Vol. 36 (2016), No. 2

The newsletter of the

Minnesota Herpetological Society

February Meeting Notice General Meeting February 5th February Speaker - Bruce Delles, Twin Cities Reptiles Letter from the President page 5 MHS Strategic Plan page 6 Kid’s Korner pages 12-13

February 2016

Volume 36

Number 2

BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Misi Stine 952.217.1267 President@mnherpsoc.org Vice President Jim Soos 612.382.1920 VicePresident@MnHerpSoc.org

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

Recording Secretary Nancy Haig 763.434.8684 RecSecretary@MnHerpSoc.org

Or you can still leave us a Voice Mail: 612.326.6516

Membership Secretary Lavania Beguhl 651.274.8511 MemSecretary@MnHerpSoc.org Treasurer Rae Jacobs Ruber 612.366.9337 Treasurer@MnHerpSoc.org Newsletter Editor Ellen Heck 612.750.1649 NewsletterEditor@MnHerpSoc.org Lois Hall 612.824.1447 MemberAtLarge4@MnHerpSoc.org Rebecca Markowitz 409.740.0235 MemberAtLarge1@MnHerpSoc.org Members at Large Casey Sievert 651.338.3244 MemberAtLarge3@MnHerpSoc.org

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

Chris Smith 612.275.9737 MemberAtLarge2@MnHerpSoc.org

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 Beth Girard 612.326.6516 Adoptions@MnHerpSoc.org Education Jan Larson 507.263.4391 Jan.SkunkHollow@Juno.com Fostering Rebecca Markwitz 612.326.6516 Fosters@MnHerpSoc.org WebMaster WebMaster@MnHerpSoc.org Cover by Tom Junek; all rights reserved Cartoons by Fran Frisch

The Minnesota Herpetological Society Attn: Newsletter Editor C/O Bell Museum of Natural History 10 Church St SE Minneapolis, MN 55455-0104 NewsletterEditor@MnHerpSoc.org

SNAKE BITE EMERGENCY HENNEPIN REGIONAL POISON CENTER 800-222-1222

© Copyright 2015, 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 — Bruce Delles February 5th, 7:00pm; 6:30pm Social Hour Social hour begins at 6:30pm. This is a time for people to catch up before the meeting starts.

Having been into reptiles since the late 1960’s and growing up in northern California, I spent a lot of time at the original East Bay Vivarium in Oakland, CA. I moved to Minnesota after getting out of the military in 1975. In 1976 I worked for Terry Odegaard at his pet store called The Pet Dragon. I was in charge of the mail order sales. (That’s pre e-mail, as home computers & cell phones were just being developed.) A year or so after working for Terry he decided to get out of the business and offered it to me. So, in 1978 I started Twin Cities Reptiles as a mail order business.

In 1980 I opened up the business as a retail store. The first retail location was on the ground floor level of a house. A whopping 400 square feet of space! About a year or so later we moved to a different location that was 500 square feet.

About two years after that we moved again. This time to a location we would stay in for the next nine + years. This was a 1,200 square foot basement location below the “Down in the Valley” record shop. We have since relocated again to our current location, where we have been since the early 90’s. It is currently our largest location with over 6,000 square feet of space.

TCR is one of the oldest reptile specialty stores in the nation and the largest in Minnesota. We pride ourselves on offering the largest selection of reptiles, amphibians and supplies available. We also carry the largest selection of supplies for reptiles as well as small animals & fish supplies. We do not carry dogs, cats or birds but do carry supplies for them and top of the line premium brands of dog and cat foods.

Over the years we have bred and produced the following animals: Burmese, Reticulated, Dwarf Reticulated, Children’s, Spotted, Maclotts, Carpet and Ball pythons. Columbian, Brazilian and Columbian Rainbow, Kenyan Sand, and various types of Rosy boas. Red, Black, Yellow, Texas, Great Plains and Chinese ratsnakes. California, Florida, Eastern, Desert, Grey Banded and Sonoran kingsnakes as well as various milk snakes. Bulls, Gophers, Cat Eyed, Mangrove, & Western hognose snakes. Also various types of lizards including, Bearded Dragons, Leopard, African Fat Tail, Tokay & Crested geckos, Veiled chameleons, Green iguanas and Blue Tongue skinks.

We have been featured in various articles in the Minneapolis Star & Tribune, Best of the Twin Cities Magazine (twice), Walker Art Magazine and various other publications as well. We are “The Reptile Store” of the Twin Cities, and work very hard to stay that way. We have been in business since 1978.

Anthony Bostwick—Eagle Scout Project Submitted by Nancy Haig

Survey of Chicagua Bottoms Wetlands for Chytrid Fungus. The MHS approved a grant of $460.00 in March 2015 to help Anthony Bostwick create a survey project as part of his Eagle Scout requirements.

Chytrid Fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) is a fungus that attaches to the skin of amphibians. The fungus causes the growth of extra skin cells (epidermal hyperplasia) which stops the absorption of oxygen and water thru the amphibians skin and leads to death. It is found worldwide. Some species that are now extinct in the wild from Chytrid include the Golden Toad Bufo periglenes, the Golden Frog Atalopus zeteui, the Gastric Brooding Frog Rheobatrachu, and Rhabbs Finge-Limb Tree Frog Ecomionyla rabborum Anthony’s survey sites were in Southern Iowa, in the Chicagua Bottoms Greenbelt, an area that covers 10,080 acres or approximately 15 + square miles. He choose 5 sites that were breeding areas for Bull Frogs Lithobates catesbeianus, Blanchard’s Cricket Frog Acris creitans blanchardi, Gray Treefrog Hyla versicolor, Boreal Chorus Frog Pseudacris maculate, Northern Leopard Frog Lithobates pipiens, Plains Loepard February 2016

Frog Lithobates blairi, American Toad Anaxyrus americanus, and the Eastern Tiger Salamander Ambystoma tigrinum.

Project Day started with a group of volunteers catching frogs with nets. The animals were then given to a biologist who took samples by swabbing the legs or bellies of the frogs. Field notes logged in the site location, species found and sample identification. The animals were then released back to their sites. Overall of the 50 samples tested, 11 came back positive (22% positive). Because elevated levels of Nitrate and Nitrite have been linked to large frog population kills water sampling was also done on the sites.

The initial results showed those areas with a higher PH value (8.0) and carbonate KH (240ppm) yielded a higher ratio of positive results (40% +).

Anthony would like to see further testing done at the sites, increasing the sample sizes and to rule out any possible cross contamination questions.

Also he would like to monitor the water quality particularly after the large rainfall that occurred this year.

Volume 36 Number 2

Steve Bostwick—The Captive Care of Day Geckos Submitted by Nancy Haig

Steve has been keeping Day Geckos since 1992 when he kept them in a terrarium in his dorm room. There are 36 species that live on the mainland of Madagascar. There are an additional 24 species that can be found on the surrounding smaller islands of the Indian ocean but there are only 5 species that can be imported with permits.

All Phelsuma are CITES II animals.

According to Steve, it’s all about the cage. Having the proper set-up determines whether your Day Gecko will live or die. A terrarium set-up should include an inch or two of substrate, (he uses fir bark mixed with coconut fiber), be heavily planted or potted with live plants, have a misting system, extra hide areas of bamboo or cork bark for egg laying and water bowls. Day Geckos are not nocturnal they require proper lighting, so he uses Compact Florescent Full Spectrum 100 or 150 UVB bulbs depending on the height of the cage. He prefers to heat the room instead of individual cages.

Know where your animal is from, species from the Northern Tip or Eastern Coast of Madagascar need to have misting systems.

He likes to run a 2 minute every 24 hours cycle for his and he also has a small water bowl for them to drink out of. Steve feeds a variety of crickets, waxworms, Crested Gecko Diet, and a mixture of yogurt, calcium, fruit and chicken baby foods every 4 days. If you are buying from a dealer ask what foods they are currently feeding their animals, it can take several days for Geckos to adjust to new food combinations.

The major health problems for Geckos are mainly husbandry issues. Day Geckos have soft skin, if you handle them too hard you can tear their skin.

Hand training should allow the animal to climb on the hand instead of grabbing the animal. Low humidity and bad nutrition can cause shedding February 2016

problems especially around the toes and tail tip.

All wild caught Phelsumas will come in with mites, so it is better to buy captive bred and avoid the problems. Flop Tail is a condition that is caused by not providing a horizontal perching spot. As the animal hangs on the side of the cage, usually head down, the weight of the tail can make it flop over, sometimes actually causing the vertebrae to break. Having a variety of angled and horizontal perches in the cage can help prevent this. Injuries can occur from fighting for territory and aggressive breeding behavior. Only a few species can be kept in a harem group (1 male to 6 females) but it requires a very large cage as the females will fight over territory so it is best to keep them in pairs. Last -Metabolic Bone Diseasecaused by the lack of Calcium in the diet, so Steve keeps a small bowl of calcium powder in the cage.

If you are planning on breeding your Geckos, you need to know if they are gluers or non-gluers. Day Geckos lay hard shelled eggs but depending on the species some will lay their eggs loose on the ground (non-gluers) while others will adhere the eggs to a surface (gluers).

Knowing which type you have will help you set-up a proper egg laying structure that can easily be removed and put in an incubator. Incubation temperatures also vary by species, and sex is determined by temperature.

Hatchlings will fight and bully each other, so they should be kept separately to allow healthy growth.

Steve concluded with a quick overview of the individual species that he keeps. He highlighted photos of the Geckos with the name (common name if known), size, native location on Madagascar and habitat type, whether it was a gluer or non-gluer, and size of the cage he keeps it in.

It was a beautiful end to a very informative talk.

Volume 36 Number 2

Letter from the President With so many exciting projects in the works, I want to take the opportunity to share updates with you. First, the Governance Committee has completed a revision of the by-laws with the assistance of a local attorney who specializes in small non-profits like ours. The Board has voted to accept the draft and pass it along to the membership for approval. The draft is included in this month’s newsletter. The bylaws are attached; please take some time to read it. One goal of this process was to bring our bylaws into compliance with ever changing laws. More importantly, the Governance Committee and Board wanted to ensure that our bylaws reflect the current needs of our organization. At the March meeting, the Board will be available to answer questions about the draft. At the White Snake Sale in April, we are asking the MHS membership to vote on the revised bylaws. In the meantime, please feel free to contact me if you have questions. I am happy to talk more with you.

Secondly, here is the latest scoop on our website and membership database project. Over the last several months, Website Committee has encountered several challenges in moving this project forward. Although it may not be visibly evident yet to the general observer, the Committee and our new Web Developer have been working diligently to move the goals to completion. At the end of phase one, the old and new websites will be integrated into one website and we will no longer be operating from two websites, as we have been over the past year. In addition, the membership database will become part of the website, making it more accessible and user friendly so the Board can better assist members with questions and other issues such as rodent orders and forums. We have greatly appreciated your patience through these multiple challenges. We expect that we will complete the baseline integration of the new site with the old by the end of January. We look forward to an MHS website that will be extremely helpful, informative, and visually pleasing. As we move past phase one of the implementation the Website Committee will be closely working with the new Membership and Marketing Committee to achieve the goal under the strategic plan.

The MHS website will be as great as what we put into it. The MHS membership is chocked full of folks who love herps and who have loads of great stories, pictures, and information to share. Once the site is fully functional, we will concentrate on expanding site content and we look to all of you to take ownership and pride in what we share with the herping world and society at large. Please don’t wait! Contact me at any time to discuss ways you can share pictures and contribute to website content. As an all-volunteer organization, participation from each one of our members is encouraged and welcomed. Together, we will always have enough hands to meet our goals and remain a strong, healthy, successful organization.

Thank you for your commitment and passion for MHS and herps--today and as we move towards the future!

Misi Stine President

February 2016

Volume 36 Number 2

Reminder Committee reports are due. Please turn in all reports to Misi President@MnHerpSoc.Org. Also, the White Snake Sale is coming up April 1. If you are interested in volunteering please contact Ellen at NewsletterEditor@MnHerpSoc.org or Misi.

Looking for Herp Assistance Volunteers!

Are you an experienced keeper of a particular type of herp? Are you willing and able to provide answers to others? We are looking to re-introduce the herp assistance program and need people willing to offer advice for all types of reptiles and amphibians. We are also looking for people who specialize in breeding (herps, that is) cage building, etc. Volunteers will be listed in the newsletter and on the website with a phone number and/or email address that people seeking advice can call you on. Please contact Ellen NewsletterEditor@mnherpsoc.org if you are interested in helping.

We are also looking for someone to handle the rodent orders and pickup. The position includes taking the orders, maintaining the inventory (freezers are provided), ordering the rodents, picking them up and delivering them to the meeting. Time spent is 3-5 hours a month. Contact Misi Stine at President@mnherpsoc.org or Nancy Haig at RecSecretary@MnHerpSoc.org for more information.

Snake Sheds Wanted Eden Bio-Creations (https://edenbiocreations.com/ ) has asked if MHS members would be willing to give snake sheds of all sizes, and species to them to produce their shed textile products, like cell phone covers. In return MHS would receive a donation for each product sold using our members snake sheds. Here is a video on the program: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J59mMc92xZU#t=119 For those of you willing to share your sheds with MHS for this program a box will be made available at the monthly meetings, starting in January, to collect them for this group. Here is what we need when you bring in your sheds: 1. each shed is placed in it's own Ziploc baggie, and labeled with the species 2. be sure that the shed is does not have any large chunks of feces on it 3. All sizes of sheds are accepted, 4. Please feel free to submit even if torn (include all the pieces), as they can be put back together.

If you have any questions about this please direct them to Lois Hall at MemberAtLarge4@MnHerpSoc.org February 2016

Volume 36 Number 2

From the Newsletter Editor—I apologize for the lateness of the newsletter this month. I was on vacation in Ecuador, including 11 days in the Galapagos and 4 days in the rainforest. I only returned late Saturday and so have not had a chance to sort through all the photos and video. I will share more as I get them sorted, but here is a little sample.

Ellen

February 2016

Volume 36 Number 2

Upcoming Hands-on Event Schedule STEM Event—Thursday April 21st 5:30-7pm. Battle Creek Elementary School, 60 Ruth Avenue, St Paul, 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.

Praying mantis engages in a five-minute stand-off with a baby crocodile First one to blink loses! Praying mantis engages in a five-minute stand-off with a baby crocodile (before having the cheek to climb over his rival) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3406377/First-one-blink-loses-Praying-mantis-engages-fiveminute-stand-crocodile-walking-rival.html

Tuatura: Lizard-like reptile takes 38 years to lay an egg in Chester Zoo A lizard-like reptile which survived the demise of the dinosaurs and now lives only in New Zealand has given birth for the first time in captivity outside its homeland – in an incubator at Chester Zoo. If you thought it was difficult for pandas to breed in captivity, spare a thought for tuataras. They take 20 years to reach sexual maturity, come into breeding condition once every four years, and seem to live in perpetual slow motion – which is not such a problem if your life expectancy is 120 years. http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/tuatura-lizard-like-reptile-takes-38-years-to-layan-egg-in-chester-zoo-a6844041.html

How Temperature Determines Sex in Alligators Some reptiles such as crocodilians and some turtles are known to display temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), where the ambient temperature of the developing eggs determines the individual's sex. An international joint research team has determined that the thermosensor protein TRPV4 is associated with TSD in the American alligator. http://www.sciencedaily.com/ releases/2015/12/151223134112.htm

Regrowing Functional Joints in Frogs In a first, researchers have regenerated functional joints in frogs by activating a newly-found 'reintegration' mechanism. Further understanding of this process may help transplanted tissues integrate with the original organs and limbs after surgical removal or amputation. http://www.sciencedaily.com/ releases/2016/01/160114113358.htm February 2016

Volume 36 Number 2

MHS Reports and Announcements January 2015 Adoption Report

December 2015 Treasurer’s Report

Submitted by Beth Girard

Submitted by Rae Ruber

Nine animals were surrendered to the Minnesota Herpetological Society this month. One, an African sideneck turtle, was the first animal to come in from Minneapolis Animal Care and Control since September. The only returning foster animal was a common boa that may have developed an upper respiratory infection. The boa was put into immediate quarantine and Nancy Haig took it to foster. It will not be returned to the Adoption Program until it has been cleared by the MHS Intake Veterinarian, Dr. Barbara Ault.

Three animals were adopted (two Ouachita map turtles and a leopard gecko) and six (including the sick boa) were placed in foster care. A large red-eared slider was outsourced to Jeff LeClere at Intake and was not available at the meeting.

For the third month in a row, veterinary students from the University of Minnesota have attended Intake Night to learn more about treating exotic animals.

Beginning Balance

Income: Raffle

$18.25

Donations-Public

$394.29

Field Survey

$400.00

Membership

$220.00

Rodent Sales

$674.00

Holiday Banquet

$75.00

Interest on Savings

$0.22 $1,781.76

Total Income

New Meeting Process At the October meeting we instituted new procedures for the adoption program that we hope will expedite the entire process. We have heard from several people that they would be willing to foster animals if they did not have to wait so long after the end of the presentation for determinations to be announced. We rely on the members willing to foster animals as we continue to average more than twenty-five new animals each month. #1. On the morning of the meeting, a list of the animals available will be posted on the MHS Website in the Public and Member Forum areas under “Adoption”. You will find a post (i.e.: “Adoptions for October 2015”) there with the animals we know about at the close of Intake. A few animals do trickle in on Friday, but they are mostly foster returns from previous months.

Expense:

#2. We will make every effort to be set up by 6:30pm on meeting nights so the animals will be available for viewing a full thirty minutes prior to the beginning of the meeting. #3. Adoption Request forms will be on the back tables.

Please turn them in as soon as possible. #4. The President will announce one last opportunity for Adoption Request Forms to be turned in just prior to the introduction of the night’s featured speaker. A member-atlarge will collect them. #5. The Adoption Committee and one board member will meet briefly (outside the meeting room) during the program to make the determinations.

Cash Increase/Decrease

#6. The determinations will be announced after the speaker’s presentation, but before the break begins. Animals that are being adopted will be on the west side and animals still in need of fostering or adoption will be on the east side of the room. We will only need a few minutes after the speaker is finished to assemble the animals before you can pick up your adoption/foster animal/s.

February 2016

$30,104.00

Grants

$1,500.00

Program

$387.84

Legal Fees

$200.00

Parking for SL Interpreters

$12.00

Printing

$631.13

Ren Fest Supplies

$97.97

Paypal Fees

$7.74

Supplies

$19.60

Holiday Banquet

$1,202.92

Freezer for Rodents

$220.89

Wesite

$14.95 $4,295.04

Total Expense

-$2,513.28 $27,590.72

Ending Balance Placement of Cash Holdings Checking

$8,887.45

Savings

$17,487.65

Paypal

$1,025.62

Cash on Hand Total

$190.00 $27,590.72

Board Meeting The board meeting will be held 6pm February 6th at the Como Dockside Restaurant Community Space.

Everyone is welcome to attend the board meeting. We encourage you to come check it out.

Volume 36 Number 2

MHS Reports and Announcements Minnesota Herpetological Society Treasurer's Report for Year End 2015 prepared by Raelene Rueber

2015 Income Raffle Library fines

$ $

776.90 -

Donation - Misc Donation - Hands on Donations - Renfest White Snake Sale Renfest Income Field Survey Midwest Income permit refund Membership Dues Investment Rodent Sales Clothing Sales Holiday Banquet Newsletter Ads returned checks acct credit Returned checks acct credit misc

$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

1,910.30 1,598.50 4,734.55 1,827.50 2,750.00 400.00 3,545.00 3.94 8,886.00 510.00 40.00 64.07

Total Income

$ 27,046.76

$ 26,491.17

Beginning Balance Transfer into Transfer out of Net Gain / (Loss)

Checking square up $ 8,436.02 $ $ 1,273.60 $ (773.60) $ (822.17) $ 773.60

Total placement of

February 2016

$ 8,887.45 $

-

$ $

7,460.00 427.48

Program (independent confield survey Legal Fees Professional Fees-other permits Newsletter Printing Newsletter Postage other postage Promotional items printing Rodent Costs Clothing costs Hands On Supples Renfest supplies State Fair picnic Gen office printing Insurance Phone Media/web Student organization fees Supplies Refreshments Holiday banquet expenses Volunteer awards equipment Service charges acct debit other

$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

3,484.08 486.54 656.00 1,174.00 144.82 781.34 5,446.49 560.89 732.65 830.00 120.00 1,389.23 80.69 293.51 1,202.92 352.41 220.89 103.27 -

Total $ 25,947.21

Total Ex$

Net Gain (Loss) Beginning Balance

2015 Expense Grants/donations Adoption/vet costs

1,099.55

paypal $ 396.44

savings cash $ 17,483.71 $

$ (500.00) $ 1,129.18

$

$ 1,025.62

$ 17,487.65 $

3.94 $

175.00 $ 26,491.17 $ 1,273.60 $ (1,273.60) 15.00 $ 1,099.55 190.00

$ 27,590.72

Volume 36 Number 2

MHS Reports and Announcements Minutes of the Nov 14, 2015, MHS Board of Directors Meeting Attending: Misi Stine, Mike Rohweder, Nancy Haig, Lavania Beguhl, Rae Rueber, Ellen Heck, Rose Maunu, Lois Hall, Emily Roberts, Chris Smith, Visitors attending: Jeff LeClere, Jim Soos, Liz Bosman Meeting was called to order at 6:20pm Opening remarks by President Nov General Meeting Attendance: @ 86 Committee Reports: Recording Secretary: Nancy-The minutes for the Oct 3,2015 Board Meetings were approved with one spelling change.

Handout of MHS (Purpose, Aims, Code of Ethics, Mission and Vision) Statements were distributed.

The results for the election are 56 ballots were recorded as given out. 49 ballots came back.. The Minnesota Herpetological Society Board of Directors for 2016 is: President- Misi Stine, Vice-president- Jim Soos, Recording Sectretary- Nancy Haig, Membership Secretary -Lavania Beguhl, Treasurer- Rae Rueber, Newsletter Editor- Ellen Heck, Members-at-Large- Lois Hall, Rebecca Markowitz, Casey Sievert, Chris Smith.

Membership Secretary: Lavania –she does not have a working laptop, estimated membership is around 170 paid members, 8 new members signed up at the Nov General meeting.

Old Business Website Updates: Ellen and Lavania are still working out some data base issues, mhs. Org emails are bouncing back, g -mail or google not always working or not forwarding. .org is on Brads server, login-in for .com not transferred, membership data is infected. Ellen has a backup copy from July.

Action Items: Ellen will try to recover data from Membership laptop. By the end of Nov, Misi, Brad and Ellen will meet to determine what the next actions should be for correcting the website.

Strategic Plan: Basic Goals( SPG) hand out presented by Misi: Motion to: accept the Strategic Plan Goals as amended , Second, Passed.

Action Item: The SPG will be printed in the Dec. newsletter.

Conflict of Interest Implementation: Possible conflict points were reviewed and a guideline for future reference for volunteers regarding actions causing possible loss for MHS will be created.

Motion to: accept the 6-2015 Disclosure form as the latest revision level. Seconded Passed.

Review of 2015 Conflict of Interest Disclosure forms. All Board members present.

Motion to: accept the disclosure statements from 2015. All were seconded and passed.

Disclosure form will be updated with rev level for the 2016 January meeting of the new Board.

Holiday Banquet: There will be one ticket for door prizes ( no raffle) and one ticket for bar drinks (limit 2) after that there will be a cash bar.

Student chapter- Discussion on whether we need to maintain the organization. More outreach is necessary.

New Business: Universal Calendar for 2016 –Action Item: Nancy will post the 2016 calendar in the board forum Board packets- Outgoing members should hand in their Board member notebooks to their replacements. .Action Item: Nancy will have new notebooks for the new Board members at the Jan meeting. Pending the website changes, the basic Board member notebook will be placed in MHS documents.

Board Member /Meetings: Discussion on board members duties during General Meeting and Board meeting.

Meeting was adjourned at 9:26 p.m.

Other motions or actions from the forum.

Motion to: accept this rewrite of the Strategic Plan Goals that is suitable for publication. 11-18 Seconded 11/18; Votes: six online, quorum met passed. ( one additional vote was relayed thru president.)

Motion to: table the 2016 Budget discussion to the January 2016 meeting 12/6.

No Second – did not pass.

Motion to: authorize the expenditure of up to $500.00 to pay for the fees associated with the January Speaker. 12/31 Seconded 1/02 Votes: 1/5 (7 yes) quorum met- passed.

February 2016

Volume 36 Number 2

Kid’s Korner

February 2016

Volume 36 Number 2

Kid’s Korner

February 2016

Volume 36 Number 2

QUARANTINE PROCEDURES One of the snakes from this month’s adoption was found to have mites. Although we do keep contact to a minimum between animals and enclosures, we want to remind everyone to follow proper quarantine procedures!!! DO NOT put new animals in the same space, or share enclosures or cage furnishings, with your collection! MHS has included a page of Quarantine Suggestions for several months now. Unfortunately it was written 20 years ago for zoos and other groups with large collections and the equipment and knowledge necessary for evaluating fecal exams. The one I like can be found at http://www.herpcenter.com/reptilearticles/quarantining-reptiles/ QUARANTINING REPTILES Quarantining your new acquisitions is done so that you can monitor the animals behavior, appetite, stool, and activity. It is also done to protect the animals you currently own. This is a step that can actually save your entire colony of animals, save you money, and save you time. Quarantining new animals should become an instinctive behavior by both new and experienced enthusiasts, though it is often overlooked at one time or another by all. It is a crucial step in the prevention of colony infection. Diseases like Cryptosporidium can destroy an entire collection if introduced to your reptiles.

WHAT IS QUARANTINING Quarantining is the process in which you isolate the reptile you are bringing home. This is the time period in which you monitor the animal and note or treat the animal for any illness or injury that it has. Quarantining ensures that you will not spread any contagious illness or parasites to your current collection.

REPTILE QUARANTINE BASICS Keep the set-up simple Keep the set-up clean Keep the setup isolated Monitor the reptile Save it for last TIME FRAME Your new reptile should be quarantined for a minimum of 30 days. Ideally, 60-90 days would be better. Once a reptile has finished the quarantine period and is deemed fit, they can be introduced into their permanent enclosure in the proximity of other reptiles.

QUARANTINE SET-UP A setup designed as a quarantine tank should be very simple in design and extremely easy to clean.

The goal is to use the quarantine tank as an observational area. For reptiles, the quarantine tank should consist of the bare essentials. The enclosure itself should be made of solid plastic or glass. Old fish tanks are great quarantine tanks. Avoid wooden enclosures as quarantine tanks as they are difficult to clean.

QUARANTINE TANK The best substrate to use for a quarantine tank is either no substrate, or paper towel. This makes cleaning a breeze, allows complete visibility to monitor the reptiles feces, and is a complete risk free substrate from impaction.

The rest of the enclosure should be limited to a hide, a water bowl, and feeder dish (If required.) A calcium dish should be part of a leopard geckos quarantine tank. Climbing branches and other decor should not be in the quarantine tank.

Continued next page February 2016

Volume 36 Number 2

The tank above is an example quarantine setup for a leopard gecko. The tank is a 32 quart Sterilite tub heated with a human heat pad. It contains a hide directly over the heat source, a moist hide/cool hide, a calcium dish, a mealworm dish, a disposable water dish, and paper towel as a substrate.

The example shows how simple the enclosure can be for the quarantine period. This setup is easy to clean and maintain. Holes have been drilled into the sides of the Sterilite for air circulation, and the cover also has holes drilled into it.

CLEANLINESS Your quarantine tank should be cleaned daily. Remove any feces (after looking it over) from the enclosure, change the water, remove any dead insects, and make sure the tank itself is clean. You want to be able to monitor the animal as closely as possible. The cleaner the tank is, the easier it will be to monitor the reptile.

ISOLATION It is best to isolate the reptile from the rest of your collection. This is best done by placing the quarantine tank in a separate room from where you house your other reptiles. It doesn't stop there however. You should also be isolating what items come into contact with the quarantine tank. You should never use the same cleaning materials between a quarantine tank and those that house the rest of your collection. The same is true for water and feeding dishes. This could result in indirect contact with a parasite or illness.

MONITORING Make sure you spend some time watching the reptile in quarantine. Watch how he hunts/eats, make sure he isn't lethargic, and ensure that he is alert when you disturb him. Reptiles in general are experts at hiding illness. This is how they survive in the wild. Make it a point to ensure that the animal is behaving normally and that its stool appears "normal".

THE LAST STOP When cleaning your enclosures, save the quarantine tank for last. This will help reduce the chance of indirect contact. Also save the quarantined animal for last when you are working with your collection.

You want to limit any possible exposure between the new reptile and your current collection. By making the quarantined reptile the last stop, you are placing distance between any accidental exposure.

PERSONAL HYGIENE It is always a good practice to use an antibacterial soap to wash your hands after every handling session you have with a reptile or its enclosure. It is especially important to maintain proper hygiene protocol when dealing with an animal in quarantine. The accidental spreading of a disease or parasite could come from direct or indirect contact with another animal, or its supplies in your collection. Avoid this by washing your hands every time you leave the quarantine area.

It is crucial that you maintain strict protocol when quarantining. A single parasite that has been introduce to your collection could cost you extreme amounts of money in vet bills, delayed breeding programs, and could even result in the death of one or more animals in your collection.

Quarantining is very simple to do and can save you a great deal of headaches. Be vigilant and quarantine all new reptiles!

If you do find mites, take the proper steps to avoid having it move to other animals. Many of us use Provent-a-mite if we believe an animal may be infested. It can be purchased many places, such as at LLL Reptiles on-line. They have a video which describes the process at http:// www.lllreptile.com/products/391-provent-a-mite Proper quarantine procedures should ALWAYS be used when introducing a new animal into your collection! This includes enclosures, furnishings, substrate, cleaning materials, feeding tools, and YOU!

February 2016

Volume 36 Number 2

Quarantine Suggestions (Editor’s Note—this was run last month as well, but we consider this to be such an important topic we are running it again) 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).

February 2016

Volume 36 Number 2

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 February 2016

Volume 36 Number 2

Minnesota Herpetological Society Membership Application New

Name

Renewal

Address

Membership #

City, State, Zip

Type

Phone

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)

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 Pinkies Fuzzies Hoppers Adult

Weight 2-3 grams 5-7 grams 8-11 grams 25-30 grams

Price $7/dz $7/dz $8/dz $10/dz

Rats Small Adult Med. Adults Large Adult Jumbo

Weight 50-60 grams 125-150 grams 200-240 grams 250-350 grams

Price $18/dz $22/ 10 rats $17/ 6 rats $16/ 5 rats

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 may be resubmitted.

Submissions: All advertisements should be submitted to the MHS Membership Secretary at the general 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 8th - 7:00 pm Room 335 Borlaug Hall, U of M St. Paul Campus

Friday February 5th—General Meeting Friday March 4th—General Meeting Friday April 1st—General Meeting

MHS Voice Mail:

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612.326.6516

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