Reptile & Amphibian Forums

...but "scientists" still think they can survive the winters there, anyway.
Scientists conclude that they might have survived if it hadn't been so gosh darn cold

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www.jasonrbartolettreptiles.webs.com

I admit that additional experimentation on animals is no ideal.

However, wouldn't it be simple enough to replicate this study? A climate controlled room with the ability to frost and even freeze would be easy enough to create. A dozen rooms of this type, a dozen snakes. Create an "environmental plan" meant to mimic the typical weather in several locations in the south east. Monitor the snakes frequently for URIs, the ability to feed and/or weight loss, etc. It would take money, but only a fraction as much as many studies of this size.

Additionally, they could re-use the room to check the invasion potential of other tropical and sub-tropical species.
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Lincoln, NE
0.1 Pastel, 1.0 Pastel het Pied, 0.1 Pied, 0.1 Cinn, 1.0 Black Pewter, 1.0 Woma (hidden gene?), 0.1 Yellowbelly
2.0 Normals, 1.0 Thayeri, 0.1 Thayeri X Alterna, 0.1 crazy cat, 1.0 husband

They might survive in Alaska too if it wasn't so dang cold there

I call dibs on the overpriced government/taxpayer funded study of whether or not snakes can survive in hell, if it weren't so hot.
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Snakes
Lizards
Tortoises
Dogs
Cats
Fish
Horses
Teenagers
DH who puts up with it all

Does it name the scientists? Honestly... I wonder if they did any research or took any classes in herpetology. However, basic physiology of cold blooded animals would tell you that, hey, it probably gets too cold for a lot of them... which is why higher latitudes don't have many species of snakes. I guess they don't think natural history plays a role either.

I hate that there is such thing as bad science and also that scientists allow biases to get a hold of them.
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Teresa
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3.0 Dogs (2.0 Chihuahuas, 1.0 Toy Poodle)
1.5 Cats
1.0 Cockatiel
1.0 Indonesian Blue tongue skink

Ball Pythons
0.1 100% Het Albino (Watson)
1.0 Pastel (Sweets)
0.1 Spider (Daisy)
1.0 Albino