Drop-offs for the last month few months

[boing]

As most of you know from previous comments, we are not allowed to respond to call outs from Bayworld unless they are in the local vicinity. We do however, serve as a place that people can drop reptiles off if they have caught them. These animals are then released, by a local Conservation officer. I thought you guys might be interested in what has come in...

In the last 3 months we have received:
- 8 Angulate Tortoises (Chersina angulata)
- 3 Puff Adders (Bitis arietans)
- 1 Tropical House Gecko (Hemidactylus mabouia)
- 1 Natal Green Snake (Philothamnus natalenis)
- 1 Rock Monitor (Varanus albigularis)
- 1 female Boomslang (Dispholidus typus) - This was in the engine of a car. I was not working that day, but showing my brother around as he was visiting PE. Of course, when I hear there is a snake, I have to respond with the staff on duty. My brother did not know what to do, but tag along, as far back as possible. He backed up even more when we found the snake and removed it from the car and into a bucket. Due to the nice warm engine it had been sitting in, it was pretty active!!
- 1 Dwarf Burrowing Skink (Scelotes anguineus)
- 1 juvenile Mozambique Spitting Cobra (Naja mossambica)
- 1 juvenile Cape Cobra (Naja nivea)
- 2 Slug Eaters (Duberria lutrix) - One was across the road at one of the hotels (YAY, a rare call out!). It was gravid so we were keeping it until she had dropped the babies, but sadly she died a couple of days later.
- 2 Red Lip Heralds (Crotaphopeltis hotamoboeia) - One arrived in a plastic bottle with some cockroaches in it as well???
- 2 Night Adders (Causus rhombeatus) - One was severely dehydrated and looked terrible. We soaked it in water and F10 a couple of times that day, but it died the following day.
- 1 Brown House Snake (Lamprophis capensis) - One of the most beautiful specimens I have seen.
- We also got called to another hotel today to catch a Boomslang, which turned out to be a Spotted Bush Snake (Philothamnus semivariegatus). When we explained that it is completely harmless and eats their geckos, they were happy for us to leave it!

I don't always get the chance to take photos of these animals before they are released, but the Brown was just too gorgeous to miss so I snapped some pics of some of the others we had at the same time...

[Bushviper]

I hope you did not release the Naja mossambica. That was an escapee or a hitch hiker but they do not occur in the Eastern Cape.

Nice photos too.

[boing]

Oh, I forgot to make a comment on that one. No, it hasn't been released. We are attempting to get a permit to keep it as obviously we can't release it. We suspect that a gravid female hitchhiked, cos this one is so young (estimated about 3 months old.) It was found not too far away form Bayworld, so all of us are one the look out for any more of them!

[Bushviper]

Sjoe I was worried. After the HAA people went ballistic over genetic contamination I was worried this was another case.

[boing]

I still wanna take photos of the little guy, who is absolutely adorable... but when Bill tried the other day he nearly escaped so I am waiting a little while!
After the HAA? I thought it was currently happening? Or do you mean a previous year?

[Bushviper]

The HAA had a one day workshop (yesterday) and then the conference itself. I only went for the one day due to finances and time constraints.

[boing]

I had hoped to go, but it was not to be... Bayworld was represented by Bill and our newer Herpetologist, Piston on here! Maybe I can go next year, although if I have to choose one Conference next year it will be the Zoo Association one - its in Uganda!!