Search found 1586 matches

by gbin
April 29th, 2015, 11:26 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Field Herping Values for da youts....
Replies: 85
Views: 51885

Re: Field Herping Values for da youts....

Maybe when [justin] calms down a bit he'll see I didn't say whatever it is he seems to think I did. Or maybe he already knows that but is acting otherwise because he knows he won't get much traction trying to attack me on what's really got him upset, my pointing out in a later post (as a fact relev...
by gbin
April 29th, 2015, 11:06 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Field Herping Values for da youts....
Replies: 85
Views: 51885

Re: Field Herping Values for da youts....

Gerry, How many children have you raised? I'm going to guess none. Which really means you have shit for experience to pull from, and don't have a leg to stand on with regard to how they should be raised or moralized. I love when clueless idealists tell me how to raise my kids, or what they would do...
by gbin
April 28th, 2015, 6:58 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Field Herping Values for da youts....
Replies: 85
Views: 51885

Re: Field Herping Values for da youts....

- No they are not all novices but a significant portion of those whom have had the animal/s long periods and have a history of keeping in past but have lost interest in the particular animal because of a new interest in acquiring another species, or other reason like moving, growth of reptile dicta...
by gbin
April 28th, 2015, 4:56 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Field Herping Values for da youts....
Replies: 85
Views: 51885

Re: Field Herping Values for da youts....

If you are preparing kids for a hands-on, no-collecting field trip, then it makes sense to prepare them for the idea of putting animals back where they find them, regardless of one's feelings on collecting in general. It doesn't need to be anything preachy or complicated. I would just try to explai...
by gbin
April 27th, 2015, 6:52 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Field Herping Values for da youts....
Replies: 85
Views: 51885

Re: Field Herping Values for da youts....

Spend some time with a good dictionary, dthor, and don't just read but also think about what you find there. I'm particularly fond of the American Heritage Dictionary, if you need a good recommendation. Peter, did you decide that you want to make your thread a rehashing of the debate about whether h...
by gbin
April 26th, 2015, 6:28 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Field Herping Values for da youts....
Replies: 85
Views: 51885

Re: Field Herping Values for da youts....

... you could print and hand out 'Jr Citizen Scientist' certificates... which can go a long way towards building up self-esteem... Yeah? I'm sure we'd all like it if something helped. I guess it's worth a try, anyway... http://i829.photobucket.com/albums/zz211/gbin2/citizen%20science%20award_zpssp3...
by gbin
April 26th, 2015, 11:47 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Field Herping Values for da youts....
Replies: 85
Views: 51885

Re: Field Herping Values for da youts....

... Yesterday, and I do mean just yesterday a mom and her two young children came in needing help because the racer a family friend caught and gave to them is now half dead, and after googling came to the store to see if they could get 'blue bellies' to feed it... How awful! And even more upsetting...
by gbin
April 26th, 2015, 9:23 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Field Herping Values for da youts....
Replies: 85
Views: 51885

Re: Field Herping Values for da youts....

Adults allow me to moralize to their children all the time, and navigate them toward a pet other than a reptile, that is more compatible to the needs children have to be affectional and to have something to pet and handle frequently. Kelly, you're talking about giving children individual guidance i...
by gbin
April 26th, 2015, 7:19 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Field Herping Values for da youts....
Replies: 85
Views: 51885

Re: Field Herping Values for da youts....

Gerry, Perhaps, despite the above, it is true that I am moralizing. However, those are my beliefs about Field Herping, and I feel that I should share those with these kids... As I said. I'd like to ask you and like-minded folks to at least think something through, though: How would you feel if some...
by gbin
April 25th, 2015, 11:52 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Herp Art
Replies: 91
Views: 42342

Re: Herp Art

Such creative people we have here! My applause! :thumb:

Gerry
by gbin
April 25th, 2015, 11:48 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Field Herping Values for da youts....
Replies: 85
Views: 51885

Re: Field Herping Values for da youts....

I'm giving a talk at the Chicago Herpetologial Society Junior group to help educate these kids on Field Herping... 1) Field Herping (kind of like birding) is more about seeing, photographing and appreciating nature rather than collecting, keeping, possessing.... 2) If you want to keep an animal, bu...
by gbin
April 21st, 2015, 8:18 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Interesting Chuckwalla
Replies: 7
Views: 4940

Re: Interesting Chuckwalla

Very nice, indeed!

And how did you ever manage to spot it against the terrain? As beautiful as it is in hand, it looks to have been quite cryptically colored in situ.

Gerry
by gbin
April 21st, 2015, 8:14 am
Forum: Reading Room
Topic: Venomous Reptiles and Their Toxins
Replies: 10
Views: 17608

Re: Venomous Reptiles and Their Toxins

What a great accomplishment! Congratulations, Bryan!

:beer:

Gerry
by gbin
April 21st, 2015, 8:12 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Handling Wild Herps Poll
Replies: 66
Views: 25899

Re: Handling Wild Herps Poll

I'll respond with another photographic metaphor:

I reckon how one should behave depends on whether one wants to take a picture or be a part of the picture. "Different strokes..."

;)

Gerry
by gbin
April 21st, 2015, 7:36 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Handling Wild Herps Poll
Replies: 66
Views: 25899

Re: Handling Wild Herps Poll

As I mentioned, stress biology is a very hot topic nowadays. From a historical perspective, it's interesting that another split in thought appears to be developing between European and American scientists in this area: Back in the day, Lorenz, Tinbergen and von Frisch led European scientists into th...
by gbin
April 11th, 2015, 6:31 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Want to study herps for AZ Game & Fish?
Replies: 0
Views: 12293

Want to study herps for AZ Game & Fish?

Check out this job announcement.

Good luck!

Gerry
by gbin
April 11th, 2015, 10:16 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Handling Wild Herps Poll
Replies: 66
Views: 25899

Re: Handling Wild Herps Poll

I meant in terms of actions and effect, of bagging, tactically exhausting, repetitive tailing. Not what/who is applying them. I do not know of snake as prey/predator interaction that last for hours or days. If there was such an event, the same consequences would apply. But morbid fright isn't usual...
by gbin
April 10th, 2015, 2:29 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Handling Wild Herps Poll
Replies: 66
Views: 25899

Re: Handling Wild Herps Poll

edit-I've seen some really rough pinning of rattlesnakes and some really gentle. The venom extractors pin their snakes hundreds and hundreds of times but I bet they never fracture a bone. Contrast that with someone like me, who is scared and never properly trained, and that is a recipe for trauma. ...
by gbin
April 10th, 2015, 8:36 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Handling Wild Herps Poll
Replies: 66
Views: 25899

Re: Handling Wild Herps Poll

... a high proportion of the rattlesnakes had skull and neck fractures... Questions that came to mind when I read this was: Did they consider and if so could they tell whether the fractures were fresh enough to be likely attributable to the snakes' capture by pinning? And if so, how did such fractu...
by gbin
April 10th, 2015, 6:59 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Handling Wild Herps Poll
Replies: 66
Views: 25899

Re: Handling Wild Herps Poll

Could a finesse of methodology which made more paramount the reduction of stressors in process improve the outcome of relocation efforts? This is definitely an area where considerable effort is now being made, to improve the reintroduction/translocation prospects for all kinds of animals. Pretty mu...
by gbin
April 9th, 2015, 6:43 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Handling Wild Herps Poll
Replies: 66
Views: 25899

Re: Handling Wild Herps Poll

http://i481.photobucket.com/albums/rr180/wstreps/Tri%20Color%20Hog%20Nose/moc.jpg Another animal getting a bit excited without being touched. Actually... Just as a person can't tell how stressed an animal is simply because it attempts to escape while being handled, s/he can't tell how stressed it i...
by gbin
April 9th, 2015, 5:46 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Handling Wild Herps Poll
Replies: 66
Views: 25899

Re: Handling Wild Herps Poll

... Human interaction manipulation that does not resemble any natural occurrence with any other animal in the world. If I understand, Kelly, the idea is that this is a special concern. But that doesn't fit with what we know of stress biology. Hormonally speaking - and hormones drive everything else...
by gbin
April 9th, 2015, 2:35 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Handling Wild Herps Poll
Replies: 66
Views: 25899

Re: Handling Wild Herps Poll

We've discussed this subject repeatedly and at considerable length over the years; people who are particularly interested in it should search the archive, as I'm sure a number of us aren't up for repeating whatever we've got to contribute to it ad nauseam . To save myself some time at the keyboard (...
by gbin
April 1st, 2015, 12:15 pm
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: Snake nest boxes, what media do you use?
Replies: 28
Views: 15655

Re: Snake nest boxes, what media do you use?

Good to know Ger, I loved the term 'Rowdy' Jimi used to describe the temperate runners. He did touch upon the subject in a humorous way, I agree. ;) I just wanted to be sure people understood that some bamboos can cause serious ecological disruption, too. It's not merely a matter of the neighbors g...
by gbin
April 1st, 2015, 6:48 am
Forum: Herpetoculture Forum
Topic: Snake nest boxes, what media do you use?
Replies: 28
Views: 15655

Re: Snake nest boxes, what media do you use?

On the dark side of the discussion about bamboo...

Some bamboos can be terribly invasive exotics, very hard to get rid of even on a small scale (such as in one's backyard) and virtually impossible to eradicate on a larger scale. Just something to keep in mind.

Gerry
by gbin
March 21st, 2015, 6:04 am
Forum: Reading Room
Topic: HERP NATION Magazine
Replies: 7
Views: 9079

Re: HERP NATION Magazine

Gee, Dave, I thought it was just your personal style to falsely accuse someone of something (e.g. my supposedly claiming that the HERP database is worthless, Scott's supposedly running Herp Nation magazine as some kind of a Ponzi scheme to rip off subscribers) and then to ignore it when they've refu...
by gbin
March 21st, 2015, 5:41 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: How much does it cost?
Replies: 55
Views: 27107

Re: How much does it cost?

... I chased snakes hard for the past several years but am fishing more now. 230 or so days/nights a year hunting herps cost me around $25,000 per year... See, this is probably why most of us try hard not to calculate or even do a good job of estimating the expenses of our hobbies. Tim, there's no ...
by gbin
March 21st, 2015, 5:35 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Join the 2015 Bangladesh Python Project Expedition!
Replies: 20
Views: 9964

Re: Join the 2015 Bangladesh Python Project Expedition!

* Saying, "This is the last thing I'll post", and then deleting that claim and posting repeatedly afterwards, is a bit dishonest... You think? ;) Switching the order of posts around to try to make it look as if his unwarranted denigrations of others are fresh and unaddressed is really amo...
by gbin
March 20th, 2015, 1:36 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Top Down Effects of Snakes
Replies: 15
Views: 6561

Re: Top Down Effects of Snakes

My thoughts, exactly.

Gerry
by gbin
March 20th, 2015, 9:27 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Top Down Effects of Snakes
Replies: 15
Views: 6561

Re: Top Down Effects of Snakes

Ok, I believe I understand you now, amigo. Curse this stilted electronic communication medium! :x I agree that information on DOR pythons themselves could be useful, especially if the data point toward a young and growing population or (wish-wish...) a population crash, as you mention. But I think i...
by gbin
March 20th, 2015, 8:29 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Yet another study showing snake relocation is a bad idea
Replies: 84
Views: 59758

Re: Yet another study showing snake relocation is a bad idea

Bryan Hamilton wrote:Its good to be skeptical. Just please don't ignore or disqualify the published studies...
One of my favorite things that's been posted here at FHF in some time. :thumb:

Gerry
by gbin
March 20th, 2015, 8:23 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Join the 2015 Bangladesh Python Project Expedition!
Replies: 20
Views: 9964

Re: Join the 2015 Bangladesh Python Project Expedition!

Folks can read through Ernie's garbage if they find it entertaining, but this is really all one needs to know about him with respect to his participation in this thread: [Ernie Eison] and [David and Tracy] Barkers' many years spent trafficking in pythons has enabled them to learn a fair bit about th...
by gbin
March 20th, 2015, 8:18 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Translocation of snakes
Replies: 27
Views: 9356

Re: Translocation of snakes

I'm sure your husbandry is good, dthor, but there is still the potential for disease transmission if you keep any other snakes besides those two rat snakes, or even if you don't keep any other snakes but have done so in the past. You said you've kept those two snakes "in clean, sterile conditio...
by gbin
March 20th, 2015, 7:30 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Top Down Effects of Snakes
Replies: 15
Views: 6561

Re: Top Down Effects of Snakes

Its amusing to think about working with high profile wildlife as a high paying glory fest. I was (and still am) interested in working with tigers and grizzly bears... My wife and I actually started our scientific careers working on Siberian tigers, Bryan, albeit in a captive setting. (Had a chance ...
by gbin
March 19th, 2015, 5:17 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: How much does it cost?
Replies: 55
Views: 27107

Re: How much does it cost?

captainjack0000 wrote:Yeah, we should unite under one big conservation tent, but I don't see that happening anytime soon...
  • "Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they're yours."
                    • [list][list][list]- Richard Bach
[/list][/list][/list]

;)

Gerry
by gbin
March 19th, 2015, 5:14 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Translocation of snakes
Replies: 27
Views: 9356

Re: Translocation of snakes

It's not at all clear to me what exactly you're asking. Do you mean that you have two snakes, one you collected as a hatchling two years ago and one you collected as a hatchling last fall, and you're wondering whether you could now release them in one place or another? If so, at this point I don't t...
by gbin
March 19th, 2015, 4:58 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Join the 2015 Bangladesh Python Project Expedition!
Replies: 20
Views: 9964

Re: Join the 2015 Bangladesh Python Project Expedition!

... As usual though, the rest of Ernie's post is absolute garbage, propaganda, and science bashing. Indeed. I thought Ernie's vigorous FHF smear campaign was specifically against scientists/research focused on the pythons in the FL Everglades, but apparently any kind of connection made here between...
by gbin
March 19th, 2015, 7:08 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Translocation of snakes
Replies: 27
Views: 9356

Re: Translocation of snakes

I say that what we really need is to attract Elon Musk's interest in the problem... :)

Gerry
by gbin
March 19th, 2015, 7:06 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Top Down Effects of Snakes
Replies: 15
Views: 6561

Re: Top Down Effects of Snakes

The motives are clear... If we're talking about Ernie, yes, his motive for using FHF's message boards to wage an unending campaign of misrepresentation and otherwise dishonest denigration against scientists/scientific work that focus on the Everglades python situation is quite clear. As I've pointe...
by gbin
March 18th, 2015, 1:48 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Translocation of snakes
Replies: 27
Views: 9356

Re: Translocation of snakes

... its the battery that is adding all the weight... That's the problem, all right. We really need, not just for wildlife radiotelemetry but for all kinds of applications, some significantly new battery technology. A breakthrough. I've been listening hard for news of such for quite a few years, now...
by gbin
March 18th, 2015, 1:37 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Top Down Effects of Snakes
Replies: 15
Views: 6561

Re: Top Down Effects of Snakes

I don't think this will surprise too many people - except those who for one reason or another are in denial about the pythons' harmful effects in the Everglades (hi, Ernie!). But it's definitely good to have such direct evidence, both for evaluating the Everglades situation and for addressing the la...
by gbin
March 18th, 2015, 6:49 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Translocation of snakes
Replies: 27
Views: 9356

Re: Translocation of snakes

I think that gravid-female idea could possibly work if her "soft release" site was centered on a suitable hibernaculum/rookery, in the case of communally-denning species. Otherwise how could the young of the year survive their first winter? They wouldn't know where to go. I didn't think t...
by gbin
March 17th, 2015, 3:25 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: How much does it cost?
Replies: 55
Views: 27107

Re: How much does it cost?

... Money is power in legislative-branch politics, but organization and presence are power in executive-branch politics... You're right, of course, and that's an excellent point. But when it comes to effecting change in wildlife agency matters, I suspect legislative-branch politicians are more pers...
by gbin
March 17th, 2015, 12:28 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: How much does it cost?
Replies: 55
Views: 27107

Re: How much does it cost?

I want more industry scale numbers, like the one somebody offered up for birders being in that 4-20 billion dollar a year industry. Federal and state wildlife agencies are always conflating live collection for pets and kill harvesting for consumption in order to make the former look much, much bigg...
by gbin
March 15th, 2015, 7:59 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: How much does it cost?
Replies: 55
Views: 27107

Re: How much does it cost?

... it is the experience of the "hunt" that is most memorable and most valued, even if you fail to get your goal. I agree, and for all of the activities under discussion. (But not necessarily for all of the people involved in those activities. ;) ) To say that one particular group of outd...
by gbin
March 15th, 2015, 1:46 pm
Forum: The Forum
Topic: How much does it cost?
Replies: 55
Views: 27107

Re: How much does it cost?

For what it's worth to recent turns in the conversation: Lots of (probably even most) anglers have one or a few preferred species that they fish for, many of them are even fairly exclusive about it and some are even rigidly exclusive about it. It depends on the person. I remain principally a walleye...
by gbin
March 15th, 2015, 8:20 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: How much does it cost?
Replies: 55
Views: 27107

Re: How much does it cost?

...you can't find a popular birding spot simply by looking for the excess beercans, monofilament line, lures in the trees, and other trash left behind by groups of birders. Now, now. There are slob hunters or the equivalent in all of these pursuits, just as there are in all of them those who are ma...
by gbin
March 15th, 2015, 7:55 am
Forum: Mammal Forum
Topic: A new species for the yard
Replies: 0
Views: 10282

A new species for the yard

For fun my wife recently set a game camera up at the lakeshore where this time last year we'd seen (but unfortunately didn't get a picture of) a fisher climb up off the ice of the still-frozen lake into our yard. Spring is definitely beginning here in the Adirondacks and the chipmunks have come out ...
by gbin
March 14th, 2015, 10:55 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Translocation of snakes
Replies: 27
Views: 9356

Re: Translocation of snakes

I was going to add but I forgot: Bryan, it seems to me that in the case of species such as rattlesnakes, it might be best to translocate gravid females, and to do so in such a manner that the females can't leave the area where they're placed until after they've given birth, either because they're pl...
by gbin
March 14th, 2015, 10:47 am
Forum: The Forum
Topic: Translocation of snakes
Replies: 27
Views: 9356

Re: Translocation of snakes

... No one takes a single bighorn sheep and drops off in a new range and expects it to do well. Nor should we expect herps with strong social structure to do well when moved as singletons. ... Success is also a matter of perspective. When we translocate rattlesnakes, we've tended to say, 50% of the...