Indonesia: The Trip of a Lifetime

by Ivan Alfonso, DVM on November 12, 2012

My good friend Michael Cole approached me earlier in the year to ask me if I would like to take a trip to Indonesia with him. The goal being to study in depth the quarantine and treatment protocols in place at his reptile breeding farm and also have me check over the nutrition and overall health of the animals at the facility. Needless to say my answer was a huge YES. We set our departure date for late October and we planned a stay of 2 weeks, which should give us plenty of time to meet our goal.

We landed in Indonesia and I felt I was home, not in Orlando but home as in Puerto Rico. The similarities were amazing. The weather, the landscape, the friendly and helpful people and the food were so similar that I was impressed beyond belief. We arrived at the farm and immediately I can tell you I was completely shocked by what I saw. It is widely assumed that a “farm” is nothing more than a holding facility with horrible hygiene issues and cramped quarters for the reptiles. In essence, a death camp for reptiles before being exported. This piece of paradise I was taken to was by far the best breeding facility I have seen in my whole life. The buildings and the cages were immaculate. The trees and bushes were landscaped to perfection. The house we were staying in was a palace. The animals were in top shape in terms of body mass, alertness and breeding status. This was not a huge mess I needed to work my butt off to fix, this was a true top-of-the-line breeding facility that really needed some expert supervision to make sure they are doing the right thing. At that point I knew my job got very easy indeed and that I would really have time to enjoy this trip.

The following will be a photo journal of most of the animals I saw and was able to photograph. I brought back way too many photos and I will not be able to post everything of course but I will do my best to show a few of the species we saw and worked with.

Pythons: There were way too many species represented at the farm but the most notable ones were the Green Tree Pythons. With so many locale types and pattern variations it is hard not to fall for these gorgeous animals. Below is a small sampling of the many Chondros we saw at the farm.

Green Tree Python Green Tree Python Green Tree Python

 

The next best represented species was the Reticulated Python. I had never paid attention to this species as I am not a huge Retic fan but after seeing all the monsters at the farm I had to change my opinion. I am definitely a huge fan of Retics now and the pics below will show you why.

Reticulated Python (normal coloration) Reticulated Python (Anthrax morph) Reticulated Python (Titanium morph) Reticulated Python (Caramel morph) Reticulated Python (Amelanistic or true albino morph) Reticulated Python (Hypo morph) Reticulated Python (Calico morph)

By far the Calico morph was my favorite but just when I thought that looking at adult breeders was the highlight of the Reticulated python tour, I was in for a treat. This was after all, a breeding facility, so we went into the incubator room to welcome a few new reticulated pythons into this world.

Hatching Reticulated Pythons Retic baby thinking of coming out Baby Reticulated Python

I was completely amazed at the sheer beauty of these snakes up close but they were far from being my favorites in the farm. After seeing several breeding specimens of Timor, Carpet, White Lipped (both black and gold), and Olive Pythons, amongst others, I came across what to me is the most regal of all pythons, the Boelen’s Python. The breeders in the farm were spectacular and I had not seen Boelen’s pythons as big as these ones. A few were in shed so not many good pics were taken but here are 2 of the best.

Boelen’s Python

 

Boas: The farm has an impressive collection of South American boas but the boa species that really caught my eye was the breeding stock of Viper boas (Candoia aspera). These normally drab and relatively dull-colored boas surprised me when I saw the different color varieties being bred at the farm. Here are a few specimens that caught my eye.

Viper Boa (salmon pink color) Viper boa (yellow) Viper boas (yellow adult and normal colored adult)

 

The pink one bit me pretty good when I tried to handle it. Thankfully they are a Viper boa and not a true viper or I would have been in deep trouble.

 

Blue Tongue Skinks: The selection of these guys was incredible. I almost couldn’t believe at how many different colors and patterns I was looking at. Here’s a sampling.

Blue Tongue Skink

 

Blue Tongue Skink Blue Tongue Skink (I really liked this one) Blue Tongue Skink (nice orange and white!) Blue Tongue Skink (almost patternless!) Baby Blue Tongue Skink

The baby above was 1 of 11 we found in one of the cages at the farm. They were adorable and very brightly colored as you can see.

 

Monitors: Monitor species are quite possibly the flagship of the farm. They have bred and produced many species such as Salvadori, Dumerili, Rudicolis, Melinus, Yuwonoi, Prasinus, Beccari, Macraei, Reisingeri, Kordensis, Ober, Bohmei, and many others. Pretty much every Indonesian species is represented at the farm and has been produced. There are also a few other species that are non-natives but are also being bred, like for example Varanus cummingi. Below are a few pics for your drooling pleasure.

Black Tree Monitor Varanus boehmi

Varanus boehmi looks like a cross between a black tree and a yellow tree. It is an amazing looking species that has been doing well and producing well at the farm.

Blue Tree Monitor Green Tree Monitor Varanus kordensis

Varanus kordensis is very similar to the Green Tree Monitor (Varanus prasinus) but they look different in person and differ in their coloration and pattern.

Tri-Colored Monitor (Varanus yuwonoi) Tri-Colored Monitor (Varanus yuwonoi) Yellow Monitor (Varanus melinus) Mangrove monitor (gold locality) Dumeril’s Monitor Black Rough-Neck Monitor (Varanus rudicolis)

The Black Rough-Neck was one of my favorite monitor species at the farm. They are so prehistoric looking that I spent a long time with them. Several pairs are set up and have produced some babies so I am hoping they keep at it.

Crocodile Monitor Crocodile Monitor Crocodile Monitor (gravid female)

The Croc monitors were impressive. They followed your every move yet were laid back enough to allow you to get relatively close without immediately trying to kill you. The breeders were gigantic, with some measuring a total length of about 8 feet at least.

The following pic shows how good a job is being done at the farm with true captive breeding of the species. The tray shows an assortment of monitor eggs (tree monitor and Timor monitor eggs) that have hatched in the past few weeks.

Timor and Tree monitor hatched eggs.

 

Chameleons: Panther chameleons play a big role at this farm with a great production that is now on the 10th generation. It is mainly self sustained with the vast availability of bloodlines but they are very open at stating that they do obtain some wild blood every so often to keep their lines diverse and prevent any possible inbreeding. I was extremely impressed with their breeding collection and their whole operation as this is the first true large-scale operation of CBB Furcifer pardalis I have seen. They are now expanding to do Veiled chameleons and I have little doubt they will be every bit as successful as they are with Panthers. This was a treat. Very few pics were taken because a lot of what they do is unique and likely proprietary information.

 

Turtles: My latest passion are turtles and I have been working with a few select species and wanting a few others that I have not been able to locate. When I saw the farm’s turtle collection/breeding stock my jaw dropped. I can tell you I am looking forward to the next batch of babies they have available as I will likely get every single one of them. Many species of aquatic turtles I couldn’t take pics of as they immediately swam into their deep ponds or they spent all the time there anyway (as in the case of the softshell species). Here are some good pics I was able to take.

Burmese Brown Mountain Tortoise Burmese Brown Mountain Tortoise Burmese Brown Mountain Tortoise

I was able to film the Manouria emys emys courtship where the male shows head bobbing and coloration changes on the head and neck as well as a very audible yet low growl. It was amazing to be able to film this and unfortunate I can’t post it as the file is too big.

Spiny Hill Turtle Spiny Hill Turtles breeding Spiny Hill Turtle Spiny Hill Turtle

I am currently working with a nice group of Spiny Hill Turtles (Heosemys spinosa) but will certainly try to get some new blood from the farm when they have babies available.

 

Indotestudo forsteni Indotestudo forsteni

 

I was unable to capture the whole courtship of the Forsten’s Tortoises before they copulated because I was too busy filming another turtles species (my favorite species which will follow). However, I was able to catch them in the act of copulation and already have dibs on any hatchlings that pair may produce. I was never one to pay attention to Forsten’s Tortoises but after interacting with them for 2 weeks they have made me want a breeding group of my own. Incredible personalities and very variable coloration make for a very unique and very small tortoise.

Sulawesi Forest Turtle Male Sulawesi Forest Turtle female Sulawesi Forest Turtles (male and female)

The Sulawesi Forest Turtles are by far my favorite semi-aquatic turtle species. I was too late getting into turtles and now they are very hard to find and many current owners refuse to let them go, even if they are not breeding them. To my surprise they have a good breeding colony at the farm with a great sex ratio. This is a true breeding group and is not disappointing in terms of production. Pictured are just a few of the specimens in the group.

But even the turtles decided to give me a show when a whole clutch of Pink-Belly Sideneck Turtle eggs was laid. A few hatchling Pink-belly Sidenecks were on hand having been born at the farm just a few days before.

Emydura subglobosa eggs Hatchling Emydura subglobosa Hatchling Emydura subglobosa

 

Rise of the Dragon: No trip to Indonesia would have been complete without a little field herping. The rainy season started early so we were not able to visit the places we wanted but even when we had to go to plan C for herping, we still got a huge surprise. The area was a very high mountain with lots of streams running through it. It was raining hard and we could hear the frogs calling. Our targets were the Blue-Webbed Gliding Tree Frogs (Rhacophorus reinwardtii) and the Tree Dragons (Gonocephalus chamaleontinus). We found 2 Gonocephalus almost immediately, a pair, but only 1 more during the night. They are hard to locate but once you are on the right tree, they are not hard to find. All the pics I took came out horrible due to the high humidity. We arrived at a pond and our guides turned off their flashlights and we waited. Shortly after, the calls of the Blue-Webbed Gliding Tree Frogs started and there were plenty around. Several were collected for the farm and also for export. Once again, the pics in the field were impossible but I managed to take a good one once we were back to drier areas.

Blue-Webbed Gliding Tree Frog

But the real find came towards the end of our trek when one of the guides called for us to come see his find. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw him holding a juvenile Dragon Snake (Xenodermus javanicus). This snake is quite rare in collections and not many people can properly care for it. After seeing its native habitat, temperatures and diet I can only hope to get a chance at raising, and maybe breeding, this phenomenal animal one day. This snake was the highlight of the herping trip and will forever stay in my mind despite not being me the one who found it.

Dragon Snake Dragon Snake

 

And that pretty much sums it up. Of course there is way too much to tell and I can’t possibly write it all up but you have a very good summary of what my life was in Indonesia while doing what I love, working with reptiles. As a Veterinarian I found very little that needed fixing but even the small stuff we worked on will have an even bigger impact on an already successful breeding operation. The honor of being picked for such an amazing endeavor and to be allowed to work with so many amazing animals is something I don’t have words for. I will forever be grateful to Mike for the invitation and one thing was certain once the time to leave was upon us, I will be back!

 

 

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Vitamin A deficiencies strike again

by Ivan Alfonso, DVM on September 19, 2012

Vitamin A continues to be a hot topic amongst reptile keepers, but especially so amongst chameleon keepers. There will always be 2 groups, the ones pro and the ones against and I will be counted in the group pro-vitamin A. There is no doubt that chameleons need it and require it for proper functions but the doubt comes when we have to determine just how much is enough for them. Lowland chameleons, those that originate from areas that are hot, humid or even dry, seem to have a higher requirement for vitamin A than those chameleons that are considered highland or montane. Veiled chameleons, being from Yemen, certainly fit the lowland category and they do quite well with regular supplementation of vitamin A.

Recently, I was lucky to receive a group of 6 female Veiled chameleons from my importer friend who sends me any reptile that can use some TLC. The girls are all sub-adults and all were thin because they were not able to eat. The reason they couldn’t eat is because none of them could open their eyes. All 6 showed swollen eyes and they were closed shut. No eye flushing would get them to open the eyes. Close examination revealed no lesions, no mucus, no abscesses, nothing that could point me in the direction of infection. Seeing how they were on the thin side, I decided to do what I always do, give them 24/7 outdoor time with plenty of water 1-2 times a day. After a day of this none of them were cooperating and although you could see they wanted to open the eyes, they just couldn’t.

Having previous experience with similar cases, I immediately diagnosed the issue as a vitamin A deficiency. Keep in mind this is a diagnosis made by both, previous experience and ruling out other issues. I started them on a protocol of my own brand of liquid multivitamins and Emeraid Carnivore as a meal replacement. After 2 days we lost 1 of the gals. A week later we lost a second one. The remaining 4 have been hanging in there so far and showing improvement after 3 weeks of treatment. We have not been giving the liquid vitamins daily but the food (Emeraid carnivore) is daily or twice daily. The vitamins were given once daily for 3 days and then tapered off to every 5 days. I broke one of my own rules and named the 4 girls just to ID them when talking to Divy about them. With Divy being their primary caretaker it is important to ID each girl in case 1 needs more care than others. With that said, here’s the breakdown:

1- Biggie: She’s the biggest one and the only one with no definitive improvement yet. She opens 1 eye every so often but quickly closes it and remains shut most of the day. The pic below shows how she looks today and that’s pretty much how she, and the others, looked on arrival except the eyes were more puffy.

Biggie Biggie

 

2- Brownie: She is never green but rather an overall tan or brown color. She doesn’t seem stressed or even mad at any time, but her color is brown. She looks more like a different species than a Veiled only because of her color. She has responded very well to the treatment protocol and has now both eyes open. Her left eye can be closed sometimes but for the most part both are always open. She is still being force fed with the Emeraid but will be started on insects asap to see if she can hunt.

Brownie

 

3- Skinny: Pretty obvious reason for the name, she is the skinniest of the bunch and also the smallest. She looked like a goner for several days but has turned around and looked quite well for the past 4 days. Her eyes are still slightly sunken but we have been having a lot of rain lately and maybe that is helping her get more water than we have been providing. She opens her right eye regularly but her left eye continues to stay closed.

Skinny

 

4- Lemon: She is called Lemon because she turns almost entirely yellow at times. I had only seen 1 female Veiled turn very yellow before but this gal surprised me one day by being yellow. It was quite a shock to see a bright yellow chameleon in the cage so I figured Lemon was an easy name to remember and accurate in a way. She is the poster child for excellent response to the treatment. Both eyes open at all times, always looking around, always roaming around the cage and always running away from me. She will also be started on insects asap.

Lemon Lemon

 

Needless to say, I am not claiming a victory yet as they could still crash on me. I am especially worried about Skinny and Biggie but seeing the improvements on 3 of them so far, there is no doubt that Vitamin A deficiency was the culprit in their eye issue. I feel terrible I couldn’t help the other 2 from the group but hopefully their death wasn’t in vain and these 4 will live on to be healthy pets. Next time someone tells you that chameleons do not need vitamin A, just remember that you now know at least 4 gals that will disagree.

 

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Book Review: Health Care and Rehabilitation of Turtles and Tortoises

Post image for Book Review: Health Care and Rehabilitation of Turtles and Tortoises

by Ivan Alfonso, DVM on July 12, 2012

When I first came across this book I was a little apprehensive of it as I didn’t know what to expect. I am very happy I gave it a chance as it is a wonderful book that appeals to both my “personalities” Allow me to explain, I am a reptile hobbyist by nature and a Veterinarian by profession so you can see where this book could have rubbed one of those “personalities” wrong. Not the case as Mrs. Ebenhack found that rare perfect balance, or blend if you will, of basic knowedge with higher level expertise. By bringing Dr. Diaz on board, a great Veterinarian and even better friend, she made sure to expose that there is definitely a line that you must know, and never cross, between home care and rehabilitation and immediate professional Veterinary care. First aid in chelonians is usually of utmost importance, especially when working with rescued specimens. Getting to a Veterinarian sometimes isn’t as easy as it sounds and with this book you get an idea of what simple, yet efficient, things you can do to stabilize your turtle or tortoise until you can get them to the Veterinarian’s office. By showing you actual Veterinary cases and work you can read and see how important it is to have a good relationship with an experienced reptile-oriented Veterinarian and you can tell that this kind of work can’t be done in your garage or backyard. My hobbyist side loved the practicality of this book and my Veterinarian side was delighted with the proper portrayal of our profession and skills. The photos are clear and well described and the content isn’t hard to follow at all and quite easy and enjoyable to read.

Needless to say, it is both my hobbyist and professional opinion that this book is a must have for anyone serious enough about chelonian keeping. You may never need any of the info in the book, but it doesn’t hurt to have it handy just in case.

If you want to purchase a copy of this book go here: http://www.livingartpublishing.com/htm/book_healthcare.html

 

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Reptile Supershow San Diego

by Ivan Alfonso, DVM on July 8, 2012

Another Reptile Supershow and another amazing experience. We were lucky enough to be able to visit our adoptive family the Nozakis and help them during their weekend at the Reptile Supershow. I am very pleased with the show and the venues and, having been to both, I still think the show carries the kind of energy that reptile shows should. In all hoesty I liked the January Pomona Supershow a bit better but can’t really say exaclty why, it just felt a bit better. But this is still a show that I would recommend to anyone if you are in the area. Here are some pics of the show.

Welcome Banner

This is the welcome banner you see as soon as you walk in the venue. ZooMed as usual a prominent sponsor at quality shows everywhere.

 

Corucia zebrata pair

This was a pair of gorgeous Prehensile-Tailed Skinks for sale at the show. Amazing animals and definitely one of my favorite reptiles.

 

Pig-Nosed Turtle

A gorgeous juvenile Pig-Nosed Turtle for sale at the show.

 

Albino Newts

Not really sure what species of Newt these were but they were quite impressive.

 

Baby Bearded Dragons

The Beardies above were all photographed at Sandfire Dragon Ranch’s table. Amazing animals and the colors don’t even show well on the pics. I am not sure what morph was the last pic but I think it is a Silkie or something like that.

 

Spiny-Tail Monitor

Gorgeous Ackie Monitor at the show.

 

Amazing Blue Reptiles

The banner of the “best in show” vendor. Of course this is a biased opinion but I don’t care. Great people, great animals, great prices…..what else can you ask for?

Divy and Victor

Divy and Victor are wondering what the heck I am doing up there taking pics.

Male Veiled Chameleon

Amazing Veiled chameleon on display at Amazing Blue Reptiles’ table. Knowing the bloodline of this particular guy makes me even happier to see him so big.

Ambilobe Panther Chameleon

Amazing example of an Ambilobe Panther Chameleon from Amazing Blue Reptiles.. This particular color combination is highly sought after but it is worth noting that his siblings were all different color varieties despite all being pure Ambilobes. This means that you can’t guarantee colors when they are babies and why you have so many people willing to pay for an adult, fully colored panther, rather than risk growing a baby and not getting the colors they wanted.

 

That’s it for the show pics but hopefully this will not be our last visit.

 

 

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Chameleon Respiratory Infections’ Treatment Debate

by Ivan Alfonso, DVM on June 7, 2012

Anyone that knows me, know that the reason I got into Veterinary Medicine was because of reptiles, but specifically because of chameleons. I will never call myself a chameleon specialist or expert as there is much I don’t know and don’t do yet, but I certainly strive to work with them and grow my knowledge over the years. I have several dedicated clients that care for their chameleons as well as they would their own human kids and they always have questions and comments of things that they read online about their beloved lizards.

One such debate is the “proper” treatment for respiratory infections (RI) in chameleons. Let me cut to the chase and tell you the absolute, definitive answer: The best treatment for that respiratory infection your chameleon has, is the treatment that your reptile veterinarian prescribes. Period.  Why? Well because he/she has the experience and training to properly diagnose the cause of the infection and treat it accordingly. Why bring this up? Mainly because I keep reading posts and web pages where everyone seems to “know” what the best treatment is or at least they “know” what not to use. Baytril for example is one medication that has been used, and likely over used, for treatment of RI and because it is sometimes used in wrong dosages, wrong concentrations or in the wrong patient, it gets the reputation that it can be dangerous or harmful. Many of the cases where the medication was harmful can be tracked down to people using Baytril that they got from a friend and not under Veterinary supervision. That’s not to say that some chameleons can’t be sensitive to the medication but the same can be said of any and every other medication that gets mentioned out there.

There is not 1 sure shot antibiotic out there to treat RI in chameleons. Sometimes you even have to use 2 or 3 at the same time depending on what the heck is affecting the respiratory system. Many antibiotics that are being mentioned in some websites can actually be detrimental to the health of chameleons and as such, should be avoided. But if you follow the advice of 1 or 2 posts vs the advice of a Veterinarian, you may find yourself in a position where you are leaving your chameleon’s health to chance.

Am I advocating Baytril then to be used at the first sign of RI? No, absolutely not. I used Baytril as an example since it is likely the main drug getting a bad rap out there. But I do acknowldge that any antibiotic used indiscriminately can cause harm instead of good. Do good by your chameleons and keep them in warm, well-ventilated areas to minimize the chances of RI but if they do get one, make sure to have a reptile veterinarian nearby that can help you treat it properly.

 

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Book Review: Keeping and Breeding Freshwater Turtles

by Ivan Alfonso, DVM on May 27, 2012

This book was purchased originally as one more reference book for me but after reading a few chapters it made me not only more addicted to turtles but very addicted to conservation and breeding of many turtle species. It is very easy to read, yet very deep with info. It isn’t aimed at the beginners but the information given can be understood by any level of expertise. The variety of species depicted and described is amazing and ranges from the very common to the extremely rare. Russ Gurley did a wonderful job in my opinion of bringing us a book that is sure to become a gem in your collection.

The link below will take you to the book and you can purchase it from there.

http://www.livingartpublishing.com/htm/book_kbft.htm

 

 

 

 

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Amnesty Day in Plant City

by Ivan Alfonso, DVM on April 21, 2012

We participated today in Amnesty Day being held in Plant City. It was a great day of sharing and hanging out with friends but the turnout for surrendered animals was quite low. As a matter of fact we only had 2 animals surrendered, a sub-adult Sulcatta Tortoise and an adult Chicken Turtle. The SUlcatta was adopte right away but the Chicken Turtle had to come home with me as it was morbidly obese, shell issues and overall not very healthy. It was not in the best interests of this turtle to be adopted out unless it was to a home that could rehabilitate her. Turns out that home was my own. Below are a few pics of what went on.

Sulcatta Tortoise

 

Inspecting the Sulcatta Tortoise

Sexing the Tortoise

Making observations on the amount of fat in this Chicken Turtle

Chicken Turtle

Chicken Turtle

Blood Python on display (not for adoption)

Holding a Carpet Python (display snake) for a talk with Johanna Usma from InfoMas TV show.

Passing the time (and winning) during the day.

 

 

 

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The Native Beauties of Florida

by Ivan Alfonso, DVM on April 18, 2012

It is so easy to get carried away with the exotic reptiles we see at shows and zoos that I tend to forget how much variety we have right here in FL. Thankfully, all it takes is one canoe trip down one of the many little creeks and streams we have around us and I am quickly reminded of the beauty and variety of herpeto-fauna we have in FL. Of course, before I was a reptile guy I was a fish guy so fishes are my first passion and we have plenty of those too here. I am very fond of any ancient or prehistoric fishes such as Gar, Bowfin, Paddlefish, etc and we have managed to see several species of Gar and we have spotted a few Bowfin as well.

Here are some pics of a few species we spotted in just 1 trip. It was by far our most productive trip to date but I am hoping to improve on it. I should also mention that all the species we captured were for photos only and were released immediately after.

Female Yellow Belly Slider

This was our first catch of the day and it was a beast. Divy caught her, as she did most other animals, and couldn’t believe how big the turtle was once out of the water. I think it is a Yellow Belly slider but I am not very up to date with my sliders and cooters (shame on me!) She was heavy and very healthy, and also quite eager to bite. It was amazing to see how “skinny” these guys really are versus the big, obese ones in captivity. It shows why they live so long in the wild and why so short in captivity when you think it should be the other way around.

Male Yellow Belly Slider

This was our 3rd catch (Divy’s 3rd catch) of the day and it was a male of the same species as the big female. His nails were really long, which is the norm for males as they use them for courtship.  Very healthy and lean and a very fast swimmer. Divy had to use some tactics to get him on board. He was happy when we released him but somehow came back for air right by the canoe a few meters ahead. I think he was as surprised to see us as we were to see him.

Male Loggerhead Musk Turtle

My favorite catch of the day, and this one was my only one. Turns out I see this bulky turtle walking on the bottom of the creek at about 6 feet deep. It was walking fast and then dissappeared in the muck. By the time I turned the canoe around to look for it, I couldn’t see it but then his head betrayed him. I thought for a minute it was an Alligator Snapping Turtle but they are not supposed to live this south in FL so when I netted him and brought him in the canoe I was quite surprised to see it was an adult male Loggerhead Musk Turtle. Not sure how common or uncommon they are but they are fantastic animals and resemble snapping turtles a lot. It wasn’t easy letting him go.

Florida Gar

This one was an incredible catch. We have been trying to catch Gar forever with just hand nets and it had proven to be basically impossible. Thanks to this photo we now know we can and we will keep trying for sure. It was almost as if this fish wanted to get caught because Divy spotted him, dipped the net and the fish immediately turned and swam in the net’s direction allowing Divy to scoop him up and bring him into the canoe. As you can see by my face, I was extremely happy and delighted. I was bummed we couldn’t take him home with us because of its size (we didn’t have a big enough container to put him in while we finished our trip) but it was nice to see him swimming happily in his natural environment.

 

That’s it! We saw a ton more species of animals but couldn’t take good pics as they are always on the move. Otters, Mud Turtles, Red Belly Sliders, Alligators of all sizes. etc. were all spotted but not photographed unfortunately. Goes to show that I don’t need to go to a reptile show or zoo to get my “exotic” reptile fix.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Let’s play the blame game!

by Ivan Alfonso, DVM on February 3, 2012

This isn’t the kind of post I normally make but after years of being dealing with similar issues I think it is time for me to speak up a little. I am certain that I am speaking up for Veterinarians that work with reptiles all over the country but this is my own experience that I am posting about here. There are many instances when I get emailed by people that met me at a Repticon show and expect me to solve a health issue via email or by simply sending them medications and not doing the proper diagnositcs. Needless to say my answer is always “no” but I also go out of my way to try and provide as much help as possible. This particular case however has me thinking and pondering as to how bad has the issue gotten with people that expect too much out of someone that is simply at a show trying to help and educate.

Below you will see the email exchanges that took place and some info is erased from the email to help with privacy.

-Repticon Attendee’s email on 1/31/12:

We are a breeder in ——–.  met you at the repticon show.  have a snake with resportory problem, slightly open mouth, slight mucus bubble.  Have him at  92 degrees, high humidity weighs 745 grams.  please advice on treatment and if you want to see snake, we would meet up with you.  thank you

-My response on 1/31/12:

Good evening —–. It sounds you are already doing your part on trying to get the respiratory issue under control. If it isn’t helping, the snake needs to be seen to be properly diagnosed and treated. I unfortunately only do house calls and do not meet up with people in any place other than their homes, furthermore —– is not in my area of coverage. Your best bet is to find a clinic where you can take the snake to be seen. Our good friend Dr. Diaz owns Lake Howell Animal Clinic and he is very good with reptiles as well so you might want to check availability at his place if you can make the drive to him in Casselberry.

Regards,

Ivan Alfonso, DVM

 

-Repticon Atendee’s response on 2/2/12:

JUST TO BRING YOU UP-TO-DATE ON THE SNAKE.  IT DIED WEDNESDAY NIGHT BECAUSE I COULD NOT GET ANYONE TO SEE IT UNTIL THURSDAY.   IT’S A SHAME THAT I COULD NOT MEET UP WITH YOU, THE SNAKE DIDN’T SEEM SO BAD EARLY WED., IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN SAVED.   HIS WAS AN EXPENSIVE SNAKE (2000.00)THAT I RAISD FOR OVER A YEAR AND WAS PLANNING TO BREED THIS YEAR.  I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED , YOU BEING A REPTICON VET, THAT MORE  COULD NOT  HAVE BEEN DONE.

 

My response on 2/2/12:

I am very sorry to hear about the snake ——. Blaming me for this unfortunate issue isn’t going to solve the problem which is the fact that you had a very sick snake and you didn’t even know. If you have to place blame on others then I am sure you will find plenty of people to blame and point fingers at. Being a Veterinarian that helps out at Repticon doesn’t mean that I will go wherever Repticon attendees want me to, it simply means I am there to help educate. I tried to provide you with as much info and help as I could considering I was not going to be able to see your snake due to you being too far for me. Your frustration is understandable but you must realize that if the snake was that sick, you should have seeked help much earlier and not just expect only me to help you. I am very sorry for your loss and hope everything else in your collection is in good shape and produces for you this year and for years to come.

Ivan Alfonso, DVM

 

So that leaves me wondering how is it that it is my fault that a very sick snake died because the owner didn’t get her proper medical attention. Is it my fault because I wouldn’t drive all the way to his place? Is it my fault because I didn’t want to meet with him an try to diagnose a snake out of the back of a truck? Is it my fault because apparently being a Vet at Repticon makes me have to go wherever anyone that attends Repticon wants me to go? Is it my fault because I provided a clinic info that was not to the owner’s liking?

Where exactly do we stop placing blame on others and start accepting responsibility for our actions and animals? The snake appeared ok on Wednesday AM but died Wednesday PM so it is my fault it died because I was not able to see it before then. If I went out of my way and saw the snake, treated it, and it still died, then it would have been my fault because I would have apparently not treated it properly. There really isn’t any winning with irresponsible reptile owners.

 

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Python Hunters Season 2 Available Now!

by Ivan Alfonso, DVM on January 24, 2012

Hi everyone. I am super excited to inform that Python Hunters Season 2 is out. Season 2 is even better and quite possibly the best ever as I am in it, hehehe. Make sure to click on the pic to buy your copy. I get no royalties whatsoever but I can only hope that if they keep filming, I get to be on TV more often, hahaha. The season closes with 2 episodes in Puerto Rico (which is where I come in) and they are amazing. So if nothing else, buy this becaquse I am in it and you get to see a new side to the beautiful Island of Puerto Rico.

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