HERPUTOPIA NEWSLETTER Promotion, Care and Enjoyment of Reptiles and Amphibians through Education OCTOBER 2012 Estab 1998 Vol 7 Issue 8 """#$%%&"&''&'()*$%(+,-$(*.#-,/#&01,'(230$'$(+-,2*&-* 0429 600 962 4567898::;<66="#$#%&'()*$+#,")-.,/01213 COMMITTEE 4;<6>:<?7@&'*A;&2B$2CDEFGEHGIHgarthfay@bigpond.net.auJ>K<4;<6>:<?7L'&2-(+?&*A&2$(%CDMNEGOCOE 6<K;<78;P9,'(%%(4(/Q'$RS(CDCMCOMCOI7;<86T;<;9.22(U"(('+DEOEEDID4TV9>K5LL>K<;4A$%$)U"(('+ DEOEEDID?<W69<77<;<:>75;L&.6/$*ADEGODFFD4TV9>6X<;4A$%$)U"(('+#487;5?YZ<?@;>LL>7X6 MEETINGS: First Monday of the month at 7.00 pm (excluding January, April & October) Fairy Meadow Community Centre: Guest Park, opposite Woolworths corner Princes Hwy and Cambridge Ave, Fairy Meadow AT EACH MEETING - Lucky Door Prize, Sausage Sizzle $2.00, Drinks $1.00, Free Tea and Coffee 454,67)*4,8)- Monday October 1 st 2012 There will be no meeting on this night, as we will have our annual picnic day at Shoalhaven Zoo, formerly known as Nowra Wildlife Park. Nick, Trent and the staff always make us feel welcome and it is only a short scenic drive from the Illawarra. Entry and food is free to members, so don t miss out on this special day. THERE IS NO MEETING IN OCTOBER Instead we are having our annual picnic day at Shoalhaven Zoo on Sunday 7th October 2012 at 11.00am...lunch at 12.30.Free entry and Fully catered BBQ for MEMBERS. Drinks are available at the Kiosk. A great day should be had at the most picturesque zoo in Australia. Be aware that if you only have a single membership only you will be allowed in and fed for free. feeding, temperament and colour forms, photos showing a beautiful albino, newly born neonates still in their clear sacks before breaking loose. One surprise photo showed a black snake eating tin dog food. The second part of Rob s talk was taking us on some of his snake catching jobs including removing large slabs of concrete and tons of rubbish in search of venomous snakes for his clients. Monday November 5 th 2012 Darren Earnshaw -4"6+*4-)9$*+,:/ Rob Ambrose is a man living his dream. His passion is for elapid snakes and his job is a professional snake catcher, a perfect match. Rob started his talk telling us about one of his favourites, the Red Belly Black Snake. An early name for this snake was crimson sided snake which more accurately describes it as the belly is white. Rob described in detail the many facets of breeding, Sometimes it is frustrating hard work and other times rewarding and humorous including the hilarious skink of doom. Rob delighted us handling a black snake and a beautiful tiger snake. Something a bit different from Rob Ambrose, thanks mate.
Wendell Sailor at Frog Solutions New Members Stevie Fuller, Jake Cullen, Jake Oudejans and Rob Cotterel. Colour forms of red bellied black snakes THE IRS ANNUAL PICNIC DAY This year our popular picnic day will be held on Sunday 7 th October 2012. The venue, being the Shoalhaven Zoo (formerly the Nowra Wildlife Park). Entry and food is free to members of the IRS, drinks can be purchased at the kiosk. This is a fantastic way to socialize with other members and wander around one of Australia s most beautifully situated zoos on the banks of the Shoalhaven River. It starts at 11.00am, lunch at 12.30pm with animal shows all day. Will be great to see a lot of you there. If you only have a single membership and want to bring the family, it would be wise for you to update your membership to a family one. Membership Fees are Due Single Member is $20 and Family Membership is $30. Yearly fees are due in August. Direct Deposit to the following account. ILLAWARRA REPTILE SOCIETY INC BSB: 012 593 ACCOUNT:197838498 Please put your member No. in the xxx field for your identification. 5;<=>/?=)@;AB 6C= D<?E FB B;@@=G=@ EH IC= J;BBFGK LM /?= )@;ABN /C= O;B ; DLAAFII== A=AE=P MPLA 1QQ3R&& ;G@ O;B ;G FGI=KP;< J;PI LM IC= +-/N /C= O;B ; @PFSFGK MLPD= FG LPK;GFTFGK L?P MFPBI BCLO ;I IC=.LLG;O;PP; 7LAA?GFIH 7=GIP=N U=P =MMLPIB C=<J=@ ILA;V=IC=D<?EIC=MFG;GDF;<B?DD=BBFIFBIL@;HN/C= OF<< E= B;@<H AFBB=@ EH C=P MPF=G@B ;G@ A=AE=PBN #?PICL?KCIBKLILC=PM;AF<HN +IFB;<BLOFICB;@G=BBIC;IO=C=;PLMIC=J;BBFGKLM );PLG $;V=PWB ALIC=PN );PLG FB O=<< VGLOG IL IC= BLDF=IH;G@C;BC=<J=@?BLGA;GHLDD;BFLGBN FROG SOLUTIONS expo day IRS DISPLAY Jarryd Hayne from the Parramatta Eels
X#-/)*4>#76#$4-1Q&1 %,2%.&))(&'1,'E/,2*A+ FOR SALES Frozen rats and mice Garth 42564884 Hatchling lace monitors Bells form and normals Andrew 0415 448 844 Short neck turtles- various sizes Frank 0413 563 037 Yellow jungle suspected male Good feeder, good temp 2-3 foot $250.00 ono Kirsty 0402 588 745 WANTED Dragons of the agamidae family Paying well for breeding pairs Keiran 0422 593 998 SEPTEMBER FOR SALES womas blonde macs albino darwins mark 0407 501 360 rats & mice- live or frozen garth 42564884 Scales & Tails $8 Available at each meeting and at Garth s children's pythons- 2 pairs macquarie short neck turtles saw shell turtles 4", 5", 6" shells frank 0413563037 baby turtles bob 95212725 northern velvet geckos (4) $80 levis male 6 months $100 small ($14) & large ($30) snake hooks sue & tim 0421426575 Members Notices: A&T Custom Cabinets-custom built reptile cabinets in all sizes 0466279239 How Tadpoles Optimize Their Buoyancy "#$%&'()"*')+'&&,'-./$$'#)0%)"#1.(0) 02'/*)3.%4"564)/5)02')+"0'*7) Reptile keeping books available at the meetings at a good members discount Tadpoles are well-equipped to adjust their buoyancy in the water. Photo credit: istockphoto/thinkstock
Survival and reproduction of many aquatic and semiaquatic animals can depend upon how well they float. Tadpoles use various strategies to attain buoyancy, depending upon their stage of development and location in still or turbulent waters. Scientists have now taken a closer look at the developing frog's strategies to achieve buoyancy. Canadian-based researchers John Gee and Sylvie Rondeau studied eight species of tadpoles in three different environments-still waters, intermittent streams, and torrent sections of rivers. All species were examined in the larval and metamorphic stages, and three species were also studied in the hatchling stage. How positioning in the water can be altered The ability to float is determined by hydrodynamic lift and static lift. Hydrodynamic lift is generated by a difference in the velocities of a tadpole and the water around it. Static lift is the difference between the specific gravities of the organism and the water in which it lives. 7&R),%(+ can alter their static lift by adding lung gas-for instance, gulping air at the water's surface-or by releasing lung gas. Comparing buoyancy levels and how tadpoles achieve them, the researchers found that tadpoles of different species can adjust to different environments. In ponds and intermittent streams, lung gases offer tadpoles the flexibility they need to adjust to water depth, current speed, and ingestion of dense particles when feeding. When water currents increase, tadpoles can rapidly reduce lung volume and therefore gaseous lift and buoyancy. In fast-flowing waters, negative buoyancy is favored. So species in such environments have no gaseous lift, but can maintain their position in the water using an oral sucker. These species often live in contact with the bottom where the water current is at its lowest. The Impact of Different Life Stages Transitions between hatchling, larval, and metamorphic stages also affect the buoyancy of tadpoles. It seems important to survival that buoyancy is neutral, or nearly so, as hatchlings become larvae because this facilitates %,-,/,*$,2. Another change in buoyancy occurs at the start of metamorphosis. At this time, buoyancy decreased in the majority of species that were studied, possibly in order to make the tadpoles less vulnerable to predation. Reference: "6*'&*(S$(+ T+(R Q. 7&R),%(+ *, 5)*$/$[( V0,.&2-.$2:$11('(2*X&Q$*&*+," Herpetologica, Volume 68, Issue 1, February 2012, is available at A**)\]]"""#A%^,0'2&%+#,'S Tortoise Taped to Helium Balloons Rescued in Oceanside, California If culprit or culprits are found, animal abuse charges could be filed. August 22, 2012 The tortoise was stuck in a Eucalpytus tree before the wind gently brought it back down to earth. Photo credit: Kim Rabago Rescued tortoise at Oceanside Humane Society. Photo credit: Oceanside Humane Society A tortoise that someone had taped to a bunch of helium-filled balloons and set afloat has been rescued by the humane society in Oceanside, Calif. According to ABC News affiliate 10 News, the tortoise was initially stuck in a eucalyptus tree, taped to the balloon strings with duct tape. Residents of the community in which the tortoise was found called the Oceanside Humane Society, which contacted the fire department. When the fire department arrived, wind had already blown the balloons and the tortoise down to earth. According to the report, residents of the community are outraged that someone would tape a tortoise to a cluster of balloons and set it afloat. One resident said there is no reason the tortoise should have been subjected to such cruelty, and another said the owner should have given the tortoise away or taken it to a pet store. The tortoise, apparently in good health, is currently being taken care of at the Oceanside Humane Society.
HAINES GLASS - DAPTO 298 Princes Highway, Dapto PHONE 02 4261 7295 FAX 02 4261 7898 MOBILE 0412 617 290 K5J<;>?@7X<65T7XK5867L5; 899P5T;@9866;<`T>;<a<?76 @9866L5;;<47>9<K8V>?<768 64<K>897P.*Domestic Specialists * Laminated Glass *Table Tops Shower Screens. Framed Mirrors. Rear view Mirrors Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust Successfully Breeds Orange-Tailed Skinks 8*/0/6"&&4)'5#"59'*'#)(:/5:()$*%#.6');<)%==($*/597) August 24, 2012 the herpetologists will create another hot and rainy environment to start the breeding process again. By that time, more skinks will have reached maturity and will hopefully start breeding as well. These three orange-tailed skinks have gone above and beyond our expectations for them since they arrived at Durrell a year ago and started breeding in March," Matt Goetz, head of Durrell s Herpetology Department said in a prepared statement. "When they were rescued from Flat Island in Mauritius following the invasion of the predatory Indian musk shrew, we knew that a safety net population elsewhere was going to be essential as their numbers were critically low. But even in our wildest dreams, we couldn t have hoped that the females would get off to such a flying start. They are clearly happy and healthy, and we are delighted that population numbers of the orange-tailed skink in Jersey are increasing so rapidly. In 2008, the trust, the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation and the Mauritius National Parks and Conservation Service removed 82 of the skinks from Flat Island due to the invasive Indian musk shrew and relocated them to Gunner s Quoin, a Mauritian nature reserve. In 2010, 390 more skinks were also relocated to Gunner's Quoin. The orange-tailed skink was discovered in 1995 and has not yet been fully described. It does not yet have a scientific name. Scientific American reports that it has a temporary name, Gonglyomorphus c.f. fontenayi, due to its close resemblance to the Macchabe skink (G. fontenayi). Study Says Reptile Venom Molecules Are Not Always Toxic >*/0/(2)(0.#4)("4()*'$0/&')?'5%@)6"5)'?%&?')/50%)2"*@&'(() 6%@$%.5#()02"0)6%.&#)&'"#)0%)5'+)#*.9)#/(6%?'*/'(7) September 19, 2012 Orange-tailed skink hatchling. Photo credit: Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust Three female orange-tailed skinks that were rescued off Flat Island in Mauritius have been successfully breeding since their arrival a year ago at the :0''(%% W$%R%$1(K,2+('_&*$,27'0+* in Jersey, United Kingdom. According to the trust, the three skinks have produced 16 juveniles with four eggs currently incubating. The skinks have small clutches, averaging just two eggs. The trust brought 22 skinks, 19 of which were males to Durrell a year ago in an effort to bolster their numbers. To get the skinks to breed, their habitat is designed to mimic the wet and hot rainy season in which they are accustomed to. At the end of this year, Snake venom isn't always toxic and can evolve into harmless compounds, according to a new study published in the journal Nature Communications. Photo by Thinkstock A new study of reptile venom shows that venom is not always toxic, but rather can evolve into harmless compounds that perform other bodily functions. The study, published in Nature Communications, says that reptile venom contains a range of toxins that have evolved from harmless compounds that perform different functions in a reptile's body. When
a _(2,/,0+ '()*$%( bites a prey item those compounds target the biological processes of the prey, such as blood clotting or nerve cell signalling, creating havoc in the bitten animal's body, according to a press release put out by Bangor University in England. Researchers at Bangor and the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine have discovered that those same deadly toxins can again become harmless molecules in the reptile's body, potentially enabling scientists to develop those molecules into drugs for human use. Dr. Nicholas Casewell of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine says that the evolution of venom is a complex process and that a snake's venom gland is a melting pot for evolving new functions for molecules. Casewell said that some molecules are retained as venom for killing prey while others are used in new functions in the tissue of a reptile's body. According to the study, the presence of the harmless versions of these molecules could assist in the creation of a wider variety of drugs that don't have to rely on the toxic versions of the molecules. Said Bangor University's Dr. Wolfgang Wüster, a coauthor of the study: Many +2&B(_(2,/ toxins target the same physiological pathways that doctors would like to target to treat a variety of medical conditions. Understanding how toxins can be tamed into harmless physiological proteins may aid development of cures from venom New Species of Snail-Eating Snake Discovered in Panama "#$%&%$'(')"%')/()%5')%=);A)($'6/'()%=)5%60.*5"&)(5":'() 02"0)'"0()(5"/&()"5#)%02'*)(%=0,3%#/'#)$*'47)) September 17, 2012 colored ringed scales. It was recently described in a paper published in the journal Zootaxa. The name of the snake is Spanish and translates to "no mining." The biologists named the snake noalamina to call attention to the mining of ore that occurs near the reptile's native habitat. According to the paper, in addition to +2&$%+, the snake also eats other soft-bodied prey, including slugs, earthworms and amphibian eggs. The snake's range includes the Serranía de Tabasará of the Comarca Ngöbe-Buglé reservation, an autonomous region that was established in 1997. The snake genus, Sibon comprises 15 species, all of which are nocturnal snail eaters and look similar in coloration to -,'&%+2&B(+or &'Q,'(&%)$*_$)('+. Sibon noalamina grows to approximately 21 inches. The specimens that the biologists encountered were found at night in wet forested areas. One was found lying upon a large leaf about 0.5 meters above the ground approximately 10 meters from a small stream. A second specimen was located near the stream moving about 2 meters above the forest floor. Bassett s Cricket Ranch Rebounds From Cricket Virus 8%@$"54)#/?'*(/=/'()/50%)=''#'*)*"0()"5#)@/6'7) February 1, 2012 Bassett s Cricket Ranch, a breeder of crickets for the reptile hobbyist as well as the fishing crowd, is back selling crickets after the company's entire inventory of crickets were killed off a few years ago by a cricket virus. The company, which has been selling crickets for more than 40 years, lost approximately 50 to 60 million crickets in less than a week, almost ending the business that was started by Russell Bassett in 1969. After the loss, the -,/)&2.started with a fresh batch of brown crickets that again were stricken by the virus, known as cricket paralysis virus and first detected in the United States in 2009. The company then switched to a different cricket species, the Jamaican field cricket and had success. The company again began shipping their own homegrown crickets to customers in April 2011, and is currently shipping more than 3 million crickets each week as well as close to 3 million mealworms. To diversify, the company is also breeding rats and mice for the reptile trade and has also entered the furry pet trade with pet guinea pigs and hamsters. Sibon noalamina is a nocturnal, snail- eating snake from Panama. Photo by Sebastian Lotzkat A new species of snail-eating snake has been discovered in western Panama by biologists from Frankfurt, Germany's 6(2-B(2Q('S ;(+(&'-A >2+*$*0*(. The non-venomous snake, Sibon noalamina has coloration similar to a coral snake with brown and light