With the postponement of the 26th CSG Working Meeting and the Drone Workshop until May 2021, we wish to avoid having CSG members miss out on information that could potentially assist their research, management and conservation efforts in the interim. To that end, and in keeping with our original goal of establishing an Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) community of practice within the CSG, we are providing a range of resources here. We intend for this to be an open and interactive forum, and we encourage submissions and input from participants.

Surveying American Crocodiles at Turkey Point Nuclear Power Station,

Florida Power and Light (Photograph: Lonnie McCaskill)

Some 13 years have passed since the publication of “Infectious Diseases and Pathology of Reptiles: An Atlas and Text” in 2007. Since that time, a wealth of new information concerning the pathology and diseases of reptiles has been published. Elliott Jacobson (University of Florida) and Michael Garner (Northwest ZooPath) have joined forces to compile “Infectious Diseases and Pathology of Reptiles: Color Atlas and Text (Volume 1)” and “Noninfectious Diseases and Pathology of Reptiles: Color Atlas and Text (Volume 2)”. A brief summary of contents will be provided in the July-September 2020 issue of the CSG Newsletter. For anyone with an interest in diseases of reptiles, including crocodilians, these two volumes provide an updated review of a diversity of subjects.

  

Both volumes are now available from CRC Press and Amazon.

Long-time CSG member and wildlife biologist Phil Wilkinson has joined with award-winning environmental writer and Wofford College professor John Lane to co-author “Seven Days on the Santee Delta”. The book traces Phil’s life against the backdrop of coastal South Carolina and the Santee Delta - the largest river delta on the eastern seaboard of the USA.

Georgetown native Phil grew up on Hopsewee Plantation on the North Santee River, and knows the Santee Delta with the intensity of time. The book is beautifully illustrated with Phil’s photographs of the delta’s people, wildlife, etc., and combined with his homespun stories, “Seven Days on the Santee Delta” makes for an amazing read. It is good to see that the Lord Berkeley Conservation Trust and Evening Post Books have managed to bring Phil Wilkinson’s legacy to a wider public audience.

Dr. Kent Vliet, another long-time CSG member, has put together a richly illustrated account of the biology, behaviour and conservation of the American alligator. With over 150 photographs from wildlife photographer Wayne Lynch, through “Alligators - the Illustrated Guide to their Biology, Behavior, and Conservation” (Johns Hopkins Press, 304 pp, 2020), Kent introduces readers to one of the world’s most recognised crocodilians.

The book combines Kent’s captivating storytelling with current scientific knowledge on the species, from its anatomy and physiology, to its complex social life. It will be a valuable addition to anyone’s collection, and especially for those interested and/or working with crocodilians.

The IUCN World Conservation Congress, which was re-scheduled  to 11-19 June 2020, has been postponed again to later in 2021. Information relating to this second postponement, including dates, will be available in due course.