Photo Contest and BOD Election

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1 Volume 21 November 2008 Number 11 t h i s m o n t h s g u e s t s p e a k e r Photo Contest and BOD Election 7:15 PM Tuesday, 18th November 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 Winning photos from 2006 Photo Contest. Clockwise from left: Greater Shorthorned Lizard (Phrynosoma hernandesi) by William Wells, Mountain Treefrog (Hyla wrightorum) by Jeff Servoss, Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) by Paul Condon, Ring-necked Snake (Diadophis punctatus) by William Wells, Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) by William Wells. Tom Van Devender Yécora: Treasure of the Sierra Madre Tuesday, 16th December Tucson Herpetological Society meetings are open to the public and are held on the third Tuesday of each month starting at 7:15 PM SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 21 (11)

2 Aridlands Turtles in Southwestern North America I. Definition and Description of the Fauna Philip C. Rosen, School of Natural Resources, University of Arizona, Tucson Hans-Werner Herrmann, Human Origins Genotyping Laboratory (Arizona Research Laboratories) and School of Natural Resources, University of Arizona, Tucson Editor s Note: This article is the first in a two-part series summarizing the C.H. Lowe Fund research project, Freshwater Turtle Conservation Genetics in the Southwest. This part introduces the diverse terrestrial and freshwater turtle fauna in the arid lands of southwestern North America. Next month, the report will conclude with a summary of conservation issues and preliminary genetic studies of two species of conservation concern, the Yaqui Slider and Desert Box Turtle. Abstract The area supports a well-defined fauna with 5 families and 26 endemic taxa, which is rich for an arid region. This report introduces a diverse terrestrial and freshwater turtle fauna, totaling 21 species plus 11 subspecies, found in the arid lands of southwestern North America including the Mexican Altiplano, most of the North American Desert in the U.S., and the semi-arid western coastal plain of Mexico. This area supports a well-defined chelonian fauna rich considering the aridity with 5 families and high endemism (26 out of the 32 taxa). Mud turtles and sliders predominate, and box turtles and tortoises are also important faunal components. Alpha diversity (species occurring at single local areas) is often four, with a big-water turtle (i.e., slider), a perennial-water mud turtle, and ephemeral-water mud turtle, and a terrestrial species. In addition, at least four exotic taxa (two species plus two additional subspecies) are established, and other taxa exist as native and introduced populations in different parts of the faunal region. The Chelonian Fauna of Arid Southwestern North America For the purposes of summarizing regional diversity of the non-marine turtle fauna, we defined arid Southwestern North America to include the Sonoran and Mohave deserts, the Chihuahuan Desert except in the drainage basin of the Pecos River (which supports an eastern aquatic vertebrate fauna), the arid chaparral and semi-arid grasslands and woodlands adjoining or contained within these deserts, the Sonoran-Sinaloan thornscrub and Sinaloan Tropical Dry Forest extending south to the Rio Grande de Santiago in Nayarit, and thence east across the south end of the Mexican Altiplano to the Valley of Mexico (Fig. 1). While this area was defined ad hoc, it suffices to include the entire distributions of endemic taxa and sets of taxa that may correspond to subgenera or species complexes, leaving only widespread taxa crossing its boundaries (Hardy and McDiarmid 1969; Iverson 1992; Garcia and Ceballos 1994), as detailed below. Further, this regional definition corresponds to major patterns of 118 SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 21 (11) 2008 Figure 1. Diagrammatic view of biogeographic limits of the terrestrial and freshwater turtle fauna described in this report. freshwater fish distribution, endemism, and biogeography. As such, the aridlands chelonian fauna of Southwestern North America likely reflects historical processes also involved in development of the fish fauna of the arid West and Mexican Altiplano (Miller et al. 2005). At the eastern edge, the Pecos River and Rio Grande at and below the Pecos confluence are excluded, but Cuatro Cienegas is included. This excludes the turtle fauna of eastern North America, while including the species that clearly penetrate the arid lands. Two excluded species Rio Grande Cooter (Pseudemys gorzugi) and Texas Tortoise (Gopherus berlandieri) that occur in semi-arid to subtropical Texas and northeastern Mexico barely penetrate the Chihuahuan Desert and might be considered biogeographically intermediate between the eastern and Southwestern turtle faunas. Conant (1977) considered the Rio Grande Cooter to occur in the Chihuahuan Desert; however, we follow Morafka s (1977) more precise delimitation of the desert, which includes Cuatro Cienegas but not the areas occupied by the most upstream populations of the cooter. To the northwest, the arid central valley of California is included, but the coastal woodlands and forests are excluded. This distinction leaves the faunal list

3 unchanged except for subspecies (or evolutionary species ) of the Pacific Pond Turtle (Emys marmorata), if and when they are re-defined (Spinks and Shaffer 2005). This more or less arbitrary decision, which could be tested in other taxonomic groups, has little impact on the overview of the aridlands chelonian fauna presented here. The aridlands arena has produced a diversity of regionally endemic turtle species, primarily in groups tolerant of limited water (Table 1). There are 32 taxa (one of which, the Viesca Mud Turtle [Kinosternon hirtipes megacephalum] is considered extinct), 26 of which are endemic. This comprises 21 recognized species, 14 of which are endemic or nearly so; and among these, Table 1. Turtles of the arid southwestern region of North America, excluding marine forms. Distributional decisions are based on data and maps in Iverson (1992); Stebbins (2003); Brennan and Holycross (2006), Degenhardt et al. (1996), and Seidel (2002 and therein). English common names are based on Crother et al. (2008), Liner (1994), and Ernst et al. (2007). Conservation status is indicated as the most defensible status determination(s) (see part II of this report) found in the U.S. Endangered Species List (ESA), International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group (TFTSG). E=endangered; T=Threatened; V=Vulnerable; CR=Critically Endangered. Taxa endemic to the region are shown in boldface type. Taxon English Common Name Conservation Status Apalone spinifera Spiny Softshell A. s. atra Black Spiny Softshell E(CR)-IUCN A. s. emoryi Texas Spiny Softshell Chrysemys picta bellii Western Painted Turtle Emys (Actinemys) marmorata Pacific Pond Turtle V-IUCN Gopherus agassizii Desert Tortoise V-IUCN G. agassizii (Mohave) Mohave Tortoise T-US ESA G. agassizii (Sonoran) Sonoran Tortoise Gopherus flavomarginatus Bolson Tortoise E-US ESA Kinosternon alamosae Alamos Mud Turtle Insufficient Data Kinosternon (a.) arizonense Arizona Mud Turtle Kinosternon (a.) durangoense Durango Mud Turtle Insufficient Data Kinosternon flavescens Yellow Mud Turtle Mexican Rough-footed Mud Kinosternon hirtipes Turtle K. h. chapalaense Lake Chapala Mud Turtle K. h. hirtipes Valley of Mexico Mud Turtle K. h. magdalense San Juanico Mud Turtle K. h. megacephalum Viesca Mud Turtle (extinct) Extinct K. h. tarascense Pátzcuaro Mud Turtle K. h. murrayi Mexican Plateau Mud Turtle Kinosternon integrum Mexican Mud Turtle Kinosternon sonoriense Southwestern Mud Turtle K. s. longifemorale Sonoyta Mud Turtle Candidate-US ESA K. s. sonoriense Sonoran Mud Turtle Rhinoclemmys pulcherrima Painted Wood Turtle R. p. rogerbarbouri Western Mexican Wood Turtle Insufficient Data Terrapene coahuila Coahuilan Box Turtle E-IUCN, US ESA Terrapene nelsoni Spotted Box Turtle Terrapene n. klauberi Northern Spotted Box Turtle At Risk-TFTSG Terrapene n. nelsoni Southern Spotted Box Turtle At Risk-TFTSG Terrapene ornata luteola Desert Grassland Box Turtle Trachemys gaigeae Mexican Plateau Slider V-IUCN T. g. gaigeae Big Bend Slider T. g. hartwegi Nazas Slider Trachemys nebulosa Trans-Golfo Mexican Slider T. n. hiltoni Fuerte Slider T. n. nebulosa Baja California Slider Trachemys ornata Ornate Slider Trachemys taylori Cuatro Cienegas Slider E-IUCN Trachemys yaquia Yaqui Slider The aridlands arena has produced a diversity of regionally endemic turtle species, primarily in groups tolerant of limited water. SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 21 (11)

4 Sonora Mud Turtle (Kinosternon sonoriense), male, from Cerocahui, Rio Fuerte basin, Chihuahua, the southern-most known locality in Mexico. Photo by P.C. Rosen. The region is thus a significant arena for kinosternid turtle biodiversity, particularly considering its aridity. 16 are well-defined biological species (as opposed to evolutionary species ). These endemic biological species include 9 that have evolved in the region: 2 tortoises, 2 box turtles, and 5 mud turtles. With one exception, the tropical Painted Wood Turtle (Rhinoclemmys pulcherimma), all of the taxa are representatives of North American genera, and the biogeographic region is thus Nearctic in derivation or affinity. Over much of the region, turtle assemblages include two broadly sympatric mud turtle species: one in perennial water and one in summer ponds, with 6 species in 3 such pairs occupying the three major biogeographic provinces, the Chihuahuan, Sonoran, and Sinaloan-tropical. The region is thus a significant arena for kinosternid turtle biodiversity, particularly consid- ering its aridity. In addition, 5 endemic species of sliders have differentiated in the region, a slider diversity center comparable to the Caribbean for this, the world s most widely distributed turtle species complex (Fig. 2). Only 6 of 32 taxa (Apalone spinifera emoryi; Kinosternon flavescens, K. integrum, Emys marmorata, Rhinoclemmys pulcherimma, and Chrysemys picta) enter the region peripherally, having much larger distributions outside it. Although this turtle fauna does not rival those of diversity hotspots such as southeastern North American, southeastern Asia, and parts of South America, it is far from depauperate on a global basis. Representatives of 5 turtle families occur, a total equaled only in southeastern North America and the Middle East (see below), and exceeded by the 7 families found in the faunal interchange region of northwestern South America. In comparison, the Middle East, including North Africa, has about 16 species in 5 families. All of arid- to semi-arid Sub-Saharan Africa, including the Sahel and upper Nile, has about 24 species in 3 families, and both of those chelonian faunas are dominated by tortoises. Australia has about 28 non-marine turtle species, in 2 families, mostly concentrated in the most mesic regions of that continent. Figure 2. Distribution of the recognized species and subspecies of sliders (genus Trachemys) as currently recognized (Seidel 2002; Turtle Taxonomy Working Group 2007). Map modified from Seidel (2002) showing the seven taxa endemic to the aridlands fauna. 120 SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 21 (11) 2008

5 Thus, at 21 species in 5 families, Southwestern North America has perhaps the planet s richest aridlands turtle fauna. In addition to the native taxa, several taxa have been introduced within in the aridlands faunal region, including some that are biogeographically exotic (Table 2). For example, the Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina) is an eastern species that is established locally in Arizona and parts of the Rio Grande in New Mexico. Similarly, the Red-eared Slider and Yellow-bellied Slider (Trachemys scripta ssp.) are exotics, spreading via pet trade-releases in many parts of the faunal region often in places occupied by native endemic sliders. In contrast, the Western Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta bellii) is native within the region (Boundy 1991; Brennan and Holycross 2006) but has also been established at other sites within it. There is growing evidence of large-scale translocations of local turtles, within and outside their native ranges, giving rise to potential genetic problems. This will be described in the second installment of this series (see Part II of this series Rosen and Herrmann 2008). Literature Cited Boundy, J A possible native population of the painted turtle, Chrysemys picta, in Arizona. Bulletin of the Chicago Herpetological Society 26:33. Brennan, T.C., and A.T. Holycross A Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles in Arizona. Arizona Game and Fish Department, Phoenix. Conant, R Semiaquatic reptiles and amphibians of the Chihuahuan Desert and their relationships to drainage patterns of the region. Pp in R.H. Wauer and D.H. Riskind (eds.), Transactions of the Symposium on the Biological Resources of the Chihuahuan Desert Region, United States and Mexico. U.S. National Park Service, Proceedings Series, no. 3. Crother, B.I., et al. (Committee on Standard English and Scientific Names) Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Herpetological Circular No. 37. Degenhardt, W.G., and J.L. Christiansen Distribution and habitats of turtles in New Mexico. Southwestern Naturalist 19: Degenhardt, W.G., C.W. Painter, and A.H. Price Amphibians and Reptiles of New Mexico. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque. Ernst, C.H., R.G.M. Altenburg, and R.W. Barbour Turtles of the World. Online at eti.uva.nl/bis/turtles.php. Fuller, P., A. Foster, and L.A. Somma Chelydra serpentina serpentina. USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, FL. er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.asp?speciesid=1226 Garcia, A., and G. Ceballos Field Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of the Jalisco Coast, Mexico. Fundacio Ecologica de Cuixmala, A.C., Instituto de Biologia, U.N.A.M. Hardy, L.M., and R.W. McDiarmid The amphibians and reptiles of Sinaloa, Mexico. University of Kansas Publications, Museum of Natural History 18: Hulse, A.C Notes on the occurrence of introduced turtles in Arizona. Herpetological Review 11: A pair of mud turtle species sympatric in semi-arid subtropical to tropical environments in Sonora and Sinaloa, one primarily an inhabitant of perennial waters (the Mexican Mud Turtle Kinosternon integrum, left) and a second primarily inhabiting summer rain pools (the Alamos Mud Turtle K. alamosae, right). Photos by P.C. Rosen. In addition to the native taxa, several taxa have been introduced within in the aridlands faunal region, including some that are biogeographically exotic. Table 2. Turtle species that have been introduced and become established outside their native range at locations in the aridlands of southwestern North America. Taxon Sources Apalone spinifera ssp Miller (1946); Hulse (1980); Brennan and Holycross (2006) Chelydra serpentina Stuart (1995, 2000); Fuller et al. (2008); Brennan and Holycross (2006) Chrysemys picta ssp. Stuart (1995, 2000); Rosen (pers. obs.); Brennan and Holycross (2006) Terrapene o. ornata Stuart (2000); Rosen and Herrmann (unpublished) Trachemys scripta T. s. elegans Degenhardt and Christianson (1974); Hulse (1980); Jennings (1987); Stuart (1995, 2000) T. s. scripta Stuart (2000); Rosen (pers. obs.) SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 21 (11)

6 Iverson, J.B A revised checklist with distribution maps of the turtles of the world. Privately published. Jennings, M.R Status of the western painted turtle (Chrysemys picta bellii) in Arizona. Journal of the Arizona Academy of Science 22: Liner, E.A Scientific and common names for the amphibians and reptiles of Mexico in English and Spanish. SSAR Herpetological Circulars No. 23. Miller, R.R The probable origin of the softshelled turtle in the Colorado River Basin. Copeia 1946:46. Miller, R.R., W.L. Minckley, and S.M. Norris Freshwater Fishes of Mexico. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL. Morafka, D.J Is there a Chihuahuan Desert? A quantitative evaluation through a herpetofaunal perspective. Pp in R.H. Wauer and D.H. Riskind (eds.), Transactions of the Symposium on the Biological Resources of the Chihuahuan Desert Region, United States and Mexico. U.S. National Park Service, Proceedings Series, no. 3. Rosen, P.C., and H-W. Herrman Aridlands turtles in southwestern North America II. Conservation status and preliminary genetic studies. Sonoran Herpetologist 21, no. 11 (scheduled). Seidel, M.E Taxonomic observations on extant species and subspecies of slider turtles, genus Trachemys. Journal of Herpetology 36: Spinks, P.Q., and H.B. Shaffer Range-wide molecular analysis of the western pond turtle (Emys marmorata): cryptic variation, isolation by distance, and their conservation implications Molecular Ecology 14: Stebbins, R.C A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, 3rd ed. Houghton Mifflin, New York. Stuart, J.N Notes on aquatic turtles of the Rio Grande drainage, New Mexico. Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society 31: Stuart, J.N Additional notes on native and nonnative turtles of the Rio Grande Drainage Basin, New Mexico. Bulletin of the Chicago Herpetological Society 35: TFTSG (IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group) Turtles of the world checklist. Turtle Taxonomy Working Group [Bickham, J.W., Iverson, J. B., Parham, J.F., Philippen, H.D., Rhodin, A.G.J., Shaffer, H.B., Spinks, P.Q., and van Dijk, P.P.] An annotated list of modern turtle terminal taxa with comments on areas of taxonomic instability and recent change. Chelonian Research Monographs 4: N a t u r a l h i s t o r y n o t e s Notes on a Mount Lyell Salamander Observed near Nevada Falls, Yosemite National Park, California Howard O. Clark, Jr., and Susan I. Hagen H. T. Harvey & Associates, Fresno, California, USA; hclark@harveyecology.com Charles L. Camp first discovered the Mount Lyell Salamander (Hydromantes platycephalus) in 1915 at the head of Lyell Cañon in Yosemite National Park (Camp, 1916). Two salamanders were caught in snap traps originally set for small mammals. Camp describes the type locality in his field notes dated July 18, 1915, as a large rock outcropping in a patch of heather (100 ft. in dia.) on a steep hillside (east-facing slope) above the Donahue Pass trail at 10,800 ft. Although this heather patch lies directly in the sun almost all day, there is still snow about it and it is practically surrounded by rockslides on a bar rocky slope (Adams, 1942, p. 191). From 1933 to 1938, nearly 200 Mount Lyell Salamanders were collected from the top of Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, Mariposa County, and deposited in the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology (MVZ; Adams, 1942). Between 1950 and 1954, 13 salamanders were collected from Vernal Falls, Glacier Point, and Camp Curry within the Half Dome Quadrangle and deposited in the MVZ by R.C. Stebbins and J. Gorman (California Natural Diversity Database, 2008). In addition to the records above, the MVZ reports a specimen found on the south side of Vernal Falls in a small cave at the same elevation of the top of the falls, along the Merced River below Little Yosemite Valley, in Yosemite National Park from 30 March On 13 and 18 July 2004, four salamanders were observed on the east side of Vogelsang Lake, in Yosemite National Park. On 24 July 2004, two additional specimens were observed at the base of Bridal Veil Falls within Yosemite, in the spray zone just west of a pool. In total, the MVZ has 400 records of Mount Lyell Salamanders throughout their range, extending from ca. 39º 35 N from the north to 36º 25 N in the southern portion of their range (Wake and Papenfuss, 2005). During the late evening of 9 September 2006, we observed one adult Hydromantes platycephalus (8.8 cm snout to vent; see Storer, 1925) along the edge of the trail leading away from Nevada Falls, elevation ~ SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 21 (11) 2008

7 Mount Lyell Salamander (Hydromantes platycephalus). Photo by Howard O. Clark, Jr. m (UTM 11S E N NAD83/WGS84; Fig. 1). The salamander was active outside of its usual reported near-surface activity range (early May to late August; Adams, 1942; Jennings and Hayes, 1994). The trail ran along a north-facing granite slope with snowmelt seeping/dripping along the rock face, which are common habitat attributes for this species (Stebbins, 2003). Flora microhabitat consisted of ferns, moss, and various wildflowers along the edge of the trail associated with decomposed granite devoid of humus. Further analyses of the MVZ data indicate that the usual near-surface activity range of May to August as reported in the literature may not be necessarily accurate. In addition to our observation in September, the museum reports observations of five salamanders Figure 1. Map of Yosemite National Park. Colored balloons mark Mount Lyell Salamander MVZ records. Blue markers with >1 note that more than one salamander was present. The Black dot marks the authors observation on 8 September active near Vernal Falls on 5 November 1950 and one salamander active on 25 April 1954 at Cathedral Rocks. Jennings and Hayes (1994) noted that adults are susceptible to human intrusion during favorable years; however, our observation took place along a busy hiking trail. Two other reports from the MVZ took place along trails: on 29 May 1953 a salamander was observed 480 m west southwest along the trail of Vernal Falls, and another specimen was seen along Lodge Trail on 3 June 1951, 400 m northwest of Lodge, Glacier Point. The Mount Lyell Salamander is currently a Species of Special Concern in California (California Department of Fish and Game, 2008), and a better understanding of the specific habitat requirements required for its survival is a necessary condition for proper conservation. The observation of the species along trails may be a significant factor in future management considerations (Wake and Papenfuss, 2005). Our observation was submitted to the California Natural Diversity Database along with Fig. 1. We thank R.W. Hansen and C. Painter for providing additional comments on the manuscript. Literature Cited Adams, L The natural history and classification of the Mount Lyell Salamander Hydromantes platycephalus. University of California Publications in Zoology 46: Camp, C.L Spelerpes platycephalus, a new alpine salamander from the Yosemite National Park, California. University of California Publications in Zoology 17: California Department of Fish and Game Special Animals (865 taxa). Biogeographic Data Branch. State of California. California Natural Diversity Database RareFind 3 Software, California Department of Fish and Game, Sacramento, California. Jennings, M.R., and M.P. Hayes Amphibian and reptile species of special concern in California. California Department of Fish and Game, Rancho Cordova. Stebbins, R.C Western Reptiles and Amphibians. Third edition. Houghton Mifflin, Boston, Massachusetts. Storer, T.I A synopsis of the amphibia of California. University of California Publications in Zoology 27: Wake, D.B., and T.J. Papenfuss Hydromantes platycephalus (Camp, 1916 [b]), Mt. Lyell Salamander. Pages in M. Lannoo (ed.), Amphibian Declines: The Conservation Status of United States Species. University of California Press, Berkeley. The Mount Lyell Salamander is currently a Species of Special Concern in California, and a better understanding of the specific habitat requirements required for its survival is a necessary condition for proper conservation. SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 21 (11)

8 N e w s a n d N o t e s The petition catalogues many threats that contribute to tortoise declines including disease, livestock grazing, mining, urban sprawl, use of off-road vehicles, border patrol activities, and a lack of adequate legal protections. Federal Protection Sought for Sonoran Desert Tortoises On October 9, Western Watersheds Project and WildEarth Guardians filed a petition requesting that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) list the Sonoran Desert Tortoise population under the Endangered Species Act and designate critical habitat to protect the animal. Although to the untrained eye they may look similar, Sonoran Desert Tortoises show marked genetic and behavioral differences from tortoises found in the Mojave Desert. The Mojave Desert population was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in The petition catalogues many threats that contribute to tortoise declines including disease, livestock grazing, mining, urban sprawl, use of off-road vehicles, border patrol activities, and a lack of adequate legal protections. Extended drought caused by climate change is an additional threat. Biologists fear that human activities combined with environmental stress may be increasing susceptibility to two diseases that are now becoming increasingly common among Sonoran Desert Tortoise populations. An apparent disease epidemic led to emergency federal protection for tortoises in the Mojave Desert in If listed under the Endangered Species Act, Sonoran Desert Tortoises would be protected from take (including killing and harassment) of individual tortoises, and the USFWS would have to develop a recovery plan to map out the steps that must be taken to reverse the declines. The USFWS would also have to identify critical habitat required by the tortoise so that it can be protected to aid the conservation and recovery of the species. About the Turtle Survival Alliance Transforming passion for turtles into effective conservation through global networks of living collections and range country actions. The IUCN Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) organized in 2001 in response to the Asian Turtle Crisis. It was founded on the belief that captive populations had a role to play in the survival of Asia s endangered chelonian fauna and that multiple and diverse organizations and individuals would be needed to help stem the tide of extinction. Defined as an IUCN Partnership Alliance for Sustainable Captive Management of Freshwater Turtles and Tortoises, the TSA seeks to preserve options for the recovery of wild populations. It is the only conservation organization in the world that is dedicated solely to preventing turtle extinctions. The TSA is a task force of the IUCN/SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group (TFTSG) and is a global partnership of private individuals, zoos, aquariums, field biologists, and researchers who have joined together to help conserve threatened and endangered species of tortoises and freshwater turtles. The TSA has become an effective organization for mobilizing conservation actions that impact the global turtle crisis and building capacity in range country programs, particularly those with a captive component and that emphasize species ranked critically endangered by the IUCN Red List. The TSA has rapidly become recognized as a global force for turtle conservation and is now expanding its network to include range country programs that include a captive component. Recognizing that the battle to save turtle species will be won or lost in the country where they naturally occur, the TSA is now working with a range of rescue centers, captive breeding facilities, and headstart operations in Malaysia, Myanmar, India, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Madagascar and Mexico. Charles H. Lowe, Jr., Herpetology Research Fund 2009 Call For Proposals - Due 1 March 2009 The C.H. Lowe Herpetology Research Fund supports research that contributes to the conservation of the herpetofauna of the Sonoran Desert, including the states of Arizona, southern California, Sonora, and on the Baja California peninsula and gulf islands. Proposals are reviewed annually and awards are given up to $500. Any current THS member is eligible. Proposals that have the best chance of being funded are for research that: Focuses on herpetofauna of the Sonoran Desert; Contributes to conservation; Contributes to education; Is novel or unique; Is not supported by other means; Provides geographic distribution data; Allows equipment to be shared among multiple projects. For details about the proposal requirements or additional questions, please contact: Taylor Edwards, taylore@u.arizona.edu. 124 SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 21 (11) 2008

9 Establishing a THS Video Archive: A Call for Volunteers Since moving the general meetings to the University of Arizona s Keating building, we have been recording all general meeting presentations on DVD. The intent is to create an archive of the unique and informative presentations we have over the years. Don t you wish you could go back and see Harry Greene s Presentation on The evolution of feeding mechanisms in snakes made to the society in August 1988? Or, hear Dr. Charles Lowe s presentation in December 1988 on Arizona s rarest snake; Lampropeltis triangulum, the milksnake? Well, we hope that we will be able to offer future generations this opportunity. In addition, we have the ability with the building s AV equipment to actually webcast our general meetings. A high proportion of our membership is not in Tucson, and this would give them the opportunity to participate in our society presentations. We are looking for someone who has skills in audio/visual editing and/or web-based video transmission. Currently, we make two recordings of each presentation: one of just the presenter s slides with their voiceover, and the other with a view of the speaker and the room. These could be combined to produce a fully viewable record of the event. In addition, title, date, and credit information should be included on the disc. This document could be made available to our general membership upon request (plus material and shipping costs), which would require making and distributing copies. In addition, we would like someone to manage setting up the THS site for live webcasts. Our current Board of Directors has its hands full with various projects, so we would need someone to really take ownership of this project. It is not necessary that the volunteer be in Tucson to take on this responsibility. If you have the skills and interest to participate, please contact Taylor Edwards; taylore@ .arizona.edu. Remember the THS in Your Will Including the THS in your will is an excellent way to support the value of this organization and the conservation of the herpetofauna of the Sonoran Desert. We would like to recognize and thank anyone who has included the THS in their will. Please contact us so we can express our appreciation. For information about designating the THS in your will, please contact Kent Jacobs, Treasurer, Tucson Herpetological Society, at JacobsKent@earthlink.net. B O A R D M E E T I N G S Y n o p S I S 30 September 2008 Directors Present: Young Cage, Dennis Caldwell, Paul Condon, Taylor Edwards, Heidi Flugstad, Kent Jacobs, Robert Villa, Erin Zylstra Directors Absent: Philip Brown, Elissa Ostergaard, Roger Repp Members Present: Larry Jones, Ed Moll Minutes of the August 2008 BOD meeting Edwards for Brown: Moved (Cage), seconded (Flugstad), and passed to accept the minutes as written. Larry Jones, biologist with Coronado National Forest, reported on a project proposal he is putting together to initiate lizard walks in Sabino Canyon for kids living in urban Tucson. He plans to submit grant proposals to the USFS and the AGFD Heritage Fund. Larry would train Sabino Canyon volunteers and naturalists to be lizard guides on walks for students at a time approximately 5 days per month between March and September Larry requested that THS provide assistance with educational outreach materials, volunteers, and editing of the grant proposals. After Larry s presentation, the BOD discussed the project and it was moved (Villa), seconded (Jacobs), and passed to provide Larry with the following assistance on the project: access to THS educational materials, space in the SH for an announcement and call for volunteers, review of grant proposals, and letters of support for the project to include with grant proposals. Treasurer s Report Jacobs 26 September 2008 Beginning Balance $22, Deposits $ Expenses $1, Ending Balance $21, Speaker s Bureau $ Jarchow Award $ FTHL Fund $ C. H. Lowe Research $7, General Fund $10, Mexican Tortoise $2, CRHSD CD $5, Itemized Deposits (22 August 26 September 2008): Membership $ Itemized Expenses: Postage $84.00; UNAM (Van Devender book) $500.00; Newsletter $150.82; Scanning of SH back issues $ Committee Reports Homepage Edwards for Marty Tuegel: Site is updated with next month s speaker. Work continues on getting past articles posted. Taylor mentioned that we re currently recording general meetings on DVD but we could also put webcasts of talks on the THS website. An SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 21 (11)

10 announcement may be put in the SH requesting technical help with video archiving the talks or posting webcasts on the homepage. Conservation Caldwell: Unfortunately, the state trust land initiative that THS planned on supporting will no longer be on the November ballot. Speaker s Bureau Moll and Villa: Ed is starting a program where he intends to present information about living with urban reptiles to new housing developments and other appropriate groups. He plans on using a live Gila Monster during these programs. THS will not directly sponsor these events because of our policy regarding the use of venomous animals for presentations. However, we still would provide educational material if needed. Programs in September: 6 September Ed presented a program using live animals to 15 people at Oracle State Park. Following the presentation, Ed led a nature hike over park trails looking for wild herps September Robert Villa and Krista Schmidt manned a THS table and assisted with presentation projection at the Turtle Survival Alliance meetings in Tucson. 21 September Robert led a tour for several international turtle experts in the Tucson Mountains looking for Desert Tortoises September Robert, Young, Bill Savary, John Porter, Chuck Rau, Emma Mujica, and Brandon LaForest manned a THS information table at the Tucson Reptile and Amphibian Show and Sale. Upcoming programs: 4 October Robert plans on giving a presentation at Saguaro National Park West visitor center on herps of the 100-mile circle. Sonoran Herpetologist Edwards for Roy Averill- Murray: Roy is still in need of material for upcoming issues. Additionally, Taylor noted that he has not received many requests from members for electronic copies of the SH after the recent announcement. Program Repp: Upcoming programs include: 16 December Tom Van Devender, Yécora: treasure of the Sierra Madre 20 January Ed Moll, Patronyms of southwestern amphibians and reptiles 17 February Jeff Lovich, TBD C. H. Lowe Fund Edwards: An announcement about the deadline for 2009 proposals will be posted in the November and December issues of the SH. Student Chapter of the THS Edwards for Emma Mujica: The student group will be accompanying Hans- Werner Herrmann on a field trip in the next month. THS Elections Repp: Roger, Ed, and Dale Turner have agreed to serve on the nominating committee. Taylor and Philip have agreed to continue as President and Secretary, respectively, next year. The nominating committee is currently looking for people to fill several slots, including Vice President, Treasurer, and Directors. 126 SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 21 (11) 2008 New Business THS apparel Caldwell: There are very few THS baseball caps left, and Dennis is thinking about reordering. The company we buy the caps from is looking to get rid of their stock at reduced prices. It was moved (Zylstra), seconded (Condon), and passed that Dennis could spend up to $900 on caps. Living with venomous reptiles brochures Edwards: Taylor received a request for more brochures, but THS and AGFD don t have many available. Dennis just finished revising some of the artwork in that brochure for PARC and will look into financing a reprinting of the brochures. 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 November Emily Bennett, Collins & Susan Cochran, Kelly Donithan, Douglas Eifler, Lainie Levick, Hugh McCrystal, Danny Mello, Edward Moll, Andrew Price, Manny Rubio, Russ & Karen Solsky, Ron Spark, Aviva Tirosh & Patty Kane, Dale Turner & Julia Fonseca Membership Update - 24 October 2008 Contributing Richard & Frances Zweifel Portal New Members Edward & Linda Bartlett John, Janet, Elijah & Xavier Campbell Willliam Lambert III Michael Sergeant Lowe Research Fund and Horned Lizard Fund Richard & Frances Zweifel Portal Tucson Tucson Tucson Silver City, NM

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 Eric Stitt, stitt@cox.net Distribution Fred Wilson, fredtj@comcast.net 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 Elissa Ostergaard, elissaost@gmail.com Secretary Philip Brown, philipandbarbara@earthlink.net Treasurer Kent Jacobs, jacobskent@earthlink.net Directors: Young Cage, ydcage@aol.com Dennis Caldwell, dennis@caldwell-design.com Paul Condon, ptcondon@comcast.net Heidi Flugstad, flugstad@ .arizona.edu Robert Villa, herpsandviolin@aol.com Erin Zylstra, erinzylstra@hotmail.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(1): December 8 For more information about the THS and the reptiles and amphibians of the Tucson area visit tucsonherpsociety.org SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 21 (11)

12 Your membership has expired. This is your only reminder. Please renew! Newsletter-Journal of the Tucson Herpetological Society November 2008, Volume 21, Number 11 C. H. L o w e F u n d s u m m a r y 118 Aridlands Turtles in Southwestern North America I. Definition and Description of the Fauna N a t u r a l h i s t o r y n o t e s 122 Notes on a Mount Lyell Salamander Observed near Nevada Falls, Yosemite National Park, California N e w s a n d N o t e s 124 Federal Protection Sought for Sonoran Desert Tortoises 124 About the Turtle Survival Alliance 124 Charles H. Lowe, Jr., Herpetology Research Fund 125 Establishing a THS Video Archive: A Call for Volunteers tucsonherpsociety.org