OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE BAY AREA AMPHIBIAN AND REPTILE SOCIETY August 2014

BEHIND BAARS

BAARS is an educational and conservational group of amateur and professional herpetologists whowant to share their knowledge, enthusiasm, and friendship with others interested in these

fascinating creatures.

Photo by Jeff Whitnack

General Meeting

Friday, August 23 @ 7:30 p.m. Doors open 7:00 p.m.

Cubberley Community Center, Room M-2, 4000 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto

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CONTENTS President’s Report

Santa Clara County Fair Report

Helping Wildlife During the Drought

Be Prepared—Make a Show Tote!

Events

Wear a Club T-Shirt to an Event

Sulphur Creek Reptile Rally

Redding Reptile Expo

Treasurer’s Report

Board & Contacts

Board Meeting Notes

Membership Matters

Social Media

Editor’s Shelf

You Have Been Warned!

Parting Shot

ONLINE RESOURCES OLDER NEWSLETTERS MEMBERSHIP DISCOUNTS East Bay Vivarium Berkeley - 10% Dr. R. Singh Veterinarian, Sunnyvale - 10%

President’s Report

Hello BAARS Members and BAARS Supporters-

Please, come to a BAARS meeting, and please feel free to bring a reptilian friend! We are

actively trying to increase the attendance to our meetings and would love to meet you (or

reconnect, if you used to come to meetings)!!

At last month’s meeting (July), Wolfgang Keil shared his interest in reticulated pythons with many

video clips and personal anecdotes concerning the behavior of his pythons. He has imported

locality specific reticulated pythons, which doesn’t interest most commercial breeders of large

reticulated pythons. The commercial breeders are interested in the latest genetic mutations,

which often sell for big bucks. I wish to give Wolfgang a big thanks for his presentation, and for

following his interests in maintaining some locality-specific pythons (and not chasing the latest genetic mutation).

For August, we’ll have Turtle and Tortoise night! We encourage members to bring in interesting species, and we’ll have

mini-presentations of the turtles and tortoises that members bring. We’ll also have a raffle and probably a silent auction

for Turtle and Tortoise night! Please, try to support BAARS and bring some items that we can auction or raffle off!

(Please, no dirty or cracked tanks.)

September is currently open, but for the October BAARS meeting, we have tentatively scheduled a very strong

speaker, Gerold Merker. Gerold is a successful breeder of snakes (and runs Merker Reptiles), as well as being a

published author of several reptile books, including books on Rosy boas, Grey Banded Kingsnakes (alterna), and

California Mountain Kingsnakes (zonata).

Remember to check the BAARS website for other activities, as well as the BAARS facebook page and facebook group!

Sincerely,

Scott Alexander, BAARS President, 2014

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Santa Clara County Fair Report by Rhonda Velez and Tania Tengan. Photos by Jeff Whitnack and Aleks Haecky.

This year’s Santa Clara County Fair was four fun days of warm [Editor: Blazing HOT] weather and friends!

BAARS is again very grateful to Gil and Dorothy Castro of the Silicon Valley Chapter of the California Turtle and Tortoise

Club for inviting us to participate.

The following people need to be recognized for their unselfish commitment:

● BAARS Members-at-Large Tony and Rhonda Velez and their friend, Juan Landazuri

● BAARS members Jim Goering and Pete Marshall

● BAARS Member-at-Large Jeff Whitnack

● BAARS board president Scott Alexander

● BAARS Newsletter Editor Aleks Haecky

● Our newest BAARS member, Alex

● BAARS Members-at-Large, BAARS, Adoption Coordinators, and

members of CRITTER KID AND MICKABOO PARROT RESCUE Tania Tengan,

Michael Pleban, Austin Pleban, and his girlfriend Lauren, Aria Pleban and

her friend Sheetal

● Sarah A VOLUNTEER FROM SHERMAN OAKS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

● Shannon and her sons, Joe and Nick, Kathy and her son Erik, all from 4-H

REPTILE PROJECT OF ROLLING HILLS.

● Our newest BAARS family members, Carolina, Shane, Sofia, and Isaac.

A few of our volunteers logged hours comparable to a full-time job over five days, including set-up and tear-down! Our

volunteers cheerfully interacted with fair goers. Some brought pets for display, handling, and the ever popular photos.

We were all troupers, suffering through the sweltering heat and the scant size of the crowds. Considerably fewer

people attended the fair this year.

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Rhonda ran the Spin-A-Prize game and close to three hundred

people paid for their child to go home with a little plastic

amphibian or reptile. Rick Porter of Reptile Realms reported that

he and Lila's booth handed out around six hundred stickers to

to children over the four days of the fair.

There were some folk that shied away from us, and I overheard the

statement, "...not my idea of a cuddly pet..." from a reluctant observer.

While holding one of our corn snakes, another young woman reminisced that she was a

ballerina as a child, and snakes always reminded her of dancing. It was wonderful that a

number of snake-phobic visitors overcame their fear and even posed for photos

holding a snake.

As BAARS members, we are proud to have had the opportunity to uphold our mission of

educating the public about reptiles and amphibians.  

Helping Wildlife during the drought by relocation

requires a permit!

Read more at California Outdoors Q & A: http://californiaoutdoorsqas.com/2014/08/14/moving-turtles-and-other-wildlife-due-to-drought/

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Be Prepared—Make a Show Tote! by Rhonda Velez

Nothing like getting to a show and realizing you forgot the hand sanitizer; or that bungee cord to keep your curious

python from exploring. The best way to never forget essentials, is to put them all in a tote and leave them there

between shows. That way, you can just check and grab your tote and be out the door with your critters.

Rhonda suggests the following items, which she has in her tote. Of course, you need to customize this for your own

needs!

Suggested Contents for a BAARS Show Tote   

BAARS Banner with bungee cords or twine  

Brochures/Flyers/Business Cards  

Donation Jar(s)  

First Aide Kit  

Garbage bag(s)  

Hand Sanitizer & Hand Washing Signage  

Health Risk Handouts Salmonella, Lyme Disease may be printed from <kidshealth.org>  

General Info Signage  

Membership Applications & Pens  

Newsletters  

Paper Towels (at least one full role)  

Spray Water Bottle  

Cloth Table Covering(s)  

Tape (packing, painters, or Scotch. NOT Duct tape, too sticky)  

Optional Items   

Care Sheets  

Extra Pillow Cases  

Facial Tissues  

Scratch Paper  

Snake Hook 

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Events by Joanne Hiratsuka Petersen

Details are on our BAARS.org website under Shows.

Contact Joanne Petersen, joanne.hiratsuka@gmail.com.

Wear a BAARS T-Shirt to an Event to Support and Promote Your Club! BAARS Merchandise: http://www.cafepress.com/baars

August 2014

August 22 7:30 p.m.

BAARS General Club Meeting Speaker: Turtle and Tortoise Night START TIME: 7:30 p.m. (Doors open 7 p.m.)

August 30 10 a.m - 5 p.m.

Reptile EXPO -North Bay Herpetological Society Petaluma Community Center, 320 North McDowell Blvd., Petaluma, CA 94954 Website: http://www.nbherps.org BAARS will participate. Contact Joanne Petersen, joanne.hiratsuka@gmail.com.

September 2014

September 5 7:30 p.m.

BAARS Board Meeting - 7:30 p.m. Scott and Joanne’s -- BYOBsuit and Towel. For details, contact behindBAARS@gmail.com.

September 26 7:30 p.m.

BAARS General Club Meeting TBD START TIME: 7:30 p.m. (Doors open 7 p.m.)

September 27 10 a.m - 3 p.m.

Chitactac Family Day Chitactac-Adams County Park, 10001 Watsonville Road, Gilroy Contact: Rhonda Velez, avelstude@sbcglobal.net or Gil Castro, tortoise.whisperer@yahoo.com to participatein this event.

September 27/28 Sacramento Reptile Show Sacramento Convention Center, 1400 J Street, Sacramento 17th annual show! For 2014 we have brought back the ever popular venomous reptile displayfeaturing more than 45 venomous species from around the world including King Cobras and Black Mambas. The show features all the latest reptile products needed to care for your new reptile pet. The Sacramento Reptile show is your one stop for everything reptile in Sacramento. http://sacreptileshow.com/ BAARS will not have a booth at this show.

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October 2014

October 3 7:30 p.m.

BAARS Board Meeting - 7:30 p.m. TBD For details, contact behindBAARS@gmail.com.

October 5 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

YSI Wildlilfe Festival Alum Rock Park, 16260 Penitencia Creek Rd, San Jose, CA 95127 **** BAARS IS NOT PARTICIPATING AT THIS EVENT DUE TO LACK OF REQUIRED INSURANCE**** Hold a snake, touch a toad, and meet hawks, owls and other animals! Join us at the Youth Science Institute’s Wildlife Festival. Food and fun throughout the day. Families can participate in wildlife programs, hands-on science. BAARS is not participating; if you need information, contact Mel Sarmento-YSI Alum Rock Site Administrator, Educator, & Volunteer Coordinator, YSI- Youth Science Institute, Alum Rock Park, 16260 Penitencia Creek Rd, San Jose, CA 95127(408) 258-4322, http://www.youthscience.org

October 18 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Audubon Wildlife Education Day Blackberry Farm, 21979 San Fernando Ave, Cupertino, CA 95014 Wildlife Education Day has become one of the premier events in the Bay Area where hundreds of families come together to celebrate and learn about nature. Join SCVAS and overa dozen other organizations to celebrate nature, ecology, and wildlife. There will be live animals, educational presentations, poster contest, many free hands-on activities, early morning bird walk, and nestbox nd bird feeder construction. This is the 23rd annual event! Also see SCVAS website for more info: http://www.scvas.org 21979 San Fernando Ave, Cupertino, CA 95014 Contact: Joanne Petersen, joanne.hiratsuka@gmail.com, to participate. Please arrive at 9 amin order to get set up and good parking. SVAC contact: Toby Goldberg, Programs Coordinator, (408) 252-3740, programs@scvas.org, www.scvas.org

October 24 7:30 p.m.

BAARS General Club Meeting -- Halloween Speaker: Gerald Merker Costume Contest and Treats START TIME: 7:30 p.m. (Doors open 7 p.m.)

November/December 2014

November 7 7:30 p.m.

BAARS Board Meeting - 7:30 p.m. TBD For details, contact behindBAARS@gmail.com.

??? 7:30 p.m.

Holiday Party and Elections TBD START TIME: 7:30 p.m. (Doors open 7 p.m.)

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Sulphur Creek Reptile Rally (Photos by Jeff Whitnack; except where noted.)

Photo above by Pete Marshall

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Redding Reptile Expo by Pete Marshall

I went to the Redding Reptile Expo on July 19th, 2014, just to check it out.

I wanted to see what vendors would be there, and how big it would be,

since this is the first one.

The show was held at the Holiday Inn. One thing I noticed was that there

was no signage of any kind around town. There were no signs in front of

the Holiday Inn as well. You couldn’t tell there was a reptile show going on

until you went inside. I got there about 2:00. The room was full of people,

and vendors as well. Ron’s reptiles from Chico and GBU Reptiles were

there, too. It was nice to see them. From the looks of things, the show was

all booked except for one table, and that’s good thing.

Snakes of interest at GBU: They showed me something called a Line Pine.

It was a beautiful snake. It was a yellowish-green color with, yes, black

lines along the sides, changing to black saddles on top and blotches on the

sides. I also saw a large beautiful snake that looked like a Taiwan, but I

don’t think it was, because it had a lot of yellow on the lower end of its

body.

I think the rest of the vendors were from southern Oregon. I could be wrong on that. But I believe that’s where most of

them came from. One thing that impressed me was that there were a few free-roaming animals in the room. The first

one I saw was an about 50-pound Sulcata tortoise. It almost ran into the friend I was there with. So, I looked around the

room some more. The next too cute thing I saw was a little girl holding one end of a leash, and on the other end was a 5

foot long water monitor. The monitor was not freaking out over all the people around, and the little girl seemed to have

a lot of fun walking with her monitor. The next thing was a 170-pound, 17- foot long albino Burmese python. It was in a

large open container, just sitting there. Someone had an eye on the snake, but it didn’t seem to be interested in going

anywhere.

Next, one of the vendors had a five-foot long-Iguana sitting on a table so

that people could see and touch it. It was a very good-looking Iguana. Those

were the biggest animals there, and the flow of people kept moving. There

was another vendor that had a ten-foot albino Burmese. They were letting

people hold it for a minute or two— long enough to take a picture.

So, in all, it was a fun show to go to, and the cool part was that it cost only

$5.00 to get in. I was hoping to get a few pictures of this event, as there

were some nice pictures to be had. Sadly, my camera decided it was out of

battery life at the very moment. So I got no pictures, I’m sorry to say.

[Editor: So here are a couple of photos of Pete took of his Taiwan Beauty

Snake.]

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Treasurer’s Report by Scott Petersen

This report covers the month of July 2014.

The most significant financial news for the club this month is the good news that as of July 31st, we exceeded our

projected 2014 budget income. Additionally, overall expenses continue to remain well below target. The two line items

that have exceeded their budgeted targets to date are the stipends and surrender fees we received. A special thanks

goes out to Joanne and Tania for actively managing these two significant sources of club income. And while we all need

to be diligent in sending in our yearly dues on time, dues payments to date are in much better shape YTD than they were

this time last year. Thank you to all of you who have responded to renewal notices. Credit for keeping on top of and

managing our membership goes to Kyna.

Cash flow for the month of July was $520.23 giving the club $1432.71 YTD positive cash flow Year-to-Date, with monthly

income of $625.00 and expenses of $104.77. As usual, our general meeting room rent and the hardcopy printing and

mailing were the club’s biggest expenses for the month.

Income for the month was $625.00. The income sources were membership dues and a very generous stipend that was

the result of Jeff, Joanne, and Scott’s participation sharing our herps at the Alameda County Fair. And a thank you goes

out to Pete for recommending the BAARS group to them.

As you can see from the PAYPAL balance below, the number of members who used this online payment method this

month for their annual memberships dues payment continues to grow. The advantages to you of using PayPal

(https://www.paypal.com/login ) is that the transaction can be done online from a desktop or smart mobile device, you

can use either a credit card, debit card, savings, or checking account, you have the security of PayPal acting as a buffer

between your account and the group or person you are making payments to, and sign up is free. If you use the “Send

Money to a Friend” option, the club avoids paying the service fee. The receiving e-mail address you should use once

logged into your PayPal account is baars.payment@gmail.com . The advantage to the club is that your dues is directly

deposited into the club’s PayPal bank account.

For the month of July 2014, the club had the following allocated funds:

● Salamander Fund: $213 ● Tax/Legal Fund:  $755 ● Petty Cash:       $40.50 

As of the end of July 2014, our checking account was $4338.05. As was mentioned before, because the club is using

CAFEPRESS(http://www.cafepress.com/baars) for T-Shirts and other items with the BAARS logo and artwork and PayPal

more, it makes sense to report the balances in those accounts. Their totals are:

● CafePress Balance: $15.96 ● PayPal Balance:   $308.07 

Here is a quick look at the Year-to-Date income, expenses, and cash flow, as well as the details for the last 3 months:

Posting Date:   ___YTD__      5/31/2014  6/30/2014  7/31/2014 Income:  $2430.41       $523.50   $420.00    $625.00 Expenses    $997.70       $237.00    $26.96    $104.77  Cash flow:      $1432.71       $286.50   $293.04    $520.23  

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Board & Contacts President: Scott Alexander; 408-823-3675, alexander_scott@yahoo.com Vice President: Eric Koessel, 510-847-4392, erickoessel@yahoo.com Membership Secretary: Kyna Hendra, 408-204-5131, Membership.baars@gmail.com Treasurer: Scott Petersen, scottepetersen@gmail.com Recording Secretary: Vacant Publicity Director: Vacant Newsletter Editor & Webmaster: Aleks Haecky, vhaecky@gmail.com Show Coordinator: Joanne Petersen, joanne.hiratsuka@gmail.com Adoptions Coordinator: Austin Pleban and team, baars.adoptions@gmail.com Social Media MAL: Jeff Whitnack, whitnack@pacbell.net MAL: Gilbert & Dorothy Castro, 408-582-4247, Tortoise.whisperer@yahoo.com MAL: Tania Tengan & Michael Pleban & Aria Pleban, 408-499-5867, tmtengan@att.net MAL: Rhonda Velez & Tony Velez, 831-540-8119

Board Meeting Notes by The Board

All are invited!

Board meetings are held at different board members’ homes, so this is an opportunity to see other folks’ collections

and get firsthand tips on reptile keeping. You also get to see how your club operates behind the curtain. And there is

always plenty of food, too.

Check out the Events schedule for locations and times of board meetings.

Membership Matters by Kyna Hendra (Membership.baars@gmail.com)

Could you renew/join using PayPal from our website?

Click right here to get to the BAARS Membership page.

For old fashioned “check-in-the-mail” delivery, print and mail the form from the BAARS Membership page: BAARS Membership Secretary c/o Palo Alto Junior Museum 1451 Middlefield Road PALO ALTO CA 94301­3351

Social Media BAARS website: www.baars.org

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/BAARSociety Lists events and activities.

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/239964525544/

Yahoo Group/Email Group: http://www.yahoogroups.com/neo/groups/BAARS/info

Newsletter Exchanges: Minnesota Herpetological Society Newsletter Page BAARS exchanges Newsletters with other clubs. Contact the Newsletter Editor for information.

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Editor’s Shelf by Aleks Haecky

All our newsletters are published on ISSUU! Check out the latest issue, and all issues since November 2012. You can also access the newsletter from baars.org If you cannot accept large attachments, this is a way for you to see the newsletter, even when it has a lot of images.

Contributions and Advertisements To advertise or publish in our newsletter or on our website, contact behindBAARS@gmail.com.

We love herp-related original articles, trip and show reports, stories about your animals, and original photographs and

drawings. You retain all rights but grant us permission to use, edit, and publish in the newsletter and on our website with

attribution. Only submit materials for which you own the copyright or have written permission from copyright owners.

You Have Been Warned!

Friday, October 24th

BAARS Annual Halloween Costume Contest

& Trick-Or-Treat Night

wear a costume!

dress-up your pet!

every child in costume receives a bag of goodies

Trick-Or Treat Candy courtesy of your BAARS Board

Parting Shot

by Kru Kutt Designz

Here is a video with more designs:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUUF5qjyP5k

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