POST PRINT APPROVED PP344786-0009 MONITOR · Triggs, B. (1997). Tracks, Scats and Other Traces a...

MONITOR - Journal of The Victorian Herpetological Society 11 (1) December, 2000

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MONITORVOL. 11 No. 1 December, 2000 $10.00 Aust.

MONITOR - Journal of The Victorian Herpetological Society 11 (1) December,2000

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CONTENTSMy Say by Barbatus … 2 – 3.

A Record of Albinism in Lowland copperhead(Austrelaps superbus) – by Steven llwellyn. … 4 – 5

A Breeding History of a Captive Children’s Python,(Antaresia childreni) – by Neil Sonneman … 6 – 8

The Thick Tailed Gecko (Underwoodisaurus milli) inCaptivity – by Steven Comber … 9 – 12.

The Swamp Skink (Egernia coventryi) A Review of theBiology and status - by Nick Clemann ... 13 -15

Egg Incubation and Juvenile Dispersal of EasternBrown Snakes (Pseudonaja textilis) - by SimonWatharow ... 16 - 17

How Much Can A Bearded Bare? Multiple clutchesin Bearded Dragon Pogona vitticeps – by PeterMantell … 18 – 19

PHOTOS – 20 – 23

Observations of the Black Snake Genus (Pseudechis )in Captivity – by Scott. C. Eipper … 24 - 30

Croakings - by “Hopper” … 31 – 34.

Whats News Mate … 35 – 35

HerpHealth – by Brendan Carmel … 38 – 39.

HerpTips – by Tigger … 40

Book Review – by Mike Swan … 41 - 42

Membership form … 43

Journal of the Victorian Herpetological SocietyVol 11(1) December, 2000M o n i t o r

Photo Cover: Spotted Black Snake (Pseudechisguttatus). Photo Ray HoserBack Cover. Thick Tailed Gecko (Underwoodisaurusmilli), Bendigo region, Victoria. Photo SimonWatharow

VHS CommitteePresident: Simon WatharowSecretary: Peter MantellTreasurer: Steven ComberExecutive: Doug WintleExecutive: Scott Eipper

MonitorISSN 1440-6241Editor/Producer Simon WatharowAsst Editors Ray Hoser, Peter Mantell, Steven Comberand Scott Eipper.“Monitor” is published by The Victorian HerpetologicalSociety Inc , Copyright 2000. Apart from any fair dealing,as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may bereproduced or stored by any process with outpermission. Enquires should be directed to VHSsecretary.

Any views or opinion are entirely those of the relevantauthor and do not necessarily represent the views of theVictorian Herpetological Society Inc.

CORROSPONDENCE

EditorPO Box 1016, Research, 3095, Victoria

Secretary of VHSPo Box 523, Somerville, 3912.Victoria

PHONE: 039-437 – 0755Emal: [email protected]

Photos are captioned with author, where no name isgiven the editor is the photographer.Articles can be submitted to VHS enquire via [email protected]. PO Box 1016, research 3095Victoria or 039 - 437 - 0755

Photos are continually sought for the journal. If you wishto contribute photos in slides or print form please contactthe editor.


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My SayBy Barbatus

After a year spent “dormant” the VictorianHerpetological Society has emerged with anew committee and perspective.

It is our aim to rebuild the membership and continue toproduce the best herpetological journal in Australia. Alsoto encourage the further positive advances in herpetocultureand conservation of herpetofauna in Australia.

Brian Barnett has been in charge of the VHS since 1977with a few years off in between. This is obvious to many ofus who have been in the group for a long period of time. Hehas clearly invested a lot of his time and experience intothe society. How many people have rang Brian for help,contacts or his opinion?

The committee has unanimously awarded the lifemembership to Brian and Lani Barnett, for their contributionsand dedication to herpetology and the VictorianHerpetological Society.

Putting this monitor together was a challenge and requiredhelp from numerous people. Ray Hoser has given me muchhelp with help how to use the magazine production software.In addition I have used some of his photos to supplementthe articles. I will further be seeking other interestedphotographers work to display in the upcoming journals. Ihave produced this journal at another publishing firm toreduce the cost of previous productions by excessive leftover issues. Quality has been downgraded to save nearly9,000 dollars a year on production. Avenues will be exploredto upgrade the magazine the following year.

to pound the ears of many herps for stories and articles.

We particularly would like to encourage new authors.

Other news from the society committee meeting roominclude designing and planning an up to date website whichwill include herp photos, field trips and basic husbandryetc. A new logo is also been drawn up to be used as aletter head and for business cards etc.

The August meeting went very well, with around 160 peoplethat turned up to hear two excellent speakers. I thank JamesSmith (Life History of Bearded Dragons) and Russell Grant(Python Breeding and Husbandry) for donating their timefor the two talks. The live displays were a success and areintended for all future events.

Followed by the December meeting which we again had asolid turn out 120 people who listened to “Rodent productionfor a food source” by Mr. Stephen Marshall and “Keepingreptiles happy” by Dr. Jim Greenwood. VHS thanks boththese excellent speakers for their time.

The new venue has received a thumbs up. The Knox CityCouncil Building provides greater access to climate control,slide projectors, refreshments and a warmer atmosphere.It also allows the use of live animals, which are an excellentbenefit to the meeting.

The new committee Peter Mantell (Secretary), StevenComber (Treasurer), Doug Wintle (Exec Comm) and ScottEipper (Exec Comm) have exceeded expectations andcontinue to dedicate much of their time to the VHS.

Lastly I am aware that my first year as President will be ayear spent learning the ropes of managing the society. Assuch mistakes will be mostly the result of organisationalinexperience. I hope that this will be understood by VHSmembers and a little tolerance shown.

We intend to produce “ Monitor” in this format with somechanges and experimentation, as ever the input from youis crucial. Call and comment on issues that areimportant to you. We have started to get articles comingfrom all over Australia and will continue

Yours in Herps

President of the VHS

Simon Watharow


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INTRODUCTION

I present information on the first record of an albinoLowland Copperhead. This sub adult snake wascollected on a snake call in Wheelers Hill, Victoria onthe 3rd of May, 2000.

Snake visits around premises can be due to nearbyland clearing or habitat disturbance. Alternatively,foraging behaviour, use of shelter sites or seasonalbreeding movement e. g. mate searching in males(Watharow, 1999 and pers. obs).

Licensed snake controllers from around the Melbourneareas routinely remove 300 or more snakes a year fromvarious city and suburban residences (Watharow, 1997and 1999).

No current records exist for albinism in LowlandCopperhead (Austrelaps superbus). Australian albinosnakes have been seen in elapids Swamp snake(Hemiaspis signata), Eastern Tiger Snake (Notechisscutatus), Boidae Olive Python (Liasis olivaceus) andCarpet Python (Moreila spilota variegata), (Bedford,1993; Hoser, 1999 and Swanson, 1999).

The Lowland Copperhead (Austrelaps superbus) is themost common snake seen and removed from South -Eastern Melbourne Metropolitan region and still hasgood populations in suburbia.

Habitats favoured are usually well watered grasslandsor paddocks of tussock grass (Juncus spp, Isolepisspp and Poa spp). Creek banks, dam walls,watercourses including drains, lake margins. But thissnake also occurs in moist areas of heathlands, basaltplains and woodland regions (Watharow, 1997; 1999and pers. obs).

DISCUSSION

The scalation data in table 1 is consistent with the knownscalation of A. superbus. The condition of the snakeupon capture appeared normal and the temperamentplacid. Colouration was a very light tan on the body andan almost cream coloured head, eyes were distinctivelypinkish.

Upon further inspection I found eight puncture woundsalong the sides of the body and one puncture wound tothe left eye. Four of the puncture wounds (2 on eachside) appear to be the upper and lower canines of asmall mammal carnivore.

Together with type of environment (urban) the puncturewounds would appear to be consistent with the jaws ofa young cat (Triggs, 1997). These injuries I believe, latercontributed to the snake’s death.

REFERENCES

Cogger, H.G. (2000). Reptiles and Amphibians ofAustralia. (6th Ed) Reed Books, Sydney. 775pp

Coventry, A.J. and Robertson, P. (1991). The Snakesof Victoria. Department of Conservation andEnvironment: East Melbourne 70 pp.

Triggs, B. (1997). Tracks, Scats and Other Traces afield Guide to Australian Mammals. Oxford UniversityPress, Melbourne. p264-265

Watharow, S. (1997 ). Ecology of Eastern Tiger Snake(Notechis scutatus) and Lowland Copperhead(Austrelaps superbus) within Metropolitan Melbourne.“Monitor” Journal of Victorian Herpetological Society 8(3): 145 - 150.

Watharow, S. (1999). Aspects of Mortality and NaturalHistory in Elapid Snakes from Melbourne, Australia.“Monitor” Journal of Victorian Herpetological Society Vol10 (2/3): 46 - 56.

Watharow, S. (1999). Snake Control and The Benefitsfor Translocated Snakes. “Monitor” Journal of VictorianHerpetological Society” Vol 10 (2/3): 59 - 64.

A RECORD OF ALBINISM IN THE LOWLANDCOPPERHEAD (Austrelaps superbus ).

Steven Llewellyn8 Maria Drive, Langwarrin, Victoria, 3910, Australia.

Phone: 03 9775 8423 Email: [email protected]


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SVL TVL WT Anal Sub416mm 81mm 28gm single 45 single

Caudals Ventrals Mid Bodies

RESULTS

Date: Wednesday 3rd of May 2000.Time: 5.00 pm (GMT +10.00 AEST).Address: Leon Street, Wheelers Hill, 3150, Victoria.Weather: 15 °Celsius, overcast, Light drizzle.Location: The property has an incline slope, SW

aspect and is within 400 metres of JellsPark, Wheelers Hill.

Habitat: Suburban backyard, creeper growingover back fence several 2 metre shrubswith tall grass underneath bordering therear fence.

Table 1 . Physical data on sub adult Albino LowlandCopperhead Austrelaps superbus removed from aresidence in Wheelers Hill.

Photo 1. Albino sub adult Lowland Copperhead(Austrelaps superbus), removed from Wheelers Hill.

45 159 15


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INTRODUCTION

The following is an account of the captive breeding historyof an adult female Childrens Python (Antaresia childreni),between 1984 and 1999. Purchased as an adult inDecember 1984, it has a distinctive scar at midbody and adark blotched pattern. It is believed to have originated fromthe top end, Northern territory population. To date this femalehas produced 98 eggs in 11 clutches.

MATERIALS and METHODS

At present (October, 2000) it is gravid once again andexpected to produce another clutch. Husbandry over theyears has been straightforward and uneventful with regardsto health problems. Handling is minimal and only for cagecleaning

Housing consists of a wooden cage with a glass-fronteddoor heated by one white 40-watt incandescent globeconnected to a room thermostat. Cage temperatures rangefrom 17 deg C in winter to 36 deg C in summer. Daytimeheating hours is varied according to the season. No heatingis used at night, with cage temperatures falling to ambientroom temerature. The cage is quite small, length 60cm,width 40cm and height 30cm.

Fine aquarium gravel is used as a substrate, the only otherfurnishings are a water bowl and a hiding spot in the form ofa piece of bark. Water is changed weekly using a freshdisinfected water bowl. Food consists of adult fresh or frozen(thawed) mice on demand. No specific feeding regimensused, the snake generally refuses food from April/May untilafter egg laying in Sept/Nov.

A BREEDING HISTORY OF A CAPTIVE CHILDRENSPYTHON (Antraesia childreni ).

Neil SonnemannRMB 2310 Murmungee, Victoria, 3747

The eggs are removed after laying and artificially incubatedat 28 – 32 deg C. Following a substrate change to removethe nest odour, the female resumes feeding in Spring andis then offered as much as it will eat until the followingautumn. Feeding records are not available but about threeadult mice are fed in one meal whenever the snake will eat,at the end of the summer the female is in what could bedescribed as fat condition and has replenished fat reservesused in egg production.Health problems have been virtually non existent, no antibiotics have been used and skins usually sloughed in onepiece. Routine worming was done on arrival using Lopatol(Dog worming tablets)

DISCUSSION

Between the years 1987 and 1999, a total of 98 eggs werelaid. Of which 97 were fertile and 95 hatched. A hatch rateof 98% this is considered exceptional as in other clutchesof Childrens Python there is considerable variation inhatching rates of successive clutches (Sonnemann in prep.Clutches usually consist of some infertile eggs and aproportion of fertile eggs will die during incubation.

The clutches produced by this female have been most fertileand nearly all eggs hatched successfully. The same malewas used to produce all clutches (CP Greg),

Photo 1. Enclosure used for “Scar” femaleChildrens Python (A.childreni). Photo: NeilSonneman


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Photo 2. Childrens Python (Antaresia childreni) called“Scar” in gravid inverted posture typical for thisspecies and most pythons.

The female is quite secretive and hides mostly under thebark, only coming out to feed and bask under the light.Whilst some breeders regard breeding females year afteryear to be detrimental to their health, resulting in burnt out.The past three clutches have been excellent in terms ofnumber of eggs and percentage hatched.Given adequate nutrition to replenish fat reserves lost inegg production. It appears A. childreni can be an annualbreeder in captivity.

At present the female is lying upside down under the barkcarrying another clutch of eggs. Now and again an animalcomes along that seems to live forever and producesclutches of eggs.

This female has now been in captivity for 16 years and wasan adult when obtained. Assuming an age of at least 3 –4years at adult size, this snake could be around 20 yearsof age.

obtained as an adult in 1984 and still looking good. Noclutches were produced for the first two years, possiblydue to the female settling in to the new environment. Initiallyclutch sizes were small but increased in the number ofeggs per clutch in recent years, ranging from five eggs in1988 to 12 eggs in 1999.

The reason for this is unknown, but may reflect betternutrition in later years. Dates of laying range from 21September in 19991, to 28 November in 1992. A spread ofnine weeks possibly due to varying cage temperatures, asthe dates of introduction of the male was similar in all years.Eggs were incubated at a range of 28 – 32 deg C andaveraged 52.8 days to hatching.The shortest incubation period was 48 days and the longestwas 64 days. The female is housed on its own apart fromthe introduction of the male for short periods during winter.I believe this to be the main reason for its longevity andfecundity as stress is a major factor in mortality of captivereptiles.


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Table 1. Details the reproductive events of a Children’s Python (1987 – 1999) totalof 11 clutches.

Year No No Date Hatched Date Incubation (d) Eggs Fertile Laid No Hatched Duration1987 6 6 22 Nov 5 10 Jan 491988 5 5 8 Nov 5 - -1989 -1990 6 5 19 Nov 5 15 Jan 571991 9 9 21 Sept 9 10 Nov 501992 7 7 28 Nov 7 31 Jan 641993 10 10 2 Oct 10 30 Nov 591994 -1995 10 10 3 Nov 10 23 Dec 501996 9 9 16 Nov 9 3 Jan 481997 12 12 27 Oct 12 17 Dec 511998 12 12 24Oct 12 14 Dec 511999 12 12 23Oct 11 11 Dec 49TOTALS 98 97 95 Av. 52.8

Photo 3 . “Scar” basking to incubate eggs. PhotoNeil Sonneman.


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Photo 1. Enclosure design, an aquarium with soiland sand medium and paving bricks for sheltersites. Used for housing Thick - tailed Geckos(Underwoodisaurus milli) by author. Photo StevenComber

THE THICK - TAILED GECKO (Underwoodisaurus milii)IN CAPTIVITY

Steve Comber PO Box 523, Somerville, Victoria 3912

[email protected].

INTRODUCTION

The Thick - tailed Gecko is a large terrestrial geckowidespread across southern Australia. Often called theBarking Gecko, in reference to its characteristic defensivecall, this is one of the most vocal Australian geckos. It isgenerally dark purplish brown, with lateral surface markingsand small white spots arranged in transverse rows or zones(Photo 2). Often found in mallee areas, it is most commonin rocky habitats where it utilises a variety of different retreat-sites depending on the time of year including loose surfacerock, deep crevices and burrows (Photo 3.). It is importantto observe their natural habits of any gecko beforeattempting to restrict them to a small cage. The intentionsof this paper are to inform the novice keeper on the careand maintenance of this species, hopefully lead to thereproduction of one of Australia’s spectacular geckos.

HOUSING

I house most of my Thick - tailed Geckos in standard 61cm (24 inch) aquariums (Photo 1.). The majority of myterrestrial geckos are housed in aquariums, I find aquariumshave many benefits. For instance, after the females havelaid their eggs I do not have to blindly dig to locate them.This is because most species dig their laying chamber asdeep as possible enabling the eggs to be easily locatedfrom underneath the aquarium.

I find this important when the enclosure has a completecovering of substrate. Another advantage is that because itis glass, no matter how much water is sprayed theenclosure is unaffected.

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Photo 2. Thick Tailed Gecko (Underwoodisaurus milli)with regenerated tail in captivity.

No lids are necessary to cover the aquariums becausethe animals are unable to clime out. Having open topsreduces noise and commotion during feeding time, whichoften causes the geckos to retreat, and of course providesmaximum ventilation.

The substrate of my Thick tailed Gecko enclosure is amixture of peatmoss and sand at a depth of approx. 50mm.I also use fine desert sand in a couple of enclosures, whichis just as successful. Flat paving bricks separated by smallby small square pieces of wood, provide steady refugecrevices (Photo 1). Two crevices are present, one wherethe geckos can retreat under the bottom brick to the glasssurface as a cool retreat, and one between the two bricks.This provides adequate space for various geckos to avoideach other if desired and provides a temperature gradient.All the bricks can easily be removed allowing total accessto all geckos at any time.

Generally I house my Thick - tailed geckos in pairs, howeverI have successfully housed them as one male to twofemales. In the wild these lizards actively form aggregationsand probably have a complex social structure (Kearney inpress).Unfortunately the geckos are not exposed to natural lightcycles, however the natural cycle is closely mimicked

utilising a 40w fluorescent tube connected to a digital timerlocated above the enclosures.

During the night the room is lit by a 25w blue globe locatedon the ceiling. Although geckos have good night vision, Ifeel that all my geckos benefit from the dim light producedduring their active period, aiding them in locating their fooditems. Other reptile cages in the room raise the ambienttemperature considerably. Due to the thick tailed geckosbeing easily heat stressed, thy are housed at the lowestlevel within the room. This also enables me to control theheat more easily, and they experience lower temperaturesduring the winter months.

Throughout the summer months the air temperature in thetop crevices ranges between 23-27°c, dropping to the midto low 20°s throughout the night. The geckos can escapethis heat by retreating to the lower crevice to lay on thebare glass. However, the above temperatures seem to becomfortable for them. In the winter months I let thetemperatures drop quite low, especially during the night,trying to keep them as natural as possible. The daytemperatures still reach up to around 18°c but drop as lowas 9°c over the night period. Thick tailed geckos have beenobserved active in the field with a body temperature of 8°c

LIGHTING and HEATING


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(M. Kearney pers. comm.)

A strip of self regulating heat tape (8w/ft) runs along theunderneath of the front edge of the cage. Individual bricksare placed directly above the heat tape to spread the heatto a mild, even temperature. This raises the bricktemperature approximately 4-5°c above the maximum airtemperature. The bricks also play a role in preventing eggdeposition directly on the heat tape. The geckos quiteregularly lie on these bricks during the night, especiallyafter feeding, most importantly when females are gravidthey spend a lot of time laying flat on the warmth. Thisbehaviour has been observed in the field on the warm rocksheated by the day’s sun ( S.Comber and M. Kearney, pers.obs). The heat tape is on all night throughout September toMarch, for an hour after dark during April and August, andis switched off completely during May, June and July.

FEEDING

The main diet is a combination of appropriate sizedcockroaches and crickets dusted with Rep Cal calciumand Rep Cal Herptivite. Moths and spiders, as large asHuntsmans are also taken. Hatchlings and young animalsare fed the same diet as the adults with the addition offlies. Feeding is carried out while the geckos are active.The females seem to dominate during feeding, so it’simportant to see all individuals eat, however males don’tconsume as much as the females. The cage is lightlysprayed one to two times a week leaving plenty of waterdroplets from which the geckos often lick. A small shallowwater bowl is always present but is rarely used.

BREEDING

Thick - tailed Geckos are easily sexed due to the obvioushemipenal bulges at the base of the male’s tails. thehemipenal bulges are only obvious beyond 6 - 12 monthsof age. Prior to this sexes can be distinguished by theshape of the region between the vent and the tail seeDiagram 1. Females can lay up to three clutches perseason. The first clutches are laid during mid Octoberwith the second clutch around 50 days later. I haveobserved matings in late August and throughoutSeptember. Matings can last up to 45 minutes. Uponfinishing, the male seems to clean the hemipenes bylicking and biting them, which can last up to ten minutes.Once a female is gravid she will not let any male mateher until she lays. I have had females lay at two years ofage but the eggs have failed to hatch, however eggs laidin their third season are usually successful. While thefemales are gravid their food intake slightly increases butrefuse food within 6-8 days prior to oviposition. From thistime onwards I spray one corner of the cage to keep itmoist. The female digs a few test burrows one or twonights prior to laying until the eggs are deposited and theburrow filled back in. Eggs are also often deposited withinthe lower crevice.

INCUBATION

The eggs are artificially incubated in a mixture of mediumgrade vermiculite and water (60g : 55ml) in a sealedcontainer. The container is aired once weekly to supplythe eggs with fresh air. The temperature ranges between28-29°c, at this temperature the eggs hatch in 64days

Photo 3. Typical habitat for Thick - tailed Geckos(Underwoodisaurus milli) in granite rock outcrops inVictoria.


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(±4days). The eggs are quite large measuring an averagesize of 24mm x 13mm, and with all the pairs of eggs Ihave hatched there has been a 1:1 ratio of males tofemales.

HATCHLINGS

Hatchlings slough their skin within their first seven daysand begin to feed keenly. They are raised with their siblingsand maintained and housed in the same conditions asthe adults, using smaller cages.

ACKNOWLEGEMENTS

I thank Peter Comber, Brian Barnett and Michael Kearneyfor their knowledge and encouragement.

REFERENCES

Greer, Allen E. 1989 .The Biology and Evolution ofAustralian Lizards.Surrey Beatty & Sons

Diagram 1. Female ventral surface, note: The largegap between the vent and tail base.

Diagram 2. Male ventral surface, note: Vent area issmaller and compressed.

G.M. Storr, L.A. Smith, R.E. Johnstone, 1990. Lizardsof Western Australia 111. Western Australian Museum,Perth, Western Australia.

Barnett, B.1998. Artificial Incubation of Snake Eggs.Monitor 1(2):31-39

Porter, R. 1998 . Captive Breeding and Maintenance ofTryon’s Velvet Gecko (Oedora tryoni) Dactylus Vol.3 No.3

Kearney, M., R. Shine, S. Comber, and D. Pearson . Inpress. Why do geckos group? An analysis of “social”aggregations in two species of Australian lizards.Herpetologica.

Kearney, M . (in press) Postural thermoregulatory behaviorin the nocturnal lizards Christinus marmoratus andNephrurus milli (Gekkonidae).Herpetological Review.


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INTRODUCTION

The Swamp Skink Egernia coventryi is a threatened andapparently declining skink occurring in southeasternAustralia. The following is a review of the biology andstatus of this species in Victoria.

The Swamp Skink (Figure 1) is a medium-sized skinkwith a snout-vent length of about 100mm (Cogger, 2000).It occurs mainly near the coast in south-eastern Australia.Within Victoria, the Swamp Skink occurs across thesouthern parts of the state, with isolated populationsrecorded along the coast from East Gippsland to the SouthAustralian border (Atlas of Victorian Wildlife database;Figure 2). Relatively few inland populations have beenrecorded, although records exist for localities includingthe Grampians Ranges National Park, Enfield State Forestsouth-west of Ballarat, Yellingbo and East Gippsland(Smales 1981; Clemann and Beardsell, 1999 and Atlasof Victorian Wildlife database). A very small populationwas recently discovered in the eastern suburbs ofMelbourne (Clemann, in press).

Prior to 1978 the Swamp Skink was known as theMourning Skink (Egernia luctuosa), which is now knownto occur only in southern Western Australia. In 1978 theSwamp Skink was defined as a species outright, andnamed after A. J. Coventry, Curator of Reptiles andAmphibians at Museum Victoria (Storr, 1978).

Because most early specimens were captured in trapsset overnight for small mammals, the Swamp Skink wasonce considered nocturnal. Work by Robertson, (1980)greatly increased our knowledge of the Swamp Skink,

and it is now known to be a diurnal, basking species. It isactive from early September to early May when dailytemperatures exceed about 180 C.

HABITATS

The Swamp Skink inhabits wetlands or swampy heathswith dense vegetation, including both freshwater andsaltmarsh habitats (Robertson 1980; Smales, 1981; Schulz,1985 and Clemann, 1997). In freshwater habitats, dominantplant species typically include Paperbarks, Tea-tree, reeds,sedges, and tussocks. In saltmarsh habitats, dominantplant species typically include Beaded Glasswort, Saltbush,rushes and tussock grasses.

Within these habitats, the Swamp Skink frequently baskson fallen timber, litter and flood wrack, or in sedges andtussocks where it also forages. It shelters in burrows of itsown construction, or those of yabbies and crabs, as wellas beneath rocks and logs, or the base of tussocks andsedges (Taylor undated; Robertson 1980; Schulz, 1985 andClemann, 1997).

TRAPPING

Due to the shyness of the Swamp Skink, and the densevegetation it typically inhabits, it is notoriously difficult todetect and capture using traditional techniques. Pitfalltrapping is usually inappropriate in wetlands because thepits fill with water, and there is often few rocks and logs toroll to reveal sheltering individuals. Most of the earlyspecimens were captured in Elliott traps set for smallmammals, and the use of these traps has become standardduring surveys for Swamp Skinks. These traps havetraditionally been baited with a mixture of rolled oats, peanut

The SWAMP SKINK Egernia coventryi :A REVIEW of The BIOLOGY AND STATUS.

Nick ClemannFauna Ecology Section

Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental ResearchDepartment of Natural Resources and Environment

PO Box 137Heidelberg, VICTORIA 3084

(This article will also appear in Crocodillian)


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butter and honey, although recent investigations have shownthat the use of fish baits may be more successful (Clemannet al, 1998 and Clemann and Beardsell, 1999). A recentstudy (Clemann in press) has shown, however, that Elliotttraps do not guarantee captures of Swamp Skinks, evenwhen the lizards are basking within about 5 cm of the traps.

DIETARY

The Swamp Skink is principally carnivorous and feeds on avariety of small invertebrates, including cockroaches,beetles, flies, moths, caterpillars, snails and spiders; to alesser extent it also consumes small amounts of plantmaterial and, occasionally, small skink species (Robertson1980; Schulz 1992; Douch. 1994 and Clemann, 1997).

BREEDING and BEHAVIOUR

The Swamp Skink is viviparous (produces live young),producing one to six (usually about three) young in lateJanuary or February; mating occurs at the time of ovulationin November. Four neonates in a litter from a female SwampSkink from the Enfield State Forest had snout-vent lengthsranging from 34 to 37mm (Clemann and Beardsell, 1999).

Robertson (1980) suggests a home range of approximately10m from its burrow, and juvenile dispersal distances of upto 200m. The Swamp Skink is aggressively territorial, andwill chase other Swamp Skinks from its territory (authorspers obs.). Even when housed at relatively low densities incaptivity, the species frequently fights with and killscagemates (Taylor, undated, Taylor, 1994).

PREDATION

The Red Fox is known to prey on Swamp Skinks (Taylor1994). Other potential predators include a suite of birds,including Ibis and various raptors, snakes such as theLowland Copperhead, Eastern Tiger Snake, Red-belliedBlack Snake, and White-lipped Snake, and feral anddomestic cats. Most of these species occur widelythroughout Swamp Skink habitats.

Vegetation clearance and the draining of wetlands haveworsened the isolated nature of many populations of theSwamp Skink. It is presumed extinct at several historicalsites, at many more sites the area of suitable habitat is

Photo 1. Victorian coastal habitat of Swamp Skink(Egernia coventryi). Photo Nick Clemann .


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now so small as to place the long-term survival ofpopulations in doubt, and at many other sites the statusof the species is uncertain (P. Robertson pers comm.).At just a few sites (most of which are in East Gippsland),the Swamp Skink is considered potentially secure,provided that management is appropriate. The speciesis officially listed as Vulnerable in Victoria (NRE, 2000),and Rare or Insufficiently Known nationally (Cogger et al.1993), and has been nominated for listing on the Floraand Fauna Guarantee Act 1988.

REFERENCES

Clemann, N. (1997). Aspects of the biology and ecologyof the Swamp Skink Egernia coventryi Storr, 1978(Sauria: Scincidae). B. Sc. (Hons.) Thesis. DeakinUniversity, Rusden Campus.

Clemann, N. (in press). Survival in the suburbs! The(re)discovery of the Swamp Skink Egernia coventryieast of Melbourne, with comments on the failure ofElliott traps in a survey for this species. The VictorianNaturalist.

Clemann, N., Brown, P. and Brown, G. (1998). A noteon bait selection when trapping the Swamp SkinkEgernia coventryi in Elliott traps. The VictorianNaturalist 115 (3): 81-83.

Clemann, N. and Beardsell, C. (1999). A new inlandrecord of the Swamp Skink Egernia coventryi Storr,1978. The Victorian Naturalist 116 (4): 127-128.

Cogger, H.G. (2000). Reptiles and Amphibians ofAustralia. 6th Edition. Reed New Holland, Sydney.

Cogger, H. G., Cameron, E. E., Sadlier, R. A. andEggler, P. (1993). The Action Plan for AustralianReptiles. Australian Nature Conservation Agency.Endangered Species Program, Project No. 124.

Douch, P. M. (1994). Comparative ecophysiology of twospecies of scincid lizard, Egernia coventryi and Egerniawhitii. B. Sc. (Hons.) Thesis. University of Melbourne,Parkville.

NRE (2000). Threatened vertebrate fauna in Victoria – 2000.A systematic list of vertebrate fauna consideredextinct, at risk of extinction or in major decline inVictoria. Department of Natural Resources andEnvironment, East Melbourne.

Robertson, P. (1980). ALCOA Portland Aluminium SmelterEnvironmental Report No. 1: Mourning Skink Investigations.Report by Peter Robertson and Kinhill Planners Pty Ltd.

Schulz, M. (1985). The occurrence of the Mourning Skink,Egernia coventryi Storr, in saltmarsh in WesternportBay, Victoria. The Victorian Naturalist 102 (5): 148-152.

Schulz, M. (1992). The Swamp Skink (Egernia coventryiStorr1978): a review. Report by Martin Schulz,Ecological Horticulture Pty Ltd, to Melbourne Water.

Smales, I. (1981). The herpetofauna of Yellingbo StateFaunal Reserve. The Victorian Naturalist 98: 234-246.

Storr, G. M. (1978). The genus Egernia (Lacertilia,Scincidae) in Western Australia. Records of theWestern Australian Museum 6: 147-187.

Taylor, M. (1994). Rescue plan for a colony of SwampSkink. Proceedings of the 1994 ARAZPA/ASZKConference.

Taylor, M. (undated). Back to the swamp – completionof the Swamp Skink project. Unpublished report byMike Taylor, Healesville Sanctuary.

Photo 2. Swamp Skink (Egernia coventryi). Photo NickClemann.


16

INTRODUCTION

Eastern Brown Snakes (Pseudonaja textilis) are a commonspecies in some areas around Melbourne especiallyWestern and North Eastern regions. While particularlyabundant in open grassland especially those with largeareas of basalt outcrops or loosely scattered rocks. Winterdormancy behaviour is believed to be responsible foraggregations observed in P. textilis (Hoser, 1980, Shine,1991).

On October 17th !997 in Campbellfield the author was calledout to remove 27 juvenile P. textilis from under a plasticsheet in a garden.

DISCUSSIONInvestigation under a large 3 metre square plastic sheetcovered by pine bark shavings, leafage and two small lowbushes outside a factory. Revealed 8 P. textilis coiled in aloose ball, these were collected as requested. The gardenwas further dismantled to check for other snakes and threeother balls of snakes were found no more than 60cm fromeach other. All snakes were cold to touch and stirred littlewhen removed. This garden bed was adjacent to a large(8msq) concrete driveway, which the adult snake homesitehole was situated under.

Surrounding habitat was disturbed grassland with primarilyexotic plant species and basalt type rocks loosely scatteredtypical of basalt plains habitat. Discussion with factory staffconfirmed a large P. textilis was seen in late Decemberbasking and retreating into a hole under concrete driveway.

It is suspected that a female laid a clutch of eggs thathatched later than expected and young were subsequentlystranded in cool conditions unable to disperse. Thenremained dormant under the black plastic sheet, whichmay offer good protection from weather elements.

Previously a disused concrete swimming pool wall wasused for incubation of P. textilis eggs in Nagambie, Victoria(pers obs). The author was called out to remove juvenilesP. textilis that were found basking at entrance of wall orfallen into empty pool. Gravid Eastern Tiger Snakes haveused pool concrete surfaces to incubate broods(Watharow, 1999). It appears P. textilis will utilise manmade construction to incubate eggs.

REFERENCES

Hoser, R. T. (1980). Further records of Various Speciesof Australian Snakes. Herpetofauna 12(1): 16-22.

Hoser, R. T. (198-). An Aggregation of EasternBrown Snakes (Pseudonaja textilis). Herpetofauna Vol21(2): 38

Covacevich, J & Limpus, C. 1973. Two large winteraggregations of tree - climbing snakes in SouthEastern Queensland, Herpetofauna 6(2): 16-21.

Shine, R. (1991). Snakes A Natural History, ReedBooks 191pp.

RESULTS

Table 1. Physical data for twenty seven juvenileEastern Brown Snakes (P. textilis) collected from

EGG INCUBATION METHODS and JUVENILE DISPERSAL OFEASTERN BROWN SNAKES (Pseudonaja textilis).

Simon Watharow, PO Box 1016, Research, 3095, Victoria.Email: [email protected]


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Campbellfield, Victoria.

No SVL (mm) TL (mm) WT(g) / Notes1. 250 50 8 (Typical non banded form)2. 265 50 7 “ “3. 260 43 8 “ “4. 260 50 7 “ “5. 270 54 8 “ “6. 240 45 8 “ “7. 240 45 5 “ “8. 250 50 5 (banded)9. 247 40 6 ( possible post emergence slough remnants)10. 250 50 7 (Typical non banded)11. 250 47 5 “ “12. 240 50 5 “ “13. 270 52 8 “ “14. 240 51 5 (few banded rings)15. 250 50 5 (faint half band rings)16. 240 50 5 (Typical non banded form)17. 240 50 6 “ “18. 245 40 5 “ “19. 230 48 5 “ “20. 245 55 5 “ “21. 250 53 5 “ “22. 240 50 5 “ “23. 246 50 6 “ “24. 240 50 5 “ “25. 240 45 5 “ “26. 240 50 5 “ “27. 240 55 6 “ “

Range 240 - 270 40 - 55 5 - 8Mean 247.3 43.8 5. 9

Photo 1. Juvenile Eastern Brown Snake (Pseudonaja textilis) typical unbanded form.

Photo Ray Hoser


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HOW MUCH CAN A BEARDED BAREMULTIPLE CLUTCHES IN A

CENTRAL BEARDED DRAGON (Pogona vitticeps).Peter Mantell

PO Box 523, Somerville, 3912.Victoria

INTRODUCTION

The following is in response to a letter written to the VHSby Sheryl Longstaff. The letter refers to an adult, femaleCentral Bearded dragon that was producing anextraordinary frequency of egg clutches.The main concern expressed in the letter was, the possibledetrimental effect on the female, by producing so manyclutches of eggs.

The Dragon is housed together with an adult male both ofwhich share an enclosure that measures 6’x 2’ x 2’ andis constructed of Melamine. The animals are provided withdaytime Ultra Violet lighting. As well as a baskingtemperature of around 30 to 35 degrees Celsius which iscontrolled by a simple bellow style thermostat.

Both animals are fed daily and are offered range of foodincluding, Crickets, Mealworms as well as a variety ofvegetables. Each feed is dusted with calcium and multi-vitamin powders.

The floor of the enclosure is covered with newspaper anda plastic tub containing potting mix is used as a egglaying medium. The female dragon is approximately 3years old.

The following is a list describing the details of each clutchlaid.

Clutch 1. 15.10.99. 16 eggs, All fertileClutch 2. 30.12.99. 16 eggs, 2 InfertileClutch 3. 01.05.00. 24 eggs, All fertileClutch 4 . 17.05.00. 30 eggs, All fertile

At this time the female was separated from the male togive her a rest. This proved futile as the female continuedto lay eggs. The pair remained separated for a total of 8weeks.

Clutch 5 . 04.06.00. 26 eggs, All fertileClutch 6. 28.06.00. 15 eggs, 11 InfertileClutch 7 . 01.08.00. 18 eggs, All fertile

Throughout this period the female continued to eat normallyand remained in good health. On 04.08.00 the female wasreunited with the male and naturally, subsequent layingoccurred.

Clutch 8. 27.08.00. 28 eggs, All fertileClutch 9. 13.09.00. 28 eggs, All fertile

Photo 1. Enclosure for female Bearded Dragon(Pogona vitticeps). Note egg laying medium in plastictub.


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Clutch 10. 29.09.00. 27 eggs, All fertileClutch 11. 6.11.00. 27 eggs, All fertile

Many people believe that such a lifestyle may be detrimentalto the long term health of a dragon. There is no doubt thatthe dragon in question is of excellent health and is caredfor extremely well. There is some concern that providinganimals Constant year round high temperatures mayshorten the life of this reptile. Only time will tell if this istrue in this particular case. It is also worth noting that captiveanimals generally live longer in captivity any way, so onecould argue that such techniques may only keep the lifespan of an animal to that of those in the wild. Moreimportantly remember that captive animals should neverbecome commodities and should remain pets that deservea long and fruitful life.

It would be recommended that some type of winteringpractices should be incorporated into the husbandry ofthese lizards. By providing both, a small amount of highdaytime temperatures with low night time temperaturesduring Winter, or for a least 8 weeks, you should be able tomaintain high levels of breeding as well as numerousclutches of eggs for many years to come. A reduction infeeding is also recommended at this time.In theory this will also prolong the life of most BeardedDragons.

Photo 2. Female Inland Bearded Dragon ( Pogonavitticeps)


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Thick - tailed Gecko (Underwoodisaurus milli), common in several habitats especially granite outcrops.

Juvenile Inland Bearded Dragons (Pogona vitticeps) bred in captivity.


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Typical banded form of juvenile (Pseudonaja textilis) widespread across Victoria. Photo Ray Hoser

Swamp Skink (Egernia coventryi), restricted to swamp margins with heath associations and often alongforeshores along coastal areas. Photo Nick Clemann.


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Colletts Snake Pseudechis colletti ) a colourful and attractive Pseudechis species that iscommon in captivity. Photo Ray Hoser.

Albino Lowland Copperhead (Austrelaps superbus), collected in Wheelers Hill, Victoria by Steven llwellyn.


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Brown Phase juvenile Spotted Black Snake (Pseudechis guttatus). Photo ScottEipper.

Lowland Copperhead (Austrelaps superbus) removed from Yarra Glen, Victoria. Typical dorsal colourationseen around Victorian residences.


24

OBSERVATIONS of THE BLACK SNAKE GENUS(PSEUDECHIS) IN CAPTIVITY

SCOTT. C. EIPPER65 Grange Road, Caulfield East, Victoria, 3145,

Australia. E-mail: [email protected]

INTRODUCTION

The black snakes are a large, heavily bodied group of elapidsnative to Australia, Papua New Guinea and Irian Jaya.Information on these snakes is further provided by (Bush,1995; Bush et al. 1995; Charles et all 1980; Charles, 1983;Cogger, 1992; Ehmann, 1992; Fitzgerald & Pollitt, 1980;Fitzgerald & Mengen, 1987; Gow, 1989; Hoser, 1989;Maryan, 1994; Maryan, 1997; Mengen et al. 1986; O’Shea,1996; Shine, 1978; 1979; 1987; 1991; Shine & Lambeck1990; Smith, 1982; Weigel, 1988 and Wilson & Knowles,1988).

This paper is intended to help the future keepers of thegenus Pseudechis and add more information to the keepingknowledge of this spectacular group of elapids.

There are seven (possibly eight) species of Pseudechiswith seven in Australia (Pseudechis papuanus) was recentlydiscovered on Saibai Island, which is just off the coast ofPapua New Guinea however it is politically Australian(Wilson, 1997). They are all classed as dangerouslyvenomous with known fatalities occurring in Australia fromMulga Snake (Pseudechis australis) and Papua NewGuinea the Papuan Black Snake (P. papuanus). The ButlersSnake (P. Butleri), Collett’s Snake (P. colletti), SpottedBlack Snake (P. guttatus), and Red Bellied Black Snake(P. porphyriacus) are regarded as potentially fatal. All bitesshould be treated with caution and medical attentionsought.

Four of the genus is well represented in captivity. TheButler’s Snake (P. butleri) and Papuan Black Snake (P.papuanus) are not readily available in captive situations.

Most herpetologists and keepers are in agreement that notwo separate species should be crossbred to form a hybrid.To my knowledge this has been done once with a P. guttatusand a P. colletti (Watharow pers. comm).

These snakes are on the whole are easy to raise, keepand breed in captivity. If all of the basic husbandry rules arefollowed, common sense is used and records are kept. Ialso believe that they are the best starting genus of elapidsto keep as they are a fairly quiet. Their bites are generallynot life threatening, but great care should be taken as theirvenom can cause necrosis. A crippling

condition that may cause a need for amputation of anaffected region or sometimes limb. Bites also can beextremely painful. This paper will largely be drawing uponmy personal experiences with these elapids.

HOUSING

As they are dangerously venomous the Pseudechis groupshould be kept in cages that are lockable and safe to workwith. Top- opening cages should be used for these elapids.P. australis, P. colletti, P. guttatus and P. porphyriacus . Alarge, well-constructed cage is needed, to keep thesespecies successfully. Juveniles are also quite large incomparison to the other similar sized elapids (The BrownSnakes Pseudonaja sp, Tiger Snakes Notechis sp). “ClickClack” type containers are good to use for juvenile snakesas they have clear lids and are top opening. This minimisesthe risk of being bitten.

The “Click Clack” containers are best ventilated by the useof a standard soldering-iron rather than a drill as the lattermight cause the lid to shatter and crack thus creating sharpedges that could be detrimental to the future inhabitants ofthe cage.

Ventilation is very important, plastic grills usually used forventilating cupboards are effective for cages holding adultspecimens. Each vent should be checked by placing aboutthree kilograms of pressure at the weakest point of thevent with your fingers (this can be checked by using a setof scales to work out how much force is to be used on thevent).

Water bowls are standard in the cages however they shouldbe non-spillable but large enough to allow the snake tosoak this is especially important to animals nearingsloughing (shedding) and for juveniles, who can die withinshort periods, if dehydrated.

I use absorbent paper towelling as a substrate for juvenilesand newspaper for the adults as the cages are kept cleanmore easily. I change the paper when it is soiled and if notsoiled within a week of the last paper change, it becomeschanged and fresh paper is put in the cage. After the dirtypaper is changed I use a mix of Dettol and water (90 %water and 10% Dettol) to wipe the cages clean.

The cage size should be approximately 1.0 metres long by0.6 metres deep by 0.6 metres high for a pair of adult snakes.If the animals are to be housed individually (which is what Irecommend) they can be housed in smaller facilities of 0.6metres long by 0.5 metres deep by 0.6 metres in height.

HEATING


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The Pseudechis group is found all over Australia except forTasmania and the south western corner of Victoria(Longmore, 1986). They have two wide-ranging species, P.australis and P. porphyriacus both of which range from colderregions to the warm tropics.

Information on where your captive snakes (or its parents)are from is very important; For example I have P.porphyriacus from the Adelaide Hills S. A. and others fromSydney N.S.W. Neither of the animals is given heat duringsummer but during winter I only heat the Sydney P.porphyriacus.

Northern P. australis, P. colletti and Northern P. porphyriacusshould be kept in cages ranging from 28 to 31 degreesCelsius. P. guttatus should be kept in cages with range of26 to 28 degrees Celsius. Southern P. australis and P.porphyriacus can be kept cages with a temperature rangefrom about 24 to 27 degrees Celsius.

A heat gradient is very important for adults and juveniles.For the adults I achieve this by putting a heat pad on onethird of the cage floor and a 25-watt “blue” globe up one endof the cage. Both of these heating devices are run offseparate thermostats set at the according temperature forthe particular snake. For the juveniles a heat mat is placedunder half the cage. This creates a heat gradient so thecage occupant can choose between hot spots and coolerspots. This re-creates their natural environment thusminimising the chance of death through over-heating.

FEEDING

The Pseudechis genera are a large and robust snake. Anadvantage for keepers as they are large enough to eat pinkiemice from birth. They are easily assist-fed and at timestake food voluntarily from day one this unlike some otherAustralian elapids such as the Death Adders Acanthophis(Valentic, 1998).

They are like “pigs” and once feeding do not look back.Pseudechis get very excited and will strike at anymovement. It has been noticed that the other Pseudechisact very similar to each other around feeding. The Blacksnakes all feed in a similar way, when the scent of the preyitem is recognised the individual emerges from its retreatand strikes at the prey item. When the snake has bittenthe prey, the snake hangs on until it is satisfied that theprey is dead and then commences feeding in the typicalsnake fashion. It is noteworthy that unlike some othersnakes it may not eat the prey item head first. This cancause problems when feeding fish as some species of fishhave spines and these can cause serious damage to thesnakes oesophagus. Adults may be fed at a rate of once aweek (size of food item and type depends on what thesnake is already eating). Juveniles should be offered onceevery 4 days. They should be fed preferably thawed deadmice or rats depending upon size of the snake.

In the wild Pseudechis eat a wide variety of prey withreptiles frogs, mammals and birds making up the

Photo 1. Snake enclosure as used for Pseudechisspecies by author. Photo Scott Eipper


26

predominate percentage of the food items ((Nicolson andMirtschin, 1995 and Shine, 1991). Other animals recordedinclude invertebrates, fish, and carrion as well as reptileeggs. They have been known to eat unusual food itemsincluding eels and quolls (Oakwood and Miles 97).Cannibalistic behaviour (also known as ophiophagy) hasbeen recorded for P. australis, P. guttatus and P.porphyriacus (Torr, 1993). It is suspected that the remainderof the genus also has cannibalistic tendencies. So if thesesnakes are to be housed communally they should at leastbe fed separately to avoid accidental cannibalism.

Fish has been used in captivity to feed P. colletti, P. guttatusand P. porphyriacus with successful results. (Kortlang,1990). I found it is possible to also feed juvenile P. australison a diet of fish (whitebait). In addition to feeding a varieddiet, vitamin and mineral supplements are also important. Iuse Cod- liver oil and Rep-cal mixed in together and injectedinto the dead food item.

The genus Pseudechis are on the whole good sheddersunlike some other genera (the Death Adders Acanthophisand the Tiger Snakes Notechis). When they are young theymight cause some problems. These are usually resolvedwith the soaking of the individual in warm water (rememberto change the water every 25 minutes, as you do not want

your snake to get a chill). The addition of a rough rockor log to the cage will assist sloughing.If the rock canbe moved easily by the snake, replace it so there isno risk of injuries.

Also when the snake is showing signs of sloughing(milky blue eyes) you should start to mist the cagewith water to boost the humidity and help preventsloughing difficulties. This is done until the snake shedsits skin. Also in the case of juveniles (who are kept onheat mats) I move the water bowl over the heat mat sothe evaporation is high thus boosting over all humiditywithin the cage.

LIGHTING

Lighting is an important point of captive husbandryoften over-looked. The black snakes have both diurnaland nocturnal species. P. colletti however ispredominantly nocturnal, in my experience haveaccess to Ultra-Violet lighting e. g. Daylight mimickingfluorescent tubes . This emulates the natural day lighthours during the year.The others of this genus are active when the optimaltemperatures are reached regardless of whether itsday or night. Lighting is on 10 hours at night and 14hrs during the day during October to March and 12hours daylight and 12 hours night from April to

SLOUGHING (SHEDDING)

Housing for juvenile Pseudechis species as used byauthor. Photo Scott Eipper.


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September. This emulates the natural day light hoursduring the year.

MATING

Mating in Pseudechis is basically uniform throughout thewhole genus (Hoser 89). The act of mating can last froma few minutes to a few hours (Rankin, 1977, Shine et al,1981). I have witnessed six matings in Pseudechis ofthree different species. Three of the matings wereof P. colletti, one of P. guttatus (blue- bellied black phase)and two of P. porphyriacus. All of the males were cooledduring winter and all except one of the matings were aftermale combat. The mating where no combat was witnessedwas unintentional. I was inspecting a pair of P. colletti inthe morning of December 5th 1997 at Mr Drew Williams’sresidence.Outside, it was a warm day approximately 26 0 Celsius.We put down the animals on the lawn the male (1500mm approx.) Started to develop an interest in the female(1800 mm approx.). The male positioned his vent adjacentto the females vent and started to rub his chin up anddown on the dorsal side of the neck region of the female.Then the male’s hemipenis everted and matingcommenced, during mating the male continued to rub hischin on the female’s neck and move his tail in an irraticmovements, this lasted for 57 minutes. When we replacedthe snakes back into their cages it was noticed that thefemale was bleeding from the cloaca. This mating resultedin a successful clutch of eggs.

The other matings were similar but before the actualmating there was another male in the cage and combatwas observed. One of these matings was successful inproducing a clutch (P. porphyriacus).

INTRA-SPECIFIC AGGRESSION (MALE COMBAT)

The act of male combat in Pseudechis genus has beenrecorded on numerous occasions by (Shine 1986,Mirtschin & Davis, 1992) and in this paper. It has beenrecorded in the wild and in captivity. The male to malecombat involves the two snakes writhing and twistingtogether with each snake trying to dominate the other bykeeping its head on top of the opponent and trying tothrow the other off balance. I have personally seen it inmy P. colletti, P. guttattus and in my P. porphyriacus, Ihave also seen it on the Murray River near Echuca,Victoria. Male combat has been recorded in P. australis,P. colletti, P. guttatus and in P. porphyriacus.

COOLING

Most species of reptiles need to be cooled down prior tobreeding in captivity. Cooling is where you drop thetemperature in the cage to the point where its inhabitant

is not feeding and in a state of semi-torpor. This is essentialfor males because if they are not cooled to a low enoughtemperature, they will not be able to produce healthy sperm.So while he might mate with the female, she will not beable to produce fertile eggs or develop embryos in the caseof P. porphyriacus.

As said earlier in the paper knowing where your snake(s)are from is important. Northern and central P. australis, P.colletti and P. guttatus should be cooled for 4 weeks at 180 Celsius. Southern P. australis and P. porphyriacus shouldbe cooled for 5 weeks at 15 0 Celsius. It is not advised toallow under weight, sick, recovering or juvenile snakes thechance to cool as it may kill them.

To help induce mating in northern specimens misting everyday for about 3 weeks when coming out of cooling mayhelp as it acts as a simulation of the wet and dry seasonsof Northern Australia thus making the snake morecomfortable.

As I live in Victoria I cool my snakes from the 21st of Julyto the 1st September. The September date coincides withthe start of spring in the Southern Hemisphere. Whencooling your snakes to do it gradually, drop the temperatureby one degree every day. This will not shock your snakes.When warming them up again use the same principle.

EGG INCUBATION AND CARE OF GRAVID FEMALES

As most species of this genus are egg layers they need abox to deposit their eggs in. This can be made from anymaterial but I advise that either a wooden box or a plastic“ice-cream” type container filled half-way with coarse gradevermiculite or peat moss (these are available from mostgarden centres and nurseries), moistened with water tocreate a humid environment. This should be placed intothe females cage about 2 weeks prior to oviposition thusgiving the snake time to adjust to the new object in itscage. Once laid, the eggs should be moved into an incubatorfor incubation.

Humidity in the box containing the eggs should be kepthigh (between 90 and 100%) and constant. One way ofdoing this is to place the vermiculite in the container andthen put the same amount of water in, e.g: 1 kilogram ofvermiculite to 1 litre of water.

If there is no air holes in the container then the water cannotescape and thus the humidity should stay constant. At theend of laying, the eggs will sink in, this is quite normal. Ifthis happens early on in the incubation period add somewater to the incubation medium as it means that it is toodry in the incubation container.


28

The care of gravid females is fairly uniform for all snakes.Offer food to gravid snakes even though they may refuseespecially in latter stages. Most females will go off theirfood while gravid. After eggs are deposited or when liveyoung have emerged. This is because her fat reserves aredepleted and she is trying to get back to her normal weight.For clutch sizes, gestation periods, lengths of incubationand juvenile lengths see Table 1.

CONCLUSION

If this paper has helped one person with their snakes I willfeel that it has served its purpose. Information on our “pets”is needed; it all helps us whether it is breeding of Rough-Scaled Pythons Morelia carinata or fighting between GrassSkinks Lampropholis delicata. Write it down and send it in!

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Must thank a few people for providing data on keeping thesesnakes, Brian Bush, Peter Mirtschin, Roy Pails, BrianStarkey, Craig Stephenson and Drew Williams. Additionalinformation was provided by Brian Barnett. Lastly, toRaymond Hoser, Allen Hunter, Steven Comber, PeterMantell, Simon Watharow and Doug Wintle for proofing themanuscript.

REFERENCES:

Bush, B, (1995) Captive Reproduction in Pseudechisaustralis (Serpentes: Elapidae) From Western Australiaand other notes on Pseudechis species, Herpetofauna25(1), 30-32.

Bush, B., B, Maryan, Cooper, R. B and Robinson, D.(1995) A guide to reptiles and frogs of the Perth region,University of Western Australia Press, 226 pp.

Charles, N., Whitaker, P., Shine, R. (1980) Oviparityand captive reproduction in the Spotted Black SnakePseudechis guttatus (Serpentes: Elapidae), AustralianZoologist, 20, 361-364.

Charles, N., Watts, A., Shine, R. (1983) Captivereproduction in an Australian Elapid Snake Pseudechiscolletti, Herpetological Review, 14, 16-18.

Cogger, H.G. (1992) Reptiles and Amphibians ofAustralia, Reed Books, 775 pp.

Daly, G. (1992 ) Prey items of the Red Bellied Black SnakePseudechis porphyriacus, Herpetofauna, 22 (2) 48-49.

Ehmann, H. (1992) Encyclopedia of Australian Animals-Reptiles, Angus and Robertson, 495 pp.

Fitzgerald, M., Pollitt, C. (1980) Oviparity and captive

breeding in the Mulga or King Brown Snake Pseudechisaustralis (Serpentes: Elapidae), Australian Journal ofHerpetology 1, 57-60.

Fyfe, G. (1991) Captive breeding of Mulga Snakes(Pseudechis australis) from Central Australia,Herpetofauna 21(2) 36-37.

Gow, G. F. (1989) Graeme Gow’s complete guide toAustralian snakes, Angus and Robertson, 171 pp.

Hoser, R.T. (1989) Australian Reptiles and Frogs, Pierson,238 pp.

Kortlang, S. (1990) An alternative food for Reptiles - Fish,Monitor 2 (1) 5-9.

Longmore, R. (1986) Atlas of Elapid Snakes in Australia,Australian Government Publishing Service, 120 pp.

Maryan, B. (1997) Is the King Brown Snake anappropriate common name for Pseudechis australis?,Herpetofauna 27 (2) 20-22.

Mengen, G. A., Shine, R. and Moritz, C. (1986)Phylogenetic relationships within the Australasianvenomous snakes of the genus Pseudechis, Herpetologica42, 211-225.

Mirtschin, P. J. (1988) Captive breeding in the King BrownSnake Pseudechis australis from the Eyre Peninsular.10th International conference of captive propagation andhusbandry, San Antonio, Texas, 141-148.

Mirtschin, P. J. and Davis, R. (1991) Dangerous snakesof Australia-Revised Edition, Ure Smith Press, 208 pp.

Nicolson, L. and Mirtschin P.J. (1995) Predation by aMulga Snake Pseudechis australis on a Western BrownSnake Pseudonaja nuchalis, Herpetofauna 25 (1), 47-48.

Oakwood, M. and Miles, G.F. (1998) Predation of aMarsupial carnivore by an Olive Python (Liasis olivaceus)and a King Brown Snake (Pseudechis australis),Herpetofauna 28 (1), 19-21.

O’Shea, M. (1996) A guide to the Snakes of Papua NewGuinea, Independent Group Pty. Ltd., 251 pp.

Rankin, P.R. (1976) Mating of Wild Red-Bellied BlackSnakes Pseudechis porphyriacus, Shaw, Herpetofauna8 (1), 10-15.

Shine, R. (1978) Growth Rates and Sexual maturation insix species of Australian Elapid Snakes, Herpetologica34, 73-79.


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Shine, R. (1979) Activity patterns in Australian ElapidSnakes (Squamata: Serpentes: Elapidae), Herpetologica35, 1-11.

Shine, R. (1987a) Intraspecific variation inthermoregulation, movement and Habitat use byAustralian Black Snakes, Pseudechis porphyriacus(Elapidae), Journal of Herpetology 21, 165-177.

Shine, R. (1987b) Reproductive mode may determinegeographic distributions in Australian venomous snakes(Pseudechis, Elapidae), Oecologica 71, 608-612.

Smith, L. A. (1982) Variation in Pseudechis australis

(Serpentes: Elapidae) in Western Australia and adescription of a new species of Pseudechis, Records ofthe Western Australian Museum 10, 35-45.

Torr, G.A. (1993) Ophiophargy in the Common BlackSnake Pseudechis porphyriacus, Herpetofauna 23 (1) 39-40.

Valentic, R. (1998) Notes on rearing Australian DeathAdders genus Acanthophis, Monitor 9 (2), 42-47.

Weigel, J.R. (1988) Care of Australian Reptiles inCaptivity, R.K.A., 144 pp.

Williams, D.J., Starkey, B.A. (1998) Comments on thegenus

Wilson, S.K. and Knowles, D.G. (1988) Australia’sReptiles, Cornstalk Publishing, 447 pp.

Wilson, S.K. (1997) New information on Pseudechispapuanus, a medically significant addition to Australia’sreptiles, Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 42 (1) 232.

Shine, R. (1987c) The evolution of viviparity: ecologicalcorrelates of reproductive mode within a genus of Australiansnakes (Pseudechis, Elapidae). Copeia 1987, 551-563.

Shine, R. (1991) Australian Snakes - A Natural History,Reed Books, 223 pp.

Shine, R. and Lambeck, R. (1990) Seasonal shifts in thethermoregulatory behaviour of Australian Black SnakesPseudechis porphyriacus, Journal of Thermal Biology 15,301-305.

Shine, R, Grigg, G.C., Shine, T. and Harlow, P. (1981)Mating and male combat in Australian Black Snakes,Pseudechis porphyriacus, Journal of Herpetology 15, 101-107.

Captive Colletts Snake in authors collection ( Pseudechis colletti). Photo Scott Eipper


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Table 1. List of current known records for Pseudechis mating, egg laying and incubation for four Pseudechisspecies Mulga Snake P. australis , Colletts Snake P. colletti , Spotted Black Snake P. guttatus and Red BelliedBlack Snake P. poryphriacus .

Species Fecundity Mating to Birth/ Ovipostion Incubation time(Days) /(Temp)Neonate size (mm/g) ReferenceP. australisNT 16 UK 65 – 68 (30 –32) 224mm/13g Fyfe 1991QLD 11 54 70 (22-32) 226mm/9.7g Fitzgerald et all 1980QLD 16 45 70-72 (22-32) 215mm Fitzgerald et all 1980QLD 16 45 72 (22-32) 224mm/7.6g Fitzgerald et all 1980S.A 15 UK 95-99 (27) 279mm/16.2 Mirtschin 1988S.A 14 39 97-104 (27) 295mm/15.7 Mirtschin 1988S.A 12 Uk 95-101 (27) 260mm/14.8 Mirtschin 1988S.A 13 39 UK UK Mirtschin 1988W.A 22 48 81(30) 221mm/8.4 Bush unpubW.A 16 42 85-88 (30-32) 224mm/9.4 Bush 1995P. colletti

7 59 67-69 (27-30) 280mm/24 Charles et all 198314 62 56-58 (31) 370mm/25 Charles et all 198312 UK 66-70 (30) UK Charles et all 198313 UK 65 (30) UK Charles et all 198312 61 UK UK Present Study

P. guttatusB.B.P 7 UK 84(RT) UK Charles et all 1980B.B.P 10 UK UK 324mm Charles et all 1980B.B.P 13 UK 54(29) 281mm Charles et all 1980B.P 12 UK UK 232 Prostamo pers commP. porphyriacus

8 - 40 UK N/A UK Cogger, 1992UK 182 N/A UK Greer, 1997

Vic 12 176 N/A 224/11.4 Present Study4 - 18 UK N/A 220 Shine, 1989

Legend UK = Unknown, N/A = Not Applicable, mm =millimetres, g = grams

Photo 5. Red Bellied Black Snake (Pseudechisporphyriacus) in situ diurnal basking on cool day inGenoa.


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Welcome to the latest instalment of “Croakings”, the VHSguide to what’s been happening in the life of Australianfrogs.Victorian species will be concentrated on, (for obviousreasons) but from time to time we will venture outside thestate to catch up with the other 170 plus Australian species.Recent publications and media interest has focused onthe now, well known effects of cytrid fungus. It is importantto remember that this issue remains extremely importantfor the future of not only Australian Anurans, but also frogsworldwide.Rather than get absorbed into tales of devastation, I wouldrather look at some more positive sides of our frog fauna.Contrary to what some people may have been lead tobelieve, it is still well worth getting out and about to seewhat’s happening with Victorian frogs. The best way to learnabout frogs and other Herpetofauna is to get out in the fieldand find out the way these animals live.Although it is important to remember not to interfere withwild frogs, a lot can still be learned by environmentalobservations. When in the field take note of such thingsas, air, water (where applicable), soil/substrate types andtemperature, also, take note of plant species occurring inthe area. By observing some of these factors and translatingthem into your husbandry techniques you are sure to improvethe captive environment for your animals. These factorsare also more often than not, critical for breeding frogs inparticular.This particular instalment will focus on the species occurringin and around the South East of the State. With Summernow upon us, many species of Victorian frogs have alreadybred and their tadpoles have metamorphosed, but searchingfor tadpoles is still well worth the effort, but remember tolook but don’t touch. Winter breeders including the genusPseudophryne, Uperolia, Crinia and certain tree frogs likeLitoria ewingi and Litoria verreauxi will have all but bred andtheir tadpoles emerged from the water to begin their livesas frogs. Spring breeders such as the Red Groined FrogletGeocrinia haswelli and the Limnodynastes genus, whichinclude the Spotted Marsh, Striped Marsh and the Banjofrog, will have their tadpoles just starting to emerge fromevaporating pools. In some cases, if rainfall levels have beenkind, this genus of frogs may even still be breeding wellinto late summer, all be it relatively late in the season.Recent field trips has discovered that winter rainfall hasbeen a little kinder than in the last few years and as a

result some species have returned to some sort of breedingnormality. One brief trip to East Gippsland in early Octoberfound that, some pools that in previous years were dry, werenow full of water. These pools (some as simple as roadsideditches) were being utilised by many species. Tadpole speciesfound were, Pseudophyrne semimarmorata and Pseudophrynedendyi some tadpoles of these species were at metamorphstage, almost ready to leave the water.Other species of tadpoles included, Crinia signifera, Litoriaewingi, as well as Litoria peroni many stages of these specieswere found including spawn of one of the Tree Frog speciesthat was only hours old. A pair of Geocrinia Victoriana inamplexus were found, which is outside the usual period ofbreeding. Geocrinia haswelli, Limnodynadumerili,Limnodynastes peroni, and Limnodynastes tasmaniensis were

CROAKINGS

Eastern Banjo Frog/Pobblebonk frog (Limnodynastesdumerili). Photo Peter Mantell.


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all heard calling in large numbers.One particular roadside pool contained several spawn of aLimnodynastes species as well as the spawn of 2 Litoriaspecies. Tadpoles of the Dendy’s Toadlet, Pseudophrynedendyi and The Common froglet, Crinia signifera alsooccupied the same pool. This particular pool only measuredapprox. 1.5 meters in diameter and at the deepest pointwas about 150mm deep. The pool also contained severalspecies of empty beer stubbies including, VB, and Carltoncold. These particular items didn’t seem to interfere withthe breeding and development of the local frog faunaalthough, I think it is important to note that such rubbish

probably doesn’t enhance the breeding patterns of frogs.In some of the nearby streams both Litoria phylochroaand Litoria lesueuri were both found, with many callingmales of the Leaf Green Tree Frog being heard, particularlythose streams with substantial stream side vegetation.With the best rainfall in over 4 years, many of our frogspecies will recover very well from the previous lenientyears.The heavy rains of Spring are sure to be of great benefit tothe now vulnerable, Growling Grass Frog, Litoriaraniformis. This species breeds throughout Spring and

the large tadpoles develop through the warmer months ofSummer and emerge in late January and February.In the East of the State the Green and Golden Bell Frogwho’s population numbers are also vulnerable, should benefitgreatly from the Spring rain. Both these species of frogbreed in sensitive areas such as farm dams and as bothspecies are largely Aquatic they rely heavily on thecleanliness of the water in and around which they live. Aslong as these dams remain chemical free and free frompredatory fish, these species will continue to use thesebreeding sites for years to come.As much of the naturally occurring breeding sites for these

frogs have disappeared over the years, clean farm damsplay a very important part in the life of many frogs. Wehave only touched on the happenings of some of VictoriaFrogs, and in future editions we will catch up with someof the rare and endangered species that occur throughoutthe state. We will also be keeping up to date with thevery important breeding programs being undertaken forsome of these species such as, the Spotted Tree Frog,the Corroboree Frog and the Baw Baw Frog.

Catch you in the next issue

Martins Toadlet (Uperoila martini). Photo PeterMantell.

“ Hopper”

Perons Tree Frog (Litoria peroni) in amplexus. PhotoPeter Mantell.


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Articles typed by Angela ReidProvided by Brian Barnett

The Daily TelegraphMonday, 22 May 2000by Simon Benson:Invading Cane Toads Spread AcrossSydney

Permanent colonies of cane toads are expected tobecome established as early as this summer with therecent discovery of the pests in suburbs all overSydney.Twelve toads have been confirmed in the past twomonths in suburbs of Sydney where they have notbefore been found.The animals, which were transported from Queensland,were found at Warringah Mall on the northern beaches,Brooklyn, a Miranda shopping centre in the south,Richmond, Dural, Kenthurst and Mt Annan BotanicalGardens.This is twice the number found previously in the sameperiod but confirms their dispersion across the entiremetropolitan area.“It is a very high number according to Lother Voightfrom the Frog and Tadpole Study Group.“Once they get established that will be it – we won’t beable to do anything.We could try and delay it but we won’t stop it.“And if we get a warm wet season then that couldhappen straight away.”At present there is no government funding for canetoad research or funding for programs to prevent themestablishing themselves in the Sydney area.Environment Minister Bob Debus said since theestablishment of the Cane Toad Clean Up Campaign inMarch more than 80 phone calls had been received

from members of the public.It is now thought that the majority of cane toads arebeing brought down from Queensland in landscapingmaterial. One, however, was found in a backpackbrought in from Fiji.Previously only found in and around Flemingtonmarkets, the main produce depot for Sydney, thetoads now appear to be moving via other routes,including the transport of building and landscapingmaterials.The National Parks and Wildlife Service wasconcerned, however, that people might mistake anumber of native frog species and kill theminadvertently.Two species of burrowing frog and the striped marchfrog are often mistaken for the toad. Cane toads cangrow up to the size of a dinner plate, native frogs

generally grow no bigger than a human fist.“Often people club the wrong ones,” Mr Voight said.The cane toad can spawn up to 30,000 tadpoles at atime. Once a breeding pair establishes itself there islittle to stop them from proliferating.People who suspect they have seen a cane toadshould report it to a local NPWS office or the Frogand Tadpole Study Group on 0419 249 728.

Sydney Morning HeraldThursday, 20 July 2000by James Woodford:Fungus Alert: Hands Off The frogs

From today, NSW children will be warned about anew form of stranger danger - don’t pat the frogs!The warning is contained in a set of guidelinesprepared by the NSW National Parks and WildlifeService, Hygiene Protocol for the Control of Diseasein Frogs.It is for the wellbeing of the amphibians – not the kids.In an attempt to halt a fungal disease sweeping thenation’s ponds, the parks service is urging youngstersnot to handle frogs unless absolutely necessary andto return all tadpoles to their exact place of origin.Schools and TAFE colleges will be given a licence toremove a maximum of 20 tadpoles from one locationin their local area for life cycle studies.Each school will require endorsement from an animalcare and ethics committee. And a soon as thetadpoles have transformed. They must be returned totheir point of capture.The disease, thought to have been introduced toAustralia some time in the 1970’s, is considered tobe a main contributor to declining frog numbers. Oterfactors may include climate change, the diminishingozone layer and habitat disturbance.Of about 2,000 species of frogs in the world, Australiaboasts around 240 – 70 of them recorded in NSW.According to the NPWS’s threatened species officer,Mr Ross Wellington, the best way to prevent diseaseis, wherever possible, not to touch frogs and to treateach pond as a separate place.Mixing water and amphibians from pond to pondshould be avoided at all costs.“Lots of things we used to do when we were kids weneed to be a lot more careful about, “ Mr Wellingtonsaid.The guidelines will also halt the practice of returningfrogs were the came from interstate when they arefound in produce, such as bunches of bananas.These “banana box” frogs will be treated as if they arecarriers of disease and are no longer to be carried

FROG WATCH


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anywhere without permission. They will spend twomonths in quarantine and undergo an approveddisinfection treatment before being transferred to alicensed frog keeper.Scientists who are licensed by the NPWS to work withfrogs will be required to comply with the guidelines,which will include provisions such as disinfection offootwear and vehicles.Researchers handling frogs will be required to weardisposable gloves.Meanwhile, the NSW Scientific Committee will son listanother of the State’s frogs as endangered species.Fleay’s barred frog has disappeared in the past five yearsfrom its last strongholds in northern NSW.

Herald-Sun, 1ST EditionFriday, 21 January 2000by Michelle Pountney:Frogs Stray A leap Too Far

What does a frog do when it wakes to find itselfthousands of kilometres from home?Many hitch-hiking amphibians, known as banana-boxfrogs, take unscheduled trips interstate every year.During fruit or plant harvesting, they are inadvertentlypacked in crates or boxes and travel to markets, fruitshops and plant nurseries around the country.In the past, the frogs faced an uncertain fate, dying fromeither Melbourne’s chill weather, disease or worse.But now when they are discovered, volunteers from theLost Frogs Home are on hand. It was launched in 1995as a joint effort between frog-lovers and conservationists.Volunteer couriers across the state collect stray frogsand take them to the Lost Frogs Home in Coburg.Like its more famous cousin, the Lost Dogs Home, theservice cares for its charges until they are adopted outabout two months later.Victorian Frog Group director Gerry Marantelli said lostfrogs could not be returned to their original habitatbecause no-one knew where they came from and therewas a risk of them contracting diseases.Couriers across the state collect up to 80 frogs a week,mostly from fruit shops who call when unexpectedvisitors hop in.“Our estimate is about 10,000 frogs come into Melbourneeach year and about 70 per cent are being chucked in aback yard, “ Mr Marantelli said.Most weeks the service has several hundred frogs inquarantine awaiting adoption. There is a long waiting listof people keen to adopt a frog, which costs about $10.The home also has a more serious side. As theAmphibian Research Centre, it monitors frogs forresearch, breeding programs and conservation ofendangered species.“Our main reason for existence is frog conservation,” Mr

Marantelli said.“The most important conservation risk is frogs that don’tbelong in Victoria bringing in disease.“We thought it was best to control that and stop themgetting in to the environment.

Border MailFriday, 7 January 2000by AAP:Funding Leap For Frogs Declining

Australian researchers have won a $400,000 grant fromthe U.S. to examine the dramatic drop in the worldpopulation of frogs and amphibians.Frog numbers have been declining for 20 years and insome areas, such as the Atherton Tablelands inQueensland, frogs have disappeared altogether.The principal research scientist at the CSIRO’s animalhealth laboratory at Geelong, Dr Alex Hyatt, said thegrant, from the U.S. National Science Foundation,would fund three years’ research.He said researchers would focus on viruses and fungibelieved to be responsible for killing off frogs,salamanders and other amphibians.

Perons tree Frog (Litoria peroni)


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Wildlife Regulations Amendment 2001

Amendments to the wildlife regualtions were made by theGovernor in Council and came into operation as of 23rdJanuary 2001.

These include:

Addition of

The Northern Long - necked Tortoise (Schedule 3B)

Southern Angle Headeed Dragon (Schedule 3B)

Brush - tailed Bettong (Schedule 3B)

Moving of

Centralian Carpet Pyuthon from (Schedule 3B toSchedule 2).

These changes were made possible by VHS committeemember Steve Comber, representing VictorianHerpetologists.

Australian Reptile Park needs snakes foranti - venom production

Mostly required are Eastern Tiger Snakes but they alsoneed Death Adders (Acanthophis antarticus) preferablyadults but will raise juveniles. Help would be gratefullyappreciated. Excess stock or troublesome animalswelcome.

Details contact Rob porter

Croc Wrestled At Saltwater

A second crocodile has been caught at Saltwater creek,Newell Beach.

The 3m salwater crocodile was terieved by the Queens-land Parks and Wildlife Service Officers on Tuesday afterit was trapped in the same location as a 2.2m crocodilelast week.

the trap had been set with feral pig meat, 1 km from theboat ramp. QPWS officer Clayton Enoch said officerswould continue to set the trap in the creek

“ Saltwater Creek is in the Trial Intensive Managementarea and any crocodiles in the area would have to beremoved, “Mr Enoch said.

He said warmer weather was causing crocodiles to startmoving.

“Once it starts getting hot, they tend to look for food andit is coming up to their mating season.” he said.

The crocodile was the fourth removed from SaltwaterCreek since March.One measured 3.7m, while the twoothers were 2.2m long.

In the past 6 months, a trap has also been set in theMossman river

“We’ve had a few recent sightings of crocodiles there aswell” Mr. Enoch said.

Crocodile sightings can be reported to QPWS on 4046-6600

Articles gratefully donated by Brian Barnett, MartinBaxter and Scott Eipper.

Denis Brown

Slippery Thieves Grab Snakes

Port Phillip/Caulfield Leader Oct 2nd, 2000

Standing on a table is not exactly standard procedure ata crime scene.ButSen - Det Pete carroll said it madeperfect sense to a policewoman who was part of teaminvestigating a bentleigh burgalry on Tuesday 19.Sen - det Carroll decsribed the job, investigating the theftof 30 live exotic snakes, as a strong contender forCaulfields CIUs strange crime of the year.

police said it was thought two people were involved in theapparently premeditated burgarly at the snake breedershouse.

Det carroll said that after kicking the back door in, thethieves made straight for a back roomwhere more than70 snakes were kept in thermo - controlled enclosures

The stolen snakes were all juveniles, the longest aboutone metre.


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Frankston-Hastings IndepedantTuesday, 23 May 2000.Snake used in Seaford stick upA Man brandished a snake to rob a service station inSeaford shortly before midnight Saturday.The man entered the liberty Petrol Station in NepeanHighway around 11.50pm carrying a snake. Afterselecting some magazines and a drink he approachedthe counter. The male attendant placed the goods in abag and the customer then held the metre long snaketowards the attendant in a threatening manner. The manleft the store without paying. Police are looking for a manin his 20s. Caucasian appearance, about 173cm(5”8) tall,with a goatee beard and light brown hair. Anyone withinformation is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 –333 – 000.

Colac HeraldWednesday, 29th December, 1999Beware snake - eating snakes!Cannibalism is alive and well among the reptile family ifthis Brown Snake is any indication. On Thursday night,Dreeite resident Leah Jacob went to pick some beans inher vegetable garden when she spotted the brown snake.“It was huge and I yelled to my Husband Mark to comequickly. “I’d spemnt a night in hospital about 10 yearsago after been bitten in similar circumstances and Ifeared been bitten again” she said.

Her husband killed the snake with a piece of wire.However when she pulled the snake out from the bagboth were amazed to find the 1.6m snake had started toswallow a tiger snake with about 35cm still to go.Mr Jacob said he had never seen a snake swallowanother snake before but had seen some that swallowedlizards and small rabbits.

The Daily TelegraphWednesday, 22 December 1999Death Adder bites man A man was taken to hospital after being bitten by avenomous snake yesterday. The man was at home inShallow Cres, St Clare at 1pm, when he called 000 and

said a death adder had bitten him.An ambulance spokeswoman said it was believed theman kept pet snakes. When paramedics arrived thesnake was back in its cage.The spokeswoman said the man remained calmthroughout the incident, and apparently administered firstaid to himself.Paramedics treated the man and took him to NepeanHospital. His condition is stable.

The Daily TelegraphSaturday, 29th April 2000Six Months for reptile SmugglerA German man who tried to smuggle 75 native reptilesout of Australia will spend at least six months in Prison.Ralph Deiter Zeiler, 43 of Frankfurt, was sentenced in theSouth Australian Supreme Court to 18 months jail afterpleading guilty to attempting to export live animalswithout permission.Justice Wicks ordered that Zelter be released after sixmonths on a good behaviour bond. Justice Wicks saidexpert opinion was that because of their territorial nature,the animals could never be returned to their environment.“That in itself is particularly disturbing.” he said. “ thewildlife of this country is not only unique but alsoprecious.“It is under threat and that threat is exacerbated byactions such as yours in removing animals from theirnative habitats.Zelter arrived in Australia last November.

The MercuryThursday, April 20 , 2000The Chicks that became snakes’ dinner.A Taranna snake farm operator was yesterday fined$1000 for feeding live chicks to his tiger snakes.Anthony Baden Brain, 37 of Bayfield Rd, Taranna, wasfound guilty of one count of assisting in the managementof premises where animals kill other animals.

He was also found guilty of of one count of an act, whichresulted in the death of an animal at Tarannas Farm.


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January 31 last year.About 200 day old chicks were put in the snakeenclosure were bitten and eaten by snakes in front oftourists.

One of the tourists took photographs of the incident andthese were tendered in evidence to the MagistratesCourt.Counsellor Peter Warmbrunn said the only reason livechicks were fed to the snakes was to keep the snakeshealthy for venom production and research.He said there was no sinister motives behind Brain’sactions.Magistrate Michael Hill said he did not dispute thatBrain believed his actions were in the best interests ofthe snakes. However, Mr Hill said this did not outweighthe suffering of the chicks.He said this was not a case that needed a strongdeterrent penalty and finned Brain $1000 and sixmonths to pay.

AGE 2 11 00Thursday 2 November 2000Wanted: snake catchersThe call has gone out for snake catchers in Victoria’snorth-east. The Department of Natural Resources andEnvironment is setting up a network of qualified snakecatchers to cope with demand from hundreds ofVictorians who want the potentially deadly visitorsremoved from their properties.Acting regional manager Geoff McLure said thedepartment regularly received calls to remove snakesbut often did not have the staff to meet the demand.

Mr McLure said snake catchers would be listed on adatabase.Snakes would be removed at the landholder’s expenseand released into the wild.

The department has run a similar network in theGeelong area since August last year and hundreds ofsnakes have been removed. A similar network may beset up in Gippsland. The north-east service will operate

from the Alexandra district in the south to Corryong inthe east and Yarrawonga in the west.

The snake catchers will be licensed and those withoutexperience can undergo training in safely trappingsnakes and placing them in bags. Fees for removal arelikely to be flexible but the going rate is $50 to $60.

ABORIGINAL AUSTRALIATotem promises to turn Top End profitBy DAVID HANCOCKThursday 2 November 2000

For generations, the long-necked turtle has been afavorite bush food of the Aborigines of northern Australia.Late in the dry season they dig them from the cakedmud around drying billabongs or scoop them from thewaters of paperbark swamps.

Now the people from around Maningrida, on coastalArnhem Land, have set up an industry,collecting pregnant turtles, incubating the eggs andselling hatchlings to pet shops in Darwin. They hope toexpand business to southern states next year andeventually overseas.

The turtle has been harvested by Aborigines forthousands of years. Apart from being a significantfood source, they are important totems and figures inrock art.

The Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation, representingabout 3000 Aborigines, is working with a scientist fromthe Australian National University to develop a businessmanagement plan.Like many Aboriginal communities, they are underpressure from industries such as mining and tourism butwant to retain their integrity. Although they expect a bigdemand, they want to avoid turning the business into alarge-scale Commercial farming venture.

“We want to use our own harvesting methods, theTraditional way,” said Aboriginal ranger Stuart Ankin.Traditional landholders have also become moreconscious about controlling the feral pigs and buffalo thatkill many turtles. Scientist Damien Fordham expects noimpact on wild populations of long-necked turtles as allfemales are returned to the wild after laying eggs, as aresome hatchlings.


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HERP HEALTHBRENDAN CARMEL B.VSc, MVS (wildlife),

MRCVSALL PETS VETERINARY

PO Box 1052, Research, Victoria, 3095, Australia.Phone: 9844-0781 Mobile : 0417-358991

Fax: 9844-0782 E-mail: [email protected]

Prevention & Management ofThermal Burns in Reptiles

Many of you will have been unfortunate enough to witnessfirst hand the effects of thermal burn to reptiles. A classicexample is a snake housed in an enclosure that has poortemperature control. The snake then wraps itself aroundthe exposed light globe. Third degree burns can be fatalor result in a hideously scarred reptile after months ofhealing. These notes will outline procedures you can taketo help prevent such incidents occurring, and what to doif one of your reptiles is burnt. Chemical burns & theirprevention may be discussed in a future article.

Preventing Burns

Most of the reptile burns I see in practice are due to pooror inadequate husbandry, in particular poor (too low)enclosure temperature control. Ensure that yourenclosure(s) have a temperature gradient, that is, a coolend & a hot end. This will allow the reptile to select itsappropriate temperature – don’t have the sametemperature over the whole enclosure. The number ofpeople who cannot tell me what temperature theirenclosure is constantly amazes me. “The thermostat isset at 28C” is not good enough! Buy a digital thermometerwith a probe. Take spot temperature readings of differentareas of the enclosure & record the details at least weekly.It is best to enclose any heat lamps so the reptile cannot

directly contact the heat source. This is accomplished inmany enclosures by placing the globe within a woodenbox that has small perforated holes. Bare globes are tootempting to wrap around for a cold reptile – especially ifthe globe had blown and was replaced after the enclosurehad cooled considerably.

Hot Rocks or Heat Pads are a contentious issue. Thereare dozens of published cases of these heat sourcesmalfunctioning and causing thermal burns to reptiles. Asa result most reptile veterinarians, including myself, donot recommend their use. If you must use them do nothave them as the only heat source and buy the best qualityitems possible. I must admit that the heat pads developedrecently are a much better and safer product than thoseused in the past.

Be careful of overheating your enclosure by leaving it indirect sunlight. The greenhouse effect within the enclosurewill rapidly heat up the air & cook your reptile. Alwayscheck and replace any malfunctioning thermostatsregularly.

It is still unknown why some reptiles do not move awayfrom a burning heat source. Perhaps they cannot feel thedeveloping burn or don’t realise that moving away willprevent the burn. Interestingly, I have treated snakes thathave lived in the same enclosure for many years withoutproblems then one day decide to coil around a hot globe.


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Thus there is no guarantee that a reptile will ‘learn’ frombeing burnt to avoid future burns.

Treating Thermal Burns

Massive third degree burns that involve a large percentageof body area are extremely difficult to treat: Take any suchcases to your veterinarian immediately. In fact, it is bestto get advice from a veterinarian on any suspect burns,as the severity of damage is difficult to assess withoutexpert care. Extensive burns result in fluid loss and thepatient is susceptible to overwhelming infections, (whichis why sterility is strictly enforced in hospital burn units).

You may be able to treat minor dermal (skin) burnsyourself. These can be treated as open wounds - healingby ‘secondary intention’ is the technical term. Apply anappropriate (see below) antibacterial ointment afterthoroughly flushing the wound with sterile saline solution.Saline solution is readily available from chemists.Betadineâ ointment or Silvazeneâ cream are excellentantibacterial products. Betadine is available over thecounter from the chemist. Silvazene is a prescriptionantibiotic cream ideal for more severe burns and you wouldneed to take your reptile to the vet to have Silvazenedispensed.

.

After applying the antibacterial product, bandage the affectedarea if possible. Use a non-stick dressing such asMeloninâ , then apply a bandage such as Elastoplastâ .Recent alternatives, such as human wound sprays likeOpSiteâ are excellent and less irritating or difficult toremove. Change the bandage at least every 2 days. Gentlybathe the wound in the sterile saline & pick off any dead orscar tissue at each bandage change. The wound areashould slowly contract in size as the healing processoccurs. Some burns may require a course of antibioticsfrom your vet.

Whilst the wound is healing avoid any enclosure substratethat may irritate the wound. I find newspaper that is changeddaily is ideal. The healing may take anything from severalweeks to months, after which you may have to assist withremoving retained skin from the affected area each timeyour reptile sheds its skin

Burns like this on a Black Headed python can causea prolonged and painful death. Avoidable throughcorrect and protected heating and use of low inten-sity heating globes.


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CAT LITTER AS ALTERNATIVE SUBSTRATE FORSNAKES AND LIZARDS.

A current strategy for substrates that is used by manykeepers, involves the use of paper. Butchers paper oftenbought in rolls is more pleasing to the eye, unlike themore used old newspapers, trading post (after you havesquizzed the herp section). Natural like substrates e. g.peat moss, palm peat for semi aquatic lizards like waterdragons. While other herps use substrates such as gravel,leaf litter and sand.

I started to investigate the suitability of cat litter after afriend started using them for elapids and large skinks.As my blue Tongues have very noticeable odours Ichanged them to clumping cat litter which made faecescollection easier to notice and remove. The reduction inodour was very noticeable, the smell commonlyproduced from their diet, which can contain amounts ofwet (canned) dog food. .

I have not had any noticeable effects apart fromexcessive dust from a couple of brands, it looked like acollection of albinos. Once this was cat litter wasstrained it was Ok. Clearly from my perspective I likethe pellets of recycled paper. For animals that mayrequire or exist in high humidity enclosures the papersubstrates are not as suitable. I did find that whenwater was spilled. The substrate dried and soaked thewater very quickly this would be beneficial for reductionof damp conditions which may trigger disease such asDermatitis (scale rot) or mite breeding.

Breeders Choice: A recycled paper pellet form iscurrently my preferred choice for the snake and lizards.Down side is it is more expensive, snakes need a thicklayer which should be compacted down firmly to allowsnakes to move adequately. Potentially small (juvenile orsub adult) Bearded Dragons may try to eat the pelletswhich look similar to some food types. This maypotentially cause stomach blockages in these and otherlizards.

Clumping Cat Litter : Very good for small skinks andpossibly geckoes and for large skinks it works well also.Snakes like Elapids and pythons may also benefitprobably allows better surface gripping for movement.However smaller granule could end up under scales oflarger scaled snakes.

Recycled Cat litter occurs as large flakes which arerecycled paper not as suitable for herps as pellets butcan be used successfully for Blue Tongues, CunninghamSkinks and Bearded Dragons etc.

Cat Litter granules these are semi suitable for all reptilesthey have a very powder like granules which also containsometimes a large amount of dust. Which may give animalsa coat of dust over them. This could affect animals bycausing respiratory distress. Potentially complicating aslough or eye discomfort to name a few. If you are inclinedto use this cat litter, strain the granules through a kitchenstrainer will remove the majority of the dust.

LIZARDSJacky DragonsBearded Dragons ( P. vitticeps/barbata)Water DragonsWater SkinkWhites SkinkStumpy Tailed Lizard

SNAKESCarpet PythonChildren’s PythonOlive PythonTiger SnakeCopperheadRed Bellied Black Snakes

HERP TIPSBy Tigger

Blue Tongues ( T. scincoides)

Detailed below is a table of brands and results with lizards I have used successful. It is only a guide and I am sureenclosure design and ventilation in addition to individuals will play a role in your own use of this substrate.


41

PYTHONS OF AUSTRALIA – A Natural HistoryTorr, Geordie 2000

Australian Natural History Series

University Of NSW Press, Sydney Australia

103 pp. ISBN 0-86840-602-3

R.R.P. $32.95

When it comes to keeping snakes in captivity inAustralia, the variety of species available is very limited,compared to other parts of the world.

Many Australian reptile fanciers do not desire to keepvenomous snakes and therefore are restricted tomaintaining a few species of Colubrid snakes andpythons. Any book on the subject of Australian pythonsis usually not only popular amongst naturalists but alsopersons interested in the captive management ofpythons.

This book is the latest in the University of NSW,Australian Natural History series and covers aspects ofboth ecological, biological and captivity requirements ofthe approximately 20 species of Australian pythons.

The front cover has an attractive photograph showing adistinctively marked ‘jungle” carpet python. The bookbegins with a history of snakes in fossil recordswith an emphasis on python evolution. It discusses thenaming of Australian fossil material Morelia antiqua andthe comical Montypythonoides riversleighensis.

Chapter 2 takes a look at Anatomy and physiology ofsnakes, and discusses the senses of snakes, includinghearing, vision etc. Also the nature of skin and theprocess of ecdysis (skin shedding).

Chapter 3 is about behaviour and covers courtship andmating , ritualistic combat and home ranges inradiotelemetered Carpet/Diamond pythons. Also

locomotion and thermoregulation with aspects of heatingand cooling, basking, and habitat use, including sheltersites. Much of the information in this chapter is drawnfrom field research by Shine, Fitzgerald and Bedford.

Chapters 4, Reproduction and life history, 5, Food andFeeding and 7, Captive Care, will be of most interest toherpetoculterists. These chapters cover many aspects ofcaptive husbandry from purchasing a python through tocage design, heating, food and water.

Also shedding, diseases, breeding and legalrequirements. The section for treating snake mite isstandard, without any mention of some of the latestapproaches to this old problem, using organic humanhead lice treatments.

There are also chapters on Conservation andManagement and Species Accounts. The centre sectioncontains 34 excellent colour photographs of variouspython species and features the work of well knownwildlife photographer Steve Wilson and The AustralianReptile Park’s John Weigel.

I struggled to find any real criticism of this book and thinkit is a far better work than Kends, “Pythons of Australia”published in 1997 and Coborns, ‘Guide To Owning anAustralian Python “ published this year. With Barkers,”Pythons Of The World, Vol.1 Australia”, now out of printthis book will fill an obvious gap. The author Geordie Torr,is a professional writer, presently at AustralianGeographic magazine.

MIKE SWAN HERP BOOKS

15 George St, Lilydale,

Victoria, 3140

Ph / Fax: 9739-5690

Email: [email protected]

BOOK REVIEW


42

Barker, G. D & Barker, T.M : Pythons Of The World, Vol.1. Australia, The Herpetocultural Library, Advanced Vivar-ium Systems Inc. Lakeside California, 1994

Coborn, J. : The Guide To Owning an Australian Py-thon , TFH USA 1999

Kend, B : Pythons Of Australia , Canyonlands PublishingGroup, LC Provo,Utah, USA 1997

SLOUGHING DOMESTICS

TIGGER TOONS

has enjoyed a lifelong interest in herpetology.

It is a welcome change to see a book on Australianpythons written by an Australian herpetologist.

He studied biology at the University of Sydney underProfessor Richard Shine and

by Simon Watharow


43

VICTORIAN HERPETOLOGICALSOCIETYInc

MEMBERSHIP

Name:_________________________________

Address:_______________________________

______________________________________

______________________________________

Postcode:____________

Ph:_________________Email (optional) used for future correspondence meetings etc

Herpetofauna (Optional) $10 $—————Membership 3 Monitor journals $32 $—————Donations (Thank you) $—————Total $----------------

$—————

Make Cheque payable to Victorian Herpetological Society

Send to PO BOX 523, Somerville, 3912 Vic


44

CONTACT THE VHS for a comprehensive list of back issues fornot only Monitor, Herpetofauna (issues from 1978 -2000), Rep-tiles and Amphibians and Reptillian.

Contact SImon 039-437-0755 Email. [email protected]

Back Issues Available

VHS, PO Box 523, Somerville, 3912


45

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