Vol. 28 (2008), No. 1

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

minnesota herpetological society

JA NU AR Y 20 0 8

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President Jennifer Hensley Vice- President David Dewitt Treasurer Nancy Haig

MINNESOTA HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY JANUARY 2008

VOLUME 28

NUMBER 1

MHS VOICE MAIL: 612.624.7065 MHS WEBPAGE: HTTP://WWW.MNHERPSOC .ORG GROUP E MAIL : HTTP ://WWW. GROUPS.YAHOO.COM/ GROUP/ MNHERPSOC The Purpose of the Minnesota Herpetological Society is to:

Membership Secretary Chris Smith Recording Secretary Ellen Heck News Letter Editor James Soos MEMBERS AT LARGE Jeff LeClere Pete Kazeck Christina Dunathar Kathy Claugherty COMMITTEES Adoption Sara Richard Education Jan Larson

Library Carmelita Pfar Webmaster Anke Reinders

• Further the education of the membership and the general public in care and captive propagation • 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 Newsletter is published monthly to provide its members with information concerning the society’sto all individuals with an interest in amphibians and reptiles. The Minnesota Herpetological Society 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.

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 Please send email to mhsnewseditor@yahoo.com © Copyright Minnesota Herpetological Society 2008. Contents may be reproduced for non-profit use provided that all material is reproduced without Change and proper credit is given authors and the Minnesota Herpetological Society Newsletter citing: volume, number and date.

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News, Notes, & Announcements The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society

November Adoption Report

by Sarah Richard, MHS Adoption Chair

A super adoption this month! The following animals came in: 1 Alligator 4 Red-eared sliders 1.3 1 Snapping turtle 1 Map turtle 1 Boa 1 Ball python 2 Leopard Geckos

In addition, we had 2 common boas, a Dumeral’s boa, a sulcata, and a bearded dragon come back through from fosters.

So, a total of 16 animals were presented for adoption. Of those, 10 were permanently placed, and the bearded dragon, the leopards, and one of the boas went to rehab care and may be represented when they are better. The sulcata and the snapper are still looking for a home.

And best of all, I went home with nothing! Thank you to everyone who adopted and a very special thank you to those of you that took the special needs guys. The fact that you step up every month and help out keeps me doing this job.

You know who you are. Thank you!

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Random Herp Stories!

by Ellen Heck

I recently acquired a VERY skinny retic. This meant re-building my large animal cages, and the retic ended up in the cage above the boa. I fed the retic Wednesday, and the boa Sunday. The retic INHALED his rat; the boa, as it turns out, did not eat hers. But since she remained coiled around it, I didn't realize this until Tuesday morning, when I was already late heading for work. So I decided to deal with it when I got home that evening. When I got home, I realized I didn't smell the rat. When I looked in the boa cage, I didn't see it either. What I did see was the retic, curled up next to the curled-up boa, with a large bulge in his tummy. Apparently he had smelled it, and being skinny, there was enough give in the door for him to force his way down into her cage.

At least it was pythons and boas rather than king and corn snakes! (and yes, I will re-do the doors) I occasionally give the iguanas bananas, which are a real favorite, right up there with strawberries. I had a little left over once and gave what was left to Carlos, my unbelievably laid back chuckwalla, who eventually ate it. Last night I fed bananas again, and having a bit left over, opened Carlos's cage to feed it to him. He initially backed away, but when he saw what I had in my hand, this incredibly laid-back animal CHARGED, mouth GAPING, to get the banana.

I was actually intimidated; I have NEVER seen him move that fast, ever. Apparently, bananas are even better than dandelions in his world.

Nope, you’re not missing a page.

The newsletter is very short this month, due to lack of content and submissions. Please send content to our new newsletter editor, James Sooz. He will be taking over for the February issue. Help him out by giving him some great stuff!

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The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society

January 2008

Volume 28

Number 1

January Speaker Review: Mike Pingleton Red Foot Tortoises - Natural History, Behavior, and Elements of Captive Care The speaker for December was Mike Pingleton. Although the subject of his talk was the red-footed tortoise, Mike has an interest in many different species of reptiles and amphibians (see http://pingleton.com/ for more info) Red-footed tortoises geochelone carbonaria are a very tough, personable species. They generally do not get huge, averaging about 12”-14” in length and weighing about 20 lbs. They reach sexual maturity at 8”-10”, maturity being based on size rather than age. The heads tend to be yellow to orange, with the legs being red to orange in color. The shells are dark brown to black, and should be smooth with little or no pyramiding. Hatchlings tend to be more yellowbrown. There is also a smaller variety called a Cherry-head that generally is found in the southern parts of the range.

The range for the red-foot is in central and northern South America, stretching up into Central America. They are also found on several Caribbean Islands. Although their range circles the Amazon basin, it is uncommon to find the tortoises in the rainforest itself. They tend to skirt the edges, living in the somewhat drier and less densely foliated areas around the basin. Although parts of their territory overlaps the ranges of several other tortoise species, notably the yellow-foot and the chaco, there is no inter-breeding, possibly because each species has a specialized mating ritual.

The activity of the tortoises in the wild is closely linked to the season. The winter months are dry and the summer months wet. The northern part of the range is equatorial, so the temperatures there get very warm. During the dry season, there is less food and humidity. The tortoises don’t grow as much and tend to spend a lot of time buried in the moist leaf mold and earth. In captivity, the dry season is seldom simulated.

In the wet season, mating, hatching and growth occur. The animals tend to wake up in the morning and walk around, looking for something to eat. When they get too warm, they wander into the shade to cool off. Red-foots generally find a hiding place or burrow down at night. They don’t have and abundance of natural predators; jaguars and other large

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cats are the only real problem. The wet season is seldom simulated correctly in captivity; the animals are frequently kept too dry.

Red-foots seldom indulge in a lot of basking. The juveniles spend a lot of time buried in the substrate and rely on their natural coloring to stay hidden. Their diet consists of some vegetation but also worms, slugs, snails and other invertebrates. For adults, the diet consists of more vegetation (eats shoots and leaves). They are attracted to greens, reads and oranges as well as strong smells. Carrion, feces and invertebrates round out the diet. They also tend to indulge in “windfall” feeding. If they come across a pile of food, they tend to eat as much as possible, since there is no guaranty they will find food tomorrow. This has impact when keeping the animals in captivity; they have a tendency to gorge.

If they are allowed to do this on a regular basis, it can lead to over-feeding and health problems.

When kept as pets, they must have a large enough cage to wander in, at least 6’x4’ for adults, less for hatchlings and juveniles. The substrate should be firm but absorbent, as red-foots excrete urine rather than solid urics. Mike tends to use cypress mulch for adults and outdoor pens. He adds a layer of sphagnum moss for the juveniles, to add moisture and to make it easier for them to burrow. Pine and resinous materials should be avoided. Dog crates make a good hide spot (and you get two of them) or the half logs. Red-foots really need the security of a hide spot, especially at night, to reduce stress.

Like all reptiles, red-foots require UVB. In the more temperate climates of the northern hemisphere, sunlight doesn’t reach the ground in the same strength and quantity as it does in their natural range. D3 supplements are needed to correct the balance. A 12-14 hour “day” is needed. Although the red-foot is not known as a digger, they can never the less push their way out under a chain-link fence, a consideration when building an outdoor enclosure.

Speaker Review, continued on page 6

The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society

This didn’t just happen naturally

We’ve come to assume that parasites are the main cause of frog deformities. Research suggests otherwise.

By Judy Helgen, November 6, 2007

What’s happening with the deformed frogs?

The widespread idea that parasites are the natural cause of frog abnormalities has made the public complacent and has deflected research away from chemical contaminants, the more likely cause. Yet research now demonstrates that parasites don’t trigger the majority of deformities, specifically shortened or missing legs. Nor can they cause misshapen jaws, missing or misplaced eyes, or spinal column defects.

The suspect parasite, nicknamed “Rib” for Ribeiroia, is now known to cause only multiple or branched limbs in frogs.

Some history: In 1995, middle-school students found deformed frogs in a pond east of Henderson, Minn., a! nd the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency began an investigation. By fall 1996, my MPCA colleague and I had received more than 170 reports of deformed frogs in more than 50 counties.

Our pictures of grotesquely misshapen frogs went everywhere in the media. TV news showed eager students collecting frogs and expressing their concerns. Everyone became alarmed.

For me personally, examining the pathetically abnormal frogs — most with shortened or missing legs, a few with extra or branched limbs, some missing one eye — was frankly horrifying. What went wrong? We worried: Might something harm other species, including humans? We all wanted the answer, and soon.

Scientists had four ideas about causes of deformities: ultraviolet radiation, chemical pollutants, parasite infections and trauma from predation. Early on, a few biologists ardently touted the parasite hypothesis, even before anyone had demonstrated directly that the Rib parasite caused extra legs to grow! in developing tadpoles in lab exposures. A recent study sugge! sting th at fertilizers could increase snail populations (a host for parasites) and thus trigger more frog deformities received a huge splash in the media. Strangely, a significant study based at Yale University did not.

The Yale study, led by David Skelly, clearly rules out parasites as a cause of leg deformities in frogs in Vermont. First,

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Skelly’s team found no Rib parasites in a large number of snails and frogs from dozens of ponds, many known to have deformed frogs. Second, the majority of the deformities in Vermont frogs, as in Minnesota, were shortened or missing legs, not branched or extra limbs.

Skelly has ruled out the Rib parasite, not just in Vermont but for most of the United States, because of Rib’s patchy distribution and because reduced limbs comprise the majority of deformities nationally. Ultraviolet radiation is ruled out because the deformities it caused in lab tests were not like ones seen in natural populations. Predation is ruled out because m! ost studies find very few limbs bitten off by predators.

What about in Minnesota? The suspect Rib parasite has been found here, but its distribution is erratic. Lots of Rib were found in frogs in three of the ponds we called hot spots for their high percentages of deformed frogs. But Rib was missing, or was present only in low levels, in several other frog hot spots. In Minnesota, the predominant deformity is shortened or missing legs, not branched or multiple limbs, another indication that Rib is not widely involved here.

This leaves us with chemical pollutants as the likely cause of deformities, suggests David Skelly, who found that frogs in ponds near agricultural land were more than twice as likely to have deformities than frogs away from farmland.

Researchers in Canada also have reported finding more deformed frogs in ponds surrounded by crops.

Skelly advocates new field-based research on chemical toxicants in ponds with deformed and normal frogs, coupled with lab studies on suspect agents. Some factors not yet measured, or perhaps a mixture of chemicals, may be involved.

The MPCA ceased investigating deformed frogs in 2001, and no one that I know of is looking at frogs for deformities, let alone analyzing pollutants in frog habitats. So how are the frogs? Does anyone know?

Judy Helgen is a retired MPCA research scientist who conducted work on deformed frogs and wetlands. http://www.startribune.com/opinion/commentary/11764076. html -Submitted by Sarah McNeal.

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Classified Adver tisements

The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society

January 2008

Volume 28

Number 1

Classified ads are free to the membership. Deadline is the night of the general meeting for inclusion in the next newsletter.

1.0.0 = male, 0.1.0 = female, 0.0.1 = unsexed, cb = captive bred, obo = or best offer, + = times run ( ads are run 3 times unless specifically requested to continue).

For Sale

Frozen Rabbits - all sizes. Prices very reasonable - pinkies to adults.

Jim Daluge 763.295.2818

Speaker Review, continued from page 4

Indoors, a combination of lights works best. Natural sunlight, heat and UVA/UVB are all needed. The warm spot should be 90˚F with a gradient so they can cool off.

Mating occurs in mid- to late-summer. Thunderstorms tend to trigger the cycle. The females lay the eggs September through November. They dig holes 3”-5” deep and lay on average 3-6 eggs, although clutches of 10 are not unknown.

The eggs are incubated at 82-85˚F for 150 days.

When feeding, variety is the key. Leafy greens, both “soft” like romaine and “rough” like kale are needed. Fruit and animal protein, like pinky mice or invertebrates, round out the diet. Dandelions, when in season, are a very good and cheap feed. The key though is not to over-feed. Mike feeds his juveniles small meals every day until 6 months, then switches them to every other day like the adults. A small amount of D3 should be added, especially during the winter months. It is important not to over-supplement, which can tax the liver and kidneys.

For more information: www.chelonia.org The World Chelonian Trust http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/redfoot/ A Yahoo discussion group

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So Fresh!

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MHS Rodents!

Mice

Pinkies Fuzzies Hoppers Adults

$7/dz $7/dz $8/dz $10/dz

Rats

Pinkies Sm Adult Med Adult Lg Adult Jumbo

$9/dz $18/dz $24/dz $30/dz $36/dz

For pick-up at monthly meetings only. Orders must be placed at least one week in advance of date of meeting at which the frozen rodents are to be delivered. Place orders with Liz Bozman at 763.476.0306.

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.

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Next Meeting: Friday, January 4, 2007 7:00 PM Room 335 Borlaug Hall, U of M St. Paul Campus MHS Voice Mail: 612.624.7065

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