Vol. 34 (2014), No. 8

The newsletter of the

Minnesota Herpetological Society

August Meeting Notice General Meeting will be August 1st, 2014 August Speaker Jim Gerholdt— The Search for Sila Day of the Zonata by Jim Gerholdt More on Ethan page 6

August 2014

page 3

It’s Fair time! page 5

Volume 34

Number 8

BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Chris Smith 612.275.9737 President@mnherpsoc.org Vice President Peter Tornquist 952.797.6515 VicePresident@MnHerpSoc.org

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

Recording Secretary Heather Clayton 612.886.7175 RecSecretary@MnHerpSoc.org

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

Membership Secretary Micole Hendricks 651.356.1669 MemSecretary@MnHerpSoc.org Treasurer Nancy Haig 763.434.8684 Treasurer@MnHerpSoc.org Newsletter Editor Ellen Heck 612.750.1649 NewsletterEditor@MnHerpSoc.org Members at Large Kelli Bornholdt 612.710.5919 MemberAtLarge3@MnHerpSoc.org Rebecca Markowitz 409.750.0235 MemberAtLarge4@MnHerpSoc.org Terry Odegaard 612.840.7674 MemberAtLarge1@MnHerpSoc.org Misi Stine 952.217.1267 MemberAtLarge2@MnHerpSoc.org

COMMITTEES Adoption Sarah Richard RealSarah@aol.com

Stay informed! Join us on our forums!

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:

612.781.9544

Education Jan Larson 507.263.4391 Jan.SkunkHollow@Juno.com Fostering Nancy Haig 763.434.8684 NancHaig@CitiLink.com WebMaster Kimber Anderson WebMaster@MnHerpSoc.org Cover by Jim Gerholdt Cartoons by Fran Frisch

The Minnesota Herpetological Society -or- newslettereditor@mnherpsoc.org 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 2014, 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 — Jim Gerholdt Friday July 11th, 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.

In May of 2012 Jim Gerholdt met up with Barney Oldfield in Colorado and after a quick look at the local Collared Lizards they headed to California in search of the Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizard (Gambelia sila). This is a species that is listed as Endangered by both California and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Jim has this to say about his trip: “We headed for the Carrizo Plain National Monument west of Bakersfield, a vast reserve of almost 250 thousand acres that is the largest single native grassland in the state. Barney had been there the previous year but the weather was cool and he found none. This time, after a slow start, we were successful. We then headed east and found some interesting species along the way but a bigger surprise awaited us back in Colorado at the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. In summary we ate way too much Mexican food, drank way too many beers, and along the way we found a few lizards. “

Chris Carille -husbandry & history of Candoia and Chilabothrus Submitted by Heather Clayton Chris Carille has herped in many places around the world, and has a special appreciation for the boa constrictors found on the Pacific Islands. The Candoia genus is distributed through Papa New Guinea to Samoa and are quite isolated from other boas. It is believed their closest relatives are the Madagascar Ground and Tree Boas, more than 6,000 miles away. There are many theories about how these animals got to these remote locations, most of which are either invalid or improbable due to the distance.

One thing that is distinctive about these boas is that they undergo wide color changes within 24-hour periods. They accomplish this through pigment trans-location, which means melanin is distributed in varying degrees of density to either lighten or darken the snake.

lately there have been more black and white animals showing up in the trade. Lastly, Chris talked about Isabel Island Boas, which used to be grouped with the Waigeo Island Boas, but the Isabel Island boas get larger and thicker. It used to be thought that these snakes only came from Isabel Island, but they come from several islands in the area.

The normal coloration for these snakes is pink, orange, etc., but there are several colors. The white animals are being sold as Isabel Island Boas now.

The husbandry practices for Candoia is dictated by snake size, but they all need appropriate cage size, temperature gradients, and micro-habitat options. They generally need temps around 84 degrees, with a hot spot at 90 degrees.

Feeding these animals can be teChris covered a few species of Candious, as they really like geckos, doia, starting with the “Viper Boa.” and can be so small at birth that This snake got its common name due they may only eat the tails of prey to its superficial resemblance to the animals. They should be fed roDeath Adder, which may often get it dents very sparingly to avoid fatty killed by people afraid it is a venomfood issues. To breed Candoia, ous snake. This snake is becoming a multiple males should be used to little more common in the pet trade encourage the female to choose due to normal color variations. Chris the best male. Gravid females also discussed the Solomon and Fiji usually go off feed and give live Island Boas, with two subspecies. birth. The offspring are cannibalisThese are the largest of the Candoia, tic, so they must be separated at getting up to 7ft in length. These snakes have variable col- birth, and they are smaller than a pencil so they must go in ors and patterns, aiding in identifying their geographic very secure housing. There is large variation in how many origin. The New Guinea Tree Boas were also covered, offspring each species has, ranging from just a few neowhich are very distinctive. They are only 24-30 inches long nates to up to 60 in the Solomon Island Boas. Male Canand only as thick as a pencil; they have a stripe on their doia have obvious cloacal spurs, while most females have tail as well. These animals are becoming more common in none or very small ones. A common trait is keeled scales, the pet trade, and their price is rising. Another group is the which may be for climbing. Some morphs are beginning to Waigeo Island Boas, which tend to be more striped, and come up, such as albino and calico, and anerytheristic.

August 2014

Volume 34 Number 8

Page 1

Next Chris talked about the Chilabothrus genus, found in the Caribbean and Greater Antilles. This is a newer genus, rewritten in 2013. They were grouped with Rainbow Boas before and are believed to have rafted from Central and South America. Their closest relatives are the Rainbow Boas and Anacondas. Puerto Rican Boas are only found on that island and live in cave systems.

They have become specialized in eating bats, and grow to lengths of 67ft. The Cuban Boas can be quite large, up to 13ft, the largest of the genus.

This snake is one of the first to have moved out to the islands and establish populations which then evolved into other smaller species, a common trait among island animals.

The Jamaican Boa is now listed as an IUCN Vulnerable Species, and has an onto-genetic change, which means their color changes as they mature. They tend to start as orange, and turns rusty red and possibly yellow. These snakes are being killed because many people believe they are venomous, but there are no venomous snakes in Jamaica, so more educational outreach needs to be done.

The newest species in the genus is the Bahama Boa, which can reach 8ft. It can now become eligible for protection, something it could not do before under its old classification. The Haitian Red Mountain Boas are the most commonly kept species in the hobby. This snake may be 6ft and change change color. They naturally have some color variation among individuals, which separates them in the minds of the public.

Braulio Carillo and Monteverde are cloud forests with lots of diversity, hundreds of herps and more than 500 species of birds. This is the only place you can find the Night Ground Snake, which eats Poison Dart Frogs. A more “domesticated� destination is Parque Reptilandia, which is a reptile park, which has an amazing diversity and gives night tours of the park.

Some advice Chris gave for herping in general includes getting out more, going with a group, checking everywhere, and bring a snake stick. If you don't get out, you won't see anything.

And going with a group will help ensure everyone is safe. Checking everywhere will increase your chances of finding more herps, and the snake stick is for safety.

Another good point is to get a guide, someone who knows the areas and wildlife. There are lots of destinations and activities in Costa Rica, so let him know if you are interested in going!!

For breeding Chilabothrus, start in February through May. They have a 6 month gestation and live birth. An interesting note is C. exsul was born for the first time in the United States, with hopes of a program in which they may be released to the wild. There are no true color morphs for this snake, except for the calico, which comes with age. The snake is born red and changes to speckled or white as it matures.

Chris has spent lots of time in Costa Rica, and plans trips for himself and other people, often at less expense than through a travel agency. Costa Rica is very dense with herps. Some great places to go visit are the Osa Peninsula and Drake Bay, which have many species like glass frogs and a cool bright yellow variation of the yellow-bellied sea snake. Manuel Antonio National Park is family friendly and has lots of wildlife that is acclimated to people, so you may see several animals. Another national park is Tortuguero, which is great for viewing sea turtles as several species nest there. Arenal National Park is a volcanic island with lots of cool species, like Eyelash Vipers and Coral Snakes.

Page 2

Volume 34 Number 8

August 2014

Day of the Zonata Submitted by James E. Gerholdt I saw my first Coral Kingsnake (Lampropeltis multicincta), as they were then known, way back in the early 50's. I was a member of a small nature club at the old Henry Snow Museum in Oakland, California. The club was run by a museum employee, a wonderful lady named Mildred Arnesson. She always had a few native snakes on display, which we were allowed to take for “walks” on the lawn in front of the museum. These were usually Pacific Gopher Snakes and California Kingsnakes. But one day she was given a Coral Kingsnake for the museum. It was the most beautiful snake I had even seen. I was enthralled with it, and vowed to someday have one of my own. I read what I could find about them, but there wasn’t much known about them at that time.

I became a confirmed herper, and spent some time looking for them in the Santa Cruz Mountains, south of the Bay Area. My Boy Scout troop would camp at the Mission Springs Conference Grounds every summer. I found Pacific Gopher Snakes, California Kingsnakes, Pacific Ringneck Snakes, Santa Cruz Garter Snakes, and even a Rubber Boa, but the snake now known at the California Mountain Kingsnake eluded me. The closest I came was one day when I was at the swimming pool and the younger brother of a friend hollered and asked if I wanted a snake. I replied, what kind? He then held up an absolutely beautiful adult zonata that he had just shot with his BB gun. I don’t know to this day if he realized how lucky he was that a high chainlink fence was between us. The day was June 18, 1960. Even though the papyrus is now old and brittle, I was able to decipher the date from my old collecting records.

I made some more futile trips to the area before a 4 year tour of duty in the Navy sidetracked me from my quest. While I was at NAS Miramar north of San Diego, I always kept a copy of Stebbins’ Amphibians and Reptiles of Western North America in my locker. No, not the Peterson field guide .I predate those. While I was there, I did collect a nice hatchling of the striped phase of the California Kingsnake. I kept it in my locker for a while, and would catch lizards to feed it. I named it “Clyde”, although it later laid eggs. I had the snake for over 19 years.

In January of 2005 I attended the Biology of the Rattlesnakes symposium in Loma Linda in California. Dr. Stebbins was there and I asked him to autograph my copy of his book. I like to think he was pleased to see a copy that had been obviously used so much. I now keep it in a ziploc bag in a file cabinet.

After I left the Navy, a regular springtime ritual was to go to the Santa Cruz Mountains in search of the fabled California Mountain Kingsnake. I searched well lit rocky streams in wooded areas with rotting logs, as suggested by Stebbins in his books. I turned many rocks and logs, always replacing them of course, and peeled some bark. I found lots of herps, but no zonata. Often the best part of the trip was a cold beer at the end of the day. Such is the life of a herper.

In the early 70's my wife and I and some good friends stumbled across an abandoned rock quarry near Ben Lomond in Santa Cruz County. While the elusive zonata was always on my mind, it had kind of been placed on the back burner.

This area was chaparral, mostly Manzanita, with scattered rocks and logs. We found lots of herps here. Northern Pacific Rattlesnakes were quite common, and we also found Pacific Gopher Snakes, Blue Racers, and Pacific Ringneck Snakes.

There were also lots of lizards. We found Western Skinks, California Alligator Lizards, and of course, Western Fence Lizards and also Sagebrush Lizards. One day, while sitting on the ground eating, one of us got up to investigate the movement under a discarded paper bag that was just a few feet away from us. Under the bag was a very gravid Northern Pacific Rattlesnake. We were all relieved that she had apparently read the book and realized she was a mellow species.

Because of the prevalence of these snakes, I always used a short crowbar to turn rocks and logs.

It was now 1971 and springtime. Once again the trip was made to the Santa Cruz Mountains, to the abandoned rock quarry. My wife, Pam, and our friends Dave and Kathie Sisson were with us.

It was April 3, and already the days were hot.. We spent a lot of time flipping rocks and logs. We found Western Skinks, a California Alligator Lizard, a cute little Pacific Gopher Snake, and many Fence and Sagebrush Lizards. In those days, I kept all of those we could catch for future snake food. Many more escaped than we caught. Just before 11:00, we headed back to the car for some food and a cold beer. Kathie went on ahead, and the rest of us straggled behind. Being the ever incurable herper, I spied a likely looking log up on the hillside, near a cluster of smaller logs. The log was about 3 feet long and 18 inches in diameter. Never say die. I scrambled up the hillside and reached with my crowbar to turn the log. I was tired and it hit the top of the log, and it broke open. I thought, wow, that’s pretty. (continued page 4) August 2014

Volume 34 Number 8

Page 3

Minnesota Herpetological Society – 2013 Volunteer Awards Some Statistics: 150 volunteers donated 5,247 hours of time! 74 individuals donated ≥ 10 hours of time! We would thank to thank ALL of those that volunteered in 2013!

A special thank you and gift goes to those donating 10 or more hours of time If you have not already done so, please pickup your volunteer award at the general meeting.

Sincerely, MHS Board of Directors Kimber Anderson Owen Bachuber John Bachuber Mike Backer Sage Backer Marla Backer Corinne Barrett Chris Barrett Shawn Berg Linda Bittner Kelli Bornholdt Robin Bornholdt Liz Bosman Fred Bosman Harlee Braucks

Andrea Braucks Sally Brewer Angie Cairl Frank Cairl Donna Calander Heather Clayton Brandy Danaki Christina Danathar Claire Dorton Bob Egerer Holly Egerer Katlyn Fink Anestasia Fink Kendra Fink Linnea Fink-Bittner

Jim Gerholdt Beth Girard Jason Girard Jessica Girard Nancy Haig Nancy Hakamaki Wendy Harmening Ellen Heck Mici Hendricks Scott Hendricks Nando Hots Amber Husted Glen Jacobsen Dav Kaufman Sonja Koolmo

Marit Lang Mariah Lang Jan Larson Merle Larson Jeff LeClere Serrianna Likness Ben Lowe Rick Lucas Rebecca Markowitz Rose Maunu Jacob Mee Bill Moss Terry Odegaard Anthony Patterson Alex Perry

Sarah Richard George Richard Rae Rueber Mark Schmidtke Casey Sievert Chris Smith Kamy Snell Bill Tefft Peter Tornquist Renee Valois Max Vasek Crystal Welle Nysa Zierhut Brandon Zimmerschied

Day of the Zonata (continued from page 3) And then it dawned on me what I was looking at. I was blinded by the sudden flash of bright colors. It was a zonata! I started to scream at the top of my lungs, “I got one, I got one”. Dave and Pam looked at each other in disbelief with their mouths open and eyes wide. Could it be? They scrambled up the hillside to join me. I honestly do not remember picking up the snake, only turning around with it in my hand to show them. It was 18 inches long and absolutely beautiful. And yes, I even let them hold it too. We continued back to the car. Kathie had heard the screaming and met us on the way. She agreed that it was a very pretty snake. I placed it in a plastic gallon collecting jar and sat in the shade of the car looking at it. I had a beer, and then another, and another. My wife claims I was babbling incoherently the whole time, and not from the beer. I reached into the jar and it bit me. Pam commented later that I didn’t even swear when this happened. Actually it was an honor to be bitten by my first zonata. They were all ready to look for more herps, but by then I was way past any more herping. Especially with the prevalence of rattlesnakes in the area. So we headed home.

On the way, we stopped by a friend’s house to show him the snake. He wasn’t home, and his wife, not being a snake person, was not impressed. But right after we got home, Walt called, with wonder in his voice. Yes, I said, it was true.

He had been with us on many trips, but had missed this one.

The snake was a male, and thrived. It fed readily on lizards, but showed no interest in mice. When I still lived in California, this was not a problem, as they were easy to find. But later, when I moved to Minnesota, it did become a concern. I had always tried dangling a dead mouse in front of the snake from time to time, with no reaction beyond a little curiosity. But one day, when I did this, he almost took my hand off. Okay, a slight exaggeration. After that, he fed regularly on mice. This snake was found dead on October 7, 1987, and had lived in my care for 16 ½ years. Even now, in the teaching collection of one of the University of Minnesota campuses, he continues to dazzle. And as seems fitting, I have never found another.

Page 4

Volume 34 Number 8

August 2014

MHS Reports and Announcements It’s the end of summer, which means it is fair time!

Minnesota Renaissance Festival It is time once again for the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. For seven weekends starting August 16th and running through September 28th, we have to opportunity to educate the public at Renaissance Festival in Shakopee, MN. Volunteering at the Renaissance Festival allows us the unique opportunity to reach thousands of people that would otherwise never come in contact with MHS. It also gives you the unique opportunity to show off your favorite animals while dressed up in funny costumes.

In order to volunteer at the Renaissance Festival you must work two two hour hands on shifts. As a perk, the rest of the day at the Festival is yours to spend as you wish. Enjoy the food, the comedy acts, the music and the shopping when you are not working at the cottage. Additionally, volunteers get breakfast in the mornings and can take part in a volunteer potluck dinner on Sat evenings.

MHS’ work at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival is also one of its largest fundraisers every year, providing the Society with funds to further their other programs.

For more information on volunteering please contact Rae Rueber at Cottage@mnherpsoc.org. You can also contact her via the MHS forums.

Minnesota State Fair This will be our second year in the new exhibit space, so we will be exhibiting ten species of snakes instead of six. We are still looking for a plains garter snake to use. We will also be contributing turtles to be used in the larger tanks.

Heather Clayton and Jim Gerholdt will be our venomous handlers. Volunteers need to check on the animals several times to ensure they have water and clean any messes but do not need to handle them or present information on them.

Anyone who would like to volunteer for a shift, or with an animal, should contact Beth at 612/616-8431 or beth_girard@msn.com

Upcoming Hands-on Event Schedule Chuck & Don’s—Saturday August 2nd, 2014. Plymouth, MN Take a Day Off—Saturday August 2nd, 2014. 10am-5pm. Rice, MN Chuck & Don’s—Saturday August 23th, 2014. Edina, MN 3M Teacher’s Workshop—Friday October 3rd, 2014. 3pm-6pm. 3M Center, Maplewood, MN 3M Family Day– Saturday October 4th, 2014. 11am-3pm. 3M Center, Maplewood, MN Sherburne Wildlife Festival—Saturday October 4th, 2014. 10am-3pm.

Chuck & Don’s—Saturday October 4th, 2014. Mahtomedi, MN Fields Leadership Day—Monday October 6, 2014. 8am-2:30pm. McColl’s Pond, Savage, MN Plymouth Pet Expo—Saturday October 25th, 2014. 9am-4pm. Plymouth Creek Activity Center, Plymouth, MN

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. Contact Jan or check online for the latest hands-in opportunities!

August 2014

Volume 34 Number 8

Page 5

MHS Reports and Announcements Treasurer's Report for June 2014

Ethan Last month it was announced that a young man named Ethan was foregoing his birthday party and presents to raise money to help toads, frogs and turtles.

He and his family hope to attend this month’s meeting to present a check for the money he has raised.

Do you really like Rats?

The MHS is looking for someone to take over processing the rodent orders for the Friday meeting pick-up. The job involves storing and repackaging the frozen rodents into the members’ orders and delivering them to the Friday night meeting. Comes complete with a 50” x 34” x 22” chest freezer. For more information please contact Nancy Haig treasurer@mnherpsoc.org

July Membership Report Prepared by Micole Hendricks, Membership Secretary Summary Counts Basic Contributing

301 10

Sustaining

7

Commercial

3

Totals

Lifetime

9

Gratis

8

Exchange

26

321

43

Paying memberships July 2014 Basic

June 2014

July 2013

218

212

203

Contributing

9

9

9

Sustaining

7

8

10

Commercial

3

4

4

233

226

Totals

226

Monthly Net Gain (Loss) (7) Net Loss of Paying Memberships Total New Members-

6

Total # of Renewals-

17

Beginning Balance

$

7,629.73

$ $ $ $ $ $ $

52.00 150.00 243.80 160.00 987.00 1,592.80

Income: Raffle Adoption Hands Ons Donations Membership Rodent Sales Total Income

Expense Grants/donations Adoption Newsletter printing Newsletter postage Program Rodent cost Renfest supplies Picnic Insurance Vol awards acct debit Total Expense

$ $

1,000.00 60.00

$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

100.00 759.75 20.00 95.13 775.00 319.00 15.54 3,144.42

Cash Increase/Decrease

$ (1,551.62)

Ending Balance

$

6,078.11

$ $ $ $ $

6,078.11 17,211.02 754.76 175.00

Placement of cash holdings Checking Savings Paypal Transfer to checking Cash on hand Total

$ 24,218.89

Board Meeting The board meeting will be held 6pm August 2nd in the St Paul Student Union.

---------------------Number of Printed Newsletters- 23 Number of Email Newsletters- current members = 184 - expired members = 23 Page 6

prepared By Nancy Haig

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.

Volume 34 Number 8

August 2014

Upcoming Elections The Minnesota Herpetological Society is a VOLUNTEER-DRIVEN organization that only exists because of the commitment of its members. I strongly encourage you to consider taking an active role in keeping MHS the vital organization it has been for last 32 years. If you are interested in running for an office, or if you know someone who may be, please feel free to contact me at your earliest convenience by phone (612-616-8431) or email (recsecreatry@mnherpsoc.org). A detailed list of duties assigned to each office will be included in the September newsletter.

This year’s elections will be held on Friday, November 7th. Want to know more?

According to the Minnesota Herpetological Society By-Laws … · MHS Administration. MHS shall be administered by a Board of Directors comprised of the elected officers, and four active members at large, all of whom are eighteen (18) years of age or older and whom shall be members of MHS in good standing. · Officers. The officers of MHS shall be President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Membership Secretary, Treasurer, and Newsletter Editor, all of whom shall be members of MHS in good standing. · Term of Office. The officers and members-at-large elected at the Annual Meeting of MHS as hereafter provided, shall serve for a period of one (1) year commencing January 1. Board of Directors may serve only four (4) terms consecutively. · President. The President shall perform the duties of such office including chairing monthly membership meetings and Board of Directors. The President shall appoint all special and standing committee chairs subject to the approval of the Board of Directors. Also, the President may establish such ad hoc, standing and special committees as may be required to further the work of MHS. · Vice President. The Vice President shall preside in the absence of the President, serve as program coordinator, and perform such duties as designated by the President. · Recording Secretary. The Recording Secretary shall keep the minutes of the meetings of the Board of Directors and of the proceedings of all the meetings of the members in appropriate books. · Membership Secretary. The Membership Secretary shall give and serve all notices of MHS, shall keep the names and residences of the members, and maintain membership notices. · Treasurer. The Treasurer shall be responsible for all funds and assets of MHS, payment of authorized accounts, present financial reports at Board of Directors meetings and the Annual Meeting, and submit the records for audit. · Newsletter Editor. The Newsletter Editor shall edit and produce the Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society on a monthly basis.

If you are interested in running for any position, contact Heather Clayton RecSecretary@MnHerpSoc.org or any board member. If you have questions regarding a particular position, feel free to contact the current MHS member who holds that position or join us at a board meeting. See page 6 for time and location.

Midwest Herpetological Symposium It’s that time of year to start planning on attending the nest Midwest Herp Symposium. This year it will be hosted by the Hoosier Herpetological Society in Indiana, October 17-19, 2014. Mark the date on your calendar and check www.hoosierherpsoc.org for a list of speakers and programs

http://www.hoosierherpsoc.org/pdf/SymposiumBrochure.pdf

August 2014

Volume 34 Number 8

Page 7

Article on the use of Snakeskin in the Fashion Trade Not only the furred are sacrificed to “fashion�. Whether it is bags, belts, boots or even t-shirts, reptile hide and skin is a highly-prized commodity. http://webmail.q.com/service/home/~/July%202014.pdf?auth=co&loc=en_US&id=41039&part=2.4

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. http://www.mnherpsoc.org/forums/members/classifieds Page 8

Volume 34 Number 8

August 2014

Minnesota Herpetological Society Membership Application New

Name

Renewal

Address

Membership #

City, State, Zip Phone

Type Check #

Email

List in MHS Directory? Yes No

Herp related interests

Active Memberships: Sustaining ($60/year)

Contributing ($40/year) Basic ($20/year)

Corresponding Memberships: Commercial ($25/year, 2 business card ads/year) Required check info. Drivers Lic #

State

DOB

Please enclose the proper payment with your application. Make checks payable to MINNESOTA HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY. Membership is for 12 months from the date of approval. A receipt will be sent only upon request.

Mail To: Minnesota Herpetological Society, 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

Rats

Weight

Price

Weanlings

40-45 grams

$17/dz

Small Adult

50-60 grams

$18/dz

Med. Adults

125-150 grams

$22/ 10 rats

fied ad, run free of charge as space permits. Ads may be run three (3) consecutive months, after which time they

Large Adult

200-240 grams

$17/ 6 rats

may be resubmitted.

Jumbo

250-350 grams

$16/ 5 rats

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.org 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 rodents on hand, so if you attempt to place an order after the deadline, there is no way to fill it.

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 classi-

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 August 1st - 7:00 pm Room 335 Borlaug Hall, U of M St. Paul Campus Save the dates!

Friday September 5 —General Meeting 7pm Friday October 3—General Meeting 7pm Midwest Symposium—October 17th-19th MHS Voice Mail: 612.326.6516 MHS Web Page: www.MnHerpSoc.org

This newsletter is printed on recycled paper