Snake Mystique

Since the beginning of recorded time, snakes have been labeled with bad reputations. Some of these ridiculous misconceptions stem from superstitions, others from religious dogmas, but the majority of these opinions are formed out of fear and ignorance of the unknown.

The only way to gain a deeper insight into the truth is to study the facts. Snakes play a very important role in our delicate ecological system, and we owe it to ourselves as dedicated sportsmen to learn more about them.

 

This coiled rattler is shaking its tail as a defense mechanism. Be forewarned that snakes can strike almost half their body length. A 4-foot snake can reach you from 2 feet away. Rattlers account for the majority of bites in the Western States.

The annual statistics in the United States for reported snake bites fluctuates between 7,000-10,000 people. The majority of victims are men, and most bites occur below the knee. Approximately 10-15 deaths are attributed to these venomous snake encounters.

Because of warmer climates, snakes in Southern states pose the greatest risk for deer hunters. Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia and Texas are among the leaders in snake reported incidents.

Large snakes are the only God-given predators with the keen ability to slither down rat-holes and other hard to reach places, and effectively control vermin such as rats and mice. It takes a snake approximately seven years of growth to reach a suitable size to be able to swallow some of the larger rodents such as these. Unfortunately, many are killed before reaching maturity by people who are oblivious to their environmental value.

 

This is a coral snake. They are easily identified by the three rings of color located on their body. The easy way to remember the color scheme is to memorize the old saying: Red touch yellow, kill a fellow. The harmless milk snake is often confused with this serpent

Snakes are cold-blooded reptiles and when the weather turns cool they seek shelter. When it freezes they go into hibernation. Most snake bites occur between the months of April and October when temperatures are relatively warm. Snakes like to lie up and hide in woodpiles, blow-downs, tall grass, rock crevices and underneath things that provide shelter.

All pit vipers can be identified by their vertical pupils, and the heat sensing pits located between their eyes and nostrils. These unique serpents are capable of detecting variances in heat from as far away as 30 feet.

When you’re walking through the forest, watch where you step, and be mindful of where you sit. If in doubt, use a solid stick to probe where you’re exploring, and pay attention at all times. Always carry a flashlight, and use it at night, because snakes like to hunt after dark.

The ability to recognize venomous snakes from harmless ones isn’t as complicated as many would think. I’ve included some detailed photos with this article, and by studying them, the average person shouldn’t have any trouble distinguishing the difference. All it takes is a little effort. I avoided using the term “poisonous snake” because this is a misnomer. There’s a distinct difference between venom and poison.

In the regions of North America where you and I pursue whitetails, there are basically four types of indigenous species to contend with: The rattlesnake family, copperheads, cottonmouths (nicknamed water moccasins) and coral snakes.

The first three serpents are classified as pit vipers and are easily identified by their vertical pupils, and the heat sensing pits located between their eyes and nostrils. These reptiles have the unique ability to sense variances in heat from as far away as 30 feet.

 

The copperhead is probably responsible for more snake bites in the southeastern U.S. than any other species. Observe the natural camouflage, how it blends in nicely with this rock. These snakes can be very hard to see when they’re mixed in with brown leaves and darker foliage.

The rattler’s territory spans the largest, and various species can be found in almost every state in the union except Alaska, Hawaii and Maine. Some of the southern provinces of Canada are also home to these snakes.

Coral snakes have round pupils. They inhabit the costal regions of the southern United States, and favor semi-tropical climates. These reptiles can be identified by the three rings of color located on their body: red, yellow, and black. The old saying, red touch yellow, kill a fellow, is an easy way to remember the color sequence. Sometimes the harmless milk snake is confused with this deadly reptile because of a similar color scheme.

There are two types of venoms and both of these pose different threats. Pit vipers have retractable fangs similar to hinges and their bites are hemotoxic, affecting the circulatory systems of their victims. Their venom has digestive enzymes, which immediately begin breaking down tissue and blood, in and around the effected areas. Because of these necrotic effects, the wounded areas often turn black after a few days.

 

This harmless black snake is one of the most effective rodent predators on earth. Observe the round pupils. It’s a shame to see one these beneficial serpents mistaken for a venomous snake and killed by a misguided person who doesn’t recognize its environmental value.

The coral snake’s venom is neurotoxic, and can affect breathing and other central nervous system functions. These serpents have small mouths with fixed fangs, making it harder for one of these reptiles to inflict its bite. They have to chew on their prey to envenom them.

Something I’d like to bring to everyone’s attention that might stir some controversy among experts like herpetologists, is information pertaining to the Mojave rattler. Recent snake bite cases in the western United States have indicated that some of these snakes are developing both hemotoxins and neurotoxins, making their bites extremely dangerous. This anomaly has baffled some of the researchers, and I thought it necessary to mention this in this article.

First aid recommendations have drastically changed over the course of time, because of good medical research. Some of the old survival manuals and hunting guides, which recommended cutting yourself and applying tourniquets, are now obsolete. These methods have been proven to cause more tissue damage and can make matters worse.

 

All pit vipers have retractable hinged fangs, which can grow up to 2 inches in length. Be aware, that approximately 20 percent of bites are dry, meaning that the snake failed to inject its venom.

Statistically, you stand a greater chance of being struck by lightning while on a hunting trip, than you do of being bitten by a venomous snake.

If you’re one of the unfortunate ones who happen to be envenomed, the authorities on the subject advise staying calm and seeking medical attention immediately. If you have a snakebite kit, the venom extractor should be applied within the first few minutes to be beneficial. Be aware that dry bites do occur in approximately 20 percent of snake strikes. A dry bite is categorized as failure to inject venom. When this happens, it’s still wise to go to the hospital and let someone qualified examine your wound.

Another word of advice, when you reach your hunting vehicle or deer camp, avoid placing ice directly on your bite. Doing this can cause more localized damage, because it impedes the venom from dissipating. A small loose constricting band placed above the bite is the final thing recommended while en-route to the hospital. Make sure that you can easily slip your fingers through whatever you use, and do not tighten it.

I know five men who have been bitten by pit vipers and all of them are still alive to tell their tales. One of these gentlemen is in his 80s, and after recovering, he’s back to work in his garden. I’ve never met anyone who’s been struck by lightning.

 

This is a young cottonmouth (water moccasin). These snakes are notorious for showing you the whites of their mouths when they assume a defensive posture

Currently, there are two antivenins available in the United States. Crotalidae is the older serum, and this treatment produced allergic reactions in approximately 20 percent of patients it was administered to. The newer and more advanced antivenin, CroFabz, uses venom from every species of venomous snakes found in the U.S., and has proven to be very effective. Less than one percent have allergic reactions. The only problem with CroFab is availability, because it’s relatively new, some hospitals might not have any on hand.

Be forewarned that a pit viper with a decapitated head can inflict a deadly bite. A tough snake’s nervous system can still function for up to 30 minutes, and some of them are still capable of perceiving and responding to stimuli. If you’re ever forced to terminate a snake’s life, then be careful, treat it with respect, and don’t make any foolish mistakes.

Maintaining a healthy snake population is just as important as maintaining and regulating a proportional deer herd. Nature does have a balance, and as good stewards we need to ensure that our children, and the generations to come can enjoy the things that we’ve all been blessed with.
  
In closing, I’d like to thank herpetologist Kelly Irwin, and wildlife rehabilitation specialist and ornithologist Tommy Young for their helpful assistance and guidance. Without their advice, some of the important details included in this article wouldn’t have been possible.

By Steven E. Stillwell

From Buckmasters

Still just a lizard

I found a blogpost that I can´t help myself from sharing with you..

“The title gets the principal objection of any creationist out of the way: yes, this population of Podarcis sicula is still made up of lizards, but they’re a different kind of lizard now. Evolution works.

Here’s the story: in 1971, scientists started an experiment. They took 5 male lizards and 5 female lizards of the species Podarcis sicula from a tiny Adriatic island called Pod Kopiste, 0.09km², and they placed them on an even tinier island, Pod Mrcaru, 0.03km², which was also inhabited by another lizard species, Podarcis melisellensis. Then a war broke out, the Croatian War of Independence, which went on and on and meant the little islands were completely neglected for 36 years, and nature took its course. When scientists finally returned to the island and looked around, they discovered that something very interesting had happened.

The original population of P. sicula was still present on Pod Kopiste, so we have a nice control population. These lizards are small, fast, insect-eaters in which the males defend territories.

Sadly, P. melisellensis on Pod Mrcaru had been extirpated. So we had a few innocent casualties of the experiment.

The transplanted P. sicula thrived and swarmed over the island of Pod Mrcaru, but they were different, and they had evolved in multiple ways.

The original P. sicula were insectivores who occasionally munched on a leaf; approximately 4-7% of their diet was vegetation. The P. sicula of Pod Mrcaru, though, had adopted a more vegetarian diet: examining their gut contents revealed that 34% of their diet was plants in the spring, climbing to 61% in the summer…and much of this diet was hard-to-digest stuff, high in cellulose. This is a fairly radical shift.

There were concomitant changes. The lizards’ skulls were wider, deeper, and longer, and they had stronger bites — a necessity for chomping off bits of tough plants, instead of soft mosquitos. Instead of chasing bugs, they’re browsing stationary plants, and their legs are shorter and they are slower. Population densities are higher. The Pod Mrcaru lizards no longer seem to defend territories, so there have been behavioral changes.

Still just a lizard, I know.

Now here’s something really cool, though: these lizards have evolved cecal valves. What those are are muscular ridges in the gut that allow the animal to close off sections of the tube to slow the progress of food through them, and to act as fermentation chambers where plant material can be broken down by commensal organisms like bacteria and nematodes — and the guts of Pod Mrcaru P. sicula are swarming with nematodes not found in the guts of their Pod Kopiste cousins.

Here’s a photo (how could I resist an opportunity to show some lizard guts?). The top ones may be a little difficult to interpret; what they’ve done is slit open the tube of the gut, and then use some pins to hold the tube open so you can see the little ridge or flap that rings the interior.

The cecal valves are an evolutionary novelty, a brand new feature not present in the ancestral population and newly evolved in these lizards. That’s important. This is more than a simple quantitative change, but is actually an observed qualitative change in a population, the appearance of a new morphological structure.

Evolution created something new, and it did it quickly (about 30 generations), and the appearance was documented. It’s still just a lizard, but we expected nothing else — and it’s now a lizard with novel adaptations for herbivory.”

From Pharyngula`s blog.

Chameleons are dying out

Chameleons or Girgits — a term often used to define politicians — are fast becoming an endangered species in the country. Zeylanicus (Chameleon) is the only lizard family that originally belongs to Pakistan and India. Several years ago, the entire green belt of Thar in Sindh was their natural habitat but now these rare species can only be found in Nagar Parkar, owing to the greenery there.

Recently Dr Theodore, a Professor at the California University, visited the Sindh government-run, Rann of Kutch Wildlife Sanctuary (Nagar Parkar) for the second time and collected some specimens for research purposes. The foreign expert’s visit was arranged jointly by the Zoological Survey Department (ZSD) of Pakistan and the Sindh Wildlife Department (SWD) officials.

Dr Theodore is conducting a research in order to find any similarities between the rare lizard specie population residing in the Indian and Pakistani wildlife sanctuaries. He is expected to come again in July this year for acquiring further information about the specie.

With 70-80 million years of evolution and some of the most grotesque physical characteristics, the chameleon is doubtlessly one of the most intriguing lizards. Like most of its relatives, it dwells exclusively in trees and thickets.

These species are able to change their skin colour, which is an expression of the physical and physiological condition of the lizard. Different chameleon species are able to change colours which include pink, blue, red, orange, green, black, brown and yellow, which is why they are able to blend into their surroundings. However, recent research has indicated that chameleons may also change their colour as a method of communication, including making themselves more attractive to potential mates.

Syed Shamim Fakhri, a field observer of the Zoological Survey Department, said that the chameleon changes colours to protect itself. It prefers to live at the top of a tree. He rejects the notion that it is poisonous and added that it is a friendly animal but can not survive in a different environment. It eats particular insects in the wild. Fakhri also claimed that the chameleon is only present in the Sindh province.

Not only government-run zoos, but also private individuals also keep chameleons as pets. Local people are hunting down or capturing these endangered species which has become a lucrative business, therefore violating many international laws.

More than 160 kinds of chameleon species are at present, arranged in nine genera and are mostly oviparous, and some are ovoviviparous. The oviparous species lay eggs after a 3-6 week gestation period. The female digs a hole in the ground, anywhere from 4-12 inches (10-30cm) deep depending on the species. The female turns herself around at the bottom of the hole and deposits her eggs. Once finished, the female buries the eggs and leaves the nesting site. Clutch sizes vary greatly with species.

Though Pakistan is a signatory of international laws about the export of endangered species and their hunting, still various species have been under threat due to a lack of implementation of certain laws.

Despite the fact that the ZSD and SWD have experts but due to the lack of funds in the relevant departments, they are unable to conduct adequate research.

From The News

Had a quick look in the bushes..

Just to see if I could find any Common vipers / adders. And I did. Here´s a couple of pic´s..

OUTDOORS: Snake are important members of the community

Not all encounters with wildlife are pleasant for hunters and anglers. They get stung by yellow jackets, munched on by mosquitoes, bitten by ticks and occasionally attacked by large predators like cougars, grizzly bears and sharks.

But most save a special dose of fear and loathing for snakes, particularly in spring when snakes are more active at the times people are in the woods or on the water. Stephen Secor, an associate professor of biological sciences at the University of Alabama, believes there’s no real reason for that.

‘Snakes don’t want to be found,’ Secor said. ‘People undoubtedly walk by snakes they never see. A person walks by and they’re not going to do anything. To them, a person is a predator and they want to remain camouflaged.’

That reveals pretty good common sense in snakes. Most snakes that bite people die because the person bitten or someone with them usually shoots or clubs it immediately.

On the other hand, few people bitten by snakes die. Health statistics indicate about 7,000 to 8,000 people a year suffer snake bites. That’s a pretty small number considering the millions of hunters, hikers, anglers, farmers, foresters and loggers who slog around in prime snake habitat every day.

A large percentage of those bitten were handling or harassing the snake when bitten. And only about 15 people die from snake bites annually.

It may be their secretive nature that gives the reptiles their bad reputation. For people who aren’t handling a snake, the bite comes as a complete surprise. They view the snake as the aggressor since they meant it no harm.

But snakes bite as a last ditch defense mechanism, Secor said.

‘These are extremely docile animals,’ Secor said.

‘People don’t think about snakes being docile animals. For an animal in the wild that could potentially do harm to you very few ever do.’

Snakes tolerate human handling better than most wild creatures. An experienced person can frequently pick up and handle a completely wild snake without it reacting in alarm.

‘Go out there and grab a squirrel and see what he does to you,’ Secor chuckled.

Secor doesn’t advocate untrained people picking up snakes; in fact, he discourages it. That’s because some can do humans harm. But he notes that there’s no such thing as a ‘poisonous’ snake.

‘They’re not poisonous,’ Secor said. ‘They are venomous. A mushroom is poisonous. Something that is venomous has a delivery system that injects something into you.’

It may sound like a small distinction to someone who fears snake bite. But Secor believes it’s only the beginning of the lack of understanding most people have of snakes.

‘If you see one, all you have to do is back up a couple of feet,’ Secor said. ‘They can’t come after you. They’re heavy-bodied snakes and can’t move very fast. They can’t strike very far.’

West Alabama has three types of venomous snakes and all three belong to a grouping known as pit vipers. Copperheads, cottonmouth water moccasins and timber rattlesnakes or canebrake rattlers inhabit the region.

Of the three, timber rattler bites are the most dangerous to humans because of the snake’s size and the toxicity of the venom. The snake’s size is relevant because it governs how much venom the snake can inject. Copperhead bites are the least dangerous to humans with water moccasin bites falling in between.

All three have similar venom. It is a mixture of enzymes which destroys tissue, Secor said. When a human is bitten, the tissue around the bite can die. The body’s reaction to the venom is swelling, which can be painful.

About half of all bites are ‘dry bites’ in which the snake injects no venom. And Secor recommends against field treatment, particularly cutting the wound. Victims should head for the hospital.

A good pair of boots is probably the best defense against snake bite, he said.

‘They’re not going to have the power to penetrate through a leather boot, except maybe in a weak spot or a seam,’ he said.

Defensive bites are not meant to penetrate deeply, Secor said. When a snake bites prey, it wants to sink its teeth in, hold on and inject venom. When it’s defending itself, the snake wants to withdraw its teeth quickly and prepare to strike again.

Copperheads are the most common and live in woodlands and scrub, Secor said. They are generally small snakes of two feet or less with a colorful skin pattern that provides excellent camouflage in the woods.

Copperheads become active during the day at this time of year as things are warming up. During the heat of summer, they reserve most of their activity for night.

Feeding on small rodents like mice and chipmunks, copperheads lay in wait to ambush their prey, Secor said.

‘They’re very well camouflaged in that dead leaf litter,’ Secor said. ‘That matches up very well with the markings on them.’

There is little people can do to avoid copperheads since their location in the woods would appear random to people. But they are usually staking out rodent trails that they’ve scented with their tongues.

All people can do is use common sense precautions like watching where they step. Secor said copperheads aren’t very aggressive.

‘I bet many have been stepped on without even responding,’ he said.

Water moccasins are found wherever there is woody cover along the bank of a body of water. While moccasins are snakes found in water, not all snakes found in water are moccasins. A variety of non-venomous water snakes live in this area and virtually all of the snakes found in water without surrounding woody cover, such as catfish and farm ponds, are not moccasins, Secor said.

Unlike water snakes, which live almost exclusively on fish and amphibians, Moccasins will eat just about anything they can swallow, including rodents, birds and other snakes.

Their color, ranging from almost bronze to very dark, varies with age and the region where they live, Secor said. They typically swim with more of their body out of the water than a water snake.

Anglers are sometimes alarmed by moccasins swimming toward their boats. Secor said that isn’t an attempt to attack people. The snake sees the boat as a piece of dry land it can crawl up on.

Again, common sense will help avoid bites from cottonmouths. Secor recommends against stepping into or reaching into areas in wooded cover around water without looking first.

Timber rattlers are found in much the same habitat as copperheads, preferring hilly woodlands. They’re frequently found on hillsides with southern exposure because they warm up faster.

Timber rattlers have a huge range, stretching from New England to Florida. The largest ever recorded was 6 feet, two inches but most never exceed five feet in length.

Feeding on larger rodents, squirrels and even rabbits, timber rattlers also lie in ambush for their prey, Secor said. Their distinctive rattling serves as a warning that should help people avoid bites. But like copperheads, their location may appear random to people.

Timber rattlers have a habit few people are aware of, Secor said. They climb up to 20 feet up into trees, which could provide a hunter climbing into a tree stand with an unpleasant surprise.

Secor argues against killing snakes, even the venomous varieties.

‘These are one of the master controllers of the rodent population,’ Secor said. ‘They’re part of the ecosystem. They’re important members of the community.’

From Toscaloosa news.

Scientists find first lungless frog

Researchers working in Borneo have discovered the only known frog with no lungs, the team reported Monday.

National University of Singapore biologist David Bickford, the lead researcher, said in a release that the frog, Barbourula kalimantanensis, has an “amazing ability to breathe entirely through its skin.”

The tiny frog, measuring less than 40 mm and weighing 6.5 grams, was found in western Kalimantan, Indonesia, in August by researchers employing new search methods. 

It lives in cold, rushing water and is so rare that the only previous evidence of the species was reported 30 years ago.

The researchers said the frog receives all necessary oxygen through its skin. Among four-legged creatures, only amphibians are known to breathe without lungs — previously only in two families of salamanders and a species of caecillian, a limbless amphibian.

Bickford said it was a “shock” to discover that the species did not have lungs.

“When we did [find the frog] and I was doing the initial dissections — right there in the field — I have to say that I was very skeptical at first,” Bickford said in a release. “It just did not seem possible. We were all shocked when it turned out to be true.”

The researchers hypothesized that the frog may have evolved without lungs, or lost its lungs, in adaptation to the high-oxygen environment of its habitat and the species’ preference to sink, rather than float, which would have been hindered by lungs full of oxygen.

They noted that deforestation and illegal gold mining in the area is threatening both the species and further research into its reproduction, feeding and life. Further studies “may be hampered by the species’ rarity and endangerment. We strongly encourage conservation of remaining habitats of this species,” they said.

The researchers said they tried to be as non-invasive as possible, dissecting only four specimens completely and four partially to confirm the lack of lungs.

The findings are published in the April 8 edition of the journal Current Biology.

From CBC

Rare Toad Spotted Locally

Updated Tuesday, 1pm: THERE was a rare sighting of the European Smiling Toad (Bufo-Wusso) in Middle Rasen this morning, Tuesday.

It was spotted by a group of early risers fishing in the River Rase.

One of them ran home to fetch his father, keen photographer Clem Rassall, who took this close up shot.

By noon it has slunk back into its hole.

The toad is similar in appearance to the UK common toad, Bufo-Bufo, but has a strange, almost human mouth.

It is believed that local holidaymakers returning from the continent, brought it back with them but were put off by its rather pungent smell and released it back in the wild.

It hopped back in the bushes shortly after the picture was taken and expert Olaf Priol said that it was sadly, not expected to survive beyond noon without a mate.

If you h ave seen anything equally rarified, drop us a line as Malc Sellars did with this story.

From Market Rasen Today

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

Return of the native

Click to enlarge
Let me in! A mountain biker snapped this rare Wellington green gecko on the outside of the Karori Sanctuary fence. Green geckos haven’t been recorded in the area since the late 70s. Photo by Daniel Coe

Click to enlarge
Wellington Green Gecko by Tom Lynch

An elusive Wellingtonian has made a surprise re-appearance after an absence of nearly 30 years.

Once widespread throughout the Region, the Wellington green gecko has been in gradual decline for many years due to habitat loss and predation. Although reports from the capital are not unheard of, most sightings come from outside of the city. The last reliable sighting in Karori was nearly 30 years ago. Surveys by herpetologists since 2003 have recorded six lizard species in the Sanctuary but the green gecko was notably absent.

‘When I saw the photo of a green gecko on the Sanctuary fence, it really made my day’ said Sanctuary conservation scientist Raewyn Empson.

‘If they have survived outside the fence, then there is every chance there is still a population living inside the Sanctuary too. We have never ruled out the possibility, but searches to date have been unsuccessful. Now at least we know where to start looking.’

Despite their showy colouring, green geckos are notoriously hard to ’spot. To help visitors know what to look out for, Karori Sanctuary recently got funding from the New Zealand Community Trust to create a green gecko enclosure as part of their display on native lizards.

‘It’s great to give our visitors the opportunity to see these animals close up’ says Ms Empson

‘You’re doing well if you see all six – it really makes you appreciate how well-camouflaged they are. We hope that once visitors know what they’re looking for, people will start finding them out in the valley.’

All New Zealand lizards are legally protected, but under threat from habitat destruction and predators. The good news is it’s not hard to help them out by making your backyard more lizard-friendly. Here are a few pointers:

1. Make hiding places out of rock heaps, or make a lizard shelter.

2. Plant native grasses to attract delicious insects or dense native shrubs like Coprosma spp, whose berries lizards also like to eat.

3. Control mice and rats in your backyard by trapping them.

4. Cats are significant predators of lizards. Look at the Department of Conservation’s website for their responsible cat ownership recommendations.

5. Report all gecko sightings to the nearest DOC office.

6. Check out the new lizard display at Karori Sanctuary or contact your local DOC office for more ideas!

More information on native geckos:

o There are at least 39 species of gecko in New Zealand

o The Wellington green gecko (Naultinus elegans punctatus) is endemic to New Zealand

o It is found only in the southern half of the North Island

o It is larger and greener than the closely-related Auckland green gecko (Naultinus elegans elegans) which lives in the north of the North Island

o Geckos are the only lizards that are able to vocalise. New Zealand geckos produce a chirping sound.

o Geckos have ‘sticky’ feet: their toes are covered with microscopic hairs that allow them to climb sheer surfaces and even walk upside down across the ceiling. They are one of the few land animals that could make it over the Sanctuary’s fence!

o New Zealand geckos are unusual in that they give birth to live young rather than laying eggs; the only other geckos that do this live in New Caledonia.

From Scoop

Snake-eat-snake: endangered pythons wipeout

Endangered snakes reintroduced to a conservation zone near Roxby Downs in outback South Australia have been virtually wiped out in a short time.

Adelaide Zoo and the Arid Recovery Group introduced nine woma pythons into the area late last year.

John Read from Arid Recovery says only one of the womas is still alive - the others have been hunted and eaten by king brown snakes.

From ABC News

He says it was wrongly thought the woma pythons would prey on other snakes.

“So I guess in hindsight given that the king browns we get here are 1.5 getting on towards 2.5 metres in length, I guess it’s not surprising that they would take the occasional woma that is smaller than them,” he said.

Only one endangered woma python remains in a conservation area in outback SA.

Mr Read says the outcome is disappointing but not a total loss.

“This is one of the first times ever that captive bred snakes have been released in the wild and we weren’t sure whether snakes that had spent five years feeding on frozen white mice would know how to recognise how to hunt and eat wild food,” he said.

“Well at least four of our pythons definitely have done that.”