Saving the Hellbender
Topic: Articles
Saving the hellbender

The disappearance of these unattractive creatures from Ozarks streams and rivers means the health of our waterways is in danger.


Here is a good article about the Hellbender in general as well as the dangers it faces and the measures being taken to help out the largest salamander in North America. Here is the link:
Saving the Hellbender

There are some nice photos with this article and here is one of my own taken at the Toledo Zoo.

Shoulda coulda woulda
Mood:  d'oh
It turns out the trip I missed to Yellow Wood turned up a few spotted salamanders, one jeffersons, and a few wood frogs and peepers. They managed to pull up a snapping turtle, a really good find for early March.

Herping in Clinton County
Mood:  happy
Topic: Out in the Field
Today was a wonderful amphibious day. It was sunny and 74 most of the day and we had lots of rain last night. At Camp Cullom peepers were everywhere around the marsh at the bottom of the hill. We caught and measured one at 21mm. If it were late enough to do Frogwatch the index would have definitely been three. It was deafening when standing in the middle. The kids tried out their new KAMP data sheets. They seemed to work well. We found many close enough for the kids to watch them call. I think I was more excited than they were. We went to Bryan Woods after that. No calling amphibians were heard. We found five smallmouth salamanders around the same small woodland pond we found the one at two days ago. By the SVLs, I do not think any were the same one as the other night. All were under logs; one small log had two, M&F. On the way home after dark we stopped at the Old Wal-Mart Pond and did a Frogwatch survey. This was Taylor's first survey. We heard a full chorus of chorus frogs. One was in the parking lot right next to us and we still could not find it. The storm started on the way home. Temperatures are supposed to drop tomorrow so it will be interesting to see what happens.

First Salamander of the year
Mood:  happy
Topic: Out in the Field
Last night me and Peggy decided not to chance a trip to Yellow Wood State Forest because of a funny noise that today turned out to be a bad alternator. Instead we went to try some Frogwatch USA sites. We monitored SR28 Ditch, Scircleville Elevator, Old Walmart Pond and Bryan Woods. No calling amphibians at any of them. At Scircleville we searched for salamanders, it was a good breeding spot for tigers when I was a kid, but nothing except an owl laughing at us. We also looked at Bryan Woods and did find one salamander after flipping probably a hundred logs. I'm pretty sure it was a smallmouth, Ambystoma texanum, but I still need to do some checking. We didn't see any egg masses at either site. The only egg mass I've seen this year is the one at Camp Cullom on 2/15/06, also a smallmouth. However it was gone a week later with coon tracks near it on the bank.

What Stinks? A Frog's Mosquito Repellent
Topic: Articles
Frog Bug Repellenthttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11522164/from/RL.1/

In Australia researches have discovered a smelly secretion from green treefrogs that relels mosquitos. Use the link to get the story.

Frog Survival: Faking a Mean Look
Topic: Articles
Mimicry in frogs

Here is an article about three frogs of similar appearance and three levels of poison.

Toxic Toads evolve to Aid Australian Invasion
Topic: Articles
Toad evolution

A perfect example of Darwinian evolution at its best.

Michigan Herpetology Symposium
Mood:  happy
Topic: PLaces to Go
Michigan Herpetological Meeting 2006

On March 4th 2006 the Detroit Zoo will be hosting a syposium focused on current research on Michigan's herpetofauna. The symposium will feature talks and time for open forum discussion. Registration, $15, will be collected at the door. Please RSVP to Bill Flanagan bflanagan@detroitzoo.org

Below is a tenative schedule including speakers and topics.

Time
Activity
Comments

8:00-9:00am
Registration
Coffee and Snacks

9:00-9:15am
Opening Remarks and Welcome
Bill Flanagan

9:15-9:30am
Talk
Gerry Nelson-"The Relationship Between Water Chemisty and Mink Frog Abundance"

9:30-9:45am
Talk
Yuman Lee-"Research and Consevation of Rare Herps in Michigan"

9:45-10:30am
Distinguished MI Herper Lecture
Al Holman- "History of Michigan Herpetology"

10:30-10:45am
Break
Coffee

10:45-11:15am
Talk
Jim Gillingham- “Herps of the Beaver Island Archipelago”

11:15-11:30
Talk
Eric Tobin-"Herp Inventory of Fort Custer"

11:30am-12:00pm
Talk
Jim Harding- "Wood Turtles: Old Threats, New Threats."

12:00-2:00pm
Lunch
On- your- own time. Behind the scenes herp dept tours available during this time

2:00-2:15pm
Talk
Edi Sonntag- "Cricket Frogs in Michigan"

2:15-2:30pm
Talk
David Mifsud- “Diversity of Herpetofauna in Southeast Michigan’s Urban Ecosystems”

2:30-3:00pm
Talk
Bruce Kingsbury-"The Eastern Massasauga in Michigan: Status, Research, and Conservation"

3:00-3:15pm
Break
Snacks and Soda

3:15-3:30pm
Talk
John Rowe-"Thermal Ecology of the Painted Turtle on Beaver Island Michigan"
3:30-4:00pm
Talk Earl Werner-"A Long-term Study of Patterns in the E. S. George Reserve Amphibian Communities"

4:00-4:30pm
Talk
Jim Ball- “The Blue-Spotted Salamander in Michigan”

4:30-4:45pm
Talk
Bill Flanagan- "The Belle Isle Mudpuppy Project"

4:45-5:00pm
Closing and Discussion


This was a great time. I went with HHS president Ed Ferrer. Because of time, the last talk about mudpuppies was canceled, but other than that, it could not have been better. Al Holman's History of Herpetology in Michigan was by far the most entertaining. He is quite the storyteller. As far as the most captivating for me it was Edi Sonntag from MSU and Sr. Keeper of NACC about her cricket frog research and Jim Ball spoke of the Blue spotted salamander complex with crosses of up to four (laterale, jeffersonianum, tigrinum, and texanum) as well as relater to barbouri. He said the Tiger crosses have a golden iris. I have got to find one of these. The tours of the Reptile house and Amphibiville were awesome. The amphibian building actually has more research going on in the back than animals on display. They grow their own brown algae for the dart frog tadpoles. They are trying to breed Giant Japanese Salamanders. Even a terrestrial caecilian. Very awesome stuff. We also stopped by the Toledo Zoo on the way and only had an hour before close so it was a whirlwind tour. The Reptile house was fantastic. Surprisingly more amphibians than I expected. A pair of golden toads in amplexus. A Hellbender and aquatic caecilian. Very nice naturalistic displays. I highly recommend both Zoos.