Southern Constrictors LLC

19/09/2017

I posted today's graphic to another reptile community. The first response was, "While I agree in the wild but with children you can't have this species in your yard way too dangerous."

At Louisiana Exotic Animal Resource Network, we hear this type of thinking quite a bit. We try to be educational in our responses.

Snakes are around us all the time. Just because we happen to see one once in awhile does not make it any more dangerous than the ones we don't see. It may even make it less dangerous. As a naturalist my opinion is that the correct response is to teach our children snake safety just like we (should) teach them gun safety. The rules are actually very similar.

Stop.
Don't Touch.
Take three steps back and walk away.
Tell an adult.

Likewise with pets. Dogs can and should get snake aversion training for their safety and the safety of wildlife.

There is a host of info out there on how to live responsibly in the ecosystem. One decent example would be: https://h**punit.wordpress.com/2016/05/30/coexisting-with-wild-snakes/?fref=gc&dti=320287411376884

Killing a snake does one of two things (if you manage not to get bitten in the effort)- it either causes a rise in population of the animals they were there to prey on, and/or another snake simply moves in to take its place. The only solution that makes any sense is learning to live together.

11/08/2017

Happy Rattlesnake Friday! It is always GREAT to see pro-snake articles in the media. We have one here. This line about sums up one of the greatest misconceptions involving rattlesnakes: “Everyone thinks they’re aggressive,” she said. “They’re not aggressive. You have to go out of your way to be attacked.” [Note: See #3 below.]

There are a couple corrections to be made:

1. Snakes are not breeds (like domesticated dogs and cats). They are species and subspecies.

2. Ectothermic is the proper term to use when describing that the body temperatures of reptiles are dependent upon external sources. Cold-blooded is a very elementary term which can be used as a teaching aid, but not accurate as to the physiology of these animals. All reptiles are ectothermic, not some of them.

3. Rattlesnakes do not attack humans. They defend themselves. The last thing they want to do is bite you as venom is precious and designed to kill prey. Understand that even unintended actions, such as stepping on one not seen, is taken as a serious attack upon them.

Scared of rattlesnakes? They’re not as dangerous as some people think.

by Jacob Sweet via www.sacbee.com/news/local/article165783252.html

If you don’t want to get bitten by a rattlesnake, just keep your distance. Usually it’s as simple as that.

On Sunday, wildlife biologist and rattlesnake expert Mike Cardwell and naturalist Christina Kautz led an informational session at Effie Yeaw Nature Center in Carmichael, answering questions and challenging myths about rattlesnakes.

While many fear the venomous creatures, Kautz said that attacks are rare.

“Everyone thinks they’re aggressive,” she said. “They’re not aggressive. You have to go out of your way to be attacked.”

Cardwell said that most emergency room doctors report that patients with rattlesnake bites are usually young males who intentionally moved toward the snakes. Often, he added, alcohol is a factor.

Of the approximately 8,000 people who seek treatment for rattlesnake bites each year in the United States, most initiated the encounters, he said. And deaths from bites are rare.

In any given year, only about five or six people are killed by rattlesnake venom. And in most of those cases, the people who were bitten avoided or delayed treatment, Cardwell said.

In Northern California, people only encounter one breed of rattlesnake: the Northern Pacific variety, according to Cardwell. These snakes play an important role in the ecosystem, preying on rodents like ground squirrels that can burrow through levees.

As cold-blooded reptiles, rattlesnakes are generally subdued during the hot Sacramento days. As the ground temperature rises above 100 degrees, rattlesnakes often seek shelter in rodent-dug holes or in fallen trees. They can survive for only two or three minutes sitting directly in the hot sun, Cardwell said.

Sometimes people will mistake a rattlesnake trying to get out of the sun with a potential attack. If they’re hot, “they’ll get more and more frantic,” Cardwell said. “It’s not like they’re attacking people. They’re getting out of the sun.”

Rattlesnakes generally approach other animals with just three things in mind, said Cardwell: “Can I eat it? Can it eat me? Can I reproduce with it?”

Humans, likely fitting into the second category, are not a species rattlesnakes consider easy prey. So they avoid people, if possible.

Though the Effie Yeaw Nature Center has around 100 rattlesnakes, staff don’t often encounter them.

“I’ve worked here since January,” Kautz said, “and it’s taken me until this Wednesday to see one.”

Photo: Northern Pacific rattlesnake (Crotalus oreganus) © Natalie McNear

14/07/2017

11/07/2017

Science is amazing!

Snake S*x Determination Dogma Overturned

Researchers find that boas and pythons use an XY s*x chromosome system, rather than the previously assumed ZW system found in some other snakes.

Article by Abby Olena, July 6, 2017

For more than 50 years, scientists have taken for granted that all snakes share a ZW s*x determination system, in which males have two Z chromosomes and females have one Z and one W. But a study, published today (July 6) in Current Biology, reveals that the Central American boa (Boa imperator) and the Burmese python (Python bivittatus) use an XY s*x determination system, which evolved independently in the two species.

“This work is a culmination of a lot of questions that we’ve had about pythons and boas for a long time,” says Jenny Marshall Graves, a geneticist at La Trobe Univeristy in Melbourne, Australia, who did not participate in the study.

Some of these questions came up for Warren Booth, a geneticist and ecologist at the University of Tulsa, as he studied parthenogenesis—the growth and development of offspring in the absence of fertilization. He noticed a pattern for organisms undergoing parthenogenesis: animal species that use a ZW system have only male (ZZ) offspring, and the organisms that use an XY system have only female (XX) offspring. Except this pattern doesn’t hold true for boas and pythons, who consistently produce female offspring by parthenogenesis.

Booth contacted Tony Gamble, a geneticist at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who studies s*x chromosomes, to begin a collaboration to investigate whether boas and pythons might actually have X and Y chromosomes. Spurred by Booth’s questions, “I went back and reread some of the early papers” on snake s*x chromosomes, says Gamble. “What became clear is that they didn’t show that boas and pythons had a ZW s*x chromosome system. They just said it without any evidence.”

Historically, scientists used light microscopy to photograph and match up homologous chromosomes. “If you find an unmatched pair—two chromosomes that are morphologically different—in males, you have an XY s*x chromosome system. If you find an unmatched pair in females, you have a ZW system,” says Gamble. “But the problem is that a large number of species don’t have s*x chromosomes that are morphologically distinct from each other.”

In order to address this problem, Booth, Gamble, and colleagues digested the genomes of male and female boas, pythons, and Western diamondback rattlesnakes (Crotalus atrox), which are known to use a ZW s*x determination system, with restriction enzymes to create fragments just hundreds of base pairs long. They sequenced the fragments, and then used a computer program to identify s*x-specific genetic markers.

In a ZW system, where females have both a Z and a W, s*x-specific markers will be found in larger numbers in females because they are likely found on the W chromosome, which males don’t have. In an XY system, where males have both an X and a Y, these s*x-specific genetic markers will be found in males because they are likely Y-specific. As expected, the authors identified more markers in sequencing data from rattlesnake females than males. But they also found an excess of s*x-specific genetic markers in male boa and python sequences, which suggested that these snakes have XY s*x determination.

The researchers validated the presence of some of the s*x-specific markers using PCR, and then mapped them to boa and python genome data to confirm which chromosomes were the s*x chromosomes. The team also used the boa and python genomes “to show that, while they both have XY systems, they have actually evolved those XYs independently on different chromosomes,” says Gamble.

The identification of the boa and python s*x chromosomes “might be quite a big breakthrough to our understanding of s*x determination in snakes,” says Graves. “Old fashioned genetic linkage studies will show us where the s*x-linked gene is, and we know enough genomics now to be able to figure out what genes are in that patch of chromosome and ask, are any of them good candidates for s*x determination?”

The authors “found that the python species has different s*x chromosomes than boas, but there are many lineages between them,” says Lukáš Kratochvíl, an evolutionary biologist at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, who did not participate in the work. Investigating the s*x chromosomes of these in-between snake lineages could provide insight into the evolution and stability of s*x chromosomes in other animals, he adds.

Gamble agrees that the next step is exploring other species’ s*x chromosome systems, but, for him, a bigger question also arises from this work. “There’s way more going on in snakes than anyone ever thought,” he says. “It was there for anyone to see, and so many scientists—including myself—failed to really look critically at this older literature. One has to wonder how frequently we do this. What other long-held assumptions do I take for granted as factual that could actually not have any empirical evidence behind them?”

LINK: https://goo.gl/jui4RZ

Photo of an axanthic Boa constrictor imperator used with permission.

09/07/2017

Copperheads probably generate more fear, questions and myths than any other species of snake.

30/06/2017

Watching a YouTube video doesn't compare to hands-on training. And that goes for most things reptile-related. If you can be taught by or even apprentice with an experienced keeper, that's the best way to learn.

Don’t pick it up with your hands. Don’t think too much.

20/06/2017

It only takes a few minutes!
ACTION ALERT: Support HR2603
“Saving America’s Endangered Species Act”

LINK 1: Full details and simple alert at www.usark.org/2017-blog/action-alert-h-r-2603/

LINK 2: Quick form alert via NAIA at www.cqrcengage.com/naiatrust/app/write-a-letter?0&engagementId=361753

What H.R.2603 does

• Enhances conservation of endangered species by allowing for improved genetic diversity among captive populations previously isolated by arbitrary geographic lines;
• Decreases federal spending by millions of dollars through elimination of unnecessary regulation, petition responses, and litigation by profiteers;
• Removes duplicate regulations as CITES will continue to regulate international movement and protection of endangered species;
• Increases genetic strength of captive populations as private breeders, in addition to zoos, are successfully breeding ESA-listed species and this would allow for far greater success of breeding programs;
• Allows captive propagation to aid conservation by providing essential understanding of husbandry and biology of endangered species;
• Saves additional millions of federal dollars by preventing exploitive NGO’s from profiting by misusing ESA to continually litigate against the USFWS;
• Liberates precious USFWS resources by abolishing the pointless and costly Captive Bred Wildlife permit system, as well as the five-year review process, for nonnative species;
• Over 600 nonnative animal species are listed, nearly 1/3 of the species on ESA, with more petitions mounting annually, thus crippling FWS' ability to focus upon and save native species;
• ESA has been successful for recovery of native species, not nonnative species;
• Eliminates unintended conflict between federal and state law where bans on possession of these species destroy both conservation and American freedoms in 26 states;
• Eradicates unintentional conflict between ESA and CITES;
• Prevents criminalization of responsible Americans and animal owners whose species of interest are frequently being unjustly listed under ESA due to political pressure from pseudo-environmental groups;
• Increases commerce and economic opportunity through deregulation of interstate movement;
• Allows FWS to continue regulating nonnative invasive species and in no way impairs their ability to do so.

Photo: nonnative ESA-listed Jamaican boa (Epicrates subflavus, or Chilabothrus subflavus) © Bill Love

02/06/2017

HUZZAH!

U.S. Court of Appeals says "We agree with ARK."

Read below or at www.usark.org/2017-blog/u-s-court-of-appeals-says-we-agree-with-ark.

What an amazing accomplishment for the Reptile Nation!

Briefly, the U.S. Court of Appeals determined that, as a matter of law, USARK got it right – the Lacey Act does not prohibit transportation and commerce of species listed as injurious between the continental states. This means the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (“USFWS”) cannot restrict the commerce and transportation of species listed as injurious within the 49 continental states (excluding the District of Columbia). In other words, shipments from Indiana to Texas, for example, will not be restricted at the federal level. The issue is now settled in the eyes of the Court.

Before we go further, we must proclaim huge thanks to Shaun Gehan, Joan Galvin, Richard Stanley, members of our legal team at Kelley Drye in Washington, D.C. including David Frulla, our members, the USARK Board of Directors, fundraising coordinators (especially RAACA and NARBC), supporters, donors and everyone else who made this possible. This is indeed just a short list and is not all-inclusive. Please know that USARK is very aware of those who actually contributed to the battle. You are all greatly appreciated!

Yet another tremendous milestone in USARK’s history!

Shaun Gehan, the lead attorney and chief architect behind the lawsuit, stated: “When Phil Goss and his able USARK legal aids first met with us to discuss going forward with the challenge to the Lacey listings, we felt we had a very special opportunity to make legal history. We knew our case was compelling and the research bore out our hunch that USFWS had misapplied Lacey. The fact that the Judge was so clear in his ruling only reinforces what we knew to be true.”

USARK’s federal legal and legislative consultant, Joan Galvin, had this to declare: “Congratulations to USARK and Phil Goss for their leadership and faith in our legal team to invest in and make possible this landmark legal victory for USARK's members. Shaun Gehan's theory of the case proved to be incredibly compelling to the court and we have him, along with the Kelley Drye legal team, to thank for reversing the government's misapplication of the Lacey Act.”

USFWS only started expanding its reading of the law in the 1980s, decades after Congress added the language at issue in USARK’s case. Just as in the two constricting snake listings USARK challenged, USFWS then started dropping the phrase “continental United States” from the introductory portions of its listing decisions. In its place, the agency simply applied the transportation and commerce restriction between all states. On April 7, 2017, the Court put an end to that, noting that Congress spoke clearly as to the limitations that attach when a species is determined to be injurious.

What now?

First, we do ask that you rely upon information and updates provided by USARK, as unfortunately there is misinformation being posted by people and groups not directly affiliated with USARK in attempts at self-promotion.

One point is very clear! The Court has made its decision and it agreed with USARK! There are still some loose ends to tie up with the preliminary injunction. As you will recall, the lower court’s order applied only to reticulated pythons and green anacondas, and forbade shipments into Florida and Texas. USARK’s attorneys will ask the Court to lift that order, and make the more recent order immediately effective.

In addition, and as a general matter, a court will stay its order until the time has lapsed for the government to file an appeal or seek reconsideration of a decision. In the interim, our legal team advises that USARK members postpone any shipments or other related business decisions until the lower court’s order is lifted and the ruling is broadly applied. USARK will provide updates on these concerns.

We should mention, however, that requests for a rehearing and petitions for appeal to the Supreme Court are rarely granted. Further, this was a unanimous decision by a three-judge panel that affirmed the decision of the trial court judge. Chances of a successful appeal, or the government appealing at all, appear very remote.

While the Court has stated their ruling quite bluntly, we do ask that the Reptile Nation await the final go-ahead from USARK before shipping species listed as injurious. USARK members who have been shipping reticulated pythons and green anacondas for the last two years following our awarded injunctive relief may certainly continue to do so.

Note that this ruling will not nullify any local or state laws regarding these species. Also, importation into the U.S. of species listed as injurious is still prohibited under the Lacey Act.

Thank you again to all those who made this possible. USARK has had many victories outside of this federal battle and has completed a great amount of work on other issues. None of our incredible accomplishments over the last few years would have been possible without your support.

Donate to the Reptile Defense Fund

Information for making donations online and via check/money order can be found at www.usark.org/reptile-defense-fund-2/. You can make one-time, weekly, monthly or annual donations. You can also include a message that will be posted on the Legal Defense Fund Donor Wall at www.usark.org/usark-announcement/reptile-defense-donor-wall/ for all to see, or you can even choose to make your donation or donation amount anonymous. Thanks for your support as we protect the freedoms of the Reptile Nation against overreaching anti-h**p legislation and battle the animal rights groups working to remove all animals from our lives.

ACTION ALERTS

All current alerts can be found in one place at www./usark.org/alerts. Only some are listed below. Sample letters, full details, contact information and more details can be found at the individual links.

Arlington County, VA UPDATE
Sweeping ban! Next hearing June 17!

Thanks to the hard work from dedicated local h**pers and open ears from the council members, this broadly sweeping and far overreaching proposal has been amended but is still unacceptable with a complete ban on some animals including snakes over ten pounds and some small pets such as sugar gliders. We suspect it will be amended again and will post updates as the process moves along.

Special thanks to all involved in the fight for common sense over the propaganda radical animal rights fanatics including local stakeholders, aviculturists, and the great people at Stahl Exotic Animal Veterinary Services. USARK is only part of the equation and we appreciate those stepping forward to protect the freedoms of all responsible animal and pet owners.

LINK: www.usark.org/2017-action-alerts/action-alert-arlington-county-virginia

HUGE Conservation Fundraiser
May 20 in Punta Gorda, FL

Reptile enthusiasts + good times = win for conservation! The First Annual IguanaFest is gonna make it happen. Be sure to join the group at www.facebook.com/groups/135371496972792 for all details and auction previews. Share, donate and head to Punta Gorda, Florida to see all the animals and festivities at Ty's Lizards if you can. See promo at bottom of the newsletter.

Get Buzzed for Buzztails! Fundraiser
April 15 in Gainesville, FL

There is no better way to celebrate rattlesnakes than through education and conservation. That's exactly what Eastern Diamondback Conservation Foundation (EDCF) is doing. They are holding a fundraiser to create a wildlife-friendly rattlesnake festival in Florida.

The EDCF will be hosting Get Buzzed for Buzztails! at the Cade Museum for Creativity + Invention in Gainesville, Florida on April 15th. The event will include a catered dinner, live auction and more. Please support EDCF and rattlesnake conservation by spreading awareness of this event and their mission. They are accepting sponsors and auction donations.

Pre-sale tickets are currently available until April 3rd, after that date the price of the tickets will go up $5 per ticket. Ticket information can be found on our website at www.savethebuzztails.com/store.

Event link: www.facebook.com/events/235007246962539/.

Madison Area H**petological Society Benefit Auction
May 7th - May 14th online

The Madison Area H**petological Society (MAHS) is one of the most active h**p societies in the U.S. MAHS attends dozens of educational outreach programs and other events annually. These programs require funding. Plus, more funding means even more education! Help them out by donating and/or bidding.

Contact president@madisonh**ps.org and vp@madisonh**ps.org with questions and inquiries. Get all the details at www.facebook.com/groups/MAHSBenefitAuctions.

Find A Vet

Need a good h**p veterinarian? The Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV) can help. ARAV provides a free Find-A-Vet service at http://arav.site-ym.com/search/custom.asp?id=3661.

07/10/2016

New research reveals that a snake found across a huge swath of the Eastern United States is actually three different species.

05/10/2016

Happy World Animal Day from Big Bitch!

05/10/2016

HAPPY WORLD ANIMAL DAY!

Make sure the world does not forget that the ones with scales are animals too!

Photo - Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake (Crotalus pyrrhus)

23/09/2016

In Southern California, rattlesnakes can be seen year round, but spring and summer have the most rattlesnake activity. This also means that these months generate the most concerns about rattlesnake bites.

24/08/2016

THIS is the norm in the reptile world!

image from the big brains over at iH**p : )

18/08/2016

~ Skhaleesi

17/08/2016

You always need more reptiles!

16/08/2016

True story...

10/08/2016

Got our flier up at Tractor Supply in Gray! Who wants to buy a snake? ;)

09/08/2016

Rest in peace and bless you for your positive contributions to the community, even in death.

David Blody (pictured), 66, had worked at Fort Worth Zoo's reptile department in the 1980s and 1990s. The former curator of reptiles had eight snakes growing up and had long been captivated by them.

18/07/2016

I can appreciate what he has done here. There is a part of me that is glad she didn't produce a successful clutch, because that would have renewed attempts at breeding Desert females far and wide. Interesting findings from the vet, as well.

I hope this is both an educational and cautionary case study for those who trying to understand this very unique mutation and the challenges it presents.

03/07/2016

So, our picky Bitch pied that has been a slow grower? She found her appetite. Girl is taking down ASF like a boss. FINALLY. Maybe we'll be able to breed her by the time she's four.....LOL

03/07/2016

-Nagini

01/07/2016

1 year ago... Will the pressure continue until the masses know the truth and HSUS is forced to operate under the proper tax designation?

"...What you might not know is that of the hundreds of millions of dollars unwitting donors send to HSUS, with the intent of aiding these animals, less than 1% will make it to the local humane societies and shelters that provide for the direct welfare of animals. By conveniently associating themselves with local humane societies, in name only, HSUS deceptivley capitalizes off the good and trust these local shelters have built through the years..."

Indiana Statehouse (June 30, 2015) —State Sen. Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg) and other members of the Indiana Senate Republican Caucus are urging Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller to investigate the deceptive fundraising activities conducted by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).

If you don't know, humane societies have been in existence sine the late 1700s. HSUS was founded in 1954, many years and decades after other humane societies were established in America and other countries. It is not local shelters that conveniently associate with HSUS. It is certainly quite the other way around.

Because most people may only recall what has happened in their lifetimes does not remove the fact that it is HSUS who is taking advantage of the "Humane Society" moniker. Many humane societies in the United States were founded before 1900 and are also still active. Any newer humane societies are taking advantage of the name established long before HSUS was founded in 1954.

Full post with links by clicking image or at www.facebook.com/UnitedStatesAssociationOfReptileKeepers/photos/a.775361682545787.1073741853.397170450364914/837902499625038/?type=3&theater

HSUS gets more, well-deserved, bad press! Add Indiana to the list of states (and members of Congress) who have called for an investigation of HSUS fraudulent fundraising.

Lawmakers Urge Investigation of Humane Society of the United States:

"...What you might not know is that of the hundreds of millions of dollars unwitting donors send to HSUS, with the intent of aiding these animals, less than 1% will make it to the local humane societies and shelters that provide for the direct welfare of animals. By conveniently associating themselves with local humane societies, in name only, HSUS deceptivley capitalizes off the good and trust these local shelters have built through the years...

Potential donors deserve a watchdog that is willing to stand against deceptive fundraising..."

State lawmakers recently submitted a letter to Zoeller stating, “Hoosiers are donating their hard-earned money with the belief that their donations will be used to help local shelters and the abandoned animals they see in the solicitations from HSUS...”

STATEHOUSE (June 30, 2015) —State Sen. Jean Leising (R-Oldenburg) and other members of the Indiana Senate Republican Caucus are urging Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller to investigate the deceptive fundraising activities conducted by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).

Click this link for full letter: www.indianasenaterepublicans.com/clientuploads/Indiana%20Joint%20Senator%20letter%20requesting%20%20AG%20Zoeller%20to%20investigate%20HSUS.PDF

Source: www.indianasenaterepublicans.com/news/2015/06/30/2015/lawmakers-urge-investigation-of-humane-society-of-the-united-states/

Image via HumaneWatch

01/07/2016

Todays Medical Monday: The Pygmy rattlesnake.
Eptifibatide (Integrilin) is an antiplatelet drug derived from a protein found in the venom of the dusky pygmy rattlesnake (Sistrurus miliarius barbouri). It is used before procedures are undertaken to open up blood vessels (e.g. angioplasty) as well as in combination with other drugs to prevent heart attack in people experiencing chest pain. Eptifibatide stops blood clots from forming by preventing platelets from sticking together.

Photo Provided by Zack West.

19/06/2016

Great photo of baby copperheads posted by The Copperhead Institute. As you can see, copperheads are ovoviviparous, often called live-bearers for reptiles. Babies have bright yellow tails used for caudal luring (use of tail movements employed by a predator to attract prey). They lose this tail color as they mature. Happy Father's Day!

Photo by Patrick Thompson

18/06/2016

Since we are talking about snake myths today, here ya go!

14/06/2016

That moment when you secure a Mazuri source for your rodent colonies. ;)

03/06/2016

PSST!! This lovely gentleman helped us with our TOS, so all of you should go give his page a like. Right now. :P

Small breeder and seller of high quality animals located in Seymour Connecticut

27/05/2016

I wanted some pics to document my first time getting Big Bitch out and back into her enclosure for cleaning day all on my lonesome, but the pics suck because she didn't feel like cooperating. *grumbles*

Ah, well. Here they are anyway!

LMAO!!!!!