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Index of Subjects Hi Hans, The page that the Wikipedia references: http://blogs.thatpetplace.com/thatreptileblog/2008/06/24/handling-snapping-turtles-chelydra-serpentina-and-other-large-turtles Is signed "Frank" and has no reference to a full name or biography. Irrespective of this, my point does not pertain to whether we only know him as "Frank" or "Frank Indiviglio" with a Masters degree in biology; unsupported assertions, are just that - unsupported assertions. Is there any documentation that such handling has ever resulted in "severe injuries to the spine and internal organs"? Maybe there is: but if so, no source I've looked at seems to offer any facts, just unsupported assertions. People with varying degrees of expertise (or lack thereof) can speculate or state; but that's not the same as having any evidence that supports the case one way or the other. Cheers! Chris On 24-Jun-09, at 2:41 PM, Hans Toom wrote: > Hi Christopher, > > In reference to "Frank" and his blog, here's his background, http://blogs.thatpetplace.com/thatreptileblog/about/ > He has a masters in Biology and is a consultant for several zoos. > To abruptly refer to his wikipedia submission as "Written by someone > called Frank", attempts to make his opinion anonymous and of no value. > > Hans > > > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Christopher Majka" <c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca > > > To: <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca> > Sent: Wednesday, June 24, 2009 1:58 PM > Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Handling Snapping Turtles > > >> Hi Hans, >> >> On 24-Jun-09, at 1:15 PM, Hans Toom wrote: >> >>> There tends to be more support for Peter Hope's position on not >>> handling the animal by the tail, than not. >>> >>> From wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ >>> Common_Snapping_Turtle , perhaps not a scientific resource but >>> usually fairly reliable. "It is a common misconception that >>> Common snappers may be safely picked up by its tail, with no harm >>> to the animal; in fact, this has a high chance of injuring the >>> turtle, especially the tail itself and the vertebral column". >> >> This is part of the "lore" that I was referring to. The Wikipedia >> is not a scientific publication as you point out, and the entries >> in it vary a great deal in reliability depending on who has >> written and/or contributed to them (which one can't determine), so >> it is effectively an anonymous source. >> >> In the case of this entry on snapping turtles, you'll notice that >> the cited source for the statement above is a blog: >> >> http://blogs.thatpetplace.com/thatreptileblog/2008/06/24/handling-snapping-turtles-chelydra-serpentina-and-other-large-turtles/ >> >> Written by someone called "Frank" that, in turn, says: >> >> "Do not lift snappers by their tails, as is often done – this will >> cause severe injuries to the spine and internal organs." >> >> Which again is an unsupported assertion by an almost anonymous >> source. This may or may not be true, but I've tracked enough "urban >> legends" that circulate without substantiation on the Internet to >> want to have a source in fact before I necessarily believe it. ;-> >> Thus far, I haven't found it and John Gilhen, an expert >> herpetologist, says that it is not true. >> >> Cheers! >> >> Chris >> >> Christopher Majka - Atlantic Canada Coleoptera >> http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Environment/NHR/atlantic_coleoptera.html >> c.majka@ns.sympatico.ca >> >> >
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