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RE: Ven. Community Spotlight
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by tj on August 18, 2005
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What about Dean Ripa, Roark Ferguson, or Brian Brown?
I don't think Steve Irwin should be part of "our" venomous community spotlight, as Chris said, he is quite against private keepers. Unless of course, it has to do with himself and daddy's zoo. He could give two craps less about people like us. He's a zookeeper, not a herpetologist. How many books has he wrote that aren't about himself? How many new species has he found? How much venom, population, genetic, or any other research has he done? He is the spotlight on his shows, not the animals. Put him in the field with the majority of people on that list, without the help he gets behind the scenes, and he'd be way out of his league, especially if it was out of "the outback".
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RE: Ven. Community Spotlight
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by AquaHerp on August 18, 2005
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One of my former "Zookeepers" just published his work on his new species of kingsnake from Mexico. Too bad Zookeepers aren't "Herpetologists" though eh?
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RE: Ven. Community Spotlight
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by tj on August 18, 2005
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If it wasn't Steve Irwin, then it has nothing to do with what I said. Just because a zoo has snakes (unless of course it is a large zoo with a large variety, where in that case it would have a herpetologist that works ONLY with the reptiles on hand) doesn't make the curator a herpetologist. I'm sure many curator's or Steve Irwin have to dose animals at times or give some type of care, does that make them Vet's? No, it doesn't. You didn't get my point.
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RE: Ven. Community Spotlight
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by AquaHerp on August 18, 2005
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I did get your point. It's just that your comment happened to sound a bit derogatory to the great many herpetologists that happen to be employed at zoos (or other like institutions).
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RE: Ven. Community Spotlight
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by elapidking81 on August 18, 2005
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I'm not for sure but I think that the list is for people that support the hobbie, if thats not the case than irwin should be on the list. Just because he doesnt write books or do any of the other things you mentioned doesnt mean he doesnt deserve some amount of respect for the work he has done in conservation in fact he has probably done more of that than anyone, and in my opinion thats more important than writing a book.
shane kissinger
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RE: Ven. Community Spotlight
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by Rabies on August 18, 2005
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If I could find some pictures I would like to put forward, Wolfgang Wuster, Prof David Warrell worlds leading authority on snake bite,Prof SK Sutherland his lifes devotion in venom research and clinical advice, but also for implementing the ACE pressure bandage! Also Paul Rowley, herpatologist at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine who has played the middle man on many a phone call from all over the world in seeking advice on snake bites and antivenom.
John
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RE: Ven. Community Spotlight
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by Phobos on August 19, 2005
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Check your facts TJ...Steve Irwin has discovered and written about several species of Herps.
As for "Zookeepers" you need not paint them with so broad a brush. Many have done so much with so little to work with since "Reptiles" are at the bottom for the food chain as far as funding is concerned at any Zoological Park.
Al
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RE: Ven. Community Spotlight
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by tj on August 19, 2005
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"Check your facts TJ...Steve Irwin has discovered and written about several species of Herps."
Then please enlighten me with the species he's discovered. As far as painting "zookeepers" with such a "broad" brush, then ummm, I don't know how else to paint them as they have a "broad" field. I said nothing derogatory about zookeepers, which is what Irwin is. As far as funding goes, there are plenty of zoos that get a very fair amount of funds for reptiles.
The reason they are on the "bottom" of the list is more than likely because the curator doesn't feel they are a popular attraction. I've been to plenty that have a large amount of reptiles and hots, and it seems to me that people are quite interested in exotic species. Not that fruit bat, parrot, and oscar exhibits aren't interesting, though. My point, it's up to the curator to exhibit what they exhibit.
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RE: Ven. Community Spotlight
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by AquaHerp on August 19, 2005
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No TJ, it's NOT always up to the Curator to exhibit what they want to exhibit. Most zoo-goers want and expect, and even fill the complaint box full of mail when they don't get their "cookie cutter, or "collect all 10 set" of snakes (cobra, rattlesnake, gaboon, big python, etc.)Then it comes down to what is left over space-wise and budget wise. At San Antonio we had rooms filled with herps that would make any enthusiast drool and lose a weeks sleep over, but most never make it to exhibit for any number of reasons.
With the new Herpetarium at Abilene that we are putting together, I do indeed have most, again I say, MOST, of the say over what is going to go in there. If the Director says he wants to see something in particular, then..... But I, and my herp department, have decided to forego the "cookie cutter" collection and build something else out of our limited space.
What I might suggest is that you talk to someone in the know, that is someone in a management position at a zoological park and find out how these places really operate before you post it as something that you know as fact. Don't get me wrong here, I'm not trying to come off as condescending or anything along that line, I am simply laying out what's what for the record.
On the second part. I guess I can't grasp that all my years with working through college courses, nearly a decade of field studies with timber rattlesnakes in the forests of southern Indiana, publications, conservation efforts, countless talks at symposiums and all of this has simply gone out down the toilet now and I somehow have lost my "Herpetologist" standing in the community. All because I took a job that splits my time between other taxa as well? Spider monkey sedations and physicals on Saturday, transporting flamingos today (which I'm late for..lol), these costs be herpetological standing?
Hmmmmmmmm. If you say so. I guess I'm comfortable with that.
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RE: Ven. Community Spotlight
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by tj on August 19, 2005
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"I guess I can't grasp that all my years with working through college courses, nearly a decade of field studies with timber rattlesnakes in the forests of southern Indiana, publications, conservation efforts, countless talks at symposiums."
That was the point I was trying to make earlier, it was neglected because I mentioned "zookeeper". Although, you are a zookeeper, you have studies, research, and publications for herpetology, which in my opinion, would make you a herpetologist as well.
Everyone jumped on me because they felt I was berating zookeepers, which is far from my point.I had a chance to be one myself. My point was, Irwin is a zookeeper with a broad range, first and foremost, not a herpetologist. He doesn't spend countless hours in the field or at work doing research. I would say a he's a conservationist or zoologist, with a damn good knowledgable staff behind him. As far as zoos go, I do know how certain things work in some, not in others.
I'm not an expert, but not everyone is, as zoos vary differently.
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