The HERPETOLOGICAL BULLETIN Number 75 — Spring 2001 4th World Congress of Herpetology, Sri Lanka • Origin and history of Bojanus' Anatome Testudinis Europaeae • Diet of the Malayan Krait • Man eating by Estuarine Crocodiles; the Ramree Island incident • Cultural attitudes of people towards reptiles in Nigeria • Translocation study of Crested Newts • Unseasonal activity in Natrix matrix • Cannibalism in Lacerta monticola THE HERPETOLOGICAL BULLETIN The Herpetological Bulletin (formerly the British Herpetological Society Bulletin) is produced quarterly and publishes, in English, a range of articles concerned with herpetology. These include full-length papers of mostly a semi-technical nature, book reviews, letters from readers, society news, and other items of general herpetological interest. Emphasis is placed on natural history, conservation, captive breeding and husbandry, veterinary and behavioural aspects. Articles reporting the results of experimental research, descriptions of new taxa, or taxonomic revisions should be submitted to The Herpetological Journal (see inside back cover for Editor's address). ISSN 1473-0928 © The British Herpetological Society 2000. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the permission of the Editor. Printed by Metloc Printers Limited. Old Station Road, Loughton, Essex. Information for contributors 1. Contributions should be submitted in hard copy form (2 copies of manuscript, double-spaced) AND on computer diskette. The Bulletin is typeset directly from the author's diskette, so wherever possible all manuscripts should be prepared using a word-processor. Please indicate disk format (Windows or Macintosh) and word-processing software used, and if possible also include a text-only version of the file. 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The views expressed by the contributors to the Bulletin are not necessarily those of the Editor or the British Herpetological Society. All submissions and correspondence arising from the Bulletin should be sent to the Editor, Peter Stafford, do Dept. of Botany, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD. E-mail: [email protected] Front cover illustration Estuarine Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus). Photograph Stephen Von Peltz. See article on page 15. LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dear Editor: good scientific method described elsewhere in the same paper. I am writing to express my concern about an I should add that I would be happy to advise the article published in the Spring 2000 Bulletin by author of the article in question on preferred Adel A. Ibrahim, concerning work in Egypt with methods of anaesthesia if this would assist his Desert Monitors (Varanus griseus). The author work. So too, I am sure, would other veterinary described the use of hypothermia (cooled in the colleagues who are members of the BHS. fridge at 3°C for 3-4 hours) as anaesthesia and used this method of physical immobilisation to Yours sincerely, carry out surgical procedures on his subjects. The use of hypothermia for painful procedures JOHN E. COOPER, do Wild Animal Research in reptiles has been condemned for many years and Management (WARM), Faculty of Veterinary (Cooper & Jackson, 1981) and in some countries Medicine, Makerere University, P.O. Box 7062 of the world employing this technique could lay Kampala, Uganda. one open to prosecution under animal welfare legislation. Britain, in particular, has played a REFERENCES leading part in promoting the use of proper Beynon, P., Lawton, M.P.C. & Cooper, J.E. chemical anaesthetic agents for reptiles and in (1992). Manual of Reptiles. Cheltenham, ensuring that inhumane techniques, such as Glos.: British Small Animal Veterinary hypothermia, are not employed (UFAW/WSPA, Association. 1989). Cooper, J.E. & Jackson 0.F. (1981). Diseases Having lived in Africa for some years and of the Reptilia. London and New York: currently working on reptiles with colleagues in Academic Press. Uganda, I am conscious of the difficulties that Frye, F.L. (1991). Biomedical and Surgical often face scientists there and elsewhere, Aspects of Captive Reptile Husbandry. especially when developing research procedures Malabar, Florida: Krieger Publishing Co. or wanting to obtain equipment. However, the Mader, D.R. (1996). Reptile Medicine and successful use of injectable or inhalation Surgery. Philadelphia and London: WB anaesthetic agents in monitors and other species of Saunders. reptile is well documented (Beynon et al., 1992; Frye, 1991; Mader, 1996) and such techniques are UFAW/WSPA (1989). Euthanasia of used routinely elsewhere in much of Africa and the Amphibians and Reptiles. Report of a Joint Middle East. UFAW/WSPA Working Party. Potters Bar, I am concerned that the BHS has published this Herts.: Universities Federation for Animal article, apparently without first consulting Welfare. members of the Society or others who might have been able to advise as to the acceptability of the Editor's comment: the current Editor is unaware techniques. The net result could be that other of the circumstances surrounding the publication scientists may be encouraged to use similar of this article, but by way of reassurance to Prof. methods. It saddens me, as a long-standing Cooper and the Society at large it is now routine member of the BHS, that our Society should practice for articles containing issues of a appear to endorse a method of immobilising veterinary or welfare nature to be assessed by at reptiles for surgery that would be totally least one professionally qualified referee. Prof. unacceptable in much of the world and which is so Cooper's offer to assist in this respect is gratefully out of keeping with the modern technology and acknowledged. Number 75 - Herpetological Bulletin 1 Forthcoming meetings FORTHCOMING MEETINGS SRI LANKA - VENUE OF THE at http://www.4wch.com/homepg.htm, from which 4TH WORLD CONGRESS OF the colour brochure and registration form can be HERPETOLOGY downloaded. Congress practical arrangements 2-9 DECEMBER 2001 are being made by CDC Conventions (Pvt) Ltd., 58 Dudley Senanayake Mawatha, Colombo 8, MICHAEL LAMBERT Sri Lanka; tel.: +94 1 674950; fax: +94 1 694753; e-mail: cdcl @cdcconv.slt.lk. The deadline Natural Resources Institute, University of for receipt of abstracts, registration forms Greenwich, Central Avenue, Chatham Maritime, and accommodation requirements is 31 August Kent ME4 4TB, UK 2001. Herpetofauna recorded in Sri Lanka comprise British Crown Colony since 1802, Ceylon A 225 taxa - 51 amphibians and 174 reptiles - of ..became an independent member of the which 125 (55%) are endemic (de Silva, 1996a). Commonwealth in 1948, and the island was Sri Lanka has the greatest herpetofaunal richness renamed Sri Lanka (= 'Resplendent Island'). in South-East Asia (A. de Silva, pers. comm.), Covering an area of 25,332 square miles (65,610 and, in relation to the island's size, the highest km2) - with the greatest length (north-south) of diversity in the world. Identified threats to 270 miles (434 km) and greatest width 140 miles species' survival include vulnerability to (225 km) - Sri Lanka has a tropical climate, predators due to ecological factors associated warm throughout the year, with high relative with rapid depletion of forests and destruction of humidity, and a more temperate climate in the other wildlife areas; increase in the human hills. Rainfall is generally heavy, with two main population resulting in high levels of monsoon seasons: the south-west in mid-May to consumption, killing and excessive collection of September, and the north-east in November to species that deplete natural habitats, and large March. Inland waters make up 33 square miles scale application of pesticides and other (85 km2), and areas over 2000 feet (610 m) agrochemicals for the production of such crops support grasslands. Adam's Peak at 7,360 feet as rice, tea and vegetables. There is little (2243 m) is about the highest in the central information on the effects of agricultural massif, and is a place of pilgrimage for pesticides on herpetofaunal richness in Sri Lanka Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims. Sinhala is (de Silva, 1996a), although the highest use of spoken by 74% of the population, and Tamil by pesticide is known to be for tea production, with 18%; English is effectively the lingua franca and usage also very high in rice paddies situated in widely spoken by local people.