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Minnesota Herpetological Society The newsletter of the November Meeting Notice General Meeting will be November 1st, 2013 November Speaker Tony Gamble: Sex Determination in Reptiles Elections and General Meeting—see page 6 for the slate of candidates November 2013 Volume 33 Number 11

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Page 1: Minnesota Herpetological Society Documents/Newsletters/2013.11-MHS...The Minnesota Herpetological Society is a non-profit, tax-exempt organiza-tion. Membership is open to all individuals

Minnesota

Herpetological

Society

The newsletter of the

November Meeting Notice General Meeting will be November 1st, 2013

November Speaker Tony Gamble: Sex Determination in Reptiles

Elections and General Meeting—see page 6 for the slate of candidates

November 2013 Volume 33 Number 11

Page 2: Minnesota Herpetological Society Documents/Newsletters/2013.11-MHS...The Minnesota Herpetological Society is a non-profit, tax-exempt organiza-tion. Membership is open to all individuals

BOARD OF DIRECTORS President

Chris Smith 612.275.9737 [email protected]

Vice President Peter Tornquist 952.797.6515

[email protected]

Recording Secretary

Beth Girard 612.616.8431 [email protected]

Membership Secretary

Heather Clayton 612.886.7175 [email protected]

Treasurer Nancy Haig 763.434.8684

[email protected]

Newsletter Editor

Ellen Heck 763.593.5414 [email protected]

Members at Large

Micole Hendricks 651.356.1669 [email protected]

Rebecca Markowitz 409.750.0235 [email protected]

Terry Odegaard 612.840.7674

[email protected]

Kelli Bornholdt 612.710.5919

[email protected]

COMMITTEES Adoption

Sarah Richard 612.781.9544 [email protected]

Education Jan Larson 507.263.4391

[email protected]

Fostering

Nancy Haig 763.434.8684 [email protected]

WebMaster

Shawn Berg [email protected]

C/O Bell Museum of Natural History

10 Church Street Southeast Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55455-0104

Stay informed! Join us on our forums! And, you can still leave us a Voice Mail: 612.326.6516

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 organiza-tion. 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 Cam-

pus 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

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.

See inside back cover for ad rates. Submissions may be sent to:

The Minnesota Herpetological Society -or- [email protected]

Attn: Newsletter Editor C/O Bell Museum of Natural History

10 Church St SE Minneapolis, MN 55455-0104

© Copyright 2013, 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.

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

Cover photo by Bill Moss

Cartoons by Fran Frisch

Page 3: Minnesota Herpetological Society Documents/Newsletters/2013.11-MHS...The Minnesota Herpetological Society is a non-profit, tax-exempt organiza-tion. Membership is open to all individuals

November 2013 Volume 33 Number 11 Page 1

General Meeting Presentation—Tony Gamble

Friday November 1st, 7:00pm; 6:30pm Social Hour The MHS Board Elections and Annual Meeting will be held November 1st. You must be present to vote.

Tony Gamble is Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development at the University

of Minnesota and a long-time MHS member. His talk will center on "Sex Determination in Reptiles". Sex determination

is the mechanism occurring in the embryo that assigns some individuals as male and others as female and has a pro-found impact on all aspects of a species biology influencing behavior, reproduction, and speciation. Reptiles use a varie-

ty of different sex determining mechanisms. Some species have temperature dependent sex determination, where incu-bation temperature determines offspring sex, while other species have genetic sex determination, where the chromo-

some complement at fertilization determines offspring sex. Transitions between these mechanisms have occurred again

and again in different reptile groups over evolutionary time.

Understanding how evolutionary transitions among sex determining mechanisms have occurred will help scientists bet-

ter understand its impact on basic reptile biology. Unfortunately we don't know the sex determining mechanisms for most reptile species. University of Minnesota biologist Tony Gamble is trying to change that and has developed methods

to discover the sex determining mechanisms of reptiles using new DNA sequencing technologies. Dr. Gamble's research

has both laboratory and field work components and he will discuss these in his talk. Come learn about reptile reproduc-tion and see photos of herpetological field work from around the world.

Social hour begins at 6:30pm. This is a time for people to minge and catch up before the meeting starts. Eventually we hope to include refreshments.

Blake Klocke—Combating the Sixth Mass Extinction: Saving the Amphibians of Panama and Costa Rica

Submitted by Beth Girard

Blake Klocke is currently a senior at the University of Wis-

consin in River Falls. He has been raising amphibians since he was eight years old. His parents allowed him to have

aquariums and whatever would stay in them, which is when he discovered the perfect aquarium-bound pets ...

aquatic amphibians!

Blake referred to several papers and articles during his presen-

tation. I have referenced them at the end. His presentation

focused on current amphibian decline due to many reasons,

particularly chytrid fungus; the

Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project; and sto-

ries from the field. He also shared information about the

Sustainable amphibian Conser-

vation of the Americas Sympo-sium he attended.

According to current research amphibians, among other ver-

tebrate and invertebrate spe-cies, are under pressure from:

1. Habitat destruction and degradation

2. Human development 3. Pollution

4. Exploitation due to their collection for food, the

pet trade, etc. 5. Exotic species introduction and the diseases they

bring with them

The work done by David B Wake

and Vance T Vredenburg includes

their 2007 paper, "Global Declines of Amphibians," which can be found

athttp://ib.berkeley.edu/labs/wake/2007_EncOfDiv.pdf. In 2008

they published "Are we in the midst of the sixth mass extinction? a view

from the world of amphibi-

ans." http://www.pnas.org/content/105/

Supplement_1/11466.full

Blake's talk centered on some of the

frogs in Panama and Costa Rica that

have been devastatingly affected by the chytrid fungus. Chytridiomycosis

is an infectious disease caused by an aquatic fungal pathogen, Batra-

chochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). It may be responsible for the greatest disease-caused loss of

biodiversity in recorded history (Skerratt et al. 2007). Over

just the past 30 years, Bd has caused the catastrophic de-cline or extinction (in many cases within a single year)

EVACC is the only place in Panama where the country's nation-al animal, the Panamanian golden frog, exists. (Photo by: Lind-say Renick Mayer, Smithsonian's National Zoo)

Page 4: Minnesota Herpetological Society Documents/Newsletters/2013.11-MHS...The Minnesota Herpetological Society is a non-profit, tax-exempt organiza-tion. Membership is open to all individuals

November 2013 Volume 33 Number 11 Page 2

of at least 200 species of frogs! Bd infects the superficial,

keratin-containing layers of amphibian skin (Berger et al. 1998). The severity and speed of the progression are de-

pendent on a variety of features ...species of amphibian, age and lifestage, temperature, Bd strain, etc. The skin

becomes so thick that osmosis can no longer occur and the

frog, salamander or caecillian dies. In other words, the skin of the frog is so colonized by the spores that gasses can no

longer be passed effectively. The information in this para-graph relating to chytrid was taken from an article on Am-

phibiaWeb athttp://www.amphibiaweb.org/chytrid/chytridiomycosis.html

The chytrid fungus, which is now found on six of the seven

continents, is believed to have been spread in large part due to the use of African clawed frogs as a tool to deter-

mine pregnancy in humans. A pair, male and female, of Xenopus laevis were placed in water and the urine from a

possibly pregnant female was introduced. If she was in-

deed pregnant, the hormone HCG was present and it in-duced breeding in the pair of frogs! Unfortunately, when

they were no longer needed they were too often released into the environment. This began happening in the

1930’s! Xenopus frogs co-evolved with the fungus and built up some level of immunity to it. Read more about it at

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/10/12/03-

0804_article.htm

Blake spent more than two months in Central America to

learn more about the more than 200 species of amphibians found there. A good portion of his time was spent at the

Panama Amphibian Rescue & Conservation Project. Learn more about it at http://amphibianrescue.org/ There is a

good video about the project at http://

www.amphibiaweb.org/images/Cheng_et_al_2011_Fig_3.jpg (scroll down until you find

it.) While there he worked with many species, including the Panamanian golden frog. Atelopus zeteki is endemic to

Panama and is an iconic symbol there. Every August, Pan-amanians now celebrate National Golden Frog Day to draw

attention to the plight of this amphibious treasure!

While there, he was involved with the PARCP in a project

designed to capture, house, breed … and hopefully … SOMEDAY … release native species of amphibians. He

shared photographs of the facility which included animal enclosures, breeding tanks, tanks with tadpoles and tanks

with adults, PLUS large areas just for the breeding of ap-

propriate items for the dinner menu … springtails, crickets, mealworms, etc. and the growing of algae to feed tad-

poles. He also helped photograph and identify the individ-uals to aid in the monitoring process. One of the challeng-

es to the project is keeping the animals’ bio-secure. They have extensive protocols to ensure that chytrid is not intro-

duced accidentally in their facilities.

Chytrid fungus prefers cooler temperatures (under 80 de-grees F) which means seasonal outbreaks in some areas,

and also determines which locations are hardest hit, such as high elevation locations that have a cool temperature

range year-round. See the map at http://

www.amphibiaweb.org/images/Cheng_et_al_2011_Fig_3.jpg. The fungus thrives in water

or moist environments. Unfortunately it is able to lie dormant for long periods of time, so the future of the pro-

ject is dependent on a means to manage chytrid before the captive frogs are released back into areas where the fun-

gus is or can become active again. Once infected, a frog

can die within five months!

Blake showed photos of a variety of Harlequin frogs,

Atelopus species, in which the juvenile and adult forms often look different. There is also a great deal of sexual

dimorphism between males and females in this genus. The

tadpoles of the Atelopus frogs he photographed, however, were all chevron green and black with orange feet. There

have been catastrophic population declines and extinctions in neotropical harlequin frogs due to the chytrid fun-

gus. One species, Atelopus chiriquiensis, the Lewis Stub-

foot Toad, have not been found since 1996. Another, Atelopus zeteki, the Golden Arrow Poison Frog, may now

be extinct in the wild.

While in Panama, Blake also had the opportunity to go

herping in and around Gamboa. While there he found and photographed a variety of species. The species found in-

cluded coral snakes, gladiator tree frogs, red-eyed leaf

frogs, hourglass frogs, spectacled caiman, cat-eyed snakes, multiple species of geckos, narrowmouth frogs, capybara,

praying mantis, stick insects, caterpillars, millipedes, and glass frogs.

Blake also traveled to El Valle Amphibian Conservation

Center, about 2.5 hours away up and over moun-tains. Learn more at http://amphibianrescue.org/tag/el-

valle-amphibian-conservation-center/ The Center’s Direc-tor, Heidi Ross is also from Wisconsin, and Blake had the

opportunity to speak with her while there.

Another project at La MICA Biological Station in Panama

was established in 2007 by Julie M. Ray, a Ph. D. student

from Old Dominion University is studying Panamanian

The Panamanian golden frog once lined the streams in El Valle during the rainy season, but is now extinct in the wild. (Photo by: Mehgan Murphy, Smithsonian's National Zoo)

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Volume 33 Number 11 November 2013 Page 3

Resources:

·Smithsonian Science. - National Zoo and Partners First to Breed Critically Endangered Tree Frog - http://

smithsonianscience.org/2010/11/national-zoo-and-partners-first-to-breed-critically-endangered-tree-frog/

·Smithsonian Science - Success in Breeding Endangered Frogs! -http://smithsonianscience.org/2013/03/smithsonian-

scientists-collaborators-successfully-breed-endangered-frog-pecie/

·Abstracts of important a papers on amphibian decline through August 2011 can be found at http://agwobserver.wordpress.com/2011/08/03/papers-on-amphibian-decline/

· Want to know more about chytridiomycosis? I highly recommend the article on AmphibiaWeb at http://www.amphibiaweb.org/chytrid/chytridiomycosis.html

·OHIO DNR’s Division of Wildlife Handout on Chytrid - http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=wRDY5w48phk%3D&tabid=5830

·Figure of Bd spread in Central America from Cheng et al 2011 - http://www.amphibiaweb.org/images/

Cheng_et_al_2011_Fig_3.jpg

·Panama Amphibian Conservation Timeline - http://amphibianrescue.org/about/history/

·Catastrophic Population Declines and Extinctions in Neotropical Harlequin Frogs (Bufonidae: Atelopus) Enrique La Mar-ca et al 2005 - http://www.researchgate.net/

publication/227544053_Catastrophic_Population_Declines_and_Extinctions_in_Neotropical_Harlequin_Frogs_

snakes. Their Facebook page, Team Snake Panama, can

be found at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Team-Snake-Panama/202999563070774 Her team is working to edu-

cate people to protect snakes, especially those that mimic venomous snakes.

Blake also had the opportunity to visit with Brian Kubicki,

Director of the Costa Rican Amphibian Research Center and a Wisconsin native. Learn more at http://

cramphibian.com/about-2/brian-website/ Brian is doing a lot of work with an in situ conservation focus. One of the

projects works with the Lemur Leaf Frog and the building

of artificial pools. Learn more about it at http://cramphibian.com/lemur-leaf-frog/

Blake said the projects currently underway hold promise, but there is concern that eliminating the fungus may not

be possible, or even be in the best interest of the environ-

ment to eliminate it. Midwestern scientists, like Blake, are working in Panama to make a difference in the amphibian

world!

Blake can be contacted at [email protected]

Monthly Net Gain (Loss)- (3) Paying Memberships

Total New Members- 13

Total # of Renewals- 18

Number of Printed Newsletters- 34

Number of Email Newsletters- current members = 264

- expired members = 22

Summary Counts as of October 4th, 2013

Basic- 302 Lifetime- 9

Contributing- 11 Gratis- 8

Sustaining- 13 Exchange- 26

Commercial- 11

Totals- 337 43

Paying memberships:

Oct 2013 Sept 2013 Oct 2012

Basic- 211 213 203

Contributing- 9 10 17

Sustaining- 11 11 5

Commercial- 4 4 7

Totals- 235 238 232

October Membership Report

Prepared by Heather Clayton, Membership Secretary

Page 6: Minnesota Herpetological Society Documents/Newsletters/2013.11-MHS...The Minnesota Herpetological Society is a non-profit, tax-exempt organiza-tion. Membership is open to all individuals

Volume 33 Number 11 November 2013 Page 4

Renfest roundup & photos

The Minnesota Herpetological Society had a fantastic year in 2013 at the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. Sixty-seven

volunteers put in a total of 2,670 volunteer hours over 16 days from Aug 17th to Sept 29th. These hard working volun-teers were able to educate thousands of people and raised $7,781 for MHS over the course of the festival.

2013 was MHS’ 18th year staffing Como Cottage at the festival, which we took over from Como Zoo in 1995. In addition to being MHS’ largest fundraiser, being at the RenFest gives us the opportunity to reach many people that we would not

otherwise get to talk to. We get to help people conquer their fear, dispel misinformation, and share our love of these

amazing animals with people.

The volunteers that come out to the Ren Fest are an amazing bunch. They endured heat advisories, cold snaps, rain,

long days, dust, a bad parking situation and drunk patrons and still managed to do it all with a smile.

Pre-run maintenance on the gator

pond. Belle Mahlow and Brandy Snyder-Danaki by Rae Rueber

Bobber appreciates their efforts—

Brandy Snyder-Danaki

More sitting fence—Corinne Alice Angus cozy in front of the fire—Bill Moss Shenanigans—Corinne Alice

Sitting Fence—Rae Rueber

Page 7: Minnesota Herpetological Society Documents/Newsletters/2013.11-MHS...The Minnesota Herpetological Society is a non-profit, tax-exempt organiza-tion. Membership is open to all individuals

November 2013 Volume 33 Number 11 Page 5

MHS Reports and Announcements

Newsletter update:

The MHS Board has reviewed the usage and costs of publishing the MHS newsletter in paper form.

Over the past 3 years (2010-2012) we have dropped from printing over 250 newsletters (@ $5,000.00 printing,

$285.00 postage) to mailing out less than 50 newsletters. ($1,790.10 printing, $549.45 postage). Although we have

saved in printing costs, the postage has gone up because we no longer qualify for bulk mailing prices (there is a mini-mum of 200 pieces). To offset the 1st class postage we asked for a donation of $5.00 from those who wanted a mailed

version. Most members have opted for the email version of the newsletter instead of mailed (258 vs. 43).

A printed newsletter requires the Editor to send a copy to the printer, someone needs to pick up the copies from the

printer, the Membership Secretary has to printout mailing labels and get them to the newsletter folders who address and stamp the newsletters and then mail them out. All this requires time and sometimes results in the mailed issue ar-

riving just before or even after the next meeting.

After this review the Board has decided to phase out the printed newsletter in favor of an emailed version. Starting in January 2014 we will no longer offer a mailed newsletter with memberships. Those that renew and pay for a mailed

version before Dec 31, 2013 will continue to receive a newsletter until their expiration date in 2014. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this decision please contact a board member or bring it up at the next general meet-

ing.

Nancy Haig, MHS Treasurer

Where?

The 2014 symposium will be hosted by the Hoosier Herpetological Society.

Who should attend?

EVERYONE! This is an annual weekend event for anyone interested in amphibians and reptiles. The main focus of every symposium is education, providing a wide array of speakers and topics. It is a chance for herpers to mingle in a relaxed

social atmosphere, visit with old friends, make new acquaintances and share information and experiences.

What is it?

The Midwest Herpetological Symposium is an educational event hosted by regional herp societies. Typically, the festivi-

ties begin Friday night with a social Icebreaker as the attendees start to arrive at the hotel. Saturday opens with illustrat-ed talks presented by local, regional and international speakers. After the last speaker there is a short break,

followed by the banquet where more time is available for socializing. The after-dinner keynote speaker’s presentation is followed by an auction of items donated by individuals, vendors and societies. For most hosting societies, the auction

provides funding for special projects or grants. Other activities such as workshops, tours, group sessions or vendor sales,

including live animals can be planned for Sunday; depending on the host society's interests.

What else do I need to know?

The registration fee of $50 to $70 for the weekend covers most of the events and there is usually an early registration discount. The banquet is a separate fee and is not required-if you do not want to attend the dinner. Hotel costs vary by

location and special rates are normally available for Symposium attendees. Host societies usually provide an insert for

the MHS newsletter to help get the word out to any interested people. This gives the potential attendee a chance to re-view the cost, location and speaker list. It contains all the registration information you need to get on your way.

Car-pooling is a great way to share the traveling expenses. There usually are other activities nearby for those in your family that may not share you interest. Also, most hotels have a pool - great for the kids.

When?

The symposium is normally held around the middle of October each year. Because this traveling symposium is hosted by

a different regional herp society each year, some variation of the schedule may occur. At the end of the current symposi-

um, representatives from each society meet to agree on the schedule for next three years. Many societies have hosted this event (see list), each putting their own touch to the weekend. Interested societies continue to join the rotation, tak-

ing the attendees to new places.

Midwest Herpetological Symposium 2014

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MHS Reports and Announcements

November 2013 Volume 33 Number 11 Page 6

Board Meeting

The board meeting will be held 6pm November 2nd in the St Paul Student Union. Check the posted

schedule at the Union for the meeting room number.

Everyone is welcome to attend the board meeting. If

you think you may be interested in running for a po-

sition, we encourage you to come check it out.

Elections and General Meeting

The MHS Elections and General Meeting for 2013 will be held November 1st at 7 pm in Borlaug Hall. All members in good

standing are eligible to vote. You must be present to vote; proxy ballots are not a allowed.

Any member in good standing and who will be at least 18 years

of age by January 1st, 2014 is eligible to run for the board of directors.

For more information on the individual positions, contact a board member or check the website. To submit your name as a candi-

date, contact Beth Girard at [email protected]

http://www.mnherpsoc.com/content/bylaws-minnesota-

herpetological-society

Adoption Report

Submitted by Nancy Haig

Once again we had a lot of animals looking for new homes – 35

at the meeting.

Adopted: MN Bullsnake, Foxsnake, 1.1 Kenyan Sand Boas, 2 Ball

Pythons, Boa Constrictor, 3 Leopard Geckos, and 1 Bearded

Dragon. P

laced in Foster: 6 Ball pythons, 2 Boa Constrictors, 2 Cornsnakes,

2 Bearded Dragons, 1 Plated Lizard, 2 Iguanas, and 2 snapping turtles.

Out sourced (placed outside of MHS): 4 Red eared sliders and 2

Painted turtles and a baby snapping turtle.

In Special Care: 2 Boa constrictors, 1 Veiled Chameleon and a

Red-foot tortoise. These animals will be available later if their health improves.

Thank you to everyone who helped out by adopting or fostering animals this month.

Election Candidates

Currently, this is the slate of candidates.

President: Christopher Smith

Vice President: Peter Tornquist, Misi Stine

Recording Secretary:

Treasurer: Nancy Haig

Membership Secretary: Micole Hendricks

Newsletter Editor: Ellen Heck

Members-At-Large: Kelli Bornholdt, Heather Clayton, Rebecca Markowitz, Terry Odegaard

If you are interested in running for a board position, contact Beth Girard at [email protected].

Treasurer's Report for September 2013 prepared By Nancy Haig

Beginning Balance $ 4,309.65

Income:

Membership $ 245.00

Ads $ -

Raffle $ 47.00

Adoption $ 345.00

Hands Ons $ 237.00

Rodent Sales $ 590.00

Renfest $ 5,092.90

donations $ 35.00

transfer from Paypal $ 600.00

Total Income $ 7,191.90

Expense

Newsletter printing $ 161.00

Newsletter postage $ 94.66

Program $ -

Supplies $ 13.47

Rodent cost $ 422.00

Renfest $ 126.47

Adoption $ 138.20

Total Expense $ 955.80

Cash Increase/Decrease $ 6,236.10

Ending Balance $10,545.75

Placement of cash holdings

Checking $10,545.75

Savings $17,204.59

Paypal $ 475.68

Cash on hand $ 175.00

Total $28,401.02

Page 9: Minnesota Herpetological Society Documents/Newsletters/2013.11-MHS...The Minnesota Herpetological Society is a non-profit, tax-exempt organiza-tion. Membership is open to all individuals

November 2013 Volume 33 Number 11 Page 7

MHS Reports and Announcements

Upcoming Hands-on Event Schedule

Plymouth Pet Expo—Saturday October 26th 10am-4pm. 14800 34th Ave N, Plymouth

Science Museum—December 3-6th (4 days) 9:30am-1:25pm. Speakers will give 3 presentations to students

Twin Cities Pet Expo—Saturday February 22nd 9am-6pm; Sunday February 23rd 10am-5pm. Hall E. Minneapolis

Convention Center.

Glacier Hills Science Night—Friday May 9th, 2014 5-7pm. 3825 Glacier Drive, Eagan, MN 55123

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 [email protected] for details or if interested in signing up. Or sign up on the website.

First Case of Snake Fungal Disease in South Carolina

In July 2012 we had Kevin McCurley as a speaker, talking about rattlesnakes and other venomous snakes in New Eng-land and the threat they are under from a chrysosporium fungus. He had mostly seen it in New Hampshire, but now it

appears to have spread further, with confirmed cases in South Carolina.

http://www.dnr.sc.gov/news/yr2013/oct10/oct10_snake.html for the article or read the speaker write-up here: http://

issuu.com/mnherpsoc/docs/2012-07

A Note from Rebecca Barnard DNR—Dept of Forestry

Attached is a letter, signed by Deputy Commissioner Dave Schad, inviting you to review and comment on Minnesota

DNR’s Candidate High Conservation Value Forests (HCVFs). Please submit comments to DNR’s HCVF Workgroup

@ [email protected]. The comment period is open until 4:30pm on Friday, November 15th. All writ-ten comments received will be considered in DNR’s final HCVF designation decisions later this year.

The attached letter provides a brief overview of DNR’s HCVF status and HCVF-related requirements from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Forest Management Standard. Additional information, which will help guide your review and

comments, can be found on DNR’s HCVF webpage @ http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/forestry/certification/hcvf.html.

DNR values your input and we hope you are able to take the time to review and provide thoughtful, detailed com-

ments. Thank you for your attention and your interest in DNR’s HCVF approach.

CNAH Announcement—Robert C. Stebbins

Robert C. Stebbins, Professor Emeritus of Zoology and Curator Emeritus in Herpetolo-

gy, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California at Berkeley, died peaceful-ly at his home in Eugene, OR, on September 23, 2013, at the age of 98 .

Stebbins was the preeminent scholar studying amphibians and reptiles in North Amer-

ica, and was active professionally until his last year of life. From his first amphibian book in 1951 to his last book on Amphibians and Reptiles of California (2012, Univ.

California Press) he was a productive and influential force. He was also a superb artist, both of scientific illustrations and of portraits and land-

scapes. Throughout his career Bob Stebbins was a strong force in conservation biolo-

gy and was very influential in the establishment of parks and reserves, particularly in the Mojave Desert.

He was an educator who contributed importantly to elementary and middle school science instruction, stressing involvement, and was an effective and influential univer-

sity professor. It was his strong belief that the principal problem facing humans on

this planet was over-population and all that flows from it. Above all, Bob Stebbins was a wonderful human being, a true naturalist, and a com-

passionate and involved citizen. We celebrate the life of a very special friend and col-league.

Kindly provided by Dr. David B. Wake.

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November 2013 Volume 33 Number 11 Page 8

Online Classifieds

In addition to ads in the newsletter, MHS provides online classifieds via the forums. A valid login (provided to current members) is required to both post and read ads.

http://www.mnherpsoc.com/forums/members/classifieds

Page 11: Minnesota Herpetological Society Documents/Newsletters/2013.11-MHS...The Minnesota Herpetological Society is a non-profit, tax-exempt organiza-tion. Membership is open to all individuals

Minnesota Herpetological Society Membership Application

Active Memberships: Sustaining ($60/year) Contributing ($40/year) Basic ($20/year) Printed Newsletter ($5/year plus membership)

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.

Name

Address

City, State, Zip

Phone Email List in MHS Directory? Yes No

Contact information only? Yes No

Herp related interests

New

Renewal

Membership #

Type

Check #

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 dis-

cretion 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 classi-

fied ad, run free of charge as space permits. Ads may be

run three (3) consecutive months, after which time they

may be resubmitted.

Submissions: All advertisements should be submitted to

the MHS Membership Secretary at the general

meeting or mailed to: Minnesota Herpetological

Society, C/O Bell Museum of Natural History. 10

Church St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455. Deadline is

the night of the General Meeting for inclusion in the next

newsletter. Make checks payable to: Minnesota Herpeto-

logical 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*

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

Weanlings 40-45 grams $17/dz

Small Adult 50-60 grams $18/dz

Med. Adults 125-150 grams $22/ 10 rats

Large Adult 200-240 grams $17/ 6 rats

Jumbo 250-350 grams $16/ 5 rats

For pickup at monthly meetings only. Orders may be placed via:

1. At the meeting for the following month

2. Online at www.MnHerpSoc.Com

3. Call the MHS Voicemail: 612.326.6516

Orders MUST be placed 10 days in advance of the meeting

to guarantee availability. We no longer keep an inventory of ro-dents on hand, so if you attempt to place an order after the deadline, there is no way to fill it.

Page 12: Minnesota Herpetological Society Documents/Newsletters/2013.11-MHS...The Minnesota Herpetological Society is a non-profit, tax-exempt organiza-tion. Membership is open to all individuals

MINNESOTA HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY C/O BELL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY 10 CHURCH STREET SE MINNNEAPOLIS, MN 55455-0104

MHS Voice Mail:

612.326.6516

MHS Web Page:

www.MnHerpSoc.com

This newsletter is printed on recycled paper

Next Meeting: Friday November 1st - 7:00 pm Room 335 Borlaug Hall, U of M St. Paul Campus