N E W S
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 0DULPXWKX5DQG$VRNDQ. %DUHEHOOLHGRU0DGUDV hedgehog, Paraechinus nudiventris +RUV¿HOG LQ The authors thank S. Walker and S. Molur for their Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. Zoo’s Print ± encouragement to conduct this survey, to P. Jeganathan 0ROXU 6 Hemiechinus collaris. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2015.2. www.iucnredlist.org. for help with locating literature and A. Kalaimani, P.R. Viewed on 21 August 2015. Naveen Kumar, M. Rameshwaran, P. Iyer, K. Sathasivam, Molur, S., Srinivasulu, C., Srinivasulu, B., Walker, S., Nameer H.N. Kumara, Babu, K. Krutha for their support during 32DQG5DYLNXPDU/ 6WDWXVRI1RQYRODQW6PDOO ¿HOGZRUN &RPPHQWV DQG VXJJHVWLRQV E\ 5 0RRUH Mammals: Conservation Assessment and Management Plan K. Lochen and R. Thomas improved the paper. Workshop Report. Zoo Outreach Organization, Coimbatore. 1LMPDQ 9 DQG %HUJLQ ' 7UDGH LQ KHGJHKRJV 0DPPDOLD (ULQDFHLGDH LQ 0RURFFR ZLWK DQ RYHUYLHZ REFERENCES of their trade for medicinal purposes throughout Africa and Eurasia. Journal of Threatened Taxa ± Chakraborty, S., Sirinivasalu, C., Sirinivasalu, B., Pradhan, 3DGPDQDEKDQ 3 (WKQR ]RRORJLFDO VWXGLHV RQ WKH 06 DQG 1DPHHU 32 &KHFNOLVW RI LQVHFWLYRUHV tribals of Palakkad and Malappuram districts of Kerala, 0DPPDOLD ,QVHFWLYRUD RI 6RXWK $VLD Zoos’ Print South India, KFRI Research Report No.292. Kerala Forest ± Research Institute, Peechi. &KDNUDERUW\ 6 %KDWWDFKDU\\D 7 DQG 0ROXU 6 D 6ULQLYDVXOX&DQG1DJXOX9 0DPPDOLDQDQGDYLDQ Paraechinus micropus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened diversity of the Nallamala Hills, Andhra Pradesh. Zoos’ Species. Version 2015.2. www.iucnredlist.org. Viewed on Print ± 21 August 2015. &KDNUDERUW\ 6 6ULQLYDVXOX & DQG 0ROXU 6 E Brawin Kumar, Zoo Outreach Organization, Paraechinus nudiventris. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2015.2. www.iucnredlist.org. Viewed on Wildlife Information and Liaison Development Society, 21 August 2015. Coimbatore, India 0DKDZDU 00 DQG -DUROL '3 7UDGLWLRQDO E-mail: [email protected] zootherapeutic studies in India: a review. Journal of Vincent Nijman, Oxford Wildlife Trade Research Group, Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 4, article 17. Oxford, UK. E-mail: [email protected]
Bogus captive-breeding of the South African Sungazer Lizard Smaug giganteus
eptile species that have restricted on social media groups, trade websites, and reptile fairs, distributions, high levels of protection and fetching prices of between USD1000 and USD4000, low reproductive rates are rarities in the pet occasionally as much as USD6000. A single case of trade, and command premium prices (Auliya, FDSWLYHEUHHGLQJZDVUHSRUWHGE\/DQJHUZHUI EXW 7KHSURWHFWHGVWDWXVRIVXFKVSHFLHV all other literature on Sungazers in captivity lacks reports Rencourages dealers to trade captive-bred individuals, but of breeding incidences (e.g., Hild, 1988; Fogel, 2000; also provides an opportunity for unscrupulous traders to *LOFKULVW 'HVSLWHWKLVYLUWXDOO\DOOLQWHUQDWLRQDO launder wild-caught reptiles as “captive bred” (Lyons trade is in individuals reported as produced in captivity DQG 1DWXVFK 1LMPDQ 7KLV LV SDUWLFXODUO\ 7DEOH :LWKWKHH[FHSWLRQRI6XQJD]HUVUHSRUWHGO\ concerning when exporting and importing countries do produced elsewhere, all purportedly captive-produced not verify claims about the captive source, effectively 6XQJD]HUV LQGLYLGXDOV ZHUHH[SRUWHGIURP6RXWK leaving the trade in wild-caught individuals unregulated. $IULFD 81(3:&0& 0RUHRYHU6RXWK$IULFD The Sungazer Lizard Smaug (previously Cordylus reported the majority of these individuals as captive- giganteus is endemic to South Africa, and has a restricted bred, i.e. offspring from parents that had also been born range, narrow environmental niche and a life history in captivity. Importing countries reported only slightly characterized by slow reproduction. Sungazers only reach lower quantities, totalling 459 individuals produced in VH[XDOPDWXULW\DIWHU¿YH\HDUVDQGIHPDOHVSURGXFHRQH FDSWLYLW\ 7DEOH 7KH RQO\ ZLOGFDXJKW S. giganteus to three offspring only once every two or three years were 50 individuals exported by Mozambique, which is 9DQ:\N 7KHVSHFLHVZDVOLVWHGDV9XOQHUDEOH not a range country for the species. Most lizards were in a national assessment due to habitat loss and poaching LPSRUWHG E\ -DSDQ LQGLYLGXDOV *HUPDQ\ 0RXWRQ DQG LV FRQVHTXHQWO\ D QDWLRQDOO\ LQGLYLGXDOV DQGWKH86$ LQGLYLGXDOV protected species, with collection of wild individuals While the occasional birth of a Sungazer in captivity strictly prohibited. Internationally, the species is listed is not in doubt, there is a clear and alarming discrepancy in Appendix II of CITES (Convention on International in the number of substantiated breeding records of captive 7UDGHLQ(QGDQJHUHG6SHFLHVRI:LOG)DXQDDQG)ORUD Sungazers, and the number being traded annually. As Although there is no substantiated evidence of captive has been reported for several other species (Lyons and reproduction, Sungazers are frequently offered for sale 1DWXVFK 1LMPDQ LWLVKLJKO\OLNHO\WKDWWKH
10 TRAFFIC Bulletin9RO1R N E W S
Importer reported Exporter reported
Year W F C Main importer W F C Main exporter -DSDQ 6RXWK$IULFD 6RXWK$IULFD -DSDQ 6RXWK$IULFD ,QGRQHVLD 6RXWK$IULFD *HUPDQ\ 6RXWK$IULFD -DSDQ 0R]DPELTXH 86$ 6RXWK$IULFD *HUPDQ\ 6RXWK$IULFD *HUPDQ\ 6RXWK$IULFD 86$ 6RXWK$IULFD 86$ 6RXWK$IULFD Total 0 106 353 50 121 412 Table 1. Commercial trade (purpose T) of live Sungazers, excluding re-exports, reported by importing and exporting countries for 2004–2014.6RXUFHFRGHV:)DQG&UHSUHVHQWZLOGFDSWLYHERUQDQGFDSWLYHEUHGUHVSHFWLYHO\ FRQÀVFDWHGLQGLYLGXDOVZHUHH[FOXGHGSource: UNEP-WCMC, 2016. majority of Sungazers in the pet trade are laundered wild- 0RXWRQ 3 OH ) Smaug giganteus $ 6PLWK caught animals. The authors strongly recommend that Giant Dragon Lizard; Giant Girdled Lizard; Sungazer; WKHH[SRUWDQGLPSRUWFRXQWULHVLGHQWL¿HGLQWKLVSDSHU Ouvolk. P.209. In: Bates, M.F., Branch, W.R., Bauer, A.M., demand incontrovertible evidence of captive breeding Burger, M., Marais, J., Alexander, G.J. and De Villiers, M. before issuing permits, and that prospective buyers Atlas and Red List of the Reptiles of South Africa, Lesotho temper their desires against the realities of supporting the and Swaziland. Suricata, 1. poaching of a threatened species. 1LMPDQ 9 %RJXV FDSWLYH EUHHGLQJ RI 2ULHQWDO 5DW Snakes. Oryx ± ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 81(3:&0& &,7(6 7UDGH 'DWDEDVH KWWS WUDGH cites.org/. Viewed on 1 February 2016. The authors are grateful to Graham Alexander of the University 9DQ :\N -+ %LHQQLDO UHSURGXFWLRQ LQ WKH IHPDOH of the Witwatersrand and Vincent Nijman of Oxford Brookes viviparous lizard, Cordylus giganteus. Amphibia-Reptilia, University for their helpful comments on this paper. ±
REFERENCES Victor J.T. Loehr (corresponding author), $XOL\D0 +RWWUDGHLQFRROFUHDWXUHV DUHYLHZRIWKH Homopus Research Foundation live reptile trade in the European Union in the 1990s with a E-mail: [email protected] focus on Germany. TRAFFIC Europe, Brussels, Belgium. Shivan Parusnath, University of the Witwatersrand/ )RJHO* 2EVHUYDWLRQVRQWKHJLDQW6XQJD]HU/L]DUG National Zoological Gardens of South Africa Cordylus giganteus, in captivity. Bulletin of the Chicago E-mail: [email protected] Herpetological Society ± Fraser Gilchrist, European Studbook Foundation *LOFKULVW ) 6WXGERRN %UHHGLQJ 3URJUDPPH Smaug E-mail: [email protected] giganteus 6XQJD]HU/L]DUG DQQXDOUHSRUW9LHZHG on 2 February 2016. http://studbooks.eu/images/pdf/2015/ annual%20report%202014%20-%20smaug%20gigante- us%202014.pdf. +LOG ': +XVEDQGU\ WHFKQLTXHV IRU WKH RXYRON Cordylus giganteus3S± ,Q 5RVHQEHUJ0- (G Proceedings. 11th International Herpetological Symposium on Captive Propagation and Husbandry. Thurmont, MD: Zoological Consortium, Inc. /DQJHUZHUI % .HHSLQJ DQG EUHHGLQJ WKH 6XQJD]HU (Cordylus giganteus6PLWK Reptiles ± /\RQV -$ DQG 1DWXVFK '- :LOGOLIH ODXQGHULQJ through breeding farms: illegal harvest, population declines and a means of regulating the trade of Green Pythons SHIVAN PARUSNATH PARUSNATH SHIVAN (Morelia viridis IURP,QGRQHVLDBiological Conservation, ±
An adult Sungazer Smaug giganteus, Free State Province, South Africa.
TRAFFIC Bulletin9RO1R