Vol. 35 (2015), No. 8

The newsletter of the

Minnesota Herpetological Society

August Meeting Notice General Meeting will be August 7th, 2015 August Speaker Kristofer Swanson—Copperheads in Texas Volunteer Award List page 10 General Meeting Announcement November 6th, 2016 Fair Time State Fair Page 9 Renaissance Festival page 11

August 2015

Volume 35

Number 8

BOARD OF DIRECTORS President Misi Stine 952.217.1267 President@mnherpsoc.org Vice President Mike Rohweder 651.491.9089 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 Members at Large Rose Maunu MemberAtLarge3@MnHerpSoc.org Lois Hall 612.824.1447 MemberAtLarge4@MnHerpSoc.org Emily Roberts 715.808.4681 MemberAtLarge1@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 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 — Kristofer Swanson—Copperheads in Texas August 7th, 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.

From the woods and lakes of central Wisconsin, to the forests and prairies of Illinois, Kristofer Swanson’s love of wildlife has always been instrumental in guiding his path through life. With a passion for herpetofauna, specializing in snakes, his fervor for the outdoors has led him on numerous expeditions in a myriad of locals, from the humid canals of the everglades to the dry deserts of west Texas.

Through the multiple companies he has founded - Katy Snakes, Third Coast Expos, and Limitless Industries - Kristofer has been involved in every aspect of the herpetological world. He runs the gamete from expo promoter, breeder, handler, “herper”, consultant, field data collector, donator, speaker, to zoological volunteer and everything in-between. He continues to blur, as well as cross the lines that separate hobbyist from herpetologist.

Though the majority of his time currently revolves around various aspects of training, snake removals across Texas and being a consultant for the Memorial Hermann Medical Systems on snake species and bites, Kristofer is frequently involved with herp events throughout the nation. As a sponsor of numerous events, and the host of others, his heart is never far away from the animals he enjoys most. He is constantly striving to further educate himself, as well as those around him, on the amazing world of herpetoculture.

Kristofer Swanson currently resides in Katy, Texas.

Jenny Daltry - Scaling up Reptile Conservation: How Reptiles Flora and Fauna International can Win Friends and Influence People Submitted by Nancy Haig Fauna & Flora International (FFI) is the world’s first international conservation organization.

Founded in 1903 in England as the Society for the Preservation of the Wild Fauna of the Empire, it has grown to encompass all fauna and flora. Part of FFI’s Mission is “to act to conserve threatened species and ecosystems worldwide.” For our July 2015 General Meeting we were honored to have Dr. Jenny Daltry, a Senior Conservation Biologist for FFI come and talk about several of her projects.

The Caribbean covers 7,000 islands and accounts for only 0.15% of the Earth’s landmass yet it is one of the most diverse regions in the world and home to thousands of endemic species. It is the highest area of extinctions covering 10% of the world’s bird extinctions; 38% of the world’s mammal extinctions; and August 2015

70% of the world’s reptile extinctions; since 1500. More than 65% of these extinctions were caused by human interference mainly in the form of introduced alien species, goats, rats and mongooses.

Locally called the Grass Snake, the Antiguan Racer (Alsophis antiguae) was considered extinct on the island. Just offshore along the northern coast, there are many small islands. A twenty minute boat ride will take you to Great Bird Island a favorite picnic spot for locals and tourists. It was there in 1995, on little more than 20 acres, that Dr. Daltry spent three months surveying the wildlife and found the last remaining population of the Antiguan Racer. Totaling only 50 individuals, this made the Antiguan Racer the world’s rarest snake.

Continued next page Volume 35 Number 8

Antiguan Racers are midsized snakes, no larger than four feet long, they are ambush hunters mainly eating small lizards on the island. They are sexually dimorphic, the male and females are different colors and they are not really racers being actually slow moving and fairly docile. The biggest threats to the snakes were predation by rats and mongooses and being killed by the 17,000 visitors to the island.

The Antiguan Racer Conservation Project created a 4 step plan to save the snakes.

1. Build public support for the snake. This involved targeting the local image and relationship the Antiguans had with the snake. Changing the name to Antiguan Racer gave it a local ownership and made it more specialized, changing from snake to racer made it less threatening. Educational programs and targeted branding directed at schools and tourists and wide distribution of images on posters and stamps also helped in acceptance for the snake. The outreach programs have created a new environmental education curriculum to be added to the schools.

2. Eradicate the rats from Great Bird Island. This proved to be the easiest step. Because of the small size of the island, the mongooses could be trapped and killed. The FFI used special poisoned baits that targeted the rats. After two weeks the rats were gone and no native wildlife was harmed. 20 years later there are still no rats.

3. Seek other islands to which the snakes could be reintroduced. By 1997 the racers had doubled their population and the team was looking for other islands to expand to. They have successfully cleared 15 islands of rats and mongooses, and reintroduced racers to three of the islands with a fourth reintroduction planned for this year. To date the population has had a 20 fold increase in numbers.

4. Push for the islands to be protected. There has been a Domino effect since the islands were cleaned of rats. Sea bird colonies have increased; sea turtle populations including the Hawksbill turtle have increased three fold; vegetation has improved; all because the rats are no longer gnawing on or eating everything in sight. The increase in public acceptance and pride and the benefits of an increased in eco-tourism led the Antiguan government to establish the North East Marine Management Area in 2006, this covers all the small islands off the north coast of Antigua, including Great Birds Island.

It is amazing that a little gray snake could cause so many benefits for the area. Many other species have also benefit-

ed from the lessons learned. In 1998 there were only 150 White Cay Ground Iguanas (Cyclura rileyi cristata) including only 10 breeding females found on White Cay in the Bahamas. Using the techniques learned on Great Bird Island, the FFI grid-lined the Cay, placed traps and poison baits and cleared the Cay of mongooses and rats in about 2 months for around $10,000. The Iguana population is now around 2,000, with two populations established. The goal is to increase the population to over 40,000 and re-establish on other protected islands in the future.

In 2000 the FFI conducted a biological and socioeconomic survey of the Cardamom Mountains in south west Cambodia. This is a very remote wild area long off limits because of political conflicts and poor access. They found a rich diversity of wildlife and learned about Veal Veng Marsh, a marsh high in the mountains that still had crocodiles. Dr. Daltry followed the local tradition and made an offering to “Ta Jiruk” the spirit that watches over the marsh for permission to see the crocodiles. When they arrived at the marsh, instead of the salt-water crocodiles they expected to see, they discovered Siamese Crocodiles long thought to be extinct in Cambodia.

The FFI had to work very quickly to save this species, the local marsh had been slated to be drained to create badly needed rice fields to feed the local people. Emergency food aid was brought in to feed the people while various international organizations worked to create a sustainable agricultural system that could protect the crocodiles and support the local people.

By 2004, Veal Veng Marsh became the world’s first community managed Siamese Crocodile Sanctuary, “Ta Jarock Crocodile Sanctuary, O’som Comme”. The local people, who believe when they die their spirits become crocodiles, patrol and monitor their sacred crocodiles, protecting them from poachers. They live side by side with the animals. Siamese Crocodiles are mainly fish eaters and there are no reports of attacks on the villagers that share their waters. An amazing piece of footage showed an adult crocodile holding a large piece of meat in its mouth while baby crocs tried to tear off pieces.

The 20 year plan is to release crocodiles back into the wild, using a captive breeding facility to augment existing populations and 3 historical breeding sites and to double the population in 10 years. So far 30 have been released with radios attached to monitor their activity, after 2 years all have survived. Dr. Daltry concluded with a thank you to all her team members and for the help of the many organizations that provide support. “ We need public support to

Fauna & Flora International * 1720 N Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036 * www.fauna-flora-us.org * 202-375-7766 August 2015

Volume 35 Number 8

MHS 2015 Annual Field Survey

ponds where we watched American toads and eastern gray treefrogs (Hyla versicolor) calling and chasing each other

By Jeff LeClere around in the water. In a low, slow moving area of one of This year’s MHS Annual Field Survey took place on 12-14 the streams not far from our camp, American toads braJune 2015 at Beaver Creek Valley State Park in southeast- zenly called from rocks and shore and swam around, giving ern Minnesota. At first, the forecast looked great for the an excellent photo and video opportunity. Jim Soos also weekend. As the survey approached, rain again threatened found a pickerel frog at this spot, and we also got a good to thwart another outing. By the time the survey arrived look at a big eastern gray treefrog calling from a log near (Friday night) the forecast was rain overnight, Saturday, the water. The next morning was drier, warmer, and more and maybe clearing later on Sunday! It did rain overnight humid than the previous morning. Most people packed up Friday and Saturday morning and made for some wet and departed after breakfast, but a small group stayed for herping the first part of Saturday. The trails were wet and a bit more searching. slippery so we had to be careful traversing the slick mud I decided that we would look at some of those areas we and rocks, especially steep areas as we climbed to higher searched the previous day which was wet from the rain. In elevations in the bluffs. The scenery was beautiful, but we one of the familiar areas, Jordan Doege yelled “timber!” only turned up a few herps: American toads ( Lithobates partway down the hillside! I made my way over just in time americanus), a brown snake (Storeria dekayi), and three as she was heading back into the rock crevice. I was able eastern garter snakes (Thamnophis sirtalis). The herps did gently bring her back out for photos. It was a gravid fenot want to be out in the wet conditions any more than we male in shed at one of the classic rock outcroppings. After did as the photos, we watched her slowly retreat back into the outgarter crop. We checked out a few more areas before leaving. In snakes were all, we saw ~30 individuals of ~6 species. Not great conall tucked sidering that this area has the highest species diversity in back into the state, and the potential to find many more species at rock crevicthe park than what we found. I am not complaining, howes. We manever, because this survey marks a milestone in the history aged to coax of MHS Annual Field Surveys – it is the first annual field one out for survey where timber rattlesnakes were found, even though pictures, we have had the potential to see them during previous surhowever. As veys! There was excellent MHS member turnout with at I had been least 30 attendees! When counting all the kids, this may tie to this park or even top our record! Dan McCarthy took over this year Pickerel frog Jeff Leclere several times as the “survey host” and did a fantastic job. There was previously, it was disappointing searching areas where I plenty of good food, and another MHS survey first – ravioli remember finding some really neat herp species, but turnas one of the dinners. I would like to thank Dan for cooking ing up nothing because it was rainy and wet, and it was up some delicious food, tending the group camp, and seteasy for these creatures to retreat back into the massive ting up and tearing down. I would also like to thank Frank rock outcrops and crevices to escape unfavorable condiand Angie Cairl for obtaining firewood, helping around the tions. campsite, and for bringing homemade hooks for volunDuring our lunch break, the sun emerged, so we set out teers! A huge “thank you!” to all the members who attendafter lunch for another foray. We still were not finding ed the survey – there would not be a survey without dedimuch and we knew that we had to change tactics. We cated volunteers to help search! spoke with park personnel to direct us to an area where there was artificial cover (human made items laying on the ground – the secret weapon for herpers). As we searched the area, Blake Sheldon ran right into a nice timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) basking in the open attempting to dry himself out after the rain. He took off, and after some wrangling I got him to sit still for a nice photography session. Also found in the same area were some pickerel frogs (Lithobates palustris). One of my favorites, they closely resemble northern leopard frogs but have orange or yellow on the hind legs and waist area. By now it was time for dinner, and to me, everything tasted better after the success of our last outing. A group of us went out after dinner and observed some neat anuran activity. We found Timber Rattlesnake Jeff Leclere several gray treefrogs on the road, and stopped at a couple August 2015

Volume 35 Number 8

Elections and Annual Meeting The MHS elections will be held at the annual meeting November 6th, 2015 in Borlaug Hall on the U of M Campus. In order to vote, you must be a member in good standing and present at the meeting. No proxy votes will be accepted. In order to run for a board position, you must be a member in good standing and at least 18 years of age at the start of the term—January 1, 2016.

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

This year’s elections will be held on Friday, November 6th. Want to know more?

According to the Minnesota Herpetological Society By-Laws …

MHS Administration. MHS shall be administered by a Board of Directors comprised of the elected officers, and four active members at large, all of whom are eighteen (18) years of age or older and whom shall be members of MHS in good standing.

Officers. The officers of MHS shall be President, Vice President, Recording Secretary, Membership Secretary, Treasurer, and Newsletter Editor, all of whom shall be members of MHS in good standing.

Term of Office. The officers and members-at-large elected at the Annual Meeting of MHS as hereafter provided, shall serve for a period of one (1) year commencing January 1. Board of Directors may serve only four (4) terms consecutively.

President. The President shall perform the duties of such office including chairing monthly membership meetings and Board of Directors. The President shall appoint all special and standing committee chairs subject to the approval of the Board of Directors. Also, the President may establish such ad hoc, standing and special committees as may be required to further the work of MHS. Vice President. The Vice President shall preside in the absence of the President, serve as program coordinator, and perform such duties as designated by the President.

Recording Secretary. The Recording Secretary shall keep the minutes of the meetings of the Board of Directors and of the proceedings of all the meetings of the members in appropriate books.

Membership Secretary. The Membership Secretary shall give and serve all notices of MHS, shall keep the names and residences of the members, and maintain membership notices.

Treasurer. The Treasurer shall be responsible for all funds and assets of MHS, payment of authorized accounts, present financial reports at Board of Directors meetings and the Annual Meeting, and submit the records for audit.

Newsletter Editor. The Newsletter Editor shall edit and produce the Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society on a monthly basis.

If you are interested in running for any position, contact Nancy Haig RecSecretary@MnHerpSoc.org or any board member. If you have questions regarding a particular position, feel free to contact the current MHS member who holds that position or join us at a board meeting. See page 11 for time and location.

August 2015

Volume 35 Number 8

Upcoming Hands-on Event Schedule Humane Society: Coon Rapids—Friday July 31st 10am-2pm. 1411 Main St NW, Coon Rapids Humane Society: St Paul—Thurs August 13th or Fri August 14th 10am-2pm. 1115 Beulah Lane, St Paul Good Day to Take a Day Off—Saturday August 1st 10am-4pm. Stearns County Mississippi River Park, 41300 County Road 1, Rice, MN 56367. *7 miles north of Sartell, MN Chuck and Dons: Mahtomedi—Saturday August 8th 12-2pm. Hudson, WI Richardson Nature Center—Saturday September 19th 3:30pm-7pm . 8737 E Bush Lake Rd, Bloomington, 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.

Special Meeting November Our November meeting will not have a guest speaker. Instead, we are encouraging children to bring in their pets and give little talks themselves as well as come dressed up in their Halloween costumes or as their favorite animals—prizes will be awarded! More information will be announced as we get closer to the meeting. If anyone has an ideas for fun little activities feel free to email Lavania, the membership secretary MemSecretary@MnHerpSoc.org. Please remember parents MUST be present with their children. Unattended children will be given sugar and a pair of red-eared sliders.

Grant Application Deadline is September 15th As many (although possibly not all) our members know, nearly half the MHS budget is dedicated to conservation projects. Grants are awarded twice a year and have a cap of $1500. Anyone, whether an MHS member or not, can apply for a grant. Check our website for more information. http://www.mnherpsoc.org/grants/

Minnesota DNR Wildlife Plan & Survey Since 2013, Minnesota DNR staff along with our partner agencies and organizations have been working on the review and revision of Minnesota’s current (2005-2015) Wildlife Action Plan. The revised Plan, once approved by the USFWS, will be Minnesota’s Wildlife Action Plan (2015-2025). The first step in the review process was the updating of the list of Species In Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN). The updated SGCN list was distributed for comment in the spring of 2014. Since then we have completed the final draft revisions to the other sections of the Plan including the conservation approach; the goals, objectives, conservation actions, and performance measure; monitoring, and Plan implementation. The first chapter, Conservation Approach provides a general overview.

Staff and partners who worked on the revision are excited about the revised Plan and look forward to your review and comments. A set of questions in the form of a survey have been developed to facilitate the review and as an easy way to provide feedback. Your comments will help improve the Plan’s functionality and usability.

You can review the Plan and answer the survey questions at: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/ cwcs/swap2015.html.

The Plan will be available for review through Friday, August 14. Please share this information with others in your agency or organization. Feedback from the survey will be used to prepare the final plan which will be submitted to USFWS for review and approval in September 2015. We value your feedback and hope you can find the time to assist us. Thank you.

Sea Turtles Released, Rescued More then 600 sea turtles were released off the coast of Florida in July http://www.wptv.com/news/region-s-palmbeach-county/boca-raton/more-then-600-sea-turtles-released-off-boca-raton They had been previously rescued http://www.9news.com/story/life/2015/07/29/tiny-sea-turtles-released-atlanticocean/30852407/ August 2015

Volume 35 Number 8

Minutes of the June 6, 2015, MHS Board of Directors Meeting

St Paul Student Center

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, Rebecca Markowitz, Meeting was called to order at 6:18pm Opening remarks by President

May General Meeting Attendance: @77

Committee Reports Recording Secretary: Nancy-The minutes for the May 2, 2015 Board Meetings were approved.

Calendar: July/Aug: Check status of leaflets for State Fair and post notices about State Fair and Midwest on website and newsletter. Duties of Board members need to be submitted to newsletter, Treasurer: Rae- Presented Treasurer’s report for May 2015, consult with advisor regarding revising By-laws and Articles of Incorporation, she will post on line a copy of the suggestions.

Renfest chair: Rae-Need to replace a garden cart at fest grounds.

Motion: to approve spending up to$100.00 dollars to replace damaged cart. –Passed.

Membership Secretary: Lavania –estimated active members at around 187. She will start to post membership reports on forum.

Display boards-The new boards are in., Mike will contact Education Chair- Jan Larson and Beth Girard about their distribution.

Old Business Website Updates: Request for Proposal (RFP) Misi- there are several options to consider, Action Items: Other options should be sent to Misi, she will finish up the RFP by the end of the week and send it out requesting an end of June return.

Conflict of Interest Implementation: Misi- Discussion on the policy for document retention policy of Conflict of Interest Statements. Since this is to be reviewed annually, statements will be scanned and held in the archives for one year; copies will be given to signers if requested.

Review of COI Statements: Misi read the returned statements of disclosure, All board members forms except Lois Hall (absent from country) were submitted, Decisions: No decisions were made regarding the disclosures on the statements.

Action Item: Items or examples of what would constitute a Conflict of Interest will be further explored on the forum.

Misi will set up a thread for defining Black & White issues.

Strategic Planning: Misi- Work on the wording for Mission and Vision Statements: Misi will call for input from the membership, announce in July and receive by August. Rae requested announcements in the Newsletter and at the General Meetings.

Motion: to allocate up to $50.00 to create a Survey Monkey poll. Passed Volunteer awards: Ellen- Estimate of @92 volunteers, she will make up to 100 bags.

New Business Items left over from White Snake Sale- will be added to raffle items at General Meetings.

Request for shed Snake skins by Mark Tovar- skins are used to make decorator items for sell. We can put contact information in newsletter.

Caging for Adoption Animals- get information from adoption committee, possible sale or raffle of cages during meeting, would need another volunteer for organizing this.

Donation of Eggshells for educational displays- Check with education chair about supply boxes and displays.

Discuss/Review of attorney notes- refer to posting on forums, send comments or questions to Rae Picnic Chair— member volunteers for picnic chair Brougan New ((picnic date maybe Sept 19; and Cassie Clark for Banquet Chair.

Meeting was adjourned at 9:47pm August 2015

Volume 35 Number 8

2015 Minnesota State Fair The Minnesota State Fair will open this year on Thursday, August 27th and run for twelve days, closing on Monday, September 7th. During this time, the Minnesota Herpetological Society hosts an exhibit in the DNR Building, which is located at the corner of Carnes Avenue and Nelson Street. The building, by the way, was originally known as the Conservation Building when it was constructed in 1934. MHS began assisting with an exhibit in 1983 so it is a long standing tradition for us! Sally Brewer, Bill Allen and Brint Spencer put a lot of work into that first exhibit. Things have changed over the years, most recently as the DNR began remodeling their exhibit space in 2013. We are now able to have more animals on exhibit, including turtles which are placed in natural space aquariums! This year we will once again have at least nine species of native snakes on exhibit, as well as native turtles.

MHS relies heavily on volunteers who serve as “Daily Investigators� and monitor and clean our exhibits each evening. Volunteers need to be at the DNR building just before its 9:00pm closing to gain access to the exhibit area. General cleaning, refreshing water bowls, etc. is done at that time. One species, the timber rattlesnake, will only be observed and comments sent to the Chair.

Volunteers need to have snake experience as some species exhibited (garter snakes and racers) can be very fast moving. It may also be necessary to handle larger snakes (ratsnakes, bullsnakes and fox snakes) when they need to be removed from their cages during cleaning. If you are interested, please contact Beth Girard at 612/616-8431 or by email at beth_girard@msn.com There will be a sign up sheet at the August meeting, but feel free to contact Beth for additional information or to request a particular evening slot.

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 August, 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 Misi Stine at president@mnherpsoc.org August 2015

Volume 35 Number 8

Volunteer Award List The following list is of all those MHS members who volunteered at least 10 hours in 2014. Volunteer activities are hands-on events, including Renaissance Festival, helping with the adoption/foster committees, board and chair positions. If your name is not on this list and you believe it should be, please contact Misi Stine at President@mnherpsoc.org Anderson, Kimber

Grassel, Laurie

Moss, Bill

Bachuber, John

Grassel, Vern

Nelson, Deb

Bachuber, Owen

Haig, Bruce

Odegaard, Terry

Barrett, Chris

Haig, Nancy

Otten, Jeanie

Barrett, Corinne

Hakomaki, Nancy

Otten, Zach

Bittner, Linda

Hall, Lois

Perry, Alex

Bliese, Tom

Heck, Ellen

Perry, Suzanne

Bornholdt, Kelli

Hendricks, Conor

Rein, Vicki

Bornholdt, Robin

Hendricks, Mici

Richard, George

Bosman, Fred

Hendricks, Scott

Richard, Sarah

Bosman, Liz

Hoaglund, Erica

Roberts, Ed

Braucks, Andrea

Hulslander-Mahlow, Belle

Roberts, Emily

Braucks, Harlee

Hulslander-Mahlow, Clara

Rohweder, Mike

Cairl, Angie

Husted, Amber

Rosch, Pattick

Cairl, Frank

Jacobsen, Glen

Roynestad, Shannon

Calander, Donna

Jessen, Tom

Rueber, Rae

Clayton, Heather

Kiewel, Claire

Schmidtke, Mark

Curiski, Anja

Kirby, Hannah

Sheldon, Blake

Curiski, Annie

Lang, Marit

Sievert, Casey

Curiski, Zippa

Larson, Avery

Smith, Chris

Dorton, Claire

Larson, Caitlin

Snell, Kamy

Egerer, Bob

Larson, Jan

Stine, Misi

Egerer, Holly

Larson, Merle

Tefft, Bill

Evan, Sita

LeClere, Jeff

Thompson, Lauren

Fink, Kendra

Lecuyer, Peter

Tornquist, Peter

Fink-Bittner, Linnea

Lucas, Rick

Valois, Renee

Gerholdt, Jim

Mahlow, Josh

Van Raam, Alex

Girard, Beth

Markowitz, Rebecca

Vasek, Max

Girard, David

Maunu, Rose

Welle, Crystal

Girard, Jason

Merck, Gordon

Zimmerschied, Brandon

Grassel, Amanda

Millar, Chase

August 2015

Volume 35 Number 8

Huzzah— It Draweth Near!

It is time once again fast approaching time for the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. For seven weekends starting August 22nd and running through October 4th, we have to opportunity to educate the public at Renaissance Festival in Shakopee, MN. Volunteering at the Renaissance Festival allows us the unique opportunity to reach thousands of people that would otherwise never come in contact with MHS. It also gives you the opportunity to show off your favorite animals while dressed up in funny costumes. Volunteers at the festival also enjoy second to none people watching opportunities.

In order to volunteer at the Renaissance Festival you must work two two hour hands on shifts, for a total of 4 hours. As a perk, the rest of the day at the Festival is yours to spend as you wish. Enjoy the food, the comedy acts, the music and the shopping when you are not working at the cottage. Additionally, volunteers get breakfast in the mornings and can take part in a volunteer potluck dinner on Sat evenings.

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

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

There are only two more seasons at the current historic site. This site has been the home of the Minnesota Renaissance festival for more than 40 years. Enjoy it while it is here!

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.

August 2015

Volume 35 Number 8

MHS Reports and Announcements MHS July 2015 Adoption Report

Treasurer's Report for May 2015

Beth Girard, Adoption Chair Between the June and July meetings a total of twenty-six fostered animals were outsourced by those fostering them. Don’t get too excited … twenty of the animals were African clawed frogs from the June meeting. Homes were also found during the month for three ball pythons and three leopard geckos.

prepared by Raelene Rueber

Beginning Balance

$ 25,108.75

Income: Raffle

$

52.00

July 9 (Intake) and 10 (general meeting) were very busy for the MHS Adoption Program. Thirty-two new animals came into the program, most on Intake Day. One snake, a 13+ year-old Sinoloan milk snake, was held back due to its poor body condition. There were an additional 12 returning animals which created a pool of 43 animals for members at the meeting to choose from. There were 18 turtles and tortoises, including a trio of adult red-footed tortoises and three Russians! Among the twelve snakes, there were five common boas (four were returns), four ball pythons, two corn snakes and an albino Nelsons’ milk snake. The eleven lizards offered included two iguanas, five leopard geckos, three bearded dragons, and a TINY anole that someone had found on a plant they had purchased with the little stow-away! Amphibians weren’t well represented with only one oriental fire-bellied toad being surrendered to MHS during the month.

Donations

$

258.00

Membership

$

160.00

Rodent Sales Interest on Savings

$ $

589.00 0.31

Total Income

$

1,059.31

Grants/Conservation

$

1,500.00

Adoption/Vet

$

60.00

Program

$

184.37

Rodents

$

909.75

Hands On Supplies

$

454.34

Insurance

$

830.00

Award for Volunteer

$

23.58

During the July 10th general meeting, sixteen of the animals found permanent homes and an additional ten are now being fostered by MHS members.

Paypal Fees Wesite

$ $

4.10 14.95

Total Expense

$

3,981.09

Cash Increase/Decrease

$

Ending Balance

$ 22,186.97

th

th

After the meeting the two iguanas, which had each been available at least three times at MHS meetings, were taken to the home of MHS member Kathy Claugherty. Kathy is the President of RICA, Resource for Iguana Care and Adoption. RICA will be placing the male and female iguanas in their forever homes soon. Learn more about RICA at http:// iguanaresource.org/ By the way, RICA is in desperate need of a carpenter willing to donate some time. They have the materials necessary to build some new enclosures, but no one with the know-how and tools to do it! Perhaps you, or someone you know, would be able to assist them!!

MHS member Jeff LeClere has been instrumental in outsourcing the large number of red-eared sliders that are surrendered to MHS each month. He came through for us in a HUGE way this month by taking nine red-eared sliders, one yellow-bellied turtle, a hefty sulcata, and four common boas to outsource to a private party in Iowa. Many thanks go out to Sarah Richard and Mark Schmidtke as well for housing the 6’ boas until Jeff is ready to head south in his “ark!”

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO ADOPTED, FOSTERED, or OUTSOURCED an animal for the adoption program!!! MHS could not have an adoption program without the FULL SUPPORT of its members!

August 2015

Expense:

(2,921.78)

Placement of Cash Holdings Checking

$

4,200.21

Savings

$

17,485.95

Paypal

$ 325.81 $ 175.00 $ 22,186.97

Cash on Hand Total

Board Meeting The board meeting will be held 6pm August 8th in the community meeting space at Uptown Heating and Plumbing; 400 Cedar Lake Road S, Minneapolis, 55405.

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

Volume 35 Number 8

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).

August 2015

Volume 35 Number 8

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 August 2015

Volume 35 Number 8

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 August 5th - 7:00 pm Room 335 Borlaug Hall, U of M St. Paul Campus

Friday September 11th—General Meeting Friday October 2nd—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!

1s0x52b32c825aed970b:0x4b735a53f8224939?sa=X&ei=5r2mVMGtF8SsyATrmoGgAw&ved=0CGgQ8gEwCg