vol. 32 (2012), no. 4

MinnesotaHerpetologicalSociety

April 2012 Volume 32

the newsletter of the

Number 4

C o n t e n t s

Presenter Recap: Boelen’s Pythons

Note: April’s Meeting is being held on April 13th, not the first Friday!

The White

Snake Sale is here!!!

B O A R D O F D I R E C T O R S

PresidentChristopher E Smith [email protected]

Vice PresidentDāv Kaufman [email protected]

Recording SecretaryEllen Heck [email protected]

Membership SecretaryHeather Clayton 612.886.7175 [email protected]

TreasurerNancy Haig [email protected]

Newsletter EditorChristopher Rueber [email protected]

Members at LargeJeff LeClere [email protected]

Currently Vacant Position [email protected]

Beth Girard [email protected]

Peter [email protected]

C O M M I T T E E S

AdoptionSarah Richard [email protected]

EducationJan Larson [email protected]

LibraryNancy Haig [email protected]

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.

TheMinnesotaHerpetologicalSocietyisanon-profit,tax-exemptorganiza-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 activitiesandamediaforexchanginginformation,opinionsandresources.

GeneralMeetingsareheldatBorlaugHall,Room335ontheSt.PaulCam-pusoftheUniversityofMinnesota,onthefirstFridayofeachmonth(unlessthereisaholidayconflict).Themeetingstartsat7:00pmandlastsaboutthree 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 Meetingtobeincludedinthenextissue.Longerarticleswillbeprintedastimeandspaceallowsandshouldbeinelec-tronicfileformatifpossible.See inside back cover for ad rates. Submissions may be sent to:

The Minnesota Herpetological Society -or- [email protected]: Newsletter EditorC/OBellMuseumofNaturalHistory10ChurchStSEMinneapolis,MN55455-0104

Stay informed! Join us on our forums!And,youcanstillleaveusaVoice Mail:612.326.6516

SNAKE BITE EMERGENCY

HENNEPIN REGIONAL POISON CENTER 800-222-1222

©Copyright2012,MinnesotaHerpetologicalSociety.Exceptwherenoted,contentsmayberepro-ducedfornon-profit,non-commercialuseonly.Allmaterialmustbereproducedwithoutchange.Propercreditwillbegivenincludingtheauthor/photographerandtheMinnesotaHerpetologicalSocietyNewsletterciting:volume,numberanddate.

C/OBellMuseumofNaturalHistory,10ChurchStreetSoutheast,Minneapolis,Minnesota,55455-0104

April 2012 Volume 32 Number 4

CoverPhotoCredit:SeymorDuncanUser Group Forums

The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society April 2012 Volume 32 Number 4

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April General Meeting Presentation - Friday, April 13th - Starting at 7 P.M.University of MN - St. Paul Campus, Borlaug Hall, Room 335

A very special event will be held...

The White Snake Sale!

And, in case you missed Mark Spataro’s talk at the March general meeting:

Boelen’s PythonsThe speaker for March was Mark Spataro from Baltimore,speakingonBoelen’spythons,moreliaboeleni. These herps are from the highlands of New Guinea,thesecondlargestislandintheworld.Thewestern half of the island is controlled by Indonesia andisdividedinto2provinces,PapuaandWestPapua. The eastern half is the mainland of Papua New Guinea. It is primarily lush rainforest which due to the low population density is largely pris-tine,althoughthisischangingrapidlyasitsnaturalresourcesareexploited.ThespeciesgetsitsnamefromDrBoelen,amissionarytotheislandinthe1950’s. Thesnakesarepartofthescrubpythongroup,splittingfromamethistinaabout25millionyearsago.Theyhaveaveryspecificecologicalniche,beingfoundonclifffacesabove4200’.Thismakesstudyingthemachallenge,asittakesa3-4hourhike and climb to even get to their range. Each snakewillhaveabaskingspot,createdbymatteddown vegetation or in the root ball of a tree. The females are larger than the males and tend to have messiersites,whichmaybeduetothembeinglessnomadic than the males. The snakes tend to bask in themorning,thenseekshelterintheirburrowdur-ing the heat of the day when the temperature can getover100°FandUVBreadingsover600.Thesnakeseatsmallmammalsincludingbats,which

areplentifulinthearea,andprobablysomeofthelizardandamphibianspeciesaswell.Theyhaveonlyonenaturalpredator,theNewGuineaharpyeagle,althoughpeopleareanissueaswell,botheating the snakes and collecting gravid females for their eggs. The lack of predators makes the snakes less aggressive. Thesnakesarerareincaptivity,duebothtoitshigh-ly protected status and atypicial needs. They have a reputationasbeingadelicatesnake,althoughgivenwhattheanimalsgothroughtogettotheUS,itismorelikelyahandlingissue.Captivebreedingisdifficult; there have been only 6 successful hatch-ings,5ofthemintheUS.Marcsaystheanimalsgothroughthematingrituals,thefemalewillgrowtheova,butthenre-absorbratherthandroppingeggs.Thespeculationisthatthereissomecue,probablyrelatedtotheuniquehabitattheylivein,thatismissing in captivity. The main suspect is barometric pressure changes. There are many storms in their chosen range. Three of the successful breedings oc-curredinafacilitynearalake,whichwouldrepro-ducetheatmosphericconditions.Otherpossiblecauses include the diet of their prey or something relatedtoUVBandvitaminD. Formoreinformation,checkoutMarc’swebsitewww.boelenspythons.com

WhatistheWhiteSnakeSale,youask?Why,onlythemostimportantsaleallyear!...well,totheMHSitcertainlyis.ThisistheHerpetologicalversionofaWhiteElephantSale.ItisoneoftheMHSslargestfundraisers,andanallaroundgoodtime.Weacceptdonationsofknick-knacks,books,jewelry,cages,art,toys,herpsupplies-Anythingingoodconditionthatyouthinkyourfellowherpersmighthaveausefor!

DuringtheWhiteSnakeSale,makesureyoubringsomeartworktodisplay.It’salsotheannualPhoto/ArtContest!Forgreaterdetails,howyoucancontribute,andhowthesaleworks,lookformoredetailsonline:

http://www.mnherpsoc.com/content/april-meeting-white-snake-sale


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Upcoming Hands-on Event ScheduleThurs April 12, 6-8PMScienceFair,StPaul245StClairAvenueSat. April 14, 9a-2pmGreenExpo,CoonRapids11155RobinsonDriveSat. April 28, 5:30-7pmEarthNight,StPaulBattleCreekElementary60RuthStSSat. April 28, 9a-2pmEnvironmentalExpo,RamseyCityOffices7550SunwoodDriveNWJuly 20 and 21HastingsRivertownDays

LookingtomeetotherMHSmembers?Helpassistthesocietyachieveit’sgoalsofeducatingthepublic?Orjusthaveagoodtimeshowingoffyourherps?Here’stheperfectopportunity!

Here’s the deal-Bringyourherp(s)tooneoftheshowslistedabove,andtalkaboutthem.That’sit!Youdon’thavetobeanexpert,you’renotgivingspeech-es.Mostofthetimeyouwillfindthatpeoplearemorethanopentohearingabout our misrepresented critters.

Sound fun? Great! Therearejustafewrequirements:Bringonlyhealthyanimals.Makesureyouknowthebasicsaboutyouranimal;Whattheyeat,howlongtheylive,adultsize,cageneeds.Thereisnosizelimitsaslongasthehandlercancomfortablykeepcontrol.Wedonotletviewerspatthemonthe head and do not allow them to directly hold the animal. If the animals are veryyoung,displayinacageisrecommended.Childrenmayparticipateaslong as they have adult supervision.

Contact: Jan Larson 507-263-4391 [email protected]

There will be photos and art projects on display in the meeting room during the April Meeting (White Snake Sale). All current MHS members are encouraged to vote for their favorites. The voting will take place dur-ing the meeting and winners will be announced right away on the very same evening!

Rules: • You must be a member of the MHS and be the one

that took the photograph. However, you do not need to own the herp in the photo.

• All items on display need to show herps or be di-rectly herpetologically related.

• Color and / or black and white photographs are ac-ceptable.

• Artwork is defined as sculptures, drawings, paint-ings, etc.

• Photos should be no smaller than 5 x 7 and no larger than 11x 14 (outside dimension).

• Mounting or matting of photos / art is recommend-ed but not necessary.

• Members are allowed to submit up to 2 photos / items in each category.

• On the back of the photo, please include: Your name and which category you want your pic-ture to compete in.

Categories: • Herps in the Wild / In a Natural Setting: Photo-

graphs of animal(s) taken outside and / or in a natural setting. A natural setting that has been staged is also permitted.

• Herps and Humans / Non-Wild Setting: Subject(s) should be in a non-wild setting – i.e. photographs taken around your home, on or with something that is manmade. Some examples of this are: Herps in their cages, people holding their pets and photo-graphs of animals taken at a zoo.

• Kid Submission: Any photo / artwork submission by a member who is 16 years of age or younger.

• Mixed Media: Herp related artwork by a member or photographs taken by a member that have been altered / enhanced using photo editing software in any matter other than cropping.

• There will also be an award issued for the “People’s Choice”: Members will also vote for one submission from the above categories that they feel is the best overall photograph / piece of artwork. The submis-sion that receives the most votes is the winner of this category.

M H S P h o t o / A r t C o n t e s t


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By Ellen Heck

Themeetingwascalledtoorderat6:15pm.El-lenreadtheminutes.Onecorrectionwasmade.Motiontoaccepttheminutesascorrected:ChrisR;2nd:Dav.Motionpassed. GrantCommittee Four grants were submitted for consideration. Two have no real link to Minnesota or conservation; after some discussion the motion to deny these requestswasmadebyChrisR;2nd:Dav.Motionpassed.

Afterfurtherdiscussion,amotiontoaward$1500to Melanie Stock for the study of soil temperature on below ground amphibian hibernation was made by Nancy; 2nd: Ellen. Motion passed. Afterfurtherdiscussion,themotiontoawardChrisSmith$1156.25foraratsnakepilotstudywasmade by Beth; 2nd: Peter. Motion passed with a voteof4ayes,2naysand2abstentions.ChrisSmith abstained. WebsiteCommittee The legal issue of posting the meet-ing videos for members only was discussed;technically,thespeakerowns the intellectual rights to what is taped but MHS would hold the copyright on the video itself. In or-dertopostthevideo,MHSwouldneed the speaker to sign a consent form.DavwillreviewwithJakewhat the form would need to look like. Old Business Mailbox:JohnMoriartytalkedto several people at the Bell and the decision to discontinue the mailboxesforoff-campusgroupsiscomingdownfromhighabove,thereasonsbeingconflictofinter-est and liability. It is possible MHS

couldpaysomesortoffeetocontinuethemailboxor become a supporting member of the museum. AnalternativewouldbeaPostOfficebox,whichwouldrunabout$260/yearwiththefeevaryingbasedonsizeandlocation. Newsletter: Some people who signed up for the online newsletter are not receiving it; Ellen and Heather will determine the cause. The Issue site demands certain personal information to be entered before printing the newsletter. Alternatives will be explored.ThebulkmailpermitisdueinApril. New Business Member-At-Large:KatRorvigmaynotbeabletoparticipateasaMAL.ChrisSwillcontacthertofindoutifshewishestoresign. CreditCard:Acredit/debitcardhasbeenissuedagainst the bank account to make it easier to pay forspeakerexpenses. Motiontoadjourn:Ellen2nd:Dav.Meetingad-journedat9:36pm

Board Minutes for February 4th, 2012


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March Adoption ReportPostedbySarahRichard,EditedbyChrisRueber

Healthy adoptions:FiveCaliforniaKingSnakes,aBallPy-thon,anEasternBox,andaRedEaredSlider.

Special needs adoptions:ALeopardGecko,aVeiledCha-meleon,aRussianTortoise,aThreeToedBox,aREdEared

Slider,aBoa,andanEvergladesRat

Injurious Wildlife Listing Enacted March, 23, 2012

byDavKaufman

TodayUSFish&WildlifeServiceenactedaruleaddingfourconstrictingsnakestotheInjuriousWildlifeListoftheLaceyAct;Burmesepython,N.Africanpython,S.AfricanpythonandYel-low anaconda. It will now be a felony to import orcrossstatelineswiththesefouranimals,theireggs,ortheirhybrids.Possession,breedingandtrade within your state is allowed unless there is a statelawviolated.Exportisallowedaslongastheanimalsexitthecountryfromadesignatedportofentrywithoutmakingaconnectingflight,orland-ingwithintheUnitedStates.Allflightsmustdirect-lyexittheUnitedStates.

1. NO on IMPORT.2. NO on INTERSTATE TRANSPORT.3. YES POSSESSION, BREEDING & TRADE IN

LEGAL STATES IS ALLOWED.4. YES EXPORT THROUGH DESIGNATED

PORT OF ENTRY WITH NO US CONNEC-TION IS ALLOWED.

5. APPLIES TO EGGS & HYBRIDS.6. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Treasurers ReportDue to necessary absences, the February Treasurers

Report is not available for the April newsletter. Watch for it in the upcoming issue!

From the Membership Secretary

The 2012 White Pages will be distributed online this year, as we continue toward our goal of reducing waste and expense by moving as much as possible to an online format. Don’t worry, your information will only be viewable by other current members, just as the paper copy is now. If you are already a regis-tered user on the MHS website, you will automatically have access to the White Pages when they are posted in May. If you have not yet registered, I encourage you to do so. Much of our information and publi-cations are located there, as well as the forum. The online White Pages will be formatted so that you can print them and staple the pages in booklet form, in case you would still prefer a printed version. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns, and thank you for supporting us in our conservation goals!

Minnesota Herpetological Society Membership ApplicationNew

Renewal

Membership #

Type

Check#

Active Memberships: Sustainin ($60/year)Contributing ($40/year)Basic ($20/year)Printed Newsletter($5/yearplusmembership)

Corresponding Memberships: Commercial ($25/year,2businesscardads/year)

Requiredcheckinfo.DriversLic# State DOB

Please enclose the proper payment with your application. Make checks payable to MINNESOTA HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY.Membership is for 12 months from the date of approval. A receipt will be sent only upon request.Mail To: Minnesota Herpetological Society, Bell Museum of Natural History,10ChurchSt.SE,Minneapolis,MN55455Please allow 6-8 weeks for processing.

Name

Address

City,State,Zip

PhoneEmailListinMHSDirectory?YesNoContactinformationonly?YesNo

Herp related interests

Advertising Policies

MHS Ad Policy:TheMHSassumesNORESPON-SIBILITYregardingthehealthorlegalityofanyanimal,orthequalityorlegalityofanyproductorservice advertised in the MHS Newsletter. Any ad mayberejectedatthediscretionoftheNewsletterEditor.Duetospacelimitations,unpaidandcom-plimentaryadvertisementsaresubjecttooccasionalomission.

Classified Ads: All active members are allowed a classifiedad,runfreeofchargeasspacepermits.Adsmayberunthree(3)consecutivemonths,afterwhich time they may be resubmitted.

Submissions: All advertisements should be submitted to the MHS Membership Secretary at the general meeting or mailed to: Bell Museum of Natural His-tory. 10 Church St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455. DeadlineisthenightoftheGeneralMeetingforinclusioninthenextnewsletter.Makecheckspay-able to: Minnesota Herpetological Society.

Advertising Costs

Size Cost BusinessCardSized $5/monthor$55/year*1/4Page $10/monthor$110/year*1/2Page $20/monthor$220/year*FullPage $40/monthor$440/year*

*12thmonthisfreewithaoneyearcommittment.

Forpick-upatmonthlymeetingsonly.Ordersmaybeplacedthe following ways

1. At the meeting for the following Month2. Onlineathttp://mnherpsoc.com/content/rodent-orders3. CallingtheMHSvoicemail:612.326.6516

OrdersMUSTbeplaced10DAYSINADVANCE of the date of meeting in order to guarantee availability.

MICE WEIGHT PRICE Pinkies 2-3grams $7/dzFuzzies 5-7grams $7/dzHoppers 8-11grams $8/dzWeanlings 12-15grams $9/dzAdults 25-30grams $10/dzJumboAdult 45+grams $14/dz

RATS WEIGHT PRICE SmallAdults 50-60grams $18/dzMedAdults 125-150grams $24/dzLargeAdults 200-240grams $30/dzJumbo 250-350grams $36/dz

Rodents! Order online!Did you know you can

order online? By phone? See below!

NextMeeting:

Friday - April 13th - 7:00 pmRoom335BorlaugHall,UofMSt.PaulCampus

MHS Voice Mail:612.326.6516

MHS Web Page:www.mnherpsoc.com

MINNESOTA HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETYC/OBELLMUSEUMOFNATURALHISTORY10CHURCHSTSEMINNNEAPOLIS,MN55455-0104

This newsletter is printed on recycled paper

vol. 32 (2012), no. 4

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