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RE: Anyone see reptile kings search for the lost v
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by the-lizzard on January 8, 2006
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I thought it was a good show, especially compared to a lot of these general-viewing things that air on Discovery, Animal Planet, Nat. Geographic, etc.
Forced regurgitation isn't pretty, and for those of us who feel for snakes, it seems harsh, but it is a standard method for determining what the snake eats. Documenting stuff like this is important for conservation efforts, especially for an exotic race found only on one rather small and fairly isolated island (Tioman is off the southeast coast of Malaysia, almost but not quite due east from Kuala Lumpur; it's not part of a big archipelago and there are only a couple of even smaller islands nearby).
Jeff Corwin has been known to take some pretty good guesses at what a snake has in its tummy by palpation alone, but this is hardly a precise enough technique for someone who's trying to gather scientific data!
I agree that it seemed like they went overboard trying to catch that poor monitor. And yes, I'm sure it was fearing for its life, but bear in mind that *any* herp that humans attempt to capture is going to be fearing for its life! These little fellas can't tell the difference between somebody who just wants to check them out, gather data about them, take a quick photo, give them a hug, or rescue them if they are injured or in danger, and somebody who wants to kill and/or eat them (not necessarily in that order), you know. (Has anybody noticed that snakes seem to really hate cameras? I mean, they always go after the camera. I've gotten some great fang shots because of this propensity for camera-striking. Idea for celebrities: next time the paparazzi show up, just flash your 2-inch venom-dripping fangs at 'em. It might make headlines once but they'll probably be scared off for good after that. I suppose I should point out, before you go to your plastic surgeon to see about getting 2-inch venom fang implants, that 2-inch venom fangs might not be conducive to that charming trademark grin that you've been cultivating all these years.)
The young men who went along with Dr. Grismer, including his son, were certainly not "teenagers," but university students - probably graduate and/or post-doctoral fellows, certainly at *least* undergrads. This is how students in any field -- herpetology, medicine, mathematics, whatever -- gain experience (in the field, the lab, or anywhere else): by working with a professor.
Regarding the debate on whether the Tioman PV ought to be regarded as a separate species: the argument made on the docu was that the behaviour of the snake was unique, or at least quite unusual, for a viper. They believed that it was hunting actively, in contrast to the ambush strategy that's typical for vipers. I didn't see too much evidence of that, but then again, it's not like they showed every moment of their travels, or everything they did. They probably spent a lot more time observing their new snake buddy than just what we saw in the show.
There certainly are species that are mainly distinguished not by their appearance or anatomy, but by their behaviour. Among our closest relations, the bonobo (formerly known as the pygmy chimpanzee and considered to be a subspecies of chimps) looks pretty much like a smallish chimp, but their social behaviour is completely different. A snake with a hunting behaviour that is novel compared to most snakes in its family would certainly be of interest.
Of course, observations of a single individual hunting actively don't prove that this is normal hunting behaviour for TPVs, although it is suggestive. That particular snake might just be more adventurous than most (if a snake can add a new hunting technique to its repertoire, that would give it a distinct survival advantage), or it might be roaming the treetops in search of something other than food. (Sex, perchance? Or a new territory with better opportunities for hunting? Or just a nice place to coil up and take a nap?)
The fact that the snake was found at a high altitude (they had documented 2 others, I *think* both of them also rather high up) is also of interest. Vipers are the most versatile of snake families in terms of habitats, but mountain-dwelling vipers are still unusual.
Anyway, I believe they took a DNA sample which should settle the question (if it hasn't already). (How would you like to try and get a cheek swab from a pit viper?!)
I didn't think the TPV looked at all like a Fea's. Fea's vipers superficially resemble nonvenomous colubrids more than typical viperids in shape (they have much narrower heads than most vipers), and also because they have the large head scales seen in the colubrid and elapid families. (Venomous colubrids, such as the notorious brown tree snake and the colourful mangrove snake, often do have broad, viperine triangular or spade-shaped heads.) The TPV looked like a typical Trimeresurus to me. A lot of the arboreal vipers are relatively slender. These are some of my favourite vipers because of their agility, bright colouration, prehensility (not only their tail, but that great reach they have with their necks, which can, admittedly, be a little freaky if they're reaching directly for your nose), etc. Great snakes.
Whether or not it's a new species, I thought the TPV was an awfully pretty snake. How about that exotic blue (!) colouration? I'm looking for some photos of this gorgeous viper but can't seem to find anything on the web. Anyone know where I might look? (I'm trying to prove to my sister that a snake can be blue. <g> I've also seen blue boomslangs, but can't find a decent photo of one of those either.)
Sorry this is so long. There were lots of comments I wanted to respond to! This is my first post to this site, BTW - I hope I haven't offended anybody. If I did I promise it was unintentional.
-The Lizzard
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RE: Anyone see reptile kings search for the lost v
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by shyfire on July 23, 2008
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I just saw the show and I liked it a lot. The whole team made what they do look like fun and thats valuable to advertising any career. Dr. Grismer and his son are very respected in the scientific community and they earned every bit of that respect. The whole team seemed very knowlegeable. The show was a nice change from the animal planet norm, and I really appreciated the use of scientific names and the sheer number of facts stated about each species. It made the show enjoyable for not only the scientific community but also the every day person channel surfing. =)
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RE: Anyone see reptile kings search for the lost v
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by Iguanaverde90 on April 25, 2009
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I dont care about what anyone says i think they did a good job i mean it takes alot to go into a swamp and dance around with a monitor. they really did a good job.
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RE: Anyone see reptile kings search for the lost v
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by LaDee on September 29, 2010
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Dr. Grismer was actually my Physiology professor, and I assure you he is definitely a professional and very, very knowledgeable. He's been published over 50 times in peer-reviewed scholarly journals. You know, the kind that you can cite in legitimate academic research. "Reptile Kings" didn't really do his work justice, though I would say it was very good for TV. You have to remember, Discovery Channel is looking to make money, after all, but the information was legitimate. Dr. Grismer's kind of a badass in real life, but I would not call him a show-off by any means. He does things his way, but he's an excellent scientist and professor. His personality doesn't necessarily fit the "serious researcher" stereotype, but his work is far from child's play. Robert brought up a good point about looking up his work in Baja California. He's done lots of valuable research out there. I also know that academic integrity is very important to him, so any claims he made, I'm sure he would substantiate or at least explain. Also, I don't understand why anyone would criticize his physique. What does that have to do with his credibility as a scientist? He likes to work out, but his research is physically demanding, so I don't understand what the problem is. Everyone should be getting regular exercise. It's nothing to be derided.
I don't personally know his son, but I do know he takes his work very seriously. Maybe their personalities are unorthodox, but they are very respected in the scientific community. Maybe they're not the ones who need to look over their research...
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