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RE: Mark O'Shea Q&A - 18 month Backlog!
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by Snake17 on December 24, 2004
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Mark, is it verified that the Trimeresurus genus has split up into seven different genera and that Trimeresurus popeiorum is now Popeia popeiorum ? Thank you, Alex S.
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RE: Mark O'Shea Q&A - 18 month Backlog!
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by rafi on February 2, 2005
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Dr.O'Shea I love your shows.They are very educational. I'm a second year medical student with a fascination for snakes. I believe there is a great deal of potential in snake venom; from thrombolytic drugs to the treatment of drug addiction. Scientists are finally learning the mapping of pain reception with the aid of snake venom. It is absolutely fascinating. Are there any good books about the toxicology of snake venom? I have read a few books on toxicology but they don't go in depth about the molecular mode of action of snake venom. What book do you recomend>
Sincerely:Rafi
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RE: Mark O'Shea Q&A - 18 month Backlog!
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by Mark_OShea on February 2, 2005
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Dear Rafi
Thank you for you remarks about OBA, I am pleased you enjoy the films and you are correct, snake venoms are such powerful natural compounds that they have numerous biomedical applications.
Are you looking for books on Toxicology, as you wrote, or Toxinology, which I would think more useful considering your interests. In he latter vein there are books on Snake Venom Poisoning by Findley Russell, and specifically rattlesnake venoms by Tu, plus other titles if you hunt around, and of course the journal Toxicon which you received as a member of the International Society of Toxinologists. It is published very frequently, two entire volumes of eight issues each every year, so with 16 issues a year your shelves quickly fill up. It is also now available as a subscribable on-line journal but I am old fashioned, I like tangeable hard copy publications. Toxicon covers poisoning and evenoming from all organic sources (animals, plants and microorganisms) - find out more at www.elsevier.com/locate/toxicon/
There is also an excellent subscribable website for animal venoms and their effects at Univ. Adelaide's www.toxinology.com
Regards, Mark O'Shea
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Mark O'Shea Q&A - 18 month Backlog!
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by CJROY on February 7, 2005
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hello mr. mark oshea
it is a bit unusual kind of letter.
actually my son Chirag is a very big fan of urs and wants to be just like u.in fact he thinks u as his guru( a spiritual leader in hindi) and to speak the truth WE like that. we both want our son to be a herpetologist, and so we support him in every way we possibly can.
but the problem starts now, he finished his schooling and he wants to do some course on herpetology . but unfortunately in india we dont hav any college or institution where herpetology is taught.
so my request to u is that , if u kindly gide him in his career then i will be very greatful to u .
thanking u
regards
B.j.roy
india
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Mark O'Shea Q&A - 18 month Backlog!
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by CJROY on February 7, 2005
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I alwaya wanted to have a autograph of urs . will u be able to send him one.
thank u verymuch
B.j.ROY
388/11,a,upen banerjee road,
behala airport road end,
behala parnasree
kolkata 700060
west bengal
india
ph:033-24014903
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Mark O'Shea Q&A - 18 month Backlog!
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by CJROY on February 7, 2005
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I alwaya wanted to have a autograph of urs . will u be able to send him one.
thank u verymuch
B.j.ROY
388/11,a,upen banerjee road,
behala airport road end,
behala parnasree
kolkata 700060
west bengal
india
ph:033-24014903
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RE: Mark O'Shea Q&A - 18 month Backlog!
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by Mark_OShea on February 8, 2005
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Dear B.J.Roy,
Your email is certainly not unusual, I receive many requests from students, and parents of students, asking for guidance about following an herpetological career. Of course, being born, raised and educated in the United Kingdom, it is not easy for me to make suggestions regarding the educational routes available in other countries - the commonest requests coming from the US which had an educational system with which I am totally unfamiliar (all I know of fraternaties I learned from John Belushi). This means, of course, that I am also at a loss to offer advice about following such a career through India's educational system. However, it may come as a surprise but you cannot study herpetology in the UK at undergraduate level either, we are a small island nation with a long coastline and only a dozen native reptiles and amphibians, hence the specialisation tends to be marine biology, not herps. At postgraduate level some universities do have herp or herp interested units, notably Bangor in Wales and Canterbury in Kent. In the US I believe you can study herps earlier.
I do know it is difficult to specialise in herps in India too. P.Bhupathy (who appeared in my film "In the Python's Grip") is probably India's top python specialist. He is based at the Keoladao Ghana National Park in Rajasthan where is works on the large Indian python colony, but he had to attain a PhD in ornithology to achieve his aim.
I would say you son Chirag requires a wide zoological, even biological, knowledge before he specialises. Herps do not exist in isolation, they eat smaller animals and are eaten by larger animals, they are affected by parasites and their prey feeds on invertebrates and plants, they give in trees or hide in bushes, they require the entire natural world to survive so to understand them you need to understand the world. Tunnel vision is the enemy of enlightenment.
I am honoured that Chirag should consider me a 'guru', my hair and beard have certainly been long enough in the past to qualify me as a sadhu but I assure you I am not spiritual enough for their ranks.
I am also a long way from India so it might be easier for Chirag to draw on the experience of someone closer to home, In my other Indian film, "The Cobra's Revenge" I filmed with a very experienced herpetologist called Mohammad Anees who is based in Bangalore. Several people have contacted me since that film and spent time learning from Anees so although he is the length. of India away from Kolkata you could do much worse than make contact with him. I will be sending Chirag a signed postcard now I have your address and will include the last email address I had for Anees but you may also track him down via his small organisation HISS (a snake education and removal service in Bangalore). You could also contact the Madras Crocodile Bank and Snake Park at Chennai (Harry Andrews, Rom Whitaker etc.). One of the most internationally respected Indian herpetologist is Dr Indraneil Das. Neil works mostly out of Brunei these days and is expert in herps throughout South and Southeast Asia. He is co-authoring a book on herps of Sri Lanka with my old friend Anslem da Silva and has also published widely about India. Other notable Indian herpetologists include the photographer Ashok Captain who co-authored the recent Indian Snakes handbook with Rom, published by Draco Books out of Madras Snake Park.
I hope you find this helpful.
regards
Mark O'Shea
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RE: Mark O'Shea Q&A - 18 month Backlog!
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by Snake17 on February 13, 2005
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Mark, is it verified that the Trimeresurus genus has split up into seven different genera and that Trimeresurus popeiorum is now Popeia popeiorum ?
P.S.1: I saw OBA`s 4th series and it is superb. Crocs in the Saharah...who would have thought. That was by far the most interesting herpetelogical documentery I ever seen. I`m sorry you didn`t find any water cobras.
I can`t wait for the next TV event signed "Mark O`Shea".
P.S.2: I`ve been trying to get intouch with Donald Strydem for a long time. Could you possiblly help me do this.
Thank you, Alex S., Romania.
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RE: Mark O'Shea Q&A - 18 month Backlog!
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by Mark_OShea on February 14, 2005
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Hi Alex, thanks for the question and thanks for your comments about the 4th Series shows - there were four: Crocodile Canyon, Spitting Cobra, Water Cobra and Amazon Snake Mystery, and that's your lot, there are no more OBAs.
Yes Trimeresurus (and Ovophis) have been split by Anita Malhotra and Roger Thorpe who are based at Univ. Wales, Bangor, the same unit as Wolfgang Wuster who everyone is familiar knows. What remained of Trimeresurus after Tropidolaemus, Ovophis, Protobothrops were removed some years ago, has been split between seven new genera but not all species have been removed from Trimeresurus. If you want a summary of the changes it will be another good reason to purchase the excellent book by Gumprecht, Tillack, Orlov, Captain and Ryabov 2004 ASIAN PITVIPERS. Although the changes came to late for inclusion in the main text they have provided a very helpful summary of befor and after for every species. This book should be on your birthday want's list for sure.
As for Donald, I have difficulty contacting him, he is in the field so much. A letter to Swadini Snake Park, Hoedspruit, Northern Province, S.Africa should reach him okay.
Kindest regards
Mark
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RE: Mark O'Shea Q&A - 18 month Backlog!
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by Snake17 on February 14, 2005
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Thanks Mark,
I saw all 4 episodes of the 4th series but the Crocodyle Canion was the BEST. My mother went to the Matmata Mounains last June and brought me back a Uromastyx. There were guys selling cobras and chameleons in Tunisia. About the book you suggested, where could I buy it from and how much $$$ ?
Best regards, Alex S.
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