Vol. 25 (2005), No. 1

WEB VERSION

January Guest Speaker:

BRAD SHAFFER

PLEISTOCENE EFFECTS ON AMPHIBIAN AND REPTILE DISTRIBUTIONS IN NORTH AMERICA

Featured Article: EXOTIC VENOMOUS SNAKEBITES IN THE USA AT THE MILENIA CROSSOVER

BY DAN KEYLER

J ANUARY 2005

V OLUME 25

Information edited/removed to respect privacy concerns.

THE NEWSLETTER O F THE

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Board of Directors President Randy Blasus

Bell Museum of Natural History, 10 Church Street Southeast, Minneapolis Minnesota 55455-0104

Vice President Sean Hewitt

The Minnesota Herpetological

Recording Secretary Barb Buzicky Membership Secretary Nancy Haig

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MHS Webpage: http://www.mnherpsoc.org MHS Group Email: http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/mnherpsoc Voice Mail: 612.624.7065

Treasurer Marilyn Blasus Newsletter Editor Asra Halvorson Members at Large Tony Gamble

The Purpose of the Minnesota Herpetological Society is to: Fred Bosmabn Mike Bush Jodi L. Aherns

Committees Adoption Sarah Richard Education Jan Larson Library Beth Girard Webmaster Anke Reinders theMHSwebmaster@yahoo.com

• Further the education of the membership and the general public in care and captive propagation of reptiles and amphibians; • Educate the members and the general public in the ecological role of reptiles and amphibians; • Promote the study and conservation of reptiles and amphibians.

The Minnesota Herpetological Society is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization. Membership is open to all individuals with an interest in amphibians and reptiles. The Minnesota Herpetological Society Newsletter is published monthly to provide its members with information concerning the society’s activities and a media for exchanging information, opinions and resources.

General Meetings are held at Borlaug Hall, Room 335 on the St. Paul Campus of the University of Minnesota, on the first Friday of each month (unless there is a holiday conflict). The meeting starts at 7:00pm and lasts about three hours. Please check the MHS Voice mail for changes in schedules or cancellations.

Submissions to the Newsletter Ads or Notices must be submitted no later than the night of the General Meeting to be included in the next issue. Longer articles will be printed as time and space allows and should be in electronic file format if possible. See inside back cover for ad rates.

Submissions may be sent to: The Minnesota Herpetological Society Attn: Newsletter Editor Bell museum of Natural History 10 Church St. SE. Minneapolis, MN 55455.0104

Copyright 2005, Minnesota Herpetological Society. Except where noted, contents may be reproduced for non-profit, non-commercial use only. All material must be reproduced without change. Proper credit will be given including the author/photographer and the MHS Newsletter citing: volume, number

The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society

The Vice-presidents report

By Tony Gamble

Meeting Date: Friday, January 7th, 2005, 7:00 PM Program: Pleistocene effects on Amphibian and Reptile distributions in North America Guest Speaker: Brad Shaffer The distributions of amphibians and reptiles are, to many of us, simply lines on a map but modern species distributions are the result of current environmental conditions as well as past geologic and climatic processes. The most recent, dramatic changes in climate occurred during the Pleistocene, the period that lasted from 1.8 million years ago to 11,000 years ago.

The Pleistocene was characterized by alternating cycles of cooling and warming. Glaciers and changing sea levels, as well as changes in precipitation, altered species distributions, the effects of which can be observed today. One method to

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mon patterns in the distributions of several species. Concordant distributions among species suggest a common mechanism caused the pattern.

January’s speaker, Brad Shaffer,

Tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum)

will discuss the patterns and processes that have effected amphibian and reptile distributions in North America. Dr. Shaffer will talk about his ongoing research regarding climate change during the Pleistocene and its effects on several turtle, frog, and salamander species. This will be an exciting talk that will help us understand not only where herp species are distributed but how such distributions come about.

Brad Shaffer is professor in the Section of Evolution and Ecology and Director of the Center for Population Biology at the University of California, Davis. His research interests include turtle and tortoise systematics, conservation genetics of endangered California amphibians and reptiles, and Ambystomatid salamanders.

Cricket frog (Acris crepitans)

study the effects of past climate change and its impact on species distribution is to search for comCover: Banded Rock Rattlesnake Copyright 1996 Glenn McCrea

Upcoming Meetings: Friday, February 4th, 2005- Kristi Curry-Rogers Friday, March 4th, 2005 – Great White Snake Sale

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From the Editor Well, this is my final issue of the newsletter. My feelings are mixed about giving this job up. On the one hand, being the Editor afforded me the opportunity to satisfy a creative itch and to that end, it has been a very enjoyable experience.

On the other hand, being the Editor is a lot of work and requires a fair amount of time each month - time that is becoming increasingly difficult to find. The experience gave me more respect for the job the Editors before me did.

As I pass the responcibility to your next Editor, Asra Halvorson, I hope that you will support her in any way you can. For me, the majority of time I spent each month was searching for and preparing content and supplimental graphics.

You can make the job of Editor a much more enjoyable one if you just make a commitment to contribute just one thing to the newsletter next year. Don’t wait for the next person to do it. You all have experiences and knowledge that you can share. Original content by MHS members is always special and of great value to the MHS. It also shows other societies that exchange newsletters with us that we are active on every front.

To wrap things up, the article contest that we ran during 2004 will be judged during the month of February, with the winner being announced at the March meeting.

Watch the February newsletter for details about how you can vote.

Your former Newsletter Editor Bill Page 3

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News, Notes & Announcements Notice To All MHS 2005 MHS Photo Contest New MHS Committee Chairs: Paper The annual MHS photo contest is Volunteer Hours Due coming up in just a couple of All Chairs are required to compile months so start getting those all volunteer hours, listed by mem- favorite photos ready. ber, for 2004 and present them to the President in the beginning of The rules: January 2005 in order to arrange You may submit up to (5) entries for volunteer awards and tabulate total. The catagories are: this years total hours of service to MHS’s mission. If you have any Herps with People questions, please contact the pres- Herps in a Natural Setting Miscellaneous Herps (includes ident. Thank you. REBlasus anything herp related that doesn’t fit in the other two catagories - this December Raffle Donors can include digital enhancements) Thanks to the following people for Kids 16 and under - any medium. generously donating to the month- Art - any medium. ly raffle: Prizes are (for each catagory: 1st place - $15 in MHS credits Randy and Marilyn Blasus 2nd place - $10 in MHS credits Videos and socks 3rd place - $5 in MHS credits There must be more than one perDave Asleson son entered in any catagory for Reptile Magazines prizes to be awarded.

One entry from the three photo Dan Monson (Blue Lagoon) catagories will be voted as Book, Bag, Toys “Peoples Choice” and will be awarded $15 MHS credits and will Aaron and Jim Heit keep the engraved traveling trophy Cage, Gecko food for one year.

The photos must be no larger that Liam and Richard Bonk 8”x10”. If matted, the total mat size Plants can be no larger than 11”x14” Allen and Anita Salzberg Iguana Sculpture Knudsons Cage

By Board decision, all proceeds from the raffle were donated to HerpDigest to support its continuing operation.

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The photos are due by the February meeting (unless other arraignments are made), the art work may be brought to the March meeting but the Photo Contest Chair must be informed of it by the February meeting.

The Photo Contest Chair person is Amanda Jaeger.

Occasional

Occasional Paper Number 6 - A Bibliography of Minnesota Herpetology through 2003 by John Moriarty is know available from MHS. The bibliography includes 881 citations of articles published on Minnesota Herps or Published in Minnesota on herps in general.

The bibliography is available on line at the MHS website. A limited number of Occasion Papers will be printed and available at MHS meetings. The price has not yet been set.

The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society

January 2005

December Speaker Review December 3, 2004

By Barbara Buzicky, Recording Secretary Guest Speaker: Allen Salzberg Program: The Net and Herps, Past, Present and Future, The Good and the Bad

Allen Salzberg is from New York, and he created and publishes the online newsletter called HerpDigest.

This newsletter contains Herp related news and other interesting articles. He also is a member of the New York Turtle and Tortoise society or http//www.nytts.org.

The internet information highway has really taken off over the last five years or so to become so mind boggling that you can go into information overload. Allen says that there have been many changes in how information is relayed due to the many websites. For example, kingsnake.com supplies many links to breeders, information, new findings, hobbyists, and commercial breeders. There are also many links to buy supplies, publications, art, clothing, gifts, and jewelry in the herp way of course. There are sites used for importers and exporters of reptiles. Some of those sites used to be free, but now they are charging around $150 and up for one year to have your site listed.

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get the most information arranged in a manner that saves time, and items can be located quickly especially the retail or sales section on a society’s site.

Overall, Allen says that all organizations have to be highly commercialized these days in retail in order to survive through sales of their products that are marketed to the public. He also says that people who have Broadband are more likely to buy directly off the internet than people who have a dial-up version setup.

They also donate more money to worthy causes. The reason for this logic is the people who have Broadband have more money. He says that the internet or any other organization or business must follow the money for survival.

MHS has donated the monthly raffle proceeds to Allen’s publication, The HerpDigest.

Added Note from the Recording Secretary: to locate many more sites on the internet go into google.com and type in herpetological society.

His concern resulting from the huge growth of herpetological information hitting the internet is the accuracy of it. He says that a person has to be careful about what is read and the source. So, it’s best to go to sites that are reliable such as societies, government, and animal conservation locations. Allen says that a society’s website is very important, as it needs to be properly arranged as they depend on sales to keep them going. Sale areas need to be easy to locate and usually a first selection on the site. Further, he recommends that major retail sites be reviewed and used as a model for a society website, due to their retail success such as sites like The Gap and Victoria’s Secret, just to name a few. He also says that people wait for downloads longer for pornographic sites than they would for any other site. What this is saying, is to Page 5

The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society

EXOTIC VENOMOUS SNAKEBITES IN THE USA AT THE MILENIA CROSSOVER Daniel E. Keyler, Dept. of Medicine, Div. of Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology, Hennepin County Medical Center, Minneapolis Medical Research Foundation, University of Minnesota, Mpls., MN 55415 The most comprehensive review of venomous snakebite in the United States, in the mid-20th century, was achieved by Dr. Henry (Mac) Parrish (Parrish, 1963). Given the limited number of exotic snakes in the USA at the time he even documented a rhinoceros viper (Bitis nasicornis) bite in Minnesota (Parrish, 1965).

Nationally, the concern with venomous exotic species initially hit the “radar screen” with the publication of, “The Underground Zoo – The Problem of Exotic Venomous Snakes in Private Possession in the United States” (Trestrail, 1982). From 1976-1980 only seven exotic envenomations for the entire US were reported to poison centers. Five involved cobras, one having resulted in a fatality. Russell in 1990 suggested that imported snakes kept by schools, zoos, and both amateur and professional collections were responsible for 15 bites a year (Russell, 1990). One of the few states to ever have reported bites by exotic species was Utah, which had four different research lab professionals envenomated by exotic species 1985-89 (Plowman, 1995).

These reports were a foreshadowing to an increasing trend: an increase in interest, importation, and propagation of exotic venomous species by a growing number of amateur herpetologists and herpetoculturists, with a resulting increase in the interests of how to treat venomous snakebites (Norris & Minton 1995, Lichtenhan 1995). In Florida alone there were 12 exotic venomous snakebites documented during 1994 (Ruskosky 1996). The popularity of many exotic venomous species is reflected in special interest and hobbyist magazines (Bartlett 1995). Interestingly, the cobra has been reported to be the most common and quintessential species of deadly exotic snake maintained by amateur collectors (Minton 1996).

Toxic Exposure Surveillance System data for 2002, indicate that rattlesnakes still account for the Page 6

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majority of venomous snakebites (1175 bites), with copperheads being second (889), cottonmouths third (173) and interestingly, exotics fourth (125) outnumbering coral snakes (88) (Watson 2003). These numbers are similar compared to Russell’s 1990 report which also ranked rattlesnakes at the top (60%), copperheads second (30%), cottonmouths third (9%), coral snakes fourth (1%), but listed exotic bites to be about 15 annually (<0.1%) (Russell, 1990). Thus, it appears that there is a shift towards more instances of exotic venomous snakebites in the USA during closing decade of the 20th century, and suggests that more exotics were being maintained in home collections.

Not to be left out of any discussion concerning venomous snakes is the fact that venomous snakebites can result in death. Between 1979 and 1998 data compiled from medical examiner reports to the National Vital Statistics System reveal that 97 venomous snakebite deaths in the United States. The greatest number of deaths occurred in Texas with 17, Florida with 14, and Georgia with 12. Males accounted for 76 (78%) of the fatalities, and females 21 (22%).

This information demonstrates that the risk of dying from venomous snakebite is quite low, but that the possibility of death from a venomous snakebite is quite real.

When exotic envenomations have occurred they have usually imposed a demand on Zoos to provide an appropriate imported antivenom. This has created a problem in providing timely and appropriate medical treatment in addition to economic concerns.

The following are a representative sampling of recent exotic snakebite cases from the upper Midwest.

Amazingly, these cases suggest that the availability of exotic venomous snakes, and the carelessness of those who keep exotic venomous snakes in the USA is a concern not likely to go away anytime soon.

2001, 13 September, 0006 hrs: Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A 37-year-old male was found unconscious, and comatose, on the floor of his northern Milwaukee home by his wife. He kept 16 cobras at home: Egyptian (Naja haje), Indian (Naja naja naja), and King cobras (Ophiophagus hanna). He was believed to possibly have been bitten by any of them.

Two bites were observed: one on the upper arm, and one on the lower arm. The patient went into respiratory arrest and was intubated prior to transport to the hospital. Antivenoms available from the Milwaukee Zoo were South African Polyvalent and Thai Red Cross King Cobra monovalent. His wife finally con-

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firmed that the King cobra was not involved and 4 vials of SAIMR polyvalent were given at 2:30 a.m. , and 2 more at 6:30 a.m. At 10:00 a.m. the patient opened his eyes, and at 11:30 a.m. he pulled his endotracheal tube out. He then explained that he was letting his cobras deliberately bite him in order to build up immunity to their bites! Furthermore, he met with his family doctor and explained why he had been letting his cobras bite him, and the doctor was quoted in the newspaper as saying that his method must have worked because he lived!

2002, 2 April 1900 hrs: Kirkwood, just south of St. Louis, Missouri. A 41-year-old male was bitten on the right index finger by a rhinoceros viper (Bitis nasicornis) at 6:45 p.m. 45 min later he had swelling of the finger, hand and wrist area, with intense pain. He had a history of seven previous venomous bites (Malayan pit-viper (Callosalasma rhodostoma), Mojave rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus) other US pit-vipers, and a Gila bite for which he had been treated with snake antivenom). South African Polyvalent Antivenom was obtained from the zoo, and was administered without any problems. However, another problem arose, as the patient’s wife showed up in the ICU, but did not know her husband ever had any venomous snakes.

She then learned that the snakes were kept at his “girlfriends house,” which she also did not know about.

Shortly thereafter the girlfriend showed up, a fistfight broke out, and the sheriff’s department summoned.

The patient was just lying there in bed with his bitten finger pointing skyward. The ICU doctor mentioned that snakebite was the least of this guy’s worries as his wife would probably “take him out in the woods and blow his head off. “ The patient then signed out of the hospital against medical advice, and left the state to avoid his wife! 2002, 26 May 1315 hrs: St. Louis, Missouri. Another Bitis nasicornis bite! The adult male victim mentioned in the previous case was being airlifted to a St. Louis trauma center. He was reported to have respiratory problems (probably due to allergic complications related to his previous envenomation history). Again, South African Polyvalent Antivenom was considered, but fortunately not deemed necessary as his symptoms were managed with supportive care. Several months later I learned that the original rhino bite had caused his right index finger to necrose due to his lack of follow-up medical care. The finger

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was amputated. This case is a candidate for the “Jerry Srpinger Show.”

2002, July 13, 1503 hrs: Duluth, Minnesota. A 43-year-old male was bitten twice at the base of his right index finger by his Egyptian Cobra (Naja haja) while removing it barehanded from its cage. He then walked down to the neighborhood bar, ordered a beer, and told the bartender that a cobra had bitten him. It was 10:30,a.m. Saturday morning! The bartender called for an ambulance. In the ER he had a swollen finger, swelling to his elbow, ptosis (drooping) of one eyelid, drooling, and tightness in throat. His blood alcohol level was .295! South African Polyvalent antivenom was flown up from the Milwaukee Zoo. The patient began showing signs of cardiotoxicity, and antivenom was started, but 30 minutes later the patient’s blood pressure plummeted, he developed a rash, and could not breathe. He was intubated, and given epinephrine and antihistamine. He remained stable through the night. He had only received 1+ vials of antivenom before it was discontinued. The next day the patient’s condition was improved with decreased finger swelling, but he still had abnormal blood values.

His endotracheal tube was removed mid-afternoon; he sat up in a wheelchair, and was stable. He was discharged five days later. He had no medical insurance, the police had killed the snake, and the unused antivenom was returned to the Zoo. 2002, 2August 2, 0930 hrs: Detroit, Michigan.

A 38-year-old male was bitten on the ankle while cleaning the cage of his white-lipped pit viper (Trimeresurus albolabris), as he placed the snake on the floor. The patient, originally from Florida, had contacted a Fireman/EMT friend in Florida who said that he was going to send specific antivenom (Thai Red Cross Green Pit viper AV). He arrived at the hospital approximately 1 hour after the bite. It was recommended to hold off on antivenom as venoms of this genus are usually sublethal to adults. However, it was confirmed that the victim’s request for antivenom from Florida was being fulfilled. There were never any blood coagulation changes, and swelling never advanced above the knee. 5 vials of Green Pit viper AV were given per recommendation of a Florida fireman.

2003, 11 April 1000 hrs: Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. A 25 year old male, with no previous histoPage 7

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ry of venomous snake bite was bitten by a 5 ft.

Western Green Mamba (Dendroaspis viridis) at 9;00 a.m. while handling the snake with leather gloves.

The bite penetrated the glove as evidenced by 2 fang punctures with and a single drop of blood. The glove was covered with venom. Despite the confirmed bite the victim was asymptomatic 2 hours after the bite.

South African Polyvalent Antivenom was available, and he was admitted to the hospital and monitored overnight. He developed no symptoms whatsoever and was discharged. Hopefully, he realized that he was one very lucky guy.

2003, 3 August, evening (Fatality): Dayton, Ohio. A 48-year-old firefighter was bitten on the left hand while closing the door of his 28 inch long (3 pound) male Rhinoceros viper’s (Bitis nasicornis) cage on Sunday evening. He was known to have maintained exotic venomous snakes for years and was considered knowledgeable and experienced. He was driven to the hospital by his wife, but was unconscious on arrival. A chain of events plagued with an array of mishaps resulted in his dying at 3:17 p.m.

Monday 8/4, less than 24 hours after the bite.

2004, February: Tampa, Florida. A 35 year old male, professional snake breeder, was bitten on the left index finger, right thumb, right mid-forearm, and abdomen (that’s right – 4 separate bites) while handling a black mamba (Augusticeps polylepis) He arrived at the community hospital 15 minutes after being bitten, complaining of arm and leg pain associated with numbness. He began twitching, sweating, and became combative. He had a respiratory arrest and was placed on a ventilator. He was treated with 15 vials of South African Polyvalent Antivenom. He had multiple hemorrhagic complications during his hospital course, and had necrosis of his bite wounds. After 17 days of hospitalization he was discharged. This case clearly demonstrates the potential severity of black mamba bites despite rapid and appropriate medical attention.

2004, 8 April, 0230 hrs: St. Louis, Missouri. A male in his 20s was bitten by a monocled cobra (Naja naja kouthia) on his left index finger, through a glove, resulting in a single fang puncture. 4 hours after the bite the patient was anxious had slight ptosis (droopy eyelids), and some respiratory distress. It was difficult to know if some symptoms were anxiety related or a Page 8

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venom effect. South African Polyvalent Antivenom, which may have provided some para-specific coverage, was considered because the specific Thai Red Cross Naja naja kouthia antivenom was not available anywhere in the region. 1/2 hour after antivenom therapy was begun the patient began to develop urticaria (hives), dyspnia (labored breathing), and was agitated. Antivenom was discontinued and supportive care provided. Later the next day his finger was sore and slightly swollen, and he was still quite anxious, but otherwise ok. At the time of discharge he admitted he had been bitten 2 months earlier by an Egyptian viper, and that he was not sure of it’s exact name!

2004, 20 April 1420 hrs: Milwaukee, Wisconsin. A 31-year-old male with no prior history of venomous snakebite was bitten on his right index finger by an Eyelash viper (18”adult male Bothriechis shclegelii). 45 minutes after the bite he had swelling of the entire hand. He had 2 clean fang punctures, considerable pain, and swelling up to his elbow.

Overall there had been quick progression from just finger swelling and pain to his entire hand and mid-forearm. He had blood coagulation problems and was treated with Wyeth (Crotalidae) Polyvalent Antivenom, without complications. He was discharged after 2 days.

2004, 6 September (Fatality): North College Hill, Ohio. A 44-year-old female was bitten in her home by an Urutu (Bothrops alternatus) while cleaning its cage. Initially she was treated at a small hospital and later transferred to a University Hospital.

Despite medical efforts she died, an agonal death, 5 days following envenomation. A complicating factor may have been her delay in seeking medical attention!

Interestingly the city of North College Hill has an ordinance against the keeping of dangerous animals.

2004, 10 October, 0700 hrs: Traverse City, Michigan. A 33-year-old local tattoo artist was bitten by a 4-foot puff adder (Bitis arietans) just above thumb on the right hand at 4:00 a.m. A single fang puncture was present and there was swelling to his mid upper arm 3 hours after the bite. He had no history of previous venomous snakebite and was treated with 5 vials of South African Polyvalent Antivenom. The swelling subsided as did his coagulation problems and he was discharged after 2 days of hospitalization.

In conclusion, it is obvious the interest in exot-

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ic venomous snakes in our country is not likely to dwindle anytime soon. Importantly, although most victims of exotic venomous snakebite survive, when they do occur they instill an acute intensity in medical personnel. The economic costs are significant, and in rare instances the cost is the loss of human life.

LITERATURE CITED 1) Bartlett, D. 1995. Venomous snakes: controversial captives. Reptiles, 3:24-47.

2) Lichtenhan, J.B. 1995. What reptile enthusiasts should know about snakebite. Reptiles, 3: 74-85.

3) Minton, S. A. 1996. Bites by non-native venomous snakes in the United States. Wilderness and Environmental Medicine, 7:297-303.

4) Norris, R. and S. Minton. 1995. Snake venom poisoning: what the herpetologist needs to know. The Vivarium, 6:4-22.

5) Parrish, H.M. 1963. Analysis of 460 Venomous Animals in the United States. American Journal of Medical Science, 245: 129.

6) Parrish, H.M. 1965. Rarity of snakebites in Minnesota. Minnesota Medicine, 48: 1071-1076.

7) Plowman, D.M., Reynolds, T.L. and S.M. Joyce.

1995. Poisonous snakebite in Utah. Western Journal of Medicine, 163: 547-551.

8) Rudolph, R, Neal, G.E., Williams, J.S. and A.P. McMahan. 1995. Snakebite treatment at a southwestern regional referral center. Annals of Surgery: 61: 767-772.

9) Ruskosky, D. and T. Kunisaki. 1996. Epidemiology of venomous bites and stings in Florida. Journal of the Florida Medical Association, 83: 172-173.

10) Russell, F.E. 1990. When a snake strikes.

Emergency Medicine, 22: 21-43.

11) Trestrail, J.H. 1982. The “underground zoo” – the problem of exotic venomous snakes in private possession in the United States. Veterinary and Human Toxicology, Supplement, 24: 144-149.

12) Watson, W.A., Litovitz, T.L., Rogers, G.C., KleinSchwartz, W., Youniss, J., Rose, S.R., Borys, D. and Mary E. May. 2003. 2002 Annual report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers toxic exposure surveillance system. American Journal of Emergency Medicine, 21: 353-421. §

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Cane-Toad Invasion Killing off Northern Territory’s Goannas - Yellow-Spotted Monitor. (Toad’s Possible Future Effect on Mitchell's and Merton's Water Monitors, Freshwater Crocodiles and Fly-River Turtles Also Noted) Canberra Times, based on an article by Rosslyn Beeby, Research, Conservation and Science Reporter , original printed 12/10/04 The University of Canberra ecologist Dr Sean Doody thinks that the recent spread of cane toads into the Northern Territory has caused a massive decline in a goanna species found along the Daly River, southwest of Darwin. He said ''Just in the last year, there's been a 77 per cent decline in yellow- spotted monitors”. During a recent research trip, he found populations of the big yellow- spotted reptiles (also known in some areas of Australia as sand goannas) had dropped noticeably, particularly along riverbanks where cane toads were numerous. He also found a number of dead goannas. '' Goannas were still dying when we left, so the figure could go even higher,'' he said. ''They often eat frogs, so they see these big toads hopping along the riverbank, run them down, eat them and die from the poison.''

Dr Doody had been studying pig- nosed turtles in the Daly River, and was able to confirm the goanna decline from a corresponding drop in turtle-egg predation. ''We count the eggs, and the goannas normally take up to 20 per cent. That's dropped to zero this year.''

He also found a cane toad in the stomach of a dead freshwater crocodile. ''It's too early to speculate on how crocodiles might be affected. ''We're only working with preliminary results, but it certainly doesn't look good for the goannas. ''The toads haven't bred to the stage where there will be lots of little toads along the water's edge. That will take another year or two, and then we could see similar impacts on other species.''

Two other Daly River goannas, Mitchell's and Merton's water monitors, feed on frogs found along the water's edge and could be affected once the cane toads increased. (toads.......continued on page 12) Page 9

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MHS HOLIDAY B A N Q U E T

2004

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Speaker Review - Holiday Banquet December 4, 2004

By Barbara Buzicky, Recording Secretary Guest Speaker: Anita Salzberg Program: Confessions of a Turtle Wife Anita Salzberg is the wife of our speaker, Allen Salzberg, from last night’s General Meeting. She is also a freelance copywriter and journalist. She has written several books on how to be a wife of a true blue herper. She told us many funny stories about her experiences.

The earliest example was of their first date which was, of course, at the Bronx Zoo. Isn’t that where all first dates begin?

She also got involved with learning about turtles from volunteering to help get turtles out of hibernation. This is where she learned about all the different species of turtles including wood turtles, box turtles, pond turtles, snapping turtles, and many others.

The next stage that she entered regarding living with someone who loves amphibians and reptiles was to join the New York Turtle and Tortoise Club. In addition, she would go to the turtle shows which was held in downtown Manhattan during the summer at an elementary school playground. She even arrived early to help set up. She told us numerous stories about all the people and their turtles and tortoises. One of them was the story about an eighty year old woman who raised a river turtle from a hatchling. Anita was surprised that this would have such an Interest at this time of her life. People who came to the show were very proud of their turtles as one woman always dressed hers in a hat a different one for every show.

Anita read some excerpts from her book, “Confessions of a Turtle Wife,” and the audience got many laughs from her interpretations of humorous situations. All in all, everyone including the speakers had a great time at the MHS Holiday Party. Both Anita and Allen commented on how good the food was and how much fun it was.

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Other books by the Salzbergs: When You Dream in Green by Allen and Anita Salzberg.

ISN#0-9753235-0-4 Confessions of a Turtle Wife by Anita Salzberg.

Hats Off Books.

Anita can be reached through her website: www.turtlewife.com.

Turtles by Anita Baskin-Salzberg & Allen Salzberg.

This book is An introduction for kids 8 to 12 available from the authors at asalzberg@nyc.rr.com.

(toads... continued from page 9)

CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems is working on a biological-control method that involves splicing a gene to block metamorphosis, preventing tadpoles turning into cane toads.

Meanwhile, the Northern Territory Government has launched a national competition to invent a cane-toad trap. The competition has two categories - a winning trap and a fail-proof method for attracting toads. The winner would receive $10,000 and an additional $5000 to market the toad trap. Dr Doody dismissed the competition as ''a complete waste of time''.

Northern Territory Parks staff had also voiced doubts that traps would solve the cane-toad crisis.

However, Brisbane's crows may prove to be a more effective deterrent. Dr Doody said the wily birds appeared to have developed a method of killing and eating toads, without exposing themselves to the deadly toxins. ''We're not sure yet how them kill them but they seem to somehow turn the toad inside out to eat it.''

HerpDigest V5 #17 §

Page 12

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