Catlina Island Rattlers

Researchers are investigating whether the rattlesnakes on Santa Catalina Island may be a different subspecies from their California mainland kin. (News source.)

Bad Suggestion for Snakebite

As any competent herpetologist knows, you really can't suck venom out of a snakebite. While it is great that a Florida man survived a cottonmouth bite without losing his arm, the treatment his roommate used and the newspaper features is outdated and dangerous. The focus should have been on the antivenom the man received; getting to a hospital as quickly as possible is the only thing a snakebite victim should be focusing on. (News source.)

Snake Found New Chameleon Species

A new chameleon, Kinyongia magomberae, was discovered after a researcher ran across a twig snake that regurgitated the lizard. (News source.)

Snake Dog

A chocolate lab is being used to sniff out indigo snakes in Georgia. (News source.)

Albino Small-Eyed Snake

An albino small-eyed snake was discovered just south of the Gold Coast (Australia), and has been returned to the wild. (News source. Photo: Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary)

Jumping Gators

Gatorland is bringing in new blood for their Gator Jumparoo show, as the older alligators have gotten a bit lazy. (News source.)

Aussie Surfer Snakebit

A surfer at Killalea State Park was bitten by a red-bellied black snake. (News source.)

Smuggler Caught

A California man was busted for smuggling "two geckos, 11 skinks and two monitor lizards" from Australia, apparently having them strapped to his chest. (News source.)

New Lungless Caecilian

A new species of caecilian, Caecilita iwokramae, has been determined to be lungless. While not the first such caecilian, apparently it is distinctly different from the other lungless caecilian. (News source.)

Canadian Horned Lizard Research

Information on Canadian research into the greater short-horned lizard here.

Croc News

A 12-year old girl in Zambia was killed by a crocodile, while swimming in the Chambeshi River. (News source.)

Pics were taken of a croc being killed by a herd of hippos, here.

Python Hissy Fit

A reasonable and rational article here on the Florida python situation.

Spider Smuggler?

A Welsh man was arrested for attempting to smuggle over 900 tarantulas and other spiders out of Brazil. He says he got them in Paraguay, and just passing through Brazil, but the Brazilians don't care -- no papers, no spiders. (News source.)

Rattlesnake Bite Leads to Mounting Bills

An under-insured Minnesota man was bitten by a rattlesnake in his car, which has brought on mounting hospital bills. (News source.)

Crocodilians in the News

35 pure Siamese crocodiles were found among a larger group of rescued crocs in Cambodia. These will be used to help in the conservation of this endangered species. (News source.)

A profile here on a Namibian man attacked by a large crocodile.

A Florida man stuck his hands under a car, thinking his dog was under it, and got bit by an alligator. (News source.)

HR 2711

This bill is intended to ban pythons in the US (or at least Burmese, reticulated, and African rocks). You can read more here, and here (on the 11/6 hearing). Rep. Kendrick Meek doesn't have a direct email address, but you can email his chief of staff.

On a personal note, while I understand the need to protect the south Florida habitat, the nationwide ban is ridiculous and nothing more than fear-mongering. (Not to mention a star publicity vehicle -- apparently, Meek is planning a Senate run. Any wonder he's pushing the "snakes are evil" agenda to garner votes?) If someone truly wanted to help conserve the Everglades and still protect herpetoculture, here's what I'd suggest:

1) Remove Miami as a wildlife port. Only 10 or so ports are allowed to have commercial wildlife imports, Miami is one of them. This is why so many small herps have become invasive in southern Florida: a) there is great tropical habitat, and b) there are more opportunities to escape. You're not going to have that same problem in, for example, Baltimore.

2) Ban the larger pythons in the south Florida counties. No need for a statewide ban, just enough counties to make it unlikely for anyone to just dump their snake in the Glades.

3) Enlist actual field herpers to help collect pythons from the wild. The 37 or so that the professional trappers caught during the "official" hunt were rather meager. Hobbyists are far more likely to be successful.

Snakebites

A Volusian County, FL, man was bitten by a cottonmouth while working at a landfill. (News source.)

Two Pasco County, FL, men were bitten by rattlesnakes. (News source.)

Python Hunt Not That Successful

The first python hunter by 15 licensed trappers in the Everglades only came up with 37 snakes in a 4-month period. Most of those were young and "underfed." (News source.)