Roy Averill-Murray grew up in Arlington, Texas, in the

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1 Volume 22 October 2009 Number 10 t h i s m o n t h s g u e s t s p e a k e r Roy C. Averill-Murray Desert Tortoise Recovery Office U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Recovery Program for the Mojave Population of the Desert Tortoise 7:15 PM Tuesday, 20th October University of Arizona, BIO5/Keating Building 1657 East Helen Street n e x t m o n t h s g u e s t s p e a k e r Roy affixing a radio transmitter to a Desert Tortoise in the River Mountains, Nevada. Photo by Kim Field. Roy Averill-Murray grew up in Arlington, Texas, in the middle of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. However, his interest in reptiles and amphibians was fostered by visits to his grandparents at Possum Kingdom Lake, about 100 miles to the west, where his grandfather showed him how to hypnotize lizards by rubbing their bellies. Roy received his B.S. from Texas A&M in At Texas A&M, he worked for Dr. James R. Dixon on a Concho Watersnake project in west Texas. Learning to catch foul, ill-tempered, and sharp, fish-grabbing-toothed watersnakes paid dividends later in catching relatively mild-mannered Masticophis in Arizona (a little nip from a Coachwhip is nothing after having pried the jaws of a Blotched Watersnake from one s throat). Roy received his M.S. from the University of Arizona in 1993, under advisor Dr. Cecil Schwalbe, with a thesis on monitoring Sonoran populations of the Desert Tortoise. After a couple of years as an itinerant herpetologist, Roy was hired by the Arizona Game and Fish Department as Desert Tortoise Coordinator. Here he spent 7 years coordinating interagency management within Arizona and conducting field research on multiple projects. He was subsequently promoted to Amphibians and Reptiles Program Manager where for 2 years he continued to oversee various Desert Tortoise projects, as well as the Tarahumara Frog reintroduction, a Chiricahua Leopard Frog safe harbor agreement, Sonoran Tiger Salamander recovery plan, and the Southwest and Arizona regional working groups for Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation. From December 2004 to the present, Roy has served as the Desert Tortoise Recovery Coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He organized and supervises the Desert Tortoise Recovery Office, where he manages the Desert Tortoise recovery program within 3 Service regions, 5 field offices, and 4 states. Roy s presentation will describe recent activities of the recovery program, including revision of the Desert Tortoise Recovery Plan and research and monitoring for Desert Tortoise recovery. Roy has published 13 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters on the Desert Tortoise. He was a Board Member and Program Chair for the THS from 2002 through 2004, has served on the C.H. Lowe Research Award Review Committee since 2004, and has served as Editor of the Sonoran Herpetologist since May William Woodin Growing Up in Tucson: Herp Tales from the Early Days Tuesday, 17th November Tucson Herpetological Society meetings are open to the public and are held on the third Tuesday of each month starting at 7:15 PM

2 Conservation of Urban Amphibians in Tucson. Part I Dr. Philip C. Rosen, School of Natural Resources University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA Carianne Funicelli, RECON Environmental Inc., Tucson, Arizona, USA Prepared for Pima County Regional Flood Control District, 97 East Congress Street, 3rd Floor, Tucson, AZ Prepared by RECON Environmental, Inc., 525 West Wetmore Road, Suite 111, Tucson, AZ RECON Number 4417B Report Date: January 31, 2008; Work Completed: September 2006 Conservation Committee Note Tucson is a significant locality for amphibians for two primary reasons its large, mesic valley-bottom riparian corridors and the adequate summer rainfall afforded by its geographic location and elevation. The usually dry river beds threading their way through the city of Tucson have been abused and disregarded for decades. Since groundwater pumping has eliminated surface flows, most of the plants and animals that once thrived here are long gone. City planners are now realizing the potential for urban enrichment through developing a network of connected river parks. These parks offer hope for habitat improvements for riparian plants and wildlife as well as human recreation. Dr. Phil Rosen from the University of Arizona has been instrumental in discovering pockets of habitat among the barren concrete channels and asphalt parking lots of downtown Tucson where a surprising diversity of wildlife persists against all odds. Official surveys and reports have generated awareness of these fragile ecosystems with an emphasis on conserving them. The THS has been involved in talks with city officials advocating for open space and restoration of native habitat to be incorporated into the river-park system. Whether the city will choose to add wildlife habitat into their plans or stay the course of a linear park system, offering nothing more than a narrow pedestrian path, remains to be seen. In hopes of making our membership more aware of this issue, we are featuring two excerpts from Rosen s Conservation of Amphibians in Tucson final report over the course of the next two issues of the Sonoran Herpetologist. Part 1 is an introduction to Tucson Urban Amphibians, and Part 2 will include species accounts with emphasis on their urban niches. The entire report can be found at Dennis Caldwell, Chair, THS Conservation Committee Urban sprawl in the Phoenix Tucson metropolitan area threatens a large area important to Arizona s surprisingly rich lowland, desert amphibian fauna. Despite a human population at the million mark, metropolitan Tucson continues to support many tens of thousands of native anurans of at least six species. These populations are enjoyed by people in urban parks and other open spaces and contribute to the utility of urban wildlife as an educational resource. The species have demonstrated an ability to thrive in urban areas in the accidental interstices of modern development. As urbanization intensifies, most of these species may disappear, with the same trajectory following in newly urbanizing zones, unless specific conservation considerations are included in urban planning and development. Although frogs and toads are suffering global declines exceeding those of most other groups of vertebrate animals, the findings reported here show that they remain abundant in Tucson (Fig. 1). These findings also highlight the centrality of major valley-bottom riparian corridors for both the abundance and species richness of desert amphibians. The rapidly urbanizing Tucson Phoenix metropolitan corridor occupies much of the richest valley-bottom habitat in the northern Sonoran Desert. As such, Sonoran Desert amphibians are facing an increasingly significant threat despite the presence of remaining open valley floors in the Tohono O odham Nation. Pima County wishes to minimize the negative effects associated with urbanization, as well as learn how to protect, manage, and improve habitat conditions for these native amphibians. Why does Tucson matter to the regional amphibian population? Landscape provides the answer slope, soils, drainage patterns, and elevation. Most of the regional abundance and diversity of anurans occur along major riparian corridors on the level, mid-valley floors. This is well illustrated by results of the Tucson amphibian survey (Fig. 1; Rosen, in prep.). 106 SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 22 (10) 2009

3 There are marked patterns of amphibian breeding and habitat occupancy on the scale of the characteristic desert landscape structure. Amphibians breed where water collects in montane rock pools (tinajas) carved by powerful canyon flooding or in canyon springs and perennial or semi-perennial streams. The sloping bajadas surrounding the mountains support few breeding sites for amphibians, as rainfall either runs off into arroyos leading to the valley floor or is absorbed by coarse sandy and gravelly loam soils. On the level valley floors, runoff collects and often stands for weeks, perched on the fine, relatively impervious clays and silts, creating breeding habitat for amphibians. On these valley floors, summer rainpools, pools, and ponds are produced at natural scour features such as cutoff channels (like the oxbows in major rivers) and scour holes (which form where water pours off hard surfaces onto softer soils), as well as in-stream debris jams. This portion of the landscape is occupied by a diverse regional valley-bottom herpetofauna associated with riparian vegetation, streams, and pools. Tucson is a significant locality for amphibians for two primary reasons its large, mesic valley-bottom riparian corridors and the adequate summer rainfall afforded by its geographic location and elevation. To the north and east, temperatures drop and subtropical Sonoran species are lost. Moving north and west down the Santa Cruz and Gila valleys, rainfall diminishes, and the abundance and diversity of amphibians decline. Thus, the Santa Cruz Valley and the Tucson Basin (including the Tucson Southlands on the Santa Rita Mountains bajada) host a significant arid-lands amphibian fauna. In urban Tucson, anurans are surviving in unplanned aspects of infrastructure or in non-urbanized habitat within the urban matrix. The following types of features comprise the vast majority of urban anuran breeding sites: Preserved or neglected river bottoms (such as West Branch of the Santa Cruz and the margins of Rillito River) Shallow pools in secondary or tertiary drainage channels in the city (such as Arroyo Chico and Arcadia Wash) Figure 1. Location of key features of the Tucson Basin (facing page). Distribution of spadefoot toads in the metropolitan area (top). Distribution of summer-breeding toads (middle). Distribution of frogs and toads that may use perennial waters to breed (bottom). Distributional data are based on field surveys (P. Rosen, unpublished). Records of the Lowland Leopard Frog in the urbanized area represent populations in backyard or schoolyard ponds. The single record for Woodhouse s Toad is from SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 22 (10)

4 Figure 2. Historic (top, museum data) and recent (bottom, field data) distribution of temporary water-breeding amphibians in the Tucson Basin. Limited data available for mountain canyons are also plotted. Puddles formed in pits made by off-road vehicles or on dirt roads on valley-bottom soils Rain-filled ponds in the bottoms of abandoned gravel pits Detention and retention basins built along the urban drainageways Scour pools formed incidentally below gradecontrol structures in major washes (such as in Pantano Wash at Broadway Boulevard) Imperfectly leveled concrete drainage-channel bottoms. Because human nature tends to engineer ever-more flawless infrastructure, tending toward the elimination of most of these breeding situations, the persistence of urban amphibians is primarily fortuitous and accidental, and this persistence is threatened by growth, sprawl, and improving infrastructure. Recent and current distribution of amphibians in Tucson based upon the authors observations is shown in Fig. 1. Current and historic distributions are contrasted in Fig. 2. For the Tucson Basin, the current distribution maps of summer-breeding anurans are derived from a systematic survey by Phil Rosen, Dennis Caldwell, Jay Evenson, and David Lazaroff conducted at night during the breeding seasons of , supplemented by Rosen s earlier observations. For perennial-water anurans, the map represents observations of bullfrogs and the catalog of leopard frog populations that remain in natural areas or have been established in schools, back yards, and at other facilities. The principal riparian corridors Santa Cruz River and the Rillito River system support by far the greatest abundance and species richness of amphibians in Tucson. A second major center of amphibian life was found south of the existing city in the Lee Moore Wash basin of the Tucson Southlands region, which is slated for intensive urbanization over the coming 1-3 decades. This report is intended in part to develop concepts and methods to preserve the amphibian biodiversity in the latter region, as urbanization and infrastructure development proceed. Two species are found in a substantial number of sites outside the principal riparian corridors in the urban core of Tucson: Couch s Spadefoot (Scaphiopus couchii) and Great Plains Toad (Bufo [Anaxyrus] cognatus) (Fig. 1). Certain highly urbanized washes still support extensive breeding populations of Couch s Spadefoot, although there are areas, particularly in the old urban core, where apparently suitable washes are unoccupied. The reasons for these empty habitat areas are not known, but may include toxins, enhanced drainage to avoid standing water of sufficient duration for breeding, road mortality, or, perhaps more simply but ominously, long human occupancy. The latter possibility would suggest that urban-core populations are declining toward extirpation, though slowly. Population increases in such settings have not been observed, and anecdotally, some populations seem to be declining, although monitoring has only just begun. Twelve species of anurans are currently known from metropolitan Tucson (Table 1). Based on interviews with residents of central Tucson, and on animals provided to the authors, adult Sonoran Desert Toads, (Bufo [Ollotis] avarius) in particular, but probably also Great Plains Toads, are found many miles into the urban core distant from known or presumed possible breeding sites. This probably represents dispersal of young toads recruited from other areas, mostly the Rillito. Woodhouse s Toad (Bufo [Anaxyrus] woodhousii) apparently disappeared from metropolitan Tucson after the 1960s or early 1970s, most likely after waning for decades following the demise of surface flow in the Santa Cruz River. The extirpation and intentional reestablishment of the Lowland Leopard Frog (Rana [Lithobates] yavapaensis) is a larger topic than can be presented here. The current status of the Sonoran Green Toad (Bufo [Anaxyrus] retiformis) could not be established, but it might remain on the San Xavier District of the Tohono 108 SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 22 (10) 2009

5 Table 1. The frogs and toads known in metropolitan Tucson as of Species English Name Status Bufo alvarius Sonoran Desert Toad present, widespread Bufo cognatus Great Plains Toad present, widespread Bufo punctatus Red-spotted Toad present, rare in valley Bufo retiformis Sonoran Green Toad single locality, status unknown Bufo woodhousii Woodhouse s Toad extirpated Gastrophryne olivacea Western Narrowmouthed Toad O odham Nation. The two most threatened species that still occur in significant natural populations in metropolitan Tucson are Western Narrow-mouthed Toad (Gastrophryne ovivacea) and Mexican Spadefoot (Spea multiplicata). Non-native Anurans in Tucson Figure 1 demonstrates the extensive distribution for the American Bullfrog (Rana [Lithobates] catesbeaina), which may threaten re-establishment of the Lowland Leopard Frog. Many of these records, however, represent small numbers of dispersing juvenile bullfrogs that move down the principal riparian corridors during wet times but probably fail to reach suitable habitat for growth or breeding. Breeding populations of bullfrogs are absent from midtown Tucson and are generally few and limited in size in most of metropolitan Tucson. A program to remove this species from the city region would seem feasible, although the situation in upper Tanque Verde-Agua Caliente wash basin would require coordination with several private and public landholders. The African Clawed Frog (Xenopus laevis) was probably established at Arthur Pack Park by a researcher several decades ago, and it remains the only know population in the Arid Southwest. During rainy periods, large numbers of these frogs are observed moving from the park s golf course ponds, across roads, and presumably into nearby washes and detention basins where native amphibians occur. Since this species can carry the emerging disease chytridiomycosis, this could represent a future problem for conservation. In addition, non-native tiger salamanders (Ambystoma sp.) have been found in ponds close to but outside the metropolitan area. Recent Changes in Tucson s Anurans Figure 2 illustrates some important changes that have taken place over recent decades. Although museum collections may reflect collector bias in favor of less common species over the omnipresent Couch s Spadefoot, the magnitude of the increase of this species apparent dominance within the assemblage suggests a major shift in species diversity patterns. In the historic museum record, other species were collected at numerous, widely distributed localities in the metropolitan area, but the recent, more intensive and systematic efforts found them at fewer, more dispersed places, and rarely in abundance. Notes in the University of Arizona herpetology laboratory from the 1960s-era work of Dr. Charles H. Lowe and his students, plus specimens they deposited in the UA collection, indicate there were very high abundances of bufonid toads in ponds on and adjoining the Santa Cruz River floodplain near Grant Road and Camino del Cerro. Today, at these locations toad breeding continues, but abundances are low. While there seem to be many factors at work, field work suggests that the loss of breeding habitat with suitably long hydroperiod is the most critical factor. It seems highly likely that a conservation plan for this assemblage would be needed to prevent a significant loss of biodiversity in the metropolitan area. present, restricted distribution Hyla arenicolor Canyon Treefrog accidental in valley Rana catesbeiana American Bullfrog non-native, widespread Rana yavapaiensis Lowland Leopard Frog extirpated, re-established Scaphiopus couchii Couch s Spadefoot present, very abundant Spea multiplicata Mexican Spadefoot present, restricted distribution Xenopus laevis African Clawed Frog non-native, single locality Habitat of Summer Breeding Anurans in Tucson Breeding habitats are characterized according to degree of urbanization, macrohabitat, and environmental type (Table 2). There is a significant difference between habitat utilized in the urbanized environment and that in the surrounding area, which is mostly represented by surveys in the Lee Moore Wash basin (Tucson Southlands). Non-urbanized Areas In non-urbanized ranchlands, most of the breeding sites and an overwhelming number of the breeding individuals are found in temporary ponds constructed as stock tanks. There are a few stock tanks remaining in the urban area, however, and these support numerous species and were visited repeatedly, resulting in numerous occurrence instances (Table 2). In non-urbanized areas, natural floodplain scour pools are also used extensively as breeding habitat, especially by the Couch s Spadefoot, which has a short larval period (minimum 7.5 days) and can use almost any puddle. Natural pools are also used by the Western Narrow-mouthed Toad and the Mexican Spadefoot, and Western Narrow-mouthed Toads used them In the 1960s, there were very high abundances of bufonid toads in ponds on and adjoining the Santa Cruz River floodplain near Grant Road and Camino del Cerro. Today, at these locations toad breeding continues, but abundances are low. SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 22 (10)

6 Table 2. Amphibian breeding habitat types recorded in Tucson metropolitan area surveys, Max. Species No. of Instances Richness Breeding Habitat Urban Non-Urban TOTAL (urban/non-urban) Temporary Pond (Tank) / 5 Floodplain Scour Pool / 5 Puddle Pool / 2 Drainage Ditch / 2 River/Major Wash Flow Zone / 0 Secondary Wash Flow Zone / 1 Gravel Pit Pond / 2 Pond - other / 1 Backyard Fish Pond / - Detention-Retention Basin / - Grade Control Structure / - Ephemeral Stream (rocky) / - Swimming Pool / - Grassy Swale /? TOTAL Modern infrastructure habitat is in bold font. frequently and often preferentially over larger stock ponds. For both these species, use of this habitat type involved larger, deeper scour pools, whereas the Couch s Spadefoot was able to utilize much smaller pools. In addition, at least one instance of successful breeding in these scour pools by the Sonoran l e t t e r t o t h e e d i t o r Border Fence Conflicts The Tucson Herpetological Society website has a page dedicated to the 100-Mile Circle. A wheel with 100-mile spokes extending from its Tucson hub hosts an extensive variety of mountains, valleys, and desert plains. As the site notes, habitats produced by this topographical mixture are highly variable, leading to a wide variety of herp species living in this diverse assortment of habitats. But there s a problem. Today, the 100-mile circle is looking more like a flat tire. About 60 miles south of Tucson, well within the 100-mile circle, lies the border. Eight out of every 10 miles of Arizona borderline are now blocked by a barrier or a wall. The Bush Administration waived 36 federal protection laws, including the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act, even the Arizona Desert Wilderness Act, and now the Arizona border has seen 307 miles of enforcement infrastructure built. Though comprising only 19% of the U.S.-Mexico borderline, Arizona is subjected to nearly half of the 630 miles of barriers and walls built Desert Toad was documented; this species, as well as the Great Plains Toad, largely uses long-lasting stock ponds, but its breeding habitat is not adequately understood. These factors are reflected in the species richness column of Table 2. so far. About 150 of those miles lie within the 100- mile circle. So, migrants and smugglers are foiled in their attempts to move north, but it s no problem for herp species, who can slither past or hop through, right? Wrong. Photos show a Sonoran Desert Toad, and what looks like a Greater Short-horned Lizard (below), Continued on page SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 22 (10) 2009

7 N e w s a n d N o t e s Fish and Wildlife Service Issues 90-day Finding on Petition to List the Sonoran Population of the Desert Tortoise Under the ESA The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has reviewed a petition seeking to protect the Sonoran population of Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) as a distinct population segment (DPS) under the Endangered Species Act and announced that the petition presents substantial information indicating that adding the Sonoran population of the Desert Tortoise to the federal list of threatened or endangered animals may be warranted. The finding initiates a more thorough status review to determine whether the population warrants federal protection. The petition to protect the Sonoran Desert Tortoise under the Endangered Species Act provided substantial information to prompt a closer look at its status, said Steve Spangle, the Service s Arizona field supervisor. We ll now take a more in-depth look at the species and its threats to determine whether federal protection and recovery efforts are needed. On 9 October 2008, WildEarth Guardians and Western Watersheds Projects petitioned the Service to list the Sonoran population of the Desert Tortoise as a DPS within portions of Arizona, U.S., and Sonora, Mexico. The petitioners described the Sonoran Desert Tortoise population as all tortoises occuring east and south of the Colorado River in Arizona, extending south to the Yaqui River in southern Sonora, Mexico. The Service s 90-day finding is based on scientific information about the species as provided in the petition. The petition finding does not mean that the Service has decided to list the tortoise. Rather, this finding is the first step in a process that triggers a more thorough review of all the information available. To ensure this status review is comprehensive, the Service is soliciting information from state, tribal, and federal natural resource agencies, and all interested parties regarding the Sonoran Desert Tortoise and its habitat. Based on the status review, the Service will make one of three possible determinations: 1) Listing is not warranted, in which case no further action will be taken. 2) Listing as threatened or endangered is warranted. In this case, the Service will publish a proposal to list, solicit independent scientific peer review of the proposal, seek input from the public, and consider the input before a final decision about listing the species is Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii), Sugarloaf Mountain, Tonto National Forest, arizona. Photo by Roy C. Averill-Murray. made. The time between a species listing proposal and the final decision is typically one year. 3) Listing is warranted but precluded by other, higher priority activities. This means the species is added to the federal list of candidate species, and the proposal to list is deferred while the Service works on listing proposals for other species that are at greater risk. A warranted-but-precluded finding requires subsequent annual reviews of the finding until such time as either a listing proposal is published or a not warranted finding is made based on new information. The Sonoran population of the Desert Tortoise differs from the Mojave population, which occurs north and west of the Colorado River, and has been listed under the Act as threatened since The Desert Tortoise is currently listed as threatened in Mexico. Some of the threats to Sonoran Desert Tortoise that were identified in the petition include habitat loss resulting from urban development and improper livestock grazing, the release of captive tortoises that spread disease and affect population genetics, increased predation by coyotes and ravens that are benefiting from urban infiltration of wild areas, and increased invasive plant-driven fires. The Sonoran Desert Tortoise is currently a popular household pet for many Arizona families. At this stage, it is premature to speculate whether the Sonoran Desert Tortoise will be listed or ramifications to captive tortoises. However, both federal and state wildlife agencies strongly encourage private citizens to never release captive tortoises into the wild. Breeding captive Desert Tortoises is discouraged, as this may hurt The Service is soliciting information regarding the Sonoran Desert Tortoise and its habitat, particularly information on its status in Mexico. Information submitted in response to this request is due on or before October 27, SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 22 (10)

8 on-going conservation efforts and contributes to the over-abundance of unwanted tortoises. Released captive tortoises pose a threat to wild populations through the spread of disease and genetic contamination. Information regarding Sonoran Desert Tortoise status, threats, or its habitat in Arizona and Mexico should be submitted via: Federal erulemaking Portal: Follow the instructions for submitting comments to Docket FWS-R2-ES U.S. mail or hand-delivery: Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R2-ES ; Division of Policy and Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 222; Arlington, VA In order to be considered in this status assessment, information should be submitted by 27 October Upcoming Meetings February th Annual Symposium of the Desert Tortoise Council. Ontario, California April th Annual Meeting, Southwestern Assocation of Naturalists. Llano River Field Station, Junction, Texas July 2010 Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. Providence, Rhode Island July rd Annual International Herpetological Symposium. Tucson, Arizona. Call for Submissions: Animals Creative Nonfiction is seeking new essays for an upcoming issue about the bonds emotional, ethical, biological, physical, or otherwise between humans and animals. We re looking for stories that illustrate ways animals (wild or domestic) affect, enrich, or otherwise have an impact on our daily lives. Essays must be vivid and dramatic; they should combine a strong and compelling narrative with a significant element of research or information and reach for some universal or deeper meaning in personal experiences. We re looking for well-written prose, rich with detail and a distinctive voice. Creative Nonfiction editors will award one $1000 prize for Best Essay and one $500 prize for runner-up. Guidelines Essays must be: unpublished, 5,000 words or less, postmarked by November 13, 2009, and clearly marked Animals on both the essay and the outside of the envelope. There is a $20 reading fee (or send a reading fee of $25 to include a 4 issue CNF subscription). Multiple entries are welcome ($20/essay), as are entries from outside the U.S. (though subscription shipping costs do apply). Please send manuscript, accompanied by a cover letter with complete contact information, SASE, and payment to: Creative Nonfiction Attn: Animals 5501 Walnut Street, Suite 202 Pittsburgh, PA questions to information@creativenonfiction.org. Continued from page 110 stranded against rusted, tightly-woven steel mesh that extends all the way to the ground. Another photo, taken one hot, sunny noontime in July, reveals a Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake, coiled in the thin strip of shade cast by the wall. The hot dirt of the U.S. side s interdiction highway threatens the snake on one side. On the other, the shady Mexican underbrush teases it from a few feet beyond the wall. Sierra Club s border film, Wild Versus Wall, features a snippet of video of a 5-foot Gophersnake or perhaps a Desert Kingsnake slithering along and colliding with the wall, knocking its nose up against it at least 40 times during the 37-second clip. All of the images mentioned above were shot at the section of border wall that slices through the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area (SPRNCA). Against-the-wall photos at SPRNCA also include javelina, mule deer, and a bird that managed to 112 SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 22 (10) 2009 wiggle itself in between the mesh layers, where it now lies dead. There are no photographs, however, of migrants standing dumbfounded at the wall, scratching their heads, or throwing up their arms in resignation. No photos of smugglers parked there, defeated, smoking their loads in a last-ditch effort to console themselves. Instead, photos show wooden ladders in the grass, ropes dangling in the breeze, even steel crossbars built into the wall that sure would make nice hand and foot holds. Local residents can show you where smugglers remove entire sections of mesh and deploy vehicle ramps to defeat the barriers, proceeding to plow straight through their property and barbed wire. Even where only vehicle barriers are installed and no wall built, impacts to herp species are significant. Sixty-foot-wide swathes of desert are bladed in a straight line, even up steep mountain slopes, causing habitat loss, fragmentation, and erosion nightmares.

9 The San Pedro riverbed itself saw the installation and removal of 5-foot-tall Normandy-style vehicle barriers, complete with a wide, new road graded straight across the river, later back-filled with rip rock and trucksized boulders. As the Tucson Herpetological Society website notes, the San Pedro is one of the few Arizona rivers that actually has flowing water in it, something so special that it has been designated a United Nations World Heritage Natural Area and was named a Globally Important Bird Area by three conservation organizations. Just as a train of huge granite boulders now dams half of the San Pedro s riverbed, a long chain of walls and barriers stifle the bottom chunk of our 100-mile circle. This aspect of U.S. border enforcement policy has proved disastrous for herp species, hydrology, wildlife habitats, and travel corridors, not to mention taxpayers wallets, U.S. reputation abroad, and human rights. We need to use science and common sense to confront our policy makers and get them to come full circle on these ill-advised and ineffective barriers. It s time to make the circle whole again. For more information on the Sierra Club Borderlands Campaign, see: sierraclub.org/ borderlands. For a complete list of federal protection laws waived by former Homeland Security Secretary Chertoff under Section 102 of the Real ID Act, see: realid.asp. Dan Mills, Sierra Club B O A R D M E E T I N G S Y n o p S I S 25 August 2009 Philip R. Brown, Secretary Directors: Dennis Caldwell, Roger Repp, Philip Brown, Robin Llewellyn, Tara Luckau, Jeff Stensrud, Heidi Flugstad, Paul Condon, Taylor Edwards, Robert Villa, Young Cage Members Present (at meeting s beginning): Phil Rosen, Adrian Quijada-Mascareñas The meeting was called to oder at 1900 h by Edwards. Presentation by Rosen and Quijada-Mascareñas: Our guests presented information about a new natural history museum being considered by the University of Sonora in collaboration with the University of Arizona s School of Natural Resources and other institutions, and asked for THS support. The minutes of the June meeting (taken by Villa and amended as discussed at the July meeting) were approved (moved by Caldwell, seconded by Repp). The minutes of the July meeting were accepted as read with one typo corrected (moved by Cage, seconded by Stensrud). Treasurer s Report Flugstad 23 August 2009 Beginning Balance $5, Deposits 2, Expenses Ending Balance 7, Speaker s Bureau $1, Jarchow Award FTHL Fund C.H. Lowe Research Fund 5, General Fund 10, Mexican Tortoise $3, Itemized Income: Membership $115.00; Jarchow Award $5.00; Mexican Tortoise Project $2, Itemized Expenses: General Fund $722.47; Newsletter $124.74; Postage $ Moved (Llewellyn), seconded (Repp), and passed to accept Treasurer s Report as presented Committee Reports Homepage Luckau: No report Conservation Caldwell: We revisited the idea of List Enhancement with the Arizona League of Conservation Voters. After discussion, it was moved (Repp), seconded (Villa), and passed to opt out of participating, as it does not conform to our needs. Taylor reported that Trevor Hare will be the THS liaison for the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection. Roger presentd a new book from ASDM Press, Katie of the Sonoran Desert. This is a bilingual book, lavishly illustrated, about the life and times of a rattlesnake. Roger contributed to the information in it and is even illustrated in it as the herpetologist. A copy will be available at the Jarchow Award auction in September. Speakers Bureau: No report. Sonoran Herpetologist Edwards for Roy Averill-Murray: The Board discussed what is known about the two candidates for Editor. The decision is ultimately in the hands of the Sonoran Herpetologist Editorial Committee. Philip was introduced as the candidate for Book Review Editor, also subject to approval by the SH Committee. Program Repp: The following programs have been scheduled: 17 November - William Woodin, Growing Up in Tucson: Herp Tales from the Early Days. 15 December - Christina Jones, to be announced. C.H. Lowe Fund Edwards: We will begin accepting new proposals in the spring. Student Chapter of the THS: No report. Mexican Tortoise Project: There was a successful trip in August. New samples were obtained, and nearly all marked tortoises were located and SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 22 (10)

10 recorded. Jarchow Conservation Award Llewellyn: The presentation will be held at the Four Points Hotel, with a premeeting dinner and formal presentation following. Watch for details in the SH. Old Business Video Archive Luckau: No new activity. Tara still needs permission signatures for programs to be uploaded. Café Press for Photo Contest and THS Stuff Flugstad: No new developments. Taylor purchased a mug and found that by clicking on a box he was able to eliminate getting spam from this and related sites. Black Mountain Tortoise DPS petition Edwards: No report. Mexican Outreach: It was moved (Stensrud), seconded (Luckau), and passed to offer THS support to the UniSon museum discussed at the beginning of the meeting and to appoint Phil Rosen as the THS contact in this project. Herpetological Monitoring on Freeport Property Llewellyn: Robin sent a letter declining THS participation. Borderlands Campaign, Sierra Club: Dennis is still looking for ideas for a T-shirt design that can be made and sold as a fundraiser for this cause on top of the $500 donation approved last month. A thank-you card was received from the Sierra Club thanking us for the support Elections Committee - Llewellyn: Robin stated that she has recruited two other members for the Nominating Committee (Trevor Hare and Jillian Cowles), and they are busy attempting to assemble a slate of candidates for the November elections. New Business Overseas THS Memberships Edwards: Taylor announced that we have two international memberships, one in Switzerland and another that is an agency that makes the SH electronically available to European subscribers. Field Trip: Roger will look into organizing a THS field trip to the Phoenix Herpetological Society s facility in light of the interest shown in their presentation at the August meeting. Details to come. Listservs and other Weapons of Mass Communication: Tara began a discussion of the desirability of reaching all of our members with announcements, etc. It was determined that this should be done without the use of discussion boards. Tara and Taylor will continue to look into this. It was moved (Repp), seconded (Condon), and gratefully passed to adjourn at 2035 h. M e m B E R S H I P u p d a t e Membership Information Individual $20 Sustaining $30 Family $25 Contributing $50 Student $14 Life $500 To receive a membership form and recent issue of Sonoran Herpetologist call (520) or write: Tucson Herpetological Society, P. O. Box 709, Tucson AZ Time to Renew Your THS Membership? I hope this is a helpful reminder to those of you whose membership renewal is due this month. Please call or with corrections and errors or dhardysr@theriver.com Dave Hardy Sr., Membership Secretary Due in October John Barry, Sharon Brower, John, Janet, Elijah & Xavier Campbell, Travis LaDuc, Willliam Lambert III, Douglas & Laurie Moore, Michael Sergeant, Erin Zylstra Membership Update - 25 September 2009 Contributing Michael Cardwell Sacramento, CA Brooke Gebow Hereford, AZ Sustaining Members Allison Titcomb & Chuck Fellows Tucson Jarchow Conservation Award Brooke Gebow Hereford, AZ Horned Lizard Fund Nancy Crider El Paso, TX C.H. Lowe Research Fund Brooke Gebow Hereford, AZ Richard & Frances Zweifel Paradise, AZ Sonoran Herpetologist Book Review Policy The Sonoran Herpetologist welcomes original book reviews by its members, but reviews must be previously cleared through the Book Review editor. All requests for books to review should be made to the editor, Philip Brown. Additionally, the Book Review editor may solicit specific Tucson Herpetological Society members to review a book when that book is within a person s specialty or area of interest. Several books are currently available for review. Please contact Philip at philipandbarbara@earthlink.net for further information. 114 SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 22 (10) 2009

11 Sonoran Herpetologist is the newsletter-journal of the Tucson Herpetological Society, and is Copyright The contents of Sonoran Herpetologist may be reproduced for inclusion in the newsletters of other herpetological societies provided the material is reproduced without change and with appropriate credit, and a copy of the publication is sent to the Tucson Herpetological Society. Occasional exceptions to this policy will be noted. Contents are indexed in Zoological Record. A complete set of back issues are available in the Special Collections area of the University of Arizona library. They are accompanied by a copy of The Collected Papers of the Tucson Herpetological Society, Editor Roy Averill-Murray, averill-murray@sbcglobal.net Associate Editors Robert Bezy, bezy@comcast.net Don Swann, donswann@dakotacom.net Dale Turner, dturner@theriver.com Art Editor Dennis Caldwell, dennis@caldwell-design.com Book Review Editor Philip Brown, philipandbarbara@earthlink.net Distribution Fred Wilson, fred@fredtsdj.com Trevor Hare, trevor@skyislandalliance.org Membership Dave Hardy Sr., dhardysr@theriver.com Information for Contributors Authors should submit original articles, notes, book reviews to the Editor, either via using an attached word processed manuscript or by mail to the Society s address. The manuscript style should follow that of Journal of Herpetology and other publications of the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. For further information, please contact the editor. The Tucson Herpetological Society is dedicated to conservation, education, and research concerning the amphibians and reptiles of Arizona and Mexico. Tucson Herpetological Society is a registered non-profit organization. Officers President Taylor Edwards, taylore@u.arizona.edu Vice President Young Cage, ydcage@mac.com Secretary Philip Brown, philipandbarbara@earthlink.net Treasurer Heidi Flugstad, heidi_flugstad@hotmail.com Directors: Dennis Caldwell, dennis@caldwell-design.com Paul Condon, ptcondon@comcast.net Robin Llewellyn, robinia2@msn.com Tara Luckau, tkluckau@ .arizona.edu Jeff Stensrud, jeffstensrud@gmail.com Robert Villa, herpsandviolin@aol.com Past President Roger Repp, repp@noao.edu Society Activities Monthly Members Meeting Roger Repp, Program Chair 3rd Tuesday, 7:15 PM Board of Directors Meeting Last Tuesday of each month (except December), 7:00 PM University of Arizona, BIO5/Keating Building 1657 East Helen Street Speakers Bureau (scheduled presentations) Robert Villa, Director Ed Moll, Director Conservation Committee Dennis Caldwell, Director Herpetological Information Hotline Bob Brandner Jarchow Conservation Award Taylor Edwards, Chairperson Publications: Sonoran Herpetologist, Backyard Ponds brochure, Living with Venomous Reptiles brochure, THS Herp Coloring Book, THS Collected Papers, THS Internet World Wide Webpage Marty Tuegel, Webmaster, mtuegel@cox.net Deadline for Sonoran Herpetologist 22(12): November 8 For more information about the THS and the reptiles and amphibians of the Tucson area visit tucsonherpsociety.org SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 22 (10)

12 Your membership has expired. This is your only reminder. Please renew! Newsletter-Journal of the Tucson Herpetological Society October 2009, Volume 22, Number 10 F e a t u r e A r t i c l e 106 Conservation of Urban Amphibians in Tucson. Part I l e t t e r t o t h e e d i t o r 110 Border Fence Conflicts N e w s a n d N o t e s 111 Fish and Wildlife Service Issues 90-day Finding on Petition to List the Sonoran Population of the Desert Tortoise Under the ESA 112 Upcoming Meetings 112 Call for Submissions: Animals tucsonherpsociety.org