Vol. 31 (2011), No. 10

the newsletter of the

October 2011

Minnesota Herpetological Society

Volume 31

Number 10

BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Bruce Haig president@mnherpsoc.com

Bell Museum of Natural History, 10 Church Street Southeast, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55455-0104

763.862.8966

Vice President Sonja Koolmo 763.755.1630 vicepresident@mnherpsoc.com Recording Secretary Ellen Heck recsecretary@mnherpsoc.com

763.593.5414

Membership Secretary Heather Clayton 612.886.7175 memsecretary@mnherpsoc.com Treasurer Nancy Haig treasurer@mnherpsoc.com

Stay informed! Join us on our forums!

And, you can still leave us a Voice Mail: 612.326.6516

October 2011

Newsletter Editor Christopher Rueber 952.594.0101 newslettereditor@mnherpsoc.com Members at Large Jeff LeClere 651.488.6388 memberatlarge4@mnherpsoc.com

Number 10

THE PURPOSE OF THE MINNESOTA HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY IS TO • • •

763.434.8684

Volume 31

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.

Chris Smith 651.315.7760 memberatlarge1@mnherpsoc.com

SUBMISSIONS TO THE NEWSLETTER

Matt Carter 651.329.2290 memberatlarge2@mnherpsoc.com

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 elec- tronic file format if possible.

See inside back cover for ad rates. Submissions may be sent to:

Jacob Mee memberatlarge3@mnherpsoc.om

The Minnesota Herpetological Society -or- newslettereditor@mnherpsoc.com Attn: Newsletter Editor Bell Museum of Natural History 10 Church St SE Minneapolis, MN 55455-0104

C om m itte e s Adoption Sarah Richard RealSarah@aol.com

612.781.9544

Education Jan Larson jan.skunkhollow@juno.com

507.263.4391

SNAKE BITE EMERGENCY

Library Nancy Haig 763.434.8684 nanchaig@citilink.com

HENNEPIN REGIONAL POISON CENTER 800-222-1222

Cover Photo drawn from MHS Newsletter Archive

© Copyright 2011, Minnesota Herpetological Society. Except where noted, contents may be reproduced for non-profit, non-commercial use only. All material must be reproduced without change.

Proper credit will be given including the author/photographer and the Minnesota Herpetological Society Newsletter citing: volume, number and date.

The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society

October 2011

Volume 31

Number 10

September Meeting Presentation - Friday, October 7th - Starting at 7 P.M. University of MN - St. Paul Campus, Borlaug Hall, Room 335 Jamie Pastika presents..

Wonders Down Under - Herping Australia Jamie Pastika will be the speaker, and the title of October’s talk will be “Wonders Down Under - Herping Australia” In 2003 Jamie Pastika and his wife Melissa spent two weeks in Australia for their honeymoon. They spent time herping in New South Wales, Queensland, and the Northern Territory, encountering some remarkable wildlife. They also toured two or the premier reptile attractions - Australia Reptile Park and Crocodylus Park to gain insight into Australian exhibit design and husbandry techniques in

preparation for opening their own reptile zoo.

Originally from Virginia, MN, Jamie Pastika has spent more than 15 years keeping animals professionally.

He has worked at several Zoos and most recently he and his wife, Melissa, did realize that dream, and opened their own reptile discovery center known as the RAD Zoo in Owatonna, MN.

In case you missed the September speaker:

Dav Kaufman spoke on...

The speaker at the September meeting was Dav Kaufman, speaking about the history and husbandry of the bullsnake. Dav is a longtime MHS member and has published several articles in Reptiles Magazine, including its first bull snake-only article. They are his favorite (ok, second favorite) subject.

Dav has been fascinated with bull snakes since he got his first copy of Field Guide to Reptile and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America and decided they were the coolest thing in the book. Once he realized their range included Minnesota, he was on a quest to find one in the wild. He got a little side-tracked in high school when girls temporarily became more important. He got back on track when he had his first actual sighting, although it was by accident; one happened to cross the road while on a camping trip.

There are 19 members of pituophis, a genus that includes gopher snakes, pine snakes as well as bull snakes. There are 2 species of bull snakes. Their range is the central US, into Saskatchewan and Alberta to the north and northern Mexico in the south. They can be found as far east as New Jersey and all the way west to California. Their habitat is fairly consistent through this range, mainly dry grassy plains. They have one of the widest ranges of any snake in the world, although the hognose comes close.

The first European to describe the snakes was Hermann Schlegel in 1837, a German herpetologist and ornithologist, in his Essay on the Physiognomy of Serpents. The ironic part is that there is no record of Schlegel ever visiting the United States, let alone the areas far enough west to contain bull snakes. He almost certainly was working from pickled specimens brought back by others. Most would not be in particularly good shape and colors would have been faded. Most of the description would be of the scalation. However, he did name it.

Bull snakes are named after Thomas Say, an American naturalist,

entomologist, herpetologist and taxonomist who is considered to be the father of descriptive entomology. He went along as zoologist on several exploring expeditions, including an early attempt to find the headwaters of the Mississippi (it was incorrectly identified as Cass Lake). He died in 1834, 3 years before the bull snake was named after him. He probably never actually met Schlegel, as he never went to Europe, although Dav is still searching to see if there is a 3 direct link between the 2 men.

The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society The species has gone through the usual re-classifications, with a virtual who’s-who of the herp world weighing in. Currently it is pituophis catenifer sayi, which places it as more closely related to the gopher snakes, rather than the pine snakes. They can interbreed with the gopher snakes and not with the pine, although this may also be range related.

The appearance of the snakes varies from state to state. In North Dakota, they are, have more uniform saddles, a reduced yellow ground color. The side blotches more uniform but still somewhat mottled. In Indiana, they are darker with black saddles, more yellow in their ground color with large uniform side blotches. There were formerly 3 populations in the state but 2 have been lost to habitat destruction. In Texas, they are lighter, with tan to brown saddles, a faded yellow ground and small mottled side blotches.

Their head markings are almost absent. Colorado snakes are tan to brown with a high yellow ground. Side blotches are small but distinct and the head markings are reduced. In Minnesota, we have snakes with brown to black saddles set close together, sometimes with just one scale between them. The ground color is a muted yellow and the side blotches mottled. Head markings are distinct.

What makes a bull snake a bull snake? The two closest in appearance are the Sonoran and basin gopher snakes. The sonorant is smaller, does not have more than 35 scale rows and 43 dorsal blotches, compared to 37 and 41, respectively, for the bull snake.

Also, their rostral scale is uniform whereas the bull snake’s is twice as long as it is wide and protrudes more than other catenifer species. The range for the basin gopher snake does not overlap that of the bull snake. It has about 60 blotches and its head is longer and more pointed. Its body is more slender than that of the bull snake, which on a healthy animal resembles a loaf of bread.

Bull snakes hibernate in mammal burrows, entering their hibernaculum in mid to late October. Temperatures inside have been recorded as low as 44 degrees. It is one of the first snakes to become active in the spring, emerging around mid-April when the temperatures reac.h the 50s. When they come out they have 2 things on their minds – a meal and a date. During the summer, gravid females stay close to the gopher mounds, laying their eggs in June to July.

Notices Committee Chairs: Please get all recorded volunteer hours for 2011 to Bruce Haig as soon as possible, if you have not already done so!

Board Elections: The election of the 2012 Board of Directors will take place at the annual general membership meeting on November 4, 2011 at 7:00 PM at Borlaug Hall on the U of M Saint Paul campus. All interested in serving on the board please contact Ellen Heck before the meeting.

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October 2011

Volume 31

Number 10

Males and non-gravid females move around quite a bit, traveling for miles. When it gets extremely hot, they can go into aestivation, a sort of reverse hibernation, for relief from the heat. In early September, the eggs start hatching. The hatchlings as well as the adults need to find as much food as possible to survive the fastapproaching winter. They spend the last sunny days of October basking before the cycle starts again.

Bull snakes are very low maintenance; they breed easily and eat like they are always starving. They can be kept in a variety of housing, although aquariums may not give the snake a secure feeling.

They can be messy animals, as they “poop a lot and like to finger paint with it”. Dav prefers keeping his animals on aspen, which can be spot-cleaned as needed. Although young snakes can be fed pinkies, Dav recommends switching them to rats as soon as possible, as they have more meat on them. Tongs are a necessity, as the snakes tend to have a savage feeding response.

Breeding is a yearly cycle and very easy. In November, Dāv starts feeding the snakes up, doubling their food intake. December through March the snakes are in brumation at 50-55 DegF. March through May, the adults are again fed double their usual intake.

Once they have had their post-brumation shed, they are paired up.

The eggs are laid May-July and hatch after incubating 50-60 days at 80 DegF. Good eggs are elliptical and white while bad eggs are yellow and malformed. Once hatched the babies are removed to individual deli cups. They get their first pinkie after their posthatching shed.

Bull snake morphs include albino (lacking black), axanthic (lacking yellow), anerythristic (lacking red), red, xanthic (yellow), black, hypomelanistic (reduced black), patternless, fading pattern, whitesided (or pie bald) and tiger. Dav has bred a number of these and thinks that more triple and quadruple animals will start to appear.

For those that missed it, you can read Dav’s article online at http:/www.retilechannel.com/reptile-magazines/reptiles-magazine/ February-2011/bullsnake-breeding.aspx

The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society

October 2011

Volume 31

Number 10

Please bring donations of herpetology related art, books and new equipment for the Symposium auction to the October general membership meeting.

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The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society

October 2011

Board Minutes for August 6th, 2011 The meeting was called to order at 6:15pm. 85 people were counted at the general meeting. The calendar was reviewed for action items.

Volume 31

Number 10

Treasurer’s Report for August 2011 Prepared by Nancy Haig

Beginning Balance

$8,470.63

Income:

June’s board minutes were reviewed. Motion to accept the June minutes: Ellen; 2nd: Matt. Motion passed.

Ellen read the minutes for July; several changes were made.

Motion to accept the minutes as changed: Heather; 2nd: Matt. Motion passed.

Membership

Raffle

Adoption

Rodent sales

Newsletter Ads Midwest Registration

New Business

Total Income $2,651.00

Newsletter Printing: The pricing breakdown quantity has changed from 251 copies to 501, causing a jump in price for our printing. Other printing options will be investigated and pricing submitted to Bruce.

Expense:

Herp Nation Subscription: The MHS no subscription for Herp Nation. A subscription would cost $42 for one year or $72 for two. Motion to take out a two year subscription for the MHS to Herp Nation: Ellen; 2nd: Jeff. Motion passed.

Pamphlets: These need to be reprinted. Motion to print up to 200 of each pamphlet, cost not to exceed $500: Ellen; 2nd: Jeff. Motion passed.

Motion to adjourn: Ellen; 2nd: Matt. Meeting adjourned at 8:27pm

September Adoption Report

Posted by Sarah Richard, Edited by Chris Rueber A 3 Toed Box Turtle, a Russian Turtle, two Sulcattas, two Western Turtles, two Red Eared Sliders. A Hog Nose, three Balls, nine Boas. A Savannah Monitor, a Large Male Iguana

Newsletter Program Rodent Cost adopt/Vet Supplies Midwest Postage Insurance Renfest

$360.00 $29.00 $155.00 $355.00 $30.00 $1,722.00

$237.72 $100.00 $256.00 $8.48 $0.00 $0.00 $11.82 $824.52 $53.98

Total Expense $1,492.52 Cash Increase/Decrease

+$1,158.48

Ending Balance

$9,629.11

Placement of cash holdings

Checking Account TCF/Paypal

Paypal

Cash on hand

$9,629.11 $529.42 $680.08 $175.00

Total $11,013.81 Notes: August Renfest donation income will appear on Sept statement. Midwest expenses are for speaker travel costs.

Upcoming Speakers

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November: Ernie Johnson - How to successfully care for the Russian and Red-Footed Tortoises in the Upper Midwest December General Meeting:

Cindy Steinle - Women in Herpetology December Banquet:

Cindy Steinle - Herping the Soutwhest

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

Non-profit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Twin Cities, MN Permit no. 92275

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Next Meeting: Friday - October 7th - 7:00 pm Room 335 Borlaug Hall, U of M St. Paul Campus

MHS Voice Mail: 612.326.6516 MHS Web Page: www.mnherpsoc.com

This newsletter is printed on recycled paper