baars july 2014
DESCRIPTION
Oakland Zoo Tortoises, Cellphone PicturesTRANSCRIPT
OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE BAY AREA AMPHIBIAN AND REPTILE SOCIETY July 2014
BEHIND BAARS
Clutch of Pine Snakes ©Jeff Whitnack
General Meeting
Friday, July 25 @ 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
A Father’s Day to Remember
Events
Treasurer’s Report
Board & Contacts
Taking Great Cellphone Pictures
Editor’s Shelf
Parting Shot Video
ONLINE RESOURCES OLDER NEWSLETTERS MEMBERSHIP DISCOUNTS East Bay Vivarium Berkeley - 10% Dr. R. Singh Veterinarian Sunnyvale - 10%
President’s Report
Hello BAARS Members and Supporters,
At last month’s meeting, Juan Landazuri gave a very informative talk on invertebrates, including tarantulas, centipedes,
scorpions, their proper care and husbandry, and other considerations before keeping these animals in captivity. I’ve
never been a huge fan, but I must say, I do find a new fascination in keeping these critters, as my wife, Caroline, has a
rose hair tarantula and several different types of roaches that she’s keeping. They are all relatively low maintenance and
interesting pets.
July’s general meeting will focus on reticulated pythons, subspecies, localities, and behavior, presented by Wolfgang
Keil. Many commercial breeders are now producing designer morphs of the reticulated python, but Wolfgang’s focus is
on locality-specific retics, and I just say that I applaud him for his efforts in researching and importing locality-specific
reticulated pythons. His presentation will review and expand on what is known and what isn’t known about reticulated
pythons, and will be enriched by extensive photo and video materials, as well as keeper experiences. Wolfgang has a
very close personal relationship with his individual pythons, much more so than most keepers. In July, we’ll be meeting in
Cubberley’s room M-2, on July 25th, at 7:30 p.m..
For August, we’ll have Turtle and Tortoise night! We encourage members to bring in interesting species, and we’ll have
some mini-presentations of the tortoises that members bring in. We’ll most likely also have a raffle and other events for
Turtle and Tortoise night.
BAARS has several educational programs coming up, including a reptile show at the Sulphur Creek Nature Center on July
26th. BAARS will also have a table at the Santa Clara County Fair—we can use help staffing tables for this event, so
please let us know if you can help!!
Hope to see you at the meeting!!
Sincerely,
Scott Alexander, BAARS President, 2014
Cell 408-823-3675
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A Father’s Day to Remember by Tania Tengan
Our family was lucky enough to be part of an
adoption/transportation train of two Red Tailed Boas
from Creepy Critters Rescue out of Los Banos
(http://www.creepycrittersrescue.com/) to the
Oakland Zoo.
The Oakland Zoo gave us a very generous "Thank
You" for delivering the two snakes to them: we got a
behind the scenes tour of their reptile and amphibian
house which is part of the children's zoo area. Ashley,
the zookeeper, and our guide, spent two hours with
us. We saw Chuckwallas and Spiny lizards of various
ages and sizes, a Black Tree monitor, Golden Tree
Frogs, and Poison Dart Frogs, all in various stages of
development, from eggs to tadpoles to adults, and
many other animals.
Our very favorite experience was discovering that
Galapagos and Aldabra Tortoises can actually feel
their shells being rubbed. They were resting on the
grass, and as soon as we started petting their shells,
they stood up on all fours asking for more rubbing. As
if they were cats, they really wanted their backs
rubbed!! They also enjoyed having their necks
scratched and their heads rubbed. They stretched up
high for us to pet them all over. For special treats, the
keepers use scrub brushes and scrub them. When we
stopped petting them, they came walking after us
asking for more!! They are much like dogs wanting to be petted all day.
It was a thoroughly enjoyable visit. The Oakland Zoo is a great place to spend the day. Of particular interest are the fruit
bats! Although not reptiles, who could resist falling love with these sweeties! Seeing large chihuahua like hanging pods
suspended upside down with their fox faces was so amazing! Wrapped in their black "rubbery" looking wings, they
looked like exotic upside down flowers. The texture of their wings reminded me of the stretchy gular skin on pelican
pouches. The natural world is incredibly interesting. We are all grateful for the adventures we had at the Oakland Zoo.
Herptile animated GIF smileys:
Source: http://yoursmiles.org/b-animals.php
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Events by Joanne Hiratsuka Petersen
Details are on our BAARS.org website under Shows.
Contact Joanne Petersen, [email protected].
July 2014
July 25 7:30 p.m.
BAARS General Club Meeting >>Music Room M-2<< Speaker: Wolfgang Keil on Reticulated Pythons START TIME: 7:30 p.m. (Doors open 7 p.m.)
July 26 11 am - 3 p.m.
Reptile Rally, Sulphur Creek Nature Center 1801 D Street, Hayward, 11 am - 3 pm Reptiles! Resilient, remarkable, and resplendent from the tip of their noses to the end of their tails. Join us as we meet up with the Bay Area Amphibian and Reptile Society (BAARS), for a rockin' good time of coming face-to-face with creatures that have endured the test of time. Bring the family and slither into an exciting day of learning about snakes, lizards, turtles, and tortoises. This special event is FREE! Make it a family day, bring a picnic and enjoy getting back into nature. Contact: Joanne Petersen, [email protected], or Pete Marshall, [email protected], to say which herps you're bringing. Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/sulphurcreeknaturecenter
July 31 - August 3 noon - 7 p.m.
Santa Clara County Fair
(Banner from thefair.org) 344 Tully Rd, San Jose, California 95111 Daily from 12 noon - 7 p.m. Santa Clara County Fair with livestock and other animals (BAARS). This is a great opportunity to meet with kids and adults to show our herps! The fair is from Thursday, July 31st, through Sunday, August 3rd, 12 noon to 7 p.m. all days. I would like to have BAARS participate at least on Saturday/Sunday if I can get enough volunteers. We can work shifts, so you don't have to stay all day! Please bring your pets even if it's just for a few hours on one day (any of the 4 days) and you'll get a free admission pass to the fair (for the days you'll be showing herps) if you sign up! Contact: Joanne Petersen, [email protected], if you want to participate. Can also contact Tony Velez, [email protected].
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August 2014
August 8 7:30 p.m.
BAARS Board Meeting - 7:30 p.m. Scott and Caroline’s house. For details, contact [email protected].
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.)
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 [email protected].
September 26 7:30 p.m.
BAARS General Club Meeting TBD START TIME: 7:30 p.m. (Doors open 7 p.m.)
October 2014
October 3 7:30 p.m.
BAARS Board Meeting - 7:30 p.m. TBD For details, contact [email protected].
October 5 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
YSI Wildlilfe Festival Alum Rock Park, 16260 Penitencia Creek Rd, San Jose, CA 95127 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.
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 [email protected].
??? 7:30 p.m.
Holiday Party and Elections TBD START TIME: 7:30 p.m. (Doors open 7 p.m.)
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Treasurer’s Report by Scott Petersen
This report covers the month of June 2014.
Cash flow for the month of June was $293.04, giving the club $912.48 YTD positive cash flow, with monthly income of
$420.00 and expenses of $126.96.00. Room rent and the hardcopy printing and mailing were the club’s only expenses
for the month. Income for the month came from new and renewed memberships for $310, general meeting auctions
contributed $70, and cash donations added $40 to the club’s bottom line. As you can see from the PAYPAL balance
below, a number of members used the online method this month for both their annual memberships and cash donations.
Thank you.
For the month of June 2014, the club had the follow allocated funds:
● Salamander Fund: $213
● Tax/Legal Fund: $755
● Petty Cash: $113.50
As of the end of June 2014, our checking account was $3891.79. As was mentioned last month, because the club is
starting to use CAFEPRESS (http://www.cafepress.com/baars) for T-Shirts and other items with the BAARS logo and
artwork, and PayPal to receive payments, it makes sense to report the balances in those accounts as they are reported
in the totals below.
● CafePress Balance: $15.96
● PayPal Balance: $234.10
Posting Date: ___YTD__ 4/30/2014 5/31/2014 6/30/2014 Expenses $765.97 $156.38 $237.00 $26.96 Income: $1385.91 $355.00 $523.50 $420.00 Cash flow: $619.44 $198.62 $286.50 $293.04
Board & Contacts President: Scott Alexander; 408-823-3675, [email protected] Vice President: Eric Koessel, 510-847-4392, [email protected] Membership Secretary: Kyna Hendra, 408-204-5131, [email protected] Treasurer: Scott Petersen, [email protected] Recording Secretary: Vacant Publicity Director: Vacant Newsletter Editor & Webmaster: Aleks Haecky, [email protected] Show Coordinator: Joanne Petersen, [email protected] Adoptions Coordinator: Austin Pleban and team, [email protected] Social Media MAL: Jeff Whitnack, [email protected] MAL: Gilbert & Dorothy Castro, 408-582-4247, [email protected] MAL: Tania Tengan & Michael Pleban & Aria Pleban, 408-499-5867, [email protected] MAL: Rhonda Velez & Tony Velez, 831-540-8119
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Taking Great Cellphone Pictures by Aleks Haecky
These days, I have ditched my various cameras for
my mobile phone. The convenient,
always-available, light-weight, instant-share
options of the mobile outweigh the technical
benefits of having a semi-professional (I never
made it to "professional") camera with real lenses
and fine control. When I think about it, deliberately,
nothing beats proper, high-quality equipment that
allows me to control so much about a picture
before I take it. But when I am running out of the
house or hiking on a mountain, what I end up having
with me is always ... my cellphone.
As a photographer, I am somewhere in that great
mass of people who take many pictures, most of
them for personal memories, to enrich an article, or
to clarify technical documentation . Occasionally, I get lucky, and something turns out just right. I use photo editing
software at work, but for my personal images, I rarely do more than cropping. Though, recently, the editing software on
my mobile phone has become incredibly usable, and I’ve started
to play with it on occasion.
I see the mobile phone as a challenge: Just how much can I do
with that little box in my pocket?
Flickr has a group dedicated to cellphone photography, and of
course, there is a Facebook community. Just search for
"cellphone photography", and you will find amazing images by
amateur and professional photographers.
If you prefer books, Food Styling and Photography by Alison
Parks Whitfield has a ton of good advice that is generally
applicable to all still photography, such as reptile setups,
equipment, and eggs. I tried my hand at it—be inspired to do
much, much better!
And lastly, remember that professionals often take hundreds of pictures
to get that one shot that will take your breath away.
Note: None of these images have been processed.
Here are some sunset pictures, including a panorama, I took last Saturday, and I think they turned out pretty good.
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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.
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.
BAARS Merchandise: http://www.cafepress.com/baars Wear a club t-shirt to an event to support and promote your club!
Contributions and Advertisements To advertise or publish in our newsletter or on our website, contact [email protected].
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.
Parting Shot Video Video Link: Puff Adder meets Water Balloon (Photo still from video)
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