Vol. 24 (2004), No. 3

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THE NEWSLETTER OF THE

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

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

Board of DirectorsPresidentRandy Blasus 952.925.4237

[email protected]

Vice PresidentTony Gamble 763.424.2803

[email protected]

Recording SecretaryBarb Buzicky 612-916-7575

[email protected]

Membership SecretaryNancy Haig 612.434.8684

[email protected] Bosman 763.476.0306

[email protected]

Newsletter EditorBill Moss 651.488.1383

[email protected]

Members at LargeHeather Clayton 612.788.4664

[email protected]

Nancy Hakomaki [email protected]

Mike Bush [email protected]

Jodi L. Aherns [email protected]

CommitteesAdoptionSarah Richard 612.781.9544

[email protected]

EducationJan Larson 507.263.4391

[email protected]

LibraryBeth Girard 763.691.1650

[email protected]

WebmasterAnke Reinders

[email protected]

Herp AssistanceAmphibiansGreg Kvanbek 651.388.0305John Meltzer 763.263.7880 John Moriarty 651.482.8109

ChameleonsVern & Laurie Grassel 763-428-4625

Crocodilians Jeff Lang 651 646 0203Bill Moss 651.488.1383

LizardsNancy Haig 763.434.8684

Large Boas, PythonsTina Cisewski 612.856.2865

Other SnakesJeff Leclere 651.488.6388John Meltzer 763.263.7880

Aquatic TurtlesJohn Levell 507.467.3076

Terrestrial TurtlesFred Bosman 763.476.0306John Levell 507.467.3076

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.

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:

-or-The Minnesota Herpetological Society Bill MossAttn: Newsletter Editor 75 Geranium Ave EastBell museum of Natural History Saint Paul, MN 5511710 Church St. SE. -or-Minneapolis, MN 55455.0104 [email protected]

Copyright 2004, 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.

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The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society March 2004 Volume 24 Number 3

The Vice-presidentsreportBy Tony Gamble

March General MeetingFriday, March 5, 2004White Snake Sale andPhoto Contest

The Great White Snake Sale has,for the last eighteen years, been agreat fund-raiser for MHS. The pro-ceeds keep the organization run-ning smoothly and help fund itemsin the budget like guest speakerexpenses and research grants. It’salso a great place to pick up cages,books, and herp related knick-knacks (among other things…).Please bid high!

The March meeting also has theMHS photo contest. The quality ofphotos entered by MHS membersis outstanding. Come, view all ofthe entries, and vote for yourfavorite.

Because the White Snake Sale is arather unstructured event it’s easyto lose track of kids (and adults)who may want to wander the halls.Please remember that it’s impor-tant that we stay in our designatedrooms and connecting hallways.

Upcoming Meetings:April 2nd, 2004 – Walter Sadinski,Amphibian Research MonitoringInitiative, USGS

"Face to face with an Amazon River turtle”(Podocnemis expansa)"

phot

o by

Ton

y G

ambl

e

EDITORIAL BY BILL MOSS

While not intending to go on a rant here, as a long time member of theMHS, I feel I must make some observations about a trend that I havenoticed over the last couple of years. In this editors opinion, the level of membership contribution to the MHShas steadily declined, and I’m very concerned about it. While it’s truethat we are usually able to get the jobs at hand done, it’s generally thesame people taking on the bulk of the work. When people put too manyhours and effort into something, there comes a time when they will burnout and stop contributing. I don’t see people stepping up from the ranksto fill those shoes and I’m afraid that when these substantial contributorsstop, there will be a huge void.How can you help?One of the missions of the MHS is the education of the public as to thevalue of reptiles and amphibians. The primary way in which we do thatis via the education events that we are invited to. Let’s face it, the zoo-logical organizations in this state are pretty pathetic where it comes toeducating the public about reptiles and amphibians. That means that theMHS public events are extremely important to providing a forum for thepublic to gain an appreciation of these animals. Jan Larson, theEducation Coordinator, has done a terrific job of running this most valu-able service that we provide. But she can’t do it all by herself. Pleasemake it a goal to volunteer for at least one event this year.In addition to providing a great service, you may also find that it’s a lot offun!

Oh, and by the way, we also have a newsletter editor who can use thehelp of the membership too.

Cover: Tata Lizard (Lophognathusgilberti) Photo by Alexander Dudley


News, Notes & Announcements

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February Raffle Donors Thanks to the following people forgenerously donating to the month-ly raffle:

Dave AslesonReptiles Mag

Asra HalvorsonTurtle magnifying glass, frog keychain

Heather MatisonReptiles Mag

Marilyn BlasusSocks and pen

MHSBooks, stuffed lizard

Adoption ProgramCages, lights, etc

February Critter of theMonthThe following people brought ani-mals to the February meeting:

Phillip Brazellgopher snake

Nicholas Brazelred rat snake

Jaime Pajakone of the adoptioniguanas

MHS BOARD MEETINGREVIEWFebruary 7, 2004by Barb Buzicky, Recording Secretary

The Board Meeting was called toorder at 6:04 PM CST.All Board Members were presentexcept Bill Moss and NancyHakomaki. Non-Board Memberspresent were George and SarahRichard, Jeff LeClere, and MarilynBlasus.Minutes from the February, 2003,meeting from last meeting receivedchanges. Minutes from the January10, 2003, meeting were approvedwith changes.Treasurer’s Report January, 2004,was approved.Membership Report for January,2004, was tabled until the nextmeeting.General Meeting attendance forFebruary 6, 2004, was 140.President’s Report: Randy askedif the Board had any questionsregarding the handoutfrom last the meeting in the BoardDevelopment Series on responsi-bilities. There were no questions.The next in the series wasSafeguarding Against Conflict ofInterest. Randy passed out ahandout from which he read thehighlights. He requested that eachBoard Member read the new hand-out to discuss next week.

Vice-President’s Report:March, White Snake SaleApril, Walt Sadinski from USGS,ARMI ProjectMay Adam Summers-CaeciliansJune, Noah Anderson, LouisianaHerps

Committee Reports: There werethree grant proposals tabled fromlast meeting that needed a deci-sion. Two were regarding woodturtle surveys, one in Minnesotaand one in Iowa. The third grantinvolved a bio-embedding projectin Lanesboro, Minnesota. Motionwas moved and approved for $750for each wood turtle survey. Thebio-embedding project was nottime sensitive, and it was tabled forthe next round of grant approvals.John Moriarty will be updating theMN Bibliography which is an occa-sional paper that he wants to puton the MHS Website. The Boardsuggested limited printing due tothe paper being put on the website.Nancy Haig suggested advanceorders so MHS doesn’t end up withoverrun. Dan Kyler is working ona new paper which is still in theworks.Old Business: Preliminary volun-teer hours were handed out byRandy in two formats hour sort andalpha sort. Randy asked thateveryone verify the information andsubmit corrections. The boardvoted on the award item, which willbe clear beer glasses with our logoon them. The Board moved andapproved $400 for this purpose.The Holiday Banquet cost sheet-was handed out. There was anadded fee for the room that wasnot expected. Marilyn will checkinto this cost from the U. of M.The Board moved and approved$300 to pay the extra cost. Theissue of declining membership was discussed and tabled for thenext meeting. George needs a

board.....continued on page 11


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FEBRUARY SPEAKERREVIEWby Barbara Buzicky

February General MeetingSpeaker:Robert (“Bobby”) Espinoza

Program:The Evolution of Herbivory inReptiles and the Herpetofauna ofSouth America’s Southern Cone:New Discoveries from the AndeanPeaks to the Patagonian Steppe

Robert Espinoza comes to us fromSouthern California where he grewup. He completed his B.S. degreein Biology at San Diego StateUniversity (SDSU), and he contin-ued his education by starting hisPH.D. dissertation work atColorado State University. Twoyears later, he moved to theUniversity of Nevada, Reno, (UNR)where he studied under his advisorC. Richard “Dick” Tracy. His dis-sertation was on the evolution ofherbivory in reptiles which he com-pleted at the University of Nevada,Reno, (UNR).

Robert became involved with rep-tiles and amphibians when he wasyoung as he collected them in thefields where he lived. His interestincreased when he was in juniorhigh school when he became amember of the San DiegoHerpetological Society. While hewas in this group, he met manyherpetologists and hobbyists in thefield that shared his interests. Helearned a great wealth of informa-tion from these people that encour-aged him to further study in thisarea. When he was working on hisB.S. in Biology at San Diego StateUniversity (SDSU), he was study-ing under the mentorship of Dr.Richard Etheridge. Further, he hadmany graduate students as friendsamong them were Lee Grismer,Brad Hollingsworth, and JimMcGuire. These “herp friends”went on to become very influentialin the field of herpetology.

Robert has many, many credits tobe recognized. He worked onNevada’s largest museum collec-tion of reptiles and amphibiansnumbering 8,000 specimens which needed some tender loving care toget them in order. In addition tothat project, he worked at theCarnegie Museum of NaturalHistory with John Wiens doingpost-doctorial research for oneyear. They studied a group ofsouthern South American Lizards(Liolaemidae) with the subjectbeing the evolution of herbivory.Currently, he is an AssistantProfessor at California StateUniversity, Northridge, where heteaches vertebrate biology andherpetology. He returned toSouthern California in 2001, wherehe thoroughly enjoys continuing hisresearch in evolutionary herbivory.

Evolutionary herbivory scratchesthe surface of several major fieldsof study being physiology, animalbehavior, ecology, and evolution.His research and interests lie inthermal biology, the evolution ofdiet, life history strategies, andreproductive modes. He has incor-porated both field and laboratorystudies into his research. He hasfocused most of his research ondesert lizards. In particular, he hasstudied a herbivorous lizard, thechuckwalla (Sauromalus obesus)who live in desert environmentswhere the rainfall doesn’t followany particular pattern, thus, thechuckwalla’s diet consists of plantsthat can vary in fiber content bothseasonally and annually. For themany years, digestion, metabolism,and thermoregulation have beenresearched in ectotherms, therehas not been much work donestudying the interactions that occurbetween these variables. He alsobelieves that the effects of dietquality on the energetics of an her-bivorous ectotherm specificallyhave not been done. So, why arelizards herbivores, carnivores, oromnivores? First of all, we need toknow the definition of these words.A herbivore is an animal that onlyeats plant matter and never anymeat or small animals. A carnivoreonly eats animals, and an omnivoreeats both. Herbivores live in anenvironment consisting mostly ofplant matter that can vacillatebetween high and low fiber in thematerial due to the seasonalityresulting from rain and emperaturefluctuations. Herbivores have spe-cific bateria in their guts to digest speaker .... continued on page 11

Scientists Discover WhereSnakes Lived When TheyEvolved into LimblessCreaturesThe Royal Society 1/30/04. A preprint of the research paper thisarticle is based on may still be post-ed on the web at:http://www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk/link.asp?id=pa6a316clj7h

The mystery of where Earth's firstsnakes lived as they were evolvinginto limbless creatures from theirlizard ancestors has intrigued sci-entists for centuries. Now, the firststudy ever to analyze genes fromall the living families of lizards hasrevealed that snakes made theirdebut on the land, not in the ocean.The discovery resolves a long-smoldering debate among biolo-gists about whether snakes had aterrestrial or a marine origin rough-ly 150 million years ago--a debaterekindled recently by controversialresearch in favor of the marinehypothesis. In a paper to be pub-lished in the 7 May 2004 issue ofthe Royal Society journal BiologyLetters, Nicolas Vidal, a postdoctor-al fellow, and S. Blair Hedges, aprofessor of biology at Penn State,describe how they put the two the-ories to the test. They collected thelargest genetic data set for snakesand lizards ever used to addressthis question. Their collectionincludes two genes from 64species representing all 19 familiesof living lizards and 17 of the 25families of living snakes. Geneticmaterial from some of the lizardswas difficult to obtain becausesome species live only on certain

small islands or in remote parts ofthe world. "We felt it was importantto analyze genes from all the lizardgroups because almost every lizardfamily has been suggested asbeing the one most closely relatedto snakes. If we had failed toinclude genes from even one of thelizard families, we could havemissed getting the right answer,"Hedges explains. "For the marinehypothesis to be correct, snakesmust be the closest relative of theonly lizards known to have lived inthe ocean when snakes evolved--the giant, extinct mosasaur lizards,"Vidal says. "While we can't analyzethe genes of the extinctmosasaurs, we can use the genesof their closest living cousins, moni-tor lizards like the giant KomodoDragon," he explains. The teamanalyzed gene sequences fromeach of the species, using severalstatistical methods to determinehow the species are related."Although these genes have thesame function in each species--andso, by definition, are the samegene--their structure in eachspecies is slightly different becauseof mutations that have developedover time," Vidal explains. Whenthe genetic comparisons were com-plete, Vidal and Hedges had a fam-ily tree showing the relationships ofthe species. "Our results showclearly that snakes are not closelyrelated to monitor lizards like thegiant Komodo Dragon, which arethe closest living relatives of themosasaurs--the only known marinelizard living at the time that snakesevolved," Vidal says. "Because allthe other lizards at that time lived

on the land, our study providesstrong evidence that snakesevolved on the land, not in theocean." The research suggests ananswer to another long-debatedquestion: why snakes lost theirlimbs. Their land-based lifestyle,including burrowing underground atleast some of the time, may be thereason. "Having limbs is a realproblem if you need to fit throughsmall openings underground, asanybody who has tried exploring incaves knows," Hedges says. "Yourbody could fit through much small-er openings if you did not have thewide shoulders and pelvis that sup-port your limbs." The researchersnote that the burrowing lifestyle ofmany other species, including leg-less lizards, is correlated with thecomplete loss of limbs or the evolu-tion of very small limbs. §


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Eleanor Lawrence, 27 January,2000

New finds of fossil snake skullfragments indicate that the sinu-ous, legless snake body from alarge predatory lizard-like ances-tor, perhaps for swimming, or asan adaptation for sliding throughdense vegetation. The finds arereported this week by John D.Scanlon from the University ofQueensland, Brisbane, andMichael S.Y. Lee from theUniversity of New South Wales,Sydney, Australia. Skulls and jaws hold the mainclues to the course of snake evo-lution, but for one important groupof extinct snakes they have beenmissing until now. The skull andjaw fragments, which Scanlon andLee describe in Nature1, comefrom two related species of extinctsnake, Wonambi naracoortensisand Wonambi barrei, which livedin the Pleistocene, just a blinkaway in evolutionary time. Thesespecies belong to a group ofmedium-sized to giant snakesknown as madtsoiids, which arenow all extinct.

The madtsoiids have a 90-million-year history in the fossil record,from the mid-Cretaceous, around100 million years ago, to thePleistocene, which ended around100,000 years ago. Their relation-ships to other snakes, both extinctand living, are crucial to under-standing snake evolution. But

almost nothing was known aboutthe skulls of madtsoiids — untilnow.

Enough bits of skull and jaw havenow been found to reconstruct askull of W. naracoortensis and toidentify a new species, W. barrei.And these skulls have many prim-itive features. In particular, theylack the fully developed flexiblejoint in the upper jaw and have noflexibility in the front of the lowerjaw. These are features that all‘advanced’ snakes possess, andthat give them the ability to extendtheir mouths around prey many

times larger than themselves.

As snakes evolved from lizards,they gradually acquired more andmore flexible and extensible jaws.In true lizards, both upper andlower jaws are inflexible. In theextinct lizard-like mosasurs and in

the most primitive extinct snakes,a loose joint has developed in thebottom jaw. In more advancedsnakes, a flexible joint has alsoappeared in the upper jaw, whilethe most advanced snakes, suchas boas and pythons, have, inaddition, a joint in the front of thelower jaw which enables the twohalves of the jaw to move apart.

With their new information onskull and jaw features, Scanlonand Lee were able to make anextensive skeletal comparisonbetween the madtsoiids and otherfossil and living snakes. Theiranalysis clearly shows that themadtsoiids most closely resemblethe more primitive snakes fromthe early Cretaceous than they doany living snakes. Because allthese primitive snakes are fairlysizable and none shows anyadaptation to burrowing, Scanlonand Lee conclude that the ‘smalland subterranean’ theories ofsnake origins must be incorrect.These theories arose because themost primitive of living snakes areindeed small burrowers.

ReferencesScanlon, J. D. & Lee, M. S. Y. ThePleistocene serpent Wonambiand the early evolution of snakes.Nature 403,416 (2000).

§


AA TWISTTWIST ININ THETHE TTAILAIL OFOF SNAKESNAKE EVOLUTIONEVOLUTIONReconstructed skulls from an extinct group of Australian snakes may provide the much-neededmissing link in the slippery story of snake evolution, Eleanor Lawrence explains.

Reconstruction of the skull ofWonambi naracoortensis

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There is a considerable amountof misunderstanding on the sub-ject of the water requirement oftortoises. This is unfortunate, asa number of pathological condi-tions are directly related to theavailability or otherwise of envi-ronmental water, and to the gen-eral hydration status of reptilessuch as tortoises.

The most common health problemsassociated with a sub-optimumlevel of hydration or prolonged peri-od of environmental water depriva-tion include an accumulation ofsolidified uric acid in the renal sys-tem and bladder; articular gout; andkidney failure. All of these areextremely serious conditions and itshould be noted that dehydration,even for short periods, can havegrave long-term consequences.

Many people seem to believe thatMediterranean tortoises naturallyacquire almost all of their fluidrequirement from their food and thattherefore they do not require addi-tional drinking water. One recentbook on Mediterranean tortoiseseven suggests that only sick tortois-es voluntarily drink fresh water*. It ishighly regrettable that such danger-ous misinformation is in circulation.This latter contention is simply nottrue, as direct observations ofTestudo graeca and Testudo her-manni in the wild all too easily con-firm. Both species are at their mostactive during or just after episodesof rain, and can be observed to'nose' along the ground, drinkingfrom any available puddle. TortoiseTrust field trips have resulted in anumber of observations of this kind.In Spain, France, Italy and Greecewild Testudo hermanni have been

observed in some numbers to drinkrainwater and to increase theiractivity level during wet weather,especially during summer thunder-storms, when the rain brings wel-come relief from the searing heatand aridity of summer. In NorthAfrica and Spain (T.graeca), Greeceand Turkey (T. ibera), tortoises havebeen observed drinking from theedges of streams, from reed-bedsand from puddles during episodicrain. Recently in Morocco, followingthe heaviest rain for many years,tortoise activity was as high as Ihave ever seen it and numerousindividuals were observed drinkingfrom surface water. In many aridregions, tortoise activity ceasesentirely during summer or in extend-ed periods of drought, and onlyresumes when rain returns. Insouthern Turkey, Spain andMorocco, tortoises aestivate during

TorTOISES:

DO THEY NEED TO DRINK?by A.C. Highfield


Page 8

summer because food and wateravailability is so poor. In southernAfrica it is commonplace to seeGeochelone pardalis (Leopard tor-toises) drinking from streams andpools, and recently Moll andKlemens reported on the utilisationof standing water pools byMalacochersus tornieri (pancaketortoises) in Tanzania.

Mediterranean tortoises are indeedadapted to withstand a semi-aridenvironment. Their system of elimi-nating waste via uric acid ratherthan via urea is clear evidence ofthis. Uric acid can be eliminatedusing far lower levels of water'wastage' than can systems basedon urea, such as those of mammalsand amphibians. It is also significantthat species from damp environ-ments such as rainforests, e.g.Geochelone denticulata, feature avery different urinary biochemistrythan do species from more aridenvironments such as Testudograeca. In the former the ratio ofexcreted uric acid to ammonia is6.7:6.00 and in the latter it is51.9:4.1!

Mediterranean tortoises can there-fore eliminate nitrogenous wasteproducts with very great watereconomy. Their behaviour is alsoprogrammed to reflect this need notto waste precious water. It wasnoticeable that during the rainy peri-od experienced in Morocco just afew months ago many traces of uricacid deposits were in evidence astortoises urinated while they drank.In an arid environment it pays not todispose of vital body fluids unlessyou can be sure of replacing them! Iam sure this behaviour is also famil-iar to many pet tortoise keepers.

The semi-solid, white deposits ofexpelled urates. Tortoises are 'pro-grammed' not to use water in thebladder to eliminate these unless

replenishment is available.Depriving the tortoise of water willresult in urates being accumulated -often to dangerous levels.

During a summer rain tortoises willoften drink and urinate simultane-ously. The behaviour can be stimu-lated in hot weather by lightly spray-ing the animals with a garden hose.Your tortoise is not sick if it behavesin this way. It is behaving exactly asits wild counterparts would and for avery sensible and biologically soundreason.

Just because they are able to toler-ate water deprivation for a substan-tial period is not reason to deprivethem of it deliberately or perma-nently. Water deprivation is a sub-optimal state which, if extendedbeyond certain limits, results in seri-ous health problems. Food alone isnot normally an adequate source ofthe total water requirement of semi-arid habitat reptiles.

We have seen several casesrecently in which tortoises reared onthe basis proposed, i.e. , no accessto fresh water and an expectationthat all fluid requirements can bemet entirely from food, have accu-mulated serious concentrations ofuric acid in the bladder. This is hard-ly surprising and is precisely whatone would expect from such aregime, given a fundamental under-standing of tortoise biology andecology. In the long term such ani-mals can also be expected to devel-op kidney disease and articulargout.

In the wild, during hot and rain-freesummers, aestivation or semi-aesti-vation occurs. There are severaltriggers to aestivation. Lack of foodand environmental water are majorfactors, as is temperature. InMorocco aestivation typically beginswhen temperatures exceed 29º-

30ºC. Peak tortoise activity in thesouth of Morocco typically occurs inthe temperature range 20º-26ºC,decreasing as temperatures risebeyond 28ºC.

During aestivation tortoises main-tain themselves below ground, inburrows which exhibit a reasonablystable microclimate. In these bur-rows temperatures are much lowerthan those above ground and therelative humidity is very much high-er. Combined with reduced (practi-cally zero) activity, these factorsresult in a vastly reduced rate offluid loss via exhalation and little orno need to urinate.

The advice of the Tortoise Trust onthis topic is very clear. Fresh watershould be provided to all tortoiseson a regular basis. Even true desertspecies such as Testudo kleinman-ni, Geochelone sulcata andGopherus agassizii will drink giventhe opportunity. Our own exceed-ingly healthy breeding group of T.kleinmanni are provided with freshwater daily, and often take advan-tage of it. The suggestion that onlysick animals drink is absolute non-sense and is unsupported by anyecological, biochemical or veteri-nary study we have been able totrace. There are, however, literallydozens of readily available reliableand authoritative references whichsupport the opposite view.

* Mediterranean Tortoises by BrianPursall, TFH Inc.

Article from www.tortoisetrust.org

§


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Climate Change Forecastto Extinguish One MillionSpecies WASHINGTON, DC, January 8, 2004(ENS)

Climate change could drive morethan a quarter of all land animalsand plants into extinction, a newstudy published today has deter-mined. The Earth's warming climatecould extinguish the existence ofmore than one million species, theresearchers estimate. The largestcollaboration of scientists to everinvestigate this issue used computermodels to simulate the waysspecies' ranges are expected tomove in response to changing tem-peratures and climate. Their findingsare published in today's edition ofthe journal "Nature." "This studymakes it clear that climate change isthe most significant new threat forextinctions this century," said co-author Lee Hannah, climate changebiology senior fellow at the Centerfor Applied Biodiversity Science atConservation International. "Thecombination of increasing habitatloss, already recognized as thelargest single threat to species, andclimate change, is likely to devastatethe ability of species to move andsurvive." The study ! estimates thatclimate change projected to takeplace between now and the year2050 will place 15 to 37 percent of allspecies in several biodiversity-richregions at risk of extinction. The sci-entists believe there is a high likeli-hood of extinctions due to climatechange in other regions, as well. It isinevitable that at least 18 percent ofall land plants and animals now onEarth will be on their way to extinc-tion by 2050, the study finds, based

on the climate changes that havealready taken place. But 15 to 20percent of all land species could besaved from extinction if the minimumscenario of climate warming occurs.For this study, scientists from theCenter for Applied BiodiversityScience worked with their counter-parts at the National BotanicalInstitute of South Africa to modelmore than 300 plant species inSouth Africa's Cape Floristic Region,located on the country's southern tip.In that region, 30 to 40 percent ofSouth African Proteaceae is forecastto go ex! tinct as a result of climatechange between now and 2050.Prot! eaceae i s a family of floweringplants that includes South Africa'snational flower, the King Protea. TheCape Floristic Region is consideredone of the world's 25 biodiversityhotspots, areas with a large numberof unique species under tremendousthreat. In all, scientists studied sixregions around the world represent-ing 20 percent of the planet's landarea and projected the future distri-butions of 1,103 animal and plantspecies. Three different climatechange scenarios were considered -minimal, mid-range and maximum,as was the ability of some species tosuccessfully "disperse," or move to adifferent area, preventing extinctioncaused by climate change. The mid-range projection is that 24 percent ofspecies will become extinct, andunder maximum expected climatechange, 35 percent of all landspecies will cease to exist. "If theseprojections are extrapolated globallyand to other groups of land animalsand plants, our analyses suggestthat well over a million species couldbe ! threatened with extinction as aresult of climate change," said study

lead author Chris Thomas of theUniversity of Leeds. These forecastsare for species predicted to goextinct eventually based on climatechange between now and 2050, butdo not suggest that these specieswill go extinct by 2050. Small fluctu-ations in climate can affect aspecies' ability to remain in its origi-nal habitat. Slight increases in tem-perature can force a species tomove toward its preferred, usuallycooler, climate range, the scientistsexplain. If development and habitatdestruction have already alteredthose habitats, the species oftenhave no safe haven. Hannah saysthe findings underscore the need fora two part conservation strategy."First, greenhouse gases must bereduced dramatically, and a rapidswitch to new, cleaner technologiescould help save innumerablespecies," he said. "Second, we mustdesign conservation strategies thatrecognize that climate change isgoing to affect entire e! cosystems,and therefore have to prepare effec-tive conservatio! n measur es imme-diately." Global mean temperatureshave increased about one degreeFahrenheit over the past centurywith accelerated warming over thepast two decades. Scientists attrib-ute the recent rise of global temper-ature to human induced activitiesthat have altered the chemical com-position of the atmosphere. Thebuildup of greenhouse gases - pri-marily carbon dioxide, methane, andnitrous oxide - traps heat, acting likea greenhouse in the atmosphere.

HerpDigest V4#20


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new wireless mic for recording the monthly speaker as he is getting board continued from bad audiofeedback. He will research pricesand purchase. Iguana’s were dis-cussed again regarding Jaime tak-ing them. The issue was tabled forthe next meeting.New Business: Marilyn Blasuswill be the Photo Contest Chair,George Richard and Barb Buzickywill be assisting. The White SnakeSale doesn’t have a chair, Randyor Marilyn will fill in temporarily.Any helpers need to arrive early.The Board moved and approved$60 for food. Heather Ingrebretsonreceived a large donation from ZooMed for the WSS, and they haverequested a one year MHSNewsletter Gratis from us. TheBoard moved and approved theone year subscription. The FunFacts sheets need to be replen-ished. Liz Bosman said she will getthem printed at work. They areneeded by February 28th, the PetExpo. The sheets will be folded byBarb Buzicky, Marilyn Blasus, andRandy Blasus. MHS will be sellingbooks at the Pet Expo furnished byZoo Book Sales. The Boardmoved and approved $200 for thispurpose. Jodi Aherns requestedthat his business link be on theMHS Website. The Board movedand approved his request.

Meeting adjourned at 7:47 PMCST.§

plant matter, and by introducingtotal protein from mammals intotheir diet would greatly throw offthat animals metabolism and ener-gy. In other words, the meat theanimal would eat would greatly dis-turb the microflora of the digestivetrack. The animal still has to gothrough adjustments due fluctua-tions in the vegetation. Omnivoresthat eat both plant and animal mat-ter have better resources for theirfood supplies. They can just eat allthe time. Robert says that theenergy resources of animals fluc-tuate according to the diet theyingest. Herbivores and omnivoreshave the greatest source of energythrough the foods they eat.Robert showed graphs referring tothe research on energy budgetsand available food along with thechanges that take place in theenvironment. There is still no clearcut research that distinguisheswhy certain reptiles are herbivores,carnivores, or omnivores. Therehave been great discussions andmany debates for over forty yearson this topic.

What is your theory?

For more information, you can visithis website at:http://www.csun.edu/~ree77914/.

§

...board continued from page 4 ... speaker continued from page 5 WOMAN FINDS SNAKE IN BAGOF POTATOESAP, Mobile, Ala. 1/27/04 - AtlantaJournal ConstitutionHerpDigest V4#22A woman got a little more than shebargained for after a trip to a Wal-Mart in Mobile.Toni Barnard ofSemmes, Ala., says she hadreturned home and had opened abag of potatoes from the store. Asher back was turned to the bag, afoot-long snake appeared --apparently from the potato bag.Before she knew what was hap-pening, her 11-month-old sonTrevor had grabbed the snake andshoved part of it into hismouth.Trevor is lucky he wasn'tbitten -- Barnard says she was toldthe snake was a baby copper-head.Neither Barnard nor Wal-Mart positively identified thesnake. It might also have been acorn snake.Wal-Mart says it haspulled those potatoes from theshelves at the store whereBarnard bought them. The compa-ny is investigating the incident.

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COMING TO THE MARCH MEETING •••••

THE ANNUAL MHS

WHITE SNAKE SALE SEE. ..... . PEOPLE SCRAMBLE TO GET THE LAST BIP IN BEFORE TIME IS CALLEP!

• •

1

~J1(RJrLL •••••• AT HOW YOU'VE JUST PUT ALL THOSE UNWANTED HERP ITEMS TO COOP USE ANP MAPE ROOM FOR MORE!

MARVEL ••••••• AT THE GREAT DEALS PEOPLE ARE GETTING ON GREAT STUFF!


Only $5 Per Month......$55 Per Year

For the Month Ending December 31, 2003

INCOME MEMBERSHIP $ 465.00 RODENT SALES $280.00 DONATIONS -- RAFFLE $53.00 ADOPTION COVERAGE $133.00 SALES MSL $ 27.75 LIBRARY $2.00 TOTAL $960.75 DISBURSEMENTSSPEAKERS FEES $50.00 NEWS LETTER PRINTING $386.30 MSL POSTAGE $15.10 NEWS LETTER MAIL ACCT. $250.00 PHONE, VOICE MAIL ACCT. $ 87.11 TOTAL $788.51 CASH FLOWCHECKING BEGINNING BALANCE $153.23 INCOME DEPOSITS $960.75 DISBURSEMENTS $788.51 ENDING BALANCE $325.47 SAVINGS $10,921.73

Minnesota Herpetological SocietyTreasurer's ReportPrepared by Liz Bosman, Treasurer

Page 13

For Sale: 2003 hatchling snakes, all pro-duced by me. Corn Snakes: $15.00 -$25.00 depending on color phase.Normals, Anerythristics andHypomelanistics, ($15.00 ea), Amelanisticsand Snows ($20.00 ea) and Ghosts ($25.00ea). Discounts for quantity purchases.Sinaloan Milk Snakes: $40.00 ea. BallPythons: $40.00 ea (only males available) Adult snakes. 1.1 pair of hybrid Northernpine X Bull snake. 3 yr old proven breeders$120.00/ pr. 0.1 Bullsnake. 5 yo producedby Randy Blasus. Snappish attitude.$50.00, 0.1 Mex Milk snake, 6 yo. Also witha snappish attitude. $60.00; 3.8 adult nor-mal Leopard Geckos. Proven breeders.$10.00 to $25.00 each. Make me an offeron the whole group. I can deliver to MHSmeetings, Call me at 651 481-0127 ask forMark Schmidtke +++


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).

Wanted

Frozen Rabbits - all sizes. Prices veryreasonable - pinkies to adults. Jim Daluge763.295.2818

Flightless Fruitflies – Excellent food fordart frogs, mantellas, hatchling geckos,baby chameleons, spiderlings, and othersmall herps. Two species available:Drosophila melanogaster (small) andDrosophila hydei (large). $5/culture or$25/6 cultures. Each culture contains 30 to50 adult flies and has potential to produceseveral hundred young. Also, Mealworms,two sizes available – regular and mini.$5/1000. Can be delivered to MHS meet-ings. Call Tony Gamble 612-747-6682 or

Page 14

Mice Pinkies $7/dzFuzzies $7/dzHoppers $8/dzAdults $10/dz

Rats Pinkies $9/dzFuzzies $15/dzSm Adult $18/dzMed Adult $24/dzLg Adult $30/dzJumbo $36/dz

For pick-up at monthly meetings only. Orders Must be placed at least one week inadvance of date of meeting at which the frozen rodents are to be delivered. Place orders with Jody Holmstrom at 651.224.7212 or [email protected]

For SaleWanted: All the shed snake skins in theworld. Needed for giveaways to kids ateducational programs. Call Bob Duerr651-489-5087Wanted: Creative people to come up withfun MHS rodent sales ads.

For Sale: 0.0.5 Black ratsnakes(E.o.obsoleta), $10 ea.D.K. Compton [email protected] +++

For Sale: 8ft x 5ft x 4ft finished wood andwire cage for sale. Great for iguanas orwhatever else might need to be caged.Basking logs and 2 - 4ft uvb light fixturesincluded. Asking around $250.00. [email protected] or call 612.597.1612.+

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 for 12 months from the date of approval, a receipt will be sent only upon request. Mail to: MinnesotaHerpetological Society, Bell Museum of Natural History, 10 Church St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455. Please allow 6-8 weeksfor processing.

New

Renewal

Membership#

Type

Check #

Name

Address

City, State, Zip,

Phone Email List in MHS Directory? Yes No

Herp related interests

GGGGEEEETTTT YYYYOOOOUUUURRRR MMMMEEEESSSSSSSSAAAAGGGGEEEE TTTTOOOO YYYYOOOOUUUURRRRTTTTAAAARRRRGGGGEEEETTTT AAAAUUUUDDDDIIIIEEEENNNNCCCCEEEE WWWWIIIITTTTHHHH AAAA 1111////4444

PPPPAAAAGGGGEEEE AAAADDDD....

$$1100 PPEERR MMOONNTTHH$$111100 PPEERR YYEEAARR**

Advertising Policies

MHS Ad Policy: The MHS assumes NO RESPONSIBILITY regarding the health orlegality of any animal, or the quality or legality of any product or service advertised inthe MHS Newsletter. Any ad may be rejected at the discretion of the NewsletterEditor. Due to space limitations, unpaid and complimentary advertisements are sub-ject to occasional omission.

Classified Ads: All active members are allowed a classified ad, run free of chargeas space permits. Ads may be ran three consecutive months, after which time theymay be resubmitted. Corresponding members are allowed a complimentary busi-ness card advertisement monthly as space permits. Due to federal restrictions onNon-profit mailing permits, we are not allowed to run ads for travel, credit or insur-ance agencies.

Submissions: All advertisements should be submitted to the MHS Editor, BellMuseum of Natural History, 10 Church St. SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455. Deadlineis the night of the General Meeting for inclusion in the next newsletter. Make checkspayable to: Minnesota Herpetological Society.

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

1/4 Page $10/Month $110/Year*1/2 Page $20/Month $220/Year*Full Page $40/Month $440/Year*

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

*12th month is free on a one year commitment

Next Meeting:Friday, March 5, 2004 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

Non-Profit RateU.S. Postage

PAIDMpls, MN

Permit No. 2275

POSTMASTER:PLEASE DELIVER BY MARCH 2

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Documents

Vol. 24 (2004), No. 3