Phil Rosen will introduce the topic of

Transcription

1 Volume 24 April 2011 Number 4 t h i s m o n t h s s p e a k e r S Julia Fonseca and Brian Powell Pima County Office of Conservation Science David Parizek, Philip C. Rosen, and Kevin E. Bonine University of Arizona Tortoises, Lizards, and Snakes in the Old Pueblo Metropolis: Opportunities for Citizen Science 7:15 PM Tuesday, 19 April University of Arizona, BIO5/Keating Building 1657 East Helen Street Graphic provided by Phil Rosen. Phil Rosen will introduce the topic of urban-region reptile status and ecology, focusing on Tucson. In addition to describing recent work on horned lizards in Tucson s urban matrix, and robust populations of Sonoran Desert Tortoise along Pantano Wash in Vail, he will outline challenges for evaluating the urban snake assemblage. Prospects for understanding the distribution of native herpetofauna in and around Tucson are better than ever. Citizen-science efforts such as the Tucson Bird Count have shown the potential for observations by individuals to be compiled and reported via the Internet, and to provide a basis for understanding how species can use different types of urban habitats. Julia Fonseca will discuss the need for revising the habitat suitability model for the Desert Tortoise around Tucson. Pima County invites Tucson Herpetological Society s participation this spring and summer in reporting Desert Tortoise locations through a temporary web interface that we will establish for this purpose. (The link will be posted at and we hope conservation organizations will also post links). Kevin Bonine will present results of over 200 Citizen-science contributions to long-term study of Gila Monsters in and adjacent to Saguaro National Park. David Parizek and Kevin will demonstrate website aspects for citizen-herpetology in Tucson, including a web-based interface for wildlife observations now under development. Brian Powell will discuss the challenges and opportunities for sustaining a long-term, web-based platform useful to scientists and the broader community. F e a t u r e A r t i c l e 30 Herping Arizona 2010 in Review by Roger A. Repp 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 36 Call for Articles a n n o u n c e m e n t s 35 American Museum of Natural History 10-day Course 37 The Brown Canyon Outdoor Education Workshops and Walks: Spring 2011 n e x t m o n t h s S p e a k e r Dennis Caldwell The FROG Conservation Project (Frog and Fish Restoration Outreach Group) Tuesday, 17 May 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 24 (4)

2 Herping Arizona 2010 in Review Roger A. Repp, Tucson Herpetological Society; The casual reader cannot begin to understand how long a writer can stare at a flashing cursor before the words finally come. It can take days, weeks, even months. The second half of this article the synopsis of Table 1 was finished months before these words appeared. In short, I got so wrapped up in the bad that I didn t really have the inclination to look for the good. Back in the awful herp year of 2002, one of my mass missives contained the words: Herping is lot like the stock market. The numbers can t keep going up and up. They have to crash at some point. This is the year of the crash. And at that point in time, it was indeed the year of the crash. From a herp numbers standpoint, the year 2010 was every bit the miserable equal of The next paragraph will be devoted to my take as to why the year 2010 was a bummer. We will then drift into the highlights, resplendent with a few photos of events that made life worth living, and move on to Table 1 that reveals the information that flat-out created the most severe writer s block this author ever experienced. The set up for any herp year in southern Arizona can be traced to the preceding years summer rainy season. We speak of It was the second warmest weather year in history. (Only 1989 was hotter) was also our fourth driest. One has to look back to 1953 (56 years!) to find a year with less rain than what 2009 gave us. And while 2010 was comparatively generous with moisture, nearly half of that came during the winter and early spring months. This in turn brought about cooler temperatures than normal. These cool temperatures continued through May, and chilled most of the explosive lizard activity that normally ensues in April and May. It only takes a couple 200 lizard days to make a year under my watch, and there were none of those in April or May of And then, the weather matters performed a 180 degree turnaround. The tenth warmest June on record hit us, with no rain. August was the fourth warmest in weather history, and September was the second warmest brought us the third warmest summer rainy season in history. October was ridiculously hot, November was cold, and December was the fourth warmest in history. From too cold, to too hot, to too cold, to hot again, our local herpetofauna was rather confused, to say the least. There are a few ways to put a positive spin on what happened herp-wise in The first is to mention that I m glad that I m still keeping the data that reveals what a herp year, good or bad, can be. Another way to look at any given year is to look for the best of what transpired. There are always some outstanding moments in even the worst of years. And having just finished writing this half of the article, it occurs to this author that some of the best herp action to ever pass before my eyes almost wound up lost in a numbers table. The first 25% of any given year the winter and early spring, can be a glorious time to rack up some numbers on some very cool species of herps in the Saguaro-studded foothills around the Tucson area. Wet winters are always better than dry when trying to accomplish this. In this regard, 2010 was awesome. By the end of March, with a lot of help from friends, we had accumulated the following for our routine viewing pleasure: 14 Desert Tortoises (Gopherus agassizii), 3 Common Chuckwallas (Sauromalus ater), 4 Gila Monsters (Heloderma suspectum), 6 Western Lyresnakes (Trimorphodon biscutatus), 12 Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnakes (Crotalus atrox), 2 Tiger Rattlesnakes (C. tigris), and 1 Black-tailed Rattlesnake (C. molossus). The 6 T. biscutatus accumulated were certainly the most I ve seen during the same time period this century, and it was my pleasure to get multiple observations on each. One of these was sharing a crevice with a C. molossus. In order to look into the communal crevice they occupied, one has to sprawl out on the ground, and put ones eyeball right against the crevice edge. Upon doing this on 24 February, the snout of the T. biscutatus was viewed one inch (25.4 mm) from my left eye. Yehaw! It was stretched horizontal, flank-against-flank, of the C. molossus. The girth of this Lyresnake was so Figure 1. The generous rainfall in the winter of 2010 provided outstanding foraging opportunities for the local Desert Tortoises (Gopherus agassizii). Photo by Roger A. Repp. The first 25% of any given year the winter and early spring, can be a glorious time to rack up some numbers on some very cool species of herps in the Saguaro-studded foothills around the Tucson area. Wet winters are always better than dry when trying to accomplish this. In this regard, 2010 was awesome. SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 24 (4)

3 Figure 2. Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox) enjoying an ice cold drink of water on 20 February, Photo by Roger A. Repp. hefty that it matched the girth of the C. molossus. This was an absolutely stunning lyresnake perhaps the biggest I ve ever seen in Arizona. And the sight of the two snakes stretched out together within the narrow confides of the tight quarters is one that won t soon be forgotten. With the rains came a barrage of greenery, and it was because of this that the 14 tortoises under watch offered me some of the best green lips feeding images that I ve ever taken. (Figure 1). One of the Tiger Rattlesnakes under watch was found by Jeff Smith on 23 January which marked the first time for both of us that a new Tiger Rattlesnake had been found in January. After over 20 years of faithfully searching for Crotalus tigris, I can now finally join the few who can claim finding them every month of the year. As for my most-watched viper, C. atrox, the barrage of greenery actually got in the way of my viewing pleasure. But on 20 February, four brave souls joined me for an outing in an Arizona hurricane. It was 46 F (8 C), with howling winds and drenching rain. Among many other cool sightings, we observed two C. atrox coiled out in the storm, drinking water off their coiled flanks (Figure 2). With some reluctance, we leave the cool, damp winter/spring and edge into a highlight that occurred in April on the Schuett and Repp study plot. In March of 2010, with the help of John Davis and Dale De- Nardo, we placed a transmitter in a new Gila Monster. Often times, we name an animal after it accomplishes a specific feat that amazes us. Up until late April, this particular Gila Monster was known only as HESU #15. But on 25 April, Gordon and I tracked HESU #15 to the base of a paloverde tree. We had circled the tree once without a visual, and were about to do a more careful sweep for round 2. All of sudden, our Gila Monster scrambled up the trunk of the tree and came to rest in a branch roughly 5 ft (1.5 m) off the ground. He obligingly stayed put while I circled him and photographed him from every angle. HESU #15 now proudly carries the name of Tarzan (Figure 3). On 27 May, my one and only productive herping trip outside my beloved 100-mile circle (the one that I created back in 1995 the one with the 50-mile radius) transpired. Patti Mahaney joined me for a trip to the back roads and back canyons north of Willcox. Along with a hodgepodge of common snakes, and a couple Texas Horned Lizards (Phrynosoma cornutum), came my very first-ever encounter with living Mexican Hognosed Snake (Heterodon kennerlyi). We both did everything we could to get this snake to play possum, so that I could be the millionth person to catch images of the phony roll. Much to my chagrin, the snake wasn t into playing dead. That s just my luck to find the only hog-nosed snake in the world that is not inclined to perform. It s just as well, as my normally reliable digital camera chose that convenient moment to not work. June rolled past, hot-dry, and full of sighs. July and August were the miserable, superheating, not-enoughrain-to-count, nonsoonal dud days that have been customary of late. Twice the pools on our plot filled enough to encourage breeding with the various toad species, and both times the progeny wound up doing an amphibious meltdown in the bottom of receding waters. There has not been successful reproduction of any toad species here since But while the toads were not reproducing, at least a few of the snakes were. One of our Tiger Rattlesnakes, CRTI #6, Gracie, was viewed on 17 July near the top of Iron Mine Hill. She was looking a bit thick toward the rear. By 22 July, she had shifted 197 ft (60 m) downslope, but was not visible. She was viewed at this same site again on 29 July looking very thin. This should have intimidated the obvious to me, but I completely missed the signals. One can only imagine my delight when on 31 July, I observed a neonate Crotalus tigris coiled just outside the same entrance that mother had occupied two days previous. I was able to snap one quick in situ image of the young snake (Figure 4), before it shot down the crevice to join his mother. Gracie had reproduced two years in a row! Figure 3. Radio-telemetered Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum) #15 goes arboreal on 25 April 2010 and earns the nickname Tarzan. Photo by Roger A. Repp. But while the toads were not reproducing, at least a few of the snakes were. One of our Tiger Rattlesnakes, CRTI #6, Gracie, was viewed on 17 July near the top of Iron Mine Hill. She was looking a bit thick toward the rear. By 22 July, she had shifted 197 ft (60 m) downslope, but was not visible. She was viewed at this same site again on 29 July looking very thin. SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 24 (4)

4 Figure 4. Neonate Tiger Rattlesnake (Crotalus tigris) viewed just outside the nesting hole of CRTI #6, "Gracie" on 31 July Photo by Roger A. Repp. Dr. Schuett and I have been radio-tracking Tiger Rattlesnakes since While we have been blessed to witness the very subtle birthing behaviors in this species three times, we had yet to see a single pairing until 4 September Sharing the thrill with us were Hans-Werner Herrmann and four out-of-town guests. We tracked our female CRTI #1, Kim, to a flat boulder which was poised against a shady wash embankment. We could see one loop of what we thought was Kim under the boulder. Since none of our guests had ever seen a Tiger Rattlesnake, we did something we usually don t we flipped the boulder over. As one picture is worth a thousand words, see Figure 5. On 22 September, Erika Nowak and a German visitor Bernd joined me for a rocket run to the plot. Our mission was to capture two snakes that required transmitter changes. One of these two snakes was CRTI #6, Gracie. We tracked Gracie to the thick of a prickly pear cactus patch. We could see one loop of a Tiger Rattlesnake through an opening of two parallel, ground-hugging arms of the wicked, spine-infested plant. We pried the arms of the prickly pear apart, and I speared the visible snake out. It wasn t Gracie! It was a large male Tiger Rattlesnake that had come a courting. Gracie was directly behind the new guy. What we learned here (the hard way) is that the courtship and mating rituals of Crotalus tigris are likely radically different from their cousins C. atrox. Whereas the latter sprawl about the open countryside doing the dirty in front of everybody, the former appears to be more secretive. In short, the good Dr. Schuett and I need to be more invasive in our observing techniques if we are to witness pairing behaviors with Tiger Rattlesnakes. From 11 September through 19 September, the Crotalus atrox under our watch put on an extravaganza unlike anything we ve seen to date. Two of the females gave birth the latest in the year that this has happened. One of these birthing incidents was by far the best observed and photographed of anything that has come before on our plot. CRAT # 124, Beverly, was a good mother to her brood and a fierce protector. When I got too close to her nest hole with the camera, she came jetting out at me. Seeing the head of a miffed adult Crotalus atrox suddenly fill the view finder of ones camera is an exhilarating experience! While all that was going on, another female, CRAT #120, The Princess, had a boyfriend who was dogging her. On 15 September, the pair was observed in full coitus. And the culmination of the greatest eight days in the history of our 9.5 year study was witnessing combat between two male C. atrox who had taken a shine to our lovely young female CRAT # 121, Tracy. As this glorious droppingto-bopping-to-topping and whopping week merits a stand-alone natural history article; we will save the images for that. In wrapping up the good events to occur in 2010, mention should be made of The Monster of the Decade. On 26 November 2000, Gordon Schuett, Bill Montgomery, and I visited a place we call Hill 97. On this day, we happened upon a community of four Gila Monsters. Two of these were removed from one hole, processed, photographed, and released. This was done with some misgivings on my part. The misgivings proved founded for four long years after that, the Gila Monsters did not return to the area. But in 2004, they did come back. There then began some very cautious, stealthy, and patient hands-off observing and photographing of these animals. On 26 November 2010 I was able to take an image of one of the two Gila Monsters viewed in the same hole as 26 November 2000 exactly ten years later. (Figures 6a and b). As a herp-loving kid growing up in a herpless land, I never would have imagined such a thing could happen to me! Figure 5. The first ever pairing of Tiger Rattlesnakes (Crotalus tigris) viewed on the Schuett/Repp study plot. On 4 September 2010, radio-telemetered female CRTI #1, "Kim," was tracked to a flat boulder. When the boulder was upended for a look at Kim surprise! Tiger Rattlesnakes appear to have secretive pairing behaviors. Photo by Hans-Werner Herrmann. What we learned here (the hard way) is that the courtship and mating rituals of Crotalus tigris are likely radically different from their cousins C. atrox. Whereas the latter sprawl about the open countryside doing the dirty in front of everybody, the former appears to be more secretive. In short, the good Dr. Schuett and I need to be more invasive in our observing techniques if we are to witness pairing behaviors with Tiger Rattlesnakes. SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 24 (4)

5 Table 1. Summary of reptile counts and additional data, Year Total All Average Field Trips Field Hours NWS Rain (inches) NWS Average Temp (F) N/A Species total Total Total Total Total Total Total Total Total Total Total Total All Average Callisaurus draconoides Uta stansburiana Aspidoscelis sp Sceloporus magister Phrynosoma solare Heloderma suspectum Gopherus agassizii Pituophis catenifer Coluber flagellum Rhinochelius lecontei Salvadora hexalepis Lampropeltis getula Crotalus atrox Crotalus cerastes Crotalus scutulatus Crotalus molossus Crotalus tigris totals ALL LIZARDS ALL snakes ALL GOAG TOTAL all Common names: 1 Zebra-tailed Lizard, 2 Common Side-blotched Lizard, 3 Whiptails, 4 Desert Spiny Lizard, 5 Regal Horned Lizard, 6 Gila Monster, 7 Desert Tortoise, 8 Gopher Snake, 9 Coachwhip, 10 Long-nosed Snake, 11 Western Patch-nosed Snake, 12 Common Kingsnake, 13 Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake, 14 Sidewinder, 15 Mojave Rattlesnake, 16 Black-tailed Rattlesnake, 17 Tiger Rattlesnake. Now why was I thinking 2010 was a bad year? Oh! There s this... Herp Statistics for 2010 Since the Y2K century began, I have been faithfully documenting every lizard, snake, and turtle encountered in this great state of ours (Table 1). To include everything found over that time period would be a daunting task. Instead, for comparative purposes, we limit the herps to six species of lizards, Desert Tortoises, and five species each of colubrids and venomous snakes. These species were selected based on the fact that there is always a chance of encountering one of these with every herp trip I make. My counts include both live and dead animals. It is likely that some of the herps in Table 1 were accidentally counted twice, and in a few cases, some were deliberately counted twice (hibernating herps that ingress in spring and return in fall). I ve also added other pertinent information, such as number of field trips, personal hours spent, rainfall information, yearly average temperatures, and grand totals of lizards and snakes. In this way, one can tell at a glance how the years compared with each other. Taking Table 1 from the top left, and working downward, the number of field trips embarked upon, and subsequently, the personal hours spent in the field were below average. Comparatively speaking, this herper was a homebody in 2010! As suggested by the table, the rainfall totals are derived from the National Weather Service s Tucson International Airport location. While the precipitation was generous in 2010 (especially during the winter/ spring), we must keep in mind the dud of a monsoon in 2009, and the effect that this may have had on the herpetofauna of our region. As for the current heavy emphasis on global climate change, it should be noted that at least in this century, the average yearly temperatures have not fluctuated much to speak of. But we are, of course, only speaking of an eleven-year time period. The first thing that I look for as an indicator of how any particular year compares to another are the Zebra-tailed Lizards (Callisaurus draconoides) and Common Side-blotched Lizards (Uta stansburiana). Both are lizards that can be observed active every month of the year, and both are not target species that is, not likely to be biased by highly-honed searching techniques. With the former, out of 11 years of effort, only 2006 had a lower total. With the latter, it was the worst SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 24 (4)

6 Uta year of the new century. Unlike other herpetological upstarts, this author is not quite ready to make exclamations that the sky is falling with regards to perceived diminishing lizard populations. The reader is encouraged to take the time to scan the Zebra-tailed Lizard row from beginning to end. Down and up, level, way up, and down right? Lizard fluctuations are a very normal part of annual cycles, and we really need consistent and long term data before we start crying wolf about this sort of thing. Meanwhile, the reader needs to rest assured that I m on high alert. The whiptails (Aspidoscelis sp.) also dropped to worst-ofthe-century numbers, and the Desert Spiny Lizards (Sceloporus magister) were well below average. The Regal Horned Lizards (Phrynosoma solare) hitting an average stride points to more luck than brains, as this is another species that I do not go out of my way to encounter. Furthermore, the steady decline of horny toad encounters over the past three years is worthy of mention. As for the Gila Monsters, the above average number is directly correlated with above average effort. I moved to Arizona with dreams that I could someday develop the skills to root these rascals out. I see no reason to not make adjustments in my schedule to go out of my way to seek them. If we were to speak about total observations on these animals (sometimes I see the same one ten times or more in a year), my humble number of 16 for 2010 would skyrocket five-fold. I try not to count each one more than twice a year. That is, once in the winter/spring, and once in the fall. The Field Hours aspect of everything I do keeps messing with my head with the count. I will easily burn four hours for the chance to observe a known Gila Monster in any given Gila hole. If it is there, score one for me. If it is not, the four hours is a waste of time. And if it is there, each time I visit it costs another four hours without the count increasing. And if it is there once, and not later, each visit costs the four hours under discussion with nothing to show for the effort. Moving on to the herp cows of the desert (Desert Tortoises), the numbers encountered in 2010 can best be described as steady. If we look at the year 2000, we can say Taylor Edwards. If we look at 2003, we can say Cristina Jones. Any time that a team of 10 or more tortoise Jedis gather, we can rest assure that explosive numbers will result. There was no such team effort involving me in 2010 or 2002 and 2004 through Those years would be up to Erin Zylstra or Phil Rosen to report. More so than any other herp in Table 1, if I make tortoises a priority, the numbers will rise accordingly. They are by far the simplest reptile to find and monitor in our area. Furthermore, it pleases me greatly to report that everything I m seeing would indicate that our most beloved herp is alive and well. We don t have to do anything to help them except stay out of their way. The snake numbers really took a beating in Of the five species of colubrids, only the Western Patch-nosed Snake (Salvadora hexalepis) reflects an above average number. The remaining four species all fell below average, with worst-of-the-century numbers for Gopher Snakes (Pituophis catenifer) which in my opinion is significant. At least on my turf, there didn t seem to be any recruitment to speak of with these normally hardy constrictors. The rattlesnake numbers in 2010 are nothing less than pathetic. While Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnakes have held steady for the past three years, all three years have shown well-below-par numbers. This is largely a reflection of the collapse of numbers at Figures 6a and 6b. (Left) Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum) just after processing on 26 November (Right) The same Gila Monster residing in the same hole as when captured 10 years previous, 26 November Note the matching characters. Photos by Roger A. Repp. SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 24 (4)

7 the winter dens, which may in turn be a result of April weather in January, and January weather in March. Timing and my own lack of being able to strike during the right set of weather circumstances might be playing a role in this. (Saying no to out-of-town guests and fair weather friends with priceless and limited vacation time at stake might improve my totals in this regard.) But what is equally possible is that the dens under observation have declined for various reasons not the least of which might be long-termclimate-related. Like the Gopher Snakes, the lack of large numbers of neonates being encountered in August and September is also a factor. Moving on to the land of no rhyme, reason, and many excuses, we next discuss Sidewinders and Mojave and Black-tailed Rattlesnakes. Abysmal sums up these three species precisely. These numbers are so miserable that an honest attempt to increase, or bias, their numbers will ensue in Time, timing, location and weather circumstances may reveal whether the crash is real, or a matter of bad luck or lack of effort. Tiger Rattlesnakes were the only crotaline to score an above average number. Were the total of three Tiger Rattlesnakes encountered in a glorious evening spent road cruising with Young Cage and Kent Jacobs behind locked gates in the Tortolita Mountains deducted from the yearly total, they also would have fallen short of the glory of average. The holy grail of bad news contained in this table can be found with the rows containing the All Lizards and All Snakes totals. Both rows are rock bottom. These two rows cover everything that is missed whenever I decide to change what I normally do for a crack at something different. If, for example, I went after Ridge-nosed Rattlesnakes (Crotalus willardi), and encountered 300 Ornate Tree Lizards (Urosaurus ornatus) in the process guess what? All 300 Tree Lizards would fall into the All Lizard category. These two rows are my own personal wildcard of sorts. And when the wildcards match the aces in the hole, I have no choice but to call a spade a spade. This was a bad herp year. But the bottom line is this: a bad year of herping is better than the best year of anything else. I m sincerely looking forward to what comes next in This here is Roger Repp signing off from Southern Arizona, where the turtles are strong, the snakes are handsome, and the lizards are way above average. a n n o u n c e m e n t SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 24 (4)

8 Herpetofauna of the 100-mile Circle: Call for articles Howard O. Clark, Jr., and the Editorial Board, Sonoran Herpetologist; Tucson and its surrounding environs have long been a Mecca of sorts for herpetologists. The reason for this is the density and diversity of the amphibian and reptile populations found here. The Sonoran Desert provides unusual habitats and ecological conditions for which a unique herpetofauna has evolved adaptations. The mountain ranges, which are forested islands in semi-arid grasslands, have isolated populations of amphibians and reptiles with evolutionary adaptations to montane environments. The Tucson Herpetological Society (THS) provides an illustrated checklist of the species of amphibians and reptiles found within the 100-mile circle an arbitrarily chosen area radiating 100 miles in all directions from the center of Tucson (Figure 1). The checklist can be found here: Along with each species listed are one or more photographs and a species account. However, the species account portion of the checklist is a work in progress and is in need of completion. The THS encourages its members to draft available accounts and submit them to the editorial board for review. The account will be published in the Sonoran Herpetologist and then posted on the website. If you have a favorite herp species, please check to see if it has been completed already. In the following list are the species accounts already competed or spoken for. Check the online checklist (URL above) to see what species are still available. The English and scientific names in the checklist also need to be updated. AMPHIBIANS Salamanders Tlaconete Pinto (Bezy et al., December 2004) Sonora tiger Salamander (Jones, reserved) Frogs and Toads Sonoran Desert Toad (Enderson, November 2002) Arizona Toad (Clark, February 2011) Great Plains Toad (Enderson, December 2002) Sonoran Green Toad (Enderson, May 2002; first account published) Canyon Treefrog (Swann, April 2005) Lowland Burrowing Treefrog (Enderson, September 2002) Barking Frog (Goldberg, July 2003) Western Narrow-mouthed Toad (Enderson, July 2002) Chiricahua Leopard Frog (Enderson, March 2003) REPTILES Turtles Red-eared Slider (Stitt, June 2005) Spiny Softshell (Averill-Murray, September 2007) Lizards Western Banded Gecko (Bezy, July 2010) Long-nosed Leopard Lizard (Clark, May 2010) Texas Horned Lizard (Swann et al., August 2007) Clark Spiny Lizard (Bezy, February 2003) Desert Spiny Lizard (Bezy, September 2003) Long-tailed Brush Lizard (Enderson, August 2002) Elegant Earless Lizard (Bezy, December 2010) Greater Earless Lizard (Bezy, reserved) Zebra-tailed Lizard (Bezy, March 2011) Desert Iguana (Bezy, October 2010) Mountain Skink (Edwards, June 2003) Madrean Alligator Lizard (Bezy, reserved) Snakes Western Hog-nosed Snake (Averill-Murray, Sept. 2006) Coachwhip (Clark, November 2010) Sonoran Gophersnake (Repp, June 2002; first introduction article about the 100-mile circle) Neotropical Whipsnake (Rorabaugh, January 2008) Mexican Gartersnake (Wallace, October 2002) Desert Massasauga (Holycross, May 2003) Western Diamondback (Repp, January 2003) Figure 1. Map of southern Arizona and northern Sonora, with the 100-mile circle indicated in red. Please note that the actual boundaries of the circle vary a fair amount according to what part of Tucson is chosen for the center point. Map generated using Microsoft MapPoint Tucson and its surrounding environs have long been a Mecca of sorts for herpetologists. The reason for this is the density and diversity of the amphibian and reptile populations found here. The Sonoran Desert provides unusual habitats and ecological conditions for which a unique herpetofauna has evolved adaptations. SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 24 (4)

9 a n n o u n c e m e n t The Brown Canyon Outdoor Education Workshops and Walks: Spring 2011 April 16-17: Discovering Brown Canyon Weekend: The World of The Baboquivari Mountains Weekend workshop; Leaders: Mary Scott, Richard Conway, and Refuge biologists. Spend a weekend relaxing, hiking, and enjoying an introduction to the hidden world of Brown Canyon in the Baboquivari Mountains, southwest of Tucson. Guests will enjoy the comfort of the striking Brown Canyon Environmental Education Lodge and be treated to three catered meals. Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning will be times to relax at the lodge and enjoy the splendid views of the Baboquivari Range and the Altar Valley or walk the canyon trails. Brief walks and class sessions by staff from the refuge and local experts on plants, birds, butterflies, and rocks will introduce participants to the canyon s natural history. Saturday evening after dinner, we will use pictures and stories to explore the natural history of the region. Brown Canyon is one of the most important protected enclaves of western sky island ecology in southern Arizona and this weekend interlude will provide an opportunity to discover it in a casual and comfortable style. All activities are optional (except enjoying yourself) and the walking is easy on a dirt road and good trails. April 30-31: Discovering Brown Canyon Weekend: The Birds of the Baboquivari Mountains and Altar Valley Weekend workshop; Featured Leader: Jeff Babson with Brown Canyon naturalist staff. This workshop will give the participants an opportunity to see the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge area during the spring migration. Jeff Babson is an expert and active regional naturalist that leads Sky Island Tours ( He is very knowledgeable about arthropods, birds, and more. This weekend he will focus on resident and migrating birds of the area. Saturday afternoon Jeff will join the canyon naturalist staff in a brief reconnaissance of the spring canyon. After dinner he will present a show and talk about the region s birds. Sunday morning before breakfast Jeff will lead a walk in the canyon near the Lodge. After breakfast Jeff and his helpers will walk up the canyon in search of the world of Brown Canyon. The walkers will return in time for lunch. The weekend will end about 2:00 p.m. All activities are optional and the walking is easy on a dirt road and good trails. May 14-15: Discovering Brown Canyon Weekend: Reptiles and Amphibians of the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge. Weekend workshop; Leaders: Robert Villa and members of the Tucson Herpetological Society. For many, the most fascinating creatures of the Sonoran world are the herps (reptiles and amphibians). There is no one more qualified to help you discover this world than the Tucson Herpetological Society ( The weekend with them will include walks in search of Brown Canyon herps, exhibits and demos with live animals brought by the herpers and an evening presentation. All this plus the comfortable lodging, superb food (three meals) and chance to relax in the incomparable setting of the Baboquivari Mountains. All activities are optional and the walking is easy on a dirt road and good trails. May 21: Butterflies and Plants of The Baboquivari Mountains Walk, Leaders: Rich Bailowitz and Dan Austin. With these two knowledgable authorities, this walk promises to be an exceptional opportunity to learn about the identity and ecology of butterfly and plants in southeast Arizona. Brown Canyon is host to a surprising complement of sky islands species and it is not possible to find anyone more informed than the two leaders of this walk. Registration for these events is required. Overnight workshop fee is $95 for members and $105 for nonmembers.. This includes lodging and three catered meals. Day workshop/walk fee is $20. To learn more about the program, times, and places, please visit workshops-and-walks From there you may link to the registration page You may also fobanwr@gmail.com or call SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 24 (4)

10 Tucson Herpetological Society Board of Directors Meeting February 22, 2011 Directors Present: Trevor Hare, Kris Ratzlaff, Robin Llewellyn, Rob Nixon, Robert Villa, Heidi Flugstad, Dennis Caldwell, Mike Rochford Members Present: Ed Moll (Speakers Bureau) Special Guests: Hillary Hoffman (liaison with AZGF) Absent: Tim Allen (excused), Taylor Edwards (excused), Travis Boswell Meeting called to order by Hare at Minutes: There were no changes to the minutes of Jan Caldwell moved to approve the Jan 2011 minutes, Llewellyn seconded, motion passed Misc: Rochford and Hoffman need to be added to the BOD list. Resend BOD list. Committee Reports Treasurer s report (Flugstad): The checking balance currently has $4,625,45. Total income since the last meeting was $ from membership and a L. Jones book. The BOD agreed to pay $0.51 per mile to reimburse Ed Moll. Llewellyn moved to accept the treasurer s report. Caldwell seconded. Motion passed Homepage (Caldwell/Tuegel): Homepage has been struggling since Marty s hard drive crashed. The new speaker should be up soon. Ed Moll commented that his still needs to be changed on the website. Conservation (Caldwell): o Caldwell is planning on representing the THS at the Recovery Unit Work Group for Rana chiricahuaensis. o Hare is attending the Sonoran tiger salamander recovery meeting in March o Hare received a grant to remove American bullfrogs in the Tumacacoris o The Rosemont Mine may be delayed for 2 years due to delay in getting CAP water to it contact Caldwell or Hare if you want to help out on EIS task teams for the Rosemont Mine Speakers Bureau: Moll: o Feb 9 OASIS Senior Education Program (7 seniors); presented the program Being Neighbors with Monsters, Vipers, and Toads o Feb 19 Presented Bluffing Serpent Style (50+ people), at Friends of Sabino Canyon Day at La Encantada shopping center Villa: o March 5 UA kids/parents College acad. o March 6 Music in the Canyon. o March University of Arizona Book Festival o May 7 International Migratory Bird Day at Madera Canyon o May Brown Canyon Herping Workshop need to ask for volunteers Caldwell: has a good resource for inexpensive printing for information pamphlets; would like to have some would like to have some Living with Venomous Reptiles brochures printed for the PARC meeting Sonoran Herpetologist (Clark): Always looking for more articles for each newsletter. o Abstract from Jeff Sevross, USFWS, on Sonoran Desert Tortoise Candidacy o Need to start getting outstanding C. H. Lowe reports aim to start printing these after May o Deadline for articles is usually 1 week after board meeting Membership (Llewellyn): o Remind members at next meeting to ensure that THS s are not being spam-blocked Trevor will people to do this and have Roger do this too o Currently have paid members o Need to give reminders to people that their membership fees are due suggest bringing roster to meetings with renew due dates o Received $250 from Cecil and Carol Schwalbe for the CH Lowe fund Program (Villa): o Good through April o C.H. Lowe recipients for May? o If there is an empty slot, Caldwell or Phil Rosen can talk about Las Cienegas o Caldwell moved his talk to allow Murphy (March speaker) to sell books at next meeting at his own expense (as long as he hauled in the books and hauled them out). Llewellyn seconded, motion passed C.H. Lowe fund (see above: Hare): o Need to contact people about past due reports and speaking about project o Will see when to put out announcement Student Chapter of the THS (Hare): Nothing to report Jarchow Conservation Award o Roger Repp has agreed to chair this committee. Work on this project needs to start in July since the award is given in November Old Business Secretary Position: announcement was made at the general meeting to find a volunteer. Ratzlaff and Rochford are willing to help out Board of Directors meetings are always on the last Tuesday of each month (except December), at 7:00 PM; University of Arizona, BIO5/ Keating Building, 1657 East Helen Street. SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 24 (4)

11 Current Research on the Herpetofauna of the Sonoran Desert (Hare): o Marriott Hotel wants contract signed by Friday; contract is for August; Hare s wife will look at contract and fix the numbers, push back due date by a week. o Last time THS paid $15,000 and made a profit of $3,000, registration did not cover everything; donations covered the rest o Need sponsorships! o Call for volunteers in the newsletter? o Robin and Heidi agreed to help out, as are Christina and Tom s people o Suggest giving the plenary speakers to Dale? o Cost covers coffee break, cookies, BBQ and reception for $9000. Expect people; suggest $100 attendance fee? o Need ideas for plenary speaker Field Trip to Brown Canyon o Villa is setting up a trip with Friends of Buenos Aires National Refuge an THS for May 14-15, announcements to come. Richard Convey will send draft of registration forms New Business Funding: Robin went to the Desert Tortoise Symposium and sold t-shirts, hats, and books for $465. Ratzlaff moved to reimburse Robin for $100 of travel fees. Caldwell seconded. Motion passed M e m B E R S H I P u p d a t e As of 6 April 2011 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. New Members Rich Gassaway Mike Rochford Individual Members David Bertelsen Chip Hedgcock Travis LaDuc Ron Spark David Parizek Ed Moll Kristine Klewin Patty Mahaney Time to Renew Your THS membership? This is a friendly reminder for those of you whose membership is due. Please send your check and a membership form (especially if AZGF Liaison: Hillary Hoffman is the official liaison to the THS from Arizona game and Fish. She would like to involve constituents with Heritage funds concerns. o Hillary works in contracts/research. She bids for things to get work, and has been involved in Desert Tortoises, shovel-nose snake project, and many other projects o Shovel-nosed Snake project looking at presence, frequency, and hot spots for road kills using funnel traps, pitfall traps. Have found 5 live and 23 road kills. Need to look at proper placement of traps. Looking for volunteers Need to advertise box turtle watch again Google calendar: Heidi will set up for Board. BioBlitz: Don Swann wants to present at the next general meeting about the Bio Blitz at Saguaro National Park on Oct 21-22, 2011 Desert Tortoise Symposium: Taylor Edwards received some awards for genetics research. Roger gave a presentation of what dens with Desert Tortoises. Suggested that Robin do a write-up of the Symposium for the next Sonoran Herpetologist. Nixon moved to adjourn the meeting, Caldwell seconded. Meeting adjourned at information has changed) to THS, P.O. Box 709, Tucson, AZ, Memberships Due in March Sandy Anderson Royce Ballinger Bayard Brattstrom Howard Clark Robert Fitak Itzchak & Carolyn Gilboa Norma & Abe Lackow Jenna Ramsey Brett Seymoure Paul South IV Memberships Due in April George Coffee Michael & Marlis Douglas Stan & Emily Draper Jerrold & Martin Feldner Heidi Flugstad Richard Funk Kent Jacobs & Cyndy Wicker Jeff Moorbeck & Jennifer O Leary John & Katherine Murphy Lee Oler Chris Scott Wade Sherbrooke Jefferson Stensrud Hanna Strauss Dick van Loben Sels Donna Zeidel & James Bockowski SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 24 (4)

12 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-in-Chief Howard Clark, editor.sonoran.herp@gmail.com Associate Editors Roy Averill-Murray, averill-murray@sbcglobal.net Don Swann, donswann@dakotacom.net Robert Bezy, bezy@comcast.net Tim Allen, tallen@elmontgomery.com Art Editor Dennis Caldwell, dennis@caldwell-design.com Book Review Editor Philip Brown, philipandbarbara@earthlink.net 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. 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 Trevor Hare, trevor@skyislandalliance.org Vice President Robert Villa, cascabel1985@gmail.com Secretary Kris Ratzlaff, kratzlaf@ .arizona.edu Treasurer Heidi Flugstad, heidi_flugstad@hotmail.com Directors: Robin Llewellyn ( ), robinia2@msn.com Travis Boswell ( ), sndscooters@yahoo.com Tim Allen ( ), tallen@elmontgomery.com Robert Nixon ( ), sapo1047@msn.com Kris Ratzlaff ( ), kris.ratzlaff@gmail.com Dennis Caldwell ( ), dennis@caldwell-design.com Past President Taylor Edwards, taylore@u.arizona.edu Society Activities Monthly Members Meeting Robert Villa, Program Chair 3rd Tuesday, 7:15 PM Tu c s o n H e r p S o c i e t y. o r g 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 24(5): May 15 For more information about the THS and the reptiles and amphibians of the Tucson area visit tucsonherpsociety.org SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 24 (4)