Vol. 28 (2008), No. 4

M I N N E S O T A HERPETOLOGICAL S O C I E T Y N

E W S L E T T E R

IN THIS ISSUE: APRIL IS WHITE SNAKE SALE. LAST MONTH S SPEAKER DR. DOUG ROSSMAN LONDON ZOO AND GILA MONSTERS 2008 MHS FIELD SURVEY INFORMATION

April

2008

Volume 28

Number 4

President Jennifer Hensley Vice- President David Dewitt Treasurer Nancy Haig

Minnesota Herpetological Society APRIL 2008

VOLUME 28

NUMBER 4

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

• Further the education of the membership and the general public in care and captive propagation

Recording Secretary Ellen Heck

• Educate the members and the general public in the ecological role of reptiles and amphibians;

News Letter Editor James Soos

mhsnewseditor@yahoo.com MEMBERS AT LARGE Jeff LeClere Pete Kazeck Christina Dunathar Kathy Claugherty COMMITTEES Adoption Sara Richard Education Jan Larson Library Carmelita Pfar Webmaster Anke Reinders

L ast month correction on cover.

The snake on the cover last month was a Plains Garter Snake. Photo was supplied

by Jeff LeClere and Herpnet.

Cover Animal By Jill Grif th

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• 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

THE NEWS LETTER OF THE MINNESOTA HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY

M  G S   D. D R. By Ellen Heck This month s speaker was Doug Rossman. Dr Rossman graduated from Luther College in 1952 and earned his doctorate from the University of Florida in 1961 on ribbon snakes. He worked with Roger Conant studying water snakes before deciding to specialize in garter snakes. Doug was a professor of zoology at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge for a number of years before retiring. He has written several books, including The Amphibians and Reptiles of Louisiana and The Garter Snakes: Evolution and Ecology with Neil Ford and Richard Siegal.

He switched to garter snakes because they hadn t really been studied, and has spent over 50 years correcting that oversight. Although the garter snakes (thamnophis) are his specialty, his talk covered and compared several genera of natricinae, including nerodia (water snakes), regina (cray sh snakes), storeria (brown snakes and the red belly snake) and virginia (earth snakes). A large part of his recent work has been to break down and describe the minute differences between various species of garter snakes, since pattern and color alone are not enough.

The nerodia have a well-deserved reputation for aggressiveness. While working with a diamondback water snake (nerodia rhombifer), Doug had 4 ngers opened up by the animal. And it is actually the green water snake that is considered the most aggressive. Water snakes do spend most of their time in and around the water, but are known to bask on overhanging branches. Another nerodia, the northern water snake (nerodia sipedon) is most common in the northeastern states. It is a handsome snake with blotched and banded coloring. The clarkii, or salt marsh snake, is common in the brackish salt marshes along the Gulf of Mexico. They were (and by some still are) thought to be a sub-species of the Southern Banded water sake (nerodia fasciata) but one of his students proved, morphologically and biologically, that they are distinct species. The skull of the northern banded water snake is distinct in that it extends back past the point where it joins to the spine. This allows for an exaggerated jaw, which in turn allows the snake to open its mouth even wider than most and swallow the larger prey that makes up its diet.

Both garter and ribbon snakes are classi ed as thamnophis. This is a very widespread and successful group of

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snakes, since they are not fussy about diet or generally even habitat. The garter snakes alone comprise about 55 species. Their diet can include minnows, all types of amphibians, earthworms and grubs. I have even seen one specimen lunching on sh entrails, left behind by a careless sherman. Juveniles tend to feed on the smaller stuff, like earthworms, but as they grow larger their diet shifts to larger prey.

Some species of ribbon snake tend to be semi-arboreal, hanging out in small bushes. Although colors and patterns can vary, in general they have 3 lighter stripes against a darker background. There is also usually a pattern of spots, although in some species these are more distinct than others. Some colors/patterns, however, are very misleading. For example, the ru punctatus, or narrowhead garter snake, tends to be spotted and does not resemble other garters. However, bio-chemical analysis shows that it does fall into the thamnophis group.

The regina snakes are a small group, comprising just 4 species. They are also known as the cray sh snakes, as cray sh are their primary food source. Juveniles tend to feed on dragon y nymphs. Needless to say, they have developed several distinct physical traits to deal with their choice of diet. Their teeth are fairly blunt, since sharp teeth would break off on the hard shell of a cray sh. Unlike most other snakes in this genus, the regina will coil around its prey and bite down where the abdomen meets the carapace. It is thought that they are en-venomating their prey, although this has not been proved conclusively.

The storeria is another small group of snakes in every sense of the word, as there are 4 species and they rarely grow beyond 12 in length. In fact, they are so small that it is hard to believe, when looking at newborns, that they are snakes at all. Some in this group even dig their own burrows. Their skulls tend to be shorter and they have over-lapping bones on the side of them, implying that the snake digs using a sideways motion. They can also eat snails. A grad student lmed brown and red-belly snakes under UV light. They will grab the soft body of the snail, then move it around until they get it wedged up against something solid. The snake will then rotate its head 180° degrees to twist the snail s body from its shell.

The virgina snakes are referred to as earth snakes, as they tend to spend a lot of time buried in loose soil, under logs and in the leaf litter. There are only 3 species and they are hard to tell apart, although valeriae has smooth scales whereas the striatula s are keeled. Their skulls show little or no muscle development, but have an inverted-T shaped pre-maxilla, very narrow, which helps them push through soil.

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THE NEWS LETTER OF THE MINNESOTA HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY

2008 MHS FIELD SURVEY Where: Afton St. Park When: You can vote for the weekend of June 13, 14, and 15 or June 20, 21, and 22. Highest number of votes wins.

To vote, send an email with your weekend preference to Reptilia74@aol. com <mailto:Reptilia74@aol. com> or leave a voice message at 651 488 6388. You can also vote during the April meeting s White Snake Sale. Look for a sign-up sheet and an announcement at the April meeting.

All polls will close at the end of the April MHS meeting.

Please, only vote if you are planning to attend the survey and only vote once using one of the options outlined above.

Some general information about the survey: The MHS Field Survey is performed in cooperation with the MN DNR. We perform the survey to provide the MN DNR and the park an updated list of amphibians and reptiles occurring within the park. ·You must be a current member of MHS to attend the survey. · Please follow the rules and guidelines set forth by MHS and the Survey Coordinators.

The survey is open to all MHS members from those with no eld experience to seasoned herpers. Experienced herpers can teach those with little or no experience. Typically, this is a group event; please be respectful of others as there will be members with differing levels of eld expertise. · MHS provides rewood, park maps, permits, and some food and drinks. Entrance and campsite fees are either furnished or reimbursed by MHS, depending upon the park. · Please bring your own clothing and eld/camping gear.

MHS provides containers for holding specimens, but individuals must bring their own nets, snake hooks, etc. · Surveys begin Friday evening and usually go until mid day Sunday. Feel free to stay for the entire survey, or attend one day or part of one day. · Sign up before attending the survey. Likewise, noti cations of cancellations are also encouraged as we try to organize group searches. We don t want to leave anyone out, but we also don t want wait for people who aren t going to show. You can sign up for the survey at monthly meetings, by email, or by phone.

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For more information check out the MHS web site: http://www.bellmuse um.org/herpetolo gy/Research. html or from the main page, click Events and Meetings, then click Research/Field Trips.

If you have questions, please contact me at Reptilia74@aol. com or at 651 488 6388.

Hope to see you there!

Jeff LeClere

WHITE SNAKE SALE! This month s meeting will be one of our biggest and nest, fund-raising events of the year, our White Snake Sale. Participation is easy, fun and frees space for more valuable herp related treasure (which can be obtained at this event). Here s how it works, First all of the items sold at the auction are donated to the society, the bulk from members such as yourself. We request that all donation items be clean, serviceable and in good order. Remember it should be something you would buy, not just toss for lack of space. If you have large items such as cages please remember space is limited, please consider bringing a photo with dimensions and a description rather than a large cage. To donate items for sale at the auction please bring them to the room across the hall from the back entry of the normal meeting room. There a volunteer will check them in. The room will open to receive objects around 6pm Once the items are cataloged and the meeting has started the auction will begin.

The auction will run 3 rounds with breaks in between to collect and tabulate the bids. This is a silent auction with bids being placed in a minimum of 50 cent increments.

Bids are placed and tracked by your member number. If you don t know your number please check with the membership secretary. You must be a current member to bid on items at the White Snake Sale.

The Photo contest will take place in the main meeting room at the same time as the auction and the Art Auction will be held during the second break.

If you have any extra supermarket style brown paper bags you can spare please bring them for the sorting and carry away loot.

If you have any questions or would like to volunteer please contact George Richard at geohard@aol.com or call 612-781-3868.

THE NEWS LETTER OF THE MINNESOTA HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY

A MONSTER SAVE

© ZSL - George Sunter Wednesday 16 January 2008 ZSL London Zoo is celebrating the birth of two threatened gila monsters (Heloderma suspectum), bred for the rst time in 15 years. The second most poisonous reptile in the world, the monsters are incredibly hard to breed and will immediately become part of a European breeding program.

When a zoo in Glasgow closed ZSL London Zoo took the lizards in and after a male was introduced, both females laid eggs a year later. The babies measure up to 12.5cm long including a 5cm tail but will grow to a massive two feet when fully grown. Native to America, the gila monster is the second biggest lizard in the USA. So important is their survival, they are being kept backstage until being transferred to other zoos next year, but their proud parents can be seen in the reptile house.

A gila monster s body can be pink, yellow or orange with black bands, which are used to warn off predators. Earlier this year, scientists discovered the reptile contains a chemical in its saliva that helps regulate blood sugar it was then used to produce a pioneering drug for sufferers of Diabetes.

ZSL s Curator of Herpetology, Richard Gibson, said: This amazing reptile is under serious threat due to the loss of their habitats and illegal hunting for the pet trade. The gila monsters have been at ZSL London Zoo for three years and it has taken time to get them into condition for breeding.

Breeding programs are useful safety nets against extinction and they raise awareness of the plight of the species in the wild.

Special Thanks to Alice Henchley and the Zoological Society of London for allowing us to reprint this Article.

MHS Needs Volunteers: Phone recorder for Rodent Sales Holiday Banquet Committee Chair DNR State Fair Committee Chair Please contact Jennifer Hensley

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The Adoption Report The following animals were up for adoption at the meeting.

Corn Snake Common Boa Burmese Python 2 Ball Pythons Coastal Carpet Python Green Burm Red Eared Slider LARGE Florida Red Belly Map Turtle Sulcatta African Bull Frog Everything but the Sulcatta found a home. Some of them took a little pleading (well, a lot of begging) and some of them were hotly contested.

Thank all of you that stepped up and left my van empty on the trip home. There is a special place in my heart for those of you that take the Red Eared Sliders.If anyone is interested in the Sulcatta you may contact me and I will put you in touch with the foster.

Sarah Richard Adoption Chair Minnesota Herpetological Society

Treasurer s Report for Year End 2007 Prepared by Nancy Haig Beginning Checkbook Balance: $22173.74 Income: Membership $3,970.00 Ads $55.00 Library Fines $0.00 Raf e $1,118.00 Adoption $1,515.00 Rodent Sales $6,384.75 Hands Ons $1,152.50 Sales $805.00 White Snake sale $1,025.50 Banquet $265.00 Renfest don. $1,145.68 Renfest pymt $2,500.00 Donations misc $600.00 DNR Survey $200.00 Returned Check $30.00 Total income: $20,766.43 Expense: Newsletter Misc. prt/post.

Program Library Supplies Hands On Rodent cost Adoption cost Grants Voicemail Bulk mail permit White pages Insurance Renfest Banquet Field Survey Vol awards Bank charge Sales Lea et printing Total Expense Cash increase/(decrease) Ending Checkbook Balance:

$4,960.86 $300.00 $1,668.61 $132.19 $52.26 $0.00 $4,510.77 $651.68 $1,180.00 $1,105.81 $160.00 $385.72 $1,250.00 $571.13 $420.33 $195.00 $400.00 $30.00 570.40 $407.91 $19,952.67 $813.76 $22,987.50

Placement of cash holdings Checking account Cash on hand Total

$22,987.50 $155.00 $23,142.50

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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 *

*12th 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 Name

Renewal

Address

Membership#

City, State, Zip,

Type

Phone

Check #

Herp related interests

Active Memberships:

Email

Sustaining ($60/year)

Contributing ($40/year)

List in MHS Directory?

Yes

No

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-Pro t Organization U.S. Postage PAID Mpls, MN Permit No. 2275

Postmaster: Please deliver by April 3

Next Meeting:

Friday,April 3rd, 2008 Room 335 Borlaug Hall, U of M St. Paul Campus

MHS Voice Mail: 612.624.7065

MHS Web Page: www.mnherpsoc.org