Elissa Ostergaard received her BS from The Evergreen

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1 Volume 16 July 2003 Number 7 T H I S M O N T H ' S G U E S T Elissa Ostergaard S P E A K E R Urban Wildlife Specialist Region 5, Arizona Game and Fish Department Stormwater Ponds: Breeding Havens for Urban Amphibians in the Pacific Northwest? 7:15 PM Tuesday, July 15th Arizona Game and Fish Department Office 555 North Greasewood Road (between Speedway and Anklam, west of Pima Community College.) Elissa Ostergaard received her BS from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, and her MS in Wildlife Science from the University of Washington in 2001 under the advisement by Dr. Steve West and Dr. Klaus Richter. Elissa gained an interest in urban ecology while working for the King County Department of Natural Resources in Seattle during the last part of the 1990s. Her work there was focused on freshwater systems and included monitoring streams, pond-breeding amphibians, and spawning salmon. Her interest in amphibians was gained by traipsing about wetlands with Klaus Richter, one of King County s finest Senior Ecologists and amphibian enthusiasts. For a brief year she was the Washington Vice President of the Society for Northwestern Vertebrate Biology. Her move to Tucson in early 2002 was inspired by many college-year spring break road trips from drippy Olympia to drier environs. After a brief visit to Tucson in March 2002, she managed to obtain a field position with Mark Briggs and work outside almost every day during the hot summer of 2002, inventorying surface waters in Saguaro National Park East and helping with various riparian restoration and monitoring tasks around Tucson and Sonora, Mexico. She is currently the Urban Wildlife Specialist for the Arizona Game and Fish Department for Region 5, Tucson, where she is greatly expanding her spheres of wildlife interaction. Elissa s presentation is based on her MS work at the University of Washington. Public Comment Sought on Commission Orders Each year the Arizona Game and Fish Department s Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program solicits public comment on selected Commission Orders. Beginning Monday, July 21, 2003, you may submit written comments on Commission Order 25 (Raptor Capture), 41 (Amphibians), 42 (Crustaceans & Mollusks), and 43 (Amphibians & Reptiles). Copies of the Commission Orders and proposed changes will be made available on our website under the regulations subsection by calling , or by writing to: Nongame and Endangered Wildlife Program, Arizona Game and Fish Department, 2221 West Greenway Road, Phoenix, Arizona The comment deadline is August 19, If requested by the public, meetings on the proposed changes will be held in Phoenix, Tucson, and Flagstaff in August. Please submit written comments or meeting requests to the above address, or by to: CommOrd25@gf.state.az.usc continued on page 57 N E X T M O N T H ' S G U E S T S P E A K E R Gary Paul Nabhan Director, Center for Sustainable Environments Northern Arizona University Traditional Ecological Knowledge of Desert Reptiles: Seri Indian Ethnoherpetology Tuesday, August 19 th Tucson Herpetological Society meetings are open to the public and are held on the third Tuesday of each month starting at 7:15PM SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 16 (7)

2 P A T R O N Y M S O F T H E P I O N E E R W E S T Figure 1 A. F. Wislizenus courtesy the Missouri Historical Society III. Gambelia wislizenii (Baird and Girard, 1852) - Long-nosed Leopard Lizard Edward O. Moll Adjunct Professor School of Renewable Natural Resources University of Arizona Long-nosed leopard lizards inhabit arid to semiarid habitats from Oregon and Idaho, south through Arizona, New Mexico and on into northern Mexico. They are voracious predators, taking not only the typical lizard fare of crickets and grasshoppers, but also small vertebrates, such as lizards and mice. One of my most memorable encounters with this species occurred in the 1960s on a field trip to Beaver Dam Wash in the Mojave Desert of Southeastern Utah. While resting on a hillside, I noticed a large, adult Leopard lizard moving in slow, deliberate fashion, along the edge of a wash. The suffusion of orange color on the lizard s face, neck, and body indicated a female in breeding condition. Using my binoculars, I watched the lizard s progress for several minutes. Suddenly, with a swirl of dust, another lizard bounded out from the shade of a small shrub colliding with the female at full throttle. Due to the dust surrounding the encounter, it was impossible from my vantage point to tell what was happening and so I rushed to the scene. Upon my arrival, the late-comer (presumably a male) was biting the female s neck and had its tail curled under her posterior (either in copulo or trying to be) - so much for courtship among Leopard lizards. The female, deciding not to tolerate further indignities, wrenched free of the male and disappeared at bipedal warp speed (or there about). However, I succeeded in grabbing the male, who expressed his displeasure at my intrusion by gaping his ample maw and displaying the jet black lining of his mouth and throat. Feeling 50 SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 16 (7) 2003

3 somewhat chagrined at my callousness, I immediately released the testy suitor to seek love another day. Cherchez la femme. Gambelia wislizenii is a taxonomic oddity comprising a double patronym. The generic name honors William Gambel, an assistant curator at the prestigious Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. The specific epithet honors Adolph Wislizenus, an adventurous physician from St. Louis. Herein we will delve into the history of how the names of these two very different 19 th century naturalists came to be linked on the scientific name of a feisty, western lizard. The Long-nosed leopard lizard was first described in 1852 by Spencer F. Baird (Assistant Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution) and Charles Girard (Baird s chief assistant) in their review of the reptiles collected during the exploration and survey of the valley of the Great Salt Lake lead by Howard Stansbury. However, the type specimen had nothing to do with the Stansbury Expedition; rather it had been collected near Santa Fe, New Mexico around the time of the Mexican War. It was named Crotaphytus wislizenii in honor of the army surgeon who collected it, Friedrich Wislizenus and was figured in plate III. Later that same year Baird and Girard described another similar lizard, as Crotaphytus gambelii. This specimen had been collected by William Gambel on his last trip to California, but no precise locality data were available. By 1859 in the report, Reptiles of the Boundary, Baird had apparently decided that C. wislizenii and C. gambelii were the same species and listed the latter in the synonomy of Crotaphytus wislizenii. However, within this same publication in a short discussion under Crotaphytus reticulatus, Baird stated that reticulatus was More closely related to Crotaphytus collaris than to Crotaphytus (Gambelia) wislizenii. It is unclear whether Baird was indicating that wislizenii was a different subgroup from other Crotaphytus but this is how Hobart M. Smith interpreted usage of the name, Gambelia, in parentheses. In his 1946 Handbook of Lizards, Smith separated Gambelia from Crotaphytus. His source for the name Gambelia was the aforementioned usage by Spencer Baird. Thus Gambelia wislizenii become a lizard burdened to carry two patronyms. The pendulum of taxonomic nomenclature continues to swing back and forth between Gambelia and Crotaphytus, but for now, the former is the accepted genus for Leopard lizards. Today, the genus Gambelia includes two additional species: the Blunt-nosed leopard lizard (G. sila) and Cope s leopard lizard (G. copeii). Frederick Adolph Wislizenus was born in Koenigsee, Schwarzburg-Rudolstady, Germany in Emigrating to the United States in 1835 following an unsuccessful student uprising in which he participated, Wislizenus settled in Illinois near St. Louis and set up a medical practice. However, this physician was not one to let grass grow between his toes. Succumbing to wanderlust, he joined a cadre of fur traders traveling the Oregon Trail in Wislizenus accompanied them as far as Idaho; then he joined another party that traveled through Colorado to Bert s Fort on the Santa Fe Trail, and from there he returned to St. Louis. A result of this journey was a book entitled A Journey to The Rocky Mountains in the Year While not a confirmed naturalist, Wislizenus had made the acquaintance of the celebrated botanist George Englemann who had instilled in him the importance of making collections and natural history observations when traveling. Apparently no herps were collected on this journey. However, he did describe a horned frog that he correctly identified as a lizard and which appears to have been Phrynosoma cornutum. By 1846, Wislizenus was ready to go again. Joining a group of traders, he traveled to Santa Fe and then on to Chihuahua. This was a troubled time, just before the outbreak of the Mexican War and the U.S. Army was suspicious that any party of traders heading from Mexico might be carrying arms. According to one account, Wislizenus s group was pursued by an attachment of soldiers led by Colonel Stephen Kearney, commander of the Army of the West, but they reached Mexico safely. However, it was out of the frying pan and into the fire, for they were immediately taken as prisoners of war by the Mexicans and were interred at a camp in the Sierra Madre Occidental. Apparently Wislizenus was not considered to be too much of a threat to Mexican security as he was permitted to wander up to two leagues away from the prison camp, in order to collect plants, many of which are still rarities in herbaria. Eventually, he was rescued by a company of U.S. troops. Indebted to the army for the rescue, he then joined them for a time as a surgeon before returning to St. Louis. Sometime during this adventure, Wislizenus collected the type specimen of the Long-nosed leopard lizard*. His adventures on this trip were later published in an 1848 government report entitled Tour Through Northern Mexico which included a section by George Englemann, describing the unusual plants collected. Following this adventure, Wislizenus married and settled down in St. Louis. He became a respected pillar of the community helping to found the Missouri Historical Society and the Academy of Science of St. Louis. Scientists named several new species after him. In addition to the Long-nosed leopard lizard, Asa Gray, the famous Harvard botanist, added the legume, Dalea wislizeni, and Augustine de Candolle, the Swiss botanist, described an oak as Quercus wislizenii. Presumably, these scientists thought highly of Wislizenus. However, one need wonder continued on page 52 Wislizenus settled in Illinois near St. Louis and set up a medical practice. However, this physician was not one to let grass grow between his toes. Succumbing to wanderlust, he joined a cadre of fur traders traveling the Oregon Trail in SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 16 (7)

4 about his mentor, George Englemann, who named Wislizenia refracta, the jackass clover in his honor. Born in 1821, William Gambel was another adventurer, but with more naturalist training than Wislizenus. His was an aborted but productive career. At 19 he trained under the renowned naturalist Thomas Nuttall in Philadelphia. By 1841 Nuttall decided Gambel was ready to procure specimens for the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia and encouraged him to join a party of trappers bound for the southern Rockies. They followed the Santa Fe trail to New Mexico, traveled through Colorado and finally reached San Pedro, California. While on the coast, Gambel obtained employment as a personal secretary to several U.S. naval commanders. In this capacity, he was able to sail up and down the California Coast and collect whenever he had shore leave. Gambel was most into ornithology but Nuttall had taught him the importance of general collecting and all of the techniques needed to preserve specimens. He collected birds, plants and, of course, herps. He returned to Philadelphia in 1845 by sailing round the Horn and immediately set to work describing his excellently preserved bird collections. He was given the title of assistant curator at the prestigious Academy. However, Gambel made, what proved to be, a fatal error. He gained the ire of John Cassin, his superior in the Academy, by naming an auklet in his honor only to find that it had been previously named by a German naturalist in Without Cassin s support, Gambel saw that he would never advance to curator at the Academy and thus set out on a new course in life. He qualified to practice medicine, married, and decided to settle in San Francisco. Sadly, Gambel never completed his trip to San Francisco. After crossing the treacherous, snow-covered Sierra Nevadas in mid winter, he stopped to aid sick miners at the Rio de las Plumas. Here he contracted typhoid fever and died at 26 years of age. Despite his young age, Gambel s scientific contributions were substantial. Based on his publications, he was the authority on birds of the West Coast at the time of his death. In addition to the Leopard Lizards, several organisms that he collected have been named in his honor. Among these are Gambel s quail (Callipella gambelii), the Mountain chickadee (Parus gambeli), Gambel s oak (Quercus gambelii), and the Showy island snapdragon (Gambelia speciosa). So we conclude that while two patronyms may be lot of baggage to lug around, the Long-nosed leopard lizard can be justly proud of being christened in honor of two such distinguished pioneers in the natural history of Western United States. SOURCES Adler, Kraig (ed.) Herpetological explorations of the great American west. Vol. 1. Arno Press, New York. Baird, Spencer F. and Charles Girard Reptiles. P.p in Howard Stansbury. Exploration and survey of the valley of the Great Salt Lake of Utah. Philadelphia Baird, Spencer F. and Charles Girard Characteristics of some new reptiles in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution. Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia. Baird, Spencer F Reptiles of the Boundary. Pp in United States and Mexican Boundary Survey. Washington D.C. Evans, Howard, E Pioneer Naturalists. Henry Holt Co., New York Ewan, Joseph, and Nesta Dunn Ewan Rocky Mountain naturalists. Dr. W. Junk, Boston. Fischer, Dan, L Early southwest ornithologists. Univ. of Arizona Press, Tucson. Smith, Hobart, M Handbook of Lizards. Comstock Publishing Co. Ithaca, NY. Cluster Amplexus 2003! Greetings, Toad Lovers, Insomniacs, and Heliophobes! The summer rains will soon be here and, yes, we are preparing for Cluster Amplexus 2003, so named because clusters of species come to the same ponds to breed at the same time. Funded by the Department of Interior s Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (ARMI), this effort is part of a larger project to determine the status our native desert-breeding toads and spadefoots. We will again be conducting our surveys of amphibians at Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge this summer. We worked many of the bugs out of the system last summer and are excited at the prospect of including Vocalizing Mexican Spadefoot (Spea multiplicata) more species in our surveys this year. To make the surveys work, we need eight volunteers each night to assist project personnel. Though simple in concept, no one was crazy enough to attempt this logistically challenging design before our maiden voyage last summer. The results were so encouraging; we can t wait to do it again. 52 SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 16 (7) 2003

5 The goal for a given evening s activity is simply to catch as many of the amphibians as possible, weigh, measure and mark them (so we can tell if we catch them again), release them back to the same pond, encourage them to begin calling again by playing anuran love songs to them (their pre-recorded Great Plains Narrow-mouthed Toad (Gastrophryne olivacea) breeding calls), and then repeat the entire process again. The ratio of the number of marked to unmarked (not caught the first time) animals allows us to estimate the total number of each species at that pond). In the area near the refuge, as many as seven different species have been observed at the same pond Great Plains Toads (Bufo cognatus) in a single night. If you want a night you will long remember and help us get a handle on how our frogs and toads are doing, sign up for our telephone tree. No previous experience is necessary, just a willingness to give up a night s sleep and possibly work in the rain we have extra ponchos if needed. As the summer rains begin, our field crew will confirm that the thunderstorms we are tracking by radar on the Web are actually raining at our study sites at the refuge. We will then begin calling our telephone tree of volunteers until we get a firm commitment from eight people for that night s surveys. We will all then meet at a designated site at the refuge, usually at 8:30 p.m. and work through most of the night. Last year we usually finished between 2 and 4 a.m. We will assist in arranging carpools and travel to and from the refuge. Specific objectives this summer include measuring yearto-year variation in population estimates of common species such as Couch s Spadefoot (Scaphiopus couchii) and the Mexican Spadefoot (Spea multiplicata), surveying populations of Colorado River Toads (Bufo alvarius) and Great Plains Toads (B. cognatus), and determining the feasibility of surveying such species as Great Plains Narrow-mouthed Toads (Gastrophryne olivacea) and Red-spotted Toads (B. punctatus). We understand the difficulty most of us have in getting free from our work and other commitments at essentially a moment s notice, so we need quite a long list of potential volunteers just to get eight people out there on a given night. Frogs and toads apparently have no respect of human scheduling; they worship only the rain gods. We can promise any of you interested in attending that you will be given more than one opportunity to attend one of these events. If you already know specific nights you can be available, we will put your name at the top of that night s list to call. Likewise, if you know nights you are unavailable, we will enter that into our spreadsheet as well. If you are interested in signing up or getting more information about the project, please contact Brent Sigafus (bsigafus@ag.arizona.edu, ) or Cecil Schwalbe (cecils@ag.arizona.edu, ext. 3). Come join us. You won t forget it!! SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 16 (7)

6 H E R P E T O F A U N A O F T H E M I L E C I R C L E Barking Frog (Eleutherodactylus augusti) from Cochise Co., AZ. Photo by Erik F. Enderson Barking Frog Eleutherodactylus augusti (Dugés, 1879 in Brocchi, 1882) Caren Goldberg University of Arizona, School of Renewable Natural Resources Barking frogs (Eleutherodactylus augusti) live farther north than any other member of the large neotropical family Leptodactylidae. They are distributed from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in southern Mexico through the Sierra Madre Occidental into Arizona and the Sierra Madre Oriental into Texas and New Mexico (Zweifel, 1967). Like all other members of the genus Eleutherodactylus, barking frogs develop directly from eggs to small frogs, with no tadpole stage. The advertisement call of the eastern barking frog (E. a. latrans) sounds like the yapping of a small dog. In Arizona, however, we have the western barking frog (E. a. cactorum), which does not sound like a dog unless you are fairly far away and not paying much attention. Barking frogs in Arizona also differ from those in New Mexico and Texas in morphology, behavior, and mitochondrial genetic sequence, and likely represent a different species (C. Goldberg, B. Sullivan, J. Malone, C. Schwalbe, unpub. data). Barking frogs can be distinguished from all other anurans in Arizona by the fold of skin across the back of the frog s head and the well-developed tubercles on their feet. They are terrestrial and commonly found on cliffs, caves, and rock outcrops in a variety of biotic Barking Frog (Eleutherodactylus augusti) from Cochise Co., AZ. Photo by Erik F. Enderson communities (Smith and Buechner, 1947; Wright and Wright, 1949; Bezy et al., 1966; Reddell, 1971). In Arizona, barking frogs have been found on limestone, 54 SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 16 (7) 2003

7 rhyolite, and other rock outcrops in Madrean evergreen woodland, and are strongly associated with Naco Group limestone in the Huachuca Mountains (Bezy et al., 1966; Goldberg and Schwalbe, 2000). Barking frogs have been found in caves and abandoned mines throughout their range (Reddell, 1971; Hubbard et al., 1979; Goldberg and Schwalbe, 2000; C. Schwalbe., pers. comm.). In Arizona, barking frogs have been documented in the Santa Rita (Slevin, 1931), Pajarito (Bezy et al., 1966), Huachuca (Schwalbe et al., 1997) and Quinlan (Enderson, 2002) Mountains at elevations of 1,280 1,890 m. There is also an unconfirmed report of a barking frog caught in the Sierra Ancha of central Arizona (Wright and Wright, 1949). Barking frogs are extremely difficult to detect unless you are in the right place at the right time, in which case their loud call identifies their presence. Their call is ventriloquistic, so barking frogs are difficult to locate even after they are detected. In Arizona, barking frogs call for only two to four weeks on rainy nights after the start of the summer monsoons in late June or July (Goldberg and Schwalbe, 2000). The call can be heard from more than 600 m in many cases. A population of barking frogs can only be relied upon to call during the first two or three nights after the first full monsoon storm hits a particular spot. This short window of timing is difficult to catch and many of the sky islands in southeastern Arizona likely contain undocumented barking frog populations. In Arizona, gravid females have been found in June (Goldberg and Schwalbe, 2000; unpublished data). Females likely deposit eggs in moist or rainfilled cracks, fissures, and in caves (Wright and Wright, 1949). Eggs may also be deposited in moist earth under rocks (Jameson, 1950). Jameson (1950) hypothesized that male barking frogs guard the egg clutch and maintain moisture levels by excretion. However, our radio-tracking data from Arizona suggests that males move too frequently to guard eggs and that females may stay with the clutch (Goldberg and Schwalbe, 2000). Clutches contain from eggs (Wright and Wright, 1949; McAlister, 1954; Degenhardt et al., 1996). One clutch contained eggs with diameters of mm (Valett and Jameson, 1961). Hatching is estimated to occur after days of development in Texas (Jameson, 1950); anecdotal evidence from Arizona suggests that one clutch may have hatched in 21 days (Goldberg and Schwalbe, 2000). Adult size of barking frogs ranges from mm (Wright and Wright, 1949; Zweifel, 1956; Anderson and Lidicker, 1963). Adult females in the Huachuca Mountains of Arizona were larger than males by an average of 7.1 mm (Goldberg and Schwalbe, 2000). Males in Arizona have dark tympana and adult males have dark throats during the calling season; females have pink tympana and white throats year-round (Goldberg and Schwalbe, 2000). Barking frogs can live at least six years as adults in the wild. An adult frog from Sonora, Mexico, lived in captivity for 11 years at the Arizona- Sonora Desert Museum. In the wild, barking frogs have been known to eat camel crickets (Ceuthophilus sp.), field crickets (Acheta assimilis), Gladston grasshoppers (Melanoplus gladstoni), longhorned katydids (Tettiganiidae), short-horned grasshoppers (probably Acrididae), land snails (Bulimului sp. and Succinea sp.), silverfish (Lepisma saccharina), centipedes (Scolopendra sp.), scorpions (Vaejovis sp.), kissing bugs (Triatoma sp.), spiders, and adult ant lions (Hesperoleon niger; McAlister, 1954; Olson, 1959; Schwalbe et al., 1997; Radke, 1998; Goldberg and Schwalbe, 2000). In captivity, barking frogs have eaten cave crickets (Pholeogryllus geertsi; Olson, 1959) and cliff chirping frogs (Jameson, 1955). Most barking frog populations in southern Arizona are probably located on U. S. Forest Service land, fairly well protected from disturbance. However, the geologic association of copper with limestone in southeastern Arizona may have led to the destruction of barking frog habitat in many of the mountains of southeastern Arizona through large-scale open-pit copper mining (Goldberg 2002). continued on page 56 Barking Frog (Eleutherodactylus augusti) from Pima Co., AZ. Photo by Erik F. Enderson SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 16 (7)

8 B O A R D M E E T I N G S Y N O P S I S Literature cited Anderson, J.D. and W.Z. Lidicker, Jr A contribution of our knowledge of the herpetofauna of the Mexican state of Aguascalientes. Herpetologica 19(1):40-51 Bezy, R.L., W.C. Sherbrooke and C.H. Lowe The rediscovery of Eleutherodactylus augusti in Arizona. Herpetologica 22: Brocchi, M.P Étude des Batraciens de l Amérique Centrale. Mission scientifique au Mexique et dans l Amérique Centrale. Recherches Zoologiques, part 3, section 2: Degenhardt, W.G., C.W. Painter and A.H. Price Amphibians and Reptiles of New Mexico. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, New Mexico. Enderson, E. F Eleutherodactylus augusti cactorum. Herpetological Review 33:316. Goldberg, C.S Habitat, spatial population structure, and methods for monitoring barking frogs (Eleutherodactylus augusti) in southern Arizona. M.S. Thesis, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA. Goldberg, C.S. and Schwalbe, C.R Population ecology of the barking frog. Arizona Game and Fish Department Heritage Fund report, IIPAM project number I Phoenix, AZ. Hubbard, J.P., H.C. Conway, H. Campbell, G. Schmitt and M.D. Hatch Handbook of species endangered in New Mexico. New Mexico Department of Game and Fish. Jameson, D.L The development of Eleutherodactylus latrans. Copeia 1950: Jameson, D.L The population dynamics of the cliff frog, Syrrhophus marnocki. American Midland Naturalist 54: McAlister, W Natural history notes on the barking frog. Herpetologica 10: Olson, R.E Notes on some Texas herptiles. Herpetologica 15:48. Radke, M.F Ecology of the barking frog (Eleutherodactylus augusti) in Caves County, New Mexico. Report to New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, Share with Wildlife. Reddell, J.R A checklist of the cave fauna of Texas. Part 6: Additional records of vertebrata. Texas Journal of Science 22: Schwalbe, C.R., B. Alberti and M. Gilbert The limestone troll. Bajada 5(3):1. Slevin, J.R Range extensions of certain western species of reptiles and amphibians. Copeia 1931(3): Smith, H.M. and H.K. Buechner The influence of the Balcones Escarpment on the distribution of amphibians and reptiles in Texas. Bulletin of the Chicago Academy of Sciences 8:1-16. Valett, B.B. and D.L. Jameson The embryology of Eleutherodactylus augusti latrans. Copeia 1961(1): Wright, A.H. and A.A. Wright Handbook of Frogs and Toads of the United States and Canada. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca, New York. Zweifel, R.G A survey of the frogs of the augusti group, genus Eleutherodactylus. American Museum Novitates: Zweifel, R.G Eleutherodactylus augusti. Catalogue of American amphibians and reptiles, 41: June 2003 Robert L. Bezy, Secretary Directors Present: Bob Bezy, Jillian Cowles, Cristina Jones, Don Swann, Marty Tuegel. Directors Absent: Roy Averill-Murray, Taylor Edwards, Hans Koenig, Ed Moll, Eric Stitt. Members Present: Dennis Caldwell. Treasurer s Report -Tuegel Beginning Balance $12, Deposits $ Expenses $ Ending Balance $12, Speakers Bureau $1, Jarchow Award $ FTHL Fund $ C.H.Lowe Fund $3, PARC $ General Fund $7, CRHSDIII (CD) $6, Itemized Deposits: C.H. Lowe Fund $30.00, FTHL $5.00, Jarcho $30.00, Membership $215.00, PARC $25.00, Speakers Bureau $ Itemized Expenses: Travel $104.00, Raffle $3400. Committee Reports Speakers Bureau Swann for Edwards. 21 June Caren Goldberg, Robin Llewellyn, and Don Swann gave a talk at the Greenfire Bookstore with 30 people in attendance. Program Swann for Roy Averill-Murray. The lineup of speakers includes: 15 July - Elissa Ostergaard 19 Aug. - Gary Nabhan. 16 Sept. - Jarchow Award. 21 Oct. - Justin Congdon. Speakers are needed for November, and December. Old Business Collected Papers from Sonoran Herpetologist Swann for Stitt. Eric is obtaining prices for reprinting this publication. 56 SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 16 (7) 2003

9 A N N O U N C E M E N T S Sixth Jarchow Conservation Award: Request for Nominations The Board of Directors of the Tucson Herpetological Society established the Jarchow Conservation Award in July 1992 to honor individuals or organizations for their service to the conservation of the amphibians and reptiles of the deserts of North America. The award is named for James L. Jarchow, D.V.M., of Tucson, and consists of an engraved plaque, a written citation, Honorary Life Membership in the society, and $500. Because of his dedication and contributions to the conservation of amphibians and reptiles for more than 20 years, the First Jarchow Conservation Award (JCA) was given to Dr. Jarchow on 15 September The Second JCA was awarded to Roger Repp in 1994 followed by Cecil Schwalbe in 1997, Dave Hardy, Sr. in 1999, and Dennis Caldwell in The Sixth JCA is scheduled for September 2003, provided a suitable candidate is nominated to the Selection Committee (SCJCA). The SCJCA consists of the five previous awardees plus a Chairperson (Taylor Edwards). At this time the SCJCA actively solicits nominations from members of the Society. Most desirable as candidates are individuals and organizations that have received little recognition and whose conservation work would benefit from the award. A cover letter as to why the candidate should receive the award should be included, accompanied by supporting documents. The deadline for receipt of nominations is Monday, 30 June, The Board of Directors must approve the final selection of any candidate by the committee. The Jarchow Conservation Award is supported entirely by donations made to the society. Those wishing to support the conservation of our region s herpetofauna by the continuation of this important award should send their contributions to the JCA Fund in care of the Tucson Herpetological Society. Information on any aspect of the Sixth Jarchow Conservation Award may be obtained by calling (520) Nominations should be sent to: Taylor Edwards, Jarchow Conservation Award Chair Tucson Herpetological Society P.O. Box 709 Tucson, AZ FAX: Tayache@ag.arizona.edu Request for Support This September, the Tucson Herpetological Society will issue the Sixth Jarchow Conservation Award. The award honors individuals and organizations for their service to the conservation of the amphibians and reptiles of the deserts of North America. Specifically, the award targets those who have received little recognition and whose conservation work would benefit from the award. The Jarchow Conservation Award is supported entirely by donations made to the society. The Jarchow Conservation Award is named for James L. Jarchow, D.V.M., of Tucson, because of his dedication and contributions to the conservation of amphibians and reptiles for more than 20 years. The First Jarchow Conservation Award was given to Dr. Jarchow on 15 September The award consists of an engraved plaque, a written citation, Honorary Life Membership in the society, and $500. Those wishing to support the conservation of our region s herpetofauna by the continuation of this important award should send their contributions to the JCA Fund in care of the Tucson Herpetological Society, P.O. Box 709, Tucson, AZ Information on any aspect of the Jarchow Conservation Award may be obtained by contacting Taylor Edwards; (520) , tayache@ag.arizona.edu Pima County ALERT Flood Warning System data(hydrometeorological) on internet Pima County Flood Control District is now making its ALERT hydrometeorolgical data accessible over the internet. The ALERT system currently consists of 80 precipitation, 30 stream stage (depth), and 18 weather station sensors located primarily in eastern Pima County. Data is accessible through the Pima County Flood Control District home page at At the home page, click on Flood Warning System to go to the ALERT Flood Warning System introduction page. At the ALERT Flood Warning System introduction page, click on SENSOR DATA to access data. Please forward this message to any parties that you think might find this page of interest. continued from page 49 CO 25 (Raptors) 1. Addition of western screech owls (Otis kennicottii) to the list of general species allowable for take. CO (Mammals) No changes. CO 41 (Amphibians) No changes. CO 42 (Crustaceans and Mollusks) 1. Addition of the Quitobaquito tryonia (Tryonia quitobaquitae) and California floater (Anodonta californiensis) to subsection B, No open season. 2. Prohibition on the transport of zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) in Arizona. CO 43 (Reptiles) 1. Change open area for collection of milk snakes (Lampropeltis triangulum) from statewide, to statewide except Cochise County, Arizona. Roy C. Averill-Murray Amphibians and Reptiles Program Manager rmurray@gf.state.az.us Arizona Game and Fish Department 2221 W Greenway Road Phoenix, AZ (FAX) SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 16 (7)

10 A N N O U N C E M E N T S Sonoran Herpetologist Natural History Observations The Tucson Herpetological Society invites your contributions to a regular feature in the Sonoran Herpetologist, Natural History Observations of southwestern herps. Similar to Life History Notes in Herpetological Review, these can include information such as size, behavior, diet, predation, community structure or other interesting observations. Please submit your noteworthy observations to Dale Turner (dturner@theriver.com), editor for this section. Submissions should be brief, typed double-spaced, and in electronic form if possible. M E M B E R S H I P Membership Information Individual $20 Sustainng $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 Sonoran Herpetologist Local Research News The Tucson Herpetological Society has started a column in its monthly newsletter, The Sonoran Herpetologist, titled, Local Research News. We want to update our readers on interesting herpetology research projects happening around the state. We are currently collecting pieces for submission. the submissions need not be more than a few paragraphs and do not need to include data, specific localities or other details. The emphasis should be on how science is being applied to herpetological questions. The style and format are very informal (see SonHerp 13:123 for an example). I will be happy to help with editing or if you already have a brief description or project summary, I will be happy to assist in formatting it. Don Swann donswann@dakotacom.net. Arizona HerpetologicalAssociation Meetings 4th Tuesday of each month, 7:00 PM At The Phoenix Zoo, Auditorium, 455 North Galvin Pkwy (between McDowell and Van -Buren) For Information call (408) 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 June: Norm & Linda Dennis Steve Hale Cristina Jones & Joseph Beals Robert Kane Jude, Holly & Kyle McNally Membership Update As of 24 June 2003 Mike Seidman Marty Tuegel Thomas Wiewandt Betsy Wirt & Peter Holm Contributing none Sustaining Members Hill Johnson Tucson Taylor Edwards Tucson New Members none Jarchow Conservation Award none Speakers Bureau none Horned Lizard Fund none Charles H. Lowe Herpetological Research Fund none 58 SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 16 (7) 2003

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 appropriatecredit, and a copy of the publication is sent to the Tucson Herpetological Society. Occasional exceptions to this policy will be noted.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 Erik Enderson, eenderson@cox.net Associate Editors Dale Turner, dturner@theriver.com Don Swann, donswann@dakotacom.net Art Editor Dennis Caldwell djcaldw111@aol.com Distribution Fred Wilson, fredtj@comcast.net Trevor Hare, trevor@skyislandalliance.org 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 Herpetological Review, publications of the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. For further information, please contact Erik Enderson at eenderson@cox.net Deadline for SonHerp 16 (8) August1 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, tayache@ag.arizona.edu Vice President Don Swann, donswann@dakotacom.net Secretary Bob Bezy, bezyr@theriver.com Treasurer Marty Tuegel, mtuegel@yahoo.com Directors Roy Averill-Murray, averill_murray@ .msn.com Jillian Cowles, jillian@mindspring.com Eric Stitt, ecstitt@earthlink.net Cristina Jones, cajones@u.arizona.edu Hans Koenig, hfkoenig@comcast.net Ed Moll, e.o.moll@att.net Past President Don Swann, donswann@dakotacom.net Society Activities Monthly Members Meeting Roy Averill-Murray, Program Chairperson 3rd Tuesday, 7:15 PM Board of Directors Meeting Tuesday August 26, 7:00pm Arizona Game and Fish Department Office 555 North Greasewood Road Speakers Bureau (Scheduled presentations) Taylor Edwards, Director Ed Moll, Director Conservation Committee Director Dennis Caldwell Herpetological Information Hotline Bob Brandner Jarchow Conservation Award Taylor Edwards, Chairperson Publications: Sonoran Herpetologist Living with Rattlesnakes Living with Gila monsters THS Herp Coloring Book THS Collected Papers, (out of print) THS Internet World Wide Webpage Bill Savary bsavary@mindspring.com For more information about the THS and the reptiles and amphibians of the Tucson area visit tucsonherpsociety.org SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 16 (7)

12 Your membership has expired. This is your only reminder. Please renew! July 2003, Volume 16, Number 7 52 Cluster Amplexus 2003! PATRONYMS OF THE PIONEER WEST 50 III. Gambelia wislizenii (Baird and Girard, 1852) - Long-nosed Leopard Lizard, by Ed Moll HERPETOFAUNA OF THE 100-MILE CIRCLE 54 Barking Frog (Eleutherodactylus augusti), by Caren Goldberg 60 SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 16 (7) 2003