MINNESOTA

HERPETOLOGICAL

SOCIETY

NEWSLETTER VOL. 17 NO.3

March 1997

MINNESOTA HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY

Newsletter Volume 17 Number 3 March 1997

Contents

News, Notes & Announcements................................................................................. 1 Tom Jessen's "Herp Hijinks" ....................................................................................... 5 A Letter from the Smithsonian Institute. ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ........ ........ .... .... .......... ..... 6 General Meeting Review by Michelle Stephan...... .......... ...... ........ ........ ...... ........ ....... 7 Ecoviews: Frogs Can Be Instructive by Whit Gibbons.... ...... ........ ...... ................ ....... 8 Book Review: Coral Snakes of The Americas. Reviewed by J.P. Levell................... 9 Calendar of Events.. ........ .......... .............. ............ ............ ........ ............ .... ........ ........ .... 10 MRS Business...... .......... ...... .... .......... .......... ...... ............ .......... ...................... ........ ..... 11 Classified Advertisements... ...... ...... .................. .... ............ ...... ...... ........ .... .... .... ...... ... 12

The Minnesota Herpetological Society is a nonprofit organization associated with the:

James Ford Bell Museum of Natural History University of Minnesota

MHS Statement of Purpose: to further the education of the membership and the general public in care and captive propagation of reptiles and amphibians; to educate the membership and the general public in the ecological role of reptiles and amphibians; and to promote the study and conservation of reptiles and amphibians.

MHS Board of Directors President Vice President Membership Secretary Recording Secretary Treasurer Editor Immediate Past President Member at Large Member at Large Member at Large Member at Large

George Richard Barbara Radanke Mark Schmidtke Bruce Haig Marilyn Blasus Nancy Haig Gloria Anton James Rea Sarah Richard Roger Statz Scott Larson

SNAKEBITE EMERGENCY Hennepin Co. Regional Poison Center

(612) 347·3141 Minnesota Polson Control System Local: (612) 221-2113 Out of State: (800) 222·1222

MHS VOICE MAIL:(612) 624·7065 E-mail: mnherpsoc@aol.com

President: George Richard (612) 623-7620 Vice President: Barbara Radanke (612) 291-1132 Membership Secretary: Mark Schmidtke (612) 647-9394

MHS SPECIAL COMMITTEES

Education Chair: Sean Hewitt (612) 935-5845 Adoption Chair: Glen Jacobsen (612) 757-8268

Editor: Nancy Haig (612) 434-8684 Associate Editor: John P. Levell (507) 467-8733

Minnesota Herpetological Society Newsletter is published monthly by the Minnesota Herpetological Society. Manuscripts and advertisements may be submitted in any forma~ 3 1/2 inch IDM or Macintosh compatible disks preferred. The publication deadline for ads is always the weekend of the MRS general meeting. Submissions should be sent to: MRS Editor, do The Ben Museum orNatural Hismry, 10 Church St. SE, Minneapo­lis, MN 55455-0104.

© Copyright Minnesota Herpetological Society 1996. Contents may be reproduced for non-profit use provided that all material is reproduced without change and proper credit is given authors and the MRS

Newsletter citing; volume, number, and date.

MHS Newsletter Volume 17 Number 3

News, Notes & Announcements Upcomin2 ~eetin2 Highlights Tile Vice-Pi'esident's Report By Barbara A. Radanke

April Program: Rare Amphibians & Reptiles of the Western Ghats

Guest Speaker: Fred Swengel

For starters, I must say that my tenure as a Member­at-Large of the Minnesota Herpetological Society has been an exciting and interesting time for me. I am equally excited about serving as the Vice-President of the MHS as well, and I have already been hard at work lining up new speakers for our upcoming meetings. I would also like to welcome anyone's ideas for topics and/or names and telephone numbers of potential speakers, which may be sent to my attention for future program planning. Remember, this is your society too. Thanks!

It is my pleasure to inform you of our upcoming speaker for the April general meting, and our guest will be Fred Swengel who will give a presentation on rare amphibians and reptiles of the Western Ghats, which is a mountain range located in Indiaon the western side of the country. His talk will include wonderful slides from India of these rare animals.

More information on this mountainous region may be found in a wonderful article on the "Ghats" appearing in the current (March/April 1997) issue of Reptile & Amphibian Magazine, and written by our fellow MHS member Jim Gerholdt. Be sure to check this article out, as it provides a listing of the endemic amphibians ofindia' s Western Ghats. See you at April's meeting! BAR

Location: Rm. 335 Borlaug Hall, U of M St. Paul Campus Date and Time: April 4, 19977:00 PM. (see map on inside back cover for meeting location)

March Raffie Donors Dennis Daly Marilyn Blasus Bill Moss Fred Bosman Ground Round John Levell

T-shirts, Turtle Soap, Turtle Magnets Iguana Folder Magazines Beer Gift Certificates Magazines

A portion of the proceeds from the monthly MHS raffle sales are allocated to the MRS Conservation Fund. Due in large part to the exceptional merchandisedonated and to the avid participation of MHS members, 1996 has been the best raffle year ever. Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to everyone who donated items and/or purchased raffle tickets.

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Mariucci Arena and Golden Gopher Hockey 1996-97 Thanks to all the dedicated volunteers

that helped sell pizza at Mariucd Arena this year. Your effort has helped MHS earn just over $1,000 dollars. Although we did not educate the public about reptiles and amphibians at these events, the money we earned will go a long way in helping the society provide quality membership services. According to Joe, the Manager of Pizza Sales at the arena, the MHS was one of the best and most consistently productive groups! Thanks to: Julie Beauvais, Randy Blasus, Kathy & Dave Boron, Sean & Michele Hewit~ Jeff LeClere, Bill Moss, Barb Radanke, and Keith Tucker. Marilyn Brooks Blasus

Herp Magazines The MHS Library has three subscription magazines

available for circulation: I) Reptile & Amphibian, 2) Reptiles, and 3) the Vivarium. To find out which articles address the particular species of your focus, look in the new book, Index - Reptile Hobbyists Magazines Current to 1997 by Bob Ashley. This Index also researches three other periodicals that the Society does not own: Captive Breed­ing (which is now out-of-print},Reptilian (which is British and a rip-off), and Reptile Hobbyist. The cost to buy some of these issues is several dollars. Take advantage of this benefit of membership to enjoy some good reading. Karin Rea MHS Librarian

MHS Newsletter Volume 17 Number 3

Frog Research Puts Spotlight on Pesticides Other possible causes of defor­mities explored.

Emerging research about deformed frogs found in Minnesota and other parts of North America is providing intriguing hints that pesticides or other chemicals may be causing at least part of the problem. But most scientists agree that it's too early to rule out parasites, viruses and other potential factors.

Since schoolchildren found frogs with malformed and missing legs in a southern Minnesota farm pond in 1995, abnormal frogs have been reported in more than 180 Minne­sota locations and in scattered places in several other states.

Health officials in Minnesota and elsewhere have begun to monitor the situation in case what's harming amphib­ians could affect humans as well. State and federal agencies and universities are scrambling to find research money, and cumulatively have proposed to spend more than $1 million this year on frog collection, analysis and public information in the Upper Midwest.

There have been several recent developments.

* A team of Canadian scientists in Quebec has associated likely exposure to pesticides with a large number of frogs with partial or missing legs or digits studied in the St. Lawrence River Valley.

In the latest Journal of Wild life Diseases, researchers note that in 1992 and 1993 they found deformities in 106 out of 853 frogs collected from 14 fannland areas, primarily ponds and ditches near sweet corn and potato fields. They found only two deformed frogs out of271 taken from 12 "pesticide-free" enviromnents.

Martin Quellet, lead author of the study and consult­ant for the Canadian Wildlife service, said more than 10,000 frogs collected in 1995 and 1996 show a similar pattern, but his team has not studied water chemistry of breeding ponds and, therefore, has no scientific proofto link deformities to agricul­tural chemicals.

"We strongly suspect pesticides," said Quellet, who has planned a more comprehensive study starting this spring. Limb deformities in Canada were found in one toad species and three frog species, including the Northern Leopard Frog, which has shown the most frequent abnormalities in Minne­sota.

* National Wildlife Health Center scientists in Madi­son, Wisconsin, have found bone, cartilage and jaw deformi­ties in some Minnesota frogs they have analyzed. Kathy Converse, a wildlife disease specialist at the center, said more frogs need to be studied, but results so far raise the possibility that estimates of the number of deformed frogs may be too low.

"What we don't know is whether there are worse

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deformities in frogs that don't survive at all and that we never see," she said. Other diagnostic tests on Minnesota frogs have not linked defonnities with naturally occurring diseases, vi­ruses or parasites, she said, but nothing can be ruled out.

* A California researcher studying Minnesota frogs has not seen evidence yet that deformities are linked with parasites, as other experts had predicted.

Stephen Goldberg, herpetologist and biology profes­sor at Whittier College, said he has seen mixed results in the 250 normal and deformed Minnesota frogs that he has been analyzing. "At this point we have abnormal frogs with para­sites, and we have found abnormal frogs without parasites," he said. "It's too early to pin anything down."

Goldberg and others have raised another possibility: that different categories of problems - such as eye deformi­ties, multiple limbs, internal abnormalities and missing or partial legs - may each have distinct or different combina­tions of causes.

* Preliminary research by a University of Minnesota cell biologist and cancer expert shows major problems in the internal organs of deformed frogs that he collected last sum­mer.

Robert McKinnell, a professor that has studied frogs since 1958, is completing the analysis and will publish the results later this year. "I can't tell you the significance of this yet, but I predict we will fmd a syndrome of internal abnonnali­ties for these frogs."

* Federal officials are hustling to establish a national reporting center that would collect, analyze and distribute information about deformed frogs.

The Northern Prairie Science Center in Jamestown, North Dakota, is developing a World Wide Web site and reporting system that officials expect to inaugurate this spring. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning a national conference in April to bring together experts to discuss frog deformities.

* Peder Larson, commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), has requested that the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences consider a research partnership with the state so specialists and labora­tories "sufficient to the scale or possible complexity of the problem" can study the frogs. The institute, which studies public-health issues related to the environment, sent five scientists to Minnesota in December to receive briefings from theMPCA.

An MPCA administrator acknowledged last week that he and others may have been "myopic" earlier this year when they talked about reducing the agency's role in frog research. In the letter to the institute, Larson said the MPCA is "committed to continuing to be a lead agency" in investigat­ing the problem.

Research Directions While officials try to improve the quality of informa­

tion about where deformed frogs are found, much of the research in 1997 is aimed at discovering when the abnormali-

ties occur during a frog's life cycle. Converse, the Wisconsin researcher, and several other

scientists agree that the most frequent defonnities - missing, partial or extra legs - probably occur early on, wben tbefrog is a tadpole and its bind limb buds are just fonning. However, most of the defonnities so far bave not been noticed until the last stage of development, as frogs are emerging from breeding ponds.

Tbe Wildlife Health Center is seeking research money from various sources to "piggyback" with MPCA, Converse said, and proposes to study theentire life cycle of frogs and the changing quality of tbeir breeding ponds.

"You've got to be there earlier when the change is occurring," she said. "I don't know how else we can learn what the causative factor is."

Judy Helgen, MPCA wetlands biolo­gist, said researchers also need to study frog eggs, which could be affected if frogs were exposed to certain con­taminants and passed along any kind of "chemical burden" to their offspring.

"We want to know if we can read from the environment wbat is causing this, and it's going to be tough," sbe said.

MHS Newsletter Volume 17 Number 3

lege in New York, said the trematode parasite he studied in Califomia frogs in 1990 is the most likely explanation for frog defonnities in Minnesota and elsewhere.

"They're at the right place at the right time doing exactly therightkinds ofthings to interfere with limb develop­ment (in frogs)," he said.

But Sessions said he cannot explain why so many defonnities have been reported in so many places during the past few years, or why some of the defonned frogs that have been analyzed do not have trematode parasites.

Joe Tietge, a biologist at the EPA's Midcontinent Ecology Division in Duluth, said parasites need more study, but he and other scientists will focus primarily on chemicals.

"There are a class of chemicals that naturally con­trol development in amphibians" and tbat function as messengers to di­rect parts of an or­ganism to grow in certain ways, he said. But there are other non-natural chemicals that can interfere with those messengers or mimic them, he said, resulting in abnonnalities.

D a v i d Hoppe, herpetologist and biology professor

National Locations of Deformed Amphibians

Tietge said sci­entists in Duluth and elsewhere are developing new methods to study

at the University of Minnesota-Morris, has several defonned frogs in hibernation that will be used in breeding trails this spring. He also has collected frog eggs to raise in different water samples to detennine wbether the defonnities "are afunction of the eggsorofthe water" in whicb they grow.

Val Beasley, amphibian specialist and toxicology professor at the University of Illinois, said frog abnonnalities are only the latest "ominous signal" that agricultural practices and rural development are "running mnok" and disrupting the balance of nature.

"We push everything to its limits and then try to figure out why it's crashing around us," he said.

Beasly said the cause of defonnities could be a combination of factors, including herbicides and fertilizers that decrease natural cover for tadpoles, increase food for pond snails and produce huge numbers of parasites that can burrow into tadpoles.

Stan Sessions, a biology professor at Hartwick Col-

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tbese changes. Several EPA re­gional offices also

have proposed projects to study amphibians in different parts of the country, he said.

Tietge said he's "squarely on the fence" about whether chemicals are the leading cause of the defonnities. "There are a lot of possibilities and not enough data."

Helgen, tbe MPCA biologis~ bas proposed using nonnal frogs in a study in 1998 to examine their blood serum, gonads and larynxes to detennine if male frogs and fish are showing signs of unusual sexual development. Male carp taken from below the St. Paul metropolitan sewage-treatment plant showed signs of female honnones in a study published last year, andresearchers want to expand that research by using frogs and more fish from other locations.

Editor's Note: Tbe preceding article, written by Tom Meersman with contributions by Roberta Hovde, bas been reprinted from the Feb. 16, 1997 edition of the Mpls Start Tribune.

MHS Newsletter Volllme 17 NlImber 3

The President's Corner My Fellow Members,

As the new president of our society, I just wanted start off the new board term by addressing a couple items of note. Firstof aliI' d like to take a momentto thank the outgoing board for their unselfish volunteer service to the society. They have performed admirably and without them the MHS would be much poorer in many respects. Having spent time with all of them at board meetings and society functions, I'd just like to say, I will miss all of you, (but not to much they'll be volunteering formore, I'm sure) and enjoyedworking with you all.

For all the folks crazy enough to run (or rerun) and get elected, Thanks for taking on the challenge. I know all of you thought long hard about running and allocating your time & priorities in order to volunteer, and Iappreciate your dedica­tion. Now everyone, hold on to your seats. It's gonna bea wild ride (any chance of a recount?). With the MidwestSymposium coming this year, in addition to all our other activities (which seem to get bigger every year) this will be a real challenge. Thankfully we already have some of the groundwork done, and with increased volunteers we can make it all happen. If you're beginning to notice a theme here, then you're on the right track. The only way the society can fulfill our objectives is through volunteers.

April's meeting will see the awarding of volunteer mugs (not to open that can ofGa' ak) and I' d just like to say that next year after all the mugs are passed out and the volunteer's are standing up front, I'd like to see no one left in the audience. That's about all from me, remember -Have fun, volunteer!! George W. Richard

Thanksss! ThankstoalltheBoardmem-

bers and other volunteers who helped make this year's White Snake Sale a success. This year's sale had less merchandise than last year due to lack of corporate sponsorship, but allowed the pace of the event to be more like any other normal year. MHS sold 290 items, including some left-overs from last year, plus some new merchandise such as a hand carved wooden cane. The sales total from this event was $1,033. Thanks to: Gloria Anton, Randy Blasus, Donna & Michael Gaunt, Nancy Haig, Michele Hewit~ DelvinJones, Bill Moss, Barb Radanke, Sarah Richard, Mark Schmidtke, and Mark Weber.

Marilyn Brooks Blasus.

March "Critter of the Month"

Tony Gamble

Glen "Jake" Jacobsen

Mark Schmidtke

Michael Gaunt

Leopard Geckos Ellblepharis macularills Chuckwalla Sallroma/us obeslls Gold Dust Day Gecko Phelsllma laticauda Green Tree Python Morelia viridis

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Protection of the Timber rattlesnake in Wisconsin Folks:

I'd like to clarify what's needed for public comment on the Wisconsin Timber Rattlesnake listing, as some com­ments being received are not usable without a position state­ment, name and address. Also, some have asked me to give all info here, so they don't have to go to the Web site. Bare bones info on commenting by E-mail follows:

PROTECTION OPTIONS: A) to list the Timber Rattlesnake as a Protected Wild Animal, or B) to list it as a Threatened Species.

Both options will eliminate hunting, which will af­ford some level of protection. Listing as a Threatened Species will add providing some protection of essential habitat (espe­cially den sites), and will allow the expenditure of monies for protection and recovery.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: Please express your support for listing the Timber Rattlesnake as either a Protected Wild Animal or as a Threatened Species by E-mailing Robert Hay at HA YR@dnr.state.wi.us.

PLEASE NOTE: Your message MUST contain your name and mailing address, and you MUST say what you are support­ing (i.e. "I support the Threatened Species listing" or "I support the Protected Wild Animal listing"). Please MAKE SURE a name and mailing address appears in the message body. Please do not ask for a reply from Robert Hay unless absolutely necessary (he is swamped with work preparing for the hearings).

Deadline for receipt of public comment is March 31, 1997.

More info is at: http://www.mpm.edulcollect/vertzo/herp/tim­ber/factsheI.htrnl

Gary S. Casper http://www.mpm.edu/collect/garyc.htrnl Coordinator, Wisconsin Herpetological Atlas Project http://www.mpm.edu/collect/vertzo/herp/atlas/welcome.htrnl Chair, Great Lakes Declining Amphibians Working Group http://www.mpm.edulcollect/vertzo/herp/daptf.htrnl

Please direct correspondance for Gary S. Casper to: Vertebrate Zoology Section, Milwaukee Public Museum 800 W. Wells St., Milwaukee, WI 53233 voice (414)278-2766 fax (414)278-6100 E-mail gsc@csd.uwm.edu

MHS Newsletter Volume 17 Number 3

Tom/essen's "Herp Hijinks" A SJ..O¥i $UMt\t'" n~Y 100. A ~T!"t.Ll 1U1t\'Lt. ...

.. . ~I'Yl~Tow e. COUWT~ ... ~'t~

5

... ""~ ~!~y ~~l oHWS"cC'~S 'RAm;t;. l,,...,T ... ~Iu.. ~/.... ,\Ib.... .-.-.. - _ r=;::-:::-:U:::::l ~­-­~-

MHS Newsletter Volume 17 Number 3

A Letter from the Smithsonian Institute: Paleoanthropology Division Smithsonian Institute 207 Pennsylvania Avenue Washington, DC 20078

Dear Sir:

Thank you for your latest submission to the Institute, labeled "211-D, layer seven, next to the clothesline post. Hominid skull." We have given this specimen a careful and detailed examination, andregretto infonn you that we disagree with your theory that it represents "conclusive proof of the presence of Early Man in Charleston County two million years ago." Rather, it appears that what you have found is the head of a Barbie doll, of the variety one of our staff, who has small children, believes to be the "Malibu Barbie".

It is evident that you have given agreat deal of thought to the analysis of this specimen, and you may be quite certain that those of us who are familiar with your prior work in the field were loathe to come to contradiction with your findings. However, we do feel that there are a number of physical attributes of the specimen which might have tipped you off to it's modern origin:

1. The materialis molded plastic. Ancient hominid remains are typically fossilized bone. 2. The cranial capacity of the specimen is approximately 9 cubic centimeters, well below the threshold of even the earliest identified proto-hominids. 3. The dentition pattern evident on the "skull" is more consis­tent with the common domesticated canine (dog) than itis with the "ravenous man-eating Pliocene clams" you speculate roamed the wetlands during that time.

This latter finding is certainly one of the most intriguing hypotheses you have submitted in your history with this institution, but the evidence seems to weigh rather heavily against it. Without going into too much detail, let us say that:

A. The specimen looks like the head of a Barbie doll that a dog has chewed on. B. Clams don't have teeth.

It is with feelings tinged with melancholy that we must deny your request to have the specimen carbon dated. This is partially due to the heavy load our lab must bear in its normal operation, and partly due to carbon dating's notorious inaccuracy in fossils of recent geologic record. To the best of our knowledge, no Barbie dolls were produced prior to 1956 AD, and carbon dating is likely to produce wildly inaccurate results.

Sadly, we must also deny your request that we approach the National Science Foundation's Phylogeny Department with

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the concept of assigning your specimen the scientific name "Australopithecus spiff-arino." Speaking personally, I, for one, fought tenaciously for the acceptance of your proposed taxonomy, but was ultimately voted down because the species name you selected was hyphenated, and didn't really sound like it might be Latin.

However, we gladly accept your generous donation of this fascinating specimen to the musemn. While it is un­doubtedly not a hominid fossil it is, nonetheless, yet another riveting example of the great body of work you seem to accumulate here so effortlessly. You should know that our Director has reserved a special shelf in his own office for the display of the specimens you have previously submitted to the Institution, and the entire staff speculates daily on what you will happen upon next in your digs at the site you have discovered in your back yard. We eagerly anticipate your trip to our nation's capital that you proposed in your last letter, and several of us are pressing the Director to pay for it. We are particularly interested in hearing you expand on your theories surrounding the "trans-positating fillifitation of ferrous ions in a structural matrix" that makes the excellent juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex femur you recently discovered take on the deceptive appearance of a rusty 9-mm Sears Craftsman automotive crescent wrench.

Yours in Science,

Harvey Rowe Curator, Antiquities

Dana Barnes Research Analyst v: (617)374-9300 x.242 f: (617)374-9346 MediaMap http://www.mediamap.com

Um ... please, any of you who found this amusing, leave your back yards intact and DO NOT overwhelm the nation's parcel delivery services in hopes of striking up a similar correspon­dence with the Smithsonian, or other similar scientific institu­tions. If you fmd the ideairresistable, the archeological content of your back yard should more appropriately be boxed and sent to Congress, the heads of major corporations, or others who will have the leisure time to appreciate them.

Glen M. Jacobsen Iodopendent tlIniJutor

11651 Zion Sl NY/.' Coot Rapids, MIl 55433 Phooeifax: (612) 757·82118' ~'"' (612) 961·3603

E-Mai: H<iIpIaw@N:>l.com

MHS Newsletter Volume 17 Number 3

General Meeting Rhacodactylus Geckos Dr. Tim Tytle

II

eVteW

Lastmontb's speaker was Dr. Tim Tytle, a breeder of exotic geckos for the last ten years. Dr. Tytle's program focused specifically on the geckos of the genusRhacodactylus including his study oftheirnatural history on a tiny island in the Pacific Ocean. This little island is known as New Caledonia and it is located approximately balfway between Australia and Fiji. A mountain range runs down the middle of this 250 mile long island, and this mountain range effectively divides the island into several different types of habitats. On the eastern side of New Caledonia's central mountain range the babitat consists mainly of dry tropical forest and plains, wbile the babitat on the western side is mostly semi-tropical, rocky and rainy. This diversity of babitats allows for a large variety of animals to live in a small area. Especially geckos.

Other than the 60,000 people tbat live in New Caledonia's capitol city, the island bas very few people living on it. Relatively few tourists visit it as well. This also allows the island to have a relatively large amount of animals on it. Tbeone factor that does contribute significantly to population declines of the island's native wildlife, however, is the promi­nent timberindustry. Almost the entire island could be used for logging, but France (New Caledonia is a French protectorate) bas tried to keep certain areas off limits to the destructive nature of deforestation. Fortunately, whole forests do not get torn down in a day.

Dr. Tytle concentrated most of his study time to six different gecko species, all of them in tbe genusRhacodactylus. Tbe largest and most long lived of tbese six geckos is the New Caledonia Giant Gecko,Rhacodactylus leachianus, which can measure almost 2 feet in length from nose to tail tip. The body of this lizard is also quite beavy for its size, and this animal is quite impressive.

The second largest gecko Tim studied was R. trachyrhynchus. Tbis gecko is not as thick bodied as the previous animal, but it is equally unique as it is the only one of the six that bears its young alive instead of laying eggs. Botb of these two species are hardy, yet expensive captives, and both reproduce in captivity fairly easily.

Rhacodactylus chahouaon the other hand has proven to be a very difficult lizard to breed in captivity. This species exbibits a wide variety of colors and color combinations, including green, white, gray, and brown, which are most spectacular in the breeding season, but the animals just do not seem to want to reproduce in captivity. TyUe has been working with Rhacodactylus geckos for over 10 years and he has finally bad some limited success captive breeding this species.

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By Michelle Stephan, Recording Secretary

A mucb easier species to breed is the New Caledonia Bumpy Gecko, Rhacodactylus auriculatlls. These are fairly small but heavy bodied animals. Tbey also have some interest­ing stripped, mottled, and even spectacular orange color mor­pbs. Captive specimens of this smallRhacodactylllshave been reported to live to be over seven years old.

The rarest species Dr. TyUestudied wasRhacodactylus sarasinorllln, commonly known as Roux's Giant Gecko. This species reaches about nine inches in lengtb, but does not get as beavy bodied as some of the other animals.

Probably the most well known and publicized of New Caledonia's geckos is Rhacodactylus ciliatus. Wben this spe­cies was first offered in the pet trade the going price was $24,000 for one pair. Considering that once a pair of these animals start breeding in captivity they can produce two eggs every 3 to 5 weeks, the price bas come down considerably.

TyUe bas kept all of these species at one time or another. Their caging cage furniture requirements are simple and consist of a water dish, log, Astro-turf, vitamin mixture, and a pair of geckos. He has seen more elaborate cages, particularly in Europe, but these geckos do not require it. The more cage decorations, the more difficult the cage is to clean.

Tbe diet of these creatures is also not very compli­cated. They enjoy fruits, flowers, small lizards, and many insects. If their captive diet is wrong thougb, they can suffer from calcium deficiencies as well as rickets.

Most of these geckos are relatively easy to care for and breed in captivity. In order to determine the sex in tbese animals, you need to look for fairly large post-cloacal hemi­penile bulges and large femoral pores in the males. Adult animals with small'or non-existent hemi-penile bulges and femoral pores are probably females. Tbis method of sex detennination is not infallible, however, and is in-effective with smaller, immature specimens.

Overall, Rhacodactyills geckos are bardy animals tbat can be bred in captivity with a little effort. Unfortunately, these animals can be difficult to obtain because they are not exported often from New Caledonia, and wben they are they are usually very expensive. Even wben captive bred tbey can be pricey, but some species are now becoming affordable for many bobbyists. So, if you getluckyenough to find reasonably priced specimens, you will undoubtedly have some really great animals.

Thank you Tim! It was a wonderful talk, with lots of good infonnation about some relatively rare, but COOL rep­tiles.

MHS Newsletter Volume 17 Number 3

ECOVIEWS By Whit Gibbons "FROGS CAN BE INSTRUCTIVE"

Frogs can be instructive. For example, the apparent disappearance offrogs in parts of Australia, Central America, and tbe North American West have alerted scientists of a possible worldwide decline in amphibians. Likewise, Kennit the Frog, Toad of Toad Hollow (from the book Wind in tbe Willows), and the toad that turned into a prince have each taught us lessons about life.

Frogs bave also provided support that our society is getting too bureaucratic, not that further support is needed. Here's how.

Ray Semlitsch, an ecologist at the University of Missouri, needed some ornate chorus frogs, a member of the treefrog family, for some experiments. Ray flew to South Carolina for three days to collect a sample of the frogs.

Few people see or even hear the tiny chorus frogs of the eastern United States, because they come out mainly on rainy nights during winter. The males make melodic peeping sounds or trills (one sounds like a thumb moving over a comb), but seldom callin the warmer months of spring or summer like most other U.S. frogs do. The most beautiful of the group are the ornate chorus frogs. They can be silvery, coppery, or brilliant green. A black eye-stripe makes ornate chorus frogs look like they are wearing a mask.

We were having a dry spell when Ray arrived, and we were able to catcb only six ornate chorus frogs. We put them in a small plastic bag with air boles, and I took Ray to the airport for his return flight. These were valuable frogs at this point, because they had required time and money to obtain and were important for Ray's experiment. Consequently, Ray did not want to risk checking them with his luggage only to find out when be got home that his frogs were in Seattle or Hong Kong. So he put the bag of little frogs in his briefcase.

We now know--instructive frog message--that what he should have done was put the bag in his raincoat pocket and stroll nonchalantly through the metal detector. Six tiny, color­ful frogs migbt not seem like much of a security threat, but airport officials are suspicious of anything out of the ordinary.

The security officer looking through the X-ray ma­chine at Ray's briefcase was fascinated. I knew we were in trouble when he asked Ray, "What kind of toys do you bave in there?"

When Ray announced that the "toys" were live frogs, the official immediately established an airport policy: no one is allowed on an airplane carrying live frogs, no matter how ornate. I muttered to Ray that the frogs were wearing masks, thus creating a sense of apprebension.

Indeed, the attendant seemed uneasy, but not for the rigbtreason. A legitimate fear might bave been that these were

8

poison dart frogs from South America, whose skin secretions can actually be lethal if they enter a cut. But this official had never heard of poison dart frogs and was merely concerned that otber passengers might not like to have "bugs" on the plane with them.

We explained that the frogs in the briefcase were harmless (you could see the official thinking, oh, rigbt) and important for an ecological research project (this was certainly a big selling point). But you can't argue long with only twelve minutes until take-off and a uniformed man saying you can't take your frogs with you. Unless Ray wanted to return empty-handed, he had no choice but to follow instructions.

He must, we were told, transport the frogs in a live-animal carrier. Weran back to the ticket counter and asked if be could rent one. How silly. You must "buy" live-animal carriers. Okay, give us the smallest one you have. The good news-they had one carrier, and only one, left. The other news-it was for dogs that weigh less tban 120 pounds, but more than 80!

With four minutes left, wbile Ray ran back to the plane, I carefully placed the six ornate cborus frogs, two of wbichhad begun to peep loudly, in the center of the cage (there was plenty of room). He called that nigbt to say tbe frogs had arrived home safely, as did he. On a second trip we got the remainder of the frog sample. He used a different strategy, called a raincoat with big pockets, to get this next batcb on the plane.

Ray also made the best of having purcbased a very large live-animal carrier. He called recently to say be had bought a German shepherd puppy, wbicb he was prepared to take on trips.

Editor's Note: Dr. J. Wbitfield Gibbons is professor of ecology at the University of Georgia and is the division head at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory in Aiken, South Carolina. In addition to bis numerous articles in scientific journals, Whit is probably best known for his many books including; Their Blood Runs Cold: Adventures with Rep­tiles and Amphibians and The Life History and Ecology of the Slider Turtle among others. Dr. Gibbons also writes a weekly ecology column for various newspapers (including the New York Times) and be.bas kindly provided the preceding article for publication in the MHS Newsletter. Otber short stories on ecology by Whit Gibbons may be found in another ofbis books, Keeping all the Pieces, a title which is amustread for everyone interested in natural history. JPL

MHS Newsletter Volume 17 Number 3

Book Review: Coral Snakes of the Americas,," Biology, Identification, and Ve no ms .. By Janis A. Roze. Krieger Publishing Co.,

1996, 328 pp. Hardcover, $95. Reviewed by John P. Levell

Few reptiles are as awe inspiring and mysterious as the Coral Snakes of North, Central, and South America. Stunningly beautiful on the one hand, these animals never­the-less all possess highly toxic venoms and several species easily rank among the most dangerous of New World snakes. At the same time these elapids are notoriously secretive and difficult to find, and Coral Snakes remain one of the more poorly known and most misunderstood herpetofaunal com­ponents of the entire western hemisphere. This is particularly evident when reviewing existing literature on these animals as, with the exception of descriptions and maybe brief com­ments in regional field guides, information on Coral Snakes has been largely available only in more obscure (and often quite rare) museum publications or as individual papers in various herpetological and other scientific journals. Even when accessible, much of this published material consists of little more than the original description of the Coral Snake involved and virtually nothing has been written on other aspects of the life history of the vast majority of species.

With these facts in mind there can be little doubt as to why Janis Roze' s long awaited monograph,Coral Snakes of the Americas: BIology, IdentIficatIon, and Venoll1fl has heen one of the most eagerly anticipated herpetological book releases in recent memory. That Roze is probably the world's foremost Coral Snake authority, having spent well over a quarter of a century studying these animals, and that the long wait has been (for the most part anyway) well worth It, IS readily apparent just upon reading the book's Preface and Introduction. Providing brief, but tantalizing background information on Coral Snakes, as well as some historical commentary on the author and on his life-long interest in these colorful yet potentially deadly reptiles, both serve as an interesting preview of the book's subject matter.

The remainder of the book's first 120 or so pages are devoted to 13 individual chapters covering a variety of topics including the anatomy, ecology, evolution, and venoms of Coral Snakes in general. Almost exhaustively referenced, all of these chapters provide a concise but informative overview of what is currently known about each subject covered. Particularly enlightening is Roze' s discussion of Coral Snake mimics and mimicry, a topic always subject to considerable debate among herpetologists. In addition to being a more than adequate review of the varying viewpoints on the mimicry question, this chapter clearly demonstrates the potentially disastrous consequences of relying upon the popular verse "red to yellow kill a fellow" as a means of distinguishing Coral Snakes from their harmless and mildly venomous look­a-likes. Also of major interest is the examination of the

9

venoms of these animals which includes a review of several Coral Snakebite Accident case histories. On the whole all of the material of this first section is extremely well written, although occasional problems with syntax and a few typographical errors are present. Fortunately, however, such instances are rare and most likely represent editorial glitches rather than any deficien­cies on the part of the author.

By far the most impressive component ofRoze' s most recent contribution is the dichotomous identification keys and individual species accounts that constitute the second major portion of his monograph. Remarkably standard throughout, these species accounts include a definition and description for each snake in the genera Micruroides, Micrurus, and Leptomicrurus, as well as information on the distribution, size and (where known) food preferences of the Coral Snake cov­ered. A brief nomenclatural history and a list of additional references are also provided, two features more serious Coral Snake students will undoubtedly find useful. When necessary, a subspecies identification key follows the overall species ac­count and these are then followed by individual "standard format" accounts for each geographic race. The inclusion of an Etymology explaining and breaking down each form's Latin name into its component parts is likewise a thoughtful addition, particularly for those (like this reviewer) with an interest in the origin and meaning of words.

Filling out the book's final pages are 38 distribution maps, 64 color photos, and a selection of 49 color drawings illustrating various Coral Snake pattern variations. While the color pattern depictions are excellent and the photographs for the most part suffiden!, the distribution maps are, unfortu­nately, easily the book's most glaring deficiency. The overall design and relatively small size of these maps makes them exceedingly difficult to decipher, especially while attempting to delineate the ranges of multiple species or subspecies. Despite some minor flaws, author Roze has indeed succeeded in compil­ing the first comprehensive review of these animals ever pro­duced, an endeavor for which he deserves the highest commen­dation. His work, in combination with the book's extensive 21 page bibliography, makes Coral Snakes of the Americas an exceptional research and reference resource and this volume is a must have title for everyone interested in venomous reptiles. Coral Snakes of the Amerlcaswould he a worthwhile addition to the herpetological book shelves of many other individuals as well, even at the relatively expensive price of $95.00.

Editor's Note: The preceding review has heen reprinted from the Marl Apr 1997 issue of Reptile & Amphibian magazine.

MHS Newsletter Volume 17 Number 3

Calendar of Events

Mar. 21-23, 1997 2nd Annual MidwestExotic Pet Seminars. Hyatt Regency Woodfield. Schaumberg, IL. For more info Contact: MEPS clo J.B. Broederle, DVM. Burnham Park Animal Hospital, Chicago, IL. 60605, (312) 663-9200.

Apr. 4, 1997 MHS General Meeting. Speaker: TO BE ANNOUNCED. Borlaug Hall, U of M St. Paul Campus. 7 pm.

May 3,1997 MHS Adopt-a-Hlgbway Cleanup. Interstate 35E at Hugo, MN. Start Time: 9:00AM. For more Info contact: Karin and James Rea (612)457-8107.

June2S-July 2, 1997 77th Annual Meeting of the American Society ofIcthhyologists and Herpetologists. University of Washington, Seattle, W A. For more info Contact: Robert E. Espinosa, Dept. ofBiol.l314, University of Neveda, Reno, NY 89557-0015, (702) 784-4565, Fax (702) 784-1369, E-mail espin _r@unr.edu.

Aug. 2-10,1997 3rd World Congress on Herpetology. Prague, Zbynek Rocek, Dept. of Paleontology, Acad. of Sciences, Rozvojova 135, 16500 Prague 6 -Suchdol, Czech Republic. Phone 422-2431 1421, Fax 422-24311578, E-mail rocek@gli.cascz.

Oct. 17-19, 1997 13th ANNUAL MIDWEST HERPEOLOGICAL SYMPOSIUM. Canterbury Inn, Shakopee, MN. For more info contact Bill Moss at (612) 488-1383.

Zoo Book Sales John P. Levell

403 Parkway Avenue N. P.O. Box 405 Lanesboro, MN 55949-0405

Phone: (507) 467-8733 Fax: (507) 467-8735 E-Mail: zoobooks@ptel.net Natural History Books from Around the World

""~"'i:l BlOOmington Veterinary 'Vli~ Hospital, P.A.

8830 Lyndal~ Avenue South. Bloomington, MN 55420

TEL: 884-3228 • FAX: 884-7357 I.A. Sweeney DVM W.H. Sweeney DVM

Hospital Hours M-T-W-T 8:00 AM TO 9:00 PM FRIDAY 8:00 AM TO 6:00 PM SATURDAY 8,00 AM TO 1:00 PM

Please A.lk 1-(11' DI'. Wehel'

10

For Sale or Petting Zoos Parties or Promotions

ANIMALS OF WALTON'S HOLLOW Exotic & Farm Animals

Bill & Jean Walton 5425 Peterson Road

White Bear Lake, MN 55127-6713

(612)426-8163

SECORD'S EXOTIC ANIMAL HOUSE BILLY SECORD - (612)920-1987

LARGEST PRODUCER OR SMALL EXOTIC MAMMALS IN MINNESOTA!

HEDGEHOGS, DUPRASIS, ZEBRA MICE, PYGMY MICE, GIANT AFRICAN POUCHED RATS, JlRDS, MOUSE LEMURS, BRUSH-TAILED KANGAROOS, AND MUCH, MUCH MORE! - U.S.D.A LICENSED

MRS Newsletter Volume 17 Number 3

M.H.S.Business March Board Meeting Highlights By Bruce Haig, Recording Secretan}

The double meeting of the MHS Board of Directors (both new and outgoing boardmembers)meton March 8, 1997 at the U of M Student Union. A quorum was present. The Board took the following actions:

The budget for the volunteer appreciation mugs was increased from $75.00 to $170.00 to cover costs. It seems that more members than ever are contributing their time and efforts to the club.

The registration fee for the 13th Annual Midwest Herpetological Symposium will be $55.00 with discounted fees for early registration of $48.00 and for registration by MHS members atmeetingsduring the early registration period of $45.00. The deadline for early registration has not yet been determined.

The Midwest Herpetological Symposium committee will meet every month at the newsletter folding.

The regular meetings for October, 1997 and Novem­ber, 1997 will be held as usual in addition to the Midwest Symposium.

Mark Schmidtke's employer donated two used com­puters to theMHS. Nancy Haig brought one of them home to use in the production of the newsletter.

Nancy Haig distributed orientation books to the new board members including descriptions of board functions, the 1997 MHS budge~ MHS bylaws and previous acts of the board.

Gloria Anton volunteered to co-chair the Renais­sance Festival Committee with fellow co·chairs to be named later. The committee will prepare a presentation to the board of plans for 1997.

The fourth MHS Occasional Paper, "Amphibian & Reptile Time Table for Minnesota" by Randy Blasus, has been printed and will be distributed to all members of record as of April 1, 1997 at no charge. Additional copies can be purchased for $2.50 each plus $.50 postage with a reduced price for purchases of 10 or more.

Presented and accepted: Treasurer's Repor~ Membership Repor~ and Secretary's Report .

• Reptiles' AmpNblans • Invertebrates t Smail Mammals· Rsh· Birds .. Complete Una of Cages, Food, Books & Supplies tor ALL Animals

&

2363 University Ave. W., SI. Paul, MN 55114 (612)647·4479

11

February 1997 Treasurer's Report Prepared by Marilyn Brooks B/asus

Beginning Checkbook Balance:

Income: Membership 330.00 Raffle Sales 94.00 Donation 56.63 Fines Other 997.00

Total Income:

Expense: Newsletter 251.34 Misc. PrintinglPostage 623.85 Program Library Books Supplies Refreshments Other 500.00

Total Expense:

Net IncomelLoss: Ending Checkbook Balance: Funds Allocated to Unpaid Expenses: Funds Available:

Conservation Fund Balance:

English Spot

dim's Rabbit Shack Where Spots Are Tops

5,508.17

1,477.63

1,375.19

102.44 5,610.61

0.00 5,610.61

183.59

Dutch

~.,~. .~.', ~:';, ' .. " Polish

JIM DALUGE 8700 Jaber Ave. N.E. Monticello, MN 55362

(612) 295·2616

Jacobsen Law Office

Glen M Jacobsen Attorney at Law

11651 Zion SI. NW Coon Rapids, MN 55433-2968 PhoneIFax: 612-757-8268 E-Mail: Herplaw@AOL.com

MHS Newsletter Volume 17 Number 3

Classified Advertisments 1.0.0 = male, 0.1.0 = female, 0.0.1 = unsexed, c.b. = captive bred, o.b.o. = or best offer

For Sale: 0.0.1 African Spur-thighed Tortoise,Geocheione sulcata dirgii, c.b.6/94. 10 lbs, 15" carapace. Favorite mathmatical expres­sion E=mc2. has been trained to recite Shakespeare outside during warm summer months. $350. Call Todd Daniels (507) 365-8081.

Giant Day Geckos, Phelsuma madagascarensis grandisc.b. 51 22/96, $40. Call Craig at (612) 934-7239

Captive bred adult maleNamib Desert Geckos, Chondrodactylus angulifer, $80.00. CalIMatt(612) 781-5871

0.1.0 Blue TonguedSkink, Tiliquiagigas, $150.00, preferably to a breeder. 1.1 c.b. Peacock Day Geckos $80.00, also preferably to a breeder who has time. Please call Jayde, with any questions (612) 731-9350.

0.1 yearling Northern Blue-tongued Skink, 1.1 adult Argentine Snakeneck Turtles or trade for snakes. Also 36" and 24" used Neodesha cages. Call Mark (3200 202-9871.

2.1 Adult Leopard Tortoises $650. Also 1.1 Adult Redfoot Tortoises $250. All healthy, long term captives. Call Mark (612) 822-7996.

0.1 Varanus albigularis (White-throated Monitor, Approx. 3 fl. $150 o.b.o. Will consider trade for python or boa. Also cage 18"x 18"x5fl. $100. ContactEmilyorTyler(612)466-2439

0.1.0, c.b. Adult Green Iguana, approx. 3112 fl. Including many extras: large kennel, heat rock and heat lights, $150 o.b.o. Contact Lisa (612) 545-8669 or (512) 342-5553.

1.0 Dumeril's Boa, Acrantophis dumerili, c.b. 1994 .. $550 o.b.o. Also FREE TO A GOOD HOME 1.0 Nile Monitor, approx. 2 ft isnout-vent length. Call Keith or Julie (612) 321-0958.

Rabbits - Fryer size, current listed market price. Discounts for orders of 6 or more. Rat size $1.50 ea. or 6 for $7.50. Adults $2 ea when available. All sizes currently available. Call Jim Daluge (612) 295-2818.

Wanted: ALL THE SHED SNAKE SKINS IN THE WORLD, Always, to use at hands-on programs to give to kids. Bob Duerr (612) 541-0362.

12

Herp related news clippings, original articles, artwork, car­toons, etc. for publication in theMHS Newsletter. Authors and artists will receive compensation in the form of volunteer hrs, good towards one "priceless" MHS coffeemug. Send submis­sions to: MN Herp. Soc.l Editor, clo Bell Museum of Natural History, 10 Church SI. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455-0104.

Miscellaneous: BREEDING INVENTORY SURVEY: Everyone keeping live reptiles and amphibians is asked to contribute to this annual report. Please submit the following info current Jan. 1st of each year: (1) Inventory of collection,list numbers and sex, (2) list of all species bred during the previous year, (3) any longevity records, (4) please print clearly; your name, address and telephone number as you want them listed, (5) please do respond. Send info to: FrankSlavens, P.O. Box 30744, Seattle, W A 98103. Fax: (206) 546-2912.

SEA TURTLE SURVIVAL LEAGUE, announces its' line of eco-promoting sea turile merchandise, for a free catalog write: Sea Turile Survival League, P.O. Box 2866, Gainesville, FL 32602-2866 or call (800) 678-7853.

MHS Rodent Sales Mice

Pinkies $6.00 dozen Fuzzies $6.00 dozen Hoppers $7.50 dozen Adults $9.00 dozen

Rats

Small Pups $10.00 dozen Large Pups $15.00 dozen Adults $12.00 six

$24.00 dozen

For pickup at monthly meetings only. Orders must be placed atleast one week in advance of date of meeting at which frozen rodents are to be delivered. Place orders with Tina Cisewski at (612) 856-2865.

MHS Merchandise: In addition to rodents, the MHS offers an assortment of herp related sales items including; books, magazines, posters, t-shirts, notecards, buttons, stick­ers, decals, and patches. Look for the merchandise sales area at the far right side of the meeting room. Transactions can be handled before the meeting, during the break, or after the meeting as time permits.

All proceeds from MUS rodent and merchandise sales go toward the operating costs of the society such as: speaker fees, library purchases, charitable donations, etc. The MUS Is a completely volunteer run, non-profit organiza­tion.

Advertising Rates and Instructions

Classified Ads: Are run free of charge to paid members. Non~melllber

rates are ten cents per word, permonth. Ads may run three (3) consecutive months, after which time they may be Ie-submitted. Business Cards: Institutional members may run one standard sized business card free of charge. Non-member rate for standard sized business cards is $5.00 per month. Display and Expanded Size Ad Rates: Ad Size Month 3+ Months 1/4 Page $10.00 $7.50 1/2 Page $20.00 $15.00 Page $40.00 $25.00 (All prices are per month)

6+ Months $5.00 $10.00 $15.00

Submissions: All advertisements shouldbe submitted to the;MHS Editor, Bell Museum of Natural History, 10 Church SL SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455. MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO: Minnesota Herpetological Society. MHS Ad Policy: The MHS assumes NO RESPONSIBILITY regarding the legality or health of any animal, or the quality or legality of any product or service advertised in the MRS Newsletter. Any admay be rejected at the discretion of the Newsletter Editor. Due to space limitations Unpaid and Complimentary advertisements are subject to occasional omission.

Location of MRS Monthly Meetings

Amphibian & Reptile Information

Specific questions concerning amphibians and reptiles are best answered by contacting the following individuals at the numbers provided. Please remember to be reasonable about the time of day and how frequently you call.

Amphibians & Reptiles In Minnesota Greg Kvanbeck (612) 533-7723 John Moriarty (612) 482-8109

Large Boas & Pythons Karl Hermann (612) 730-6265 Glen Jacobsen (612) 757-8268 Terrestrial Turtles John Moriarty (612) 482-8109 Glen Jacobsen (612) 757·8268 Amphibians Greg Kvanbeck (612)533·7723 John Meltzer (612) 263-7880 CrocodlUans Jeff Lang (701) 772-0227

1694

"rn",nl~"r Av.

Other Snakes John Meltzer (612) 263-7880 Jeff LeClere (612) 488-6388 Aquatic Turtles Gary Ash (612) 753·0218 John Levell (612) 374-5422

Lizards Nancy Haig (612) 434-868 Bill Moss (612) 488-1383

36

194

It: of M St p~tlil

MINNESOTA

HERPETOLOGICAL

SOCIETY BELL MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

10 CHURCH STREET S. E. MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55455-0104

AIJORESS CORREC11ON REOUESTED

., ~.,

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POSTMASTER: DATED MATERIAL

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Non-Profit Rate U. S. Postage

PAID Mpls.MN

Penni! No. 2275