Sunday, July 17, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Monday, June 27, 2011
Friday, June 3, 2011
Dogs Take A $90M Bite Out Of State Farm In 2010 | PropertyCasualty360
If you think pet snakes are dangerous...
New! Austin Reptile Shows
A lot has changed recently with our business and our projects. We're now Austin Reptile Shows. While the content of this blog and our breeding projects will remain much the same, our primary business focus will be on our educational reptile shows.
We've been doing our reptile shows in the Austin area for the past 4 years and have decided to push it to the next level. Instead of just one show, we're going all out with several new formats.
We're presenting in Round Rock, Leander, Cedar Park, Austin, Georgetown and surrounding areas. Schools, scouts, camps, parties. Whether you're a teacher, librarian, PTA member, scout leader or a parent looking for a fun birthday party for your child we have a show for you. The programs are based on TEKS aligned content so you can be sure that your kids are learning valuable lessons.
Lizards, tortoises and, of course, lots of snakes. And it's all live and up-close!
Reptile Adventure Classroom Show
Educational and fun for up to 40 students. These hands-on shows feature a variety of live reptiles from around the world. Shows typically last for 45 minutes. Schedule several shows on the same day to cover multiple groups at a discount.
Reptile Adventure Assembly
Designed for groups of up to 200, this show covers the same material as the classroom show. At the end of the program, students will have the opportunity to approach the table to see the reptiles up-close. Shows typically last for 45-55 minutes. Schedule several shows on the same day to cover multiple groups at a discount.
Birthday Shows
We bring a variety of reptiles to your child's birthday party for hands-on fun! These shows are a little less formal than our educational programs and accommodate up to 12 children. They last about 45 minutes and include lots of hands-on time. We can also do longer birthday shows.
Camps, After-school and Special Programs
We offer custom programs for day camps, after-school activities and other special programs. Contact us for more information.
This summer we're doing a 4-part show series for the Aspire program through Round Rock Independent School District and we have more projects in the works. Meet us this Sunday at the Steiner Ranch Farmers Market in Austin. We'll be doing FREE shows throughout the day. Stop by and hang out with our snakes, lizards and sulcata tortoise!
Check out photos and video at our new website and keep up to date on Facebook. We'll also be sending out special offers and updates through our newsletter, so be sure to sign up.
Monday, May 23, 2011
The Only Good Snake is Dead Snake Pt. 2
My wife and I went camping and hiking at Enchanted Rock near Fredericksburg, Texas this weekend. As I walked across the parking lot I noticed a group of adult scout leaders pointing at something in a tree. Another man from their group was rushing toward the tree with a bundle of tent poles. I knew what they were gawking at before I even heard the word, "snake." Several kids were admonished for not keeping their distance.
I slipped in behind the group, who were almost all in agreement that it was a diamondback rattlesnake. They were looking at it with the same disgust usually reserved for drug dealers or child abusers and the plan to kill the snake was clear.
"It's a Texas rat snake," I said, "totally harmless." They whirled toward me and I thought for a second that they might beat me with the tent poles for suggesting that the snake was anything less than the devil's avatar on Earth.
"It doesn't matter! It's alive," said the guy with the poles. He assembled them into a long rod and started swinging into the tree. The snake climbed higher.
I tried to encourage them to leave it alone, to explain it's role in the environment as a voracious eradicator of rats. But that old mantra reared it's head: "The Only Good Snake is a Dead Snake."
Finally a compromise was reached: I would wait for the snake to come down and take it away from the campsite. It almost worked, too. After they backed off, the rat snake slithered down the tree and ALMOST right into my hand. That's when a park ranger approached, tipped off by a band of excited boys. The men, wanted her to "do something" about the snake. To which she replied, "there's not really anything I can do. We're in the outdoors, there are snakes!" She explained that they weren't allowed to go all lynch mob and kill any of the animals in the park. They looked genuinely surprised.
I offered her the same solution—I would remove the snake—under the condition that she wouldn't give me a citation for disturbing the wildlife. She agreed and left the area.
The snake never did come down while I was there and I went back a couple of times to look for it. Tent-pole man said he didn't see it again.
I'm really disappointed by the behavior of the adults from that troop. You guys should be ashamed! That was a perfect opportunity to teach those boys about a vital part of the ecosystem. Isn't that what the Boy Scouts/Cub Scouts are all about?
As a footnote, I want to tell you a little about the Texas rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta linheimeri).
It's one of the most commonly encountered snakes in Texas, whether in the wild or climbing the sides of houses. They grow to around 6 feet or so, but reports of larger ones aren't unheard of. Coloration is tan to brown with darker saddle-shaped blotches and usually has a gray head. It avoids humans and will try to escape, but if you grab it, it will usually bite. The bite may bleed a little, but is little more than a scratch.
The Texas rat snake eats rodents, birds, eggs and lizards. It's ability to consume large numbers of rodents is probably it's biggest contribution. Aside from keeping the rattlesnake population in check by competing with them for food, the reduction of rodents serves to protect humans from infestation. Rats and mice destroy crops and property and they spread disease.
"But I don't have rats! My house is clean. I'm not in danger of getting a disease from rats." Guess what: you don't have to come in contact with a rodent for disease to spread. Rodents and other small mammals are just vehicles for the real vectors, fleas. You can catch all sorts of fun stuff from flea bites, my favorite of which is plague! No, it wasn't wiped out. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) cases of plague are still reported every year around the world including in the United States!
So here's what you do when you see a snake: leave it alone. It's just doing it's job.
The Only Good Snake Is A Dead Snake Pt. 1
I can't count the number of times I've heard this little pearl of wisdom regurgitated by the uninformed whenever I try to save a snake or when I tell them I keep snakes.
Here's an interesting list for anyone who thinks snakes have no place in the world:
Cancer
Diabetes
Multiple sclerosis
Heart attack
Heart disease
High blood pressure
Congestive heart failure
Stroke
Parkinson's disease
Alzheimer's disease
Leukemia
Osteoperosis
What do all these diseases/conditions have to do with snakes? Venom from some of the deadliest snakes in the world is being used to treat some of the deadliest diseases in the world! Every illness on the above list is either currently being treated by compounds derived from snake venom or undergoing studies that may yield new medications. For example:
Controstatin, a compound found in the venom of the Southern copperhead has been shown to reduce breast cancer tumors by up to 70%.
Eptifibatide (Integrilin®) prevents blood clotting during heart attacks and certain cardiac procedures. It is derived from a protein found in the venom of the pygmy rattlesnake.
Viperinex (Ancrod), from the Malaysian pit viper, is being studied as an option in treating stroke victims.
Parkinson's and Alzheimer's may be treated with compounds derived from the venom of certain cobras.
Leukemia and certain cancers? Also may be treated courtesy of the much maligned cobra.
Captopril, a drug for treating high blood pressure, comes from the venom of the South American Jararaca.
Tycotoxin acts as a calcium channel blocker that may be useful in treating heart disease. It comes from the most venomous land snake in the world: the Taipan from Australia.
Snakes aren't the only living things whose venom or poison is being used to save lives. A number of insects, arachnids, fish and plants have proven to contain highly toxic substances from which lifesaving drugs can be derived. Everything in nature has a purpose, whether it's immediately apparent or not. I find that fascinating!
So the next time you or someone you love takes a pill that treats one of the diseases above, you might owe your life to a deadly snake, spider or flower.
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