Monday, June 28, 2010

Sirrius Black is growing!


Sirrius was just a baby when I got him two years ago.  He is getting pretty big now.  He is one of my favorite snakes because he is so gentle.  This one and Hermoine are the  two snakes that I allow children to hold, they are so docile.    Sirius has black, brown and green in his scaly skin.  He is a very beautiful snake.  If people could meet him and see how wonderful he really is, maybe they wouldn't be so quick to kill snakes like him  when they encounter them.  He is also one of the few snakes I have that my wife likes.  She will even hold him.  Hermoine also, but those are the only two.  Ghosts are her thing.  Snakes are mine.  And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Snake Numbers Declining Around The World


WALLINGFORD, England, June 9 (UPI) -- British-led scientists say they have determined several global snake species have experienced a significant decline in populations.
The researchers, led by Chris Reading from Britain's Center for Ecology & Hydrology, said they examined long-term data collected between 1987 and 2009 in the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Nigeria and Australia involving 17 snake populations in tropical and temperate climates and discovered declines in eight of 11 species.
The scientists noted snakes are top predators and any decline in their numbers might have serious consequences for many ecosystems.
"This is the first documented evidence from anywhere in the world that snake populations may be declining," Reading said. "Although we do not know the cause of these observed declines, we wish to alert snake ecologists to what appears to be happening and to stimulate further research."
The study is reported in the journal Biology Letters.
The question is, because this is snakes we are dealing with, will anyone care that they might disappear from the earth?  I would.