Vol. 20 (2000), No. 9

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THE MINNESOTA HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY Volume 20 Number 9

September 2000 Newsletter

Upcoming Meeting The Vice-president's Report By Tony Gamble October General Meeting Program: "Adventures in the Caribbean: Herpetology on Tropical Islands"

Guest Speaker: Dr. Robert Powell When Dr. Robert Powell brings his students on a field trip they're in for an adventure. What started as short excursions around the midwest to get a feel for field herpetology began to extend its reach, first to more remote parts of the U. S. then to Mexico. Since 1986 Dr. Powell has been bringing undergraduate students to the Caribbean to study amphibians and reptiles. These trips have provided wonderful research opportunities for students and have resulted in over 100 published student papers. Dr. PowelPs own research focuses on the ecology and systematics of West Indian herpetofauna (particularly Hispaniola) and often focuses on lizards. He comments that... ItLizard communities, particularly those on tropical and sub-tropical islands, are ideal models for studying life history traits and ecological relationships. West Indian lizards in particular are visible, often phenomenally abundant, and never cease to provide opporhmities to ask new questions of what. how, and why.ll These experiences herping in the Caribbean will be the focus of his talk.

Dr. Powell is a professor of Biology at Avila College in Kansas City, Missouri and a Research Associate at the University of Kansas Natural History Museum. He is co-author of itA Key to the Amphibians and Reptiles of the Continental United States and Canada" (with Joseph T. Collins and Errol Hooper) and a co-editor (with Robert Henderson) of "Contributions to West Indian Herpetology: A Tribute to Albert Schwartz" published by the SSAR.

Upcoming Meetings: Nov 3, 2000 - Dan Keyler and Jim Gerholdt "Herpin' New Mexico, part

deux" Jan 5, 200 I - Minnesota Breeders March 2, 200 I - Phil Tremper "Breeding Rare Geckos"

Best regards, Tony rnailto:tgarnble速mediaone.net

"/ think I'fl name you Biff-no, Bruce! Or Wally? Um, maybe Wayne l "


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