Newly Discovered Leaf-Tailed Gecko From Madagascar Is Already Threatened by Pet Trade – via Herp Digest

The master of camouflage is about 4-inches-long and hides amid dead leaves

Uroplatus finaritra by March Sherz

By Jason Daley, Smithsonian.com 1/24/19   

Some creatures have developed truly awesome camouflage: the owl butterfly, the leafy sea dragon, which looks like seaweed, or the self-explanatory stick insects, for example. One of the coolest are the leaf-tailed geckos, a group of animals in the genus Uroplatus that only live on the island of Madagascar. The animals have patterns that blend them perfectly into the local foliage, but most impressive are their tails, which resemble a rotting leaf, complete with discolored spots and little nicks and tears. Now, researchers have described a new species of these hard-to-see critters—and it may already be under threat from the pet trade.

The newly discovered species comes from low altitude areas of Marojejy National Park on Madagascar’s northeastern tip. During the day, the leaf-tailed geckos are difficult to spot. They tend to hang out in dead leaves, covering themselves with their deceptive tail and sticking their limbs out like twigs. At night, however, they come alive, actively hunting in the dense rainforest—that's when researchers conduct their surveys.

Shreya Dasgupta at Mongabay reports Fanomezana Ratsoavina, a herpetologist at the University of Antananarivo in Madagascar, collected the new species in 2003 during a field study, but at the time did not know it was new to science since it resembles another well-known species, the satanic leaf-tailed gecko. In May 2016, another herpetologist from Antananarivo who was conducting a survey in the park that involved collecting geckos noticed that some of the specimens were slightly larger than normal as well.

Jake Buehler at Earther reports that in November 2016, researchers collected a few more specimens and began analyzing them, finding that the 4-inch-long geckos are 50 percent larger than their satanic brethren and the interior of their mouth is scarlet red. Genetic analysis also confirmed the gecko is a new species, called Uroplatus finaritra, detailed in the journal Zootaxa. Finaritra is a Malagasy word meaning “healthy and happy,” which, Dasgupta reports, the researchers say describes their “delight in describing this splendid and exceptionally large species from a clade of generally small-sized leaf-tailed geckos.”

While it’s great to add another unique species to the list of life on Earth, Mark Scherz, study co-author and herpetologist at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, says the new species may already be in danger. While its primary habitat is in protected land, unlike those of many species on the island, it’s still imperiled. That’s because the satanic leaf-tailed gecko is often collected from the wild for the pet trade, and it’s difficult for collectors and herpetology enthusiasts to tell the two species apart.

“A young individual of U. finaritra can only be distinguished from U. phantasticus adults by checking the color of its mouth,” Scherz tells Dasgupta. “This is not an easy thing to do, requires stress to the animals, and could potentially hurt them irreparably if performed forcefully by a non-expert.”

Scherz says that some satanic geckos sold as pets are described as “giant” or “large” varieties of the species, and the researchers suspect those are actually U. finaritra. While inspecting every gecko shipped from Madagascar is not possible, the team tells Buehler that they suggest every reptile and amphibian shipment from the island includes information on where they animals were collected. Since the new species is believed to occur in a range north of the satanic leaf-tailed gecko, any animals collected from that region could be flagged as being likely misidentified.

“While discovering a new species is very exciting, we also need to think about its conservation,” Ratsoavina tells Dasgupta. “If the natural population of Uroplatus finaritra from Marojejy National Park stays intact without further habitat loss and illegal exploitation activities to supply the pet trade, this species will remain safe.”

Gecko clearance sale: Pet trade is jeopardizing survival of rare reptile species

Date: July 12, 2016

Source: Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ

They are some of the rarest reptiles in the world. According to the latest surveys, there are not even 250 adult ploughshare tortoises left to crawl through the dry forests of north-west Madagascar. This means that the species, known by the scientific name of Astrochelys yniphora, is on the brink of extinction. The government of this island state did create the Baly Bay National Park in 1997 especially to protect the remaining individuals of the species. And the international trade with this species is completely forbidden. Although this does not seem to deter trappers and smugglers. For example, 54 Madagascan ploughshare tortoises were confiscated at the airport in Bangkok in March 2013. Demand by reptile hobbyists in Asia, Europe and the US threatens to undo thirty years of conservation work.

This tortoise is not an isolated case. For their study, 37 scientists, conservationists and customs officials from 22 countries have compiled numerous other examples of species for which the pet market has become a serious problem, even though the Washington Convention (CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is actually intended to prevent nature being sold off in such a way. This Convention, that to date has been signed by 182 states including the EU, regulates the international trade in threatened fauna and flora. Appendix I to the Convention lists particularly highly endangered species; imports or exports of these species for commercial purposes is no longer permitted. Appendix II contains a large number of other endangered species; a special permit is required for trading in these species.

Continued ...

Iguana: The Popular Animal Most People Should Never Buy - Herp Digest

September 08, 2015 | ReptileApart.com By Dr. Becker

September 8 was National Iguana Awareness Day, and its slogan “Hard to Care For, Easy to Love,” is worth remembering. When you see a mouse-sized iguana at a pet store or fair, it may seem like an intriguing pet, and, indeed, these lizards are fascinating.

But a mouse-sized iguana is a hatchling, which means it’s got a lot of growing left to do. Millions of iguanas are bred in Central and South America and imported into the US for the pet trade. However, they are one of the largest tree-climbing lizards in the world.

They can grow to be five or six feet… or longer, which requires ample space, special lighting, and habitat that can cost upwards of hundreds or thousands of dollars to properly create and maintain.

Many pet owners who were drawn in by the iguana’s hatchling-size cuteness are not so thrilled to have a six-foot lizard sharing their home. And so, as reported by the Forgotten Friend Reptile Sanctuary in Illinois:1

“They [iguanas] are the reptile species most often turned in to rescues, and the species LEAST adopted from rescues. Because they are farmed in poor countries, they are one of the most profitable and exploited reptiles in the pet trade.

Some large pet companies, like PetSmart, have actually stopped selling iguanas due to ethical concerns, while still acknowledging iguanas were their most profitable reptile.

Unfortunately many pet stores and unscrupulous dealers continue to import hatchling iguanas faster than abandoned adult iguanas can find homes. This leaves reptile rescues with a major problem. It can take months or years to find a suitable home for a large iguana!”

As a result, many reptile rescues can’t accept iguanas into their care. This means, if you’re considering an iguana as a pet, you’d better be sure it’s a commitment you can handle for its entire life.

Iguanas Require Complex Care

Some lizards do make wonderful pets. Beginners often do well with leopard geckos, bearded dragons, blue-tongued skinks, or green anoles, for instance. Iguanas… not so much.

A full-grown five- to six-foot iguana is a strong animal with an even stronger personality. Although they are herbivores that require freshly prepared fruits and vegetables daily, they may develop tastes for other, less healthy foods, making feeding time difficult. Although there are commercially available processed foods for iguanas, I don’t recommend them. A fresh food diet is optimal for these lizards.

If your iguana doesn’t receive regular handling and attention, it may be difficult to keep tame, and an irritated iguana can leave you with painful bites or lashes from its whip-like tail (which may make up at least half its body length).

They also require appropriate UV lighting, without which they are susceptible to a metabolic bone disease that results from an improper ratio of calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D in their body.2 Proper humidity levels and temperatures must also be maintained.

And, as mentioned, these are large animals, which means they’ll need a suitably sized enclosure. As in, some people give their iguanas their own rooms. According to Reptiles Magazine:3

“An adult green iguana requires an enclosure at least 12 feet long by 6 feet wide by 6 feet high. The height of 6 feet is very important as, these lizards are primarily arboreal in nature.”

Iguanas have a relatively long lifespan as well – about 20 years in the wild (although many live far shorter in captivity since many owners are not aware of appropriate care).4 Sadly, many captive iguanas die during the first year due to improper care (and many others are turned loose or given to rescues that will accept them).5

Iguanas Are Fascinating Animals

It’s easy to see the allure of iguanas. Their dinosaur-like appearance is exotic and, unlike some other reptiles, they can learn to recognize and respond to their caregivers.6

They’re also quite fascinating, capable of surviving 40-foot drops from trees, acting as excellent swimmers (that can stay under water for 28 minutes!7) while at the same time being remarkably fast and agile on land.

If given the choice, some iguanas will spend their days in the treetop canopies and come down only to mate, lay eggs, or find a new tree. They’re found in a variety of locales, from Mexico and Central America to the Caribbean Islands and southern Brazil (in Central America, green iguanas are also a popular food source known as “bamboo chicken” or “chicken of the trees”).8

Iguanas also boast an impressive survival mechanism: they can detach their tail if caught by a predator, then grow a new one with no lasting damage.9 Some iguanas can also inflate themselves during flooding for safety. Also intriguing is their “third eye” located on top of their head. As noted by Iguanas 101:10

“It contains a lens and a retina-like structure that connects through the nerves to the pineal gland in the brain. Although it does not form images, it is very important for iguanas; such that it governs production of hormones related to time spent for basking.”

If you decide an iguana is the right pet for you, and you’re prepared for its complex care, please adopt one from a rescue organization rather than purchasing a hatchling from a pet store.

500 tortoises saved from pet trade in Madagascar

The critically-endangered ploughshare tortoise

More than 500 tortoises have been confiscated at Ivato airport in Antananarivo, Madagascar prior to being loaded on a Kenya Aiways flight to Nairobi. The shipment included 512 radiated tortoises (Astrochelys radiata) and nine ploughshare tortoises (Astrochelys yniphora), all of which have been placed with the Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) for initial care and safe keeping.

The critically-endangered ploughshare tortoises (it is estimated that there are just 200 mature tortoises left in the wild) continue to be targeted by wildlife smugglers and it is expected they will be extinct within 10 years.

Continued

Asian monitor lizards under threat from out of control pet trade

Modern dragons in danger - The relentless exploitation of Asian giant lizards revealed

June 2013. A new study reveals that Southeast Asian monitor lizards, representing the world's largest lizards, are harvested and traded for their skins and as pets in intangible volumes despite existing legislation - and much of this trade is illegal. 

A team of German and Indonesian scientists recently published a first comprehensive study on the conservation and threat status of all SE-Asian species of monitor lizards. The authors conclude that several of these fascinating giant lizards are obviously exploited in unsustainable levels, even though national and international regulations and laws are in place.

Pet trade & demand for skins

Besides the great demand for the pet trade (Most species are wanted for pets), the commercial trade in skins must be understood as a major threat for few monitor lizard species. Next to crocodilians and giant snakes, monitor lizards are the species group of lizards that are exploited most frequently within the skin trade.

Read on

Time to ban monkeys from UK pet trade

Why is it still legal to import monkeys as pets in the UK?

March 2013. Wild Futures, the leading primate charity that runs The Monkey Sanctuary in Cornwall, the only GFAS-accredited primate sanctuary in Europe, was very grateful last week when Michaela Strachan took some time out during her present tour (The Really Wild Adventures) to find out about the charity's current campaign to end the primate pet trade.

5000 primates privately owned in the UK!
Wild Futures has been campaigning heavily to end the primate pet trade due to it being a huge problem in the UK and legislation not being enforced. Wild Futures along with the RSPCA estimate that there are at least 5,000 privately owned primates in the UK.

Non-compliance
Wild Futures was instrumental in the creation of Defra's Code of Practice for the Welfare of Privately Kept Non-Human Primates, which came into force in 2010. The Code is a guide to the steps that must be taken by primate keepers in order to ensure compliance with the Animal Welfare Act. Under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act (DWAA) 1976, owners of most primate species must obtain a licence from their local authority. However, non-compliance with the DWAA is rife, and there is little awareness or consideration of the Code on the part of keepers or the relevant authorities. Subsequently, the situation is mess, with monkeys suffering in inappropriate environments all around the UK. Wild Futures believes that the only enforceable option is to ban the trade in primates as pets.

Continued:  http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/monkey-pets.html

Lawsuit Filed to Protect Rare Turtle in Florida, Georgia and Alabama (Barbour’s Map) – via Herp Digest

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.— The Center for Biological Diversity today filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the agency’s failure to decide whether an increasingly rare animal, the Barbour’s map turtle, should receive Endangered Species Act protection. The turtle is declining due to illegal collection, pollution, dredging and disease.

“Barbour’s map turtles are disappearing fast, and in some areas they’ve already vanished. They desperately need Endangered Species Act protection to survive,” said the Center’s reptile-and-amphibian specialist, Collette Adkins Giese. “The Endangered Species Act has a nearly perfect record of stopping species from going extinct — it’s hands-down our best tool for saving these rare turtles.”

The Center and regional allies petitioned to protect the Barbour’s map turtle in 2010. In 2011 the Service determined that the turtle “may warrant” protection as an endangered species, but it has failed to take the next required step, a 12-month finding on whether protection is warranted.

Many of the 20 remaining populations of the turtle are experiencing substantial declines from habitat loss and degradation. Industrial water pollution is causing extensive deformities and shell ulcerations in the turtles and killing many of the mollusks they eat. 

Also, these beautiful turtles, known for their spiked shells and intricate patterns of yellow markings, suffer from overcollection for the pet trade, despite the fact that collection is illegal across their range. Even limited collection of turtles is unsustainable because of the key role played by large adult female turtles, which can take more than 15 years to reach sexual maturity.

“Turtle traders continue to deplete populations of Barbour’s map turtles and other U.S. turtles at a frightening rate. It’s got to stop before we lose these incredible animals from the wild,” said Adkins Giese. “Overcollection compounds the daily problems our turtles already face from habitat loss, water pollution and road mortality.”

Background

The Barbour’s map turtle is one of the rarest map turtles, found only in the Apalachicola River system and nearby waterways of Florida, Georgia and Alabama in the southeastern United States. It usually lives in wide streams with swift currents and abundant downed trees, often in areas exposed to limestone. It eats mainly mollusks and insects like caddisfly larvae and can only survive in waters clean enough to support its prey base.

The United States is a turtle biodiversity hotspot, home to more types of turtles than any other country in the world. As part a campaign to protect this rich natural heritage, the Center in 2008 and 2009 petitioned states with unrestricted commercial turtle harvest to improve harvest regulations. In 2009 Florida responded by banning almost all commercial harvest of freshwater turtles from public and private waters. Earlier this year Georgia approved state rules regulating the commercial harvest of turtles, and Alabama completely banned commercial harvests.

The Center is also working to end unsustainable international trade in U.S. freshwater turtles, including Barbour’s map turtles. In response to a Center petition, the Fish and Wildlife Service announced in April of this year that it may propose 17 U.S. freshwater species for protection under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Contact:  Collette Adkins Giese, (651) 955-3821