Odatria V13

Odatria Newsletter of the Victorian Herpetological Society No 13, August 2012 Contents 2012 VHS Committee: President: Phil Elliott Secretary: Kevin Welsh Treasurer: Steph McKenzie Exec Comm Member: Peter Comber Exec Comm Member:Adam Sapiano Editorial by Phil Elliott Butantan Institute – Antivenin Powerhouse by Ken de Mallindine 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 2013 Expo Announced Any views or opinions are entirely those of the relevant author and not necessarily represent the views of the Victorian Herpetological Society Inc Top Ten Lizards Correspondence: PO Box 4208, RINGWOOD VIC 3134 vhs@optusnet.com.au Meeting Review Dr Shane Simpson May 30th, 2012 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 WPTAC Update by Peter Comber 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 An Emerging Prospective Cassandra Celeste van Schagen 15 Herp Happenings 17 The VHS would like to thank the following individuals for their help & support: Cover Photograph: Eastern Blue-tongued Lizard Daavid Turnbull, Judy Turnbull, Jennifer Lewin, Marrianne Beatty, Robyn Welsh, Mike Swan, Mimmo Zagarelos, Caroline Dean Tiliqua scincoides scincoides by Adam Sapiano  EDITORIAL by Phil Elliott Well, here we are again, another edition of “Odatria” , hopefully another one that you will find enjoyable and informative “I appeal to everyone who reads this to come forward early in support of the next expo in 2013 It is a difficult job to coordinate all the various exhibitors and the more time we have to so the better the event will be, it is never too early to register your interest so come on guys and gals let us know as soon as possible if you want to hold a stall at the next expo! Thank you to all our sponsors this year, both the new ones and those that have supported us at previous expos.” You will probably recognise the excerpt above as being from my last editorial? I thought it worthwhile including it again as interest from members who require tables at the expo has been very few and far between I leave sponsors out of this statement as we now have a full card but private table enquiries have been few and far between! On another note, we are into the annual breeding cycle now and I wish you all well with any breeding projects etc that you may have going at the moment You will have noticed the shift towards various morphs of our standard and well-loved pythons here in Australia While I am not decided fully on my attitude or opinion towards these animals, those of you who are moving along this track may like to pen an article for inclusion in “Odatria” Any articles you may have in mind on this, or any other herp related subject, would be gratefully received by our secretary, Kevin Welsh, just send the articles in to the VHS via our email address, vhs@optusnet.com.au So, EXPO, EXPO, EXPO!! This is our opportunity to show the rest of Australia that we can it well down here in Victoria! We need the support of private breeders, Subject Matter Expert’s and all people involved in herpetoculture Come on Victorians, get behind YOUR expo and make it the best in the country! Can you imagine the satisfaction of those American herps that were part of the first Daytona Reptile Expo? YOU have the opportunity to be part of the biggest and best AUSTRALIAN expo right now It will never attain that status without your support, so come on guys and gals, help us put Australia on the herpetocultural map of the world! We CAN it, but we need YOUR support! O.K I’ll climb down off my soapbox now, (but I won’t drop the cause), and get into another subject………… The December meeting, as all you members know, is our AGM This means, amongst other things, that all committee positions are vacated by the current incumbents and open for nominations of any other MEMBER To be nominated for a committee position both the nominee and the nominator MUST be current financial members of the Society Have a think about the direction you want to see your Society go towards and nominate those members you think will take us in that direction We have seen many Societies go off into the wilderness in the last few years, I NOT want to see this happen to the V.H.S! We have strength in our members, many of whom are very knowledgeable on herpetoculture, many experts in their particular fields Let’s not lose these people as a result of our own indifference! It was just today that I met a young man, (11 years of age), that had, for his birthday, a gift of an adult Diamond Python Yes Yes Yes, I can hear you all say, “Dammit, what are these people thinking”, well let me tell you, this is actually one of the best matches I have ever seen for people/animal matching Watching this young guy handling this python, and his mum overseeing the whole procedure was an absolute pleasure for me! This young man had done so much research that he really didn’t need me to instruct him, he is a natural! These are the people that we need in the hobby, they are the future of herpetoculture and, without them, the hobby will surely die Expo’s, displays, parties and commercial enterprises all have a part to play so come on guys and gals, let’s drop our prejudices and embrace newcomers to the hobby! I KNOW, that for as long as you, the members, keep me as President of this fine society, the goal I have in mind will be to grow the hobby and introduce the general public to the beauty of our native reptiles Until next time my friends, Happy Herping, Phil  BUTANTAN INSTITUTE – ANTIVENIN POWERHOUSE by Ken de Mallindine protocols are more advanced, the process still used today is essentially that discovered early last century The Instituto Butantan produces antivenin on a truly industrial scale; in 2010 approximately 70 million vials of antivenom were produced in addition to a large quantity of vaccines for diseases such as tetanus, botulism, rabies and diphtheria – nearly 120 million vials in all¹ Antivenom production derives from the venom of five principal snake familiae reflecting bite incidence in Latin America They are: In connection with my career in international education, in September 2011 during a business trip to Brazil that included appointments at the University of Sao Paulo, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to visit the Instituto Butantan located near the University’s main campus Brazil’s Butantan Institute is arguably the world’s foremost venom research centre Founded in 1901 by the eponymous Vital Brazil, the institute was initially established to respond to an outbreak of bubonic plague Its operational model is closely aligned to that of the Pasteur Institute in Paris with which it still collaborates closely in research initiatives Like the Pasteur Institute, the Instituto Butantan uses its research expertise for the development of vaccines and antivenoms that are distributed globally, the proceeds from which provide a significant source of on-going revenue Additional funding is supplied by the Brazilian Department of Health, owner of the institute In 1984 the Butantan Foundation was established as a separate entity to manage the funds accruing at the Institute, reinvesting them in venom research and the production of antivenoms Bothropic (Genus Bothrops) • Crotalic (Genus Crotalus) Bothropic-Crotalic (polyvalent for jararacuỗu and Crotalus durissus terrificus) • Bothrops Lachetic (Genus Lachesis) • Elapidic (Genus Micrurus and exotic elapids from around the world) Approximately 1,000 snakes from these groups are kept in permanent milking rotation The recipients of the venom - a herd of several hundred horses, are kept at a farm on the outskirts of Sao Paulo Although the Instituto Butantan is on the ‘tourist map’ for visitors to Sao Paulo, one is struck by just how ‘un-touristy’ it is There are relatively few tourist amenities compared to, say, the Australian Reptile Park north of Sydney; it is unapologetically a research centre Its attraction therefore is primarily for visiting herpetological professionals and enthusiasts, and specialists in toxinology Brazil’s recent economic prosperity has seen increased funding to the institute that is intensifying its efforts to meet the still serious health issues confronting Brazil Given the country’s vast rural and forested regions where appropriate medical attention is deficient or non-existent, death from, and treatment of, snakebite remains one of Brazil’s most challenging health problems Through the institute’s collaboration with the International Society on Toxinology (IST), the Global Snakebite Initiative² was launched in 2009 at the IST’s world congress in Recife, Brazil This prompted the World Health Organisation to classify snakebite among ‘Neglected Tropical Diseases’, so bringing the problem to world attention and providing a high-profile focus for the Instituto Butantan’s work In addition to its astonishing array of native and exotic species, including the only captive specimen of the rare Atlantic Coastal Bushmaster (Lachesis muta), the institute incorporates the world’s largest collection of venomous creatures including spiders, scorpions and frogs, some 80,000 preserved specimens in all, about 10% of which were destroyed by a devastating fire in May 2010 Also incorporated in the institute’s complex are historical and biomedical museums Atlantic Coastal Bushmaster • (Lachesis muta) It was Vital Brazil, founder of the institute, who pioneered the production of antivenin using equine antibodies While modern purification techniques and quality assurance Fer-de-lance  (Bothrops atrox) genus: Bothrops jararacuỗu found in eastern Brazil, the bites from which not respond as well to standard bothropic antivenom Research by the Instituto Butantan identified commonality of toxins in both species and the polyvalent antivenom was developed By far the main culprits of serious envenomation leading to fatalities in Latin America are Bothrops atrox with a range from Mexico, through Central America into northern Brazil, and the related, but distinct species, Bothrops asper In popular parlance the two are often confused and their local names barba amarilla, fer-de-lance or terciopelo seemingly interchangeable This may be due in part to considerable colour variants in both species and because they occupy a similar geographic range What is not in dispute is that these pit vipers have a virulent haemotoxic venom that causes, amongst other effects, severe tissue necrosis within a very short time and which is irreversible even when administering antivenom will usually save the victim’s life Massive doses of antivenom are often needed in the treatment of Bothrops bites as the average envenomation delivers up to ten times more than the amount of venom required to kill an adult human Unlike many other species of snake, Bothrops ssp rarely deliver a ‘dry’ bite Encounters with these snakes are a fact of life for inhabitants of their range and bites occur frequently as they are often found close to human habitation Bothrops also take a significant toll on livestock They therefore have an economic impact as livestock are the livelihood of the demographically significant rural population Terciopelo South American Rattlesnake (Bothrops asper) Lacerda The other species most responsible for snake bite injury and death in the region is the South American or Tropical Rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus), known locally by its Spanish name, cascabel / cascavel (‘b’ and ‘v’ are pronounced almost identically in Spanish) It is found over a broad range from Ecuador east to the Caribbean and as far south as northern Argentina, although in large pockets rather than a continuous geographic range (Crotalus durissus) (Bothrops jararacuỗu) Elapids are represented in Central and South America, (extending north to the southern US), by various species of coral snake (Genus Micrurus) As typical elapids with potent neurotoxic venom, the danger from coral snakes is however more potential than real They are placid by nature, disinclined to bite and unlike their viperidae cohabitants, prefer fleeing to aggressive defence They are also diminutive in size with correspondingly small mouths and fangs, so envenomation is rare and death from coral snake bite almost unheard of Interestingly, because of the low incidence of coral snake bites in the US, production of specific antivenom has all but ceased because it is not commercially viable As a result, supply is extremely limited so a serious bite from a coral snake, should it occur, would be potentially more life-threatening than from any other venomous snake in its range Unlike its North American cousins of the same genus Crotalus, and despite its close resemblance to the Eastern Diamondback, the South American Rattlesnake has highly neurotoxic venom characterised by the myotoxin crotamine in addition to the typical Crotalus crotoxin So a bite from this snake is a ‘double whammy’ for the victim In addition to the necrosis promoted by the haemotoxins as found in other pit viper bites, the neurotoxins in C durissus venom induce progressive paralysis brought on by damage to the body’s nervous system, potentially leading to death by heart failure and asphyxiation The Tropical Rattlesnake shares this venom characteristic with one of the Bothrops  Confirmed reports indicate more than 80,000 venomous bites annually, although due to imperfect record keeping in many countries and the fact that many bites occurring in remote areas go unreported, the number is probably well in excess of 120,000 Mortality rates are difficult to determine for the same reason Medical records indicate that before effective antivenoms were available, 7% of bites proved fatal, but now less than 1% of Central and South American snakebite victims die However the true mortality deriving from bites inflicted by the species described above cannot be accurately assessed Virulent venom toxicity, lack of even rudimentary medical care in many areas and human incursions on the snakes’ territory make for a lethal combination Coral Snake Thanks largely to the work of the Instituto Butantan, death from snakebite and the trauma associated with serious envenomation is gradually being attenuated, particularly in developing countries For interested travellers, a visit to the institute is a must on their ‘herping’ odyssey (Micrurus sp.) The work of the Instituto Butantan in regard to elapids focuses more on exotic species Due to the exceedingly high incidence of snakebite in Africa, Asia and the Subcontinent, the institute produces antivenom for every known species of cobra (Genus Naja), the King Cobra (Ophiophagus hannah) and kraits (Genus Bungarus) Among the institute’s more excitable charges are several Black Mambas (Dendroaspis polylepis), one of which was being very cautiously handled in a public milking while I was there All the highly venomous Australian elapids also feature in the Instituto Butantan’s collection, including the Inland Taipan (Oxyuranus microlepidotus) – the world’s most venomous terrestrial snake, rarely seen in serpentaria outside this country The Instituto Butantan works collaboratively with the Commonwealth Serum Laboratory in Melbourne, together with many other similar organisations worldwide, on research into the complex and still imperfectly understood composition of snake venoms ¹ Financial Times, 14 November, 2010 Pharmaceuticals: inside the Butantan Institute ² Global Snakebite Initiative Secretariat: P.O Box 193, Herston, QLD 4029 REFERENCE www.snakebiteinitiative.org www.reptile-database.org www.toxinology.org http://www.bio.davidson.edu ref Physiology of Snake Venom, Evan Eskew Snakebite statistics for the Americas are alarming While in North America hospital records indicate nearly 10,000 bites annually of which only about a third are from actually venomous species (almost entirely from various species of rattlesnake, with those of the Eastern Diamondback (Crotalus adamanteus) the most lethal and potentially life-threatening), the figures for Central and Latin America are far more concerning www.csl.com.au NEXT VHS MEETING Wednesday 19th September 2012 7:15pm - 10:30pm PRAHRAN RSL - 301 HIGH STREET - PRAHRAN Dr Tim Jessop Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake Speaking on the highs and lows of field research and a photo expose of the Komodo Dragon (Crotalus adamanteus)  2013 VHS Reptile Expo Melbourne Showgrounds 16 February, 2013 Hosted by the Victorian Herpetological Society we invite you and your family and friends to the 2013 Reptile and Amphibian Expo to be held at the Melbourne Showgrounds on the 16 February 2013 We’re in the Town Square Building again with its fine ambiance and climate control! There will be fun for everyone with shows, displays, breeders and lots lots more even some little surprises!!! Look out on our website for more details and updates on what will be Australia’s biggest and bestest reptile expo!!! There are still some tables available for commercial entities and private breeders - so why not contact us at:- vhs@optusnet.com.au for details  Top Ten Lizards This selection of the Top Ten Lizards from around the world is bought to you from TopTenz.net As always, if you disagree greatly from this list or just wish to submit you own, feel free to send us your own particular top ten reptiles or amphibians (complete with pictures) and we will happily publish it in a later edition of Odatria 10 Toadhead Agama (Phrynocephalus mystaceus) These small desert-dwelling lizards exhibit several odd behaviours They communicate to one another by curling and uncurling their tails, vibrate their bodies to bury themselves quickly in sand and will frighten away predators with a set of bizarre-looking, colourful mouth flaps, as seen in this example Horned Toad Lizards (Phrynosoma genus) These lizards are named for their blunt, fat bodies and thick covering of protective horns and spines Inhabiting dry, sandy environments, they feed almost exclusively on ants and boast one of nature’s most gruesome defense mechanisms; when frightened, a few species can build blood pressure in their head until tiny vessels around their eyes are ruptured, squirting streams of blood at the attacker The foul taste of this blood, likely extracted from the acid in ants, lets mammalian predators know not to waste their time Unfortunately, birds don’t seem to mind the taste at all Dwarf Leaf Chameleon (Brookesia minima) The chameleons are highly unique reptiles to begin with – their toes are fused into lobster-like pincers, their tails are prehensile, they express their moods by changing colour, their binocular-like eyeballs move independently of one another and their long tongues famously launch at insect prey like a gooey harpoon gun Unusual even for a chameleon, however, is the Dwarf Leaf Chameleon, certainly one of the tiniest reptiles known to man Thorny Devil (Moloch horridus) Though entirely unrelated to the horned toads, the “Thorny Devil” lizard or “Moloch” has evolved many of the same characteristics in response to its desert environment, including a thorny body, sandy camouflage and a diet of ants While their thorns make them rather difficult to swallow, predators may not figure this out without taking a few test bites, so a horned knob behind the Moloch’s head acts as a less vital “decoy” head  Flying Gecko (Prychozoon genus) Many gecko lizards have the amazing ability to scale any surface – even smooth glass – thanks to microscopic branches in the skin of their toes, clinging velcro-like to materials on a molecular level About the only thing more amazing would be if they could fly…and several species come pretty close Flying geckos use their webbed feet, broad tails and flaps of skin to glide from tree to tree, much like the flying squirrel Philippine Sailfin Lizard (Hydrosaurus pustulatus) Looking like it crawled straight out of the Permian age, the Philippine Sailfin Lizard is an omnivore feeding on fruits, nuts, insects and other small prey near tropical rivers Their flattened toes allow small specimens to flee predators by literally running on water, a trait also shared by the “Basilisk” or “Jesus” lizard Adult males are known to take on beautiful blue, red or even purple color patterns Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) The marine iguanas of the Galapagos Islands boast a lifestyle shared by no other reptile Like penguins or sea lions, they spend their entire lives on the shoreline, diving into the water for their food They live exclusively on a diet of green algae, using their blunt jaws to scrape it from submerged rocks Charles Darwin was famously repulsed by these animals when he first discovered them, and referred to them in his notes as “imps of darkness” Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum) Along with the closely related “bBeaded Lizard,” the Gila Monster was once recognised as one of the world’s only lizards with a venomous bite, delivering a painful neurotoxin through grooves in its tiny, sharp teeth We now know that many other lizards possess at least trace amounts of a mild venom, but the Gila Monster is still likely one of the most toxic – and its common name is just plain cool  Central Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps) Bearded dragons deserve their popularity and of all the Australian dragons are probably best suited to captivity They can produce relatively large clutches of easily incubated eggs and if raised with due attention paid to behaviour, hygiene, calcium and UV lighting, they should present few problems to any reptile keeper Mexican Mole Lizard (Bipes biporus) The Mexican Mole Lizard or Baja Worm Lizard is technically neither lizard nor snake, but an Amphisbaenian These strange, burrowing reptiles commonly lack limbs or even eyes, spending their entire lives underground where they hunt worms and insects B biporus is unusual among the group for having a very prominent pair of clawed, molelike front legs…though it still has no hind limbs at all Juvenile Central Bearded Dragons “Boris” Male Eastern Water Dragon (Phyignathus lesueurii lesueurii) Water dragons that are raised with regular and gentle handling can become extremely tame They unfortunately have large claws that are designed for a partially arboreal existence and even tame specimens can scratch Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis) The Komodo Dragon is the largest lizard alive today, sometimes reaching nearly ten feet in length Though a great deal of their diet includes rotting carrion, they will also stalk live prey as large as deer to deliver a single, stealthy bite, after which they need only wait as the victim wears down from blood loss and infection Thanks to their carrion diet, their saliva is rich enough in bacteria to seriously weaken prey, and recent studies show that they may also possess venom In addition, dragons can loosen their jaws, stretch their throats and secrete a lubricating red slime to swallow some corpses completely whole Lace Monitor (Varanus varius) Lace Monitors are one of the most commonly kept large goanna species, due to their ease of maintenance outdoors in most parts of Australia Well-treated, long-term captives can become calm and eventempered Over in the next column are a few candid shots of some of the more popular Aussie lizards that are regularly kept as pets I’m sure you will all agree we have a wonderful selection to choose from! 10 including amphibians, said Johnson Roughly 40 percent of amphibian species around the world are in decline, and more than 200 have gone extinct since the 1970s, some as a result of the often-fatal chytrid fungus that infects amphibian skin Some scientists argue that rapid global amphibian decline seen today is driving the next great mass extinction event, he said Tortoises don’t have teeth, but they possess a hornrimmed mouth and extremely powerful jaws They could have easily done each other in The zoo staff did not want to wait around for that to possibly happen Trematodes have a complex life cycle that involve snails, amphibians and predators Host snails release parasite larvae in the water, infecting amphibians and causing deformities that include extra or missing legs Deformed frogs and toads rarely survive long because of their susceptibility to predators like wading birds, which ingest them and later release trematodes that infect other snails, completing the life cycle Deformed frogs first gained attention in the mid-1990s when a group of Minnesota schoolchildren discovered a pond where more than half of the leopard frogs had missing or extra limbs, said Johnson Since then reports of deformed amphibians have been widespread in the United States, leading to speculation they were being caused by factors like pollution, increased ultraviolet radiation or parasitic infection The tortoise couple during happier times! Happ said, “They are both 115 years old they have been together since they were young and grew up together, eventually becoming a pair But for no reason that anyone can discover they seem to have fallen out, they just can’t stand each other.” A 2008 study by Johnson showed American toads who pal around with gray tree frogs reduce their chances of parasitic infections known to cause limb malformations because trematode larva that infect tree frog tadpoles are killed by the tadpoles’ immune systems In 2007, Johnson led a study showing high levels of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus used in North American farming and ranching activities fuel trematode infections by elevating the abundance and reproduction of snail species that host the parasites She and other zoo staff are trying everything to save the marriage They have given the pair “counseling,” “romantic good food,” and have tried to get the tortoises interested in “joint games,” but all to no avail so far Bibi appears to be enjoying her new life as a single tortoise gal She and Poldi first met at the Basel Zoo in Switzerland They were then moved together to the Austrian zoo in Klagenfurt, where they were together for 36 years Their routine hasn’t changed much over the years Science Daily January 2012 Tortoises have been known to live for 150 years or more, so hope prevails that the couple will somehow patch things up Tortoise Couple ‘Divorces’ After 115 Years Happ said, “We have staff talking to and trying to engage the two in interacting, and we hope that they might find their harmony again We were told that it’s very rare that after so many years animals who are a pair will fall apart, but that’s where we are We hope though we can bring round a reconciliation.” After 115 years of partnership, two tortoises from the Reptilien Zoo Happ in Austria can no longer stand each other and are now living in separate enclosures, according to an Austrian Times report The fallout between the two tortoises, Bibi and Poldi, ends what was the world’s oldest known animal “marriage.” JENNIFER VIEGAS Discovery News June 2012 As the zoo’s director Helga Happ told the Austrian Times, “We get the feeling they can’t stand the sight of each other anymore.” Scientists Find Chink In Cane Toad Armour Signs of the breakup were not hard to detect Bibi, seemingly tired of Poldi’s attentions, hauled off and bit his shell one day She later attacked him again, forcing the puzzled staff to move him to a separate enclosure Scientists say they have found the best weapon yet to eradicate cane toads from isolated areas - using the amphibians’ own toxin against them The good news is that they did not decide to kill each other 24 New Frog Species from Panama Dyes Fingers Yellow Rick Shine from the University of Sydney’s school of biological sciences said the system was already trapping tens of thousands of cane toad tadpoles, and could see the toads eradicated from some areas A new bright yellow frog species has been found in the mountains of western Panama The frog belongs to a species-rich group of frogs, the so called rainfrogs that lack a tadpole stage, but develop directly as little frogs inside the egg “In order to control toads you need to stop them breeding, and this new method stops them from breeding,” he said The technique relies on research that two years ago found that cane toad tadpoles were attracted to the eggs of their own kind The frog, that measures less than cm, was discovered by Andreas Hertz and his colleagues, who are reptile and amphibian specialists at the Senckenberg Research Institute in Frankfurt am Main; Germany They discovered it in 2010 during several field trips to the Serranía de Tabasará of western Panama a highly understudied part of the Panamanian central mountain range “Although we recognized that the male mating call of this species differs from all what we had heard before and therefore suspected it to be new, much effort was involved to finally spot it in the dense vegetation,” said Hertz “When we finally caught the first individuals by hand, we noticed that it dyes one’s fingers yellow when it is handled The scientific name (Diasporus citrinobapheus) of this new frog refers to this characteristic and means yellow dyer rainfrog.” Cane toad discovered in Bayswater Professor Shine said the tadpoles probably sought out the eggs to kill off newly hatched tadpoles, which would otherwise compete for food It was eventually realised that the way the tadpoles found the eggs was via the toad’s venom Once that breakthrough was made, scientists quickly realised they could use the venom as a bait, which attracts cane toad tadpoles but repels native frogs Using funnels to trap cane toad tadpoles attracted to the bait, the scientists captured tens of thousands of young cane toads within a few days, and completely eradicated the toads from billabongs about 50 metres in diameter “It is only local and isn’t going to eradicate cane toads from Australia,” Prof Shine said This is a yellow dyer rain frog, type specimen To assure the validity of the frog as a new species, the biologists studied body structure, coloration, molecular genetic data, and vocalizations of a series of individuals, and compared the results with the data derived from closely related species “There are huge areas where it is just impossible to put traps in every water body But he said in high conservation areas it could dramatically reduce cane toad numbers and it was the best method so far to control cane toads in some places Additionally, the researchers took into consideration the possibility that the yellow stain may be poisonous and performed an analysis of skin secretions “We cannot say whether the dye is any good as a predatory defence, as we could not find any poisonous components Maybe the colour is just easily washed out and has no particular function However, for now, this peculiarity of the new species remains enigmatic.” said Hertz Prof Shine said so-called stowaway populations of cane toads, which arrived somewhere by hitching rides on things like trucks, would be be vulnerable to the new technique He nominated Hamilton Island, which has only recently been invaded by cane toads and an isolated population at Taren Point in Sydney, as areas the new traps could be effective Science Daily May 2012 AAP June 2012 25 CRIKEY! Crocodile Wranglers Wanted, For $25 An Hour unanswered questions in vertebrate evolution Paleontological and morphological studies place turtles as either evolving from the ancestor of all reptiles or as evolving from the ancestor of snakes, lizards, and tuataras Conflictingly, genetic studies place turtles as evolving from the ancestor of crocodilians and birds Calling all Steve Irwin wannabes, Florida needs you In a program sure to make the late Australian “Crocodile Hunter” proud, the Sunshine State is offering training and $25 an hour to people who agree to help control American saltwater crocodiles, which have gone from endangered species to nuisance in the Florida Keys Having recently looked at more than a thousand of the least-changed regions in the genomes of turtles and their closest relatives, a team of Boston University researchers has confirmed that turtles are most closely related to crocodilians and birds rather than to lizards, snakes, and tuataras The new “Crocodile Response Agents” will not be sent out to kill the reptiles, which are still classified as threatened But helping to manage the population and keep the crocs away from the residents - even capturing them if necessary - is key in the Keys, FOXNews.com reported The researchers published their findings in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters By showing that turtles are closer relatives to crocodiles and birds (archosaurs) than lizards, snakes and tuatara (lepidosaurs), the study challenges previous anatomical and paleontological assessments Nick Crawford, a post-graduate researcher in biology in BU’s Graduate School of Arts & Sciences and lead author of the study, achieved these findings by using computational analysis to examine regions of the different animals’ genomes “Since few people have extensive experience with alligators or crocodiles, that’s not a prerequisite,” Lindsey Hord, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWCC) biologist in charge of handling South Florida’s nuisance alligators and crocodiles, told the Florida Keys Keynoter The giant reptiles, which can grow to 15 feet (4.6m) long and weigh up to a ton, have not been blamed for any human deaths in recent years, though one did reportedly kill a dog But they can be plenty dangerous, according to crocodile expert Adam Britton, who said he has captured thousands of the animals “Turtles have been an enigmatic vertebrate group for a long time and morphological studies placed them as either most closely related to the ancestral reptiles, that diverged early in the reptile evolutionary tree, or as closer to lizards, snakes, and tuataras,” says Crawford “Larger crocodiles are potentially very dangerous and capable of causing serious injury or death, and anyone handling a crocodile should receive suitable training and an understanding of safety and teamwork before attempting to capture one,” Mr Britton told FOXNews.com The FFWCC is offering such training Applicants merely have to supply the courage “Handling any animal can be dangerous if not done correctly, but it’s clear that the Commission intends to train those applying for this position,” Mr Britton told FOX “Practical experience is critical, as experience is necessary before people become proficient and confident working together.” Bird on tortoise’s back in the Galapagos Islands Once an endangered species, the American crocodiles are now a growing population of somewhere between 1,500 and 2,000 and inhabit the region from Miami to the Florida Keys The study is the first genomic-scale analysis addressing the phylogenetic position of turtles, using over 1000 loci from representatives of all major reptile lineages including tuatara (lizard-like reptiles found only in New Zealand) Earlier studies of morphological traits positioned turtles at the base of the reptile tree with lizards, snakes and tuatara (lepidosaurs), whereas molecular analyses typically allied turtles with crocodiles and birds (archosaurs) NewsCore June 2012 Turtles More Closely Related to Birds Than Lizards and Snakes, Genetic Evidence Shows The BU researchers challenged a recent analysis of shared microRNA families that suggested turtles are more closely related to lepidosaurs They did this with data from many single-copy nuclear loci dispersed throughout the genome, using sequence capture, high-throughput The evolutionary origin of turtles is one of the last 26 sequencing and published genomes to obtain sequences from 1145 ultraconserved elements (UCEs) and their variable flanking DNA The resulting phylogeny provides overwhelming support for the hypothesis that turtles evolved from a common ancestor of birds and crocodilians, rejecting the hypothesized relationship between turtles and lepidosaurs “I am confident that Minister Burke will give serious considering to visiting the Territory to see firsthand the impacts this could have for the Territory.” The researchers used UCEs because they are easily aligned portions of extremely divergent genomes, allowing many loci to be interrogated across evolutionary timescales, and because sequence variability within UCEs increases with distance from the core of the targeted UCE, suggesting that phylogenetically informative content in flanking regions can inform hypotheses spanning different evolutionary timescales The combination of taxonomic sampling, the genome-wide scale of the sampling and the robust results obtained, regardless of analytical method, indicates that the turtle-archosaur relationship is unlikely to be caused by long-branch attraction or other analytical artefacts Hunt Will Endanger Humans: Bob Irwin NT NEWS June 2012 Conservationist Bob Irwin says a plan for trophy hunters to kill up to 50 saltwater crocodiles in the Northern Territory each year could result in more attacks against humans Mr Irwin, the father of Steve Croc Hunter Irwin who died in 2006 after being hit by a stingray barb, said the plan made no sense Under the proposed hunt, up to 50 saltwater crocodiles above 3.5m in size will be able to be killed each year by people seeking trophies The BU study is the first to produce a well-resolved reptile tree that includes the tuatara and multiple loci, and also is the first to investigate the placement of turtles within reptiles using a genomic-scale analysis of singlecopy DNA sequences and a complete sampling of the major relevant evolutionary lineages Because UCEs are conserved across most vertebrate groups and found in groups including yeast and insects, this framework is generalizable beyond this study and relevant to resolving ancient phylogenetic enigmas throughout the tree of life This approach to high throughput phylogenomics based on thousands of loci is likely to fundamentally change the way that systematists gather and analyse data “What worries me is that when you take those big dominant male crocodiles out of a river system that then allows the teenage crocs to run riot,” Mr Irwin said “I believe we are going to upset the system to the point where there will be more of a threat to humans than there actually is now,” he said “They will test their predatory skills and hopefully there isn’t anyone in the way.” Federal environment minister Tony Burke has agreed to let the public comment on the plan Science Daily May 2012 After the consultation phase ends on July 25 the minister will make a decision on whether to allow a two-year hunting period Croc Safaris ‘Back On Agenda’ Fingers off the trigger - hunting crocs for fun is still in the talking stages The Federal Government will open up the proposal for croc safaris in the NT to public comment “I welcome the announcement that the Federal Government has decided to undertake public consultation on Crocodile Safari hunting in the Northern Territory,” said Territory Environment Minister Karl Hampton said today Bob Irwin says the crocodile hunt proposal makes no sense “I now call on Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke to what his predecessors failed to in the past regarding this decision; that he come to the Territory and visit Indigenous communities and pastoralists who are set to benefit economically through this proposal The NT government said on Thursday that they were very hopeful the trial will get the green light Crocodile hunting was banned in the 1970s, after the number of the crocodiles in the NT crashed to low levels “This proposal has the potential to increase the opportunities available for Aboriginal landholders and pastoralists to develop viable business on their land The NT government has said the current plan will boost tourism and help remote indigenous communities earn income and will not reduce overall numbers of crocodiles 27 El Niño Weather And Climate Change Threaten Survival Of Baby Leatherback Sea Turtles Mr Irwin said indigenous communities could earn more money by taking tourists to see crocodiles in the wild than taking hunters He said his famous son would be “turning in his grave” to hear that NT crocodiles could be hunted for sport When leatherback turtle hatchlings dig out of their nests buried in the sandy Playa Grande beach in northwest Costa Rica, they enter a world filled with dangers This critically endangered species faces threats that include egg poaching and human fishing practices Now, Drexel University researchers have found that the climate conditions at the nesting beach affect the early survival of turtle eggs and hatchlings They predict, based on projections from multiple models, that egg and hatchling survival will drop by half in the next 100 years as a result of global climate change Staff Writer Herald Sun June 2012 Katter Worries Crocs Are Taking Over Queensland Queensland will be taken over by feral pests and crocodiles if it does not follow the lead of its trigger-happy neighbours, outspoken federal MP Bob Katter says “Temperature and humidity inside the nest are significant factors affecting egg and hatchling survival,” said Dr James Spotila, the Betz Chair Professor of Environmental Science in Drexel’s College of Arts and Sciences, and senior author of the study reported May 23 in the journal PLoS ONE Spotila and colleagues, including lead author Dr Pilar Santidrian Tomillo of Drexel, therefore examined the relationship between regional climate patterns with leatherback turtles’ nesting success over six consecutive nesting seasons at Playa Grande This beach is the major nesting site for leatherback turtles in the eastern Pacific Ocean, containing more than 40 percent of nests His comments come after the federal government agreed to rethink a plan to allow trophy hunters to kill 50 crocodiles in the Northern Territory The NSW government is also considering a plan to allow hunters into 79 national parks and reserves Mr Katter says the Queensland government needs the same mentality to deal with crocodiles and feral pests The colourful MP says the state’s national parks have become “pig nurseries”, while “croc-roaches” have been allowed to invade urban areas “We have discovered a clear link between climate and survival of this endangered sea turtle population,” said Spotila He blames the problem on the previous Labor government pandering to Greens votes, but says the newly-elected Liberal National Party (LNP) government has done nothing to fix it “They’ve been there for three months, so one-twelfth of their life as a government has already gone and all they’ve done is announce that they will further tighten gun laws and further restrictions on fishing,” Mr Katter said in a statement “And despite making a grab for votes with his zero-tolerance policy for crocs in urban areas just before the election, the LNP premier (Campbell Newman) then baulked at any sort of culling programs.” Mr Newman had promised to set up crocodile “exclusion zones” in recreational areas like swimming holes and boat ramps When leatherback turtle hatchlings dig out of their nests buried in the sandy Playa Grande beach in northwest Costa Rica, they enter a world filled with dangers This critically endangered species faces threats that include egg poaching and human fishing practices Mr Katter says the culling programs being considered by other states are making Queensland look “very isolated” “ Queenslanders are left to watch on as their parks are taken over by pest animals, and crocs force us out of places that were not so long ago safe to swim and fish in,” he said The turtles’ hatching success and success emerging from the nest was significantly correlated with weather patterns associated with the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) ENSO is an irregular pattern of periodic climate variation, shifting between “El Niño” periods with warmer sea surface temperature conditions in the eastern tropical Pacific, and AAP June 2012 28 “La Niña” conditions with cooler sea surface temperatures, with ENSO neutral conditions in between The El Niño cycle is known to influence many ecological processes that vary from location to location The large snake was slithering around a property in Chifley, which officers visited as part of an investigation into suspected burglaries Expert animal handlers had to be called in to help seize the serpent and detectives are now investigating if its owners had a permit for the pet The researchers found that warmer, dryer El Niño conditions were associated with significantly higher mortality for eggs and hatchlings Using projections of global climate change due to global warming over the next 100 years, they predicted that El Niño conditions will become more frequent and hatchling success will decline throughout the 21st century at Playa Grande and other nesting beaches that experience similar effects Police were searching the home after pulling over a car in North Sydney on Friday and allegedly discovering stolen goods, a knife and housebreaking tools The male driver, 25, and a male passenger, 32, were arrested and charged with handling stolen goods and possession of housebreaking implements As climate conditions change, leatherbacks nesting at Playa Grande cannot move to other beaches Spotila noted that the beach characteristics and off-shore ocean currents move hatchlings to feeding grounds on a kind of “hatchling highway” that makes Playa Grande an optimal nesting location for leatherbacks that other beaches cannot replace Spotila was senior author of a modeling study demonstrating this pattern, led by Dr George Shillinger of Stanford University and published in the June 2012 issue of Proceedings of the Royal Society B Spotila has conducted research with nesting leatherback turtles at Las Baulas Park in Costa Rica, where Playa Grande is located, for 22 years He recently joined the faculty of Drexel’s new Department of Biodiversity, Earth and Environmental Science (BEES), formed as a result of the University’s unique affiliation with the Academy of Natural Sciences, the oldest natural history museum in the U.S and a world leader in biodiversity and environmental research The younger man was also charged with motoring offences Both are due to appear at Sydney courts in July Sydney Morning Herald June 2012 Iconic New Zealand Reptile Shows Chewing Is Not Just For Mammals The tuatara, an iconic New Zealand reptile, chews its food in a way unlike any other animal on the planet - challenging the widespread perception that complex chewing ability is closely linked to high metabolism “The focus on field research and experiential learning in the BEES department will enable more research in environmental science in more places around the world,” Spotila said “As in our long-term leatherback studies, more research by Drexel and Academy students and scientists will contribute to a better understanding of what actions are needed to protect species and environments in critical danger.” Using a sophisticated computer model, scientists from UCL and the University of Hull demonstrate how the tuatara is able to slice its food like a “steak knife.” The tuatara’s complex chewing technique raises doubts about the supposed link between chewing and high metabolism in mammals The New Zealand tuatara (Sphenodon) is a lizard-like reptile that is the only survivor of a group that was globally widespread at the time of the dinosaurs It lives on 35 islands scattered around the coast of New Zealand and was recently reintroduced to the mainland Its diet consists of beetles, spiders, crickets, small lizards and, occasionally, sea birds Leatherback turtles, Spotila says, are in critical need of human help to survive “Warming climate is killing eggs and hatchlings,” Spotila said “Action is needed, both to mitigate this effect and, ultimately, to reverse it to avoid extinction We need to change fishing practices that kill turtles at sea, intervene to cool the beach to save the developing eggs and find a way to stop global warming Otherwise, the leatherback and many other species will be lost.” In a paper published in The Anatomical Record, scientists describe the highly specialised jaws of the tuatara When the reptile chews, the lower jaw closes between two rows of upper teeth Once closed, the lower jaw slides forward a few millimeters to cut food between sharp edges on the teeth, sawing food apart Science Daily June 2012 Lead author Dr Marc Jones, UCL Cell and Developmental Biology, said: “Some reptiles such as snakes are able to swallow their food whole but many others use repeated bites to break food down The tuatara also slices up its food, much like a steak knife.” Police Shock Over SSS-suspicous Pet Police are used to dealing with slippery customers, but even they got a shock when they uncovered a three-metre python at a home in Sydney’s south “Because mammals show the most sophisticated form of 29 Rattlesnakes Strike Again, Bites More Toxic chewing, chewing has been linked to high metabolism However, the tuatara chews food in a relatively complex way but its metabolism is no higher than that of other reptiles with simpler oral food processing abilities Therefore the relationship between extensive food processing and high metabolism has perhaps been overstated.” The Each year, approximately 8,000 Americans are bitten by venomous snakes On average, 800 or so bites occur annually in California, home to an abundance of snake species, but only one family is native with highly toxic venom: rattlesnakes “This is the time of year when we see a rise in snake bites,” said Richard Clark, MD, director of the Division of Medical Toxicology at UC San Diego Health System Toxin levels in rattler venom vary from year to year and season to season, but typically venom is weaker in winter and stronger in summer because snakes are more active, fighting for food and territory “We really don’t know why the venom is becoming increasingly potent Some speculate that with the modern world encroaching on nature it could be survival of the fittest Perhaps only the strongest, most venomous snakes survive,” said Clark “The anti-venom is costly at around $2,500 a vial Patients may need a series of antivenom shots and insurance does not always cover the treatment.” The tuatara, an iconic New Zealand reptile, chews its food in a way unlike any other animal on the planet challenging the widespread perception that complex chewing ability is closely linked to high metabolism The team report that due to the shape of the jaw joint, as the jaws slide forwards they also rotate slightly about their long axes This makes the shearing action more effective and demonstrates that the left and right lower jaws are not fused together at the front as they are in humans The majority of the injuries are on hands, fingers and feet, and the most typical result is swelling and tissue damage that looks like blisters or frost bite The tuatara provides an example in which specialisation of the feeding mechanism appears to allow a broader diet Dr Jones said: “The slicing jaws of the tuatara allow it to eat a wide range of prey including beetles, spiders, crickets, and small lizards There are also several grisly reports of sea birds being found decapitated following predation by tuatara.” “Although the tuatara-like chewing mechanism is rare today, fossils from Europe and Mexico show us that during the time of the dinosaurs (about 160 million years ago) some fossil relatives of the tuatara used a similar system and it was much more widespread.” The team used a computer model developed at the University of Hull which provides a novel way of investigating the evolution and biodiversity of reptiles, allowing complex moving structures to be studied in 3D and from all angles Co-author Dr Neil Curtis from the University of Hull’s Department of Engineering said: “We developed this virtual model using software that is widely used in the analysis of complex engineering systems It is the most detailed musculoskeletal model of a skull ever developed and demonstrates the huge potential of this type of computer modelling in biology Western diamondback rattlesnake Symptoms of severe bites can include: extreme pain at the location of the bite, nausea and sometimes diarrhea, followed by swelling in the mouth and throat, making it difficult to breathe Within minutes, victims can get lightheaded, collapse and go into shock “Many of our snake bite victims show symptoms of severe weakness, trouble breathing and low blood pressure,” said Clark who is also medical director for the California Poison Control System (CPCS), San Diego Division “For anyone who suspects a bite, their next move should be to a hospital emergency department.” “It allows us to investigate movements within skulls that would be impossible to monitor in a live animal without using harmful X-rays which is not an option for protected species like the tuatara.” Science Daily May 2012 (Crotalus atrox) With some rattlesnake bites, no venom is injected into the wound, but because it is impossible to know if venom has 30 or has not been injected, getting medical treatment quickly is important although Pinta tortoises were thought to be extinct Since then, Lonesome George has been part of the Tortoise Program of the Galapagos National Park Service Over the years, various efforts were made to get George to reproduce Two female tortoises collected on Wolf Volcano (Isabela Island) were put in Lonesome George’s corral These females produced eggs at the end of 15 years with Lonesome George Unfortunately all of the eggs were infertile Later two females from the Espanola tortoise population (the species most closely related to Pinta tortoises genetically) were with George until the end WHAT TO DO? If bitten by a snake, go to the emergency department or a nearby health care facility immediately There are potential risks to applying ice, using a tourniquet or suctioning the wound For the direct application of ice, the main concern is the risk of a frostbite-like injury If tourniquets are applied too tightly, they will decrease blood flow to the affected area and might also concentrate the venom, increasing local tissue damage Suctioning the wound is ineffective in removing venom because the venom is usually injected too deeply into tissue When people use their mouths to suck the bite site, they can actually make things worse by introducing harmful bacteria If in a remote area when bitten by a rattler, first immobilize the wounded area, especially for a hand or arm bite, then proceed slowly to a vehicle Moving slowly will keep the heart rate low and help prevent the venom from spreading If bitten on the leg or foot, it might be necessary to use that limb to get to the vehicle, unless someone can carry the victim If walking is necessary, it is very important to move slowly Drive to the nearest phone, call 911 and wait for assistance If there is no phone nearby, proceed to the nearest hospital The plight of Lonesome George provided a catalyst for an extraordinary effort by the government of Ecuador to restore not only tortoise populations throughout the archipelago but also to improve the status of other endangered and threatened species The California Poison Control System (CPCS) is available at 800-222-1222, 24 hours a day, seven days a week for immediate expert help and information in case of poison exposure, including snake bites Edwin Naula, Director of the GNPS, stated, “This July, the GNPS is convening an international workshop to focus on management strategies for the restoration of tortoise populations across Galapagos during the next ten years The workshop will be held in honor of Lonesome George.“ Science Daily June 2012 The World Loses Lonesome George Lonesome George’s legacy will be an increased effort in both research and management to restore his island of Pinta and all of the other giant tortoise populations of Galapagos Early this morning, Lonesome George, the sole remaining Pinta Island tortoise and Galapagos conservation icon, was found dead in his corral at the Tortoise Breeding and Rearing Center in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island, by members of the Galapagos National Park Service Galapagos National Park Public Relations June 2012 Fausto Llerena, the park ranger who discovered George and has been his long-term caretaker, was sadly surprised when he arrived at Lonesome George’s corral this morning Fausto discovered George stretched out in the direction of his watering hole with no signs of life Should We Have Cloned Lonesome George? In 1971, researchers discovered that Lonesome George’s subspecies, the Giant Pinta Island tortoise, might have been completely wiped out Possible causes of death of this individual, the sole survivor of the Pinta Island tortoise (Chelonoidis abingdoni), will not be known until after a necropsy The body of Lonesome George, whose age is unknown but estimated at more than 100 years old, is currently being held in a cold chamber to avoid decomposition prior to a necropsy The recent death of Lonesome George, the famed Galapagos tortoise believed to be the last representative of his subspecies, has many experts wondering how we should try to save other endangered and at-risk animals Lonesome George was found on Pinta Island in 1972, 31 Cloning is one option While cloning methods for reptiles are not as advanced as those for mammals, scientists also say they face other incredible obstacles Gomez said that kittens of cloned wild cat parents have died “due to problems with nuclear programing,” but some normal kittens have resulted and continue to thrive “At the most, I could envision one male turtle of this subspecies cloned in future or maybe two males, but where are you going to get a female?” asked Martha Gomez, a senior scientist with the Audubon Nature Institute, which has one of the world’s few “frozen zoos.” Both she and Ryder say that there is no international policy calling for cloning and preservation of highly endangered species Instead, isolated facilities and the work of dedicated individuals are responsible for the successes “The effort needs to be more widespread and organized,” Gomez said Frozen Zoos stockpile biological materials from a wide variety of rare and critically endangered species The biological material is usually composed of gametes (sperm and egg cells), embryos, tissue samples, serum and other items Together, they represent a bank vault of irreplaceable genetic information that can be preserved for possibly hundreds of years or more In most cases, the materials are stored in holding tanks filled with liquid nitrogen Through published papers and talks, Ryder and his colleagues have repeatedly called for an organized global effort It would need an “overarching international body” on par with UNESCO, he believes “The first step is saving tissue samples, as we’re in the process of doing for Lonesome George,” he said “But we who are among the forefront would like to train others to establish frozen zoo biobanks in other countries.” Oliver Ryder, director of genetics at the San Diego Zoo, spoke to Discovery News as his team was racing to the Galapagos Islands to help preserve the tissues of Lonesome George The San Diego Zoo operates one of the other few frozen zoos “I am confident that one day such an international structure will come together, bringing in other conservation work, such as preserving habitat,” Ryder concluded “It’s poignant to lose a subspecies like that of Lonesome George People in the future will be looking back at us, wondering why we didn’t act sooner.” “This is an extremely urgent matter,” Ryder said “We had planned to meet in the Galapagos in two weeks to discuss preservation of the tortoises there It is a bitter irony that Lonesome George died before we could even finish setting up the plans It underscores the importance of preserving such animals.” Jennifer Viegas Discovery News June 2012 “We are facing some logistical problems now, but we don’t want to look back with ‘what if’s,’” he added “This may be the only chance we’ll have to preserve, document and study this tortoise subspecies.” Giant Fossil Turtle from Colombia Round Like Car Tyre Even the world’s largest snake, Titanoboa, could probably not have swallowed this new, very round fossil turtle species from Colombia Paleontologist Carlos Jaramillo’s group at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama and colleagues at North Carolina State University and the Florida Museum of Natural History discovered a new species of fossil turtle that lived 60 million years ago in what is now northwestern South America Ryder believes discussions of cloning Lonesome George are premature at this point Before that takes place, he thinks more must be learned about this particular tortoise’s physiology and reproduction Studying Lonesome George’s remains may also help to reveal how tortoises often live to advanced ages, information that could one day lead to breakthroughs in extending human lifespans For cloning, researchers are focusing more on “species where we have detailed knowledge of their reproductive biology,” Ryder said That is one reason why cats, dogs and mice were among the first animals to be cloned Scientists are now working to clone endangered relatives of such animals, in hopes of releasing those individuals into the wild to strengthen natural populations The team’s findings were published in the Journal of Paleontology The new turtle species is named Puentemys mushaisaensis because it was found in La Puente pit in Cerrejón Coal Mine, a place made famous for the discoveries, not only of the extinct Titanoboa, the world’s biggest snake, but also of Carbonemys, a freshwater turtle as big as a smart car Earlier this year, Gomez and her colleagues successfully cloned endangered black-footed cats An endangered wild ox, called a gaur, and a banteng (wild cattle) have also been successfully cloned Work is underway to clone and otherwise increase the population of Sumatran rhinos, which presently number only about 200-300 in the wild Cerrejon’s fossil reptiles all seem to be extremely large With its total length of feet, Puentemys adds to growing evidence that following the extinction of the dinosaurs, tropical reptiles were much bigger than they are now Fossils from Cerrejon offer an excellent opportunity to understand the origins of tropical biodiversity in the last 60 million years of Earth’s history While one healthy clone is an interesting novelty, clones must also be able to reproduce in order to be fully successful 32 Diego was plucked from Espanola by expeditioners sometime between 1900 and 1930 and wound up in the San Diego Zoo in California, said the head of the park’s conservation program, Washington Tapia When the U.S zoo returned him to the Galapagos in 1975, the only other known living members of his species were two males and 12 females Chelonoidis hoodensis - some consider it species, some a subspecies - had been all but destroyed, mostly by domestic animals introduced by humans that ate their eggs So Diego and the others were placed in a corral at the park’s breeding center on Santa Cruz, the main island in the isolated archipelago whose unique flora and fauna helped inspire Charles Darwin’s work on evolution Diego was so dominant and aggressive, bullying other males with bites and shoves, that he had to be moved eight years later to his own pen, with five of the females The reptiles are not monogamous The round shape of a new species of fossil turtle found in Cerrejon coal mine in Colombia may have warmed readily in the sun The most peculiar feature of this new turtle is its extremely circular shell, about the size and shape of a big car tire Edwin Cadena, post-doctoral fellow at North Carolina State University and lead author of the paper, said that the turtle’s round shape could have discouraged predators, including Titanoboa, and aided in regulating its body temperature “Diego is very territorial, including with humans,” said his keeper, Fausto Llerena “He once bit me, and two weeks ago he tried (again) to bite me When you enter his pen, Diego comes near and his intentions aren’t friendly.” The width of the turtle’s shell probably exceeded the maximum expansion of the Titanoboa’s mouth Its circular, low-domed shape would have increased the area of the body exposed to the sun, helping the cold-blooded turtle warm to a temperature at which it was more active Science Daily July 2012 Galapagos’ New Star Tortoise A Prolific Dad This undated photo released by Galapagos National Park shows tortoise Diego at Galapagos National Park Diego is another centenarian reptile, but unlike Lonesome George who was not able to reproduce, Diego has sired hundreds of offspring Galapagos National Park authorities say it is impossible to know Diego’s age, but they believe he is well over 100 and estimate Diego is the father of 40 to 45 percent of the 1,781 tortoises born in the breeding program Quito, Ecuador (AP) Lonesome George’s inability to reproduce made him a global symbol of efforts to halt the disappearance of species And while his kind died with him, that doesn’t mean the famed giant tortoise leaves no heir apparent The Galapagos Islands have another centenarian who fills a shell pretty well He’s Diego, a prolific, bossy, macho reptile A U.S.-based herpetologist for the Galapagos Conservancy, Linda Cayot, says Diego is the most sexually active of the bunch because he’s the biggest and the oldest of the males Unlike Lonesome George, who died June 24, Diego symbolizes not a dying breed but one resurrected “In tortoises, the biggest dominates It’s not that the others aren’t active It’s just that he’s dominant,” she says Having sired hundreds of offspring, Diego has been central to bringing the Espanola Island type of tortoise back from near extinction, rangers at Galapagos National Park say Tapia said it is impossible to know Diego’s age, but he is well over 100 He estimates Diego is the father of 40 to 45 33 percent of the 1,781 tortoises born in the breeding program and placed on Espanola island At least 14 species of giant tortoise originally inhabited the islands 620 miles (1,000 kilometers) off Ecuador’s Pacific coast and 10 survive, their features developing in sync with their environment, as Darwin observed Espanola, which encompasses 50 square miles (130 square kilometers), is arid, and in order to reach vegetation high off the ground, the tortoises there developed the longest legs and necks of any other species in the archipelago Diego is nearly feet (90 centimeters) long, weighs 176 pounds (80 kilograms), and has a black saddleback shell Llerena says tourists take to him automatically, if from a safe distance “I immediately turned the light on and saw the snake, a ball python, wrapped around his foot, constricting it, and trying to eat his foot,” he said “I think he’s going to be the successor to Lonesome George, the new favorite.” A visit to Lonesome George became de rigueur for celebrities and common folk alike among the 180,000 people who annually visit the Galapagos Among his last visitors were Richard Gere, Prince Charles of England and Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and family Mr Winans immediately pulled the 60cm snake off his son and took him to the hospital to treat the bite A 23-year-old neighbour has been cited by local police for failing to keep the snake properly enclosed Yahoo News July 2012 Before humans arrived in the Galapagos, the six islands were home to tens of thousands of giant tortoises Numbers were down to about 3,000 in 1974, but the recovery program run by the national park and the Charles Darwin Foundation has succeeded in increasing the overall population to 20,000 Indian Village Holds Frog Wedding For Rain The offspring of Diego and his male rivals in the corrals of Santa Cruz have themselves been reproducing in the wild on Espanola island since 1990 I now pronounce you frog and wife “We can now say that the reproduction of this species is guaranteed,” said Tapia Cayot was asked whether having so many children of the same few parents interbreeding on Espanola could hurt the breed’s long-term prospects “It could be a problem,” she said “But it is more important to save the species.” GONZALO SOLANO Times Tribune July 2012 An Indian village has held a marriage ceremony for two frogs, in hopes that the ceremony will bring some much-needed monsoon rain With five priests chanting scriptures, a frog groom named Punarvasu and his amphibian bride Pushala were joined in holy Hindu matrimony by villagers hoping the ancient custom will bring monsoon rains to their drought-stricken district Sleeping Toddler Bitten By Snake A horrified father reached into his toddler’s bed to find a python wrapped the boy’s foot, biting it Organiser Nandkumar Pawar says thousands of people gathered on Thursday in a massive tent in Patkhal village for the lavish wedding banquet Devin Winans, from Illinois in the US, says he went to check on his son William Speaking to a local news station, Mr Winans says he reached into the cot and felt something ‘really slimy’ He said on Saturday that the frogs were decorated with 34 flowers and smeared with turmeric, a holy and auspicious ointment A brass band played Bollywood film songs while the priests blessed the frogs For over a century, people have been studying if and how cats and other mammals right themselves when they fall Other animals like lizards, which have different body plans and probably use different strategies, have been largely unexplored The region in Maharashtra state is 400km southeast of Mumbai, India’s financial capital The researchers used high-speed videography to dissect the motion of two common lizards the flat-tailed house gecko and green anole as they fall, starting upside down Frog weddings are practiced in some parts of India and other areas of South Asia Herald Sun July 2012 Watching as the lizards righted themselves in mid-air before alighting on extended legs, the researchers discovered that both lizards swing their tails in one direction, causing their bodies to turn in the other Falling Lizards Use Tail for Mid-Air Twist, Inspiring Lizard-Like ‘RightingBot’ The team also compared the righting movement of the two lizards, which have similar body sizes but different tail lengths and inertial properties The gecko, with its shorter tail, has to swing its tail further to the side to right itself, making a larger angle relative to its body By contrast, relatively smaller movements of the anole tail, which is twice as long, are enough to reorient its body Lizards, just like cats, have a knack for turning right side up and landing on their feet when they fall But how they it? Unlike cats, which twist and bend their torsos to turn upright, lizards swing their large tails one way to rotate their body the other, according to a recent study that will be presented at the Society for Experimental Biology meeting on 29th June in Salzburg, Austria A lizard-inspired robot, called ‘RightingBot’, replicates the feat “A comparative approach provides useful insights in the study of aerial righting responses and could be beneficial to the design of robots that navigate complex environments,” said Ardian Jusufi This work, carried out by Ardian Jusufi, Robert Full and colleagues at the University of California, Berkeley, explains how large-tailed animals can turn themselves right side up while falling through the air It could also help engineers to design air- or land-based robots with better stability For the study, Jusufi and his colleagues developed a three-dimensional mathematical model to test their understanding of the lizards’ righting movement To further test the mathematical model’s predictions the team then built a simple robot ‘RightingBot’ consists of just two parts: a body joined to a tail Despite its simple design, RightingBot rights itself in mid-air with a swing of its tail just like the lizards that inspired it, showing how useful a tail can be for that purpose “It is not immediately obvious which mechanism an animal will use to accomplish aerial righting and recover from falling in an upside-down posture Depending on body size, morphology and mass distribution there are multiple strategies for animals to execute this behavior,” said Ardian Jusufi, lead author of the study Science Daily July 2012 Wanted: Deadly Creatures That Must Be Taken Alive Please don’t go turning over rocks looking for funnel web spiders, especially if you are young and male, after reading this article But if you happen to find one, the Australian Reptile Park is desperate to have it, alive It is facing a shortage of funnel web spiders, which are milked for the venom used to create anti-venom Despite its simple design, RightingBot rights itself in mid-air with a swing of its tail just like the lizards that inspired it About 300 people are bitten by funnel webs every year, and about 60 of those ‘’are life and death situations’’, said the park’s educator, Michael Tate Lizards in their natural environment encounter various situations where they could fall For instance, they could fall while fighting over territory, seeking food, or even mating To avoid injuries, they must have a way to turn themselves during a fall to land safely on their feet The park has only 30 male spiders to milk It prefers to have more than 300 because it takes about 70 milkings to 35 Frog Calls Inspire A New Algorithm For Wireless Networks create a single dose of anti-venom At the present rate, the park (the sole collector of funnel web venom) needs nearly three weeks to produce enough venom for one dose Males of the Japanese tree frog have learnt not to use their calls at the same time so that the females can distinguish between them Scientists at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia have used this form of calling behaviour to create an algorithm that assigns colours to network nodes an operation that can be applied to developing efficient wireless networks How can network nodes be coloured with the least possible number of colours without two consecutive nodes being the same colour? A team of researchers at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia have found a solution to this mathematical problem with the help of some rather special colleagues: Japanese tree frogs (Hyla japonica) Ready to deliver the Australian Reptile Park is down to just 30 male funnel webs Ideally, it would have ten times that number While the park, on the central coast, will accept donations of any live funnel web spiders, only the males are milked because they are six times more venomous than the female spider ‘’We’d like to have a few hundred in stock,’’ says the park’s spider keeper, Julie Mendezona ‘’Even though everyone sees them as ferocious creatures, we could milk the same one every single day But that’s not fair to the animal So to lower the stress level, we milk each spider once a week.’’ That’s humane treatment for the world’s deadliest spider After a quiet summer, funnel webs were everywhere in the moist conditions in late March and April It may be winter, but the mild, wet conditions mean they’re still around, Mendezona says Trouble is, if people are spotting them, they are not catching them Japanese tree frog (Hyla japonica) These male amphibians use their calls to attract the female, who can recognise where it comes from and then locate the suitor The problem arises when two males are too close to one another and they use their call at the same time The females become confused and are unable to determine the location of the call Therefore, the males have had to learn how to ‘desynchronise’ their calls or, in other words, not call at the same time in order for a distinction to be made Stocks of funnel web anti-venom have fallen to three years’ worth, compared with the preferred level of six years ‘’You can never really estimate accurately how much anti-venom you’ll need in future,’’ says Tate, who adds that storing antivenom is difficult If you see a funnel web spider, and want to donate it to the park’s milking program, Tate says you should avoid asking men or boys to catch it They are statistically more likely to get bitten or to jump on it and kill it He recommends calling a mature woman, who is the least likely to get bitten, and ask her to bring an empty jar and follow the instructions in the video “Since there is no system of central control organising this “desynchronisation,” the mechanism may be considered as an example of natural self-organisation,” explains Christian Blum With the help of his colleague Hugo Hernández, such behaviour provided inspiration for “solving the socalled ‘graph colouring problem’ in an even and distributed way.” Avoid using takeaway containers because funnel webs can bite through them A deep glass jar or a Tupperware container is perfect There’s no need to excessively tape the top because funnel webs cannot jump One was called Alcatraz because it was delivered in a container wrapped 15 centimetres deep in masking tape Spiders can be brought to any public hospital A graph is a set of connected nodes As in the case of the frog’s ‘desynchronised calls’, operating in a ‘distributed’ fashion implies that there is no other way of central control that helps to solve the problem with a global vision and all the information on the situation JULIE POWER Sydney Morning Herald July 2012 In the same way, the researchers have devised a new algorithm for assigning colours to network nodes ensuring that each pair of connected nodes is not the same colour The end goal is to generate a valid solution that uses the 36 least amount of colours was about two to three inches long It certainly put me off my toast.’ APPLICATION TO WIFI CONNECTIONS William quickly called his parents Marcus and Clare who reported the discovery to their local Tesco store in Axminster As Blum outlines, “this type of graph colouring is the formalisation of a problem that arises in many areas of the real world, such as the optimisation of modern wireless networks with no predetermined structure using techniques for reducing losses in information packages and energy efficiency improvement.” This study falls under the field of ‘swarm intelligence’, a branch of artificial intelligence that aims to design intelligent systems with multiple agents This is inspired by the collective behaviour of animal societies such as ant colonies, flocks of birds, shoals of fish and frogs, as in this case Science Daily July 2012 No risk: A spokesman for the Tesco store in Axminster where the bread was baked said they were confident ‘robust procedures’ meant there was no food safety risk to the product while in the store Every Lizard Helps: Schoolboy, 10, Finds Reptile In Tesco Loaf Of Bread Mr Evans said the store customer service department said it would be impossible for a lizard to get in one of their loaves because of the company’s high hygiene standards It’s slogan may be ‘Every Little Helps’ but one customer got more than he bargained for when he when he found a dead lizard in a loaf of Tesco’s freshly-baked bread Mr Evans, a volunteer church worker, said: ‘I am surprised they didn’t tell me ‘every little helps’ Primary school pupil William Evans, 10, was slicing the multi-grain brown loaf to make toast for his breakfast when he spotted the lizard embedded in the bottom ‘They have asked me to take it into the manager but I am thinking of contacting environmental health officers ‘We are keeping the lizard and loaf in the fridge for evidence.’ He added that he was relieved William spotted the lizard before cutting into it Mr Evans continued: ‘It was one of Axminster Tesco’s baked in-store, multi-grain brown loaves ‘The lizard had not been cooked so it must have got into the packaging and died there ‘You could see the impression of its body in the bread so it must have been warm when he got in ‘The poor little lad was absolutely traumatised by it ‘He went to take a slice off for some toast, turned the loaf over and found the lizard stuck on the bottom.’ Stunned: Primary school pupil William Evans, 10, found a lizard imbedded in the bottom of a Tesco loaf of bread A Tesco spokesman said: ‘We have conducted a thorough inspection of the bakery area as well as the rest of the store William, from Hawkchurch, near Axminster, Devon, said: ‘I was making some toast and cut off a slice when I saw something that looked like a leaf ‘We are confident that our robust procedures mean that there was no food safety risk to the product whilst it was within the store ‘So I took the wrapping off and found the lizard inside It 37 that reptiles are being kept illegally should call DEC’s Wildcare hotline 9474 9055, Customs hotline 1800 061 800, WA Police 131 444 or Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000 ‘If the customer would like to return the product, packaging and proof of purchase to us, we will be able to investigate further SUZANNAH HILLS UK Daily Mail July 2012 Australian Customs Media Release August 2012 Scientists Discover New Species Of ‘Blind Snake’ In Brazilian River Exotic Reptiles Seized From Willetton Residence - August Forgive us if this puts you off your dinner because, as snakes go, this is not much of a charmer Wildlife officers from the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) have seized three exotic snakes during a search of a property in Perth’s southern suburbs The unique creature, atretochoana eiselti, was found after engineers drained a hydroelectric dam which spans a river connected to the Amazon The officers executed a search warrant at the Willetton residence last week after they received a tip-off from a member of the public Biologists discovered six of the unusual-looking creatures - each about a metre long - at the bottom of the river-bed on the Madeira river in Rondonia, in Brazil DEC wildlife officer Matt Swan said the search uncovered a milk snake, king snake, boa constrictor and a native south-west carpet python “The milk and king snakes are native to North America, while the boa constrictor is native to South America,” he said “When fully grown a boa constrictor can grow up to 5m long and weigh in excess of 40kg Large females can also produce more than 40 young in one clutch “Exotic reptiles are prohibited in Western Australia and it is illegal to keep reptiles such as boa constrictors or milk and king snakes as pets in this State This blind snake might look a little disgusting, but it is an exciting discovery for scientists, who believe it is closely related to salamanders and frogs “Keeping exotic reptiles can result in the establishment of populations of alien species in the wild and the introduction of diseases that can have a devastating effect on our native wildlife.” The creatures were discovered in November, however it took until today for scientists to correctly classify the snake’s genus - confirming it is a rare creature which has only been spotted sporadically since first spotted in 1968 Customs and Border Protection National Manager Investigations Kingsley Woodford-Smith said due to the high quarantine risk, the seized exotic reptiles would be euthanased It is actually more closely related to salamanders and frogs, but appearance-wise looks more like a snake Biologist Julian Tupan, who works for Santo Antonio Energy - the company which constructed the dam - said: ‘Of the six we collected, one died, three were released back into the wild and another two were kept for studies “The smuggling of reptiles is a cruel practice as the animals are being kept in confines far from their natural habitat,” Mr Woodford-Smith said ‘Despite looking like snakes, they aren’t reptiles and are more closely related to salamanders and frogs He said the maximum penalty for illegally possessing exotic reptiles under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 was five years imprisonment or a fine of $110,000, or both ‘The Amazon is a box of surprises when it comes to reptiles and amphibians There are still much more to be discovered’ Authorities are currently investigating how the reptiles arrived in Western Australia EDDIE WRENN UK Mail Online August 2012 People with information about the illegal importation of reptiles or who notice any suspicious activity suggesting 38 ... Elliott Butantan Institute – Antivenin Powerhouse by Ken de Mallindine 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 13, August 2012 Contents 2012 VHS... scincoides by Adam Sapiano  EDITORIAL by Phil Elliott Well, here we are again, another edition of Odatria , hopefully another one that you will find enjoyable and informative “I appeal to everyone