DOCSLIB.ORG

PIJN IS DE VOORNAAMSTE DRIJFVEER WAAROM GIFSLANGEN MENSEN BIJTEN Deel 4

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
PIJN IS DE VOORNAAMSTE DRIJFVEER WAAROM GIFSLANGEN MENSEN BIJTEN Deel 4 PIJN IS DE VOORNAAMSTE DRIJFVEER WAAROM GIFSLANGEN MENSEN BIJTEN deel 4 PAIN IS THE MAIN DRIVER FOR VENOMOUS SNAKEBITES IN HUMANS part 4 Dit is het vierde en laatste deel van het uit- This is the fourth and last part of the ex- gebreide artikel dat Raymond Hoser schreef tensive article Raymond Hoser wrote about over de drijfveer van gifslangen om mensen the driver for venomous snakes for biting te bijten. De eerdere delen verschenen in de human beings. The former parts have been afleveringen 30-1 (deel 1), 30-2 (deel 2) en published in the issues 30-1 (part 1), 30-2 30-3 (deel 3) van Litteratura Serpentium. (part 2) en 30-3 (part 3) of Litteratura Ser- pentium. Raymond Hoser. Raymond Hoser Slangenhaken Slangenhaken werden al eerder besproken Tongs (zie Hoser 2007a). Ze veroorzaken duide- These devices have been covered else- lijk pijn, doordat ze de slang forceren om where (see Hoser 2007a) and clearly inflict het ontsnappen te beletten. Slangen die pain by the way they forcibly stop snakes worstelen om aan een slangenhaak te ont- escaping. Snakes that struggle in tightened komen, riskeren gebroken ribben en zul- tongs risk broken ribs and as a rule will tend len normaal gezien - ook de slangenhaak to bite, including the tongs themselves. As - gaan bijten. De enige reden waarom ze in pain intensifies, the discrimination of what de haak bijten, is pijn. In vele jaren waarne- is to be bitten tends to reduce, meaning mingen heb ik nog nooit een dier zomaar in that the tongs themselves may be bitten in een slangenhaak zien bijten. haste. Snakes only bite tongs for one rea- son and that is when they are in pain. In Slangenhaken deel 2 many years of observations, I have never Op 4 mei 2008 maakte Scott Grant een seen a snake crawl up to a set of tongs gedetailleerde beschrijving van een ander sitting on the ground and proceed to bite geval van pijn, veroorzaakt door een slan- it. Likewise for any other metallic objects. genhaak en het resultaat ervan. Dit geval Pain alone drives snakes to bite tongs! speelde zich af in de loop van 2007 op een slangenhanteringscursus in Victoria. Tongs mark 2 Er was een dertiental deelnemers, onder Scott Grant made a detailed statement on 4 wie Grant, die een volwassen tijgerslang May 2008, of another case of pain inflicted moesten oppakken met een slangenhaak. by Tongs and the end result. It occurred in Volgens Grant was de slang duidelijk ner- 2007 during a snake handling course. The veus en vertoonde ze tekenen van pijn. 13-odd participants including Grant, were Ze probeerde ook alles te bijten wat in de made to pick up an adult Tiger Snake using buurt van haar bek kwam. Halfverwege de a set of tongs. LITTERATURA SERPENTIUM 2012 68 JAARGANG/VOLUME 32 NUMMER/NO.2 sessie, toen ongeveer de helft van de deel- According to Grant, the snake was clearly nemers de slang had vastgegrepen met de agitated and in pain and when grabbed by haak, werd de pijn blijkbaar zó intens, dat the tongs would try to bite anything that het dier zich omdraaide en zichzelf beet. came close to its mouth. Daarna zou het zijn gestorven aan zijn ver- wondingen. Ook hier was pijn de reden Midway through the handling, as in after waarom de slang beet. about half the participants had used tongs to grab the struggling snake, the pain in- Op 24 april 2008 ving iemand uit Flower- flicted on the snake became so intense that drum Crescent Templestowe een vol- it turned and bit itself. The snake allegedly wassen, vrouwelijke tijgerslang met een subsequently died as a result to injuries slangenhaak. De slang was helemaal niet sustained by the tong grabbing. Again, pain agressief, tot ze werd vastgegrepen en de was the obvious driver of the snake biting. haak herhaaldelijk beet. Een uur nadat ze was gegrepen en in een ton was gestopt, On 24 April 2008, a resident of Flowerdrum was ze gestorven. De autopsie toonde ge- Crescent Templestowe caught an adult fe- broken ribben rond de hart/longzone en male Tiger Snake by using a set of tongs. ernstige inwendige bloedingen. Ook hier The snake was not aggressive in any way beet de slang dus door pijn. until grabbed with the tongs and bit them repeatedly. Within an hour of being lifted Doodsadders (Genus Acanthophis) with the tongs and placed in a wheelie bin, Dit zijn uitzonderlijke elapidae: zowel hun the snake had died a painful death. fysiek voorkomen als hun ecologie doet meer denken aan adders en zelfs crotalidae Autopsy revealed broken ribs around the dan aan andere Australische elapidae waar heart/lung area and severe internal bleeding, ze meer mee verwant zijn (al is het nogal complications from the latter being a likely verre verwantschap). cause of death. Again, the pain inflicted on the snake was what made it attempt to bite. Met de venomoïde doodsadders behaal- den we resultaten die verbazend gelijklo- Death Adders (Genus Acanthophis) pend waren met wat we bij andere elapidae These are unusual among Australian elapids zagen. Ik heb tientallen jaren doodsadders in that physically in appearance and shape verzorgd en gehanteerd. Wanneer nodig, and in many ecological respects, they pinde of ‘nekte’ ik ze ook. Maar dat de equate more with vipers and even crotalids slangen goed overleefden en kweekten, is than other Australian elapids, to which they een teken dat mijn manier van houden en are more closely related (albeit quite dis- hanteren zeker voldeed. Zoals de meeste tantly). With the venomoid Death Adders, elapidae, lijken deze slangen deze manier the results were remarkably similar as to van hanteren goed te tolereren, maar soms what was seen with the other elapids. gaan ze wel wat wriemelen als er een haak For decades Death Adders have been kept onder hun lijf wordt geschoven. Het feit dat and handled by myself using hooks and de slangen vaak een gevoel van onbeha- when necessary ‘pinned’ and ‘necked’. That gen houden ten opzichte van hanteren of the snakes lived and bred, is testament to opgepakt worden, duidt er op dat ze er ze- the fact that as a method of handling and ker niet van houden. keeping, what I did was certainly adequate. As for most elapids, these snakes seem to Zuid-Australische Acantophis antarcticus tolerate these handling methods, but will at zijn een beetje afwijkend voor het genus, in times jerk somewhat as a hook is slipped die zin dat ze helemaal niet van hanteren underneath them. LITTERATURA SERPENTIUM 2012 69 JAARGANG/VOLUME 32 NUMMER/NO.2 houden en altijd van de slangenhaak pro- That the snakes often retain a general dis- beren te springen, wat problematisch is. like to being handled or picked up in any Deel van het probleem ligt aan hun grootte, way, indicates that at best these snakes tol- gewicht en vorm en dat ze ongemak (pijn) erate being hook handled, rather than actu- voelen wanneer ze met een haak worden ally liking it. Ditto for other snakes moved gehanteerd. about this way. Een venomoïde, Zuid-Australische Acanto- South Australian Acantophis antarcticus phis antarcticus die ‘agressief’ was, verloor are somewhat unusual for the genus in that snel haar agressie, nadat ze venomoïde was they do not like being hook handled at all gemaakt en maakte geen aanstalten om te and always jump off them, meaning han- bijten wanneer ze dagelijks vrijelijk werd ge- dling them has been problematic. Part of hanteerd. Hetzelfde deed zich voor met een the problem relates to their size, weight and Acantophis woolfi, een ander taxon waarvan shape and that they tend to feel discomfort het temperament vaak als onvoorspelbaar (pain), when handled with sticks. wordt bestempeld. Deze slang viel altijd uit wanneer ze met een haak werd benaderd, A venomoid South Australian Acantophis maar verloor alle agressie als ze vrij werd ge- antarcticus that was ‘aggressive’ soon lost hanteerd. Wanneer ik deze slang hanteerde her aggression after being venomoided and direct na het verwijderen van de gifklieren, didn’t attempt to bite when free handled on vermoedde ik - gebaseerd op het eerdere a daily basis. The same occurred with an gedrag van de slang - dat één of meerdere Acantophis woolfi, another taxon that is beten van dit dier onvermijdbaar waren. Be- generally regarded as being of unpredict- ten bleven echter uit en het dier is intussen able temperament. This snake would strike volledig mak. Ik verwachtte ook beten in een when approached with a hook, but lost all aantal andere venomoïde elapidae, maar in aggression after being free handled. de regel bleven deze altijd uit. When free handling this particular snake Aangezien Doodsadders zogenaamde hin- in the period immediately post venomoid derlaagjagers zijn, is het risico op een beet operation, my underlying belief based on groot, als je te dicht met de hand bij hun the snake’s past behavior was that one or kop komt. Daarom moet er extreem worden more bites from this snake was inevitable. opgepast als de dieren uit de kooi worden As it transpired, no bites actually happened genomen, zeker als de dieren je hand zou- in this period and the snake has long since den kunnen verwarren met voer. Echter, been totally tractable. wanneer de venomoïde dieren eenmaal uit hun kooi zijn en vrij worden gehanteerd, zijn The expectation of bites was seen in a ze nog weinig geneigd om hun hanteerder number of other newly devenomized elapid te bijten, net als de andere elapidae. Het is snakes and as a rule the expected bites duidelijk dat de slangen een onderscheid never eventuated.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Problems of Python Classification and Hybrid Pythons
    PROBLEMS OF PYTHON CLASSIFICATION AND HYBRID PYTHONS. By: Raymond Hoser, 170 Lawson Street, Redfern, NSW, 2016, Australia. Contents: Introduction - Summary of the problems in classifying Australia's pythons - Hybrids between species - Acknowledge­ ments - References. INTRODUCTION Australasia's pythons attract disproportionate in­ terest from herpetologists within Australia and elsewhere. There is also considerable debate in relation to the relationships between species, with various arrangements being proposed. Authors including Cogger (1986), Schmida (1985), and Stafford (1986), have tended to follow 'con­ sensus opinion' when assigning generic names to Australasian pythons. References in relation to general and more specific aspects of Australian pythons can be found in Haser (1981 a , 1981 b, 1981 c and 1982), and elsewhere. This short paper gives a summary of the problems facing Australian python taxonomists and gives details of an unusual captive breeding that resulted in hybrids between species being produced. SUMMARY OF THE PROBLEMS IN CLASSIFYING AUSTRALIA'S PYTHONS With the exception of the Black headed python and Woma (Genus Aspidites), all other Australian py­ thons have at various times been assigned to a number of different genera. Numerous schemes of 134 classification for the rema1n1ng Australian spe­ cies of python have been proposed. These include Hoser (1982), McDowell (1975), and Stull (1935). The schemes range from the placing of all species in the genus Python shared with other non Austra­ lian species, to placing the species in question in up to seven genera. Namely Bot"h:PochiZus3 Chon­ dropython3 Liasis3 LisaZia3 Liasis3 MoreZia3 and Python. The assignment of given species within a particular genus is also a matter of conflict.
    [Show full text]
  • Raymond T. Hoser
    32 Australasian Journal of Herpetology Australasian Journal of herpetology 11:32-50. Published 8 April 2012. ISSN 1836-5698 (Print) ISSN 1836-5779 (Online) THE DESCRIPTION OF A NEW GENUS OF WEST AUSTRALIAN SNAKE AND EIGHT NEW TAXA IN THE GENERA PSEUDONAJA GUNTHER, 1858, OXYURANUS KINGHORN, 1923 AND PANACEDECHIS WELLS AND WELLINGTON, 1985 (SERPENTES: ELAPIDAE) RAYMOND T. HOSER 488 Park Road, Park Orchards, Victoria, 3134, Australia. Phone: +61 3 9812 3322 Fax: 9812 3355 E-mail: [email protected] Submitted 20 March 2012, Accepted 30 March 2012, Published 8 April 2012. ABSTRACT This paper defines and names new taxa from Australasia. The taxon Denisonia fasciata Rosen 1905, placed most recently by most authors in the genus Suta, is formally removed from that genus and placed in a monotypic genus formally named and described herein. Other taxa formally named and described for the first time include subspecies of the following; the broadly recognized species Pseudonaja textilis (known as the Eastern Brown Snake), P. guttata (Speckled Brown Snake) and P. affinis (Dugite), Oxyuranus scutellatus (Taipan) from Irian Jaya and western Papua as well as a second subspecies from north-west Australia and a hitherto unnamed subspecies of Panacedechis papuanus (Papuan Blacksnake) from the same general region. The newly named taxa are: Hulimkai gen. nov., Pseudonaja textilis cliveevatti subsp. nov., Pseudonaja textilis leswilliamsi subsp. nov., Pseudonaja textilis rollinsoni subsp. nov., Pseudonaja textilis jackyhoserae subsp. nov., Pseudonaja guttata
    [Show full text]
  • Eastern Snake-Necked Turtle
    Husbandry Manual for Eastern Snake-Necked Turtle Chelodina longicollis Reptilia: Chelidae Image Courtesy of Jacki Salkeld Author: Brendan Mark Host Date of Preparation: 04/06/06 Western Sydney Institute of TAFE - Richmond Course Name and Number: 1068 Certificate 3 - Captive Animals Lecturers: Graeme Phipps/Andrew Titmuss/ Jacki Salkeld CONTENTS 1. Introduction 4 2. Taxonomy 5 2.1 Nomenclature 5 2.2 Subspecies 5 2.3 Synonyms 5 2.4 Other Common Names 5 3. Natural History 6 3.1 Morphometrics 6 3.1.1 Mass and Basic Body Measurements 6 3.1.2 Sexual Dimorphism 6 3.1.3 Distinguishing Features 7 3.2 Distribution and Habitat 7 3.3 Conservation Status 8 3.4 Diet in the Wild 8 3.5 Longevity 8 3.5.1 In the Wild 8 3.5.2 In Captivity 8 3.5.3 Techniques Used to Determine Age in Adults 9 4. Housing Requirements 10 4.1 Exhibit/Enclosure Design 10 4.2 Holding Area Design 10 4.3 Spatial Requirements 11 4.4 Position of Enclosures 11 4.5 Weather Protection 11 4.6 Temperature Requirements 12 4.7 Substrate 12 4.8 Nestboxes and/or Bedding Material 12 4.9 Enclosure Furnishings 12 5. General Husbandry 13 5.1 Hygiene and Cleaning 13 5.2 Record Keeping 13 5.3 Methods of Identification 13 5.4 Routine Data Collection 13 6. Feeding Requirements 14 6.1 Captive Diet 14 6.2 Supplements 15 6.3 Presentation of Food 15 1 7. Handling and Transport 16 7.1 Timing of Capture and Handling 16 7.2 Capture and Restraint Techniques 16 7.3 Weighing and Examination 17 7.4 Release 17 7.5 Transport Requirements 18 7.5.1 Box Design 18 7.5.2 Furnishings 19 7.5.3 Water and Food 19 7.5.4 Animals Per Box 19 7.5.5 Timing of Transportation 19 7.5.6 Release from Box 19 8.
    [Show full text]
  • Australia's Hidden Treasures
    Australia’s hidden treasures WWF-Australia GPO Box 528 Sydney NSW Australia 2001 1800 032 551 wwf.org.au Published September 2009 by WWF-Australia. Cover image: Davies’ tree frog Litoria daviesae © Aaron Payne Compiled by Christian Thompson The Green Room Communications, Research & Design Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand +64 21 02482110 [email protected] 2 At least 1,300 new species have been discovered or described in Australia between 1998 and 2008, Australia’s new equating to an average of 136 new species added every year for the last 10 years species Some of the richest and most valuable habitats on Earth can be found in Australia. 1,072 plants A staggering 14 of WWF’s Global 200 ecoregions, critical landscapes of international biological importance, are found here. These precious landscapes are home to some of Australia’s estimated 20,000 species of plant, 828 bird 195 fish species, 1,088 species of reptiles and amphibians, and 378 mammal species, including 50 of our most iconic species, the kangaroos, wallabies and their close 74 reptiles relatives. This confirms Australia’s place as one of the world’s 18 megadiverse countries; those that harbour the majority of the world’s species. 13 amphibians Such is the extent of Australia’s biodiversity that new species continue to be regularly described by science. Between 1998 and 2008 at least 1,300 new species were discovered or described in Australia. This equates to more than 7 mammals two new species a week on average every year for the past 10 years. Species discovered over the last decade include 1,072 plants, 195 fish, 56 lizards, 14 snakes, 13 frogs, 4 turtles, and 7 mammals.
    [Show full text]
  • Venomoiden Die Bijten! Pain Is the Main Driver For
    PIJN IS DE VOORNAAMSTE DRIJFVEER WAAROM GIFSLANGEN MENSEN BIJTEN. DEEL 2: VENOMOIDEN DIE BIJTEN! PAIN IS THE MAIN DRIVER FOR VENOMOUS SNAKEBITES IN HUMANS. PART 2: VENOMOIDS THAT BITE! Raymond Hoser Raymond Hoser Voor ik in detail inga op beten door veno- Before detailing venomoid bites, it should moiden, zou ik graag vermelden dat ve- be mentioned that venomoids are effecti- nomoiden direct na de operatie effectief vely harmless immediately post operation onschadelijk zijn. De bek wordt rijkelijk ge- due to the procedure of the operation. The spoeld met water aan het begin en het ein- mouth region is irrigated liberally with wa- de van de procedure, zodat alle gif wordt ter at the start and end of the procedure, weggespoeld. Hoewel er waar schijnlijk nog literally washing away venom remaining. beperkte gifresten achterblijven, bleek uit While residues no doubt remain, tests im- testen onmiddelijk na de operatie dat de mediately post operation showed that the slangen geen muizen konden doden. Van- snakes were unable to kill mice with bites wege deze feiten heb ik venomoiden een after the operations. On that basis veno- week na de ingreep altijd volledig onscha- moids were deemed harmless a week post delijk geacht en ze vanaf dat moment vrij operation and from that point on, all were gehanteerd. only ‘free handled’. Beten uitlokken bij de venomoiden was Getting the venomoids to bite was never nooit moeilijk (zie verder), hoewel dat nooit hard (see later), although it wasn’t actually mijn bedoeling was, integendeel. Venomoi- something I set out to do. The contrary den werden nooit uitgedaagd door er net was actually the case.
    [Show full text]
  • See the Full Statement Here
    25 May 2021 Statement of the SAB on taxonomic vandalism for the Reptile Database The Reptile Database attempts to make balanced decisions on reptile taxonomy and nomenclature based on available and science-based published data. However, the database occasionally has to make decisions between contradictory opinions or conclusions, usually in consultation with experts. While the RDB normally follows the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, this does not provide rules for every possible case. This sometimes requires us to take decisions outside the letter of the Code that the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) is unwilling or unable to make. For instance, the ICZN has ruled on April 30, 2021 that it will not suppress the Australasian Journal of Herpetology or any of Raymond Hoser’s published names (ICZN 2021). However, the Reptile Database decided that it will not accept his publications and has chosen to follow the arguments of others (e.g. Kaiser et al. 2013, Krell 2021) in ignoring these works and their names. It has become common practice in herpetology to overwrite names coined outside the scientific literature with science-based names (aspidonyms sensu Wüster et al., 2021). In such cases, we only use the science-based name in the Database. The overwritten unscientific names are currently not used in the database although they may be mentioned in comments, just to make these decisions more transparent. This statement is supported and approved by These members abstained: the following SAB members (listed alphabetically): Allen Allison Glenn Shea Luciano J. Avila Frank T. Burbrink Salvador Carranza Guarino R. Colli Brian I.
    [Show full text]
  • Taxonomic Contributions in the "Amateur" Literature: Comments on Recent Descriptions of New Genera and Species by Raymond Hoser
    Taxonomic contributions in the "amateur" literature: comments on recent descriptions of new genera and species by Raymond Hoser 1 2 3 4 WOLFGANG WÜSTER , BRIAN BUSH , J. SCOTT KEOGH , MARK O'SHEA , & 5 RICHARD SHINE 1 School of Biological Sciences, University of Wales, Bangor, LL57 2UW, Wales, UK 2 Snakes Harmful & Harmless, 9 Birch Place, Stoneville, WA 6081, Australia 3 School of Botany & Zoology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia 4 10 Gatcombe Way, Priorslee, Telford, Shropshire TF2 9GZ, UK 5 The University of Sydney, N.S.W. 2006, Australia Reptiles and amphibians hold considerable fascination for a growing number of people. In recent years, this has led to an almost exponential increase in the number of reptile aficionados, spanning the entire spectrum from children keeping a couple of corn snakes as pets to persons professionally employed by research institutions to carry out research work on reptiles. In between are found a wide variety of individuals who do not make their living studying reptiles, but invest an often considerable amount of energy and resources into the study or husbandry and reproduction of their reptiles. It is clear that the majority of reptile enthusiasts fall into this latter group, rather than among the institutional professionals. While institutional and non- institutional herpetologists are sometimes artificially segregated into "amateurs" and "professionals", this is an artificial dichotomy which misrepresents what is in reality a continuum, as is illustrated by the list of authors of this article. The increasing size and importance of the non-institutional sector in herpetology has led to a parallel increase in the number of journals and magazines catering to this group.
    [Show full text]
  • Serpentes: Elapidae: Acanthophis): Including Descriptions of New Subspecies and the First Ever Key to Identify All Recognized Species and Subspecies Within the Genus
    Australasian Journal of Herpetology Australasian22 Journal of Herpetology 23:22-34. ISSN 1836-5698 (Print) Published 30 August 2014. ISSN 1836-5779 (Online) Tidying up Death Adder taxonomy (Serpentes: Elapidae: Acanthophis): including descriptions of new subspecies and the first ever key to identify all recognized species and subspecies within the genus. RAYMOND T. HOSER 488 Park Road, Park Orchards, Victoria, 3114, Australia. Phone: +61 3 9812 3322 Fax: 9812 3355 E-mail: snakeman (at) snakeman.com.au Received 4 March 2014, Accepted 22 June 2014, Published 30 August 2014. ABSTRACT The taxonomy and nomenclature of Australasian Death Adders (Genus Acanthophis Daudin, 1803) was largely resolved by the papers of Hoser (1998) and Hoser (2002). Since then a Welsh snake fancier and career criminal named Mr. Wolfgang Wüster and his associates in crime have engaged in a reckless and destructive global campaign to stop people using correct taxonomy and nomenclature for the relevant species (e.g. Wüster 2001, Wüster et al. 2001, 2005). For more detailed listings of the destabilizing publications by Wüster and associates see Hoser (2013). This campaign by Wüster culminated in the reckless publication of Kaiser (2012a, 2012b) Kaiser et al. (2013) and Kaiser (2013), all of which were properly condemned by Cogger (2013, 2014), Shea (2013a, 2013b, 2013c, 2013d) and many others. Further studies have identified five divergent forms of Acanthophis previously not recognized by most herpetologists but upon examination are distinct and worthy of taxonomic recognition. These are formally described herein according to the Zoological Code (Ride et al. 1999). These are Acanthophis wellsei hoserae subsp.
    [Show full text]
  • 5 a New Snake from Queensland
    MONITOR - JOURNALMONITOR OF THE - JOURNALVICTORIAN OF HERPETOLOGICALTHE VICTORIAN HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY SOCIETY 10 (1) 1998 10 (1) 1998:5-9,31 Copyright Victorian Herpetological Society A NEW SNAKE FROM QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA (SERPENTES: ELAPIDAE). RAYMOND HOSER 41 Village Avenue, Doncaster, Victoria, 3108, Australia. Phone: +61 3 9857-4491 Fax: +61 3 9857-4664 E-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT/INTRODUCTION. Currently known only from the Mount Isa area in The purpose of this paper is to describe a new species Queensland. May be distinguished from Pseudechis of snake currently known only from inland North australis in the same area by the fact that most if not Queensland. It has for many years been confused with all subcaudals are single while in Pseudechis australis, the larger and in many respects, similar, King Brown about 20 posterior subcaudals are usually divided. Snake (Pseudechis australis) and/or Western Brown Further separated from Pseudechis australis by the Snake (Pseudonaja nuchalis). proportionately smaller and less broad head and generally more gracile build. Separated from The species essentially has scalation and coloration Pseudonaja by the all or mainly single subcaudals similar to that of Pseudechis australis, while having a versus the all or mainly paired subcaudals in physical build more akin to that of Brown Snakes (genus Pseudonaja and lack of orange or brown markings on Pseudonaja). This similarity with Pseudonaja is most the ventral surface in Pailsus. Pailsus is not likely to apparent in the size of the head, which is proportionately be confused with any other genus of snake. smaller than on all other snakes currently assigned to the genus Pseudechis.
    [Show full text]
  • Smuggling Snakes out of Australia ••. How the System Works
    SMUGGLING SNAKES OUT OF AUSTRALIA ••. HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS. By: Raymond Hoser, 63 Parkhill Road, Kew, Vic, 3101, Australia. Contents: Introduction - Splinter smuggling - Counter smuggling - Official smuggling - Trouble in Australia - How the wildlife leaves the country - CITES - Selling the smuggled fauna overseas - How to stop smuggling - References. INTRODUCTION This article deals with wildlife smuggling out of Australia. ·1n my explaining of what goes on I will be simplifying a procedure too complicated to deal with in full detail. I am very familiar with the smuggling racket so far as snakes are concerned. It operates in a similar manner for other wildlife. My experiences however are prin­ cipally limited to those of reptile smugglers. This article does not cover the general issue of reptile conservation. This was covered in another paper (Haser, 1988). My nowledge of wildlife smuggling out of Australia stems primarily from the direct experience with corrupt state fauna authorities here, and my ceaseless efforts to expose the rackets. I have been party to tracking down reptiles being shipped out of Australia, and on one occasion (July 1981), managed to stop some snakes from leaving the country, (Snakes originally removed from a collection by National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) officials),(Cumming, 1981a). Most of my evidence collected against NPWS and others has been stolen during a number of planned break ins by the men whom I accused of smuggling. Despite court orders (two subpoenas), most goods 15 stolen have not (and almost certainly will not) be returned, (NSW Government, 1984-5). Subsequent court cases, royal commissions, etc, have tended to verify many of my more seemingly outlandish claims; {Anonymous, 1982; NSW Government 1982; 1984; 1984-5; 1985a, b; Toohey, 1983; Wilson D et al, 1985, 1987).
    [Show full text]
  • REVIEW Confronting Taxonomic Vandalism in Biology: Conscientious
    applyparastyle “fig//caption/p[1]” parastyle “FigCapt” Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2021, 133, 645–670. With 3 figures. REVIEW Confronting taxonomic vandalism in biology: conscientious community self-organization can preserve nomenclatural stability Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/biolinnean/article/133/3/645/6240088 by guest on 30 June 2021 WOLFGANG WÜSTER1,*, , SCOTT A. THOMSON2, MARK O’SHEA3 and HINRICH KAISER4 1Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics Laboratory, School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor LL57 2UW, UK 2Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, Divisão de Vertebrados (Herpetologia), Avenida Nazaré, 481, Ipiranga, 04263-000, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; and Chelonian Research Institute, 401 South Central Avenue, Oviedo, FL 32765, USA 3Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Wolverhampton, Wulfruna Street, Wolverhampton WV1 1LY, UK 4Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, Adenauerallee 160, 53113 Bonn, Germany; and Department of Biology, Victor Valley College, 18422 Bear Valley Road, Victorville, CA 92395, USA Received 28 October 2020; revised 17 January 2021; accepted for publication 19 January 2021 Self-published taxon descriptions, bereft of a basis of evidence, are a long-standing problem in taxonomy. The problem derives in part from the Principle of Priority in the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, which forces the use of the oldest available nomen irrespective of scientific merit. This provides a route to ‘immortality’ for unscrupulous individuals through the mass-naming of taxa without scientific basis, a phenomenon referred to as taxonomic vandalism. Following a flood of unscientific taxon namings, in 2013 a group of concerned herpetologists organized a widely supported, community-based campaign to treat these nomina as lying outside the permanent scientific record, and to ignore and overwrite them as appropriate.
    [Show full text]
  • A New Subspecies of Green Python (Serpentes: Pythonidae: Chondropython) from Eastern New Guinea
    Australasian Journal of Herpetology 9 Australasian Journal of Herpetology 49:9-12. Published 6 August 2020. ISSN 1836-5698 (Print) ISSN 1836-5779 (Online) A new subspecies of Green Python (Serpentes: Pythonidae: Chondropython) from eastern New Guinea. LSIDURN:LSID:ZOOBANK.ORG:PUB:F574AA72-68D8-4378-9601-8FE287458B28 RAYMOND T. HOSER LSIDurn:lsid:zoobank.org:author:F9D74EB5-CFB5-49A0-8C7C-9F993B8504AE 488 Park Road, Park Orchards, Victoria, 3134, Australia. Phone: +61 3 9812 3322 Fax: 9812 3355 E-mail: snakeman (at) snakeman.com.au Received 2 March 2020, Accepted 1 June 2020, Published 6 August 2020. ABSTRACT Until recently, all Green Pythons (Genus Chondropython Meyer, 1874) were treated by herpetologists as a single wide-ranging species, namely C. viridis (Schlegel, 1872). Hoser in 2003 formally named an Australian subspecies, C. viridis shireenae and Hoser (2009), formally described a second subspecies from Normanby Island, Papua New Guinea, called C. viridis adelynhoserae. Hoser (2009) also resurrected from synonymy the species Chondropython azureus Meyer, 1874. Natusch et al. (2020) resurrected C. pulcher Sauvage, 1878 from synonymy of C. azureus, as a subspecies and formally named another subspecies of C. azureus, C. azureus utaraensis. This paper continues the division of Chondropython by formally naming as a subspecies of C. viridis the divergent population from near Popondetta, Papua New Guinea as C. viridis jackyhoserae subsp. nov.. Keywords: Herpetology; snake; python; green python; New Guinea; Indonesia; PNG; Morelia; Chondropython; viridis; azureus; shireenae; pulcher; utaraensis; adelynhoserae; new subspecies; jackyhoserae. INTRODUCTION 2013, 2014a and 2014b) and the claims within it, have been The Green Pythons, genus Chondropython, Meyer, 1874 have discredited numerous times (e.g.
    [Show full text]