Vol. 35 (2015), No. 9

The newsletter of the

Minnesota Herpetological Society

September Meeting Notice General Meeting will be September 11th, 2015 September Speaker Brian Crnobrna—Herping the Pampas del Heath Dan Keyler Improving hypnale venom in Sri Lanka page 6 General Meeting Announcement November 6th, 2016 page 8 Letter from the President page 5 Renaissance Festival page 12

September 2015

Volume 35

Number 9

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 — Brian Crnobrna —Herping the Pampas del Heath September 11th, 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.

Brian Crnobrna (sir-nó-bur-na) graduated from the School of Environmental Studies, otherwise known as The Zoo School at the Minnesota Zoo, in 2001. Some other things might have helped him become the herpetofauna coordinator for Fauna Forever starting in 2009, like serving as student reach assistant in Peru and Namibia and volunteering as field biologist in Honduras, but SES was the most important. He’s currently being groomed for grad school at Arizona State.

Kristofer Swanson—Copperheads in Texas Submitted by Nancy Haig

It’s been a pleasant August day, you’re in the parking area of your driveway, overlooking the backyard, saying good bye to some friends. It’s almost evening and an owl flies over the yard, as if on cue, dozens of venomous snakes start crawling through the leaf litter and into your backyard. Soon you are surrounded. It sounds almost like the start of a scary movie but for one Texas landowner this really did happen and not just once but on a regular basis, and so began our speakers’ tale.

Kristofer Swanson, owner of Katy Snakes ( Katy is the town he lives in)was contacted by Texas Parks and Wildlife about a guy in south Texas that was sending them photos of hundreds of dead snakes that he had killed on his property.

They wanted to know if the landowner was just crazy or if there was something going on that would require their involvement. Kristofer is a herper by trade, he does snake removal, field surveys and works alongside the Texas Parks and Wildlife. So when they requested his help to check things out, he agreed but remembers thinking “This guy in south Texas is crazy and this is going to be a huge waste of time.” That was three years ago.

Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix, the Southern Copperhead, a paler, pinker version of the standard Northern Copperhead, Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen, has nice little hershey kisses patterns on its sides. They are found throughout southern September 2015

Texas and bordering eastern states. They are a snake of the lowlands and marshy areas. Young Copperheads usually have a yellow tip on the tail.

The young in this study did not have the yellow markings and the smaller size of the adults made it hard to determine age in the individuals.

Kristofers’ initial approach was to check out the land and look for snakes with the help of a few friends. They expected to find a typical homestead with a few garbage or trash piles where the snakes would hangout. They would track the animals and collect data on the land usage, and advise the owner on how to clean up the landscape to as not to attract the snakes but things turned out a little differently from his initial plan. The guy wasn’t crazy and the snakes did appear on a regular basis.

The land involved is oil line territory so there is very little development. It is a large a farm with chickens. The cleared well maintained backyard is lined with large oak trees and borders a huge swamp and mesquite brush scrub area. There is a fence separating the yard from the marsh where everything bites, burns or stings.

At 8:30 pm the action starts as the owl flies by and the snakes come out. The land owner was a herper and he didn’t even know it. He put out sheets of tin to help gather the snakes in controlled areas making it easier to collect and kill them.

Continued next page Volume 35 Number 9

The attitude in Texas is still “a good snake is a dead snake” so the landowner would gather friends or family and have round-ups of the snakes sometimes killing as many as 100 a year.

This went on for several years before he contacted the Texas Parks and Wildlife people. After the initial surprise of finding out the landowner was telling the truth , Kristopher and his friends began working on trying to understand what the snakes were doing and why. Using the imap program which works with a phone app, they took GPS readings to document where the snakes were found, and photos to identify the individual snakes. After the snakes were documented they were removed and placed in large bucket containers. In the first 2 hours they had collected 33 Copperheads.

What do you do with a large number of venomous snakes? Luckily, Kristopher attended the 2013 International Herpetological Symposium (IHS) when it was held in New Orleans. There he made contact with Dr. Kirstan Wiley from the Natural Toxins Research Center. In 1998, Dr Francis Markland, Ph.D. of the University of Southern California reported a study on a specific protein in Copperhead venom that could impact tumor growth. The protein contortrostain (CN) can cause a 60-70% reduction in the growth of breast tumors and a 90% reduction of the metastases (spread) to the lungs.

Because of that study, the Center was interested in obtaining Copperheads.

So what were the snakes actually doing and why were they coming into this yard? From the very first night it was obvious, the snakes were feeding on the giant cicadas that were emerging from the ground and climbing into the oak trees lining the transition zone of the backyard. By clearing the understory away (for a nice “lawn”) the landowner had set up a fast food area for the snakes. Cicadas emerge every year from June to September in Texas. Since starting this study other areas have been identified with mass collections of Copperheads in Texas and surrounding states, but this was the first organized study.

What was the data showing.? By plotting the collection points on the property map certain patterns started to emerge. The snakes were only September 2015

found along the southern border of the transition line (the area cleared under the big oaks); from 8:30pm to 10pm they were moving north; from 10-11pm they moved south then back into the scrub. They followed the cicada as the bugs emerged from the ground and made their way to the bottoms of the oaks, the snakes would wait at the base of the trees and eat the bugs as they tried to climb the trees. The snakes would even climb the bard wire fences to follow a bug.

After 3 trips they found the snakes stayed on a narrow strip following the oak transition zone that measured 1.57 aces, in 6 hours (2 hours at a time) they collected 59 Copperheads. That was the first year, since then they have found the snakes return on a yearly basis, they have found the young which are too small to eat the cicada seem to follow the females to the yard anyway.

Why? Kristofer still doesn’t know where the snakes disappear to. There is a huge number of snakes presumably in the brush. From August 2013 to Sept 2014 they have collected 171 copperheads from an area of 1.5 acres, this came from only 24 hours of combined “hunting”.

For the future, an experiment in “eek otourism”.

The family is into the seeing the value of the animals, going from trying to destroy them to trying to save them and “save the Boobies “. They are willing to work with herpers and share the experience. More research with tracking devices is needed to find out where the snakes are going and what they are doing after they leave the yard.

There are plans for doing a full site survey for plants and other fauna. The effects of changing diet on the venom need to be studied, as it appears the snakes eating the cicadas have a milder venom than those eating small mammals. Kristofer ended his talk with how a simple road trip to see if a guy was crazy has turned into a major study that has expanded into several fields of science. There is still a lot of work to do but the future of this unique site is safe in the hands of a crazed killer landowner turned snake lover and a herper turned researcher. Kristofer gave a highly entertaining talk, we wish him continued success and look forward to hearing from him again in the future.

Volume 35 Number 9

Letter from the President The year is passing by very quickly and autumn is approaching. I love to see the leaves changing color, the start of Vikings football, the cooler temperatures and smell of fall air. On the downside, field herping will be coming to an end much sooner than we geeks would like.

Change is inevitable in every part of life and over the course of it’s almost 35 years of existence, MHS has experienced a lot of change, as well. One of the changes this year included passing the torch from Sarah to Beth as the Adoption Chairperson. Over the last few months you have seen gradual changes in the adoption/foster process at the meetings to make it run smoother, such as putting up signage and tape during set up to improve traffic flow. For the first time, adoption and foster processes are being defined and documented so MHS can better understand the needs of the program and look for ways it can become more efficient and effective. The increasing number of animals we are under pressure to place each year makes it imperative that we are maximally organized. The Adoption Committee and the Board want to ensure that the program is sustainable over the long term. We are working together so the program evolves in a way that allows it to meet ever increasing demands over the course of time.

Another new initiative the Board is working on is a strategic planning process. A strategic plan is an important tool for every nonprofit that enables it to successfully deliver its mission by defining and implementing goals. We received very helpful feedback from the membership on the strategic plan survey. The board will submit the MHS mission statement, vision and strategic plan goals for approval by voting members in the months to come. I will be providing detailed strategic plan updates in the newsletter and at the monthly meetings. I would also like the opportunity to meet with interested MHS members during a coffee discussion every couple of months. I hope you will consider joining me to talk about the work we are doing and share your ideas with me .

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

Misi Stine President It is with sadness that we announce the passing of Karl Hermann, a founding member of MHS. Karl is best known for the development of the tiger morph of reticulated python. He obtained an oddly patterned wild caught male in 1991, which bred and reproduced in 1993. The trait is co-dominant, so about half the babies had the odd pattern. http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/twincities/obituary.aspx?pid=175657181

September 2015

Volume 35 Number 9

Hypnale Venom: A Key to Improving Antivenom for Sri Lanka Update on an MHS grant awarded in 2013 By Dan Keyler

In 2013 I was awarded an MHS Grant to support the study of hump-nosed pit viper (Hypnale spp) venom toward the development of the first ever antivenom for treating snakebite victims by this species. I felt it important to provide some follow-up to all MHS members so that you can see the successful use of MHS grant money, and acknowledge appreciation of the Minnesota Herpetological Society’s support.

Hypnale species, commonly called Merrem’s

hump-nosed pit viper, or kunkatuwa (Sinhala), are ubiquitous in distribution, being prevalent in tea, rubber, and coconut plantations. Humpnosed pit viper envenomations account for most Sri Lanka’s snakebite patients (up to 77% in some regions). Death from Hypnale envenomation is rare, but significant morbidity is common. The venom of Hypnale species in Sri Lanka is difficult to acquire for political reasons and because venom yields are small due to the snakes small size.

Sri Lanka is a country that endures significant economic and medical burden as a result of snakebite envenomation, having not only a high prevalence of The goal of the MHS Grant proenvenomations, but also one of posal was to: 1) collect Hypnale the highest incidence rates (200 spp snakes in Sri Lanka, 2) persnakebites/100,000 people/ form venom extractions suffiyear) of venomous snakebite in cient to yield 1.0g lyophilized the world, and averages 40,000 venom, and 3) preliminary charvenomous snakebite patients acterization Hypnale venom in annually. Ironically, the very order to develop Sri Lanka Hypsnakes responsible for these statistics Continued next page nale antivenom. are a valuable national resource, both The project has involved a public nonprofit chariecologically and biomedically, despite the medical ty from the USA, Animal Venom Research Interand economic consequences of snake envennational (AVRI), a public university, the Instituto omation.

Clodomiro Picado, University of Costa Rica devotAntivenoms currently acquired from mainland Asia manufacturers for use in Sri Lanka (or anywhere in the world) do not include a hump-nosed pit viper (Hypnale spp) component in their production, representing a significant medical problem for the treatment of patients. Sri Lanka also has a need for the protection of its indigenous Hypnale species from unnecessary killing by human activities, as and the snake populations are at risk of significant decline. Toward the goal of improving the health of Hypnale snakebite victims, the availability of antivenom may provide for an indirect secondary conservation benefit toward insuring long-term survival of indigenous Hypnale species.

September 2015

ed to venom and antivenom research, and recipient country Sri Lanka via the University of Peradeniya. Thus, it is an international partnership with all parties donating their time and effort toward the development of a poly-specific antivenom for treating snakebite envenoming in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka, being an undeveloped country does not have the economic or technological resources to support the project To date five acres of land have been acquired and a serpentarium built with funds from private donations totally, and a staff maintained through private donations as well.

Volume 35 Number 9

Sri Lankan cobra, Russell’s viper, and saw-scaled viper species have been collected and venom extracted.

Thanks to the MHS grant award significant progress has been made with respect to hump-nosed viper venom and antivenom. The hump-nosed viper is responsible for more venomous snakebites to humans than any of the other species Milking a hypnale in Sri Lanka, but their venom yield is small as are the snakes themselves.

Consequently, the work to capture and maintain hump-nosed vipers, and extract their venom requires greater cost. To date a total of 200 Hypnale spp (H.

hypnale, H. nepa, and H. zara) have

Close-up of milking a hypnale

been collected and it required nearly 360 field man-hours. Venom was extracted once every six September 2015

weeks for three cycles. The total pooled venom volume was 4.9 mL and yielded 1.75g freezedried venom. This is a quantity of venom that was adequate for performing venom characterization studies and for immunization of horses for antivenom development. The snakes typically are maintained for 3 months and released back to their site of capture. However, approximately 50 Hypnale are maintained permanently in the serpentarium.

The freeze-dried venom has been shipped to Costa Rica (shipping costs are $400 due to regulatory requirements for shipping toxins, and the need for rapid transit with ready pick-up availability), where venom chemistry profiles have been performed showing that the venom contains three main generalized components: peptides, metalloproteinases (enzymatic metalloproteins), and phospholipase A2s. Venom analyses for all three Hypnale species showed varying degrees of procoagulant activity with clotting factor consumption, potent cytotoxic effects, and myotoxic, neurotoxic, and phospholipase A2 pharmacological activities. Further, the venom has also been used in the immuzation of horses to stimulate antibody production against the Hypnale venom toxins (antivenom).

In conclusion, the Minnesota Herpetological Society’s awarding of a grant toward achieving these goals has made a contributed to improving conservation of Hypnale snakes, the science of their venom, and the lives of Sri Lanka’s people.

Extracted hypnale venom

Volume 35 Number 9

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 (763-434-8684 ) or email (recsecreatry@mnherpsoc.org).

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.

September 2015

Volume 35 Number 9

Upcoming Hands-on Event Schedule Richardson Nature Center—Saturday September 19th 3:30pm-7pm . 8737 E Bush Lake Rd, Bloomington, MN 3M Teacher’s Workshop—Friday October 2nd 3pm-6:30pm . 3M Center Bldg 224, Maplewood, MN 3M Super Science Saturday—Saturday October 3rd 11am-3pm . 3M Center Bldg 224, Maplewood, MN Sherburne Nature Center—Saturday October 3rd 10am-3pm . Sherburne Nature Center, 17076 293rd Ave, Zimmerman, MN Chuck and Dons: Mahtomedi—Saturday October 3rd 11am-1pm. Mahtomedi, MN Chuck and Dons: Northfield—Saturday October 17th 2-4pm. Northfield, MN Chuck and Dons: Hudson—Saturday October 24th 2:30-4:30pm. Hudson, WI Chuck and Dons: Mahtomedi—Saturday November 7th 11am-1pm. Mahtomedi, MN Chuck and Dons: Mahtomedi—Saturday December 5th 11am-1pm. Mahtomedi, 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 October 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.

2015 Reptile & Amphibian Opinion Survey The Southwestern Center for Herpetological Research cordially invites you (and your friends, family, and coworkers!) to participate in the 2015 Reptile and Amphibian Public Opinion Survey. This survey is designed to gauge the perspectives of not only reptile and amphibian enthusiasts, but those who are “not as fond” of these animals as well. It is GLOBAL in scope and ALL AGES are encouraged to participate. All opinions are important to record! The survey should take less than 30 minutes and can be found (along with the report from our 2013 Herper Survey) on SWCHR’s web site at http://southwesternherp.com/survey.html. The report on the results from the current survey will also be made available to you when it is complete.

The survey will be open for participation through November 30th, so please share this invitation with everyone you know to help up paint a better picture of current popular attitudes toward reptiles and amphibians!

SWCHR is a Texas non-profit association governed by a Board of Directors and is subject to the tax-exempt provisions of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. SWCHR is dedicated to promoting the education of the Association's members and the general public relating to the natural history, biology, taxonomy, conservation and preservation needs, field studies, and captive propagation of the herpetofauna indigenous to the six states of the American Southwest. Membership is open to all persons having an interest in the herpetology of the American Southwest.

Chris McMartin SWCHR

September 2015

Volume 35 Number 9

Minutes of the July 11, 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, (Lois Hall attending thru Skype connection) Visitors attending: Jeff LeClere, Beth Girard, Rebecca Markowitz Meeting was called to order at 6:14pm July General Meeting Attendance: @78 Committee Reports: State Fair: Beth-State Fair is Aug 27-Sept & 2015. Jim Gerholdt will supply the timber rattlesnake, MHS will supply all the turtles so they won’t be using wild caught. No birds will be allowed at the fair, so there are open slots for programs with a possibility for Hands-Ons. All requests must be approved through the State Fair Board not just the DNR. Beth will keep us posted on what is decided.

Action Items: Everyone should send an inventory of MHS pamphlets and business cards to Misi and we will decide what to reorder thru the forum.

Adoption: Beth- There were 32 new and 12 returning animals at the July Meeting. 2 large iguanas were placed with RICA, Adoption items for the board to consider: Revising the Intake plan and the duties of the Coordinator including a forwarding phone-line or second number; Dispensing items donated with animals; making receipts for In Kind Donations; Record retention of scanned forms for surrender and adoptions; accepting animals prior to intake night/ boarding referrals; surrenders of hard to place animals and euthanasia.

Action Item: Beth will send a copy of the Adoption SOP to Misi for the Board to review.

Old Business: Requests for Proposals (RFP)- revisited by Misi. Only two proposals are have been received MCity Creative, & Unison Net. Action Items: Misi will re-contact MCity Creative and ask them to bring their proposal into a tighter price range. Board members should contact her about what tasks are needed to be managed on the site and to document issues and problems for the developer.

Clarification: The motion made 5-2-2015 to pay up to $250.00 to Boja and allow her to access the back end of the website has been rescinded. There will be no access allowed and no payment was made.

Conflict of Interest work: Misi- Disclosure received from Dan McCarthy for field survey, she still needs one from the Adoption Intake Coordinator. Beth Girard reviewed the issues and concerns about Conflict of Interest disclosures for the Adoption Chair, Intake and Foster Coordinators. She requested some clear guidelines on what would constitute a Conflict of Interest for these areas. Discussion followed on changing various job duties to better facilitate intake and foster activities.. Some options include: developing an emergency plan for possible loss of home venue; possibly using the new MACC rooms for intake instead of a private home; how to handle intake prior to the Thursday intake night; new phone answering options.

Action Items: Beth will send the Adoption SOP to Misi for review on the Board forum. Board members will consider what could be Conflict of Interest examples and post them on the Board forum for review.

November Meeting: The November General Meeting is scheduled for Friday November 6, 2015. This is also the Annual Meeting of the MHS and the night of the Board of Directors election. The Midwest Herpetological Symposium (2015 Madison, Wisconsin) is also that weekend and many of the Board members will be out of town. Discussion on whether to move the Board meeting to a different weekend ended with Lois Hall offering her house for a Nov 14, 2015 Board Meeting at 6:00pm. Misi will make an announcement about the change in venue.

Next steps for Strategic Plan: Misi will rerun the Vision and Mission links to the survey monkey and try to get more responses. She will also post the current results on the Board forum for review.

Volunteer Awards: Ellen- It will be more cost effective to get pre-made bags and have them printed than make them from scratch Motion: to buy 120 bags (15”x17”) of various colors from Oriental Trading Company for an amount not to exceed $350.00. Seconded, Passed.

Updates: Misi needs to contact Broghan & Cassey about the Picnic and Banquet. John Moriarty suggested having a get together with the past presidents. Discussion followed on the type and place of the activity. Item was tabled for next month. Misi reminded everyone they should sign up for their account with MN Council of Nonprofits and review the sections. A member was contacted with a complaint concerning another members husbandry practices. Misi will not approach the individual as it appears to be a personal issue.

Meeting was adjourned at 9:30pm September 2015

Volume 35 Number 9

Lee Talbot, Ph.D., and the Creation, Legacy and Future Effectiveness of the Endangered Species Act Elizabeth Curiskis National History Day 2015: Leadership and Legacy Junior Division Historical Paper

I wanted to learn more about the Endangered Species Act after I heard Collette Giese, the Reptile and Amphibian Senior Attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity, speak at the January 2014 meeting of the Minnesota Herpetological Society. I was very impressed by the information she shared with us about endangered amphibians and reptiles, as well as other species, and how the ESA was struggling to meet its mandates because of severe budget shortfalls. I chose to do a National History Day research project on the ESA so I could learn more about these issues. I interviewed Ms. Giese and Lee Talbot, Ph.D. Professor Talbot co-authored the ESA and also wrote the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Interviewing Ms. Giese and Professor Talbot helped me understand the importance of citizen involvement and nongovernmental organizations in making sure that ESA provisions are actually fully implemented. As an MHS member, I will work to educate the public about these issues and help MHS advocate for the conservation of these wonderful animals.

Lee Talbot holding the freshly shed skin of a king Please follow this link (click on the picture) to read my paper. If cobra in Laos. Photo courtesy of Lee Talbot. you don’t feel like reading the whole thing, go to the appendix to Source: Mason University, The Magazine 2013 look at the cool pictures and graphs!

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 September, 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 September 2015

Volume 35 Number 9

RenFest Roundup

Not only has Zelda fully recovered from her surgery after being egg-bound, but she now weighs in at a whopping 180 lbs, twice what any of the boys weigh!

Brandan entertains the masses September 2015

Moonrise over fest

Proof positive Scooter is the most pampered snapping turtle in existence Volume 35 Number 9

MHS Reports and Announcements August Adoption Report Submitted by Beth Girard

Prior to arriving at the meeting on August 7th, the MHS Adoption Program had taken in 54 animals. There were two additional surrenders at the meeting and two fosters returned for a total of 58 animals which included 28 bearded dragons, 3 ball pythons, 2 boa constrictors, 1 plains hognose snake, 1 young American alligator, 8 red-eared sliders, 3 African side-necked turtles, 1 pink-bellied side-necked turtle, 4 Russian tortoises, redfoot tortoise, 1 Elongated tortoise, 1 veiled chameleon, 1 carpet chameleon, 1 five-lined skink and 2 corn snakes.

Treasurer's Report for July 2015 prepared by Raelene Rueber

Beginning Balance

$22,186.97

Income Raffle Donations Membership Rodent Sales Interest on Savings During the August 7th general meeting, twenty-three animals Total Income found permanent homes, thirteen were outsourced, and

$74.00 $495.00 $200.00 $932.00 $0.30 $1,701.30

twenty-two went into the foster program.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO ADOPTED, FOSTERED, or OUTSOURCED an animal for the MHS Adoption Program!!!

MHS could not provide this service without the FULL SUPPORT of its members!

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.

September 2015

Expense Program Hands On Supplies Award for Volunteer Business Cards Paypal Fees Media/Website Total Expense

$1,244.36 $106.55 $328.83 $150.21 $2.64 $66.95 $1,899.54

Cash Increase/Decrease Ending Balance

($198.24) $21,988.73

Placement of Cash Holdings Checking Savings Paypal Cash on Hand Total

$4,109.47 $17,486.25 $218.01 $175.00 $21,988.73

Board Meeting The board meeting will be held 6pm September 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 9

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).

September 2015

Volume 35 Number 9

2015 Midwest Herpetological Symposium Not only is it the 30th Anniversary of MWHS, but also MAHS’s 5th Anniversary!

Over the next few months we will be nailing down more details as to speakers, events, and the general goings on of the weekend, so make sure to stay tuned!

What we do currently have is when and where. The symposium will be in the second weekend of November, the 6th, 7th and 8th.

We will be hosting it at The Monona Terrace, 1 John Nolen Dr, Madison, WI 53703. This is a beautiful building and overlooks Lake Monona in Madison.

We have also secured a block of discounted rooms at the adjoined Hilton (9 E Wilson St, Madison, WI 53703) ph (608) 255-5100. We have a block of rooms for the discounted rate of $159/night. This hotel is right downtown with tons of amazing restaurants near by, and incredible views of the lake and capital building. To book a room click >HERE<- or call (877) 510-7465 and use the booking code: MHS We are excited to have this opportunity and have some incredible speakers we are lining up, along with some great sponsors and donations for the auction. This will be an event you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to miss!

For any questions, please contact Ryan McVeigh at pres.mahs@gmail.com, or Rebecca Wyman at VP.mahs@gmail.com. http://madisonherps.org/midwest-herp-symposium/ https://www.facebook.com/events/760059857443519/

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

Egerer, Holly

Husted, Amber

Otten, Zach

Bachuber, John

Evan, Sita

Jacobsen, Glen

Perry, Alex

Bachuber, Owen

Fink, Kendra

Jessen, Tom

Perry, Suzanne

Barrett, Chris

Fink-Bittner, Linnea

Kiewel, Claire

Rein, Vicki

Barrett, Corinne

Gerholdt, Jim

Kirby, Hannah

Richard, George

Bittner, Linda

Girard, Beth

Lang, Marit

Richard, Sarah

Bliese, Tom

Girard, David

Larson, Avery

Roberts, Ed

Bornholdt, Kelli

Girard, Jason

Larson, Caitlin

Roberts, Emily

Bornholdt, Robin

Grassel, Amanda

Larson, Jan

Rohweder, Mike

Bosman, Fred

Grassel, Laurie

Larson, Merle

Rosch, Pattick

Bosman, Liz

Grassel, Vern

LeClere, Jeff

Roynestad, Shannon

Braucks, Andrea

Haig, Bruce

Lecuyer, Peter

Rueber, Rae

Braucks, Harlee

Haig, Nancy

Lucas, Rick

Schmidtke, Mark

Cairl, Angie

Hakomaki, Nancy

Mahlow, Josh

Sheldon, Blake

Cairl, Frank

Hall, Lois

Markowitz, Rebecca

Sievert, Casey

Calander, Donna

Heck, Ellen

Maunu, Rose

Smith, Chris

Clayton, Heather

Hendricks, Conor

Merck, Gordon

Snell, Kamy

Curiski, Anja

Hendricks, Mici

Millar, Chase

Stine, Misi

Curiski, Annie

Hendricks, Scott

Moss, Bill

Tefft, Bill

Curiski, Zippa

Hoaglund, Erica

Nelson, Deb

Thompson, Lauren

Dorton, Claire

Hulslander-Mahlow, Belle

Odegaard, Terry

Tornquist, Peter

Egerer, Bob

Hulslander-Mahlow, Clara

Otten, Jeanie

Valois, Renee

September 2015

Volume 35 Number 9

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 September 2015

Volume 35 Number 9

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 September 11th - 7:00 pm Room 335 Borlaug Hall, U of M St. Paul Campus

Friday October 2nd—General Meeting Friday November 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!

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