Summer Newtgration & In The Spotlight

06/26/2010 @ 4:24:21 PM PDT
As I was road cycling up the incredibly beautiful Tunitas Creek Road in the Santa Cruz mountains between Half Moon Bay and La Honda in San Mateo County, I encountered this Rough-skinned newt (Taricha granulosai). These things are seriously poisonous, but you have to eat one to be killed by one. Otherwise, they are completely harmless to handle, which is what I did, moving this one to the other side of the road in an assist on its migration from its breeding grounds in the pools of the creek to its summer home in the logs and leaf litter of the redwood forest floor.

Also, check out this interview I did with the kind folks at reptileforums.co.uk. It was a lot of fun to tell a few stories and relate the joy I find in herping.

Global Warming and Turtles

The effects of global warming/climate change will most likely have enormous impacts on turtles and other wildlife, mainly because the rate at which the climate is changing far exceeds the abilities of animals to adapt naturally to such dramatic environmental changes. In fact, scientists predict that many species will go extinct as a result of climate change.

With regards to turtles, a number of key climate change impacts have been identified:

Loss of nesting beaches: Sea level rise from the melting of polar ice is already contributing to the loss of beach and turtle nesting habitat. Weather extremes, also linked to climate change, mean more frequent and severe storms which alter nesting beaches, cause beach erosion, and inundate or flood turtle nests.

Seasonal beach erosion becoming more pronounced each year, photo Elke Talma

Reduced hatchling survival rates: Hotter sand from increasing temperatures results in decreased hatching rates or complete nest failure.

Month old turtle embryo dies in nests, photo Elke Talma

Imbalance in sex ratios: Increased sand temperatures will affect hatchlings by altering natural sex ratios, with hotter temperatures producing more female hatchlings.

Turtles gather at breeding sites and fight for mates, photo unknown

Change in their geographic distribution: Turtles use ocean currents to travel and find prey. Warming ocean temperatures influence migratory species by altering currents and impacting the distribution and abundance of prey species. This can result in southerly species being found in more northerly regions, well outside of their normal range.

Young leatherback hatchling at the mercy of the current, photo unknown

Loss of foraging grounds: Warmer water temperatures affect coral reefs through coral bleaching which are vital to the survival of species like the hawksbill.

Hawksbill turtle feeding on sponges, photo Pierre Andre Adam

While nothing can be done to stop changes in current flow, we can do our utmost to mitigate impacts to our coastline by making sure there is adequate beach vegetation to minimise sand erosion thus protecting the nesting platform and maximise shade cover to provide cool areas under vegetation to maximise or maintain egg survival rates as temperatures rise. This can be further enhanced through controlled coastal development. On a personal level, everyone should try to reduce their carbon footprint.

One big happy family!

I have been working on my family tree and it turns out I am related to Gilberte Gendron and Marcel Mathiot .

Gilberte is my 6th cousin and with the rampant inbreeding in Seychelles (particularly on La Digue) in the 1800’s, it turns out that I am not only related to her through her mother (my 5th cousin, once removed) but also her father (my 6th cousin) - although they themselves are only indirectly related by an ancestral marriage…much to Gilberte’s relief!

As for Marcel, well he is my 3rd Cousin 3 times removed, which means I am now also indirectly related to Patricia and through them, to their 4 year old grand-daughter, Lucy...a budding turtle fanatic!

This means there are now at least 7 turtle fanatics (including by parents) in the family!

On the down side, many of our common ancestors come from La Digue, so I am a little concerned about the turtle killers (legal or otherwise) lurking in our midst!

To Substrate or Not to Substrate, That is the Question.

If I were a betting man, ok I am so who is up for a friendly wager, I would bet that one of the top 3 questions I am asked at shows is “What do you use for substrate for your animals?” This is such a great question and usually shows that the reptile keeper has been reading up on their animals. I love to talk about substrate because A) it holds so much controversy in the hobby, B) I am such a contrarian on substrate, and finally, C) there is usually such an easy solution available to hobbyists.

Read More Here

NEW WEB SITE

In the next day or so, Supreme Gecko will have a new web site. The site will include photos, articles, videos, Hot Tips, and even Blog posts. I will occasionally post info here but if you want up to date, current information, you will want to check out our new Supreme Gecko web site.

MCSS and Chalets d' Anse Forbans – partners in turtle conservation

In March, long after the weekly monitoring had been discontinued by MCSS at the “end” of the 2009-10 Hawksbill Nesting Season, a turtle decided to emerge on Anse Marie Louise in front of Chalet No. 2. The sighting was reported to Brigitte Howarth, manager of Chalets d' Anse Forbans, who was on hand to ensure that the turtle was not disturbed by the many clients who were eager to photograph their first encounter with a nesting turtle.

As Elke was on the other side of the island, the turtle could not be marker tagged but as she has a distinctive scar, she is easily recognisable. In fact, according to Brigitte’s grandmother, the turtle had been seen nesting on the same beach some 6-7 years ago. Just to be on the safe side though, clients were instructed to take numerous profile shots which will be processed and added to the turtle photo-ID database.

Hawksbill turtle with distinctive scar bite mark nesting on Anse Marie Louise, Photo Chalet D’Anse Forbans.

The following day, Elke was on site to mark the nest and thus the long wait for the hatchlings to emergence began.

New nest markers designed by Elke in 2010 for sensitive nests, Photo Chalet D’Anse Forbans.

As the due date approached, there was concern for the turtle eggs as recent heavy rainfall and extreme high tides could significantly increase mortality rates within the nest. If the egg chamber remained waterlogged because of poorly drained soil, the embryos would suffocate or drown and the added moisture could encourage bacteria or fungal growth. This being the last nest of a rather poor nesting season, it was decided that the nest would be dug up and if necessary, the eggs incubated artificially to maximise the survival rate.

On the 5th May, Elke was on site to excavate the eggs which were due to hatch between the 4th and 19th May. Much to everyone’s surprise and delight the hatchling were resting some 10cm below the sand surface and, after being woken up by Elke, needed little encouragement to make the final trek to the sea.

Brigitte had rounded up her clients for the released and an impromptu turtle awareness talk given by Elke. By the time hatchling No. 159 made it to the sea, there were at least 20 very happy people on the beach, including a local building contractor who had come to see Brigitte for some work and had never seen a turtle in his life!

If the species is to survive, people need to be able to appreciate the wonder of nature, Photo Chalet D’Anse Forbans.

With 5 dead embryos in the nest, Elke was even able to get a DNA sample for Ifremer.

MCSS has been working closely with Chalets d' Anse Forbans in the South of Mahé since 2004 and over the years has received logistical and financial assistance for the MCSS Turtle Monitoring and Conservation Programme. While there may not be many nesting turtles on this beach, there are enough to keep the clients of Chalets coming back every year so they can finally see for themselves the one that got away. On-going rehabilitation work at the Chalets is also helping to provide suitable nesting sites for turtles on a beach that is severely affected by erosion.

Ms Daphné Jumeau of Chalets d' Anse Forbans (right) presenting MCSS with a cheque to help towards their ongoing work in the conservation of turtles in the Seychelles, Photo Chalet D’Anse Forbans.

NOTE: MCSS does not make it standard practice to dig up turtle nests, however, in special cases hatchling provide the perfect backdrop to turtle awareness talks for both residents and visitors, re-enforcing the need to protect these amazing animals.

Marin Headlands Herping

Somehow, I forgot to post about this adventure to Carson Falls, Mount Tam Watershed, in the Marin Headlands between Fairfax and Bolinas, CA, on March 20th of this year. It was during a family outing with my pals Todd, Teresa, their children Kyan and Kacia, along with friends Anna and Jen.


03/20/2010 @ 1:24:38 PM PDT
The local population of Foothill yellow-legged frogs (Rana boylii) are considered endangered. Nevertheless, we saw about 10 of them in the pools along the falls, so they're either doing reasonably well in this habitat, or Kyan and I are completely awesome frog spotters.


03/20/2010 @ 2:15:46 PM PDT
On the way back up the trail, we encountered this Pacific ringneck snake (D. punctatus amabilis). Shy and unassuming, it didn't bite, although like most non-venomous snakes in North America, it stunk up my hands with an escape musk. Notice the iridescent light on its scales. Jewelry should look as good as this.


03/20/2010 @ 2:16:49 PM PDT


03/20/2010 @ 2:17:37 PM PDT


03/20/2010 @ 2:21:58 PM PDT
Then, just a hundred yards further up the trail, we found this Sharp-tailed snake (Contia tenuis). Another unassuming resident of the leaf litter, it didn't try to bite, but it did put down a serious stink on me. Notice the severe scarring mid-body, probably the result of a bird attack, or perhaps an unobservant mountain biker.


03/20/2010 @ 2:21:53 PM PDT


03/20/2010 @ 2:26:58 PM PDT
Our last reptile encounter was with a Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis), also known as the Blue-belly. Its capture was accomplished by Watershed wildlife docent Peter Clare, who had some great stories about wildlife viewing adventures in Asia. These became the icing on the cake of a very successful day of herping.

Turtles dig the dark

Nesting turtles emerge from the sea each season to lay their eggs on a suitable beach. After laying, they use light reflected off of the water to find their way back to the ocean. Sixty days later, when the hatchlings emerge from the nest, they too use the reflected light to find their way to the ocean for the first time.

As we develop coastal communities, building beach houses, shopping centres and high rise hotels and apartment buildings, we are splashing more light onto these nesting beaches. Unfortunately the lights are coming from the wrong direction and can cause turtles to become disorientated. Often they will end up on a road, in a pool, an easy snack for land-based predators such as dogs, or simply get lost and bake in the morning sun.

For this reason, many coastal communities have "lights out" regulations during turtle nesting season. These regulations often require home and business owners to take modest steps to install turtle-friendly lights, draw curtains, or turn lights out after dark.

MCSS developed lighting guidelines for Seychelles with funding from the British High Commission, but unfortunately these are not always being implemented by tourism establishments or residents.

For a copy of the MCSS Turtle Friendly Developers Guide, please contact us.

Special issue of the Indian Ocean Turtle Newsletter out now

The Indian Ocean Turtle Newsletter (IOTN) provides a forum for the exchange of information on sea turtle biology and conservation, management and education and awareness activities in the Indian subcontinent, Indian Ocean region, and south/southeast Asia. The newsletter also intends to cover related aspects such as coastal zone management, fisheries and marine biology.

IOTN is distributed free of cost to a network of government and non-government organisations and individuals in the region. All articles are also freely available in PDF and HTML formats on the website. Readers can submit names and addresses of individuals, NGOs, research institutions, schools and colleges, etc for inclusion in the mailing list.

To date, 11 issues have been produced with the latest issue being dedicated to turtle projects in the Western Indian Ocean and features 10 articles, 2 project profiles and 1 announcement.

In support of the regional turtle conservation effort, MCSS contributed to an article on the newly developed photo-ID technique developed by Kelonia Marine Turtle Observatory and one project profile to raise awareness about the MCSS monitoring effort in Seychelles.

To download a digital copy, please visit: http://www.seaturtle.org/iotn/index.html

Various reptiles for sale

I have a few different animals for sale to make way for other projects. Please call me on 0408 865 284 if you are interested in any of the below animals.

Easter Water Dragons - Physignathus lesueurii lesueurii

I have an adult pair of EWD for sale. These lizrds have been housed outdoors for some time and would go great in a pit or large outdoor set up if that is what you are wanting. Female is missing the tip of her tail. Regretful sale - $150 the pair or $80 ea.

Storr's Monitor - Varanus storri ocreatus

1 adult male Storr's monitor. Shy animal, but a good captive. Eats most food items offered. I no longer have a female for this male so it's time for him to go. This is a class 2 animal in NSW. $300 ono

Children's Python - A. childreni

1 male 'red' Children's Python that was posted earlier in the blog. Great feeder on anything you offer him however he is snappy at times. $250 ono

4x4x2 Melamine Enclosure

I have a large melamine enclosure measuring 1200x1ooox600 (4x4x2 approx.) for sale. This enclosure has fixed vines and branches that can be unscrewed and removed to be cleaned. Glass sliding doors, ventilation, light fitting with light cage. $500 ono.

Please contact me if you are after any more info about any of the animals or items listed above.

Spring Coachwhip

I found this western coachwhip snake (Masticophis flagellum testaceus) in the San Antonio Valley at Shanti Ashrama, 14 miles east of Mt. Hamilton near San Jose, CA. It was under a fallen branch next to a very small stream.

It's coming!

And it won't be long before it is here.

What's Up?

This past couple of weeks have been crazy to say the least. With over 60 hrs a week to my 'real' job, reptile shows, normal family events, I have still been able to work with the animals and kick in breeding season.
No complaints about the schedule, as this occasionally happens to all of us and we all have to bend a bit in times like this.

The geckos are all kicking into the breeding season as we are getting our first eggs of the season- the Het for Raptors, just like last year. Newly introduced crested groups and laying as well. I think I even see eggs developing in the female aussies.

With everything else, I still have spent some time on a project that started back in November. That doesn't sound like a long time ago but for me, it seems like an eternity. I will share more about this probably by the end of the week. It's an exciting change for Supreme Gecko and we are excited to move this project forward.

Well, time for some more coffee and.... right back at it.

Tourism Police help reduce failed nesting emergences.

Every season, a number of nesting turtles will inadvertently be scared off the beach by over enthusiastic tourists, eager to immortalise the experience with the perfect shot for their photo album... and to make their friends back home green with envy!

In 2004, MCSS created the “Turtle Watcher’s Code of Conduct” with funding from the British High Commission and while these have been widely distributed to tourism establishments located on nesting beaches around Seychelles, many tourist, and locals for that matter, still do not know how to behave around a nesting turtle.

The MCSS TWCC for nesting turtles, courtesy MCSS.

With the recent establishment of the Tourism Police Unit within the local Police Force, these Officers provide a unique opportunity to maximise nesting success while raising awareness about turtle conservation.

MCSS began working with the Tourism Police in the South of Mahé during the 2008-09 Nesting Season, with Christopher Adrianne reporting nesting emergences on a number of beaches and even assisting with a poaching incident. In 2009-10, Andy Agricole and Michael Jacques joined the un-official Turtle Team within the Tourism Police. Other Officers, particularly on Anse Intendance, were also on turtle watch but never seemed to see a nesting turtle.

Andy Agricole making sure a nesting turtle is not disturbed by tourist on Anse Takamaka, photo Elke Talma.

Through their tireless effort in patrolling their designated beaches and their enthusiasm for turtle conservation, a number of turtle’s nested successfully this season and hopefully many tourist returned home with a turtle tale to pass on to their friends.

After months of watching over nesting turtles, Christopher Adrienne finally sees his first hatchling, photo Elke Talma.

Family outing in Costa Rica

Turtles occur throughout the world’s oceans and while all are considered endangered, some even critically endangered, they are all of cultural and economic importance to coastal populations.

In Costa Rica for example, the “arribadas” of the Olive Ridley’s (i.e. massive nesting aggregations with thousands of females nesting in large simultaneous waves over small stretches of beach), bring families and the local community out for a day on the beach.

Costa Rican family enjoying the arrival of the Olive Ridley Turtle.

In typical Latin style, duties are delegated for the day’s activities. Women are charged with collecting the eggs, while surrounded by turtles desperately trying to lay their eggs in a limited window of time. The eggs are about the size of a lime, leathery in texture and amazingly tough, allowing them to be gathered straight from the eggs chamber and transported long distances without breaking.

Women dig for eggs

Arribadas are unique to turtles of the Lepidochelys family (i.e. Olive and Kemp Ridley turtles), and seem to be triggered by lunar phases. Generally, they occur around the start of the last quarter moon, but may also take place at any time including the full moon. Two arribadas (first and last quarter) may even occur in the same month and researchers have noted that the size and duration of the arribadas varies between the dry and wet seasons. Those occurring in the dry season of January to April tend to be smaller (approximately 5,000 turtles) and of shorter duration (less than 4 days). In the wet season of May to December, up to 300,000 turtles may lay over a period of 8 to 10 days. Depending on the location, there can be as little as 5 to as many as 15 arribadas in a year.

Once the women have filled gunny bags full of the precious eggs, the men take the bags off to market, where they are sold rather cheaply (less than US$0.01 per egg), for their aphrodisiac qualities .... they are also believed to cure erectile dysfunction!

Men carry the heavy load off to market.

Costa Rica is considered one of the best places in the world to witness an arribada, and while one would image this could cause a conflict between eco-tourism and the local culture, measures have been put in place to control the harvesting and also minimize poaching.

Since 1986 turtle eggs have been legally gathered by an organization know as the Association of Integral Development of Ostional (AIDO). The main goal of the exploitation and marketing of turtle eggs by AIDO is to achieve social growth of the community through controlled removal of eggs without compromising the reproduction and conservation of the species.

Controlled harvesting reduces poaching and helps preserve the species in Costa Rica.

As eggs deposited by early arrivees were being crushed by the next waves of turtles coming to lay eggs, it made sense to allow locals in this area to remove the first wave of eggs. Scientist also found that eggs laid during the dry season were unlikely to ever hatch due to the heat of the sand, which dehydrated the eggs.

Town’s folk collect and sell the eggs and use the money to help preserve the eggs in the subsequent waves of egg laying. The money was also used to build facilities in town, like schools and a clinic. Some of the money also ends up in the pockets of towns people, providing income where few jobs exist. The collected eggs are sold in bars and stores to meet the demand for turtle eggs and helps discourage poaching of eggs more likely to hatch. By providing a sufficient source of turtle eggs, the price of eggs stays low on the black market, discouraging incentive to poach them.

Wheaton Show Saturday 3/6

We are getting everything ready today for tomorrows show.
Here are a couple of animals that will be coming down with us.

Chalet D’Anse Forbans continues to support the MCSS turtle programme.

Chalet D’Anse Forbans, a family-run self-catering facility in the South of Mahé, has been supporting the MCSS turtle programme since 2004, through annual donations and staff participation in the ongoing monitoring on Anse Marie Louise.

Young Connor, one of the proprietor's children, respectfully following the MCSS turtle watchers code of conduct, Photo Elke Talma.

Together with their international partners, Trauminsel Reisen, the Seychellois proprietors of the Chalets have renewed their commitment to Turtle conservation in Seychelles as part of the 25th anniversary celebrations of Trauminsel Reisen.

Between February 2010 to February 2011, Chalets d’Anse Forbans will donate €25 to MCSSS for each Trauminsel Reisen client staying 6 or more nights at the Chalets

Eligible Trauminsel Reisen clients will receive an MCSS “honorary turtle conservationist” certificate and will be added to the MCSS turtle blog mailing list.

Aerial view of Chalet d’Anse Forbans, photo Elke Talma.

For more information, please visit: Chalet D’Anse Forbans or Trauminsel Reisen.

Climate Change Watchmen

Contributed by Nature Seychelles

It's been a very exciting time for the Turtle monitoring team on Cousin Island and there is something of a celebratory mood at present. You see, nearly two months of waiting are over and slowly hundreds of nests will begin to release their prize: brand new baby hawksbill turtles.

“Alongside the hatchlings, we will also receive data from 30 nests through a pilot program looking at how cool or hot the nests are” says Jovanni Simeon, the Chief Warden of Cousin. The data will be retrieved from instruments called data loggers that were buried in the nest during laying.

"To date, we have maintained a long term rigorous monitoring programme for the Hawksbill on Cousin Island, which has helped in the conservation of this endangered species. Adding a new dimension with the temperature data loggers is expected to elevate this monitoring to new standards now being adopted elsewhere in the world. We have become climate change watchmen". Says Nirmal Shah, Nature Seychelles CEO.

Cousin Island is the most important nesting site in the western Indian Ocean for the critically endangered hawksbill turtle. They nest here, as in the rest of the Seychelles Islands, between August and February and intensive monitoring takes place during this period to collect as much information as possible to inform the conservation management of this species.

The turtle monitoring program on Cousin is based on regular beach patrols carried out around the island to intercept and collect data on as many turtles as possible. Tags applied to the turtles’ front flippers are used to identify individuals and to provide an estimate of the size of the nesting population. Other information such as the size of the turtle and tracks are also noted and the location of any nests are marked and recorded.

But now with the dangers of Global Warming all the conservation efforts may come to nought if we do not know what is going on and act in time. Why is this? Temperatures inside the turtle nests determine the sex ratio of hatchlings. Warmer temperatures produce more females and cooler temperatures give more males. With rising global temperatures, it is essential to understand the potential impacts of climate change on this thermally sensitive species. It is the temperature within the middle third of the approximately 60-day incubation period that determines the sex of the hatchlings.

Temperatures inside the nests determine the sex ratio of turtle hatchlings.

This is why during this season, data loggers were added to 30 nests to collect information on nest temperature. Nests are closely monitored around the time of hatching. The data logger is removed so data can be downloaded and used in estimating an approximate sex ratio of the hatchlings.

"As soon as we observe hatching, we prepare to download the data as well as take measurements from a sampling of the hatchlings. The total number of hatchlings is also recorded." Says Eric Blais Conservation Officer, who is working alongside volunteer, Mary Ledlie, who has given her time to this important project. Photos are taken to add to the information database on these animals.

Hawksbill hatchling being measured before release, photo Nature Seychelles

The new addition of climate change monitoring to the long term turtle management program on Cousin is expected to yield important results. Results that will help us to understand the impacts of climate change on wildlife and how we can react in appropriate ways to save our precious natural heritage.

Substrate- An Article About Nothin'

 

Should we use SAND on the bottom of our gecko enclosure? Should we use PAPER TOWELS? How about WOOD CHIPS? Or PEAT MOSS? We get this question about once a reptile show. Read on to find out what we do.

One of the biggest controversies you will find on the Internet is whether one should use sand as a substrate in their gecko enclosure (specifically leopard geckos). Want to start a "flame war" on any of the leopard gecko forums? Mention that your leopard gecko is sick and that you have been keeping her over sand for the past 6 months. If you post this.... DUCK! as the post will start coming your way!

So, you are asking, is sand bad? Well, my response is 'it depends'. For baby leopard geckos, never start your young animals on sand. Youngsters have smaller digestive tracks and are more susceptible to the sand causing impaction.TIP ALERT--- For adult leopard geckos, keep a small bowl of a quality calcium in the enclosure. Leopard geckos lick their substrate for trace elements (including calcium). A calcium dish will DRASTICALLY reduce the leopard's need to find other sources- including the sand. 

Now a word about wood chips - orchid bark.... DON'T! Do not pass GO, Do Not Collect $200! Any type of wood chip is BAD. They will somehow make it into your geckos' mouth and they will get caught in their digestive track! Some customers insist that their wood pieces are too big for the geckos mouth. Over time, big pieces become smaller pieces and one day you will see your crested gecko lunge for a cricket only to come up with a mouth full of small pieces of wood (otherwise known as splinters). Just DON'T  :)

Now for the better options- Peat Moss and Paper Towels. Both are good options for your geckos- paper towels for babies and adult leos, peat moss for adult crested geckos. The purpose of both is to hold humidity and they will do this. The reason we do not use either is simple- they can be hard to manage- they either dry out too quickly (especially in the winter) or become too wet and for peat moss, this means mold.
Again, not bad options, they just need a bit more management.

Since we have quite a number of enclosure, we try to balance making things as easy for us but also as comfortable for the animals as we can. So your question now is what do we use in the crested and leopard gecko enclosures at Supreme Gecko?

We use Nothin'!  Well, that is partially true. For adult leopard geckos, we prefer a bare bottom tank. For baby cresteds and leopards we keep the bottom bare but will crumble up a full paper towel and throw that in the corner of their enclosure. When we mist, we hit a couple extra pumps on the paper towel to soak them pretty well.

For adult crested geckos, we prefer a different approach. As we have humid hides in our adult enclosures (crested and leopards) we will leave the crested enclosure bottom bare but will take cheap plastic plant strings with big leaves that you can purchase in any $1 store and cut them up into 4-6" sections, then scatter them over the bottom of the tank. As you will be misting the enclosure every day/every other day, you should never have an issue with humidity anyways. The advantage to this approach is many- it's very inexpensive, makes for a decorative enclosure, cresteds like to hid under the leaves, and this is super easy to clean- just throw the plants in a bucket and let them soak overnight.

I hope this shed some light on how we have adult and baby geckos setup in our facility. Leave us a comment if you have any questions or would like to start a Flame War  :)