First Kerry wrote:
>We first noticed it with frogs and other amphibians. Working in Costa
>Rica
>I can remember having trouble walking without stepping on their "golden
>frogs" in Monteverde. In just 3 years they completely disappeared!
>With
>snakes I think it is mostly habitat destruction as you were talking
>about,
>with frogs and other amphibians it is more complex, UV-B, fungi, Ozone,
>so
>many things that we'll probably not get a handle on it before they're
>gone.
> I'm so incredibly sad when I think of the changes I've seen in my own
>(relatively) short lifetime...
>
The Robert wrote:
>Hi Kerry
>
>You are indeed a legend to have seen the "golden frogs" of Monterverde.
>I have never visited the place but have seen many pictures of them up
>there in the cloud forests, and have like-wise wondered at their strange
>demise.
>
>We have just completed a new display here at the Qld Museum on
>endangered species and have included a section on the vanishing frogs of
>this state. We have no less than 14 frog species that have become
>extremely rare or have disappeared from virtually untouched rainforest
>areas here (including the aquatic Platypus Frog, which reared its young
>in its stomach). It's all very worrying. Currently NASA is doing some
>work with local researchers on correlating weather patterns with
>declines in amphibian populations here - very interesting (although the
>favoured theory here is still introduced pathogens).
>
>And yes, our snake numbers have declined, mainly due to habitat clearing
>and things such as the poisonous Cane (Marine) Toad, introduced here in
>a failed attempt at bio-control of Sugar Cane pests. Despite this,
>snakes are doing pretty well in Queensland (we have 31 snake species
>living in the Brisbane area - although most have seriously declined in
>number). We have no shortage of highly-venoumous Browns. Some of the
>more "interesting" ones such as Death Adders and Black Snakes have
>declined in many areas.
>
>Your stories of your photographic exploits in the rainforest have been
>great reading! (Oh, and my shorts are baggy and long!! and, I do wear
>boots when photographing reptiles!!)
>
All these stories of snakes etc. are makin me jealous. While Australia has
760 reptiles we "have to do" with 6, 3 snakes, 3 lizards. (Compare that to
the no of birds, Australia 800, Sweden 400). Though I'm in minority, I know.
There is some concern that some high-altitude rattle snake might survive our
arctic winters shoud it be given any chance by someone who has gotten tired
of his pets. And already another pregnant American species (don't know the
American name, very common, close relative to grass snake) has been found in
the wild here.
Here in Scania we have some pretty exotic and beautiful frog species, in
fact just around my corner, not to be found in any other part of Sweden.
Here they are also VERY rapidly declining in numbers. It's so sad, really.
Things to blame are modern agriculture, lack of horses and cattle that will
eat low vegetation and lack of marshes.
Sorry for the non-Oly content
Used-to-be Snake charmer (Boa constrictor)
Ulf Westerberg
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