Sh february 2012

Volume 25

January 2012 February

Number 12

this month’s speaker f e at u r e a r t i c l e 12

Todd Esque, Research Ecologist

“Herping Arizona—2011 in Review” by Roger Repp

announcement

How do we answer questions like: Is there enough room for tortoises and development in the Mojave Desert?

17

Snakes: A newly published book by Firefly Books

n at u r a l h i s to ry note 18

“Loss of biodiversity in district Midnapore (22°15’N 87°39’E),West Bengal, India” by Suman Pratihar

announcement 7:15 PM Tuesday, 21 February University of Arizona, BIO5/Keating Building 1657 East Helen Street

18

meeting minutes Todd catching Uta in December. Photo by Kristina Drake, Biologist, USGS.

T

odd Esque has been a Research Ecologist with the Western Ecological Research Center, USGS since 1996. He leads and collaborates on a variety of projects in arid systems involving disturbance ecology herpetology, plant demography, fire ecology, habitat modeling, and landscape ecology. Many of his current projects are interdisciplinary in nature and include: determining the influences of renewable energy and recreation on natural resources; quantifying the impacts of international border activities on biota and their habitats; designing and implementing projects to determine the efficacy of mitigation measures for surface-disturbing activities;

Call for Proposals: Charles H. Lowe, Jr., Herpetological Research Fund

and consulting on a variety of landscape-scale interagency initiatives (e.g., State Wildlife Action Plans, Landscape Conservation Cooperative, and Rapid Ecoregional Assessments).

Species-centric work includes: determining pathways and rates of disease transmission, quantifying physiological stress, detecting gene expression of stress, and dietary and habitat needs of healthy desert tortoises.

Although challenging in a variety of ways, the integrated research approach is often necessary to tackle difficult resource issues that confront society today. Todd enjoys nature photography, flying experimental aircraft, and growing desert plants.

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January 2012

next month’s Speaker

Melissa Amarello & Jeffrey J. Smith Being Big Brother: Remote photography reveals parental care, social bonding, and other things snakes aren’t supposed to do Tuesday, 20 March Tucson Herpetological Society meetings are open to the public and are held on the third Tuesday of each month starting at 7:15 PM

SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 25 (2) 2012

11

Herping Arizona—2011 in Review

Roger A. Repp, Vice President, Tucson Herpetological Society, repp@noao.edu

I

t is the sincere wish of this author that the Tucson Herpetological Society—as it exists today—had been in full swing in 1981. Had this been the case, it is likely that said author would have been better prepared to face the events that followed. 1981 is the year that he arrived in Arizona. He wanted nothing more than fellowship with those of like mind in herpetological matters. But there was nobody for him at the time.

Whatever herpetological cliques there may have been were secretive—impossible to penetrate by the staunch and non-inclusive invisibility of the herpetologists of that era. When it came to befriending the local herpers, the great poet and songwriter Jim Morrison Image of an in situ adult Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum) sharing a shelter with a could not have put it better: “People juvenile Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox). 2011 was a good year are strange, when you’re a stranger...” for encountering both species. Image by Roger A. Repp, 3 March 2011.

He tried on his own then to do the things that matter so much to him now. They were describe weather conditions. And I started counting all hollow, they were empty. They were void and without herps. Before the year 2000, I only counted common form. With nobody available to share his passion, he lizards sporadically. Had I been doing these three extra soon found other ways to justify his existence. These things during the glory years, we’d be talking about 22 were the day-to-day things that mean nothing to a true years of data, rather than 12. Yehaw! field herpetologist—but everything where the rest of And what would that all show? Well, it would the world is concerned. Family, work, church, hiking, likely show that since the year 1990, there has been guitar, volleyball, tennis, softball, chess, ping pong, a huge decrease in herp populations around Tucson. poker. These things kept him alive. In many ways, he Let’s consider a comparison between 2011 and 1992 was a better man at the time. But it just wasn’t right or 1995. In 2011, despite similar effort to the earlier with his soul. years mentioned, we would cut the number of herps The reasons for the first two paragraphs in this encountered by half! article are twofold. Our author missed what were But we don’t have to go back to 1992 or 1995 for probably the very best herping conditions to ever hit that matter. There was a third “glory days” period of the state of Arizona. We speak of the glorious wet time to occur under my watch. The generous rains of years of 1981 through 1984. With the right people at 1998 and 2000 set up a cornucopia of herp encounthis time period, he could have blossomed—and been ters. It wasn’t until I was preparing this review that I better prepared for a similar weather phenomena that saw it. It is obvious. And even if I had been doing all occurred from 1991 through 1994. The early 90s were the right things with the data since 1990, I would still his glory years in many ways. The THS was conceived be pointing at the year that the music died. One look in 1988, and with that event came many friendships at the 2002 column—the year that dramatic climate with people of like mind. The forays into the field change was first universally acknowledged—clearly were numerous, as were the finds. He even documentdemonstrates the crash. ed these finds. But without proper field training, the It is time to move on to the topic du jour. When documentation wasn’t what it could have been. (But speaking of any year as it pertains to encountering the said documentation was still a great deal better than local herpetofauna, weather matters greatly matter. most people who accompanied him.)

(Source for all weather information to follow: National And now “he” can slip from the third person, and Weather Service Tucson Website, John Glueck). We plunge into the dreaded pronoun in the process. By first briefly address temperature. On 1 January, we the year 2000, I added a few things to my documenbroke a record low temperature set in 1919! On 2 and tation that made it all count. I added start and stop 3 February, we broke low record temperatures set in times to my outings (field hours). I made it a point to 1910 and 1905! The mercury dipped below freezing

SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 25 (2) 2012

It is the sincere wish of this author that the Tucson Herpetological Society—as it exists today— had been in full swing in 1981.

Had this been the case, it is likely that said author would have been better prepared to face the events that followed.

12

21 times in 2011. On the other end of the spectrum, the high temperatures hit 100°F (37.7°C) or hotter 70 days.

It was the second hottest summer on record.

We next address the precipitation for 2011. Between January through June, the Tucson International Airport received a paltry 0.58 inches (14.73 mm) of rain. This is the second driest period for that duration in local weather history! And we had zero measurable rain from 10 April until 29 June. These 81 days were the fourth longest dry spell in weather history for Tucson. What then followed was the abysmal monsoon season. There were 1.64 inches (41.66 mm) of rain in July, Image of in situ Mojave Rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus) number 1, “Blake the Snake.” followed by 1.35 inches (34.29 mm) in First captured on 27 August 2011 in the heart of the Schuett/Repp study plot, this amazing snake moved back to what is his assumed home range by 2 October. He August. By the end of August, we were 3.34 inches (84.84 mm) below normal. had covered an amazing distance of 3.6 miles (5.8 km) in just over a month. Photo by Roger A. Repp, 28 September 2011.

It was looking pretty grim out there in paradise! encountered in this great state of ours. To include At this point, I break away from the weather exeverything found over that time period would be a perts, and go directly to my herp journal for 2011. We daunting task. Instead, for comparative purposes, all watched with alarm what was going down with the we limit the herps to six species of lizards, Desert fearsome fires that struck Arizona—not to mention Tortoises (Gopherus agassizii), and five species each of other parts of the country. My own words, scrawled colubrids and venomous snakes. These species were on paper with ink, written on 10 July 2011, have this selected based on the fact that there is always a chance to say: “Getting back to June, four major fires hit of encountering one of these with every herp trip I Arizona. The Wallow Fire was the worst in Arizona make. My counts include both live and dead animals. history. The Horseshoe Two Fire took out much of It is likely that some of the herps on this chart were the Chiris (Chiricahua Mountains), the Monument Fire accidentally counted twice, and in a few cases, some drove residents out of Sierra Vista, and I’m uncertain were deliberately counted twice (hibernating herps that of what is left of my favorite places in the Huachucas. engress in spring and return in fall). I’ve also added The Murphy Fire took out a chunk of the Pajarito other pertinent information, such as number of field Mountains to the south of Tucson. Until we start gettrips, personal hours spent, rainfall information, yearly ting good fall/winter rains again, there will be more of average temperatures, and grand totals of lizards and this happening.” snakes. In this way, one can tell at a glance how the September brought us the game-saving tackle years compared with each other. where rain is concerned. The 5.6 inches (142.24 In understanding what transpired herp-wise in mm) recorded at Tucson International Airport made 2011, we start at the top of the Table 1, and work September 2011 the wettest September on record. To down. The careful reader will follow each row as we put that into perspective, the previous record was 5.11 work our way downward. Perhaps the best two colinches (129.79 mm) back in 1964! November and Deumns to direct your focus are under the column headcember also brought us above average rainfall. When ing “2011,” as well as the last column, “Average.” But the last drop had been recorded, Tucson had received the whole table is what really tells the story of what a respectable total of 12.23 inches (310.64 mm) rain has happened thus far during this century. for the year. This is 2.68 inches (68.7 mm) above averWe first briefly mention field trip numbers and age for the 12 year period under discussion. hours in the field. Both numbers are modest by my Wrapping it all up in one sentence: “Too cold, too standards, but what is not included are the 1027.5 dry, too hot and too much fire and rain.” hours of those who accompanied me. In previous And what effect did all this have on the local herps? years, the field hours of companions were usually less Perhaps our table (Table 1) will provide some insight. than my own. And the quality of the help increased greatly this year. I was blessed to hang with the AHerp Statistics for 2011 Team in 2011. Despite that fact, most of the herp Since the Y2K century began, I have been faithnumbers are rather lackluster. fully documenting every lizard, snake and turtle As weather issues have already been discussed, we

SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 25 (2) 2012

Since the Y2K century began, I have been faithfully documenting every lizard, snake and turtle encountered in this great state of ours. To include everything found over that time period would be a daunting task. Instead, for comparative purposes, we limit the herps to six species of lizards, Desert Tortoises, and five species each of colubrids and venomous snakes.

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Table 1. Summary of reptile counts and additional data, 2000-2011.

Year

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Total All

Average

Field Trips

180

186

174

170

168

151

166

141

155

179

146

149

1965

164

Field Hours

912

1055

935.5

982

973.5

913

917

734

759

980.5

703.5

746.5

10611.5

884

NWS Rain (inches)

12.44

7.81

7.84

10.05

7.62

9.58

11.81

9.78

8.67

5.67

11.13

12.23

114.63

9.55

NWS Average Temp (F)

69.96

69.68

70

70.65

69.23

70.72

70.18

70.5

70

71.12

69.97

69.9

N/A

70.16

Species

Total

Total

Total

Total

Total

Total

Total

Total

Total

Total

Total

Total All

Average

Callisaurus draconoides1

460

1208

415

497

487

592

258

610

1519

563

320

144

7073

589

Uta stansburiana2

285

416

361

426

308

263

467

460

475

378

226

249

4314

360

355

398

212

293

221

197

328

348

321

241

187

317

3418

285

91

113

45

48

27

133

58

54

137

107

57

21

891

74

11

9

9

8

11

8

3

6

20

19

10

12

126

11

Heloderma suspectum

21

12

5

5

11

8

11

10

13

22

16

30

164

14

Gopherus agassizii7

121

96

42

112

37

34

41

27

32

27

35

48

652

54

43

29

16

15

9

23

18

19

33

28

13

19

265

22

23

50

27

18

19

24

19

22

29

21

21

9

282

24

Rhinochelius lecontei

21

25

11

16

14

37

23

9

20

8

13

5

202

17

Salvadora hexalepis11

8

11

4

9

5

2

2

4

16

8

9

1

79

7

12

Lampropeltis getula

8

11

11

6

5

9

6

5

1

5

2

4

73

6

Crotalus atrox13

154

185

109

99

115

141

168

114

73

72

74

137

1441

120

40

25

26

22

18

35

18

14

42

26

12

35

313

26

8

13

10

12

9

14

8

12

15

12

2

7

122

10

Crotalus molossus

25

16

6

5

17

17

13

6

11

10

2

7

135

11

Crotalus tigris17

20

13

9

5

7

5

9

4

3

6

9

4

94

8

TOTALS

1694

2630

1309

1596

1320

1542

1450

1724

2760

1553

1008

1049

18586

1549

ALL LIZARDS

1906

2279

1119

1401

1222

1560

1273

1650

2978

2228

1009

1383

20008

1667

ALL SNAKES

464

415

252

221

252

374

326

227

306

255

184

283

3276

273

2491

2790

1413

1734

1511

1968

1640

1904

3316

2510

1228

1666

23284

1940

Aspidoscelis sp.3 4

Sceloporus magister Phrynosoma solare5

6

8

Pituophis catenifer Coluber flagellum9

10

14

Crotalus cerastes

Crotalus scutulatus15 16

TOTAL ALL

Common names: Zebra-tailed Lizard, Common Side-blotched Lizard, Whiptails, Desert Spiny Lizard, Regal Horned Lizard, Gila Monster, Desert Tortoise, 8 Gopher Snake, 9Coachwhip, 10Long-nosed Snake, 11Western Patch-nosed Snake, 12Common Kingsnake, 13Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake, 14Sidewinder, 15 Mojave Rattlesnake, 16Black-tailed Rattlesnake, 17Tiger Rattlesnake.

1

2

3

highlight the fact that the 12.23 inches (310.64 mm) of precipitation at Tucson International Airport ranks as the second highest total for the 12 year time period of this century. That being thusly highlighted, we move on to the good stuff.

When addressing the herps on this table, we are first going to break tradition here, and talk about a lizard not on the chart. We speak of the Long-nosed Leopard Lizard (Gambelia wislizenii). The number of these encountered in 2011 was a big, fat goose egg!

Zip! Zero. That is the first time that this has happened during the time period under discussion. I have seen as many as 16 in 2001, and as few as 1 in 2006. I have recorded a total of 94 through the 12 years, allowing for an average of 8 (actual = 7.83) encounters per year.

Wow! What happened? The actual question should be, “What didn’t happen, and why?” To answer the possible why of that situation, we need to look at the numbers of their prey base (lizards), while examining the results of other herps that rely on lizards as their primary prey base as well.

At a miserable total of 144, the Zebra-tailed Lizard (Callisaurus draconoides) encounters hit rock bottom.

4

5

6

7

To put that number in perspective, in both 2001 and 2008, I saw more than that in one day! While lizard fluctuations are expected, a crash like this one is an eye-opening experience. Coupled with the fact that the Common Side-blotched Lizards (Uta stansburiana) encounters were down to their second lowest numbers of the century, the double crash is noteworthy. Their numbers are always the first thing that I go for when determining whether a year is good or bad in the herpetological sense.

While I am grateful for the above average number of whiptails (Aspidoscelis sp.) seen, the knowledge that 146 of the total came from three trips to the east Rincon Mountains in July taints that picture. That leaves us with a total of 171 remaining for the rest of the year, which would fall more in line with what the numbers for the other species tell us. At an abysmal total of 21, the worst-ever column also embraces the Desert Spiny Lizards (Sceloporus magister). Only 21?

Ouch! The slightly above average number of Regal Horned Lizards (Phrynosoma solare) is a good thing, but likely falls under the category “more luck than brains.” I found four on 9 July, and three more flat out

SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 25 (2) 2012

14

below average numbers. That number could have been much worse. During the month of May alone, 309 Ornate Tree Lizards (Urosaurus ornatus), and 68 whiptails were encountered in a canyon that I seldom visit. But such numbers as this are the reason why I add the “Total All” wildcards to my chart. The total number of 283 of “All Snakes” allows for the first above-average year since 2008. And the below-average number of “Total Both” of 1,666 puts the year of 2011 close to the middle of the 12 year period under discussion. In this regard, “Total Both” ranks in 7th place.

New male Tiger Rattlesnake (Crotalus tigris) number 10 erupts on the scene of It is my sincere hope that Table 1 is the Schuett/Repp study plot. Jeff Smith found the prey item, presumed to be a Desert Pocket Mouse (Chaetodipus penicillatus), gyrating in its death throes starting to add up to demonstrate populaon a wash berm. He waited, and a short while later, the C. tigris in this image tion trends. It would be outstanding if ten emerged to claim its meal. Image by Bill Montgomery, 23 July 2011. other people were doing something similar. wandered into camp this year. We are going to skip the That would really help us to separate the fly scat from the pepper! But until (unless?) that happens, what I’m Gila Monsters (Heloderma suspectum) for reasons of trythrowing out here is all that I, as well as you—dear ing to end this article on a high note. And the Desert reader, have to go with.

Tortoises are there for reference only. They are still There are 25 rows on Table 1, which represent the one of my favorite herps, but there is no need to drop first 12 years of the Y2K century. If we were to assign everything else that I do to make a concerted effort to a value of “1” to each row, the following represents go after them. There are already enough people doing the results for 2011: Worst ever: 5 rows. Second worst that! I’m pleased with the slight increase of Gopherever: 3 rows. Below Average: 11 rows. Thus far, we snakes (Pituophis catenifer) in 2011, but their numbers score 19 out of 25 rows that demonstrate “not good.” still fall below the average mark.

Let’s keep rolling with the rows! Above average: 3 In getting back to the doom and gloom of the drop in lizard numbers, the next three snakes highlight rows. Second best: 2 rows. Best ever: 1 row. Now is the time to elucidate about the good that occurred this the point that I’m trying to make. All three species hit year. record lows. At a total of 9, the drop in Coachwhip (Coluber flagellum) numbers fascinates me. That is half Herp Highlights of 2011 the number of the previous worst year of 2003, and Ringing in strong at 35, the jump in Sidewinder more than 5 times lower than in 2001! Only 5 Long(Crotalus cerastes) numbers were nearly three-fold nosed Snakes (Rhinochelius lecontei)? Ouch! And double over 2010. This is a bit puzzling, as I didn’t really ouch with the Western Patch-nosed Snake (Salvadora do anything that different in 2011. I am blessed to hexalepis) numbers. Or should we say number? The have a population of them between my home and only one encountered in 2011 was in early October. I the Schuett/Repp study plot. This means that I drive came within inches of scoring the almighty goose egg through the thick of them on a regular basis, and have with this species of snake. Moving on to Common done so for over 24 years. The difference this year was Kingsnakes (Lampropeltis getula), the 4 encountered that when there was 1 encounter, there were usually represent an improvement over 2010, but still fall multiples. July was the month that made the differbelow par. ence. On 17 July, 7 crossed my path. The total of 14 In order to keep the highlights of 2011 all in one encounters in July alone tops all of 2010 combined! place, we skip the next two rows. At 7 each, the MoWe have to look back to 2006 to beat the total jave Rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus) and Black-tailed number of Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnakes Rattlesnake (C. molossus) numbers reflect an upswing (Crotalus atrox). The total number of 137 in 2011 from 2010, but are still below par. The meager total reflects nearly double the amount of each of the of 4 Tiger Rattlesnakes (C. tigris) is pathetic, especially given the fact that two of these were found in January! previous 3 years. The increase can be attributed to the discovery of new dens in February and March, as well The total of 1,049 for the 17 species of herps on as 3 females giving birth on the Schuett/Repp study this chart ranks as the second-worst of the century. plot in August. We will elaborate more on these birthThe row that carries the header of “All Lizards” ining events when discussing the plot activity below. cludes the six species of lizard on the table, as well as We finally arrive at the herpetological bright spot of all other species of lizard found in Arizona. The total 2011: the Gila Monsters. The record-breaking number number of 1,383 reflects the second year in a row of

SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 25 (2) 2012

Ringing in strong at 35, the jump in Sidewinder (Crotalus cerastes) numbers were nearly three-fold over 2010. This is a bit puzzling, as I didn’t really do anything that different in 2011.

I am blessed to have a population of them between my home and the Schuett/ Repp study plot.

This means that I drive through the thick of them on a regular basis, and have done so for over 24 years.

15

of 30 can be directly attributed to old friends returning to their burrows, as well as the discovery of three new honey holes in March. On 28 January, Dale DeNardo and I made a run at two places we know. By the end of the day, we had observed 7 different individuals.

Excluding radio-tracking, this is 2 more than I’ve ever seen on any day in my life, be it visiting old friends, or seeking new.

Until this year, 5 honest visuals on Gila Monsters seemed to be the number that I would never beat.

On 3 March, Jeff Smith and I made a pilgrimage Long-nosed Leopard Lizard (Gambelia wislizenii) displaying gaping, or threatening posture. During to a little knob out in the middle of nowhere to see the year of 2011, the author did not see any of these, living or dead. The very low number of smaller lizard encounters/prey items may have been a factor. Image by Young D. Cage. what was shaking. Here we found one repeat animal, and went off to search some our first-ever “triple” on the Iron Mine Hill—that new hillsides, where we racked up 5 more new animals. is, 3 Gila Monsters in one hole. And on 12 March, Until this glorious day, I had never seen more than 3 this author was lucky enough to intercept a 4th Gila new monsters on any field trip, regardless of the num- Monster moments before it also joined the trio. The ber or skill level of the people participating. By early “Gila Hole” where this happened has been forever April, 18 different Gila Monsters had passed before my designated as the “Communal Hole.” From April 2002 eyes. The summer and early fall months, (the time peto date, 11 different Gila Monsters have been using riod when many begin and end their studies) gave me a this holiest of HESU hidey holes. The number 11 is meager total of 5 Gila Monsters. But there were 7 more not guesswork, but rather, hard scientific fact. 9 of the visuals in November and December. How I love a great 11 animals have been carrying transmitters, and the beginning and a strong finish with any herp—especially remaining 2 have received PIT tags. There are miniwhen that herp is Heloderma suspectum. mally at least 2 others to have used this hole, and likely several more. My main purpose in moving to Arizona Our Home Away From Home, or “Plot Sweet Plot” in 1981 was to observe Gila Monsters in the wild. That In March of 2001, Gordon Schuett and I joined dream is still ongoing, and (hopefully) has yet to reach forces to begin a radio-telemetry study on a smallits apex. ish outlier hill that previously earned the name “Iron When discussing Iron Mine Hill, and the Schuett/ Mine Hill.” Neither of us ever dreamed that we would Repp plot in general, we first are obligated to mencontinue this study any longer than a couple of years. tion that the study is mainly devoted to the most But 2011 brought about our ten-year anniversary. There prolific snake in the region. We speak of the Western have been but a few such studies with that sort of dura- Diamond-backed Rattlesnake. As reproduction plays tion in the herpetological history of Arizona. a large part of the future of any given wildlife study, We can easily draw parallels with the overall Gila we focus on that for 2011. As we had only 3 female C. Monster numbers when describing the year at Iron atrox under watch, our “N” is tiny. But all 3 gave birth.

Mine Hill. In short, a strong beginning and finish for C. atrox # 87, under watch since 2005, gave birth to 12 the year. But in the middle of 2011, we were ready to young. This is 3 above the record of 9, which has happull the plug on it all. The highly-negative effects of pened only twice with other C. atrox through the years. the 4th worst drought year in local weather history had C. atrox #133, a new addition, dropped 6 young. And everything to do with those errant thought patterns.

C. atrox #121 gave birth for the 2nd consecutive year.

In picking off the highlights of our study in 2011, The result of her birthing, (2 shed skins of neonates at we first focus again on the Gila Monsters. From Januher parturition site), reflects that perhaps she needs to ary to early March, we had 3 different “HESU Holes” take a year off her maternal duties. We’ll be watching where paring was occurring. On 6 March, we scored to see if she does just that. On the other end of the

SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 25 (2) 2012

In March of 2001, Gordon Schuett and I joined forces to begin a radiotelemetry study on a smallish outlier hill that previously earned the name “Iron Mine Hill.”

Neither of us ever dreamed that we would continue this study any longer than a couple of years.

But 2011 brought about our tenyear anniversary.

There have been but a few such studies with that sort of duration in the herpetological history of Arizona.

16

spectrum, we observed two full out acts of coitus, as well as a total of 14 pairings.

We leave out much with discussion on efforts of both the herps and ourselves to stay alive in 2011 with this review. But in my mind, the most exciting event to happen at Iron Mine Hill was finding the secondever Mojave Rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus) there. The first was found in 2010. That one got off lightly. The one in 2011 year did not. In short, we gave this snake the gift that keeps on giving. We stuck a transmitter in him!

When one is involved in investigating a patch of ground for 19 years, (this author has been visiting Iron Mine Hill since 1992), one often wonders, “What am I missing?” Was it possible that a population of C. scutulatus had gone unnoticed? By sticking a transmitter in this prime-of-life male, we hoped to find the answer to that question.

For the first two weeks of tracking, he was a homeboy. He stayed close to his capture site. And then, he took off. Indeed, we lost him for a period of 2 weeks. When we found him again, he had traveled 2.6 miles (4.2 km) in a northwesterly direction. Then we lost him again. When we found him again, he was an astounding 3.6 miles (5.8 km) from his capture spot!

It was here that he settled down. I thoroughly enjoyed the game of cat and mouse with this wayward snake.

And the place that he led us is a patch of heaven on earth. The saguaros are tall and mighty, the hedgehog are knee high. The soil is absolutely pock-marked with small rodent burrows. We have to be careful where we trod, lest we fall through. It is a quiet and serene place, well off the beaten path. We see a future here, with the possibility of radio-tracking some more C. scutulatus, as well as C. atrox and, perhaps, some C. cerastes.

Getting back to the original question, have we missed a population of C. scutulatus on our plot? If we can base our answer on our boy, the answer would be “no.” Here we had a male snake that made his big adventure, and he found us at the end of his road. I’ll bet that he can’t believe his good fortune!

As we close the books on 2011, we have 5 venomous species of herp under scrutiny. We have 1 female Black-tailed Rattlesnake, 3 female Western Diamond-

backed Rattlesnakes, 2 male and 1 female Tiger Rattlesnakes, and our wayward male Mojave Rattlesnake.

There is no other study in the state of Arizona with this sort of diversity that I know about. We earnestly look forward to beefing up some of our numbers in 2012, and seeing what we can learn about the ecological niche patterns of each.

The Wrap Up—and Looking Ahead In review, 2011 was a below par herp year. The exceptional rainfall that we had from September through December did appear to do the landscape some good.

At the date of this writing, (6 February 2012), the desert does have a verdant carpet of annuals sprouting.

But the last rain that we had was on 16 January, and then two long-lasting high pressure areas have brought us delightfully warm, but very dry conditions. This is not good. What appears to be happening is the flowers are blooming prematurely. Without some sustained rains, we will wind up with bunches of tiny plants in full bloom. As the forecast shows no sign of rain in the near future, I foresee another drought ahead.

Nevertheless, we wait in earnest for the spring egress of the herps under our watch. Time will tell what 2012 will give us.

This author wishes to acknowledge 3 people by name. The first is David L. Hardy, Sr. Without him, there would not be a Tucson Herpetological Society.

The second is Gordon W. Schuett, who saw fit to team up with a machine shop foreman to do a formal telemetry study on the animals we both love. Dianna L. Repp continues to be a wonderful spouse, who not only encourages my passion, but helps me with it. Last, but not least, I owe a huge debt of gratitude to those of you who have shared life’s greatest moments with me. I fear trying to name you all, lest I forget someone.

So, whoever you all are, C’mon! Let’s do it again!

This here is Roger Repp, signing off from Southern Arizona, where the turtles are strong, the snakes are handsome, and the lizards are all above average.

Thanks for your indulgence.

Snakes: A newly published book by Firefly Books

When one is involved in investigating a patch of ground for 19 years, (this author has been visiting Iron Mine Hill since 1992), one often wonders, “What am I missing?” Was it possible that a population of C. scutulatus had gone unnoticed?

By sticking a transmitter in this prime-of-life male, we hoped to find the answer to that question.

Spublished nakes, written by David Gower, Katherine Garrett, and Peter Stafford, is in North America by Firefly Books and available through their website

as well as the major US bookstores such as Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com (March 2012). More information can be found on the Firefly Books website at http://bit.ly/yAOT9x. Illustrated with stunning new color images, this revised and re-formatted edition gives a comprehensive guide to the biology and natural history of snakes. ISBN: 978 0 565 09266 5; Format: Paperback.

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n at u r a l h i s to ry n ot e

Loss of biodiversity in district Midnapore (22°15’N 87°39’E), West Bengal, India Suman Pratihar, Department of Zoology, Vidyasagar University, Midnapore, West Bengal, India; pratihar_vu@rediffmail.com

A

Russell’s Viper (Daboia russelii; formerly Vipera russelii) was killed at a construction work site due to lack of awareness and widespread panic upon seeing the snake.

The amount of venom produced by individual specimens is considerable. Reported venom yields for adult specimens range 0.0007-0.009 oz (21-268 mg). The species is not constrained to any particular habitat, but tends to avoid dense forests. The snake is frequently found in open, grassy, or bushy areas, but may also be found in second growth forests (scrub jungles), on forested plantations, and farmland. They are most common in plains, coastal lowlands, and hills of suitable habitat. Humid environments, such as marshes, swamps, and rain forests, are avoided.

This adult Russell’s Viper (Daboia It feeds primarily on rodents. However, russelii; Shaw and Nodder 1797) was they will eat just about anything, includkilled by labors of a construction work site. The mass of the viper was ing rats, mice, shrews, squirrels, land crabs, 6.6 lbs (3 kg) and 5 feet (1.5 m) in scorpions, and other arthropods. Juveniles are length. Note the pattern on its skin: crepuscular, feeding on lizards and foraging brown patches bordered by deep actively. As they grow and become adults, they black circle. Some circles are also fused. Photos by Suman Pratihar. begin to specialize on rodents.

To prevent further loss of wildlife, education programs are needed to bring awareness of and respect for our herpetofauna. Unnecessary eradication of reptiles and amphibians on the landscape by the actions of the human population has the potential to result in significant loss of biodiversity. With a little education, conservation of herpetfaunal species is possible.

Call for Proposals: Charles H. Lowe, Jr., Herpetological Research Fund

T he Charles H. Lowe, Jr., Herpetological Research Fund is accepting proposals to support research that

contributes to the conservation of amphibians and/ or reptiles of the Sonoran Desert Region, inclusive of the states of Arizona, southeastern California, the Baja California peninsula, Sonora, and islands in the Sea of Cortés. Proposals are due 1 April 2012.

Eligibility

Any current THS member is eligible to receive awards from the C.H. Lowe Research Fund. Researchers neither need to be affiliated with an institution nor have previous experience. K-12 schools and students are encouraged to apply. THS Board Members and the C.H. Lowe Fund Committee Members are not eligible. Individuals are allowed to apply for funding in consecutive years assuming all deliverables have been received from the previous award, or significant progress has been made on a past award as approved by the Committee Chair.

Funding and Selection Criteria Up to $1000 will be awarded per applicant. Proposals will be reviewed by the C.H. Lowe Fund Committee in April 2012. Decisions to award will be made on the value of the research proposed and not on the experience or status of the person making the request.

No proposals that involve collecting animals for personal collections or profit will be funded. The fund is primarily for the purchase of equipment, but can also pay for personnel and travel costs. All awards are subject to C.H. Lowe Fund Committee recommendations and THS Board approval. Awards may not be granted every period and are subject to availability of funds.

Funding may be awarded out of cycle under special circumstances. Contact the C.H. Lowe Research Fund Committee Chair (see information below) regarding out-of-cycle proposals.

Proposals will be evaluated in accordance with the following criteria:

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1) Degree to which the objectives of the proposal are clearly stated, feasible, and achievable 2) Clarity of the research question or hypothesis (purely educational or management proposals can be funded, but are ranked lower) 3) Focus on Sonoran Desert region amphibians and/or reptiles (projects in the Sonoran Desert are ranked higher, but projects in adjacent non-desert communities can be funded) 4) Contribution to conservation 5) Contribution to education 6) Uniqueness or degree to which the work represents novel work 7) Degree to which the work is supported by other means (proposals without such support will rank higher on this criterion) 8) Likelihood of novel distributional data or range extensions 9) Degree to which equipment purchased under this proposal could be used in other research projects 10) Overall quality of the proposal Proposals Proposals should include 1) a cover sheet with contact information and name(s) of the applicants. 2) a not-to-exceed two page (single spaced) description of the project objectives, methods, schedule for equipment use and project closure, and products (reports, etc.), and 2) a one page budget detailing expenditure of the C.H. Lowe dollars and a summary of other funding and support. For anonymity in the review process, the cover sheet is the only place the proponent’s name should appear. The proposal should provide enough information so the selection criteria listed above can be evaluated by the C.H. Lowe Committee.

Proposals should be Word documents sent electronically to the C.H. Lowe Fund Committee Chair (jrorabaugh@hotmail.com) no later than 1 April 2012. The C.H. Lowe Fund Committee will review each proposal with the cover sheet removed. We will strive to fund accepted proposals by mid-May 2012.

Deliverables Within six months of award, all awardees are required to submit to the editor of the Sonoran Herpetologist a progress report that will be published in the “Current Research News.” This report will include a description of the project and any preliminary results, which may vary from just a few sentences to a longer report, depending on the project and progress to date.

We also encourage submission of full-length articles in Sonoran Herpetologist at the conclusion of the project.

Equipment All equipment purchased under a C.H. Lowe grant is the property of the THS and can be withdrawn from a project at any time upon request of the Committee. Expendable items purchased may remain the property of the awardee. We understand that damage to or loss of equipment may occur. We only ask that awardees treat THS equipment with care and respect.

Equipment already owned by THS can be requested anytime by an awardee from the Committee Chair.

Equipment may not be available or may need to be shared among projects. We also cannot be responsible for the proper functioning or calibration of equipment. The Committee can authorize use of equipment without THS Board approval. The following equipment is owned by THS and may be available for C.H. Lowe projects: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5)

Infrared thermometer Cloacal thermometer GPS unit Digital camera Lizard nooses

Additional Information: Awardees must adhere to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, including but not limited to, Fair Labor, Civil Rights, and Americans with Disabilities Act regulations. Awardees must be in compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations regarding wildlife, animal welfare, and land access. Awardees must obtain all necessary permits prior to beginning their work. Copies of these permits may be requested by the C.H. Lowe Committee and if in the judgment of the Committee a project is deemed to be out of compliance with permits, or other applicable laws or regulations, the award will be immediately revoked. THS holds no responsibility for research deliverables that may be required by other participating parties or grantees on a project.

For further information, please visit http://tucsonherpsociety.org/CHLoweFund.html Or contact: Jim Rorabaugh, Committee Chair C.H. Lowe Research Fund jrorabaugh@hotmail.com

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Board meeting minutes

Tucson Herpetological Society Board of Directors Meeting Minutes 31 January 2012 – 7 p.m.

U of A B105/Keating Building 1657 E. Helen Street

Directors present: Robert Villa (President), Roger Repp (VP), Heidi Flugstad (Treasurer), René Clark (Secretary), Dennis Caldwell (Director), Krista Schmidt (Director), Jim Rorabaugh (Director), Rob Nixon (Director), Warren Savary (Director), Trevor Hare (Past President) Directors Absent: Trevor Hare Minutes of November 2011 Meeting: Caldwell moved to accept, Schmidt seconded. Approved.

Treasurer’s Report (Flugstad): Repp moved, Savary seconded. Approved. (as of 23 January 2011) Beginning Balance Deposits Expenses Ending Balance

$13,045.66 $21,254.33 $211.00 $34,088.99

General Fund Speaker’s Bureau Jarchow Award FTHL Fund C.H. Lowe Award Fund Bolson Tortoise Research Fund Desert Tortoise Research Fund CRHSD V Bolson Tortoise Land Fund

$16,094.11 $37.32 $372.43 $1,069.00 $4,301.33 $20,800.00 $1,256.09 $4,158.71 $1,000.00

Total: (less) Savings Checking Balance CRHSD CD

$49,088.99 -$15,000.00 $34,088.99 $5,122.72

Summary Report (29 November - 23 January) Income Mexican Tortoise Fund Jarchow Fund

+$20,800.00 +$83.33

General Fund Membership T-shirts, hats, stickers Raffle

+$230.00 +$89.00 +$47.00

Total income

+$21,254.33

Expenses P.O. Box rental -$111.00 Donation: Gathering of the Green -$100.00 Total expenses -$211.00 Committee Reports Homepage (Tuegel) – New web site committee to be headed by Savary, to work with Tuegel to explore new options.

Conservation (Caldwell) – Caldwell sent out the board-approved comments for the Forest Service’s Rosemont Mine Draft Environmental Impact Statement opposing the mine and detailing impacts on herps.

Caldwell attended the Gartersnake Conservation Working Group Annual Meeting on January 10th at the AGFD office in Phoenix. Meeting was well attended.

Caldwell attended the Chiricahua Leopard Frog SougheasternAZ/Southwestern NM Steering Committee Meeting on January 25th at the AGFD office in Tucson.

Speakers Bureau (Villa/Moll): Moll manned a table and gave out THS literature at the BEYOND event on January 7th from 10 to 2 at Raid Park. Some 60 to 70 people visited our table. Caldwell manned a table on January 7th at Colossal Cave Park for the BEYOND event were he handed out THS outreach materials.

Sonoran Herpetologist (H. Clark) – Looking for submissions and needing year-end summary reports.

Membership (Llewellyn) – No report.

Program (Villa): February: Todd Esque – Evolutionary hot spots in the Mohave Desert

Board of Directors meetings are always on the last Tuesday of each month (except December), at 7:00 PM; University of Arizona, BIO5/ Keating Building, 1657 East Helen Street.

March: Brian Park or Keven Bonine – Gila Monster research Saguaro Park East C.H. Lowe Fund (Rorabaugh) – The BOD approved increasing the award amount to $1000. Proposals due on April 1st. Much discussion about fund.

Schmidt, Flugstad, and Repp invited to join committee for C.H.Lowe Fund. Last year’s proposals will be reevaluated independantly of this year’s submissions for the C.H. Lowe Fund.

Student Chapter of the THS (Hare) – Nothing to report.

Jarchow Conservation Award – Was not awarded this past year because there was nobody to run the committee. Repp volunteered to run the committee.

Caldwell motioned, Schmidt seconded - Approved.

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Old Business

New Business

Elections – Repp – Welcome to new Board

Letter to Catalina State Park RE: Gila Monster/ rattlesnake display – discussion concerning writing a letter or sending guidelines to park concerning safety protocalls on handling animals.

BOD holiday party – Schmidt – Discussion about holiday party taking place on February 26th.

Meeting adjourned. Caldwell moved, Schmidt seconded.

M e m B ERSHIP u p d a t e

Time to Renew Your THS membership?

As of 12 February 2012 Membership Information

This is a friendly reminder for those of you whose membership is due. Please send your check and a membership form (especially if information has changed) to THS, P.O. Box 709, Tucson, AZ, 85702. If you are a new member, please include your email address with your payment to receive monthly newsletter online. A membership renewal form is below for your convenience.

We look forward to seeing you at the monthly meetings.

Individual Family Student

$20 $25 $14

Sustaining Contributing Life

$30 $50 $500

Thank you!

Robin Llewellyn - Membership Director

The Tucson Herpetological Society would like to thank existing members and new members for renewing their membership. We appreciate your support and are always looking for members to actively participate in THS activities and volunteer opportunities. It is a great way to be involved with the conservation of amphibians and reptiles in the Sonoran Desert.

New Members Mary A. Hahurrd Morgan (Individual) Chuck Mulcahy (Family) Individual Members Trevor Persons Emily Bennett John Gray

Contributing Members Jay Cole and Carole Townsend

Memberships Due in January Memberships Due in February Young Cage Trevor & Janet Hare David Parizek Paul, Steven & Lorna Condon Chip Hedgcock John Reiss Mark Dimmitt Larry Jones Mike Rochford Kristine Klewin Travis LaDuc Ron Spark Marcia Lincoln & Victor Ong Ed Moll Robert Villa Brent Martin Steve & Maxine Murray Livy Williams Brian Park Dennis & Gracie Jex Hugh McCrystal Memberships Due in March Scott Trageser Royce Ballinger Ciri Johnson Howard Clark Norma & Abe Lackow Robert Fitak Patti Mahaney Itzchak & Carolyn Gilboa Michael & Mary Ann Smith

Tucson Herpetological Society P.O. Box 709, Tucson, Arizona 85702-0709 MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL FORM NAME: ________________________________________________ Date ______________ Address or Personal Information Changes_______________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ MEMBERSHIP DUES [ ] $20 Individual [ ] $25 Family [ ] $14 Student [ ] $30 Sustaining [ ] $50 Contributing [ ] $500 Life $ _______ Jarchow Conservation Award $ _______ Flat-tailed horned lizard Fund

$ _______ Speakers Bureau $ _______ C.H. Lowe Herp Research Fund

$ _______ Total (MAKE CHECK PAYABLE TO: TUCSON HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY) The THS newsletter, the Sonoran Herpetologist, is delivered online only. Please indicate the email address you would like to receive the newsletter if you are not currently receiving the newsletter at your preferred address. If you are unable to receive the newsletter online, please contact Robin at robinia2@msn.com. If not already done, please add my email to the THS directory and/or email Monthly meeting announcement (circle one or both). Please return this form with your check to the address above.

Email address ___________________________________________________________

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Sonoran Herpetologist is the newsletter-journal of the Tucson Herpetological Society, and is Copyright 2012. The contents of Sonoran Herpetologist may be reproduced for inclusion in the newsletters of other herpetological societies provided the material is reproduced without change and with appropriate credit, and a copy of the publication is sent to the Tucson Herpetological Society. Occasional exceptions to this policy will be noted. Contents are indexed in Zoological Record. A complete set of back issues are available in the Special Collections area of the University of Arizona library. They are accompanied by a copy of The Collected Papers of the Tucson Herpetological Society, 1988-1991.

Editor-in-Chief Howard Clark, editor.sonoran.herp@gmail.com Associate Editors Roy Averill-Murray, averill-murray@sbcglobal.net Don Swann, donswann@dakotacom.net Robert Bezy, bezy@comcast.net Tim Allen, tallen@elmontgomery.com Suman Pratihar, pratihar_vu@rediffmail.com Art Editor Dennis Caldwell, dennis@caldwell-design.com Book Review Editor Philip Brown, philipandbarbara@earthlink.net

Information for Contributors Authors should submit original articles, notes, book reviews to the Editor, either via email using an attached word processed manuscript or by mail to the Society’s address. The manuscript style should follow that of Journal of Herpetology and other publications of the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. For further information, please contact the editor, at editor.sonoran.herp@gmail.com.

Tu c s o n H e r p S o c i e t y. o r g

The Tucson Herpetological Society is dedicated to conservation, education, and research concerning the amphibians and reptiles of Arizona and Mexico.

Tucson Herpetological Society is a registered non-profit organization.

Officers President Robert Villa, cascabel1985@gmail.com Vice President Roger Repp, repp@noao.edu Secretary RenĂŠ Clark, serpentprincess@comcast.net Treasurer Heidi Flugstad, heidi_flugstad@hotmail.com Directors: Dennis Caldwell, dennis@caldwell-design.com Robin Llewellyn, robinia2@msn.com Robert Nixon, sapo1047@msn.com Jim Rorabaugh, jrorabaugh@earthlink.net Warren Savary, wsavary@yahoo.com Krista Schmidt, turtlerad@hotmail.com Past President Trevor Hare, trevor@skyislandalliance.org

Society Activities

Monthly Members Meeting Robert Villa, Program Chair 3rd Tuesday, 7:15 PM Board of Directors Meeting Last Tuesday of each month (except December), 7:00 PM University of Arizona, BIO5/Keating Building 1657 East Helen Street Speakers Bureau (scheduled presentations) Robert Villa & Ed Moll Conservation Committee Dennis Caldwell Herpetological Information Hotline Bob Brandner, 760-0574 Jarchow Conservation Award Roger Repp Publications: Sonoran Herpetologist, Backyard Ponds brochure, Living with Venomous Reptiles brochure, THS Herp Coloring Book, THS Collected Papers, 1988-1991 THS Internet World Wide Webpage http://tucsonherpsociety.org Marty Tuegel, Webmaster, mtuegel@cox.net

Deadline for Sonoran Herpetologist: 15th of each month

For more information about the THS and the reptiles and amphibians of the Tucson area visit

tucsonherpsociety.org

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