Vol 33 (2013), No. 9

The newsletter of the

Minnesota Herpetological Society

September Meeting Notice General Meeting will be September 6th, 2013 in our usual (and improved) room in Borlaug Hall September Speaker Terry Odegaard—The History of the MHS

September 2013

Volume 33

Number 9

BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Chris Smith 651.315.7760 President@mnherpsoc.com Vice President Peter Tornquist 952.797.6515 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

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

Kelli Bornholdt 612.710.5919 MemberAtLarge3@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 electronic file format if possible.

COMMITTEES

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

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 WebMaster Shawn Berg WebMaster@MnHerpSoc.Com Cover photo by Jim Gerholdt 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 September 6th, 7:00pm; 6:30pm Social Hour Terry Odegaard—The History of the Minnesota Herpetological Society 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.

Rebecca Christoffel—Herp Educa on Submitted by Beth Girard Rebecca Christoffel, our August speaker, is on the faculty Kellert (1980) - Rattlesnakes disliked by 78% of respondof Iowa State University. According to Rebecca, her ents. (Read more at http:// www.animalstudies.msu.edu/ASBibliography/ “current research interests include the effects of increasing kellert1980.php ) human-wildlife interactions and related conflicts with wildlife management and conservation; participatory natural Greene (1997) - Strong support for all wildlife by park resource management, including the roles of outreach and visitors; much less enthused when asked whether park communication in such efforts; risk perception and analysis snakes should be killed. (Want to read more by H.W. in conservation; and the effects of personal networks and Greene? Check out Snakes: The Evolution of Mystery community-level factors on individual beliefs, attitudes, and in Nature – published in 2000) behaviors associated with natural resources.”

Whitaker and Shine (2000) - Reasons people killed Rebecca’s presentation was based on her doctoral research snakes. 16% hate; 8% fear; 53% protection; and which examined people’s beliefs and attitudes toward 23% gave no reason. (Some interesting info about snakes in general, and specifically the Eastern Massasauga another study by these researchers can be found at Rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus catenatus) in Michigan http://www.heyne.com.au/gardencentre/factsheets/ and the Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus horridus) in factsheet.php/Snakes.htm ) Minnesota. She has been interpreting the natural world for Her study focused on the general public for twenty years and continues to work initiating a public eduon fine-tuning the strategies to communicating about amcation and outreach phibians and reptiles effectively. She does programs with program to help southno live animals, animals present but enclosed, and proeast Michigan citizens grams with live animals being handled. This allows her to learn to live with the compare the effectiveness of different strategies. eastern massasauga.

She challenged us to think about the messages we send The objectives of the when we share information about amphibians and reptiles study were: assess with other people. This includes the way we act, the way public attitudes; develwe dress, and our attitude … as well as the information we op/revise educational share! She used Steve Irwin free-handing venomous materials; develop local snakes as an example. He worked to raise consciousness resource network; deabout the conservation of Australian herpetoculture, and velop/conduct educaprobably never intended for his risky actions to be replicattional workshops; proed by others. Young people especially are very receptive mote balanced media to the subliminal messages given, as opposed to the spocoverage; evaluate ken word. effectiveness.

One of the tricks she uses when teaching children about One part of her study turtles is to ask them to name three ways turtles and birds took her to the Apache Mall in Rochester to gain some inare alike. She tells them the answer and asks them to quiz sights on what people know, or think they know, about their parents with the question. Think about it while you snakes. The amount of misinformation was staggering, read the article. I have listed my answers at the end. I and only 10% of respondents knew that some of their nawill have to ask her next time she visits! tive snakes were protected by law.

She based her research on three studies in particular: September 2013

Volume 33 Number 9

Page 1

Rebecca encourages organizations like ours to continue Rattler bites more than one pet - Tell someone to move it - Kill the snake to build on her work. She has laid out the groundwork (Step #1) by identifying the factors affecting social toler- See rattler on porch - Tell someone to move it - Kill ance for snakes. These include little knowledge; negative the snake attitudes; few direct experiences; sensationalized indirect For the final four scenarios the number of Do nothing and experiences; lack of perceived benefits of snakes; and Ask what to do responses declined. cultural beliefs.

Step #4 is Develop/Conduct Educational Workshops. In Step #2 is to “Devise/revise educational materials” and it rattlesnake country, the workshops included showing falls within the mission of MHS, which is to: people what the habitat looked like and demonstrating Further the education of the membership and the general safe snake relocation. They also conducted workshops public in the care and captive propagation for natural resource professionals so they, along with the of reptiles and amphibians. volunteer snake responders, can adequately deal with a Educate the members and the general public on the eco- situation when there is a human-rattlesnake occurrence. logical role of reptiles and amphibians.

Workshops in our area can concentrate on providing eduPromote the study and conservation of reptiles and amphibians.

We are fortunate to have several sources of accurate information about Minnesota herpetofauna readily available to the general public. The DNR website - http:// www.dnr.state.mn.us/reptiles_amphibians/index.html has information covering 49 of our 51 species of amphibians and reptiles. (They are short on salamanders.) There are several print guides available as well.

Amphibians & Reptiles Native to Minnesota by Oldfield and Moriarty (1994). An updated version by Moriarty and Hall is due out in 2014 Reptiles and Amphibians of Minnesota Field Guide by Stan Tekiela (2003) Snakes and Lizards of Minnesota produced by the Minnesota DNR (Christoffel, Edwards & Perry – 2010) available on-line at http:// files.dnr.state.mn.us/natural_resources/animals/ reptiles_amphibians/snake_lizard_mn.pdf Step #3 is to “Develop a Local Resources Network.” She found this to be particularly important in areas with rattlesnakes because resource people needed to be able to respond reliably and quickly to concerns. One of her charts showed the “Reactions to Rattlesnake Events” where respondents had been asked how they would respond to seven scenarios. They were given four choices.

They could 1. Do nothing; 2. Ask what to do; 3. Tell the person they had connected with to move the snake; or 4.

Kill the Snake. Below I have listed the scenarios and the two most common responses.

See near home once - Do Nothing - Ask what to do Rattler strikes at one pet - Do Nothing - Ask what to do See Rattler more than once a week - Tell someone to move it - Ask what to do Rattler strikes at more than one pet - Tell someone to move it - Kill the snake Rattler bites one pet - Tell someone to move it - Kill the snake Page 2

cation materials and training for teachers; building a snake hibernacula or turtle basking platforms for landowners; teaching handling to veterinarians, veterinary technicians and wildlife biologists; or teaching captive care for pet (and future pet) owners. Rebecca modeled her workshops after the Toronto Zoo’s cottager workshops fashioned by Bob Johnson. One of the quotes I found for him should hit the mark with Minnesotans.

“Workshop chairman Bob Johnson pointed out that the number of people killed driving to and from cottage country when their cars strike deer is a whole order of magnitude higher than snake bite fatalities, and yet few people want to slaughter every deer they see in fear for their lives.” (The article can be found at http:// www.brocku.ca/massasauga/bibliography/newspaper% 20articles/10Jun90.htm ) The workshops there are ½ day in length, include written resources and a live snake, and the emphasis is on stewardship!

Step #5, Media Coverage, is something the MHS should thoughtfully consider. Unfortunately, snakes rarely make the news unless something bad has happened. Articles that put a positive spin on amphibians and reptiles should be submitted when possible. Fostering a good relationship with the media is also helpful when something negative does occur so the media have a positive person to contact.

Step #6, Evaluate Effectiveness, is a little more difficult but it can be done. Follow-up by mail or email is always an option if we can obtain contact information during the events MHS participates in. If not, pre and post surveys are another possibility.

Rebecca gave us, individually and as an organization, a lot to think about!!!

Sooooooo … how are turtles and birds alike?

They all reproduce by egg-laying ONLY. They all have scales covering their legs and feet.

They are all toothless and have beaks!

If you missed the program, she does have a PowerPoint similar to the one we viewed on-line. View it at http:// www.brocku.ca/massasauga/yumanleeetal2005.pdf

Volume 33 Number 9

September 2013

Register Online for the 2013 Midwest Herpetological Symposium

September 31 will be here before you know it. Register online today for the 2013 Midwest Herpetological Symposium and start planning your trip! Click on the Event Registration tab on the navigation bar to get signed up. Register three weeks prior to the symposium you will receive a free Midwest Herpetological Symposium T-Shirt.

Keynote: Dr. Robert Sprackland- Author of Giant Lizards. This book got many people interested in herpetology, he is also the author of over 70 publications on herps.

Speakers: Dr. Mike Dreslik: Massasauga Conservation in Illinois. Mike did his PhD work on the massasaugas of Southern Illinois.

Jessi Krebs: Target Training Alligators for Medical Purposes. Jessi is the Curator of Herpetology at Henry Dorley Zoo in Omaha.

Chawna Schutte: Ozark Hellbender release work at the St. Louis Zoo. Chawna works in the herp department and is responsible for the entire hellbender project.

Toren Hill: The Burmese Pythons of Southern, Florida. A CIHS member, Toren just returned working on his masters project with both the American crocodile and Burmese python.

Dr Travis Wilcoxen: Amphibian Development and Disease. Travis is the former President of CIHS and an Assistant Professor at Millikin University.

Bob Bavirsha: Catching Crocodilians in Northern Illinois. Bob is a long time member of the Chicago Herpetological Society, he has been responsible for catching hundreds of released crocodilians.

Justin Michels: Herping in Southern, Illinois. Justin is one of the premier filed herpers in the United States.

Another topic: Illinois Alligator Snapping Turtle Release Program If you have never attended a Midwest Herpetological Symposium this is a 24/7 event! If you like socializing, listening to speakers, eating, going to a sale, or herping, this event has it all! Many of the top breeders, herpetoculturists, and herpetologists attend this meeting. We have a hospitality area open all night if you fell the need to talk, we will be providing food and beverages. If you have animals to sell please bring them as well.

The Symposium will be held at Stoney Creek Inn in East Peoria reservations can be made at 1-800-659-2220 The cost of the rooms are $109.00 per night, please mention the symposium to get this discount. We have a forty room block available until two weeks prior to the symposium. House keeping will not be available if you have animals.

The cost of the symposium is $75. dollars the dinner cost is an additional $20. the dinner will be catered by Bastas in East Peoria.

There is an additional cost of $40. dollars per person for those wanting to go on the Southern Illinois field trip, space is also limited.

The cost to rent tables is $30. dollars, table space is limited. Please contact us. To attend just the sale is $5.dollars, full registration gets you into the show. Animals can be sold all weekend in your rooms only if you attend the symposium.

For more information contact Doug Holmes 309-682-3938 http://centralillinoisherp.com/register-online-for-the-2013-midwest-herpetological-symposium/

September 2013

Volume 33 Number 9

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MHS Reports and Announcements Board Meeting Minutes for May 4, 2013 Present: Chris Smith, Terry Odegaard, Nancy Haig, Heather Clayton, Ellen Heck, Peter Tornquist, Rebecca Markowitz, and Beth Girard. Not Present: Dav Kaufman, Micole Hendricks Guest presents: Jeff LeClere Meeting called to order by Chris Smith at 6:17pm.

Coon Rapids Ordinance: A work meeting to discuss the possible ordinance (limiting any residence to 12 domestic animals) will be held in the near future. The notice is usually rather short (just a few days) but Scott Nellis, a Coon Rapids resident, is keeping us updated on the MHS forum, and directly to Beth.

RICA Agreement - The final document was presented. Heather Clayton made a motion to accept the document without changes. Peter Tornquist seconded and it passed. Chris signed the agreement as the MHS representative.

MHS Business cards – Chris Smith had 2500 printed by VistaPrint for $85.78. Beth Girard made a motion on the forum on April 14th for Chris to spend up to $100 on business cards. Heather Clayton seconded the motion and enough “aye” votes were collected for quorum to be met on-line.

Sign Language Interpreters - MHS does have one deaf member who attends regularly. He has been helpful finding an interpreter in the past. Nancy and Chris will try to find an interpreter for future meetings.

Borlaug Hall Summer Construction: The MHS June, July and August general meetings will be moved to a new location due to construction in Borlaug Hall. MHS has been given permission to use Room 110 in Green Hall, which is located across the parking lot for our regular location. Ellen will include a graphic/map in the newsletter. Members will be able to park in the same parking area.

MHS Grants: Chris Smith is sitting in as grants chair since John Moriarty stepped down (due to conflict in interests.)

Chris posted the most recent applications on the board forum. There are four grants submitted.

Adoption/RES - Sarah Richards has mentioned to Jeff on more than one occasion that she thinks we should refuse the intake of red-eared sliders during the winter months, when they are less likely to survive if they are released into the wild. The board has given her permission to say no to the humane societies when they want to drop off RESs. Mpls Permit - The new Minneapolis permit is in now so Ellen is sending out copies to Brandi and Rae and the box people.

Heather will send membership rosters to them so they can make certain that only MHS members represent MHS at RenFest.

Audit - was completed by Nancy with Fred and Liz Bosman. They approved the 2012 Audit. Two errors were found.The Form 990 has been filed with the IRS and the Secretary of State filing has been done as well. MHS is caught up with all tax issues.

Ellen Heck made a motion to adjourn the meeting and Heather Clayton seconded. It passed and the meeting adjourned at 8:58pm.

Board Meeting Minutes for June 8, 2013 Present: Chris Smith, Terry Odegarrd, Micole Hendricks, Ellen Heck, Beth Girard, Peter Tornquist. Not Present: Dav Kaufman, Nancy Haig, Heather Clayton, Rebecca Markowitz. Guests Present: Kelli Bornholdt, Robin Bornholdt, Jeff LeClere, Brandi Danaki, Rae Rueber Meeting called to order by Chris Smith at 6:10pm.

RenFest – The contract has been received. Nancy will supply a copy of the insurance certificate. A budget needs to be submitted.

New member at Large: A new Member-at-Large is needed as Peter Tournquist is the new Vice-President. Interested parties will be directed to speak to Chris Smith.

New member at Large: A new Member-at-Large is needed as Peter Tournquist is the new Vice-President. Interested parties will be directed to speak to Chris Smith.

Grants: Tabled until next month when more board members will be present, and to give everyone a chance to read the grant proposals.

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Volume 33 Number 9

September 2013

MHS Reports and Announcements Board Meeting Minutes for June 8, 2013 (cont) Anoka Sandplain Habitat Restoration and Enhancement Letter of Support - Chris Smith presented a request from the Anoka Sandplain Partnership to write a letter to aid them in their application for funds from the Lessard Sams Outdoor Heritage Council for habitat restoration and enhancement. All agreed that we support the idea of restoration of this Immediate Conversion Area which is adjacent to Sherburne NWR. Because Chris is employed by the DNR, he asked Peter Tornquist (V.P.) or Beth Girard (Rec. Sec.) to sign for the MHS. Board members read the letter and made requests for some changes. Chris will make the changes, have someone sign it, and forward it to the Anoka Sandplain Partnership as it is time sensitive.

OLD BUSINESS: Coon Rapids City Ordinance – Beth Girard reported that the work session was held on Tuesday, May 28th.

At this time they do not seem to be recommending an ordinance limiting the number of animals kept to 12; however, the issue could still be brought up and voted on at a Council meeting in the future. Beth is keeping a list of organizations to contact when something like this comes up. The MCBA did have someone present and USARK became involved, as well.

Sign-language interpreters - MHS needs to find a new source of sign language interpreters. In the past, students at one of two ASL programs would interpret during meetings to meet their need for hours for their classes. Martin Tweeter, a MHS member is deaf, and attends regularly. He was very helpful in the past helping to line up interpreters. There is usually one or more deaf individuals attending meetings.

Ellen Heck made a motion to adjourn and Micole, Terry and Beth seconded. The meeting adjourned at 7:37pm.

Minutes for Board Meeting on July 13, 2013 Present: Peter Tornquist, Micole Hendricks, Nancy Haig, Heather Clayton, Ellen Heck, Beth Girard, Rebecca Markowitz.

Not Present: Chris Smith (excused), Terry Odegaard (excused). Visitors Present: Jeff LeClere, Kelli Bornholdt Meeting called to order by Peter Tornquist, acting for President Chris Smith, at 6:06pm.

The MHS Student Organization needs to reserve the room for the Holiday Banquet (December 7, 2013.)

Sign-Language Interpreters: Tabled until next month. Chris Smith can check in with Martin Teeters to gain a recommendation.

Grants: Heather moved that we fund all four grants for their full asking amount. Beth seconded her motion and it passed without further discussion.

Dan Keyler – Hypnale Venom: A Key to Improving Antivenom for Sri Lanka - $1,500.00 Marta Lyons - Genetic Swamping at the Range Limit - $1,000.00 John Moriarty - Restored Bullsnake Population Follow-Up Assessment - $1,500.00 Jessie Tanner - Selection on Multicomponent Sexual Signals in Hyla chrysoscelis: - $979.00 The four grant awards total $4,979.00.

Request for Herp Donation - A letter was received from Carrol Henderson, MN-DNR Nongame Wildlife & Education Unit, asking for a contribution of $5,000 toward the publication (University of Minnesota Press) cost ($20,000) of the new John Moriarty/Carol Hall Amphibians and Reptiles in Minnesota. Carrol will be invited to attend a board meeting so we can discuss it further. He will also be asked to be the presenter for a meeting this year.

New Webmaster – Shawn Berg, MHSs new Webmaster, has already begun dealing with some of the on-line issues. The board welcomes him to this position.

New Member-at-Large: Ellen Heck moved that Kelli Bornholdt be accepted as the new Member-at-Large #3. Micole seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. Welcome Kelli!

Kelli Bornholdt moved that we adjourn the meeting and it was seconded by Heather Clayton. The meeting adjourned at 8:16pm.

September 2013

Volume 33 Number 9

Page 5

MHS Reports and Announcements Elections and General Meeting

Treasurer's Report for July 2013

prepared By Nancy Haig The MHS Elections and General Meeting for 2013 will be held November 1st at 7 pm in Borlaug Hall. All members in good

standing are eligible to vote. You must be present to vote; proxy Beginning Balance $ 8,994.26 ballots are not a allowed.

Any member in good standing and who will be at least 18 years Income:

of age by January 1st, 2014 is eligible to run for the board of Membership $ 355.00 directors.

Ads $ For more information on the individual positions, contact a board Raffle

$ 18.00 member or check the website. To submit your name as a candi- Adoption

$ 115.00 date, contact Beth Girard at RecSecretary@MnHerpSoc.com Hands Ons $ 155.00 http://www.mnherpsoc.com/content/bylaws-minnesotaRodent Sales $ 207.00 herpetological-society

$ 4.14 Refund Transfer from Paypal $ 600.00 Membership Report Total Income $ 1,454.14

Prepared by Heather Clayton, Membership Secretary

Expense Newsletter printing $ 165.50 Summary Counts as of August 2nd, 2013 Newsletter postage $ Basic310 Lifetime9

Program $ 111.68 Contributing10 Gratis8

Vet costs $ 120.00 Sustaining13 Exchange26 Rodent cost $ 227.50 Commercial10 Field Survey $ 208.90

$ 4,979.00 Grants Totals343 43 Total Expense $ 5,812.58

Paying memberships: $ (4,358.44) Cash Increase/Decrease August 2013 July 2013 August 2012

Basic210 203 203 Ending Balance $ 4,635.82 Contributing8 9 17

Sustaining11 10 6 Placement of cash holdings CommercialTotals-

4

4

7

233

226

233

Total

Checking Savings Paypal Cash on hand

$ $ $ $

4,635.82 17,203.15 339.42 175.00

$ 22,353.39

Board Meeting The board meeting will be held 6pm September 7th in the St Paul Student Union. Check the posted schedule at the Union for the meeting room number.

Everyone is welcome to attend the board meeting. If you think you may be interested in running for a position, we encourage you to come check it out.

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Volume 33 Number 9

September 2013

MHS Reports and Announcements Upcoming Hands-on Event Schedule Taste of Rochester—Saturday September 7th.

Science Museum—Thursday September 1st. 6-11PM Animals from Central and South America (Maya Event Sherburne Nature Preserve—Saturday October 5th 10am-4pm 3M Events—Friday October 4th Teacher’s Workshop 3pm-6:30pm.

Saturday October 5th Super Science 11am-3pm Plymouth Pet Expo—Saturday October 26th 10am-4pm. 14800 34th Ave N, Plymouth 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.

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

Statement Regarding Media Reports on Status of Desert Tortoise at the Desert Tortoise Conservation Center in Nevada Recent media reports regarding the status of desert tortoises at the Desert Tortoise Conservation Center (DTCC) have implied that the FWS is currently euthanizing desert tortoises at the facility. We want the public to know that the FWS is not euthanizing healthy tortoises.

The DTCC was established in 1990 to receive wild tortoises in harm’s way from development and has taken in unwanted pets since 1996. Over 1,000 tortoises arrived at the DTCC each year, and approximately 98 percent of those are surrendered or stray pets. Science-based protocols developed for desert tortoises brought to the DTCC have been instrumental in helping the FWS maintain a healthy population of desert tortoise in the wild. Managing to recover desert tortoise, a threatened species, is a complex task in which all options need to be considered, and all risks and benefits to the species must be assessed.

Many pet tortoises, unfortunately, are diseased or otherwise in poor health, and run the risk of spreading disease to wild tortoises. These tortoises cannot be relocated to the wild, or otherwise contribute to recovery of the desert tortoise population. Sometimes euthanasia of unhealthy pet tortoises is necessary, but only as last resort, and only after we evaluate other options. All healthy tortoises at the DTCC will be relocated to sites that will support the recovery of the species.

Progress is being made on translocating the healthy DTCC tortoise population to the wild. A Programmatic Environmental Assessment is complete, and tortoises are already being translocated by the FWS to an approved site in Trout Canyon, Nevada. Public scoping for a second translocation plan was completed Aug 22, 2013, for a proposed translocation area south of Coyote Springs, Nevada.

The Animal Foundation (TAF), Lied Animal Shelter continues to take in unwanted pet tortoises from the public. However, the fact remains that the DTCC does not currently have the capacity or the funding to accept and care for additional tortoises.

Recovery of the desert tortoise in the wild continues to be our top priority. However we are deeply concerned about the growing number of unwanted pets, and will continue to work with our partner agencies toward finding a suitable solution for tortoises that cannot be returned to the wild. http://www.fws.gov/cno/press/release.cfm?rid=526 September 2013

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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 9

September 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

$22/ 10 rats

Large Adult

200-240 grams

$17/ 6 rats

Jumbo

250-350 grams

$16/ 5 rats

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 September 6th - 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