Sh vol 28 2015 06

25 Volume 28

January 2012 June 2015

ISSN 2333-8075

THIS MONTH’S PROGRAM

FUTURE SPEAKERS

Philip Brown

Amphibians and Reptiles of the Tucson Mountains and the Avra Valley

17

8 July 2015: Michael J. Sredl

12 August 2015: TBD

ANNOUNCEMENT

7:15 PM; Wednesday, 10 June

17

Tucson City Council Ward 3, 1510 East Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85719

C.H. Lowe Research Fund

RESEARCH ARTICLE

P hilip Brown was born and raised in southern California, and with the exception

of a year and a half in Colorado, spent his first 50 years as a Californian. He developed an interest in all things natural at an early age and always preferred outdoor activities to all else. At about age 7 or 8 he was captivated by the California Toad his best friend found, and this started a lifelong fascination with herps.

Like nearly everyone so inclined, a parade of reptiles and amphibians passed through his life from dime-store turtles and carnival “chameleons” to his first snake—a garter snake, of course—to many, many other creatures.

In Junior High he was selected to participate in the Museum Student Association.

Two students from each 8th grade class in the Los Angeles Unified School District were chosen each year to attend a series of general natural history lectures at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. They were tested on the material, and those who passed were then eligible to take elective courses from the Museum Curators. Thus, Philip had his first herpetology course in 1965 from then Curator James R. Dixon.

Philip attended several colleges, ending up at Humboldt State University in northern California where he studied biology, botany, and zoology, including another herpetology course.

Prior to moving to Tucson, Philip was a keeper at the Santa Barbara Zoo, and assistant

Number 12

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“Reproduction of the Four-lined Skink, Plestiodon tetragrammus (Squamata: Scincidae) from Texas”

by Stephen R. Goldberg

N AT U R A L H I S TO RY 19

“Noteworthy Records of the Yaqui Black-headed Snake (Tantilla yaquia) from Arizona and Sonora”

by James C. Rorabaugh and Justin O. Schmidt

BOOK REVIEWS 21

“Tents, Tortoises, and Tailgates” review by Howard Clark, Jr.

22

“Tracks and Shadows: Field Biology as Art” review by Robert L. Bezy

Photo by Barbara Brown.

curator of education at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. Since 2001 he has been working as an interpretive materials specialist in the Conservation Education and Science Department at the ArizonaSonora Desert Museum, and is a ranger in the Interpretation Division of Saguaro National Park. His program on the amphibians and reptiles of the Tucson mountains is based on years of exploration there, and Avra Valley is included because it is the easternmost range limit of several species, and appears to be a barrier to others; also, it’s where Philip lives!

OBITUARY 23

In Memoriam: Charles “Charlie” W. Painter (1949-2015)

SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 28 (2) 2015

16

FUTURE SPEAKER

Michael J. Sredl

Las Vegas and Arizona Leopard Frogs?

Paradigm and puzzle of the Rana pipiens complex 7:15 PM; Wednesday, 8 July Tucson City Council Ward 3, 1510 East Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85719

F or many a budding herpetologist, their first contact with members of the Rana pipiens complex, or “the

leopard frogs,” came while staring at wriggling tadpoles in a Mason jar or a lifeless, dead frog in a dissecting tray. Well beyond our early fascination with metamorphosis or the dead-frog pranks we played on our high school lab partner, understanding the relationships of the 30 or so species in this complex have puzzled scientists for decades. Emerging solutions to this puzzle reflect changing paradigms and results from new tools of the trade in evolutionary biology. Arizona Game and Fish Department herpetologist Michael Sredl will highlight the history, current understanding, and recent, surprising research relevant to the management and recovery of Arizona’s leopard frogs.

Michael J. Sredl received his bachelors from U.C. Berkeley in 1986 and his masters from Arizona State University in 1990 (spatial and temporal factors affecting amphibian larval populations). He began working with Arizona Game and Fish Department in 1990, conducting a mark-recapture study on Lowland Leop-

Photo by Michael J. Sredl.

ard Frogs (Lithobates yavapaiensis). He currently oversees design and implementation of projects targeting conservation, recovery, and research of Arizona’s ranid frogs in the department’s Nongame Wildlife Branch.

Research interests include: effects of non-native species on native amphibian populations, understanding and facilitating natural population dynamics in changing landscapes, and endangered species recovery planning. He is author of numerous scientific and popular articles including papers published in Ecology, Copeia, and Conservation Biology.

ANNOUNCEMENT

Call for Proposals: C.H. Lowe Herpetology Research Fund

T he C.H. Lowe Research Fund supports research that contributes to the conservation of the herpeto-

fauna of the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, southern California, Sonora, the Baja California peninsula, and islands in the Gulf of California. This year, the C.H. Lowe Research Fund will target projects that promote understanding of the ecology of, or further the conservation of the Flat-tailed Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma mcallii). The fund is primarily for the purchase of equipment; however, requests can include personnel and travel costs. Up to two proposals of $600 each will be funded. Proposals are due 10 July 2015. Any current THS member is eligible to receive awards from the C.H. Lowe Research Fund. All awards are subject to THS board approval. Flat-tailed Horned Lizard proposals that have the best chance of being funded will meet the following criteria:

1) Implements a planning action identified in the 2003 Flat-tailed Horned Lizard Rangewide Management Strategy that has not already been fully implemented or requires ongoing action.

2) Addresses research, education, and/or conservation.

3) Is not supported by other means.

4) Involves equipment purchase that could be used on other projects.

5) Produces unique or novel results.

Additional information about the Fund, including instructions for preparing and submitting proposals, can be found at http://bit.ly/1PqKXf4 You may also contact Jim Rorabaugh, Chair, C.H. Lowe Research Fund, at jrorabaugh@hotmail.com

SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 28 (2) 2015

Arizona Game and Fish Department herpetologist Michael Sredl will highlight the history, current understanding, and recent, surprising research relevant to the management and recovery of Arizona’s leopard frogs.

The C.H. Lowe Research Fund supports research that contributes to the conservation of the herpetofauna of the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, southern California, Sonora, the Baja California peninsula, and islands in the Gulf of California.

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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Reproduction of the Four-lined Skink, Plestiodon tetragrammus (Squamata: Scincidae) from Texas Stephen R. Goldberg, Whittier College, Department of Biology, Whittier, CA 90608; sgoldberg@whittier.edu

P lestiodon tetragrammus ranges from north-central Texas through the Trans-Pecos and south Texas,

through Tamualipas to northern Veracruz and eastern San Luis Potosí, Mexico (Fitzgerald 2009). Information on P. tetragrammus reproduction is limited and consists of reports of clutches of 5 and 12 eggs laid in captivity during spring (Werler 1951), 8 to 10 eggs (Vermersch 1992), 3 to 12 eggs (Fitzgerald 2009), 5 to 12 eggs (Lemos-Espinal and Dixon 2013). The biology of P. tetragrammus is summarized in Lieb (1990). In this paper I report the results of a histological examination of P. tetragrammus gonads from Texas utilizing museum specimens. This effort is part of an ongoing attempt to characterize the timing of the reproductive cycles of lizards from western North America. Comparisons are made between the timing of the P. tetragrammus reproductive cycle and that of other North American scincid lizards. Because of the difficulty in obtaining permits for collections of monthly lizards samples, utilization of museum collections for obtaining reproductive data has become increasingly important. Skink taxonomy is according to Brandley et al. (2012).

A sample of 53 P. tetragrammus consisting of 28 adult males (mean snout-vent length, SVL = 59.2 mm ± 4.9 SD, range = 50-68 mm, range = 50-68 mm), 17 adult females (mean SVL = 58.5 mm ± 4.4 SD, range = 52-67 mm), 3 subadult males (mean SVL = 48.0 mm ± 1.0 SD, range = 47-49 mm), 4 subadult females (mean SVL = 47.8 mm ± 2.6 SD, range = 44-50 mm) and one neonate (SVL = 24 mm) was examined from the herpetology collection of the Texas Cooperative Wildlife Collection, Texas A&M, College Station, Texas, USA. Plestiodon tetragrammus were collected 1946 to 2007. Specimens are listed by Texas county in the appendix.

A small incision was made in the lower part of the abdomen and the left gonad was removed for histological examination. Gonads were embedded in paraffin, sections were cut at 5 µm and stained with Harris hematoxylin followed by eosin counterstain (Presnell and Schreibman 1997). Histology slides were deposited at TCWC. Enlarged ovarian follicles (> 3 mm length) or oviductal eggs were counted. An unpaired t-test was used to test for differences between male and female SVLs using Instat 3 (Graphpad, San Diego, CA).

There was no significant difference between male and female adult body sizes (t = 0.45, 43 df, P = 0.66).

Monthly Stages in the testicular cycle are in Table 1.

Three stages were present: (1) regressed, seminiferous tubules are at their smallest sizes and contain spermatogonia and interspersed Sertoli cells; (2) late

recrudescence, seminiferous tubules are on the verge of spermiogenesis. Spermatids, some of which have started to metamorphose, but not yet become sperm are present. (3) spermiogenesis, lumina of the seminiferous tubules are lined by sperm or clusters of metamorphosing spermatids. The period of sperm production was brief with most of it likely occurring in May as 72% of my April sample (Table 1) exhibited late recrudescence, but had not yet, started sperm production. This contrasts with other North American skinks in which spermiogenesis (and presumably breeding) is underway in April as indicated by: Plestiodon skiltonianus (as Eumeces skiltonianus) (85% April spermiogenesis, Goldberg 2005), Plestiodon multivirgatus (100% April spermiogenesis, Goldberg 2012), Plestiodon obsoletus (75% April spermiogenesis, Goldberg 2013). Interestingly, the population of Plestiodon gilberti (as Eumeces gilberti) from California (Goldberg 2009), like P. tetragrammus, does not begin full sperm production until May as 71% of P. gilberti males from April exhibited testicular recrudescence and 63% of April females had quiescent ovaries. For P. tetragrammus, (Table 1), the period of sperm production encompased, April, May and June.

The smallest reproductively active male P. tetragrammus (late recrudescence with spermatids) measured 50 mm SVL (TCWC 65132) and was collected in April.

Monthly stages in the ovarian cycle are in Table 2.

Four stages were present: (1) quiescent, no yolk deposition in progress; (2) early yolk deposition, basophilic Table 1. Monthly stages in the testicular cycle of 28 adult male Plestiodon tetragrammus from Texas.

Month

N

Regressed

Late Recrudescent

Spermiogenesis

Feb

1

0

1

0

April

18

0

13

5

May

5

2

1

2

June

3

2

0

1

Aug

1

1

0

0

Plestiodon tetragrammus ranges from north-central Texas through the TransPecos and south Texas, through Tamualipas to northern Veracruz and eastern San Luis Potosí, Mexico (Fitzgerald 2009). Information on P. tetragrammus reproduction is limited.

Table 2. Monthly stages in the ovarian cycle of 17 adult female Plestiodon tetragrammus from Texas; one clutch likely had some eggs missing.

Month

N

Quiescent

Early Yolk Deposition

Enlarged follicles > 3 mm

Oviductal eggs

March

1

1

0

0

0

April

8

5

1

2

0

May

6

1

0

1

4*

June

1

1

0

0

0

Aug

1

1

0

0

0

SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 28 (2) 2015

18

yolk granules in the ooplasm; (3) enlarged ovarian follicles (> 3 mm); (4) oviductal eggs. Mean clutch size for 6 gravid females was 7.2 ±1.5 SD, range = 5-9.

The period of female reproductive activity encompassed April and May (Table 2). Because only one June female was examined, I do not know how much P. tetragrammus female reproduction occurs in June. The smallest reproductively active female (enlarged follicles > 3 mm) measured 53 mm SVL (TCWC 92184) and was collected in April. I report one hatchling (SVL = 24 mm) collected in August (TCWC 41559). Fitzgerald (2009) reported hatchlings measured 25-26 mm SVL and appeared in July and August.

In conclusion, P. tetragrammus is similar to 91% of lizards from western North America in reproducing in spring (Goldberg 2014). The similarity in the delay of the start of full spermiogenesis until May in the scincids P. gilberti and P. tetragrammus warrants further investigation.

Acknowledgments—I thank Toby Hibbitts (TCWC) for permission to examine P. tetragrammus.

Literature Cited Brandley, M.C., H. Ota, T. Hikida, A.N. Montes de Oca, M. Fería-Ortíz, X. Guo, and Y. Wang. 2012.

The phylogenetic systematics of blue-tailed skinks (Plestiodon) and the family Scincidae. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 165:163-189.

Fitzgerald, L.A. 2009. Four-lined skink Plestiodon tetragrammus (Baird, 1859 “1858”). Pp.463-465 in: (L.L.C. Jones and R.E. Lovich, editors), Lizards of the American Southwest, A Photographic Field Guide, Rio Nuevo Publishers, Tucson, Arizona. 567 pp.

Goldberg, S.R. 2005. Reproductive cycle of the western skink, Eumeces skiltonianus (Sauria: Scincidae), in southern California. Texas Journal of Science 57:295-301.

Goldberg, S.R. 2009. Reproductive cycle of Gilbert’s skink, Plestiodon gilberti (Squamata: Scincidae) from California. Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society 45:28-32.

Goldberg, S.R. 2012. Reproduction of the many-lined skink, Plestiodon multivirgatus (Squamata: Scincidae) from New Mexico. Sonoran Herpetologist 25:74-76.

Goldberg, S.R. 2013. Reproduction of the great plains skink, Plestiodon obsoletus (Squamata: Scincidae) from New Mexico. Sonoran Herpetologist 26:33-35.

Goldberg, S. R. 2014. Reproductive cycles of lizards from western North America. Sonoran Herpetologist 27:20-29.

Lemos-Espinal, J.A., and J.R. Dixon. 2013. Amphibians and Reptiles of San Luis Potosí. Eagle Mountain Publishing, LC, Eagle Mountain, Utah. 300 pp.

Lieb, C. S. 1990. Eumeces tetragrammus (Baird) Four-lined Skink. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles 492.1-492-4.

Presnell, J.K., and M.P. Schreibman. 1997. Humason’s Animal Tissue Techniques. 5th ed. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. 572 pp.

Vermersch, T.G. 1992. Lizards and Turtles of South-Central Texas. Eakin Press, Austin, Texas. 170 pp.

Werler, J.E. 1951. Miscellaneous notes on the eggs and young of Texan and Mexican reptiles. Zoologica 36:37-48.

Appendix: Plestiodon tetragrammus from Texas, examined by county, from the herpetology collections the Texas Cooperative Wildlife Collection (TCWC), Texas A&M University.

Bell TCWC 23064; Bosque TCWC 38742; Coleman TCWC 67746, 67749-67751; Concho TCWC 67747, 67748, 67753; Crockett TCWC 92182, 92183; Hays TCWC 31487; Hidalgo TCWC 36531; Irion TCWC 92184, 92185; Llano TCWC 58480, 64689-64692; McCulloch TCWC 67752; Menard TCWC 51196; San Saba TCWC 44456; Shackelford TCWC 65122, 65124-65133, 65135, 65136, 65139, 65140; Sterling TCWC 92186; Uvalde TCWC 4917449178; Webb TCWC 38757, 41559; Zavala TCWC 64693-64699.

P. tetragrammus is similar to 91% of lizards from western North America in reproducing in spring (Goldberg 2014).

The similarity in the delay of the start of full spermiogenesis until May in the scincids P. gilberti and P. tetragrammus warrants further investigation.

N AT U R A L H I S TO RY N OT E

Noteworthy Records of the Yaqui Black-headed Snake (Tantilla yaquia) from Arizona and Sonora James C. Rorabaugh, P.O. Box 31, Saint David, AZ 85630; jrorabaugh@hotmail.com Justin O. Schmidt, Southwestern Biological Institute, 1961 W. Brichta Drive, Tucson, AZ 85745; ponerine@dakotacom.net

T he Yaqui Black-headed Snake (Tantilla yaquia Smith, 1942) is a small (< 325 mm total length), slender and

fossorial species known from Cochise and Santa Cruz counties, Arizona, southwestern Hidalgo County, New Mexico, and southward through eastern and southern Sonora, southeastern Chihuahua, and Sinaloa to the Rio Santiago Valley of Nayarit (McDiarmid 1968,1977; Rorabaugh 2013; Wilson and Mata-Silva 2014). The known distribution is patchy in Arizona and northern and central Sonora where it has been found only at

elevations above about 1000 m, in rolling to mountainous terrain, often amidst oaks. In Sinaloa and Nayarit, the species is most commonly found at low elevation (< 200 m) on the coastal plain in tropical deciduous forest, thornscrub, and tropical semiarid and dry forests (McDiarmid 1968, Rorabaugh 2013). Herein we report observations that help elucidate the distribution and habitat use of the Yaqui Black-headed Snake.

On 26 April 2013, J.O. Schmidt found a Yaqui Black-headed Snake near the Harshaw Townsite,

SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 28 (2) 2015

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Patagonia Mountains, Santa Cruz County, Arizona (9.3 km by air SSE of Patagonia, 31.46667 N -110.70917 W, 1487 m, photo documented in MABA catalogue # son-trv-12050, Fig. 1). The snake was found under a rock during the day in an open pine-oak woodland.

This is the first observation or collection of the species from the Patagonia Mountains (VertNet and records for 13 other museum collections).

On 14 July 2014, J.C. Rorabaugh found and photodocumented a Yaqui Black-headed Snake at Loma de Bàcum, Municipio de Bàcum, Sonora Mexico (27.59211 N, -110.08554 W, 47 m, MABA catalogue # son-trv-234986, Figs. 2 and 3). The snake was found after dark crawling on a tile floor inside the Centro Communitario de Desarrollo Loma de Bàcum. This is the first record for the Municipio de Bàcum and the elevational low for the species in Sonora (VertNet and records for 13 other museum collections); however, in Sinaloa it occurs to near sea level (e.g., Teacapan, 4 m, LACM 7001). The Centro Communitario is situated in a flat, featureless rural area without any rocks or out-

Figure 1. Yaqui Black-headed Snake, near the Harshaw Townsite, Patagonia Mountains, Arizona. Photo by Justin Schmidt.

crops, and the vegetation was a disturbed example of a Sonoran desertscrub—coastal thornscrub ecotone, a community type not previously reported for the Yaqui Black-headed Snake (Rorabaugh 2013, Wilson and Mata-Silva 2014).

Literature Cited McDiarmid, R.W. 1968. Variation, distribution and systematic status of the black-headed snake Tantilla yaquia Smith. Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences 67:159-177.

McDiarmid, R.W. 1977. Tantilla yaquia. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles 198:1-2.

Rorabaugh, J.C. 2013. Herpetofauna of the 100 Mile Circle: Yaqui Black-headed Snake (Tantilla yaquia).

Sonoran Herpetologist 26(3):61-63.

Wilson, L.D., and V. Mata-Silva. 2014. Snakes of the genus Tantilla (Squamata: Colubridae) in Mexico: taxonomy, distribution, and conservation. Mesoamerican Herpetology 1:5-95.

Figure 3. Same snake as in Fig. 2, showing the prominent light neck collar that does not touch the parietal scales and the distinctive and large white cheek patch - characters that distinguish this species from other Tantilla in Arizona and Sonora.

The Yaqui Black-headed Snake (Tantilla yaquia Smith, 1942) is a small (< 325 mm total length), slender and fossorial species known from Cochise and Santa Cruz counties, Arizona, southwestern Hidalgo County, New Mexico, and southward through eastern and southern Sonora, southeastern Chihuahua, and Sinaloa to the Rio Santiago Valley of Nayarit.

Figure 2. Yaqui Black-headed Snake, Loma de Bàcum, Sonora. Photo by Jim Rorabaugh.

SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 28 (2) 2015

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BOOK REVIEW

Review of Tents, Tortoises, and Tailgates by Scott Lillie

Howard O. Clark, Jr., Senior Wildlife Ecologist, Garcia and Associates, Clovis, CA; hclark@garciaandassociates.com

B iologist Scott Lillie has produced an amusing window into the world of wildlife biology. His book

chronicles his experiences as a field biologist—working various temporary tech jobs at various locations— from Arizona and California to Missouri and Georgia.

He provides a candid assessment of these jobs, his experiences with various species, and the habitats they are found in. His stories are humorous and inviting.

Life in the field is not glamorous and Scott is quick to point out the hardships. However, these experiences produce memories that he will cherish for the rest of his life. The relationships he formed with various study species and fellow field workers create an entertaining foundation to reflect upon; the book explores these experiences.

The book is divided into 12 chapters, each highlighting a milestone in his career: The Willow Flycatcher; From AZ to OC; Back to the Beginning Again; The Times Between; Long Way From Home; Desert Life (part one); Desert Life (part two); Tortoises and Hard Hats; Desert Life (part three); Old Friends and Alligators; One Last Time; and The Next Step. Along with a Preface, Introduction, and Afterword, there are 12 black and white photos (one for each chapter) and a two page layout of 16 black and white photos on pages 78 and 79.

Anyone who worked in the wildlife field will quickly relate to Scott’s stories and musings. From extreme weather to unique encounters with plants and animals, Scott’s vivid descriptions will certainly bring a smile or a quick nod. I found myself reflecting on my own experiences in the field and the friendships I’ve made over the years. Scott sometimes gets personal in the book, which only adds to the unpredictability of a biologist who moves around the country searching for the next opportunity. Sometimes Scott considered quitting wildlife biology due to the nature of the wildlife career—jobs are hard to come by and typically do not pay well. Sometimes Scott took a break but was soon back at work, as he missed the great outdoors and all that it had to offer. From encounters with the Boarder Patrol to alligators, the book is full of short stories that are certain to entertain the reader. Scott mentions that he didn’t include everything but the reader quickly gets the idea of what a wildlife biologist faces every day in the field.

The book is a great read for anyone who is already a wildlife biologist but I would highly recommend the book to anyone thinking about becoming a wildlife biologist. University classes do not cover what Scott discusses in his book and biology students may not know what they are getting into. Scott provides colorful

Tents, Tortoises, and Tailgates by Scott Lillie; $9.00; 142 pages; Self-Published, Charleston, SC; ISBN: 1506165052; ISBN-13: 978-1506165059

and accurate descriptions of low-paying tech jobs as well as what it is like to be a wildlife consultant. From wasps to dust storms, these descriptions are perfect to introduce students to the wildlife career field and his book should be available at career fairs and events.

Overall, Scott has written an entertaining autobiography of his experiences as a wildlife specialist—the book is a must read for hardened ecologists and college students alike. Books of this nature are rare and Scott has written a solid account of what it’s like to be a wildlife biologist.

SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 28 (2) 2015

Biologist Scott Lillie has produced an amusing window into the world of wildlife biology. His book chronicles his experiences as a field biologist—working various temporary tech jobs at various locations—from Arizona and California to Missouri and Georgia.

21

BOOK REVIEW

Review of Tracks and Shadows: Field Biology as Art by Harry W. Greene Robert L. Bezy, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County; robertbezy@gmail.com

T his book is a tapestry composed of Harry Greene’s passions for life, mentors, friends, colleagues, field biology, rainforests, deserts, reptiles, education, rewilding, and much more. The themes are finely interwoven throughout the book and provide insight into how the author’s fascination with snakes and predation sustained his spirit across life’s peaks and valleys. Addressed are many questions, trivial to profound, biological to deeply personal: How did his mentor, Henry Fitch, happen to be wearing the World War I cavalry suit in the photo to the right? Why did Harry hide in the back seat of the vehicle when heading out to do field work in the Flint Hills? Is fear of snakes a genetic trait inherited from our early primate ancestors? To what extent might defense (rather than exclusively prey-capture) have played a role in the evolution of venomous snakes? And, of course, which species of snake has the most potent venom and which attains the greatest length? Is field biology art? How did the author become intimately acquainted with death on a

daily basis? Does life have some deep, hidden meaning? Tracks and Shadows is a very enjoyable masterpiece of herpetological literature and I highly recommend it to all.

Henry S. Fitch, August 1941, El Paso, Texas. Photo originally published in Hobart Smith’s Handbook of Lizards (1946).

This book is a tapestry composed of Harry Greene’s passions for life, mentors, friends, colleagues, field biology, rainforests, deserts, reptiles, education, re-wilding, and much more.

University of California Press; Hardcover, 296 pages; ISBN: 9780520232754; October 2013; $29.95, £19.95.

Cover photo by Michael and Patricia Fogden; upper right by Cynthia Prado; lower right, courtesy Harry Greene and Longhorn cow, Texas Hill Country.

SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 28 (2) 2015

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OBITUARY

In Memoriam: Charles “Charlie” W. Painter (1949-2015) Lee A. Fitzgerald, Texas A&M University, and Robert Anthony Villa, President, THS

It saddens me to know that just recently great herpetologist and friend (to many) Charlie Painter has died. I spent a summer with him surveying snakes and lizards, and radio tracking rattlesnakes in the boot heel of New Mexico on the Gray Ranch. My first field job.

He taught me how to preserve herp specimens. I fondly remember his cooking (it’s famous), playing ranch games, and his general pleasant company. He wrote a definitive book on the amphibians and reptiles of New Mexico which set a high standard, and he was dedicated to the conservation of wildlife. On behalf of the Board and Members of Tucson Herpetological Society, condolences to Charlie’s family and friends. —Robert Anthony Villa, President, THS

The Charles W. Painter Grant in Herpetology has been established in his honor. Donate to the fund or apply here: http://bit.ly/1RmuiGT

C harles Wilson Painter, Herpetologist, Naturalist, Mentor, Author, Blacksmith, Father, Husband, Friend,

Artist, passed away on 12 May 2015. We will miss Charlie as a beloved member of our herpetological community and hold the fondest memories of his vast knowledge of natural history, humor, mastery of the camp kitchen, and the exquisite care and attention he gave to all his endeavors and friendships. It seems everyone who accompanied Charlie, whether for a day or a month, returned with stories they will tell for a lifetime.

Born 23 February 1949, Charlie grew up in rural Louisiana and Arkansas. One starting point of his professional career in herpetology could be his service in the US Army in South Korea, where he amassed a collection of about 1,500 specimens. While in graduate school at University of Louisiana at Monroe, Charlie completed his master’s thesis on the herpetofauna of Colima, Mexico. He relocated to Albuquerque in the late 1970s and spent the rest of his life in New Mexico.

Charlie continued graduate work at University of New Mexico and in the early 1980s worked on several interesting projects in the Southwest and Mexico focused on herps, fishes, and some feathered reptiles. Charlie landed the job of his dreams in 1985 when he became the first herpetologist for the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. The job title fit him perfectly, Endangered Species Biologist. Charlie likened his position to a show he and his brother Robert watched as kids, and said he never imagined he would “be so lucky to ride through the desert like the Lone Ranger, having one adventure after another.” Charlie spent 28 years in this position, not just sharing adventures, but initiating and completing countless studies that accumulated a vast body of critically important information on the natural history, distribution, and conservation status of amphibians and reptiles throughout New Mexico.

As Curatorial Associate at the Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico, Charlie deposited thousands of specimens and was a central figure in the Division of Amphibians and Reptiles. Charlie lead the effort to create and publish Amphibians and Reptiles of New Mexico, which still stands as a fine example of a scholarly monograph of a regional herpetofauna.

Other notable achievements include Charlie’s record of more than 80 scholarly publications, successfully pushing

Charles W. Painter, photo from Southwest Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation.

legislation to control wildlife trade in New Mexico, and a series of long-term studies on lizard communities in several locations, montane rattlesnakes, and the enigmatic decline of leopard frogs. Charlie’s work had direct impact on conservation of all the endemic and exploited amphibians and reptiles in New Mexico.

In the policy arena, he was a staunch defender of species and their habitats, guided by a deep conservation ethic backed by scientifically defensible arguments.

In recognition of these career achievements Charlie received the Alison Haskell Award in Herpetofaunal Conservation from Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Gila Natural History Symposium.

Charlie built his career around a philosophy of embracing broad collaborations and fostering and implementing good research. In doing so, he became the hub of field-based herpetological research and conservation in New Mexico, forging new relationships, and mentoring more young biologists than we could name, including a corps of more than 20 professional field technicians who themselves have progressed in their careers at numerous universities, agencies, and private firms.

Charles W. Painter is survived by his loving wife and partner in herpetology, Lori King Painter, his daughter, Ashley Painter, stepdaughter Kelly Senyé, brother Robert Painter, and friends all over the world.

We will profoundly miss him and remain thankful for legacies he left for us in herpetology and life.

SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 28 (2) 2015

We will miss Charlie as a beloved member of our herpetological community and hold the fondest memories of his vast knowledge of natural history, humor, mastery of the camp kitchen, and the exquisite care and attention he gave to all his endeavors and friendships.

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Sustaining Contributing Life

$30 $50 $500

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.

Including the THS in your will is an excellent way to support the value of this organization and the conservation of the herpetofauna of the Sonoran Desert.

We would like to recognize and thank anyone who has included the THS in their will. Please contact us so we can express our appreciation. For information about designating the THS in your will, please contact Maggie Fusari, Treasurer, Tucson Herpetological Society, at maggiefusari@gmail.com.

Time to Renew Your THS membership?

Thank you for your membership in the Tucson Herpetological Society. Renewal reminders for upcoming membership expiration will be emailed at the beginning of the month that your membership expires. If you have any questions about your membership or would like to be in touch with a THS member you do not know how to reach, please contact our Membership Coordinator, Robert Villa, by email: cascabel1985@gmail.com.

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 Robert Villa at cascabel1985@gmail.com. If not already done, please indicate if you want your email added to the THS directory and/or the Monthly meeting announcement (circle one or both). Please return this form with your check to the address above.

Email address ___________________________________________________________

Sonoran Herpetologist Natural History Observations

T he Tucson Herpetological Society invites your contributions to our Natural History Notes section.

We are particularly interested in photographs and descriptions of amphibians and reptiles involved in noteworthy or unusual behaviors in the field. Notes can feature information such as diet, predation, community structure, interspecific behavior, or unusual locations or habitat use. Please submit your observations to Howard Clark, editor.sonoran.herp@gmail.com.

Submissions should be brief and in electronic form.

Local Research News

T he Sonoran Herpetologist welcomes short reports for our Local Research News, a regular feature in our

journal. We are interested in articles that can update our readers on research about amphibians and reptiles in the Sonoran Desert region. These articles need be only a few paragraphs long and do not need to include data, specific localities, or other details. The emphasis should be on how science is being applied to herpetological questions. Please submit your materials to Howard Clark, editor.sonoran.herp@gmail.com.

Submissions should be brief and in electronic form.

SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 28 (2) 2015

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Sonoran Herpetologist (ISSN 2333-8075) is the newsletter-journal of the Tucson Herpetological Society, and is Copyright Š 1988-2015. 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, Jr., editor.sonoran.herp@gmail.com Associate Editors Robert Bezy, robertbezy@gmail.com Dennis Caldwell, dennis@caldwell-design.com Suman Pratihar, pratihar_vu@rediffmail.com Don Swann, donswann@dakotacom.net Art Editor Dennis Caldwell, dennis@caldwell-design.com Book Review Editor Philip Brown, prbrownnaturalist@gmail.com

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 Societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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.

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.

President Robert Villa, cascabel1985@gmail.com Vice President Krista Schmidt, turtlerad@hotmail.com Secretary Don Swann, donswann@dakotacom.net Treasurer Margaret Fusari, maggiefusari@gmail.com Directors: John Ginter, jginter@gsrcorp.com Don Moll, donmoll@missouristate.edu Jim Rorabaugh, jrorabaugh@hotmail.com Walter Merker, walter.merker@gmail.com Steven Condon, sjcondon2001@gmail.com Cody Hurlock, codycha@msn.com Membership Robert Villa, cascabel1985@gmail.com Editor Howard O. Clark, Jr., editor.sonoran.herp@gmail.com

Society Activities

Monthly Members Meeting Jim Rorabaugh, Program Chair 2nd Wednesday, 7:15 PM Board of Directors Meeting Last Tuesday of each month (except December), 7:00 PM Speakers Bureau (scheduled presentations) Robert Villa & Ed Moll Conservation Committee Dennis Caldwell Herpetological Information Hotline Bob Brandner, (520) 760-0574 Jarchow Conservation Award Open Publications: Sonoran Herpetologist, Backyard Ponds brochure, Living with Venomous Reptiles brochure, THS Herp Coloring Book, THS Collected Papers, 1988-1991 THS Webpage http://tucsonherpsociety.org Heidi Flugstad, Webmaster, heidi_flugstad@hotmail.com

LCCN permalink: http://lccn.loc.gov/2013273781

Deadline for Sonoran Herpetologist: 15th of Feb, May, Aug, and Nov (based on the quarterly schedule)

Officers

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

tucsonherpsociety.org

SONORAN SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST HERPETOLOGIST 25 (1)282012 (2) 2015

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