vol. 25 (2005). no. 9

SS EPTEMBEREPTEMBER 2005 V2005 V OLUMEOLUME 25 N25 N UMBERUMBER 99

THE NEWSLETTER OF THE

See Jim Gerholdt’sRemarkable ReptilePresentation- Invitation toMHS Members Inside

Personal Herpetology: How OneWoman “Joined the Club”

MHS Elections!Thinking AboutRunning? page 5

Sign Up! TheMidwest

Symposium isAround the

Corner!

WE

BV

ER

SIO

N

Info

rmat

ion

ed

ited

/rem

ove

d t

o r

esp

ect

pri

vacy

co

nce

rns.

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

T h e M i n n e s o t aH e r p e t o l o g i c a l

S o c i e t y

VOICE MAIL: 612.624.7065 • MHS WEBPAGE: HTTP://WWW.MNHERPSOC.ORG

MHS GR O U P EM A I L: H T T P: / /W W W.G R O U P S.YA H O O.C O M/G R O U P/M N H E R P S O C

September 2005 Volume 25 Number 9

Board of DirectorsPresidentRandy Blasus

Vice PresidentSean Hewitt

Recording SecretaryBarb Buzicky

Membership SecretaryGeorge Richard

TreasurerNancy Haig

Newsletter EditorAsra Halvorson

Members at LargeTony GambleFred BosmanMike Bush Jodi L. Aherns

CommitteesAdoptionSarah Richard

EducationJan Larson

LibraryTim Banobitz

WebmasterAnke Reinders

[email protected]

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

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

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

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

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

Copyright 2005, Minnesota Herpetological Society. Except where noted, contents may be reproduced for non-profit, non-commercial use only. All material must be reproduced without change. Proper credit will be given including the

author/photographer and the MHS Newsletter citing: volume, number and date.

The Newsletter of the Minnesota Herpetological Society September 2005 Volume 25 Number 9

Vice-President’s letter to the membership

It’s my sincere regret to inform the membership thatRandy Blasus has stepped down as President of theMinnesota Herpetological Society. I would like to take thisopportunity to thank Randy for his three years of serviceas President and his unnumbered years helping out MHSin all activities including, but not limited to: Historian, FieldSurvey chair, Grant Committee chair, Occasional Papereditor and author, all around “Jack-of-All trades.” Randywas always one you could count on to help out with any-thing needed, even if it was at an inconvenient time or dif-ficult task, he’d help out. When you see Randy roamingthe back of the room helping out in his various behind thescenes duties, please stop him and thank him for all he’sdone. MHS would not be what it is without his overwhelm-ing support.

As I take on the President’s responsibilities fulfilling myresponsibility as Vice-President, I do not see this as a sen-tence but instead an educational and growing experience.It will be an experience that I hope to excel at but mayfumble a bit at first. I please ask for some patience andsome leniency from Board of Directors and the member-ship in this time of transition. I also make a plea to themembership and Board of Directors to please step up andvolunteer for taking over the numerous responsibilitiesRandy has overseen so well over the years. The morepeople who are able to take small amounts of this, the bet-ter the outcome for the society. Programs that we’ve allgrown accustomed to having will continue to thrive andcontinue to meet the needs of our growing society.

The growth of a group can be a double-edged swordsometimes. If we get too big, we sometimes lose sight ofthe individual needs within a group and people feel thatone person can no longer be of benefit to the group. I canassure you that one person CAN make a difference stillwithin MHS. Yes, we have grown fairly rapidly over thepast few years and we are a diverse group interested inmany aspects of herpetoculture. That interest in herpsthough is what brought us to MHS and hopefully keeps ustogether as a society. Everyone within this group can gainand learn something from someone else and everyone canbenefit from someone doing even one thing for our society.Minimally, take a moment to introduce yourself to someoneyou do not know in the society and ask them what theirherpetology interests are or if they are having a particularproblem that they want some help with. You may be ableto offer a suggestion to help them or you might learnsomething new.

At the last board meeting I was informed that no one hasvolunteered to be State Fair Chair this year. Unfortunately,that forces us to not have a display out the State Fair thisyear. I say unfortunately because it’s an opportunity forMHS to gain some members, very positive advertisementand publicity, education for the public, and helps maintaina good relationship with the DNR. This relationship hasbeen very important for us in the past, and I hope to con-tinue supporting the DNR’s efforts in all animal conserva-tion, but specifically reptile, amphibian, and habitat conser-vation.

In the middle of October, our society will host the annualMidwest Herpetological Symposium. This event is theparamount event of the year for us. Typically, over 75 ofour members attend this annual event when it is hostedout of state. Now that the event is back in Minnesota,there is no reason we should have an attendance lessthan that. This event is 3 days chock full of anything andeverything reptile and amphibian. We have world-classspeakers coming from all over the country, as well as rep-tile related equipment and live animal sales from highlyreputed vendors. The atmosphere is informal and youmeet people from all over the Midwest with a desire tolearn more and chat about their favorite subjects- herps.Please take a moment and check out our website and signup today for this year’s event.

After the symposium, the November membership meetingis where we vote for the 2006 Board members. Currently, Iam not planning to run for the President or the Vice-President office in 2006. I WILL continue to help out MHSin other areas though like participating in Hands-Onevents, helping out on committees, and whatever otherduties work for my schedule when trying to juggle a family,my reptiles, my home-brewing hobby, and my career. Myhope is that an individual(s), young or old, will come for-ward and lead this group.

Thank you all for being members of the MinnesotaHerpetological Society. We are truly a unique group.

Sean HewittPresident, Ab hincVice-President


News, Notes & Announcements

Friday,September 303pm-6pm Teacher

Workshop for Elementary andMiddle School Teachers

The 3M Teacher Workshop is gearedfor elementary and middle schoolteachers. The goal is to share howscience is fun and generate excite-ment for science in the classroom.We present ourselves as role modelsfor fun science careers.

Saturday, October 111-12 noon Keynote Address12 noon- 3pm Super ScienceSaturday for 3M families3-3:30 Closing Keynote

Super Science Saturday is geared forthe 3M “Visiting Wizards”, the work-shop presenters (you), and their(your) families.

Hands On Event!3M Super Science Fair at 3M, Maplewood, MNFriday, September 30 and Saturday, October 1

Come out and represent MHS at this fabulous event! For more informationand to sign up, contact Jan Larson, MHS Education Chair.

New Season, New Floor!

The Renaissance FestivalSeason started off with theCottage clean-up and orienta-tion on Sunday Aug. 7, 2005.MHS members worked hard toclear two spacious roomsupstairs and to open up thedownstairs back room. Thanksto the donation of pavers andthe talents of Dave Dewitt thereis a safe new floor in the sinkand storage area. Huzzah to allour volunteers.

If you are interested in workingat the Renaissance FestivalContact Judi Brumfield.

-Nancy Haig

Adoptions resume atAdoptions resume atthe September the September

meeting!meeting!

This should be a heavymonth, as there will be carry-

overs from the previousmonth. (Adoptions did not

take place due to theabsence of the MHS

Adoption Chair.) So if you’reitching for new herps, this isthe month, MHS members!


MHS Elections are Coming Up! Are YouLooking to Run?

The Annual Meeting will be held in November, so thereisn’t much time left. If you want to take an active part inthe MHS Board, now is the time to step forward. Further, Iam looking for volunteers to join me on the ElectionCommittee to help find candidates for Board positions.Please e-mail me at [email protected] if you are interest-ed in working on this committee. There are some ques-tions that people ask about being an elected board mem-ber, and I have summarized the most pertinent informa-tion. If you have any other questions that aren’tanswered here, please feel free to e-mail me!

In order to run for a board position, you have to be a cur-rent active member along with being 18 years or olderwhen you take office in January. Members must be pres-ent to vote, as there are no absentee ballots issued. Onlyone person can occupy a board position, as there is noco-sharing a position. Board Members may delegate anyjob function(s), except voting, to another member, but theBoard Member is ultimately responsible for completion ofall duties. Board Member’s duties include serving on andchairing committees, working on special projects andassignments for the Board, and responding to correspon-dence as required. Board Members are also required toattend Board Meetings, fill in for any missing BoardMember at meetings and monitor the voicemail messagingservice on their assigned month. All Board Members mustabide by the Bylaws and Policies of MHS. Now with allthat out of the way, here is a description of each position. Iwill also have extra copies available at the October meet-ing for review. Please feel free to solicit information fromany current Board Member if you have any questions.

PresidentThe President chairs the monthly general and board meet-ings of MHS, appoints andmaintains contact with committee chairs and delegatestasks to other Board Members. The President also makesa calendar of meetings, picks up and distributes the soci-ety’s mail, and acts as a public spokesperson for theSociety. The President coordinates the common vision andgoals of MHS, promoting its growth and sustainability, andupholds the Bylaws.

Vice PresidentThe Vice President is responsible for coordinating andintroducing the speakers for the monthly Meetings, andintroducing the Critter of the Month presenters. Vice presi-dential duties also include assisting the President, per-

forming the President’s duties in case of absence, notify-ing the Newsletter editor of upcoming speakers, sendingnotices of monthly meetings to local newspapers, andchanging the voicemail message monthly.

TreasurerThe Treasurer is required to maintain and balance theMHS financial accounts and keep complete records of allfinancial transactions. This includes collection and deposit-ing all income in a timely manner, producing both a month-ly and an annual financial statement for the newsletter,and supplying the Board with a monthly financial activityreport. The Treasurer also participates in the completeyearly audit and budget.

Membership SecretaryThe Membership Secretary collects, maintains, andupdates the membership database. The MembershipSecretary is also responsible for supplying a monthly sum-mary of membership activities, maintains a file of priornewsletters, and responding to all information and mem-bership inquiries. The Membership Secretary also main-tains the nametag box.

Recording SecretaryThe Recording Secretary records the minutes of themonthly board and general meetings and provides sum-maries to the newsletter Editor. The Recording Secretarymaintains: the minutes of the board meetings, a completearchive of past newsletters, and a listing of the inventory ofMHS supplies, fixtures, and goods. Other duties includechairing the Election Committee and providing an annualsummary of any unresolved action items.

Newsletter EditorThe Newsletter Editor edits submissions, enters monthlybusiness, and prepares the MHS newsletter for printing.The Editor also solicits articles, items of interest, andadvertising. The Editor is responsible for the appearanceof the newsletter.

Members-At-Large (4 positions)The Members-At-Large participate in the decision makingprocess, volunteer for projects or committees. TheMembers-At-Large perform other duties as assigned bythe President.


SPEAKER REVIEWAUGUST 5, 2005by Barbara Buzicky, Recording Secretary

GUEST SPEAKER: Dav KaufmanPROGRAM: Herping the Holy Land

Dav Kaufman is a film-maker, and a publishedauthor with an article in ReptilesApril 2005 issue, and he has been with thesociety since 1993. He gave a charismaticpresentation to the members of his trip toIsrael. He started with some basic back-ground of the country. There are 6.7 mil-lion people residing in Israel, and thereare 116 species of mammals, 511species of birds, and 97 species ofreptiles and amphibians. This is quitea large amount of animals for a coun-try that is a little smaller than NewJersey. Israel has so many speciesof animals as it is the recipient of ani-mals migrating south from Asia andnorth from Africa.

He went on to say that he had nofrightful experiences while he was thereas everyone was very friendly to him. Hehas a concern that the American mediahas sensationalized and exaggerated thesituation in that country. There is some dis-ruption, but it is in a very small area of certainparts of the city. The large majority of the countrylive in peace— the Israelis and the Palestinians.

When he arrived in Jerusalem, he went to abookstore to find a field guide of the country’sreptiles and amphibians. He found one, but therewas one drawback. The book was all in Hebrew.He joked that he can read some Hebrew, but hewas a little rusty. So, he was just able to use thepictures for identification.

Israel has set aside a large portion of its land

mass for conservation and protection of animalspecies. He spent some time in Carmel NationalPark, which is Israel’s largest national park. Itwas a very beautiful park, and he spent theentire day there looking for reptiles and amphib-ians. The weather was variable; the dramatic

changes in temperature were due towinds coming off the sea. When the sunwas out, the animals were out basking.Then, the temperature would suddenlydrop, and the animals would takecover and disappear. The other landarea that he visited was Hai-BarNature Wildlife Preserve. This wasa refuge where rehabilitation of theanimals took place for injured ani-mals and highly endangered ones.

He was taken on a tour of the facili-ty, and he enjoyed that.

In the area of the Central PalmHighlands, he searched in abandonedbuildings for reptiles. This area had anAfrican looking landscape along with adesert area. In the middle of the area, theland was lush and rich in foliage. He saidthat it looked like the middle of Wisconsin.The sky there is a purplish blue color, andhe showed us some scenic slides of the

area, and it was very beautiful. He says thatherping in all these areas was the toughest he

has done. In some areas, there were so verymany rocks, and he is a rock-flipping specialist.He said to get through the entire area of rocks,he would be there for many years to see underall of them. So, he chose the rocks that hewould flip wisely so he had the best chance offinding an animal under one. He said on thecoastal area of the Red Sea, there are manywarning signs not to go in the water due to thestingrays and jelly fish. It was also a protectedbeach area for sea turtle nesting.

There are 41 species of snakes in Israel of


which 9 are venomous. He wasn’t able to findall of them, but in the parks he saw quite a few.Some of the snake species are: PalestinianViper, Javelin Sand Boa, Ghamchen Snake,Dice Snake, Diadem Snake, Four Lined RatSnake, Arabian Tiger Snake, Egyptian Cobra,Desert Horned Viper, just to name a few. Thelizards that inhabit Israel are mostly Geckos, andthere are a total of 37 species. There is theLebanon Lizard, Desert Monitor, EgyptianMastigure, Mediterranean Chameleon, RoughtailRock Agama, Sinai Agama, Israeli Fan-FingeredGecko, Yellow Fan-Fingered Gecko, and theSand Boa. There are turtles and tortoises, withthe turtles having 3 species of pond turtles, 2species of tortoises, and 5 species of marine tur-tles. A couple of those are the European PondTurtle and the Mediterranean Spur ThighTortoise. He said that he was quite surprised tofind that there was only one herpetologist in theentire country.

He says that the people of Israel are dedicatedto sea turtle protection and education as inSouthern Israel, in the city of Eilat, there is areserve consisting of a large beach area that is aprotected area for sea turtle nesting. There isalso a very neat under sea viewing area for thepublic. The building is the same height aboveground as below. The viewing area encompass-es a natural reef where many animals can beseen. He greatly enjoyed viewing the reef justwatching the animals. The park also has manyoutdoor aquariums and pond holding areas foranimals being rehabilitated.

There are 23 species of salamanders, and theyare mostly found near Galilee. A couple ofspecies are the Fire Salamander and theSpotted Newt. There are also frogs and toads inIsrael. There are 3 species of frogs of which onemay be extinct, but there is no information aboutwhether it actually is or not. The frog that maypossibly be extinct is the Israeli Painted Frog.

The other two species of frogs are the HaderaFrog and Savigny’s Tree Frog. There are twospecies of toads, the European Green Toad andthe Syrian Spadefoot Toad. For more completeinformation, check out Dav’s article in the Aprilissue of Reptiles Magazine. He says that theIsraelis just want to live side by side with thereptiles and amphibians and preserve them. Thesurrounding countries to Israel, Egypt andJordan, have no wildlife refuges or lands setaside for the conservation and preservation ofany reptiles and amphibians. Great talk, Dav!

Keywords to Google:

-Israel, Reptiles and Amphibians-Herpetology, Tel Aviv-Sarig Garny, Ph.D (he is a professor at theUniversity in Tel Aviv)

by Michelle Gushulak

Brandon, Manitoba, Canada

Herpetologoy . . . what the heck does that mean?Are you crazy? Who in their right mind lives withreptiles? This was my first thought when I met myhusband Neil eight years ago. I was the kid thatjumped on the top of the fence when a harmlessgarter snake appeared in the yard while I wasgrowing up. Since our first meeting of six snakesand a turtle, I have seen and done a number ofthings that I would have never dreamed of.

We have raised a family of six snakes in ourhome to currently close to sixty with numbersbeing well over a hundred during breeding sea-son. Along with raising our family of reptiles andinfamous “herping” trips, there have been manymemories that I am sure that most of you canrelate to as members of the reptile world.

Our very first trip that Neil and I took together wasto the Black Hills in South Dakota where I wasvery quickly introduced to road cruising, which Ilike to refer to as self-inflicted whiplash. Driving

down a road, I was busy absorbing the beautifulsights of the Black Hills as the sun was settingand the artistic colors of the rock appeared.Suddenly I feel like a human projectile beingthrown towards the wind shield of the car. Mythanks go out to the inventor of seatbelts.

After I got over the initial shock, I turned to askNeil what was going on only to see him runningaway from the car. How dare he leave me in themiddle of nowhere! What kind of guy am I dating?My thoughts are answered with an excited“Michelle, you got to come see this!” I cautiouslyget out of the car and proceed to walk towardsNeil only to be met with this horrific hissing noisethat sounds like a steam pipe venting. Turns outthe venting steam pipe is squared off with Neil inthe middle of the road. You couldn’t have paid mea million dollars to take another step closer. Thatthing is going to chase me, I’m sure of it.

Then amazement filled my body as Neil distract-ed it with one hand and picked it up with the other.The steam pipe quit venting and I was introducedto my very first wild bullsnake. I still have mixedfeelings of fear and amazement when I think ofthat first trip together.


P e r s o n a l H e r p e t o l o g yHow One Woman “Joined the Club”

There have also been some comical momentswith our family of snakes that still make me giggleto this day. My most memorable was Neil’sencounter with Baby Jersey, our yearling NewJersey Pine snake we had purchased as a matefor our existing female. I had just gotten out of theshower and heard Neil in the “herp” room talkingto the snakes as he is feeding them. My husbandis aware that snakes do not have ears but he talksto them anyways. As I’m brushing my teeth, Ihear Neil saying in a cooing voice, “Hey BabyJersey, I’ve got something for you.” Then I hear amild thump, thump. Then hearing a very calmstatement from Neil of “You’ve got something forme.”, curiosity gets the best of me and I have tosee what is going on. Only to be met by Neilstanding by the bank of cages with Baby Jerseyattached to his hand. I don’t recall ever havinglaughed so hard in my life. I still smile whenretelling that intimate moment between the her-petologist and reptile.

I have experienced amazement during the birth oflive babies and the hatching of eggs when babysnakes first poke their heads out with their eggtooth still attached. The intimate courting of maleand female snakes during mating should be a les-son to any human male as to how to treat theirpartner. I have vacationed and hiked in spots sobeautiful that they should be on post cards but,most people don’t visit because there is no mall.Conversations with our eighteen year old turtle ashe crawls around on the lawn on a warm summer

day have been some of the most meaningful andproductive conversations I have had. My hearthas broken during the passing of MamaBullsnake and our first ever Black Throat Monitor.I feel sadness every time I see Edgar (CanebrakeRattlesnake) sitting by himself because his mateOlive has recently passed away. I felt extreme joyduring the arrival of our new 30cm Black ThroatMonitor named Akeyla. I feel the pride that only amother could feel as I have watched Akeyla growinto a three year old, thirty pound spoiled childthat showers with his father and likes to climb onthe vacuum. These experiences are all veryclose to my heart and I can’t imagine living with-out reptiles. I no longer jump on the fence at thesight of a garter snake but walk cautiously withamazement up and down buttes and in pondslooking for reptiles.

Herpetology is defined as the study of reptilesand amphibians. My definition of herpetology isto enjoy the company of reptiles and receive themas a small miracle that not every one has theopportunity to experience or learn from. I feel dis-appointment for those that choose not to havethis experience in their lives and the wealth ofknowledge that comes along with it.



Crow’s Feet? Try Snake Venom

MINNEAPOLIS— ShopNBC and IsomersLaboratories announced a new skin care product— Wrinkle Viper(TM) — an anti-wrinkle productthat uses synthesized snake venom. WrinkleViper is a combination of synthesized snakevenom peptides and anti-aging peptides that“help reduce the appearance of fine linesinduced by repeated facial movements andtime.”

The formula contains an anti- wrinkle syntheticpeptide that mimics the effect of the snakevenom peptide Waglerin-1.

“Snake venom has been used for centuries,”notes Marcheggiani, Isomers CEO and cosmeticchemist. “We wanted to harness the effect of thevenom to create an injection-free way ofaddressing surface skin lines and wrinkles andrelaxing the lines of time on our skin.”

For more information about Isomers WrinkleViper, visit ShopNBC.com.

August 3, 2005, http://www.prnewswire.com/

Featured Speakers:

L. Lee GrismerThe Amphibians and Reptiles of Peninsular Malaysia and

Adjacent Islands

Bert LangerwerfThe Amazing Tegu or Keeping Herps Outdoors to

Prevent a Ban on Keeping Them in Captivity

Bill LoveTaking Better Herp Photos for Fun and Profit

Aaron M. BauerHerps and Herping in India and Sri Lanka

Nichole ValenzuelaComparative Ecology and Sex Determination in Turtles

Ron Tremper

Philippe de Vosjoli

Jeff LeClere

and others to be announced...

O c t o b e r 2 1 - 2 3 , 2 0 0 5

MHS BOARD MEETING REVIEWAugust 6, 2005By Barb Buzicky, Recording Secretary

The Board Meeting was called to order at 6:15PM CDT at the St. Paul Student Center, Room202, a voting quorum was present.

Board Members not present were GeorgeRichard and Sarah Richard.

Non-Board Members present were Jeff LeClere,Liz Bosman, Bill Moss, Judy Brumfield, andJamie Pastika.

Minutes from the October 2, 2004, meeting wasapproved with changes, hardcopy outstanding.Minutes from the July 9, 2005, were approvedwith changes.Treasurer’s Report for February – December,2004, Revised, outstanding, holding for MHSAudit.Treasurer’s Report for Year-end 2004, Revised,outstanding, holding for MHS Audit.Membership Report for July, 2005, is outstand-ing.

General Meeting Attendance for August 5,2005, was 98.

President’s Report:There was no President’s Report.

Vice-President’s Report:September: Alysa DeVries, Artificial Insemination

in Corn SnakesOctober: George Richard, Galapagos IslandsNovember: Tony Gamble, South Africa TripDecember: Gus Renfro, Island Dwarf Boas

Committee Reports: Occasional Paper, finalchanges are being working on by Dan Keyler.Then, the copy will go to the printer.

Old Business: There still is no chairperson forthe State Fair DNR exhibit. There was talk aboutcanceling the exhibit. There was no final deci-sion. Bill Moss gave an update for the MidwestSymposium. Registrations are way behind. Thebudget submitted by the Symposium Committeewas moved and approved by the Board. SarahRichard will fill in for Board Member to fill JodiAherns’s vacated position as Member-at-Large.MHS logo caps tabled until the next meeting.Renfest Budget was submitted, and the Boardmoved and approved $500. Thanks to HeatherClayton for handling the one adoption animalthat came in, a tortoise. It was adopted. MHSAudit, Nancy Haig said that new guidelines willbe drawn up for the MHS Audit, Michelle Hewittand Liz Bosman will meet in August orSeptember to complete it.

New Business: Extra keys were obtained forthe MHS Library Cart and MHS Supplies Cart.Thanks to Fred Bosman. Tim is back at thelibrary after some health issues. Welcome backTim. Jamie Pastika talked to the Board abouthis upcoming endeavor of establishing a ReptilePark. A T-shirt design was submitted by LiamBonk. Invoice for a bill from Sir Speedy was paidby the Treasurer. Barb Buzicky will be puttingextra articles in the newsletter for Septemberregarding elections coming up in November forthe 2006 MHS Board.

Last Minute Items: Tony Gamble said that theBell Museum was the recipient of a G-12K grantfor schools to put a scientist into the classrooms.Tony will be working as a fellow on this project. Anew check for last month’s speaker was reis-sued. Randy Blasus submitted a letter of resig-nation to the Board for his position as President.

Meeting adjourned at 7:44 PM CDT.


An Open Invitation to MHS Members

Dear Herp Society Members,

You are invited to a presentation and demonstration of livereptiles by Jim Gerholdt of The Remarkable Reptiles onSunday, September 18 from 1 – 4 p.m. at the NatureEducation Center of Inspiration, a new residential develop-ment on the west side of Bayport, Minnesota.

Jim will be giving half-hour formal presentations every houron the hour from 1 – 4 p.m., with opportunities in-betweento see up-close and personal a variety of his reptilian col-lectables.

Specifically, Jim will bring with him two Minnesota state-threatened species, a Blanding’s turtle and a timber rat-tlesnake. Other Minnesota natives he’ll have on hand willinclude a 5-foot bull snake, a western hognose, an easternmilk snake, an eastern tiger salamander and a westernpainted turtle.

Native species are important to the new Inspiration devel-opment because it has been designed as a conservationneighborhood where more than 70 percent of the site –170 acres in all – are left undeveloped as open space.The open space acreage is all being restored to nativeplant communities to emulate the pre-settlement plantcommunities: northern tallgrass prairie, oak savanna,woodlands and wetlands. A large acreage of prairiealready exists on the site, and is being enhanced this fallwith a prescribed burn and enhancement seeding. (Joinus for the prescribed burn too – Sunday afternoon,October 9.)

In addition to the natives, however, Jim will also be bring-ing some of his exotic species: a leopard gecko, northernblue-tongued skink, corn snake, ball python and a 7-footboa constrictor. Last but certainly not least, he’s alsobringing a Gila monster!

There is no charge for this event. The developers ofInspiration – Contractor Property Developers Co. – simplywant to introduce people to the new Nature EducationCenter and the conservation neighborhood concept, andthus are sponsoring a wide variety of nature educationevents throughout the Fall Parade of Homes. For a com-plete schedule of activities, and directions to the neighbor-hood, visit the project website,www.inspirationbayport.com, and join us for as many ofthem as you’d like.

Andy Dahl, On-Site Naturalist Inspiration NeighborhoodContractor Property Developers Co.

For the Month Ending July 31, 2005

Beginning Checkbook Balance: 4,402.26

Income:Membership 390.00Library Fines 0.00Raffle 18.75Adoption 50.00Rodent Sales 211.00Small Item Sales 16.00Donations 100.00Midwest 100.00Other* 55.00

Total Income: 940.75

Expense:Newsletter 388.00Misc. Printing and Postage 0.00Program 50.00Library 0.00Supplies 0.00Refreshments 0.00Rodent Cost 642.76Donations 0.00Other* 180.99

Total Expense: 1,262.05

Cash Increase/(Decrease): (321.30)

Ending Checkbook Balance: 4,080.96

Placement of Cash HoldingsChecking Account 4,080.96Savings Account 6,951.17Cash on Hand 150.00Total 11,357.63

Treasurer’s Notes:

Income: MHS received a donation from Friends ofSherburne Nat. Wildlife Park*Newsletter ad

Expense: *Two months of voicemail

Minnesota Herpetological SocietyTreasurer's ReportPrepared by Nancy Haig, Treasurer


Minnesota Herpetological Society Membership Application

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

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

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

New

Renewal

Membership#

Type

Check #

Name

Address

City, State, Zip,

Phone Email List in MHS Directory? Yes No

Herp related interests

GGEETT YYOOUURR MMEESSSSAAGGEE TTOO YYOOUURRTTAARRGGEETT AAUUDDIIEENNCCEE WWIITTHH AA 11 //44

PPAAGGEE AADD..

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

Advertising Policies

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

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

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

MHS AD RATESBusiness card $5/Month $55/Year*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, September 9, 2005 7:00PMRoom 335 Borlaug Hall, U of M St. PaulCampus

MHS Voice Mail:612.624.7065

MHS Web Page:www.mnherpsoc.org

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

Non-Profit RateU.S. Postage

PAIDMpls, MN

Permit No. 2275

POSTMASTER:PLEASE DELIVER BY SEPTEMBER 6

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

vol. 25 (2005). no. 9

Documents

ya h o o

i n n e s o t ah e r

h t t p

o g i c

g r o u p s

ls o c i e t yvoice

gr o u p em

mhs newsletter