1st Annual Center for Snake Conservation Fall Snake Count will be held from September 17 23, 2011 during Snake Week.

Conservation through Education

Announcement from the Center for Snake Conservation--please distribute widely as anyone can participate.

Spend a day or a week in the field and help conserve snakes! There are ±295 species/subspecies of snakes in the United States but very little is known about their current conservation status and distributions in today's human impacted environment. In order to ensure that appropriate and adequate conservation efforts are applied to snakes, we need to understand more about them and where they occur.

Therefore, the 1st Annual Center for Snake Conservation Fall Snake Count will be held from September 17 - 23, 2011 during Snake Week.

Sign up here: Fall Snake Count

Our goal during the Snake Count is to document every species of snake that occurs in the United States in a single time period. A lofty goal but with your help it is a not so crazy. Plus, data we collect will confirm the existence of some rare species and provide baseline data to help us monitor selected populations of the more common species in the future. The data collected during the Snake Count will be used by the Center for Snake Conservation to map the current snake distributions of snakes in the United States. Specific locality information for snakes collected during the count will not be made available to the public, so rest assured that any rare species found will remain protected. The data collected will be used only in CSC research.

All participants in the Snake Count are eligible to enter the Snake Count Photo Contest. This is an opportunity to show off your snake finding abilities and photographic skill. Details and the terms of use can be found here: Snake Count Photo Contest

Thanks,

Cameron

The Center for Snake Conservation is a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of all snakes. Its mission is to promote the conservation of snakes and their natural ecosystems and implement positive change in human attitudes towards snakes. We do this through our education, conservation, and science programs. You can learn more about the CSC and its programs at our website (http://www.snakeconservation.org/).

THE SHARP-TAILED SNAKE EXTENDS ITS RANGE (Via Chad Arment?)

The sharp-tailed snake was known to range over the Canadian border (where it is considered endangered) on Vancouver Island and a few other small islands. It's now been found on the Canadian mainland in B.C.

http://www.whistlerquestion.com/article/20110811/WHISTLER12/308119965/-1/WHISTLER/snake-found-near-pemberton-a-first-on-canadian-mainland

http://www.piquenewsmagazine.com/pique/index.php?cat=C_News&content=Snake+find+1832

Adrenaline Given Before Snakebite Anti-Venom Treatment Reduces Allergic Reactions, Study Finds (Via Herp Digest)

Adrenaline Given Before Snakebite Anti-Venom Treatment Reduces Allergic Reactions, Study Finds
ScienceDaily (May 11, 2011) -

Giving low-dose adrenaline to patients who have been bitten by a poisonous snake before treatment with the appropriate antivenom is safe and reduces the risk of acute severe reactions to the treatment, but giving promethazine has no such effect and giving hydrocortisone may actually be harmful. These findings from a study led by Asita De Silva from the Clinical Trials Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya in Ragama, Sri Lanka, are important because in some countries where snake bites are a major health problem, acute allergic reactions to poor quality antivenoms are common and often fatal.

In a study involving more than 1000 people who were admitted to five hospitals in Sri Lanka after experiencing a snakebite, the authors randomized patients to receive low-dose adrenaline, promethazine, hydrocortisone or placebo -- alone and in all possible combinations -- immediately before treatment with an antivenom infusion. Compared with placebo, pretreatment with adrenaline reduced severe reactions to the antivenom by 43% at one hour and by 38% over 48 hours.

By contrast, neither hydrocortisone nor promethazine given alone reduced the rate of adverse reactions to the antivenom and adding hydrocortisone appeared to negate the beneficial effect of adrenaline. These findings also emphasize the high rate of acute adverse reactions to antivenom and stress the importance of improving the quality of the available antivenoms in Sri Lanka and South Asia.

The authors say: "The need for concerted action by local health and regulatory authorities, the World Health Organization, and other stakeholders, including technology transfer programmes between antivenom manufacturers, to improve the quality of antivenom can not be overemphasized."







They continue: "Until these overdue improvements come about, we have shown that pretreatment with low-dose adrenaline is an effective and safe therapy to prevent acute reactions to antivenom. Meanwhile, we continue to reiterate that the need for careful observation of patients receiving antivenom and prompt treatment of acute reactions when they occur remains undiminished."







Journal Reference:

H. Asita de Silva, Arunasalam Pathmeswaran, Channa D. Ranasinha, Shaluka Jayamanne, Senarath B. Samarakoon, Ariyasena Hittharage, Ranjith Kalupahana, G. Asoka Ratnatilaka, Wimalasiri Uluwatthage, Jeffrey K. Aronson, Jane M. Armitage, David G. Lalloo, H. Janaka de Silva. Low-Dose Adrenaline, Promethazine, and Hydrocortisone in the Prevention of Acute Adverse Reactions to Antivenom following Snakebite: A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial. PLoS Medicine, 2011; 8 (5): e1000435 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1000435

Need to cite this story in your essay, paper, or report? Use one of the following formats:
APA

MLA
Public Library of Science (2011, May 11). Adrenaline given before snakebite anti-venom treatment reduces allergic reactions, study finds. ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 12, 2011, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­ /releases/2011/05/110510175159.htm

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

ANOTHER STONKER FROM BEACHCOMBER: The Napalm Snake Mystery

The Beachcomber blog really is becoming essential reading:

In ancient and medieval and, indeed, modern times geographers frequently got things embarrassingly wrong for those there-be-dragons areas outside the circuit of their little worlds. So the early Greeks believed that the Gobi desert was full of flightless griffins. The Byzantines were convinced that the air in Scotland was poisonous. And the British in the sixteenth through nineteenth century were prepared to fund missions into the American interior to look for Welsh-speaking Indian tribes…

Many of these misunderstandings can be traced back to a failure of communication – certainly the three above are explicable in terms of present knowledge. But every so often a report comes to us from a geographer of the past that defies all rational explanation. Take Ctesias of Cnidus’s ravings about the Napalm Snake of India.

Read on

HAVE WE DONE THIS BEFORE?

http://www.explorebiodiversity.com/Hawaii/BiodiversityForgotten/Wildlife/Reptiles/Snakes%20-%20Sea%20snakes.htm

In the Pacific there are around 4 dozen sea snakes that can be found; of them, only one has ever been reported in Hawaiian waters: the yellow-bellied sea snake (Pelamis platurus). This is the only open-ocean marine snake. Even though it does occur here naturally, it is by no means common. In fact, you'll likely never see one. Only 20 specimens have been documented. Marine sea snakes are very poisonous. They are distantly related to cobras. But as far as venomous snakes go, these guys are very timid and rarely bite people. I have swum with sea snakes on several occasions in the south pacific and even played with them. They don't want to bite you if they can help it.

Something is wrong here

AUBREY MENEZES: The World's Smallest Snake

Jon,

Here is an article I came across on the worlds smallest snake found in Barbados:

The world's smallest snake

Discovered: Barbados
Documented: 2008

If you shuddered at the discovery of a fossilised 13-metre, 1-tonne boa constrictor earlier this year, perhaps Leptotyphlops carlae is more up your street. At only 100 millimetres long and no thicker than a strand of spaghetti, it is the world's smallest snake, able to curl up on a British 10 pence coin or an American quarter.

Blair Hedges of Pennsylvania State University, University Park, found the diminutive snake under a rock in Barbados last year. Also known as the Barbados threadsnake, it belongs to a group of snakes that burrow into the ground in pursuit of ants and termites, which they suck dry before spitting out the husk.

Threadsnakes tend to be small - the previous record holder was the Lesser Antillean threadsnake, at 110 millimetres. But Hedges believes L. carlae is as small as it gets. Thanks to their tiny body cavity, females only manage to lay a single, very elongated egg. Any smaller and a snake would be unable to reproduce at all,
he says.

ANCIENT MADAGASCAN BLIND SNAKES

Max Blake (who has been staying at the CFZ this week) drew my attention to this fascinating article....

"Blindsnakes are not very pretty, are rarely noticed, and are often mistaken for earthworms,” admits Blair Hedges, professor of biology at Penn State University. “Nonetheless, they tell a very interesting evolutionary story.” Hedges and Nicolas Vidal, of the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle in Paris, are co-leaders of the team that discovered that blindsnakes are one of the few groups of organisms that inhabited Madagascar when it broke from India about 100 million years ago and are still living today. The results of their study will be published in the 31 March 2010 issue of the Royal Society journal Biology Letters.

Blindsnakes comprise about 260 different species and form the largest group of the world’s worm-like snakes — scolecophidians. These burrowing animals typically are found in southern continents and tropical islands, but occur on all continents except Antarctica. They have reduced vision — which is why they are called “blind” — and they feed on social insects including termites and ants. Because there are almost no known fossil blindsnakes, their evolution has been difficult to piece together. Also, because of their underground lifestyle, scientists have long wondered how they managed to spread from continent to continent.

Read on...

TONY LUCAS SENT THIS...

Being employed to catch snakes in New Zealand, one of the few countries in the world with no snakes, may seem to have limited potential as a career option. Indeed, we don't have full-time snake catchers, but a small group of handlers is trained to deal with venomous snakes should one ever breach our biosecurity defences.

Snakes are excluded by law from entering New Zealand. There are no exceptions, which is why they are not found in zoos, research establishments or accompanying visiting entertainers. Read On...

RICHARD MUIRHEAD: MUIRHEAD`S MYSTERIES: MYSTERY WILD CATS, BOTH IRISH AND SCOTTISH

In August 2008 Fortean Times published an article by Gary Cunningham on the subject of the elusive Irish Wild Cat and by this I do not mean escaped pumas or lynxes, but a bona fide Irish Wild Cat. So today, with a little extra money than usual, I paid 10 euros for a 24 hour session on the Irish Newspaper Archive in a step of faith, hoping I would find some references within the many Irish newspapers dating from the 18th century that are archived. I started my search at about 2.30pm today Monday and ended about 10 minutes ago at 8.05 pm and I have made some quite exciting discoveries covering Irish and Scottish wildcats, and Irish snakes, which I will mention here for the first time. (The cats, I mean; not the snakes. The latter are being passed on to Irish cryptozoologist, Ronan Coghlan. There is an interesting comment in the Irish paper The Nation's May 22nd 1897 edition: 'Contrary to the popular belief, there are some snakes in Ireland, but they are very rare.' 1)

Just go into Google, type in Irish Newspaper Archive and follow the instructions.

Freemans Journal August 24th 1838

'Mr Cahitl (? Hard to read) of Whiskey-hail, county Limerick, shot, on Thursday last, at Cragg-wood, three wild cats of monstrous size. These strange animals attacked the wood ranger a few days ago, who narrowly escaped with his life. So disfigured were his features, and so completely exhausted was he, that his family did not for a considerable time recognise him on being brought home. Mr Cahitl has taken the skins to send to the Royal Cork Institute.' (2)

I wonder what happened to the Royal Cork Institute?

Southern Star February 11th 1893

'This extract was a summary of a lecture on Irish natural history by the Rev. H Burton Deane at Clonakilty in Co. Cork. In it he says : "Rosscarberry is a capital place for otters, foxes, stoats, weasels, wild cat, and others of the furry tribe.”' (3)

Rosscarberry is in Co. Cork

So here we have wild cats being mentioned in the same breath as well known native Irish mammals.

Southern Star July 19th 1902

[Here we have an interesting coroboration with Cunningham`s reports from Fortean Times. Cunningham uncovered accounts from Ireland of wild cats with nail-like projections from their tails. For example near Kenry in Limerick (4) and one from Co. Mayo c. 1940-1950 (5)]

But the Southern Star report:

'Here is a wonderful examplificatin of the queer effects which sunstroke has on some timorous minded people:- “Dear Sir,permit me,through the medium of your Macroom Notes to put before the public of Macroon and district a danger which menaces thousands of human lives. There is at present in Coolcower wood a wild cat of the most bloodthirsty description which I saw with my own two eyes on Thursday evening last. This may sound like a hoax, but I pledge you my honour I am perfectly in earnest. I knew the animal as soon as I caught a glimpse of him, crouching as I believed, for a spring upon me. It was at least four feet long with great glaring eyes and a bushy tail about two foot in length with a nail in the end of it. I did not wait for further observations at the time but I can assure you it was a wild cat” Yours truly Pro Bono Publico.' (6)

There then follow a series of facetious comments by the editor, presumably. So here we have the 2nd reference to a Co. Cork wild cat.

The final report for today is from the Irish Independent of October 17th 1907, which has a head line – CAT NEARLY 5FT LONG 'A wild cat measuring 4ft 7in has been shot by Mr S A Bland a noted Arizona sportsman.' (7)It does not say whether or not it was shot in Ireland or England.

There is an item in the Irish Independent of May 21st 1906 on a wild cat being brought from the Cocos Island. I don`t know if this is significant.

The Scottish wild cat. This is from the Anglo-Celt of January 10th 1856. It is interesting because of its colouration:

'CAPTURE OF A WILD CAT. - On Friday week, a man caught, in a wood on Kirkennan-hill,parish of Buittle, a fine live specimen of that nearly extinct class of the savage creatures of Scotland - a wild cat. It had been driven by hunger and the inclemency of the weather from its native retreats into a baited trap. It is of a bluish gray colour, stands high, and measures three feet in length, from the nose to the tip of its tail. – Scotchmen.' (8)

Is this a normal colour for a Scottish wild cat? Seems a bit like a Kellas cat.

I have got up to about 1913 with the wild cat search and will try and bring more to you on Thursday Jan. 21st

1 Nation. May 22nd 1897
2 Freemans Journal August 24th 1838
3 Southern Star February 11th 1893
4 G.Cunningham. The Irish Wildcat Fortean Times August 2008 p.41
5 Ibid p.42
6 Southern Star July 19th 1902
7 Irish Independent October 17th 1907
8 Anglo-Celt January 10th 1856


Now Music time! Simple Minds-Sanctify Yourself

Is this the age of the thunder and rage
Can you feel the ground move `round your feet
If you take one step closer,it`ll lead to another
The crossroad above is where we meet
I shout out for shelter, I need you for something
The whole world is out,there all on the street
Control yourself,love is all you need
Control yourself,in your eyes
Sanctify yourself,sanctify
Be apart of me,sanctify
Sanctify yourself, sanctify
Sanctify yourself, set yourself free

JOEL LA ROCQUE: Pet Reptiles

Here is the first of two bloggo postings that we received, unsolicited, from Joel La Rocque, who is - I have to admit - someone I had not heard of before....

I have been working with venomous species of snakes for 40 years now and I often receive stories about unusual reptile events such as the one I just read about the tame crocodile that was ill and nursed back to health by a young boy, and they are now friends. I fail to see why it is shocking that a reptile can take up with a human.

As I sit here, I am accompanied by two copperheads sitting on my desk. They are not confined in any sense.

About six years ago I made a discovery that changed my life. I now have a number of venomous snakes, all fully functional and they are as tame as grass snakes. People come over to watch the "show" as they call it. It is no show, just one human and a whole lot of limbless friends doing what they do best; being kind to one and other.

It is written nowhere that snakes have to bite; I don't know who came up with this ridiculous theory. Felix, my northern copperhead had a section of old shed stuck over his right eye and nostril. He was fit to be tied and in distress. I had no way of helping him other than just picking him up and wetting down the dry skin and removing it with tweezers. This did cause some pain as he would jerk when I hit an area that was really stuck. We worked for the better part of two hours to get him free and he never once struck at me. I realised this and went to the other tanks. One by one I became familiar with the snakes and all have accepted me as a non-violent animal and allow me to handle them when ever I wish. That was the day I threw down my hooks and tongs for good.

I am enclosing three or four photos of snakes in the wild being examined by me. These pictures are less than twenty days old. What really gets me upset is that I wasted 34 years of my life listening to theories that came over here with Columbus; what a fool I was.

God created snakes, then man. Both have a task to accomplish while on this earth. If our paths should cross as we travel this glorious land, let us both look and wonder, then part in peace. For God has placed us here, to live in harmony and we are subject to His / Her law. So let us continue to learn and pass these truths along to the next generation. An open mind has the capacity to hold the wisdom of all the ages past; whereas a closed mind is void an empty, unable to understand or grow.

Joel La Rocque
1995