Vol. 33 (2013), No. 05

The newsletter of the

Minnesota Herpetological Society

Contents May Meeting Notice— General Meeting will be May 3rd, 2013 May Speaker—Don Antiel: Keeping and Breeding Leopard Geckos April Meeting Recap: Photo Contest and White Snake Sale results MHS Annual Field survey is coming up!

May 2013

Volume 33

Number 5

BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Chris Smith 651.315.7760 President@mnherpsoc.com Vice President Dāv Kaufman 612.669.4567 VicePresident@MnHerpSoc.com Recording Secretary Beth Girard 612.616.8431 RecSecretary@MnHerpSoc.com Membership Secretary Heather Clayton 612.886.7175 MemSecretary@MnHerpSoc.com Treasurer Nancy Haig 763.434.8684 Treasurer@MnHerpSoc.com Newsletter Editor Ellen Heck 763.593.5414 NewsletterEditor@MnHerpSoc.com Members at Large Micole Hendricks 651.356.1669 MemberAtLarge2@MnHerpSoc.com Rebecca Markowitz 409.750.0235 MemberAtLarge4@MnHerpSoc.com Terry Odegaard 612.840.7674 MemberAtLarge1@MnHerpSoc.com Peter Tornquist 952.797.6515 MemberAtLarge3@MnHerpSoc.com

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

Stay informed! Join us on our forums!

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

The purpose of the Minnesota Herpetological Society is to: • 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.

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:

COMMITTEES Adoption Sarah Richard RealSarah@aol.com

612.781.9544

Education Jan Larson 507.263.4391 Jan.SkunkHollow@Juno.com Fostering Nancy Haig 763.434.8684 NancHaig@CitiLink.com Cover photo by Nick Baumgartner Cartoons by Fran Frisch

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 HENNEPIN REGIONAL POISON CENTER 800-222-1222

© Copyright 2013, 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.

General Meeting Presentation Friday May 3rd, 7:00pm; 6:30pm Social Hour Social hour begins at 6:30pm. This is a time for people to minge and catch up before the meeting starts. Eventually we hope to include refreshments. See Colleen Melander if interested in helping out.

The speaker for May will be Don Antiel on the care and breeding of leopard geckos. Dave operates Specialty Reptile. http://www.specialtyreptile.com/

Photo Contest Results The Minnesota Herpetological Society’s annual photo contest was held on April 5th. Forty‐two photographer were submi ed by 19 members.

Herps in the Wild / In a Natural Se ng 

1st Place ‐ Beth Girard



2nd Place ‐ Ted Ewer



3rd Place ‐ Craig Renier



Heather Clayton



Tim Chase



Sonja Koolmo

Herps and Humans / Herps in a Non‐Wild Se ng 

1st Place ‐ Vicki Sawyer



2nd Place ‐ Kelly Chase



3rd Place ‐ Ted Ewer



Beth Girard



John Bartko



Heather Clayton



Craig Renier



Tim Chase



Sonja Koolmo

May 2013

Volume 33 Number 5

Page 1

Kids Submissions 

1st Place ‐ Olivia Jackson



2nd Place ‐ Eric Chase



2nd Place ‐ Blaine Koolmo



3rd Place ‐ Vicki Sawyer



Sam Jackson



Connor Ewer



Logan Ewer



Leif Ewer



Kole Koolmo



Alex Koolmo

Mixed Media 

1st Place ‐ Rose Maunu



2nd Place ‐ Sonja Koolmo



3rd Place ‐ Sonja Koolmo

And the People’s Choice Award Winner: Olivia Jackson!

Page 2

Volume 33 Number 5

May 2013

White Snake Sale Re-Cap

2013 MHS Field Survey!!

Hello, everyone! The White Snake Sale last month was a success, thanks to the bidders and donors who participated in this important fund-raising event for the MHS. Overall the night went well, so here are some of the figures from the evening: More than 200 lots (items/packages) were donated, while last year there were more than 400. Almost all of those lots were sold, so most of the items were bid on and won.

We show approximately $1450 for the total amount raised. Many of the items sold for less than $10, which is typical for the basic items in the silent auction.

Some of the improvements we would like to make next year include running a system which will update automatically as live auction items are won, which will both save time at the end of the night in data entry and also allow people to check earlier if they have won items from the silent auction. Thank you to everyone for your patience at the end of the evening while we put together all the data. Any other suggestions for the White Snake Sale in the future are always welcome, so be sure to let me know if you have any ideas.

The MHS would like to specifically thank the following for their donations: LLL Reptile, ZooMed, JKR Gear (Mark Tovar), Fran Frisch, Mary Lisa Berg The following people did a great job helping out with the sale: Sarah Bartko, Brenna Mulhollam, Brandy McQueen, Rebecca Markowitz, Alex Fulton, Ellen Heck, Peter Tornquist, Josh Mahlow, Rose Maunu, Samantha Baker, Naomi Wiggs, John Moriarty, Nancy Haig, Bruce Haig, Chris Smith, Jeff LeClere

Where: Glendalough St. Park When: June 14, 15, 16 2013.

MHS has a few campsites reserved in the main campground.

Campsites are available to MHS members on a first come, first served basis on Friday, June 14. Be prepared so share sites with fellow members. If these spots are all taken by early arriving members, later members may purchase other available sites.

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 (exceptions must be pre-approved).

Please follow the rules and guidelines set forth by MHS and the Survey Coordinators (these are available on the MHS website and as an insert in an upcoming MHS newsletter).

The survey is open to all MHS members from those with no field 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 field expertise.

MHS provides firewood, 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 field/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. Please sign in when you arrive, and sign out when you leave so we can track your survey hours.

Sign up before attending the survey. Likewise, notifications 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 to wait for people who aren’t going to show. Sign up for the survey at May or June monthly meetings, by email, or by phone (contact below).

For more information check out the MHS web site: http:// If I am missing anyone, I apologize. Please get in www.mnherpsoc.com/content/research-and-field-trips.html or touch with me about getting credit toward your volun- from the main page, click Events and Meetings, then click Reteer hours. search/Field Trips.

In short, the White Snake Sale has come and gone another year, so please feel free to contact me with any questions or suggestions you may have for next year. Or if you would like information on what is involved in helping out or how to donate, please contact me at mhsmembership@gmail.com!

Thanks again, everyone!!

-Heather Clayton May 2013

For information about the park: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/ state_parks/glendalough/index.html Please observe the park rules (found here): http:// www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/rules.html If you have questions, please contact me at Reptilia74@aol.com or leave message at 651 488 6388.

Hope to see you there!

Jeff LeClere, MHS Field Survey Coordinator

Volume 33 Number 5

Page 3

Thank You Volunteers Below is the list of people who volunteered 10 hours or more in 2012. This year people will be offered a choice of reward from the items given in previous years. If you have not picked yours up, items will be available at the May meeting.

If your name is not on the list and it should be, please contact Chris Smith at President@MnHerpSoc.com Marla Backer Sage Backer Chris Barrett Linda Bittner Liz Bosman Fred Bosman Arielle Bouley Andrea Braucks Harlee Braucks Angie Cairl Frank Cairl Anne-Marie Carter Heather Clayton Brandy Danaki Claire Dorton

Holly Egerer Noah Ehret Linnea Fink-Bittner Beth Girard Laurie Grassel Amanda Grassel Alicia Grassel Vern Grassel Tom Grassel Nancy Haig Bruce Haig Nancy Hakomaki Ellen Heck Scott Hendricks Micole Hendricks

Erica Hoaglund Nando Hots Cy Hots Amber Husted Dav Kaufman John Kilner Devon Klemenko Sonja Koolmo Marit Lang Mariah Lang Jan Larson Merle Larson Jeff LeClere Serrianna Likness Josh Mahlow

Rose Maunu Jacob Mee John Moriarty Bill Moss Terry Odegaard Jessie Payne Alex Perry Victoria Perry Mike Peterson Kelly Portal Robin Portal Sarah Richard Geoge Richard Lucas Rick Thomas Rorvig

Raelene Rueber Chris Rueber Mark Schmidtke A. B. Sheldon Chris Smith Peter Tornquist Natalie Tovella Renee Valois Max Vasek Corrine Vernick Crystal Welle

Rodent Order Rules Rodents may be ordered online at www.MnHerpSoc.Com, by leaving a voicemail on the MHS phone line (612) 326-6516 or at the monthly meeting for the following month. However, MHS does not keep an inventory of rodents on hand. A group order is placed each month for the individual orders ALREADY PLACED. This is why the deadline for ordering is the Tuesday of the week prior to the meeting—to allow time for the rodents to be ordered and received from the supplier. This is a FIRM deadline. Please do not call Nancy at home after the deadline to place an order; there is simply no way for it to be filled. Thank you for your cooperation.

Fire Destroys Boas and Balls in Denver An early morning fire engulfed the home of Lynn and Ken Lubick, who in addition to running Boas and Balls also own Colorado Juraissic Pets. Although some family pets are feared to have died, many of the breeding reptiles were saved. http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_23053566/family-thousands-snakesand-reptiles-escape-brighton-house Updated Nebraska Reptile Book Released The Amphibians and Rep les of Nebraska (2010) by Royce E. Ballinger, John D. Lynch, and Geoffrey R. Smith is a 400 page authori‐ ta ve review and reference to the 61 species of amphibians and rep les known to occur in Nebraska. It is the first comprehensive summary of Nebraska’s herpetofauna since George Hudson’s 1942 book on the same topic. It is now available through the Univer‐ sity of Nebraska Press for $55 plus shipping (h p://www.nebraskapress.unl.edu/product/Amphibians‐and‐Rep les‐of‐ Nebras‐ ka,675274.aspx).

Looking for reptile news online? Check out The Reptile Report http://thereptilereport.com/everything/ Page 4

Volume 33 Number 5

May 2013

MHS Reports and Announcements Board Meeting Highlights for March 2, 2013 dates (June 14-16, 2013) for the 2013 Annual Field Survey were announced at the March general meeting. Jeff LeClere is the Survey Coordinator, and will send information to Ellen for the April newsletter.

Submitted by Beth Girard

The meeting was called to order by Chris Smith at 6:16pm (when quorum was reached) at the University of Minnesota White Snake Sale: Preparations are underway for the April Student Center. The attendance at the March 1st general 5th event. Heather Clayton is chairing it. meeting was approximately 90. (70 arrived on time and an Rodent Sales: Nancy reported that after the cut-off for oradditional 20 arrived after the speaker began.) dering rodents this month, she received at least eight calls The board met with the 2013 Renaissance Festival commit- or emails from people trying to order late. She will no longtee co-chairs, Brandy Danaki & Rae Rueber. Various issues er reply to the email for rodent orders, so it will be disabled were discussed for the upcoming year. and emails will be bounced back to the sender. In the future, rodents can ONLY be ordered at the meeting, by The board also met with Kathy Claugherty, President of completing the on-line form, or by calling the Skype RICA (Resource for Iguana Care and Adoption). A draft voicemail before the Wednesday the week prior to the next document was prepared by Heather Clayton and modified meeting. Beth will add a note about rodent orders to the by the board during the meeting. A current copy of the Skype message. Nancy is looking for someone to take over draft is available from Beth. The board will vote on the the rodent sales. Nancy picks up the rodents from Mark final draft soon.

Bailey in Zimmerman, MN. Digital Stats: Chris Smith said the Facebook page has been The meeting was adjourned at 9:17pm. For a complete liked by several more people and he would like to see it copy of the March Board Minutes, contact the Recording reach 400 before the next meeting. Go to https:// Secretary at recsecretary@mnherpsoc.com www.facebook.com/pages/Minnesota-HerpetologicalSociety/178431382251739 to like MHS on Facebook.

Audit Status: No volunteers have stepped forward yet to complete the financial audit with Nancy Haig. She will contact Fred & Liz Bosman about doing it again this year. A board member may be present if they are interested in the process, but they may not participate.

Volunteer Hours: The 2012 volunteer hours for 159 volunteers have been collected thus far. Awards (choice of a coffee mug, glass, or snake bag) will begin to be distributed at the April general meeting. Currently, there are 77 volunteers listed with ten or more volunteer hours.

MHS Survey: The location (Glendalough State Park) and

Help Wanted!

We are still looking for people to fill the position of webmaster. If you have basic experience with website maintenance and HTML, please consider stepping up for the society! Drupal experience is a plus. Contact Chris Smith with questions.

We are in need of two volunteers to assist the MHS Treasurer with the 2011 year end audit. This is where we crosscheck the income & expense statements with the actual receipts and make sure everything is documented properly. It takes about 2-3 hours following a checklist and reviewing the results. For convenience we can meet at someone’s home. This is a great way to learn the ins and outs of the MHS. Contact Nancy Haig at nanchaig.citilink.com or 763-434 -8684 if interested We are in need of members to help out with the adoptions during the Friday general meeting.

If you are interested contact Nancy Haig or Beth Girard at the next Meeting.

May 2013

Volume 33 Number 5

Page 5

MHS Reports and Announcements Membership Report—April 2013

Treasurer's Report prepared By Nancy Haig,

Prepared by Heather Clayton, Membership Secretary Summary Counts as of April 5th, 2013 Basic-

310

Beginning Balance

Lifetime-

9 8

Contributing-

16

Gratis-

Sustaining-

11

Exchange-

Commercial-

14

Totals-

351

Income: Membership Ads Raffle Adoption Hands Ons Rodent Sales Holiday Banquet Total Income

26 43

Paying memberships: April 2013

Mar 2013

April 2012

207

202

196

13

14

16

Sustaining

9

9

6

Commercial

6

7

6

235

232

224

Basic Contributing

Totals-

Monthly Net Gain (Loss) Net Gain of 3 Paying Memberships Total New Members-

8

Total # of Renewals-

25

$20,931.65

$ 60.00 $ 55.00 $ 42.00 $ 130.00 $ 150.00 $ 584.00 $ 5.00 $ 1,026.00

Expense Newsletter printing Newsletter postage Program vet costs Rodent cost Holiday Banquet Total Expense

$ $ $ $ $ $ $

50.00 132.85 182.85

Cash Increase/Decrease

$

843.15

Ending Balance

$21,774.80

Placement of cash holdings Checking Savings Paypal Cash on hand Total

$ 6,774.80 $17,200.03 $ 457.48 $ 175.00 $24,607.31

Comment: $15000.00 transfered to savings account

Adoption Report for April Prepared by Nancy Haig 1 Sulcata tortoise. 3 Leopard Geckos, 2 Bearded Dragons, 1 Black & White Tegu, 1 Savannah Monitor, 1 Nile Monitor, 2 Cornsnakes, 1 Savu Python.

Animals still in foster are: 1 baby Green Iguana, 1 Snapping Turtle, 2 Ball pythons, several Common Boas, several Cornsnakes.

Board Meeting The May board meeting will be held May 4th at 6pm at the St Paul Student Union. This is just down the hill from Borlaug Hall.

Check the posted schedule at the Union for the meeting room number.

Page 6

Members returning fostered animals should contact Sarah Richard before the Thursday prior to the General Meeting to let her know what they are bringing back.

Volume 33 Number 5

May 2013

MHS Reports and Announcements Upcoming Hands-on Event Schedule Bunker Hills Regional Park—550 Bunker Lake Blvd, Andover. May 6th-9th 10am-2:30pm 17 minute presentations to 4th-5th graders Springbrook Nature Center—100 85th Ave NW, Fridley. May 6th-9th 10am-2:30pm 17 minute presentations to 4th -5th graders Glacier Hills Environmental Fair - 3825 Glacier Drive, Eagan. Friday May 17th, 5pm-7pm Plymouth Environmental Fair—Zachary Lane Elementary School, 4350 Zachary Lane, Plymouth. Thursday May 23rd, 5pm-8pm Phalen Lake Park—Watershed Event—Saturday June 1st, 11am-4pm Native Plant Sale—Plymouth, MN. Wednesday June 5th, 3pm-7pm Kick Off Summer—Freedom Park—Prescott, WI. Thursday June 20th, 4pm-7pm Day Camp, Bearpath Golf Course—18100 Bearpath Trail, Eden Prairie. Saturday June 29th 2pm-2:45pm Day Camp, Edina Country Club—5100 Wooddale Ave, Edina. Thursday August 6th, 10am-12noon 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!

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 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.

Taste of Rochester—Saturday September 7th.

Contact Jan at Jan.SkunkHollow@Juno.com for details or if interested in signing up. Or sign up on the website

Plymouth Lawn and Garden Show, April 12th & 13th.

Above: two boy get up close and personal with Hyde the alligator.

Left: Chris Smith shares his gila monster.

May 2013

Volume 33 Number 5

Page 7

Online Classifieds In addition to ads in the newsletter, MHS provides online classifieds via the forums. A valid login (provided to current members) is required to both post and read ads. h p://www.mnherpsoc.com/forums/members/classifieds Page 8

Volume 33 Number 5

May 2013

Minnesota Herpetological Society Membership Application New

Name

Renewal

Address

Membership #

City, State, Zip Phone

Type

Email

List in MHS Directory? Yes No Contact information only? Yes No

Check #

Herp related interests

Active Memberships: Sustaining ($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 your MHS Rodents today!

Ordering by phone? See the new phone number below.

Mice

Weight

Price

Pinkies

2-3 grams

$7/dz

Fuzzies

5-7 grams

$7/dz

Advertising Policies

Hoppers

8-11 grams

$8/dz

MHS Ad Policy: The MHS assumes NO RESPONSIBILITY

Adult

25-30 grams

$10/dz

Jumbo Adult

45+ grams

$14/dz

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,

Rats

Weight

Price

Weanlings

40-45 grams

$17/dz

Small Adult

50-60 grams

$18/dz

Med. Adults

125-150 grams

$24/dz

Large Adult

200-240 grams

$30/dz

Jumbo

250-350 grams

$36/dz

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

For pickup at monthly meetings only. Orders may be placed via: 1. At the meeting for the following month 2. Online at www.MnHerpSoc.Com 3. Call the MHS Voicemail: 612.326.6516 Orders MUST be placed 10 days in advance of the meeting to guarantee availability. We no longer keep an inventory of ro‐ dents on hand, so if you a empt to place an order a er the deadline, there is no way to fill it.

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 Cost Business Card Sized $5/month or $55/year* 1/4 Page $10/month or $110/year* 1/2 Page $20/month or $220/year* Full Page $40/month or $440/year*

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

Next Meeting: Friday - March 1st- 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