HM Issue #20 - June 2021

Herpetoculturemagazine.com

erpetoculture agazine Issue #20 - June 2021

Tips and Tricks For Feeding Chondro Neonates!

ATTyaPlkarwkith

Alan Stevens of Origin Reptiles

HM Community Poll: New World VS Old World!

A new way to catch Crocs communication In Lizards

Palmetto Coast Exotics

Captive bred colubrids and pythons Facebook.com/palmettocoastherps

-- On the Cover -LD50 Photography 2

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This Issue...

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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.

Twentieth Edition www.herpetoculturemagazine.com Herpetoculture Magazine

Contributors Justin Smith - Publisher -

Billy Hunt - Publisher -

Paul Donovan - Contributor -

Alan Stevens - Contributor -

Harmony Tenney - Contributor -

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Phil Wolf - Executive Contributor -

Nipper Read - Executive Contributor -

David Brahms - Contributor -

Casey Cannon - Contributor -

Dan Colgan - Contributor -

Allen Newberry - Contributor -

From The Publishers’ Desk Welcome to Issue #20! As the world begins to see itself slowly return back to normal, the hobby is going to inevitably head that way too. The pandemic has shown us how resilient our hobby is and how we can adapt to any situation. From the virtual shows we had, to in person shows with restrictions, and everything in between. Youtube has had a ton of new creators bring us more quality content during this time. More and more podcasts have started popping up. Now is a great time in herpetoculture, the sheer amount of information out there for us, as hobbyists, to have access to is overwhelming. As we continue to grow, our voices must be heard as well. With the good always comes the bad. An alarming amount of legislation in many different states continues to pop up. We have to stand together if we want to continue this trend of growing herpetoculture to a size never dreamed of before. As always, thank you guys for the support.

Smitty and I do this for you guys. Now enjoy issue #20!

Justin Smith & Billy Hunt -Publishers-

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New World or Old World or the best of both? Why? “South and and Central America have some killer snakes but old world has chondros and Boiga so that gets my vote.” - Brian Whitaker “Neither is better or worse. To choose only one is to miss out on very cool species.” - David Kelley “I like both worlds! From the New World I got subocs, and from the Old World Rhamphiophis, Malpolon, and Scaphiophis.” - Nicole Tam "Cannot get cooler than rubber boas.

But I still love my kukri and Calabar and Rhamphiophis. And I would like to try slug-eaters." - Dr. Travis Wyman

"New world to support my completely arbitrary confinement to working with only Western Hemisphere species. Gotta impose some limits somehow." - Roy Arthur Blodgett

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Success In Feeding Neonate

Chondros

by David Brahms

S

o you have recently purchased your first baby Green Tree Python and are having a difficult time getting the new acquisition to eat. This is not too uncommon, and the intent of this write-up is to guide/help new keepers in a direction that will make them and the animals happy for years and even decades after the purchase. Most of the info in this article is an accumulation/ conglomeration of tactics and tools shared across numerous forums and social media outlets, assembled here for easy reference.

It is not meant for me to lay claim to any of this info but rather share things that have actually worked for myself and many others.

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Typically, the most troublesome purchases were done at a reptile show or a pet store. 99% of the time the animals being offered in these places are freshly imported babies. Sometimes they were bred and hatched at a farm in Indonesia, but they could also have been taken from the wild. Their prices are low for a reason as it is likely nobody has put the time into getting them properly established. While these animals look like a great deal because of the lower prices (compared to true United States captive bred and born babies) they do come with hidden costs that you may or may not be prepared for. Sometimes these reptile-show GTP’s can be plug and play but often you will struggle getting them going. Hopefully this article will help you avoid common mistakes and expose you to bits of information that experienced GTP keepers have been deploying successfully for years and even decades.

Best case scenario, and most recommended to start off with a good fighting chance, is to purchase a well-established baby from a reputable breeder, or from someone who works with imports and actually gets them established before selling. To further define “established” the neonate GTP should have been feeding for the breeder without hesitation over numerous meals. How many feedings you ask? Well….it is good practice to get between 15 to 20 meals in the neonate without issue before selling. If this neonate is being sold to an inexperienced keeper it should be taking food aggressively using sight and smell. Meaning all the animal needs is to see and smell the prey before they grab and eat it.

Some animals take longer to achieve this aggressive feeding response and will require tapping of their tail and/or the side of the neck to elicit a strike and grab. These animals can be very frustrating to new keepers who have not yet developed the subtle techniques to get these animals to eat readily. There is a learned skill here and it is very difficult to describe in words. It is honed in when you have produced your first few clutches and have to get a whole clutch feeding. If this is your first animal and you have never dealt with this before you should be asking the breeder to make sure the one you want is eating by sight and smell and not by teasing.

"The breeder raised this animal from the ground up and actually had it feeding aggressively before selling it to you. Therefore, this person knows exactly what it took to get this animal established and is the BEST resource for help."

Before the new animal arrives, you should have your husbandry parameters on point! It is good practice to mimic the breeder’s husbandry as closely as possible to allow the new animal to feel as comfortable as possible when it arrives at your home. If they kept it in a rack and 6 qt tub before sending it to you, you should try and do the exact same thing when it arrives at your house. Mimic the temps they were using, mimic the watering/spraying schedule, mimic the time of day the breeder was feeding, mimic as much as you can! This won’t be a guarantee of a successful transition but it will only help by eliminating potential problems right at the start.

It is not uncommon for babies to revert back a little during the shipping process even when you get them from a very reputable breeder. Meaning they can go from aggressive sight/smell feeding to needing a little teasing. If you are struggling with a little tease feeding you should feel comfortable communicating with the breeder and they should be willing to help you with developing some technique.

You should always communicate with the breeder first before going out onto Facebook or other social media asking for help and advice.

Social media is full of people whose intentions are good and want to help but often have zero experience actually dealing with tricky feeders. The breeder raised this animal from the ground up and actually had it feeding aggressively before selling it to you. Therefore, this person knows exactly what it took to get this animal established and is the BEST resource for help.

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It is important for breeders to provide after sale service for people who purchase their animals. If the new keeper is having issues they should be able to communicate with the breeder to help them get on track again. The breeder is the best person equipped to teach them the subtle teasing and scenting techniques used to get the animal established in the beginning. It is also not uncommon for breeders to offer to take the animal back to get them established again if the new keeper just doesn’t have the needed skills. Through good communication you may find that the new keeper is just not ready to take on a baby GTP and a refund could be issued. These are things that should be talked about up front before the animal is shipped so both parties do not get aggravated by the process. The more things agreed upon early in the transaction, the less surprises can pop up.

Ok….so you didn’t buy a baby GTP from a good, reputable breeder as described above. Now what? Hopefully you did lots of research in advance and have everything set up using tried and true methods. Your goal is to get this animal comfortable, eating, and drinking on a regular schedule. Your goal at this point should not be to set up the animal in a bio-active or naturalistic enclosure.

Doing so might seem like the best thing for the baby to feel comfortable but in reality it creates a scenario where things can get out of control very rapidly. When dealing with baby green tree pythons you will have a very narrow margin for error and if your husbandry slips the end result will be an animal that is stressed and will struggle to become well established for you. You want to keep things simple. Meaning keep the baby enclosure as simple and manageable as possible while it becomes well established for you. What has proven to work for decades is the following: - Use a 6 qt shoebox tub, a perch, deli cup for water, and you can use paper towel for substrate or bare bottom. This is recommended for young animals for several reasons. Generally, baby green tree pythons will act like they are more secure in a small enclosure vs a large setup. But more importantly the size of the water dish in relation to the enclosure will be large. This will help ensure that they will access the water when they cruise at night, and the high surface area will facilitate evaporation and keep the shoebox humid.

- Ideally this enclosure will be in a regular snake rack where temps and humidity can be easily controlled or if you have a heated room that will work as well.

- The location of the enclosure should be in a quiet and stable part of the home. You want to reduce foot traffic passing by the enclosure, and also keep nosy pets like cats from pestering the new acquisition.

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- I prefer to keep all of my neonates at 82-83F. Mine are kept in ambient room heat without a temperature gradient. But if you are using a rack setup and do not use ambient heat you will still want to target that temp range.

- Provide fresh, cool water as often as possible. Daily, or every couple days is good. Obviously change the water whenever it is soiled. Proper hydration is critical with baby GTP’s and you should give extra attention to this daily. Do not keep the water dish over or directly under the heat source. They are attracted to cool fresh water and having it heated up by your heat source will be the opposite of what they will be looking for.

- Clean the enclosure whenever it is soiled by the animal.

Baby GTP’s will defecate often and you will need to clean the enclosure and perches accordingly.

- Don’t mess with the animal. Meaning don’t hold it, caress it, show it off to friends, continuously take pictures for social media, etc. This is a delicate animal that is easily stressed because at this stage it is food for pretty much everything else in the forest. Remember your goal at this point is to get this baby established and healthy, not to show off to people, or hold it for your enjoyment.

- Don’t try to circumvent what has been described above. Seriously.

This is a ticket for increased chances of success. If it isn’t broken don’t try to fix it. Particularly if you are coming from zero experience with this specific species.

Now that you have the baby GTP properly set up and settled in you are going to see if you can get it feeding. There are no methods that are 100% effective. Just like people, baby GTP’s can have different personalities and characteristics. Some will be aggressive hunters and strike at anything that moves in front of their face, others will be shy, others will be scared and run. Because this is the way things are you might need to experiment before you find a combination that works for you and the new acquisition.

Below is a list of techniques and methods that have proven successful for many: - First you must have patience…..patience….patience! Be persistent in your attempts but also recognize that sometimes you need to walk away and try again later that day or the next day.

- Second, and actually more important, is stability. Having a stable environment at the start will help you when trying to get animals to feed. If an animal is stressed it will most likely not be interested in eating. Setting up as described previously will help in this department.

Switching things up will often get the baby GTP to get excited and strike. Sometimes you will need to walk away and try again after 10 minutes or an hour have passed. Just make sure you rewarm the prey before offering again.

- Have the prey item warmed up before presenting it to the GTP. If it is cold the GTP may not be interested. Keeping in warm water is a good way to keep the pinkies ready for feeding attempts.

- After tapping, try moving the prey in front of the nose of the baby GTP with jerky quick movements. Sometimes this will elicit a strike as well.

- Use a good pair of long tweezers or tongs to offer the prey. You want the baby GTP to focus on the prey and not your warm fingers.

You also want to use something that allows you to instantly release the prey once the baby GTP grabs it.

- Try scenting the prey with day-old-chick down. This scenting method is the most successful (again, not a guarantee) and used by many breeders to get babies to accept their first meals. Simply pluck some down from the chick and apply to the head/nose of the pinky and present it to the baby GTP as described above. A little water on the head/nose of the prey will cause the down to stick. There are other things people have used to scent prey but the chick down is hands down the most successful. I’ve never heard anyone be successful using tuna juice, “braining” the pinky, lizard scent, frog scent, etc. For whatever reason, chick down works better than most everything else.

- Present the prey with the nose facing the snake. Holding the prey up by the shoulders or mid body works well vs. holding the rump and having it flop around.

- Use the smallest prey you have to start. Sometimes the baby GTP will strike, wrap and drop the prey item if it feels too heavy and bulky for them. Sometimes you can offer a second pinky to the snake while it is still holding the first pinky in its coils but has lost interest in eating it.

- If the GTP doesn’t take the prey immediately after being presented, try tapping the tail of the baby GTP with the prey. Also try tapping the neck of the baby GTP about ½” to an inch behind the head. You may need to do this several times before the GTP strikes and holds.

Rotate around….tap the tail…then tap the neck…and tail again.

- Try offering food at different times of the day. Sometimes feeding in the morning may prove to be successful vs. only trying when the lights have been out for a while. Baby GTP’s have been observed to live in areas of broken canopy in the forest feeding on diurnal lizards. So daytime feeding is not necessarily unnatural for them.

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- Once the snake has grabbed the prey and wrapped it in its coils you will want to move away without alarming the baby GTP and leave it alone. Sometimes the baby GTP will take what seems like forever before it actually eats the pinky. It is a good idea to close the enclosure as soon as the snake has grabbed the prey and walk away and out of the room until it has had a chance to eat in peace. Sometimes they can get distracted by unnecessary movement in the room and forget that they were about to eat something.

So at this point you have done everything by the book as outlined above and the baby GTP will not eat. Here are a few last things you can do to try to get it going: - If you know someone who has lots of experience with tricky baby GTP feeders you can ask if they would be willing to take it into their care for you, or come over and teach you some methods. This is a lot to ask of someone and should only be done with people who would be willing to help. Meaning don’t go asking random people online, ideally this should be a friend.

- Sometimes the ordeal of being shipped or even traveling in a car for a while will cause a switch to be flipped in the baby GTP and they will start eating. There are numerous experienced breeders who have shipped troubled babies to friends and that baby would begin feeding at the new destination immediately.

- If you do not have access to help and you tried everything above and the animal has not eaten for weeks you can assist feed. This is not the same as force feeding. Instead of shoving food down a snake’s throat, you will insert the food item to the back of the mouth. Baby GTP’s will often bite down on these things and get their teeth lodged in them.

They will try to spit them out but because they cannot eject the food item they will just eat it on their own.

- Sometimes using a pinky head will work if the animal you are working with likes to strike but not hold onto the prey.

Take a frozen pinky and remove the head with a razor blade and then thaw it. A pinky head will often get lodged in the back of the mouth when the animal strikes and they will not be able to spit it out. They will just inevitably give up and just eat it.

- There are two other things to use in assist feeding that are relatively easy to give baby GTP’s to help get their digestive system in gear. A section of frozen/thawed mouse tail that is ½” to 1” in length cut near the rump of the mouse is easy to insert into the back of the baby GTP mouth.

This will require you to gently hold the baby GTP and restrain it long enough to insert the food item to the back of the mouth. The mouse tail will have hairs all pointing in one direction and this can help keep the baby GTP from spitting it out. They will struggle and try to eject the tail but will eventually just swallow it.

You can do this to keep the baby GTP from withering away while you attempt to feed again in the future. You can also cut a hind leg off an adult mouse at the hip (pre-killed of course), remove the skin/fur and again push it to the back of the snake’s mouth. This is something venomous keepers have done for a long time with their troublesome captives with great success. The leg/thigh muscle with adult bone provides more nourishment than what a mouse tail could offer. These are easier for the baby snakes to eject but because they have more nutritional value it is a great alternative. You may need to do this once a week for a while. Oftentimes the baby GTP will “switch-on” after doing this for a while and start eating on their own.

As you can see there are no silver bullets or 100% successful methods for you to employ. However, there are many things you can do to increase your chances of success and hopefully this article was able to expose you to them.

Good luck!

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Taking Out

e m So he t f o os With Peter a Prodromou’s h C Croc Muzzle h t i Bag©, Captive w s Crocs Now Have c o r C Less Stress from Transfer and Medical Exams.

By Harmony Tenney

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Insight graces many of us at least once in our lives. Sometimes it comes with enough energy to manifest into the world sometimes it is so fleeting there is no memory at all of its subject, just a feeling of “I had it.”

Peter Prodromou had that flash as a teen. He nurtured it, brought it into the world and improved upon it. Today, his innovation has the power to change the stressload from human-animal interactions of several species – number one being crocodiles. The Croc Muzzle Bag© is about to take the reptile world by storm. It minimizes stress and danger to both croc and keepers. The croc’s head doesn’t get as damaged as with current capture methods, it can be used in any water clarity or turbidity level, and to this day, not one of the crocs has rolled during its use.

20 years, 5 continents and 11 croc species have contributed to Prodromou’s current prototype. He’s trained many to use the device, including keepers at Uganda Wildlife Center and the Madras India Croc Bank.

The Beginning As a boy, Prodromou was interested in his natural environment while living at Islington, England. There were 3 species of newts and many other creatures that captivated his imagination. In secondary school, around age 11, he bought a ribbon snake. As he grew a bit older, his interest was drawn to the local Natural History Museum’s collections, especially large mammals like the Blue Whale and the long-tusked Elephants. And he got to learn about Australia’s marsupials from a TV Show called Zoo Quest.

Peter loved the “prehistoric” reptiles available from his local pet shop. The owner of the shop, Lesli Fuller, had a large variety of exotic species, like cobras and leaf-tailed geckos.

She, along with other reptile enthusiasts, taught him how to handle and properly care for these exotic creatures. Peter was soon teaching zookeepers, children and exotic pet owners about handling, husbandry, components of suitable enclosures and how to build for the animal’s health and longevity.

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The Muzzle Bag’s Beginning & Adolescence Because Prodromou had kept alligators, and caught them for keeping, he saw the reptiles, their fear, their injuries, and their handlers’ concerns of working with a wild animal. The accepted handling practice involves using a ‘top jaw rope,’ also known as noosing. It requires attaching a rope noose to the upper jaw or around the neck for either entangling the jaws shut or manipulating the animal to a certain direction for it to be pinned down. Prodromou began to wonder, could there be another way?

For ten years, he worked to make the Croc Muzzle Bag© work better, to work out some bugs, and to make it work so that keepers don’t ever have to physically touch the crocs during capture and release: they can be tracked, restrained, removed from their current body of water, and re-situated/rehomed. This also means the croc’s head doesn’t get as damaged, and it can be calmer – its jaws, eyes and ears are covered, mitigating several sensory stimuli.

Originally, the Croc Muzzle Bag© only covered the croc’s face.

Now, Prodromou works with a whole animal version. Size of animal, depth of water, even type of enclosure have all proven successful scenarios for using the Croc Muzzle Bag©.

Peter & the Croc Muzzle Bag in action

The Croc Muzzle Bag Rounds the Globe Prodromou is quick to point out that this innovation only came to its current specifications with immense input from friends, professionals and experts around the world, over decades.

During his time in India, Prodromou was impressed by the senior experts in venomous snake programs, especially their gentle approach to the reptiles. These same experts are currently working to formulate an anti-venom effective for the biochemically diverse venoms across India’s geography.

Prodromou also worked closely with James Musinguzis, Director of the Uganda Wildlife Education Center, and African zoo associations, to scientifically test his Croc Muzzle Bag©. His bag does not cause damage to crocodiles’ bodies nor their jaws. One test was carried out on a very powerful Nile Crocodile. The Croc Muzzle Bag© was tested in a very challenging environment, but the team succeeded and worked together to figure out how this equipment is best used in their setting.

The Croc Muzzle Bag© is easy to use and customize. Each is made from waterproof fabric, tangle-free, washable, and works in both terrestrial and aquatic enclosures. The size of the bags varies, windows can be added for full visibility, and the bag can have a lockable bottom release so the animal does not have to be turned around when the keepers are finished with their medical, cleaning or rehoming work.

The Snake Bag Pro Snake Bag Pro© came about when someone asked Prodromou if the Croc Muzzle Bag© could be used on snakes. The flexible design was adapted, and now many snakes and their keepers are living calmer lives.

Adaptations for Snake Bag Pro© include an elbow for holding an iPhone to videotape the interactions, a mount for a torch for darker areas of enclosures, a telescoping handle, breathable areas at bottom and / or sides, a quick-release option and windows.

The Snake Bag Pro© differs from the current general model of snake bags, in that it is stronger, is waterproof, has sturdy, varied frame options, and because it has a locking feature, it does not require a keeper's hand nor body anywhere near the snake, making envenomation even less likely.

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Foundation for a Bright Future Honoring herpetology’s scientific basis, research projects have begun, more are being proposed, and some approved. Bangor University Zoology student, James Szewczyk, came across Podromou’s croc focus on Facebook. He began studying herpetology four years ago, when he was 16 years old. He volunteered for 2 years through the Sparsholt college in their reptile section, working alongside critically endangered animals. Crocodiles have been his burning passion.

Szewczyk proposed to compare the Croc Muzzle Bag© to the common capture practice mimicked globally, the ‘top jaw rope’ (noosing). The act requires attaching a rope noose to the upper jaw or around the neck for either entangling the jaws shut or manipulating the animal a curtain direction for it to be pinned down. This has been the common method of capture in captivity where training hasn’t been possible.

The project will require capture of the same individual twice, on different occasions, once via noosing and using the croc muzzle bag. The test will only be carried out when the crocodiles are required to be captured regardless of the categories of data will be gathered as a tally of behaviors seen per capture; length of time the process is carried out; immediate heart rate and recorded every ten minutes, along with its size measurements of head, circumference of jaw and length from front to the cloaca. If a new capture device is shown to have lower overall values in the three categories, it might cause a complete shift of technique in facilities globally, supporting the changing of the 48 years old capture practice.

Prodromou also readily shares that Croc Muzzle Bag© is a non-profit endeavor, and that its design and utility are made for both croc and keeper to have smoother interactions. It's simply more efficient and safer than the current top-jaw noose method, according to the many users to date. This means that there is not currently a manufacturer nor a distributor.

You can experience more of the Croc Muzzle Bag© via Prodromou’s Facebook and YouTube videos.

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Specializing in Morelia & Old World Ratsnakes.

uwabamireptiles.com @uwabamireptiles

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Monitors & More

Alan

With

Stevens of Origins Reptile

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One of the latest shows to join the Morelia Python Radio Network is The Monitor Keeping Podcast which is hosted by Alan Stevens and Khai Phan. Alan Stevens is the industry spotlight for this issue to talk about the new show, balancing a diverse collection, and more!

HM: What made you start Origins Reptile and how many species are you keeping/breeding at this point?

AS: I’ve always loved reptiles and have been keeping different snakes and lizards since elementary school. I had stepped away from keeping reptiles for approximately twelve years when I decided to introduce my kids to a trio of Ackies for my son’s fifth birthday in June 2018. A few months later I found myself with seven bredli and some Asian rat snakes.

I had also begun listening to reptile podcasts, looking at social media pages, and figuring out how the hobby had changed since I’d been away. Eight months later, after our first clutch of Ackies were laid, I realized that I really wanted to work with reptiles again in a breeding capacity. A friend suggested coming up with a name and to begin posting about my animals on a regular basis. It was truly great advice thinking back, but I needed a name as I wanted to keep my personal life and reptile life separate.

I found myself with not only a new starting point with reptiles, but also newly engaged and a new position and location in my career.

With all the new beginnings the word origins came to mind and since my interests were all across the reptile world it was easy to put the two together as Origins Reptile.

HM: You’re known for your monitors but you also have a nice collection of Morelia. Do you find it hard to balance the focus between the different groups in your collection?

AS: There are quite a few challenges I’ve had to adapt to as the collection has grown such as moving them into a warehouse, cage space, and ambient temps. I had to accept there would be no 2021 baby snakes as I wasn’t able to provide different temperature zones to cool colubrids or bredli as I needed to keep ambients up for gravid monitors. Many animals still need another year of growth, as it stands, so I’m looking forward to 2022. In the meantime, I’ve been working on baby snake racks, other caging, and infrastructure to make my life easier. I have another space now for cooling which should prove beneficial for next year. A few outliers such as geckos and green tree pythons remain at the house where I can provide a more stable range of ambient temps and humidity.

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HM: What do you think is the most underrated monitor species in the US hobby currently?

AS: The more I learn and observe the intelligence and behaviors of monitors as a whole I’ve come to realize they are all wonderful. Some we have figured out to a degree and others are still missing some pieces to the puzzle to successfully reproduce them in captivity regularly. One of those misunderstood monitors is the common Nile and closely related Ornate monitor(s). It amazes me that for $50 or less anyone can purchase one because of the sheer potential they possess. They reach a large size, are capable of stunning colors and patterns, but have yet to be commonly reproduced. I know that’s largely because of the sheer amount that are imported each year and the reputation of being a cheap animal. The other side of the coin is it isn’t a worthwhile venture for possible breeders because you are competing with thousands of inexpensive readily available babies. I really do feel they are immensely underrated and can rival some of the nicest Asian and Australian large monitors.

HM: Which species do you see taking off more in popularity in the coming years?

AS: Ackies! They are already well known to monitor enthusiasts but I think a crossover in exposure to different types of reptiles outside of the norms has already begun. With all the different platforms, podcasts, and available channels more people will become aware and familiar with dwarf monitors. Ackies are the most readily available of the odatria and have so much to offer. They are a manageable size, come in shades of vibrant yellows, oranges, and reds, are moderately priced, and are sturdy durable captives.

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HM: Do you think the smaller Varanids will become more commonly kept compared to the larger species that have become hobby staples?

AS: There will always be people, myself included, that want to keep a large impressive animal similar to the burm and retic keepers out there in the snake world. That being said, I would guess the smaller less readily available monitors like gilleni, glauerti, and tristis will piggyback on the growing popularity in monitors as a whole and definitely be in more collections soon.

HM: Are there any monitor species you would like to try your hand at eventually? Are there any that you want that aren’t in the U.S.?

AS: Oh this is difficult because I want to work with them all!

I am fortunate enough to have put together groups of three known dwarf monitors species from Indonesia and it is my goal to help really get them established for the hobby as they aren’t being imported as they once were. Spenceri are on my list. They

are rarely available so I may need to be patient for a few years.

Doreanus have been in my mind as of late but that is probably a road full of heartbreak and a lot of work. I’m not sure I’m ready for that yet. Finally on the dream list! I want to work with olivaceus hands down. They have a special place in my heart and would be a species I could easily commit a great part of my reptile keeping future to if ever there is a chance.

HM: How has it been being part of the Morelia Python Radio Network crew with the Monitor Keeping Podcast?

AS: We, Khai and I, are so thankful to be working with the MPR crew! There are so many unknowns when starting a podcast so to have the kind of experience and guidance a person like Eric Burke can provide is invaluable. We are still very new and probably in the “Honeymoon” phase but it really is a great honor to not only be a part of the MPR network but to be able to share and hopefully put out useful information about the family of reptiles I love the most.

f O n a M The d n a l a n a Igu ATTyaPlkarwkith

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e th t a th ow sh to t n a w e "W t n ta or p im n a e r a s le ti rep to o ls a t u b , e r tu a n of t r a p humanity."”

I

n mid-April 2021, I was driving down a country road in Punta Gorda, Florida. I had been invited to have an early look of what, I believe, will be a premier destination for all reptile lovers. Set to open late 2021, Ty Park’s ‘Iguana Land’ is a private reptile zoo that will house some of the rarest and most endangered lizards and chelonians in the world. The park will have a focus on the Rock Iguana (genus Cyclura), Spiny Tailed Iguana (genus Ctenosaura) and will have the most diverse collection of tortoise and turtle species of any zoo in the world. The zoo will also have a collection of non-venomous snakes, rare monitor lizards (genus Varanus), species and color morphs of Iguana, and Agamid lizards.

I was fortunate enough to be able to talk to Ty Park for a few hours about his vision and plans for the facility. Mr. Park has been a keeper, breeder and conservationist of Iguanid lizards, especially those in the Cyclura genus, for decades and has been working hard to turn his farm into a place the public can tour.

“Number one is to educate the general public” Mr. Park said about the goal of the facility “We are trying to fight the deep seeded hate [the public] has for reptiles”. “We want to show that the reptiles are an important part of nature, but also to humanity.”

As we walked along the paths of the new facility, passing by walls covered in hand painted murals and realistic rock formations that were being built I could literally see the vision taking shape.

Attached to the outer wall of the giftshop are three large, well planted enclosures with both indoor and outdoor components.

I asked Mr. Park about the plan for these enclosures he told me the first would house a pair of Crocodile Monitors (Varanus salvadorii), the second included a large pool for an adult female Green Anaconda (Eunectes murinus), and the third would be for Philippine Water Monitors (Varanus cumingi).

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Inside the gift shop we stopped at a large indoor enclosure housing subadult Anegada Ground Iguana (Cyclura pinguis). This iguana project is one of the crown jewels of ‘Iguana Land’. “We are going to breed them, and we are going to try to repopulate an island in Puerto Rico. Historically, they used to occur there but they are extinct on that island right now.” Mr. Park told me while we looked at the large highly endangered lizards. “That’s our objective; to produce enough to repopulate an island in Puerto Rico.” This project is done in partnership with both the Dallas and San Diego Zoos.

AZA facilities partnering with a private facility is rare and I think is a testament to Ty Park's reputation and level of care. Across the hallway is an enclosure housing one of the two Perentie Monitors (Varanus giganteus) that will be on display at the park. Outside of their native Australia, Perenties are one of the most rarely seen monitors in captivity. Iguana Land will be one of only a small handful of places this species can be seen in the United States.

Ty also discussed his charitable plans for Iguana Land. “My goal is to annually raise $250,000 for conservation and reptile related charities'' Ty said about his fundraising goals for the facility. He mentioned his ‘Iguanafest’ charity event he puts on annually has already been able to generate at least 250,000 a year for iguana conservation.

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“I want to have a place where students can come to do research,'' Mr. Park said while we were walking through a section that will be for off-display breeding projects. “I had one PhD student come and do a PhD study here. I also had a veterinary student come here and stay a month to learn about exotics''. I was very impressed by the custom-made outdoor pens that contained shallow ponds and waterfall features. These pens were built for rescued North American Box Turtles (genus Terrapene) that were donated by wildlife rescues from all over the United States.

Iguana Land could possibly open as early as this summer but it is expected to open by the end of the year. It will hold the most diverse collection of Cyclura Iguanas and Chelonians. It will also house some rarely seen species such as Galapagos Tortises (Chelonoidis niger complex), Perentie Monitor (Varanus giganteus) and the recently described Saban Black Iguana (Iguana melanoderma). Ty’s vision is to make a family friendly reptile zoo. “I see this place as my legacy.” Mr. Park said while overlooking the koi pond that will, one day, have seating and picnic areas for guests. “This is my life's project. My dream is that in 100 years there will be a picture of me that reads ‘Founder’ and the park will be running for generations.”

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- Herp Book Review-

“Snakes of Australia” - Scott and Tyese Eipper Review by Phil Wolf The quintessential field guide - what makes a great field guide? Anyone who practices herpetoculture or actively field herps, has one, if not multiple field guides in their arsenal of knowledge. Whether it be laminated, trifold brochures, or legitimate books of field research, field guides show us the wonders of the land be it near or far.

My name is Phil Wolf, and I’m a herper. And throughout the years of my herpetological journey, I’ve accumulated quite a few field guides. When I was younger, a simple laminated card from the local bookstore showing frogs and toads of the local wetlands would captivate me, and induce a thirst for adventure. As I matured, those guides became more and more in depth. More species added, more maps to memorize, and more ecological facts than I can shake a stick at.

Despite living in North America, I found myself procuring guides representing species from far away lands. Snakes of Zimbabwe, Snakes of Papua New Guinea, and Reptiles of Australia, to name a few. And although the majority of my living collection hails from Africa, Australian species have always fascinated me. Aptly so, I’ve accumulated quite a few field guides on Australian species. None of which, shy of Harold and Cogger’s bible, have thrilled me like Scott and Ty’s “Snakes of Australia.”

A great field guide needs to be pragmatic and use articulate information, delivered in a concise way. All of which can be found in this book. When I first received my copy in the mail, all the way from the land down under, I was shocked at its size. A relatively small book when compared to all of the references I’ve purchased before. And that’s when it occurred to me, this is a field guide. A book of knowledge meant to be taken with you into the field. No one wants to lug a giant text book on a three-day hike.

Author’s married journals, business, resumes,

Scott & Ty are truly a dynamic duo. This power couple has contributed countless papers, and photography to science. Together, with their Nature 4 You, and their extensive herpetological they’ve tag-teamed to produce, yet again!

The full name of the book, “A Naturalist’s Guide To The Snakes Of Australia,” describes it perfectly. Approximately five, by seven inches in size, and roughly half an inch thick, this guide is the perfect size to be thrown in a backpack, or even slid in a cargo pants pocket. And what it lacks in overall size, it astounds with information relative to Australian snake species, their habits and their habitats. Each page is printed on high glossy paper, rigid and durable, with beautiful color picture plates of each species and race.

The introduction of the book is well orchestrated with tips and general facts about Australian snakes. As well as first aid and bite protocol for many of Australia’s venomous species. There are several pages on different habitats found throughout the continent. With captioned pictures of each ecosystem. And while most readers of this book will be well-versed in herpetological nomenclature, the glossary of this book is precise, even for a novice.

The main content of the book is broken down by types of snake.

Pythons, front-fanged venomous and blind snakes, to name a few. With each species profile giving information about the species’ description, distribution, and potential danger level to humans. Spoiler alert, most of the book is front-fanged Elapids.

The final section of the book is a checklist of all Australian snakes, their scientific names, and what states and territories they’re found in. If you’re looking for an overwhelming reference, this book isn’t it. If you’re looking for the perfect pint-sized travel guide, this is 176 pages of perfection.

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p r e H k n I ht g i l t h g i HDan Colgan +

Allen Newberry +

Justin Smith 23 Herpetoculturemagazine.com

Dan Colgan - Traditional Cobra -

This traditional style cobra was done by Michael Perfetto, or Michaelangelo from 16th Avenue in Brooklyn, NY last year. He specializes in traditional tattoos and has been tattooing for decades.

Since I became so obsessed with snakes, it was only a matter of time before I had one permanently inked on my body. This was a simple design I found in a google search a few years ago which I saved in my photos. Since it stayed in my countless number of phones, I knew it was the one.

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- Allen Newberry The Tortoise When I was on Forged in Fire, they referred to me as The Tortoise from The Tortoise and the Hare. Later, when I was interviewed about what I was going to spend the $10,000 on, I stated that: Maybe I will get a giant tortoise. I still haven't gotten those Aldabras. But, I did get a sweet tattoo by Tim Martin of Brainstorm Tattoo in Fayetteville, AR.

The Caiman Tim also did the caiman which is in homage to the spectacled caiman that I had briefly when I was a kid.

Snake & Hammer The snake climbing the hammer is a logo for my Bladesmithing business and was also done by Tim.

Banjo Frog The mushroom sitting banjo frog was a design by Joshua Henderson who is now at Black Cobra Tattoo in North Little Rock, AR and was just too cool not to get.

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- Justin Smith Indian Ornamental The was a point in time where I had next to no herps but a ton of inverts. One of the groups of tarantulas I kept a lot of were ornamentals (Poecilotheria). I always loved how they would fold up in logs or hides and really wanted to get a tattoo of it. It was done by Sheri Matlack in Tennessee.

Snake Eye This piece was a sketch I came across online and for a few years I really wanted it as a tattoo. My wife often gives me a hard time about it and calls it the eye of Sauron but I'm convinced it's a chondro eye.

This was done by Sheri Matlack too.

Snake/Taipan This tattoo is funny because a lot of people think because the shading ends towards the top that I never got it finished but that was something I added to the design to make it more interesting. It was never meant to be a particular species but I call it my Inland Taipan because of the dark head fading into the ligher body. Like the other two, this was done by Sheri as well.

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Herpetoculturemagazine.com

Lizard Communication

By Paul Donovan

I

If there’s one thing I loath more than anything else, it’s shopping. Trudging around shops is something I could well do without, but unfortunately it has to be done.

The only consolation I get from this loathsome activity, is watching a colony of Rainbow Skinks ,Trachylepis (Mabuya) margaritifer, which have taken up residence in a planted rockery in the carpark of one of the shopping malls I have to frequent.

Most people must think I’m crazy (those who don’t think, know I am), because I’ll spend 40 minutes or an hour just watching these skinks. People assume I’m just staring at a heap of rocks, and don’t even realise there are lizards there. And if they do, their interest in them will never extend into understanding the dynamics of social behaviour. When someone asks me “what are you looking at?”, and I tell them “a group of skinks”, then off they wonder.

Herpetoculture Magazine 28

Interaction is complex The way in which lizards interact with one another, whether it's males protecting their territory, their harem of females, recognising one another, or females asserting their standing over lower ranking individuals, can be a very complex behaviour. And if those individuals live in a social colony, communication is fundamental to keeping order within that colony. Communication within lizards, follows three lines of approach; visual, audible and chemical. Let’s look at these in a bit more detail.

Visual communication Communication is a behaviour in which one animal communicates its intention to another. Obviously, with humans this is through vocalisation. But what is the process in lizards?

There are various cues which lizards rely on for interacting with one another, be this male-male or male-female. Some can even go as far as trying to communicate with us. A good example of this, is if you have kept a Green iguana, Iguana iguana. It is not uncommon for them to head-bob, or even to extend their dewlap when they see you.

In one collection I was responsible for, we had a large iguana donated to us, which I named Charlie. He was such a character, as most iguanas are. As soon as I turned the lights on and he saw me, he’d begin head-bobbing. And when I opened the door of his enclosure, he would leap out and sit on my shoulder. He could, at times, do the same head-bobbing to other members of staff, but interact in an entirely different manner. He would tail whip them, scratch, and even attempt to bite.

The head-bobbing and extending the dewlap that Charlie was displaying, is visual social communication. It is a behaviour witnessed in several other lizard species as well, notably Anoles.

With Anoles this form of communication is highly complex, not to say species specific, and can follow three lines of display;

Simple: the dewlap is uniform in color and accompanied by head-bobbing Compound: the base color of the dewlap is broken by a big red spot in the middle, again being linked with head-bobbing.

Complex: the dewlap is intricately patterned with contrasting colors, accompanied by lines radiating out from the base to the edge. Head-bobbing may also be evident, but color changes and head-bobbing may be carried out independently.

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If you keep a Green iguana you will recognise communication.

Given that the displays are complex, and are performed by all males, some degree of variation in the display between the males must take place, certainly to allow females to choose between a strong displaying male and a weaker individual.

Through some observations, females seem to prefer “normal” head bobbing displays and will avoid males which exhibit any slightest deviation in the bob. In addition, bright colors are preferred by females over marginally drab ones.

Visual communication is a highly complex behaviour serving many functions, which can be expressed in numerous ways.

I have talked about head bobbing, and dewlap displays, but lizards will also express themselves by doing push-ups, raising their limbs, flattening the body against the ground, puffing up the gular region, and even raising the tail.

This last behaviour is rather interesting, because it only occurs in a few species, so it is not widespread. It is very common, for example in the aptly named Zebra -Tailed lizard, Callisaurus. In this species, and those which display the behaviour, the underside of the tail is striped; the stripes do not extend all the way around the tail. The fact that the lizards display these stripes to one another is a sure sign of social communication, and is widely seen in female’s tail lifting to males, though male-male tail lifting is also common. The exact meaning of the display, however, is still a bit of a mystery.

Audible communication In the amphibian world, auditory communication is widespread; frogs and toads can be extremely vocal, but in the reptile world it is limited to all but a few lizard species. Although relatively widespread within those species in which it occurs, auditory communication in lizards has, surprisingly, not been well studied. In those in which it has, it can be linked with male-male territorial reinforcement, courtship, and even defence.

Possibly the most vocal of all the lizards are the geckos. If you have ever kept a Tokay gecko, Gekko gecko, and tried to pick it up, you may very well have dropped it the first time you did so, as it ‘barks’ when handled. This is a defensive mechanism causing the predator to drop it, from which the gecko can then make its escape. But the same bark can be used to communicate with other individuals. As the sun sets and relinquishes duty to the moon, these geckos can be extremely vocal. If you have ever visited regions where this gecko occurs, you will know what I mean.

By and large, auditory communication is carried out on a one to one basis, but in some species, such as the Common Barking gecko, Ptenopus garrulus, the males sit at their burrows entrance and call in unison during the evening, emitting an earpiercing clicking sound. This can often be confused with reed frogs calling. While I have camped in areas populated by reed frogs and easily drift into sleep under their warbling choruses, the same cannot be said for the nightly renditions given by Ptenopus; I had to wear earplugs to get to sleep.

One lizard which uses both visual and auditory communication is the Tuatara, Sphenodon punctatus, an extremely rare lizard found in New Zealand. Territorial disputes are solved by approaching one another, and ‘puffing’ themselves up to appear larger than they really are. This is accompanied by erecting the dorsal spines, and increasing the darkness of the skin. The owner

" The presence of chemicals contribute to how a social group of lizards maintain their colony, how they recognise one another, and each individual knows its place within it." of the territory will then begin shaking its head. This is usually enough to see off the intruder, but if his will is strong, they will approach one another head on and begin snapping their mouths shut. The standoff then sees them chasing one another while at the same time croaking. The dominant individual will bite and tail-whip the intruder. This is usually enough to see it seek sanctuary elsewhere.

Chemical Cues We can see visual communication between lizards, and hear audible communication, but another mode of communication we cannot detect is that of chemicals. Some of the better known chemical producers are the Scincidae and Lacertidae. Chemical cues are the most sophisticated of all forms of communication.

Although generally used by the female to attract a mate during the breeding season, chemical cues can also be used to recognise one another.

There is some evidence to suggest that females of certain skinks can identify members of a colony, and non-colony members based on their odour. In addition, females of certain species can identify their offspring from those of other females. However, once the two are separated, the ability of the mother to recognise her offspring is lost. It is unsure how the mother can identify her young, but there is some evidence pointing to the presence of pheromones in the skin, from the femoral pores, and even odour in the faecal matter. Faecal matter has also been shown to play an important role in juvenile green iguana recognising their siblings.

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The presence of chemicals contribute to how a social group of lizards maintain their colony, how they recognise one another, and each individual knows its place within it. In those species where adults may cannibalise their young, or are aggressive towards them, chemicals within the faecal matter allow the young to detect adults, and so avoid a potentially harmful situation.

The use of chemical communication is also important when it comes to mating. A female will give off chemical signals to indicate that she is ready to be mated, but can determine the health of a male by the pheromones he releases, and surrender or rebuff his advances. No matter how good some sexual displays are by the male, if he is not giving out the correct chemical cues to attest to his strength, he will have little chance of mating. This is why the strongest males maintain a harem, and weak nomadic males try and take their chance with someone else’s female when their back is turned.

Femoral Pores Many lizards possess structures on the ventral surface of the thigh called femoral pores which exude a waxy secretion, and are usually larger in males. These pores, and their waxy secretions have been found to play an important role in communication.

Not only do they contain secretions which align to mating but, may be important in scent marking territories. Males with higher levels of a chemical called hexadecanol in the waxy secretions can signal their dominance to other males, and their state of health by the trail of hexadecanol left on the ground.

Conclusion The social dynamics of a group of lizards, is a fascinating behaviour to watch. As I have mentioned, I could sit and watch the colony of skinks at the shopping mall for hours; if it wasn’t for the fear of getting carted off to the local asylum, or earning the reputation around town ‘as the man who stares at rocks’. A male has established a territory which he protects from other males. Within this territory, he lives with a group of females again, which he has to protect from rival males. And within this group of females is a basic hierarchy. He also knows when a female is sexually receptive, and can distinguish kin. All of these behaviours are based on visual, auditory (sometimes), and chemical communication. And who said reptiles were simply uninteresting?

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In The Incubator...

- Herping West Texas - 5 Underrated Colubrids - Longhorn Beetles

And More!

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