Red Fire Ant Effects on Broad-Snouted Caiman Nest Success

This article surround the relationship between red fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) and the success of broad-snouted caiman (Caiman latirostris). This article was published within the Journal of Herpetology and was composed by the authors Maria Marco, Alejandro Larriera and Carlos Pina. Within their conducted research, they sought to analyse how red fire ants affected the survivability of broad-snouted caiman. They also wanted to see if red fire ants had any direct or indirect effect on the nest success and hatching behaviour of wild broad-snouted caiman (particularly the behaviour of females). In order to test their hypotheses, they constructed artificial nests (each containing about 15-19 eggs of one clutch) and monitored/recorded the survival rate of the caiman hatchlings after exposure to ant attacks. This was done to test their hypothesis in captivity. To replicate the S. invicta / C. latirostris relationship in the wild, the researchers chose ten natural nests from the wild (built by female C. latirostris). From a total of 120 incubated eggs, they placed some of the eggs in wild caiman nests, some in a nest colonised only by S. invicta and some in another nest without the red fire ants.

C. latirostris

S. invicta

They found that within artifical nests that were replicated in "captivity," the red fire ants would decrease the hatchling survival rates by 10% by attacking and killing the hatchlings once they reach their final development stage and begin pipping. However, those nests that are created in the wild had a 43% decline in nest success. Under either habitat, when there was no presence of ants at all, there was 100% hatchling rate and survival rate. Moreover, the red fire ants invasiveness of caiman nests is due to the eggs' provision of warmth and food for the ants. However, their presence negatively affects the survivability of hatchlings directly by their attacks on the eggs, and also indirectly by their interference with parental care between mother and eggs. 

This article greatly shows how parental care is an essential factor in the survivability of new eggs. Amphibians and reptiles are tend to be very protective of their young, and when the young are not cared for properly, predation becomes more prevalent. I found it very interesting that nests in the wild had a 43% decline in success rate. I wonder if this is because there is more exposure to red fire ants. Perhaps wild red fire ants are more aggressive?

Source Link: http://eds.a.ebscohost.com.nuncio.cofc.edu/eds/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=8b80bbb8-6d0b-4221-8dac-7e8ca1ae72f1%40sessionmgr4003&vid=8&hid=4110 

Source Citation: Marc, M. P., Larriera, A., & Piña, C. I. (2015). Red Fire Ant ( Solenopsis invicta) Effects on Broad-Snouted Caiman (Caiman latirostris) Nest Success. Journal Of Herpetology, 49(1), 70-74. doi:10.1670/12-279

Herps in Society and Culture: Serpents in Indian Culture

Source: http://www.hinduwebsite.com/buzz/symbolism-of-snakes-in-hinduism.asp

As a child, I was always enthralled by the Indian snake charmers that could play music on the flute and the cobra would come out of the basket as it was guided by the music. At first, I always thought it was made up but after reading this article, I realized that I was very wrong. In Hindu mythology, the cobra is respected as much as it is feared. Most Hindu gods, including the lord Shiva and Vishnu are depicted with the cobra wrapped around them. These religious affiliations mark the importance of the Hindu festival of Nag Panchami. 

Nag Panchami is a festival in which religious Hindus will celebrate images of snakes or live snakes 

and offering them milk, incense, and prayers. The belief is that snakes are not evil, but represent eternity and materiality. They symbolize the processes of creation, preservation, and destruction. 

I found this brief informative article to be quite relevant to our class. After being in this class, I realize that snakes are just as important as any other animal in our environment. They are very unique and add a great deal of diversity in the reptiles. The appreciation and celebration that Hindus show for these reptiles is quite admirable and more people should do that for these interesting animals, rather than consider them as vile and dangerous. I felt that this article placed snakes in a different light than what they are normally associated with, and it is great to know that other religions and cultures, including Hinduism, celebrate not just snakes but nature and the role and importance that each animal plays in our lives and the environment. 

Litter & Wildlife

Reading through our blogs, I became disheartened by how many local specimens have become threatened or endangered. So as a friendly reminder, I thought a quick blog post on how to help everyday would be good.

Earth day may have been a few weeks ago, but reusing and recycling is an every day thing!

Hazardous everyday items:
Plastic bags, balloons, glass jars, plastic can holders, soda/beer cans, cigarette butts, bottle caps, fish tackle and bait, lighters, metal cans, gasoline,

These items can cause, but not limited to, entanglement, suffocation, deformities, starvation, dismemberment, ulceration, laceration, poisoning, and death.

Victims:
Earth. Litter and pollution affect humans, as well as all marine and terrestrial wildlife. Some generic, and frequent incidents:
Humans: Pulmonary and lung issues due to air pollution.
Terrestrial mammals: Poke their heads into jars/cans, and often can not remove the item, suffering from lacerations, starvation, and suffocation.
Sea turtles: Often ingest plastic bags mistaken as jelly fish, which can lead to internal blockages and starvation. And as we learned in class, often a bycatch in fish nets.
Marine mammals: Entangled in plastic can holders, fishing nets and ropes, often drown unable to free themselves.
Herps: Oil and carbon wastes leaking into soil and water sources can reduce size and metamorphose of those dependent on water sources.
Birds: Are notorious for swallowing several plastic pieces, which block their gut leading to starvation, as well as being injured by fishing hooks.

A quick google search can lead you to some very disheartening stories and statistics.

How to help:
Correctly dispose of your trash! Make sure it makes it way to proper disposal. Call your local trash/recycle facilities to check out where you can recycle little oddities, like batteries and ink cartridges.
http://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/litter
Volunteer!
https://www.facebook.com/KCBSC

We are the sole contributor to litter and pollution, and I can't think of a single organism not affected by our poor habits.

Also an interesting point I learned... Don't throw that apple or banana peel out your car window! It may decompose, but first it'll be found by a scurraging animal.  Which leads to a domino effect of larger prey being attracted to the roadside.

Do your part and be litter-free!  

Natural History: American Alligator

On our final class field trip we had the pleasure of seeing over a dozen American Alligators Alligator mississippiensis in their natural habitat basking in the sun with not a worry in the world. These creatures are the most commonly recognized large reptile in all of the country and they inspire such interest when one runs across them due to their large prehistoric looking body. The American Alligator is the largest reptile living in the United States and is found only in the South Eastern U.S. from Texas to North Carolina in swampy areas where the reptile can remain close to water while also basking in the sun. The males are the larger sex in this species with recorded sizes reaching an incredible fourteen feet while females reach a maximum size of around nine feet. Alligators like most species reproduce in the spring and once breeding has been accomplished females then build a large mound using resources in the area in which to lay their eggs. Females lay between 25 and 50 eggs and then cover them with more mud and debris in order to incubate the eggs and protect them from external dangers such as the environment and predators. The sex of the unborn alligators is determined by the temperature of the ground during a very small window of time in the eggs development. Higher temperatures lead to males while lower temperatures produce females. The female gator will stay near its nest while the eggs develop and once they hatch she quickly digs them out and moves them into water where she will remain with them as they develop. Alligators act as apex predators in their environment eating fish to birds and anything in between. They large reptiles show little movement besides moving in and out of water and do everything they can to conserve energy. They are large but very immobile animals unless they need to move in which case they can move quickly across land or water to a safe area.

Natural History: Mediterranean Gecko

While I was watching the NFL draft the other night on campus, I was startled when I saw something small and almost white/clearish run across the floor. I had no idea what it was so I got closer to find out and was very surprised to see this. I have never seen a gekko before so I was really excited to come across it. This is a mediterranean gecko, also known as hemidactylus turcicus.

This species has been introduced to the southeast from parts of Europe and Africa. It has sticky toe pads and bumpy skin. It has little dots across the back and small dark marks throughout its whole body. This Gecko has vertical pupils and lack eyelids. They are nocturnal. They are rarely seen during the day since they are in hiding. They are found in areas that have lots of insects because that it was they eat. They are found in areas that are highly urbanized. They must have been introduced because of human development so it is rare to find one where there isn't a lot of urbanization.

The one I found was tiny. It was maybe two inches long. They usually grow to be 5 or so inches. I did not determine whether is was a male or female because it was trying to get away and I didn't want to hurt it.

I am excited to have found this since I have never seen one before.  I found it while it was dark out, inside the room I was in. It was probably looking for something to eat. Reflecting on this find, I was easily able to identify it because of what I learned in this class, which I thought was pretty cool. I have found that the information I have gained from this class has a lot of applicable use since I seem to come across herps often.

Natural History: Yellow Belly Slider

A week ago I was at Kiawah Island and saw a turtle trying to cross the road in traffic. I immediately pulled the car over and hopped out to help this guy get to his destination safely. The yellow belly slider or trachemys scripta is native to the southeast. I could identify this species quickly because of the yellow markings on the turtles face and neck. It had a yellow plastron with some dark roundish markings. The carapace was a little rough and slightly keeled. It had yellow horizontal lines running across the carapace as well. He got really shy went I picked him up. He went into his shell and wouldn't walk again until I left. He wasn't very big, maybe 5-6 inches in length. I could not determine the sex in the brief time I handled it. It did have long fore-arm claws, which are characteristic of males, but I didn't have a female to compare it with.

Yellow belly sliders are often spotted in bodies of freshwater, such as ponds. They bask in the sun and can be seen on banks close to a water source. I am not sure exactly where I was on Kiawah but there are a lot of freshwater habitats that are ideal for yellow belly sliders. He or she might have been crossing the road to get to another water source. They feed on vegetation, such as leaves and algae which are commonly found in/ near freshwater habitats like this one. It is currently their breeding season, so perhaps this turtle was traveling to find a mate.  This species is also commonly kept as pets.

I think this is pretty cool find, however it made me really nervous that it was in the road. I did not think it would reach the grassy area before someone ran it over so I stopped to move it. I think turtles are interesting herps and I am glad that many are conspicously marked, like this one. I knew what it was right away because of the bright yellow coloration. Where I found him was typical of this species. There were two bodies of water to either side of the road. I just wish they wouldn't cross the road!
http://srel.uga.edu/outreach/factsheet/slider.html

Class Mascot ~

Dermochelys coriacea is a magnificent and incredibly impressive turtle that would make a wonderful class mascot. As we have learned over the course of the semester, the leatherback is the largest sea turtle on earth, growing up to seven feet and over 1 ton. This species represents the only living testudines that traces its evolutionary roots back more than 100 million years. They are unique in their flexible leathery, ridged carapace making the animal more hydrodynamic. The carapace is about 1.5 inches thick and is made up of oil-saturated connective tissue that overlays dermal bones. Their carapace has seven longitudinal ridges that taper to a blunt point. Leatherbacks do not have chewing plates like other sea turtles. Instead they have sharp-edged jaws that are perfectly adapted for soft-bodied prey such as jellyfish. The esophagus of this species has unique backward-pointing papillae that help retain soft prey such as jellyfish.

Leatherbacks have the widest global distribution of all reptile species, and possibly of any vertebrate on the earth. They part take in the longest migration of any sea turtle, averaging 3,700 miles. Leatherbacks never stop swimming in the sea, they remain in perpetual motion. Leatherbacks are currently under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Their numbers in the Atlantic appear to be stable, but the Pacific population is declining due to egg harvest, fishery bycatch and costal development.

       This organism is a perfect candidate because it is so morphologically unique. Its size and shape makes it indistinguishable and easy to recognize. They are an animal that stimulates curiosity and awe in their pure existence. It would be a once in a lifetime experience to observe a leatherback in the wild, and their beauty is truly unforgettable. Yet, it is not every day that a person comes across this animal in the wild. Nature has compensated for this species fecundity that dates back to Mesozoic Era, and allowed them to exist today. Sadly, the future of this species lies in our hands.

“In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we are taught.” (Baba Dioum, 1968)

References:

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/leatherback-sea-turtle/

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/turtles/leatherback.htm

On Search Results after Turtle

I was originally wanting to look up some information on the cool and strange looking side-necked turtle (Chinese) we saw at the Turtle Center, but what popped up in the search result make me really angry, so I'm writing writing about that instead. This is what showed after after putting "the sideneck turtle chinese" in the search box:

Well, I'll let you stare at the results for a few seconds and try to see if you can figure out what made me upset... Did you figure it out? I clicked on 3 results, and ALL OF THEM ARE FOR SELLING TURTLES, and there are plenty more to the sides and in later results! Not to mention that the species didn't quite have to do with what I was looking for.

This is just what one of those turtle-selling websites looks like:

 You can see that the prices vary, but either way, people have been apparently making purchases and  giving plenty of reviews. I don't like Bing that much, so I tried the same thing in Google, hoping reality might not be as brutle in the Google world:

But sadly my wishful-thinking was but an illusion. I think the search results says something--if anything related to turtles were popular, it's their values as merchandises and pets (and maybe food or economical crops...) to people. And that's sad and aggravating to me. I think they have their own intrinsic values that are important regardless of what people do, and they are wild animals that are supposed to be wild and free, in where they ought to be naturally, instead of in people's bathtubs or breading farms. When I got angry all to myself, I wonder, though, am I the only one that would feel this way? Is it just me? What do you think about this? 

Natural History - Gastrophryne carolinensis

The Eastern Narrowmouth Toad (Gastrophryne carolinensis) is our only local species in the family microhylidae. Microhylids are all in the category of narrow-mouthed frogs and members of this group have characteristically plump bodies with short limbs and a pointed head. The majority of these frogs also have a inconspicuous skin fold across the back of their head which helps wipe away insects that may attack their eyes. Despite being called a toad, G. carolinensis has smooth skin. They are most likely called toads due to their fat bellies or rough appearance of their skin due to the coloration. The Eastern Narrowmouth Toad is a relatively small frog measuring an average of 1-1.5 inches long. Their color is usually grey or brown, but this can change from day to day or depending on the mood of the organism, and their under side is usually very blotchy. 

The images above show the extreme variation in G. carolinensis coloration.


The main source of food for the Naurowmouth Toad is ants, but they will also eat a variety of invertebrates. The range of G. carolinensis is throughout the Southeast with the exception of the higher elevations of the Appalachian Mountains. Their habitats can be variable but they are usually found under logs in woodland areas. During the summer, Narrowmouth Toads retreat to temporary wetlands, such as ponds, puddles, or ditches to breed. Calling is initiated by a heavy rain but males are often difficult to locate during mating because they call completely submerged by mud or water other than their snout. The mating call has been described as a nasally, sheep-like "neeeeeee" sound. Male Narrowmouth Toads secrete a sticky substance that helps him stick to the female's back during amplexus. After mating, the female lays eggs which float on the surface of the water and hatch after 1-2 days. After hatching it takes about 20-70 days for the tadpoles to metamorphose. The most important stress Narrowmouth tadpoles endure is the risk of desiccation due to the rapid drying up of the larval pool. Adult Narrowmouth Toads spend their lives in the vicinity of the temporary wetland awaiting a large rain. In general, these frogs have a very small home range which has been found to be about a 5-m quadrant. The major predators of G. carolinensis include a variety of water snakes which they avoid by burrowing or seeking cover in a log or under a rock, skin secretions, or by their nocturnal lifestyle. Their narrow mouth is ideal for their diet of small invertebrates and their short limbs and stout body are an advantage for burrowing. Although these unique frogs are very seldom seen, they are important because they add diversity to our local anurans.

Gopher tortoise could cause Volvo to bring its manufacturing plant to SC rather than Georgia

On Saturday, April 25th The Post and Courier ran a story about endangered gopher tortoises' habitation of land in Georgia that could possibly cause trouble for automobile manufacturer Volvo as they plan to possibly build a new facility on such land. This will make it more likely that Volvo will choose a separate site in South Carolina (the one in contention not being inhabited by tortoises). The story was run in the business and tech section of the paper. It seems the intended audience is the general public of the Charleston area and more specifically people interested in business development in the low country as well as people concerned about environmental protection and regulation of business development that is harmful to endangered species. At first glance the article seems slightly more biased towards the business that Volvo can bring to the southeast and less so about the harmful effects of relocating the turtles as the article's first sentence says that the tortoises could become "one of the peach state's worst enemies." Still overall the article does a great job of merging discussion of harmful effects of development on the tortoises as well as the potential gain for jobs in the southeast while still allowing wetland conservation to happen if these plans go through, especially in South Carolina. Essentially the article states that a wetlands permit application filed for a site in Elabell, GA lists the gopher tortoise as a known inhabitant. For Volvo to build on the site they must get further permits and undertake a relocation program for the tortoises under government oversight. The article also states that environmental groups are very concerned about moving the turtles at all. Although they are a federally endangered species in many states they are not yet classified as federally endangered in Georgia due to a lack of funding for the US Fish and Wildlife service allowing the organization to expand its endangered species list. Because they are not federally endangered in Georgia they can be relocated rather than having to remain where they are. Relocation of the animals generally involves trapping them, relocating them and putting pens around them so they cannot use homing abilities to return to where they came from. The article then goes on to talk about gopher tortoises, their habitat, range and the fact that their extensive burrows serve as home to hundreds of other species making them a crucial keystone species within their ecosystem. In addition to talking about the tortoises and their crucial role in southeastern ecosystems the article goes on to say that the proposed site in Georgia would have involved filing more than 142 acres of wetlands, with the developer purchasing wetland mitigation credits to be used to offset the environmental effect of destroying the proposed site's wetlands. In South Carolina the proposed site would require filling almost 195 acres of wetlands at the Camp Hall Commerce Park near Ridgeville in Berkeley County. In order for that plan to work the developer in SC would "preserve, restore and enhance" 1,533 acres of wetlands in the Dean Swamp and Walnut Branch watersheds allowing for obtainment of strategic parcels to further create a large greenbelt region around the greater Charleston area. The article mentions that the proposal in SC shows how industrial groups can be compatible with the agenda of environmental groups. Ultimately the facility would employ 4,000 people over the next decade if it was built in SC. Hopefully the extra regulatory hoops to jump through and possible public outcry over the tortoises at the site in Georgia will cause Volvo to further pursue building at the site in SC. Although wetlands will be destroyed in order for the plant to be built, it seems that building in SC is a better choice both economically (for SC) and environmentally as there are no endangered tortoises at the site and a great mitigation plan to protect other wetlands is in place. Let's hope Volvo will decide to make SC its new home.

Story printed in Saturday, April 25th paper and posted online April 24th.

Link: http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20150424/PC05/150429532

Herps in Society and Culture: What you're listening to this week

If you enjoy life and/or music you might have heard of a little band called Mumford & Sons. Well lucky us--this May 4th they are releasing their new album 'Wilder Mind.' I know what you're thinking and the answer is YES that is JUST IN TIME to listen to while studying for our herpetology final!!

So what does this have to do with herpetology? Well let me tell you! One of the singles already available from their new album is called 'Snake Eyes' and if you didn't already know, snakes are one of the wonderful creatures covered in this herpetology course.

First off--you should listen to this catchy tune while reading the rest of this blog:

Now let's take a look at the lyrics, which I have bolded when they reference Snake Eyes: 

"You hold it, in your hands

And let it flow, this cruelty

Of youth as you fall again

Alone, In the compromise of truth

It's in the eyes

I can tell, you will always be danger

We had it tonight, why do you leave it open?

And the stakes remain too high

For this silent mind

And the shake, the lonely itch

That courses down my spine

To leave a love divine

Don't leave a love divine

It's a water tight excuse

It's in the eyes

I can tell, you will always be danger

We had it tonight, why do we always seek absolution?

It's in the eyes

I can tell you will always be danger

How does the earth around your feet

Just slip away?

And abandon, that greets you in the night

With snake eyes, the most precious kind

It's in the eyes!

I can tell, you will always be danger!

We had it tonight! Why do we always seek absolution?

It's in the eyes!

I can tell you will always be danger!"

This song is blatantly associating snake eyes with danger. So I think our next question is--which type of snake eyes are they talking about????

Snake with round pupils. Picture from Science Daily.

Snake with vertical pupils. Picture from Sun & Shield.

One of the misnomers that I came to this class with was that all snakes had the vertical pupil. This is simply not true! And while we know that the round pupil means non-venomous in this region of the world while the bottom generally means venomous I do not think this was Mumford & Sons' intention.

The word choice of "snake eyes" to create an image of a sinister, fear inducing creature perpetuates society's dislike and inhospitable attitude towards these lovely creatures.

If we want to change the perception of snakes and increase awareness of their importance in our ecosystem we cannot keep using them to represent evil in popular culture! Mumford and Sons has a following of over 5 million people--that is a whole lot of millennials that will have their negative stereotypes about snakes reinforced, this could be disastrous!

That being said I will definitely not stop listening to this song and will be buying into their negative snake culture on May 4th with the new album's release.