Vol. 1 (1981), No. 8

MINNESOTA HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER VOLUME I

NUMBER 8 JANUARY MEETING Thursday, Jan. 7, 1982 7:00 PM Room 225, Smith Hall University of Minnesota

Please note the new meeting day and time. This is as decided at the = Nov. meeting.

The Nominating Committee is now considering nominations for the election of officers to be held at the Annual Meeting in March. Nominations from the floor will be.taken at the Jan. meeting. Please give this m~tter serious thought.

The Dec. meeting was very interesting and inf~rmative. If youdidn't pick u~ some excellent tips on herp ph9tography, you must have been napping. Siah St. Clair gave a great presentation. Of interest was the fact that many of the "wrongll slides were much better than most of路 the IIright" slides that the rest of us have.

MHSis s til 1 g row i n g ! We n ow h ave a tot a 1. of 72 member s .' 3 2 a t ten de d the Dec. meeting.

Membership cards have been printed and received. They will be handed out at the Jan. meeting. With the issuance of these cards, they will be needed to check out library books. You will also be asked to show them at the door when attending the monthly meetings.

The Jan. meeting will be presented by John Dee on IIAquatic Turtles; Care .and Maintenance in Captivity". John has been working with these animals for quite a few years and is reputed to be a master of setting up turtle tanks. Come to the ~eeting and find out! ~:!11~1

In keeping with the program, the "Critter of the Monthll for Jan. will be any and all species of aquatic turtle. If you plan to bring anything, please coordinate with John Dee,

Th'e MHS Library is still growing. The following books were recently purchased with MHS funds: Handbook of Salamanders by Sherman C. Bishop Handbriok of Turtles by Archie Carr Handbook of Lizards by Hobart

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Handbook of Frogs and Toads by Albert H. and Anna Allen Wright 'Handbook of Snakes ,by Albert H. and Anna Allen Wright

BREEDING NOTES Breedings from Dec. AAZPA Newsletter Memphis Zoo and Aquarium 2 Giant Day Gecko l' Gila Monster Walk 1n the Wild 3 Desert Tortoise Natiori~l~Zoologic~l

7 Giant Day Gecko ..

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Los'AngelesZoo 12 Leopard Tortoise San Antonio Zoological Gardens 6 African Cora' Snake 3 African Shield Nosed Snake 3 Neuwied's Pit Viper Minnesota Zoological Garden 1 Texas Horned Lizard

Dallas Zoo 40 Granite Spiny Lizard 8 Pueblan Kingsnake 2 Coahuilan Box Turtle, Tulsa Zoological Park 23 Banded Gecko '8 Leopard Gecko SKochlsDay Gecko 14 Alligator Snappirig Turtle Phi 1 ad e 1 p h'i a Zoo', 0 g i c al G~r'd e n 2 Gila Monster . , 1 Prehensile Tailed Skink Kansas City Zoological Gardens 2 Peninsular X Hieroglyphic hybrid turtle 4 Tokay Gecko

WANTED: Books and Journals in the field of Herpetoiogy. Help build your MHS library!

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We had a nice

of- tortoises at the Dec. meeting. They were:

.Red Footed Tortoise Bolivia~Red Footed Tortoise Leo par d Tor t,o i s e Burmese ~rown Tortoise Gopher Tortoise These were brought by Fred and Liz Bosman, John Dee, Bruce and Connie Delles, Jim Gerholdt, Terry Odegaard, and Mike Schwartz. Thanks from MHS!

Proceedings of the

f/jELBOURfiEHERPETOLOGICAL SYJ11POSIUjYL he·ld at The Royal Melbourne Zoological Gardens, Victoria, Australia

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19 - 21 May, 1980.

Edited by Chris B. Banks and Angus A. Martin, and published by the Zoological Board of Victoria. a collection of 35 papers and expanded abstr~cts covering Australian frogs and lizards, venom'research, tortoises and turtles, and Australian crocodiles.

Further papers discuss such topics as reptile diseases, herpetological communities, conservation and taxonomic studies. Many noted herpetologists are represented. an important addition to any herpetologist's library. _ _ _ _ • _ _ _ ":.; ":"':. ...... -

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FOR~1

Copies are available for $12.00 postage and handling.

(A~stralian)

each, including

from Symposium Secretary, The Royal Melbourne Zoological Gardens) P.O. Box 74, Parkville, Vic~oria, 3052, Aust~alia. please make cheques payable to : Zoological Board of Victoria -Please send

copies @ $12.00 (Aust.) each , Total: $- - - - -

The f 0 1 low i ngar tic 1e i s rep r i nted t hr 0 ugh the c 0 ur t e s y 0 f. I~ Not e s From NOAH", the newsletter of the Northern Ohio Association of Herpetolbgists. MHS thanks NOAH! If you have comments, please reply to 'NOAH, Dept.oof Biology, Case Western University, Cleveland, Ohio, 44106

PROPOSAL PRIVATE REGISTRATION OF REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS ESPECIALLY ENDANGERED ANn THREATENED SPECIES .

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The recent •sting' operation conducted by the u.s. fish and Wildlife Service has caused private collectors of reptiles and amphibians to question how they would prove that the threatened or endangered specles in their collections had been legally acquired. As we well knoWt many such . animals are traded or bought and sold by private collectors,without docu° mentation. Many. reptiles and amphibians are collected in the wild or : result from captive breeding.' If after that time such animals are protected by state or federal 1aw, .the owner waul d be hard pressed to prove that they had been legally acquired. "Snakescam" will undoubtedly halt the traffic in illegally acquired reptiles- at least temporarily; but, unless steps are taken ·to protect the private collector, captive care and propagation of threatened and endangered species will °receivea setback .from which it may never recover and the laws which seek to protect endangered and threaoted species may result in their extinction. Further, unless threatened and endangered species are available legally, the black market will resume due to the high prices that can be obtained • .000gs , cats,' horses and other animal shave 'been reg; stered by private' organizations a~d.such 'papers' are accepted as proof of legal ownership.

Why not reptiles and amphibians? While there" are prerequisites that would have to be fulfilled before registration of reptiles and amphibians would be feasible or accepted by public as well as private collectors, a mechanism to protect private collectors- as well as purchasers- must beestabolished •. No one can fault the objectives of Fish and Wildlife in.undertaking 'Snakescam.' However, their means and methods of obtaining their objectives appear to have violated legal as well as ethical' standards.

As a result, instead of the legal' presumption of innocent until proven ,guilty, the owner of a. threatened or endangered species finds himself .in the position of having to prove that such species were not acquired in violation of a state or federal law- laws which are not made known to collectors or the general public. Avenues of communication between state and federal agencies and public and private collectors must be established.

A private registration agency could.·bethat avenue of cOlmlunicat;on.

Before private registrati~n could be established, two areas would have to be negotiated with state and federal officials: Confidentiality of registration records and the "grandfathering" of specimens in . private . and public collections. Practically, no one will provide information until osuch information could be protected, unless disclosed by the person providing the information originally .. Unless both state and federal agencies . would agree, in writing, to respect the confidential·natureo of the registration agency and further agree to accept registration 'papers! as proof of legal ownership~ registration would not be feas.;ble. .' .:.

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Further, threatened and endangered specimens must be grandfathered in . and their legal possession acknowledged without further proof 1f:such specimens are registered before the established date." While it is possible that some illegally acquired reptiles and/or amphibians would be 1e,galized by such a concession, it would be the purchaser- who'fJ1ay have , been unaware of the status- and not the poacher or wholesale~ who would be protected. ,Moreover" it would be the collector who may have acquired : , the animal prior to; ts protection or acquired it' through captive breed ... , '1 ngwho' would obtain the most protection. Arid, after the grandfather date, only those specimens acquired through a registered captive breeding or captured pursuant to the required permits would be registered; future purchasers would have th~ protection of obtaining the 'papers' when the specimen was acquired. ' While these concessions would have to be negotiated, there arebene~ fits to the state and federal agencies involved. Their inp,ut concerning registration regulations would receive due consideration. Further, the " registration agency could agree to release information of a general nature- such as the number originally registered, new registrations (which would be captive breedings), and number released, etc. Such information, which has not heretofore been available, v/ould be of great assistance to feqeral and state agencies should they seek to determine the'statusof'" any endangered , threatened or near-threatened spec; es. " ' ', , "Another factor ,in the" neg~ti ati onswo~'l d b'epubl i c pressure reg'ardi n9 the activities' of 'Snake"scam' and the fact that Fish andt~ildlife has done ,little- if any thing- to facilitate legal means of acquisition.' In its" ' press 'conference on 'Snakescam' Alan Levitt, spokesman for the u.s. Fish and Wildlife Service,stated: " ., , , IIMany people col1.~ct colorful exotic pets, such as " snakes and bi rds" many of whi ch mus f be caught . 'illegally. He said the 'snakes sold unlawfully are virtually always bought by collectors - not for' ¡their skins of for snake cult religious purposes.

The illegal sales are driving some species to ex~ tinction. The Eastern indigo snake from Florida has been on the endangered species list for three , years because it's been collected almost into, , extinction. It ' â&#x20AC;˘ ' ~tr â&#x20AC;˘ Levitt failed to mention pollution, habitat destruction, rattlesnake' roundups, or common ignorance as contributing causes. Later he' did say --lllaAypeople legally collect snakes and other reptiles. Perhaps Fish and Wildlife could achieve its objective of protection by working with, rather than against, private collectors.' ' Th~ proposed registration is not,intended to circumvent 'federal or' state laws covering threatened',or endangered species but rather'supplement such laws while protecting the private collectors as well as'the animals.

While a private intrastate transaction concerning an endangered species might not be subject to state or f~deral law (for example, the sale or trade of a hatchling Eastern indigo from the mating of Pre-Act parents), , the new owner, upon receiving the, registration 'papers' would be assured that his possession was protected and that the snake had not been illegally acquired. If questioned by a state or 'federal official, the presentation of the registration papers would be conclusive proof of legal possession.

If, however, the pur~haser desired one, or if federal law required one', for transportation of specimens across state lines. a federal permit could still be obtained. ' .

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,The primary benefit of registration, however, wo~ld bef~r t~e rep:

tiles and amphib,ians., At present, due to the uncertalnty oft~elntentl0ns of the Fish and Hildl ife Service~ r l.:ptiles 'dhose le~al possess!oncannot,. be proven are in limbo. It is doc~mented that:ep t1 1es a}'e belng destroyed, rele~s~d under circumstances where1n their survlval,lsextremely doubt~u1" or are.~be ing given away so that the; r owners vii 11 not have to face the

wrath, (or the penalties) of'F~sh and ~ildlife ,if theycann~t prove~egal, possession. , Articles concernlng captlve: care and propagatlon of threat- ", ened and endangered species are being wi thhel dfrom publication because, " the owners although they legally acquired the specimens in question, did not need p~rmits and do not, want to call the attiontion of'the Fish ~nd Wildlife Servjce to their activities and ri~k the embarassment of belng 'busted' and the cost required,to prove their innocence. , ,.

Therefore, unles~ a system of establishing.lega1 posses~i~n of.currently held,.as well as subsequently acquired, reptl1es aryd am~hlb,ans 15, , established and recognized, captive care and propagatl~n wl11 be ha~per~d: , Moreover, upon the establishment of registration, t~e lncreased aV~llabl~ltY of reptiles 'and amphibians through legal channels w~ll lessen the lncen~lves to illegally capture threatened and erydan~ered specl~s, t~ere~y prot~ctlng ,. existing populations. In addition, wlth lncreased ~ls~em'natl0n ~f 1n: Jormation,captive,breeding will be expande~ and eXlstlng popu1atlons In- . creased by an organized release program. Wlth the g~ararytee of ~ sel,f... ; policing reg'ist~ation agency, pe~haps the Fish and Wl1dl1fe Serv~ce "can,~,. i~urnits attent10ns to preservatl0nof habitat and the apprehenslon of ' . th~ poachers and their wholesaler purchasersl ~ , , â&#x20AC;˘

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The Regi stra ti on ,Agenc~ " ,'" , ' , A non- profi tagency should bee'stab1i shed to act as the agency for '. 'the registration of rept11.esand.amphibians. This organization, which could be named the Americal Herpetological Association, would initially receive funding from other herpetological societies, foundations, private . ,nd1viduals, etc. Later, the organization would be ~elf supporting from registration fees and memberships. A Board of Directors, composed of rep- . resentatives from herpetological societies, would establish the policies and'procedures of registration and elect the officers who would be re, sponsible for the day to day registration operation. Additional activities of the American Herpetological Association (IAHA') would include the establishment of sectional memberships and committees whereby col1ectol"s "coul d join a group dedicated to the study and propagati on of a specific , reptile or amphibian, and compile and exchange information. , Each ,section , would report annually. In addition, the section would report proposed, cnanges in federal 'or state laws to its membership and review and comment on proposed legislation. Further, the section might 'engage in lobbying or propose legislation to federal or state agencies. Another activity could' be the establishment of breeding loan programs and the coordination with zoos with respect to the handling of surplus specimens; AHA could be the mechanism to stop the destruction of surplus populations that result from in,stitutional policies and procedure's. AHA could also identify habitat areas and lobby fo)~ the inclusion of 'such areas into wildlife sanctuaries'.

Establishment of Registration Procedures th~ first step ~n establishment of registration proce~ures would be the commencement of negotiations with ,the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service' and state agencies. The procedures and benefits of the registration p~o­ cess wou14 be, explained; concurtent with such negotiations would be a ' I. letter-writing campaign to congressmen and senators asking their assistance ',with state and federal agencie~. Once an agreement was reached, deadlines, for thegrandfathering in of each species would be established and disseminat~dnational1y. .

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In establishing the mechanics of registration, the registration procedures of. the American Kennel Club, American Cat Fanciers Association and other similar organizations would be 'reviewed. AHA procedures would in.. corporate the; r best fea tu}"es i ncl udi ng the estab 1; shment of a I book t for each classification. A prefix number for each species would be the same as the 'book" number and a:,second number would iden~ify the specific ani.mal . . The information ,to be provided would include the scientific and conroon name. sex (if known), approximate age~ date acquired, any special characteristics of the 'speci'J~len(albino, melanistic, d0fects, ; etc.) and the name and addr'ess oJ the milner. If the applicution complied with the AHA regu- . lations,·a regjstrat10n certificate would be provided; however, the only date listed thereon would be the date of registration. For example,an Eastern indigo snake '.'/ould be registered as 201 (VJujmaltClton c.oJUU.6 c.oupeAL. Classification number) ... 103 (individual registration number). The registration certificate would include the pertinent information and the date of re.gistrat1on, which would prevent a registratio'n certificate from being used to cover an unreg1stered animal. Upon the trade, sale~ or loan of a registered animal, the certificate would be ret~rned to AHA and a new cer. . tificate issued to indicate the new owner.· '. A system of 'clutch" reglstration would be established to cover .cap.tive breeding situations. This registration certificate would include the . numbers of the parents, date of birth, and.breeder's name. A number would . be assigned to each offspr·ing and the identification data could be provided' at a later date. ., . .. : '.

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PRIORITY OF REGISTRATION While all reptile and amphibian classifications would eventually be registered, priority of registration vlOuld commence vlith endangered spec; es and areal i sti c grandfa ther da te "/oul d be estab 1i shed fOl each. .

Threatened species would be registered after endangered, and then nearthreatened species. Thereafter, other species would be registered on an optional basis because no grandfather date would be needed. This optional registration would be useful in protecting prospective purchasers and would. be invaluable in captive breeding programs so that blOOdlines could be traced for the purpose of line br~eding o.r outcros·sing. . .

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In the lo~g runt tSnakescam' may well tur'n out to be a blessing in' .:_ dl.sgui se, . .1 tis time that pri vate coll ectors joi n together and present their viewpoints; as a silent minority. we have taken the blame for the status of many reptiles or amphibians. Moreover, the U.S. Fish and v/ildlife Service has been able to mislead a.nd harass individuals with impunity.

Permit applications' gather dust on officials' desks'- and non-refundable· application fees deter permit applicants. Further, proposed and current laws and regulations are not readily available. There is.much to be done in dealing with state and federal agencies,' the media, and the public; . , The establ ishment of a national registration agency would be the start, '.~

NOAH EcU:tolL'.6 Note:. The. a.bove. pJtopo~ai. .fA bung pub.e1Ahed .heJt<!. not . .··be,c.a.LUe U bung put .in:tO e.66ed, but bec.aU6e we. Me. .6eeiUng-. ". .(.npcd lLegaAcUng. W Me6ul.nu4, vaUcU.ty, andpltoc.ec/.uJt,u. p.e.ea..~e· ....., <s end U6 YOWL op.in..ion¢ .and .6 uggu:u'On6.. We Me paJttic.td.aJLt.y .in:teJtuted

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.in ./)ugguUol'tA whlc.h .involve? the ·po.t~ c.oapeJta.tion wUh pne. . e.x1Atlng oltganlzatlcrv5. The Society 6oJr. .the Stu.dy 06 AmplUbl.aI't6. .' and ReptU.~ (SSAR), :6oJr. exampl.e, a1Jr.e.a.dy hM a.' LegL&lA..tl.ve. AtC!!Lt Comml.:tte.e.; wli.h .the. AHA t.& 6.inanclal a.nd volwtte.eJL a6.&.u.taJtc.e., :l:IU& c.otmtLtte.e. .e.o uld be expanded to include. pencUng .&ta.tC!, a.6 well. M 6e.d.eJu1.l Jr.eg~n noU6-i..c.a:tiortll. FlUlnk Slavetu\' 1nve.JttoItf! a 6 Live '. Rep,tU~ aJ1d' Ari1pli.lb.ia.~ lit Noltth AmeJt1c.a.n Cou.ec.tio n6 ma.y ~ eAve. a6 a. nu(!1eU6 06 ihe. AHA (it{ FJta.nk agJr.ee.6!). The thtvu1atlonal Spe.Ue.6 InventoJr.y Sy~tem (ISIS) OIL the SSP (Speuu SWtv-tvo1. Plan) may ~o c.ontJUbwte. to the. goal o~ lte.g1A.teJc1..ng a.U. JteptU.e6 a.nd· amplublctJU, ci6 deh cJUb ed itt thM pltOpo.& r6 yo U Me. ·6a.mU..i.M. wUh any c.CWtenX ~!i lleptUe Olt amphlbl.a.nJf.eg1A~n plWgMm6.. (.6.t.tc.h M the GophVt Tott:tol6e JLegi6tJutt.lo n PM gltctm), ptea.& e let U6 kYlOW how .tJt.U .6 Y.6:tem· .woltkA· and whe:theJl OIL not yo u. :tIUnk .it wo utd. be. appUc.a.ble :to 0 Wt. . oWn. .6Uu...

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MINNESOTA HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY DIRECTORY OFFICERS OclY1n. Jones

President

938-8555

Terry Odegaard

Vice-President

544·6406

Secret4ry-Treasurer

938-1679

Newsletter Editor

507·652-2996

John Dee

Member-lit-Large

699-8859

Bruce Oe lles

Member- at·L IIrge

938';'1679

Karl Hermann

"'emb~r.

"t-Large

225·6784

"Conn 1e Oe 11 es Jtm Gerholdt

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The Minnesota Herpetological Society is newly formed and looking for new members. As a member you will receive monthly informative newsletters and can attend monthly meetings which are highlighted with guest speakers covering a broad scope of subjects important to all herpers.

So if you'd like to exchange information and ideas with others who share your interest, please send $5.00 annual membership to: Minnesota Herpetological Society Bell Museum of Natural History 10 Church Street·S.E. Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455-0104

Name____________________________~Any Specific Interest in Herpetology?

Address'

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Home Phone No •.

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Make all checks payable to: Minnesota Herpetological Society

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CLASSIFIEDS

JUST IMAGINIE -

'·LI. DO THE ReST

MONDAY TO SATURDAY 10-6 61 2-929-6730

··.~ON'S· . DESIGNING 8c CREATING

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FINE JEWEI.RY

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BIRDS • RODENTS • SUPPLIES 8c ADVICE WE SPECIALIZE IN REPTILES

CALI. FOR ApPOINTMENT 10 A.M. TO 7 P.M. .

4315 UPTON AVE. SO. MpLS.55410 GARY BAECHER

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LARGEST SELECTION OF REPTILes IN MINNESOTA' AND A FULL LINE OF PET SUPPLIES FOR AI..LANIMAI..S

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Educational Programs Exhibits

Lectures . 1833 Hampshire Ave. So. st. Louis Park. MN 55426 Phone: (612) 544·6406

MINNESOTA HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY DELICATESSEN ~'l

REMEMBER-After each meeting we will have available our featured take-out items.

FRESH FROZEN MICE-$3.00 per dozen FRESH FROZEN RATS-JUMBO SIZE-$1.50

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"4(l~~ MON •• FRI

10·00. 8·00

SAT. 10:00· 600 SUN 12:00. 5·00

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612/920-4049 ,

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Terry OdegQard's World of Reptiles

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15 8TH AVI!NUe NO"'H

55343 '6121938·0680 .

HOPKINS. MINNEsorA

NEWSLETTER DEADLINE The ~eadline for submitting ads, etc., is the 15th of'the month.

Please send to me: Jim Gerholdt P.O. Box 86 Webster, MN 55088

Remember, if you want rats or mice, they are available by on 1y. P1e as e ·1 e t Bruce or Con rti e kn o~,y 0 ~ r need s •

rese~vation

C,

MINNESOTA HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY, BELL 'MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY 10 CHURCH STREET MINNEAPOLIS; MINNESOTA.

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