Josh's Frogs

Kyle Kopp

Maryland Herpetological Society

Matt Mirabello

Midwest Dartfrogs

Phrogs-N-Phelsuma by Scott Menigoz

Rich Terrell's Insular Exotics

Robb Melacon

Rob "Oz" Ossiboff

Shawn Harrington

Simply Natural Dart Frogs

Tim Stout

Todd Kelley & Tor Linbo

Tree Walkers International

Waldor Orchids

Main highlight will be the behind-the-scenes tour of the Rainforest Exhibit. There will be three separate tours. Please mention the time you would like to sign up for since space is very limited. Please note: transportation will not be provided. For directions to the Aquarium, visit the official website.

Times are: 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM. The tour lasts approximately one hour. Please meet near the security entrance located on the right-hand-side of the building (walk along the right side of the pier, past the submarine).

If you feel adventurous, visit the Baltimore! website for more information, sites and attractions around the Inner Harbor.

Reservations are required. Space is limited to 12 people per time slot.

The menu for the reception dinner will include: toss garden salad, Chicken Française or Chefs Catch of the Day: Salmon, vegetable medley and roasted red potatoes and double fudge cake for dessert along with coffee and tea.

Our keynote speaker for this year is Dr. Joe Mendelson, Curator of Herpetology at Zoo Atlanta. He has discovered approximately 40 species of frogs in his 17 years as a herpetology expert. He and Ron Gagliardo of The Atlanta Botanical Gardens recently returned from Panama with a collection of rescue frogs, where in the wild, they would have no chance of survival. Both Dr. Joe Mendelson and Mr. Gagliardo hope to preserve the continuance of the collected species in a captive breeding program shared between Zoo Atlanta and The Atlanta Botanical Gardens.

Reservations are required. Space is limited.

Captive-bred amphibians, books, supplies and much more will be for sale. New this year is a silent auction!

Pricing is per day.

Tickets do not have to be purchased in advance, they can be purchased at the door.

SPECIAL OFFERS:

• Children 15 & under free with paying adult (max 2 children per paying adult).
• Two-day admission pricing available for the Show & Sale: Adults $10, Children $6 (applies only on advanced reservations). Advance ticket purchasers are guaranteed earlier admission time at 9:30 AM.

Topics and Speakers:

10:00 AM Orchids by Tim Stout
11:00 AM Feeder Insects by Erin McClay
12:00 PM Vivarium Plants in Depth by Richard Revis
01:00 PM Spindly Leg Syndrome by Ed Kowalski
02:00 PM Basic Tank Design by Dan Calhoun
03:00 PM Tree Walkers International by Marcos Osorna
04:00 PM United States Fish & Wildlife

Contestants must pre-register. See an IAD Staff Member on Saturday, May 5 to direct you to the set-up area. See the contest rules for more information.

Winners will be announced on Sunday, during the Show & Sale.

Confirmed speakers are:

Devin Edmonds

Well over 200 endemic amphibian species inhabit the island of Madagascar. Those of the genus Mantella are most familiar because of their bright aposematic coloration and presence in the pet trade. Devin Edmonds has kept these unique frogs in captivity for over a decade, and traveled to Madagascar in December of 2006 to view them in the wild. Presented at IAD 2007 will be a talk about his journey to the island, accompanied by photographs of the frogs encountered on the trip.

Dante Fenolio

Subterranean salamanders remain mysterious to science as relatively few studies have clearly demonstrated their biology or ecology. Difficulty in accessing their habitat, complications with remote data collection, and restrictive sampling conditions have all contributed to leaving these salamanders among the most poorly known. We do know that life in perpetual darkness, exposure to cool temperatures, and low nutrient availability pose diverse challenges to subterranean organisms. With this in mind, it is no surprise to learn that senses other than visual systems are well developed and interesting adaptations are common in the organisms exploiting subterranean habitats. The central portion of the United States serves not only as the region of greatest diversity in North American obligate subterranean salamanders, but also boasts the greatest diversity of these creatures anywhere on the planet. I will discuss the biology and ecology of the obligate subterranean caudates from this region. I will also provide a review of the currently recognized species, with comments on North America’s newest salamander.

Matt Mirabello

Matthew Mirabello is a graduate student in the Department of Natural Resources at Cornell University. For the past 4 years he has studied the soil chemistry of lowland tropical rainforests, specifically in regard to the plant nutrient phosphorus. He received his BS in Chemistry and Biology from SUNY Geneseo in 2002. While an undergrad Matt did research on the effects of tadpole environment on dorsal patterns at metamorphosis in Dendrobates auratus. Since 1997 Matt has kept and bred many species of poison frogs and been active in member and administrator on the Frognet miling list. Matt came to volunteer with the EVACC (El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center) project when he learned about the need for volunteers from the head reptile keeper at the Staten Island Zoo, where Matt worked during the summers of his undergraduate life.

Matt's talk would be a fusion of the project goals and accomplishments, culture, ecology, field works, and herpetoculture.

Tim Paine

I am a police officer with SFPD for near 12 years, a B.S. in biology with nearly 20 years photographic experience, the last 7 focused mostly on herp photography. I will be available to discuss photography issues with people throughout the show if anyone is interested. I have made 8 trips to South America and over a dozen to Central America and photographed hundreds of unique and exciting species of herps (not to mention herping California, especially the Mojave desert).

My topic is focused on inspiring people to get outdoors and herp. By starting
with their local fauna and expanding to favorite state or national regions they can learn to connect with the broader spectrum of natural history. Hopefully with the goal of inspiring others to see nature in its true environment so that they can better understand what it means to save it and its animals and moreso that they may pass on and teach to others why this is important. The theme continues with explorations into more wild neo-tropical forests in foreign lands and that the travel is not nearly so dangerous or difficult as people imagine. Their experiences developed and travel dollars spent will truly lend meaning to conserving only what we know and have experience with. This talk is illustrated with scenic photos as well as a wide diversity of local and rare tropical herps.

Tickets do not have to be purchased in advance, they can be purchased at the door.

Captive-bred amphibians, books, supplies and much more will be for sale. New this year is a silent auction!

The Terrarium Contest winners will be announced.

Pricing is per day. SPECIAL: Children 15 & under free with paying adult (max 2 children per paying adult).

Tickets do not have to be purchased in advance, they can be purchased at the door.

Topics and Speakers:

09:00 AM Frogtracks Demonstration/Discussion by Robb Melancon
10:00 AM Herpetologists and their Art Through the Ages by James B. Murphy
11:00 AM Breeders' Workshop by Quality Captives & Aaron's Frog Farm
12:00 PM
01:00 PM Moderated Group Discussion

Captive-bred amphibians, books, supplies, etc. will be up for auction. All proceeds go to rainforest conservation. To donate an amphibian related item to the auction, please contact Beth Davis.

Special pricing for those who would like to have almost the full IAD experience. The price includes: 2 Day admission to the Show & Sale, Keynote Dinner & Lecture Series. Please note: the NAIB tour is not included with this package.

Reservations are required.

Special pricing for those who would like to have a full IAD experience. The price includes: 1 Tour, 2 Day admission to the Show & Sale, Keynote Dinner & Lecture Series.

Reservations are required.