Vol. 25 (2005). No. 9

WEB VERSION

Personal Herpetology: How One Woman “Joined the Club”

MHS Elections!

Thinking About Running? page 5

See Jim Gerholdt’s Remarkable Reptile Presentation- Invitation to MHS Members Inside

S EPTEMBER 2005

Sign Up! The Midwest Symposium is Around the Corner!

V OLUME 25

N UMBER 9

Information edited/removed to respect privacy concerns.

THE NEWSLETTER OF THE

Board of Directors President Randy Blasus

BELL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, 10 CHURCH STREET SOUTHEAST, MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA 55455-0104

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Vice President Sean Hewitt

M i n n e s o t a

H e r p e t o l o g i c a l

Recording Secretary Barb Buzicky

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Membership Secretary George Richard

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V OICE M AIL : 612.624.7065 • MHS W EBPAGE : HTTP :// WWW. MNHERPSOC . ORG M H S G R O U P E M A I L : H T T P : / / W W W . G R O U P S . YA H O O . C O M / G R O U P / M N H E R P S O C

Treasurer Nancy Haig

September 2005

Newsletter Editor Asra Halvorson Members at Large Tony Gamble Fred Bosman Mike Bush Jodi L. Aherns

Committees Adoption Sarah Richard Education Jan Larson Library Tim Banobitz Webmaster Anke Reinders theMHSwebmaster@yahoo.com

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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; • Educate the members and the general public in the ecological role of reptiles and amphibians; • Promote the study and conservation of reptiles and amphibians.

The Minnesota Herpetological Society is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization.

Membership is open to all individuals with an interest in amphibians and reptiles. The Minnesota Herpetological Society Newsletter is published monthly to provide its members with information concerning the society’s activities and a media for exchanging information, opinions and resources.

General Meetings are held at Borlaug Hall, Room 335 on the St. Paul Campus of the University of Minnesota, on the first Friday of each month (unless there is a holiday conflict). The meeting starts at 7:00pm and lasts about three hours. Please check the MHS Voice mail for changes in schedules or cancellations.

Submissions to the Newsletter Ads or Notices must be submitted no later than the night of the General Meeting to be included in the next issue. Longer articles will be printed as time and space allows and should be in electronic file format if possible. See inside back cover for ad rates.

Submissions may be sent to: The Minnesota Herpetological Society Attn: Newsletter Editor Bell Museum of Natural History 10 Church St. SE. Minneapolis, MN 55455.0104

Copyright 2005, Minnesota Herpetological Society. Except where noted, contents may be reproduced for non-profit, noncommercial use only. All material must be reproduced without change. Proper credit will be given including the author/photographer and the MHS Newsletter citing: volume, number and date.

The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society

September 2005

Vice-President’s letter to the membership It’s my sincere regret to inform the membership that Randy Blasus has stepped down as President of the Minnesota Herpetological Society. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Randy for his three years of service as President and his unnumbered years helping out MHS in all activities including, but not limited to: Historian, Field Survey chair, Grant Committee chair, Occasional Paper editor and author, all around “Jack-of-All trades.” Randy was always one you could count on to help out with anything needed, even if it was at an inconvenient time or difficult task, he’d help out. When you see Randy roaming the back of the room helping out in his various behind the scenes duties, please stop him and thank him for all he’s done. MHS would not be what it is without his overwhelming support.

As I take on the President’s responsibilities fulfilling my responsibility as Vice-President, I do not see this as a sentence but instead an educational and growing experience.

It will be an experience that I hope to excel at but may fumble a bit at first. I please ask for some patience and some leniency from Board of Directors and the membership in this time of transition. I also make a plea to the membership and Board of Directors to please step up and volunteer for taking over the numerous responsibilities Randy has overseen so well over the years. The more people who are able to take small amounts of this, the better the outcome for the society. Programs that we’ve all grown accustomed to having will continue to thrive and continue to meet the needs of our growing society.

The growth of a group can be a double-edged sword sometimes. If we get too big, we sometimes lose sight of the individual needs within a group and people feel that one person can no longer be of benefit to the group. I can assure you that one person CAN make a difference still within MHS. Yes, we have grown fairly rapidly over the past few years and we are a diverse group interested in many aspects of herpetoculture. That interest in herps though is what brought us to MHS and hopefully keeps us together as a society. Everyone within this group can gain and learn something from someone else and everyone can benefit from someone doing even one thing for our society.

Minimally, take a moment to introduce yourself to someone you do not know in the society and ask them what their herpetology interests are or if they are having a particular problem that they want some help with. You may be able to offer a suggestion to help them or you might learn something new.

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At the last board meeting I was informed that no one has volunteered to be State Fair Chair this year. Unfortunately, that forces us to not have a display out the State Fair this year. I say unfortunately because it’s an opportunity for MHS to gain some members, very positive advertisement and publicity, education for the public, and helps maintain a good relationship with the DNR. This relationship has been very important for us in the past, and I hope to continue supporting the DNR’s efforts in all animal conservation, but specifically reptile, amphibian, and habitat conservation.

In the middle of October, our society will host the annual Midwest Herpetological Symposium. This event is the paramount event of the year for us. Typically, over 75 of our members attend this annual event when it is hosted out of state. Now that the event is back in Minnesota, there is no reason we should have an attendance less than that. This event is 3 days chock full of anything and everything reptile and amphibian. We have world-class speakers coming from all over the country, as well as reptile related equipment and live animal sales from highly reputed vendors. The atmosphere is informal and you meet people from all over the Midwest with a desire to learn more and chat about their favorite subjects- herps.

Please take a moment and check out our website and sign up today for this year’s event.

After the symposium, the November membership meeting is where we vote for the 2006 Board members. Currently, I am not planning to run for the President or the VicePresident office in 2006. I WILL continue to help out MHS in other areas though like participating in Hands-On events, helping out on committees, and whatever other duties work for my schedule when trying to juggle a family, my reptiles, my home-brewing hobby, and my career. My hope is that an individual(s), young or old, will come forward and lead this group.

Thank you all for being members of the Minnesota Herpetological Society. We are truly a unique group.

Sean Hewitt President, Ab hinc Vice-President

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The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society

September 2005

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News, Notes & Announcements Hands On Event!

3M Super Science Fair at 3M, Maplewood, MN Friday, September 30 and Saturday, October 1 Friday, September 30 3pm-6pm Teacher Workshop for Elementary and Middle School Teachers

Saturday, October 1 11-12 noon Keynote Address 12 noon- 3pm Super Science Saturday for 3M families 3-3:30 Closing Keynote

The 3M Teacher Workshop is geared for elementary and middle school teachers. The goal is to share how science is fun and generate excitement for science in the classroom.

We present ourselves as role models for fun science careers.

Super Science Saturday is geared for the 3M “Visiting Wizards”, the workshop presenters (you), and their (your) families.

Come out and represent MHS at this fabulous event! For more information and to sign up, contact Jan Larson, MHS Education Chair.

New Season, New Floor!

The Renaissance Festival Season started off with the Cottage clean-up and orientation on Sunday Aug. 7, 2005.

MHS members worked hard to clear two spacious rooms upstairs and to open up the downstairs back room. Thanks to the donation of pavers and the talents of Dave Dewitt there is a safe new floor in the sink and storage area. Huzzah to all our volunteers.

If you are interested in working at the Renaissance Festival Contact Judi Brumfield.

-Nancy Haig

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Adoptions resume at the September meeting!

This should be a heavy month, as there will be carryovers from the previous month. (Adoptions did not take place due to the absence of the MHS Adoption Chair.) So if you’re itching for new herps, this is the month, MHS members!

The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society

September 2005

MHS Elections are Coming Up! Are You Looking to Run? The Annual Meeting will be held in November, so there isn’t much time left. If you want to take an active part in the MHS Board, now is the time to step forward. Further, I am looking for volunteers to join me on the Election Committee to help find candidates for Board positions.

Please e-mail me at zzzbuzzi@aol.com if you are interested in working on this committee. There are some questions that people ask about being an elected board member, and I have summarized the most pertinent information. If you have any other questions that aren’t answered here, please feel free to e-mail me!

In order to run for a board position, you have to be a current active member along with being 18 years or older when you take office in January. Members must be present to vote, as there are no absentee ballots issued. Only one person can occupy a board position, as there is no co-sharing a position. Board Members may delegate any job function(s), except voting, to another member, but the Board Member is ultimately responsible for completion of all duties. Board Member’s duties include serving on and chairing committees, working on special projects and assignments for the Board, and responding to correspondence as required. Board Members are also required to attend Board Meetings, fill in for any missing Board Member at meetings and monitor the voicemail messaging service on their assigned month. All Board Members must abide by the Bylaws and Policies of MHS. Now with all that out of the way, here is a description of each position. I will also have extra copies available at the October meeting for review. Please feel free to solicit information from any current Board Member if you have any questions.

President The President chairs the monthly general and board meetings of MHS, appoints and maintains contact with committee chairs and delegates tasks to other Board Members. The President also makes a calendar of meetings, picks up and distributes the society’s mail, and acts as a public spokesperson for the Society. The President coordinates the common vision and goals of MHS, promoting its growth and sustainability, and upholds the Bylaws.

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forming the President’s duties in case of absence, notifying the Newsletter editor of upcoming speakers, sending notices of monthly meetings to local newspapers, and changing the voicemail message monthly.

Treasurer The Treasurer is required to maintain and balance the MHS financial accounts and keep complete records of all financial transactions. This includes collection and depositing all income in a timely manner, producing both a monthly and an annual financial statement for the newsletter, and supplying the Board with a monthly financial activity report. The Treasurer also participates in the complete yearly audit and budget.

Membership Secretary The Membership Secretary collects, maintains, and updates the membership database. The Membership Secretary is also responsible for supplying a monthly summary of membership activities, maintains a file of prior newsletters, and responding to all information and membership inquiries. The Membership Secretary also maintains the nametag box.

Recording Secretary The Recording Secretary records the minutes of the monthly board and general meetings and provides summaries to the newsletter Editor. The Recording Secretary maintains: the minutes of the board meetings, a complete archive of past newsletters, and a listing of the inventory of MHS supplies, fixtures, and goods. Other duties include chairing the Election Committee and providing an annual summary of any unresolved action items.

Newsletter Editor The Newsletter Editor edits submissions, enters monthly business, and prepares the MHS newsletter for printing.

The Editor also solicits articles, items of interest, and advertising. The Editor is responsible for the appearance of the newsletter.

Members-At-Large (4 positions) The Members-At-Large participate in the decision making process, volunteer for projects or committees. The Members-At-Large perform other duties as assigned by the President.

Vice President The Vice President is responsible for coordinating and introducing the speakers for the monthly Meetings, and introducing the Critter of the Month presenters. Vice presidential duties also include assisting the President, perPage 5

The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society

SPEAKER REVIEW AUGUST 5, 2005

by Barbara Buzicky, Recording Secretary GUEST SPEAKER: Dav Kaufman PROGRAM: Herping the Holy Land Dav Kaufman is a film-maker, and a published author with an article in Reptiles April 2005 issue, and he has been with the society since 1993. He gave a charismatic presentation to the members of his trip to Israel. He started with some basic background of the country. There are 6.7 million people residing in Israel, and there are 116 species of mammals, 511 species of birds, and 97 species of reptiles and amphibians. This is quite a large amount of animals for a country that is a little smaller than New Jersey. Israel has so many species of animals as it is the recipient of animals migrating south from Asia and north from Africa.

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mass for conservation and protection of animal species. He spent some time in Carmel National Park, which is Israel’s largest national park. It was a very beautiful park, and he spent the entire day there looking for reptiles and amphibians. The weather was variable; the dramatic changes in temperature were due to winds coming off the sea. When the sun was out, the animals were out basking.

Then, the temperature would suddenly drop, and the animals would take cover and disappear. The other land area that he visited was Hai-Bar Nature Wildlife Preserve. This was a refuge where rehabilitation of the animals took place for injured animals and highly endangered ones.

He was taken on a tour of the facility, and he enjoyed that.

When he arrived in Jerusalem, he went to a bookstore to find a field guide of the country’s reptiles and amphibians. He found one, but there was one drawback. The book was all in Hebrew.

He joked that he can read some Hebrew, but he was a little rusty. So, he was just able to use the pictures for identification.

In the area of the Central Palm Highlands, he searched in abandoned buildings for reptiles. This area had an African looking landscape along with a desert area. In the middle of the area, the land was lush and rich in foliage. He said that it looked like the middle of Wisconsin.

The sky there is a purplish blue color, and he showed us some scenic slides of the area, and it was very beautiful. He says that herping in all these areas was the toughest he has done. In some areas, there were so very many rocks, and he is a rock-flipping specialist.

He said to get through the entire area of rocks, he would be there for many years to see under all of them. So, he chose the rocks that he would flip wisely so he had the best chance of finding an animal under one. He said on the coastal area of the Red Sea, there are many warning signs not to go in the water due to the stingrays and jelly fish. It was also a protected beach area for sea turtle nesting.

Israel has set aside a large portion of its land

There are 41 species of snakes in Israel of

He went on to say that he had no frightful experiences while he was there as everyone was very friendly to him. He has a concern that the American media has sensationalized and exaggerated the situation in that country. There is some disruption, but it is in a very small area of certain parts of the city. The large majority of the country live in peace— the Israelis and the Palestinians.

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The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society

September 2005

which 9 are venomous. He wasn’t able to find all of them, but in the parks he saw quite a few.

Some of the snake species are: Palestinian Viper, Javelin Sand Boa, Ghamchen Snake, Dice Snake, Diadem Snake, Four Lined Rat Snake, Arabian Tiger Snake, Egyptian Cobra, Desert Horned Viper, just to name a few. The lizards that inhabit Israel are mostly Geckos, and there are a total of 37 species. There is the Lebanon Lizard, Desert Monitor, Egyptian Mastigure, Mediterranean Chameleon, Roughtail Rock Agama, Sinai Agama, Israeli Fan-Fingered Gecko, Yellow Fan-Fingered Gecko, and the Sand Boa. There are turtles and tortoises, with the turtles having 3 species of pond turtles, 2 species of tortoises, and 5 species of marine turtles. A couple of those are the European Pond Turtle and the Mediterranean Spur Thigh Tortoise. He said that he was quite surprised to find that there was only one herpetologist in the entire country.

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The other two species of frogs are the Hadera Frog and Savigny’s Tree Frog. There are two species of toads, the European Green Toad and the Syrian Spadefoot Toad. For more complete information, check out Dav’s article in the April issue of Reptiles Magazine. He says that the Israelis just want to live side by side with the reptiles and amphibians and preserve them. The surrounding countries to Israel, Egypt and Jordan, have no wildlife refuges or lands set aside for the conservation and preservation of any reptiles and amphibians. Great talk, Dav!

Keywords to Google: -Israel, Reptiles and Amphibians -Herpetology, Tel Aviv -Sarig Garny, Ph.D (he is a professor at the University in Tel Aviv)

He says that the people of Israel are dedicated to sea turtle protection and education as in Southern Israel, in the city of Eilat, there is a reserve consisting of a large beach area that is a protected area for sea turtle nesting. There is also a very neat under sea viewing area for the public. The building is the same height above ground as below. The viewing area encompasses a natural reef where many animals can be seen. He greatly enjoyed viewing the reef just watching the animals. The park also has many outdoor aquariums and pond holding areas for animals being rehabilitated.

There are 23 species of salamanders, and they are mostly found near Galilee. A couple of species are the Fire Salamander and the Spotted Newt. There are also frogs and toads in Israel. There are 3 species of frogs of which one may be extinct, but there is no information about whether it actually is or not. The frog that may possibly be extinct is the Israeli Painted Frog.

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The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society

September 2005

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Personal Herpetology How One Woman “Joined the Club” down a road, I was busy absorbing the beautiful sights of the Black Hills as the sun was setting and the artistic colors of the rock appeared.

Suddenly I feel like a human projectile being thrown towards the wind shield of the car. My Herpetologoy . . . what the heck does that mean? thanks go out to the inventor of seatbelts.

Are you crazy? Who in their right mind lives with reptiles? This was my first thought when I met my After I got over the initial shock, I turned to ask husband Neil eight years ago. I was the kid that Neil what was going on only to see him running jumped on the top of the fence when a harmless away from the car. How dare he leave me in the garter snake appeared in the yard while I was middle of nowhere! What kind of guy am I dating? growing up. Since our first meeting of six snakes My thoughts are answered with an excited and a turtle, I have seen and done a number of “Michelle, you got to come see this!” I cautiously things that I would have never dreamed of. get out of the car and proceed to walk towards Neil only to be met with this horrific hissing noise We have raised a family of six snakes in our that sounds like a steam pipe venting. Turns out home to currently close to sixty with numbers the venting steam pipe is squared off with Neil in being well over a hundred during breeding sea- the middle of the road. You couldn’t have paid me son. Along with raising our family of reptiles and a million dollars to take another step closer. That infamous “herping” trips, there have been many thing is going to chase me, I’m sure of it. memories that I am sure that most of you can relate to as members of the reptile world.

Then amazement filled my body as Neil distracted it with one hand and picked it up with the other.

Our very first trip that Neil and I took together was The steam pipe quit venting and I was introduced to the Black Hills in South Dakota where I was to my very first wild bullsnake. I still have mixed very quickly introduced to road cruising, which I feelings of fear and amazement when I think of like to refer to as self-inflicted whiplash. Driving that first trip together.

by Michelle Gushulak Brandon, Manitoba, Canada

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The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society

September 2005

There have also been some comical moments with our family of snakes that still make me giggle to this day. My most memorable was Neil’s encounter with Baby Jersey, our yearling New Jersey Pine snake we had purchased as a mate for our existing female. I had just gotten out of the shower and heard Neil in the “herp” room talking to the snakes as he is feeding them. My husband is aware that snakes do not have ears but he talks to them anyways. As I’m brushing my teeth, I hear Neil saying in a cooing voice, “Hey Baby Jersey, I’ve got something for you.” Then I hear a mild thump, thump. Then hearing a very calm statement from Neil of “You’ve got something for me.”, curiosity gets the best of me and I have to see what is going on. Only to be met by Neil standing by the bank of cages with Baby Jersey attached to his hand. I don’t recall ever having laughed so hard in my life. I still smile when retelling that intimate moment between the herpetologist and reptile.

I have experienced amazement during the birth of live babies and the hatching of eggs when baby snakes first poke their heads out with their egg tooth still attached. The intimate courting of male and female snakes during mating should be a lesson to any human male as to how to treat their partner. I have vacationed and hiked in spots so beautiful that they should be on post cards but, most people don’t visit because there is no mall.

Conversations with our eighteen year old turtle as he crawls around on the lawn on a warm summer

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day have been some of the most meaningful and productive conversations I have had. My heart has broken during the passing of Mama Bullsnake and our first ever Black Throat Monitor.

I feel sadness every time I see Edgar (Canebrake Rattlesnake) sitting by himself because his mate Olive has recently passed away. I felt extreme joy during the arrival of our new 30cm Black Throat Monitor named Akeyla. I feel the pride that only a mother could feel as I have watched Akeyla grow into a three year old, thirty pound spoiled child that showers with his father and likes to climb on the vacuum. These experiences are all very close to my heart and I can’t imagine living without reptiles. I no longer jump on the fence at the sight of a garter snake but walk cautiously with amazement up and down buttes and in ponds looking for reptiles.

Herpetology is defined as the study of reptiles and amphibians. My definition of herpetology is to enjoy the company of reptiles and receive them as a small miracle that not every one has the opportunity to experience or learn from. I feel disappointment for those that choose not to have this experience in their lives and the wealth of knowledge that comes along with it.

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The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society

September 2005

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Crow’s Feet? Try Snake Venom October 21-23, 2005 MINNEAPOLIS— ShopNBC and Isomers Laboratories announced a new skin care product — Wrinkle Viper(TM) — an anti-wrinkle product that uses synthesized snake venom. Wrinkle Viper is a combination of synthesized snake venom peptides and anti-aging peptides that “help reduce the appearance of fine lines induced by repeated facial movements and time.”

The formula contains an anti- wrinkle synthetic peptide that mimics the effect of the snake venom peptide Waglerin-1.

Featured Speakers: L. Lee Grismer The Amphibians and Reptiles of Peninsular Malaysia and Adjacent Islands Bert Langerwerf The Amazing Tegu or Keeping Herps Outdoors to Prevent a Ban on Keeping Them in Captivity Bill Love Taking Better Herp Photos for Fun and Profit Aaron M. Bauer Herps and Herping in India and Sri Lanka Nichole Valenzuela Comparative Ecology and Sex Determination in Turtles Ron Tremper Philippe de Vosjoli Jeff LeClere and others to be announced...

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“Snake venom has been used for centuries,” notes Marcheggiani, Isomers CEO and cosmetic chemist. “We wanted to harness the effect of the venom to create an injection-free way of addressing surface skin lines and wrinkles and relaxing the lines of time on our skin.”

For more information about Isomers Wrinkle Viper, visit ShopNBC.com.

August 3, 2005, http://www.prnewswire.com/

The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society

September 2005

MHS BOARD MEETING REVIEW August 6, 2005

By Barb Buzicky, Recording Secretary The Board Meeting was called to order at 6:15 PM CDT at the St. Paul Student Center, Room 202, a voting quorum was present.

Board Members not present were George Richard and Sarah Richard.

Non-Board Members present were Jeff LeClere, Liz Bosman, Bill Moss, Judy Brumfield, and Jamie Pastika.

Minutes from the October 2, 2004, meeting was approved with changes, hardcopy outstanding.

Minutes from the July 9, 2005, were approved with changes.

Treasurer’s Report for February – December, 2004, Revised, outstanding, holding for MHS Audit.

Treasurer’s Report for Year-end 2004, Revised, outstanding, holding for MHS Audit.

Membership Report for July, 2005, is outstanding.

General Meeting Attendance for August 5, 2005, was 98.

President’s Report: There was no President’s Report.

Vice-President’s Report: September: Alysa DeVries, Artificial Insemination in Corn Snakes October: George Richard, Galapagos Islands November: Tony Gamble, South Africa Trip December: Gus Renfro, Island Dwarf Boas Committee Reports: Occasional Paper, final changes are being working on by Dan Keyler.

Then, the copy will go to the printer.

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Old Business: There still is no chairperson for the State Fair DNR exhibit. There was talk about canceling the exhibit. There was no final decision. Bill Moss gave an update for the Midwest Symposium. Registrations are way behind. The budget submitted by the Symposium Committee was moved and approved by the Board. Sarah Richard will fill in for Board Member to fill Jodi Aherns’s vacated position as Member-at-Large.

MHS logo caps tabled until the next meeting.

Renfest Budget was submitted, and the Board moved and approved $500. Thanks to Heather Clayton for handling the one adoption animal that came in, a tortoise. It was adopted. MHS Audit, Nancy Haig said that new guidelines will be drawn up for the MHS Audit, Michelle Hewitt and Liz Bosman will meet in August or September to complete it.

New Business: Extra keys were obtained for the MHS Library Cart and MHS Supplies Cart.

Thanks to Fred Bosman. Tim is back at the library after some health issues. Welcome back Tim. Jamie Pastika talked to the Board about his upcoming endeavor of establishing a Reptile Park. A T-shirt design was submitted by Liam Bonk. Invoice for a bill from Sir Speedy was paid by the Treasurer. Barb Buzicky will be putting extra articles in the newsletter for September regarding elections coming up in November for the 2006 MHS Board.

Last Minute Items: Tony Gamble said that the Bell Museum was the recipient of a G-12K grant for schools to put a scientist into the classrooms.

Tony will be working as a fellow on this project. A new check for last month’s speaker was reissued. Randy Blasus submitted a letter of resignation to the Board for his position as President.

Meeting adjourned at 7:44 PM CDT.

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The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society

September 2005

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An Open Invitation to MHS Members

Minnesota Herpetological Society Treasurer's Report

Dear Herp Society Members,

Prepared by Nancy Haig, Treasurer

You are invited to a presentation and demonstration of live reptiles by Jim Gerholdt of The Remarkable Reptiles on Sunday, September 18 from 1 – 4 p.m. at the Nature Education Center of Inspiration, a new residential development on the west side of Bayport, Minnesota.

Jim will be giving half-hour formal presentations every hour on the hour from 1 – 4 p.m., with opportunities in-between to see up-close and personal a variety of his reptilian collectables.

Specifically, Jim will bring with him two Minnesota statethreatened species, a Blanding’s turtle and a timber rattlesnake. Other Minnesota natives he’ll have on hand will include a 5-foot bull snake, a western hognose, an eastern milk snake, an eastern tiger salamander and a western painted turtle.

Native species are important to the new Inspiration development because it has been designed as a conservation neighborhood where more than 70 percent of the site – 170 acres in all – are left undeveloped as open space.

The open space acreage is all being restored to native plant communities to emulate the pre-settlement plant communities: northern tallgrass prairie, oak savanna, woodlands and wetlands. A large acreage of prairie already exists on the site, and is being enhanced this fall with a prescribed burn and enhancement seeding. (Join us for the prescribed burn too – Sunday afternoon, October 9.)

In addition to the natives, however, Jim will also be bringing some of his exotic species: a leopard gecko, northern blue-tongued skink, corn snake, ball python and a 7-foot boa constrictor. Last but certainly not least, he’s also bringing a Gila monster!

There is no charge for this event. The developers of Inspiration – Contractor Property Developers Co. – simply want to introduce people to the new Nature Education Center and the conservation neighborhood concept, and thus are sponsoring a wide variety of nature education events throughout the Fall Parade of Homes. For a complete schedule of activities, and directions to the neighborhood, visit the project website, www.inspirationbayport.com, and join us for as many of them as you’d like.

Andy Dahl, On-Site Naturalist Inspiration Neighborhood Contractor Property Developers Co. Page 12

For the Month Ending July 31, 2005 Beginning Checkbook Balance: Income: Membership Library Fines Raffle Adoption Rodent Sales Small Item Sales Donations Midwest Other* Total Income: Expense: Newsletter Misc. Printing and Postage Program Library Supplies Refreshments Rodent Cost Donations Other* Total Expense: Cash Increase/(Decrease):

4,402.26

390.00 0.00 18.75 50.00 211.00 16.00 100.00 100.00 55.00 940.75

388.00 0.00 50.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 642.76 0.00 180.99 1,262.05 (321.30)

Ending Checkbook Balance:

4,080.96

Placement of Cash Holdings Checking Account Savings Account Cash on Hand Total

4,080.96 6,951.17 150.00 11,357.63

Treasurer’s Notes: Income: MHS received a donation from Friends of Sherburne Nat. Wildlife Park *Newsletter ad Expense: *Two months of voicemail

G E T Y O U R M E S S A G E TO Y O U R TA R G E T A U D I E N C E W I T H A 1 / 4 PA G E A D . $10 PER MONTH $ 11 0 P E R Y E A R *

*12th month is free on a one year commitment Advertising Policies MHS Ad Policy: The MHS assumes NO RESPONSIBILITY regarding the health or legality of any animal, or the quality or legality of any product or service advertised in the MHS Newsletter. Any ad may be rejected at the discretion of the Newsletter Editor. Due to space limitations, unpaid and complimentary advertisements are subject to occasional omission.

MHS AD RATES Business card 1/4 Page 1/2 Page Full Page

$5/Month $55/Year* $10/Month $110/Year* $20/Month $220/Year* $40/Month $440/Year*

* Note: 12th month is free on a one year commitment

Classified Ads: All active members are allowed a classified ad, run free of charge as space permits. Ads may be ran three consecutive months, after which time they may be resubmitted. Corresponding members are allowed a complimentary business card advertisement monthly as space permits. Due to federal restrictions on Non-profit mailing permits, we are not allowed to run ads for travel, credit or insurance agencies.

Submissions: All advertisements should be submitted to the MHS Editor, Bell Museum of Natural History, 10 Church St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455. Deadline is the night of the General Meeting for inclusion in the next newsletter. Make checks payable to: Minnesota Herpetological Society.

Minnesota Herpetological Society Membership Application New

Name

Renewal

Address

Membership#

City, State, Zip,

Type

Phone

Check #

Herp related interests

Active Memberships:

Email

Sustaining ($60/year)

Contributing ($30/year)

List in MHS Directory?

Yes

No

Basic ($15/year)

Corresponding Memberships: Commercial ($25/year 2 Business Card Ads/year) Required check info. Drivers Lic # State DOB Please enclose the proper payment with your application. Make Checks Payable To: Minnesota Herpetological Society. Membership is for 12 months from the date of approval, a receipt will be sent only upon request. Mail to: Minnesota Herpetological Society, Bell Museum of Natural History, 10 Church St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455. Please allow 6-8 weeks for processing.

MINNESOTA HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY BELL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY 10 CHURCH STREET SE MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55455-0104

Non-Profit Rate U.S. Postage PAID Mpls, MN Permit No. 2275

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

POSTMASTER: PLEASE DELIVER BY SEPTEMBER 6

Next Meeting: Friday, September 9, 2005 7:00PM Room 335 Borlaug Hall, U of M St. Paul Campus

MHS Voice Mail: 612.624.7065

MHS Web Page: www.mnherpsoc.org