baars august 2015
DESCRIPTION
Santa Clara County Fair, Sulphur Creek Rally, Lots of PhotosTRANSCRIPT
BEHIND BAARS
OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE BAY AREA AMPHIBIAN AND REPTILE SOCIETY August 2015
Beaded Lizard ⓒ Jeff Whittnack
Friday, August 28 @ 7:30 p.m. Doors open 7:00 p.m.
Cubberley Community Center, RoomM-2, 4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto
BAARS is an educational and conservational group of amateur and professional herpetologists who want to share their
knowledge, enthusiasm, and friendship with others interested in amphibians and reptiles.
CONTENTS President’s Editorial Thank You For A Wonderful Fair Santa Clara County Fair 2015 Santa Clara County Fair 2015 Santa Clara County Fair Pictures Sulphur Creek Reptile Rally Calender of Events & Shows & Meetings Treasurer’s Report 2015 Board Members BAARS Social Connections Support BAARS
ONLINE RESOURCES OLDER NEWSLETTERS MEMBERSHIP DISCOUNTS East Bay Vivarium Berkeley - 10% Dr. R. Singh Veterinarian Sunnyvale - 10%
President’s Editorial Well what a whirlwind of BAARS
activity it’s been!
At our last General Meeting, Steve
Angeli spoke about Heloderma
lizards—Gila “Monsters” and
Beaded Lizards. Steve has been
breeding these for over 10 years
now. He brought several, most
notably a large male at least 3 feet
long, to the meeting. I was able to
have mine sexed by Steve (he checked which sex it was!), and
found out it’s a male. Steve also keeps and breeds other
reptiles. If you haven’t checked out his webpage, I strongly
suggest you do so at
http://www.helodermahorridum.com/index.php
Our August 28th General Meeting is “Turtle and Tortoise Night”. Please
bring your Chelonian and show off! There should be some Radiated and
Burmese Tortoises there to view. I myself feel that the husbandry
information out there as regards Turtles and Tortoises to be is bit ahead
of that for most snakes and lizards. So even if you don’t own turtles
yourself, you might glean some knowledge. I for one soak my snakes and
lizard in water, which is warm at first, and then cools down. (Except for
my Tarahumara Kingsnakes, which seem not to need any, and they also
seem to get more stressed).
And then there are the BAARS shows. Our club did 4 days at the Santa
Clara County Fair at the end of July to August 2nd. We had a large space, which was air-conditioned, and the show was
well attended. The Silicon Valley Turtle and Tortoise Club was there also, Critter Kids, Reptile Realms, and Rainbows R
Us. Thanks to all who came out for this.
It is always interesting to see the reactive range from fascination to fear! And the questions are always, “Do they
bite?” and, “Are any of them poisonous?”. Funny thing was…my female Carpet Python “Beavette” has been now at
many shows, handled for many hours , and never any attempt to bite. But a few days later I went to feed her. I put
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her in a separate container and tried to dangle a frozen/thawed rodent at the opening. But being apparently super
ravenous, she charged out and bit my hand!
I always try and feed my snakes, and then try to get them to defecate before the show. I find that, weather
permitting, taking them outside for some sun, then putting the hose on the “Shower” setting, and aiming the water
high into the air above them to simulate rain, always works on getting them to poop. I assume that in the wild, they
don’t want their scat to lead predators to them, and when it rains, is perfect, as the scent is washed away. Still, one
did do a major dump, and for the kids, it seems to be one of the more interesting facets.
Last weekend, three BAARS members did a show at one of the Santa Clara Libraries. Once again, the line stretched
outside the door, to the wall at the end of the building. And we dared not turn anyone away, as there might have
been a toddler riot!
August 15th and 16th,, this Saturday and Sunday, is the San Jose Reptile Show. BAARS will have a booth there, so be
sure to stop by and say, “Hi”. The Facebook site for this event is https://www.facebook.com/SanJoseReptileShow, and the main webpage is http://www.thesanjosereptileshow.com/. [Editor’s Note: Jeff wrote his report before the
show.]
Jeff Whitnack, BAARS President, 2015
Thank You For A Wonderful Fair by Tania Tengan
The Santa Clara County Fair is one of my
children's favorite events of the year. With
much gratitude to Gil and Dorothy Castro
we were able to be indoors this year. The
turn out was great. The interest was
wonderful. My family was proud to bring in
$610 in donations and present it to the
club during the Board meeting. We are so
proud to be able to educate the public
while sharing our reptiles. We are looking
forward to next year!!
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Santa Clara County Fair 2015 by Pete Marshall
This year, the fair was a little different. We were inside the main
building and had a corner of the building all for reptiles. We had
BAARS, Turtle & Tortoise Club, Rainbow’s R Us, and San Jose Reptile,
who all made up the World of Reptiles.
It was a four-day show, but I was only able to do two days on the
weekend. It’s a lot of work to put on the show for the fair. They ask a
lot of us, and we give a lot to make it fun and educational for all that
come out to see reptiles.
The fair is a little different than other shows, due to the fact that most
of the people that come don’t really realize that live reptiles will be on
hand, and in some cases, out of their cages. I love the people that come face to face with a live snake. And the look of
sheer terror on their face—I often wonder what that’s like, as I have no clue what it is to be afraid of snakes.
But for the most part, the kids are the true stars at the fair, as they
want to see and touch everything, and sometimes even asking if they
can touch a snake, even if it wasn’t out. And that was nice. At times I
wondered, how we will influence some of the kids that came to the
fair.
Back in the late 80’s, I went to a pet fair at the fairgrounds with a
friend at the time. I had a few snakes, not many. I was just getting into
snakes again after my
teenage years and first
collection. At the pet fair, I
found BAARS for the very
first time. I was amazed at
the reptiles they had at the
fair. I talked to a man named
Marty Marcus, a long-time
BAARS member, who has
long since retired and moved
out of state.He was my first
encounter with BAARS. I was so excited that there was a club all about
reptiles, and all the beautiful reptiles they had at the show. This was
something I wanted to be a part of, but sadly, it took me a while to find them again, and I did in 1989.
And I have been a member ever since. It’s been a fun ride, and it keeps growing and changing. New clubs spring up
from nothing, which is great. That shows that the love of reptiles is growing. It is a lot of fun and a lot of work to put
on a show, but I feel we will wipe out the fear of snakes if we keep this up. Maybe the kids we entertain today will be
the BAARS members of tomorrow. I for one hope so.
If you have never done a show I encourage you to get out there and do one. It can be very rewarding.
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Santa Clara County Fair 2015 by Rhonda Velez
Thousands visited our tables, many experiencing live reptiles for the first time! Education still remains our mission
and our primary goal.
Over the four fun days of the fair BAARS board members Jeff Whitnack, Tony and Rhonda Velez, Scott Alexander, and
loyal BAARS member, Pete Marshall, volunteered their time, sharing their knowledge of our unique herps. This is
BAARS’ third year at the Fair. It was terrifically comforting to hang out with our friends who are members of, or
representing, CTTC of SV, Critter Kids, Rainbows R Us, and Reptile Realms. We shared the Pavilion building with a few
vendors and Robotics enthusiasts. We have been invited back for next year. Plan your summer, but please include a
day or two at the fair! We hope to see more of you herpers at our next BAARS event.
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Santa Clara County Fair Pictures by Jeff Whittnack
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Sulphur Creek Reptile Rally by Pete Marshall
Last picture by Jeff Whitnack
At Sulphur Creek Nature Center, the usual suspects were
present at the show: Peter Moravcsik, Jeff Whitnack, Gil
and Dorothy Castro, Scott Alexander, Scott Petersen
without Joanne, and Gary and Ginger came to offer
tortoise rides for the kids. They seem to get a big kick out
of that.
The weather was great for a show—not too hot, just
right. I also had some friends from Sulphur Creek bring in
their reptiles to show, which worked out great. That
added new animals to the show, which is something the
public seem to like.
This year’s Reptile Rally was a lot of fun. We had so many people come out to the show and we had people there
wanting to see reptiles until the very last minute.
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I wish we could have gotten a head-count of all the people that came
out to the rally. I think this year was the most we’ve had in a long time.
Sulphur Creek brought out some of their reptiles as well. And offered
face painting for the kids to enjoy.
I had a really good time. We had lot of people showing off their
animals. And too many people coming to see all, so we had to offer
looking forward to next year’s rally already.
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Calender of Events & Shows & Meetings by Joanne Hiratsuka Petersen
Details are on our BAARS.org website under Shows. Contact Joanne Petersen, [email protected].
BAARS Merchandise: http://www.cafepress.com/baars Wear a club t-shirt to an event to support and promote your club!
August 2015
August 15 - 16 Saturday-Sunday Sat 10 - 5 p.m. Sun 10 - 4 p.m.
San Jose Reptile Show Santa Clara County Fairgrounds, 344 Tully Road, San Jose The San Jose Reptile Show is a family friendly event. The show will have a FREE kids art center and fun glitter tattoos starting at $5.00 each. Adults $10, youth 6-12 $5, 5 & under are free. Do not bring pets to the show. http://www.thesanjosereptileshow.com/ https://www.facebook.com/SanJoseReptileShow Attendees: Jeff Whitnack, Joanne Petersen Contact: Joanne Petersen, [email protected] if you are able to bring herps.
August 28 Friday 7:30 p.m.
BAARS General Club Meeting - Room M-2 Turtle and Tortoise Night!!! Bring your favorite Chelonian, and share with the BAARS folks! Bring a turtle or tortoise item for the auction or raffle; BAARS needs your support!! Scott will bring some of his Radiated and Burmese star tortoises - you don’t see these everyday! Bring a friend! START TIME: 7:30 p.m. (Doors open 7 p.m.)
August 29-30 Saturday-Sunday Sat 10 - 5 p.m. Sun 10 - 4 p.m.
North Bay Herp Society (NBHS) Reptile Expo - No BAARS representation - info only Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Building, 1351 Maple Avenue, Santa Rosa Adults $10, youth 6-12 $5, 5 & under are free. Parking is $3. Do not bring pets to the show. http://nbherps.org/?page_id=53
September 2015
September 4 Friday 7:30 p.m.
BAARS Board Meeting - 7:30 p.m. TBD For details, contact [email protected].
September 19 Saturday 10 a.m - 2 p.m.
Chitactac Family Day Chitactac-Adams County Park, 10001 Watsonville Rd Gilroy, CA 95020 (408) 918-7772 For directions: www.ParkHere.org / Park Finder Come celebrate Ohlone Indian culture. Discover the heritage and people of this ancient site! • FREE event • BAARS will be showing native herps at this event.
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Family Fun • Ohlone games • Demonstrations • Learn how Native Americans used native wildlife and plants! Attendees: Rhonda & Tony Velez Contact: Joanne Petersen, [email protected] if you are able to bring herps.
September 25 Friday 7:30 p.m.
BAARS General Club Meeting - Room TBD Speaker: TBD START TIME: 7:30 p.m. (Doors open 7 p.m.)
September 26-27 Saturday-Sunday Sat 10 - 5 p.m. Sun 10 - 4 p.m.
Sacramento Reptile Show - No BAARS representation - info only Sacramento Convention Center, 1400 J Street Sacramento, CA 95814 Featuring the ever popular venomous reptile display featuring more than 45 venomous species from around the world including King Cobras and Black Mambas. Brad’s World Reptile will also be setting up a reptile education center to teach you about the world of reptiles. Izod and Wild Things will be back to give you an opportunity to meet a 10ft. 100lb. alligator. http://sacreptileshow.com
October 2015
October 4 Sunday 11 a.m - 4 p.m.
YSI 30th Annual Wildlife Festival - No BAARS representation - info only YSI Alum Rock Park, 16260 Penitencia Creek Road, San Jose 95127 YSI presents their 30th Annual Wildlife Festival. The Wildlife Festival is a well-loved, FREE family event hosted at the YSI Alum Rock Nature Center Site. This is an opportunity for YSI to showcase their amazing organization. Hold a snake, touch a toad, and meet hawks, owls and other animals! Families can participate in wildlife programs, hands-on science activities and crafts. Information is provided for anyone who wants to attend, but BAARS will not have a table.
October 17 Saturday 10 a.m - 3 p.m.
Audubon Wildlife Education Day Blackberry Farm, 21979 San Fernando Ave, Cupertino, CA 95014 Wildlife Education Day has become one of the premier events in the Bay Area where hundreds of families come together to celebrate and learn about nature. Join SCVAS and over a dozen other organizations to celebrate nature, ecology, and wildlife. There will be live animals, educational presentations, poster contest, many free hands-on activities, early morning bird walk, and nestbox and bird feeder construction. http://www.scvas.org/ Attendees: Scott & Joanne Petersen Contact: Joanne Petersen, [email protected] if you are able to bring herps.
October 23 Friday 7:30 p.m.
BAARS General Club Meeting - Room TBD Speaker: TBD START TIME: 7:30 p.m. (Doors open 7 p.m.)
October 30 Friday 5:30 - 8:00 p.m.
PAJMZ Halloween Zoo Night Palo Alto Jr. Museum & Zoo, 1451 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto PAJMZ's Halloween Party is always a fun event! The Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo hosts an eerie evening with a costume contest, drinks, desserts and guest animals. The PAJMZ supports BAARS by donations and by receiving snail mail on our behalf, so we’d like to help with a good BAARS turnout. Bring your herp in costume! Attendees: Scott & Joanne Petersen Contact: Joanne Petersen, [email protected] if you are able to bring herps. PAJMZ contact: Julie Cameron at 650-326-6338 or [email protected]
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November/December 2015
HOLIDAY PARTY & ELECTIONS - planning in progress
Treasurer’s Report by Scott Petersen
This report covers the month of July 2015.
Income for the month of July was twice the amount of monthly expenses, increasing the club’s reserves by almost
$400. Stipends for BAARS participation in shows accounted for more that half of the month’s revenue. A big thank
you goes out to those members who contributed their time and shared their animals by attending those shows. The
club also recognized $131 from its annual fundraiser. Other revenue came from a raffle held during the July general
meeting (thanks Rhonda for organizing and running the raffle), cash donations, and a new membership. Monthly
expenses were the usual July general meeting room rent, hard copy monthly newsletter printing & postage, and a
brand new 6 1/2 foot free standing BAARS banner. This new banner has already proven its value at a number of
August shows, including the multi-day Santa Clara County Fair. Credit for this new banner goes to Tony, who saw the
need and took the initiative to design, solicit feedback, show the value to the board, find a manufacturer, and order it.
Overall, while Year-To-Date net income has been modest, this month puts the club clearly in the positive.
2015 Board Members President: Jeff Whitnack, [email protected] Vice President & Speakers: Scott Alexander, 408-823-3675, [email protected] Membership Secretary: Kyna Hendra, 408-204-5131, [email protected] Treasurer: Scott Petersen, [email protected] Recording Secretary: Vacant Publicity Director: Vacant Newsletter Editor & Webmaster: Aleks Haecky, [email protected] Show Coordinator: Joanne Petersen, [email protected] Adoptions Coordinator: Alex Maier, [email protected] Social Media MAL: vacant Members at Large: Gilbert & Dorothy Castro, 408-582-4247, [email protected] Members at Large: Tania Tengan & Michael Pleban & Aria Pleban & Austin Pleban, 408-499-5867, [email protected] Members at Large: Rhonda Velez & Tony Velez, 831-540-8119, [email protected]
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BAARS Social Connections by Aleks Haecky
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Membership type: __1 Year ($25) __2 Years ($50) __Sustaining ($35) __Contributing ($50) __ Patron ($100) __Institutional ($20) BAARS Membership Secretary c/o Palo Alto Junior Museum 1451 Middlefield Road Palo Alto CA 94301-3351
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