The ‘Wrangler’ Writes...Finally
Welcome to an unusual issue of iHerp
Australia – sort of an Xmas edition.
Unfortunately, it is also the final issue of the
magazine, at least for the time being, and in
this format. The timing was determined by
the fact that our online software licence runs
out at the end of December, which means
that you have a month to get through this
content, and download issues if you wish.
The premise of this magazine has always
been that it would be free for readers to
access online, with minimal overheads met
by advertising revenue. However, we have
been unable to cover costs, and I simply
cannot continue to keep up the workload
required as well as contribute financially.
This is a great pity because it leaves a void
in the hobby, but is symptomatic of the
malaise currently besetting publications
worldwide. We have built a loyal base of
more than 2,000 subscribers in Australia
and around the world. If you are one of them, please don’t
unsubscribe, as you never know what the future will bring. And
if you’re out there thinking you would like to have a crack at a
herping magazine with an aussie focus, please contact us at your
earliest opportunity! A limited number of hard copies will continue
to be available from our website, and we will let you know of any
new developments.
I have been involved in herping magazines in this country for
around 20 years, and I truly believe that iHerp Australia has set
a new benchmark. We have published a wide variety of articles
written by a range of authors; luminaries such as Rick Shine, Hal
Cogger, Peter Krauss and Bernd Eidenmüller, and new talent
including Andy Horlor, Janne Torkkola and Dylan Zdravkovic, to
name just a few. There were regular contributions from established
writers like Kit Prendergast, who has a great career ahead, Neville
Burns, Michael Cermak, Phil Mangion and Simon Fearn. An
enthusiastic email from the US led to a terrific series of articles
by Vickie Lillo. Some of Australia’s best wildife photographers
were also generous with their work – a couple of fine examples
being the series of recent covers from Ross McGibbon and the
beautiful series of images from Rochelle James that are featured
in this issue. Lastly, Ben Dessen, of Kellyville Pets, has been an
unstinting champion of this project and has contributed invaluable
educational columns for newcomers to the hobby.
Speaking of which, I must thank Kellyville Pets for their
unequivocal support, along with Amazing Amazon, HerpVet Josh
Llinas and BioSupplies. These guys are industry leaders and I
cannot recommend them highly enough.
We are delighted to have been able to promote two outstanding
research and conservation projects in the magazine: the ongoing
Sleepy Lizard survey in South Australia and the Gnaraloo
Wilderness Foundation’s work with turtles on WA’s Coral Coast,
and to have supported these initiatives via special limited edition
posters. And we have also been privileged to bring you updates
on the important work undertaken by Rom Whitaker and his team
in conserving the King Cobra and combating snake bite fatalities
in India.
Behind the scenes, Andy Round got this whole thing off the
ground, put the website and IT infrastructure together and has run
it since day one, without the rewards he deserves, and Rachael
Hammond has consistently propped up my limited abilities at
design.
So a lot of great people have helped bring the magazine to
you. Thank you to all those who have subscribed. We hope you
have enjoyed reading it and sincerely appreciate all the wonderful
feedback by email and in person at various expos. For now:
Happy Herping!
John McGrath
iHerp Australia
All I want for Xmas is a
M
nglow.
Issue 16 | December 2019
CONTENTS
4
4
F
I S
E pidemic. Fighting the Indian 14
Moonglow. Damage Control.
All you
want for
Xmas.
ighting the
ndian
nakebite
The immediate problem involves getting rid of
nuisance iguanas that take up residence in private or
commercial properties. The broader issue is how to
prevent further infestations, and stymie the growth
and spread of the iguana population; options are
unequivocally limited.
Snakebite Epidemic.
The Snakebite Mitigation &
Snake Conservation Project is
making a difference.
As an invasive species, iguanas are not protected by
law, except for anti-cruelty regulations. Homeowners
have a legal right to kill iguanas on their property by
shooting them with a pellet gun (not in urban areas)
or stabbing them in the brain. Since the cerebrum
receives sensory stimuli for up to a minute after
decapitation, this is not considered a viable choice.
14
‘Full Moon’; all images by
Rochelle James unless
otherwise noted.
burrowing owls,
a threatened
IGUANA.
23
Species, are being run
The Scourge of South Florida. out of their burrows.
Snake Tails.
Nev’s Stocking Filler!
What’s New?
iHerp at LARGE.
A live experiment.
A Visit to the VET.
A Beardie on Wheels.
3.
31
23
33
34
In Print.
4. 36
Reptile-related news items.
Your Pic.
From a childhood
obsession...
Obituary.
Bruce Munday.
44
38
40
skinks and snakes first appear in the mid-
Jurassic, while iguanas, varanids and more
appear through the Cretaceous, diversifying
rapidly. In fact, while overall dominion of 1.
the Mesozoic Era indisputably belongs to
the dinosaurs, the Cretaceous period may
be aptly referred to as the ‘Age of Snakes
and Lizards’. Similarly, the first rhycho-
cephalians appeared in the early Triassic;
they too were to become widespread and
diverse.
Chameleons. Reptilian Superheroes! 44
A Brief History of
the Reptile World. 54
3.
exhibiting not just a palette of
spectacular colours, but also an
exquisite range of ornamentations,
including horns, spiny crests and other
projections on various parts of the
body, along with head casques and
sails on the tail. Size varies
enormously: Parson’s Chameleon
(Calumma parsonii), from the
rainforests of northern and eastern
Madagascar, grows to a body length
of up to 68cm - about the size of a
domestic cat. Besides consuming
insects, flowers and fruit, this species
is also known to eat small lizards and
birds. At the other end of the
spectrum, the smallest chameleon, and
a contender for the smallest amniote
in the world, is Brookesia micra, with
a maximum total length of less than
30mm. Many Brookesia species also
have miniaturised distributions, being
‘microendemic’ to a single locality.
Mitten-like, ‘zygodactylous’ feet are a
specialised adaption to an arboreal
lifestyle, in which the five digits have
fused into two opposable ‘fascicles’
capable of a vice-like grip. In the
manus (fore limbs) the fusions have
involved digits 1-2-3 and 4-5, whereas
in the pes (hind limbs), the fusions
have involved digits 1-2 and 3-4-5.
Parrots were the first creatures to be
described as zygodactylous, as their
feet have two toes which face
54
1.
The reign of the dinosaurs, masters of this
Janne Torkkola
is back to tackle
world for countless generations, was
2.
the very origins
however to of
end reptiles...
abruptly, as they disappear
2.-4.
from the fossil record following the
Cretaceous-Paloegene (or K-Pg) mass
extinction 66 million years ago. Aside from
a thin layer of sedimentary clay, designated
the K-Pg boundary and found in the
geological record throughout the world,
few clues were left of their demise. Then in
Publisher: John McGrath
1980, researchers Luis Alvarez and his son
Walter, along with Frank Asaro and Helen
[email protected]
Michel, discovered that this layer contains
IT & Marketing: Andy
Round
elevated iridium levels, 30 to 160 times
[email protected]
above average. Iridium is rarely found in
the Pintaudi
Earth’s crust, however it is common in
Social Media: Vince
asteroids. Accordingly, the ‘impact’ or
Female Parson’s Chameleon
(Calumma parsonii). This
species can grow to about
the size of a domestic cat.
Image by Ken Griffiths.
The tongue uses energy
stored in elastic tissues to
reach accelerations equiva-
lent to a car going from 0 to
97kmh in 0.01 of a second!
Images by Martin Janca,
Daniel MR & Kuttelvase-
rova Stuchelova.
Postal Address:
12 Haines Street Mitcham, Victoria, 3132
Advertising Enquiries:
[email protected][email protected]
On the cover: ‘Full Moon’ carpet python
Additional Design:
Rochelle James.
Rachael Hammond ‘ 75% OF LIFE on photographed
Earth was by WIPED
OUT , as
Website: www.rochellejamesphotography@
Website: www.iherpaustralia.com.au
temperatures
plummeted
in
the
‘impact
winter’.’
zenfolio.com.au
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/iherpaustralia/
Alvarez hypothesis postulates that a colossal asteroid
wiped out the majority of life at the K-Pg boundary,
by reptiles were now open to be exploited by mammals,
less reliant on external heat sources to warm their
including the dinosaurs. The 10- to 15-kilometre-wide
Disclaimer:
bodies. Free from the ruling reptiles of the Mesosoic, the
rock (imagine Manhattan, N.Y.) obliterated the
The opinions expressed in our published works are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the opinions of iHerp Australia or space
its editors.
class Mammalia diversified through the Paleogene,
site, ejecting
of dust
and earth into
The information contained has been obtained by iHerp Australia from sources believed to be reliable. However, neither iHerp impact
Australia
nor its masses
authors
guarantees
the the
accuracy
or many
completeness
of any
adding
new orders early
in the information
Paleocene and
atmosphere,
thereby
creating
an
ongoing
‘impact
winter’
published herein and neither iHerp Australia nor its authors shall be responsible for any errors, omissions, or claims for damages, including exemplary damages, arising out
of use,
inability
to use,
with and
regard
Eocene
epochs,
including
hoofed or horses
rhinos to of the
and
leaving
a
fine
dusting
of
iridium-heavy
sediment
the accuracy or sufficiency of the information contained in iHerp Australia publications.
Perissodactyla, marine whales and dolphins of the
across the globe. This K-Pg layer has been radiometrically Cetacea, and early Primates. The Cenozoic Era, the Age of
All rights reserved.
dated to 66 million years ago, while further evidence
Mammals, had clearly arrived.