Mark A. Dimmitt earned a

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1 Volume January June ISSN Number 12 THIS MONTH S PROGRAM Mark A. Dimmitt Biotic Communities of Southwestern North America and the Herps that Inhabit them 7:15 PM; Wednesday, 21 June 2017 Tucson City Council Ward 3, 1510 East Grant Road, Tucson, AZ Mark A. Dimmitt earned a Ph.D. in biology (herpetology) from UC Riverside, an M.S. from UCLA, and a B.S. from Pomona College. He worked at the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum from 1979 to 2011, first as Curator of Botany, then as Director of Natural History. Working in botany and vertebrate biology; he is the author of over 50 publications on ecology and horticulture. He is a Fellow of the Cactus and Succulent Society of America. His major publication is the plant and ecology chapters of A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert (2000), and is the senior editor of the revised edition (2015). Mark s other career is as a plant breeder hybridizing Trichocereus, then Tillandsia. He has introduced about 50 new cultivars with a focus on Adenium. He is coauthor of Adenium: Sculptural Elegance, Floral Extravagance (2008). Mark also collects and grows weird plants, succulents, and epiphytes. Compared to the rest of North America, the Southwest is very rich in species, largely because it also has many biological communities and a huge number of Mark A. Dimmitt. Photo courtesy of Mark A. Dimmitt. smaller scale habitats and microclimates. This talk will summarize the eight biomes found in our region, and focus in on finer scale subdivisions near our home in the Sonoran Desert. Amphibians and reptiles that are habitatspecific will be used to illustrate the regional biotic diversity with the assistance of our own Jim Rorabaugh and his wonderful photos of our local herps. FUTURE SPEAKERS 19 July Tiffany Sprague: The Mysterious Northern Mexican Gartersnake 16 August Melanie Culver: Conservation Genetics ARTICLES AND NOTES 36 Reproduction in the Texas Brown Snake, Storeria dekayi texana (Serpentes, Colubridae) from Oklahoma by Stephen R. Goldberg 39 Snake shot bill dies in a tie in Senate by Howard Fischer 39 Commentary on HB2022 by Melissa Amarello 40 Tucson Herpetological Society Donations Received by Maggie Fusari 42 Herpetofauna Inventory on a Small Mammal Trapping Grid by Howard O. Clark, Jr. 43 The Gila Monsters (Heloderma suspectum) of Cajón Bonito and the southern Four Corners Area by Thomas R. Van Devender, James C. Rorabaugh, Francisco Isaías Ochoa-Gutiérrez, and Ana Lilia Reina-Guererro Tucson Herpetological Society meetings are open to the public and are held on the third Wednesday of each month starting at 7:15 PM SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 30 (2)

2 RESEARCH ARTICLE Reproduction in the Texas Brown Snake, Storeria dekayi texana (Serpentes, Colubridae) from Oklahoma Stephen R. Goldberg, Whittier College, Department of Biology, Whittier, CA; Storeria dekayi (Holbrook, 1839) (Fig. 1) occurs from southern Maine to the Florida Panhandle west to the Great Plains and south into Mexico (Powell et al. 2016). The subspecies Storeria dekayi texana ranges from Minnesota and Wisconsin south to Texas and northeastern Mexico (Ernst and Ernst 2003). Females are viviparous (Wright and Wright 1957). Storeria dekayi texana occurs throughout Oklahoma but is absent from the far west and panhandle (Sievert and Sievert 2011). The biology of S. dekayi is summarized in Christman (1982); that of Storeria in Ernst (2012). Brief information on S. dekayi texana reproduction is from: Kansas (Fitch 1999, Collins et al. 2010); Nebraska (Regan and Metz 1971, Ballinger et al. 2010); Oklahoma (Force 1930, Carpenter 1958); Texas (Guidry 1953, Sabath and Worthington 1959, Tennant 1984, Vermersch and Kuntz 1986, Werler and Dixon 2000). Storeria dekayi texana and S. dekayi wrightorum integrade in Iowa (LeClere 2013) and Missouri (Johnson 2000). In this note I report results from a histological examination of gonads from museum specimens of S. dekayi texana from Oklahoma. Utilization of museum specimens for obtaining reproductive data avoids removing additional animals from the wild. A sample of 48 S. dekayi texana from Oklahoma collected , deposited in the Sam Noble Museum (OMNH), University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma (Appendix) was examined. It consisted of 24 adult males (mean SVL = mm ± 21.2 SD, range = mm), 19 adult females (mean SVL = mm ± 27.9 SD, range = mm), one subadult male (SVL = 145 mm), three sub-adult females (SVLs = 142, 153, 166 mm) and one neonate (SVL = 86 mm). The left ovary was removed from females and the left testis and vas deferens were removed from males for histological examination. Not all tissues were available for examination due to damages in preservation or loss in slide preparation. Tissues were embedded in paraffin, cut into 5 µm sections, mounted on glass slides and stained with Harris hematoxylin followed by eosin counterstain (Presnell and Schreibman 1997). Slides were examined to determine the stage of the testicular cycle or the presence of yolk deposition or corpora lutea. Oviductal eggs were counted but were not histologically examined. Histology slides were de- Figure 1. Texas Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi texana) from Travis County, Texas. Photo Gary Nafis following the Attribution-Non- Commercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0) license. posited in OMNH. An unpaired t-test was used to test for differences between adult male and female SVLs (Instat, vers. 3.0b, Graphpad Software, San Diego, CA). Testicular histology was similar to that reported by Goldberg and Parker (1975) for the colubrid snakes, Masticophis taeniatus and Pituophis catenifer (as Pituophis melanoleucus). Monthly stages in the testicular cycle are in Table 1. Three stages were present: (1) regressed, seminiferous tubules contained spermatogonia and Sertoli cells; (2) recrudescence, an increase in cellularity is evidenced by increasing numbers of spermatogonia and the appearance of primary spermatocytes. In late recrudescence, secondary spermatocytes and spermatids appeared just prior to the next period of sperm formation (= spermiogenesis); (3) spermiogenesis, lumina of the seminiferous tubules are lined by sperm or clusters of metamorphosing spermatids. Males undergoing spermiogenesis occurred from June to December (Table 1). The smallest reproductively mature male (SVL = 153 mm, OMNH 43452) was in very late recrudescence in which groups of spermatids bordered the lumina. Some of the spermatids had commenced metamorphosis to sperm, but no sperm were noted. One smaller male (SVL = 145 mm) with a testis at an earlier stage of recrudescence (spermatogonia predominate) was considered to be a subadult (OMNH 22882). All six histologically examined vasa deferentia from males with regressed or recrudescent testis from April to May contained sperm indicating S. dekayi has the capacity for spring breeding utilizing sperm produced the previous autumn. This indicates Storeria dekayi (Holbrook, 1839) occurs from southern Maine to the Florida Panhandle west to the Great Plains and south into Mexico. The subspecies Storeria dekayi texana ranges from Minnesota and Wisconsin south to Texas and northeastern Mexico. SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 30 (2)

3 S. dekayi has an aestival spermatogenesis (sensu Saint Girons 1982) with recrudescence (proliferation of testicular germ cells) in spring and commencement of spermiogenesis in summer-autumn. Both fall and spring mating has been reported for S. dekayi (Werler and Dixon 2000). The mean SVL of adult female S. dekayi texana was significantly larger than that of males (t = 3.6, df = 41, P = ). Monthly stages in the ovarian cycle are in Table 2. Three stages were present: (1) quiescent = no yolk deposition; (2) early yolk deposition (basophilic yolk granules in the ooplasm); (3) oviductal eggs. Mean littter size (n = 3) was an invariant 8.0. Fitch (1970) reported 62 litters from the literature averaged 14.0 (3 27) with the majority in the range. Other litter sizes for S. dekayi texana from the literature are in Table 3. The report of a S. dekayi texana litter from 3 September (Table 3) and my finding of one May female with oviductal eggs (Table 2) may suggest there is time for two litters in the same reproductive season. If we allow 120 days for gestation (May through August) we are close to the values of 105 to 113 days calculated for S. dekayi by Clausen (1936). Examination of additional S. dekayi texana females will be required to answer this question. It is likely the follicles in early yolk deposition from the August female (Table 1) would have undergone atresia, characterized by the granulosa cells engulfing the yolk. Incidences of follicular atresia increase late in the reproductive season (Goldberg 1973). The smallest reproductively active female measured 182 mm SVL (oviductal eggs) and was from June (OMNH 33057). Three smaller females with quiescent ovaries (SVL = 142 mm, OMNH 44245; SVL = 153 mm, OMNH 35740, SVL = 166 mm, OMHN 38275) were considered to be subadults. The smallest S. dekayi texana in my study (OMNH 17562) measured 86 mm SVL, was collected 11 August, and was within the range ( mm SVL) for neonates of this species in Ernst and Ernst (2003). Observations in Vermersch and Kuntz (1986) on S. dekayi texana suggest the reproductive cycle may commence earlier in Texas than in Oklahoma. Ovulation in Texas is reported to occur in April, mating takes place in April and May and young are born mid-june through August (Vermersch and Kuntz 1986). Ernst and Ernst (2003) reported that S. dekayi reproduce annually in Louisiana (based on Kofron 1979). However, the presence of 6/11 (55%) adult females in my study with quiescent ovaries during the months of reproductive activity (March-August) suggests that only a portion of the female S. dekayi texana population in Oklahoma produces young in a given year (Table 2). Examination of additional S. dekayi texana females will be needed to ascertain whether annual reproduction occurs. Table 1. Monthly stages in the testicular cycle of 24 adult Storeria dekayi yexana males from Oklahoma. Month n Regression Recrudescent Spermiogenesis March April May June July Sept Nov Dec Table 2. Monthly stages in the ovarian cycle of 19 adult Storeria dekayi texana females from Oklahoma. Month n Quiescent Yolk Deposition Oviductal Eggs March April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Table 3. Litter sizes by month of Storeria dekayi texana from Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas. State Source Litter sizes, Month Nebraska Regan and Metz in August Nebraska Ballinger et al , 11, 22 Oklahoma Force in August Oklahoma Carpenter in July; 9, 12 in Aug Oklahoma This paper 8 in May; 8, 8 in June Texas Guidry in September Texas Sabath and Worthington , 10, 12 in July Acknowledgments I thank Cameron D. Siler (OMNH) for permission to examine S. dekayi and Jessa L. Watters (OMNH) for facilitating the loan. Literature Cited Ballinger, R.E., J.D. Lynch and G.R. Smith Amphibians and Reptiles of Nebraska. Rusty Lizard Press, Oro Valley, Arizona, USA. Carpenter, C.C Reproduction, young, eggs and food of Oklahoma snakes. Herpetologica 14: Christman, S.P Storeria dekayi (Holbrook) Brown snake. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles Observations in Vermersch and Kuntz (1986) on S. dekayi texana suggest the reproductive cycle may commence earlier in Texas than in Oklahoma. Ovulation in Texas is reported to occur in April, mating takes place in April and May and young are born mid-june through August. SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 30 (2)

4 Clausen, H.J Observations on the brown snake Storeria dekayi (Holbrook), with especial reference to the habits and birth of young. Copeia 1936: Collins, J.T., S.L. Collins, and T.W. Taggart Amphibians, Reptiles, and Turtles in Kansas. Eagle Mountain Publishing, LC, Eagle Mountain, Utah, USA. Ernst, C.H Storeria Baird and Girard American Brownsnakes. Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles Ernst, C.H., and E.M. Ernst Snakes of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Books, Washington, USA. Fitch, H.S Reproductive cycles in lizards and snakes. University of Kansas, Museum of Natural History. Lawrence. Kansas, Miscellaneous Publication 52: Fitch, H.S A Kansas Snake Community: Composition and Changes Over 50 Years. Krieger Publishing Company, Malabar, Florida, USA. Force, E.R The amphibians and reptiles of Tulsa County, Oklahoma, and vicinity. Copeia 1930: Goldberg, S.R Ovarian cycle of the western fence lizard, Sceloporus occidentalis. Herpetologica 29: Goldberg, S.R., and W.S. Parker Seasonal testicular histology of the colubrid snakes, Masticophis taeniatus and Pituophis melanolecus. Herpetologica 31: Guidry, E.V Herpetological notes from southeastern Texas. Herpetologica 9: Johnson, T.R The Amphibians and Reptiles of Missouri. Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson City, Missouri, USA. Kofron, C.P Female reproductive biology of the brown snake, Storeria dekayi, in Louisiana. Copeia 1979: LeClere, J.B A Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Iowa. Eco Herpetological Publishing and Distribution, Rodeo, New Mexico, USA. Powell, R., R. Conant, and J.T. Collins Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Presnell, J.K., and M.P. Schreibman Humason s Animal Tissue Techniques. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Regan, G.T., and R.A. Metz Notes on the birth of Storeria dekayi texana, the Texas brown snake. Proceedings, The Nebraska Academy of Sciences and Affiliated Societies 81:17. Sabath, M., and R. Worthington Eggs and young of certain Texas reptiles. Herpetologica 15: Saint Girons, H Reproductive cycles of male snakes and their relationships with climate and female reproductive cycles. Herpetologica 38:5-16. Sievert, G., and L. Sievert A Field Guide to Oklahoma s Amphibians and Reptiles. Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA. Tennant, A The Snakes of Texas. Texas Monthly Press, Austin, Texas, USA. Vermersch, T.G., and R.E. Kuntz Snakes of South-Central Texas. Eakin Press, Austin, Texas, USA. Werler, J.E., and J.R. Dixon Texas Snakes Identification, Distribution, and Natural History. University of Texas Press, Austin, Texas, USA. Wright, A.H., and A.A. Wright Handbook of Snakes, Volume II. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca, New York, USA. Appendix: Storeria dekayi texana from Oklahoma examined by county from the Sam Noble Museum (OMNH), Norman, Oklahoma. Atoka OMNH 39495, 42954, 42955, 42957; Caddoo OMNH 24766, 28806, 28843, 29267; Canadian OMNH 13658; Cherokee OMNH 43452, 43453; Cleveland OMNH , 26026, 28777, 38275, 40576, 40577, 41541, 44174, 44175; Comanche OMNH 35740, 35742; Cotton OMNH 35070; Ellis OMNH 42747; Garvin OMNH 5819; Johnston OMNH 27702, 27703; Latimer OMNH 43823; LeFlore OMNH 38073, 42748, 44247; Marshall OMNH 27223, 33057, 44248; McClain OMNH 37771; McCurtain OMNH 17562, 29974, 29975, 43798; Pushmataha OMNH , 44070, 44245; Roger Mills OMNH 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, at editor.sonoran.herp@gmail.com 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 Margaret Fusari, Treasurer, Tucson Herpetological Society, at maggiefusari@gmail.com. SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 30 (2)

5 NEWS ARTICLE REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION Snake shot bill dies in a tie in Senate Howard Fischer, Capitol Media Services, 1835 W. Adams Street, Phoenix, AZ; (602) A letter from a Tucson retiree who used to be a California investigator proved instrumental in killing legislation that would have allowed people to fire off small-caliber snake shot in city limits. HB 2022 failed on a tie vote Monday after Rep. Kate Brophy McGee, R-Phoenix, read the letter from Michael Cardwell who spoke of his 32 years working for the San Bernadino County Sheriff s Department and patrolling the 23,000 square miles, much of that in the Mohave Desert. He detailed and she read for colleagues the foolishness of people who feel the need to shoot at snakes, particularly rattlesnakes. But it wasn t just that Cardwell said the best course of action is to leave the snakes alone. The bottom line when it comes to destroying small animals like rattlesnakes is that gunfire presents a much greater danger to bystanders than the snake itself, Brophy McGee read. Projectiles fired into the ground at low angles, even shotgun pellets and snake shot, very frequently ricochet and put holes in buildings, cars and people. Brophy McGee said she s not sure that the letter made the difference in denying Rep. Jay Lawrence, R-Scottsdale, the necessary 16 votes needed for Senate approval. Lawrence already had shepherded the bill through the House on a margin on claims of Second Amendment rights of Arizonans to arm themselves with whatever ammunition they believe is appropriate. But Brophy McGee said it probably helped cement the opposition as she and Republican Sen. Bob Worsley of Mesa joined with the 13 Democrats to kill it. I certainly hoped it help them to kind of think it through, she said following the vote. This was not a good bill. Lawrence took a slap at Brophy McGee. I would not expect Brophy McGee to ever change her vote, he said. She is a Democrat. Brophy McGee, a Phoenix Republican, votes with the GOP on many though not all issues. That leaves Worsley. But he said he has no inclination to change his mind. The fight is over Shannon s Law, a 2000 measure that makes it a felony to shoot off a weapon inside city limits. It s named after Shannon Smith who was killed the prior year from a bullet fired up in the air by someone who was never captured. Lawrence argued that snake shot, also sometimes called rat shot, should not fit under the ban, arguing the pellets are the size of grains of sand. He even offered during House floor debate to let someone shoot him with the ammunition but backed down after several of his colleagues volunteered. In his letter to Brophy McGee, Cardwell questioned the need for anyone to shoot a snake, even with this particular type of shell. The best option is to leave the snake alone, he wrote. If it must be removed from a doorstep, garage or other place where it cannot be tolerated, pushing it away with a long-handled broom or other implement is reasonably safe if carefully done. Lawrence said foes are looking at the issue backwards. It really isn t a question of why do we need this kind of ammunition, he said. It is a question of, why not?. A letter from a Tucson retiree who used to be a California investigator proved instrumental in killing legislation that would have allowed people to fire off small-caliber snake shot in city limits. Commentary on HB2022 Melissa Amarello, Co-Founder, Director of Education, Advocates for Snake, Preservation (ASP), In January 2017 Rep. Jay Lawrence (R-Scottsdale) introduced HB2022 as way to rid the yard of snakes and rats. Immediately we reached out to a diverse group of organizations and formed a coalition against the bill: Advocates for Snake Preservation, Annamiticus, Arizonans for Gun Safety, Humane Society of the United States, Rattlesnake Solutions LLC, Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter, and SPEAK. Our message was simple there are safer and more effective ways to resolve wildlife conflicts than shooting in populated areas backed by science and statistics, and illustrated by our personal stories of living and working around venomous snakes. But facts alone don t win the political game. Despite just a few days notice, when HB2022 was heard by the House Judiciary & Public Safety committee, so many snake advocates showed up to speak against the bill that they were cut off and no one was allowed to mention snakes in their comments. It passed committee and later the full House along party lines (35-25). As it headed to the Senate, HB2022 was newly spun as a way to expand recreational opportunities for firearms enthusiasts likely a result of so many speaking out on behalf of wildlife. SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 30 (2)

6 As HB2022 moved through the Arizona legislature, we encouraged our supporters to contact their representatives and sign petitions against the bill. But behind the scenes we employed a more targeted strategy to kill the bill. Sandy Bahr (Sierra Club Grand Canyon Chapter), Rhishja Cota-Larson (Annamiticus), and I (Advocates for Snake Preservation) spoke against the bill before the Senate Government Committee; unfortunately it passed (again) along party lines. We realized that no Arizona republican was going to vote against a gun rights bill without hearing from their people not hippies like us. Based on her familiarity with senators, Sandy picked several republicans that seemed most likely to vote against HB2022. We then reached out to our supporters and asked any republicans or law enforcement to contact our target senators. We got a few of these people to write letters and call, but that was apparently all it took. Two of the three republicans we targeted voted against HB2022, and one read a letter from our supporter to explain her vote (see Snake shot bill dies in a tie in Senate). Click link for video of our testimony DONATION REPORT Tucson Herpetological Society Donations Received Maggie Fusari, Treasurer, Tucson Herpetological Society, Tucson, AZ; maggiefusari@gmail.com Thanks to a generous donor The Tucson Herpetological Society has donated $1500 to the Reserve Monte Mojino and $1500 to the Mapimi Reserve in support of protection for 2 species of tortoise in México. The Reserva Monte Mojino is located near Alamos, Sonora Mexico and protects over 15,000 acres along the Rio Cuchujaqui watershed. The tropical deciduous forest is home to a population of Gopherus evgoodi, the third species of the Desert Tortoise species complex to be identified as distinct in anatomy, genetics, and habitat preference. The reserve is managed by Nature and Culture International. Work at the site includes physical protection of tropical deciduous forest, cooperation with local landowners, and support of sustainable development and environmental education programs for the local community. Nature and Culture International is working to purchase more acreage to enlarge the protected area. The 846,059-acre Mapimi Biosphere Reserve is located in the Chihuahuan Desert in Durango México and is home to the Bolson Tortoise (Gopherus flavomarginatus). In 2016 The Turtle Conservancy, working through the Méxican group HABIO, completed purchase of a Bolson Tortoise Preserve, Rancho San Ignacio, a 43,540-acre parcel inside Reserva Monte Mojino. All Rights Reserved the Mapimi Reserve. Cooperating with CONANP and the local community they are working to fence the preserve and provide a sound base for ongoing conservation management and protection. THS is proud to be able to offer this modest support to the protection of these two tortoise species. Additional information about the two reserves can be found on these websites: For the Monte Mojino Reserve: For the Mapimi Reserve: Thanks to a generous donor The Tucson Herpetological Society has donated $1500 to the Reserve Monte Mojino and $1500 to the Mapimi Reserve in support of protection for 2 species of tortoise in México. SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 30 (2)

7 About Reserva Monte Mojino MEXICO is one of the world s mega-diverse countries, with a wealth of ecosystems and species. One of these, the tropical deciduous forest, once stretched from northern Mexico all along its Pacific coast to Central America. Today, less than 15% remains, and only 5% has been legally protected. We are working to protect some of the last and best tropical deciduous forests in North America at Alamos in southern Sonora by buying land and placing it under permanent conservation status. Today, our Monte Mojino Reserve protects over 15,000 acres with the goal of expanding to 25,000, which would conserve most of the Rio Cuchujaqui watershed, a pristine river system with striking landscapes and extensive forest. We are also working with local communities on sustainable development projects consistent with our mission of conservation and environmental education. Reserva Monte Mojino (ReMM) is a conservation project in southern Sonora, east-northeast of the city of Alamos. It lies within the 93,000-hectare Sierra de Alamos y Río Cuchujaqui Federal Area for the Protection of Flora and Fauna. The mission of ReMM is to foster protection of the tropical deciduous forest and Río Cuchujaqui watershed in southern Sonora. To achieve our mission, we apply scientific research and the knowledge of local people to sustain this unique landscape in an ever-changing world. ReMM is a bi-national conservation effort of two nonprofit organizations, Nature and Culture International (NCI) and Naturaleza y Cultura Sierra Madre, A.C. (NCSM) NCSM and NCI work hand-in-hand to raise awareness of the critical importance of protecting the tropical deciduous forest and Río Cuchujaqui watershed in southern Sonora. About Mapimi A t the heart of the Mapimí Biosphere Reserve lies our Bolson Tortoise Preserve, a 43,540 acre parcel more than 3 times the size of Manhattan Island. It is punctuated by a series of small mountains and hosts a healthy population of the Bolson Tortoise along with its related biodiversity. The Turtle Conservancy created a Mexican non-profit, HABIO, A.C. and successfully purchased the land in September of Our greatest priority is now to work with the Mexican authorities at CONANP to place the land under full ecological protection within the Management Plan for the Biosphere Reserve. We also need to remove the few remaining stray cattle and strategically fence the land to prevent neighboring cattle from entering. We also need to clean up abandoned cattle handling equipment and construct facilities for security and management activities. We will employ the members of the local community to accomplish these activities, and we must hire a local property manager to employ the contractors and ranch workers and act as a liaison with our neighbors and CONANP. The acquisition of this land will protect the Bolson Tortoise along with all other native biodiversity, including an estimated 28 mammals, over 200 bird species, 5 amphibians, and 39 reptiles. Land preservation is apriority of the Turtle Conservancy, and this particular property was chosen because of its enormous size, geography, and ecological importance. Reserva Monte Mojino (ReMM) is a conservation project in southern Sonora, eastnortheast of the city of Alamos. It lies within the 93,000-hectare Sierra de Alamos y Río Cuchujaqui Federal Area for the Protection of Flora and Fauna. The mission of ReMM is to foster protection of the tropical deciduous forest and Río Cuchujaqui watershed in southern Sonora. Bolson Tortoise (Gopherus flavomarginatus). From SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 30 (2)

8 FROM THE FIELD Herpetofauna Inventory on a Small Mammal Trapping Grid Howard O. Clark, Jr., Senior Scientist, Colibri Ecological Consulting, LLC, Fresno, CA; hclark@colibri-ecology.com On occasion I head off to the Mojave Desert to conduct trapping surveys for small desert mammals. The most common target species is the Mohave ground squirrel 1 (Xerospermophilus mohavensis), which is a species listed as Threatened by the State of California. The Mojave Desert is a focus for energy groups to build wind and solar farms. Crisscrossing the desert landscape is also transmission line infrastructure to distribute the green energy to other parts of the state. Trapping surveys for the Mohave ground squirrel consist of setting up a grid of 100 traps, either in a or 4 25 configuration, depending on the layout of the proposed project. The traps are separated by 35 meters (covering approx. 30 acres) and each trap requires a cardboard shade structure, as the trapping occurs during the day since the squirrels are diurnal. Although catching a rare squirrel is a delightful highlight, one activity I enjoy even more is searching for reptiles on the grid. It is thrilling to wonder what new species will be encountered each day. Herpetofauna biodiversity in the Mojave Desert can be high, and it is common to encounter several species over the duration of the survey (which is typically 3 week-long sessions spread out between March to July). Here I provide photo documentation of the various reptiles I encountered during my survey. Other biologists also conducted surveys in the area and species they detected that I didn t include the Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii), Common Collared Lizard (Crotaphytus collaris), and the Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake (Crotalus pyrrhus). 1 Interestingly, Mojave, as in Mojave Desert, is spelled with a j whereas Mohave, as in Mohave ground squirrel, is spelled with an h. I believe part of the reasoning for the differences is that the Latin name for the squirrel includes an h in the spelling, to wit, Xerospermophilus mohavensis. See: Jones, L.L.C The Spelling of Mojave vs. Mohave as it applies to standard English names of reptiles and amphibians. Sonoran Herpetologist 29(4): Common Chuckwalla (Sauromalus ater) Desert Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma platyrhinos) Common Side-blotched Lizard (Uta stansburiana) Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus uniformis) Zebra-tailed Lizard (Callisaurus draconoides) Here I provide photo documentation of the various reptiles I encountered during my survey effort. Other biologists also conducted surveys in the area and species they detected that I didn t include the Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii), Common collared lizard (Crotaphytus collaris), and the Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake (Crotalus pyrrhus). On several occasions I observed the Tiger Whiptail (Aspidoscelis tigris) and the Long-nosed Leopard Lizard (Gambelia wislizenii) but was unable to photograph them. Red Racer (Coluber flagellum piceus) Mohave Rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus) Sidewinder (Crotalus cerastes) All photos by Howard Clark, San Bernardino County, CA. SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 30 (2)

9 EXPLORATION The Gila Monsters (Heloderma suspectum) of Cajón Bonito and the southern Four Corners Area Thomas R. Van Devender, GreaterGood, Inc., 6262 N. Swan Road, Suite 150, Tucson, AZ; James C. Rorabaugh, P.O. Box 31, Saint David, AZ; Francisco Isaías Ochoa-Gutiérrez, Reserva Forestal Nacional y Refugio de Fauna Silvestre Ajos-Bavispe-CONANP, Cananea, Sonora, Mexico Ana Lilia Reina-Guererro, GreaterGood, Inc., 6262 N. Swan Road, Suite 150, Tucson, AZ The lizard family Helodermatidae first appeared in the fossil record in the Cretaceous. They are covered with small, non-overlapping, bead-like scales with bony osteoderms on the upper part of their bodies, and are the only venomous lizards. The family is mostly new World, although a distant relative Estesia mongoliensis was in Mongolia in the Cretaceous and Euheloderma gallicum briefly reached France in the early Oligocene (31-33 mya, million years ago), probably through the Canadian Archipelago route through Greenland. The genus of Lowesaurus matthewi from the Oligocene of Nebraska (31-33 mya) was named in honor of Charles H. Lowe, University of Arizona herpetologist extraordinaire (Pregill et al 1986). Bhullar and Smith (2008) reported a fossil helodermatid from the early Miocene (23 mya) of Florida, that was interpreted to be morphologically between Euheloderma and Heloderma. An interesting Heloderma was reported from the Mio-Pliocene (4.5-7 mya) oakhickory forest of Tennessee (Mead et al. 2012). The modern genus Heloderma dates back to the early Miocene (23 mya) in the Big Bend of Texas, where a skull of an unusually small species was named Heloderma texana (Stevens 1977, Bhullar and Smith 2008). Before the uplifts of the Sierra Madres Occidental and Oriental formed the Mexican Plateau and resulting colder, drier climates, the area was more tropical. There are many biogeographical connections between the Chihuahuan Desert in Texas and the Mogollon Rim and lower Grand Canyon in Arizona. We suggest that H. texana descendants dispersed from the modern Chihuahuan Desert area to the north and west to become the Gila Monster (H. suspectum). Later, Heloderma disappeared from the mid-continent areas to the east, and the Gila Monster expanded southward from the modern Mohave Desert (formed only 1 mya!) area through the Sonoran Desert to southern Sonora. There in thornscrub-tropical deciduous forest transition the Gila Monster met its distant tropical relative, the Mexican Beaded Lizard (H. horridum). Early helodermatids were living in more mesic habits than modern Heloderma, although there is a record of a Bead- Figure 1. Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum) from Guadalupe Canyon, New Mexico. July Photo by James C. Rorabaugh. ed Lizard in the Sierra de Álamos in southern Sonora at 1,400 m elevation in pine-oak forest (Schwalbe and Lowe 2000), a relatively young habitat that developed with the uplift of the Sierra Madre Occidental in the early Miocene (Van Devender 2002). Today, the Gila Monster occurs in the Mohave and Sonoran Deserts from southern Nevada south through Arizona and California to southern Sonora, with an isolated record near El Dorado, Sinaloa (Bezy et al. 2017). In Arizona, it occurs from the far northwestern corner of the state, southward through the western deserts to near Yuma, and eastward to the Mogollon Rim highlands. In the state, it has been found at elevations ranging from just above sea level near Yuma to over 1677 meters (Brennan and Holycross 2006, It mostly lives on bajadas and lower mountains vegetated with desertscrub and thornscrub, ranging into desert grassland and marginally into lower oak woodland on the eastern side of its range (Beck 2005). Today it does not occur along the coast of the Gulf of California in the hyperarid Gran Desierto part of the Lower Colorado River Valley subdivision of the Sonoran Desert. However, a fossil Heloderma was reported from middle Pleistocene sediments (1.2 mya) from El Golfo de Santa Clara at the delta of the Colorado River (Mead and Shaw 2011). The Madrean Discovery Expedition (MDE) program of GreaterGood.org documents the animals and plants of the Sky Island mountain ranges in northeastern Sonora Mexico on several large biotic inventories The lizard family Helodermatidae first appeared in the fossil record in the Cretaceous. They are covered with small, non-overlapping, bead-like scales, with bony osteoderms on the upper part of their bodies, and are the only venomous lizards. SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 30 (2)

10 each year. The biotic observations are publicly available online in the MDE database (madreandiscovery.org), which is linked to various other databases and museum collections. This is the best source of biotic distributions for Sonora. Here, we present new Gila Monster records from northeastern Sonora and adjacent Arizona and New Mexico in desert grassland and woodland habitats from various sources. All of the records and images are available in the MDE database. During the Second United States- Mexico Boundary Survey in , Director Edgar A. Mearns and biologist Frank X. Holzner collected amphibians and reptiles along the Arizona-Sonora border for the U. S. National Museum. In 1893, they collected Gila Monsters four times from Monument 73 at Guadalupe Canyon (now Rancho Puerta Blanca, Cuenca los Ojos Foundation) west to Dutch Charley s Ranch 20 km west of Agua Prieta-Douglas in the southernmost Mule Mountains. A specimen from 10 mi W of San Bernardino, Monument 82, Niggerhead Mountain was from the modern Cerro Gallardo, 8.7 km east of Agua Prieta. The name of the mountain was probably a mistranslation of Cabeza Prieta (dark head, meaning a dark peak). In July 1984, Rorabaugh saw a Gila Monster in Guadalupe Canyon in southwestern-most New Mexico (Fig. 1). The Gila Monster is an Endangered Species in New Mexico best known from the Red Rock area along the Gila River and Antelope Pass and Granite Gap in the Peloncillo Mountains. There is a spot for Guadalupe Canyon on the distribution map in the state species recovery plan (Bulger 2017; see also Degenhardt et al. 1996). In May 2012, Nicholas J. Czaplewski and Charles O. Minckley observed a Gila Monster crossing a dirt road about 23 km east of Douglas in Arizona. In October 2014, Doug Danforth saw a Gila Monster in Guadalupe Canyon in Arizona (Fig. 2) between Rorabaugh s New Mexico and Mearns Monument 73 records. Fig. 3. Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum) on Cerro la Bruja, Sonora, April Photo by T.R. Van Devender. Figure 2. Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum) from Guadalupe Canyon, Arizona. October Photo by Doug Danforth. In April 2007, Van Devender and Reina-G. were searching for the Cochise pincushion cactus (Coryphantha robbinsorum) in northeastern Sonora. Late one afternoon, they climbed Cerro la Bruja (Witch Hill) 16 km southeast of Naco. Worried about getting dark and a dense thicket of Chihuahuan whitethorn acacia (Acacia neovernicosa), they were hurrying down a steep slope when a Gila Monster emerged from a tubular hole in the bedrock! It retreated back into the hole, where it turned sideways, exposing only the bony head and the osteoderm-armored dorsal skin (Fig. 3). In October 2016, Van Devender and Reina-G. visited Rancho los Ojos Calientes 50 km east-southeast of Agua Prieta. Owner Valer Clark said that she had seen two Gila Monsters near the ranch headquarters a month earlier. In March and April 2017 on MDE Cajón Bonito trips, six additional Gila monsters were seen in the same area (Figs. 4 and 5). This is 6 km south of the New Mexico border, 8.7 km southeast of Guadalupe Canyon, New Mexico, and 10 km eastsoutheast of Monument 73. In this area, the coloration of Gila Monsters is mostly black with a pattern of variable pale pink blotches and bars. They were seen from 1257 to 1529 m elevation, mostly in shrub-dominated desert grassland. At the Cerro la Bruja locality, Chihuahuan desertscrub occurs on the limestone slope, with desert grassland below on deeper valley soils. The animal seen in Guadalupe Canyon in New Mexico was in oak woodland along an ephemeral stream. Not only are Gila Monsters present in desert grassland habitats in northeastern Sonora and adjacent Arizona and New Mexico, but they are apparently widespread and relatively common. Fossils from the 111 Ranch in the San Simon Valley, Arizona document its presence In July 1984, Rorabaugh saw a Gila Monster in Guadalupe Canyon in southwesternmost New Mexico (Fig. 1). The Gila Monster is an Endangered Species in New Mexico best known from the Red Rock area along the Gila River and Antelope Pass and Granite Gap in the Peloncillo Mountains. SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 30 (2)

11 Figure 4. Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum) from Rancho los Ojos. March Photos by Ana L. Reina-G. in southeastern Arizona at least since the early Pleistocene ( mya; Mead et al. 2015). Acknowledgements Doug Danforth, Valer Clark, and Rafael del Castillo shared their Gila Monster observations in Arizona, New Mexico, and Sonora. Steve Minter, Margarethe Brummermann, and other MDE Cajón Bonito volunteers helped with field work. Charles Hedgcock and Danforth shared their fine images. We thank Valer Clark and José Manuel Pérez for access to Rancho los Ojos Calientes and logistic support for MDE Cajón Bonito. GreaterGood.org and the Ajos-Bavispe CONANP Reserve sponsored the Madrean Discovery Expeditions. Literature Cited Beck, D.D Biology of Gila Monsters and Beaded Lizards. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA. Bezy, R.L., P.C. Rosen, T.R. Van Devender, and E.F. Enderson Southern distributional limits of the Sonoran Desert herpetofauna along the mainland coast of northwestern Mexico. Mesoamerican Herpetologist 4: Brennan, T.C., and A.T. Holcross A Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles in Arizona. Arizona Game and Fish Department, Phoenix, AZ. Bhullar, B.S., and K.T. Smith Helodermatid lizard from the Miocene of Florida, the evolution of the dentary in Helodermatidae, and comments on dentary morphology in Varanoidea. Journal of Herpetology 42: Bulger, J Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum) Recovery Plan. New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, Santa Fe, NM. Degenhardt, W.G., C.W. Painter, and A.H. Price Amphibians and Reptiles of New Mexico. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque, NM. Mead, J.I., B.W. Schubert, S.C. Wallace, and S.L. Swift Helodermatid lizard from the Mio-Pliocene oak-hickory forest of Tennessee, eastern USA, and a review of monstersaurian osteoderms. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 57: Mead, J.I., S. I., S. Holte, R.S. White, and R. McCord Early Pleistocene (Blancan) helodermatid lizard from Arizona, USA. Journal of Herpetology 49: Mead, J.I., and C.A. Shaw The environmental reconstruction of El Golfo, Sonora, and the use of Heloderma. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, Vol. 31, Supplement to Number 3, p. 156, Abstracts of Papers 71 st Annual Meeting Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. Pregill, G.K., J.A. Gauthier, and H.W. Greene The evolution of helodermatid squamates, with description of a new taxon and an overview of Varanoidea. Transactions of the San Diego Society of Natural History 21: Schwalbe, C.R., and C.H. Lowe Amphibians and reptiles of the Sierra de Alamos. Pp in R.H. Robichaux and D.A. Yetman (eds.), The Tropical Deciduous Forest of Alamos. Biodiversity of a Threaten Ecosystem in Mexico. University of Arizona Press, Tucson, AZ. Stevens, M.S Further study of the Castolon local fauna (early Miocene), Big Bend National Park, Texas. The Pearce-Sellards Series, Texas Memorial Museum 28:1-29. Van Devender, T.R Environmental history of the Sonoran Desert. Pp in T.H. Fleming and A. Valiente B. (eds.). Evolution, Ecology and Conservation of Columnar Cacti and their Mutualists, University of Arizona Press, Tucson, AZ. SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 30 (2)

12 Figure 5. Gila Monsters (Heloderma suspectum) from Rancho los Ojos, April Photos by C. Hedgcock and J. C. Rorabaugh. Tohono O odham platter woven by Amelia Juan at Geawuk, Photo courtesy T.R. Van Devender. SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 30 (2)

13 MEETING MINUTES BOD minutes can be found here: MEMBERSHIP Membership Information Individual $20 Sustaining $30 Family $25 Contributing $50 Student $14 Life $500 The Tucson Herpetological Society would like to thank existing members and new members for renewing their membership. We appreciate your support and are always looking for members to actively participate in THS activities and volunteer opportunities. It is a great way to be involved with the conservation of amphibians and reptiles in the Sonoran Desert. 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 Maggie Fusari, Treasurer, Tucson Herpetological Society, at maggiefusari@gmail.com. Time to Renew Your THS membership? Thank you for your membership in the Tucson Herpetological Society. Renewal reminders for upcoming membership expiration will be ed at the beginning of the month that your membership expires. If you have any questions about your membership or would like to be in touch with a THS member you do not know how to reach, please contact our Membership Coordinator, Robert Villa, by cascabel1985@gmail.com. MEMBERSHIP DUES Tucson Herpetological Society P.O. Box 709, Tucson, Arizona MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL FORM NAME: Date Address or Personal Information Changes [ ] $20 Individual [ ] $25 Family [ ] $14 Student [ ] $30 Sustaining [ ] $50 Contributing [ ] $500 Life $ Jarchow Conservation Award $ Speakers Bureau $ Flat-tailed horned lizard Fund $ C.H. Lowe Herp Research Fund $ Total (MAKE CHECK PAYABLE TO: TUCSON HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY) The THS newsletter, the Sonoran Herpetologist, is delivered online only. Please indicate the address you would like to receive the newsletter if you are not currently receiving the newsletter at your preferred address. If you are unable to receive the newsletter online, please contact Robert Villa at cascabel1985@gmail.com. If not already done, please indicate if you want your added to the THS directory and/or the Monthly meeting announcement (circle one or both). Please return this form with your check to the address above. address Sonoran Herpetologist Natural History Observations The Tucson Herpetological Society invites your contributions to our Natural History Notes section. We are particularly interested in photographs and descriptions of amphibians and reptiles involved in noteworthy or unusual behaviors in the field. Notes can feature information such as diet, predation, community structure, interspecific behavior, or unusual locations or habitat use. Please submit your observations to Howard Clark, editor.sonoran.herp@gmail.com. Submissions should be brief and in electronic form. Local Research News The Sonoran Herpetologist welcomes short reports for our Local Research News, a regular feature in our journal. We are interested in articles that can update our readers on research about amphibians and reptiles in the Sonoran Desert region. These articles need be only a few paragraphs long 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. Please submit your materials to Howard Clark, editor.sonoran.herp@gmail.com. Submissions should be brief and in electronic form. SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 30 (2)

14 Sonoran Herpetologist (ISSN ) 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-in-Chief Howard Clark, Jr., editor.sonoran.herp@gmail.com Associate Editors Robert Bezy, robertbezy@gmail.com Dennis Caldwell, dennis@caldwell-design.com Suman Pratihar, pratihar_vu@rediffmail.com Don Swann, donswann@dakotacom.net Art Editor Dennis Caldwell, dennis@caldwell-design.com Book Review Editor Philip Brown, prbrownnaturalist@gmail.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, at editor.sonoran.herp@gmail.com. LCCN permalink: 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 Robert Villa, cascabel1985@gmail.com Vice President Hanna Strauss, h.strauss55@gmail.com Secretary Don Swann, donswann@dakotacom.net Treasurer Margaret Fusari, maggiefusari@gmail.com Directors: Mark Barnard ( ) Kathryn Ferguson ( ) Aaron Goldberg ( ) William Cooper ( ) Karina Hilliard ( ) Justin Schmidt ( ) Membership Robert Villa, cascabel1985@gmail.com Editor Howard O. Clark, Jr., editor.sonoran.herp@gmail.com Society Activities Monthly Members Meeting Jim Rorabaugh, Program Chair 3rd Wednesday, 7:15 PM Board of Directors Meeting Last Tuesday of each month (except December), 7:00 PM Speakers Bureau (scheduled presentations) Robert Villa & Ed Moll Conservation Committee Dennis Caldwell Herpetological Information Hotline Bob Brandner, (520) Jarchow Conservation Award Open Publications: Sonoran Herpetologist, Backyard Ponds brochure, Living with Venomous Reptiles brochure, THS Herp Coloring Book, THS Collected Papers, THS Webpage Heidi Flugstad, Webmaster, heidi_flugstad@hotmail.com Deadline for Sonoran Herpetologist: 15th of Feb, May, Aug, and Nov (based on the quarterly schedule) For more information about the THS and the reptiles and amphibians of the Tucson area visit tucsonherpsociety.org SONORAN SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 25 (1) (2)