Newsletter, feeding snakes and South Africa
None of these seem related at all but they are. I just published the latest Keeping Reptiles newsletter and included in it was an article called "What do I do when my snake won't eat". There was also a nice article on reptile genetics that explained in simple terms the genetics behind breeding reptiles for different morphs. This also included a glossary of herp genetic terms and I thought it was a pretty good article. Part 2 will be published next edition.
Another article was developments in South Africa's herp keeping laws. They have proposed legislation that outlaws the keeping of many herps due to concerns about invasive species. The list is quite extensive and realistically restrict them to indigenous species. This is a difficult issue.
On one hand I have sympathy with the keepers of these herps who almost universally are responsible, keeping them housed and secured appropriately. It seems that many of them will now have to kill the animals as they cannot even transport them to other destinations. The number that escape is minimal and the probability that they will meet another escapee of the same species is quite remote.
I can also sympathize with the government position. If there is an accident and a potentially harmful species does take hold, that has no natural predators, the result could be devastating to some local species.
I live in a country that has suffered dreadfully from invasive species such as the cane toad, which kills many native animals, particularly reptiles and birds and now ranges across vast areas of the country with no indication of stopping. Other introduced species like rabbit, fox, northern sea star, crown of thorns and water buffalo to name a few of the animals that have significant impacts on the local fauna and flora. When they do take hold they are almost impossible to eradicate.
The roaches still continue to give me grief. I had about a dozen shoot out today and it took me ten minutes to round them up. The dragon gets good exercise at least. The snakes are also out and about, telling me they want food as the weather warms up.
Another article was developments in South Africa's herp keeping laws. They have proposed legislation that outlaws the keeping of many herps due to concerns about invasive species. The list is quite extensive and realistically restrict them to indigenous species. This is a difficult issue.
On one hand I have sympathy with the keepers of these herps who almost universally are responsible, keeping them housed and secured appropriately. It seems that many of them will now have to kill the animals as they cannot even transport them to other destinations. The number that escape is minimal and the probability that they will meet another escapee of the same species is quite remote.
I can also sympathize with the government position. If there is an accident and a potentially harmful species does take hold, that has no natural predators, the result could be devastating to some local species.
I live in a country that has suffered dreadfully from invasive species such as the cane toad, which kills many native animals, particularly reptiles and birds and now ranges across vast areas of the country with no indication of stopping. Other introduced species like rabbit, fox, northern sea star, crown of thorns and water buffalo to name a few of the animals that have significant impacts on the local fauna and flora. When they do take hold they are almost impossible to eradicate.
The roaches still continue to give me grief. I had about a dozen shoot out today and it took me ten minutes to round them up. The dragon gets good exercise at least. The snakes are also out and about, telling me they want food as the weather warms up.
posted by Mark Chapple at 1:09 AM
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