Vol. 10 (1990), No. 5

VOLUME X

NUMBER 5

NEWSLETTER OF THE

MI SOTA HE PETOLO Ie L SOCIETY MAY, 1990

JUNE MEETING PLACE: 335 Borlaug Hall St. Paul Campus University of Minnesota

DATE: Friday, June 1, 1990 TIME: 7:00 PM

PROGRAM: SPEAKER:

Gila Monster Husbandry and Breeding John Meltzer

John Meltzer has kept herps for over 20 years. For the last 10 years he has concentrated on captive propagation. He has bred a number of colubrid and boid snakes along with several lizard and turtle species. John has worked with Gila Monsters (Heloderma suspectum suspectum) for several years. Last year he was successful in breeding them. The program will cover natural history, captive husbandry, and details of a successful breeding program. Slides will illustrate the program..

CRITTER OF THE MONTH: "Monster Ljzards il

Reminder: Do not bring your sick or injured herps to meetings. Please be considerate of the health of other people's animals and the comfort of your animal. Animals at the meeting are not to be displayed during the meeting except during critter of the month. Be sure to bring a proper container to display your animal.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS The following programs are being planned. More information will be available in future newsletters.

Dan Nedrelo

Wisconsin Herpetology

Barney Oldfield Minnesota's Wood Turtles Larry Yank The Vanishing Rain Forests

BEll MUSEUM OF NATIJRAL mSTORY

10 CHURCH ST. S.E.

MINNEAPOUS, l\1N 55455-0104

CALENDAR OF EVENTS June 15 - 20 : Annual Meeting of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, College of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina June 20 - 23 : 14th International Symposium on Captive Propagation and Husbandry, DallasFort Worth Holiday Inn August 3 - 5 : Central Florida Herp Society National Reptile Breeders' Expo, Orlando AU2Ust 5 -10 : Joint Annual Meetings of the Society for the Study of Arovhibians and Reptiles and the Herpetologists League, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana August 9 - 12: Symposium on the Conservation and Captive Husbandry of Turtles and Tortoises Chapman College, Orange, CA October 12 - 14 : Sixth Annual Midwest Herpetological Symposium, Minneapolis, MN

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The purpose of the Minnesota Herpetological Society is: to further the education of the I membership and the general public in care and captive propagation of reptiles and amphiII bians; to educate the membership and the general public in the ecological role of reptiles II and amphibians; and to promote the study and conservation of reptile3 and amphibiam.

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MHS BOARD OF DIRECTORS PRESIDENT VICE-PRESIDENT SECRETARY TREASURER NEWSLETTEREDI10R MEMBER-AT-LARGE

Jolm Moriarty John Meltzer Dennis Daly Gloria Anton Jo Anne Wetherell-Moriarty Fred Bosman

MEMBER-AT-LAROE

Fred Bozvay

MEMBER-AT-LARGE MEMBER-AT-LARGE IMMEDIATE PAST PRES.

Bruce Denes Vence Jimerson AnnPorwoll

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(612) 647-1334 (612) 263-7880 (612) 633-8370 (612) 420-2603 (612) 647-1334 (612) 476-0306 (612) 224-4167 (612) 420-2603 (612) 869-8547 (612)489-7853

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Š Copyright Minnesota Herpetological Society. The contents of this newsletter may be reproduced for inclusion in the newsletters of other herpetological societies provided that the material is reproduced without change and proper credits are given to the MRS Newsletter citing volume number and date.

11JHS Newsletter, Vol. X, No.5

2

MA Y PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS The program at the May meeting was on Bufo marinus , the Marine or Cane Toad. It c.op~~ed of two parts: Dave Hoppe gave an introduction and the general history of the Cane Toad, followed by the video II Cane Toads: An Unnalllral History If. Dave did a very good job with his introductory infonnation. He described the narural history of the toad and gave us some of the more unusual facts about it The world record toad was named Toadally Awesome of Iowa and weighed 5 Ibs., 1.5 ounces. The Cane Toad has glands which produce a toxin making the toad safe from almost all predators. The toxin, coupled with the huge size and incredibly high reproductive rate, make ~ toad almost impossible to control once it is established in an area. Bufo marinus naturally occurs on the coast from the southern-most up of Texas down through Central and South America. The toad was introduced into Puerto Rice in the 1920's and eventually was taken 10 many other countries. In 1935 the Cane Toad was introduced into Australia as a means of biological control for the sugar cane beetle.

This is where the video picks up. It explains why the toad was needed, the unfortunate failure of the toad to control the beetle and the amazing spread of the creature. Although the video has its serious side, it has a lot of humor as well. Most interesting are the interviews with Australians which provide testimony by both toad haters and toad likers. The toad has become a common pet in Australia as wen as kind of a folk hero. There are songs and even statues to commemorate it.

This was a most interesting program.

For more information, a book based on the video has been published. It is available at most book stores with a nature section. Cane Toads: An Unnatural History by Stephanie Lewis, Dolphin/Doubleday Books. Paperback $12.95.

CANE

TOAD Bufo marinus

CRITTER OF THE MONTH Critter of the month in May was herps that hop or herps that keep you hopping. Hoppy ffiends that made it to the meeting were a Chilian Fat-sided Toad, several Eastern Spadefoot Toads, two White's Treefrogs, a Woodhouse Toad, and a Cranwell's Horned Frog. These were brought by John Meltzer, Aaron Hampton, Fred Bosman, Greg Kvanbek, and Bill Ness. Fred Bozvay brought the herp that keeps him really hopping - his Caiman. It's good to see that Fred is keeping up on his wrestling techniques. If you get tired of this guy Fred, I could use a nice pair of boots!

MHS Newsletter, Vol. )(, No. 5

3

MAY

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BOA ..KU Mnnllr4U 1l.Snn'1l"'1I'1II.Ttr"t

The meeting was held on May 5 at the home of John Meltzer. The meetillg was c.:\ ned to order by John Moriarty at 7 :25. In attendance were Marilyn Brooks, Fred and Liz Bosman, Fred Bozvay, Dennis Daly, Vence and Nanette Jimerson, Greg Kvanbek, John and Ruth Meltzer, John Moriarty, Bill M05S, Mary Ann Waldorf and Jo Anne Wetheren-Moriarty. Gloria Anton, Bruce Delles, and Ann porwon were absent.

The Secretary's minutes were accepted as read. The Treasurer's report was read and accepted. 86 people were in attendance at the general meeting.

President's Report Joe Collins has sent a letter of thanks for MRS' donation toward the publication of a re".1sed edition of Standard Common and Scientiflc Names for North American Amphibians and Reptiles.

A retainer fee has been paid to the lawyer so that he will begin the necessary work toward nonprofrt status.Como 'ZDo has drawn up a contract with MHS to cover our Zoo Days. The board has a few questions about it. John will contact Zoo Director Victor Camp. The membership will be informed as the details are worked out.

Vice President's Report John Meltzer has lined up the next few speakers. Future speakers will be John Meltzer, Dan Nedrelo, Barney Oldfield, and Larry Yank.

Old Business Board members were reminded that John is still waiting for written descriptions of their duties.

New Business The care pamphlets for the DNR are ahnost done. Terry Scheiber gave drafts to John. Topics are amphibians, turtles, and snakes. The T-shirt supply is low. It was decided that a small supply of the current style should be ordered to last until the T-shirt contest is over. The board voted to buy the a new book for the library. It is A Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles by Thomas Tyning Stokes Nature Guides series. New MHS window decals will be printed and made available for sale. A discussion ensued about the recent snakebite incident in St Paul. There is concern. about the possible negative press of such incidents as. A set of guidelines on the keeping of venomous reptiles will be drawn up and issued. The group also discussed actions that could be taken against members who bring negative attention to MHS. No decisions were made.

Round Table John Meltzer resigned from the Adoption Committee. Marilyn requested that mention of the student chapter be made periodically in the newsletter.

The meeting was adjourned at 9: 11 (possibly a new record for ending early) and refreshments were served.

HELp路 A HAPLESS HERP At the May meeting, two Red-eared slider turtles were adopted by Bethann Lord. At the time of publication there were no adoption animals for June. Anyone with animals to go up for adoption should contact Fred Bosman prior to the meeting. ~"lHS Newsletter.

Vol. X. No.5

4

MHS T-SHIRT DESIGN CONTEST MHS has had the same T-shirt design for over 6 years. With our upcoming tenth anniversary as

wen as the Midwest Herp Symposium coming up it was felt that a change is in order. This is to announce a T-shirt design contest open to all members.

Deadline: May 31, 1990. All entries will be reviewed by the MHS Board. Three fmalists will be selected. The winner will be chosen by a vote of the membership at the June 1 meeting.

Rules: Only one color designs will be considered. The de5ign must incorporate a Minne:sota theme. The board reserves the right to cancel the contest if no acceptable entries are submitted.

RAFFLE The raffle lightened the wallets of members by $43.00. The following are the raffle winners and their prizes: McClane Fiereck - Stnkes Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles; Zachary Strand - herp pin; Peter Bollman - toad photo; Gary Ash - mouse feeder; Jolm Meltzer - mouse water bottles; Chris Perl and Andrew Newman- screen cage lids; and K. Bethann Lord = 1 dozen mice. Thanks to all who donated prizes and purchased tickets.

Do you have any unwanted herp-related items? MHS is always happy to receive donation for the raffle at the monthly meeting. Proceeds from the raffle go offset MRS operating expenses.

REFRESHMENTS Refreshments at the May meeting were provided by Gary Ash and Lynne Cason. Thanks.

Mary Ann Waldorf is the refreshment chairperson. If you would like to provide refreshments for a meeting be sure to notify Mary Ann in advance. Please see her at the meeting or give her a call at (612) 699-0475.

THANK YOU, NEWSLETTER VOLUNTEERS Special thanks are due to the members who have assisted with the newsletter over the last few months. John Moriarty delivers the copy to the printer. Gloria Anton picks up the newsletter from the printer and buys the stamps. Marilyn Brooks organizes the assembly volunteers and Bruce Denes lets us do the assembly at Twin Qties Reptiles. Those who give their time to collate, fold, staple, and stamp included Craig Aberle, Kate Anderson, Gloria Anton, Fred and Liz Bosman, Fred Bozvay, Sally Brewer, Matt Bray, Marilyn Brooks, Scott Cords, Dennis Daly, Bruce and Nancy Haig, Glen Jacobsen, Greg Kvanbek, Bethann Lord, John Moriarty, Bill Moss, Ann Porwoll, Bill Sander, and Mary Ann Waldorf. It's also important to recognize those members who been contributing material to the newsletter. Thank you all for your help.

Volunteers are needed to assist in assembling the monthly newsletter. Please give an hour or two of your time to help support your society. Call Marilyn Brooks at (612) 533-7723 or see her at a meeting if you have questions or would like to volunteer.

MHS Newsletter, Vol. . Y, . No. 5

5

MHS MEETS THE PUBLIC

by Bill Moss

MHS had a busy month in April with both the Earth Day celebration at Cuino Zoo and the U of NI Veterinary School Open House. Both of the events went very well and were attended by large crowds of very interested (and interesting) people. We met a man who insisted that pythons are venomous and a lady who claims to have owned a 22 foot long Boa Constrictor who, when her apartment in Texas caught frre, couldn't get the fire department to go in and put it out because of the snake. We also fielded a lot of thoughtful, intelligent questions and comments and hopefully we responded in kind.

For u1e CorriO Earth Day, thanks go to Joe Mattke, Aaron Hampton, Tma Hansen, Marilyn Brooks, Greg Kvanbek, Scott Cords, Bethann Lord, and Bill Moss. The herps that brought them included a Sbingleback Skink, Ball Python, Mountain Kingsnake, San Luis Petosi Kingsnake, Desert IGngsnake, California Kingsnake, Banded Gecko, box turtles, Green Snakes, Dumeril's Boas, Bullsnake, Com Snake, Tokay Gecko, African Bullfrog, Mud Snake, Caiman, Ca.rpe1: Python, Mexican Dwarf Python, Bunnese Pythons, Reticulated Python, and Common Boa. At the Vet School open house the animals braving a cold, rainy day included Florida Pinesnake, Ball Python, Mexican Black Kingsnake, Desert Kingsnake, California Kingsnake, Dutneril's Boas, Bu11m.ake, Com Snake, African Bullfrog, Prehensile-tailed Skink, box turtles, Colombian Rainbow Boa, Carpet Python, Mexican Dwarf python, Burmese Pythons, Reticulated Python, and Common Boa. These herps were accompanied by Aaron Hampton, Tina Hansen, Marilyn Brooks, Bruce and Nancy Haig, Glen Jaoobsen, Donna Calander, and Bll Moss. TIlatlks to all of you.

MHS STUDENT CHAPTER

MHS has a University of Minnesota Swdent Chapter. The swdent chapter acts as a liaison with other University organizations. They will also assist in room scheduling. Greg Kvanbek is currently the President Student members need to be identified so that the Student Chapter will be recognized by the University of Minnesota. Any MHS members who are also students at the University should contact Greg or an MHS board member.

PHANTASTIC PHENOLOGICAL PHINDS Now that spring is here, you've probably begun to hear or see some of Minnesota's phantastic herps. In MRS these are called "phenological phinds". Please share your phinds with you fellow members by mailing them or giving them to the Newsletter Editor at the monthly meetings.

What are we looking for? Basically, any herpetological sighting Is of interest Especially worth reporting are the "firstsH of the season, herps in unusual places or doing unusual things, orherps that are not commonly seen. Identify the herp as well as possible. Give common name and scientific name, if possible. Report the date and time of the sighting. Be as exact as possible about the location - county, township, etc. Don't be afraid to send in phlnds if all of the information above is not available; just give as much infonnation as you can. Now, get out and have fun herping! Oh, yes - remember to enjoy the rest of nature while you're out there.

MHS Newsleuer, Vol. )(, No. 5

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WHAT IS 'HANDS-ON' ?

by Bill Moss

For those of you who have never done a HHands-On display and might be a little nervous about H

what you might be getting yourselves into, it's really no different than showing your animals to your friends and answering their questions. You are not in a spotlight or on stage doing a show, rather you are at a table or booth with other herpers and the public simply walks by stopping to look or chat. It's really as simple as that!

Some general tips for a successful presentation: (Note: Some organizations, for which we give Hands-On displays, have some special requirements that you will be infonned of at the time.)

1. Know your animal. People will ask how big it gets, what it eats, does it bite, is it venomous, where does it come from, etc.

2. Do not bring an animal that has exhibited unpredictable or aggressive behavior or is shedding.

The last thing we want is for someone to be bitten or struck at VERY bad pUblicity.

3. Handle your animal in a dignified manner.

4. Communicate that these anima1s would not make ideal"pets" for everyone, that they need special care and considerations. Encourage people to study before making a decision to acquire a herp.

5. Wea, your MRS t..shirt if you have one. A limited number of t-shirts will be provided for use for that day as will name tags.

6. Have fun!

Announcements of upcoming events will be made both here in the newsletter and at the meetings.

Please sign up for one and give it a shot. If you have any questions, your can call me, Bill Moss, at 488.. 1383 evenings NEXT COMO ZOO HANDS-ON -- JUNE 9TH AND 10TH FROM NOON TO 3 PM

MHS NEW MEMBERS AND CHANGES Please add this infonnation to your MHS White Pages.

Allen Anderson P.O. Box 166 NOIWalk,IA 50211

TmaHansen 1135 South Fork Drive River Falls, WI 54022

(715) 425-7565

(612) 289-2329

Donald and Lori Marco-Rust 149 W. Schlieman Ave. Apt.7 Appleton, MN 56206 (515) 981-0402

Bill, Dale, Darcy, and Shelley Peterson P.O. Box 101 Grand Marais, MN 55604 (218) 387-1082

11,1HS Newsletter, Vol. _Y', No. 5

7

by John Moriarty

A Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles by Thomas F. Tyning This field guide is part of the growing Stokes Nature Guide Series published by Little, Brown and Company. The book is 416 pages with over 170 line drawings. The paperback edition is $ 11.95 and hard cover is $ 19.95.

This guide does not try to cover all the species in the U. S. but rather it covers a select group of 32 species. Tom goes into greater detail explaining the habitats and life history of each species. He covers the breeding, feeding and seasonal movements. Most of the species covered are widespread in the eastern United States, such as Bullfrog, Spring Peeper, TIger Salamander, Painted Turtle, and many more. Those species not widespread are restricted to part of the eastern U.S., with the exception of two species.

They are the Gila Monster and the Regal Horned Lizard. These two lizards are the only species in the book restricted to the west The author provides interesting information on them. but they seem out of place when grouped with the other species. They could have been saved for a western edition of the book. Fence lizards and glass lizards would have made the lizard section fit better with the rest of the book.

There are several points in the book that detract from the information presented. 1)rning talks about specific subspecies, but tries to extrapolate his discussion species wide. The Black Racer.

Blue Racer in our area, and the Northern Copperhead are examples of this problem. Tyning has worked with the two subspecies mentioned in Massachusetts and would have made a stronger case for their behaviors by limiting his discussion to that subspecies. The Wood Turtle is another example in that he describes them as having yellow skin, which is correct for the Northeast, but in Minnesota and Wisconsin they are a burnt orange color.

The style of writing makes the reading easy, but leads to the use of some vague words. The ones often used are Hprobably", "possibly", and II presumed". One example of this is in the life span of Snapping Turtles. "At least 47 years, probably longerll The use of this phase implies longer life without data to back it up. I agree that snappers live longer than 47 years, but it needs to be shown to be so before making such a statement.

The line drawings are excellent Andrew Magee did a good job drawing the species in natural settings. Even with the few problems I feel the book has, it is a good companion to Conant's field guide. It adds the natural history of the animals. This knowledge is needed to better understand and study these species.

clip and save

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Minnesota Poison Control System Hennepin Regional Poison

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X

No.5

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SIXTH ANNUAL MIDWEST HERPETOLOGICAL CONFERENCE HOS1ID BY

MINNESOTA HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY

12, 13, 14 OCTOBER 1990 IN ASSOCIATION WIlli

BELL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY &: MINNESOTA NONGAME PROGRAM AT

J.P. Bell Museum of Natural History.

The Sixth Midwest Conference is being held in Minnesota for the second time. where it was started in 1984. The conference is also the start of the Tenth Anniversary celebration of MRS. The planning committee has worked with the University's Bell Museum and the Nongame Wildlife Program to develop an exciting program. The program includes t.alkB and disp1ay:s on the conservation, propagation, and natural history of amplubians and reptiles that are of interest to persons in the Midwest.

SPEAKERS

Bart Bmno

Breeding and husbandry of Pitnophis

Gary Casper

Current Status of Some rare herps in Wisconsin

John Coakley

Breeding, husbandry and conservation of leopard and star tortoises

Joe Collins

Trials and tribulations of writing the 3rd ed. of the Peterson field guide

Norm Haskell

Over-wintering alligators at st. Louis ZJ.>o

Ron Humbert

Head starting wood turtles

Dan Keyler

Venomous reptile bites in the midwest

Dave Lawrence

Breeding and husbandly of blood pythons

John Moriarty

History of Herpetology in Minnesota

Barney Oldfield Natural History of Ttmber Rattlesnakes Ernie Wagner

Com Snakes: Goldfish of the snake world

Hotel A group rate has been arranged at :

Radisson University Hotel

Conference Rates Single $50.00 Double 58.00 (29/person) Triple 68.00 (23/person) Quad 78.00 (19/pcrson)

615 Washington Ave. S.E. (fwo Blocks from the Bell Museum) Minneapolis, MN 55414 (612) 379-8888 Be sure to mention the Midwest Herp Conf.

MHS Newsletter, Vol. -,Y, No . .5

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Schedule Friday, October 12 2:00 to 6:00 6:00 to 7 :00 7:00 to 9:00 9:00 to12:00

Registration, exhibits, and live animals Dinner (on your own) Welcome, speaker, MRS slide show.

Ice breaker social and Museum visit.

Saturday October 13 1/

8:00 to 9:00 9:00 1011:45 11:45 to 1:30

1:30 to 4:30 5:30 to 7:00 7:00 to 8:00 8:00 to 11?

Registration and Coffee Speakers Lunch (on your own), exhibits Speakers "Happy Hour"

Banquet Auction.

Sunday, October 14 10:00 to 12:00 Exhibits, live animals.

12:00 to 11?

Tour of Museum, Minn. Zno, and Private Collections

Exhibitors and Animal Sales MHS has arranged for a space for commercial exlnbitors and live animal sales at the Bell Museum.

NO arrangements have been made with the hotel for animals and no animals are allowed in the hotel. Persons interested in space should note it on their registration and send in their request. before 15 September. The committee chair will contact interested parijes. All participants in 1hese two events will be asked to make a donation to the auc1ion.

Auction An auction will be held after the Saturday night banquet Joe Collins, auctioneer extrodinaire will be conducting. Herp related items are needed to help in this effort.

MIDWEST HERPETOLOGICAL CONFERENCE REGISTRATION NAME.____________________ ADDRE~

__________________

CONFERENCE

X 30.00*

BANQUET

X 20.00 =

=

a-nLDREN UNDER 10 ARE HAI.P PRICE FOR

CX>NFERENCE AND BANQUET

PHONB_____________________

HERP SOCIETY_ _ _ _ _ __ _Commercial Exhibitor _Live Animals

MHS Newsletter, Vol. X, No.5

TOTAL

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• AFfER SEPTEMBER 15 ADD $10.00 LAm FEE MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: MINNESOTA HERPETOLOOICAL SOCIETY BELL MUSEUM OF NATURAL I-llSTORY 10 CHURCH ST. SE MINNEAPOLIS 1v1N 55455

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HERPFUL HINTS Edited by Greg Kvanbek

;; With the much needed rains that we've gotten lately, we've also gotten a pretty good crop of come to the s..W.l., ..Jace where they can be picked up. Try using a flashlight at night Beware of lawn chemicals if you fmd them on the road. Jim suggests storing the wonns in a covered sweater box with several inches of soil and mulch. Keep in a cool place and they should last quite a while. But if you're not into wonns I guess you could feed them to your herps. fl1lTht ~uTl~?"C 1},.'VW·rl1fllT tn Y1.,., D~I} \Alh~ th~ lT~l1flrl1c! Cll}turated th~ ur;onn.s l.1.1&U" vl.awJ.vl..:», aV\;VJ.\.UU6 "'-J .,1.111 J.'\.'-'<J.. "Jl."'J.l Ul.'" &vu.uu. w .:»a" '" vv'

:; Snell No- Pest Strips are getting tough to find but jo Anne Wetherell-Moriarty is hard at work fmding another solution to the problem of snake mites (Ophronyssus natricuS). Apparently,

DichloroVinyl Dimethyl Phosphate is the acttve ingredient and is round in several other products.

One of them is Farnum's Horse Lice Duster n. Another is Ortho's Sevin. These can be used to clean the cage but not on the animals themselves. You can also use Hartz Mountain Cat flea Collars, but Jo Anne has not yet figured out a way to keep the conars on the snakes.

$ If you do have No-Pest Strips cut them up and put a piece in a small container with holes in it Aaron Hampton says that film cannisters work well. Place the container in the cage for a day or two and repeat the process about a week.1.ater with a fresh piece of the No-Pest Strip. You may have to do this several times. Snake mites may lay their eggs away from the cage and the little ones keeping coming back. They also spread from cage to cage.

!31 Dan Nedrelo is a herp lecturer who frequently takes his critters on tour with him. He fmds that snakes of the genus Pituophis (you know. BuIlsnakes and stuff) frequently damage their noses when carried in cloth bags. Dan switched to wooden boxes and no longer has the problem. For some reason the snakes don't struggle to escape as much. at!

Frre-bellied toads (Bombina orientaJis) can actually learn to hop through a simple maze. It

usually takes them several days to learn but they may learn faster if they are slightly dehydrated and you use water as a reward. I don't know if these are any good to lick.

Icky. I'm sure he would know.

I'n have to ask my cousin

13! The purpose of Herp Hints is not for me to entertain you with my vast comic skills. Nor is its purpose to get free publicity for my wonderfully fantastic T-shirts. Herp Hints is a means for herp hobbyists to share information and experience with each other. We can all benefrt from knowledge .. but if no one gives any, no one gets any. So share your knowledge the next time you see me or call me at (612) 533 .. 7723. Your hint might be the one that gets one of those great T-shirts.

Correction: Last month one of the hlnts dealt with disinfecting cages. The Editor was up late burning up the old computer chips and forgot to make a correction. It should have said that cages should either have Melamine interiors (similar to Fonnica) or be epoxy painted or sealed. Untreated wood is difficult to disinfect.

MHS Newsletter, Vol. ..Y, iVa. 5

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HERPS AT HOME Edited by Aaron Hampton This being the breeding season, I'd like to offer some suggestions for both the planned and unplanned arrival of eggs. Keep in mind that some animals carry their eggs in a well concealed marmer so be prepared for the unexpected.

NESTING SITES Ever since I started keeping pairs of snakes, I've found it handy to have nesting materials ready in the spring. You may think that since mating was never observed that your snake could not be gravid or that you would notice if she were. First of all, some snakes mate VERY briefly.

Secondly, some snakes do not need seasonal cycling or may even retain sperm from one breeding season to the next. Finally, some animals are good at disguising the fact that they are carrying eggs. The best thing to do is to be prepared. I would like to point out that an unexpected clutch of eggs may show up without without following my suggestions, but some snakes will not lay eggs unless a suitable nesting site is available. This is called egg retention and it may lead to egg binding which can be fatal to the snake. For this reason I keep nesting materials available just in case.

The items I always keep ready this time of year include sphagnum moss and nesting boxes. I like to be creative with nesting boxes. For moo of my average..sized kingmakes I use a cardboard milk carton. These work great because they hold in the moisture. I open the top up completely, fill one .. third to one-half full with damp moss, and tape or binder one side shut. Next, open the pour spout and place in the cage. The small opening provides a sense of security for the snakes while holding in moisture. For larger snakes such as bullsnakes and pinesnakes I use plastic sweater boxes with a 2 .. 3 inch holes bored in one corner. The ones I use have colored lids and painted bottoms which may seem more secure to the animal.

Sometimes, no matter what you do, things just don't seem right to the snake and she make take things into her own hands (so to speak). Recently, I had a black and white California IGngsnake that was about to lay eggs. I tried the milk carton trick and a Cool Whip container but neither seemed to be acceptable. I was afraid the snake would lay the eggs in the water dish, where they would certainly drown, so I removed the dish. The snake's thirst forced my to replace the dish with a little water. When I returned home later that day I found the snake coiled around her clutch of eggs in a makeshift nest underneath the overturned water dish. I guess some female snakes just have to have things their own way!

W ANTED: BREEDING SUCCESS STORIES Many MHS members are successfully breeding and getting offspring from from their animals.

Other members can benefit from your experience. Now is the time to jot down a few notes about your breeding program; things like whether the male and female are kept together or separate prior to breeding season, what temperature are they kept at, how are they fed, when do you put the male and female together, if eggs are laid how are they incubated, how long are eggs incubated, etc., etc. At the end of the breeding season, send this information to be printed in the newsletter.

Remember, others can learn from your mistakes as well as your successes. Don't worry about your style of writing or typing. The editor will help in these areas.

MHS Newsletter, Vol. ){, .No. 5

12

1.0.0 = male; 0.1.0 = female; 0.0.1 = unknown

MRS DELI: Order frozen rats and rat pups no later than 7:00 PM the Monday before the meeting (or Saturday if Monday is a holiday). Can Bruce at (612) 593-0298 to place an order.

Limit 3 dozen pups or 6 adult rats.

Fresh frozen rats - $2.00 each Fresh frozen rat pups - $5.00 per dozen

Rat pups will not be available at the June meeting.

FOR SALE: Need companions for your herps? Try the other critters with scales! Hand-fed cockatiels, lovebirds, parakeets, Lady Gouldian Finches. Also used parrot cages and aquariums. Will deliver to June meeting. For infonna1ion call Christine at (701) 24197 42 (evenings).

FOR SALE: 2.0 adult Razorback Musk Turtles, $30.00 for both. Call Greg Kvanbek at (612) 533-7723.

FOR SALFlTRADE: Baby Iguanas, $38.; Baby Water Dragons, $28.; Spotted Turtles, $165./pr.; Inventory growing! Now accepting Visa and Mastercard! Aaron Hampton, 1135 S. Fork Dr., River Falls, WI 54022 (715) 425-7565.

FOR SALE: New animals aniving weekly! Stop in and see our latest selection of snakes, lizards, turtles, amphibians, and invertebrates. Twin Cities Reptiles, 540 Winetka Ave. N., Golden Valley, MN 55427 (612) 593-0298. Open Monday - Friday 12:00 - 7:00, Saturday 12:00 5: 00, Closed Sunday.

FOR SALE: Frozen adult mice $6./dz. Adult rats $2. ea. Live rodents available upon request, Call Vence or Nanette Jimerson at (612)869-8547.

WANTED: Herp classified ads from MHS Members. If you have herps or herp-related items to buy, sell, or trade submit your ads to be run in this sections. Oassified ads are a free service to paid members. See instructions below for details.

INSTRUCTIONS: Ads are run as a free service to paid members. Paid ads from non-members are not accepted. Ads for venomous species, illegal species, or sick animals will not be run.

MRS takes no responsibility for legality or health of any animal advertised here. Ads may he run for three consecutive months at which time ads may be re-submitted. The editor reserves the right to omit ads when space is limited so as to allow all members a chance to advertise. Size of ads is limited to 4 typed lines or 1 standard size business card.

Deadline for all newsletter items is the 15th of the month. Send all newsletter items to : ATIN: Newsletter Editor, Minnesota Herpetological Society, Ben Museum of Natural History, 10 Church st. S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455-0104.

A1HSNewslecrer. Vol. -,Y, No. 5

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MINNESOTA HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY BELL MUSEUM OF NATIJRAL HISTORY 10 CHURCH STRBET S.B. »MINNEAPOLIS. MN 55455-0104

MEMBERSHIP AND T-SHIRT ORDER FORM MINNESOTA HERPTELOGICAL SOCIETY NAMB(S) ADDRESS CITY ______________________________________ STATB _ __ PHONB ___________________________

ZIP CODB _ _ _ _ __

LIST IN MHS DIRECTORY? YBS__

NO_ _

HBRP-RELATBD INTBRBSTS _____________________________________________________ TYPE OF MEMBBRSHIP?

NBW__

RENBWBL _ _

_ _ SUSTAINING .....•.. $50.00

_ _ FAMILY ...•...• $12.50

_ _ CONTRIBUTING .•... $25.00

_ _ INDIVIDUAL •••• $tO.OO

OFFICIAL MHS T-SHIRT - $7.00 includes postage (indicate how mlllny of each) Adult:

small _ _

medium__

luge__

:x:-Iarge_ _

Kids: 6-8__

10-12_ _

Please enclose payment. MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: Minnes.:>ta Herpetological Society. Membership is for 12 months from date of joining. A membership card will be sent by return mail. A receipt will be sent only-on request. MAIL m: Minnesota Herpetological Society, Bell Museum of Natural History, 10 Church St. S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455-0104