Vol. 32 (2012), No. 12

Minnesota Herpetological Society

Remember to sign up for the holiday banquet!

the newsletter of the

Contents Speaker: Mike Pingleton on Field Herping in Kansas Holiday Party: “Amazon Adventure” presented by Mike Pingleton May Speaker Recap: Recap of Jake’s trip to the Galapagos

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B OA R D OF DI R E C TOR S President Christopher E Smith president@mnherpsoc.com

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

651.315.7760

Vice President Dāv Kaufman 612.669.4567 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

Decenver 2012

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

Number 12

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

763.434.8684

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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.

Jacob Mee memberatlarge1@mnherpsoc.com

SUBMISSIONS TO THE NEWSLETTER

Beth Girard 612.616.8431 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:

Peter Tornquist memberatlarge3@mnherpsoc.com

COMMITTEES Adoption Sarah Richard RealSarah@aol.com

612.781.9544

Education Jan Larson jan.skunkhollow@juno.com

507.263.4391

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

SNAKE BITE EMERGENCY

Library Nancy Haig 763.434.8684 nanchaig@citilink.com

HENNEPIN REGIONAL POISON CENTER 800-222-1222 Cover Photo is curtesy of Mike Pingleton

© Copyright 2012, 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

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General Meeting Presentation - Friday, December 7th - Starting at 7 P.M. University of MN - St. Paul Campus, Borlaug Hall, Room 335 Mike Pingleton will be presenting on...

Field Herping in Kansas Kansas is a snake lover’s paradise, but there are other cool herps to find as well. This talk covers a number of field-herping trips to locations across the Sunflower State.

Amazon Adventure: A Field Herper In Peru The Amazon Basin is home to countless species of flora and fauna, including many unique and beautiful amphibians and reptiles. Mike’s presentation centers on a two week expedition into the heart of the Peruvian Amazon.

Mike Pingleton has been involved with herpetoculture and field herping for nearly forty years. Field activities have taken him to many places, and Mike documents his field trips in his web journals at www.pingleton.com. Over the years Mike has raised and bred many species of amphibians and reptiles. He is the author of a book on Redfoot Tortoises, a children’s ebook about snakes, and a field herping book is in-progress.

And, in case you missed the September general meeting, here is a recap just for you!

A Trip to the Galapagos The speaker in November was Glen “Jake” Jacobsen. He and his wife Donna are long-time MHS members. Several years ago they took a “Trip of a Lifetime” to the Galapagos. The islands have been “discovered”, lost and re-discovered. They were sometimes referred to as Las Islas Encantada, or Enchanted Islands, because they were not always found where they were supposed to be and some thought they moved around. This may have had more to do with crude charting methods than magic and the fact they sit in the Pacific Ocean 500 miles west of Ecuador; nonetheless getting there involved a trip spanning years. The Panama Canal was centuries in the future, so all travelers had to sail around Cape Horn, then back up the South American coast.

They have also been called Insulae de los Galopegos - Islands of the Tortoises.

Controlled by Ecuador, the only practical way to get there is by plane, either from Quito or Guayaquil.

Access to the islands is strictly controlled. The park entrance fee has gone up from the $100 it was when Jake and Donna made their trip, and a cap on the number of visitors has been set at 150,000 each year. Visitors are restricted to 2 bags, which is probably just as well as most stay on boats, where space is limited. The most famous visitor was of course Charles Darwin. Some little known facts about Darwin and his trip - he was always seasick; the HMS Beagle stayed in the islands less than 2 months, of

which Darwin spent possibly 19 days ashore; his degree was actually in theology; and if he had paid attention to what the governor of the islands told him at the time - that it was possible to tell which island a tortoise came from by its shell - he might have arrived at his conclusions years earlier than he did.

The islands are actively volcanic, the last eruption occurring in 2009. The oldest move to the southwest as the Nazca plate moves and wear away over time. In some places it is possible to see old brain coral, normally found in water 30’-60’ deep, 100’ or more above sea level on the side of what is now a hill. Most of the islands, particularly the newer ones, have sparse to almost no vegetation.

The “rainy” season there is more of a foggy season there are dense fogs but little actual rain. There are many species of cacti in the islands as well as other unique botanical species that are as rare as the animals. On their trip, some of Jake’s fellow travelers were there just to see two species of liverwort, found nowhere else in the world.

There is only one highway in the islands, on the second largest island Santa Cruz. It runs on a land bridge between two large holes, caused by the collapse of the caldera of an ancient volcano. The largest island, Isabella, sits on the equator. Several oddities occur at the equator. It is the only 3

The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society place where it is possible to balance a raw egg on end. Attempting this even 10” from the equatorial line will not work. There is also no coriolis at the equator. If you move 10’ north, water spirals in a clockwise direction as it drains. 10’ to the south, it drains counter-clockwise. But within that range, water drops straight down.

Travel between the islands is by boat. Most visitors stay in these. Each morning the boat anchors off one of the islands. Visitors take a smaller boat to land; as the islands are volcanic, most landing spots are very rough. Several trips may be made to the island during the day but all visitors must be accompanied by a guide. There are no “facilities” on the islands, and since visitors are not permitted to leave anything on the islands, people needing a potty break must go back to the main boat. Since they need to be accompanied to do this, the guide goes with them. Since the guide goes, so does everyone else since they are not allowed to stay without the guide. So it is important to balance your water intake unless you don’t mind the entire group being mad at you.

The boat then travels overnight to the next spot.

There is also a limit on the number of people allowed on shore at any given spot. Because of this,

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itineraries tend to change quite a bit. Activities are not limited to land; the Galapagos Islands are almost as famous for the marine life. Diving and snorkeling allow visitors to see sharks, rays, eels and sea slugs, as well as an aquatic look at sea lions, iguanas and penguins. Despite being on the equator, there is a species of penguin that calls the islands home.

Most people of course come to the islands for the animals. Visitors are not allowed to feed, touch or otherwise harass any animal, even if the animal starts it. They are allowed to interact with people any way they chose, so it is best not to get between a mother sea lion and her cub. The upside is that you don’t need to pack your telephoto lens; most animals will ignore people even when they are only a few feet away.

Jake also spoke briefly about his trip to Houston about a month ago to participate in the first symposium dedicated to reptiles and the law, a trip sponsored in part the MHS. It was put together by Jeff Barringer, founder of Kingsnake.Com. The idea was to get in the same room people concerned with the ban on reptiles, from hobbyists to breeders as well as people from government agencies such as US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Food & Drug Adminis-

Upcoming Hands-on Event Schedule Looking to meet other MHS members? Help assist the society achieve it’s goals of educating the public? Or just have a good time showing off your herps? Here’s the perfect opportunity!

March 16 and 17th, 11-3pm both days The Eagle Center in Wabasha, MN March 23rd 9-6pm and 24th 10-5pm Pet Expo at the Minneapolis Convention Center April 25th at 5:30-7pm Battle Creek Science Night at 605 Ruth St in St Paul May 17th at 5-7pm Glacier Hills Science Fair in Eagan, MN

Contact: Jan Larson 4

Here’s the deal- Bring your herp(s) to one of the shows listed above, and talk about them. That’s it! You don’t have to be an expert, you’re not giving speeches. Most of the time you will find that people are more than open to hearing about our misrepresented critters.

Sound fun? Great! There are just a few requirements: Bring only healthy animals. Make sure you know the basics about your animal; What they eat, how long they live, adult size, cage needs. There is no size limits as long as the handler can comfortably keep control. We do not let viewers pat them on the head and do not allow them to directly hold the animal.

If the animals are very young, display in a cage is recommended. Children may participate as long as they have adult supervision.

507-263-4391

jan.skunkhollow@juno.com

The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society tration and even the Center for Disease Control.

Jake sat in on 6 panels over the course of the symposium, which had an attendance of 50-60 people.

As an lawyer, Jake was able to help with the legal terms. Some discussion centered on the US Geological Survey’s report on the viability of pythons in cooler climates. The report determined that pythons could survive further north than Florida. However, since the survey combined data on both the Indian and Burmese pythons, the result is skewed. The Indian python can survive colder temperatures than the Burmese, yet it is not subject to the ban while the Burmese is.

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There are currently 10 species proposed for the ban, pending approval from the Office of Administration and Budget. Possibly there is a link between this office and reptiles, although Jake was not aware of what this might be. Although none of the discussion changed the minds of the people intent on the ban, as an initial first step the symposium was a success. It is being planned as an annual event, with the second to be held next year in Washington, DC. Hopefully this will get even more federal officials involved in the discussions.

Board Minutes for November 3rd, 2012

The meeting was called to order at 7:20 pm.

Dāv presided in the absence of Chris S.

Adoption/Foster Committee Approximately 50% of the animals coming in get adopted; the rest end up being fostered. At the general meeting, there were 14 animals in foster and 29 came in. 21 were adopted and 22 went into foster. Sarah has requested MHS purchase a copy of Reptile Medicine and Surgery by Dr Mader to have on hand for intake days; it will not be put in the library. Motion to approve up to $100 for the purchase of the book: Nancy; 2nd: Jeff. Motion passed.

The issue of liability for people who are fostering animals was raised. This coverage should be handled by the fosterer’s own medical and home-owner’s insurance, but people fostering animals will need to be made aware of this.

Old Business October Meeting – The October meeting was cancelled due to scheduling conflicts. Nancy will email the proposed budget for review before the November board meeting.

Archived Newsletter – Beth is nearly finished and hopes to complete it this week.

City of Minneapolis Permit – It is on the agenda for the city council. Ellen will continue to follow-up with them.

New Business State Fair – There is a possibility that MHS may conduct a hands-on in conjunction with the display. It would be somewhat limited in scope but the animals used could be the ones on display.

Paypal – Some people using Paypal are being billed more than once. The cause and a solution need to be determined.

RICA Membership – In the past, RICA has had a commercial membership. Heather will set RICA up as an exchange instead.

Motion to adjourn Chris R; 2nd: Jeff.

Meeting adjourned 8:35pm

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The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society

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Newsletter Editor Farewell The last couple years have been a crazy ride.

I want to personally thank all those that have assisted me during my time serving on the MHS Board. It’s been a great experience, and I would highly recommend that every single person get involved! Board meetings can be serious, but they are often filled with laughter as well.

While the elections for the 2013 posts have past, you’ve got a full year to plan for your illustrious run for any position on the board, and now is the time to start planning for the upcoming year.

It has been rewarding to me, and could be for you as well. I assure you, you wont regret it.

Christopher Rueber 2012 Newsletter Editor

MHS Grants in Herpetological Conservation and Research Upcoming Deadline: December 1st, 2012 For more information, please consult the MHS website: http://www.mnherpsoc.com

Request for Burmese Pythons for Muscle Physiology Study

By Charles Determan, Jr., Ph.D. Student - UMN Edited by Chris Rueber I looking for 8 adult Burmese Pythons (male > 8ft, female >10ft). Either male or female. I have a preference towards wild type, but albino is fine as well. If desired, snakes may be loaned for 3-4 months and be returned. Experimental conditions will take place five times over the entire period, and will include muscle biopsies of 150mg at most. I have previous experience caring for reticulated pythons. All snakes will be kept in research animal housing that provides all necessary equipment and is staffed with a full time exotics veterinarian. Please contact me if you can assist.

Email: deter088@umn.edu (preferred) Office: 612-624-3940 Cell: 920-763-2406

MHS Committee Reports Due Committee Chairs should submit their year-end reports to the MHS President by February 1st.

Thanks!

Chris Smith president@mnherpsoc.com

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The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society

December 2012

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Minnesota Herpetological Society – 2011 Volunteer Awards Statistics • 118 volunteers donated 4,352 hours of time!

• 85 individuals donated ≥ 10 hours of time!

We would thank to thank ALL of those that volunteered in 2011!

A special thank you and gift goes to those donat-

Marla Backer Mike Backer Sage Backer Kaia Backer Todd Beldon Tom Bliese Fred Bosman Liz Bosman Skyler Bouley (Martin) Andrea Braucks Harley Braucks Sally Brewer Angie Cairl Frank Cairl Donna Calander Matt Carter Anne-Marie Carter Heather Clayton Brandy Danaki Claire Dorton Holly Egerer Bob Egerer Nels Erickson Kendra Fink Tessa Fink Anastasia Fink Caitlin Fink Linnea Fink-Bittner Alex Fulton Laura Galvin Robert Galvin Jim Gerholdt Beth Girard Laurie Grassel Vern Grassel Amanda Grassel

ing 10 or more hours of time (listed to the right)!

Crossed out names indicates volunteers who already picked up their award. If your name is not crossed out, please let us know.

Sincerely, MHS Board of Directors President@mnherpsoc.com

Alicia Grassel Nancy Haig Bruce Haig Nancy Hakamaki Wendy Harmening Ellen Heck Mici Hendricks Jennifer Hensley Missy Hicks Arlen Hursman Cory Hursman Raelene Jacobs “Jake” Glenn Jacobsen Nina Katayama Dav Kaufman Peter Kazeck Dan Keyler Devon Klemenko Sonja Koolmo Marit Lang Mariah Lang Casey Lang Jan Larson Merle Larson Jeff LeClere

Josh Mahlow Rebecca Markowitz Yvette Martin Jacob Mee Gordon Merck John Moriarty Bill Moss Terry Odegaard Alexandra Perry Ann Porwoll Sarah Richard George Richard Tom Rorvig Kat Rorvig Christopher Rueber Mark Schmidtke A. B. Sheldon Chris Smith Peter Tornquist Natalie Tovella Max Vacek Renee Valois Crystal Welle Brandon Zimmerschied

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The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society

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Treasurer’s Report for October 2012 Prepared by Nancy Haig

Beginning Balance

$14,680.95

Income:

Webmaster Needed!

The MHS is seeking 1-2 people familiar with website maintenance. People should have some html experience. Experience using Drupal is a plus! Please e-mail Chris with questions.

Library Help Needed!

We are also looking for help with the library during the monthly meeting.

Banquet Help Needed!

The MHS Holiday Banquet is upon us! Help is needed! Please contact Chris Smith for details and to volunteer!

President@mnherpsoc.com www.mnherpsoc.com Upcoming White Snake Sale!

The MHS holds an annual white snake sale.

With that in mind, the next one coming up is April 5th, 2013. If you have potential donations, contact the Membership Secretary. Thanks! memsecretary@mnherpsoc.com

Membership Raffle Adoption Hands Ons Rodent Sales

$265.00 $52.00 $165.00 $100.00 $428.00

Total Income $1,010.00 Expense: Newsletter $0.00 Program

$50.00 Vet Costs

$0.00 Rodent Cost

$352.00

Total Expense

$402.00

Cash Increase/Decrease

$608.00

Ending Balance

$15,288.95

Placement of cash holdings

Checking Account TCF/Paypal

Paypal

Cash on hand

$15,288.95 $516.87 $1,153.69 $175.00

Total $17,134.51 Note: Renfest income and expenses not included

September Adoption Report

Posted by Nancy Haig, Written by Chris Rueber

Three Red-eared Sliders, a Painted Turtle, a Florida Slider, a Box Turtle, two Russian Tortoises, a Male Crested Gecko, two Green Iguanas, a Water Dragon, two Bearded Dragons. Two California Kingsnakes, three Ball Pythons, a Common Boa, and an Albino Burmese Python

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Returning Fosters: Two Common Boas, a Black Kingsnake, and a Ball Python. One American Alligator. One Common Iguana, a Juvenile Nile Monitor, and a Sulcatta

Minnesota Herpetological Society Membership Application New

Name

Renewal

Address

Membership #

City, State, Zip Phone Email List in MHS Directory? Yes No Contact information only? Yes No

Type

Herp related interests

Check #

Active Memberships: Sustainin ($60/year) Contributing ($40/year) Basic ($20/year) Printed Newsletter ($5/year plus membership) 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, C/O BELL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY, 10 Church St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 Please allow 6-8 weeks for processing.

Rodents! Order online!

Did you know you can order online? By phone?

See below!

MICE

Pinkies Fuzzies Hoppers Adults Jumbo Adult

WEIGHT 2-3 grams 5-7 grams 8-11 grams 25-30 grams 45+ grams

PRICE

$7 / dz $7 / dz $8 / dz $10 / dz $14 / dz

RATS

WEIGHT

PRICE

Weanlings Small Adults Med Adults Large Adults Jumbo

40-50 grams 50-60 grams 125-150 grams 200-240 grams 250-350 grams

$17/dz $18 / dz $24 / dz $30 / dz $36 / dz

For pick-up at monthly meetings only. Orders may be placed the following ways 1. At the meeting for the following Month 2. Online at http://mnherpsoc.com/content/rodent-orders 3. Calling the MHS voicemail: 612.326.6516 Orders MUST be placed 10 DAYS IN ADVANCE of the date of meeting in order to guarantee availability.

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.

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

Ads may be run three (3) consecutive months, after which time they may be resubmitted.

Submissions: All advertisements should be submitted to the MHS Membership Secretary at the general meeting or mailed to: Minnesota Herpetological Society, C/O 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.

Advertising Costs Size

Business Card Sized 1/4 Page 1/2 Page Full Page

Cost

$5/month or $55/year* $10/month or $110/year* $20/month or $220/year* $40/month or $440/year*

MINNESOTA HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY C/O BELL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY 10 CHURCH ST SE MINNNEAPOLIS, MN 55455-0104

Next Meeting:

Friday - December 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

2012 Minnesota Herpetological Society Holiday Potluck Banquet Saturday, December 8, 2012 6pm to 10pm Guest Speaker Mike Pingleton Field Herping in Peru Where: University of Minnesota Student Union Hall St. Paul Campus, (right down the hill from Borlaug Hall) Cost: $5.00 per person

(children under 6 are free) plus a potluck item to share

Please fill out the form below and mail it to Nancy Haig 511 229th LN, NE East Bethel MN 55005 Please mail in no later than December 3 so we can get a good head count.

Registrations will be accepted at the General Meeting Dec 7 and at the door.

Name _________________________________ Number attending_______________________

$__________

Dish you are bringing to share Main dish | Vegetables | Salad | Dessert | Appetizer