vol. 25 (2005), no. 7

JJULULYY 2005 2005 VVOLUMEOLUME 25 N25 NUMBERUMBER 77

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July’s Speaker: Michelle Hewitt

The Trials and Tribulations ofOwning Egg-Eating Snakes(Dasypeltis)

Iguana RelocationNetworkSpeaker Review

South AfricaConducts MassiveReptile RemappingProject

StartThinking

about theRenaissance

Festival!

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Bell Museum of Natural History, 10 Church Street Southeast, Minneapolis Minnesota 55455-0104

The Minnesota HerpetologicalS o c i e t yMHS Webpage: http://www.mnherpsoc.orgMHS Group Email: http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/mnherpsocVoice Mail: 612.624.7065

July 2005 Volume 25 Number 7

Board of DirectorsPresidentRandy Blasus

Vice PresidentSean Hewitt

Recording SecretaryBarb Buzicky

Membership SecretaryGeorge Richard

TreasurerNancy Haig

Newsletter EditorAsra Halvorson

Members at LargeTony Gamble

Fred Bosman

Mike Bush

Jodi L. Aherns

CommitteesAdoptionSarah Richard

EducationJan Larson

LibraryTim Banobitz

WebmasterAnke Reinders

[email protected]

The Purpose of the Minnesota Herpetological Society is to:• Further the education of the membership and the general public in care and captivepropagation of reptiles and amphibians;• Educate the members and the general public in the ecological role of reptiles andamphibians;• Promote the study and conservation of reptiles and amphibians.

The Minnesota Herpetological Society is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization.Membership is open to all individuals with an interest in amphibians and reptiles. TheMinnesota Herpetological Society Newsletter is published monthly to provide its memberswith information concerning the society’s activities and a media for exchanging informa-tion, opinions and resources.

General Meetings are held at Borlaug Hall, Room 335 on the St. Paul Campus of theUniversity of Minnesota, on the first Friday of each month (unless there is a holidayconflict). The meeting starts at 7:00pm and lasts about three hours. Please check theMHS Voice mail for changes in schedules or cancellations.

Submissions to the NewsletterAds or Notices must be submitted no later than the night of the General Meeting to beincluded in the next issue. Longer articles will be printed as time and space allows andshould be in electronic file format if possible. See inside back cover for ad rates.Submissions may be sent to:

The Minnesota Herpetological SocietyAttn: Newsletter EditorBell Museum of Natural History10 Church St. SE.Minneapolis, MN 55455.0104

Copyright 2005, 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 MHS Newsletter citing: volume, number and date.

The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society July 2005 Volume 25 Number 7

Australian Geckos Show SurprisingStrengths

(Portland, Ore.) - Usually when you give upsomething, there’s a price to pay. Not so in thecase of the Australian Bynoe’s gecko. This lineof all-female geckos doesn’t need sex or a maleto reproduce and, contrary to expectations, these“Wonder Woman” geckos can run farther andfaster than their sexually reproducing relatives.The research findings are published in the jour-nal Physiological and Biochemical Zoology (Vol.78, 3, May/June 2005) by Michael Kearney,Rebecca Wahl and Kellar Autumn.

“This is extraordinary,” said Autumn, associateprofessor of biology at Lewis & Clark Collegeand member of the research team. “The tradi-tional theory is that when a species gives up sexand reproduces through cloning, the offspringwill have reduced performance.”

Parthenogenetic creatures are all-femalespecies. Their “clonal” way of reproducingmeans that a mother’s babies are geneticallyidentical to her. A further twist to the story is that

many parthenogentic species, including theBynoe’s gecko, evolved when two speciescrossed, or hybridized, said Michael Kearney. Heis a postdoctoral research fellow in the Centrefor Environmental Stress and AdaptationResearch at the University of Melbourne inAustralia. Kearney’s interest in geckos startedduring his undergraduate years in Australia. As aFulbright Graduate Fellow, Kearney studied withAutumn at Lewis & Clark College.

“This makes them a bit like mules, which are across between a horse and a donkey,” saidKearney. “Mules are very robust animals, butthey cannot reproduce.” Kearney’s research sug-gested that the hybrid forms of Bynoe’s geckoscould not only reproduce through parthenogene-sis, but were “super tough,” just like a mule.

Kearney shipped Bynoe’s geckos from Sydney,Australia to Autumn’s research lab in Portland,Oregon. There, Kearney, Autumn and RebeccaWahl put the lizards through their paces on astate-of-the-art lizard treadmill. As the geckoswalked in the lab at Lewis & Clark, the

Girl killed while saving turtle on busy roadJune 08 2005

Florida - A six-year-old girl darted into traffic tosave a turtle and was killed when she was hit bya car, officials said.

On Sunday, Emily Kent was riding with hermother when they spotted the turtle trying tocross busy US 41.

Geraldine Kent pulled over so they could help,and Emily jumped out as her mother screamedat her to wait, friends said.

The first-grader was struck by a car and died ofher injuries. No charges had been filed.

“I’ve had a lot of drivers swerve to avoid a rac-coon or another animal and wreck their cars,”said Sergeant Owen Keen of the FloridaHighway Patrol.

“I’ve never had anyone go to help an animaland get run over.”

Friends and family said Emily was an animallover who would often try to catch turtles andsnakes and never went far without her dog,Alexis. - Sapa-AP

-Reprinted from the Guardian Unlimited online athttp://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5059634,00.html

(Continued on page 14)


News, Notes & Announcements

June Raffle Donors

Thanks to the following peoplefor generously donating to the

monthly raffle:

Marilyn Blasus

MHS

University of Minnesota

Liam Bonk

Hands-OnOpportunity!

General Mills PicnicAugust 9, 2005 4pm-7pm

To sign up or to get moredetails, contact Jan Larson,

MHS Education Chair.

Cover Photo ©2005, Asra Halvorson

June Adoption ReportBy Sarah Richard, AdoptionChair

Following is a list of the 16 ani-mals that were placed thismonth.

Ball PythonCorn Snake (alb juv)4 Leopard Geckos2 Blue Tongue SkinksIguana2 Red Eared Sliders2 Russian Tortoises2 Yellow Spotted Night Lizards

In addition to these a couple ofRed Eared Sliders and a FatTail Gecko are looking forhomes. We MAY have a RatSnake and a small (12 inch)Alligator as well, but you needto show up the 8th of July if youwant to adopt any of these.Thanks again to every one whohelped out our hapless herpswith good homes!

DIY Herp Food

Garden season is now upon us,and it’s time for me to save abundle while finally getting out-side to get my hands dirty. I’mtalking about growing my owngreens-- collard, turnip, mus-tard-- as well as parsnip,squash, okra, and so on. It’ssuch a great time of year toplant something, see it grow,and then, watch it all go rightdown the gullets of your herbiv-orous herps. We have an enor-mous garden out in the country,plus some greens in pots grow-ing in town.

So I ask you, fellow MHS mem-bers, what kinds of do-it-your-self projects do you undertaketo feed your herps? Do yougrow your own greens? Do youbreed your own mice, bunnies,crickets, superworms, silk-

worms, or any other food item?If so, let us know! Send a sen-tence or two or a picture aboutyour DIY Herp Food project,along with any tips or tech-niques you’d like to share tohelp out the newbies among us.

Send me a quick email, and I’llgather and post the results in afuture issue.

Starting my greens in a long planter; theseare about ready to be thinned out. Showme your stuff!


Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

Time to start getting costumes and critters ready!Renaissance Festival starts August 13 and con-tinues every weekend through September 25.This is a great opportunity for public education,one of the largest fundraisers for the society, anda fun way to spend your summer weekends withexceptional people.

Participants receive free admission to the festivalin exchange for working two, two-hour shiftsdoing hands on with Festival visitors. Orientationsessions are being planned for all new partici-pants as well as a reorientation for our experi-enced folks. Look forward to more information atthe next meeting.

Day passes must be requested no later than theTuesday before the weekend you want to workby calling Judi Brumfield.

Some Good Herp Readin’

Loco for LizardsBy Jim Cherry©2000, NorthlandPublishing

This book is a must-have for lizard fanat-ics! Interspersedthroughout the bookare movie stills fromhorror movies star-ring the scaly ones,lizard art, and othermiscellaneous lizardgoodies one can buy.The meat of the book is also all things lizard,hence the title.

The book starts with the basics— facts aboutlizards and the different families into whichthey are categorized. After that, sectionsinclude “lizard culture” myths, art, advertising,movies, music, and websites. Who wouldhave thought there was so much out there?

There’s also an interview with a gecko, andeven better, an interview with Melissa Kaplanand herpetologist Craig Ivani.

The only thing about this book that kills me isthat it leaves me wanting more, more, MORE!However, it does provide enough of a base sothat one has a jumping-off point for independ-ent inquiry. Plus, the author helps you on yourway with a bibliography near the end.

All in all, a great read on a lazy summer dayfor about ages 13 and up.


Kathy Claugherty of the Iguana RelocationNetwork was gracious enough to step in as alast-minute speaker to talk about the IRN, a localnon-profit whose goal is to help surrenderediguanas find permanent homes with proper hus-bandry. Kathy is currently the Director ofCommunity Outreach as well as the TeamLeader of Home Visits. Formerly, she was IRN’svice-president and did foster care.

As part of her talk during the meeting, Kathyanswered questions regarding iguana care, thegeographic range of the green iguana, and otherqueries about the species. She showed her ownlarge male iguana, Pumpkin, whom she adoptedvia the Iguana Relocation Network. Pumpkin,she noted, had been quite amorous toward herduring breeding season until she gave him “LadyGreenfingers” (a green rubber glove) and thenanother green fabric toy for him to direct hisadvances.

Kathy also discussed IRN’s iguana adoptionrequest form, adoption contract (a legally-bindingdocument borrowed with permission from iguanaguru Melissa Kaplan), and the home visits shemakes to make sure that a potential adopter’siguana enclosure is in “move-in condition” beforean iguana goes home.

The Adoption ProcessIn an earlier interview, Kathy described the adop-tion process: “First, you have to fill out an adop-tion request. You can do this online. Or we cansnail mail it. It’s rather thorough, asks about pastexperience with iguanas or other reptiles. Thegoal is to find out what misinformation, if any,you have about iguana husbandry. And if thereis, to correct it!

“When your application has been approved, I willarrange for a home visit. Yes, I come to yourhome to see your set-up, and counsel you inwhatever needs improvement. Habitats must be

Iguana Relocation

Network

A local non-profit’s fight to dispel myths and misconceptions, and

find these miniature dinosaurs permanent, loving homes at last...

Kathy Claugherty shows off Pumpkin at the June meeting.

in “Move-in” condition before the iguana isreleased into custody. I discuss the adoption feeof $25, which is non-refundable. At this time, oreven before, you go to IRN and pick out an igua-na that is approved for your situation. We striveto match the right iguana with the right adopter. Ifyou pick out an ig then decide not to adopt afterpaying the fee, it is not refundable. It is a seriousdecision, and an adoption contract is signed.This is a legal document, so we need to makesure that the adopter is committed to the welfareof the iguana, and fully understands what theyare getting into. If you pay the fee, decide on anig, but change your mind, and want a different ig,(one that is still appropriate to your situation),you can apply that fee to the other iguana. Whenall the t’s are crossed and the i’s dotted, I willdeliver your beautiful iguana to you, or you canpick it up at IRN.

“There are always people who think they canhave a reptile and treat it like a mammal. We tryto make our adoption process as rigorous aspossible. As Director of Community Outreach, Isee part of my job as making myself available toadopters to help answer questions and especial-ly after the adoption with follow-up. The wholeprocess can take up to a month.”

At the meeting, one member questioned why sheand Jaime Pajak (IRN’s founder) chose greeniguanas as their cause, and not herps in general,or even sulcatas. She responded with, “You haveto pick your battles, pick your cause.... Becausewe love iguanas, we chose iguanas.”

Sarah Richard, MHS Adoption Chair, added toKathy’s statement by telling MHS members thatmany more iguanas would be euthanized if itweren’t for IRN. “It’s the one area we can’t keepup with in animal placement,” she noted, as oftentimes it’s too difficult to place them within thesociety.

Not all iguanas come to IRN through MHS, how-ever. Some come through IRN’s website or refer-rals. Kathy states, “The number of fostered igshovers around ten. I can think of nine that havebeen adopted, but there might be more.”

How It All BeganSarah Richard had talked with Jaime Pajakabout iguanas and MHS’s adoption programbefore IRN existed. Pajak was aghast that it hadcome down to euthanasia for many iguanasbrought to the society. Sarah responded with,“Well, do something about it”, and so she did.

Kathy had this to say about IRN’s beginnings:“In Dec of ‘02 I became acquainted with Jaime.She was fostering my Pumpkin and she broughthim to the Herp meeting. After adopting him, wetalked at great length and kept in touch. I hadbeen toying with the idea of starting a non-profitig rescue group of some kind. I brought this up toJaime, and she said she had already started awebsite and was networking with other rescuegroups online. I believe it was in June that westarted the process of going non-profit. We metregularly over the summer to work out the


Some of IRN’s current residents up for adoption.

Pip

Tarzan

Luche

Galen


details, such as the by-laws etc. We, well, Jaimemostly, recruited friends to become board mem-bers. MHS’s own Marilyn Brooks Blasus held theposition of treasurer for a while.

“After a couple of false starts, we began havingregular board meetings at my house. Of course,after I resigned, the meetings have been at[Jaime Pajak’s] house, as they continue to be.There is a committed core, but I see that somemembers don’t show up much, and there arenew ones that I don’t know well. I believe thatthe people involved care very much about IRN.We communicate between meetings via a YahooGroup for Board Members.”

Gaining the recognized 501(c)(3) status was notdifficult for the fledgling organization, but therewere many hoops to jump through. It took abouta year to accomplish. “IRN from the beginning,has been run the way a 501(c)(3) is supposedto. That is to say, as we learned rules and regu-lations, we adapted to them.”

Jaime Pajak has said that she patterned thestructure of IRN after the MAARS organization(an avian rescue organization in the Twin Citieswhere she regularly volunteered). However, oneimportant difference between the two organiza-tions is that there is no IRN building at this point.IRN relies on several board members and volun-teers to foster the iguanas waiting for homes.“We would love to have central housing for thefosters. This is our dream— to get a building forthe igs. However, [Jaime Pajak’s] house is IRN.That address is the legal address of IRN; all cor-respondence goes there. The most difficult thingis housing all of those iguanas.” Also, feedingthem ends up being inexpensive compared tothe medical costs and electricity.

OutreachAs part of her status as Director of CommunityOutreach, Kathy speaks at many different func-

tions, including church groups, classrooms, BoyScouts/Girl Scouts, vet clinics, pet stores, andothers. She did some iguana information ses-sions at a Petsmart in Woodbury for about threemonths. Every Saturday from 2-6 p.m. she wouldpack up a foster ig, wire cage, lights, and food,and station herself at the cat adoption center,answering questions and promoting IRN. She isalso exploring the possibility of running somecommunity classes on ig care.

All in all, Kathy and the rest of the IRN memberskeep busy and work hard to change misconcep-tions and misunderstandings about the greenbeasts that they hold so dear. Jaime Pajak hasrecently graduated from the U of MN VeterinarySchool, and has completed an externship withDr. Douglas Mader (author of Reptile Medicineand Surgery, the big black book for herp vets).So iguanas who find themselves at the door ofthe Iguana Relocation Network can breathe asigh of relief, knowing that they will receiveexcellent care from some extremely dedicatedvolunteers. §

For more information, check out IRN’s website:http://www.iguanarelocationnetwork.org


Rare Frog’s Foam Could Help to Heal BurnVictims

Foam secreted by a rare tropical frog could playa role in treating burn victims and patients whohave had surgery to remove tumors, scientists inGlasgow believe. The mud puddle frog(Physalaemus pustulosus), which lives inTrinidad, produces a protective foam that stopsits frogspawn from drying out and kills bacterialiving in the dirty water where it lays its eggs.

Researchers at Glasgow University believe it canbe used to treat people with serious burns orhelp stimulate the regrowth of healthy tissueafter tumors have been removed. In caseswhere a large area of skin is lost through burns,dehydration can lead to death. As a result, pre-venting wounds from drying out could save livesas well as accelerate healing.

The foam was discovered by Professor MalcolmKennedy while supervising zoology students ona field trip. He mentioned it to colleagues whenhe returned. They contacted officials in Trinidadand gathered samples from nests and sent themback to the university.

Scientists studied the foam, and the group, ledby Professor Alan Cooper of Glasgow University,published its findings in the Biophysical Journal.They found that the foam prevents infection andis very light and flexible, leading to hopes that aversion manufactured in a lab could be a life-saving treatment. Professor Cooper said, “Wewanted to know how the foam works. It has anti-bacterial properties, prevents eggs drying outand is extremely light. We identified the proteinsresponsible for some of its properties and knowwe can produce them in the lab. That could leadto commercial applications. One can imaginethis being carried in a handy aerosol pack withina first aid kit, as it is the sort of thing that couldbe used as a temporary dressing for wounds,and burns in particular.

“A major problem with these injuries is infectionand loss of moisture, and this material would sat-isfy both of those conditions.” He added, “Onecan also imagine these proteins being used asthe scaffolding for living cells to grow on in threedimensions. If a tumor was removed and left acavity, this product could be squirted into the sur-gical cavity and then act as a substrate to facili-tate that tissue regeneration.”

The mud puddle frog lives among forest leaf lit-ter, on pastureland and in areas of human distur-bance, where it gets its name from reproducingin shallow muddy pools, marshes, and roadsideditches.

-Reprinted from the Newsletter of the MichiganSociety of Herpetologists, April 2005


The Cadeuceus, the Staff of Aesculapius,and Elaphe longissima

Ever wonder about… the medical symbol withthe snake wrapped around a staff?

The single snake wrappedaround a wooden staff is theancient symbol ofAesculapius (or Asclepius inGreek mythology), who was askilled healer and famousphysician.

Aesculapius was so skilled insurgery that he could bringthe dead back to life. Hades, the ruler of thedead, became concerned about this, and toldZeus. Zeus thought that Aesculapius might ren-der all men immortal, and thus, he killed himwith a lightning bolt.

Another staff that is mistakenly used to repre-sent medicine is the cadeuceus, a similar sym-bol that also has wings and a second snake.This was the messenger Hermes’s staff (note

the wings again). ThoughHermes is primarilyknown as the messengerof the gods, he was alsoknown as the deity ofcommerce and wealth;these areas were knownto involve a bit of dishon-esty. (Go figure.)

The staff of Aesculapius’s snake is believed tobe Elaphe longissima and is found not only inits original range of southern Europe, but also inthe various places in Germany and Austriawhere Roman temples of healing had beenestablished. These snakes were kept in suchtemples because Aesculapius thought them tobe sacred. People believed that he wouldappear in the form of a snake at times, andpatients who saw a snake in their dreamsthought it to be Aesculapius himself—a goodomen.

Snakes that escaped from the temples also sur-vived and flourished. “The snake is smooth,glossy, and slender, with a uniformly brown

back with a streak of darker colorbehind the eyes. Its underbelly isyellowish or whitish and hasridged scales that catch easily onrough surfaces, making it espe-cially adapted for climbing trees.”(drblayney.com/Asclepius.html)

Sources, and for more information:http://www.in-ta.net/info/aesculapius/http://www.in-ta.net/info/aesculapius/iatros.htmldrblayney.com/Asclepius.html

Elaphe l. longissima©2001, Pascal DuboisUsed with permission.


Scientists dig up ancient marine reptile

A team of scientists digging for fossils in farwestern Queensland may have unearthed a newspecies of ancient marine reptile.

The researchers from the University of Adelaideand the South Australian Museum are excavat-ing at sites around Boulia.

Dr Ben Kear says they are looking for theremains of giant reptiles that lived about 100 mil-lion years ago and have found an ancient skull.

“It’s one of these marine reptiles again, but it’skind of like a Christmas present, you don’t knowwhat you get,” he said.

“It looks like it might be the skull of one of theselong-necked plesiosaurus, possibly called anelasmasaur.

“If that’s the case it’s quite significant, there’s notmany of these things around and to top it off itmight be a new species which is always excit-ing.”

Dr Kear says it is not unusual to find newspecies in the region.

“We know very very little about what you mightcall the ‘age of the dinosaurs’ in Australia, so thebeauty of it is you can find new things all thetime and there’s always new surprises in store,”he said.

“Boulia just happened to have this wealth ofmaterial which we’re just beginning to work outwhat was here, what the form was like and howit all related in terms of environment and climateand that sort of stuff.”

From http://www.abc.net.au/news/

South Africa embarks on Reptile MappingProject

South Africa is re-counting its snakes, crocodiles,tortoises, lizards and other endangered reptilespecies for the first time in 16 years.

The four-year project, which will involve reptileexperts from around the country aims to producea comprehensively updated reptile conservationatlas.

Members of the public will also be invited to takepart in the project by submitting digital photo-graphs and accurate GPS location readings.

“We know very little about the conservation sta-tus of reptiles, despite the fact that South Africahas an extremely rich collection of 360 speciesfrom 22 reptile families,” said Kristal Maze, plan-ning director at the SA Biodiversity Institute.

“Gathering this information is essential for futureconservation action, which is likely to includenew regulations for the pet trade and reducinghabitat loss for reptiles.”

Since the last mapping exercise in 1988 severalnew species had been discovered, while therewere also major information gaps for severalendangered reptile types, according WitsUniversity researcher Professor GrahamAlexander.

The remapping project will be coordinated by theAvian Demography Unit at the University of CapeTown, which recently produced a similar atlas onbird and frog distribution.

For more information and details on how thepublic can help the project, visit www.saherps.net

-Reprinted from The Star, June 02, 2005


The Vice-President’s ReportBy Sean P. Hewitt

July General MeetingFriday, July 8, 2005 7:00 p.m.

Guest Speaker:Michelle Hewitt

Program:The Trials and Tribulations of Owning Egg-Eating Snakes (Dasypeltis)

Location: Borlaug Hall, U of M St. PaulCampus, Room 335

Michelle Hewitt has been an active member ofMHS since 1993. In that time, she and her hus-band Sean have taken in various species of rep-tiles. The most fascinating and challenging havebeen the African egg-eating snakes.

Hewitt’s talk will focus on a basic introduction ofthe 6 different species of egg-eating snakes,their location, habitats, and mannerisms. Shehas owned 4 of the 6 different species includingDasypeltis inornata, Dasypeltis scarbra,Dasypeltis atra, and Dasypeltis medici. Her talkalso will focus on some generalizations aboutAfrican egg-eating snakes, but more importantly,the observed differences between the speciesthey have owned and some basic informationregarding the other 2 species.

Hewitt will also comment on some of the difficul-ties in dealing with the specialized feedingrequirements for these animals including generalbird care. Yes, you must know how to take careof birds to take care of young egg-eatingsnakes— and egg procurement for adult ani-mals. One would be surprised at the number ofobstacles associated with asking for eggs tofeed to snakes.

She will also briefly go over her experiences withbreeding and hatchling care of Dasypeltis inorna-ta, D. scarbra, and D. atra. She will also coverthe successes and failures of egg incubation,hatchling enclosure requirements, and trying tocreate a second generation of captive bred andborn egg-eating snakes.

An intriguing topic if I do say so myself. I’m surethe speaker will provide a fascinating talk.Please come hear her talk and give her a warmsociety welcome.

Upcoming Speakers (hopefully)

August: Reptiles Magazine writer: Dav Kaufman“Herpin’ in the Holyland”

September: What has a head as large as asmall dinner plate? Well, you have to come andsee Jessi Krebs’s talk.

They Passon Meat...

The butaan,or Gray’sMonitor lizard(Varanus oli-vaceus), is a frugivore, meaning it eats onlyfruit! Found exclusively in the Philippines, thislarge lizard is endangered mainly due to forestdegradation and fragmentation.

For more information, check out MampamConservation at http://mampam.50megs.com


Classified AdvertisementsClassified ads are free to the membership. Deadline is the night of the general meeting for inclusion in the next newsletter.1.0.0 = male, 0.1.0 = female, 0.0.1 = unsexed, cb = captive bred, obo = or best offer, + = times run ( ads are run 3 times unless specifically requested to continue).

Page 14

Mice Pinkies $7/dz

Fuzzies $7/dz

Hoppers $8/dz

Adults $10/dz

Rats Pinkies $9/dz

Fuzzies $15/dz

Sm Adult $18/dz

Med Adult $24/dz

Lg Adult $30/dz

Jumbo $36/dz

For pick-up at monthly meetings only. Orders Must be placed at least one week in advance of dateof meeting at which the frozen rodents are to be delivered. Place orders with Ananda Wold at rodentorders @ yahoo.com (no spaces)

Wanted

Buy some tasty MHS rodents

and welcome Ananda, our new

Rodent Gal!

(Note change in email address.)

Wanted: MHS members to tell theirherp stories! How did you getinvolved? What troubles/successeshave you had? What keeps youengaged in the herp world? Etc.!Etc.!

researchers precisely controlledthe lizard’s speed, body temper-ature, and measured how muchenergy the four-footers used towalk. Wahl, an alumna of Lewis& Clark, is now a doctoral stu-dent in wildlife biology at theUniversity of Montana atMissoula.

“We found that the partheno-genetic forms were much betterathletes than the sexual forms,clearly outpacing them on thetreadmill,” said Kearney. “Thiswas a bit of a surprise becausea similar study of another kindof parthenogenetic lizard fromthe deserts of the United Statesshowed the opposite pattern.”

Added Autumn: “If there was anOlympic team of Bynoe’s geck-os, there wouldn’t be a singlemale on it. These geckos out-perform their sexual relatives by50 percent. They are the ‘Xena:Warrior Princess’ of the lizardworld.”

The Fulbright exchange pro-gram supported the team’sresearch.

-Reprinted from Red Nova online athttp://www.rednova.com/news/sci-ence/154437/australian_geckos_show_sur

prising_strengths/

(Continued from page 3)

Minnesota Herpetological Society Membership Application

Active Memberships: Sustaining ($60/year) Contributing ($30/year) Basic ($15/year)

Corresponding Memberships: Commercial ($25/year 2 Business Card Ads/year)

Required check info. Drivers Lic # State DOBPlease enclose the proper payment with your application. Make Checks Payable To: Minnesota Herpetological Society. Membership is for12 months from the date of approval, a receipt will be sent only upon request. Mail to: Minnesota Herpetological Society, Bell Museum ofNatural History, 10 Church St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455. Please allow 6-8 weeks for processing.

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Phone Email List in MHS Directory? Yes No

Herp related interests

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Advertising Policies

MHS Ad Policy: The MHS assumes NO RESPONSIBILITY regarding the health or legali-ty of any animal, or the quality or legality of any product or service advertised in the MHSNewsletter. Any ad may be rejected at the discretion of the Newsletter Editor. Due to spacelimitations, unpaid and complimentary advertisements are subject to occasional omission.

Classified Ads: All active members are allowed a classified ad, run free of charge as spacepermits. Ads may be ran three consecutive months, after which time they may be resubmit-ted. Corresponding members are allowed a complimentary business card advertisementmonthly as space permits. Due to federal restrictions on Non-profit mailing permits, we arenot allowed to run ads for travel, credit or insurance agencies.

Submissions: All advertisements should be submitted to the MHS Editor, Bell Museum ofNatural History, 10 Church St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455. Deadline is the night of theGeneral Meeting for inclusion in the next newsletter. Make checks payable to: MinnesotaHerpetological Society.

MHS AD RATESBusiness card $5/Month $55/Year*

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* Note: 12th month is free on a one year commitment

*12th month is free on a one year commitment

Next Meeting:Friday, July 8, 2005 7:00PMRoom 335 Borlaug Hall, U of M St. PaulCampus

MHS Voice Mail:612.624.7065

MHS Web Page:www.mnherpsoc.org

MINNESOTA HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETYBELL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY10 CHURCH STREET SEMINNEAPOLIS, MN 55455-0104

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vol. 25 (2005), no. 7

Documents

minneapolis minnesota

general public

mhs newsletter

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australian geckos

conservation of reptiles

captivepropagation of

thesewonder woman geckos