Croc Ad Upsets UK Parents

Some parents in the UK are upset about the use of a crocodile in a television ad for a soft drink. (News source.)

Snakes and Spiders: Blame Culture for Phobias

Not long ago, there was a (dumb) study publicized about how children recognize snakes from other elongated animals, so this somehow explains why "everyone" is afraid of snakes. A more competent researcher has now pointed out that while snakes and spiders elicit attention, they certainly don't provoke automatic fear. For that, look to the media and other sources which spread negative reports about the animals. (As anyone who's done snake talks can attest, most children are excited to meet and touch snakes. Those who are fearful tend to a) have parents who have taught them to be afraid, or b) have had a specific negative experience (been bitten, or scared by one).)

More Antivenom News

First, the Australian Broadcasting Commission will be screening a documentary on corruption and scamming in PNG, creating an illegal market for antivenom, and making it difficult to acquire legally. (News source.)

Second, the Echitab Study Group, with UK support, will be setting up an antivenom production facility in Gombe, Nigeria, with governmental approval. (News source.)

Cage Gives Up Cobras

Due to pressure from neighbors, actor Nicolas Cage gave away his pair of cobras (no species given). (News source.)

Documentary Set-Ups

Apparently, some people in the UK are surprised that captive animals are often used to create scenes in wildlife documentaries. Attenborough's "encounter" with a spitting cobra in his latest documentary involves a captive animal, for example. (News source.)

Sea Turtle Stories

Australian researchers had previously moved several sea turtle nests further up the beach from the water, which appears to have saved them from recent king tides and swells that hit the beach. (News source.)

A documentary in the making focuses on 25 years in the life of a loggerhead sea turtle. (News source.)

Three people in Kenya died after eating the meat of an endangered sea turtle. (No mention of what tainted the meat.) (News source.)

Attenborough on Herps

David Attenborough has filmed his last wildlife documentary, to come out in 2008. It's on reptiles and amphibians, titled Life in Cold Blood. (News source.)

Alabama Man Charged

A Phenix City, Alabama, man was charged with possessing and selling non-native venomous snakes (various western rattlesnakes) without a permit. (News source.)

It would be nice to see state officials focus on the crime itself, without attempting to justify the law with irresponsible arguments like, "these snakes pose a serious threat to people, and could threaten native wildlife had they escaped and began to breed." Makes a good soundbite, but it is little more than fear-mongering.

UK Reptile Theft

Burglars stole almost £3,500 worth of reptiles from a Yarnton pet shop: bearded dragons, ratsnakes, kingsnakes, a rainbow boa, tortoises, etc. The news account focuses on the "venomous" western hognose, of course.

Anaconda Movie Sequels

Sequels 3 and 4 to the movie, Anaconda, are being filmed in Romania, for presentation on the SciFi Channel and then straight-to-DVD. The main star... David Hasselhoff. (News source.)

Croc Diving

A 28-year old female media executive in South Africa participated in a stunt at an endangered species facility, spending 20 minutes inside a steel cage in a crocodile pool. (News source.)

Lacey Act Bust

A 21-year-old Las Vegas, NV, man was charged with selling venomous snakes out of his home, and across state lines. Venomous herps are illegal in Nevada without permits, and attempting to sell such across state lines is in violation of the Lacey Act, which is apparently what he is being charged under. (News source.) Of course, the Nevada paper is getting their info on "deadly snakes" from the gov't officials, so not surprising to see only negative bias with no mention of responsible herpetoculture.

Uh, Oh: Geckos Can Bite!

Those mean, nasty giant day geckos, with jaws like "pliers," are being outed by the Hawaiian media. It's one thing to point to the ecological problems of invasive species, but demonizing a day gecko? Please.

Snake Scare

Burr Ridge, Illinois, had a snake scare when a resident videotaped what she thought was a large boa constrictor or similar exotic species lounging in her driveway. Police were inundated with frightened callers when the video hit the web. Wildlife officials who viewed the tape recognized it as a native fox snake. (News source.)

BBC Reptile Doc

Sir David Attenborough is scheduled to narrate two more BBC wildlife documentaries, including one (Life in Cold Blood) focusing on reptiles and amphibians. (News source.)

Ball Python in California?

An email circulating around the Edwards Air Force Base showed a picture of a ball python underneath a car, warning people to check under their cars for snakes. The base naturalist did a little spiel about the perils of introduced exotics, etc. I'm betting, however, that the email is just another in a long line of "strange animal photos" circulating with deliberately falsified background details just to fool people. (News source.)

Big Dead Coachwhip

Back in the late 1800s to early 1900s, "big" snakes killed in someone's backyard often made the news. You don't see that happen too often nowadays (reported as news, I mean), but one Alabama paper has brought the tradition back: a 6-foot coachwhip was killed in Monroe County, and is photographed for the newspaper.

Rambo vs Cobra

Apparently, the upcoming movie, John Rambo, has a scene with the title character and a cobra. I'm guessing the cobra doesn't make it; but would be nice to see it just tossed into another section of jungle...

Big Snake Rumor in Illinois

A blurry photograph of a large yellow snake on the shoreline of Lake Springfield in Illinois is being used to stir interest in snake rumors. Might be an exotic release, might be an accidental, might be a color morph of a large native. No specimen is on hand to examine. (News source.)

More on Philly Snake Hunt

Most media are still painting the possible loose snake in Philadelphia as a cat-killer, but at least one journalist is now portraying the animal correctly, here.

Gator Hoax

An email circulating with pics of a large alligator carrying a deer in its jaws, allegedly from a pond near Garber, Oklahoma, is a hoax. The owners of the pond are trying to set the record straight. (News source.)

"Killer" Corn Snake

Another case of media panic over a harmless reptile. The headline is "'Rope' Was Killer Snake." Turned out to be a wandering corn snake. (News source.)