DUNWOODY, Ga. — Some metro Atlanta veterinarians are warning pet owners to watch out for snakes.”When we start to go back into the winter months, snakes are trying to absorb as much heat as they can. So this is a time when they are going to be out in the open. As a result they might bite more dogs at this point in time,” said Shauna Nicholas, a veterinarian.At the Brook Run dog park in Dunwoody, signs have been posted warning dog owners about the danger of snake bites.”I saw a copperhead right along the main path here,” said pet owner Courtney McNealy. “It was really hard to see because of the coloring and it was just curled up. The dogs were really interested in it so I had to corral the dogs in one area.”The Georgia Poison Center said so far this year, it has received 236 calls related to copperhead bites. In 2008 the number was 172.”Just this summer alone we’ve had just under 100. I have handled four or five myself and I am not even on the emergency team,” said Shauna Nicholas.Experts said if your pet is bitten, get to a vet as soon as possible.”The snake bite itself is going to cause a lot of swelling, so if the dog’s face has a lot of swelling, it could effect their breathing,” said Jennifer Pittman, a veterinarian.
Traverse City woman startled by 4-foot boa snake
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) – It’s not unusual for deer or even the occasional bear to turn up in northern Michigan towns, where you’re never far from the woods.
But a boa constrictor?
Traverse City officers alerted by a woman’s screams found the 4-foot-long snake a short distance from their headquarters Tuesday.
The woman had been removing wood pallets from behind a business when she came across the slithering reptile.
Using a pole designed for snaring aggressive dogs, police nabbed the snake and placed it in a bag. A resident familiar with large snakes has agreed to care for it.
Police say they think the snake was a pet that escaped from its owner or was set free. It couldn’t have survived for long in the area’s cool climate.
Crocodile census causes alarm in Puerto Rico
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Posted in Conservation, Foreign News, Herp Attacks, Laws, Lizards, Reptiles
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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Invasive crocodiles are making themselves at home in the densely populated Puerto Rican capital and pose a potential threat to humans and pets, researchers said Wednesday.
The new study by the San Juan Bay Estuary Program does not estimate the reptiles’ total population, but investigators spotted a dozen in one place on a recent night and there have been hundreds of reported sightings.
The crocodiles are believed to be the descendants of pets brought to the island in the 1960s and are now flourishing in the estuary, which is surrounded by more than 500,000 people.
Most common is the spectacled caiman, a native of Central and South America that can grow to more than 6 feet (2 meters).
There have been no known attacks on humans.
However, the crocs are devouring native birds and fish, Estuary Program project director Javier Laureano said. He plans to meet with government officials to develop an eradication plan.
New Homes for Reptiles at Barford Road Pocket Park, St Neots
ACD Ecology discovered that reptiles were living in the area where the new development will be built, so they approached countryside services to see if Barford Road Pocket Park could help. Wildlife surveys were carried out and common lizards and grass snakes were found to be using the park. Luxury wildlife homes called hibernaculas have now been built which are ideal for these species.
Ranger Matt Hall said: “Hibernaculars are structures built out of rotting hardwood logs, rubble and soil. They provide a fantastic dark, damp site for reptile species to breed, feed and hibernate. The chance to have these structures and a larger population of harmless reptiles in the park is fantastic news and will really increase the parks biodiversity. Common Lizards are quite a rare species in this area, but we have established that there are small colonies in the park which, as a result of this project, will hopefully be increased. These hibernaculas will also be good hibernating ground for frogs and toads.”
Mutilated-shell pets rescued by Reptile Guy
Abbotsford’s Reptile Guy Mike Hopcraft rescued a turtle and a tortoise last week that had holes drilled into their shells and handles attached to their bodies.
The animals’ owner, who lives in Delta, had attached the handles so that he could carry the 25-to 30-pound sulcata tortoise and so that he could leash the box turtle when he left it outside, Hopcraft told The Sun.
“He mutilated these animals to make his life easier,” Hopcraft said.
The handles are held in place by wires, which are tightly secured through four holes in each of the animals’ shells.
The turtle also has a jewel glued to its shell, which Hopcraft has so far been unable to remove.
The tortoise, which is still growing, cannot lift itself off the ground to walk properly, Hopcraft said.
“The tortoise just drags itself around — I don’t know if it doesn’t have the muscle mass, or what,” Hopcraft said. “I have never seen anything like this before.”
After speaking with the reptiles’ owner, Hopcraft said, he was so upset he was shaking.
“The turtle is underweight, its beak is overgrown and its claws need to be clipped,” Hopcraft said.
Hopcraft intends to add the tortoise to his education program if it is found to be healthy, and the turtle will probably go to the Greater Vancouver Zoo if Hopcraft can get the jewel off its shell.
Hopcraft has a rescue and education program for exotic and rare animals called The Reptile Guy. His presentations subsidize the rescue effort, but recent legal changes banning some exotic animals have meant he will cease operation in December unless an alternate source of funding is found.
For more information about The Reptile Guy, visit reptileguy.ca.
Man has strange taste for live snakes and centipedes
Luo Zhonglin, 35, of Dafang County in China’s Guizhou Province, has been eating live snakes and centipedes which he has done for 23 years. His bizarre eating habits, which began when he was just a small boy, have now grown into a full-blown obsession.
Luo ritualistically puts his hands into a net sling and takes out a curled-up snake about 50 centimeters long and as thick as a thumb. He then pins the snake’s head down in one hand and holds the tail in the other hand. Afterwards, he bites the snake’s head off with his teeth and shucks off the skin.
Eventually, he begins to eat the snake’s body with relish. About five minutes later, the snake has been completely devoured. Luo recently stunned visitors with this startling display.
One snake was not enough to fill Luo’s atypical appetite, so he looked around in an unused space near his restaurant and caught two 10-centimeter-long centipedes for dessert. He put the centipedes into his mouth and began to chew again after cutting off their heads.
He said that he began eating live snakes and centipedes when he was 12 years old and he has been doing it for 23 years. Luo was very fearless and unique when he was young. He wanted to catch and eat snakes and centipedes once he saw them in the village or on the mountains.
Luo has been bitten by snakes and centipedes many times when trying to catch them over the years.
“I have never been poisoned as a result of eating them. My body is very strong because of eating live snakes and centipedes and I have not been ill for many years. I am now addicted to eating live snakes and centipedes,” Luo said.
15 rare giant salamanders die at Shanghai Expo due to heat and noise
Fifteen giant salamanders, dubbed living fossils due to their skeletons’ similarity to those of their ancestors millions of years ago, have died after being put on show at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai as a result of the hot weather and noisy environment.
The skeleton of the giant salamander, the world’s largest living amphibian, is almost identical to that of fossils from 30 million years ago. The 15 salamanders had been on show at the Shaanxi Pavilion since July 27.
The largest of the salamanders reached 1.4 meters in length and weighed 20 kilograms, and was bred through artificial propagation.
Environmental changes have led to a rapid decline in the number of wild salaman-ders. As a result, it has been listed as a national aquatic wild animal under second-class protection.
Chen Wenyou, from the Shaanxi Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai and organizer of the exhibition, said the giant salamanders prefer a quiet environment, while the large influx of visitors to the pavilion frightened the salamanders and caused them to be restless.
“The largest salamander was 16 years old. What a pity we lost it,” said Dai Mingheng, chairman of Shaanxi Xushui Bio-development Company, which provided the largest giant salamander for the Shanghai Expo.
Camera flashes from tourists taking pictures may have significantly affected the salamanders, who normally live in dark conditions.
“The temperature suitable for their growth is around 18 C to 23 C, and temperature for living is around –4 C to 32 C. But July is the hottest month in Shanghai, so the salamanders were finding it hard to survive,” he said.
Dai said the air conditioners at the pavilion were turned off at night. Although the workers responsible for the salamanders added ice to lower the temperature, nine salamanders died at the pavilion. The other five all died after being taken home by Dai, and the last one died in Shanghai on August 10.
“We didn’t have enough experience since it was the first time we attended the exhibition. We should have taken emergency situations into consideration,” Dai said.
The bodies of 10 of the salamanders are currently frozen, and may be donated for research pruposes afterward.