Hello everyone: Information for those of you who are interested: Over 3 million people live in the Republic of Panama and include Panamanians and foreign ex-pats. 331,000 tourists visit each year. 150 species of snakes share this environment and little is known about any of them. It is essential that local people and tourists, along with students and researchers, are able to identify these animals, especially the venomous ones. Furthermore, this book will add significantly to science and will be sought after by many who study or simply enjoy reptiles and amphibians. Currently no reference exists for Panama.
We have assembled 2 snake ecologists, Dr. Julie M. Ray and James L. Knight, plus 2 local Panamanians, Pablo and Macedonio, who are snake enthusiasts and well versed in their natural environment. We are writing a field guide to the Snakes of Panama in English and Spanish. The field guide will include descriptions including color and scale counts, color photographs, natural history information, and maps for each species found in Panama. Venomous snakes will be well covered and include comparisons to similar non-venomous snakes, plus information on where to seek medical attention throughout Panama. We hope to raise $4900 through www.kickstarter.com, which will provide funds to visit museums/sites within the US and Panama to confirm records of snakes, to purchase a couple of important references, and to pay a small stipend to two Panamanians, who will help with the research, field work, and translation to Spanish. Any additional funds we raise will be used to further involve the Panamanians in the project. This funding will cover expenses for at least six months. To assist with the project visit www.kickstarter.com and select a level of donation. Each level results in a reward to the donor. All transactions are done through Amazon.com and no money is deducted from your account until the project meets its goal. If the project does not meet the goal, it is not funded and no money is deducted from your account. Julie M. Ray, MSc, PhD Director La MICA Biological Station La Montaña para Investigación y Conservación Ambiental El Cope-La Pintada. Provincia de Cocle. Republica de Panama Amigos Support La MICA. c/o Julie Ray, 12458 132nd Street, Chippewa Fall,s WI 54729 Fundación Centro de Investigación Biológica El Copé, S.A. (Panama) telephone: 011-507-6707-8900 www.lamica.org [email protected] Amigos Support La MICA is a project of International Humanities Center, a 501c3 nonprofit organization.
