VOLUME II

MINNESOTA HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY

NEWSLETTER

JULY MEETING

Thursday, July 1, 1982 7:00 PM Room 225, Smith Hall

University of Minnesota

NUMBER 6

The July meeting will touch on a subject we haven'tl: covered yet. What is the role of zoos in wildlife conservation? Tom Foose, who is the Conservation Coord­inator for the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums, will give us some insight as to what zoos are doing, and plan to do in the future, along this line. He will discuss present projects, and some planned ones that will deal with herps. Be sure and attend this one! .

The "Hapless Herp Needs a Happy Home ll program continues to roll! At the June meeting the following animals were adopted out to the membership:

1 female Common Boa Constrictor, 70" 2 Red Eared Sliders, adult males 2 Bullsnakes, adult pair 1 Fox Snake, adult male 1 Southern Alligator Lizard, adult male. This was a return from the May

meeting. Transport containers (bags or boxes) have and will be provided to take your adoptee home. Please return these at the next meeting or as soon as possible. For the July meeting we already have a 6~' Common Boa, a 6-8 1 Burmese Python, and a· 2~' Green Iguana. Remember, if you want an animal, you must attend the meeting. Don't miss out!

Elections were also held at the June meeting. Our new Vice-Pres'ident is Bruce Delles, and our 2 new Members-at-Large are Fran Frisch and Ann Porwoll. MHS welcomes Fran and Ann to the Board, and congratulates Bruce on his new office.

The June meeting was really a super one, as promised. Once again the "Burma Boys" proved their speed and perseverance! Jeff Lang~s presentation on croes, entitled "Cold Blood and Warm Hearts", was great. The films of his New Guinea field work were something to see. It is truly amazing how gentle a huge animal Jike an adult croc can be when it wants t0 0 .Jeff also talked about the sub­committee studying the status of Minnesota herps. He had just finished a field study on the Five Lined Skink. He also passed out a checklist of Minnesota herpse Of real interest is the inclusion of the Lined Snake! The list is in­cluded in this newsletter. Attendance was 49.

POISON CONTROL CENTER 405~271-5454

We still need more volunteers to supply refreshments for the meetings. If you are interested, a notebook will be on the refreshment table starting at the July meeting to sign up. And remember, you can be reimbursed for any costs incurred. Also, don't forget the "Big Mouthed Frog"!

The "T" shirts arrived in time for the June meeting, and so far we have sold 48. They came in blue and yellow and look super. Be sure and get yours!

From now on, all sales will be handled in the refreshment room for ~ hour· after the end of the meeting. Please make an effort to have correct change, or to pay by check. Also, no food orders will be accepted on the day of the meeting. The Library will also be moved to the refreshment room.

PLEASE BRING YOUR LIBRARY BOOKS BACK ON TIME! We are getting more overdue books all the time. This is not fair to the other members who may want the same book you have@ All members are reminded they will be assessed a $1.00 fine for each overdue book. In extreme cases, library privileges will be term­inated!

There were 2 important decisions made at the June Board Meeting@ From now on, no classified ads for "hot" reptiles will be accepted.By this I mean venomous and not stolen .. Also, only IIcritters" or adoption animals will be permitted at . the meetings. Any exceptions to this rule will have to be cleared ahead of time.

All members are reminded that membership cards will have to be shown both to adopt an animal and to check ·out books or make purchases. Please help us with this as we are going through a lot of renewals right now. We also have a new form that we will ask you to fill out to adopt an animal. This will help~us make decisions as to who gets what.

Another major addition to MHS is the pamphlets that were designed by Fran Frisch. These came out really super and will be handed out to prospective new members. If you know a place to set some up, let us know.

Paula Swanson made an interesting appeal at the June meeting. Dr. Pat Redig at the Raptor Rehab Clinic is interested in taking blood samples from a wide variety of herps in order to establish norms for species The sampling day was set for Tuesday, June 8, at the U of M If you are interested after the fact, or wish to set up an alternate day, call: 376-5642 or 373-0816. Your ·cooperation will be greatly appreciated.

2

Siah St .. Clair related during "Herp Hints" at the June meeting a case of 2 Garter Snakes (1 and 2 year captives) that had been fed earthworms and minnows. They both showed the same symptoms, raised anterior portion of their body, bedding in their mouths, etc. Both were dead within 10 days. A discussion followed, with the bait fish being figured as the probable culprits. Any ideas or though~s1

Delvin Jones Bruce Delles Connie Delles Jim Gerholdt Fred Bosman Fran Frisch Karl Hermann Ann Porwoll

fho1s eno~h bubbJ

MHS DIRECTORY

President Vice-President Secretary-Treasurer Newsletter Editor Member-at-Large Member-at-Large Member-at-Large Member-at-Large

3

938-8555 938-1679 938-1679 507-652-2996 476-0306 488-7619 .225-6784 489-7853

CHECKLIST & TENTATIVE STATUS DETERMINATIONS

Reptiles.

TURTLES (9)

Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina)

TH Wood Turtle (~~ insculpta)

False Map Tur,tle (Graptemys pseudogeographica)

Map Turtle (Graptemys geographica)

Ouachita Map Turtle (Graptemys ouachitensis)

Painted Turtle

~auuLuhvS Turtle (Eruydoidea blandingii)

Smooth Softshell (Trionyx muticus)

Spiny Softshel1 (Trionyx spinife!us)

LIZARDS (3)

Prairie Skink (Eumeces septentrionalis)

Five-lined Skink (Eumeces fasciatus)

by Amphibian and Reptile Group, Technical Advisory Committee on Endangered Species in Minnesota

Amphibians (19)

SALAMANDERS (5)

Mudpuppy (Necturl.ls maculosus)

Eastern Newt (Notophthalmus viridiscens)

Blue-spotted Salamander (Ambystoma laterale)

Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum)

Redback Salamander (Plethedon ~iner~~~)

TOADS & FROGS (14)

Canadian Toad (Bufo hemiophrys)

American Toad (Bufo americanus)

Great Plains Toad (Bufo cognatus)

Spring Peeper ( Hyla crucifer)

Cope's Gray Treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis)

Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor) Six-lined Racerunner (Cnemidophorus sexlineatus) SC Northern Cricket Frog (Acris crepitans)

SNAKES (l

Redbelly Snake ' ________ occipitomaculata)

sc

Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi)

Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon)

Plains Garter Snake (Thamnophis radix)

Common Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis)

tvestern Hognose Snake (Heterodon nasicus)

Eastern Hognose Snake (Heterodon platyrhinos)

'Ringneck Snake (Diadophis punctatus)

Racer (Coluber __________ ~.

Smooth Green Snake (OpheodrY§. vernalis)

Gopher Snake (Pituophis melanoleucus)

Fox Snak.e (Elaphe vul:e.ina)

Rat Snake (Elaphe obsoleta)

Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum)

Lined Snake (Tropidoclonion lineatum)

June 1982

TN =::

Striped Chorus Frog (Pseudacris triseriata)

SC Pickerel Frog (Raua palustris)

4

Mink Frog (Rana septentrionalis)

Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens)

Green Frog (Rana clamitans)

Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica)

Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana)

POSSIBLE BORDER ENTRANTS

Slender Glass Lizard (Ophiosaurus attenuatus)

Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma macula tum)

Tremblay's Salamander (Ambystoma tremblayi)

Four-toed Salamander (Hemidactylilim scutatum)

Woodhouse's Toad (Bufo woodhousei)

Plains Spadefoot (Scaphiopus bombifrons)

,.

Poems by Judith Vior"st, d~awings by Kirk Lyttle

doesn' t . want

......... ". ..... ""'..- says they

never sit when sit,

And always let the str angers in And bark friends instead, And do disgraceful things. on rugs,;.,

track mud'on the

snore.

5

The Venomous Animal Society of Canada has recently formed and has subsequently released the first issue of their Journal (No.1: June 1981).

The goal of the V.A.S.C. is "to provide a . vehicle for the exchange of information and ideas to those members of the zoological community with an interest in venomous animals." Membership is open to persons with an interest in venomous animal!;) in gen­eral, and is not restricted to reptiles and amphibians alone.

M embersh ip fees are $1 0.00 Canadian/year and it is anticipated that three or four issues of the Journal will be published per year.

Interested persons may write to:

Scott Allen 11 Knightsbridge Road, #1010 Bramalea, Ontario L6T 3X4 Canada

MHS WAS GRAND ON GRAND by

FRAN FRISCH

With the threat of rain all day and gusts of wind up to 30 MPH Grand Old Day went on as usua 1 •. We 11, near norma 1 because the MHS was there, and was a rea 1 crowd pleaser.

On the corner of Grand and Avon from noon to about 4:00 people were three to four deep checking us out. I would give a good guess that over 7000 people· stopped to look, ask questions and hold or touch a herp. The kids held and the parents touched.

I want to thank the members that helped put by bringing herps and handling the crowd of people so well. Ann Porwoll brought a pair of Three Toed Box Turtles, her male being a 10 year pet. Ann handled my year old Corn Snake with great patience because it only sat still for 5 minutes the entire day. Mike Schwartz had his hands full with his large Rhino Iguana who was a real crowd pleaser. He also brought his Mouse Eating Bullfrog which caught a lot of peoples ' eyes o Eric Thiss brodght his 10 foot Burmese Python. Need' I say more?

Tom Schmitz my room mate and soon to become member of MHS must of answered IICalifornia I<ingsnake ll about 6583 times. My I<ingsnake loves to be held and was the first snake many people held in their lives. What a way to win laymen over.

I had ItS and Mil my Sinaloan Milk Snakes. Many people knew about Coral Snakes so they found these mimics very beautiful and to their surprise, harmless.

I must say everyone did his or her best to make the MHS look like the great club we are! We will try it again next year but with more volunteers and herps. It's the first Sunday in June, mark it on your calendar!

The "Critters" brought to the June meeting were: Bullsnake San Diego Gopher Snake Southern Pine Snake

These were brought by: Bruce and Connie Delles Del Jones

Thanks from MHS!

The "Critter" for the July meeting will be large lizards e This is the meeting to bring the ones you had to leave behind when we had small to medi·um lizards. In this case no lizard will be considered too large! The bigger the better!

Our present membership is now at 75 memberships. This reflects a total of 86 members. If you haven1t renewed your membership, be sure to do so!

6

(

\ ~, I

:-1,,1'

• no exams • no pressure • no grades

tc 0212 AMPH I B I ANS AND REPT I LES: AN \·NTRODUCT \ ON TO HERPETOLOGY. No credit (2.2 CEUs avai lable), $17 tuition plus $21 course fee. Total $38.

Provi.des an introduction to the identification, behavior, and ecology of repti les an~ amphibians. Lectures, slides, and fi Ims i I I ustrate the wor I dw i de divers tty of these fasc i nat i ng an i ma I·s. Topics include poisonous amphibians and reptiles, the social behavior of crocodi les, and the current controversy concerning warm-blooded dinosaurs. Breeding cal Is of resident frogs and toads wi I I be learned, and identification of Minnesota species wi I I be taught in the lab and field. A variety of herpetological field techniques wi I I be presented during two Saturday afternoon­evening field trips. (Offered in cooperation with the Bel I Museum of Natural History. Limited to 25)

Spec Term Sec 2 Thursdays -- 7 - 9 p.m., June 17-Ju\y 15 (5 evening meetings plus field trips) Bel I Museum 175 (use southwest entrance facing Nolte Center), Daryl Karns

No late fee through June 10

I

(Daryl Karns is an advanced graduate student in the Department of Ecology and Behavioral Biology. He has done research on the ecology and systematics of amphibians and repti les in the central United States and West Africa)

Call today for a registration form: Continuing Education and Extension . University of Minnesota lID Extension Classes

The University of Minnesota is an equal opportuni ty educator and e~loyer.

'-'J

\'

BREEDI NOTES

Bruce and Connie Delles 21 Corn Snake. Incubation of 66 to 69 days. Temperature of 78 to 82 d~grees.

Breedings from June AAZPA Newsletter

Philadelphia Zoological Garden 17 Poison Arrow Frog 1 Prehensile Tailed Skink

Buffalo Zoological Gardens .4 Leopard Gecko 1 Tokay Gecko l Puff Adder

National Zoological Park 6 Oriental Fire Bellied Toad

Gladys Porter Zoo .(Brownsville) 1 Radiated Tortoise

Los Angeles Zoo 4 Leopard Tortoise 1 Leopard Gecko 5 Blood Python 2 Mangrove Snake

22 Puff Adder (3rd genration)

Memphis Zoo and Aquarium 12 Urocoan Rattlesnake

Cincinnati Zoo 4 Green and Black Arrow Poison Frog 8 Southeastern Pygmy Rattlesnake

Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo (Monroe) 13 White Lipped Tree Viper

St. Louis Zoological Park 2 Tokay Gecko

Atlanta Zoological Park 32 Eyelash Viper 20 Monocellate Cobra . 1 Leopard Gecko

Honolulu Zoo 2 Texas Tortoise 3 Mauritius Day Gecko 6 Mauritius Orange Spotted Day Gecko 2 Tokay Gecko 5 Mourning Gecko

Toledo Zoo 4 Red Footed Tortoise 2 Tokay Gecko

PET'CETERA

CLASSIFIEDS

MONDAY TO SATURDAV 10-6 512·929-6730

BIRDS' RODENTS e SUPPLIES ~ ADVICE

WE SPECIALIZE iN REPTILES

4315 UPTON AVE. SO. MpLS.55410

MINNESOTA HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY DELICATESSEN

REMEMBER-After each meeting we will have available our featured take=out items.

FRESH FROZEN MICE-$3.00 per dozen

FRESH FROZEN RATS-JUMBO SIZE-$lo50

JUST IMAGINE - I'LL DO THE REST

DESIGNING 13< CRE,Il,nNG

FINE JEWELRY

CALL FOR APPOINTMENT

10 A.M. TO 7 P.M.

GARY BAECHER

NEWSLETTER DEADLINE

The deadline for sub­mitting ads, etc., is the 15th of the month. Please send to me:

Jim Gerholdt P.,O. Box 86 Webster MN 55088

61 2/920· 4049

Remember~ if you want rats or mice, they are available by reservation only. Please let Bruce or Connie know your needs a few days in advance.

s

1833 Hampshire Ave. So. Sf. Louis Park, MN 55426 Phone: (612) 544·6406 ----

LARGEST SELECTION OF REPTlL.ES IN MINNESOTA

AND'A FULL LINE OF PET SUPPLIES FOR ALL ANIMALS

TWIN CITIES REPTILES PET SHOP

MON .• FAI. 10,00· 8:00

SAT. 10:00 • 6:00

SUN. 12:00.5:00

1 S 8TH AVENUE NORTH

HOPKINS. MINNESOTA 55343

(612) 936·0EieO

If you would like to receive a price list from Twin Cities Reptiles, send $2.00 ($4.00 outside U@So and Canada)e The price list is published bimonthly. This is for a 1 year subscription@

THE REMARKABLE REPTILES

UNIQUE LEARNING EXPERIENCES

JAMES E. GERHOLDT

P O. BOX 86 WEBSTER, MN 55088

507-652-2996

WANTED: BOOKS AND JOURNALS

IN THE FIELD OF HERPETOLOGY

HELP BUILD YOUR MHS LIBRARY

52

What do you do when you're bitten by a poisonous snake, hours from the ncarest medical clinic'? "There really is a void in emergency 'treatment," says Richard Straight of the federal VCllom Research

. Laboratory ill Salt Lake City, "We've never been satisfied with what is recom­mended," he explains - namely lancing the wound, attempting to suck out the poison, and perhaps applying a tourniquet to the bitten limb between the wound and the heart. But a technique has been testecl in Australia that is so stunningly simple its efficacy begs belief. One merely splints the unwashed bitten limb and then wraps an elastic bandage as tightly as possible about a wide area encompassing the wound.

Successful use of the technique lends support to previous suggestions from animal research that venom molecules are so large that they prefer to travel in the lymph ve.ssels instead of in the bloodstream.

Australian herpetologist John Peam is believed to have conducted the first human trial, on himself, according to the January SClENTIFIC AUSTRALIAN. Having followed reports of its success in five years of monkey trials at the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories in Melbourne, Pearn was prepared to use it on himself when an Australian brown snake bit him a year ago February. "Just how effective Ihis new

treatment [first suggested 40 years ago] is was demonstrated by the fact that there were no symptoms 01 envenomation two hours after the bite," Peam says in the Aus­tralian magazine. Medical tests confirmed the absence of venom in his blood at that time.

Within 10 minutes of carefully removing the bandage, however, signs of poisoning appeared. Venom was detected in his blood 5 minutes later. Following treatment with the appropriate anti-venom, Pearn recovered completely.

Straight notes that an Australian medi­cal journal has reported another incident where the technique was used for a tiger­snake bite. That individual survived a six­hour Irek to the hospital, again without vellom movement.

The elastic bandage sufficiently com­presses lymph vessels so that the flow of lymph and tissue fluids is halted. Straight still considers the concept that venom might selectively choose the lymph sys­tem "unproven" but an "exciting idea." So intrigued are researchers at his Utah labo­ratory that studies have already begun there to explore the physiology of venom transport and action during compression. If the technique proves as effective in his controlled animal studies as the human anecdotal accounts would suggest, it could become the preferred treatment for snake-bite emergencies. --1. Raloff l'

SCIENCE NEWS, VOL. 121

"Another good thing about being a 'turtle-we have wind resistance just about licked."

MINNESOTA HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY BELL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY 10 CHURCH STREET MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA 55455-0104

The Minnesota Herpetological Society is a group that is interested in reptiles and amphibians. We are seeking new members. As a member you will receive monthly informative newsletters and can attend monthly meetings which are highlighted with guest speakers covering a wide range of subjects important to all herperse

Membership categories are: Individual Member-$7.50. Residents of Minnesota. Corresponding Member-$5.00. Out of state members. Family Membership-$10.00. Covers all members of a household.

So if you1d like to exchange information and ideas with others who share your interest, please send your membership fee to:

Minnesota Herpetological Society Bell Museum of Natural History 10 Chirch Street Minneapolis Minnesota 55455-0104

Name _____________ Any specific interest in Herpetology?

Addres ------------~------~-

Home Phone

Make all checks payable to: Minnesota H~rpetological Society