HELP HERPDIGEST SURVIVE!!

Taken from a letter from “HerpDigest“, the Only Free Electronic Newsletter
Reporting On The Latest News on
Reptile and Amphibian Science and Conservation.

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“FOR EVERY $6.00 DONATION WE WILL SEND YOU A BEAUTIFUL MAGNET OF YOUR CHOICE.

BEAUTIFUL LIFELIKE ART MAGNETS. (Half of these were never offered before)

MINIMUM DONATION $24.00 -THREE MAGNETS

BUT DON’T STOP THERE ORDER 6 MAGNETS, 8 MAGNETS, 10 OR MORE.

BUY THREE OF ONE, OR 3 DIFFERENT ONES. BUT PLEASE AMOUNT IS LIMITED INCLUDE AT LEAST TWO ALTERNATIVES IN CASE WE RUN OUT.

If you would like to see how a specific one looks like, I will send a jpg directly to you.
All are reproductions of full color line drawings, rectangular, 2.5″ x 3.5″ with a metal shell, mylar/UV protecting cover and flat magnetic back. Brand New.

REMEMBER FREE SHIPPING, DON’T STOP AT 3, AND ALWAYS SUPPLY TWO ALTERNATIVES.

ORDER NOW

THE MAGNETS

TURTLES:
Blanding’s Turtle
Eastern Box Turtle
Ornate Box Turtle
Three-toed Box Turtle
Ornate Diamondback Terrapin
Eastern Painted Turtle
Western Painted Turtle
Southern Painted Turtle
Wood Turtle
Western Pond Turtle
Red-eared Slider
Chinese Box Turtle (Curoa flavomarginata)
Alligator Snapping Turtle
Florida Cooter
Matamata Turtle
Spotted Turtle

TORTOISES:
Galapagos Tortoise
Aldabra Tortoise
African Spurred Tortoise
Leopard Tortoise
Radiated Tortoise
Gopher Tortoise
Red-Footed Tortoise
Desert Tortoise
Indian Star Tortoise

SEA TURTLES:
Green Sea Turtle
Leatherback Sea Turtle
Hawksbill Sea Turtle

SNAKES:
Corn Snake
Emerald Boa
Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
Mountain Kingsnake
California Kingsnake
Burmese Python
Brazilian Rainbow Boa

AMERICAN ALLIGATOR

LIZARDS:
Texas Horned Lizard
Panther Chameleon
Jackson’s Chameleon
Green Iguana
Collared Lizard
Bearded Dragon
Coastal Horned Lizard
Gila Monster
Mexican Beaded Lizard

GECKOS:
Banded Knob-Tailed Gecko
Crested Gecko
Desert Banded Gecko
Flying Gecko
Giant Day Gecko Art
Leopard Gecko
Rough Knob-Tailed Gecko
Tokay Gecko

SALAMANDERS:
Tiger Salamander
California Newt
Fires Salamander

FROGS:
Red-eyed Tree Frog
Strawberry Poison Dart Frog
Red-Headed Poison Dart Frog
Phantasmal Poison Dart Frog
Granular Poison Dart Frog
Green & Black Poison Dart Frog
Wallace’s Flying Frog
Tiger Striped Leaf Frog
Painted Mantella
American Toad
Fire-Bellied Toad
Dyeing Poison Dart Frog
Blue Poison Dart Frog
Yellow Banded Poison Dart Frog
Panamanian Golden Frog
Borneo Red Flying Frog
California Red-Legged Frog
Norther Leopard Frog
Ornate Frog or Argentine Horn Frog or Known as Pac-Man Frog in Trade

SPIDERS:
Black Widow Spider
Mexican Red Kneed Tarantula
Rose Haired Tarantula

INSECTS AND OTHER INVERTEBRATES:
Praying Mantis
Lady Bug Beetle
Goliath Bettle
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly
Blue Morpho Butterfly
Cardinal Meadowland Dragonfly

The above list is of all the magnets currently for sale by Herpdigest, the weekly e-zine reporting on the latest conservation and scientific news on reptiles and amphibians. All proceeds go HerpDigest, a non-profit publication, to keep it: alive, free, and independent, of any government’s, non-profit organization’s, or people working in the herp industry’s agendas.

The magnets are shipped First Class USPS.

If you want these for the holidays, get your order in now. IF WE DON’T HAVE YOUR ORDER IN BY DEC 15, WE CAN’T GUARANTEE THAT THEY WILL ARRIVE BY CHRISTMAS. Christmas week maybe.

Interested in Bird (Raptors to Penguins), Land and Marine Mammal, Octopus, Fish, Sharks, Rays, Dinosaur, Extinct or Endangered Animals from all over the world (Australia, Rainforest, the Arctic). Email us for a list of one or two of these categories. Supply of these are very low.

AND DON’T FORGET YOUR TURTLE OR FROG CALENDARS FOR 2011.
$13.99 each plus $6.00 for S&H for first one add $2.00 for each additional calendar.

TO ORDER:

If you need your magnets by Christmas, you must order them by December 10th through PayPal, our account is asalzberg@herpdigest.org,

Or by credit card: email us your card number, (MASTER, VISA, DISCOVER OR AMEX)expiration date, the CVV-3 numbers on back of card, billing address for card, and shipping address if different. .

By Phone – You can order with credit cards by phone 1-718-275-2190. 9-5 EST. Any day of week. If out leave message we will get back to you as soon as we can.

To order by check, make the check out to Herpdigest and send it to Herpdigest/c/o Allen Salzberg/67-87 Booth Street –5B/Forest Hills, NY 11375

Happy Holidays to All.

And In Advance I Would Like to Thank You For Your Help In Keeping HerpDigest Alive These Past Ten plus Years.

Allen Salzberg
Publisher/Editor

P.S. Overseas orders, (Yes that still includes Canada) email us first for shipping costs.”

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Here is a link if you want to subscribe to the newsletter.

Symposium 2010 13-14 november, Norrköping Sweden

Årets Symposium i Norrköping, som är det 19:e i ordningen kommer arrangeras i lokalen Borgen  i Norrköping.
Det blir 10 stycken föredrag under symposiumet, ett kvällsarrangemang på lördagskvällen och ett Expo under lördagen. 
Vi har i år ett mycket bra startfält av föreläsare. Vi har Stephen Spawls, Andreas Gumprecht och Daniel Bennett.

Stephen Spawls, England. Stephen kommer prata om Afrikas reptiler under tre föredrag:

1.   Afrikanska herpetologiska äventyr.
2.   Afrikas reptilfauna; en överblick.
3.   Nordöstra Afrikas herpetofauna. 

Andreas Gumprecht, Tyskland. Andreas kommer prata om Asiatiska ormar under tre föredrag:

1.  Varan-ön. En resa till Ko Rak, i södra Thailand med information om Ko Lanta’s herpetologi.
2.  Fältherpetologi i Sydostasien.
3.  Den vanliga paddan, Bufo melanostictus, nästa stora område inom terrarie-rörelsen?

Daniel Bennett, England. Daniel kommer prata om varaner under tre föredrag:

1. De fruktätande varanerna i Filippinerna.

2. Ett decennium med bevarande-arbete i den dipterocarpa skogen på Polillo-ön; Var det värt det?
3. Sanningen runt stäppvaranen, Varanus exanthematicus. 

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This years symposium in Norrköping is the 19:th in a row and will be arranged in Borgen in Norrköping. 10 lectures will be held during the symposium, one eveningarrangement on saturdays evening and ond fair during the saturday.

This years startingfield of lectureholders are just as good as it allways is. We will be guested by Stephen Spawls, Andreas Gumprecht and Daniel Bennett.

Stephen Spawls, England.

1.  Adventures in African herpetology.
2.  The reptile fauna of Africa; an overview.
3.  The herpetofauna of northeastern Africa

Andreas Gumprecht, Germany.

1.  The monitor Island. A journey to Ko Rok, South Thailand with addtional notes to the herpetology of Ko Lanta.
2.  Field herpetology in Southeast Asia.
3.  The common Toad Bufo melanostictus to be the next big thing in the terraristic movement?

 Daniel Bennett, England.

1. The fruit-eating monitor lizards of the Philippine Islands.

2. A decade of conservation efforts in the lowland dipterocarp forest of Polillo Island; was it worth it?

3. The truth about the savannah monitior lizard, Varanus exanthematicus.

Want to read more?? Here is a link to Tropikföreningen Alba

Breeders’ Expo changing date and location!!

The following message is taken from the official site of Breeders Expo Europe:

21. April 2010 – WICHTIG – IMPORTANT – WICHTIG – IMPORTANT

Dears visitors of the Breeders’ Expo homepage!

So far many of you came to know the BEE as a show with pleasant atmosphere and lots of friendly service and cooperation. Unfortunately I must shift the show in Duesseldorf scheduled for the 1. Mai 2010 in date and location because the respective authorities in Duesseldorf not only make it impossible to keep this tradition alive, but the constraints issued two days ago also make the show impossible looking at any aspect of common sense, economy, and also aspects of animal welfare. To hold the show despite of these constraints would mean substantial legal conflicts.

The Duesseldorf public order office has taken all measures to stop the BEE – apparently backed by the Duesseldorf political regime. In a first step the permission for the BEE unlawfully wasn’t granted. After a painful and complete defeat at the Duesseldorf administrative court the authority had to accept they must issue the permission, and as a last desperate attempt has issued these constrains which, according to veterinarians, my lawyer, some vendors and others show the following attributes:

• partly they are simply unusual for events like this and show all signs of harassment without any functional background
• partly they have no juristical fundament
• partly they contradict themselves
• partly they are simply non-dischargeable, and of course not in the narrow time frame given by the show date and some deadlines set by the authority
• partly they contradict nationally and internationally accepted and proven knowledge of practical animal welfare
• partly they reduce animal welfare aspects to absurdity
• partly they cover aspects which are simply not in my responsibility as an organizer, partly I’m not even allowed to cover these aspects
• partly they unlawfully restrict the type and extent of the show

Since the respective veterinarian for the show indicated on the phone that he’s not willing to discuss content-related aspects with me, it appears absolutely useless to convince him with arguments and facts. Obviously this was never a question of animal welfare but still is a question of rendering the show impossible via constraints and this way to find a legitimation for the unlawful behaviour which was determined by the administrative court. Any productive collaboration is made completely impossible on such a fundament.

I will possibly announce further information on the BEE homepage, further juristical steps seem possible. Due to the narrow time frame another summary proceeding at the administrative court is not promising.

I deeply regret this decision and would like to send you my apologies for any possible inconvenience you might have to face even though I am not responsible. To hold the show despite this situation would most probably mean to confront visitors and vendors with severe dangers and problems. Thanks for your cooperation.

Lutz Obelgönner

<!–Go here to get our newsletter for latest updates …
Go to online booking …
Open for visitors: entrance from 9 to 15 hours, exhibition areas from 10 am
Open for vendors: from 6 am
Adress: Philipshalle, Siegburger Straße 51, D-40591 Düsseldorf-Oberbilk, www.philipshalle.de
Accomodation: To book hotels please make use of this link and the online booking form of the city of Duesseldorf.

–>
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13. April 2010: Since his own show mid of March the organizer of another reptile show spreads the information that the BEE will not take place due to a missing permit from the City of Duesseldorf. So far I didn’t reply to this. Today I’d like to share the following facts:

1. The City of Duesseldorf indeed has refused the permit.
2. I find it quite puzzling that he, my competitor, of all people spreads the information about this decision. This allows interesting conclusions, I leave it up to you to draw them.
3. On my objection the administrative court of Duesseldorf today has decided that the respective authority has acted unlawfully and arbitrarily. The authority must issue the permit for the BEE.

In short: The BEE will take place. Details about the above mentioned court process will be kept under cover since I like to install a working cooperation between the authorities and the BEE in the future.

Link to Breeders Expo Europe

Link to a form that will allow you to order the newsletter.

18:th Norrköping Symposium 2009, Sweden

Hi all!!

I would like to invite you to this event. Have a look on what you´ll get in one weekend!

This is the 18:th symposium in Norrköping, Sweden.

Bernard Devaux, France. Is working with tortoises and will hold two talks:

1.   The status of the French populations and conservation projects.
2.  Spurred Tortoise, Centrochelys sulcata, status in Senegal and conservation projects.

Presentation of Mr. Devaux:
Bernard Devaux, 65 years old, formerly film-maker on reptilians. In 1986, he created the SOPTOM (tortoises protection association) and the “Tortoise Village” with David Stubbs, english environmentalist.-Since 1988, he has developed the “Tortoise Village” in Gonfaron followed by 2 others villages, in Senegal and Madagascar-Organisation of many International Congress on tortoises and turtles (main topics; pathology, biology, conservation).-Author of many books and encyclopedies on tortoises and turtles. Editor of the international tortoise journal LA TORTUE.-International protection actions around the world, including struggle against traffics and animals busdiness; Seychelles (Aldabra), Galapagos, Australia, Costa-Rica, Senegal, Indian Ocean.

Link to website: villagetortues.com

Johan De Smedt, Germany. Johans intrest is vipers. He will hold three talks:

1.   The genus Vipera, and it´s systematics, history and present.
2.   The different subgenuses whithin the Vipera-genus.
3.   Keeping and breeding of European vipers.

Presentation of Mr. De Smedt:
Johan De Smedt was born and raised in Belgium, but has been living in the south of Germany since 1996. He is married and has a son. His interest in keeping amphibians and reptiles dates back more than 29 years. He kept his first venomous snake at the tender age of 14 in the form of a European nose-horned viper, after which followed a range of other venomous snakes, mainly bamboo pitvipers and bushvipers. His main field of interest were, however, the vipers of Europe, and it was these that he specialized in.
In the year 1985 he was one of the founders of the Belgium snake-society called at that time “Medusa”, a couple of years ago this society changed the name in B.O.A (Belgian Ophidian Association). This association is now well known and the biggest group for people interested in snake in Belgium. For this association he wrote many articles, mainly on Vipers.
Johan De Smedt’s profession has nothing whatsoever to do with snakes: he is employed as a technical engineering manager in a mechanical engineering company where he teaches clients from all over the world in matters of automated control technology. He is fluent in four languages. He speaks Dutch, German, French and English.
In November 2001, his first book, “Die europäischen Vipern, Artbestimmung, Systematik, Haltung und Zucht” was been published. This book was written in the German language. He has had many requests for an English edition. Even a second edition was not planed at that time. But within a few years after publishing the first edition numerous systematic changes have become effective. New species and subspecies have been defined, several subspecies have been elevated to species rank, and various taxa have been transferred to other genera. This made him revise, and expand where necessary, the original German edition. Finally 2006 he published a second edition of his book in the English language.
Only a few photographs of the first edition have been reused, but many are new ones that have never been published before. Most photographs were, taken in the natural habitats of the respective specimens. For this reason he has travelled many different countries of Europe. These herpetological excursions were always undertaken with the aim of taking snapshots of vipers in their natural environment.

Mr. Johan De Smedt

Link to website: viperidae.de

Mirko Barts, Germany. Mirko will hold two talks:.

1.   Jewels of Namibia. Fieldobservations, and keeping/breeding.
2.   Secret, only for attenders to the evening-arrangement.

Presentation of Mr. Barts:
Mirko Barts lives near Berlin and has been working with reptiles for more than 20 years. It was his grandfather who raised him nature-orientated. He also helped him to understand nature and the special relationship between plants, animals and mankind. Furthermore, he simply showed him the beauty of the flora and fauna. Born in the former GDR, Mirko mainly travelled to Bulgaria and Georgia, where his family has its roots in. Jouneys to Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Ethiopia, Morocco and the USA followed after the German reunification. Mirko already dreamed of visiting Africa during childhood and now he was able to live this dream.Since 15 years, he works with reptiles and amphibians of southern Africa. During more than 10 journeys, he did research in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Zambia. His main focus always were the geckos of this regions, especially the genus Pachydactylus, the thick-toed geckos.
Mirko shared his observations in many publications. Most of his articles deal with husbandry and breeding of Pachydactylus species and include extraordinary observations. These and other species will be presented in his speech on the gecko fauna of Namibia, an African hotspot in terms of  diversity in gecko species. The speech will include some information on husbandry of selected gecko species, but its main focus will be on nature observation.

Mirko Barts

Links to websites: sauria.de and pachydactylus.com

Freek Nuyt, Netherlands. Mr. Freek will talk about various morphs in the boa and python species, as well as keeping and breeding of them. He will hold three talks:

1.   New morphs of boa´s.
2.   Breedingtechniques.
3    Royal/Ballpythons.

Link to website: fnreptiles.com

ALL talks are being held at:
Borgen, Folkborgsvägen 1, Norrköping, Sweden

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The fair/expo:

Saturday november 8, at 12,00-16,00 o´clock.
Adress: Pronova Center, S:t Persgatan 19, Norrköping, Sweden

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The eveningarrangement:

Talk by Mirko Barts:

A new geckospecies from southern Angola; keeping and breeding the feather-tailed gecko.

Saturday november 14
19,00-23,00 o´clock
Location: Strömvillan, S:t Persgatan 7 Norrköping, Sweden
Price: 200 SeK/person.

Food and coffee will be served after the talk.

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Prices:

Symposium:
Both days, including lunch and coffee:                   600 SeK
Specialprce at booking latest at the 12/11             450 SeK
One day:                                                                               350 SeK/day.

Eveningarrangement:
Eveningarrangement with talk, dinner and coffee.   200 SeK

Packages:
Talks both days, eveningarrangement, entrance to the fair/expo, symposium T-shirt and compendia (Latest bookingday, 12/11).                                                                       698:-

Fair/Expo:

Tableprices (1 table = 180x60cm)

1-2 tables                                                              250 SeK /table ( including 1 person )
3-5 tables                                                             200 SeK /table ( including 2 persons )
6-9 tables                                                             175 SeK /table ( including 3 persons )
10 tables or more                                             160 SeK /table ( including 3 persons )
Extra person                                                           40 SeK /each.
Electricity                                                               50 SeK

Misc.:
Symposium2009  T-shirt                                           89 SeK /each.
Compendia (ordinarie pris 49 SeK /each.)         39 SeK /each.

Floor Accommodation:
Friday and lördag, including mattress               100 SeK / night

Notification:

Notification is made via the form on the page “Kontakta oss” ( Translated: Contact us ).

To have the special Symposium2009 price 450 SeK, or the packageprice 698 SeK, the notification has to be made at the latest at 2/11 2009.

Notification IS binding!

Link to the webpage of the arranging society “Tropikföreningen ALBA”

Link to the “Contact”-page.

Dog to hunt turtle pests in Blackburn Lake

IF THE turtles in Blackburn Lake don’t smell right, Angus will sniff them out.

The pure-bred labrador has been trained specifically to track and hunt down the illegally introduced red-eared slider turtle.

The invasive pest has been seen in Blackburn Lake Sanctuary, Elsternwick Park Lake and Ruffey Lake Park.

Gary Jackson and sniffer dog Angus on Blackburn Lake. Picture: Jason Edwards

Click here to view more pictures (Opens in a new window.)

A turtle was captured in Blackburn Lake in January this year, but authorities believe up to three turtles and possibly a nest remain.

Gary Jackson, Angus’ trainer, said the five-year-old was the only dog in the world trained specifically to catch red-eared slider turtles.

“We have trained him to ignore native turtles and eggs,” Mr Jackson said.

“He loves finding the slider turtle’s nests; when he sniffs one he starts digging for it and unless we pull him off, he would dig all the way through to the nest and probably eat the eggs.”

Angus is on loan from the Queensland Government for the next week and will spend today hunting for the elusive turtle in Blackburn.

Agriculture Minister Joe Helper said the World Conservation Union listed the red-eared slider turtles as one of the world’s 100 most-invasive species.

The female turtle lays up to 70 eggs and, if unchecked, the species can destroy native habitats and food supply.

Red-eared slider turtles have a distinctive red stripe behind each eye and a dome shaped shell.

Mr Helper urged the public to report any sightings to the Department of Primary Industries on 136 186.

From: Whitehorse Leader