iHerp Australia Issue 2 | Page 3

The ‘ Wrangler ’ Writes ... iHerp Australia

Welcome again to your favourite digital , interactive ( and FREE ) magazine ! First of all , thank you to all those who have subscribed , and for all the positive feedback surrounding our first issue . We have recently received a very limited number of beautiful souvenir hard copies of Issue 1 that have been produced in response to enquiries from collectors , and also contain a special bonus article . They are now available from the online shop on our website , and exclusively from Kellyville Pets in Sydney and Amazing Amazon in Melbourne . Remember , this is a strictly limited run , so get in quick , because they ’ re selling fast , and once they ’ re gone that ’ s it ! Look out for the collectible hard copies of Issue 2 as well , which will be coming soon , with a special surprise !

Shortly after the release of Issue 1 , I travelled to Perth with Neville Burns for the WAHS Expo . The sustained interest in reptiles in WA is unbelievable , and a big thanks to Gary and all the crew . Speaking of expos , we have some exciting news because iHerp Australia is teaming up with Virides Reptile for the 2018 RepX Brisbane Reptile Expo . Check out our inside back cover for more details and stay tuned , this will be big !

We are extremely fortunate to lead off in this issue with a great article by top ‘ blue-tongue bloke ’ Joe Ball . Joe is at the very forefront of blue-tongue morph breeding and has created some incredible animals . He explains all the current morphs , their origins and mode of inheritance – and the pictures are something else ! Plus , Michael Cermak is off to Komodo Island to grapple with some giant monitors , and Kit Prendergast tackles leaf-tailed geckos . Neville Burns meets the fascinating George Craig , and there is a feature on the amazing turtle conversation work being conducted at Gnaraloo Station on the Coral Coast . Ben Dessen is back to help you decide exactly what form of heating equipment is best for your reptiles , and we welcome Dr Josh Llinas , the herpVet , with the first instalment of a regular veterinary column in the ‘ What ’ s New ?’ section . Dr Shane Simpson , of Karingal Veterinary Hospital , is also on board , so if you have a herp health problem , drop us a line and we will call in the experts ! Another new column , ‘ Food for Thought ’ will examine the merits of different food sources for reptiles ; in this issue we look at silkworms – a reptile ‘ super food ’. Finally , Dr Gavin Bedford returns with another controversial piece on conservation that challenges the status quo ( he has some weird pythons for sale as well !).

We hope you enjoy Issue 2 of iHerp Australia – and if you do , please spread the word . We aim to reach the widest possible audience with FREE downloads ! Remember to check out our Facebook page for news , competitions and giveaways , and of course , there is also the free classifieds section on our website . And please support our generous sponsors whenever you can , because they in turn support us .

Happy Herping !

John McGrath

Publisher : John McGrath iherp @ iherpaustralia . com . au

IT & Marketing : Andy Round marketing @ iherpaustralia . com . au

Social Media : Vince Pintaudi

Additional Design : Rachael Hammond rachael @ hammond . net

Next Issue : November 2017 . Website : www . iherpaustralia . com . au

Issue 2 | Sept - Oct 2017

CONTENTS

Blue Genes .

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Blue-tongue morph oggerhead Turtles enjoy a widespread distribution in tropical and subtropical regions , and are In 2015 , a female from Western Australia

to a nesting site in Japan – a distance of

L genetics explained . commonly found in coastal habitats , where food is tracked for more than 2,000km . The turtle more plentiful . They are primarily carnivorous , and both by using visual cues and by sensing have a very varied diet consisting chiefly of bottomdwelling marine invertebrates such as crustaceans , been proven by correlating subtle change

preting the Earth ’ s magnetic field . This ha

molluscs and urchins ; this may be supplemented magnetic field with small corresponding s with jellyfish , fish , plants and algae . The turtles will turtle nesting sites . forage during daylight hours , and although most

Enter Unfortunately the Dragon , the large ! male crocodile dives now do known not exceed as 30 Then minutes it , was Loggerheads time to meet are George Mature and females Billy reproduce took us only every sec Sweetheart , which is display 14in the capable Darwin of staying submerged behind for the several scenes hours where , even third off-display year , laying we 3-5 clutches of eggs at i especially in colder waters . They sleep while resting roughly 2-3 weeks during spring and sum

The Komodo Museum , was Dragon drowned during the capture on the process seabed .

. encountered more giant croc clutch skulls comprises and large an average of over 100 Cassius was captured in the same area some years carvings . George had recently which had are an deposited operation in a for chamber a which

Male Loggerhead Turtles spend their entire lives at excavates with her hind limbs , and later c

( Varanus komodoensis later and , as George points

). out , is much larger and has detached retina in one eye and , with the patch over the scars commensurate with attacking sea outboard , while females emerge his onto eye together dry land only with briefly his grey carefully hair and as possible beard ., The gave most the important to lay their eggs . Sexual maturity is acquired areas are in Florida and on Masirah Islan motors . George ’ s theory is that with all the excitement distinct impression of a pirate come to life . We relatively late in life , and although some females Estimates vary considerably , and can bec at the time of the attacks , Cassius moved first reproduce away and at his 17 years introduced of age , others ourselves must wait and sat outdated down very for the quickly interview , but it . probably sa place was taken by the animal that was until subsequently they are at least 30 Michael . Receptive had females met George may some that years each of before these two and sites at one

14is home to at caught and killed . One reporter who interviewed

attract males using pheromones stage George . The successful looked at him 15,000 and said Loggerhead , “ I know nests you . each You year . Aus

Loggerheads suitor will mount the female , but can expect the two nesting areas , one of which is centre George years not ago Lost ! had a beard back then .” unwanted attention of rivals , who will attempt to bite southern part of the Great Barrier Reef , in reported that when a 18 him whilst he is an amorous embrace and may sland , and the other which stretches alon

A cohesive seaplane conservation ‘ George is convinced Cassius flew over inflict nasty wounds . Loggerheads are promiscuous Ningaloo Michael coast nodded and includes with a adjacent isla

Green Island , creating a and multiple paternity is common .

Western Australia . The latter can host up is the real ‘ Sweetheart ’ that smile , and I commented noise similar to an outboard motor , Cassius became migrations of any a marine legend animal , female after Logger- skull nearby .

nests on a during particularly the breeding large season , with ne In what may represent one of the longest seasonal activity usually peaking in December . alone amongst George ’ s heads are driven to return to the beach where they Loggerhead Turtles exhibit temperature-d crocodiles went crazy were born in order to nest . Some years ago one sex George determination : Yes , that , with one an incubation tem in his enclosure . This repeatedly female was tracked from attacking

Mexico across the Pacific was from a swampy area

What man came ’ s away New believing that George may 28 darker in colour . We had

? of New Guinea ; they are

Ben ’ s well Reptile be right . 101 : boats ‘ Male in Loggerheads the Finniss spend River their entire .’ lives a harpoon at in him and

sea , while females emerge onto dry land would only have lost him if I Some years before obtaining Cassius , briefly George had to sold lay their hadn eggs ’ t jumped .’ in and tied a rope around him . He ’ d Gomek , one of the two huge crocodiles that he had been underwater for a long time . captured in New Guinea , to an American institution , Bottom left : ‘ Symbiosis !’ retaining Oscar who was slightly larger . Hilton Above : Neville a dragon strolls : Were along you the footpath sure on he Komodo was Island dead . ?

Below ( slide show ): Komoda Dragons are solitary animals , joining one another

Graham , another croc farmer from only for the purposes of mating and feeding . Ajis Aziz and another ranger

A Visit to Vet . supervised the photo shoot on Komodo Island . the Northern Territory , told 32 George

18 about Cassius , who was at that time held in Hilton croc farm after being What captured ’ s by up a team ? 34 of people that included Dr Grahame Webb .

Expo George Wows was immediately WA . interested and , upon seeing how large Cassius actually was , he purchased the

In just the last fifteen years , field Ironically , although climate The small , restricted populatio animal and trucked it to Far North surveys have led to the discovery change was originally an of leaf-tailed geckos also mak of five Phyllurus geckos – instrument in the isolation and them more prone to extinction

Queensland In and Print then on . to Green

P . ossa , P . isis , P . chamionae , diversification of our leaf-tailed through intrinsic genetic factor Island . I remember seeing a video of P . amnicola , and P . gulbaru – all geckos , it also looms as a key Indeed , genetic analysis has of which , incidentally , have a threatening process . As indicated found that some species , in the team removing Cassius from the highly-localized distribution . In by the disjunct distributions , particular S . swaini , exhibit ver rope trap in which he was captured 2008 , two new Saltuarius species together with phylogeographic limited genetic variation betwe and being impressed by his massive were described ( S . moritzi and evidence , it is clear that leaftailed geckos are strongly associ- the populations are inbred , wh

localities . This may indicate th

S . katae ). And in 2013 , another bulk as he was being drawn up a new species of Saltuarius was ated with rainforest habitat , and can result in reduced survival

Food ramp

for into

Thought a cattle truck

.

Billy took described . Hailing from the

All images courtesy of Kare

36 that their powers of dispersal are reproduction through inbreedin Gnaraloo Turtle Conservati us to Cassius ’ enclosure , and there

Melville Range on Cape Melville , limited . Under climate change , depression . Low levels of gene a rainforest outlier on Cape York rainforest biomes are projected to diversity also mean there is

Silkworms in the : water a Healthy

, with his head resting Peninsula , and dubbed Saltuarius change in location . Because limited genetic variation for on the edge of the pool , was the eximius , this spectacular new geckos are limited in their mobility , they may be unable to response to factors such as

natural selection to act upon in leaf-tailed gecko is highly distinct largest crocodile I have ever seen in

Alternative . from its congeners in multiple the flesh . Scarred around the nose ,

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migrate to keep pace with the climate change , meaning there aspects of its morphology . changing distribution of their limited potential for the specie very dark in colouration , and with

Compared with other Saltuarius , habitat . The extent of rainforest adapt as the environment S . eximius has relatively longer habitat is also predicted to changes . several centimetres missing from limbs , a longer , more slender and change , with a 1 o C rise in his tail , he is a very impressive narrower body , a narrower neck , temperature estimated to result in Leaf-tailed geckos are arguab creature indeed . Michael started to and a relatively small head . a 50 % decline in the amount of amongst Australia ’ s most impr

George Unlike all other species , its large highland rainforest , such as that take some photos

Craig and Billy

. sive herps , and have acquired asked if we would like to go into the eyes ( large even for geckos ) which O . occultus , S . cornutus elaborate and eccentric niche have grey irises rather than being and S . swaini inhabit . In this way , adaptations . But the geckos h enclosure with him . This was far patterned . It has a large tail with livestock agriculture represents a become intrinsically linked to t a short , attenuated tip . Saltuarius potential double whammy for leaf patchwork of rainforest environ beyond what we had expected and eximius is highly localized to -tailed geckos : firstly through Being narrow-range endemics we took advantage of Billy ’ s ’ kindness and got some great photos near boulder habitat in upland rainforest , and the species ’ elongate and secondly by being one of the preserved and enhanced if we

habitat destruction for pasture ; is crucial that their habitat is body and large eyes are likely greatest contributing factors to are to save these wonders of the pool . Billy , we are all eternally adaptations to this niche . Being greenhouse gas emissions that evolution . grateful for this opportunity ! another narrow-range endemic , it are causing global warming and is also of high conservation climate change .

Tails of the Unexpected ! concern . project on WA ’ s Coral Coast .

Reptile Heating – a Rundown .

Invasion of the Corn Snakes ? 35

A larger-than-life croc legend . 39

Australia ’ s Leaf-tailed geckos . 44

Mad Science .

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The latest cool reptile research from around the globe .

Community Conservation . Real or propaganda ? 54

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On the cover : Blue-tongue morphs have seriously got people ’ s attention !

Photographed by Joe Ball

Disclaimer : The opinions expressed in our published works are those of the author ( s ) and do not reflect the opinions of iHerp Australia or its editors . The information contained has been obtained by iHerp Australia from sources believed to be reliable . However , neither iHerp Australia nor its authors guarantees the accuracy or completeness of any information 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 , or with regard to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information contained in iHerp Australia publications . All rights reserved .

Saltuarius cornutus . Image by Michael Cermak .

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