Antibody dependent enhancement of frog virus 3 infection

Viruses included in the family Iridoviridae are large, icosahedral, dsDNA viruses that are subdivided into 5 genera. Frog virus 3 (FV3) is the type species of the genus Ranavirus and the best studied iridovirus at the molecular level.

Ranavirus

Typically, antibodies directed against a virus act to neutralize the virus and limit infection. Antibody dependent enhancement occurs when viral antibodies enhance infectivity of the virus rather than neutralize it.

Results: Here we show that anti-FV3 serum present at the time of FV3 infection enhances infectivity of the virus in two non-immune teleost cell lines.

We found that antibody dependent enhancement of FV3 was dependent on the Fc portion of anti-FV3 antibodies but not related to complement. Furthermore, the presence of anti-FV3 serum during an FV3 infection in a non-immune mammalian cell line resulted in neutralization of the virus.

Our results suggest that a cell surface receptor specific to teleost cell lines is responsible for the enhancement.

Conclusions: This report represents the first evidence of antibody dependent enhancement in iridoviruses. The data suggests that anti-FV3 serum can either neutralize or enhance viral infection and that enhancement is related to a novel antibody dependent enhancement pathway found in teleosts that is Fc dependent.

Author: Heather EatonEmily PennyCraig Brunetti
Credits/Source: Virology Journal 2010, 7:41

From 7:th space, available via BioMedCentral (Open Access).

The Giant Ditch Frog: Eaten To Extinction … Almost

Ever heard of a Mountain Chicken? Nope … it is not a bird.  Would you believe me if I told you it was a type of amphibian?  Seriously -  it is!

The Mountain Chicken, also known as the Giant Ditch Frog (Leptodactylus fallax) is a HUGE frog that lives on the islands of

Mountain Chicken, also known as the Giant Ditch Frog (Leptodactylus fallax).

Dominica and Montserrat.  At just over 6 inches in length, it is one of the largest frogs in the world!

It used to be found on several more islands including Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Kitts and Nevis … but populations of this frog have unfortunately disappeared completely from these islands. As of 1999, the species range had decreased to a mere 17 square kilometer area on Montserrat.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Did you enjoy this article so far?

Well then, you can find the rest of it at the SaveTheReptiles.com webpage.

Happy reading!

Toads on Roads – help toads across roads in 2010

Join in and help Amphibian and Reptile Conservation save toads as they cross roads around the UK for their spring breeding season. Sign up, become a toad-patroller and get volunteering in spring 2010…

Amphibian and Reptile Conservation is currently gearing up for its 2010 Toads on Roads campaign – our most concerted effort ever to help toads, and to find out more about their declines nationally.

Crucially though, we need you!

We need people to volunteer for Toads on Roads: help with Toads on Roads patrols, or to discover how toads are doing at sites for which we no longer have information. Sign up at www.froglife.org/toadsonroads

Find out more about opportunities to help amphibians and reptiles locally through ARG-UK (the national network of Amphibian and Reptile Groups) – www.arguk.org

Caresheet for Jeweled lizard Lacerta lepida/Timon lepidus

This lizard is mainly a ground-dwelling species that can be found in Spain, Portugal, southern France and northwestern Italy and the northwestern parts of Africa.

In the wild it is living in sunny, rocky and bushy slopes or stone walls. It is one of the largest species in Europe, up to 80cm´s including the tail (body 1/3 and tail 2/3 of total length). It is a heavily built and strong animal. The colour is green, brown or a mixture between those colours. The young animals (juveniles), colour are yellowish brown to green, with ”eyes”/spots. Both sexes have as adults blue spots (Jewels/Eyes), but the males have
often more spots that are brighter in colouration. The head of the male is bigger than the females. Males have clearly visible Feromalpores.
The terrarium:
• For a pair (2 adult individuals) a terrarium that measures L=120cm´s, D=80 cm´s, H=60cm´s is appropriate.
• Sand is a good substrate, 5-15 cm´s thick layer.
• The temperature should be between 24-27 ºC, with a baskingspot that keeps a temperature of 30-35ºC. Spray the terrarium every 2-3 day in the evenings(60-70% humidity), a little extra when the animal/s is shedding.
• Uv-B is necessary for the species.
• Big stones and roots/branches make good interior. Provide the animal/s with a lot of hiding places. Make the interior as a steppenvironment.
Diet:
• In the wild the species consumes insects, snails/slugs, new hatched birds, small rodents and some sweet fruit. In captivity it eats almost anything that is served.
Pinkie-mice, cockroaches, snails/slugs, bushcrickets, crickets, small pieces of
non-fat meat and some sweet fruit such as: Banana, Apricot and Strawberries.
They will also eat egg.
• Dust all food with a vitamin and calcium supplement.
Water:
• Allways provide a waterbowl with fresh drinkingwater.

Breeding:

This species require a hibernationperiod of 2-3 months, with temperatures from+4ºC to +7ºC.• Mating will occur about 1-3 weeks after the hibernation is over and the temperaturesin the terrarium is back to normal.  About 1 week before depositing of the eggs, the female will be acting restless,with a lot of digging and searching in the terrarium. She might stop eating as well.Provide the female with a egg-layingbox, filled to 2/3 with moisted Vermiculite® ormoisted peat/soil (unfetilized). IMPORTANT! Vermiculite®, should be moisted in aratio of 1:1. By weight, not by volume! The clutchsize will be 8-20 eggs and should be incubated in 28ºC – 30ºC in a humidityof 80% – 90%, with a nigt-temperature about 24ºC – 25ºC. The young lizardsshould hatch in 85 – 120 days, with theese temperatures. 1 – 3 clutches are laid inone season.• Juveniles are about 5 cm´s when hatched (tail included), and should be fed withthe same food as the adults (1 – 3 times a week), but smaller in size. Dust all foodwith a vitamin and calcium supplement. Do not overfeed! The young lizards will reach sexual maturity in about 2-3 years.

Hygiene:

The terrarium should be kept clean. Excrements, urine and leftover food should beremoved as it appears. Clean the terrarium and everything inside it carefully 1-2times/year, exchange the substrate at the same time. Allways wash your handsafter holding the animal or after you have been doing something in the terrarium.

Good luck with your animal!

This caresheet is available on the Terrarium Morbidum site, as a free downloadable pdf-file.

Caresheet for Long-nosed viper ( Vipera ammodytes )

Origin/Spreading:

• Italy, Austria, , Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia-Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, some Adriatic, Ionian and Aegean islands, Albania, Greece, Turkey and Transcaucasia.
Subspecies:

• Vipera ammodytes gregorwallneri: Southern to Eastern Austria and to Slovenia.
(Not considered by some as a subspecies anymore)
• Vipera ammodytes meridionalis: Southern Macedonia southern Albania, Greece to
western European Turkey.
• Vipera ammodytes montandoni: Romania, Northern Bulgaria (to the Black Sea) to European Turkey.
• Vipera ammodytes ruffoi: Only surroundings of Bolzano, Alto Adige Italy. (Not considered by some as a subspecies anymore)
• Vipera ammodytes transcaucasiana: Northern and western coastal near Turkey to Caucasus. ( Considered by some scientists to be a species of it own V. transcaucasiana )
Please note! The subspecies status is still under investigation!!
Description:

• This strong, heavily built snake becomes up to 80 cm´s long, some individuals reaches even over 95 cm. Males are larger than females. It has a typical triangular head that sets off clearly from the slim neck. On the head tip they have a diagonally forward arranged horn. 21-23 keeled scalerows. Both males and females have a dorsal zigzag-band. Males are brighter in colouration than females and have sharper markings on the dorsal zigzag-band.
Habitat:

• They prefer warm, dry areas like rocky bushy slopes, and can also be found in edge of woods or in glades. Can be found as high as 2000 meters above sea-level.
They are active during daytime till dusk and like sunny places.

Attitude:

• The animals are not aggressive normally. In case of disturbance they hiss loud and bite sometimes.

Allways handle this species with hook or tong!! Never “free handle”!!
Terrarium:

• Theese vipers should be kept in medium sized cages on a mixture of sand, loam and forest earth. Interior with large stones/slabs and roots/branches to make it look natural, make sure that there are hiding places.

• SECURITYTIP: Make sure that the terrarium are set up in a way, that makes you able too see the whole interior area without opening it. That way you can always “count-in” you’re animal/s, so that so you don’t become surprised by a hiding snake.

• A drinking container with fresh water is needed at all times.
• Temperatures between 24-28ºC, with a baskingspot under witch 32-35ºC are reached. Temperatures dropping at night to 20 ºC. Spray gently with water in the morning, a little extra in the evening when the animal/s are shedding.
• No UV-B vitamins/lightning are required for the species.
Reproduction:

• The species requires a hibernationperiod for about 8-10 weeks at temperatures between 0-7ºC. Livebearers, 5-18 young that are15-22 cm´s long at birth. Males wrestle with each other before mating with the female. Mating season in the nature is April to May, in captivity 1-3 weeks after hibernation is over and the males have shed.

Venom:

• The venom is probably the strongest of the European vipers, except for
Macrovipera schweizeri and Montivipera xanthina. Haematoxin. Life-threatening or deadly bites are expressed rare, usually it comes to local symptoms of intoxication. Pain is usually strong, a swelling occurs within 2 hours of time.
Among the general symptoms of intoxication one ranks: vomiting, beating of the heart, cramps, shock, possibly swindles and unconsciousness.
In case of bite, visit nearest hospital immediately!
Food:

• Mice, young rats. In the nature they eat rodents, rarely lizards and birds.
Good luck with your animal!

This caresheet can be found at Terrarium Morbidum – Captive bred European herptiles at www.terrariummorbidum.se

Link to the caresheet ( pdf-file).

Little lizards make big money for Indonesian villagers

JAKARTA (Reuters Life!) – A tiny Indonesian lizard has become big business for impoverished villagers in Indonesia, where growing Asian demand for reptile-based traditional medicines has driven a boom in gecko farming.

Geckos — the pale, soft-skinned lizard with a distinctive call — are abundant in Indonesia and are believed by Chinese and Korean traditional medicine devotees to help cure cancer as well as skin and respiratory diseases.

In rural Banjarsawah village, on the eastern half of Java island, struggling farmers have discovered geckos make a surprisingly lucrative commodity.

Tohasyim, 32, a farmhand who earns 10,000 rupiah (about $1) a day feeding other people’s cattle, now makes 1 million rupiah or about $110 a month hunting geckos in a local forest.

“I start hunting the geckos in the evening after I finish my job, feeding other people’s cattle. I normally start hunting the geckos at 6 in the evening until 5 in the morning,” said Tohasyim, who, like many Indonesians, has only one name.

The industry began four years ago when one villager, Abdurrahman, began drying geckos at home and selling them to an exporter.

Now, more than 100 hunters scour the forest nightly catching the skittering lizards and delivering them to Abdurrahman, 40, who delivers them to the exporter.

Most villagers in Banjarsawah are now involved in dried gecko production. Hunters venture into the forest in groups of four or five, wearing battery-powered head lamps and catching the lizards with their gloved hands.

About a dozen workers, mostly housewives, spend days stretching, drying, and packing the lizards. They often work from 7 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon in the dark woven bamboo house of the industry’s owner. When demand is high, they work even longer. These workers earn about 20,000 rupiah per day.

“My job is stretching the geckos. I get 525,000 rupiah per month. I think this is enough to cover our day-to-day needs,” said Hobiah, a farmer’s wife who is pregnant with her second child and has been working in the industry for almost six months.

The high season for gecko hunting is during Indonesia’s rainy period, from December to February.

Abdurrahman, a father of two, said he cannot disclose how much he earns from his gecko business, but he says he’s happy with what he makes.

“On average, every three days we can get 5,000 to 10,000 geckos collected by hunters and we produce a maximum of 1,600 dried geckos in a day,” he said.

He sells the geckos in pairs. One pair in good condition costs 4,000 rupiah, while a damaged pair missing the tails fetches 2,000 rupiah.

But gecko hunting has got environmentalists alarmed. R. Tri Prayudhi, a campaigner at East Java-based conservationist group ProFauna said that while the animals were not endangered, they played an important role in the ecological system and should remain in the wild.

“The gecko is a wild animal and should not be traded. The problem is that there is no protection for these animals in Indonesia. We have a principle that a wild animal belongs in nature,” Prayudhi said.

(Editing by Sunanda Creagh and Miral Fahmy)

From: Reuters India

————————————————

I really, really wish that the poor people working with the catch, would be taught and assisted in breeding the geckos, insteda. Perhaps catch a number of the species, and keeping them for breeding. It sounds more like a “win/win”- situation to me..

// Miqe

Python Ban Moves Forward Despite Questionable Science

PR: Python Ban Moves Forward Despite Questionable Science December 10, 2009 Wilmington, NC- Driven by powerful special interests and much media sensation S. 373 aka ‘The Python Ban’ is likely to move forward despite lack of scientific justification. Pushed by Sponsor Senator Bill Nelson and the Humane Society of the United States S. 373 could devastate the trade in high quality captive bred reptiles in the United States.

Today the Senate Committee on the Environment & Public Works (EPW) will hold a business meeting on S. 373. The Committee Chair is Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and the Ranking Member is Senator James Inhofe (R-OK). The committee will hold a mark up session where they will consider S. 373, to amend title 18, United States Code, to add constrictor snakes of the species Python genera to the Injurious Wildlife list of the Lacey Act. The committee is expected to amend the bill to include the 9 snakes listed on a recent controversial report by the US Geological Survey (USGS). All tolled the bill could stop the import, export and interstate transport of as many as 45 species of Boas and Pythons.

The USGS report being used to justify these extreme measures has been called into question by a group of independent scientists in a letter to the EPW Committee on November 24, 2009. The letter characterized the USGS report as “not a bona-fide scientific paper”. The US Department of the Interior (DOI) and the US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) stand by the report and have recommended to the committee that all 9 snakes reviewed should be included by amendment to S. 373. The independent scientists, who include professors from University of Florida, Arizona State University, Texas A&M and The National Geographic Society, go further to state, “this document is not suitable as the basis for legislative or regulatory policies, as its content is not based on best science practices”

The United States Association of Reptile Keepers (USARK) made an agreement in principle with Senator Bill Nelson’s office to limit the damage to a 3 billion dollar a year trade in these reptiles, but was informed yesterday that the agreement would not be honored. Senator Nelson has justified his position based on the recommendations made in regards to the USGS report by USFWS and DOI. Andrew Wyatt, president of USARK, commented that “it is a real shame that Senator Nelson has changed his position on this issue”. If the bill passes approximately 4 million boas and pythons already in captivity would be rendered valueless overnight with no provisions for disposition or compensation. Wyatt added, “it could create a situation where millions of people will be in possession of injurious wildlife. It is ludicrous to put so many law abiding citizens in that position and diminish the Lacey Act for the sake of political expediency.”

Passage of S. 373 would result in the loss of thousands of American jobs bankrupting an entire industry. Without strong evidence to support the injurious wildlife listing, USARK calls on the Senate EPW Committee to give an unfavorable rating to S. 373.

Contact: Andrew Wyatt   president@usark.org

Man arrested at LAX with 15 lizards strapped to his chest.

Sometimes you just have to wonder what people are thinking…

Forty-year old Michael Plank of Lomita, California was arrested last week while attempting to pass through U.S. Customs at Los Angeles International Airport with two geckos, two monitor lizards and 11 skinks in a money belt wrapped around his chest.

The lizards, valued at $8,500 and strictly regulated in Australia can cost Plank as much as a $250,000 fine and up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Plank didn’t have the required export permit from Australia and was obviously trying to sneak the lizards into the U.S. without being detected.

Being someone who gets squirmy just thinking about one lizard let alone 15, I can’t imagine taking a flight of 14 hours and 30 minutes with live (or dead) lizards in a money belt under my clothes. Then there was the additional time of getting prepared to take such a flight, the airport check-in, somehow getting through security and then taking the flight itself. Can you even imagine doing all of this and getting caught? I think Mr. Plank has taken stupidity to a new level.

Maybe he was envisioning a re-enactment of the movie “Snakes on a Plane”? Or perhaps Mr. Plank was going to propose a new mascot for Geico Insurance?

Written by: Marc Friedman

From examiner.com

——————————————————————————————-

I think that the punishment of either $250,000 or 20 years of inprosonment is too low.. People smuggling animals of any kind should have hard punishments, no matter what the species is.

//Miqe

 

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

——————————————————————————————————————————–
The fair/expo:

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

———————————————————————————————————————————-

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.

————————————————————————————————————————-

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