RAUK - Archived Forum - Posts by Timo:

Hello,

I have been looking for a forum where is a talking about animals from our nature, luckily I found this and as you noticed from subject, I'm a new member. We have a same kind of reptile and amphibian fauna in Finland as you have in England. I'm working in Helsinki Zoo, Headkeeper of Reptiles, Amphibians and Invertebrates but I have been working in some ecological work in our nature with Vipera berus and other interesting creatures from nature. As well I have been working seriously with Coronella austriaca from different localities and at that moment I have been done work about reproductive biology of C.austriaca.

I believe I'll find interesting topics from here and maybe help for some question what allways comes when we are working with reptiles and amphibians.

Timo Paasikunnas, Finland

Well, here in Finland we just dream about adders or other creatures on the field. We have been about -15 degrees every night and about -5 by day. Still, our plan is to go and walk the ways to place where our snakes and frogs live, there is about 30 or more cm snow between me and hibernacula. Me and my colleaque/girlfriend in Zoo, Alina starting again, third year, searching and capture-recapture marking Vipera and Natrix for studying their movement and living in a different area on different season, spring and summer etc. As well we working with other species, example solving about hibernation method of Triturus vulgaris in here.

But we need to wait a few weeks but I'll try to inform you when we have a first adder or Triturus or Natrix or....

Timo Paasikunnas Finland

It takes a while when I send anything to here. But we have got nice information about some of our reptile-and amphibian-species after we got license to mark and work with our creatures. Here is a one example picture about one female, nearby at hibernation place and female what donÆt move more than 3-5 meters since 17^th of May and we believe it should be gravid. We are trying to follow different gravid females and we have a good start with different specimens. We have checking that places two to four times every week and of course, looking for other snakes from those populations. We have used capture-recapture methods with Vipera berus what should give interesting information to us. Of course, our work takes five years or more if needed and it contains another species as well.

Timo Paasikunnas and Alina Kallio

Finland

Another species, not so easy as V.berus, is Anguis fragilis which living closely and luckily partly in same area as that adder in last pictures. We are doing close research about flora and soil if their have a connect for microhabitat with A.fragilis in Finland. That would help to find a new population and doing inventory with that secret creature. Then Triturus(Lissotriton) vulgaris, we have doing research about migration between different small ponds and looking for route between hibernacula, breeding(aquatic time) ponds and area what their using at terrestrial time. In our license is for Natrix natrix too, but because it has so wide moving area, it is more difficult and takes time before we have a good result about that species.

Timo Paasikunnas and Alina Kallio

Example in my collection I have been seen when pythons and boas are upside down and grill their ventrals but Vipera berus or Coronella austriaca, I never seen that kind of basking or with another vipers, even I have many different viper-species.

Gravid adder females in nature basking a lot and they do not move if their have a good place even raining. A few days ago I again went to the area, +16 C and in rainy weather; one gravid female was still a few hours in a same place or moving a little. Then weather got better and female stay there. Adders sometimes moving +15 C even raining in Finland but under this temperature, I haven't seen those when raining.

In captivity, I have European and Russian V.berus and C.austriaca from different locality, their mostly don't eat when gravid but some specimens eating early stage of gravidity. V.berus has been eaten voles in early stage, but very small ones. As well as some Coronella but I need to work longer with them and in outside terrarium. Usually in captivity, hobbyists terrarium room or even in Zoo room, have higher temperatures in terrarium than in nature, their then consume their fat store(higher metabolism) and because usually females using their fat store from previous year, maybe that's why their need to eat when gravid in captive. Luckily, I have possibility in my private collection keep northern population in colder room, almost like outside, and long hibernation; specimens don't breed every year in my collection. I don't believe that in nature female normally doesn't need to eat when those are gravid. Specimens of southern population, from Europe, are still young and I can start reproduction biology work with them 2007.

I can work with CB C.austriaca in captivity with permission, scientific purpose. V.berus doesn't need special permissions, actually anything in Finland! Sometimes that makes a work to tell hobbyists why it isn't a good way to start keeping venomous snakes!!

Yes, happy birthday!

Timo Paasikunnas

Hello Armata,

Surely we can check some hibernacula if you visit in Finland, I live in south and that isn't a problem. By the way, maybe we meet in Potchefstroom 24-27 November? We will be in there.

Timo

Today we have at that moment +13 degrees and if sunny, it promised almost +20 degrees. These days are warmer than average but still specimens migrate. Normally we have towards the middle of September highest about below +20 and closer +15 degrees. Average temperature has been +10-12 degrees and day is much shorter (13 h). Lowest can be near +5.

We have been noticed some hibernacula of adder and grass snake just following their direction of travel in autumn. This is the time when their make one's way to area where those spend winter. Of course, not yet in hibernacula but nearby.

Timo

Well, we already had a few nights when I needed ice scraper with my car in the morning... but luckily our summer continue a while when we come to South Africa, Potchefstroom to HAA conference and driving through Kruger and Madikwe Parks with my colleagues after conference.

Timo