The newsletter of the
Minnesota Herpetological Society
November Meeting Notice General Meeting will be November 7th, 2014 November Speaker Paul Brown—the Garter Snakes of Isle Royale IMPORTANT Holiday Banquet Info—page 7 Annual Meeting and Elections, Candidates—page 3 Bylaw Change—page 4
November 2014
Volume 34
Number 11
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 612.781.9544 Adoptions@MnHerpSoc.org 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 Jeff LeClere Cartoons by Fran Frisch
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: 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 — Paul Brown November 7th, 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. Paul Brown works for the National Park Service and is currently the Chief of Natural Resources at Isle Royale National Park. For 6-8 months of the year he lives and works on Isle Royale, a remote island in the middle of Lake Superior that is 99% federally designated Wilderness. His responsibilities include wilderness management, natural sciences data collection and analysis, research permitting, supervision of the natural resources staff, and serving as a member of the park management team. Paul got his start with herpetology as a herptile keeper at John Ball Zoo. Now a marine biologist by training (graduate studies at Southern Miss, University of Calgary, and Northern Michigan University), his research interests center around transnational boundary issues, especially the movement of natural resources (air, water, fish & wildlife) across international lines, deep-water coral reef fish populations, sea turtle habitat use, and behavioral ecology (especially aggression). The presentation will be discussing color polymorphisms and the general ecology of Eastern garter snakes ( Thamnophis s. sirtalis) on Isle Royale National Park as well as the surrounding region. We will discuss how the snakes on Isle Royale are unique in exhibiting a very high degree of color polymorphisms, that these color variations are stable over time, and in addition, each of the color variants expresses a distinct behavioral response. The presentation will continue by answering questions pertaining to the genetic basis for color polymorphisms and linked behaviors, the amount of genetic drift between populations and dispersal history, taxonomy and the role of island biogeography, and the behavioral variations among populations.
Steve Freedberg—What Can DNA Tell Us About Turtle Populations Submitted by Heather Clayton Steve Freedberg has been researching the genetics of local aquatic turtle populations. The idea is that DNA is a conduit of information transfer, and may be used as a tool for study of subjects such as genetic variation among populations. The segments of DNA that Steve is looking for appear to not code for much of anything, but are perfect for identifying individuals and common traits. One reason he works with these genes is because actively coding genes may be turned on or off to learn what a gene does, and so you learn its function, but he is looking for relationships through history. Steve needs to look for genes which are no longer active and inherited further back in time. These genes hold the information about the animal's ancestry. The DNA Steve uses is collected through small blood draws or tissue samples. The DNA samples are sorted, coded, and compared to determine what is there and get a genetic signature of the animals. Healthier populations of animals have higher levels of genetic variation among individuals because it is that variation which allows for the ability to November 2014
adapt to changing environmental conditions. One of Steve's population studies was on Softshell turtles in Minnesota. There are two species here, the Spiny and Smooth. Steve looked at the range of these turtles and took samples from nine locations spaced far enough apart that the results should show genetic variation and if these animals are moving between habitats and spreading genes or more or less staying in one place. To catch the turtles, he used funnel traps for larger ones, and dug around in the sand to look for juveniles. He put radio transmitters on some of the turtles to monitor physical movement and used that to see how their movement might translate into genetic flow. It is difficult to attach a transmitter to a softshell's back, so he pierced the turtles at the edge of the shell, which appeared to not be much of an issue for them. He took samples from most all turtles caught, and took measurements and weights of each turtle, and notched shells to be sure they did not take data on the same animal twice. All of this information will help augment the genetic markers and their significance.
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(Speaker Review—continued) The genetic markers are found in sections of DNA called microsatellites. These are DNA sequences that are highly repetitive and contribute to genetic variation because DNA machinery is not very good at making many exact copies of a sequence. The variations within these sequences allow identification of individuals and populations. You use the amount and types of variations to figure the odds of gene flow. The findings in these markers suggests that softshell turtles are moving a lot, and over the course of a few generations a turtle may move, then their descendants move, causing the spread of genes. The turtles in the St. Croix River appear to be less likely to move to the Mississippi or other rivers versus the other way around. Softshell turtles have a higher level of gene flow than most other turtles studied, and one reason may be that these turtles are simply better equipped for movement with their highly webbed feet and lighter, more flexible shell. Steve and his team looked at two types of genetic markers, chromosomal DNA which gets passed through both parents, and mitochondrial DNA which gets passed only from the mother. Studying mitochondrial DNA allowed them to see what might be going on through the female lines. What they found is that the gene flow was greater for mitochondrial markers in Spiny Softshells. This makes sense because the females of this species tend to be larger and are able to travel greater distances. However, the females of both species move more than the males in general, learned from the tracking study. So the higher genetic diversity of Spiny Softshells is not a surprise because it matches the movement patterns of these turtles, which move more than other species and have larger populations. Another study conducted by Steve and his team was on hybridization in map turtles, to see what kind of gene movement there might be between species. This is a well-documented phenomenon in captivity, and it tends to be more rare in the wild for most animals, however it appears to be somewhat common among turtles, even in sea turtles. Now we are even seeing hybrid turtles being sold in the Asian market as new species in order to fetch more money for their sale. Steve wanted to look at Map Turtles in part because they used to be one species, and now are many. The questions are how did that happen? When does something become a different species? Steve went to Reelfoot Lake to study these turtles because this lake is only 200 years old, formed when the Mississippi River backflowed into the area in the 1800s due to an earthquake. Turtles came into the area over time, and when the bridge between the river and this lake dried up, those turtles became the founders of current generations. So we know the history of this population and can track which species were there originally and if they hybridized over time. Steve and the crew only saw False Map Turtles, but they took DNA samples from them. They looked for genetic markers for both Common and False Maps turtles, the two species they believe originally came to this lake. What they found is that about 5% of the False Map Turtles sampled have markers from Common Map Turtles, which is considered a pretty large portion. They did similar studies in Minnesota and found hybridization here as well, but only in the chromosomal DNA and not the mitochondrial DNA, indicating that males are moving more than females. This makes sense when you look at the hybrid animals, because the males often end up with larger heads which are good at eating everything, and the females often end up with an “in-between species” head which is a detriment because they are unable to eat hard vertebrates or soft invertebrates and do not do as well. This is only a theory to explain why the males may be better able to move, however it appears to match the data well. The last study Steve talked about was on Snapper Turtles in Weaver Dunes. There are numerous turtle nesting sites here due to open areas which get lots of light, loose soil due to agricultural use, and lots of water near the agricultural sites. Snapping Turtles have environmental sex determination, as many turtles do, and they follow a Pattern 2 curve, which means at intermediate temperatures you get male offspring, and at either temperature extreme you get females. They looked at 80 turtle nests in both field and agricultural sites, placing temperature data loggers in the nests. Once the eggs were past the point of sex determination they were taken to the lab and complete incubation there. Many nests produced mostly male offspring, the question was “Why?” There was a dramatic relationship between temperature (and therefore sex ratios) and what type of field the eggs were in. It was shown that different crops produced different soil temperature based on how much light was allowed to reach the soil, and planted fields in general produced lower soil temperatures. For example, there were no males produced from clutches in sunflower fields. The soil type and number of particles in the soil had no relationship to soil temperature. Then the question was why turtles would lay nests in crop sites, and the answer appears to be that at the time of laying, the fields are bare and full of light, and by hatching time the crops have grown and covered the field. So the turtles have no conscious consequence of laying their eggs there. Another explanation is the fields may be safer for eggs in terms of predation or destruction. Most of the degraded or destroyed nests were found in natural prairie sites. Much of the destruction was caused by pocket gophers which avoid the agricultural sites. Another possible factor could be that the turtles are returning to the place where they were hatched, and maybe those locations were not fields then. However, when testing the DNA of these Snapping Turtles, they found suggestions in the mitochondrial DNA that these turtles are not more likely to return to the same nest site through imprinting on the site. Page 2
Volume 34 Number 11
November 2014
Board Positions Responsibility of All Board Members Board members must be a current active member that has reached the age of majority. Board members duties include serving on and chairing committees, working on special projects and assignments for the Board and responding to correspondence as required. Board members are also required to attend board meetings, fill in for any missing board member at meetings and monitor the voicemail messaging service on their assigned month. All Board members must abide by the Bylaws and Policies of MHS. President The President chairs the monthly general and board meetings of MHS, appoints and maintains contact with committee chairs and delegates tasks to other Board members. The President also makes a calendar of meetings, picks up and distributes the society's mail and acts as a public spokesperson for the Society. The President coordinates the common vision and goals of MHS, promoting its growth and sustainability, and upholds the Bylaws. Vice President The Vice President is responsible for coordinating and introducing the speakers for the monthly Meetings and introducing the Critter of the Month presenters. Vice presidential duties also include assisting the President, performing the President's duties in case of absence, notifying the Newsletter editor of upcoming speakers, sending notices of monthly meetings to local newspapers and changing the voicemail message monthly. Treasurer The Treasurer is required to maintain and balance the MHS financial accounts and keep complete records of all financial transactions. This includes collecting and depositing all income in a timely manner, producing both a monthly and an annual financial statement for the newsletter and supplying the Board with a monthly financial activity report. The Treasurer also participates in the complete yearly audit and budget. Membership Secretary The Membership Secretary collects, maintains and updates the membership database. The Membership Secretary is also responsible for supplying a monthly summary of membership activities, maintaining a file of prior newsletters and responding to all information and membership inquiries. The Membership Secretary also maintains the name tag box. Recording Secretary The Recording Secretary records the minutes of the monthly board and general meetings and provides summaries to the Newsletter Editor. The Recording Secretary maintains: the minutes of the board meetings, a complete archive of past newsletters, and a listing of the inventory of MHS supplies, fixtures and goods. Other duties include chairing the Election Committee and providing an annual summary of any unresolved action items. Newsletter Editor The Newsletter Editor edits submissions, enters monthly business, and prepares the MHS newsletter. The Editor also solicits articles, items of interest and advertising. The Editor is responsible for the appearance of the newsletter. Members-At-Large / Immediate Past President The Members-At-Large participate in the decision making process, volunteer for projects or committees. The MembersAt-Large perform other duties as assigned by the President. The Immediate Past President will serve as an advisor to the new board. The election will be held at the November meeting on the 3rd at 7:00pm. To be eligible to vote, you must be 18 years old and a member in good standing. Members must be present to vote; no proxy votes are allowed. If you are interested in running for a board position or have questions regarding the election, please contact Heather Clayton RecSecretary@MnHerpSoc.org. If you would like more information on any position, feel free to contact the board member who currently holds that position.
Current Slate of Candidates: President: Misi Stine Vice President: VACANT Treasurer: Rae Jacobs Rueber Membership Secretary: Lavania Beduhl November 2014
Recording Secretary: Nancy Haig, Rose Maunu Newsletter Editor: Ellen Heck Members At Large: Lois Hall, Chris Smith, Emily Roberts, Micole Hendricks, Kelli Bornholdt, Kimber Anderson Volume 34 Number 11
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Proposed Bylaw Change From: Section 7.02
Disbursements. The Treasurer shall be authorized to make disbursements on accounts and expenses provided for the budget for an event in an amount not to exceed $500.00, or provided for in the budget for the general office purposes in an amount not to exceed $100.00. All disbursements shall be by check. The Board shall authorize all other disbursements. Checks shall be signed by any two Directors.
To: Section 7.02. 7.025
Disbursements. The President, Vice President, and Treasurer are the only authorized Directors that can disburse funds. Authorized Directors can make disbursements in an amount not to exceed $250. The Board shall authorize all other disbursements.
Rationale: This change is intended to update the bylaws to better reflect current MHS financial disbursement practices, including the use of the MHS debt card and electronic banking accounts (PayPal and Square Up). FYI—The Minnesota Herpetological Society is governed by Bylaws and Policies. The Bylaws are the foundation of the society and require a vote by the membership. Policies can be changed by a vote of the Board. http://www.mnherpsoc.com/content/bylaws-minnesota-herpetological-society http://www.mnherpsoc.com/content/mhs-general-policies
10 Awesome Snapping Turtle Facts We know snapping turtles are completely awesome critters. It is nice that finally others are discovering this as well! http://www.buzzfeed.com/turtlefeed/10-awesome-snapping-turtle-facts-ruc
36-year-old Alabama Red Hills Salamander Discovered at the Cincinnati Zoo I am not quite sure how they just now “discovered” an animal that has been in their collection since 1978, but then I have trouble keeping track of my car keys at home so I guess I shouldn’t judge. http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2014/10/36_year_old_alabama_red_hills.html
License to Kill Reptiles Despite what this article states, it does appear that some herps in Pennsylvania are protected and would require a special permit to actually kill. However, it is disturbing if someone in a position of authority in the conservation office recommends the use of a machete to anyone. http://www.poconorecord.com/article/20141025/NEWS/141029535/101010/NEWS http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/058/chapter75/chap75toc.html
Some Like it Loud Species of poison frogs that utilize bright warning coloration as protection from predators are more likely to develop louder, more complex calls than relatives that rely on camouflage. New research indicates that because these visual cues establish certain species as unsavory prey, they are free to make noisy calls in plain sight and better attract possible mates. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/10/141025152713.htm
No Such Things as Reptiles? Well, ok, but who is going to explain this to the reptiles? http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/there-s-no-such-thing-reptiles-any-more-and-here-s-why Page 4
Volume 34 Number 11
November 2014
MHS Reports and Announcements October Adoption Report For the October 2014 Meeting we had a total of 37 animals needing homes. Several Bearded Dragons, a Leopard Gecko, a Blue-tongued Skink, a Savannah Monitor, and 1 Green Iguanas, a celebrity albino Burmese Python, several Common Boas, several Ball Pythons and Cornsnakes, 5" Greek Tortoise, a 25 year old, much loved Japanese Reeves Turtle "Weaver Rose", were adopted.
Treasurer's Report for Sept 2014 prepared By Nancy Haig
Beginning Balance
$
2,488.10
$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $
120.25 65.00 71.00 2,460.27 1,375.00 120.00 1,023.00 5,234.52
$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $
120.00 52.55 607.38 25.00 1,159.25 301.25 82.95 11.02
$
2,359.40
Income
Raffle Donations Hands Ons That left 23 in foster including 1 green Iguana, several Bearded Renfest Income Dragons, Common Boas, cornsnake, Ball Pythons, and aquatic Renfest Donations Membership turtles still looking for permanent homes. Rodent Sales Total Income
Expense Grants/donations Adoption Newsletter printing Newsletter postage Do you really like Rats? Program The MHS is looking for someone to take over processing the rodent orders for the Friday meeting pick-up. The job involves Student org fee storing and repackaging the frozen rodents into the members’ Rodent cost orders and delivering them to the Friday night meeting. Comes Promotional printing complete with a 50” x 34” x 22” chest freezer. For more infor- Renfest supplies equiptment (cable lock) mation please contact Nancy Haig treasurer@mnherpsoc.org acct debit Total Expense
December Speaker
Brandon Greaves Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, NE
Cash Increase/Decrease
$
2,875.12
http://www.nps.gov/isro/naturescience/reptiles.htm
Ending Balance
$
5,363.22
Placement of cash holdings Checking Savings Paypal Transfer to checking Cash on hand
Looking for a few good MHSers Do you attend all monthly MHS meetings (or nearly so)? Are you willing to volunteer a few extra hours per month to support MHS' mission?
Total Notes:
$ 5,363.22 $ 17,482.25 $ 400.13 $ $ 175.00 $ 23,420.60
2013 audit has been completed.
Board Meeting
If yes, the MHS Board of Directors needs you!
The board meeting will be held 6pm November 8th in the St Paul Student Union.
Please contact Chris Smith at President@mnherpsoc.org with any questions.
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.
November 2014
Volume 34 Number 11
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Editor’s note: In the September newsletter there was an article about the Indian Spotted Pond Turtle geoclemys hamiltonii that laid eggs out in the MHS exhibit at the Renaissance Festival. Here is the follow-up from Jake: Of the 16 eggs laid out at Como Cottage at Ren Fest, 9 have successfully hatched and are swimming around, waiting for new owners. Of the 7 that didn’t hatch, one wasn’t fertilized, 2 pipped their eggs but never came out and the other 4 had obviously died some time earlier during development. There has been a lot of interest from around the world in the successful captive propagation of this vulnerable species, with congratulatory notes coming from the EU, Asia and South America. Although many have included offers to buy babies, as they are on the Federal Endangered Species Act, as well as being listed on CITES appendix 1, they can’t legally be sold outside of Minnesota without both the buyer and seller having Federal Captive Wildlife Breeding permits. They can’t leave the USA without CITES export and import permits. Minnesota residents, you are in luck; you are the only people that can legally purchase these wonderful little babies. Jake
Page 6
Volume 34 Number 11
November 2014
MHS Holiday Banquet Saturday December 6th 2014 6:00pm--‐10:00pm NEW LOCATION: Kraus--‐Hartig VFW 8100 Pleasant Dr. NE Spring Lake Park, MN 55432
NEW MENU: Buffet style menu catered by Dan Good Catering **vegetarian option available – indicate on sign up if desired
Cost is $10 per adult And $5 for kids under 11 years old Or Register through PayPal http://www.mnherpsoc.org/banquet/
PRE--‐REGISTRATION and PAYMENT IS REQUIRED!!!! All registrations and payments are due by 5:00pm on November 24th, and we will not be able to take walk--‐ins the night of the event! So please register early!
Upcoming Hands-on Event Schedule STEM Family Fun Night—Thursday November 6th, 2014. 6:30-8pm. Rogers Elementary School, 12521 Main St, Rogers, 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!
November 2014
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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. http://www.mnherpsoc.org/forums/members/classifieds Page 8
Volume 34 Number 11
November 2014
Minnesota Herpetological Society Membership Application New
Name
Renewal
Address
Membership #
City, State, Zip Phone
Type Check #
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
Hoppers
8-11 grams
$8/dz
Adult
25-30 grams
$10/dz
Jumbo Adult
45+ grams
$14/dz
Rats
Weight
Price
Small Adult
50-60 grams
$18/dz
Med. Adults
125-150 grams
$22/ 10 rats
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
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.
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
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 November 7th - 7:00 pm Room 335 Borlaug Hall, U of M St. Paul Campus Save the dates! Friday December 5th—General meeting Saturday December 6th—Holiday Banquet MHS Voice Mail: 612.326.6516
MHS Web Page: www.MnHerpSoc.org
This newsletter is printed on recycled paper