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31 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
USGS2006

Natural history, field ecology, conservation biology and wildlife management: Time to connect the dots

Natural history and field ecology are essential building blocks for successful conservation and management of herpetofauna. Thus, natural history and field ecology merit major infusions of funding and increased recognition of their importance in science and management. Others have stated matters well: (1) Academic training in natural history should receive high priority; (2) we need to integrate our work across disciplines (from molecules to communities), and use all of our knowledge toward common goals; (3) natural history is not dead but today is a flourishing enterprise; and (4) mutual respect and collaboration between disciplines best serve our own mental health as well as the future of natural history. We need to merge the best natural history, field ecological data, and biological questions with the latest advances in other fields of inquiry if we are to advance science and solve key environmental issues. It takes a scientific community and many concerned parties to save a species, let alone an ecosystem. We must connect these dots to see the big picture.

Herpetological Conservation and Biology↗
USGS2018

Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi (Valley Gartersnake). Coloration.

During surveys for Thamnophis gigas (Giant Gartersnake), I observed an adult T. sirtalis fitchi with unusual coloration— a yellow-cream background color with some typical red coloration laterally, but with very minimal amounts of the dark slate-black (along the sides of the yellow dorsal stripe and on top of the head) that normally predominates in this subspecies (Fig. 1; LACM [Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County] PC 2339, photo voucher). The snake was captured in a modified minnow trap on 21 May 2017, in Sutter County, Sacramento Valley, California, USA. Prior to this capture, our survey crew made two sightings of similarly marked T. s. fitchi at the same field location, and another snake with similar markings was captured at a nearby field location on 13 May 2016 (LACM PC 2341, photo voucher).

Herpetological Review↗
USGS2018

Osteopilus septentrionalis (Cuban treefrog)

USA: LOUISIANA: east baton Rouge paRish: private property in a garden center on a bromeliad in the 1700 block of Millerville Road in Baton Rouge (ca. 30.443°N, 91.023°W; WGS 84). 29 November 2016. Joseph Roy. Verified by Hardin Waddle. Florida Museum of Natural History (UF 181952; photo voucher). New parish record. This sub-adult was discovered after the bromeliad was bought and placed outdoors under heat lights. It was not collected. A second individual, also not collected, was found at a nursery on a bromeliad in the greenhouse in the 15000 block of Perkins Road in Baton Rouge (ca. 30.357°N, 91.049°W; WGS 84) on 24 January 2017 by Joseph Roy (UF 181953; photo voucher).

Herpetological Review↗
USGS2014

Aspidoscelis deppii (black-bellied racerunner). Predation by turkey vulture.

Aspidoscelis deppii is widely distributed from Veracruz and Michoacan, Mexico, to Costa Rica (Köhler et al. 2006. The Amphibians and Reptiles of El Salvador, Krieger Publishing Company, Malabar, Florida. 238 pp.). Neotropical lizards are abundant and common prey to all classes of terrestrial vertebrates, and bird predation of lizards is well known. The Turkey Vulture (Carthartes aura) is widely distributed from southern Canada south to South America and is present throughout the entire range of A. deppii, where it occupies a variety of open and forested habitats and feeds opportunistically on a wide range of wild and domestic carrion. While almost exclusively a scavenger, this species is known to rarely kill small animals or invertebrates (Kirk and Mossman 1998. In A. Poole [ed.], The Birds of North America Online. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca; accessed 15 August 2013). An adult Turkey Vulture was collected during avian control to minimize wildlife hazards at the Aeropuerto Internacional de El Salvador (ca. 50 km SE of San Salvador, 13.4408°N 89.0556°W; datum WGS84) on 10 July 2012 and subsequently cataloged (USNM 646876) in the Bird Division at the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) in Washington, DC. Dissection during preparation of the bird as a museum specimen revealed a male A. deppii (ca. 56 mm SVL) in the stomach. It was cataloged at the NMNH in the Division of Amphibians and Reptiles (USNM 580989). Tissue samples were removed from both the lizard and the bird and deposited in the biorepository at the NMNH. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first documented record identifying A. deppii as a prey item of the Turkey Vulture.

Aeropuerto Internacional de El Salvador↗
USGS2016

Osteopilus septentrionalis (Cuban treefrog)

USA: LOUISIANA: St. Tammany Parish: on private property on Allen Road in Slidell (ca. 30.262°N, 89.741°W; WGS 84). 2 April 2013. Aaron Steece. Verified by Hardin Waddle. Florida Museum of Natural History (UF 177727, photo voucher). New parish record. This adult was found ca. 2 m high on a branch at the edge of a wooded area behind a house. It was photographed and released, as the species identity and significance was unknown. The origin of this individual is unknown. The homeowner stated that he bought nursery plants often, but checked them thoroughly as he put them indoors. Since this initial finding, the homeowner learned more about Cuban Treefrogs and searched for them on many occasions at this location for two years, but detected no additional Cuban Treefrogs.

Louisiana↗
USGS2003

Uta stansburiana and Elgaria multicarinata on the California Channel Islands: Natural dispersal or artificial introduction?

Uta stansburiana and Elgaria multicarinata occur on several California Channel Islands, and recent introduction of some populations has been suggested because of similarity in life-history traits and body size to mainland populations. We sequenced representatives of each species from mainland southern California and some of the islands on which they occur. For each species, cytochrome b sequence divergence is low across the narrow geographic area sampled. Analyses of 14 haplotypes of U. stansburiana suggest long-established residency on Santa Catalina and San Clemente Islands but more recent arrival on San Nicolas and Santa Cruz Islands. Analyses of eight haplotypes of E. multicarinata suggest these lizards may have been recently transported to San Nicolas Island.

Journal of Herpetology↗
USGS2016

Storeria occipitomaculata obscura (Florida red-bellied snake)

USA: LOUISIANA: Vermilion Parish: Palmetto Island State Park (29.86335°N, 92.14848°W; WGS 84). 19 February 2016. Lindy J. Muse. Verified by Jeff Boundy. Florida Museum of Natural History (UF 177730, photo voucher). New parish record (Dundee and Rossman 1989. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Louisiana. Louisiana State University Press, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 300 pp.). Storeria occipitomaculata obscura has not been documented in any of the coastal parishes of Louisiana (Boundy. 2006. Snakes of Louisiana. Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 40 pp.). However, this species can be difficult to find in southern Louisiana and other populations in coastal parishes may eventually be discovered. This adult individual (SVL = 292 mm; TL = 70 mm) was found under a log in a wet bottomland forest dominated by Dwarf Palmetto and Bald Cypress.

Herpetological Review↗
USGS2011

Coluber (= Masticophis) flagellum piceus (Red Racer). Arboreal/nocturnal behavior

Many species of snakes display arboreal behavior and are often found in vegetation many meters above ground. Mojave Desert snake species rarely get very far above the ground surface and are perhaps limited by predominantly low growing vegetation. Coluber flagellum piceus is considered strictly diurnal and although may ascend vegetation while active, is thought to retreat to subterranean refugia at night. Werler and Dixon (2000. Texas Snakes: Identification, Distribution, and Natural History. University of Texas Press, Austin. 437 pp.) stated “The western coachwhip is active above ground only during daylight hours. It almost invariably retires to depths of an animal burrow before sundown, where it spends the night.” The normal morning activity period for C. flagellum appears to be from approximately 0700–1000 h from June through September (Jones and Whitford 1989. Southwest. Nat. 34:460–467). Secor and Nagy (1994. Ecology 75:1600–1614), and Secor (1995. Herpetol. Monogr. 9:169–186) determined that the average body temperature for active above ground activity of C. flagellum was (33.1°C + 0.1°C, range of 24.0°C–40.8°C, N = 502), stating that coachwhip snakes were seldom active on the surface with body temperatures below 28°C. Here, I report a C. f. piceus that apparently spent the night draped in a Creosote Bush ( Larrea tridentata ).

Nevada↗
USGS2019

Hemidactylus parvimaculatus (Sri Lankan spotted house gecko)

USA: LOUISIANA: PLAQUEMINES PARISH: 0.15 km S of the intersection of LA-23 and Jump road, Venice (29.266630°N, 89.35570°W; WGS 84). 2 May 2019. V. C. Montross and W. McGighan. Verified by Aaron M. Bauer. Florida Museum of Natural History (UF 189238; photo voucher). New parish record. On 2 May 2019, three Hemidactylus parvimaculatus were observed after lifting an abandoned door left on the side of Jump Basin Road. An adult specimen was photographed. This record extends the known distribution of this species in Louisiana south of all previously recorded parishes and is 105 km SW of the species’ first recorded location in the state at Audubon Zoo, Orleans Parish (Heckard et al. 2013. IRCF Reptil. Amphib. 20:192–196). Four additional parishes in southeastern Louisiana have since been added to its known distribution including Jefferson (Borgardt 2015. Herpetol. Rev. 46:217), St. Tammany (Glorioso 2016. Herpetol. Rev. 47:81), St. John (Borgardt 2016. Herpetol. Rev. 47:258), and Tangipahoa (Erdman 2017. Herpetol. Rev. 48:125), as well as Chambers and Orange counties in east Texas (Davis and LaDuc 2019. Herpetol. Rev. 50:102).

Louisiana↗
USGS2022

Storeria occipitomaculata (Red-bellied Snake)

STORERIA OCCIPITOMACULATA (Red-bellied Snake). USA: LOUISIANA: St. Mary Parish: Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge (29.69425N, 91.46701W; WGS 84). 18 August 2022. William C. Carroll and Aidan G. Phillips. Verified by Coleman M. Sheehy III. Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida (UF 193423; photo voucher). Adult photographed in leaf litter in a wet bottomland hardwood forest with a mixed composition of hardwood trees and Dwarf Palmetto (Sabal minor). New parish record (Dundee and Rossman 1989. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Louisiana. Louisiana State University Press, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 300 pp.). The snake was found 68.5 km to the east-southeast from the nearest other documented specimen in Vermilion Parish (UF 177730; Muse et al. 2016. Herpetol. Rev. 47:266). This record is the second documentation of S. occipitomaculata in a coastal Louisiana parish (Muse et al. 2016, op. cit.). These two recent findings challenge our previous understanding that this species is absent from coastal parishes (Boundy and Carr 2017. Amphibians & Reptiles of Louisiana: An Identification and Reference Guide. Louisiana State University Press, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 282 pp.). Storeria occipitomaculata is fossorial and can be difficult to locate, but these two recent records suggest additional populations may yet be discovered where suitable forested habitat exists along the coast.

Louisiana↗
USGS2016

Hemidactylus parvimaculatus (Sri Lankan spotted house gecko)

USA: LOUISIANA: St. Tammany Parish: private property ca. 4 km S of Abita Springs, E of State Hwy 59, and N of Interstate 12 (30.44000°N, 90.02000°W; WGS 84). 18 August 2013. Brad M. Glorioso. Verified by David Heckard. Florida Museum of Natural History (UF 176422, photo voucher). New parish record. This species was first reported in the Americas in the vicinity of Audubon Zoo in New Orleans, Louisiana (Heckard et al. 2013. IRCF Reptiles & Amphibians 20:192–196). This is the third report of this species in Louisiana (Heckard et al. 2013, op. cit.; Borgardt 2015. Herpetol. Rev. 46:217), and is now documented from Orleans, Jefferson, and St. Tammany parishes in southeast Louisiana. The individual was located at night, ca. 10 m from a dwelling on the forest floor amid a downed picket fence, which was resting atop a thick layer of pine needles. There are H. turcicus at the property, but this individual was recognized as unusual, and many photos were taken before releasing the animal. It was not until much later that it was determined to be H. parvimaculatus. The origin of this individual is unknown, as the owners of this 1.62-ha property are elderly and do not keep any pets. Subsequent casual searches have not turned up any new individuals. I thank David Heckard for his help with identification and discussion of this species in Louisiana.

Herpetological Review↗
USGS2015

Book review: Biology and conservation of North American tortoises

The charismatic North American tortoises hold a special place in our culture and natural history. Despite the perseverance of these tortoises over millions of years, biologists now question their ability to persist into the future. In light of documented declines, habitat loss, and numerous threats to tortoise populations, the editors gathered a diverse group of researchers to review what we have learned about this group after decades of study, to summarize gaps in the literature, and to reflect on how we may use the current state of knowledge to conserve these fascinating species. Initially intended as a focused review of the two most well-studied species in the genus Gopherus , G. agassizii (Mohave Desert Tortoise) and G. polyphemus (Gopher Tortoise), the book developed into a comprehensive treatment of the entire genus. The editors offer the work as a resource to professional biologists and agencies working with North American tortoises as well as a teaching aid, hobbyist’s reference, and casual read for nature-lovers—although we presume that the former group is more likely to benefit than the latter. Although the book’s size appears modest, the content delivers an in-depth look at the five recognized tortoise species. Review info: Biology and Conservation of North American Tortoises. Edited by David C. Rostal, Earl D. McCoy, and Henry R. Mushinsky, 2014. ISBN 978-1421413778, 190 pp.

Herpetological Review↗
USGS2021

Tarentola annularis (white-spotted wall gecko)

USA: CALIFORNIA: Orange Co.: San Juan Capistrano (33.51°N,117.66°W; WGS 84). 25 August 2020. Samuel Fisher, Chelsea Martin, Robert Fisher. Verified by Gregory B. Pauly. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (LACM 191974). New county record. One juvenile (33 mm SVL) was collected, and another juvenile was seen 40 m away. Another juvenile was also observed during a second visit to the site on 19 September 2020. Wall geckos were first documented at this site since at least 2019 by Gary Nafis (G. Nafis, pers. comm. and as posted on www.californiaherps.com; 23 Aug 2020). Given that multiple individuals were observed at this site over 2 mo, this appears to be an established population. Invasive T. annularis were first detected in California in Redlands, San Bernardino County in the early 2000s (Wilcox et al. 2014. Herpetol. Rev. 45:464). This new Orange County population is ca. 80 km SW of the other known California population. While T. annularis has not spread much in the downtown urban center in Redlands over the last 20 years (S. Fisher, unpubl. data), it is possible it might expand its range more rapidly in a less urbanized habitat if there were more landscaping and natural features present. The only other published records for North America are from Florida where they are also invasive, and they have been known since the 1990s from several locations and continued to spread (Krysko et al. 2016. IRCF Rept. Amphib. 23:110-143). In the native range of T. annularis their habitat consists of desert, indicating that even though they are able to breed and persist in coastal Orange County they may not be in the optimal habitat (Ibrahim 2004. Zool. Middle East 31:23–38). A potential concern is that if T. annularis becomes more widespread in Southern California, they could present a risk to endemic nocturnal rock-dwelling species such as Xantusia henshawi and Phyllodactylus nocticolus because T. annularis has been shown to engage in saurophagy (Ibrahim 2004, op. cit.). It is much larger than these species (X antusia henshawi SVL = 70 mm; Phyllodactylus nocticolus SVL = 63 mm; Tarentola SVL = 108 mm) and well adapted to desert habitats where it could be a potential predator or competitor.

California↗