Breeders’ Expo Europe

 

The idea for the Breeders’ Expo Europe was born from lots of stimulation from herpers from Germany and around Europe. The fair concept reflects these suggestions in four main issues:• sufficient room for animals and people
• comfortable room climate
• user-oriented organization/reservation
• a real meeting point for herpers in EuropeThe A2 Forum in Rheda-Wiedenbrück provides ideal conditions to put these ideas into action. The modern event centre integrates enough exhibition area plus other facilities and is located directly at the A2 highway in Germany, right in the heart of Europe. The fair concept includes a market place, an attractive program of lectures as well as quiet areas.
You can see our approach in the event’s logo: The BEE shall be a ‘friendly place’ allowing people to meet and exchange with their friends or business partners having a coffee or a good beer.

Facilities and equipment of the A2 Forum allow the chance to adapt to increasing needs step by step – providing room for more stands or the integration of additional program items. We are currently working on a convention for the friends of poison dart frogs, more cooperations are expected to come. Do you have an interesting idea or is your group of herpers looking for an opportunity to meet and exchange at a central European meeting place? Contact us, flexibility is part of the agenda.

By the way: This principle guides us through the organization of the whole event. For example we will separate exhibitors offering live rats or mice into an extra room to optimize the quality of air in all the other areas. A really good ventilation is standard at the A2 Forum anyway. Another plus: You can book your stands for the next expo on the day of the event. There’s no need to hassle because there’s enough room and stands for everybody. This will help especially our foreign exhibitors to reduce effort and costs alike. We strive to make your visit to the BEE as comfortable as possible and help you with every possible challenge. If we fail in some parts during the first expo your positive input will help us to improve the second time. You can leave your suggestions in writing at the information desk on the day of the event or by e-mail. The service personnel reflects exactly this approach: How can we help you to make you love to come back?

Of course an attractive event needs an attractive supply and demand alike. We are working on both aspects with full intensity and are very pleased having received bookings of a number of well known breeders from Germany and foreign countries at this early stage. You will find a list of exhibitors including their stand numbers beginning with February 2008 under Downloads.

Have you always wanted a real meeting place for you hobby? Then don’t look any further but arrange to meet with your friends at the BEE and make use of our offer. Do you have important questions not covered by the FAQ? Please ask. Do you like to link to the BEE from your web site? Under Downloads you will find the copyright-protected logo of the BEE meant to be used for exactly this purpose.

Time Author Topic
11.30 hours Karsten Wöllner Thinking big – a life with retic pythons (German, questions in English possible) http://www.breeders-expo.de/home-E/lectures-E/retics-E.html13.00 hours Jason Wagner (USA) & Christian Langner Abronia – jewels of the cloud forest (English + German) http://www.breeders-expo.de/home-E/lectures-E/abronia-E.html14.30 hours Lars Fehlandt Ranitomeya imitator, the frog with the “mask” (German, questions in English possible) http://www.breeders-expo.de/home-E/lectures-E/ranitomeya-E.html 15.30 hours Peter Nowark Practice workshop: arranging and equipping a terrarium for poison-dart frogs (German, questions in English possible) http://www.breeders-expo.de/home-E/lectures-E/workshop-E.html16.45 hours Thorsten Mahn Oophaga pumilio – differences between habitat and husbandry (German, questions in English possible) http://www.breeders-expo.de/home-E/lectures-E/oophaga-E.html

No venomous at the Terraristika in Hamm, Germany.

The person behind the Terraristika-show in Hamm (Germany), Mr. Frank Izaber, announced on the 28/3 2008 that they would not accept venomous snakes at the show anymore.

In English this means that Mr. Izaber thinks that there is no manageable legal regulations, making this difficult for him to keep the venomous room he have had at the show before. He also supports the demand of the Federal association for professional nature and protection of species (BNA), witch aim at a federally uniform regulation, with permits a holding of such animals only for adept specialists with special permission.

Below is he´s words in German, taken from the website.

Giftschlangen nicht mehr im Börsenangebot

Pressemitteilung vom 28.03.2008Die dreimal jährlich stattfindende größte europäische Reptilienbörse in Hamm wird zukünftig auf das Anbieten von Giftschlangen verzichten. Frank Izaber, Börsenveranstalter der Reptilienbörse, begründet seinen Entschluss damit, dass es keine handhabbare gesetzliche Regelung gibt. Izaber unterstützt die Forderung des Bundesverbandes für fachgerechten Natur- und Artenschutz (BNA), der eine bundeseinheitliche Regelung anstrebt, die ein Halten solcher Tiere nur für sachkundige Spezialisten mit besonderer Genehmigung erlaubt. Mit dem freiwilligen Verzicht möchte Izaber einen Beitrag zur Sicherheit bei der Abgabe und Haltung von Giftschlangen leisten und die dringend benötigte bundeseinheitliche Regelung anmahnen.

RATTLERS, PEEPERS, & SNAPPERS; Discovering New England’s Amphibians and Reptiles

Rattlers, Peepers and Snappers; Discovering New England’s Amphibians & Reptiles, is a new DVD scheduled for release in June of 2008. This interactive DVD is designed for anyone who wants to learn about herpetology, natural history, or any of the 53 fascinating amphibians and reptiles in our own backyard of New England.

Vince Franke, of Peregrine Productions, has collaborated with Herpetologist Jim Andrews, of Middlebury College, to produce an impressive DVD that includes: two separate ½ hour educational programs (Amphibians of New England and Reptiles of New England), 53 individual species accounts, field adventures with experts, and quizzes to test your listening and ID skills.

For the past 3 years Vince has traveled all over New England to get close-up action footage of every amphibian and reptile species found in the region. He has met with over 30 herpetologists, ecologists, and naturalists, to develop this DVD and be able to share the lessons and information of these fascinating creatures. “I want to excite people about the wildlife we have in our own backyards” says Vince Franke.

The DVD will be available for purchase from www.peregrineproductions.com. Please email vince@peregrineproductions.com to be notified via email when the DVD is available.

The two educational programs incorporate a series of field trips with local experts from across New England as well as highlighting current research projects with University graduate students from the University of Maine, the University of Massachusetts, Berkshire Community College, and the University of Connecticut. Topics include the identification, natural history, and conservation of all the snakes, turtles, lizards, frogs, and salamanders of New England.

Using the latest video equipment and lenses, Vince gets some impressive close-up action footage of all of our local species. I think you will agree that seeing these beautiful creatures moving through their natural environment is much more effective as a learning tool than still photos or plates.

The DVD is geared for a wide variety of uses and viewers. The easily navigated menus allow a viewer to watch a program in its entirety, to play individual six-minute field trips, or to bounce around the species accounts to see and learn about individual species, their field marks, habitat uses, and ecology. The material and organization is flexible and comprehensive enough to fit into the lesson plans of educators at all levels. It also could be loaded onto a small hand-held computer and used as a field guide. The fascinating variety of species captured in the video is sure to inspire viewers and broaden their understanding of our reptile and amphibian neighbors.

AMPHIBIAN ADVENTURES

REPTILE ADVENTURES

-Spring Migration -Stream Salamanders -Amphibian Road Crossings -Night Time Road Search -Vernal Pools -Wood Frog Research

-Looking For Copperheads -Finding Worm Snakes -Skinks and Snakes -North American Racer Project -Fall Migration -Finding Timber Rattlesnakes -Box Turtle Research -Turtle Tunnels -Nesting Turtles

From Peregrine Productions

Hundreds Of Bottles Of Booze With A Ten Inch Rattlesnake In Each Bottle Seized In Palo Pinto

Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission agents seized 411 bottles of illegal hooch Thursday at Bayou Bob’s Brazos River Rattlesnake Ranch in Palo Pinto County.

But it wasn’t your typical variety of moonshine: the bottles of vodka also contained 10-inch rattlesnakes.

“In my 20 years with the TABC, I’ve never seen anything like it,” Sgt. Charlie Cloud said Friday.

Bob Popplewell, the owner of Bayou Bob’s, did not return messages left on his voicemail at his snake farm near Santo in Palo Pinto County.

TABC officials said they plan to file charges next week for the sale of alcohol without a permit and possession of alcohol with the intent to sell. Penalties for those charges include up to a year in the county jail and fines up to $1,000 upon conviction.

Popplewell received widespread attention last year when Texas wildlife officials decided to tighten regulations for the collection of turtles. He is believed to be largest buyer of turtles in the state.

He testified before Texas Parks and Wildlife commissioners that he shipped 12,000 turtles out of state in 2006 and another 30,000 in 2005. Popplewell said that most of the turtles are shipped to Asia where they are considered a delicacy.

There was no evidence that Popplewell was shipping the snake-infused alcohol from his business but Cloud said the investigation is ongoing.

“I found it hard to believe he has 411 bottles going out of his store at any given time,” Cloud said.

TABC officials said alcohol containing snakes or scorpions is popular in Asian cultures. An Internet search found operations selling Thai scorpion vodka, cobra whiskey, giant centipede whiskey, herbal gecko lizard wine and Mekong River eel wine.

“It’s very bizarre,” Cloud said. “We learned that these are believed to contain aphrodisiac properties. We heard that some people believe having a venomous animal creates hallucinations.”

TABC agents received a tip several weeks ago and sent an undercover agent to the rattlesnake ranch to purchase the vodka. It wasn’t on display.

“We had to go in and ask for it,” Cloud said.

From Star-Telegram

Harlequin Frog Rediscovered In Remote Region Of Colombia

After 14 years without having been seen, several young scientists supported by the Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP), have rediscovered the Carrikeri Harlequin Frog (Atelopus carrikeri) in a remote mountainous region in Colombia.

The critically endangered Carrikeri Harelquin frog was recently rediscovered by the Project Atelopus team in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta Mountains in Colombia’s Magdalena department. Colombia is one of the world’s richest countries in amphibian diversity with more than 583 species. Unfortunately, in the past several years, there has been a decline in amphibian populations especially in higher elevations in Colombia.

The Carrikeri Harelquin frog is native to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta Mountains in Colombia’s Magdalena province. The frog lives in the páramo habitat at an attitude of 4,000 meters and is approximately five centimeters in size.

This population is unique since it possesses orange markings, which are unusual for this species. Páramo is a neotropical grassland ecosystem located in high elevations between the upper forest line (about 3,100 meters in altitude) and the permanent snow line (about 5,000 meters). Nearly 57 percent of this ecosystem worldwide is found in Colombia.

“By discovering that the endangered frog still exists, we hope it will show how important conservation is,” said Luis Alberto Rueda, scientist for the Project Atelopus team who led the expedition. “And we plan to continue with our research so that we can better assist in helping to ensure that this frog will not become extinct.”

In addition to Rueda, who is part of the GECOH (Grupo de Ecofisiología, Comportamiento y Herpetologia) of the University of the Andes, the individuals who are part of the Atelopus team of scientist include: Oswaldo Cortes, Giovanni Chaves, Erika Salazar, Jose Gil, Sergio Pulido, Astrid Nossa, Fabian Tavera, Jenny Gallo, Ximena Villagrán and Nidia Rodriguez members of the Ecodiversidad Colombia Foundation.

The CLP, formerly known as the BP Conservation Programme, supports the vital work of a new rising generation of conservation professionals who are helping to drive practical projects addressing a wide range of global environmental issues from protecting sharks in Brazil to conservation of threatened amphibians in Colombia and endangered turtles in Cambodia to the assessment and conservation of threatened bird species in China.

Adapted from materials provided by The Conservation Leadership Programme.

From Science Daily

Snake laws can be squirmy

Owners of pet snakes don’t expect a lot of sympathy from outsiders. So when headlines like “Feds move to ban pythons and boas” started to show up on message boards and blogs, the hobbyist community caught fire. Hundreds rushed to post messages decrying the possibility of adding pythons and boas to the list of species that it’s illegal to import or transport between states.

Snakes are more popular pets than you might believe. An estimated 4.8 million American households own one or more pet reptiles, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association.

Although some special expertise is needed, the care of snakes is not time consuming, and for many who are fascinated by them, it’s hard to stop at just one. Some species are even bred for special colors and patterns, like more familiar pets.

The Fish and Wildlife Service says it is just gathering information about which species might be of environmental concern at the moment, and what the economic impacts might be. No new rules have been proposed. The agency is accepting public comments until April 30, and if any new species end up being proposed to add to the regulated list, there will be another comment period at that point.

The inquiry began after Florida began coping with a growing number of released Burmese pythons.

Snake expert David Barker of Texas, says that these snakes, which can grow to 20 feet long and over 200 pounds, are valuable when they’re small and when very large. But in between, at about 8-10 feet in length, owners often find that they’ve become a handful, and are unable to sell them.

“They get irritable - they’re teenagers,” he says. “You can’t get rid of one, you can’t give it away.”

This can lead irresponsible owners to release their pet into the wild.

Linda Friar of Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Park says the problem there has been increasing: in 1993, they found only about 27 of these snakes, but in 2007 the number was 250, and the educated guess is that “for every one we find, they are 10 more.”

Officials are concerned about possible effects of these snakes on native species.

Snake enthusiasts like Barker, author of two books and numerous scientific articles, don’t discount environmental issues. In fact, he says he chose to focus on ball pythons back in the 1970s because he expected that they’d eventually need protection by captive breeding.

But it’s somewhat understandable that snake owners react strongly to the threat of legislation, given the confusing patchwork of widely varying local and state laws that affect them. For example, conservation regulations in some states ban the keeping of native species– even individuals bred in captivity– to protect them from being collected from the wild. This worthy goal means it can be illegal to own, for example, a corn snake, which is a good first pet snake for children.

Reptiles may also fall under laws regulating dangerous animals, wildlife, or exotic pets, which may ban or require permits for certain species. The logic behind behind the laws doesn’t always make sense to snake enthusiasts.

For example, the city of Baltimore bans any snake longer than 5 feet. But there are 5-foot long snakes that are not much thicker than your thumb, and are unlikely to endanger anything bigger than a mouse. And Delaware currently requires a permit for any non-native species of reptile, no matter how small and inoffensive.

Regulating snakes as “wildlife” also raises the question of how long an animal must be bred in captivity before it is no longer considered wild. Barker argues that his ball pythons now essentially domesticated: “They’re selected for their ease of feeding, their temperaments. They’re been bred in captivity for 10 generations.”

Of course, domestication doesn’t mean no regulation - after all, in most places you have to license and vaccinate your dogs. Barker points approvingly to Florida’s approach: new laws require the giant species of snakes to be microchipped so that, if released, the owner can be identified and penalized.

Florida legislation also treats captive-bred varieties differently in one case: regulations on red-eared slider turtles have an exception for those that have been bred in special colors.

But hobbyists are passionate in their defense of the rewards of keeping snakes - and the freedom for responsible owners to make their own choice about which animals share their lives. As one poster to the government Web site put it, “Not everyone is a puppy, kitten sort of person.”

From oc register

Lizard’s DNA evolves quickly

 New DNA research has questioned previous notions about the evolution of the tuatara.

In a study of New Zealand’s “living dinosaur” the tuatara, evolutionary biologist Professor David Lambert and a team from the Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution recovered DNA sequences from the bones of ancient tuatara up to 8000 years old.  They found that although tuatara have remained largely physically unchanged over very long periods of evolution, at a DNA level they are evolving faster than any other animal yet examined. The research has been published in the prestigious international journal Trends in Genetics and features on the cover of the issue.

“What we found is that the tuatara has the highest molecular evolutionary rate that anyone has measured,” Professor Lambert says.

The rate of evolution for Adélie penguins, which Professor Lambert and his team have studied in the Antarctic for many years, is slightly slower than that of the tuatara. The tuatara rate is significantly faster than for animals including the cave bear, lion, ox and horse.

“Of course we would have expected that the tuatara, which does everything slowly – they grow slowly, reproduce slowly and have a very slow metabolism – would have evolved slowly. In fact, at the DNA level, they evolve extremely quickly, which supports a hypothesis proposed by the evolutionary biologist Allan Wilson, who suggested that the rate of molecular evolution was uncoupled from the rate of morphological evolution.”

Allan Wilson, who died of leukaemia in 1991, was a pioneer of molecular evolution. His ideas were controversial when introduced 40 years ago, but this new research supports them.

Professor Lambert says the finding will be helpful in terms of future study and conservation of the tuatara, and the team now hopes to extend the work to look at the evolution of other animal species.

“We want to go on and measure the rate of molecular evolution for humans, as well as doing more work with moa and Antarctic fish, to see if rates of DNA change are uncoupled in these species. There are human mummies in the Andes and some very good samples in Siberia where we have some collaborators, so we are hopeful we will be able to measure the rate of human evolution in these too.”

The tuatara, Sphendon punctatus, is found only in New Zealand and is the only surviving member of a distinct reptilian order, Sphehodontia, that lived alongside early dinosaurs and separated from other reptiles 200 million years ago in the Upper Triassic period.

From Science alert

All my animals are up..

.. from hibernation now.

I have started to feed a little, taking it slow in the beginning as I don´t want them to die or returigate from overfeeding.

Hoping to breed:

Vipera a. ammodytes “Morph”: Zokadelic

Vipera a. ammodytes, Yellow

Vipera renardi

Timon lepidus

Hyla arborea