Issue #18 - April 2021 by Herp Magazine

Herpetoculturemagazine.com

erpetoculture agazine Issue #18 - April 2021

Herping the Globe With

Myke Clarkson

How Hooks Are Made With GetHooked

The Jamaican Boa Species Spotlight: Apodora Pythons!

African Red Toads

Before You Get An Iguana...

Palmetto Coast

Exotics

-- On the Cover -Unquestionable Quality Myke Clarkson Colubrids - Chondros - & More Photo: Luke Basulto Herpetoculturemagazine.com

This Issue... Page 5

Page 22

Page 11 Page 23 Page 17 Page 21

Page 29

Copyright © 2021 by Herpetoculture Magazine all rights reserved. This publication or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Eighteenth Edition www.herpetoculturemagazine.com Herpetoculture Magazine

Contributors Justin Smith - Publisher -

Billy Hunt - Publisher -

Phil Wolf - Executive Contributor -

Nipper Read - Executive Contributor -

Tony Jerome - Contributor -

Paul Donovan - Contributor -

Robin Small - Contributor -

Myke Clarkson - Contributor -

Chris Woodcock - Contributor -

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From The Publishers’ Desk Welcome to Issue #18 of Herpetoculture Magazine! This issue has a lot of great content that we know you guys are going to enjoy. So as always, thank you to everyone that contributed to make this publication happen. Without you guys, this magazine wouldn’t be here. It just shows the willingness of everyone in the hobby to share information and help fellow hobbyists. Which brings me to my next point. Please, if you aren’t already, support USARK and USARK FL. The whole country seems to have been hit with tons of different legislation in multiple different states. Florida just suffered a huge loss at the hands of FWC. So, if you are already supporting the USARK organizations, thank you. We have been up against legislation that has tried to take away our rights to continue to enjoy that hobby we love so much. The more support we show as a hobby, the stronger we are, and the bigger chance we have to make a meaningful impact when these bills pop up. - Billy

Justin Smith & Billy Hunt -Publishers-

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BEAUTY IS ON THE OUTSIDE AND THE INSIDE

THE NEW, BIOACTIVE READY, XA-3 36" x 24" x 24" Featuring a 5.5" substrate lip designed to make your blackbox, a biobox.

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Morphs or normals/wild-types?

" My collection is like 90% wild type stuff and like 2 boas that have morphs." - Brandon Millichamp "Wild types all the way. I say as I sit 20 feet from the craziest ball Python morphs in the world." Summer Grace Mitchell "Love wild types which is probably why I love colubrids so much. They come in every color and pattern imaginable" Miguel Villa

"When I first started keeping it was all about morphs. Now I've grown to appreciate well bred normals/locality stuff. Especially as habitats disappear along with the species who lived there." - Christina Roland Herpetoculture Magazine

The Hook

makers

art

By Phil Wolf

y name is Phil Wolf, and I’m a herper. Over the past 10 years I’ve mentored countless individuals in the safe handling of exotic wildlife. And through my endeavors, I’ve come to find that in our vast world of herpetoculture, we as keepers and enthusiasts appreciate our tools and equipment almost as much as the animals themselves. Enclosures, lighting, decor, and handling equipment as well as custom apparel, keep us and our animals happy and healthy. Despite our hobby growing exponentially in the 21st-century, it’s still a relatively small group of vendors and manufactures paving the way for innovation. In the realm of venomous reptile keeping, two companies, synonymous with one another, have become truly groundbreaking, Venom Life Gear and GetHooked.

“There’s no such thing as a universal hook, but what we try to do is make the tapered end beveled and narrow enough to where you can use it for almost anything” - Chris Woodcock

Venom Life Gear and GetHooked were founded by Chris Woodcock and Brent Schulze. Two names that have become staples in the venomous community. From education and fine apparel, to innovation and design, Chris and Brent bring us the finest tools and equipment for our trade. From their revolutionary Travel Series, to the timeless classic 40 inch “U-hook,” Chris and Brent are perpetually on the cutting edge of design to produce the finest safety instruments available. But how do these fine implements get made? I had to know firsthand. When I first reached out to Chris Woodcock, it was for Issue #12 back in October 2020 for our Industry Spotlight. Chris was kind enough to invite me to his facility in central Florida to show me around. Chris explained that making a good snake hook wasn’t just bending a “U” at the end of a golf putter. There was a tried and true method to producing a professional instrument, intended for a specific task. And while no snake hook is designed for every species of snake, GetHooked’s catalogue strives to encompass every aspect of captive snake husbandry. As I started to pick Chris’ brain about metallurgy and grip contour, he stopped me and said, “we should make you your own hook so you can really see how it’s done!” What was I supposed to say? No? I decided that for this hook, I wanted it to be the flagship in my collection. A snake hook I would keep with me at all times, no matter where I was, and could be used with an eclectic group of animals at it's moment's notice.

Herpetoculture Magazine

We decided to go with the GetHooked’s Standard Series, in a 32-inch shaft. Now most people may question my desired length of snake hook. I am personally a little vertically challenged, and oftentimes find a longer snake hook cumbersome, especially when exiting a vehicle. I’ve found that for me, a 30 to 35-inch snake hook allows me to handle most specimens in captivity, as well as all the species of snakes native to my home state of Florida. This is a personal preference, and it’s of the opinion of this author that everyone try different lengths of snake hook to see what best suits their needs.

After we decided on the hook shape, I asked Chris if the foot of my hook could be lengthened, so as to be less perpendicular to the elbow in the shaft. The “foot” of the snake hook is the pointed side of the U, opposite of the side connected to the shaft. This longer foot would essentially change my hook head from the tradition U-shape, to have more of a check mark appearance. The thought being, I can use this longer foot to drag larger specimens, as well as balance wide or heavy bodied species better and not damage their ribs on the thin metal.

Once the desired length is chosen, the actual head of the hook (the “U” shaped part) must be articulated. For my hook, I went with a standard U-shape, but with a slight variation. I wanted the bend in the hook to be slightly tapered and narrower than the opening. My thought behind this, was to be able to better balance smaller arboreal species that wouldn’t normally be used with such a large hook.

We begin the hook making process with sculpting the head of the hook. Chris uses 2024 round bar aluminum, cut to the right length. From there, he starts to shape one end of the bar stock with a series of high-speed belt sanders and an electric powered drill. Using different grades of sandpaper belts, at different angles, Chris meticulously handcrafts each hook to the desired shape. Most hooks are shaped to have a chiseled tip. The idea behind this, is that the chisel acts as a wedge to get underneath a snake. For my hook, however, we decided to make a perfectly round, conical point, to be more versatile in the field.

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Once the hook is shaped, Chris places the bar stock in a vise and then proceeds to de-bur and polish by hand using different grades of sandpaper. This may be the most time consuming and tedious task in the hook’s construction. After the tip of the hook is finished, it now gets bent into its actual hook shape. Using a custom-made palate jig with interchangeable shaping dies, Chris marks and positions the bar stock to be bent. Over bending the bar could result in improper hook angle, or even compromise the integrity of the hook. To actually bend the bar, Chris has a custom-made tool, reminiscent of a spanner wrench, to apply force to the bar stock and use leverage to bend the bar into shape. Using little more than the amount of force to open a jar, the wrench is pulled back and a hook head is formed. Now for the actual hook shaft. A large shaft of chrome plated stainless steel is used. These shafts were originally slated to be “Belly Putter” golf clubs, and are over length to be cut to the customer’s desired length. Every Standard Series of hooks from GetHooked are made of this plated stainless steel to withstand the elements of rugged field use. Using a rotary cutter, Chris trims the shaft down to the correct length. It’s at this point that Chris also etches hash marks into the tail of the hook head. These etchings are used to add surface area to the tail of the hook head for when it’s inserted and bonded inside the shaft. But before we do that, the grip must be installed on the opposite end of the shaft. For the hand grip of the snake hook, several different grips can be used. GetHooked uses professional grade golfing grips. The inside diameter of the grip is perfectly slated for the gold club shaft and it makes for relatively easy replacement, as the rubber deteriorates over years of use.

For my grip I chose the Lamkin putter’s “pistol” grip. (If you’re a Star Wars fan, think Count Duku’s lightsaber.) I like the flat top of the putter’s grip to rest my thumb and forearm. And the slight angle of curvature, makes the pistol grip quite comfortable when rotating your wrist with a faster species of snake. The rubber grip is a tight fit, but to ensure it doesn’t slide or rotate, an adhesive grip tape is applied to the shaft with a special quick dry lubricant. This combination gives the grip a firm bond, and prevents unwanted movement. Finally, the last step in the process, attaching the hook head to the hook shaft. Chris has to apply a binding agent to the tail end of the hook head, and firmly insert it into the opening of the hook shaft. The bonding agent is a binary liquid paste that bonds metals on a molecular level, essentially welding them together from the inside out. Chris prepares the bonding agent on a paper plate, and proceeds to apply it to the etchings he made on the tail end of the hook head. Once an appropriate amount of bonding element has been applied, the tail of the hook head is firmly inserted, and the tip of the hook is then indexed to be concentric with the hand molds on the rubber grip. Chris then wipes away any excess residue and begins to check the hooks alignment by eye. This is the most crucial part of the entire hook making process. If the hook head is crooked, Chris has mere seconds to make final adjustments before the bonding element has solidified. As I stand there in awe, taking notes, and photographs, I can’t help but think of times long ago. I watch Chris stand in front of me, my newly crafted hook in his hand. As he wipes it down with a silicone cloth, meticulously examining every inch of his work, I can’t help but to think of ancient Samurai artisans, and the blacksmiths of the Knights of old. I see a look of pride, knowing that this tool he just crafted will be used in a time-honored passion. I’m truly privileged to have been able to experience this. And to share his art with our community.

Book Review: "Venomous” Bites from Non-Venomous Snakes: A Critical Analysis of Risk and Management of "Colubrid” Snake Bites by Scott A Weinstein, Daniel E Keyler, Julian White, and D. A. Warrell Review by Justin Smith Rear-fanged snakes have always been in the background of the hobby. Never really reaching the amount of popularity as most pythons, boas, and colubrids means the amount of information about a lot of the obscure, lesser-known species is fairly minimal. I’ve had a particular interest in some of these species for a long time now but was even more excited when I stumbled across a book that focuses on this group. "Venomous” Bites from Non-Venomous Snakes: A Critical Analysis of Risk and Management of "Colubrid” Snake Bites by Scott A Weinstein, Daniel E Keyler, Julian White, and D. A. Warrell is easily one of the most interesting books I’ve ever read!

Boiga, Philodryas, Heterodon, and Hydrodynastys are some of the popular captives in the world of opisthoglyphous snakes. This book covers various genera and specific species where medically significant bites were reported that hadn’t been documented previously. These accounts vary from Boomslangs to Western Hognoses and rank their medical significance on hazard level. The first part of this book does a great job of outlining and explaining how vague the term “rear-fanged” is. They discuss dentition and glandular structure with plenty of examples from both common and uncommon species, explaining how different the rear-fanged species are as a whole. After this, the book goes into the detail of certain genera, medical symptoms typical of that group, and the medical significance of it. The later sections of the book talk about unique bites from species that have historically caused very few medical issues. The authors go on to explain the other possible explanations for such extraordinarily odd outcomes of these suspected bites.

I will say that this book is a little on the drier side with a lot of medical terminology I was unfamiliar with. Thanks to google, my questions and definitions were answered and I learned even more from this book. All in all, this book was a wealth of information and a stark reminder that even though some species are considered “harmless” they can also have a medical significance to varying degrees. I can’t recommend this book enough to anyone with an interest in rear-fanged colubrids. If you can find a copy, buy it!

Herpetoculture Magazine

Vulnerable Beauty The Jamaican Boa

By Nipper Read

Photo >> Matt Tietgen

The Jamaican boa is an iconic symbol of the vibrant island of Jamaica in the Caribbean, but also a sad reminder of the destruction humans can do to a species as well as the very real threat of extinction facing many of today's reptiles. I have kept many of these beautiful snakes over the years and in the next few pages, hope to illustrate the beauty and interest of these rare boas and the pleasure of keeping and breeding them. The Jamaican boa was first described by Stejner in 1901. At that time, the Jamaican boa was placed in the genus Epicrates, where it remained until 2013, when Reynolds et al placed it in the genus Chilabothrus. In 2014, Wallach returned the Jamaican boa to the genus Epicrates, however Reynolds and Henderson, the godfather of West Indian herpetology, once again placed it back into the genus Chilabothrus, where it remains to this day. The Latin name of the Jamaican boa is Chilabothrus subflavus and refers to the yellowish colouration. Locally the snake is called the yellow snake. Jamaican boas are, in my humble opinion, one of the most striking of all the boas, yes Amazon Basin Emeralds are very green, Amazon Tree Boas can be a kaleidoscope of colours and patterns, and Brazilian Rainbow Boas are pretty, but there is something about the Jamaican Boa that is unique and stunning. No description of the colour and pattern will do the living snakes justice, but I will try. The dorsal colour can range from a deep tan to a vibrant orange. The scales are often tipped or completely black, leading to heavy black banding. Some unbanded snakes occur, I have one in my collection. The tail is often solid black. These snakes appear to look like they are made of bronze and the iridescence is incredible. The most notable feature of these snakes however is the intense yellow colouration some individuals attain. Juveniles are typical of Chilabothrus in that they are born a reddish-pink colour.

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One of the things I particularly like about the Jamaican Boa is the size. These boas stay small when fed correctly and five to six feet is a good size for an adult. If their diet is correct, they stay slim for a boid, and like most island species, do not attain the heavy bodied characteristics of some mainland boas. I find these snakes more akin to scrub pythons in their proportions and behaviour. The heads of these beautiful boas are notably angular, with heavy scalation. This snake was the apex predator in Jamaica before the intervention of man and has no natural predators. Once common across the whole island, this species is now confined to minute fragments of the remaining jungle, and due to habitat destruction and persecution by man, they are now listed as vulnerable. Cockpit county, Dolphin Head, Hellshire Hills, Portland and St. Thomas Parishes are the last remaining areas where this species can be found in the wild. Even in these areas, domestic cats are hastening their decline. Largely arboreal, this snake is encountered in the trees and caves of these areas. “Jams” largely feed on introduced rodents, however birds, including parrots, as well as bats are their natural diet. Juveniles will take lizards and frogs. I have kept a great many of the insular island Epicrates/ Chilabothrus species over the years, chrysogaster, angulifer, fordi, striatus, and inornatus but the Jamaican boa has remained my favourite. This is a hardy, easy to keep beautiful boa.

"There is something about the Jamaican Boa that is unique and stunning. No description of the colour and pattern will do the living snake justice..."

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So let’s look at keeping. Jamaican boas are very rare in the hobby both in Europe and the US. This is an endangered snake and subject to CITES 1 conditions of ownership. Each snake must be registered and microchipped. All the specimens in the hobby will have originated from zoo stock. I currently have 7:5, originating from European zoos. For adult specimens, I use arboreal vivariums 4ft high, 4ft wide and 2ft deep. The vivariums contain a variety of thick branches and plastic plants to allow the snake to feel secure when out basking. I use plastic plants to aid cleaning and these snakes tend to destroy living plants as they can be quite heavy. I have large cork bark tubes as hides, mounted so they are close to the top of the vivarium. The boas seem to show a preference for arboreal hides in my experience. I have large pieces of cork bark on the floor of the vivarium to allow the snakes to thermoregulate if they want a cooler hide. The substrate is rough orchid bark. Each vivarium has a large tray for water, I use only rain water from water butts rather than UK tap water which can contain fluoride. I keep the humidity high by placing the trays under the heaters and daily spraying before lights out. Heating is twofold, given the size of the vivariums. I use a ceramic heater and a deep heat emitter on a thermostat in each vivarium. The deep heat emitters do not raise the temperature of the vivarium greatly, but create the most natural basking spot available at present. Jamaican boas do like to bask, one of the enjoyable things about these species is that they are often seen basking in the open for hours at a time, unlike other Chilabothrus species I have kept such as fordi.

Day temperatures average 84 at the hot spot for the cooler months to 90 for the warmer period. Night temps have a ten degree drop. The vivariums have Arcadia Pro UV kits in them, I think decent UV is essential for species such as the Jamaican boas as in the wild they will bask frequently. Feeding these snakes could not be easier, in my experience, every Jamaican boa I’ve kept over the years have been very prey driven. Their feeding response is so acute that care must be taken not to over feed these snakes. I prefer giving a predominantly avian diet as I feed mostly adult quail and chicks, with the occasional appropriately sized rat or mouse. These snakes are an insular island species where there is not a huge amount of natural prey. Ideally, these snakes should remain muscular and gracile. As with all the species I keep, I try to replicate a natural feeding pattern that reflects prey availability in the wild. Introduced rodents aside, there will be seasonal times of prey abundance and prey shortage depending on the time of year. I think studying the natural rhythm of a particular species and replicating it is essential to the health of the snake and assists greatly in stimulating breeding and ovulation. To breed these snakes, I ensure temperature, food availability, light cycles and humidity all replicate the natural yearly cycle of the snake. In nature, these snakes predominantly breed in the early part of the year from January to May, this is the cooler and dried time of year in Jamaica. The rainy season starts at the end of April and lasts until October, when temperatures are higher, and humidity rises during the rainy season.

Specializing in Morelia & Old World Ratsnakes.

uwabamireptiles.com @uwabamireptiles Herpetoculturemagazine.com

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With this in mind I match temps, humidity and light times to the Jamaican data. I also ensure feeding schedules match the natural prey availability. I take an appropriately aged and sized male and place it in an established females vivarium. Males should be at least four years old and females ideally two years older. Adding a second male will stimulate breeding, but also combat, so the snakes should not be left unattended. Remove the spare male as soon as combat starts. It may be safer to simply place the shed skin of another male in the vivarium as this will often stimulate the breeder male without the risk of injury to a second male. Locks last between three and fourteen hours and occur in the water tray or under cork slabs. Gestation lasts between 160 and 220 days. This disparity in gestation time is due to sperm storage by the female. Litters sizes can be large and can number over thirty. Neonate hatching size is around 14 inches. The neonates are reddish in colour and soon develop the adult banding. Neonates are set up in arboreal fauna boxes, with paper towels as substrate and garden trellis as a climbing frame. Small hides and water bowls are also present. As the snakes grow, they are transferred to larger fauna boxes and then a racking system.

"Jamaican boas are not easy to attain either in Europe or the United States. I do think it is worth the extra effort of tracking these animals down and the extra work of documentation, to have a collection of these iconic, stunning and endangered boas. " Feeding neos should present no problem. The food drive is strong, but I have noticed many juveniles are shy and prefer to drop feed or take live fluffs after dark. Most juveniles will take mammalian prey immediately, but I prefer to use day old quail. Stubborn feeders will take live house geckos. Neonates must be registered after birth and CITES documentation and microchips attained for them. Jamaican boas are not easy to attain either in Europe or the United States. I do think it is worth the extra effort of tracking these animals down and the extra work of documentation, to have a collection of these iconic, stunning and endangered boas. They make hardy captives and beautiful display animals. Really well worth the effort. If anyone has any questions regarding keeping this species, please don’t hesitate to contact me as Nipper Read on Facebook or Instagram.

The

An African Staple

REDToad

With Paul Donovan

Frogs and toads love the rain, and as we have been having an awful lot of it over the past few weeks here in Botswana, it comes as no surprise that just about everywhere is crawling with amphibians of multiple colors and sizes. And of course they have only one thing on their mind, to mate. So the evening air is full with the raucous calls of love struck males trying to woo prospective mates. One of the most prolific species making its presence well known, is the Red Toad, Schismaderma carens. Almost any body of water, be it a pond or swimming pool, has become the residential address for the Red Toad at the moment. Although, they are faring an awful lot better in the natural ponds, than they are in chlorinated swimming pools. The Red Toad is a member of the family Bufonidae, but is a monotypic species within the genus Schismaderma and was first described by Smith in 1849. A lot of references to this toad have given it the alternative name of “Split-Skin Toad”. I am not sure why it should be referred to as this, as it implies its skin is prone to splitting. In all my encounters with this toad over the years, I have never found one with split skin, nor experienced this trait while capturing them, so I am a little perplexed.

One Far Range Red Toads have a diverse range of habitats, but unlike many other amphibians do not restrict themselves to wet habitats. The greater majority of those I find are in really quite dry areas such as dry savannahs and grasslands, often some considerable distance from a body of water. That is not to say they do not have a presence in watery areas, and can occur in marshes, wet pastures, drainage ditches, along river/stream embankments and man-made water catchment areas. With the exception of the dry Central Kalahari region, I have found this toad over most of Botswana. It is an extremely common species ranging across much of the African continent, with the exception of North Africa. One of the things I have noticed about this toad, is that although it is extremely widespread, and common, it

tends to be encountered more during the breeding season or following heavy rains, than at any other time of the year. During the dry months when temperatures in the shade can reach a blisteringly hot 40 – 45C (105 – 113F), the toads almost mysteriously disappear from the face of the planet just as quickly as they appeared. It is almost like, when it rains, it rains toads. I suspect that the toads burrow deep into the soil and weather-out the oppressively hot summer months as most toads seem to do. During cooler summer months, they will emerge during the late evening to feed on a range of insects.

A Description The Red toad is of moderate size as far as toads go, with males having a snout to vent length of 8 cm and females 9 cm. At first glance, it is easily mistaken for a frog as its skin appears rather smooth, but on closer examination the typical warty toad appearance can be seen, though this is absent from the head, which is smooth. The head is short and broad, with a ‘stubby’ muzzle. The large mouth protrudes well behind the eye to a point central to the tympanum (ear). The overriding feature which separates the Red Toad from other members of the Bufonidae, is the conspicuous absence of visible paratoid glands (poison glands). Actually, its species name carens comes from the Latin definition meaning “lacking”. When it comes to coloration, Schismaderma carens is actually quite colorful, compared to a lot of other toads. The upper half of the body is an orange-reddish-brown color with a grey belly and flanks. The belly is speckled. There are usually two pairs of quite distinctive spots present on the lower region of the back and again on the shoulders, though some individuals may have another pair in between. The spots are not usually joined together, although they may be in

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some individuals. They are joined along the back to form a dark, irregular line running longitudinally from head to rear. Running from above the tympanum, along the flanks to the rear legs, is a distinctive glandular ridge. This ridge separates the colorful dorsal body from the lower flank, and is often quite dark in color and ‘knobbly’. The tympanum is as large as the eye, and fleshy pink in color. The iris is black with golden flecks. In exceptionally colorful individuals, both the forelegs and hind legs can appear to have orange and black bands running across them. This banding can appear more pronounced in some individuals than in others. I have found individuals where the banding is almost entirely absent. I am of the opinion that there is a degree of color variation depending on the habitat the toad is found in, as well as its distribution. Certainly in Botswana, those I have found in the wetter northern region of the country, seem to be marginally more colorful than those found in the drier south.

Breeding Reds During the breeding season, I have noticed that some individuals manifest breeding colors, becoming much more vibrant, with the orange-color turning almost blood red. This can be witnessed in both sexes. Other individuals lose the orangey coloration, and turn browner. I’m not sure why this should be. Typically, males reach the breeding grounds a few days before females, and then begin their courtship serenades. They float at the water’s surface like little red balloons and begin to call with a long, loud whooping song. Typically, calling and mating takes place during the day. Mating follows that of just about all frogs and toads; as the males begin to call, the frenzy of testosteronecharged individuals floating around nearby, means anything that moves is considered potential mating material; be it living or inanimate. I remember sticking my hand in one pond to retrieve something I’d dropped, only to have it swamped by love struck males. Males play follow the leader, following one another around the pond which can sometimes be a heaving mass of bodies with little space in between. As soon as one is thought to have secured a female, all the other males move in like a rugby scrum. These mating balls may be as large as footballs bobbing around at the surface. Beneath this frenzied activity, it is not uncommon for the entombed female to drown due to the sheer number of males on top of her.

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Although this toad has a preference for breeding in deep, muddy ponds, the choice of pond does seem to be quite liberal, and just about any body of water will be used. I remember finding one male who somehow found his way into a washing up bowl, calling for a mate. Responding to the males serenades, females enter the ponds and amplexus (mating) commences. As the pair begin moving through the water, the female lays strings of eggs which the male fertilises. The eggs attach to vegetation and are usually laid in double rows. Each female can produce around 2000 or more eggs, before leaving the pond - if she has the chance. Sometimes, males do not know when enough is enough, and I have watched females exiting ponds and travelling some considerable distance from the water with a male or two still clinging to her back. Once egg laying begins, the pond quickly turns into a cooking pot of semolina. The eggs are black in color and approximately 2-3mm in diameter. Within a week or so they begin to hatch, and the pond then becomes full with ‘swarms’ of gregarious tadpoles. The tadpoles are quite distinct from other species that may be found in the pond, for they have a horseshoe-shaped flap of skin on the head. The tadpoles feed on nearly anything they come across in the pond, and begin to grow rapidly. Within about a month, to month and a half, the tadpoles have metamorphosed into toadlets. Although thousands of eggs may be laid, only a small number will become toadlets, and even a smaller number reach adulthood. The tadpoles are eaten by dragonfly nymphs, water scorpions, terrapins and other aquatic animals. As the toad lacks poison glands, they fall victim to a variety of birds including Hammerkops, Herons, birds of prey, as well as several species of snakes, including Herald As for feeding, virtually any feeder insect will be taken. You snakes, Crotaphopeltis hotamboeia. could also try supplementing earthworms in their diet, which seem to go down as a treat. I have kept these toads on a number of occasions in a standard The one occasion I bred this species, I raised the ravenous 120 cm (48 in) aquarium with a 30 cm base layer of sandy-soil tadpoles on chunks of meat and fish. When they mix topped off with leaves. This I sprayed twice a day to keep damp, though never to the point of saturation. I used this depth of metamorphose, the toadlets are similar coloration to the adults, but slightly more subdued. substrate, as I partitioned off a third of the aquarium with a glass

Reds in captivity

divide to give a sufficient depth of water for breeding. I did not install any supplementary heating as the aquarium was placed on a shelf in a warm room, which I suppose was around about 22-28C (71-82F). The water was not filtered, and I put some sand in the bottom for a base, and a few plants. Again, it wasn’t heated, but was ‘tepid’ in temperature. Still further, the only lighting the aquarium received was that which shone through the window. As the toad is nocturnal, lighting is not directly important to their wellbeing. Although, a dim nightlight may be beneficial, as this toad is attracted to outside lighting in residential areas where they feed on moths and ground crawling insects.

Conclusion

If you can get them, I think this is an underrated toad for captive care. It is hardy, feeds well, and has the looks to go with it. Their only downside is they bury themselves for days on end, so they are not always visible. Sometimes, it feels like you are looking after a tank of soil. One way around this, may be to include more surface hiding spots such as pieces of cork bark, broken flower pots, etc.

Herpetoculture Magazine

Species Spotlight: Is That an Olive Python?

One of the most frequent questions that I get asked about my Apodora is “Is that an Olive Python?” Technically, no it isn’t unless you’re describing its color. Seriously, it could also be called a Mustard Python, a Lime Python or a Khaki Brown Python. The Apodora papuana or Papuan python has the amazing ability to vary its color. It can change day to day or hour to hour. I’m not sure if anyone currently knows what affects the color changes, but so far to me, it seems pretty random. The Apodora papuana is the only snake in this genus. Its mouth and skin are black. The scales have an iridescence that is only matched by a few other species. Its skin seems very fragile and most imports have plenty of scars to prove their honey badgerlike persistence. Shedding is interesting in this species. In 11 years, I don’t think I’ve seen a full, one piece shed. They shed completely, but it’s more like a popped balloon with pieces everywhere. To anthropomorphize a bit, the Apodora is a bold, curious and seemingly, quite intelligent species as far as snakes go. I acquired my first Apodora as a farm hatched imported male in 2012 from Michael Cole. He was about 5 month old and 18 inches long. At unboxing, he exhibited no apprehension or stressed behavior and seemed quite curious. He took a meal the same day. Today, he is roughly 14 feet and about 21 lbs. I purchased an import female in 2020. After a 6-month quarantine, deworming and virus checks, she is now in the snake room. I’m assuming she’s roughly 2 years old at about six feet now. She is a bit more cage defensive with mock strikes or short lunges, but is alert, curious and very mobile when out.

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by Tony Jerome

The Apodora is a large, but not heavy bodied snake. I was skeptical about the attained size at first, but now realize they are easily managed. They are very powerful snakes, so having a second person with you when handling is always advisable. The two specimens that I have are easily handled when out of the enclosure and pretty much just ignore my existence. Theoretically, a terrestrial snake by nature, they will not hesitate to climb. When given the opportunity, mine have explored low trees, destroyed bookshelves and ceiling fans and totally rearranged rooms. Mine have a peculiar behavior of hissing when interacting with me. It’s not an open-mouthed hiss, but repeated, short puffs through the nostrils. It doesn’t seem to be a fear or stay away response because they do not stand their ground or try to flee. They just keep crawling over you like you’re not there.

Apodora appear to eat almost anything. I feed mine rats and organic chicken parts. They are ophiophagus, (snake eaters) and the only time I have been bitten by mine was when I had been musked by another snake. I decided to test the predator-thwarting properties of snake musk. (Hint: It doesn’t.) Fortunately, he was still young and their teeth are comparatively small. Their digestion, in my opinion, is more like a colubrid. It is difficult to keep housing clean. I opt for using paper as a bedding as it is somewhat absorbent and easy to change quickly. Finding captive bred specimens is difficult, but some people have had success hatching them. They mature later than most snakes. My understanding is around 7 years for females, however, my male was producing semen at about 4 years of age (don’t ask). Most people are skeptical about breeding due to the fact that many have discovered only one snake of the breeding pair in the cage. It’s a long investment to find out your female was just hungry. I have been very pleased with my Apodora papuana. Everybody that interacts with them seems to fall in love. They are an incredibly unique and rewarding species. I expect to see more in the hobby as they become more available. Do not pass up the opportunity to interact with one if you get the chance. You’ll get hooked.

Top Five Herp Room Must-Haves

With Billy Hunt of Uwabami Reptiles & Co-Publisher of HM!

1. Snake Hooks

With the number of animals and species I work with, I have found snake hooks to be one of the most valuable tools in my snake room. Hook training all my animals has basically taken feeding responses out of the picture during normal maintenance. I also use hooks to open tubs when feeding so I get multiple uses out of them. I use and highly recommend GetHooked hooks.

Gloves

Nitrile gloves are a mainstay in my collection. They help keep things clean without me spending half of my time washing my hands during daily maintenance. I buy them by the case for my snake room and use them almost every time I interact with my collection.

3. Utility Cart

One of the best “investments” I’ve made when it came to my snake room was my cart. My snake room isn’t big and definitely doesn’t need a cart but to have the option to have a movable platform to clean cages is invaluable when it comes to time management. If you don’t have one, seriously consider one.

Bluetooth Speaker

Besides hands on experience, I have to credit my speaker for a lot of my knowledge. The number of podcasts out there on so many different species, the opportunity to gain knowledge through that avenue has to be taken. I also use it for music when I need a change of pace. My speaker definitely helps keep from going insane while cleaning or feeding so it isn’t done in silence.

5. Deli Cups One of my best decisions was to go to disposable cups for most of my tubs. I use two ounce condiment cups for my hatchlings and sixteen ounce deli cups for my animals in my ARS racks. I use them until they need to be changed then I recycle them. The time they save on washing water bowls is insane.

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Photo >> Derek Hodge

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Before You Buy the

Dinosaur: Considerations before getting a Green Iguana with Robin Small

Every year, reptiles become more and more popular. With a quick search on any social media outlet or Google you can often find multiple breeders for almost any species or walk into any pet store to find a variety of the most common snakes and lizards. Among the commonly kept reptiles are ball pythons, chameleons, geckos, bearded dragons and the adorable, brightly colored, Green Iguana. Depending on your location, you can often find them for $15 to $200. Due to their cheap price and adorable features, they are often purchased as an impulse pet and even in some places given out as prizes at fairs. For the vast majority of individuals, Green Iguanas make terrible pets. However, for a few dedicated and passionate people, they can make extremely interesting companions full of character. With adult males reaching up to 6 feet in length, weighing up to 20lbs, being prone to aggressive behaviors in breeding season and large females laying 60+ eggs (even without a male) annually, they are not without their challenges. If you want to take on one of these dinosaur look-a-likes as a pet that can last 20+ years I offer the following notes to ponder pre-purchase. 24

Gender is the first real factor, it won’t play a big role when the iguana is little but once it is sexually mature, housing a male vs a female can be polar opposites. Iguanas can reach maturity when they are about 18 months old. For females, this means they will start to produce eggs once, or on some occasions, twice a year and they can do this with or without a male. Prior to producing eggs, their appetite will increase to boost their fat stores. As the eggs develop, they take up more and more space in the abdomen creating less and less room for food. When the female is farther along, they will eat very little or completely stop eating for a few weeks so it is extremely important for your iguana to have those extra fat stores and be strong and healthy. The majority of healthy females will lay their eggs with no problems but there are issues that can arise. Sometimes multiple eggs get fused together or an egg will have an over-calcified part, in both of these cases, the eggs may be too big to pass and the female will become egg bound. When they are egg bound it is an emergency situation and a vet is needed. Either the vet will be able to get the iguana to lay the eggs often with a shot of oxytocin or surgery is needed to remove the eggs. In most cases when a C-section is performed, the female is spayed to eliminate any future egg production. Providing proper diet, lighting, exercise and a nest box is the best way to make sure your female stays strong and healthy.

Males are often sought out for their larger features and more dramatic look but they pack a hidden personality come breeding season. In the wild, males have to defend their territories against other males in order to breed with the females. That ingrained behavior is still present in captivity even when housed alone. This aggression can be mild to severe, including chasing their owners and pets or even biting and lunging. They can be very dangerous and extremely difficult to handle during these periods which can last 3+ months each year. There are a lot of people who have a male and feel the need to get him a “girlfriend” which, in its own way, causes a variety of issues. Males in the wild mate consistently with many females during breeding season, so housing a male in an enclosure with a female puts all of that sexual energy towards that lone female iguana which will lead to fights and injury as the female is unable to escape if she wants to. The males can be very dominant during this time and will chase down females and pin them in order to mate, if the female comes into breeding season at a different time then the male he will most likely injure her or she could injure him while trying to get him to leave her alone. So with such a difference in housing a male vs female you may have a specific gender you’d like, in that case it's best to get an iguana that is a bit older and the gender can be confirmed 100%. Like any species of pet, there is a training period. When referring to iguanas, it’s more of a process of gaining trust rather than training them. These lizards are a prey species especially when really young and this means they have a strong flight or fight instinct. If you have ever tried to hold a hatchling iguana you will have most likely seen this flight behavior.

When you go to pick them up they will usually take off running and when they are in an enclosure they don’t have anywhere to run so they panic and can easily injure themselves. Also, if they get out of the enclosure, they can easily get lost. Gaining the trust of a young iguana can be a long process that requires lots of understanding and patience. A hatchling iguana will always run when scared or threatened, but as they get bigger that flight instinct changes to fight. So when you reach into the enclosure to get your iguana, instead of running away from you, it puffs up and whips you with their tail and opens its mouth. I get a lot of messages where people say “my iguana is aggressive, he wasn’t like this before” most of the time it is an iguana that switched from flight to fight mode. So what you are seeing is defensive behavior not aggression, this is a good thing as the defensive behavior is easier to work with. This is their “teenage” phase and it often doesn’t last long. Once the defensive behavior lessens, then you have an iguana you can really start to handle freely and interact with in a positive way. Owning an iguana that fully trusts you is an amazing feeling, however, there can be some individuals that, no matter the amount of work you put in with them, will never fully be trusting. It does happen that the iguana just won’t enjoy being handled or picked up, which is common. Then there is the diamond in the rough iguana, one that seeks out attention and enjoys being cuddled, following their owners around and falling asleep on them. Although it is not the norm for an iguana to behave this way there are a few that end up like this. When purchasing a baby iguana, their personalities and behaviors change so much as they age and mature, especially in the males, one day you can have a friendly male and the next day he has turned into a charging, biting, and angry dude!

"Once the defensive behavior lessens, then you have an iguana you can really start to handle freely and interact with in a positive way."

Another important fact to consider prior to purchasing an iguana, is your access to fresh produce year round. Green Iguanas should be fed an herbivore diet. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as thawing out a rat from your freezer once a week, iguanas need fresh salads daily which can be pricey and time consuming. So, along with a long and tough trust building process and the potential for aggression, housing an iguana can be expensive and take up a lot of space. When it comes to housing reptiles, there are lots of enclosures to choose from. Typically, you would head to the pet store, pick up a new tank that’s ready to go, put it in your car and head home. For iguanas it’s just not that simple. Iguanas being arboreal means they need height to be able to climb and standard tanks just don’t provide the right environment. Now you can probably find a large screen enclosure to put together for a baby iguana that will work for a while but iguanas need higher humidity so a screen enclosure is extremely difficult to maintain on that front. Your best bet for an iguana enclosure is a custom built or DIY enclosure. Some people have even dedicated an entire room or a large closet to their iguana! The biggest pointer I can give anyone looking to build a large iguana enclosure is to make sure the space is usable. A commonly made mistake is people will build a large enclosure such as 4x4x6 and put a few flat shelves around the outside. If there are no branches through the center the iguana can’t use or access all that space, a large enclosure is only good if the space is usable by the animal. The enclosures layout plays an important role in keeping your iguana healthy and active. They are built to climb and need to utilize their muscles to stay strong, if you fill their space with flat shelves and easy climb ramps the iguana can become

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weak and out of shape. It is extremely important for females as they need to be in great shape when it comes time to lay their eggs to make sure they have the strength to get through the process. To summarize, iguanas are a tough species to keep successfully. Each gender has its pros and cons, they require a large enclosure and can be difficult to work with. For the right owner, they can be amazing companions and definitely a conversation starter with friends and family but they are not for everyone. If you have the passion for the species, the drive to put the work and money into keeping them happy and healthy, there are many iguanas out there looking for a good home.

Industry Spotlight:

Myke Clarkson 29

Herpetoculturemagazine.com

Photo >> Luke Basulto

Globe-trotting producer, Myke Clarkson, may look familiar. He's the host of Zilla's Behind the Glass series on Youtube and he's done plenty of work for major TV networks. We chat with him this month to hear about his time spent traveling the globe! HM: To start, can you tell us who you are, what you do, and a brief background of your time with herps? MC: Like many, my fascination with herps started at a very young age. I grew up in the Mojave Desert, and there was a lot of wildlife just naturally occuring in my backyard so chasing lizards and snakes was just natural to the area. I do recall at 6 years old playing in a pee-wee soccer game and it was my turn to be the goalie. Instead of defending my position, I noticed a large coachwhip in the distance. I ran off to catch the snake and the other team scored, so I was never again allowed to be goalie. My mom said it was a chore to get me to want to read in elementary school, but I couldn’t get enough of the herp books, so she’d take me weekly to the library to rent the same few books over and over again, including the usual suspects like the Audubon Reptile and Amphibian Field Guide, wright and wright, and a few of the kids books on King Cobras and YellowBellied Sea Snakes. Seeing the fascination encouraged me to learn they really supported me taking an interest in herps, and well the rest is history I guess. Today I am a Natural History filmmaker and television producer, having filmed, produced, and created programming for National Geographic, the Discovery Channel, Netflix and Animal Planet to name a few. In 2018, I founded Pelamis Productions which does a variety of production work including two seasons of Beyond The Glass for Zilla Pet Products. Outside of work, I am an active board member with the International Herpetological Symposium, the longest running non-profit reptile and amphibian symposium in the United States, co-founder and President of Herpetological Conservation International, occasional author, occasional herpetology contributor. I’m grateful to those who partner with me in said dabblings because, to be blunt, I feel vastly under qualified, but I’ve surrounded myself with good people to help keep that ball

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moving forward. Most recently I published an observation in the journal Biawak on Varanus salvator behavior observed while filming Dead By Dawn, and on that one Robert Mendyk was a huge help. I have four other publications in the works ranging from some hefty taxonomic work to general observations, and again, absolutely zero of those would be possible if it were not for the folks I am working with on them. I am also dabbling in some writing right now, with my current book contributions being a massive work on aquatic snakes with John Murphy. John is an aquatic snake legend, so it’s a pretty big honor for a wet snake nerd such as myself to have any part in it. When I am not doing any or all of that at the same time, I love field herping around the world. On that note, I have a snake hook line with GetHooked hopefully coming out soon, inspired by my personal preferences for a luggage sized hook. I also maintain a small menagerie of oddball herps (with aquatic species being my specialty), and enjoy visiting my 30 acres in Costa Rica where I hope to someday develop a sustainable eco-lodge catering to naturalists of all sorts.

"I had originally planned to pursue academia as a career and through a random string of events found myself in TV instead. TV paid well, but that longing to do something impactful in the conservation space was still there."

HM: What is Herpetological Conservation International and how did you get involved? MC: Herpetological Conservation International is probably best described as a grass roots reptile and amphibian conservation effort, which is at the moment fueled entirely by the herp community. I had originally planned to pursue academia as a career and through a random string of events found myself in TV instead. TV paid well, but that longing to do something impactful in the conservation space was still there. And I wasn’t alone, my friends Chip, Bruce and Devon, and wife Rebecca all shared similar aspirations. It was something we’d all talked about off and on, but never pulled the trigger on. Then about 6 years ago, Devon Massyn and myself were in South Africa looking for Midlands Dwarf Chameleon (Bradypodion thamnobates) off of the famous Nottingham road. Being there first hand changed everything, it was remarkable how small their range was. Species like this are so vulnerable and fragile, and the major NGOs usually target more charismatic animals like Pandas and other furry things. There was an obvious gap that could use a bit more attention. That's not to say there aren’t other great organizations with similar ambitions, but honestly there needs to be more. That too has been a lot of our outlook-- we see other groups doing similar work as partners in a common goal, not competition. So with that chameleon trip inspiring us we hit up the team up, put our own money together to get the 501c3, and founded HCI. One of our core principles we have never backed down on, is that not a dollar of the funds we get go into any of our pockets what-so-ever, and we’ve all individually donated funds to the organization when stuff needed to happen, because this isn’t a business to us, it’s a genuine grass roots effort as I said. Michael Dee was our first team addition, his experience in the NGO and animal world was a huge asset-- he was our sage wisdom. Sadly Mr. Dee has since passed away from cancer. The Michael Dee Grant is named in his honor.

HM: What is the process behind choosing a species or particular focus project with HCI?

MC: It’s complex, but in short we look for animals in critical need that, with our limited funding and resources, we can greatly impact. There’s a lot of research and dead ends to tell you the truth. Sometimes it’s things we brainstorm internally, sometimes, like our partnership with The Gerry Martin Project in India, it’s stuff brought to us. Other times it’s like our upcoming chytrid awareness project, where a light bulb goes off and you run to the group, idea in hand. Right now we have 4 projects in various stages of pre-announcement, and one thing we’ve learned the hard way is you really need to iron every glitch out before setting

your hopes too high, there are so many hurdles you’d never expect doing this sort of thing. Of those four, two are pretty big, but I can’t say anything yet until it’s fully lined up.

HM: What is HCI currently focusing on? MC: We just announced our Michael Dee Grant winners, so now that the grant process is complete for this year there are two big pushes for early 2021. The chytrid project I mentioned earlier is a big one for us this year, and we are also very excited about a very important research project we are funding for a critically endangered snake species. That project we are hoping to see blossom into a full fund dedicated to the topic. We also haven’t let up on the Bradypodion conservation efforts we sort of launched with, though we’ve certainly become wiser about our methods forward. Again, too soon to announce anything there but hopefully that continues to move in a direction where we can 32 announce something soon.

HM: You’ve done two seasons of Zilla’s Beyond the Glass but it sounds like COVID put a halt to season three. Are there plans to get that started back up in 2021?

MC: I wish I could say there will be a season three, but unfortunately that aspiration became a casualty of COVID. We received over 2.25 million views on facebook over just 24 episodes, so I am happy with the reception, but it would have been fun to make more. Who knows, maybe the opportunity will arise again, but in the meantime there are no immediate plans to revive it unless someone comes forward to back it. In which case, I’d saddle right up and make some time to see season 3 through. We had Seasons 3-5 planned out, but as they say sometimes the best laid plans catch a nasty virus... or something like that, I am bad at phrases.

HM: What was your personal favorite out of the episodes and Puff Faced Water Snakes (Homalopsis buctatta). As for the dry guys in the two seasons? I still maintain some African File snakes (Mehelya/Limaformosa) and a couple old odds and ends I never had the heart to part with, like my MC: Tough one. I love the season finale of Season 1, childhood ball python I got as a christmas present when I was 7. because we snuck a lot of good conservation in there. Season 2 probably had some of my favorite animals, the File Snake was a big one for me, the second species I’ve ever seen in the wild and I love those guys. But it is hard to pick, because each really had moments I enjoyed. That show was really a passion project, and what mattered most was people really taking a different look at their “collections” and hopefully maybe considering ways they could enhance their own care. Hopefully it was inspiring- that’s what was important to me about it.

HM: Where would you like to go for one of these episodes and which species would you be looking for?

MC: Well, if it were up to me we’d look for stuff no one

The fully aquatic snakes are by far my favorite. While they are challenging, they allow for multi-species beneficial interactions unlike anything you get on land. So I house 13 different species of crabs, 3 species of shrimp, 3 species of snails, 1 species of freshwater prawn and various non-food fish with them. Each has a role to play in the mini-ecosystem, from sifting sand, to cleaning algae, to keeping snails in check, to eating detritus to even trimming the countless species of live plants I keep with them. Ok the vampire crabs don’t serve much purpose, but they are rad, so there is that. All that said, I can’t emphasize enough how despite what you read in a classified ad, none of the aquatic snakes are at all a cake walk, and you better be ready to have a massive aquarium with lots of needs and high upkeep cost. But... done properly they are my favorite and I’ve been working with them since 2004 so luckily at this point I don’t suck at it anymore.

keeps, but I also have to remember the audience. If it were just for fun, I’d love to find Elephant Trunk Snakes in the wild. They are not a species many keep well, so the double edged sword is I don’t really love the idea of promoting an animal people will likely not do justice too, HM: Lastly, how can people get involved with HCI or any of the other organizations or projects you’re working on? but I mean if we are talking about the adventure, I love the aquatic snake hunts. MC: In terms of my professional work, I can’t tell you how many people HM: You travel a lot but still have a private collection of say they’ll carry my luggage or something to join me on a film shoot, but unfortunately that’s not how it works. So before I get flooded with herps, what species are you keeping? messages for that-- I don’t actually have the option to bring folks along for the ride. For HCI, we could always use a hand or two. It’s not always MC: I don’t keep a ton these days due the fact I am on the road often on short to no notice, but I still dabble in the grand trekking through the jungle adventure people imagine, but if you really want to help, we usually find a way to put folks to work. To aquatic snakes, maintaining two locales of Marine File Snake (Acrochodus granulatus), the world’s only know T- streamline that we’ve added a volunteer button on the page. The link is: 34 https://herpconservation.com/volunteer.html albino Elephant Trunk Snake (Acrochordus javanicus),

Specialty Enclosure Designs Built for our passion...

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In The Incubator...

- Tricolor Hognoses - Skin Color Survival - Making the most of food

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