He ddn't get to vote, but he doesn't care...

I (Maryann) worked a polling station this past Tuesday (presidential election 2012), and had an hour for lunch.  Since I only live about 6 miles from the polling station (and in the country that's about a 10 minute drive) I decided to come home.  Found this guy stretched out on the pavement, near the creek, apparently getting some warmth.  Some guys stopped to ask me if it was a cottonmouth.  I replied that I certainly would not be holding it as I was, if it were venomous.  The snake complied by holding his mouth open, as pissed watersnakes will do, and showed them his mouth was indeed not white.  Mind you, this is November 6th, and the temperature in my car said 55 degrees. 

We're holding him until Friday, when the temps are supposed to be in the 70s, and then let him go.   It's always interesting to see herps out so "late" as, in times past, we've had snow at this time of the year.  

I also volunteer ar the local "Nature Center" and last weekend we had reports of a snake (the description fit that of a juvenile Black Ratsnake), box turtles, and water turtles out and about.

Can you say "global warming?"

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UPDATE:  We are keeping him over the winter probably.  After we cleaned him up, we noticed he had a gaping wound down his tail.  He has movement, but it looks very bad.  Therefore, we thought he'd be better off being rehabbed here rather than thrown out to fend for himself. 

Do a good deed!

It's been a while since we've gone to a reptile show that had "hots."  We couldn't go to Hamburg this fall due to a catastrophic illness, but all is well now.  Since we still needed "to get out of town" for some R&R, we went to the Repticon show in Dallas.  But this is not about the show.

We did find one table devoted to stopping rattlesnake roundups!   I was glad to see these folks taking initiative as we can't be vocal enough in telling everyone who will listen, that round-ups are an abomination. They had literature, a person giving regular presentations on the problems and horrors involved in these round-ups, and...a way to make money to support their cause...t-shirts!

 

Not that I don't already have enough herp-related t-shirts, but this is different!   These shirts make a definite statement and need to be seen! And not just by fellow herpers.

 

The shirt says "Education, not eradication."  The way it's folded, that's not so obvious.  Lotsa colors, lotsa sizes, lotsa reasons to own this shirt!  I'm embarassed that I don't remember the names of the gentlemen involved in this endeavor.    But at least someone is involved, in a more-than-casual way!

 

PETA isn't doing anything; HSUS wants money before they tackle ANY animal abuse, etc, etc., and even then it goes mostly for administration, and little towards actual animal rescue. 

 

 Here's one way you can get a shirt, in case you don't find these guys at one of your shows.  The web site is: WWW.Newtstees.com 

 

 

 

Special delivery!

You may know (should know) by now that we are crocodilian happy!  We love 'em!  So when our Morelet's passed away earlier this year, we were devastated.  At the time we knew them to be unavailable to the average collector.  Recently they were taken off Appendix 1, and our friend, Bob Clark, imported a group that were "farm-raised."  Of course we were on the phone ASAP and ordered one (or 2 or 3...)

 

They came on a Saturday (God love you Fed Ex!)  We told the driver what they were but he didn't stick around to see for himself.  Probably on a tight schedule, but it does give him something to tell his friends and co-workers about!  Then we slowly opened the package...

 

Well packed, in a bag of shredded newspaper, inside the styrofoam box, inside the Fed Ex box.  The way we should all send out animals!  Safe, sound and protected.  And voila...

 

 

Cute?  We think so.  They were a bit shy at first, when we tried to feed them, but they are now quite voracious.  We have them all in separate tubs, eating newborn pinkies.  They are growing and thriving.  Why three?  Well, we wanted to guard against any unforeseen mortality!  It should take them a while to get to the size where we have to build those rediculous large enclosures, but we're happy to wait!