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IGUANA  •  VOLUME 13, NUMBER 3  •  SEPTEMBER 2006 235NEWSBRIEFS

Mexican Herpetological 
Society Meeting

The Mexican Herpetological Society and
the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo
León (UANL) School of Biological
Sciences are pleased to announce the
Ninth Reunión Nacional de Herpetología
México on 6–9 November 2006. The
meeting will be held in the Raúl Rangel
Frías Library, located on the campus of
UANL, Monterrey, Nuevo León,
México. Participation and attendance is
open to all parties interested in the study
of Mexican herpetofauna. Papers and
posters on Mexican herpetofaunal sys-
tematics, biogeographic analysis, faunis-
tics, ecology, conservation, reproduction,
and development are welcome.

For further information contact:
www.sociedadherpetologicamexicana.
com or www.fcb.uanl.mx 

Exotic Snakes in Australia
Keith Larner, senior investigator at the
Department of Sustainability and
Environment in Victoria, Australia reports
that, in the past four years, the DSE has
found 340 “exotic” reptiles in Victoria,
including 55 Boa Constrictors (Boa con-
strictor) and 63 Corn Snakes (Elaphe gut-
tata). He believes that these invaders pose
a serious threat to the ecosystem.

Many of the interlopers are discov-
ered by DSE officers executing search war-
rants, and often are found in the homes of
suspected drug dealers. In a recent search,
“We gathered enough information for a
search warrant, and, as a result, we found
a massive amount of stolen machinery,
computers, telephones, there were signs of
intravenous drug use, a quantity of drugs
was seized and a quantity of ammuni-
tion,” Mr. Larner said.

A profile compiled by the DSE sug-
gests that a person most likely to be keep-

ing exotic reptiles illegally is: 18 to 35
years old, living in the western suburbs or
Geelong, a blue-collar worker or unem-
ployed, licensed to keep native wildlife,
and a Cannabis grower. The DSE says
drugs and exotic reptiles go together
because Cannabis is sold to pay for elec-
tricity to keep the snakes warm. Some
also believe that a large Boa Constrictor is
more of a deterrent to thieves than a dog.

Since 11 September, the postal serv-
ice has been closely monitored, so reptile
smugglers are turning to couriers. “A per-
son from Sydney was recently appre-
hended at the airport with cobras strapped
to his legs,” Mr. Larner said. “Some of
these snakes might only be eight inches
[20 cm] long, but they can still deliver
venom. There’s a whole network of people
out there who have these deadly snakes
and they’re quite proud of it.”

Of more concern is the fact that
people are breeding venomous snakes

rather than just importing them. As well
as the threat to the ecosystem from vora-
cious Corn Snakes and Red-eared Slider
Turtles (Trachemys scripta), people could
be bitten, and little or no antivenom is
available for these species in Australia.
“These are an environmental pest. We
can’t do anything about it unless people
tell us what’s happening out there.” The
DSE is happy to negotiate with anybody
wanting to surrender these animals.

theage.com.au
26 May 2006

SWIG Program is Being Harmed
Please take action by contacting your
United States Senators and letting them
know that you oppose cuts to the State
Wildlife Grants Program, which recently
passed in the House of Representatives.
Partner-driven and results-oriented, the
State Wildlife Grants Program is an

Corn Snakes (Elaphe guttata, top) and Red-eared Slider Turtles (Trachemys scripta) are invasive
species in Australia that might pose serious threats to native ecosystems.

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236 IGUANA  •  VOLUME 13, NUMBER 3  •  SEPTEMBER 2006 NEWSBRIEFS

innovative program that is already pro-
ducing on-the-ground conservation ben-
efits for amphibian and reptilian habitat
across the country. Please let your law-
makers know how much more could be
done if they support full funding for the
State Wildlife Grants Program.

State Wildlife Grants support cost-
effective and proactive approaches to
wildlife conservation, conserving wildlife
and their habitat before they become
endangered and hence more difficult and
costly to conserve. Robust State Wildlife
Grants funding is needed to implement
each state’s Wildlife Action Plan, each of
which was a collaborative effort aimed at
outlining the conservation priorities for
each state, and without appropriate lev-
els of State Wildlife Grant funding, the
plans will remain just that, plans.

To write your lawmakers and urge
them to support full funding for the
State Wildlife Grants Program, see:
http://www.congressweb.com/cweb4/
index.cfm?orgcode=iwla&hotissue=11 

Geckophiles Gather in Texas
With an accomplished lineup of speakers
and a weekend of exciting gecko-related
events, the first annual Geckophile
Gathering took place from 9–11 June in
Austin, Texas. The festivities began on
Friday night, with an informal icebreaker
sponsored by Rep-Cal.

The lectures began on Saturday,
with a beautiful slideshow and DVD
presentation by Joe Furman. He shared
his experiences studying Namibian
geckos and other herps in the field. Ron
Tremper, who talked about his decades of
work with leopard geckos, impressed
attendees with all of the interesting
morphs he has created over the years.
Paul Freed then gave a humor-filled talk
about geckos and other herpetofauna of
Australia, leaving participants hungry for
more photos and information about such
unique species. After lunch, Tony
Gamble discussed his research efforts in
Brazil, including his activities to collect
geckos and other herps in the field.
Daniel Scantlebury, a local University of
Texas student and lifelong gecko lover,
shared his extensive knowledge about the
form, function, and diversity of gecko
feet. Dr. Paddy Ryan had the audience in
stitches with his lecture about herpeto-
logical conservation in New Zealand,

which was peppered with hilarious anec-
dotes and fun facts about the region, and
illustrated with some incredible photos of
New Zealand geckos and the Tuatara.
Finally, one of the most anticipated
speakers of the day, Aaron Bauer, shared
his exhaustive research of New
Caledonian geckos and tried to make
sense of forty new species by examining
and explaining recent taxonomic and sys-
tematic changes within the diverse group
of geckos from that region.

After a full day of intense and excit-
ing talks, attendees met for a Tex-Mex
style dinner followed by a charity auction
to benefit the International Reptile
Conservation Foundation. The IRCF gra-
ciously donated funds and dry goods for
the symposium and auction, and everyone
made sure to dig deep to give something
back to an organization and a cause they
care about passionately. Attendees and
many well-known companies in the herp
industry offered some fantastic dry goods
for the auction. The auction raised hun-
dreds of dollars for the IRCF, and every-
one had a great time at the dinner.

Nathan Hall

Puerto Rico To Rid Airport Runways
Of Basking Iguanas

Green Iguanas (Iguana iguana) basking on
runways at Puerto Rico’s largest interna-

tional airport have become such a hazard
that this U.S. Caribbean territory plans to
rid the area of the invasive reptile species,
an official said Friday. Javier Velez Arocho,
secretary of the island’s Department of
Natural and Environmental Resources,
said he hopes that teams can soon begin
killing or capturing the iguanas, which he
described as “a plague,” at the Luis Munoz
Marin International Airport near the cap-
ital of San Juan.

An effort to capture the iguanas
alive was under consideration, Velez said
at a news conference, but authorities also
were discussing other options: flooding
burrows where the iguanas lay their eggs
or sending teams armed with .22-caliber
rifles to shoot the adult reptiles, which
can grow to be more than a meter long.

Flight landings and takeoffs have
been delayed because of the reptiles,
which are sold in Puerto Rico as exotic
pets. The lizards also create traffic hazards
as they soak up the sun on roads near the
airport. Carla Capalli, of the Humane
Society of Puerto Rico, said she recog-
nized that the iguanas posed safety prob-
lems, but questioned some of the meth-
ods Velez suggested to eradicate them. “I
understand that they have become a
plague, a danger, and a threat, and that
they must be removed from the area, but
. 22-caliber rifles are also a public security
danger,” Capalli said.

Green Iguanas (Iguana iguana) have become phenomenally abundant in the San Juan area of
Puerto Rico, to the extent of causing problems at the Luis Muñoz International Airport. This
individual was photographed near the airport in a stand of Red Mangroves (Rhizophora mangle),
which are heavily exploited by this introduced population.

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Endangered Jamaican Iguanas
Hatched at the Indianapolis Zoo

First Time Hatching Outside 
of Jamaica

Exciting News for Conservation

The Indianapolis Zoo is extremely
excited to announce that for the first
time ever endangered Jamaican Iguanas
(Cyclura collei) have been hatched outside
of their native island nation. Two baby
iguanas hatched at the Zoo on 29
August, and a third emerged on 30
August. “Chester,” age 15, and “Myrtle,”
14, are the parents of the first three
hatchlings, which are not only the first
Jamaican Iguanas to hatch outside of
Jamaica, but the first to hatch via artifi-
cial incubation.

This first clutch contained a total of
14 eggs of which six were fertile. Three
fertile eggs died at various stages of devel-
opment.

The zoo has a second clutch of 20
viable eggs (total clutch size of 21
included one infertile egg) that began
hatching on 2 September. As of 4
September, seven have hatched from this
second clutch. The female that laid this
clutch is “Gertrude,” age 15.

Hatchling total length ranged from
20.2–22.2 cm. Body masses ranged from
22.4–33.0 g. The first clutch began
hatching after an 81-day incubation
period, whereas the second clutch started
hatching after 77 days.

In 1994, the Indianapolis Zoo was
one of only three zoos in North America
to receive juvenile Jamaican Iguanas as
part of the overall conservation program,
which included establishing a breeding
population in the U.S. Each year, the
Zoo staff has made strides in developing
an in-house captive breeding program.
This successful hatching is a terrific
development that offers hope for the
continued survival of these lizards.

In addition to the captive breeding
aspect, Indianapolis Zoo has provided
support to the “Jamaican Iguana Head
Start” Program since the early 1990s.

If all the expected eggs hatch, these
hatchlings will double the population of
Jamaican Iguanas in North America zoos.

Lynne Villers and Richard Reams
Indianapolis Zoo Sire and Dam of the first Jamaican Iguanas to hatch via artificial incubation.

Neonate Jamaican Iguana “pipping” from the egg.

First hatchling Jamaican Iguana born outside of Jamaica; the second egg is “pipping.”

IGUANA  •  VOLUME 13, NUMBER 3  •  SEPTEMBER 2006 237NEWSBRIEFS

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