$500 Reward for South Florida Rainbow Snake

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reptilist
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$500 Reward for South Florida Rainbow Snake

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Squam8
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Re: $500 Reward for South Florida Rainbow Snake

Post by Squam8 »

REWARD OFFERED FOR SIGHTING OF SOUTH FLORIDA RAINBOW SNAKE

Feds May Have Prematurely Declared Species Extinct;
Reward Intended to Spur Rediscovery, Protection

TAMPA, Florida — The Center for Biological Diversity and the Center for Snake Conservation announced today that they are offering a $500.00 reward for the first person to document the existence of the South Florida Rainbow Snake. Both conservation organizations believe that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service last month prematurely declared the species extinct without conducting targeted surveys and despite several unconfirmed sightings.

"Declaring the South Florida Rainbow Snake extinct without adequate search effort is scientifically irresponsible," said Cameron Young, executive director of the Center for Snake Conservation. "We hope that by offering a reward, we can rediscover this amazing reptile and implement conservation measures to ensure its survival into the future."

The South Florida Rainbow Snake is a harmless aquatic snake that feeds exclusively on the American eel. It is known from just three specimens, the last of which was collected in 1952 near Fisheating Creek in Glades County, Fla. In early October, the Service declared the snake extinct, thereby denying it protections under the Endangered Species Act. The Service made its determination without conducting any focused surveys for the reclusive reptile and despite anecdotal evidence of snakes eating eels in the Fisheating Creek area.

"It’s heart-wrenching to think the South Florida Rainbow Snake could be lost forever," said Collette Adkins Giese, a Center for Biological Diversity attorney focused on the protection of imperiled reptiles and amphibians. "But if we can find these snakes, they’d be very likely to get protection under the Endangered Species Act — the most powerful tool in the country for saving plants and animals from extinction."

The Service announced the extinction of the South Florida Rainbow Snake in response to a petition filed by the Center for Biological Diversity seeking Endangered Species Act protection for the snake and more than 400 other aquatic species in the southeastern United States. If rediscovered, the Rainbow Snake would receive an in-depth scientific review along with 374 species from the petition (including 114 in Florida), which the Service found may warrant protection under Act.

Background
The South Florida Rainbow Snake (Farancia erytrogramma seminola) is a subspecies of Rainbow Snake known only from a single population in Fisheating Creek, which flows into the western side of Lake Okeechobee. Fisheating Creek remains relatively pristine and could still support the snakes. But potential habitat in other parts of Florida has been severely degraded by channelization and pollution, especially agricultural runoff. The snake is believed to be nearly entirely aquatic and active only at night, making detection difficult without extensive and specialized survey effort, although there were multiple unconfirmed sightings of the snake in the late 1980s. It’s a beautiful animal, with three red stripes along its iridescent bluish-black back and a belly that is yellow and red with black spots on each scale. Adult snakes can be over four feet long.

Snakes and other reptiles are among the most imperiled vertebrate species on the planet. Globally, nearly one-quarter of all evaluated reptile species are endangered or vulnerable to extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s 2011 Red List. Also, scientists currently lack sufficient information to assess the status of nearly 20 percent of the world’s reptiles. Many species are disappearing faster than scientists can study them.

The Center for Biological Diversity is a national, nonprofit conservation organization with more than 320,000 members and online activists dedicated to the protection of endangered species and wild places.

The Center for Snake Conservation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote the conservation of snakes and their natural ecosystems and implement positive change in human attitudes towards snakes.

Contacts for this release:

Collette Adkins Giese, Center for Biological Diversity, (651) 955-3821
Cameron A. Young, Center for Snake Conservation, (770) 500-0000
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Brian Hubbs
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Re: $500 Reward for South Florida Rainbow Snake

Post by Brian Hubbs »

$500??? What kind of incentive is that? Of course, if I lived there I would look for them for free, but $500 is not a reward in any way, shape or size...not at todays prices anyway... :lol:
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Jason B
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Re: $500 Reward for South Florida Rainbow Snake

Post by Jason B »

Many locals fish and boat along FEC every weekend. $500 is a perfect incentive for someone who is out there anyway.
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Gyri
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Re: $500 Reward for South Florida Rainbow Snake

Post by Gyri »

Brian Hubbs wrote:$500??? What kind of incentive is that? Of course, if I lived there I would look for them for free, but $500 is not a reward in any way, shape or size...not at todays prices anyway... :lol:
No, but it's got us all talking about it.... I've seen several facebook posts on the matter and posts on three forums.
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Mike Waters
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Re: $500 Reward for South Florida Rainbow Snake

Post by Mike Waters »

I wish someone would offer a reward for some of the unicorns I'm chasing here for free.
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Josh Holbrook
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Re: $500 Reward for South Florida Rainbow Snake

Post by Josh Holbrook »

$500 is plenty for me ;-) As soon as I find one I'm gonna throw a big Pizza party at Fisheating Creek. . .

For those interested on learning more about the Rainbow Snake, I posted about them on my blog a while back:
http://fieldventures.wordpress.com/2011 ... bow-snake/

And about their favorite haunts:

http://fieldventures.wordpress.com/2011 ... creek-wma/

And just in case someone missed it the first time:

http://fieldherpforum.com/forum/viewtop ... f=2&t=3056

We'll find em'
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Steve Atkins
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Re: $500 Reward for South Florida Rainbow Snake

Post by Steve Atkins »

I'll throw in another $20 if someone will match it :beer:
dickbartlett
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Re: $500 Reward for South Florida Rainbow Snake

Post by dickbartlett »

Patti and I will earmark and add another $500. I will notify the original sponsoring organization. But there are 2 criteria--# 1) that we can photo the specimen and #2 that it is released rather than preserved. Let me know if you're interested. dick
Travis_W_Taggart
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Re: $500 Reward for South Florida Rainbow Snake

Post by Travis_W_Taggart »

Obvious question... what's to keep someone from collecting a Rainbow Snake where they're 'common', then turning it in as found near Fisheating Creek? Wouldn't a record brought about by a monetary award (and especially one that is this enigmatic) always have an air of illegitimacy?

- Travis
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cayrip
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Re: $500 Reward for South Florida Rainbow Snake

Post by cayrip »

dickbartlett wrote:Patti and I will earmark and add another $500. I will notify the original sponsoring organization. But there are 2 criteria--# 1) that we can photo the specimen and #2 that it is released rather than preserved. Let me know if you're interested. dick
Dick,

Those are the conditions that both the Center for Snake Conservation and the Center for Biological Diversity are intending to uphold. The exception would be a DOR of course. Send me an email, PM, or call (contact info is on the reward flyer) and we can discuss any additions to the reward.

Cameron

Center for Snake Conservation
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cayrip
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Re: $500 Reward for South Florida Rainbow Snake

Post by cayrip »

Travis_W_Taggart wrote:Obvious question... what's to keep someone from collecting a Rainbow Snake where they're 'common', then turning it in as found near Fisheating Creek? Wouldn't a record brought about by a monetary award (and especially one that is this enigmatic) always have an air of illegitimacy?

- Travis
Travis-

We definitely considered this and it is a risk expecially since there is only one specimen available for comparisions. However, this specimen is different from other rainbow snakes. In addition, rainbow snakes are uncommon and potentially declining across their range. It would be difficult and take considerable effort for someone to "fake" it. In addition, the reward is to provide incentive folks that would not normally document the snakes they come across. Fisheating Creek is popular with hunters, birders, and fisherman. Herpetologists rarely visit the area (no roads to cruise and we rarely work from canoes). I also believe that if one is found, we will be able to verfiy its occurrence with a rigorous and focused survey effort (which has never occurred in Fisheating Creek to our knowledge--Holbrook's attempt in 2009 was the best to date). The kooks are out there and money certainly brings them out. Regardless, any POSITIVE attention that snakes can receive in the media (instead of pythons and accidents with hots) is beneficial to our goals for snake conservation.

Cameron

Center for Snake Conservation
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chris_mcmartin
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Re: $500 Reward for South Florida Rainbow Snake

Post by chris_mcmartin »

cayrip wrote:We definitely considered this and it is a risk expecially since there is only one specimen available for comparisions.
"Blairi" greybands were once considered a separate subspecies, Lampropeltis alterna blairi, from "Alterna" greybands (L. a. alterna) until both hatched from the same clutch...

Just sayin' a subspecies defined from a very small number of specimens that could be accounted for within the variability in the larger population may not warrant subspecificity.
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