Vol. 35 (2015), No. 1

The newsletter of the

Minnesota Herpetological Society

January Meeting Notice General Meeting will be January 9th, 2015 January Speaker Frank Ziegler—Herpetological Life of Romania Bylaw Change—page 6 2015 General Meeting Dates—page 5

January 2015

Volume 35

Number 1

BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Misi Stine 952.217.1267 President@mnherpsoc.org Vice President Mike Rohweder VicePresident@MnHerpSoc.org Recording Secretary Nancy Haig 763.434.8684 RecSecretary@MnHerpSoc.org Membership Secretary Lavania Beguhl MemSecretary@MnHerpSoc.org Treasurer Rae Jacobs Ruber Treasurer@MnHerpSoc.org Newsletter Editor Ellen Heck 612.750.1649 NewsletterEditor@MnHerpSoc.org Members at Large Kimber Anderson MemberAtLarge3@MnHerpSoc.org Lois Hall MemberAtLarge4@MnHerpSoc.org Emily Roberts MemberAtLarge1@MnHerpSoc.org Chris Smith 612.275.9737 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 Frank Ziegler Cartoons by Fran Frisch

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

Stay informed! Join us on our forums!

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

The purpose of the Minnesota Herpetological Society is to: • Further the education of the membership and the general public in care and captive propagation of reptiles and amphibians; • Educate the members and the general public in the ecological role of reptiles and amphibians; • Promote the study and conservation of reptiles and amphibians.

The Minnesota Herpetological Society is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization. Membership is open to all individuals with an interest in amphibians and reptiles. The Minnesota Herpetological Society Newsletter is published monthly to provide its members with information concerning the society’s activities and a media for exchanging information, opinions and resources.

General Meetings are held at Borlaug Hall, Room 335 on the St. Paul Campus of the University of Minnesota, on the first Friday of each month (unless there is a holiday conflict). The meeting starts at 7:00pm and lasts about three hours. Please check the MHS Voice mail for changes in schedules or cancellations.

Submissions to the Newsletter Ads or Notices must be submitted no later than the night of the General Meeting to be included in the next issue. Longer articles will be printed as time and space allows and should be in electronic file format if possible.

See inside back cover for ad rates. Submissions may be sent to: 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 — Frank Ziegler January 9th, 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.

Frank Ziegler grew up in the Minnesota and became interested in amphibians and reptiles at a young age. He has been a member of the Minnesota Herpetological Society since at least 1997. He participated in the 1,000 Friends of Frogs project with Hamline University and conducted the Herpetological Survey for the St. John’s Arboretum in 2001, as well as presenting on herps for the Arboretum several times as a volunteer. He has worked for the Minnesota DNR as both a vegetation specialist and as a fisheries intern, and has worked as a frog survey volunteer from 2009-2014 in Belgrade and Andover Minnesota. Frank now lives in Ames Iowa with his wife, who is a statistics professor at Iowa State University, and his son, who likes frogs but is still a little iffy on snakes and lizards. He has another future herper on the way, a girl this time.

Frank worked as a Peace Corps volunteer in Romania from 2005 to 2007. During this time he studied the local herp life, documenting what he saw in his herp journal and with photos and videos. Frank presented on the Amphibians and Reptiles of Romania to the MHS in September of 2008, so some familiar topics may be covered today. Frank recently revisited much of the data recorded in Romania while entering it into his Herpmapper account which covers 3 countries and 8 states in the US. Thus far he has the only entries for the nation of Romania.

Brandon Greaves— Building HARCC (Honduras Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Center) Submitted by Heather Clayton December’s speaker was Brandon Greaves from the Henry tion, and retrofitted the space for amphibian conservation Doorly Zoo in Omaha, Nebraska. He has done other talks use. This is important because there are around 6,000 amfor the MHS, and is always interesting and entertaining. phibian species worldwide, with almost half of them being Brandon’s talk in December threatened on some level, was about the work being and about 7.7% of amdone for amphibian conserphibian species are critivation at Henry Doorly’s ACA cally endangered. This is (Amphibian Conservation primarily due to the familArea). They will be applying iar combination overwhat they have learned at collection, pesticide use, the ACA for a project in Hondisease, climate change, duras for endangered frog and especially habitat loss. populations. The ACA houses Brandon’s partner in the several isolation rooms HARCC project is Jonathan where different amphibian Kolby, who discovered species are kept in specieschytrid fungus in Cusuco specific collections, such as National Park in Honduras.

Eastern Hellbenders, He also found it in the Atelopus, and several others. conservation area set up These rooms are selfResident of the Desert Dome—Henry Doorly Zoo in Tela. More than 100 reptile and contained, each with their own climate amphibian species live there, in an control systems and RO water filtration systems, which alarea of 234 sq km, and 30 of those species are amphibian. low them to recycle water and prevent contamination of San Pedro is a very large city just on the other side of the either the environment or the rooms. The “Elevator Buildisland from the park, and many of its inhabitants don’t ing” was originally going to be the entrance to a panda even know the conservation area exists. exhibit, but the zoo wised up before continuing construcJanuary 2015

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Brandon and Jonathan are focusing on three of the frog species found in this area, Duellmanohyla soralia, which is a small green frog with red eyes and patterning, Plectrohyla dasypus, a small green/brown frog with patterning, and Plectrohyla exquisita, a clean-skinned green/brown frog. These species were chosen because they are relatively hardy and have the highest likelihood of success. They are also among the top five most critically endangered amphibians in the area, making them good candidates. The goal is to collect tadpoles and froglets in the wild, rid them of chytrid, and release them back into the wild as stable adults to establish an assurance colony. When they go to release the adults, they will collect more juveniles and repeat the process every six months. This will help ensure they catch the reproductive cycle of the frogs.

This project really began in 2006 with Jonathan Kolby going to Cusuco with Operation Wallacea to conduct chytrid surveys. They began the surveys and found high infection rates in 2007, and decided that ex-situ intervention was needed.

In 2008 Jonathan went to the Lancetilla Botanical Garden for help, and he did find a partner in Honduras with Zamorano University. In 2012 the Honduran Government committed some small space for the project as well at Lancetilla, who helped with space and facilities. The support from local communities and government is good; it shows excitement for HARCC being there and its efforts to help their local wildlife.

They met with the director of the Lancetilla facility and saw the building, which is an old school house, of which they could use half. Jonathan and Brandon spent some time looking into local sources for the materials they would need to build systems similar to what they have at the ACA in Omaha, including everything from doors to orchids. It proved difficult to find what they needed, and there were several roadblocks, including a soccer game that shut down the city for a couple of days. After the difficulties they were coming across, it was decided maybe the building was not the best option, and that they should start from scratch and construct frog pods. These are basically large shipping containers used on trains and ships, which have been retrofitted for frog isolation rooms. They have plenty of space, enough for around 40 frog tanks per pod, and with two pods that should be enough to house the animals they will be collecting.

The HARCC project at this point is working to get people excited about the work and raise funds, also to grow staff and continue construction, as well as continue to collect frogs toward that assurance population. They will most likely set up a pod here in the US, order a second set of everything, and ship it all inside the one pod to Honduras. This will make finding supplies easier, and provide local Honduran crafters and example to work from if something needs replacing. All of these plans are waiting on more grants and funding, so this is of course always part of the goal.

With help from the US and Honduras, HARCC will be able to set up an amphibian conservation site right where the animals are being affected. This is a great project, and hopefully Brandon will be able to come back and give us an update soon!

http://www.amphibians.org/explore/the-partners/honduras-amphibian-rescue-and-conservation-center/ http://www.biodiversityscience.com/2013/04/10/honduran-amphibian-rescue-conservation-center/ http://www.omahazoo.com/ Page 4

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January 2015

Quarantine Suggestions Miller, R.E. 1996. Quarantine protocols and preventive medicine procedures for reptiles, birds and mammals in zoos.

Rev. Sci. Tech 15(1): 183-189 QUARANTINE PERSONNEL Ideally, a keeper should be designated to care only for quarantined animals; otherwise, a keeper should attend quarantined animals only after fulfilling responsibilities for resident species. Equipment used to feed and clean animals in quarantine should be used only with these animals. If this is not possible, then equipment must be cleaned with an appropriate disinfectant (as designated by the veterinarian supervising quarantine) before use with post-quarantine animals. Institutions must take precautions to minimize the risk of exposure of animal handling personnel to zoonotic diseases which may be present in newly-acquired animals. These precautions should include the use of disinfectant footbaths, the wearing of appropriate protective clothing and masks (in some cases), and minimizing physical exposure in some species (e.g. with primates, by the use of chemical rather than physical restraint). A programme of tuberculin testing and surveillance must be established for zoo/aquarium employees, to ensure the health of both the employees and the animal collection.

QUARANTINE PROTOCOL During the quarantine period, certain prophylactic measures should be instituted. Individual faecal samples, or representative samples from large numbers of individuals housed in a limited area (e.g. birds of the same species in an aviary or frogs in a terrarium), should be collected, on at least two occasions, and examined for gastrointestinal parasites.

Treatment should be prescribed by the attending veterinarian. Ideally, release from quarantine should be dependent on obtaining two negative faecal results at a minimum interval of two weeks, either initially or after parasiticide treatment.

In addition, all animals should be evaluated for ectoparasites and should receive appropriate treatment, if necessary.

Vaccinations should be updated as appropriate for each species (1). If the animal arrives without a vaccination history, it should be treated as being immunologically naive and should be given an appropriate series of vaccinations. Whenever possible, blood should be collected and sera stored in a freezer (not frost-free) at either - 70ÅãC or - 20ÅãC. Such sera could provide an important resource for retrospective disease evaluation. The quarantine period also presents an opportunity to identify permanently all unmarked animals, when anaesthetized or restrained (e.g. tattoo, ear notch, ear tag).

Also, whenever animals are restrained or immobilized, a complete physical examination, including dental examination, should be performed. Complete medical records of all animals should be kept, and should be available for consultation during the quarantine period. Necropsy should be performed, under the supervision of a veterinarian, on all animals which die during quarantine; representative tissues should be submitted for histopathological examination.

QUARANTINE PROCEDURES Evaluation of faecal samples for parasites is required for each species. Ideally, at least two negative results should be obtained from samples taken with a minimum 14-day interval, although other protocols are necessary for some parasite infestations. As noted above, all appropriate vaccinations should be performed. Recommendations and suggestions for appropriate quarantine procedures for several animal groups are presented below.

This is extremely important. ALWAYS work with newly acquired animals last.

Rubber gloves are cheap! Discard between use (don’t try to re-use them).

Plan Ahead! 2015 Meeting Dates

January 9, 2015 February 6, 2015 March 6, 2015 April 10, 2015 (White Snake Sale) May 1, 2015 June 5, 2015 January 2015

July 10, 2015 August 7, 2015 September 11, 2015 October 2, 2015 November 6, 2015 December 4, 2015 (Holiday Banquet Dec. 5th).

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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

Service Proposes Trade Protections for Four Native Freshwater Turtles The US Fish & Wildlife service is proposing new rules to protect four more native turtle species. If finalized, this action will bring four native freshwater turtle species – the common snapping turtle, the Florida softshell turtle, the smooth softshell turtle and the spiny softshell turtle – under the protection of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and require exporters to obtain a permit before shipping turtles overseas. http://www.fws.gov/news/ShowNews.cfm?ID=5D3D98CD-9DC9-6DC7-EECA7379A6B656EF

New Frog Species Coughs Instead of Croaking A new frog species has been found that ranges from Connecticut to North Carolina and emits a distinct call that sounds more like a cough than a croak. http://www.livescience.com/48989-new-frog-species-coughs-instead-of-croaking.html

Newly discovered fanged frog gives births to live tadpoles Most frogs lay eggs and some birth froglets; the rare Limnonectes larvaepartus is the only one known to actually release tadpoles into the world. http://www.haaretz.com/life/nature-environment/1.634846

Biggest Venomous Snake Ever Revealed in New Fossils Laophis crotaloides measured between 10 and 13 feet (3 and 4 meters) long and weighed a whopping 57 lbs. (26 kilograms). Today's longest venomous snakes, king cobras (Ophiophagus hannah), can grow to be about 18 feet (5.5 m) long. But at typical weights between 15 and 20 lbs. (6.8 to 9 kg), king cobras are scrawny compared to Laophis. http://www.livescience.com/48629-biggest-venomous-snake-fossils-found.html Page 6

Volume 35 Number 1

January 2015

MHS Reports and Announcements 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

Board Meeting The board meeting will be held 6pm January 10 in the Community Room at the St Louis Park Byerly’s.

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.

Holiday Banquet The Holiday Banquet was held in the VFW in xxx and was catered this year, rather than potluck. The speaker was Brandon Greaves of the Henry Doorly Zoo in Omaha, NE.

January 2015

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All images owned by Chad Carpenter/Tundra. Reprinted with permission. Check out his site here: http://www.tundracomics.com/

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!

January 2015

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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 10

Volume 35 Number 1

January 2015

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

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:

Save the dates!

Friday January 9th - 7:00 pm Room 335 Borlaug Hall, U of M St. Paul Campus

Friday February 6th—General meeting Friday March 6th—General meeting

MHS Voice Mail:

MHS Web Page:

612.326.6516

www.MnHerpSoc.org

https://www.google.com/maps/place/1991+Upper+Buford+Cir+Borlaug+Hall,+St+Paul,+MN+55108/data=!4m2!3m1!

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