Vol. 17 (1997), No. 11 by Minnesota Herpetological Society

MINNESOTA HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER Vol. 17 No. 11 NOVEMBER 1997

MINNESOT A HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY Newsletter Volume 17 Number 11 November 1997 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.

MHS Board of Directors President Vice president Recording Secretary Membership Secretary Treasurer Newsletter Editor Member at Large Member at Large Member at Large Member at Large Member at Large

George Richard Barbara Radanke Bruce Haig Mark Sclunidtke Marilyn Blasus Nancy Haig Fred Bosman Laurie Grassel James Rea Sarah Richard Roger Statz

(612) (612) (612) (612) (612) (612) (612) (612) (612) (612) (612)

639-6368 291-1132 434-8684 481-0127 925-4237 434-8684 476--0306 428-4625 457-8107 639-6326 424-8816

Herp Assistance Specific question.:; concerning amphibians and reptile are best ami\vered by contacting the following individuals. Please be reasonable alxlUt the time of day and how frequently you call.

Large Boas and Pythons Tina Cisewski (612) 856-2865

Other snakes Jeff LeClere John Meltzer

(612) 488-6388 (612) 263-7880

Terrestrial Turtles Fred Bosman John Levell

(612) 476-0306 (507) 467-3076

Aquatic Turtles Gary Ash John Levell

(612) 753-0218 (507) 467-3076

Lizards Nancy Haig Bill Moss

(612) 434-8684 (612) 488-1383

Crocodilians Jeff Lang

(701) 772-0227

Amphibians Greg Kvanbeek Jolm Meltzer

Special Committees: Adoption Chair Sarah Richard

Amphibians and reptiles in Minnesota Greg Kvanbeek (612) 388-0305 (612) 388-0305 (612) 263-7880 John Moriarty (612) 482-8109 UP NORTH (Bemidji) Jeff Korbel (218) 586-2588

(612) 639-6326

Snakebite Emergency Hennepin Co. Regional Poison Center (612) 347 - 3141 Minnesota Poison Control System Local: (612) 221-2113 Out of State: (800) 222 - 1222

Education Chair Sean Hewitt

(612) 935-5845

MHS Voice Mail (612) 624 -7065 E-mail: mnherpsoc@aol.com Internet: http://www.onrampinc.netjmhs/ TIle !vUnnesota Herpetological Society Newsletter is published monUuy by the Minnesota Herpetological Society. Publication deadline is the weekend of the general meeting. Submissions should be sent to: MRS Editor, c/o The Bell Museum of Natural History, 10 Church st. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455-0104 Printed on recycled piper.

© Copyright Minnesota Herpetological &x:iety 1997. Contents may be reproduced for non~profit use provided that all material is reproduced without change and proper credit is given authors and the MHS Newsletter citing; volume, number, and date.

MHS Newsletter Volume 17 Number 11

News, Notes & Announcements Upcoming Meeting Highlights The Vice-President's Report By Barbara Buzicky Radanke December Program: Salmonella in Snakes Guest Speaker: Dr. James Grier It is my pleasure to introduce our December speaker who will be Dr. James Grier. He is a professor of Zoology at North Dakota State University, and he has been working specifically with studies of snakes and salmonella. He will present to us how these studies are being conducted and the results of his work. Salmonella has been a hot topic in the field of herpetology due to many news articles published from time to time throughout the last few years all around the country. This meeting will be one that any serious herper shouldn't miss.

December is a special month due to all the holiday celebrations being held. The Minnesota Herpetological Society will hold its Annual Holiday Party the Saturday following the Friday General Meeting. Dr. James Grier will be the speaker for this event, and he will be sharing experiences from his travels to the Philippines. He has many beautiful slides of the country and the herps or the area. He is also an ornithologist so he will include some slides of rare and unusual bird species. This evening presentation will be very entertaining and relaxing for everyone who attends. Let's all celebrated the holidays with the Minnesota Herpetological Society and wrap up another successful year as a society.. It has been a very eventful year with the great success of the Upper Midwest Symposium which was an event to remember through the hard work of many people who love the world of herpetology! Come CELEBRATE! ! BAR General Meeting LOCATION: Borlaug Hall Room 335, U of M. St. Paul Campus DATE/TIME: December 5, 1997 7:00 PM Holiday Banquet LOCATION: Student Union, Banquet Room U of M. st. Paul Campus DATE/TIME: December 6, 1997 6:30 PM see insert for more details

Giving Thanks to: Corporate Donors who donated Items for the Midwest Symposium Hospitality Suite Mike Sweeny of Papa John's Pizza Pizza Ambleside Brewing Co. Keg of Ale Summit Brewing Co. Kegs of Swmnit Pale Ale Pepsi Cola Bottling Co.

Cases of soda

Lobby Display Showcase Designs Large display cases Antique Lane on Payne Ave Small display case

Mall of America and Underwater World for their generous donations of Raffle items for the Midwest Symposium

MHS Volunteers Scott Larson - for his time as a Member-at-Large and for those who stepped in to fill vacancies Tina Cisewski - Large Boas and Pythons Jeff Korbel (Bemidji) for UP NORTH contacts Laurie Grassel - replacing Scott as Member- at-Large

and to all MHS Members for their support through the year

Have a Safe and Happy Thanksgiving!

MHS Newsletter Volume 17 Number 11

November's "Critter of the Month"

Presidential Pabulum By George Richard - MHS President

Michelle Hewitt

Baby Dumeril's Monitor Varanus dumen'li

Well this months column will be short and sweet due to time constraints and the upcoming Holiday party. Just to make it official I'd like to congratulate you, the MHS on having the "Best Midwest Ever!!", I got a chance to look over some of the incoming exchange newsletters and the Midwest was called exactly that in 2 different articles so that makes it official!

Help A Hapless Herp Finding homes this month were: 1 California Kingsnake 1 Dekay's Snake 1 Okeetee Corn Snake 1 Madagascar Plated Lizard 1 Prehensile Tailed Skink

On the Organizational front the board is working on cleaning up the policies and procedures manual and would like to get any input we can from committee members. As the society continues to grow we have to establish well defined guidelines and procedures to help us avoid repeating mistakes of the past. We may also be looking at reorganizing some of tlle committees in hopes of inlproving communications but frankly not much will be done until January.

a total of 5 aninlals found good homes Still needing a home: 1 Spectacled Cainlan 1 African Rock Python 1 Red-Eared Slider 1 Common Boa

Since the presentation of the Iguana/Pettrade Problems position paper to members of 6 different societies at the Midwest (and subsequent adoption by the board) I've been working on finding appropriate areas to co-ordinate with other societies. At this point a Pets tore Species appropriate housing checklist seems the most probable, but I will keep you all informed as further progress is made.

For everyone who applied for animals, Thanks. Unfortunately 3 Iguanas did not find homes. This was their last chance for adoption and they will now be donated for educational practice.

Refreshments

As mentioned at the meeting Scott Larson has resigned from the member-at-Iarge position due to work and time constraints, he'll still be taping the meetings for the library though (did you know there were video tapes of the speakers from past meetings in the MHS library?). Laurie Grassel has graciously stepped in to fulfill the term so buy an extra lottery ticket from her next meeting just to show your appreciation.

No one contributed this month.

Coming in February White Snake Sale NOW's the time to start collecting items for the White Snake Sale.

That's about all for this month, I would like to take a moment and remind everyone on Turkey Day that in addition to everything else we're thanklul for, all the volunteers who started, make up and run our society have given us a vital growing gift, lets keep it. Remember those who show up run the society. George Richard, MHS President

This is one of the major fund raisers for the Society. Items to be auctioned may include herpetologically oriented merchandise, new and used equipment, books, artwork, T-shirts, etc. Take advantage of the New Year to reorganize your "herp dream room" and donate your extras to the Society. The money raised goes a long way to supporting our programs.

Election Notice

Photo Contest

The Annual Meeting of the Minnesota Herpetological Society will be held March 6, 1998.

Along with the White Snake Sale we will be holding our Photo Contest. Dust off those cameras and tell the herps to smile. Entries are due by the January 9, 1998 meeting. Details for the contest are listed elsewhere in this issue.

TI,e elections for the Board of Directors will take place during this meeting. If you would like to run or nominate someone else for a Board position, please contact a current Board member. 2

MHS Newsletter Volume 17 Number 11

General Meeting Review Western Hognose Snakes: Captive Husbandry & Propagation Speaker: John Meltzer By Bruce Haig Recording Secretary The containers are illustrated his presentation. pushed against eleven inch wide Flex-watt strips at the rear of the racks to provide a warm spot for the snakes to thermoregulate. He has experimented with a wide variety of substrates as well. Pine and aspen shavings look great but hide feces and cause mouthrot when the snakes accidentally ingest them with their food. Cypress and hardwood mulches have the same problems and sand is always wet from spillage from the water bowls. He has settled on newspaper as easy to clean, economical, and it never hides the fact that a cage needs cleaning. Captive raised hognoses are voracious rodent eaters; often taking pinkies the same day they emerge from the eggs. John has observed adults to constrict live prey. All the snakes are kept separate by original location for breeding purposes. John stops feeding them about two weeks before turning off their heat and two days later puts them into his hibernaculum. The hibernaculum is an insulated room in the basement against the bare block walls. The hognoses are put on the floor against the blocks where the stay at about 45째 F for the months of December through February. They are rehlfned to the heat in March, fed twice and put together until the females are gravid. The females always shed ten days before laying, letting Jolm know that is time to spread a thick layer of cypress mulch over the entire cage floor as a laying area. This eliminates the question of which spot will the female will choose for her eggs and reduces cannibalism by the snake eating her own eggs. The eggs are placed in ventilated Rubbermade shoeboxes filled Witll wet vermiculite. No more water is added during incubation but they are opened once a week to check progress and let them air out. They are incubated at the ambient room temperature of the snake room (80째 F day, 70째 F night). They hatch out in 45 to 60 days, usually at day 50 and the neonates are individually housed in sixteen ounce deli cups stacked in blanket boxes. They feed better in the cups than in the larger containers that John used to use. Jolm has developed a sensitivity to tlle occasional bites he gets during feed Witll reactions of swelling, itching, burning sensation, dizziness, and heart palpitations. Certainly nothing to take lightly.

Like many of us, JaM began his career in herpetology as a boy looking for reptiles and amphibians in the woods, fields and wetlands near his home. He used a lot of field guides to learn about the natural history of the animals he saw and [a set up terrariums to house the ones he brought home in as natural a setting as possible. His parents encouraged him with one exception; no snakes allowed. Little did they know! He took the abundance of animals in their natural habitat for granted and treated it as a big outdoor laboratory. Unfortunately, that area now has the fastest growing population in Minnesota and a lot of it is covered with houses with more to come. Wild animal habitat can only be preserved with man's intervention for that purpose. In 1979, he studied a population of western hognose snakes (heterodon nasicus nasicus) near his home for a year before bringing six into captivity to study them more closely and, hopefully, to breed. This worked out so well that he is now known as "Mr. Hognose" (no reference to his own facial features). Three of these original captives are still in his collection. Western hognose snakes are very hard to spot in the wild. The spend most of their lives in rodent borrows in the banks of ditches and other sloped areas in grassy prairie areas. When they are above ground, they blend in extremely well with tlle ground cover partly due to the fact that their skins become stained by the soils around them. It takes about three sheds before a wild caught specimen shows it's own pattern of gray and brown markings on a lighter backgrowld. Populations can be fairly dense; one neighbor of John's has a few acres of prairie behind his house and usually sees twenty to thirty western hognoses every year. He also sees golpher snakes (pituophis catenifer) that always inhabit the same areas. When an area like this is developed, John suspects that the hognose snakes are generally killed while at least some of the gopher snakes crawl off in search of undisturbed places they can live in. John's housing for his breeding collection of western hognoses has evolved greatly over the years. He started out with sweater boxes, tried wood cages and a lidless rack system and now uses Rubbermade containers in a rack system. The Rubbermade containers look a lot like the sweater boxes he started with in the slides that amplv 3

MHS Newsletter Volume 17 Number 11

Rattlesnake Roundups letter to the Editor Dear Editor, I am writing to you to ask for help from your society. I would like for you to ask your members to help us get rattlesnake roundups barmed in our state of Kansas. I am a member of a special Environmental Action class, that is taught at my school. It is an elective class, that has been offered to sixth through eighth grade students. There are about 20 of us in the class and we are working to get the rattlesnake banned in Kansas. I am in sixth grade. Witll this letter you will find a sheet giving some of the many reasons we want Kansas to stop allowing rattlesnake round ups. There is also a URL that will link you to lots of information about the round ups and how you can help I hope you will make this information available to your members. Please write me if you have any questions. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Alex Straus

• The carnival like ahnosphere that takes place during the mistrealulent and killing of rattlesnakes at Kansas' rattlesnake roundup each spring is degrading to all life forms. It is not educational and family entertainment to learn how to get into a sleeping bag with a rattlesnake or to watch as the live snakes are decapitated in front of dozens of spectators. • Much larger and much more deadly Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes are brought to the Kansas rattlesnake roundup each spring from states such as Oklahoma and Texas. The Western Diamondback Rattlesnake is not native to Kansas. However, several specinlens have been found in Kansas since the roundups began. Some of these deadly animals have been fOWld in state parks such as Kanopolis. There is no proof that these large deadly snakes are being brought to Kansas and set free by those involved Witll roundups. However, they are showing up in our state. Someone is bringing them to Kansas. • Rattlesnake roundups are having a negative impact on Kansas' image. This may very well have a negative impact on Kansas' future tourism.

Topeka Collegiate School 1997 - 98 Environmental Action Class 2200 S. W. Eveningside Drive Topeka, KS 66614

"HELP STOP RATTLESNAKE ROUNDUPS IN KANSAS"

http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/Vines/1532

KANSAS' RATTLESNAKES AND OUR RA1TLESNAKE ROUNDUP

For more information on what you can do to help prevent Kansas Rattlesnake Roundups contact Alex: or The Kansas Herpetological Society Natural History Musewn University of Kansas Lawrence, KS 660045 (913) 864-4920 Email: jcollins@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu

Did you know? • Kansas' native rattlesnake species are not a major threat to Kansas. There has been only one recorded death due to a rattlesnake bite in more than 40 years. • Kansas' native rattlesnake species are not a major threat to livestock. Few if any, cattle or horses die from the bite of Kansas rattlesnakes.

Check out the Rattlesnake Roundup section in the Websites folder in our library for more articles.

• Rattlesnakes are a very inlportant part of the food chain. Most of their diet consists of rodents. These same rodents carry a variety of deadly diseases. Some of these diseases can (and do) kill

Public opinion does have a strong effect on the actions of the legislature. In 1989, the MHS along wi til other concerned individuals and gmups supported a bill to repeal the bounty on rattlesnakes in Minnesota. The bill passed. The Minnesota Deparhnent of Natural Resources now lists our native rattlesnakes: the Eastern Massasauga (Sistrurus catellatus catenatus), as Endangered and the Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus), as Threatened. editor

Kansans.

• Kansas' game animals such as quait prairie chicken, and deer have been studied in great detail by biologists. Their hunting season and bag limits are carefully set using the information obtained by the studies. There never have been extensive biolOgical studies or enviromnental impact studies on Kansas. Rattlesnakes. 4

MHS Newsletter Volume 17 Number 11

The Odyssey of a Philippine Wolf Snake by James W. Grier When you work with snakes, you learn a lot about people. I have repeatedly experienced this lesson, including another incident that I wrote about earlier (MHS Newsletter, Vol. X, No.9, September 1990, pages 8-10).

I could carry snakes on board and they said yes. In fact, they had even shipped venomous species in the past for me. That was the start of what proved to be a very interesting (and long, approximately 30 hours in the air and waiting in airports, including a shift of 10 time zones and crossing the international dateline) day!

In 1991, while working in the Philippines with the Philippine eagle, I found a woU snake (Lycodoll allliclls) that I kept and brought back to the states. The trip home generated the full spectrum of human responses to snakes. TI,e details of the story are taken from my work logbook.

I got up at 3:30 in the morning. It was a beautiful morning with a clear sky, the moon was in the last quarter or so, and there were lots of stars out. It was also very hot and muggy, like a sauna, which is typical for there. I got a taxi and was at the Manila international airport terminal by 4:50. There was the usual chaotic mass of humanity and taped up cardboard boxes (luggage) at the airport. With all of the people and stult plus heightened security against terrorism at the time, it was very slow moving through security and check in, including several inspections and machines for both checked and carried luggage. The airlines had security checks of their own, in addition to the numerous airport checks. It took an hour and forty minutes just to get to the check-in counter!

I have been working in the Philippines for several years and frequently travel there during breaks between teaching sessions at North Dakota State University or on leaves of absence. During a one-week trip for meetings during March 1991, I was at the University of the Philippines at Los Banos, south of Manila on the forested slope of Mt. Makiling, and was staying with a colleague. I got up one morning around 5:30. There was no running water so I went to get some from a well with a hand pump outside the building. It was a beautiful morning with a bright blue sky and a good view of the mountain. There were tiger orchids at the front wall along the apartment. When I was carrying one of the buckets of water into the apartment, I spotted a snake crawling up the wall (rough cement) by the back door. I caught it, a snappy and nasty biter, and put it in a jar. I took it later to another faculty member and colleague in the Zoology Department and musewn on campus. He identified it as a wolf snake, or locally called a

After check-in, I had to pick my way through the mass of humanity and luggage to find the entrance to the gate areas, none of which was well marked and there were no easy routes. I paid the departure fee, went through the departure gate area, then down the halls, and through another security check and to the gate, where boarding on the 747 was already well tmderway; but it would still be nearly an hour for scheduled departure (and much longer than that for actual departure). So far, so good. The snake had made it through at least 5 or 6 security checks to that point and no one had asked about the container.

coounon house snake.

One of the government people in our eagle working group, with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, was also the person responsible for permits. I told him about the snake and asked him whether I could get a permit to keep and export it. At that time there was no problem since it was a common species, so I was able to get the permit (cost about $1) and bring the snake home with me. (Regulations for all natural biological resources have recently become much more restrictive.)

I was not so lucky on the final check! Going down the ramp was another airline security check. They were going through all carry-on baggage, manually, item by item. TIley asked what was in the container and I told them. The person checking my stuff balked and sent me back to the gate desk. They called the manager on a phone and he said that the snake could not be taken aboard, period. They would not let me carry it aboard and said it could not go into the hold either. They said I would have to board without it; the snake would have to be picked up at the airport by someone else or, at the least, I would have to leave it back at the terminal. But, under no circumstances could the snake go onto the airplane.

On the day of departure I put the snake, a small young one, in a secure container with air holes and carried it in my carry-on luggage. I did not try to hide or smuggle it and had the permit available, but did not advertise it. If asked, I would indicate what it was. I had previously asked this airlines in the states whether 5

MHS Newsletter Volume 17 Number 11

The Odyssey of the Philippille Wolf Snake

by James W. Grier Then the manager came on the plane and to my seat. He said he had talked to the captain and the captain had no problem with the snake going on the plane, so they would make an exception. The captain came down out of ti,e cockpit to join us. He was calm and not bothered by the snake and, in fact, seemed slightly amused by the whole situation. The manager asked the captain how it should be carried, whether it should go in a special box and be carried in the cockpit, in the hold, 01' just what? The captain told him to give it to me and that I should carry it in my carry-on bag as I had originally intended. The captain told me that hopefully all of the remaining travel would be through terminals and that it would not have to go tluough security again, that I should just quietly carry it through.

I argued briefly, trying to convince them that I had carried snakes on that airline previously with full knowledge and cooperation of the airline and with no problems. But there was no yielding, so I gave up and started back down the ramp and secW'ity check again without the snake. However, I decided to pursue it further. I went back to the desk, argued some more, and asked for them to talk to the manager again. The person called him again and said he checked the manual again and it said that "no jungle animals" could go on the plane. That included snakes and monkeys, regardless of size and whether they were harmless or not. We discussed and argued it some more. I was getting more and more miffed. I threatened to stop doing business with the airline and pointed out that I was one of their card-carrying "preferred" customers, all to no avail. 1 gave up again and started into the security check line again. But 1 decided to continue fighting it, so went back once more and asked to talk to the manager myself. I wanted to see the manual and regulations, as I had a copy of the regulations back in the states and didn't believe what they were saying. TI,e woman at the desk told me to take a seat and wait for the manager, whose office was in another part of the airport. It got close to the departW'e time but the woman said it was okay, that people were still being checked in. In the meantime the computer system had gone down. Such problems and electrical "brown outs" were routine throughout the country and everyone was more or less used to them, but it meant that remaining check-ins and everything that normally goes on in airports had to be done by hand, which delays everything and also was tying up the

The manager had become more agreeable and told me he was terrified and paranoid about snakes. I think that was the real cause of the problems (and also the solution - he didn't want the snake left in his gate area!). He also told me that a few years ago they had loaded a big shipment of snakes and a box with 50 snakes (cobras, I think) broke open. TI,e snakes escaped into the plane and not all of them were fOWld. The plane had to sit out of service for over a month while they continued to search for the snakes. In addition to the danger and having a plane out of service, the incident cost the airline a considerable sum of money. We went back to the service counter where he wrapped the container with several layers of airline security tape then gave the snake and papers back to me. I was relieved, apologized for all of the hassle, and told him I would continue to do business with the airline. We shook hands and parted on friendly terms. The airport computers were still down; there were still many people trying to check in and board; the routine chaos had been compounded; and we continued to wait for a considerable tinle before taking off.

manager.

I waited over an hour. Eventually, as I was about to finally give up, the manager came. I told him that at least in the states snakes were frequently transported on this airline, that the commercial trade imported them by air routinely, that I was associated with the university, that I was considering no longer flying with tI,at airline, that I would contact the home office back in the states and complain, etc., etc. He repeated what I had already been told and was absolutely unyielding. He said there was no way the snake was going on the plane; and that was all there was to it.

Depending on the direction of departure, flights can go over absolutely devastated, deforested, and depressing landscape or over some relatively good rain forest toward the mountainous coast north and east of Manila where the forest is protected from human development by frequent typhoons. On this flight ,vc went over extensive areas of green, goodlooking and unbroken rain forest, which helped

So I left the snake and permit papers on the counter,

took the rest of my stuff through security, and boarded the plane and boarded the plane - fuming (I rarely get upset about anything). On the plane next to me was a sweet, kind Filipina (Filipino woman) who wanted to chat. I was distracted by the snake situation but tried to be polite, talked with her, and started cooling down.

The MHS1997 HOLIDAY BANQUET Hosted by : MINNESOTA HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6,1997 TERRACE CAFE, ST. PAUL STUDENT CENTER ST. PAUL CAMPUS UNNERSITY OF MINNESOTA 6:30 PM TO 10:30 PM

SOCiAl HOUR: 6:~O - 7:~O PorLUCK DINNER: 7:~O SPEAKER: FOLLOWING DINNER

$5.00 PER PERSON (except children who can sit on parent's lap) MHS will be providing coffee, wine, beer, pop and water. Tableware will be provided. People attending are asked to bring a food item and its necessary serving utensils. PLEASE MAKE RESERVATIONS BY NOVEMBER 29, 1997. DETACH FORM AND SEND WITH A CHECK PAYABLE TO MINNESOTA ''-'Il,.u SOCIETY AT: Minnesota Herpetological Society Bell Museum of Natural History 10 Church Street South East Minneapolis, MN 55455-0104

CONTACTS TO CALL IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS SARAH AT 639-6326 OR BARB AT 291-1132.

- - - CUT HERE - - -

* * * * * * * *

NAME (S) PHONE NUMBER

NUMBER OF ADULTS NUMBER OF CHILDREN NUMBER OF FREE CHILDREN

(those who can sit on parent's lap)

TOTAL NUMBER ATTENDING TOTALAIvfOUNTENClDSED $ FOOD YOU ARE BRINGING: (CIRCLE ONE PER FAMILY) APPETIZER

SALAD VEGETABLE BREAD lvrAIN DISH

DESSERT lET ME KNOW WHAT IS NEEDED

You and your family art hmby . invited to attend the MinMsota Herpetological Society's 1997 Houaatr . <Banquet on Saturday, Oecember 6th •••••••.. 6:30 pm to 10:30.

•••• •••• ·•• •• ·.tt'lHtI

·.• ·.· • ····.yT

. . . . . . .•. . •.•. •.•.•·Our special quest speaker is Jim Grier. slide show and talk witt cover from the Phittippine 1stanJs. 1t . prove to be enjoyable for aU who • '.fllfl

our presence is requested at Terrace at the St. Paul Student Center lC{JJJ the St. Paul Campus of the Minnesota. RSVP by November 29, 1997 to ...... Nlll1lMsom Herpetological Society at ..... Dim Museum of Natural History, 10 Street South East, tis, MinfJisota 55455-0104. 11 .... ,,11

MHS Newsletter Volume 17 Number 11

The Odyssey of the Philippine Wolf SHake

by James W. Grier \'\Then I wenl to the customs officer for agriculture, he was not bothered in the least and said, "That is no concern to us; go on through." I told him the other guy had told me I needed to go back to him. But the agriculture officer said it was no problem and waved me on through. I picked up my other baggage and headed on through the ternunal and on to the next flight.

my spirits. AfIer the coast we headed oul over ti1e ocean and had an uneventful trip to Tokyo. At Tokyo, even though the departure gate for the next flight was at the same terminal and right next to the arriving flight, security was high. There ,\fere fears of terrorism and we were routed out of

the terminal, down a long hall, and through x-ray machines and security checks again ... before going back to the terminal area where we had just come from! I passed my camera, film, and snake around the x-ray machine, prepared for another round of problems.

We landed at Minneapolis. Unfortunately, my flight from Seattle arrived at a different concourse than the next flight, to Fargo. That meant that, at that time, I had to go through security checks again!

This time when a Japanese security guard encountered the snake, he thought it was neat. When I told him a snake was in the container, not only did he not object but laughed and had to show it around to all of the other security people there. The security women thought it was great and wanted to smell it, by fa mung their hands over the holes in the container toward their noses! Then they squealed and laughed and handed it back to me. TI1ey were all snuling. chatting wildly with each other in Japanese, and having a good time over it as I left the security gate.

I asked tl1e woman behind tile desk why and she said I would have to talk to the pilot. He was just coming down the concourse, late. He would not look at me or talk to me directly but told the service counter woman that when the office had asked him whether a snake could come on board/ he was not in favor of it. He said he was responsible for safety and, in case the snake got out or others became aware of it, he did not want other passengers panicking at 30,000 feet. He had also asked the stewardesses their opinion and they had all voted against it.

I made my way back to the terminal and had a long wait until the plane departed for the states. During the wait, I lost my camera. I had been resting with my eyes closed, in the midst of lots of noise and commotion in the terminal and, as well as I can determine, someone had w1Zipped my bag and stolen the camera. But at least I still had the snake and it looked like the rest of the trip would be no problem.

When I asked him (through the service counter woman since he would not speak with me directly, even tllough we were standing there side by side) what I was supposed to do with the snake, he wasn't sure. lIe finally agreed to let it go in the hold as a special door-to-door item (where I gave it to them at that point and tl1ey would give it back to me at tl1e other end). I turned over my carry-on bag and boarded. At the other end I finally had my snake home, safe and sound.

TI1e flight across the Pacific, aside from a couple rough spots with lots of turbulence and buuncing, Inostly went SIllOuthly and I Illaue it back

through the time- and culture-warp. Working in both the Philippines and US, whether physically or by phone, is almost like living simultaneously in two very different worlds.

When I got it settled into our quarantine area, where all new animals are kept, I tried to feed it a small pink mouse, which it refused. I didn't really know anything about this species of snake, so I did Some reading and discovered that they are primarily lizard eaters! I thought, "Oh great! All that hassle and now either it's going to starve or I'll have to work on a permanent supply of lizards ... here in North Dakota!" I was swamped with other business, so put off hying to figure out what I was going to do with it or where I was going to get a lizard supply. A week or sO later just for the heck of it I tried another pink mouse. It took it! I have been feeding it mice ever since and still have the snake today.

We landed in Seattle and lots of bleary-slecpyeyed passengers got off the plane and started tlu'ough immigration and customs. At customs I went through the isle that deals with live animals and declared the snake. The guy who was checking me almost went into shock. IIis mouth dropped open and he looked at me with this incredulous wide-eyed stare and said, "You 111ean you have a live snake with you!?" and, "You actually carried a snake on board an airplane!!??" I said, "Yes." After carrying on about the serious problem we had on our hands, he regained his composure and sent nle to the agriculture area. He told me I would have to clear the matter with them and then come back to him and he would try to figure out what to do about it.

It is definitely interesting to work with snakes, not only for our interests in the snakes themselves but also in observing the reactions of other people. How a person responds toward a snake all depends on the particular individual!. 7

MHS Newsletter Volume 17 Number 11

Shades of the Past The Midwest Herpetological Symposium was started by the Minnesota Herpetological Society in 1985 as a regional seminar for those i.nterested in herpetology and

the husband ry of ca ptive am phibians and reptiles. The concept of bringing the content and style of an International Symposium right to our doorsteps originated as a mad gleam in the eyes of our then MHS president,

Fran Frisch. Many believed it could not be done, that no one would come.

Over the years the Midwest Herpetological Symposium has been sponsored by 7 states and has grown in attendance and scope. This years' preregistrations topped 275. It still remains a great time to visit with old friends and make new ones. Karin Rea captured a few of these moments with

photos of the original members of MHS and retuming as Keynote speaker, Dr. Peter Pritchard, who spoke at the 1" Midwest Herpetological Symposiunl. More information on the 13 th Annual Midwest Dr. Peter Pritchard - Keynote Speaker at the Banquet

Herpetological Sym posium will be featured in next month's newsletter.

It路路路路~

Original i\1embers of the l\linnesota Herpetological Society gather for a reunion photo. Frorn left to right:

Founder Del Jones, Jon Peterson, Ann McKenzie, Fred Bosman, Karl Hennallll, Connie Levell, Ann Porwoll, Jim

Gerholdt, John Dee, Liz Bosman, Bruce Delles and Mike Schwartz. 8

MHS Newsletter Volume 17 Number 11

MHS PHOTO CONTEST

The Ophidiophile MHS@MOA@UUW

Start planning now for the MHS Photo Contest any current member of the MHS may enter.

by Sean P. Hewitt That's Minnesota Herpetological Society at Mall of America at Underwater World (in compterese) Once again, MHS was invited be at Mall of Americas' event called "Econununity". An event were activities are phumed throughout the mall. Underwater World had an ace in their sleeve this year with their own spectacular event called "Gh~st in the Swamp" a display consisting of several species of albino colubrid snakes and turtles. But the piece d'resistance was a five foot albino alligator. A b'uly gorgeous creature.

There will be four categories: Herps in a Natural Setting Herps with People Photographs by professional photographers Miscellaneous styles Entries must be: 1. 4"X6 5"'X7"', 8" XIO" mounted on cardboard no larger than 11"x14". Framed prints are discouraged. 2. turned in at the January 9th meeting or post marked no later than December 31, 1997. 3. identified on the back with the entrants name, address, and category. Do Not place names on the front of the prints. 11

We had several volunteers for this handson and they were: DDlma Calander; Merle, Jan and Beau Larson; Derek Ulvenes; Sarah Richard; Megan and Zach Strand; Andrea Braucks and Tina Cisewski. I also would like to thank Jake Jacobson for driving all the way from Rochester for Donna (so she could have an animal for the hands-on). And last, but not least, I "tllank" Cara Helsinke and the entire crew at UUW. This year we earned over $200 in photo's and donations! I "thank" everyone who took their personal time to help out. Everyone who volunteers earns" points" for a MHS mug.

Members may submit up to five prints. Entries will be returned at the l'ebruary meeting or by mail if accompanied by a self-addressed stamped envelope. Contact Michelle Hewitt (935-5845) for further information concerning the contest

And, if I may, backpedal a bit. MHS also did a real hands-on at "Animal Control Symposium" on midday Thursday, October 9. We allowed tlle audience to handle the animals. An unusual feelmg letting your animal go in room of people. They loved our demonstration so much they gave us an honorarium. I would like to thank Fred Bosman, Nancy Haig, George and Sarah Richard, Janell Osborn. Again, thank you very much. (This one already has paid dividends.)

Symposium Proceedings on Sale

Minnesota's Amphibians and Reptiles: Conscrvallon and Status Proc.~':H~g,

of a SJlI>pilsiUH1

Check out the Calendar of Events for future IIhands on" events. If anyone is interested, give your Education Coordinator a call or if you are attend the next meeting find myself or any other Board member. We will be glad to help. Thanks. SPH loI..)J,["I<", o.hbtl 1-0...

Copies of the May 1995 Symposium on Minnesota's Amphibians and Reptiles: Their Conservation and Status are now on sale for $7.00 at the General Meeting or $8.00 postage paid

MHS Newsletter Volume 17 Number II

Position Paper on Pet Trade Selling Policies and Green Iguanas ON THE OCCASION OF TIlE 13TH ANNUAL MIDWEST HERPETOLOGICAL SYMPOSIUM, the Minnesota Herpetological Society offers the following proposed paper regarding our JXlsition on Pet Tmde Selling Policies and the sale ofrepliles specifically, the Common Green Iguana. Part I The purpose ofthe Minnesota Herpetological Society is to: 1. further the education of the membership and the general public in care and captive propagation of reptiles and amphibians; 2. educate the members and the general public in the ecological role of reptiles and amphibians; 3. promote the study and the conservation ofreptilcs and amphibians. From it's inception, the MHS has endeavored to increase the public's acceptance and knowledge of herpetology. With the increased popularity of reptiles and amphibians and their subsequent increased sales by the Pet Trade to the general public, several problems have developed. The sale of reptiles and amphibians is one ofthe fastest growing segments of the pet industry. Since 1985 the estimated importation of iguanas has grO\\ll, according to the US Fish and Wildlife statistics, to a minimum of840,000 per year.lt is unkno\\n how many ofthese animals arc actually wild caught but their inclusion in CITES II as a threatened species point to the negative environmental efth::ts of importing a threatened animal, and must also be considered. The majority of these animals are juveniles bought at a low cost to the shipper, distributed in bulk to the stores, and sold in large quantities to the general public. Because ofthe iniliallow cost of the animals, baby iguanas have become advertising sale item at grand openings of stores, prizes at local fuirs, and impulse items for young customers. Customer education has not kept up with the volume of iguana sales. Many stores have misinformed consumers about the grO\\th potential, housing requirements, and commitment level requirements ofthesc animals. This siUl3tion results in the premature death or ill-health of thousands of animals annually and a steady succession of aggressive, mature iguanas with o\\ners unprepared or unwilling to house them accordingly. Several organizations attempt to deal with these surplus animals but the grov..1ng numbers of undesired animals is far exceeding the resources of placement agencies. The MHS has been working with local resources placing unwanted reptiles and amphihians in appropriate homes since 1982. We have exceeded our capacity and our resources and have reluctantly adopted a policy of releasing over abundant animals to education and research facilities before euthanizing them. The time has come to address the problem closer to the source of origin than simply dealing with the results. This paper is intended to state the position oflhe Minnesota Herpetological Society. Part H There are many ways of responding to the Pet Trade situation and, although not all should be considered as viable actions, they should be mentioned. The various methods of responding to the Pet Trade situation can be grouped in like order, non-cxclusively as: NOIl~active:

Ignore the situation and leave it to someone else. Declare excess iguanas nuisances and let the city pounds deal with them. Accept govenunent agency regulation of animals. Education: Research the natural history and hushandry of Green Iguanas, fOffilUlate a general infoffilation handout and work towards educating the public about iguanas before they buy one. Work with the stores to help them display both the animals and the future requirements orthe animals properlY. Work with the stores to help them find alternative animals that \\111 meet their customers expectations Rescue and Rehabilitation: Deal with the byproduc\s by trying to place rescued iguanas \\1th capable keepers. Participate in rescued animal adoption days. Monitoring and Complaints: Research current laws concerning pet store _requirements and violations that merit a legal response. Complain to local store management and/or persons in management and o\..l1crship on the regional, national and corporate level. Create a public complaint/investigation packet for public use, idcntifying the correct personnel to contact and the infoffilation they need to respond. Make verbal and \\Titlen complaints to Animal welfure agencies, government agencies, Better Business Bureaus with copies of the complaints to the stores' upper management. Demonstrations: Write or !Ise media contact with owners or corporate heads of stores. Do Public appeals or demonstrations concerning store policies. Boycott selected stores. Call for a moratorium on the selling of iguanas. Promote the forcible removal of reptiles and amphibians and return them to the \\1ld. Part III The position of the Minnesota Herpetological Society is to adopt a non~aggressive activist role through education of our members, and the general public plus expand our education efforts to include responsible reactions 10 inappropriate animal care conditions. We \\111 advocate responsible Pet Trade Practices that encourage and promote good animal husbandry and ecologically responsible trade. We \..ill strive to coordinate our actions \\111t those of other societies, groups, and organizations to promote public awareness and minimize irresponsible trcatment of animals. Pet trade/lguana Committee Members George W. Richard Nancy Haig Dr. Janel! Osborn DVM Sarah M. Richard Bruce Haig

Adopted by the MHS Board of Directors

11-8-1997

MHS Newsletter Volume 17 Number 11

M.H.S. Business Randy Blasus and Sean Hewitt submitted responses for the conservation fWlding from the Midwest Herpetological Symposium. Most were from out of state. John Moriarty suggested a number projects within Minnesota. John also previewed the new Toads and Frogs poster that will soon be available from the DNR. Randy will prepare a full list of potential donation recipients for the Jan. meeting. A new insurance policy through the U of M might be available to us. The board will review both old and policies to see how they compare. Todd and Julie Cherveny brought up a membership acceptance issue from the last general meeting. The board will include this in its review of current policies. Roger Statz reports that we are close to 700 hits on the webpage. He has added "1,000 Friends of Frogs" to the links but deleted "Vivarium" because it is now a for-profit publication.

November Board of Directors Meeting By Bruce Haig, Recording Secretary The MHS Board of Directors met on November 8, 1997 at the U of M Student Union. A quorum was present. The 13 th Midwest Herpetological Symposium was great success! We received great write ups in the Wisconsin and Iowa Soc. Newsletters. Laurie Grassel accepted the position of Member-at large vacated by Scott Larson. Bruce Haig presented a draft budget. Sean and Michelle Hewitt discussed the need for funding for maintenance of the Como Cottage at the Renaissance Festival. Other suggestions for the budget are to submitted to the committee no later than Nov 22 to be considered in the final draft. The position paper on Iguanas and the Pettrade that was proposed at the 13th Annual Midwest Herpetological Symposium was read and approved by the board. Extra copies of the Minnesota's Amphibian and Reptile Symposium (1995) proceedings will be sold at the general meeting for $7.00, ($8.00 ppd) Mark Schmidtke volunteered to chair the White Snake Sale in February. Michelle Hewitt will chair the contest the committee for the Photo Contest that takes place at that same meeting.

The next regular board meeting will be held Jan. 10 at 7:00 PM at the U of M Student Union. Any interested members are encouraged to attend. Presented and accepted: Recording Secretary Report and Membership Report. There are 243 paid memberships, 123 people attended the November General meeting.

Note Later Dates for January Meetings January 9, 1998 MHS General Meeting, 335 Borlaug Hall, U of M, St. Paul Campus, 7:00p.m. January 10, 1998 MHS Board of Directors Meeting. U of M Student Union, st. Paul Campus 7:00 p. m. February 4,1998 White Snake Sale and Photo Contest

Hands On December 13, 1997 Ambleside Brewery Tour, must be over 21 years old. Starts at 1:00pm Saturday December 17, 1997 Minneapolis Animal Control Training Wednesday, 1:30pm to 2:30pm January 24, 1998 Senior retirement Center, Mpls, details later January 31, 1998 School for the Gifted and Talented in St. Paul Contact Sean Hewitt (612) 935-5845 for further information of Hands On events.

MHS Newsletter Volume 17 Number 11

Classified Advertisements 1.0.0 = male, 0.1.0 = female, 0.0.1

unsexed, cb=caplive bred, obo= or best offer

For Sale:

MHS Rodent Sales

Oassified ads are free to the membership. Deadline is the night of the general meeting to be included in the next newsletter. Contact Nancy Haig 434-8684 to leave ad or mail to: MHS Editor, Bell Museum of Nahrral History, 10 Church St., SE, Ivlinneapolis, MN,

Mice $6.00 dozen $6.00 dozen Hoppers $7.50 dozen Adults $9.00 dozen Pinkies Fuzzies

55455

0.0.4 Bullsnakes, Pitllop"is me/allolellells, cb Sept 3, 1997, feeding on pinkies. $20.00 each. Contact Gordon Merck (612) 531-825

Rats

Small Pups $10.00 dozen Large Pups $15.00 dozen Adults $12.00 six $24.00 dozen

For pick up at monthly meetings only. Orders must be placed at least one week in advance of date of meeting at \\'hich the frozen rodents are to be deHvered. Place orders with Tina (Rat Girl) Cisewski at (612) 856-2865 ..

Veiled Chameleons, Challlaeleo calyptratlls, cb. 3 months old only $35.00 each (4 left and new clutch is hatching). Contact Vern 428-4625

All proceeds go toward the operating costs of the society. The MHS is a completely volunteer run, non-profit organization.

13 hatchling Everglades Rat Snakes, have shed and are feeding on pre-killed pinkies, $20.00 each. Can deliver to MHS meetings Call Mark 481-0127

Good homes desperately needed for: F. Northern Blue tongue Skink $80.00, F. Irian Jaya Blue Tongue Skink $80.00, captive bred baby desert iguanas Dil'soSallrtlS dorsalis - beautiful animals $50.00 each, Captive breb African Fat-tail babies $50.00 each Call Jayde at 731-9350 A.S.A.P.

Renaissance Festival Goers If you want your own costume for Renaissance Festival, contact Michelle Hewitt (935 -5845). Orders taken from now until June. Need to provide all the materials or reimburse me for them. Mostly peasant. Fee based on order, coshlme quality.

Adult African Clawed Frogs, Xe/l0I'"S Jaevis, Individuals: $25.00, Pair: $40.00. Contact Cory, during evenings (402) 256-3662 Baby Corn Snakes for sale, For normal phase: $15.00 for 1, $25.00 for 2, $30.00 for 3 for Red Albino: $20.00 for 1, $35.00 for 2, $45.00 for 3 Call 1 800 627-3529 and have them ask for Marty at (507) 334-0463.

Roseville Office 2803 Lincoln Drive I Roseville, MN 55113

Taiwan Beauty Ratsnakes, Elaphe taenurtls friesi, cb 9/97. Healthy, feeding on frozen mice. $65.00 each. Paul Turley (612) 930-9516 Frozen Rabbits - all sizes. Prices very reasonablepinkies to adults. Jim Daluge (612) 295-2818

George & Sarah Richard "Makbt:J Your REALTY Dyut#CÂŁ a, REAUTY H

VM / Pager: Bus: (612) Fax: (612)

Dr. Janel! Osborn, DVM "Herpetocultura/ Housecalls"

web

(612) 599-5476 .::loS DVM @ 0..01.

emall -

(..01"1

Veterinary Medicine for Reptiles and Amphibians

223-0407 636-3760 639-6418

http://members.aol.coml GeoHardlMNrealtor.html geohard@aol.com [Qu.s\it

MHS Newsletter Volume 17 Number 11

M.H.S. Business Randy Blasus and Sean Hewitt submitted responses for the conselvation funding from the Midwest Herpetological Symposium. Most were from out of state. John Moriarty suggested a number projects within Minnesota. Jolm also previewed the new Toads and Frogs poster that will soon be available from the DNR. Randy will prepare a full list of potential donation recipients for the Jan. meeting. A new insurance policy through the U of M might be available to us. 11,e board will review both old and policies to see how they compare. Todd and Julie Cherveny brought up a membership acceptance issue from the last general meeting. The board will include this in its review of current policies. Roger Statz reports that we are close to 700 hits on the webpage. He has added "1,000 Friends of Frogs" to the links but deleted "Vivarium" because it is now a for-profit publication.

November Board of Directors Meeting By Bruce Haig, Recording Secretary The MHS Board of Directors met on November 8, 1997 at the U of M Student Union. A quorum was present. The 13'h Midwest Herpetological Symposium was great success! We received great write ups in the Wisconsin and Iowa Soc. Newsletters. Laurie Grassel accepted the position of Member-at large vacated by Scott Larson. Bruce Haig presented a draft budget. Sean and Michelle Hewitt discussed the need for funding for maintenance of the Como Cottage at the Renaissance Festival. Other suggestions for the budget are to submitted to the committee no later than Nov 22 to be considered in the final draft. The position paper on Iguanas and the PeUrade that was proposed at the 13th Annual Midwest Herpetological Symposium was read and approved by the board. Extra copies of the Minnesota's Amphibian and Reptile Symposium (1995) proceedings will be sold at the general meeting for $7.00, ($8.00 ppd) Mark Schmidtke volunteered to chair the White Snake Sale in February. Michelle Hewitt wiII chair the contest the committee for the Photo Contest that takes place at that same meeting.

MHS Coming Events December 5, 1997 MHS General Meeting, Guest Speaker: James Grier, Program: Salmonella in Snakes. 335 Borlaug Hall, U of M, St. Paul Campus, 7:00 p.m. December 6, 1997 MHS Holiday Banquet, Guest Speaker: James Grier, Program: Herps of the Philippines. U of M Student Union, St. Paul Campus, 6:30 p.m. Note Later Dates for January Meetings January 9, 1998 MHS General Meeting, 335 Borlaug Hall, U of M, St. Paul Campus, 7:00p.m. January 10, 1998 MHS Board of Directors Meeting. U of M Student Union, st. Paul Campus 7:00 p. m. February 4,1998 White Snake Sale and Photo Contest Hands On December 13, 1997 Ambleside Brewery Tour, must be over 21 years old. Starts at 1:00pm Saturday December 17,1997 Minneapolis Animal Control Training Wednesday, 1:30pm to 2:30pm January 24, 1998 Senior retirement Center, Mpls, details later January 31, 1998 School for the Gifted and Talented in st. Paul Contact Sean Hewitt (612) 935-5845 for furU,er information of Hands On events.

MHS Newsletter Volume 17 Number 11

Classified Advertisements 1.0.0 = male, 0.1.0 = fema1e, 0.0.1

unsexed, cb=captive bred, ooo=or best offer

For Sale:

MHS Rodent Sales

Oassified ads are free to the membership. Deadline is the night of the general mL>eting to be included in the next newsletter. Contact Nancy Haig 434--8684 to leave ad or mail to: tv1HS Editor, Bell l\:lusewll of Natural History, 10 Church St., SE, .Mirmeapolis, IvlN,

Mice Pinkies $6.00 dozen Fuzzies $6.00 dozen Hoppers $7.50 dozen Adults $9.00 dozen

55455

0.0.4 Bullsnakes, Pilllophis melanolellClIS, cb Sept 3, 1997, feeding on pinkies. $20.00 each. Contact Gordon Merck (612) 531-825

Rats Small Pups $10.00 dozen Large Pups $15.00 dozen Adults $1200 six $24.00 dozen

For pick up at monthly meetings only. Orders must be placed at least one week in advance of date of meeting at which the frozen rodents are to be delivered. Place orders with Tina (Rat Girl) Cisewski at (612) 856-2865 ..

Veiled Chameleons, Chamaeleo calyplrahls, cb. 3 months old only $35.00 each (4 left and new clutch is hatching). Contact Vern 428-4625

All proceeds go toward the operating costs of the society. The MHS is a completely volunteer rnnr non~profit organization.

13 hatchling Everglades Rat Snakes, have shed and are feeding on pre-killed pinkies, $20.00 each. Can deliver to MHS meetings Call Mark 481-0127 Good homes desperately needed for: F. Northern Blue tongue Skink $80.00, F. Irian Jaya Blue Tongue Skink $80.00, captive bred baby desert iguanas Dipsosmmls dorsalis - beautiful animals $50.00 each, Captive breb African Fat-tail babies $50.00 each Call Jayde at 731-9350 A.S.A.P.

Renaissance Festival Goers If you want your own cosh1me for Renaissance Festival, contact Michelle Hewitt (935 -5845). Orders taken from now until JWle. Need to provide all the materials or reimburse me for them. Mostly peasant. Fee based on order, costmne quality.

Adult African Clawed Frogs, Xenopus lnevis, Individuals: $25.00, Pair: $40.00. Contact Cory, during evenings (402) 256-3662 Baby Corn Snakes for sale, For normal phase: $15.00 for 1, $25.00 for 2, $30.00 for 3 for Red Albino: $20.00 for 1, $35.00 for 2, $45.00 for 3 CallI 800 627-3529 and have them ask for Marty at (507) 334-0463.

Roseville Office 2803 lincoln DrIve I Roseville, MN 55113

Taiwan Beauty Ratsnakes, Elaphe laeriurus friesi, cb 9/97. Healthy, feeding on frozen mice. $65.00 each. Paul Turley (612) 930-9516 Frozen Rabbits - all sizes. Prices very reasonablepinkies to adults. Jim Daluge (612) 295-2818

George & Sarah Richard n

Makbtg YbUY REAL TY Dyta.HU a, REAUTY"

VM /

Dr. Janell Osborn, DVM

Bus: Fax:

"Herpetocultural Housecalls"

web

(612) (612)

223路0407

636路3760 639路6418

http://members.aol.com/ GeoHardlMNrealtor.tltml

(612) 599-5476 50$ DVM @ <:\.01.

Pager:

email -

{..o.Y\

Veterinary Medicine for Reptiles and Amphibians

geohard@aol.com

!BMLS{i;o

MHS Newsletter Volume 17 Number 11

M.H.S. Business Randy Blasus and Sean Hewitt submitted responses for the conservation funding from the Midwest Herpetological Symposium. Most were from out of state. John Moriarty suggested a number projects within Minnesota. Jolm also previewed the new Toads and Frogs poster that wiII soon be available from the DNR. Randy will prepare a full list of potential donation recipients for the Jan. meeting. A new insurance policy through the U of M might be available to us. The board will review both old and policies to see how they compare. Todd and Julie Cherveny brought up a membership acceptance issue from the last general meeting. The board will include this in its review of current policies. Roger Statz reports that we are close to 700 hits on the webpage. He has added "1,000 Friends of Frogs" to the links but deleted "Vivarium" because it is now a for-profit publication.

November Board of Directors Meeting By Bruce Haig, Recording Secretary The MHS Board of Directors met on November 8,1997 at the U of M Student Union. A quorum was present. The 13路h Midwest Herpetological Symposium was great success! We received great write ups in the Wisconsin and Iowa Soc. Newsletters. Laurie Grassel accepted the position of Member-at large vacated by Scott Larson. Bruce Haig presented a draft budget. Sean and Michelle Hewitt discussed the need for funding for maintenance of the Como Cottage at the Renaissance Festival. Other suggestious for the budget are to submitted to the conunittee no later than Nov 22 to be considered in the final draft. The position paper on Iguanas and the Pettrade that was proposed at the 13 th Annual Midwest Herpetological Symposiwn was read and approved by the board. Extra copies of the Minnesota's Amphibian and Reptile Symposium (1995) proceedings will be sold at the general meeting for $7.00, ($8.00 ppd) Mark Schmidtke volunteered to chair the White Snake Sale in February. Michelle Hewitt will chair the contest the committee for the Photo Contest that takes place at that same meeting.

The next regular board meeting wiII be held Jan. 10 at 7:00 PM at the U of M Student Union. Any interested members are encouraged to attend. Presented and accepted: Recording Secretary Report and Membership Report. There are 243 paid memberships, 123 people attended the November General meeting.

Note Later Dates for January Meetings January 9, 1998 MHS General Meeting, 335 Borlaug Hall, U of M, st. Paul Campus, 7:00p.m. January 10, 1998 MHS Board of Directors Meeting. U of M Student Union, St. Paul Canlpus 7:00 p. m. February 4,1998 White Snake Sale and Photo Contest

Hands On December 13,1997 Ambleside Brewery Tour, must be over 21 years old. Starts at 1:00pm Saturday December 17, 1997 Minneapolis Animal Control Training Wednesday, 1:30pm to 2:30pm January 24, 1998 Senior retirement Center, Mpls, details later January 31, 1998 School for the Gifted and Talented in St. Paul Contact Sean Hewitt (612) 935-5845 for further information of Hands On events.

MHS Newsletter Volume 17 Number 11

Classified Advertisements 1.0.0 =

ma1e~

0.1.0 = female, 0.0.1

unsexed, cb = captive bred, obo = or best offer

For Sale:

MHS Rodent Sales

Classified ads are free to the membership. Deadline is the night of the general meeting to be included in the next newsleHer. Contact Nancy Haig 434-8684 to leave ad or mail to: MHS Editor, Bell Ivlu5eWll of Natural History, 10 Church St., SEt Minneapolis, MN,

Mice Pinkies $6.00 dozen Fuzzies $6.00 dozen Hoppers $7.50 dozen Adults $9.00 dozen

55455

0.0.4 Bullsnakes, Pilliopitis melatlOlellClls, cb Sept 3, 1997, feeding on pinkies. $20.00 each. Contact Gordon Merck (612) 531-825

Rats Small Pups $10.00 dozen Large Pups $15.00 dozen Adults $12.00 six $24.00 dozen

Veiled Chameleons, Citamaeleo calyptrahls, cb. 3 months old only $35.00 each (4 left and new clutch is hatching). Contact Vern 428-4625

All proceeds go toward the operating costs of the society. The MHS is a completely volunteer run, non-profit organization.

13 hatchling Everglades Rat Snakes, have shed and are feeding on pre-killed pinkies, $20.00 each. Can deliver to MHS meetings Call Mark 481-0127 Good homes desperately needed for: F. Northern Blue tongue Skink $80.00, F. Irian Jaya Blue Tongue Skink $80.00, captive bred baby desert iguanas Dipsosallnts dorsalis - beautiful animals $50.00 each, Captive breb African Fat-tail babies $50.00 each Call Jayde at 731-9350 A.S.A.P.

Renaissance Festival Goers If you want your own costume for Renaissance Festival, contact Michelle Hewitt (935 -5845). Orders taken from now until June. Need to provide all the rna terials or reimburse me for them. Mostly peasant. Fee based on order, costume quality.

Adult African Clawed Frogs, XeI! Ol'lIS [nevis, Individuals: $25.00, Pair: $40.00. Contact Cory, during evenings (402) 256-3662 Baby Corn Snakes for sale, For normal phase: $15.00 for 1, $25.00 for 2, $30.00 for 3 for Red Albino: $20.00 for 1, $35.00 for 2, $45.00 for 3 Call 1 800 627-3529 and have them ask for Marty at (507) 334-0463.

Roseville Office 2803 Lincoln Drive / Roseville, MN 55113

Taiwan Beauty Ratsnakes, Elapite taeriunts jriesi, cb 9/97. Healthy, feeding on frozen mice. $65.00 each. Paul Turley (612) 930-9516 Frozen Rabbits - all sizes. Prices very reasonablepinkies to adults. Jim Daluge (612) 295-2818

George & Sarah Richard "M~YMrREALTY

Dreams it- REALITY"

VM I Pager: 223-0407 Bus: (612) 636-3760 Fax: (612) 639-6418 web http://members.aol.com/ GeoHardlMNrealtor.html email - geohard@aol.com rnl.'-LSW

Dr. Janell Osborn, DVM "Herpetocultural Housecalls"

(612) 599-5476 SoS DVM @ 0..01. (..Oiy\ Veterinary Medicine for Reptiles and Amphibians

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.

MHS Meeting Location UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA. ST. PAUL CAMPUS

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Classified Ads: All active members are allowed a classified ad, run free of charge as space permits. Ads may be run (3) consecutive months, after which time they may be resubmitted. Corresponding members are allowed a complimentary business card advertisement monthly as space permits. Display Ad Rates: Ad Size per Month '4 page $10.00 Y2 page $20.00 full page $40.00 Business card advertisements may be purchased at $5.00 per ad, per month.

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Meetings are the 1st friday of the month. Rm 335 Borlaur; Hall, U of M St. Paul Campus Start time: 7:00 pm MHS Voicemli1: (612) 624·7065

Membershi

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lication Check #

Name _____________________________________________________________________________ Address _____________________________________________________________________________ City______________________________________________ State Phone ___________________________email

Zip ______________ List in MHS Directory? ____ yes _ _ No

Herp related interests __________________________________________________________________________ Active Memberships: _____ Sustaining ($60/yr) _ _ Contributing ($30/yr) _ _ Basic ($15/yr) Corresponding Memberships: ____ Gold Commercial ($1 OO/yr 2 full pg. ads) _____ Bronze Commercial ($50/yr 2 1/4pg ads)

_____ Silver Commercial ($75/yr 21/2 pg. ads) _____ Basic Commercial ($25/yr 2 Bus cards)

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, Bell Museum of Natural History, 10 Church St. S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455. Please allow 6 . 8 weeks for processing.

Non-Profit Rate U.s. Postage

MINNESOTA HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY

PAID Mpls,MN Permit No. 2275

BELL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY 10 CHURCH STREET SE, MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55455-0104

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

+ POSTMASTER: DATED MATERIAL

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