aaron joyner - tucson herpetological society · aaron joyner the phoenix ... of vasa deferentia...

SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 29 (2) 2016 19

Volume 25 Number 1January 2012

F U T U R E S P E A K E R S

20 July 2016: Tom Van Devender: History and Evolution of the Sonoran Desert

17 August 2016: Jim Rorabaugh: A Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Sonora Mexico (Part 2)

R E S E A R C H A R T I C L E

20 “Reproduction in the Prairie Ringneck Snake, Diadophis punctatus arnyi (Serpentes, Colubridae), from Oklahoma” by Stephen R. Goldberg

N A T U R A L H I S T O R Y N O T E S

23 ”Amphibian Featured on U.S. Mint Coin” by Howard O. Clark, Jr.

24 “Predation of a Thornscrub Hook-nosed Snake (Gyalopion quadrangulare) by a Forrer’s Leopard Frog (Lithobates forreri)” by Lucas Tanikawa, Srijan Kunta, Mimi Lee, Sudeep Sirivella, Dan Grubb, and James C. Rorabaugh

26 “Interactions between Sonoran Desert Toads (Incilius alvarius) and Mammalian Predators at the Northern Jaguar Reserve, Sonora, Mexico” by C.E. Gutiérrez-González et al.

A N N O U N C E M E N T

25 Publication of Dirology: Seminar Proceedings

B O O K R E V I E W

28 “The Journey Within” review by Howard O. Clark, Jr.

ISSN 2333-8075 Number 2June 2016Volume 29

Aaron JoynerThe Phoenix Herpetological Society:

Where Conservation Begins With Education 7:15 PM; Wednesday, 15 June 2016

Tucson City Council Ward 3, 1510 East Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85719

Aaron Joyner is the Conservation Educator for the Phoenix Herpetological Society. Aar-on has been passionate about education since high school. After receiving his degree from the University of Georgia in Recreation and Leisure Studies with a minor in Theater and Education, he went on to work for the Youth Education Series (Y.E.S.) of the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. With Y.E.S. programs he taught students from around the world how the Disney Company uses science, technology, and career development to operate their world famous theme parks. As a content writer and trainer he traveled to California and Hong Kong theme parks ex-panding the programs. Returning to Florida, Aaron became the Tour Administrator for the Magic Kingdom and oversaw and wrote guided tours for visiting guests. Eventually he transitioned to Disney’s Animal Kingdom where he became an animal guide for the Wild Africa Trek. There he found his love of animals and desire to help them in the natural world through educational content. He be-came an animal keeper working with giraffes, zebras, African antelopes, and eventually his favorite: reptiles, with the company’s conser-vation team.

Needing a change of scenery, Aaron took a job at the Phoenix Zoo as their Guest Ex-periences Manager and began volunteering at the Phoenix Herpetological Society (PHS) to get more regular contact with the reptiles he missed working with. After assisting in caring

Photo by Aaron Joyner.

for the animals and expanding the tour and volunteer programs, PHS offered him his current role which he looks forward to every day as he enjoys assisting reptiles and teach-ing people about them.

Aaron will provide some history on PHS’s Herp Sanctuary, talk about conservation programs, such as the Endangered Crocodil-ian Breeding Program, and will then focus on PHS education programs and initiatives and all the cool stuff he and his colleagues do. He will also include some of the wild tales of PHS reptile rescues—like the time PHS had to rescue over 30 alligators from the back of a U-haul truck.

T H I S M O N T H ’ S P R O G R A M


Diadophis punc-tatus (Linnaeus, 1766; Fig. 1) ranges from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast of the United States from southern Washington and Idaho to northern Baja California and San Luis Potosí, Mexico (Steb-bins 2003).

Diadophis punctatus (Linnaeus, 1766; Fig. 1) ranges from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast of the United States from southern Washington and Idaho to north-ern Baja California and San Luis Potosí, Mexico (Steb-bins 2003). The subspecies D. punctatus arnyi ranges from extreme southwestern Wisconsin and extreme southeastern South Dakota to south central Texas and eastern New Mexico (Conant and Collins 1998). Diado-phis punctatus arnyi is found statewide in Oklahoma ex-cept for southern McCurtain County where Diadophis punctatus stictogenys occurs (Sievert and Sievert 2011). Information on D. punctatus arnyi reproduction is from Arkansas: Trauth et al. (2004); Colorado: Hammerson (1999); Iowa: LeClerc (2013); Kansas: Fitch (1975, 1999), Collins et al. 2010); Missouri: Anderson (1965), Johnson (2000); Nebraska: Hudson (1942), Ballinger et al. (2010); Oklahoma: Force (1930); South Dakota: Kiesow (2006); Texas: Tennant (1984), Werler and Dixon (2000). Other major accounts of D. punctatus re-production (on other subspecies) are by: Myers (1965), Blanchard et al. (1979) and Clark et al. (1997). In this note I report results from a histological examination of the gonads of D. punctatus arnyi museum specimens from Oklahoma. Utilization of museum specimens for obtaining reproductive data avoids removing addition-al animals from the wild.

A sample of 52 D. punctatus arnyi consisting of 19 adult males (mean SVL = 206.3 mm ± 12.1 SD, range = 191-233 mm), 21 adult females (mean SVL = 238.1 mm ± 18.8 SD, range = 212-282 mm), 4 sub-adult males (mean SVL = 170.0 mm ± 17.9 SD, range = 143-282 mm), and 8 sub-adult females (mean SVL = 189.4 mm ± 12.8 SD, range = 172-203 mm) collected 1912-2015 from Oklahoma and deposited in the Sam Noble Museum (OMNH), University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma was examined (Appendix).

The left ovary was removed from females and the left testis and vas deferens were removed from males for histological examination. Not all tissues were avail-able for examination due to damages. Tissues were embedded in paraffin, cut into 5 µm sections, mounted on glass slides, and stained with Harris’ hematoxylin followed by eosin counterstain (Presnell and Schreib-man 1997). Slides were examined to determine the stage of the testicular cycle or the presence of yolk de-position or corpora lutea. Oviductal eggs were counted but were not histologically examined. Histology slides were deposited in OMNH. An unpaired t-test was used to test for differences between adult male and female SVLs (Instat, vers. 3.0b, Graphpad Software, San Diego, CA).

Reproduction in the Prairie Ringneck Snake, Diadophis punctatus arnyi (Serpentes, Colubridae), from OklahomaStephen R. Goldberg, Whittier College, Department of Biology, Whittier, CA 90608; [email protected]

R E S E A R C H A R T I C L E

Testicular histology was similar to that reported by Goldberg and Parker (1975) for the colubrid snakes, Masticophis taeniatus and Pituophis catenifer (as Pituophis melanoleucus). Monthly stages in the testicular cycle are in Table 1. Three stages were present: (1) regressed, in which seminiferous tubules contained spermatogonia and Sertoli cells; (2) recrudescence, an increase of spermatogenic cells, evidenced by increasing numbers of spermatogonia and the appearance of primary spermatocytes, has commenced in preparation for the next period of sperm formation (= spermiogenesis); (3) spermiogenesis, lumina of the seminiferous tubules are lined by sperm or clusters of metamorphosing spermatids. Males undergoing spermiogenesis were found in June, August and September (no males from July were examined) (Table 1). Seven of eight (88%) of vasa deferentia examined from February-June males contained sperm. Testes from these males exhibited regression or recrudescence, but not spermiogenesis. This suggests that D. punctatus has an aestival spermio-genesis (sensu Saint Girons 1982) with multiplication of testicular germ cells in spring and spermiogenesis occurring in late summer-autumn. Mating occurs in spring (Fitch 1975) utilizing sperm stored over winter in the vasa deferentia (Ernst and Ernst 2003), although Blanchard et al. (1979) reported late summer mating of D. punctatus in Michigan. The smallest reproduc-tively active males (OMNH 9804, 26872), sperm in the vasa deferentia both measured 193 mm SVL. Two slightly smaller males (OMNH 26885, SVL = 192 mm) regressed testis, no vas deferens and (OMNH 22963,

Fig. 1. Diadophis punctatus from TX. Photo by Danny Martin Photography - perspectives of the West -

[email protected]


SVL = 191 mm) recrudescent testis, no vas deferens, were arbitrarily considered to be adults. Four smaller males (mean SVL = 170.0 mm ± 17.9 SD) were con-sidered as sub-adults.

The mean SVL of adult female D. punctatus arnyi was significantly larger than that of males (t = 6.3, df = 38, p < 0.0001). Monthly stages in the ovarian cycle are in Table 2. Three stages were present: (1) quies-cent = no yolk deposition; (2) early yolk deposition (basophilic yolk granules in ooplasm); (3) oviductal eggs. Mean clutch size (n = 5) was 3.6 ± 1.1 SD, range = 2-5. Other information on D. punctatus arnyi clutches is summarized in Table 3. My mean clutch size of 3.6 and range 2-5 is slightly higher than the values reported by Force (1930) for D. punctatus arnyi in Tulsa County, Oklahoma (Table 3). However, it is within the range of other clutch sizes for D. punctatus arnyi from different localities (Table 3). The reproductive period for D. punctatus arnyi females extends from April to June (Table 2). One female from November (OMNH 25052) had commenced early yolk deposition. This indicates vitellogenesis is in progress approximately 8 months before eggs are deposited (July in Kansas, Fitch 1999). The smallest reproductively active female (OMNH 22884) measured 218 mm SVL (early yolk deposition). Two slightly smaller females with quies-cent ovaries (OMNH 42892, SVL = 213 mm; OMNH 42716, SVL = 212 mm) were arbitrarily considered as adults. Eight smaller females (mean SVL = 189.4 mm ± 12.8 SD) were considered as sub-adults.

Almost half of females of mature size 9/17 (53%) were reproductively inactive during the spring period of reproduction (March to July) (Table 2) indicating not all females breed each year. This conflicts with the statement (Ernst and Ernst 2003) that D. punctatus females reproduce annually. Only a portion of the fe-male population reproducing in a given year has been reported in other snakes from western North America (Goldberg 2015) and is widespread in snakes (Seigel and Ford 1987). The possibility of D. punctatus produc-ing a second clutch in the same year has been sug-gested (Ernst and Ernst 2003, Lemm 2006). However, this question remains unanswered as my female sample was too small to resolve this issue.

Acknowledgments—I thank C.D. Siler (OMNH) for permission to examine D. punctatus and J.L. Watters (OMNH) for facilitating the loan.

Literature Cited

Anderson, P. 1965. The Reptiles of Missouri. Univer-sity of Missouri Press, Columbia, Missouri.

Ballinger, R.E., J.D. Lynch and G.R. Smith. 2010. Amphibians and Reptiles of Nebraska. Rusty Lizard Press, Oro Valley, Arizona.

Blanchard, F.N. 1942. The Ring-Neck Snakes, Genus Diadophis. Bulletin of the Chicago Academy of Sci-ences 7:1-144.

Blanchard, F.N., M.R. Gilreath, and F.C. Blanchard. 1979. The eastern ring-neck snake (Diadophis punctatus edwardsii) in northern Michigan (Reptilia, Serpentes, Colubridae). Journal of Herpetology 13:377-402.

Clark, D.R., Jr., C.M. Bunck, and R.J. Hall. 1997. Fe-male reproductive dynamics in a Maryland popula-tion of ringneck snakes (Diadophis punctatus). Journal of Herpetology 31:476-483.

Table 2. Monthly stages in the ovarian cycle of 21 adult D. punctatus arnyi females from Oklahoma.

Month n Quiescent Early yolk deposition Oviductal eggs

Jan. 1 1 0 0

Mar. 2 2 0 0

April 4 3 1 0

May 5 0 1 4

June 4 2 1 1

July 2 2 0 0

Sept. 2 2 0 0

Nov. 1 0 1 0

Month n Regressed Recrudescence Spermiogenesis

Feb. 1 1 0 0

Mar. 4 3 1 0

April 5 1 4 0

May 3 0 3 0

June 2 1 0 1

Aug. 2 0 1 1

Sept. 2 0 0 2

Table 1. Monthly stages in the testicular cycle of 19 adult D. punctatus arnyi from Oklahoma.

Clutch size, range n Locality Source

3.8, 2–5 8 Arkansas Trauth et al. (2004)

5 1 Colorado Hammerson (1999)

4 1 Iowa LeClerc (2013)

3.89, 1–10 300 Kansas Fitch (1975)

3.36 (laid) 50 Kansas Fitch (1999)

3.96 (palped) 267 Kansas Fitch (1999)

4.0, 1–10 — Kansas Collins et al. (2010)

3.5, 1–7 20 Missouri Anderson (1965)

4.0, 1–10 — Missouri Johnson (2000)

5,7 2 Nebraska Ballinger et al. (2010)

1,1,4 3 Oklahoma Force (1930)

4 — South Dakota Kiesow (2006)

3,4, 1–18 — Texas Tennant (1984)

3,4, 1–10 — Texas Werler and Dixon (2000)

2.6, 1–4 14 Not given Taken from Blanchard (1942)

1-7 — Not given Wright and Wright (1957)

3.6, 2–5 5 Oklahoma This paper

Table 3. Clutch sizes of Diadophis punctatus arnyi recorded in previous studies.


Collins, J.T., S.L. Collins, and T.W. Taggart. 2010. Amphibians, Reptiles, and Turtles in Kansas. Eagle Mountain Publishing, LC. Eagle Mountain, Utah.

Conant, R., and J.T. Collins. 1998. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Bos-ton, Massachusetts.

Ernst, C.H., and E.M. Ernst. 2003. Snakes of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Books, Washington, D.C.

Fitch, H.S. 1975. A demographic study of the ringneck snake (Diadophis punctatus) in Kansas. University of Kansas Museum of Natural History, Miscellaneous Publications 62:1-53.

Fitch, H.S. 1999. A Kansas Snake Community: Compo-sition and Changes over 50 years. Krieger Publish-ing Company, Malabar, Florida.

Force, E.R. 1930. The amphibians and reptiles of Tulsa County, Oklahoma, and vicinity. Copeia 1930:25-39.

Goldberg, S.R. 2015. Reproduction in the flat-headed snake, Tantilla gracilis (Serpentes, Colubridae). So-noran Herpetologist 28:35-37.

Goldberg, S.R., and W.S. Parker. 1975. Seasonal tes-ticular histology of the colubrid snakes, Masticophis taeniatus and Pituophis melanoleucus. Herpetologica 31:317-322.

Hammerson, G.A. 1999. Amphibians and Reptiles in Colorado, 2nd edition, The University Press of Colorado, Niwot, Colorado.

Hudson, G.E. 1942. The amphibians and reptiles of Nebraska. Nebraska Conservation Bulletin 24:1-46.

Johnson, T.R. 2000. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Missouri. Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson City, Missouri.

Kiesow, A.M. 2006. Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of South Dakota. South Dakota Depart-ment of Game, Fish and Parks, Pierre, South Dakota.

LeClerc, J.B. 2013. A Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Iowa. Eco Herpetological Publish-ing & Distribution, Rodeo, New Mexico.

Lemm, J.M. 2006. Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of the San Diego region. University of California Press, Berkeley, California.

Myers, C.W. 1965. Biology of the ringneck snake, Diadophis punctatus, in Florida. Bulletin of the Florida State Museum, Biological Sciences 10:44-90.

Presnell, J.K., and M.P. Schreibman. 1997. Humason’s Animal Tissue Techniques. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland.

Saint Girons, H. 1982. Reproductive cycles of male snakes and their relationships with climate and female reproductive cycles. Herpetologica 38:5-16.

Seigel, R.A., and N.B. Ford. 1987. Reproductive ecol-ogy. Pages 210-252 in: R.A. Seigel, J.T. Collins, and S.S. Novak, eds. Snakes: Ecology and Evolution-ary Biology. Macmillan Publishing Company, New York, New York.

Sievert, G., and L. Sievert. 2011. A Field Guide to Oklahoma’s Amphibians and Reptiles. Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Stebbins, R.C. 2003. A Field Guide to Western Am-phibians and Reptiles. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts.

Tennant, A. 1984. The Snakes of Texas. Texas Monthly Press, Austin, Texas.

Trauth, S.E., H.W. Robison, and M.V. Plummer. 2004. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Arkansas. The University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.

Werler, J.E., and J.R. Dixon. 2000. Texas Snakes, Identi-fication, Distribution, and Natural History. Univer-sity of Texas Press, Austin, Texas.

Wright, A.H., and A.A. Wright. 1957. Handbook of snakes of the United States and Canada. Vol. 1. Comstock Publishing Associates, Cornell University Press, Ithaca, New York.

Appendix: Diadophis punctatus from Oklahoma examined by county from the Sam Noble Museum (OMNH), Norman, Oklahoma. Adair OMNH 43428; Atoka OMNH 42889, 42890, 42892, 42895; Cherokee OMNH 25052, 38144, 43534, 44206, 44208, 44209, 44211, 44212; Cleveland OMNH 22884–26886, 22956, 22957, 22961–22963, 26138, 27512, 34311; Comanche OMNH 8253, 9804, 26513, 26885, 27039; Delaware OMNH 23935, 24079; Ellis OMNH 42716–142718; Latimer OMNH 43806, 43807; Le Flore OMNH 16149– 16151, 26933, 26977, 41857, 42719, 42720, 44214; Murray OMNH 658, 18976, 23348, 26872, 27522; Woodward OMNH 18900, 29858.

Including the THS in your will is an excellent way to support the value of this organization and the conservation of the herpetofauna of the Sonoran Desert. We would like to recognize and thank anyone who has included the THS in their will. Please contact us so we can express our appreciation. For information about designating the THS in your will, please contact Margaret Fusari, Treasurer, Tucson Herpetological Society, at [email protected].

Remember the THS in Your WillInformation for Contributors

Authors should submit original articles, notes, book reviews to the editor, either via email using an attached word processed manuscript or by mail to the Society’s address. The manuscript style should follow that of Journal of Herpetology and other publications of the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. For further information, please contact the editor, at [email protected]


Amphibian Featured on U.S. Mint CoinHoward O. Clark, Jr., Senior Wildlife Ecologist, Garcia and Associates, Clovis, CA, 93611

N A T U R A L H I S T O R Y N O T E

A few years ago I published a short note (Clark 2013) about reptiles and amphibians on U.S. coins. I’ve been a coin collector since 1979 and I find it thrilling to see minted material with a scientific theme, especially with biological significance. Here, a frog is featured on a half dollar coin celebrating the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service (Fig. 1).

Official U.S. Mint description:

The 100th Anniversary of the National Park Service 2016 Half Dollar Proof Coin celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the National Park Service. This coin is produced at the U.S. Mint at San Francisco and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.

2016 marks the centennial anniversary of the National Park Service and the U.S. Mint is celebrating that milestone with some magnificent coins. Thanks to the efforts of leaders like Theodore Roosevelt, John Muir, and countless others, many historic landmarks —both natural and cultural—have been preserved and protected. It’s amazing to think that more than 290 million people visit the hundreds of sites under National Park Service management each year. Today, it is our duty to preserve and protect our national parks so future generations can enjoy them.

The obverse (heads) features a hiker discovering the majesty of the wilderness and a small child discovering a frog hiding in ferns, celebrating the diversity and breadth of the National Park Service. Inscriptions are “LIBERTY,” “2016,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” “1916” and “NATIONAL PARK SERVICE.”

The reverse (tails) features the National Park Service logo. Inscriptions are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” “HALF DOLLAR,” “STEWARDSHIP” and “RECREATION.”

Literature Cited

Clark, H.O., Jr. 2013. Reptiles and Amphibians on US Coins. Sonoran Herpetologist 26(4):90.

Figure 1. Illustration of the obverse (top) and reverse (bottom) of the newly minted U.S. coin celebrating 100 years of the National Park Service. Courtesy of the U.S. Mint. All rights

reserved.

A few years ago I published a short note (Clark 2013) about reptiles and amphib-ians on U.S. coins. I’ve been a coin collector since 1979 and I find it thrilling to see minted material with a scien-tific theme, especially with biological significance.Diet of the Tepalcatepec Valley whiptail, Aspidoscelis calidipes

(Squamata: Teiidae), in Michoacán, MéxicoErnesto Raya-García, Ireri Suazo-Ortuño and Javier Alvarado-Díaz, Instituto de Investigaciones sobre los Recursos Naturales, Universi-dad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo. Morelia, Michoacán 58000, México

F E A T U R E D R E S E A R C H

We investigated the diet of the endemic teiid lizard Aspidoscelis calidipes in the Balsas-Tepalcatepec Basin in the state of Michoacán, Mexico, during 2010 and 2011. We removed, analyzed, and identified stomach contents to order or family. The diet of A. calidipes consisted of 27 prey taxa and the dietary diversity was low (H’ = 0.45). Termites and ants were the most important prey items. Adult and juvenile lizards consumed greater proportions of termites than any

other prey item by number, volume, and frequency. Diet diversity of juveniles was higher (H’ = 1.15) than that of adults (H’= 0.28). Dietary overlap between adults and juveniles was 49%.The Southwestern Naturalist Vol. 60, Issue 1, pages 127-130Issue publication date: March 2015DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1894/FRMC-08.1


In 2015, stu-dents in a science class at Deerfield Elementary School, Irvine, California, extracted a 102 mm SVL, 1 gram Thorn-scrub Hook-nosed Snake (Fig. 1) from the stomach of an adult female Forrer’s Leopard Frog (also 102 mm SVL, 87 grams, Fig. 2). The frog was purchased with others from Fischer Science Education, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Predation of a Thornscrub Hook-nosed Snake (Gyalopion quadrangulare) by a Forrer’s Leopard Frog (Lithobates forreri) Lucas Tanikawa1, Srijan Kunta1, Mimi Lee1, Sudeep Sirivella1, Dan Grubb2, and James C. Rorabaugh3

1Students, Deerfield Elementary School, Irvine, California, 926042Science Specialist, Deerfield Elementary School, Irvine, California, 92604, [email protected] 3P.O. Box 31, Saint David, Arizona 85630, [email protected]


The Thornscrub Hook-nosed Snake (Gyalopion quadrangulare) is a small (< 354 mm TL) colubrid that occurs in Sonoran desertscrub, thornscrub, tropical deciduous forest, and marginally into oak-mesquite savanna from extreme south-central Arizona south to Nayarit (Hardy and McDiarmid 1969, Ernst and Ernst 2003). The only record of predation was a speci-men found in the stomach of a Sonoran Coralsnake (Micruroides euryxanthus) from Ruby Road, Santa Cruz, County, Arizona (Rossi and Rossi 2003).

Forrer’s Leopard Frog (Lithobates forreri) is a large (to at least 120 mm SVL) spotted frog known from the lowlands of southern Sonora south to Costa Rica. It occurs in wetlands within thornscrub and various trop-ical forest types, but also occupies agricultural ditches and canals (Savage 2002, Rorabaugh 2008). Nothing is known of the diet of this species, but it presumably feeds upon a variety of invertebrates (Lemos-Espinal et al. 2013) and possibly small vertebrates, as do other large leopard frogs. Many Forrer’s Leopard Frogs are harvested from agricultural areas of southern Sonora and northern Sinaloa for scientific study and dissection in classrooms.

In 2015, students in a science class at Deerfield Elementary School, Irvine, California, extracted a 102 mm SVL, 1 gram Thornscrub Hook-nosed Snake (Fig. 1) from the stomach of an adult female Forrer’s Leop-ard Frog (also 102 mm SVL, 87 grams, Fig. 2). The frog was purchased with others from Fischer Science

Education, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The label that ac-companied the specimens said the locality was “Mex-ico”. An email message from Fisher to JCR stated the supplier was Ranaco Corporation, Tucson, Arizona. JCR called Peter Rhinethall of Ranaco who said the frogs were collected from agricultural ditches between Ciudad Obregón, Sonora and Culiacan, Sinaloa, but most come from Sinaloa. The majority of collecting occurs in September and October. No further details of the collection date or locality are known.

Finding a Thornscrub Hook-nosed Snake in an agricultural area is unexpected, but it could have been captured by the Forrer’s Leopard Frog in an adjacent thornscrub or other natural community type. Agricul-ture in southwestern Sonora and northwestern Sinaloa is in places fairly continuous, but in others (such as along the trace of the Río Yaqui, Sonora) it interdigi-tates with more natural vegetation communities. There are no records of the Thornscrub Hook-nosed Snake from the coastal plain of southwestern Sonora that are definitively from agriculture, although collections from the vicinity of Navojoa and Ciudad Obregón (e.g., LACM 67269, CAS 94261, UIMNH 50971) could have been in agriculture, and are at least close to croplands as they exist today. Similarly, Hardy and McDiarmid (1969) show several records of Thornscrub Hook-nosed Snake from the coastal plain of northwestern Sinaloa that are in or close to agricultural areas today. These lowland records are at elevations of about nine to 45 m.

Fig. 1. Thornscrub Hook-nosed Snake (Gyalopion quadrangulare) from the stomach of the Forrer’s Leopard Frog (Lithobates forreri) in Fig. 2.

Fig. 2. Adult female Forrer’s Leopard Frog (Lithobates forreri) from which the Thornscrub Hook-nosed Snake (Gyalopion

quadrangulare) was extracted.


The study of extinction is known as dirol-ogy. Species are facing extinc-tion at an accel-erated rate and conservation efforts to save imperiled spe-cies may be too little too late - but it’s our duty as stewards of the earth to do what we can to conserve and preserve what’s left before it’s too late.

Literature CitedErnst, C.H., and E.M. Ernst. 2003. Snakes of the

United States and Canada. Smithsonian Books, Washington, D.C.

Hardy, L.M., and R.W. McDiarmid. 1969. The amphib-ians and reptiles of Sinaloa, Mexico. University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History 18:39-252.

Lemos-Espinal, J.A., H.M. Smith, and A. Cruz. 2013. Amphibians and Reptiles of the Sierra Tarahumara of Chihuahua, Mexico. ECO Herpetological Pub-lishing, Rodeo, New Mexico.

N A T U R A L H I S T O R Y N O T E ( C O N T . )

Rorabaugh, J.C. 2008. An introduction to the herpeto-fauna of mainland Sonora, México, with comments on conservation and management. Journal of the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science 40:20-65.

Rossi, J.V., and R. Rossi. 2003. Snakes of the United States and Canada; Natural History and Care in Captivity. Krieger Publishing Company, Malabar, Florida.

Savage, J.M. 2002. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, Illinois.

A N N O U N C E M E N T

Publication of Dirology: Seminar Proceedings

The study of extinction is known as dirology. Species are facing extinction at an accelerated rate and con-servation efforts to save imperiled species may be too little too late - but it’s our duty as stewards of the earth to do what we can to conserve and preserve what’s left before it’s too late. Our very own Associate Editor, Dr. Suman Pratihar, is doing all he can to conserve rare and endangered amphibian species.

On February 27, 2016, Dr. Pratihar hosted a seminar on the national level held in Sukumar Sen-gupta Mahavidalaya funded by SERB, Department of Science and technology, New Delhi, India. Dr. Pratihar reached out to the world’s experts on species extinc-tion and collected short articles for the proceedings of this important seminar. The editor of the Sonoran Herpetologist, Howard Clark, published a short article (Clark 2016) on the rare and endangered Blunt-nosed

Leopard Lizard (Gambelia sila)—only found in the Cen-tral Valley of California, and adjacent grassland valleys.

Figure 1 (below) is the cover of the proceedings. For a copy of the proceedings please click on this link:

http://bit.ly/1VAkxtB

Literature Cited

Clark, H.O., Jr. 2016. The possible extinction of the Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizard (Gambelia sila) of the San Joaquin Valley, California, USA. Pages 28-30 in: Suman Pratihar (Editor). Dirology: The Science of Extinction. Seminar Proceedings. Publication result-ing from one day National level seminar held in Sukumar Sengupta Mahavidalaya on 27 Feb., 2016 funded by SERB, Department of Science and tech-nology, New Delhi, India. ISBN 978-93-85248-64-1.

Fig. 1. Purple Frog (Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis) or Pig-nosed Frog. As the sole member of a family, which predates all other known frogs in the subcontinent by 50 to 100 million years, it has great significance for the understanding of evolution of amphibians in the region. In July 1997, Krushnamegh Kunte (then a post graduate student of the Wildlife Institute of Dehradun) was the first to photograph it. The discovery was finally published in Nature on 16 October 2003: Biju, S.D., and F. Bossuyt. 2003. New frog family from India reveals an ancient biogeographical link with the Seychelles. Nature 425:711-714.


Interactions between Sonoran Desert Toads (Incilius alvarius) and Mammalian Predators at the Northern Jaguar Reserve, Sonora, Mexico Carmina E. Gutiérrez-González1, Miguel A. Gómez-Ramírez2, Daniela Gutierrez-Garcia3, Javier Valenzuela4, James C. Rorabaugh5, and Aaron D. Flesch6

1Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Santiago de Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico, [email protected] Autónoma de Querétaro, Santiago de Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico, [email protected]ón Zacatecas 2018. Col. Orizaba. Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, [email protected], A.C., El Cajón No. 9, Col. Santa Fe C.P. 83249, Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, [email protected]. Box 31, Saint David, Arizona 85630, [email protected] of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Arizona, The Desert Laboratory - Tumamoc Hill, 1675 Anklam Road, Tucson, Arizona 85745, [email protected]


The Sonoran Desert Toad (Incilius alvarius) is a large (< 191 snout-vent length) anuran with relatively smooth skin, large, kidney-shaped parotoid glands, white glands or tubercles under the parotoid glands, and large, lumpy glands on the dorsal and lateral aspect of the limbs. When threat-ened, individuals are known to inflate their bodies and orient the parotoid glands toward the threat while making a hissing sound (Hanson and Vial 1956). The parotoid and other glands of this species secrete potent toxins that include indolealkylamines and bufogenins (Erspamer et al. 1967, Cei et al. 1968, McGill and Brindley 1978), as well as 5-MeO-DMT—a powerful hallucinogen that comprises 15% of the dry weight of the parotoid and tibial glands (Weil and Davis 1994). Musgrave and Cochran (1930) reported a fox terrier that bit into a Sonoran Desert Toad and died within 2-3 minutes, and a German Shepherd who touched its nose to a Sonoran Desert Toad and walked no more than 100 feet before its front legs buckled under it. The dog was paralyzed but later recovered. The hallucinogen 5-MeO-DMT has made glandular toxins from the Sonoran Desert Toad popular among recreational drug users (Most 1984), but it is also gain-ing prominence in alternative medicine, particularly for treating addictions.

Despite strong chemical defenses exhibited by this amphibian, Wright (1966) observed a Raccoon (Procyon lotor) in the Sierra Bacadéhuachi, Sonora, that preyed upon five Sonoran Desert Toads. It flipped the toads on their backs and eviscerated them through the abdomen, thus avoiding contact with the dor-sal and lateral glands. Wright (1966) suggested that skunks (Mephitis sp.), Ringtails (Bassariscus astutus), Coatis (Nasua narica), Bobcats (Lynx rufus), Gray Foxes

(Urocyon cinereoargenteus), and other mammalian preda-tors may also have learned how to safely prey upon these toads. Nonetheless, the only other reports of predation of which we are aware on metamorphosed individuals of this species were by snakes. Enderson and Bezy (2002) reported Sonoran Desert Toads in the diet of the Black-necked Gartersnake (Thamno-phis cyrtopsis), including an individual at Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, Arizona, that contained 14 small Sonoran Desert Toads. Villa et al. (2015) found a Central American Indigo Snake (Drymarchon melanurus) consuming a Sonoran Desert Toad on the Río Sonora, Sonora. Additionally, JCR once observed a captive Mexican Hog-nosed Snake (Heterodon kennerlyi) at-tempting to consume a juvenile Sonoran Desert Toad. However, when the toad was about half-way into the snake’s mouth, the snake began to foam at the mouth, exhibited righting difficulties, and subsequently spit the toad out. The snake was incapacitated for a short while, but it recovered.

Since 2000, Naturalia, A.C., the Northern Jag-uar Project, and their collaborators have monitored wildlife at the Northern Jaguar Reserve in east-central Sonora with motion-activated cameras (Gutiérrez-González et al. 2015). Among the data that have been collected are three images of nocturnal interactions between Sonoran Desert Toads and mammalian preda-

Fig. 1. American Badger (Taxidea taxus) with a Sonoran Desert Toad (Incilius alvarius) in its mouth along lower Arroyo Babisal, Northern Jaguar Reserve, 8 January 2012 at 02:10 hrs.

The Sonoran Desert Toad (In-cilius alvarius) is a large (< 191 snout-vent length) anuran with rela-tively smooth skin, large, kidney-shaped parotoid glands, white glands or tubercles under the parotoid glands, and large, lumpy glands on the dorsal and lateral aspect of the limbs.


tors (Figs. 1-3). The most remarkable is Fig. 1, showing an American Badger (Taxidea taxus) with an adult So-noran Desert Toad in its mouth. The image was taken on 8 January 2012 in lower Arroyo Babisal, which is in foothills thornscrub near the center of the North-ern Jaguar Reserve (29.4167 N, -109.1241 W, 639 m elevation). Despite limited resolution, the identity of the toad is confirmed by its size; no other species of toad reaches such a large size in the region (Rorabaugh et al. 2011). The badger had the head of the toad in its mouth, and thus likely received a good dose of the glandular secretions. The image is also notable for the time of year. Sonoran Desert Toads are not typically active in January. Of 403 specimens from Sonora in 19 herpetological collections, only one was collected in January (UAZ 14145, R. Felger near the Guaymas Air-port, January 1965). Badgers are adept at digging small mammals, particularly ground squirrels and pocket gophers, out of their burrows (Jameson and Peeters 1988). It seems likely this Badger excavated the toad from its winter retreat.

Two other photos, both during the summer monsoon season and thus peak activity period for the Sonoran Desert Toad, illustrate no more than minimal interest by mammalian predators. A Bobcat sniffing a Sonoran Desert Toad that appears to be sitting calmly and not in a defensive posture was documented on 6 July 2012 (Fig. 2). Additionally, on 3 July 2013 (Fig. 3) a large Sonoran Desert Toad was photographed jumping away from a Coyote (Canis latrans) that did not show any interest in the toad. Both of these events occurred in Arroyo Dubaral in foothills thornscrub at approxi-mately 29.427 N, -109.137 W, 585 m elevation.

Acknowledgments—We thank the Northern Jaguar Project and Naturalia, A.C. for allowing us to use the images herein and for other help during the prepara-tion of this article.

Literature Cited

Cei, J.M., V. Erspamer, and M. Roseghini. 1968. Taxo-nomic and evolutionary significance of biogenic amine and polypeptides in amphibian skin II. Toads of the genera Bufo and Melanophyrniscus. Systematic Zoology 17:232-245.

Enderson, E.F., and R.L. Bezy. 2002. Field observa-tions of anuran predation by the Black-necked Gar-tersnake (Thamnophis cyrtopsis) in southern Arizona. Sonoran Herpetologist 15(10):112-115.

Erspamer, V., T. Vitali, M. Roseghini, and J.M. Cei. 1967. 5-methoxy- and 5-hydroxy-indoleakylamines in the skin of Bufo alvarius. Biochemistry and Phar-macology 16:1149-1164.

Gutiérrez-González, C.E., Gómez-Ramírez, M.A., López-González, C.A., Doherty, P.F., Jr. 2015. Are private reserves effective for jaguar conservation? PLoS ONE 10(9): e0137541. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0137541.

Jameson, E.W., and H.J. Peeters. 1988. California Mam-mals. University of California Press, California Natural History Guides 52, Berkeley, CA.

Most, A. 1984. Bufo alvarius: The Psychadelic Toad of the Sonoran Desert. Venom Press, Gila, AZ.

Musgrave, M.E., and D.M. Cochran. 1930. Bufo alvarius, a poisonous toad. Copeia 173:96-99.

Rorabaugh, J.C., M.A. Gómez-Ramírez, C.E. Gutiérrez-González, J.E. Wallace, and T.R. Van Devender. 2011. Amphibians and reptiles of the Northern Jaguar Reserve and vicinity, Sonora, Mexico: A preliminary evaluation. Sonoran Herpetologist 24(12):123-131.

Villa, R.A., T.R. Van Devender, C.M. Valdéz-Colonel, and T.R. Burkhardt. 2015. Peripheral and elevational distri-bution and a novel prey item for Drymarchus melanurus in Sonora, Mexico. Mesoamerican Herpetology 2(3):378-380.

Weil, A.T., and W. Davis. 1994. Bufo alvarius: a potent hal-lucinogen of animal origin. Journal of Ethnopharma-cology 41:1–8.

Wright, J.W. 1966. Predation on the Colorado River Toad, Bufo alvarius. Herpetologica 2:127-128.

Fig. 2. Bobcat (Lynx rufus) sniffing a Sonoran Desert Toad (Incilius alvarius) along Arroyo Dubaral, Northern Jaguar Reserve, 6 July 2012 at 18:30 hrs.

Fig. 3. Coyote (Canis latrans) walking past a leaping Sonoran Desert Toad (Incilius alvarius) along Arroyo Dubaral, Northern Jaguar Reserve, 3 July 2013 at 20:17 hrs.


“I believe that the only way to conserve them is to create a greater aware-ness about them. And throughout my adult life, that has been my consuming passion. This book is but a small contribu-tion, a blade of grass on Serengeti’s vast plains, to the noble objective of conserving Earth’s natural magnificence.”

The Journey WithinBook review by Howard O. Clark, Jr., Editor, Sonoran Herpetologist, Tucson Herpetological Society, Tucson, AZ

Photographer: Dinesh Patel; Editor: Praful Patel, 256 pages, color photographs; Paperack $60.99; ISBN 978-1-5049-1371-3; Published June 2015

B O O K R E V I E W

Photographer Dinesh Patel with editor Praful Patel have produced an incredible collection of photos chronicling a journey not replicated elsewhere. The book features hundreds of photographs that represent over fifty years of exploration of the African land-scape—focusing on the Serengeti plains to the Kidepo Valley.

The book is divided into twelve sections:

1. Forward by Dr. Richard Leakey2. Introduction3. Acknowledgements4. About the Journey5. Nairobi6. Lake Nakuru7. Masai Mara8. Serengeti & Ngorongoro9. Amboseli10. Tsavo11. Samburu & Shaba12. Picture Index

Cover of The Journey Within.

Overview from Authorhouse.com: This book represents one photographer’s effort to share his personal perspective of Africa’s wildlife heritage. Drawing on his vast collection of photographs from hundreds of safaris in Eastern Africa over the past five decades, Dinesh Patel has successfully made the African safari universally accessible. What distinguishes the book from the myriad others are two striking features. First, is its simplicity and purity—the wildlife photography in the book is uncomplicated and pure, capturing snapshots of the wild as it is intended to be, devoid of human factors. Second, building on this simplicity, unfettered with commentary, the photographer has successfully created a world that gives the reader an experience of being there, accompanying the photographer as he moves on his journey. Whether these photographs are viewed with awe or admired for their majesty, they convey an important message. The African wilderness is in rapid retreat. Too many of the creatures exhibited here are on the lamentable list of endangered species and face a bleak future. So the challenge ahead is serious and the task difficult but essential. Africa needs a future that befits its unique place in the grandeur of nature. By nurturing these natural jewels and by playing to its strengths—its unique and spectacular wild legacy—Africa must become prosperous by preserving its heritage. It is the essential duty of the wildlife photographer to spread this message by conveying the spectacle and magnificence of Africa’s wild wonders. Dinesh Patel has accomplished this task with distinction.

Author Statement:

“I believe that the only way to conserve [wildlife] is to create a greater awareness about them. And throughout my adult life, that has been my consuming passion. This book is but a small contribution, a blade of grass on Serengeti’s vast plains, to the noble objective of conserving Earth’s natural magnificence.

And that magnificence is a great teacher. Through the photographer’s lens I feel I have looked in on the dynamics of life itself, observing the amazing drama of beauty and majesty, of power, of life and death. The wide-open spaces onto which we humans project a great sense of freedom are fraught with dangers and uncertainties from which we must learn. My vision, which I hope speaks for itself through this collection of photographs, was to tell a story and share the African Safari experience without written words. My desire is to inspire those who see these images to imagine their own story, to look in alongside me and feel their own passion for the magnificence of nature and awaken their own awareness of the magnitude of loss that is being wreaked upon these wild places.” Book cover (above)

and art plate (left) from Authorhouse.com.


M E M B E R S H I P

Membership InformationIndividual $20 Sustaining $30Family $25 Contributing $50Student $14 Life $500

The Tucson Herpetological Society would like to thank existing members and new members for renewing their membership. We appreciate your support and are always looking for members to actively participate in THS activities and volunteer opportunities. It is a great way to be involved with the conservation of amphibians and reptiles in the Sonoran Desert.

Tucson Herpetological Society P.O. Box 709, Tucson, Arizona 85702-0709

MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL FORM

NAME: ________________________________________________ Date ______________ Address or Personal Information Changes_______________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

MEMBERSHIP DUES

[ ] $20 Individual [ ] $25 Family [ ] $14 Student [ ] $30 Sustaining [ ] $50 Contributing [ ] $500 Life $ _______ Jarchow Conservation Award $ _______ Speakers Bureau $ _______ Flat-tailed horned lizard Fund $ _______ C.H. Lowe Herp Research Fund $ _______ Total (MAKE CHECK PAYABLE TO: TUCSON HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY) The THS newsletter, the Sonoran Herpetologist, is delivered online only. Please indicate the email address you would like to receive the newsletter if you are not currently receiving the newsletter at your preferred address. If you are unable to receive the newslet-ter online, please contact Robert Villa at [email protected]. If not already done, please indicate if you want your email added to the THS directory and/or the Monthly meeting announcement (circle one or both). Please return this form with your check to the address above. Email address ___________________________________________________________

BOD minutes can be found here:http://bit.ly/1qcYyGg

M E E T I N G M I N U T E S

Including the THS in your will is an excellent way to support the value of this organization and the conservation of the herpetofauna of the Sonoran Desert. We would like to recognize and thank anyone who has included the THS in their will. Please contact us so we can express our appreciation. For information about designating the THS in your will, please contact Maggie Fusari, Treasurer, Tucson Herpetological Society, at [email protected].

Time to Renew Your THS membership?

Thank you for your membership in the Tucson Herpetological Society. Renewal reminders for upcoming membership expiration will be emailed at the beginning of the month that your membership expires. If you have any questions about your membership or would like to be in touch with a THS member you do not know how to reach, please contact our Membership Coordinator, Robert Villa, by email: [email protected].

Sonoran Herpetologist Natural History ObservationsThe Tucson Herpetological Society invites your contributions to our Natural History Notes section. We are particularly interested in photographs and descriptions of amphibians and reptiles involved in noteworthy or unusual behaviors in the field. Notes can feature information such as diet, predation, com-munity structure, interspecific behavior, or unusual locations or habitat use. Please submit your observa-tions to Howard Clark, [email protected]. Submissions should be brief and in electronic form.

The Sonoran Herpetologist welcomes short reports for our Local Research News, a regular feature in our journal. We are interested in articles that can update our readers on research about amphibians and reptiles in the Sonoran Desert region. These articles need be only a few paragraphs long and do not need to include data, specific localities, or other details. The emphasis should be on how science is being applied to herpetological questions. Please submit your materials to Howard Clark, [email protected]. Submissions should be brief and in electronic form.

Local Research News


Sonoran Herpetologist (ISSN 2333-8075) is the newsletter-journal of the Tucson Herpetological Society, and is Copyright © 1988-2016. The contents of Sonoran Herpetologist may be reproduced for inclusion in the newsletters of other herpetological societies provided the material is reproduced without change and with appropriate credit, and a copy of the publication is sent to the Tucson Herpetological Society. Occasional exceptions to this policy will be noted. Contents are indexed in Zoological Record. A complete set of back issues are available in the Special Collections area of the University of Arizona library. They are accompanied by a copy of The Collected Papers of the Tucson Herpetological Society, 1988-1991.

Editor-in-ChiefHoward Clark, Jr., [email protected]

Associate EditorsRobert Bezy, [email protected] Dennis Caldwell, [email protected] Suman Pratihar, [email protected] Don Swann, [email protected]

Art Editor Dennis Caldwell, [email protected]

Book Review Editor Philip Brown, [email protected]

Information for ContributorsAuthors should submit original articles, notes, book reviews to the Editor, either via email using an attached word processed manuscript or by mail to the Society’s address. The manuscript style should follow that of Journal of Herpetology and other publications of the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. For further information, please contact the editor, at [email protected].

LCCN permalink: http://lccn.loc.gov/2013273781

OfficersPresident Robert Villa, [email protected]

Vice President Krista Schmidt, [email protected]

Secretary Don Swann, [email protected]

Treasurer Margaret Fusari, [email protected]

Directors:Walter Merker (2016)Steven Condon (2016)Kathryn Ferguson (2016)William Cooper (2016-2017)Justin Schmidt (2016-2017)Karina Hilliard (2016-2017)

Membership Robert Villa, [email protected]

Editor Howard O. Clark, Jr., [email protected]

Society ActivitiesMonthly Members MeetingJim Rorabaugh, Program Chair3rd Wednesday, 7:15 PM

Board of Directors MeetingLast Tuesday of each month (except December), 7:00 PM

Speakers Bureau (scheduled presentations)Robert Villa & Ed Moll

Conservation CommitteeDennis Caldwell

Herpetological Information HotlineBob Brandner, (520) 760-0574

Jarchow Conservation AwardOpen

Publications:Sonoran Herpetologist, Backyard Ponds brochure,Living with Venomous Reptiles brochure, THS Herp Coloring Book, THS Collected Papers, 1988-1991

THS Webpagehttp://tucsonherpsociety.orgHeidi Flugstad, Webmaster, [email protected]

The Tucson Herpetological

Society is dedicated to conservation,

education, and research

concerning the amphibians and

reptiles of Arizona and

Mexico. Tucson Herpetological Society

is a registered non-profit organization.

For more information about the THS and the reptiles and amphibians of the Tucson area visit tucsonherpsociety.org

Deadline for Sonoran Herpetologist: 15th of Feb, May, Aug, and Nov (based on the quarterly schedule)

SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 29 (2) 2016

aaron joyner - tucson herpetological society · aaron joyner the phoenix ... of vasa deferentia...

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