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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2021

New amphibian and reptile parish records from Louisiana, USA

Dundee and Rossman (1989) published distribution maps of Louisiana herpetofaunal species in The Amphibians and Reptiles of Louisiana over 30 years ago. Since then many records have been published, mostly in Herpetological Review, documenting additions to these original maps. Though many are single species additions, several compilations of new Louisiana records have been published (Boundy 1994, 1998; 2004; Rosenzweig et al. 2007; Boundy and Gregory 2012; Battaglia et al. 2015). Here we report a total of 22 records that help to fill distributional gaps primarily in southern Louisiana. Most records are a result of targeted surveys during work projects or opportunistic encounters by the author. Those records where the author is not listed as an observer were submitted by others to the author via email. All records are photo vouchers deposited in the Florida Museum of Natural History (FMNH) Herpetology collection. Charles D. Battaglia of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) and Coleman Sheehy of the FMNH verified species identification. All records represent new parish records unless otherwise stated as determined by a list compiled by now-retired LDWF state herpetologist Jeff Boundy and through queries at VertNet.org. I thank Raymond P. Kidder for his assistance with querying VertNet.org.

Louisiana↗
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↗
USGS2022

Caretta caretta (Loggerhead Sea Turtle) nesting exchange

The Northwest Atlantic population of Loggerhead Sea Turtles ( Caretta caretta ) is one of the largest C. caretta populations in the world and is listed as threatened. This population was divided into five genetically distinct subpopulations, including the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGoM) subpopulation (Shamblin et al. 2017 Mar. Bio. 164:138). Across the NGoM, the majority of C. caretta nesting occurs in Franklin and Gulf Counties, Florida, USA (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, https://myfwc.com/research/wildlife/sea-turtles/nesting/nesting-atlas/). Few C. caretta nests are documented on Texas, USA, beaches and as such, less is known about the individuals that nest in Texas (see Shaver et al. 2020 Front. Mar. Sci. 7:1, Frandsen et al. 2020 Herp. Review 51:825) as compared to those that nest on beaches in the eastern part of the range (Lamont et al. 2014 Mar. Bio. 161:2659). Although C. caretta individuals have been tracked to Texas from nesting beaches throughout the Southeastern USA (Hart et al. 2014, PLoS One, 9), movements of C. caretta away from Texas beaches are rare. Here we detail the exchange of an adult female C. caretta that emerged and was tagged on the beach in Texas and then subsequently documented nesting in Northwest Florida.

Texas↗
USGS2016

Agkistrodon piscivorus conanti (Florida cottonmouth) Diet

Agkistrodon piscivorus is a generalist predator that feeds on a variety of prey, including snakes (Gloyd and Conant 1990. Snakes of the Agkistrodon Complex: A Monographic Review. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Oxford, Ohio. 614 pp.; Lillywhite et al. 2002. Herpetol. Rev. 33:259–260; Hill and Beaupre 2008. Copeia 2008:105–114). Cemophora coccinea (Scarletsnake) is not known as one of the 26 species of snakes consumed by A. piscivorus (Ernst and Ernst 2011. Venomous Reptiles of the United States, Canada, and Northern Mexico: Volume 1. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland. 193 pp.). On 16 June 2015, at 2210 h, we found a dead-on-road A. piscivorus (total length [TL] = 51.0 cm) in Everglades National Park on Main Park Road, 1.88 km S Pa-hay-okee, Miami-Dade Co., Florida, USA (25.414085°N, 80.78183146°W, WGS84; elev. 3 m). The snake had been killed by a vehicle and some internal organs were exposed. Visible stomach contents included a small (TL ca. 15 cm) C. coccinea. Photographic vouchers of the A. piscivorus (UF-Herpetology 177194) and C. coccinea (UF-Herpetology 177195) were deposited in the Division of Herpetology, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida. Despite the fact that these species are sympatric over large areas of the southeastern United States, this is the first known documented predation of C. coccinea by A. piscivorus.

Herpetological Review↗
USGS2011

Gopherus agassizii (desert tortoise). Burrow collapse

In the deserts of the southwestern U.S., burrows are utilized by the Desert Tortoise to escape environmental extremes (reviewed by Ernst and Lovich 2009. Turtles of the United States and Canada. 2nd ed. Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, Baltimore, Maryland. 827 pp.). However, the potential for mortality through burrow collapse and entrapment is poorly documented. Nicholson and Humphreys (1981. Proceedings of the Desert Tortoise Council, pp. 163−194) suggested that collapse due to livestock trampling may cause mortality. In addition, Lovich et al. (2011. Chelon. Cons. Biol. 10[1]:124–129) documented a Desert Tortoise that used a steel culvert as a burrow surrogate. The culvert filled completely with sediment following a significant rain event, entombing the animal and ultimately resulting in its death. We note that this mortality was associated with an anthropogenic structure; because tortoises are prodigious diggers, one might hypothesize that they have the ability to dig out of collapsed natural burrows in most situations. Circumstances described here presented us with an opportunity to test this hypothesis.

Herpetological Review↗
USGS2017

Book review: Behavioral ecology of the eastern red-backed salamander: 50 years of research

In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the British Ecological Society, Sutherland et al. (2013) identified 100 questions of fundamental significance in “pure” (i.e., not applied) ecology. A somewhat unexpected outcome of these authors’ exercise was the realization that, after 100 years of comprehensive, intensive scientific research, there remained “profound knowledge gaps” in ecology, such as a clear understanding of “the central mechanisms driving ecosystems…communities…, and even population dynamics.” Animal behavior (along with other attributes such as physiology and genetics) is such a mechanism that can structure ecological interactions, and the study of behavioral ecology provides important insights into many fundamental ecological phenomena. For example, the well-known historical characterization of ecology as the study of the distribution and abundance of organisms (Andrewartha and Birch 1954) invokes numerous questions, such as: what factors influence coexistence among competing species, or between predators and their prey? Ultimately, the answers to these and other questions are best addressed with fine-scale, mechanistic studies of habitat selection, foraging behavior/prey selection, and movement/dispersal behavior. Similarly, at the population level, insight into the spatial distribution of individuals could be gained with studies of territoriality, dominance hierarchies, and even mate choice.

Herpetological Review↗
USGS2020

Acris blanchardi (Blanchard's Cricket Frog), Predation

Invertebrates are well-known predators of amphibians with many documented cases of spiders preying upon anurans (reviewed in Toledo 2005. Herpetol. Rev. 36:395–400). Wolf spiders are known to feed on a variety of frogs, including those in the genus Acris (Blackburn et al. 2002. Herpetol. Rev. 33:299). Although typically terrestrial, wolf spiders have been found feeding on arboreal frogs ca. 1 m above the ground (Aucone and Card 2002. Herpetol. Rev. 33:48). To our knowledge, no records exist of a wolf spider feeding on a terrestrial frog at an elevated height. At 0113 h on 30 April 2019, we observed an adult female wolf spider (Tigrosa georgicola: Lycosidae) feeding on an adult Acris blanchardi ca. 1.5 m high on the trunk of a small tree at the edge of a pond in Sherburne Wildlife Management Area, St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, USA (30.424°N, 91.663°W; WGS 84; Fig. 1). The spider was positioned facing the ground and the partially digested frog was hanging from its mouthparts. The spider likely captured the frog on the ground near the edge of the water and retreated up the tree with its meal (Fig. 1B). Movement of spiders with prey from an initial point of capture is documented in wolf spiders (Aucone and Card 2002, op. cit.) and other large terrestrial spiders (Maffei et al. 2010. Herpetol. Notes 3:167–170). This behavior may minimize the vulnerability of the spider to predators. We thank Zack Lemann, Curator of Animal Collections at the Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium, for spider identification.

Louisiana↗
USGS2003

Pseudacris triseriata (western chorus frog) and Rana sylvatica (wood frog) chytridiomycosis

The chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is a known pathogen of anuran amphibians, and has been correlated with amphibian die-offs worldwide (Daszak et. al. 1999. Emerging Infectious Diseases 5:735-748). In Colorado, B. dendrobatidis has infected Boreal toads (Bufo boreas) (Muths et. al., in review) and has been identified on museum specimens of northern leopard frogs (Rana pipiens) (Carey et. al. 1999. Develop. Comp. Immunol. 23:459-472). We report the first verified case of chytrid fungus in chorus frogs (Pseudacris triseriata) and wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) in the United States. We collected seven P. triseriata, and two adult and two juvenile R. sylvatica in the Kawuneeche Valley in Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) during June 2001. These animals were submitted to the National Wildlife Health Center (NWHC) as part of an amphibian health evaluation in RMNP. Chorus frogs were shipped in one container. Wood frog adults and juveniles were shipped in two separate containers. Histological examinations of all chorus frogs and 3 of 4 wood frogs were positive for chytrid fungus infection. The fourth (adult) wood frog was too decomposed for meaningful histology. Histological findings consisted of multifocally mild to diffusely severe infections of the epidermis of the ventrum and hindlimb digital skin. Chytrid thalli were confined to the thickened epidermis (hyperkeratosis), were spherical to oval, and occasional thalli contained characteristic discharge pores or zoospores (Green and Kagarise Sherman 1999. J. Herpetol 35:92-103; Fellers et al. 2001. Copeia 2001:945-953). We cannot confirm that all specimens carried the fungus at collection, because infection may have spread from one individual to all other individuals in each container during transport. Further sampling of amphibians in Kawuneeche Valley is warranted to determine the rate of infection and mortality in these populations.

Colorado↗