The Reptile Guy has a new lair.

Old News

Mike Hopcraft, the Reptile Guy, is creating a new habitat for the animals he rescues, including this African tortoise and monitor lizard.

— image credit: Neil Corbett

Reptile Guy gets a new home in Abbotsford

• by  Neil Corbett - Abbotsford News
  
•  posted Nov 9, 2012 

The Reptile Guy has a new lair.

Mike Hopcraft was busy carrying boxes, box turtles, computer monitors and a monitor lizard into his new location at Unit 7-34366 Forrest Terrace this week. It’s a warehouse space, right beside the freeway overpass, where Riverside Road goes under the Trans Canada Highway.

It is “by far the best” space he has had for his reptile rescue venture. So, he was as busy as a bearded dragon – whose heads were bobbing excitedly behind the glass of their new tank – getting it ready for the first visitors this weekend.

He was arranging aquariums in the nocturnal room, where he will turn day into night for the denizens, so visitors can observe them at their most active. He clicks on a red light over an aquarium, and a trio of scorpions glow green. There will also be tarantulas, gecko lizards, some frogs and other animals in the room.

There is a 1,400-gallon turtle pond, populated by pets that were once the size of loonies, but grew into dinner plates.

In a terrarium there is a coil of six boa constrictors. Another will house a pair of iguanas.

Hopcraft has a quarantine area and an office in a mezzanine that overlooks his operation, which he considers near perfect for his purposes.

It comes after a public appeal resulted in $6,500 in donations.

The publicity also netted him several new rescue animals, like the boa constrictor that came in a week ago.

It is only about six years old, and will likely live for 30 or 40 years.

It’s not the fact that it has grown to seven feet in length that discouraged the snake’s former owner.

Rather, he told Hopcraft he has chosen to live remotely, “off the grid.”
 
He will host birthday parties and school presentations, and also sell supplies that reptile owners need – like crickets and other feed.

He is optimistic that this time, with proper commercial zoning and falling in line with the province’s exotic species legislation, his business idea will take off.

“This is the most excited I’ve every been about the reptile thing.”

 

 

 

 

 

Link: http://www.abbynews.com/news/178238341.html

 

 

 

Humans may be hard-wired to spot serpents

Eek, a snake! 
Humans may be hard-wired to spot serpents and fast.

By Karin Brulliard November 10

 

A bull snake slithers toward a burrow in Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park. (Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post)

Snakes have been preying on primates and their ancestors for more than 100 million years. The first to do so were constrictors, which squeeze their victims to death. Several million years later, venomous snakes appeared and began immobilizing their targets via their sharp fangs.

We humans are primates, of course, and scientists believe this long history of danger from snakes has given us a built-in fear of the reptiles and very good snake-spotting skills.

 

The idea that primates’ brains and visual systems evolved to be hypersensitive even to camouflaged snakes — increasing our chances of survival — is known as the Snake Detection Theory, and it’s been demonstrated in several studies.

[Snakes make your skin crawl? This deadly fungus has the same effect on snakes.] 
 

In visual search experiments, for example, people pick out snake photos faster than they do spider images, and far faster than they do pictures of innocuous things like fruits or flowers. This superior snake-seeing and -fearing is true even for kids who don’t have a lot of experience with snakes, as well as for monkeys raised in captivity who had never encountered a snake.

Charles Darwin carried out a highly nonscientific test on himself during a visit to the London Zoological Gardens in 1872.  

 

“I put my face close to the thick glass-plate in front of a puff adder . . . with the firm determination of not starting back if the snake struck at me,” he later wrote. 

 

“But as soon as the blow was struck, my resolution went for nothing, and I jumped a yard or two backwards with astonishing rapidity. My will and reason were powerless against the imagination of a danger which had never been experienced.”

A new study published in PLOS ONE lends further credence to the idea that we are programmed to spot snakes — and fast. 

 

Using an image-manipulation tool, researchers presented people with a series of 20 images of a snake, bird, cat or fish that ranged from totally blurry to absolutely clear.

[Scary music makes sharks seem scarier] 

 

“In the images, the animals are ‘camouflaged’ in a uniform way, representing typical conditions in which animals are encountered in the wild,” co-author Nobuyuki Kawai said in a statement.

 

 Here’s the series that reveals a cute and harmless (to us humans, anyway) kitty:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Nobuyuki Kawai)

And here’s the series featuring that scary snake:

(Nobuyuki Kawai)

 

Participants were able to identify snakes pretty well by the sixth image, and with a rate of 90 percent by the eighth. The other, harmless animals weren’t generally made out until the 10th image or later. 

 

Participants had the toughest time identifying birds, which the authors said required further study to explain.

“This suggests that humans are primed to pick out snakes even in dense undergrowth, in a way that isn’t activated for other animals that aren’t a threat,” said another co-author, Hongshen He.





 Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2016/11/10/eek-a-snake-humans-may-be-hard-wired-to-spot-serpents-and-fast/?tid=sm_tw

Local Reptile Rescue

This four-foot long Argentine tegu was dropped off at Mike Hopcraft's facility in early November. The sick lizard struggles to eat, drink and walk; it makes a gagging gesture after a sip of water. Two vets and many medical tests have not determined the cause.

— image credit: ALINA KONEVSKI/THE ABBOTSFORD NEWS

 
Overloaded facility proves need for
local reptile rescue


by - Abbotsford News

posted Jan 3, 2014

When Mike Hopcraft opened his reptile rescue, education, and sales center in Abbotsford in Nov. 2012, he had eight red-eared slider turtles in the large artificial pond. The Reptile Guy now has over 80 as people keep depositing their unwanted turtles – as well as lizards, snakes, tarantulas, and any other cold-blooded creature – on his doorstep.

"These are the ones that people buy when they're little tiny turtles in pet stores, about the size of a quarter, and people don't realize how long they live, how big they get, how dirty they are," said Hopcraft.

Sliders live over 50 years. Although cute when small, they grow quickly to a foot long and start requiring more frequent cleaning and larger enclosures. That's when some people bring them to rescues like The Reptile Guy, or dump them in city ponds like Mill Lake.

With the many reptile surrenders, Hopcraft has outgrown his new 1,300 sq. ft. facility in the first year. But he won't stop accepting animals.

Instead, he is fundraising $75,000 for a new building where he will construct a "gigantic turtle pond" and much larger enclosures to welcome all stranded reptiles. For instance, his mean-looking snapping turtle named Muffin is about a foot in diameter now but will grow to 150 pounds, as will the two giant tortoises roaming a small sandy pen at the current site. All need larger and separate enclosures.

"This is not going to do for much longer at all. We got 240 animals in the first year. We're not looking to close down anytime soon, so the animals are going to keep coming in. We need a bigger space," he said.

Only a handful of rescue facilities accept reptiles in the Lower Mainland.

"Once it was known that we had an actual location and more people started finding out about us, the number of animals coming in just went right up," said Hopcraft.

The reptile industry is growing rapidly, he says, but knowledge of how to care for the animals and what to expect as they grow is still lacking. Hopcraft accepts reptiles no questions asked, and frequently receives animals sick and disabled after basic care wasn't followed.

The Reptile Guy has launched an Indiegogo campaign to cover the cost of a new building. He recognizes he's unlikely to meet the hefty price tag through this campaign alone, as supporters have pledged just $525 by Dec. 31, with 13 campaign days remaining.

Hopcraft is no stranger to the uphill financial battle. He shut down his previous rescue site in 2011 after new government regulations prohibited him from displaying his animals and dried up his revenue source. Last year, he opened the current site after heavy public campaigning.

He is determined to find the funds for a new building, especially as he risks losing ownership of his American alligator and two Burmese pythons. Because Hopcraft doesn't have a large enough space, another agency is on contract until May 2014 to house these exotic animals. But it's unclear what will happen by that deadline if Hopcraft is unable to meet the requirements to reclaim them.

Hopcraft's long-term goal is to obtain a zoo licence and have the facility as a full-time education and visitor centre. He already takes his reptiles to schools, but the current space is too small to accommodate student groups.

He is also trying to reduce the number of reptiles that end up in bad homes. People can adopt some of his animals, but – like the SPCA – only if they meet strict requirements, and not everyone does. A potential adopter for a bearded dragon lizard recently walked out after an argument on the necessity of an ultraviolet light for the enclosure.

In an effort to reduce the slider population in Abbotsford, Hopcraft unsuccessfully campaigned city council last summer to restrict their sale because the turtle has become an invasive and destructive species in city parks and ponds. Meanwhile, he continues to receive sliders from people who didn't think the initial purchase all the way through.

We encourage an open exchange of ideas on this story's topic, but we ask you to follow our guidelines for respecting community standards. Personal attacks, inappropriate language, and off-topic comments may be removed, and comment privileges revoked, per our Terms of Use. Please see our FAQ if you have questions or concerns about using Facebook to comment.

 

 Source: http://www.abbynews.com/news/178238341.html

 

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• B.C. Reptile Club holds spring expo in Abbotsford (April 17, 2016)
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Green iguanas living in a large outdoor cage

Uploaded on Feb 28, 2010

Green
iguanas live in a large cage outddors, eating, feeding, mating,
fighting, biting, and walking. 

Physical Appearance: Full-grown green
iguanas are usually between four and six feet, although they have been
known to grow up to seven feet long. This includes the tail, however,
which can make up about half the body length and, in addition to its
green color, has black stripes. Green iguanas, not surprisingly, are
green in color, but can be found in many different shade ranging from
bright green, to a dull, grayish-green. Their skin is rough, with a set
of pointy scales along the iguana's back. Green iguanas have long
fingers and claws to help them climb and grasp.

Geographic Range:
The green iguana is found over a large geographic area, from Mexico to
southern Brazil and Paraguay, as well as on the Caribbean Islands.

Adaptations:
Besides the long fingers and claws mentioned above, green iguanas have
many excellent interesting adaptations. Green iguanas have good senses
of hearing and smell, and superb vision. Their long tail is also quite
sharp, and is snapped in the air as a defense mechanism. The tail can
also break off if caught by a predator, but grows back without permanant
damage. Green iguana skin is very water resistant, and tough to avoid
cuts and scratches. The coloring of the skin helps camoulflage the green
iguana, which means that they blend in easily to their surroundings to
remain undetected by predators. 

If they are etected however, and need to
escape quickly, these iguanas can dive from trees into water, and swim
well. Green iguanas are quite sturdy-- they can fall 40-50 feet to the
ground without getting hurt! Male green iguanas have a special flap of
skin called the dewlap. Male iguanas can raise their dewlap to appear
bigger than they really are, either to intimidate predators, or to
impressive females. 

Both male and female green iguanas can store fat
under their jaws and in their necks for times when there is not much
food available.

Habitat: Iguanas live in tropical rainforest
areas, generally in lower altitudes in areas near water sources, such as
rivers or streams. They spend most of their time high in the forest
canopy, about 40-50 feet above the ground.

Behaviour: Iguanas are
diurnal, meaning that they are awake during the day. They are also
cold-blooded, which means they do not produce their own body heat. In
other words, if it is cold, the iguana is cold too. So to stay warm,
green iguanas bask in the sun, lying on warm rocks as they soak up the
sun's heat.

Reproductive Cycle and Family Habits: Green
iguanas tend to live alone, but may be seen in groups occasionally in
good sunny basking spots. Iguanas lay many eggs at a time (about 50), in
holes inthe ground called burrows. They also dig pretend burrows to
confuse any animals that may be looking for eggs to eat. After female
iguanas lay the eggs, they leave them and do not return. When iguana
babies hatch, they grow up without care from their parents. Green
iguanas lay many eggs, but only 3-10 babies actually survive to be
adults. It takes green iguana eggs about 8-10 weeks to hatch, then takes
baby iguanas about 2 years to become mature adults.

Diet: Green
iguanas are omnivorous, so they eat both plants and meat. They tend to
eat mostly plants, though, especially leaves and fruits. Sometimes green
iguanas (especially young ones) will eat eggs, insects, and small
vertebrates.

Threats to Survival: Like many trpoical species, the
green iguana is also threatened by habitat destruction. The green
iguana is also a victim of the pet industry. Many people in the United
States and elsewhere want a green iguana for a pet, so there is a big
demand for their capture. Although many pet iguanas are now being raised
on iguana farms, capture from the wild has lowered their numbers. In
addition, some local populations of South America hunt the green iguana
for food.

Conservation Efforts: Laws have been made to protect
green iguanas from over-hunting and the pet-trade. Unfortunately, these
laws are not enforced very well. Many people are trying to develop
protected areas for the iguanas, and to educate local populations about
the importance of conservation. 

Some of these educational programs help
local populations find new ways of using the land, without permanantly
destroying it. For example, for people who want to continue to eat the
green iguana, programs are being developed to raise these animals for
food, instead of hunting wild ones. Tony Garel, at the Belize Zoo and
Tropical Education Center, is woking on one such project to conserve the
iguanas and educate local communities Tony has used captive breeding
techniques to increase green iguana populations, and has released some
of these iguanas into the wild.

• 
  

  Category Pets+Animals
  

• 
  

  License - Standard YouTube License
  

Link: https://youtu.be/C_kxeAz7GYs

Cat vs Lizard

Mother bat carrying her pup to visit cactus flowers.

Common Green Iguana

As common as the green iguana (iguana iguana) is within the pet trade, it is surprising that there is not much information available on proven Iguana morphs. Even the large iguana farms in Central and South America are not exactly sure which breedings produce which offspring.

Iguana Morphs are basically “The New Country” in reptile projects. Many of us that work with Iguana Morphs, in many cases, must speculate on what a particular iguana morph truly is (ie pastel, hypo, caramel, T+, axanthic, codom, recessive, etc), or what a particular iguana pattern or color mutation will potentially create.
We apologize for any errors that we make in our comments or speculations. We definitely do not intend to offend fellow Iguana breeders. Nor do we intend to mislead the reptile community. As I have stated, this is “New Country” and we are all in the learning process. I have been to some of the largest Iguana morph farms in the world and been present when the perceived experts have had eggs hatch. They are as baffled as I am at the appearance of the offspring and are asking me what I think their offspring may be. 

This is truly new territory. U.S. Iguana's passion is Iguana morphs. We love our lizards and we eat, drink, and breathe iguanas. However, we do not profess to be scientists nor experts. We are simply hobbyists that are eager to learn more about this fantastic project.


Iguana Projects:

U.S. Iguana is involved in various iguana (iguana iguana) morph projects and we are currently raising hets, double hets DH, possible triple hets, and visual offspring for numerous projects including:




Albino (true T- ) Iguana x Albino (true T- ) Iguana

Albino (true T- ) Iguana x Blue (Axanthic) Iguana

Albino (true T- ) Iguana x Red ( RedruM ) Iguana

Blue ( Axanthic ) Iguana x Red ( RedruM ) Iguana

Caramel ( Lutino / T+ ) Iguana x Red ( RedruM ) Iguana

Caramel ( Lutino / T+ ) Iguana x Blue ( Axanthic ) Iguana

Hypo Iguana x Albino (true T- ) Iguana

Hypo Iguana x Red ( RedruM ) Iguana

Black Iguana x Albino (true T- ) Iguana





Also, over the years, we have acquired many odd and unique iguanas that we are working to “prove out” and combine with proven iguana morph projects.
















Click on the links below for information on iguana morph projects

Albino Iguana (True T- ) bright yellow and pink/peach

Blue Iguana ( Axanthic ) True Blue

Snow Iguana aka Blizzard Lizard ( True T- Albino Iguana x Blue ( Axanthic ) Iguana )

Red Iguana ( RedruM )

Black Iguana

Caramel / Lutino / T+ / Trans

Hypo

Other Unique Iguana Morph Projects























Link: http://www.boalab.com/iguana.html#bottomtable

 News

Reptiles moving to downtown Mission

• by  Kevin Mills - Mission City Record
  
•  posted Jun 12, 2015 at 8:00 AM— updated Jun 12, 2015 at 1:46 PM

Mike Hopcraft, better known as the Reptile Guy, holds an iguana, one of more than 300 animals he houses in his centre. Hoprcraft is moving his facility and his creatures from Abbotsford to downtown Mission.

— image credit: Tyler Olsen photo

Mike Hopcraft is coming to Mission and he’s bringing snakes, lizards, turtles, frogs, tarantulas, scorpions and plenty of other creatures with him.
Known as the Reptile Guy, Hopcraft is shutting down his Abbotsford-based rescue and education centre and moving to First Avenue in Mission’s downtown core.
He plans to relocate the reptiles on July 1 and hopes to be open to the public two weeks after that.
Hopcraft said the move is needed because he’s outgrown his 1,250-square-foot facility. Finding a larger space that allows reptiles,has been a challenge.
“We started to get a really good reception from Mission. There were a lot of people interested in having us out here,” he said.
His new facility has 4,300 sq.ft. of space, more than three times the area he had in Abbotsford, providing enough room to house the more than 300 creatures he often cares for.
The centre focuses on rescuing animals. Pets that have been abandoned, seized, lost or sick are taken in and rehabilitated. If possible, they are adopted out and those that can’t be relocated, remain on site as part of the education side of the centre.
“The education program is what funds the rescue. We don’t get donations – we deal with animals that scare people.”

 The facility acts like a zoo, where the public can come in and learn about reptiles.

“They get a hands-on tour, see some animals, learn about conservation and endangered species and the money they spend goes right into the rescue program.”
Those who are brave enough can even hold and pet the reptiles.
Hopcraft said his facility is a huge hit with kids, many of whom have a fascination with reptiles. One of the biggest fundraisers for his centre is birthday parties and the new Mission building allows them to create an on-site birthday party room.
“Birthday parties are one of the main reasons we are able to stay open,” he said.
Jamie Hayes, executive director of the Mission Downtown Business Association, called the new facility a “wonderfully unique addition” to the area.
“We are very encouraged that Mike has worked so well with the District of Mission in preparation of his opening. We look forward to the many families the facility will draw into downtown Mission.”
Mayor Randy Hawes agrees.

“I think his is the kind of business that is going to draw people. And what’s wrong with having something that will draw people downtown?” he asked.

Hawes believes local students will be intrigued.

“I am pretty darn sure there will be a heck of a lot of school kids that would love to go and look at them.”

According to Hawes, no special zoning was needed to allow the centre to move in and the district has no safety concerns about the reptiles.
“I don’t see any danger at all,” said Hawes. “He’s been doing this for years. He doesn’t sell them. This isn’t a pet store. It’s a recovery place.”

He added that Hopcraft respects B.C. legislation and won’t have any dangerous animals without the proper permits and precautions.

Hopcraft confirmed that all the animals he has right now are “perfectly legal” to own in B.C.
However, he does plan to construct a quarantine room and acquire a rescue permit from the Ministry of Environment.

“That permit will allow us to take in what we call ‘controlled alien species. ” ’
Larger snakes or other reptiles which the government has deemed as a dangerous animal, can be housed there if he has a permit and a secured enclosure from which the creatures cannot escape.

“There is no safety threat.”
While he is used to getting some public concern about the reptiles, Hopcraft said the feedback so far has been mostly upbeat.

“We are getting more positive reaction from Mission than we ever got from Abbotsford.
Before he can open, Hopcraft has to finish renovating his new space, which is an expensive endeavour.

“We assume we will run out of money during the building process,” he said.
He has already sold his personal vehicle in order to finance the move and is looking for donations and sponsorships for the facility.

Sponsors can receive a plaque on one of the reptile enclosures, with their business name on it.



For more, visit thereptileguy.info 

Link: http://www.missioncityrecord.com/news/307130401.html

Mission's Reptile Guy

Related Stories 
 
Mission's Reptile Guy hosts haunted house fundraiser (October 15, 2016)
Charges recommended against Reptile Guy (January 14, 2016)
Reptile Guy ponders his future (December 31, 2015)
Reptile Guy to appeal SPCA seizure (December 10, 2015)
Reptile Guy frustrated as SPCA confiscates animals (December 03, 2015)
Raising funds for Mission's cheer academy (September 14, 2016)
Shimmy Mob raises funds in 202 cities including Mission (May 08, 2016)
With no charges yet filed, Reptile Guy ready to move on (November 02, 2016)








News
Mission's Reptile Guy hoping to raise enough funds to keep facility open

Mike Hopcraft isn't giving up. After announcing that his reptile centre was going to close on Nov. 19, he has decided to try and raise $25,000 in donations to keep the facility running.
— image credit: File photo


by Kevin Mills - Mission City Record

Mission, B.C. posted Nov 11, 2016 at 2:00 AM— updated Nov 12, 2016 at 12:03 PM


The Reptile Guy’s Rescue and Education Centre may still remain open.

Five days after owner Mike Hopcraft announced on Facebook that the facility will close on Nov. 19, he created a new post hoping to raise enough funds to keep it open.

In his Nov. 10 post, Hopcraft wrote “We don’t want to let this place go as we have had four people needing us to take in their animals since we made our post about closing.”

He went on to say “Together, we can save our rescue and keep a safe place for unwanted reptiles and other small exotic animals.”

He is asking people to make donations in the hope that he can raise the $25,000 he needs to keep the facility running.

“If even half of the people who have liked our page donated just $10 we can make this happen.

“Donations can be made via Paypal or email transfer to mike@reptileguy.ca, in person at our facility or you can call in with a credit card,” he wrote.

On Nov. 5, Hopcraft posted a less hopeful message which announced the pending closure of the centre.

“As many of you know, 11 months ago our rescue was the subject of an unfortunate series of allegations by the BCSPCA followed by an endless attack from an animal rights group. As of today, the allegations have gone nowhere and there has never been a follow up inspection,” he wrote.

Hopcraft went on to write that the allegations made by the BCSPCA – and the national media coverage that came with it – severely damaged the centre’s name. As a result, the centre has “suffered a steady decrease in bookings” for the education program, which he said is the “sole means of funding for our rescue.”

He wrote that the centre has now fallen behind with almost all of its bills, including rent, and the only way to continue operating would be to raise $25,000 in the next few weeks, which he called “not feasible.”

With the decision made to close the centre, Hopcraft indicated that he and his staff are concerned about the animals’ welfare.

“It scares us to know that there will not be a place that can take in the volume of unwanted, abandoned or injured reptiles, amphibians, arachnids and other small exotic animals that we have been able to do for so many years.”

As for the animals currently housed at the rescue, Hopcraft wrote that they will be starting to find homes in the next few weeks, but it will take time.

“We ask that you please not ask for animals until we begin making posts about adoptions.”

In July of 2015, Hopcraft relocated his Abbotsford-based rescue centre to downtown Mission. By December of that year, the SPCA had executed four warrants on the property and confiscated several animals.

Charges were originally recommended in January 2016 under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. Court documents – the search warrant and information to obtain a search warrant – were made public by an animal activist group and state that the SPCA received a complaint from an ex-employee at the reptile centre, including photographs of animals in distress.

Allegations included animals enclosed in unsanitary conditions, dead animals, underweight animals, animals without water, a fungal infection, overcrowding and animals in critical distress.

The SPCA wouldn’t comment on the case in particular, but did confirm that despite the fact almost 11 months have passed, no charges have been filed yet.




Link: http://www.missioncityrecord.com/news/400744481.html

The Reptile Guy's Rescue and Education Center

 

The Reptile Guy's Rescue and Education Center 

Iguana greets Bearded Dragon

 

 

Top 10 most popular reptiles (and why it matters)

HomeNews and eventsResearchers reveal top 10 most popular reptiles (and why it matters)

Researchers reveal top 10 most popular reptiles (and why it matters)

ResearchScience

Scientists from Oxford University and Tel Aviv University have ranked the world's most 'popular' reptiles, revealing the species that capture the public's imagination and providing valuable quantitative data towards the debate surrounding conservation priorities.

Using data taken from Wikipedia, the research team – comprising zoologists, geographers and computer scientists – found that fearsome species such as the Komodo dragon, saltwater crocodile and king cobra were of greatest interest to website users.
The results are published in the journal Biological Conservation.
Co-lead author John C Mittermeier, a PhD candidate in the School of Geography and the Environment at Oxford University, said: 'There is a debate in conservation as to whether the fact that we as humans like a particular species justifies conserving it, regardless of its importance from an ecological point of view.
'But although this idea of some species being "culturally valuable" has been around for some time, it has been difficult to measure and define. Whether or not we want to take these cultural variables into account when shaping conservation policy, we need data to support those decisions.'
The researchers looked at 55.5 million page views in the year 2014 for all of the 10,002 species of reptile accessed in Wikipedia.
They found that venomous or endangered species, as well as those with higher body mass or posing a threat to humans, tended to be more interesting overall. There was also a bias towards species found in Wikipedia users' own regions – for example, the Japanese pit viper was top of the Japanese-language rankings, while the green iguana was the most-accessed species among Spanish speakers.

Top 10 reptiles accessed on the English-language version of Wikipedia in 2014:
1. Komodo dragon
2. Black mamba
3. Saltwater crocodile
4. King cobra
5. Gila monster
6. Cottonmouth (viper)
7. American alligator
8. Leatherback sea turtle
9. Nile crocodile
10. Boa constrictor

Taking all languages into account, the Komodo dragon was the most popular species overall, with 2,014,932 page views in 2014 (3.6% of total page views), followed by the common European adder and the saltwater crocodile.
Co-lead author Dr Uri Roll, from the Department of Zoology and the School of Geography and the Environment at Oxford University, said: 'In the past we could have carried out basic surveys of a few hundred or a few thousand individuals to find out where their interest lay, whereas now we can do it with millions of people for an entire class of organisms on a global scale. Obviously there are limitations to using an online tool such as Wikipedia, but there are lots of benefits too.
'One of the key questions in conservation is where to divert the limited resources we have available. Do we prioritise rare or endangered species, ecologically important species, or species that attract the most public interest? The field is definitely split, but we're putting numbers behind some of these ideas, and that’s really important.'
Perhaps surprisingly, the study found that 'culturally interesting' reptile species in Wikipedia were widely distributed across the reptilian tree of life. If we only saved the top 5% of the most popular species in Wikipedia, we would cover 67% of the 88 reptile families.
John C Mittermeier added: 'Among more traditional conservationists there may be the view that we shouldn't incorporate cultural values into decisions about policy or funding. However, the fact is that whether we like it or not, we already do – how much funding do lions get compared with, for example, a species of small snail that doesn't even have an English name, even if the snail is more at risk of going extinct? The biases are already there.
'There's also an argument that the traditional thinking around conservation hasn't quite worked, so we need to reframe our approach.
'Regardless of the point of view you take, having this sort of quantitative data is critical.'
Although the study was aimed solely at gathering data, the researchers speculate at the reasons behind the huge variations in public interest between species. John C Mittermeier said: 'With notable exceptions such as the sea turtle or Galapagos giant tortoise, species that are venomous or otherwise dangerous to humans seem to capture people's imaginations more than others. The Komodo dragon is found in a geographical area probably the size of a small English county, yet it consistently attracts the most attention – possibly because the idea of the dragon is so universal in myth and folklore.'
Gonzalo Diaz, a computer science PhD candidate at Oxford and co-lead author of the study, added: 'The network of online and cross-referenced information repositories known as Linked Data has allowed us to gather information about most known reptile species. We see potential in using data-driven approaches to study the cultural impact of global species through their online footprint. Wikipedia page-view counts are just one of many metrics that can be explored.'
The researchers plan to widen their study to include the entire animal and plant kingdoms. There may also be scope to look at mentions of species in other big data repositories, including newspaper archives or social media.

The study 'Using Wikipedia page views to explore the cultural importance of global reptiles' is published in the journal Biological Conservation.


 Source: http://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2016-05-05-researchers-reveal-top-10-most-popular-reptiles-and-why-it-matters

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