Vol. 11 (1991), No. 10

NEWSLETTER OF THE

MI ESOTA HE PETOLOGICAL SOCIETY

EXI BELL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

10 CHURCH ST. S.E.

MBER 10

:MINNEAPOI1S, MN 55455-0104

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

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Dec. 7,1991

MHS Holiday Banquet, St. Paul Student Center, University of Minnesota 6:30 to 10:30 pm

Feb. 7, 1992

MHS Great White Snake Sale

The purpose of the Minnesota Herpetological Society is: to further the education of the membership and the general public in care and captive propagation of reptiles and amphibians; to educate the membership and the general public in the ecological role of reptiles and amphibians; and to promote the study and COllSelVation of reptiles and amphibians.

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PRESIDENT VICE-PRESIDENT MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY RECORDING SECRETARY TREASURER NEWSLEITER EDITOR MEMBER-AT-LARGE MEMBER-AT-LARGE MEMBER-AT-LARGE MEMBER-AT-LARGE IMMEDIATE PAST PRES.

John Meltzer Terry Scheiber Dennis Daly Michele S1illinger Marilyn Brooks Jo Anne Wetherell-Moriarty Glen Jacobsen VenceJimerson Greg Kvanbek Bill Moss John Moriarty

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MHS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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(612) 263-7880 (612) 440-7482 (612) 633-8370 (612) 588-4613 (612) 533-7723 (612) 647-1334 (612) 757-8268 (612) 869-8547 (612) 533-7723 (612) 488-1383 (612) 647-1334

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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 MHS Newsletter citing volume number and date.

Next Meeting nA'l"'D, J.U,

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DT AI""''C, 'l'l.c' "0"...1 ...",.. U".11 .r L.l"\'-'U. J J J UUllUUl:; .l.lC:Lll

'On' ,.1 ..... r "'To.. r .......... "J....o- 1 1 001 1.'.1. uuy, l ' VCUllAl1 1, 1:1:1.1.

st. Paul Campus University of Minnesota

TIME: 7:00 PM

PROGRAM: Minnesota Laws and the Herp Enthusiast SPEAKER: Del Bloucher

Mr. Bloucher is a practicing attorney in the metro area and will discuss the legal aspects of keeping herps in our modem day society. Some of the topics to be touched upon include: how and why laws restricting herps are enacted, how to be involved in the lawmaking process, how to work to change existing laws, and the individual's personal liability should a herp cause harm to someone, This topic affects everyone wh~ keeps herps.

CRITfER OF THE MONTH: HelpS that have caused you the most problems

Be sure to bring a proper container to display your animal during critter time. Animals are not to be displayed during the meeting except during critter of the month period. megal species will not be allowed. Members who do not comply will not be allowed to display their animal.

Upcoming

~eetings

December 6: Captive Propagation and Husbandry of Tri-color and Albino Snakes - Brent Peugnet January 3 February 7

Critter of the Month Critter of the Month in October was neonates and a number of people brought their newest animals. Animals"included "ghost" Com Snake, "snow" Com Snakes, Boa Constrictor, Baird's Ratsnake,Fox Snakes, Bullsnake, albino Black Ratsnake, Children's Python, and Columbian Rainbow Boa. These critters were displayed by Becky Helgeson, Mark Norby, Randy Blasus, Jeff Senene, Chase Denes, and John Meltzer.

Next Newsletter Deadline November 1

MHS Newsletter, '/'0J. Xl, No.9

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Board Meeting Minutes The September board meeting was held on Sept. 6 at the home of Glen Jacobsen. The meeting was called to order at 7:25 PM. Present were Jolm Meltzer, Teny Scheiber, Dennis Daly, Michele S1illinger, Marilyn Brooks, John Moriarty, Jo Anne Wetherell-Moriarty, Glen Jacobsen, Donna Calander, Greg Kvanbek, and Bill Moss. Minutes from the previous meeting were distributed and accepted. 110 people attended the general meeting in August.

Membership Report: August 1991

Treasurer's Report: August 1991 Beginning balance Income Expenses Ending balance

$2853.23 498.41 1338.11 $2013.53

Previous total New members Drops New total

223 5 24 212

Vice President's Report: A possible speaker has been lined up for the Holiday Banquet Brent Peugnet, who works for The Arizona Department of Fish and Game would speak on breeding tricolor snakes. Slides or video footage is needed to put together a MRS activity video.

Old Business: Bethann Lord will be moving therefore new adoption committee members are needed. Mark Kelly and Cliff Lindberg are currently members with Glen Jacobsen as chainnan. A call for volunteers will be made. Sales of the tenth anniversary t-shlrt were discussed. It was decided that another t-shlrt design contest will be held. A call for designs will be given after the :f~_~~~the year. ~-----------------

New Business: A special raffle will be held. The prizes are an original pen and ink drawing of a Softshell Turtle by Sarina Brewer and a print signed by Roger Conant. Tickets will be sold for 50 . cents beginning at the October meeting. Winners will be drawn at the holiday banquet T h e Humane Society sent a letter of thanks for taking part in their open house.

Raffle Results Thanks to Karin Rea, Marilyn Brooks, Candy Ashbach, and Scott CordS, -as wen as several anonymous donors of raffle items. The winners and their prizes are listed below.

Bruce Haig .. small cage Neal Dalton .. snake pin Barney Oldfield .. small cage Mark Norby .. button Sarah Richard .. earrings Marilyn Brooks .. snake sign David Wiener .. cards

David Burton .. snake cards Michene Stillinger .. t-shlrt John Meltzer .. buttons B.J. Farley - key chain Scott Cords .. button Marla Wllber .. button Ted Meissner .. button

The proceeds go to help offset operating expenses. The raffle brought in $96.50. Thanks to all who purchased t i c k e t s . 路 -

MHS Newsletter, Vol. Xl, No.9

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Cage Heaters (Part 3)

by William Ness In the previous articles I have discussed the use of light bulbs and other methods of providing heat from a source inside the cage. This article will discuss a few m~re options for providing heat for the reptile cage.

Providing heat from outside of the cage can be accomplished quite easily by several different methods. A relatively simple and inexpensive substrate heater is the common human heating pad for sore muscles. The pad is placed under one end of the cage to provide a temperature gradient. I prefer to place short blocks of wood or runners under the cage to keep it from compressing the pad. Most of the pads for human use have several settings but usually the pad should be set on low. There is also a non-adjustable heating pad (which is preset to the correct temperature) marketed for herps available in some pet shops . If the bottom of the cage is constructed of 3/4 inch pine or some similar material, there may not be sufficient heat transferred to the interior of the cage.

In this case the heating pad may be placed directly in the cage. I construct a shallow box to cover the pad out of paneling and one inch by one inch pine strips. The effect is similar to an inverted brownie pan and acts as sort of a false floor. This protects the pad from any digging or chewing by cage residents or food animals, and provides a wann substrate for the animals to lie on.

Similar in principle to the heating pad is the under-the-tank heater designed for all glass aquariums.

This heater adheres directly to the bottom of the tank and is designed to have several inches of gravel or other substrate covering the bottom of the cage. Once attached these heaters are relatively permanent and are not supposed to get wet. This can make cage cleaning a little difficult. You can't just put the tank in the sink or tub and hose it down. I have found that by attaching the heater to a P!~~Q(~~Qwg!~~a.tlc.tsli9ingtheglass '\\lith tile :he8:ter under the~ge !t~e8:B~Y be moved to a different tank or set aside while scrubbing out the tank. The under taJ;lk heater does get very warm and probably should not be used with animals that may dig down and get in direct contact with the bottom of the cage. .

A method used by many people to heat cages, especially when a number of cages need to be heated, is heat tape designed to keep pipes from freezing or ice from fonning on the roof or r~ gutters. For a while there was a product similar to this, aflat tape, that was designed specifically for herp cages but I do not believe it is on the market any more. Heat tape can be used successfully to provide bottom heat for one or many cages. The tape usually comes in lengths of two feet to over forty feet. There are a number of brands and varieties on the market but the type that works for herp cages is the variety that does not have a built in thermostat The built in thermostats are usually non-adjustable and are preset to about 55 degrees which does us no good. Generally, the heat tape is run under the cage but some people run the tape inside the cage. If the tape is used inside the cage it would probably be a good idea to run it through PVC pipe or electrical conduit. It is usually easiest to run the tape under the cage, as the only modification to the cage necessary is setting it on short runners to prevent the cage from sitting directly on the tape and possibly damaging it. The bottom of the cage should be relatively thin, probably not more than quarter inch plywood, to allow for good heat transfer. Heat tape should be run through a dimmer switch to regulate their output. If allowed to run wide open the heat tape can become too hot to touch. One路 word of warning in the use of heat tape for heating herp cages - this use voids the warranty and if used improperly may cause a frre or electrical shock. I once had a heat tape zigzagged back and forth inside a small pegboard box. After several months the heater box stopped functioning.

Disassembly revealed that the box had gotten so hot that the insulation on the wires had been baked off. Running one strand of heat tape controlled by a dimmer switch or other rheostat under a cage on runners usually does not create enough heat to damage the tape. However, periodi~ inspection is certainly advised.

MHS Newsletter, 路Vol. ){l, No.9

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If the ambient temperature in the room fluctuates greatly it may be worthwhile to utilize a thermostat with whatever heat source you use. A thermostat can be installed inside one cage but connected to heaters from several cages. If the animals are likely to crawl on the thermostat and damage it a protective box can be constructed of pegboard. Pegboard allows sufficient air flow and is less likely to injure animals than a wire mesh box. If the control knob is mounted on the outside of the cage you won't have snakes crawling over it and changing the setting .(fess wouldn't do that, would she?) Usually this can be accomplished by simply drilling a hole in the side of the cage the diameter of the control knob and pushing it through. I have used both double wafer and bimetallic thermostats with about equal success. The biggest drawback is expense, double wafer incubator thennostats start at about fifteen dollars.

If there are a large number of cages in the herp room it may be cheaper to heat the whole room instead of each cage. The room can be maintained at the ideal ambient temperature for the cages and then supplemental lights can be installed in those cages that require basking areas.

I have discussed a few of the more common methods of heating herp cages but there are many options out there just waiting to be tried. I have heard of hot water radiator-type systems, light bulbs mounted in a box under the cages, and other innovative systems. What ever method is used to heat the cage, keep in mind the needs and lifesty-Ie of the <=:age residents. Desert lizards will do well with a hot basking spot and probably a hot rock. Burrowing snakes (such as Calabaria or sand boas) will probably do fine with only a good substrate heater, while many tree boas seldom spend time on the cage bottom and would not benefit much from a substrate heater. Also, keep in mind the animals safety and do not allow the animals to come in contact with heaters, bare wires, or sharp objects that may cause burns or other injuries. In addition, consider the ease of operation, utilization, and maintenance of the system. The simpler the system and the fewer the replacement parts there are the less there is to go wrong.

Help a Hapless Herp Anyone with animals to go up for adoption should contact Glen Jacobsen at 757 -8268 prior to the meeting.

Refreshments Thanks to Toni Jesmer for providing cookies and to Marilyn Brooks for the alligator bread and spinach dip. This went over wen with the crowd. The donation frog gathered $8.96 If you'd like to help provide treats for a meeting please talk to Candy Ashbach or Nanette Jimerson at the meeting to fmd out about what's required~

Ideas Needed MHS no longer has a regular source of income to cover operating expenses. Do you have any ideas for fund raising? If so, please talk to a board member at the meeting or contact John Meltzer at 1-263-7880. .

MHS Newsletter, Vol. Xl, No.9

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Honorable David Durenberger

-154-Russell~Senate-effice-Building '--'~------~-~""" "~~---""-----~~-"--~~~----~-'---~-

Washington, D.C. 20510

Honorable David Durenberger 154 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510-2303 Dear Senator Durenberger,

I am writing you to ask you to oppose the Old growth Forest Resources Management Act, Bills, S. I I 56/H.R. 2463. These bills give timber harvest levels priority over all other environmental requirements, including the Endangered Species Act. Furthermore, citizens rights to challenge this are severely limited in court. If these bills are enacted the results would be felt in every national forest in the countty, especially in the Pacific Northwest.

As an alternative to these bills , H.R. 842 provides the protection to old growth forests and strengthens the Endangered Species Act H.R. 842 will protect tracts of old growth over 200 acres in size.

In a time when cotlSelVation and protection of the earth is more heartfelt than ever, I urge you to object to S. 1I 56/H.R. 2463. In Minnesota we have many forests of great beauty, but we do not have any large tracts of old growth because there was no protection at the time theywerecut. . The~few:cremainingareas_oLold.growthjlLo1her.parts.ofthe.co:un~ .~~ need to protected for all of us

Sincerely,

Namewrin~

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Street

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Book Review

by Dennis Daly Title: An Introduction to .. Life with Turtles 125 pages Author: Ellen Nicol Publisher: Mid-Florida Publishing Company, Ocala, FL 1991 This book is divided into 16 chapters which describe the beginnings of Ellen Nicol's keeping of turtles and tortoises. She describes some of her frrst contacts with reptiles as a young girl through the present where she and her husband care for over 300 animals (no easy feat).

I thought that the anecdotes and stories were interesting but they also seemed blunt toward other keepers. I found little information that would be of interest to maintaining a testudine collection that has not already been published in other sources. An example of this is turtle cakes made of plaster of Paris as a calcium source. This seems to work for Ellen but cuttle bone or ground oyster shell are better calcium sources and are less work and mess to prepare.

I found chapter lion Radiated Tortoises to be very interesting and possibly of use to other herpers. It involves observations on feeding behavior as well as a noted weight loss by the

animals. The author notes that the tortoises go off feed and become lethargic. She then tells us about the veterinary tests that could find no explanation for the deaths. It is assumed that the tortoises died of immune deficiency to contaminants that they encountered. While nothing conclusive was detennined it does show us that it is important to observe our animals and to seek medical diagnosis and trea1Jnent on as timely a basis as possible.

Mrs:NiooInaslooded~thiSbook.With-heiownlineara\Wfgs~-onab()uteverytliifd()r-f()firt1fpage

there is a pen and ink sketch of a turtle or tortoise. The drawings are of good quality and show a large variety of animals.

Over all I found the book to be interesting, light reading on the life experiences of Ellen Nicol but I would not recommend purchasing it as a source of information on turtle husbandry. A more worthwhile purchase would be Keeping and Breeding of Tortoises in Captivity by A.C. Highfield. Although this book is much more expensive I found it to be more worthwhile.

Get Involved With MUS Listed below are several MHS activities for which volunteers are needed. Please be an involved member and give a few hours of your time. Last year those members with a significant number of volunteer hours were rewarded with MHS mugs.

Name badge organizer - Put new name badges in holders, remove old name badges, keep the box neat. This takes 15 - 30 minutes at each meeting. See John Meltzer or call1-263-7 880.

White Snake Sale Committee ChaitPerson - Coordinate volunteers and organize bid sheets and items for the sale. See John Meltzer or call 1-263-7880.

Holiday Banquet Assistants - Help with set-up and/or clean-up. See Marilyn Brooks or call 5337723.

Grants Committee members - help fmd organizations with grant programs, write grant proposals, and organize projects. See Marilyn Brooks or call 533-7723.

MHS Newsletter, 路Vo1. Xl, No.9

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Pesky Pete's Racing Career Ended in Tragedy C. Jackson reporting Pesky Pete, the racing box turtle managed by Kate Slavens was disabled by a viscious raccoon attack. Pete was on the racing circuit in Minnesota in the late 1980's where he developed a reputation for sitting on his competitors while in the starting box. His manager took him to the west coast where the racing stakes are better. Unfortunately Pete's reputation preceded him and he was unable to get many races ..

Pesky Pete was in his outdoor enclosure on 6 October 1991 when a raccoon entered the enclosure in the early AM. The attack left Pete with his hind legs missing below the knees and no tail. The raccoon was chased away from Pete by Frank Slavens, his co-manager, wielding several chunks of ftrewood. An enclosure mate has been missing since the attack.

Pete is recuperating well and is currently on antibiotics. He can get around on his hfud knees, but not well enough to ever race again. Pete has been contemplating coaching once he has finished his rehabilitation. He will be coaching under the moniker of "Pegleg Pete".

Manager Kate Slavens would like to monn other turtle owners that if they keep the animals in outside enclosures that the enclosures need to be raccoon proof. Dogs, skunks, and crows can also be predators of your turtles.

Grants for Nongame Wildlife Research in Minnesota The Minnesota Nongame Wildlife Program is soliciting proposals for projects to be conducted dUring the 92/93 field season. Proposals should be for work contributing to the conservation and management of nongame wildlife with high priority given to projects focusing on state endangered, threatened, and special concern species, native grassland species, wetland/aquatic species, and topics relevant to management of state parks. Deadline: January 1, 1992. For more infonnation contact Richard J. Baker, Nongame Wildlife Program, MN Dept. of Natural Resources, Box 7, 500 Lafayette Rd., st. Paul, MN 55155-4007 or call (612) 297-3764.

Humane Society Thanks Dear Minnesota Herpetological Society, Thank you very much for your participation in our open house on August 10th. I received many comments about your booth and the animals you brought.

I could see that you were very busy all afternoon.

The education you provided was invaluable.

MHS Newsletter, Vol. XL No.9

Again, thank you.

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Honorable Paul Wellstone 702 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510路2303 Dear Senator Wellstone,

I am writing you to ask you to oppose the Old growth Forest Resources Management Act, Bills, S. 1156/H.R. 2463. These bills give timber harvest levels priority over all other environmental requirements, including the Endangered Species Act. Furthermore, citizens rights to challenge this are severely limited in court. If these bills are enacted the results would be felt in every national forest in the country, especially in the Pacific Northwest.

As an alternative to these bills , H.R. 842 provides the protection to old growth forests and strengthens the Endangered Species Act H.R. 842 will protect tracts of old growth over 200 acres in size.

In a time when conservation and protection of the earth is more heartfeh than ever, I urge you to object to S. 1156/H.R. 2463. In Minnesota we have many forests of great beauty, but we do not have any large tracts of old growth because there was no protection at the .~ .. ~_time~tb.e~~erctcu.t The few remainingar~J)f Qiqgrowth il19ther ~o( t1te.C()~~ need to protected for all of us

Sincerely,

Name~rin~

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- -Honorable Paul Wellstone 702 Hart Senate Office Building Wasnm:gtOfi;-cD:e:-=20S10~2303~-~---~--c----~--~---c~--=c_~-~--

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A Day at the Racers Blue Racers on the Kasota Prairie

by Tom Jessen

On Wednesday, May 22nd at about 4:00 PM I was wandering about the dry bluff prairies of Le Sueur Co. A light thundershower had soaked the prairie and about 15 minutes after the sky cleared I encountered a 2 1/2 foot long Blue Racer basking in the sunlight on the side of a small sandstone boulder. A closer examination revealed 2 of them side by side. The smaller of the two still showed evidence of baby spots, though very faintly. While raising my camera to photograph them, the larger one literally vanished and while I made a grab for the other one it too was gone in an instant, making use of small vine to reach a hole under the stone on the opposite side. My joyous laughter was tinged with fits of rage as I had actually seen a Blue Racer... My frrst one ever ... but had no proof of the incident whatsoever.

As I continued walking about the prairie quietly muttering to myself that no one would ever believe me when I told them what I'd seen. Suddenly, there before me lay a huge 5 foot long racer contentedly sipping rain water out of a small dip in a boulder! The snake soon became aware of an awe-stricken herpetologist looming above ( and quite a tall one at that) and quickly decided it was time to go!

With no conscious recollection of the next few seconds, I found myself rising from the prairie grass with a large, writhing olive green serpent held fmnly in my left hand. By the time I'd gotten to my feet the snake had curled itself into a tight knot around my hand and thereafter made no attempt to strike or bite or even escape. At thattn()lllen~Icould. have haJJ.d~ ~~~cel" oyer to a 2 year old child VVith no fear ofiiijUry Or fright. -Irideoo, the~ sDake appeared to have gone into a mild ___~~!!!~~o~~i ~~!~~~~~ ~~p~~gegjQll!!1!~the Jmotof ~t~ils~l~~ely~~l!ng~.l~.h~!Mi~~-~. ~ So for the next 20 minutes I proceeded to photograph the scaly beast, first by placing it gently on a boulder, then down on the prairie sod and finally into my own shirt pocket while I changed lenses!

The example of snake behavior is in wild contrast to an account told by Karl Kaufield hi his .1957 book Snakes and Snake Hunting. Apparently, while searching for ldngsnakes in Florida, he was literally attacked repeatedly by a black racer. Upon finding a Black Racer coiled and viciously s1riking at his feet He flung the reptile a good 20 feet away and a few moments later the angry beast had returned to resume the fIght. This scene was repeated 31imes and Kaufield could give no logical explanation for the animals behavior.

The dorsal coloration of the large male that I found was dark olive green with with a belly of bright yellow. The area in between was as blue as the sky! I examined and admired this beautiful creature for more than a half-hour before finally coaxing it to straighten out and crawl under a large flat rock. Thinking I'd seen 1he last of it I was packing away my equipment when I noticed a small fox snake tightly wedged into a crevice of the very same boulder that I'd placed the racer. I poked and prodded but the young snake would not budge, so I left it and moved on.

About 40 minutes later on the return trip to my car I decided to have one last look at the young fox snake. Only to frnd that the big Blue Racer had crawled over and pulled the Fox Snake from its biding place and was in the process of subduing its prey. The Fox Snake had looped its neck around the stems of a bunch of clover while the racer was slowly tugging and pulling at the rear end of its victim. Each time the racer readjusted its jaws farther up the Fox Snake's body... it pulled long and hard. The Fox Snake refused to release its hold on the clover stems and by the time the racer had reached the young victims head, the Fox Snake was dead, choked to death by its own coil!

MHS Newsletter, Vol. XI, No.9

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This enUre drmna lasted the better part of an hour and I consider tnyself quite fortunate to have witnessed this because after that day I never saw another living racer until September 26, when a baby racer was discovered hiding under a small flat rock. During 10 days in June, 5 dead racers were found on a nearby stretch of Highway. This taken into account along with an intense 4 . month long search over a 3 county area... the LeSueur Co. Blue Racer population appears to exist in an area no larger than 5 by 2 miles!

Therefore, if you have any infonnations regarding Blue Racers and their whereabouts anywhere in Minnesota please contact me : Tom Jessen. 507 S. Broad ST., Apt B, Mankato, MN 56001.

(507) 345-3620.

Leaping Lizards!!

It's the New Minnesota State Parks Annual Permit More than 100,000 lizards will appear on windshields all across Minnesota this year. No, it's not because the state is being overrun by reptiles. As a matter of fact, it's quite the opposite. The Fivelined Skink, an endangered reptile in Minnesota, is featured on the 1992 Minnesota State Parks annual permit The windshield sticker also promotes Beaver Creek State Park which is home to the shy lizard. A survey by members of the Minnesota Herp Society in 1985 lead to the discovery of the skink in Beaver Creek Park.

According to Pat Arndt, Minnesota state parks marketing and merchandising coordinator, this new pennit and subsequent stickers will focus on resources and interpretation.. "We want to focus attention on Minnesota's resources that are found in and protected by our state parks," said Arndt.

"ByJeaturing these treasures ·on· the annual permit and a1sointhe~statecparksmerchandise~line.,~we==······· hope people will become more aware of our environment and our responsibility to protect our resources. " The 1992 annual pennit costs $18 and went on sale on October 1 at all Minnesota State Parks and the DNR headquarters.

MHS Newsletter, Vol. XL No.9

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oliday Banquet DATE: Saturday, December 7 TIME: 6:30 - 10:30 PM PLACE: Terrace Cafe University of Minnesota st. Paul Campus Student Center COST: $5.00 per person (covers beverages and room rental) SPEAKER: Brent Peugnet of Phoenix, Arizona will speak on his experiences helping in Arizona and on Arizona herps in general. This will include the current status of the Desert Tortoise and Arizona regulations covering herps.

Social hour: 6:30 - 7:30 Potluck dinner: 7 :30 Speaker: follows dinner MHS will provide coffee, wine, beer, and all tableware. People attending are asked to brlnga food item and any utensil needed.

DEADLINE for reservations is November 29. Contact Marilyn Brooks if you have questions.

Send this form and a check payable to Minnesota Herpetological Society to: Minnesota Herpetological Society Bell Museum of Natural History 10 Church 8t. S.E. MPLS, MN 55455-0104 r·····················································...............................•..................................................................................................................................····················1

MRS HOLIDAY BANQUBT

:.!:.

lNAME: ____________________~_________________________________ 1

PHONE NUMBER: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

lADDRESS: ___________________________________________________

INumber attending _ _ at $5.00 each

Total amount enclosed $ _ _ _ _ _ __

?

plan to bring: (check one)

__ appetizer

:. salad

__ vegetable

main dish

dessert

,.....-...... ~ ........... ~ .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... -.... _--- ....... __ ...................... ...............................................................................................................................: _

Get Involved - Write Your U.S. Senators MHS Newsletter, Vo1. Xl, No.9

9

There is currently a bill in the U.S. Senate entitled the Old Growth Forest Resources Management Act (S. 1156). This bill is a timber industry sponsored bill and will weaken current forest and wildlife protection laws in our National Forests. The MRS board feels it is important to contact your U.S.Senators in to oppose the passage of this bill. Fonn letters to Senators Durenberger and Wellstone are included in this newsletter. You are also encouraged to send personal letters since these are counted more than form letters by most legislators. If you would rather call the senators phone numbers are: Wellstone DC: (202) 224-5641, MN: (612) 645-0323; Durenberger DC: (202) 224-3244, MN : (612) 370-3382.

1.0.0 = male; 0.1.0 = female; 0.0.1 = unknown FOR SALE: Solomon Island prehensile tailed skinks, $175 ea. Call Chris at (612) 459-2725 or 451-7441 (work).

FOR SALE: Black Ratsnakes, c.h. 8/91, feeding on pinkies, $15. ea. Call O.K. Compton at (612) 872-7266 days or weekends.

FOR SALE: Oketee Corn Snake hatchlings, $15. ea. Call Greg Kvanbekat (612) 533-7723.

FOR SALE: Oketee Com Snakes, heterozygous for usnoW', very bright and vivid colors, $30. ea. ... ...... .. ..CallDavidat.(612).444-9775.

WANTED: I need all the shed snake skins in the world - always - to give away at reptile programs.

Contact Bob Duerr at (612) 541- 9417.

FAUNA CLASSIFIEDS: Monthly publication for reptiles, amphibians, food items, and supplies, literature, and more. Worldwide circulation. Subscription $14'/year. Free sample and info.

Write Fauna, 555 Vista Rio Ct., Woodbridge, CA 95258.

HERPETOWGICAL DIRECfORY: A valuable resource containing private and commercial breeders, U.S. and foreign herp societies, wholesalers, rodents and other food items, supplies/equipment, and publications. $19.95. Great Valley Serpentarium, 2379 Maggio Circle Unit C, Lodi, CA 95240.

INSTRUCTIONS: Ads are run as a free service to paid members. Ads for venomous species, illegal species, or sick animals will not be run. MHS takes no responsibility for legality or health of any animal advertised here. Ads play be 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 1st of the month. Send an newsletter items to : ATIN: Newsletter Editor, Minnesota Herpetological Society, Bell Museum of Natural History, 10 Church St. S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455-0104.

MHS Newsletter, Vol. Xl, No.9

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II HERP ASSISTANCE PEOPLE II II II II Do you ever have a question about one of your herps and wonder who might be able to provide an I'

I answer? Most people who keep pets of any kind have been in this situation at one time or another.

I A group of MRS members has volunteered to provide assistance. listed below are the people and I their specialties. Please be reasonable about the time of day and how frequently you call.

I I Large pythons and constrictors Other Snakes II Glen (Jake) Jacobsen 757-8268 Del Jones 938-8555 I Jack Walsh, Jr. (715) 822-8726 John Meltzer 263-7880 I I I Lizards Amphibians Nancy Haig 789-4637 Jo1m Meltzer 263-7880 II II Barney Oldfield 1-923-4856 Greg Kvanbek 533-7723

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Terretitrial turtles IUJd tortoises

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John Moriarty 647-1334 Ann POlWoll 489-7853

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Aquatic Turtles BameyOldfield 1-923-4856 Dennis Daly 633-8370

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AND T-SHIRT ORDER FORM NAMB(S) _______________________________________________________ ADDRBSS

PHONB _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

ZIP CODS _ _ _ __

LIST IN MUS DIRBCTORY? YBS__

NO_ _

UBRP-RBLATBD INTBRBSTS_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ TVPB OF' MBMBBRSHIP?

NBW__

RBNBWBL__

_ _ SUSTAINING •..••.•. $60.00

U of MN STUDBNT _ _ (check if yes)

_ _ INSTITUTION ••..•• $25.00

_ _ CONTRIBUTING •.••• $30.00

_ _ BASIC •••••....•••..• $15.00

OFFICIAL (ORIGINAL) MUS T-SHIRT - $7.00 includes postage (indicate how many of each) Adult:

sman _ _

medium__

luge__

I-large_ _

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MINNESOTA HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY

STATB _ _

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Greg Kvanbek 533-7723 John Moriarty 647-1334

CITY _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __

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Milmesota Herps

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Kids: 6-8__

10-12_ _

Please enclose payment. MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: Minnesota 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 TO: Minnesota Herpetological Society, Bell Museum of Natural History, 10 Church St. S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455-0104

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U.S. Postage PAID Mph. MN Permit No.2275

BBLL MUSBUM OF NATURAL HISTORY 10 CHURCH STRBBT S.B•• MINNBAPOLIS. MN 55455-0104

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