Vol. 13 (1993), No. 1

NEWSLETTER OF THE

MINNESOTA HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY

JANUARY 1993 BELL MUSEUM OF NATJ]R,AL HISTORY

VOLUME XIII 10 CHURCH STREET SOUTH EAST

NUMBER 1 MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55455-0104

Do you ever have a question about one of your herps and wonder who might be able to provide an answer? Most people who keep pets of any kind have been is this situation at one time or another. A group of MRS members has volunteered to provide assistance. Listed below are the people and their specialties. Please be reasonable about the time of day and how frequently you call.

Large pythons and constrictors Glen (Jake) Jacobsen 757-8268 Vence Jimerson 869-8547

Other Snakes John Meltzer John Levell Connie Delles

263-7880 374-5422 374-5422

Lizards Nancy Haig 789-4637 Bill Moss 488-1383 Drew Newman (Iguana) 776-2116

Amphibians John Meltzer Greg K vanbek Drew Newman

263-7880 533-7723 776-2116

Terrestrial turtles and tortoises John Moriarty 647-1334 Ann Porwoll 489-7853

Aquatic Turtles Michele Stillinger Dennis Daly

588-4613 633-8370

SNAKEBITE EMERGENCY

HENNEPIN REGIONAL POISON CENTER

(612) 347-3141

MINNESOTA POISON CONTROL SYSTEM LOCAL

(612) 221-2113

OUT OF STATE

(800) 222-1222

NEXT NEWSLETTER DEADLINE:

FEBRUARY 5, 1993

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.

MINNESOTA

ERPETOLOGICAL

MHS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

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 an amphibians; to educate the membership and the general public in the ecological role of reptiles and amphibians; and to promote the study and conservation of reptiles and amphibians.

PRESIDENT Glen Jacobsen VICE-PRESIDENT Bill Moss

(612) 757-8268 (612) 488-1383

OCIETY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Next meeting update

2

Jan. Board meeting

3

Jan. Speaker Review

4

Article: Reptile Class.

IV

5

Article: An Unsolicited 13 Opinion MHS Misc.

14

MHS Classified

15

Classified

16

MHS Election info.

16

MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY Connie De11es (612) 374-5422 RECORDING SECRETARY Michele Stillinger (612) 588-4613 TREASURER John Levell

(612) 374-5422

NEWSLETTER EDITOR Julie Cherveny

(612) 77 4-6 786

CALANDER OF EVENTS

March 1993--MHS elections

MEMBER-AT-LARGE Randy Blasus

(612) 688-7709

MEMBER-AT-LARGE Dennis Daly

(612) 633-8370

MEMBER-AT-LARGE Nancy Haig

(612) 789-4637

MEMBER-AT-LARGE Greg Kvanbek

(612) 533-7723

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT John Meltzer (612) 263-7880

MHS NEWSLETIER VOLUME XIII

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Next Meeting Place: Borlaug Hall St. Paul Campus U of M

Date: Friday, February 5, 1993 Time: 7:00 PM

PROGRAM:

Eighth Annual White Snake Sale

Every year at this time bargain seekers from far and near come to the MHS White Snake Sale in search of treasures. Proceeds from the sale go toward special MHS purchases such as our slide projector, library books, the picnic, speakers, etc. Please bring your donations to the meeting. The following is a list of suggested items for donation. NO LIVE ANIMALS. drift wood heat pads or tape screen tops herp jewelry rattles styrofoam boxes

hide boxes aquariums food herp toys clothing herpjnature books

cage substrate hot rocks vitamins herpjnature art shells new or used cages

water dishes snake hooks herp toys fangs skins cage lights

Rules of the Game: - When you arrive, bring your donations to the back of the room. Sale Committee members will be wearing something to help you identify them. Give donations to them.

- Take care of membership dues, and returning of library books after dropping off donations. The library will not be open but a box for returned books will be out.

- Certain sections of the room will be roped off for the sale. Avoid these .areas when being seated.

- The sale will run as a silent auction. Use your membership number as your bid number.

- Items will be put out in groups. Each item will have a bid sheet with a suggested price.

- Members will have 10-15 minutes to view the items and write down their bids.

You can bid on items as many times as you wish.

- At the end of each bid period the items and bid sheets will be collected.

The member with the highest bid will be the buyer of the item.

- At the end of the sale, items I,ill be sorted and members 11111 pay for their purchases.

CRITTER OF THE MONTH:

There will be NO critter this month. at home.

Leave your animals

HELP A HAPLESS HERP Anyone with animals to go up for adoption, should contact Glen Jacobsen at (612) 757-8268 prior to the meeting.

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VOLUME XIII NUMBER 1

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JANUARY BOARD MEETING The meeting was called to order at Dennis Daly's house at 7:20. Glen Jacobsen, Bill Moss; Greg Kvanbek, Dennis Daly, Randy Blasus, Connie Delles, John Levell, Todd and Julie Cherveny I,ere present. Nancy Haig, John Meltzer and Michele Stillinger were not present.

PRESIDENT'S REPORT: Discussed ways to increase participation in the election. Anyone interested in running, please contact a current Board member. Any member who has volunteered time in the last year who hasn't yet reported it, should contact Bill or Glen.

VICE-PRESIDENT'S REPORT: Feb: White Snake Sale.

March: Dick Buech.

SECRETARY'S REPORT: Not Given.

TREASURER'S REPORT: Sales of cages, posters, and note cards are loosing money as a whole. T-shirts are still money makers every month. Rat sales were low last month but were very good generally last year.

OLD BUSINESS: Greg Kvanbek has presented our new business cards and MHS will be purchasing them for Hands-on. .

John Levell presented several T-shirt designs. One design was picked and will be ordered.

The Board discussed and passed a new rate for advertisers who want to use larger than business card ads for our newsletter.

NEW BUSINESS: On a motion from John Levell the Board has decided to acquire a set of sexing probes for the club, to sex adoption animals.

Sally Brewer will be putting up all old newsletters from the other societies from the last year at the White Snake Sale.

As another money maker, Drew Newman suggested snake photo sessions. Bill Moss is going to investigate on needs further.

I,e are also looking into adding a nel, Board member position to involve education and marketing for fundraising. Anyone interested contact Glen Jacobsen.

ADJOURNED 9: 35

MRS NEWSLETfER VOLUME XIII

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JANUARY SPEAKER REVIEW This month we had a program for our amphibian fans. Mike Mossman from the Wisconsin DNR spoke to the membership about their Frog and Toad Survey. For those members who weren't at the meeting, \,e are going to try to start our own survey in Minnesota.

The Wisconsin survey has been in effect for 12 years and studies 12 different anuran species. The survey is volunteer run and covers approximately 80 routes throughout the state. Each route consists of ten sites monitored by the volunteers three times a year. The sites are usually a quarter to a half mile in diameter. Each species that is present at the site is monitored by their song and then ranked in one of three abundance classes. The sites, which are located on both public and private land, are surveyed continuously regardless of environmental, weather, or developmental changes. The only factor for abandoning a site is too much traffic noise to hear the calls properly. The surveys are conducted on warm, humid evenings in the early spring.

Frogs and toads are considered to be good indicator species for environmental changes in the habitats which they are found. The results of the studies have shown a general decline in most of the frog species in the state. The only species that seemed to remain completely stable and increase slightly was the American toad. One of the species almost completely extinct in Wisconsin and on the endangered species list is the Blanchard's cricket frog. These are a rarely heard frog in Wisconsin and Minnesota. The exact reasons for the declines haven't been completely narrowed down. Natural effects such as the recent drought causing a drop in the water table and- urbanization are two theories. The short term aspects of the studies an reliance on volunteer participation also effect the data taken. Currently, no definite plans of action have been taken for using these survey results. Once more states implement these types of surveys and show a declining -trend in certain species due to acid rain, urban sprawl, and wetland destruction, direct action hopefully will be taken.

The program gave those members who signed up for the Minnesota survey a good idea of what to expect. Mike also left some very good articles on the results of the surveys and some clippings from various magazines and newspapers on amphibian declines throughout the world. Look for these in the library. If you're interested in volunteering in our survey contact John Moriarty. A personal reminder: first the frogs go, then the lizards, birds, mammals and finally the "indestructible" humans. Lets do our part and get involved with these types of studies, as individuals and a society. That is one of MRS's purposes.

REFRESHMENTS Thanks to All who brought refreshments. If you'd like to help provide treats for a meeting please talk to Candy Ashbach or Nanette Jimerson at the meeting to find out about what's needed.

MRS NEWSLETIER VOLUME XIII NUMBER 1

PAGE 4

REPTILE CLASSIFICATION. PART 4: THE REPTILIAN ORDER. CHELONIA

By John P •. Levell The order,Chelpnia or Testudinata, known to most of us as the turtles and tortoises, i .. highly interesting in many respects.

Thi s"grqup j s one that. i strUl y ,uni que not onl y among the reptileS, but ,"I1so all the 6tl)er vertebrate groups as ~Iell. The body structure pftheturtleshas been so modified that if they were known only as.fossils, we would probably think the order Chelonia over-specialized itself 'into extinction. The turtles, howeverj are still very much with, us. Besides their unique body structure, . thi.sgroup' s ,ex.t 1'7 e/lle 1 y long evol Llti onary hi story, adaptati ons tonumeroL,ls en vi ronmental and ecol ogi cal ni ches, long associ ati on wi th man.(both, as an important food SOLlrce and as a part of ,0Llr·,mytholpgy,.and folklore)" and their popularity as captives, makes the tl,lrtles an are", of major interest to anatomists, paleontologists, herpetologists, and ecologists, as well as hobbyists., To begin, the name Chelonia ~s ,frqmthe Greek word for tortoise; Chelone. The literal translati,on, of the word Testudinata is slightly more complicated, bLlt,basically 'derives from the Latin words; ,testa shell,testudo tortoise, or testudinatus arched. The reason why ,these two names are applied to this group are obvious. The history of the relationship between turtles and humans is so long that there can be no doubt that even the most ancient humans had a word for ,turtle.

TLlrtles figure.prominentl'y in.the,.religious beliefs of numeroLlS cultures, in ,part! cLII arthose of,Asi a, the Indi an sub-continent, and native Americans. The belief that the world is supported on the back of a giant tL\rtle' is a common component of these mythologies. In addition, turtles. are often considered symbols of wisdom or immortality. ReligioLls reverance has even contributed to the continued survival of .at, least one species, Trionyx niqricans, which is. believed, to e>:i,st only in a religious shrine in Pakistan.,Unli.ke snakes, which also have significance to numerous religions, tL!rtle,.. are rarely if ever associated with the concept of evil.

At the opposite end, of the. spectrum, tLlrtles and tortoises have been (and still are i,n m'i\ny .areasl.an important natLlral reSOLlrce for peopl e ever,:(where th,et~JO, groLlps occur. together. Thei 1'7 generally .inoffensive nat,ure,,,abundance, and ease of collection make many tUl"tle sPecies a fopd.source that can be harvested ~Iith a minimLlm ofeffor.t',' afa,ct tilat man has probably e):ploited since the beginning pf . hishunter-gatl)erer existence. Through the ages turtles and in particular their shells have been fashioned into numerous tools, ar,tifacts,and, ceremonial objects including; bowls, rattles,. mLlsical·instrLlmen.ts., and curios. Modern man's heavy expl oi tati on,of tLlrtl,es for both these uses has drasti call y reducedthepopLllation (sometimes to total extinction) of many turtle species, as has his extensive alterations of the.natural envi ronment •. This is an i,ssue th",j: ,COLli d be ex pi ored much mor'e fully, but that is not the subject of this series of articles.

Hopefully, the above few paragraphs give the reader some idea of the long history of the association of turtles and mankind.

MRS NEWSLETrER VOLUME XIII

NUMBER 1

PAGES

Returning to our look at the order Chelonia, we'll start with some aspects of their anatomy that sets them apart from other vertebrates. The most obvious physical characteristic of turtles is their shell. This shell is a totally unique feature among the vertebrates and has undoubtedly fiqured greatly in the continuing survival of this ancient group of reptiles. While there is some variation, the top half (carapace) of the chelonian shell is constructed of bone wi'th e>:tensi Ve modi f i cati ons to the vertebrae and ri bs which are fused路 to the carapace's inner surface. A lower section (plastron) connected to the carapace by bridges completes the shell, effectively enclosing the body in a bony bOH. The bones o'f the shell are general I y covered by scutes, ~,hi ch are composed of a horny material simi liar to that of human fingernails. While a few other vertebrate groups have evolved bony body armor, none have done so with the modifications or the success of the turtles. Another totally unique chelonian featLlre, unduplicated anywhere, is the placement of tlie limb girdles (shoLllder and pelvis) within the rib cage. No other vertebrate group, living or eHtinct, is known to have possessed this characteristic. In addition, turtles are the only living reptiles with an anapsid skull and no living species possesses teeth. In my opinion, these features make turtles the most LtnLlsual of all the reptile orders and possibly the most unique vertebrate group .ever.

As unusual as the physical characteristics of tLlrtles are, equall y i mpressi ve is the groLlp' s evol ut I onary hi story. The order Chelonia is truly of ancient lineage, with the earliest unqLlestionable turtle fossils dating back to the Triassic period, 200 million years ago. One of the misleading statements I'hear repeated time and again is; "turtles are living fossils, witnesses of the rise and fall of dinosaurs". While it is t~ue that the order Chelonia predates the dinosaurs and equally true that turtles have basically always been turtles, this statement gives the impression that our commonly known turtles of today had to do thei r best to avoi d bei ng crushed by a gi ant saLlropod. Thi 5 isn't the case at, all, since turtles have evolved throughout their history and the majority of living turtle families didn't appear until well into the age of mammals. Getting back to the evolutionary history of the tLlrtles, the exact ancestry of the group is obscure. Turtles, primitive but undoubtedly turtles, just seem to appear in the fossil record with no "missing links" between them and their cotylosaurian ancestor. In the past the poorly known Permian fossil Eunotosaurus africanus (fig.7) is often mentioned as a possible turtle ancestor. This small reptile, which had 8 pairs of expanded ribs, is now thought to represent a cotylosaurian side branch unrelated to the main line of turtle descent. Recent research by Rei sz (1992)' sLlpports a relationship between the procolophonid cotylosaurs and early chelonians. However mysterious their origin may be, ~,hen tLlrtles finally did evolve"their fossil remains become more plentiful (due in large part to the durability of turtle skulls and shells) and a fairly complete record of many families has been built.

MHS NEWSLETTER VOLUME XIII NUMBER 1

PAGE 6

SUBORDER - AMPHICHELYDIA This suborder is usually split into 2 superfamilies; the Pleurosternoidea with 4-5 families and the Baenoidea also with 4-5 families. These are the common turtles of the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, with some members of the latter superfamily surviving well into the age of mammals. Like the previous suborder this chelonian group is thought to have been unable to retract their heads into their shells. Unlike the proganochel yi ds, which are beli eved to have been semi -aquati c marsh dwellers, this suborder contains semi-aquatic, marine and terrestrial species and teeth are absent. A basic outline of the chelonian families in this suborder, with brief comments on their life-style, geologic age, etc., is included below.

SUPERFAMILY - PLEUROSTERNOIDEA: FAMILY: Pleurosternidae - These are the common primitive semi-aquatic turtles of the late Triassic, Jurassic, and early Cretaceous periods and they probably represent a transitional stage between the earlier .proganochelyids and more advanced turtles. This family contains about 11 genera. One genus, Desemys, was adapted to a marine environment.

FAMILY: Plesiochelyidae - Known from fossils of Jurassic and early Cretaceous age, the 2 genera included in this family show some specialization toward a marine existence and are thought to be ancestral to the next family.

FAMILY: Thalasemyidae - 9-12 genera of early marine turtles from the late JLlrassic and Cretaceous periods. This family is not considered ancestral to modern marine turtles.

FAMILY: Apertotemporalidae - 2 poorly known genera of the Cretaceous period make up this family. These are thought to represent highly specialized marine forms allied to the p~evious family.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Porter recognizes 1 other family, Sinemyidae, of the late Jurassic of Asia. Many authorities however, feel that this family is actually part of the family Plesiochelyidae if they recognize it at all. I've included it here for the sake of completen路ess.

SUPERFAMILY - BAENOIDEA: FAMILY, Neurankylidae - 4 genera from the Cretaceous period.

FAMILY: Eubaenidea - 1 genus, Eubaena, known from the Cretaceous period. This family is considered ancestral to our modern Cryptodiran turtles.

F~MILY' Baenidae 4-6 genera are included in this family, which appears in the fossil record during the late Jurassic period. The family Baenidae survived into the Eocene period, which began about 55 million years ago. Some turtle specialists consider the above 2 families to be part of the Baenidea.

FAMILY, Meiolaniidae - this family with 3 genera; Hiolamia, Crossochelys, and Heiolania, appears during the Cretaceous period. The last surviving member of this sLlborder Heiolania, known from Australia, existed into the Pleistocene period which ended about 10,000 years ago. This large, apparently terrestrial turtle had numerous spiny projections on it's skull and a heavily armored tail. Other members of this family possessed similar ornamentation.

MHS NEWSLETTER VOLUME XIII

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PAGE 7

Figura 7. Euno.tosauru3' This fossil reptile from the Permian period was once thought to be a possible turtle ancestor.

adapted from Watson (1914)

In the following section we'll look at the various chelonian families living and extinct. As usual some disagreement exists about the exact relationships within the group and the number of families varies between authorities. Porter (1972) recognizes 5 suborders (2 living) with 22 families (8 living), but this includes the aboVe mentioned Eunotosaurus which is allocated it's own sLlborder and family. Porter's splitting of the early chelonians into 2 suborders and his arrangement of the living turtle families is in disagreement with the opinion of many turtle specialists. For this reason I have deviated somewhat from Porter's classification, in particular when covering living turtle families. For tho.e chelonian families I've generally followed the work of Pritchard (1979) and Ernst and Barbour (1989). The pLlblications of Alderton (1988) and Obst (1986) also figured greatly in the preparation of this section of this article.

SUBORDER - PROGANOCHELYDIA FAMILY: Proganochelyidea - Thi-s family (sometimes split into 2 famili~s) contains the oldest and most primitive turtles known.

Unusual and primitive characteristics include free cervical ribs, palatal teeth, and rudimentary teeth on the jaw margins. Many turtle specialists consider this family tb be part of the next suborder, but I've followed Porter's arrangement dLle to the presence of teeth, a feature lacking in later turtles. 3 genera, each with a single species, are assigned to this family; Proterocheris robusta, Proganochelys quenstedti, and Tri.ssochelys dux (fig.8). All- 3 are known from European fossils of Triassic age.

Figure S. Triassochelys dux One of the earliest true turtle fossils, known from European deposits of Triassic age.

adapted from Jaekel

II1HS NEWSLETTER

VOLUME XIII

NUMBER 1

(1916)

PAGE 8

SUBORDER - PLEURODIRA The Pl'eurodi ra, common1 y knooln as the si de-necked turtl es becaLlse of their method of retracting their heads horizontally, is the more primiti~e of the 2 chelonian suborders in existence today.

As a group they split off from their amphichelyid ancestors sometime during the early Cretaceous period. While today's side-necks are confined to South America, Southern Africa, and Australia, the fossil record of 1 of the 2 recognised families, the Pelomedusidae, shows that the group was once much moie widespread. Fossils of this family are distributed throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, and North and South America. A look at the 2 families of the Pleurodira follows.

FAMILY: Pelomedusidae - besides about 23 extinct genera 5 genera exist today; Pelomedusa, Peltocephalus, Podocnemis, Pelusios, and £rymnochelys. These inclLlde the large side-necked river

turtles of South America and the side-necks of southern Africa and ~ladagasgar. Among the more well known species of the Pelomedusidae are the yellow-spotted side-neck, Podocnemis unifilis, and the African helmeted turtle, Pelomedusa subrufa.

FAMILY: Chelidae - thi. family doesn't appear in the fossil record until the Miocene period about 20 million years ago and their fossils are unknown outside the family's present range; South America, Australia, and New Guinea. Besides 2 extinct genera 9 living genera are recognized including; the monotypic genus Chelus the ~latamata, Hydl'omedusa the South· American Snake-necks (fig.9), Phrynops the tOad heads, and Chelodina the Australian snake-necks. The remaiming genera; £lseya, £mydura, Platemys, and Pseudemydura are of more typical appearance and habits. While most species of side-necks are inoffensive, the common name of £lseya novaeguineae, the New Guinea Snapping TLlrtle, gives a clear impression of the disposition of the members of that genus.

Figure 9. Hydroa«du$.

A South American genua of Pleurodiran turtles known a~ Snake-necka.

MRS NEWSLETTER

VOLUME XIII

NUMBER 1

PAGE 9

SUBORDER - CRYPTODIRA All the remaining familiar turtles of today belong to the suborder Cryptodira. In addition to typical semi-aquatic marsh, pond, and river species, this group also includes forms adapted to totally aquatic or terrestrial habitats. Unlike the side-necks, the turtles of this group that retract their heads do so in a vertical s-curve. Most families assigned to the suborder Cryptodira sti 11 have representati ves 1 i vi ng today. Many di 路fferent classification systems e>:ist for this sLlborder, so the following brief look at the cryptodiran families is arranged somewhat randomly.

FAMILY, Chelydridae - The Snapping Turtles. This family makes it's first appearence in the fossil record during the Eocene period, aboLlt 50 mi 11 i on years ago. Besides the. 2 I i vi ng genera Chelydra and Hacroclemys, 4-5 e>:tinct genera are recognized.

Once thought to represent a primitive condition, this family's reduced shell is now considered a specialization to i more agile, active, and aggressive life-style.

FAMILY, Kinosternidae - The Musk and Mud TLlrtl.es. This family has a poor fossil record with only one form known from the Pliocene period of western North America. About 20 species in 4 genera are distributed through North, Central and South America.

FAMILY, Dermatemyidae -:- Central American River Turtle. Although only one species, Der.atemys maNi, e>:ists today this family was much mare abundant in the past with about 20 e>:tinct genera recognized. The family first appears during the late Jurassic period.

FAMILY: Platysternidae - Chinese Big-Headed TLlrtle. A "monotypic" family which is poorly represented in the fossil record. Possible platysternid fossils have been collected from late Cretaceous and Oligocene formations in Asia.

FAMILY: Emydidae - Pond Turtles etc. This is the largest chelonian family with about 9 e>:tinct and 30 living genera. The Wood Turtle, Clemmys insculpta (fig. 10), is a fairly typical looking emydid turtle. Besides the numerous semi-aqLlatic genera, the 路Family includes some terrestrial species SLICh as the North American Box Turtles, genus Terrapene. This family's first fossils appear during the Eocene period.

F19ure 10. CleaDYs insculpta

North American Wood Turtle a typical semi-aquatic Emydid turtl e.

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VOLUME XIII

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PAGE 10

FAMILY,¡ Testudinidae - Tortoises. This family of about 6-8 extinct and 10 living genera, some well represented by fossils, contains all the species of true tortoises. The family first appears during the Eocene period and fossil forms e}:isted which grew as large or larger than the giant island tortoises, Geachelane elephantapus and gigantea, of today.

FAMILY, Trionychidae - Softshelled Turtles. Although the most specialized and highly evolved of all the turtles, softshells are also one of the most ancient living turtle families. The fossil history of this family dates back to the early Cretaceous or late Jurrassic period. Many specialist feel that all the fossil species are referable to 1 of the 7 living genera, but occasionally a few extinct genera are included in the family.

FAMILY, Carettochelyidae - The Plateless River Turtle. Today represented by a single species, Carettachelys insculpta, confined to the Fly River in New Guinea, this family was once much more widespread. Fossils dating back to the dawn of "the age of mammal s" .(Pal eocene peri od) have been unearthed in Asi a, Europe, and North America. AlthoLlgh nO.1 a "monotypic" family, several extinct genera are usually include in the Carettochelyidae.

FAMILY, Toxochelyidae - a family of 9-10 eHtinct genera of marine turtles from the late Cretaceous period. The to}tochelyids are probably ancestral to the modern hard-shelled marine turtles.

FAMILY, Protostegidae - another eHtinct family of marine turtles of late Cretaceous age. Archelan ischyros. (fig.ll), possibly the largest tLlrtle that ever existed, is one of the better-known members of the family. About 4-5 additional genera are included in the Protostegidae.

Figura 11. Arch.lon

Possibly the largest turtle that ever aMisted rqachlng a ohm11 length of aver 10.ft.

adapted from Wieland (1900)

FAMILY: Cheloniidae - The Sea Turtles. This family, which probably dates back to the late Cretaceous period, contains about 16 extinct and the 4 living genera of hard-shelled marine turtles. The exact geological age of this family is difficult to define, as fossils representing possible early forms are often placed into one of the previous marine turtle families •.

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PAGE II

FAMILY: Dermochelyidae - The Leatherback. This is a highly divergent family of marine turtles whose fossils appear during the Eocene period. Besides 2-3 extinct genera, a single genus with 1 species, Dermochelys coriacea, survives today. This species carries chelonian uniqueness to the extreme, so much so that some authorities question whether it is really a turtle at all. These authorities believe that the leatherback's "shell".isn't really a shell at all. Unl i ke other turtl es most of the Linder 1 ying bony structure of the shell is missing and a "mosaic" of small dermal bones are embedded in the ski n. In addi tion, the ri bs and vertebrae are not fused to the inner surface of the carapace. Most importantly however is a fact that sets the leatherback apart, not only from every other turtle but also from any living reptile, leatherbacks are warm-blooded! Research has shown that Dermochelys can maintain an internal body temperature at least 18 degrees Celsuis higher than the surrounding water temperatLlre. The ability of the leatherback to manipulate it's metabolism in order to produce internally generated body heat makes us have'to not only rethink our definition of reptiles, but the division between "endothermic"and "ectothermic" as well. Like many aspects of the animal classification system it is not possible to draw. line easily dividing the two groups. Many animals we normally assume to be "classic" warm bloods (endother"ms) exhibit metabolic changes at different times of year or day that closely approach an "ectothermic" condition. Examples of these are hibernating mammals and some hummingbirds which 路slow their metabolisms at night so mLlch that their body temper"ature drops OIl most to the temperature level路 of the surrounding air. On the other hand some "classic" cold bloods (ectotherms) somehow manage to physiologically maintain temperatLlres higher than that of their surroundings. Besides leatherbacks, some sharks and even some insects have the ability to do this. Does this mean leatherbacks cannot be reptiles or that some sharks are not fish? This is a sLlbject I'm sure we ~Jill explore further in future installments of this series.

Before leaving the order Chelonia, I should point out that numerous differences of opinion e>:ist about the relationships and proper arrangement of the varioLls tLlrtle families. Among the more important questions regarding the classification Of turtles are; the opinion that the modern sea turtles of the family Cheloniidae evolved directly fro~ the amphichelyids and do not belong among the cryptodires, whether or not the leatherback belongs in it's own order, and the placement of the other turtle families into various sLlperfamilies based upon their relationships. For more information on this subject and on the many published revisions of the group the reader is referred to the "Encyclopedia of Turtles" by Peter Pritchard (1979).

NEXT INSTALLMENT - SYNAPSID AND EURAPSID REPTILES

MRS NEWSLETTER

VOLUME XIII

NUMBER 1

PAGE 12

AN UNSOLICITED OPINION By Drew NelVlllan In the last two issues of Vivarium magazine (Vol. 4,No. I and Vol. 4,No. 2) I came across a phrase used three times that so shocked and frightened me,. that I penned a letter to the A.F.H. and one to Ellin Beltz.

Under the heading "Herp News From Around the World", and in describing two recent elapid deaths, I I,as assailed by the phrase "pet cobra".

In the first piece I realized that the clipping was probably taken intact from the Washington Post, where it was credited for appearing. I could not contain my fears though, of what terrible consequences could result from the pairing of two such.incompatible words.

In the next issue I found the same story summarized, with a second mention of yet another captive cobra envenomation. Though the second excerpt looked like it was lifted directly from a .clipping, the first recap looks like the narrative of Ellin Beltz.

My intention here is not to attack Ellin Beltz or discredit a fine magazine, which has been at the forefront of many pertinent herp issues. I feel though that the ramifications of an innocuous word such as "pet", in this context of herpetoculture, needs to be addressed.

While using the word "pet" in association with any venomous animal would seem ill advised, I would like to go a step further. I suggest that we in the herp community distance ourselves from the use of it .all in regard to reptiles and amphibians.

Here is my reasoning.

First off I believe this will benefit the animals. People have the connotation of a "pet" being a domesticated animal that will essentially thrive with a minimum of care. While herps are less labor intensive in areas such as needing to be walked or fed daily, they are much more demanding in terms of specialized husbandry requirements. By referring to them as "pets" we are giving out a message路 that these are creatures which will require no more care than a dog or a cat. Even if we choose to expound on what an animal's specific needs are, we can eradicate our good work by the usage of the word "pet". Chances are that the next person, that the person you chose to educate speaks to, will likely not hear about the husbandry you of, but of how the lizard, frog or snake was your "pet". By the utterance of that one word we can negate a lot of crucial care information we are offering.

Also.as anyone who has been around herps路for any period of time can tell you, species vary greatly, as do sometimes individual animals within a species. For the uninformed there is going to be no great difference between a Green Iguana and a Nile Monitor of comparable size. While one is more suited to the novice enthusiast and the other to the more experienced herpetoculturist, the layman is not going to make the distinction. To even further illustrate. the point look at the vast difference in the disposition between the Green Iguana and the Spiny-tailed Iguana. By promoting your captive lizard as a pet most people are going to walk aI,ay thinking lizards in general make good "pets". As we all know, the wrong selection of a species (and sometimes even the right selection) in the hands of a novice, will be to the detriment of the animaL. By

MHS NEWSLETTER VOLUME XIII NUMBER 1

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AN UNSOLICITED OPINION CONTINUED in the hands of a novice, will be to the detriment of the animal. By categorizing herps as "pets", I feel I,e can subconsciously make light of the serious responsibility of owning them.

Secortdly I feel that in referring to our animals as "pets" we do a disservice to the herpetocultural community. Most of the general public already perceives us as'strange folks with a queer ideas of fun. Do we need to further this notion an trivialize the work that we are doing by putting the Tomato Frogs we are trying to breed, in the same column as our Golden Retrievers? At a time when our enemies are attacking us through every avenue available, it would behoove us路 to 'put on the most professional collective face possible. It would seem to me that it would be easier for them to gather support and enact legislation against pet owners, than individuals the public perceives as dedicated amateur conservationists.

An analogy I like to use is what the public sector of reptile keeping has evolved into. Up until about the last decade where you were most likely to see herps was in roadside attractions and maybe in the snakepit of the city zoo.

Now most institutions have naturalistic vivaria and many state of the art breeding facilities. They transformed themselves from a circus like sensationalism to a scientific and ecological respectability. Where the publics' perception of private sector herpetoculture is now is sensationalism.

The more we 0 to euthanize that myth, the stronger we will become. By removing our animals from this all encompassing category society deems as "pets", we are going to be viewed differently. We can she off this cloak of eccentricity an hopefully begin to be looked upon as committed people working toward better understanding and continued existence of the worlds herpetofauna.

RAFFLE RESULTS Thanks to Hans Paulson, John Levell and anonymous donors for donating raffle items. The winners are listed below: Michael Hunter Jason Nordby Brian Grussing Bosman

Gary Ash Becky Helgesen Barb Radanke Greg Nielsen

Dan Bergquist Fred Bahr John Levell

Thanks to all that purchased tickets. Reminder: PLEASE print your name, because I have a hard time reading the names. Thank You. CRITTER OF THE MONTH The critter of the month I,as "Amphibians". listed below.

Ben Gerholdt Drew Nel{]l1an

The critters and their keepers are

Albino and Normal Toad Tomato Frogs

MRS NEWSLETIER VOLUME XIII NUMBER 1

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MHS CLASSIFIED RAT SALES Orders will be taken by Terry Scheiber only! and must be made at least one Iveek before the general meeting. Phone: (612) 440-7482.

PRICES MICE

RATS

Pinkies----$6.00 doz.

Fuzzies----$6.00 doz.

Adults-----$9.00 doz.

Pups-----$lO.OO doz.

Adults---$12.00 for six $24.00 doz.

Mice and rats .must be purchased by the dozen, except for adult rats, which can be purchased in allotments of six. Rat pinkies are unavailable at this time.

CAGE SALES The MHS Ivill nOlv be selling cages, there will be three basic sizes on display at the monthly meetings. A 50%, non-refundable, down payment will be required on all cages. Custom cages will also be available upon request.

SPECIFICATIONS Small Cage 12" X 12" X 24" 1/2" sides, 1/4" back & ceiling an 1/4" melamine floor.

Hinges and lockable latch.

Door opens down.

Glass 1s double strength.

Cage will be unfinished.

Price $40.00 Medium Cage 12" X 12" X 36" 1/2" sides, 1/4" back & ceiling and 1/4" melamine.

Hinges and lockable latch.

Door opening to the side.

Glass is double strength.

Cage will be unfinished.

Price $60.00 2nd Medium Cage 18" X 18" X 24" 1/2" sides, 1/4" backwall & ceiling and 1/4" melamine.

Hinges and lockable latch.

Door opening to the side.

Glass is double strength.

Cage will be unfinished.

Price $60.00 Orders will be taken by Nancy Haig at the meetings. Cages will then be delivered to the next meeting, except on custom orders. The MRS has dropped the large cage, to a custom cage and will be selling the 2nd model of medium cage instead:

MHS NEWSLETTER VOLUME XIII NUMBER 1

PAGElS

CLASSIFIED ADS 1.0.0 = male; 0.1.0 = female; 0.0.1 = unknOlVfi FOR SALE: Rats and mice - pinkies to adults. Live or frozen. Prices upon request. Don's Rodents - (612) 462-8973.

FOR SALE: HUGE cage, 6' X 5' X 4', will consider trades. Drew (612) 776-2116.

FOR SALE: "So Excellent A Fishe" by Archie Carr, 1st ed. H/DJ exc. cond.$15.00. "Field Book of Snakes" by K.P. Schmidt + D.O. Davis, good condo hard $15.00. "Our Snake Friends And Foes" by Doris Cochran with paintings by W. Weber, exc. condo complete in Sept. 1954 Nat. Geo. MAG. $10.00 Call John (612) 374-5422.

FOR HIRE: Will build your reptile and/or rodent rooms, your design or ours.

Also rack systems and cages including walk in. All types of carpenter work. Reasonable. Call John at 374-5422.

WANTED: Looking for a male, California Coastal Rosy Boa. (612) 824-5308.

Call Claude at

WANTED: The Long Lake Conservation Center-would like to acquire a snake skeleton for our recently developed snake program. Contact Denise M. Gerdes, at (218) 768-4653.

WANTED: I need all the snake skins in the \;orld - always - to give away at reptile programs and the MN State Fair. Please bring to the State Fair or contact Bob Duerr at (612) 541-9417.

WANTED: The MHS would like to get some better software for the production of this newsletter and other items. Unfortunately this can cost a great deal of money. We are looking for a basic desktop publishing program that is IBM compatible. Please contact a Board Member if you would like to donate something.

UPCOMING MEETINGS March:

Dick Buech - Minnesota Wood Turtles.

April:

To Be Announced.

MHS ELECTIONS

Hungry for power, money, fame? Well, while you're waiting for that, you can also be a Board member at the MHS! If you're interested in helping our organization grow, or know of someone who would, please fon;ard names, addresses, and phone numbers to: Ted Meissner 524 Indiana Ave. N. Golden Valley, MN 55422 (612) 377-8637

Please briefly describe why you would like to join the Board, as this information will be made available to members prior to the election on 3-5-93.

Thanks!

MRS NEWSLETTER VOLUME XIII

NUMBF.R 1

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CLASSIFIED AD INSTRUCTIONS: Ads are run as a free service to paid members. Ads for venomous species, illegal species, or sick animals will not be run. MRS takes NO responsibility for legality or health of animal advertised here. Ads may 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 ad is limited to four (4) typed lines or one (1) standard size business card. DEADLINE for all newsletter items is the date of the general meeting. Send all newsletter items to: Minnesota Herpetological Society, Attn: Newsletter Editor, Bell Museum of Natural History, 10 Church Street South East, Minneapolis, MN 55455-0104.

MEMBERSHIP AND T-SHIRT ORDER FORM MINNESOTA HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY

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TYPE OF MEMBERSHW? MEMBERSHWLEVEL?

NEW ___ RENEWAL ___ SUSTAINING .....$60.00 ___CON1RIBUTING .....$30.00

-INSTITUTION ....$25.00 _-"BASIC .... $15.00

Are you currently (or will be) a University of Minnesota student? _ _(check if yes)

OFFICIAL MRS T-SHIRT $7.00 (includes postage) Indicate how many of each size KIDS: 6-8_

ADULTS: 10-12_

SMALL_

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Please enclose payment MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: Minnesota Herpetological Society. Membership is for 12 months from date of joining. A receipt will be sent only on request Allow 6-8 weeks for processing_ MAIL TO: Minnesot.1 Herpetological Society, Bell Museum Of Natural History, 10 Church Street South East, Minneapolis, MN 55455-0104 <A-.

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PAID Mpls.MN Permit No. 2275

HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY BELL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY 10 CHURCH STREET S. E. MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55455-0104

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DELIVER BY JANUARY 27,1993