Lancaster Herpetology Society

Lancaster Herpetology Society

Concerning improved awareness of native and non-native herpetofauna including captive husbandry, biology, ecology, and preservation.

OFFERING – Advice on captive husbandry and propagation of many popular varieties of reptiles and amphibians, Field trips to local “herping” spots, Guest speakers, Studies of taxonomy and nomenclature, studies of Biology and Ecology and much more.

MEETINGS – Are open to the general public and are held at 7:00 PM on the third Friday of every month. All ages welcome! We are a friendly group with a very diverse membership - from young hobbyists to veteran biologists, naturalists, and zookeepers. Come join the fun! Location is at the North Museum at College & Buchanan Aves., Lancaster PA. Enter through the rear door from Buchanan Av. Parking lot. Use the side entrance doorbell.

Still have a few questions? Please stop in one of our meetings and ask. Or Email Adam Darrenkamp, the group’s founder, President, and fearless leader at: amdarren@comcast.net.

2006 Schedule

Friday, January 20th, 2006,
No meeting this month, but Spring is just around the corner!

Friday, February 17th, 2006,
Come out and meet one of the real live zookeepers from ZooAmerica in Hershey! Jan Cooper is responsible for taking care of more of the zoo's creatures than any of the other keepers on staff. Her decades of experience have turned her into a walking-Zoology-Encylcopedia, and she loves to share! This will be a night to remember as Jan shares a few of her critters with us, and lots of insight. Rumor has it you may have a chance to see the only venomous lizard in the United States - the Gila Monster - up close!

Saturday, February 18th, 2006,
FIELD TRIP!
One of the finest zoo keepers at ZooAmerica in Hershey, Jan Cooper, will be leading a behind-the-scenes tour of the zoo --- exclusively for the Lancaster Herpetology Society. Cost will be $5.50 per person (ages 3 and up), which includes general admission to the zoo. The specail all-access tour is provided free, compliments of Jan. The tentative plan is to meet up at the zoo around 10 AM, although please stay tuned for more details.
YOU MUST SIGN UP TO GO ON THIS FIELD TRIP, so we can give a head-count for the group rate. You can sign up by emailing Jan at the address below. Thanks!
If you have any questions, and to sign up for the trip, email Jan at jancooper@comcast.net.

Friday, March 17th, 2006,
THE VENOMOUS TALK, with Brian Zahm. If you've ever wanted to know more about the world's venomous snakes, this is one night you won't want to miss! Club member Brian Zahm, who has kept a number of venomous snakes over the years, will be giving a talk about his years of working these creatures. He will also be exploring what venom really is, current venom research, and possible future medical uses of snake venom. Rumor has it you may get a chance to see Brian's live Gaboon Viper (Bitis gabonica) - the snake with the longest fangs in the world!

Friday, April 21st, 2006,
This will be a night you won't want to miss! Chris Urban, the head reptile man at Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, will be visiting Lancaster Herpetology Society. This is a great opportunity to hear from our state's top reptile expert.
FIELD TRIP!
Immediately following the meeting will be our first ever late-night field trip. Bring your waders because the water may get high where we'll be going. More details to come, but we will probably be heading out in search of Spring Peepers, and the other treasures of April.

Friday, May 19th, 2006,
Our featured speaker will be Tom Dies.

Friday, June 16th, 2006,
Our featured speaker will be George Gress, talking about Bog Turtles (Clemmys muhlenbergii). Lancaster County continues to be one of the nation's biggest strongholds for this elusive endangered species.

Friday, July 21st, 2006,
Our featured speaker will be Betsy Rae Leppo, speaking about seasonal vernal pools. Although they literally vanish into thin air part of the year, Vernal Pools are crawling with wildlife in the Spring. They host all kinds of critters, and are an essential element of Pennsylvania's biodiversity.

Friday, August 18th, 2006,
Member's Night - this means YOU! This is your opportunity to share any of your own reptiles with the group, along with any stories or research you may have to go with it. If you have been doing any other reptile projects or research, this is a great time to share it with the rest of the group.
Not sure which reptile to bring? Not a problem, just follow this easy 4-step-program:
1. Go step into your reptile room.
2. Close your eyes.
3. Spin around ten times and point your finger straight out in front of you.
4. When you open your eyes, whichever reptile you're pointing at is the one you should bring to Member's night.

Friday, September 15th, 2006,
Our featured speaker will be Club President Adam Darrenkamp. Featured topics will include a herping season summary, and a look at one of PA's less commonly seen snakes, the Queen Snake.

NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE

Herp News

Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has proposed new herp regulations. If passed, these new regs will impose major limitations on Rattlesnake Roundups and offer greater protection for all state herps. Currently, PFBC is seeking public feedback about the new regs from October 15th through December 15th.

To view the proposed herp regs online, click here.

To submit your feedback about the new herp regs to PFBC, click here.

To view recent HerpDigest articles published about proposed PA herp regs, click here.