphibian has been spotted once more - and this time photographed in exquisite detail Customs officers at the airport searched his luggage and found various live snakes stuffed in 26 different socks According to Conservation International, which released the images this week, three of the toads were discovered last year in the dense forest of the Malaysian state of Sarawak He was detained shortly before he was scheduled to board a Mahan Air flight to Iran Airport customs office director Eklarp Ratanaruj said his office had received information that the man would attempt to smuggle some illegal products out of Thailand Dr Indraneil Das of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, led an expedition in mid-2010 to explore the 1,300m-high ridges of the Gunung Penrissen range of Western Sarawak, which forms a natural border with the Indonesian part of Borneo One of Das’ graduate students found the toads two metres up in a tree in August, after several months of searching Mr Arash admitted buying the reptiles from Chatuchak Market but he did not have documents stating that he had permission to take them out of the country, said Mr Eklarp Mr Arash told officers that he bought the snakes to add to his collection “Thrilling discoveries like this beautiful toad, and the critical importance of amphibians to healthy ecosystems, are what fuel us to keep searching for lost species,” Das says “They remind us that nature holds precious secrets that we are still uncovering This is why targeted protection and conservation are so important Amphibians are indicators of environmental health, with direct implications for human health.” However, customs authorities said a preliminary check on his passport showed that he is suspected of being part of an animal smuggling gang Customs handed the suspect over to the airport police station for further legal proceedings, while the snakes will be sent to the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation for further inspection JESSICA CAMPION Australian Geographic July 2011 Bangkok Post July 2011 33 “Odatria” - Electronic Journal of the Victorian Herpetological Society Number 10, August 2011 Royal Melbourne Showgrounds, Saturday February 18, 2012 Approved by the Department of Sustainability and Environment with representatives present on the day Approx 80 stalls of reptiles and related products (in 2011) Animals on display and for sale on the day Encouraging responsible keeping of native pets Promoting awareness and education about Australia’s native wildlife Large public attendance – over 4000 people in 2011 (numbers have been significantly increasing each year) For more information: VHS website: www.vhs.com.au Videos of past expos & TV ad: www.vhs.com.au/2011-expo-2/ Email: reptileexpo2012@gmail.com 34 “Odatria” - Electronic Journal of the Victorian Herpetological Society Number 10, August 2011 We are inviting you to become a sponsor of the 2012 Expo This enables you to become a vendor at the event as well as to have the VHS use your business name and logo in our advertising Advertising begins several months prior to the event, and sponsors’ names will appear on website advertising as soon as sponsorship payments have been received by the VHS Sponsors’ names also remain on the VHS website for several months after the event Advertising for the Expo reaches a wide audience and has included the following forms: TV commercials on Network 10 Leader Newspaper advertisements Printed flyers and posters displayed in public Mail out of flyer to all VHS members Bumper stickers Advertisements in reptile magazines including ‘Scales and Tails’ (8 000 copies of each issue printed) Web advertising including banners on the ‘Aussie Pythons’ forum (over 25 000 members) and ‘Herp Shop/Trader’ website (hundreds of visitors daily) and footnotes on all ‘Herp Shop’ emails There is also the potential for the VHS to distribute advertising material on behalf of the major sponsors via various means including mail outs to members The Expo generates a lot of interest; please let us know your preference regarding sponsorship as early as possible The following page outlines the variety of sponsorship options available to you Packages may be customised according to your specific needs as required To register your interest or if you have any questions regarding the information provided here, please contact us so that we can clarify any concerns you may have Contact: Andrew Owen, Sponsorship Manager: reptileexpo2012@gmail.com The VHS Committee: vhs@optusnet.com.au 35 “Odatria” - Electronic Journal of the Victorian Herpetological Society Number 10, August 2011 GOLD SILVER Single sponsor only Limited up to sponsors    Major Medium Minor Major Medium Minor Display Area 6m x 9m 54m2 6m x 6m 36m2 4.5m x 4.5m 20.25m2 Premium black display boards (1.2m) 10 Trestle tables (2.4m) including tablecloths Chairs Car parking spaces 11am - 5pm 12am - 5pm 2pm - 5pm 7pm 6:30pm 6pm Erection and dismantling of hire equipment    Cost of reasonable rubbish removal    Cost of security staff    Total Cost $5000 $3000 $1500 "GOLD Sponsor" VHS Expo 2012 Your business name used in conjunction with the VHS in the title of the Expo* Display of name/logo on print advertising leading up the Expo* Display of name/logo on web advertising leading up the Expo* Bump in (on Friday 17th Feb) Stock & equipment to be removed by (on Saturday 18th Feb) BRONZE Unlimited * Inclusion of your name/logo only after full sponsorship payment has been received by the VHS General Vendor Information Tables are available to vendors at a cost of $300 each 36 “Odatria” - Electronic Journal of the Victorian Herpetological Society Number 10, August 2011 Additional Information: Location Melbourne Showgrounds - Town Square Pavilion Building This building is climate controlled with a total floor area of 2000m2 available http://www.melbourneshowgrounds.com/organising-an-event/spaces-available/indoor/over2000sqm#town-square-pavilion Exhibit Space The total number of tables required will determine the arrangement of the floor space If you have a preference (wall or corner) please let us know No space is guaranteed, but we will try to accommodate all requests Show Times Saturday February 18, 2012 9am - 5pm Confirmation Confirmation of your reservation will be sent to you upon receipt of payment Advertising Inclusion of sponsors’ name/logo on Expo advertising material will begin only after sponsorship payment has been received by the VHS Electricity 240V is available from limited electrical outlets in the hall Vendors must supply extension cords and power boards to meet their specific demands Electrical equipment must be tested and tagged as a requirement of the Melbourne Showgrounds The VHS can help with this, in most circumstances on the day prior to the Expo State and Federal Laws Vendors are required to comply with all state and federal laws The appropriate permits must be held for all species to be offered for sale Live Animal Displays No venomous reptiles shall be offered for sale All reptiles must be properly housed at all times Overcrowded conditions will not be tolerated All reptiles displayed or offered for sale must be in good health Any reptile found to be in poor health must be removed from the venue Event staff will check displays to ensure all conditions are met Theft Prevention A supplied form (which includes the vendor’s name, license number and phone number) must accompany every sale This will allow the customer to contact the vendor after the event As promoters of the event, the VHS will everything possible to prevent theft, but we assume no liability should theft occur Additional Policies Please remember that this is a family event The consumption of alcoholic beverages is strictly prohibited Anyone found intoxicated will be asked to leave immediately 37 ... Exec Comm Member: Phil Elliott Meeting Review John McGrath May 25th, 2011 Odatria Editors/Producers Andrew Owen Kevin Welsh Odatria is published by The Victorian Herpetological Society Inc, Copyright.. .Odatria Newsletter of the Victorian Herpetological Society No 10, August 2011 Contents 2011 VHS... most if not all EDITORS NOTE: Many thanks to all who helped in the production of this edition of Odatria It is quite an undertaking putting together a project of this nature - made all the more