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RE: Mark O'Shea Q&A - 18 month Backlog!
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by jon_b on March 14, 2005
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Hello!
Thank you for your answear, I really appreciate it and it clarifies a lot!
All the best!
Jon
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RE: Mark O'Shea Q&A - 18 month Backlog!
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by Snake17 on March 18, 2005
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Hi Mark. Excuse me please for disturbing you again. I just wanted to know something: in your water cobra episode what technique did you use to crystalize the Naja melanoleuca venom ? A friend of mine wants to start raising and breeding Vipera ammodytes for milking for the venom trade and I was wondering if he could find a cheaper alternative to dry freezing for crystalizing venom. Thanks again Mark. Best regards, Alex S.
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RE: Mark O'Shea Q&A - 18 month Backlog!
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by Mark_OShea on March 19, 2005
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Hello Alex, I was using indicator silica gel in a small portable desiccator which is what I have used when collecting venom around the world for research projects. The venom I have collected has been in small qualities for ELISA testing (enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay) against serum samples from snakebite victims to determine what species are doing the biting (which is often not as obvious as you might think). The small quantities of venom I collect in the field are not destined for antivenom production. For that larger quantities of venom are required from a steady and quantifiable source for innoculation of horses (or sheep) to enable them to gradually raise antibodies to the venom in their blood.
The production of antivenom by 'western' countries has generally declined as drug companies pull out of producing antivenom to treat snakebite in 3rd world countries but antivenom is still being manufactured to treat snakebites occuring in rich N.American and European countries. It it were not for the dedication of some of the antivenom producers in Latin America, S.Africa and Asia we could be heading for a 3rd world antivenom crisis. Antivenom should be inexpensive and readily available for all countries where snakebite is a major threat, but snakebite is a forgotten or oft overlooked 'disease' killing on 40,000 people per year, compared to the 2-3 million who die from malaria.
Antivenom labs need high quality venom from a reliable source but I am not sure if they would be eager to purchase venom from private sources. I am also not sure that breeding a snake like Vipera ammodytes, for which there already antivenoms produced in Bulgaria, Croatia and Serbia, is a viable project. Although there is not data available, it seems likely that these relatively small vipers will produce very small venom yields every milking, which could be every 3 weeks, so with low yield it will take a long time to produce the hundreds of grams or even a full gram required by the labs. The only current price I have found is for Vipera lateastei venom from an Australian lab and they were charging $200 for 200mgs or $800 for one gram. I strongly suggest sounding out venom labs before going into the antivenom business. When the Soviet Union broke up I was quickly contacted by three or four Eastern European antivenom and venom producers looking for Western markets (why they contacted me still puzzles me) but I am not sure that they found any. What is more, this is a wide spread species with several subspecies so any lab would probably only be interested in venom from a specific population from a specific location as is the case with Echis spp. or Daboia russelii.
Dired venom should then be weighed (mgs), labelled and stored in a cool dark place. There is more to this than immediately meets the eye. Also bear in mind, if you are trying the breed snakes you generally do not catch them up and milk them every three weeks.
Mark
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RE: Mark O'Shea Q&A - 18 month Backlog!
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by oldworldvampire on June 19, 2005
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Hey Mark I met you a few years back at the reticon show in Daytona. How would someone go about being your assisstant, or intern with you?
Chris
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RE: Mark O'Shea Q&A - 18 month Backlog!
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by Mark_OShea on July 5, 2005
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Hi Chris
Sorry for the delay, just got back from 5th World Congress of Herpetology in S.Africa and some field herping with Tony Phelps and Wolfgang Wuster.
Sorry I cannot obligue you you, I don't have assistants or interns and am not making any more films. I am thinking of sliding back into fieldwork away from the camera and am looking at research projects, not TV projects.
best wishes, Mark
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RE: Mark O'Shea Q&A - 18 month Backlog!
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by keyz on July 18, 2005
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hi mark can you please let me know of any venomous reptile serpentariums in England ive been keeping colubrids mainly but also a dumerils with c.b. papers and a few other available snakes like a ball python and a hognose is on its way. anyway i really want to get a last ditch attempt at true career in all snakes not just hots you have been an inspiration even if it took a while for me to understand your true knowledge of all things in the natural world so if poss. could you please try and help a trully desperate herper to try and futher myself as England is a difficult starting place. many thanks kieron.
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RE: Mark O'Shea Q&A - 18 month Backlog!
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by Mark_OShea on July 21, 2005
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Hello Kieron.
You ask about British serpentariums with venomous snakes.
There are actualy only a few zoos and safari parks in the UK with venomous collections open to the public, ie. our own collection at West Midland Safari Park, Chester Zoo, London Zoo, Colchester Zoo (I think), a few others but not many.
The only 'serpentarium' would be the Herpetarium at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine run by Paul Rowley. This is probably the largest collection of venomous snakes in the UK but it is not open to the public, it is a research facility for venom research.
The UK is not like the US with privately-owned road-side serpentariums, the rules here are too strict and a Zoo License is required for any public exhibition, a Home Office licence for research facilities and a DWAA for private collections (as I am sure you are aware).
Due to the legal restrictions and insurance requirements it is usually not possible for people who are not members of staff to come into contact with venomous reptiles in UK collections. At WMSP only a few of the staff who operate in or around the Reptile House have clearance to work with venomous species. Volunteers and work experience do not have this opportunity.
So I am afraid it often a bit of a Catch 22 situation, you cannot work with venomous without experience and you cannot get experience without having worked with venomous.
The point is, most reptiles are not (dangerously) venomous and there are thousands of interesting species out there to be studied, kept and worked on apart from venomous snakes.
You are correct, England is a very difficult place to get experience with many reptile species.
You might consider Australia, some collections over there do take people on for some months and they can work their way up the ladder to working with dangerous species.
Afraid that is the best advice I can give, I hope it helps and your enthusiasm is not diminshed.
Regards
Mark
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RE: Mark O'Shea Q&A - 18 month Backlog!
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by keyz on July 21, 2005
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thankyou for taking the time to help me mark i am as interested in all reptiles especially colubrids and boids infact they all amaze me is there anywhere in england that i can possibly do any volunteer woek or anything to do with reptiles and amphibians my knowledge is limited on frogs but i have some bits of info regarding our native newts just reading about an axelotl not positive of spelling as book is in dining room thanks for you previous reply and i will not ever let my enthusiasm diminish i will always try! thankyou mark oh and did that king really seem to be "intelligent" piercing gaze most impressed kieron lakey.
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RE: Mark O'Shea Q&A - 18 month Backlog!
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by Mark_OShea on July 21, 2005
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All I can suggest Kieron, is write to the various zoos and ask about voluntary positions, I know London Zoo used to take unpaid volunteers and we have occasional work experience volunteers too but competition is stiff for the few places available, many more applicants than places available, even up on our Reserves with the big cats etc.
You are probably a bit late applying this year as most places will probably have been allocated.
Mark
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RE: Mark O'Shea Q&A - 18 month Backlog!
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Anonymous post on August 3, 2005
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Hello mark i would like to know just how much about reptiles you know ? what are you the most interested in . do you like amphibians aswell ? Do you know about reptile medicines and surgery aswell?
Thanks
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