Vol. 27 (2007), No. 9

t he n e w sl e t t e r o f t he

minnesota herpetological society

WEB VERSION

Information edited/removed to respect privacy concerns.

2007 Midwest Symposium Des Moines, Iowa page 3

SEPT EMBER 20 0 7

RenFest Rules & Costume Guidelines VOL U ME 2 7

NUMBER 9

President Bruce Haig

Board of Directors

BELL MUSEUM

Vice Presid ent Jennifer Hensley

Recording Secretary Ellen Heck

Membership Secretary George Richard

Members at Large Sarah Richard

The Purpose of the Minnesota Herpetological Society is to:

David Dewitt

Carmelita Knudson Jeff LeClere

Library Ted Schave

Webmaster Anke Reinders

The Minnesota H er pet ol og i ca l S o c i e t y

September 2007 Volume 27, Number 9

Newsletter Editor Asra Halvorson

Education Jan Larson

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

V O I C E M A I L : 612.624.7065 • M H S W E B P A G E : 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

Adoption Sarah Richard

OF

Committees

• of • •

Further the education of the membership and the general public in care and captive propagation 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 2007, 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.

L...------- s The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society

September 2007

23rd ANNUAL MIDWEST HERPETOLOGICAL SYMPOSIUM November 9th-11th 2007

Hosted by: Iowa Herpetological Society (www.iaherp.org)

Volume 27

Number 9

Midwest Herpetological Symposium

Reptile and Amphibian SALE SUNDAY November 11th, 2007 Location: Holiday Inn 4800 Merle Hay Road Des Moines, IA 50322 Hotel Front Desk: 1-515-278-475

SYMPOSIUM SPEAKERS: Dave Barker, www.vpi.com Ball Pythons

Garrick DeMeyer, www.crestedgecko.com Leopard and Fat-tail geckos

Dan Fogell, M.S. SE Comm. College & Jeff Parmelee, PhD. Simpson College Iowa’s Pit Vipers

Jessi Krebs, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo Global Amphibian Extinction Crisis

Rico Walder www.signalherp.com Green Tree Pythons, Emerald Tree Boas

More Speakers TBA: Check the website for speaker bios

The Midwest Herpetological Symposium is held each year by a different Herpetological Society in the Midwest. It is a weekend long event that includes an icebreaker Friday night, a wide array of speakers and topics followed by a banquet and a herp related auction Saturday, and a reptile and amphibian sale to end it all on Sunday. It is a fun educational event suited for anyone interested in reptiles and amphibians, from beginner to professional.

Events:

Friday, November 9 • Ice Breaker - Jeff LeClere will speak

Saturday, November 10 • Speakers all day • Saturday Night- banquet, followed by an auction • Banquet Speaker: Dave Barker: Travel Log • Auctioneer- Jim Stelpflug (SW Wisconsin Reptiles)

For More InfoCheck our website: www.iaherp.org Contact President Nick Blay or Ed Twedt.

Sunday, November 11 • Sale 10am-4pm

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(§) - - - News, Notes, & Announcements

The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society

October Art Auction

Fran Frisch, former MHS president and professional cartoonist, donated some great cartoons to the MHS, too good for the White Snake Sale. So, it was decided to feature a LIVE auction at the October meeting of original art by current and former MHS members. If you have some pieces you would like to donate, please contact Nancy Haig. Pieces can be brought to the September or October meetings.

Any type of art will be appreciated and it doesn’t have to be matted or framed. A good time will be had by all before we sit back to listen to the October speaker.

September 2007

Volume 27

Number 9

August Adoption Report

By Sarah Richard, Adoption Chair

What a great month! Seven of the eight animals were placed. We found great homes for: a small Uromastix a very small Iguana a Russian Tortoise and a Corn Snake

a Leopard Gecko a very large Iguana a large Boa

The Beardie will be coming back next month. We had multiple requests for many of the animals and even had three people volunteer to take the small Iguana. Yeah!

Note from the Newsletter Editor

If you didn’t receive your August newsletter, it should be coming in the same bulk grouping as this September issue, so watch for it!

September’s Speaker Chase Delles Serpent Dancers Shades of Arabia: A night of dance, comedy and education.

Chase has been a member of the MHS since he was born--almost coming into life at one of our meetings. He has been handling and caring for reptiles since he was 3 or 4 years old (and it was a mouseeating african bullfrog). At 5 years of age he was already breeding cornsnakes. He has put together a troupe that belly dances in period costumes with snakes with intermissions of comedic education.

Coming up in October: “Jake” Glen Jacobsen – Reptiles of the Galapagos Islands

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Here’s what happened: Postal regulations changed, and the mailing area on the back cover should now read "Non-Profit Organization", not "Non-Profit Rate". Due to this change, the post office rejected August's newsletter and we could not mail it out in time.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Asra Halvorson MHS Newsletter Editor

The New T-Shirts are Here!

Our new MHS T-shirt debuted at the August Meeting and we sold nearly half of what we had in stock. By popular demand, we will be adding 2X and 3X for the Sept Meeting.

At $10.00 each this is a great deal for a great looking shirt.

Thanks to all our Juve members that submitted designs, to Tali Rose for the winning design, to all our members that voted and to Ted Schave for working with the printers and getting the shirts done in record time.

L...------- s The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society

September 2007

Volume 27

Number 9

July Speaker Review:

Jen Hensley, MHS VP and RenFest Co-Chair The speaker for July was Jen Hensley, current vice-president and Renaissance Festival co-chair. Her talk focused on general hands-on do’s and don’ts as well as specifics for the upcoming run of the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. The festival runs August 18 through September 30, 2007, weekends, Labor Day and Festival Friday (School Day) September 28. Gates are open from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The festival is considered a hands-on event and is the single biggest source of donations for the society.

The themes this year have a few changes. They are:

A Silk Road: Discover the Riches! A Mid-East Experience, Aug. 18-19 Highland Fling!, Aug. 25-26 Royal Ale Festival, Sept. 1-3 Irish Heritage Celebration, Sept. 8-9 Italian Carnival, Sept. 15-16 Wine, Chocolate & Romance, Sept. 22-23 Fiesta Latina, Sept. 28-30

The Silk Road is basically the Mid-East Mirage expanded to include the Far East as well as the middle. Fiesta Latina will celebrate the Spanish and Latin cultures. This year, the Scottish weekend will play host to the 2007 World Amateur Heavy Games and the Minnesota Amateur Heavy Games.

The Royal Ale Festival will host a National Home Brew competition. Italian Carnival weekend will play host to the first annual Flower Festival. Join gardeners from around the region as they celebrate gardening… Renaissance style!

The Cottage was built in 1984 by and for the Como Zoo. It had a hayloft and a small pen for hoof-stock. MHS participation began in 1989 as guests of Como Zoo. MHS took over sole operation in 1995. Attendance at the Festival is around 300,000 people per year, with a prediction of 350,000 for this year.

Because of the unique circumstances of the festival, there are some rules regarding conduct for participants, both as festival personnel and as MHS members.

• ALL MHS Hands on rules apply (these were printed as a reminder in the August 2007 MHS newsletter).

• No patron may take control of any animal.

• The head of the animal is always away from the public.

• An animal will NEVER be forced on anyone.

• All lizards will be kept on a harness.

• No sick animals, animals in shed, or animals with parasites will be allowed.

• All animals will be treated with respect and dignity.

• No animal will leave the proximity of the cottage without being concealed. This is a MAF rule.

• Your attention should be on the patrons and your animal when you are on stage.

• The hands-on policy will be posted in Cottage and you must sign one each year.

A few more rules: • Anyone under the age of 16 must have a parent or legal guardian present when working within the cottage.

• No drinking of alcoholic beverages while working on the fence.

• No underage drinking.

Please remember we are all here to educate but also have fun. Be respectful of others. If there is a problem find the Shift Leader or Andrea and Jennifer immediately.

Costume Guidelines: Do’s and Don’ts

• Under no circumstances should you go barefoot on Festival Grounds.

• Everyone should wear some kind of head covering.

Modern hairstyles should be covered-up or disguised in some way.

• Don’t ruin your costume with 20th century anachronisms like: T-shirts or sweatshirts showing, cigarettes, tennis shoes, army boots, sun-glasses, wrist watches, etc.

• If you use zippers, plastic, elastic, etc. in your costume, they should be hidden.

• Please do not carry 20th century bags, fanny-packs, or purses while in costume.

• Wear contact lenses instead of glasses whenever possible.

• Ruffled skirts and skirts shorter than mid-calf are not period and should not be worn.

• All bodices, vest and doublets should be worn with a shirt or chemise underneath. On hot days, you can go without the doublet or bodice, but NOT the shirt.

• Shirtsleeves should be at least ¾ length.

• Chemises should NOT be worn off the shoulders, especially if you are not wearing a bodice. Chemises with separate sleeves are not period and should not be worn.

• No bare midriffs (belly dancers are the only exceptions).

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The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society

September 2007

Volume 27

Number 9

(§) - - - • Accessorize your costume with things fitting for your character, class, and occupation.

• Create a costume in layers to accommodate for temperature extremes.

• Have a cape or wrap for cold mornings. You can make one easily out of an old blanket.

• Research the Renaissance period so you are informed.

Costumes are available at the Cottage – although you will need to provide your own footwear. China flats are less than $10 but not very comfortable to wear. If you decide to use these, get some good inserts for them. Leather, and other natural materials are acceptable. Patent leather is not.

Fringe is not allowed but may be cut off or, if you are a woman, hidden under your skirt. Contact Nancy Hakomaki if you need to borrow a costume from Cottage or have questions on acceptability.

If you decide to invest in your own, the first decision is what class of society you will be in. Peasant is the easiest, most comfortable and practical, especially for the kids. In general, neon, camouflage, metallics and prints are not acceptable colors. Double-knit and polyester or nylon should also be avoided.

Peasant Class - Men

• A shirt or tunic and breeches, made of cotton or other natural material.

• May also wear a laced-up or buttoned jerkin (vest) • Some kind of hat

• Belt with a pouch to carry oddments • A small knife for eating purposes

Since a peasant usually only had one outfit, it did not get washed often, so it would be well worn, dirty, and patched.

These were working clothes, so not much time was given to upkeep!

Peasant Class - Women

• Long-sleeved shift (chemise) under everything, cotton, muslin or linen

• Overskirt (at least one!)

• Bodice laced or buttoned with or without removable sleeves

• Belt pouch and eating knife

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Any woman over the age of thirteen had her hair covered by some sort of headgear, and the hair itself was usually braided up and out of the way. There was no such thing as having short hair “for comfort.” Wearing a hat will also hide other 20th century anachronisms like layered cuts, and hair that has been frosted, streaked or dyed.

Appropriate peasant class colors are earth-tones in almost any color but purple (which is reserved for royalty) or black.

Off-white is preferable to white. Materials are cotton, muslin, sacking, wool, twill, leather or duck or other natural fiber. Peasants cannot wear satin, silk or velvet.

Middle Class – Men

• White shirt, may have black work • Doublet • Some type of breeches • Knit hosen • Shoes (may be decorated with buckles or ribbon) • Hat (could be flat, tall crowned, or small brimmed with feathers • Pouch and dagger hung from belt • May have chain around neck to denote wealth, rank, or position

Middle Class Women

• Chemise (almost always high-necked) • Corset • Underskirt and Farthingale (hoopskirt) • Elaborate hair-styles • Slippers

May carry feather fan or pomander. She would wear whatever jewelry she could afford and the sumptuary laws would allow. Middle Class colors are everything for the peasants, plus some black, white, turquoise, saffron and jewel tones ruby, sapphire, emerald, garnet, topaz, lapis, citron, malachite. Purple is still prohibited, as is excess of gold and silver. Fabrics can be silk (in a shirt).

Mid-America Festivals - http://www.renaissancefest.com/ Minnesota Renaissance Festival -

http://renaissancefest.com/MRF/index.html General Renaissance Information -

http://renaissance.duelingmodems.com/compendium/home.html

The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society

September 2007

Volume 27

Number 9

August Speaker Review:

Rick Staub, California Kingsnakes

The speaker for August was Rick Staub, a bio-chemical engineer with a passion for Lampropeltis zonata, the California mountain kingsnake. He researches and breeds them, and has written several books and articles on the husbandry of these snakes. The snakes range from Baja California in the south up into Oregon. There is also an isolated pocket in Canada.

For the last several years Rick has been studying the animals in a target area using the mark and recapture technique. He marks the animals by snipping off the last little bit of their tail. While this initially seems a bit cruel, it doesn’t hurt the animal and since Rick usually works alone, it is a lot easier to do than other marking methods. It also provides tissue for DNA analysis.

Zonata are found primarily in the higher elevations up to 9000 feet, but are found on the coast as well. Rick does most of his research in an area that is not particularly steep and is dotted with smaller rock piles spaced 50-100 yards apart. Zonata seldom sits out and basks, preferring to spend its time in crevices between rocks or hidden beneath them.

The isolated rock piles make it easier to search them out and access them, as opposed to larger heaps of rocks.

to stay more or less in one spot while the males wander.

This can be done with DNA testing of the tissue collected from the tail snip.

There are 7 recognized sub-species of zonata: zonata (St Helena), pulchra (San Diego), multifasciata (coastal), parvirubra (San Bernadino), multicincta (El Dorado), agalma (San Pedro) and herrerae (Todos Santos Island). Of these, only the herrerae does not have red. What Rick has found is that incubating eggs at a steady 80° will produce a “normal” color pattern with red, whereas incubating at 90° will produce a mostly black and white hatchling. This obviously causes problems in identifying animals whose primary species identification is based on color patterns. However, it may help explain why the herrerae, being from a very hot area, lacks red.

Zonatas on Kingsnake.com

http://www.kingsnake.com/king/zonata/zonata.html California Herps site (lots of cool stuff here)

http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/pages/l.zonata.html

When Rick finds a snake, he first checks to see if it is a recapture. The tail snip, gender and size help identify the snakes. Zonata in general are identified by 3 traits – number of triads (a sequence of red, black, white, black stripes), where the first white stripe occurs behind the jaw and confluency (whether the red stripe is complete across the back).

This broadly determines species, although there is a great deal of variation within ranges.

Each snake is then weighed. An average adult weighs 50-80 grams, although Rick has seen 87+ grams. Average length is 24-30 inches; hatchlings are about 7-11 inches.

Rick has found that the females can vary dramatically from year to year. A female can weigh 50 grams one year and 8 or more the next. Rick theorizes that the females lay every other year because they can’t recoup the weight loss fast enough in the spring to breed annually. The eggs are laid 30-35 days after breeding.

With his research, Rick hopes to show that the females tend

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The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society

September 2007

Volume 27

Number 9

(§) - - - MHS Elections are Coming Up! Are You Looking to Run?

MHS Elections are held at the November General meeting, which is Friday, November 2, 2007 at 7:00pm. If you want to take an active part in the MHS Board, now is the time to step forward. 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.

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.

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, performing 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.

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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.

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.

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. This position will be completely open for the elections! Give it a shot!

Excellent Opportunity for MHS Members!

As elections are coming up, I’m letting you know of a great opportunity to be involved in the society. If you’re a new member, or a long-time member who hasn’t jumped in to help the direction of MHS, now is the time!

Due to a new job, and my upcoming final semester of school, doing the newsletter has become rather tough. I haven’t been able to make it to many general meetings or board meetings, and I feel as though one of you out there could do a better job!

I plan on finishing out the year as newsletter editor, but after that, it’s up for grabs! So, if you’re interested in art, writing, publishing, and/or editing (as well as herps, obviously), I encourage you to run for the position of Newsletter Editor at our yearly elections.

Think you won’t know how to do it? Don’t worry, I’ll help out a lot. All you need is a computer, Mac or PC. I’ll walk you through it, and I’m willing to be “on-call” for any questions you might have.

If you have any questions about the position, please feel free to email me.

Thanks!

Asra Halvorson

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The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society

September 2007

Volume 27

Number 9

P a g e r e H v e e r p u

Juve Interview Names: Samuel (9), Phoebe (5), and Jacob (13) Lives with: Mom, Dad, Emma (sister)

How long have you been going to meetings? 2 months What's best about MHS? Sam: They help unwanted herps get adopted.

Phoebe: I like seeing all of the animals.

Jacob: I got to see many types of reptiles.

What's your favorite Herp?

Sam: Caiman Phoebe: A little snake Jacob: Green tree boa

What are your pets’ names? We don't own any herps yet but do have a dog (Ella) and cat (Coco).

Got a good tip or idea for the Juve Herper Page? Email Dan Monson. See you at the meeting! -Dan FishMan

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G E T YOUR ME S SA GE TO Y O UR T AR GE T A UD I EN CE W I T H A 1 / 4 PA G E A D. $10 PER MONT H $ 1 10 P ER Y EA R *

*112th month is free on a one year commitment Advertising Policies

MHS AD RATES

Business card 1/4 Page 1/2 Page Full Page

$5/Month $10/Month $20/Month $40/Month

$55/Year* $110/Year* $220/Year* $440/Year*

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

New

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.

Classified Ads: All active members are allowed a classified ad, run free of charge as space permits. Ads may be run 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

Renewal Membership# Type Check #

Name

Address City, State, Zip, Phone

Email

List in MHS Directory?

Yes

No

Herp related interests

Active Memberships:

Sustaining ($60/year)

Contributing ($40/year)

Basic ($20/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 Organization U.S. Postage PAID Mpls, MN Permit No. 2275

POSTMASTER: PLEASE DELIVER BY SEPTEMBER 4

Next Meeting: Friday, September 7, 2007 7:00 PM Room 335 Borlaug Hall, U of M St. Paul Campus MHS Voice Mail: 612.624.7065

MHS Web Page:

www.mnherpsoc.org