Snake TAG mid-year group meeting
Oklahoma City
24 March 2008
Steering committee attendees: Dino Ferri (Chair), Rick Haeffner (Vice-chair), Brian
Aucone, Andy Odum, Chris Baker, Brad Lock, Andy Snider.
Not present: Dana Payne, Chad Peeling.
Opening/welcoming statements to Oklahoma City given by Brian Aucone
Business meeting:
Introduction of steering committee.
Opening remarks by Dino F.
SSP reports:
Sistrurus catenatus catenatus: Eastern massasauga
Report given by Jeff Ettling.
SSP was approved last year. First meeting was held on August 16th and 17th 2008 at
Lincoln Park Zoo.
Eight out of 14 participating institutions attended.
It was decided to try to maintain populations by regions rather than as one large
population.
There are currently 24.17.3 individuals in the population, but only 52% are pedigreed.
Seven pairings have been recommended based on the region and the genetic value of the
breeding.
Rebecca Christophel has been appointed as the new education advisor.
The SSP has been trying to partner with local DNR, state agencies and have prepared an
SSP information package for this purpose.
The next SSP committee meeting is planned for December 4th and 5th 2008 at Lincoln
Park.
Field trips are planned to visit denning sites.
The first draft of a husbandry manual has been completed and is under review. Toronto
Zoo’s husbandry manual was used as a template.
Diane Mulkerin is the studbook keeper.
The current strategy is to pair up animals in each region. There are currently no plans to
reintroduce animals into the wild.
Crotalus unicolor: Aruba Island rattlesnake
Andy Odum.
Review of SSP and the First National Congress for the Preservation of Aruban Wildlife
Conference and workshop.
SSP update:
Breeding recommendations were updated in October 2007. Additional recommendations
were made at that time. More recommendations will be made this year.
There are currently 96 individuals present in the managed population. This is below the
carrying capacity of this population in captivity. There also has been some problems
associated with the maintenance of the captive population.
One concern is the overall health of captive animals.
It appears that captive unicolor are being overfed, which is affecting their health and
reproductive capabilities.
In the latter part of the 1980s, 19 wild unicolor were imported into the United States and
all reproduced within 5 years. The reproduction of their offspring reproduction has been
much lower, and in some instances has not occurred at all.
Captive unicolor are being overfed. Wild unicolor are much thinner, but are still healthy.
We will need to reconsider our husbandry techniques.
Wild Aruba 2008: The First National Congress for the preservation of Aruban wildlife.
This has been scheduled for 24-29 August of 2008.
Unicolor has been an SSP since 1982.
Overview of Aruba:
Aruba is a special place, with an enormous amount of wildlife, both on the island and in
offshore reefs.
A National park (Arikok) covers 19% of the total land mass.
Aruba is a xeric habitat, but is not true desert. The rainy season occurs from later fall
through late winter. Tourism is the largest industry with 750000-1 million visitors per
year.
Overview of Aruban wildlife: There are many endemic species to Aruba.
Wildlife is under increasing pressure; some invasive species have been brought in and are
overtaking the ecosystem.
Marine toad, Coqui, and the Boa constrictor have all been introduced. Extensive studies
have been conducted on the boa population. The population has increased dramatically.
The species is generalist, and is able to exploit wide variety of habitats. Consequently the
bird fauna and reptile fauna are both at risk.
There is considerable habitat destruction and degradation on Aruba. Much development
is going on due to the increased demands of tourism. Workers are being imported into
Aruba, and their needs must also be met.
Many businesses are investing in Aruba.
In terms of conservation efforts, many people are doing good things, but their efforts are
uncoordinated, and there is no long term vision for the island.
For this reason, Wild Aruba was formed, with eight members in the original committee.
Wild Aruba 2008 is holistic effort to celebrate Aruban wildlife.
The ultimate goal is to develop a conservation action plan for Aruba.
Ideally, everyone should have a stake in plan; nature lovers, government, business
entities, those who make living from sea, tourists, and island citizens.
The Wild Aruba meeting will be broken up into several parts; a two day general
symposium, and a three day conservation planning workshop. Marine and terrestrial
ecosystems, species specific management, and other management models will be
examined.
Other efforts will include public relations, education and teacher workshops, and public
demonstrations.
CBSG will help facilitate workshop, with an attempt to develop practical solutions to
conservation issues.
Steps in developing the conservation action plan include:
Getting all the stakeholders together
Manage impartially
Prioritize conservation issues
Develop a five year plan
Present the plan to the government
Evaluate in another five years.
Wild Aruba will help preserve the future for nature on Aruba.
Money is needed for the program.
PMP reports:
Crotalus willardi willardi: Arizona ridgenose rattlesnake
Jan Johnson
Reviewed prepared summary handout.
Jan is looking to relinquish willardi studbook to someone else.
Husbandry manuals are now required by AZA. Taxon Management Accounts may or
may not qualify as husbandry manual. People are looking for a more standardized format
that everyone could use as a template.
Trimeresurus flavomaculatus mcgregori: Philippine palm viper
Rick Dietz
A summary handout was prepared and reviewed.
Please contact Rick if your institution wishes to participate in this PMP. Right now there
is a waiting list of institutions.
Philippine Biodiversity conservation program: The area where mcgregori are found may
not be included in future programs.
Pituophis ruthveni: Pine snake
The SSP masterplan has been published and is on the AZA web site.
Plans are to conduct genetic testing on the captive population to check for differences
between the Texas and Louisiana populations.
Agkistrodon taylori: Taylor’s cantil
No update was given. The PMP manager, Joe Abene, is no longer employed at the Bronx
Zoo. Bronx has 60 days to find new PMP manager and studbook keeper.
Epicrates subflavus: Jamaican boa
Dino Ferri.
There are 20 animals in the managed population in six institutions; 10 (6.4) are in AZA
institutions, while the other 10 are in one private institution that has entered the managed
population.
Every animal in studbook has been recommended for breeding.
There are two recommended transfers.
A poster is being prepared with information on Jamaican boas which will be distributed
among Jamaican institutions for educational purposes.
Montivipera wagneri: Ocellate Mountain viper
Jeff Ettling
A summary handout was prepared and reviewed.
The PMP was completed last year at Lincoln Park Zoo and was published in December.
There are 9.8 individuals in the population in eight institutions.
Eight breedings are recommended.
Goal is to establish a captive population of 50 to 75 individuals.
Montivipera raddeii: Armenian viper
Mark Warner is the manager for this species.
There are 17.13.15 at eight institutions.
A PMP has beenpublished.
Species is doing well in captivity.
There is a well planned in-country conservation initiative in place.
In terms of husbandry and captive reproduction, temperature cycling is very important.
Need to take animals into very cold cycles in order to stimulate breeding. This cold cycle
doesn’t need to be for a long period; 6-8 weeks is adequate.
Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia: San Francisco Garter snake
No report.
Epicrates monensis/granti: Virgin Islands boa
Field work is the major component for this program; there is no real captive component
at this time.
There is the potential to work with Puerto Rican authorities on introducing boas into the
wild on isolated islands.
Mona Island boas have been re-introduced into islands that have been cleared of invasive
populations.
Peter Tolson is working primarily with monensis. At present there is not much being
done with granti.
Rick Haeffner asked if there were any more species that should be included as TAG
program species and have their captive populations managed?
Butler’s garter snake (Milwaukee area) may be good program species, if it is determined
to be a distinct species. The Wisconsin DNR has already prepared a management plan.
Brazos water snake (N. harteri) may also be a potential program species. A survey is
being conducted right now, but it will be several years before results of thesurvey are
published.
Crotalus polystictus: Lance-headed rattlesnake
A PMP meeting will be held in the near future, probably near the end of the year. Ian at
Ian Recchio at the Los Angeles Zoo is the new PMP manager and studbook keeper.
Surplus animals should be available in the future for those institutions wishing to
participate in the program.
Regional Collection Plan
The new Regional Collection Plan for the Snake TAG will be due in 2009.
A suggestion was made to include more program species in the plan.
More DERP species, such as King cobras and Reticulated pythons, should be included.
New program species will need informational write-ups, which are similar to Taxon
Management Accounts; samples of such write-ups will be sent to the list serve when
available.
A request was made for volunteers to submit some species of interest to them for
inclusion.
There are new criteria for RCPs and for assignments necessary for completion.
At present, there does not seem to be any defining criteria to determine what species
should be included in the RCP; can start with the selection of DERP species.
Rick Haeffner reviewed the list of DERP species that were included in the present RCP.
Perhaps criteria should be developed to determine DERP species. Should maybe set up
several criteria to develop as guide.
The lizard TAG set up a general DERP list and criteria for inclusion last year.
Probably don’t need to justify criteria, just set up a list of criteria that can be used for
decisions.
Decision trees can be useful, but are not necessary; justification criteria are all that should
be needed.
Should the DERP list include species that may be upgraded or removed in the future?
Some species on the present DERP list have very specific husbandry requirements and
wouldn’t be suitable for smaller institutions or those that may just want a general display
species.
There was discussion concerning what type of species should be on a DERP list?
Display species, research species, etc; the function of each species needs to be delineated.
RCP approved, formalized lists are helpful in justifying institutional collection plans,
especially since there is increased pressure from institutions to justify species being kept.
New institutions needing guidance would be better off finding a mentor institution, and a
DERP list shouldn’t be used to guide a new collection.
There is also a need to keep some flexibility to the criteria to allow for new species to be
brought in, since there are still many species that need worked.
The Amphibian TAG is not producing a list of species to be used solely for display,
research, etc.
Perhaps the RCP should divide the DERP list out into general categories: large snakes,
smaller colubrids, etc.
There was discussion on what the justification criteria should include.
An example on what a write-up should look like was displayed. The present RCP format
separates species into geographic regions. Some species are still justifiable, and could be
updated without too much effort.
It may not be always necessary to select all the way down to the species level; in some
cases, genus or even family may be all that is necessary.
Bill McMahon is the WCMC liason for this..
Bushmaster: studbook and PMP plan has been published.
Eastern Indigo snake program update
Fred Antonio
Gave presentation on the Eastern Indigo snake and current status in Florida and Georgia,
and an update on the AZA population
There are many subspecies of Indigo snake and they now have been recommended to
update all of them to full species status. Right now they are broken down into 5 species,
but more taxonomic work needs to be completed.
The AZA Studbook focuses on couperi.
Threats to the wild population of couperi include:
Habitat lose, fragmentation, degradagion
Road kills, ATVs, gassing burrows
Feral/invasive species: hogs, dogs, cats, fire ants, perhaps pythons.
Historical over-collection
Pesticides and bioaccumulation of toxins
Home range of individuals in a population is one of the major problems.
Individuals occupy larger home ranges in the northern part of their range.
In southern Georgia: Males occupy 500ha (1235 acres).
Females occupy 100 ha (247 acres).
The interpopulation movement ranges from 13.8 to 16.8 miles
Consequently, the minimum preserve size recommended is 4000ha (10000 acres).
The AZA Regional Studbook was published on 19 March 2008.
There are 378 (144.109.125) individuals in the historic population. Of these, 84% are of
unknown origin.
There are currently 29.10.3 at 28 institutions; of these, 78% have some level of unknown
in their pedigree.
Currently only 5 zoos hold pairs, and only 3 of those pairs are unrelated.
Action plan schedule:
April: contact holders, determine animal health , education/exhibit, look at
permits.
May: Andy Odum will do population analysis.
June: breeding and transfer recommendations.
October: recommended introductions.
Field projects:
A Florida working group has been established to promote captive breeding and to provide
for salvage opportunities.
Auburn University is the primary university that has been involved in field work. Dan
Speake has been the historical research person. He has released over 500 animals, but
this does not appear to have resulted in any new established populations.
Craig Guyer is the current project researcher. His goal is to to establish a new population
in only one location in a well-managed preserve area in Alabama.
A new conservation initiative, Project Orianne, will be purchasing land in Georgia and
establishing a repatriation population and managing the preserve.
This is being done by Chris Jenkins of the WCS with a visionary supporter.
Mangshan Pitviper: Husbandry and conservation initiative
Don Boyer
Discussed the conservation and captive management of Mang mountain vipers,
Zhaoermia mangshanensis.
This species is from the Mount Mang area in the Manglin Mountains, where there is
some very pristine habitat left. They are found in a very restricted range: in MangShan
forested localities in fragmented valley areas. Their habitat consists of subtropical
evergreen broadleaf forest with dense overgrowth, making these animals hard to find in
their native habitat. They are found mostly in one valley in National Park, where winter
temperatures drop to freezing.
These are large pit vipers and may approach up to seven feet in length.
The National Park where they are found is relatively new.
In its habits, this species is similar to the Bushmaster; a monotypic, ambush predator. It
does appear to protect its eggs.
There is some evidence of caudal luring.
This snake can deliver a large yield of venom. Dry weight of one extraction from one
fang was 960mg. There is no existing specific antivenom, but few bites have been
recorded.
A variey of endoparasites have been found:
Pentastomids
Nematodes
Capillaris, etc.
The husbandry is fairly straightforward. New wild caught adults are initially hard to get
feeding. Captive born animals don’t have this problem.
To reproduce, they need a cool hibernation period, but they have been reproduced in
captivity. As many as 27 eggs have been laid in a clutch. A wild caught female in San
Diego laid eight eggs. Currently, San Diego, Bronx, San Antonio, St. Louis, and as well
as Black Hills are currently Mangs.
This species is listed as IUCN vulnerable with a restricted range.
The population is estimated at between 300-500.
IUCN vulnerable.
Threats:
Habitat disturbance.
Illegal hunting
Climate change through global warming.
San Diego’s role in the conservation of Mangshan pit vipers:
Help sponsor a Chinese lead program conservation program
Investigate ecology
Survey
Establish breeding program
Develop campaign to increase awareness program.
Abilene’s creepy crawler center: Homemade Herpetarium.
Doug Hotle
Gave an overview of a new Herpetarium prepared by Abilene Zoo using a limited budget
and only in-house staff members.
Abilene renovated an existing building using money received from a city bond issue
approved in an election.
The budget was $85000.
The Herpetarium was designed and constructed in house within a timeframe of only three
months, using Autocad for the design.
Final results:
Able to complete on time
Below budget
Fantastic collection
49 major exhibits
Abilene zoo has seen a 25% increase in attendance in the last year.
15 inch LCD screens were used for graphics and each cost $300; smaller screens are less
expensive. All have USB ports and are on built in timers; this prevents file corruption
problems.
AZA venomous accreditation standards
Dino Ferri
Existing accreditation standards:
1. Must have antivenom available and its location known to staff members.
2. Must be equipped with alarm systems and protocols and procedures in place in case of
envenomation. Systems and protocols must be routinely checked to insure functionality.
Periodic drills must be conducted. Drills are most likely considered to be conducted
quarterly, but actual schedules have not yet been set.
Revisions:
Antivenom must be readily available on or off site. An assigned individual must be
responsible for inventory, and the management of antivenom.
Requirements for locked cages and rooms: these were not sent to Dino. Right now, this
is an individual inspector requirement, but is not an AZA standard.
Accreditation inspections may be conducted more carefully after the San Francisco
incident, so it would be best to be proactive rather than reactive.
TAG involvement may change an institution’s procedure and protocol.
AZA will be looking at TAG guidelines, and will becoming more involved in setting
policies rather than having TAGs setting standards.
AZA is currently setting up a task force to look at tiger accreditation standards.
Enriching herps at the Port Defiance Zoo
Natalie Bogues
Almost anything can be considered enrichment.
Some simple things we do and some we don’t:
Design of stimulating and naturalistic enclosures
Housing of appropriate social groups
Interaction with keepers
Promoting natural behaviors
A formalized enrichment program is recommended by AZA.
Three basic requirements should be incorporated into an enrichment program:
Institution specific
Self-sustaining
Fully integrated into all aspects of animal management.
An overview of the Port Defiance Zoo and Aquarium enrichment program was given.
There is an enrichment committee with a senior keeper as the chair.
Monthly meetings are held with representatives from all areas.
The overall objective is to ensure that enrichment is structured, consistent, etc.
There is an approval and evaluation process for new enrichment techniques and items.
Items must be approved by the senior keeper, veterinarian, and curator of the section.
A new item presented to an animal is observed, evaluated and modified if needed.
There are considered to be five types of enrichment:
Toys
Food
Sensory
Environmental
Behavioral
Herp enrichment:
Challenging due to huge variety of herps; shape does not equal likeness
Challenging due to small environments; small changes can have big effects.
Herp enrichment more subtle and often overlooked.
Stress can be a form of enrichment
Simplicity can be OK.
Toys: placing unusual object into an animal’s exhibit which can cause natural
behavior.
Food: presenting treats or food in a variety of ways provides opportunities for
natural foraging. Food can be buried, smeared, scattered throughout enclosure at
different times.
Sensory: triggering senses in new and unusual ways through olfactory, auditory,
visual or tactile senses.
Environmental: exhibit design, modification, and furniture provide a variety of
substrates, levels, and complexities to explore.
Behavioral: keeper interaction through training. This allows the animal to
participate voluntarily and helps to gain the animal’s trust. It also allows for close visual
observations.
Concerns with using Herp enrichment:
Safety:
Avoid super stimulus
Benefits of enrichment
Animal well-being
Exercise
Satisfy behavioral needs
Reduce abnormal behavior.
Educating visitors
Increase natural behaviors
Conservation
Success of captive breeding
Normal development
Maintenance of wild behaviors.
Various enrichment resources are available.
Snake training at Jacksonville Zoo
Dino Ferri
Described training and behavior modification when feeding snakes.
Florida water snake
Each time food is offered the animals are signaled by tapping on the exhibit floor.
Snakes have learned to come out of hiding and are taking food at the exhibit door.
The eventual goal is to condition the snakes for handling.
West African green mamba
Housed in a large exhibit with two shift boxes
Shift boxes are versatile and have many uses.
Tapping signals the beginning of a training session, shift doors open after 30
seconds.
Mambas are not fed until they enter the shift boxes.
The shift boxes were custom built.
Green anaconda
Animal is aggressive and in a large mixed species exhibit.
Keepers get close to the anaconda while servicing other snakes in exhibit.
The anaconda is alerted to keeper presence by using a tuning fork, and is fed only
when a tuning fork is used.
Result is that the anaconda no longer strikes when a keeper enters the exhibit, and
responds to the tuning fork.
Response to USFWS proposed injurious python/boid listing
Group discussion.
It has been proposed to add certain boa and python species to the Lacey Act as injurious
species. This listing only affects the large species.
Discussion aspects:
What native species have been impacted and how by the introduction of large boids and
pythons?
It is difficult to tell the real impact while the introduced species is expanding its range
and numbers. Only after the population has reached its apex and then crashed will we get
an idea of the actual impact of the introduction.
How will this listing American zoos and aquariums?
Potential range for the Burmese python in United States is much greater than current
range.
AZA is looking for input from Snake TAG in order to make a response to the proposed
listing.
Preliminary potential range data based on projected survivability of one species (Burmese
python) based on climatic comparisons. Temperature, rainfall, and elevation were the
only criteria used in creating the potential range map. Other potential limiting factors
were not evaluated.
Maps must be interpreted as hypothetical for now.
The presence of the Burmese python in Florida does fit the criteria of an invasive species.
But Florida should address this issue, and it should be dealt with on a state by state basis.
The general feeling among some government officials is that the proposed listing would
be easier to monitor if all large boas and pythons were banned.
This is a regional issue and would be most effectively dealt with by states. Many states
are tightening wildlife regulations to address local problems. Accidental introductions of
large species will not be a problem in the colder northern states.
Proposed regulations would amplify bureaucratic costs and would slow transactions.
Zoos depend on the private sector as a primary source for acquiring large constrictors.
This listing would force zoos to enact management programs for large constrictors.
Dino will forward comments to Steve Olsen of the AZA.
Questions to be addressed:
What state have regulations that are currently in effect?
Florida.
California.
Texas will be requiring permits for possession.
Missouri has registration process for dangerous animals and those over ten feet
long.
Washington is attempting to regulate transportation of boas and pythons but zoos
will be exempted.
How many species in the large python and boa genera are currently bred for wholesale or
retail sale?
Members of the Snake TAG need to gather data on our own that shows that the problem
with Burmese python introductions is restricted only to southern Florida.
Some of these questions are going to be hard to answer.
There already has been a state-mediated response to the Burmese python issue by Florida.
Antivenom updates and advisors
Don Boyer
Zoos are now being held to new reporting requirements that are much more stringent than
in previous years. The new forms are available on the FDA website and can be
downloaded.
Everyone needs to make sure that all requirements for permitting and reporting are being
met.
Homeland security has also become involved in the importation of exotic antivenoms.
Zoos need to abide by their experimental drug permits. Reporting requirements are fairly
stringent.
AZA no longer wishes to host the antivenom index, and it appears that it will be taken
over by the Arizona Poison Control Center.doing web page remodel. This should result
in very little change for our use, but may make the index more effective.
It is possible to apply for an antivenom replacement grant to replace antivenom used in
emergency situations involving private sector envenomations.
We are examining the possibility of stockpiling exotic antivenoms in about five different
areas for rapid transport of antivenom to where it is needed. These stockpiles will be
added into the antivenom index. Ideally, all sources of antivenom would be included in
the index.
Don is trying to update the fax numbers in antivenom index.
A question was raised if institutions were still having trouble with shipping antivenom
through New York? The general consensus was yes, and institutions are advised to
import antivenom through a port other than New York, if possible.
Efficiency of expired antivenoms: Now in the process of acquiring venoms to test
expired antivenoms and their effectiveness.
Open forum; questions, thoughts, concerns, etc.
Chris Baker gave an update on the new Poplink program, which will eventually replace
Sparks.
The program can move a Sparks dataset directly into Poplink and will save all data.
Andy Odum recommends moving over to Poplink at this time, but to continue
maintaining your Sparks database, at least for the time being.
Poplink appears to be more versatile than Sparks, but it cannot do batch accessions.
Poplink is now being taught at the AZA Population Management I course.
Meeting adjourned at 3:40pm.