Calling all authors! We want to feature your latest publications in Journal of Herpetology and Herpetological Review on our website. We want to hear the story behind the research. Did the research project arise from an interesting natural history observation? Did you persevere through challenging field conditions to collect your data? Was the work motivated by an enigmatic mystery in herpetology? We want to know! We plan to feature short posts describing the personal side of your research. Send us an email at ssarherps@gmail.com if you’d like your work to be featured! Check out our “Behind the Scenes” posts for recent examples.
Archives for 2018
Behind the Scenes Pt. 4: On plethodontid puke
In this fourth installment of the human stories behind herpetological research, we hear the story behind a recent publication in SSAR’s Herpetological Review. The citation for that article is as follows:
Hutton, J.M., Price, S.J., and Richter, S.C. 2018. Diet of the Black Mountain Salamander (Desmognathus welteri) in southeastern Kentucky. Herpetological Review 49(1): 12-19.
SSAR members can access the article here. Below is a first-hand account from the lead author, Jake Hutton.
During my last year as an undergraduate student, I happened across some salamander diet literature. I was fascinated and immediately became consumed by the broader ecological impacts of this type of research. However, I soon found that there were very few salamander diet studies that didn’t sacrifice the entire animal just to obtain its stomach contents. So, with the support of one of my advisors, Dr. Bill Ensign (who had some partial experience with fish dietary studies back in the 80’s), I decided to further explore this field of research. We combed through the literature until we found consistent and successful techniques for a non-lethal salamander diet technique, collectively called “gastric lavage”, which is definitely the most awesome way of saying a way to make something throw up.
With my kit of mini-vomit-inducing materials and a slightly-more-than-vague understanding of the ethical technique, I took to the field to find some guinea-salamanders. After a few rocks, I spotted what would be my first lavaged salamander, a lovely spotted dusky salamander (Desmognathus conanti). I anxiously took out my container and added the estimated amount of Orajel and mixed in the water to create the most wonderful pre-throw up smell, at least in my opinion. After I had created the “jeloution”, the salamander just sat staring up at me, as if saying, let’s get some diet data, but please don’t kill me. Knowing the stakes, I placed it into the solution and waited nervously. After a few minutes it went limp and was unresponsive to my frightened verbal calls and nudges. The salamander was either dead or properly anesthetized. I had to know which one, but first I had some experimenting to do. So I snakingly, but accurately, inserted my incredibly tiny tubing down the esophagus and inserted the water-filled syringe into it. I took a breath, then pressed my thumb down on the syringe expecting to see an explosion or something else equally horrible. Instead, a massive earth worm nearly flew out of its’ mouth! To end the perfect first salamander lavage experience, my science-loving salamander friend began moving in the recovery water bath after just a few minutes. While waiting for it to fully recover, we had a lovely conversation about diet composition and the endless possibilities of using this technique to answer incredibly important questions about the potential influence of salamanders on the ecosystem.
Fast-forward to hundreds of non-lethally stomach flushed salamanders and salamander conversations later (0% mortality or actual talking from the salamanders). I was working as a field technician on a salamander project in the Stephen Richter Lab (Eastern Kentucky University) for J. Alex Baecher’s thesis in southeastern Kentucky. Between sampling periods, I would go out and collect as much diet data as I could, perfecting the technique as well as the handling and recovery times. I also look this chance to learn how to identify the prey that were collected from the salamanders. Each diet sample became like an exciting murder mystery, minus the murder but with alike with clues, patterns, and a magnifying glass, well an Accu-Scope 3075.

The author’s supplies for gastric lavaging.
I was collecting data from multiple streams but at one stream in-between two incredibly creepy houses, there was a robust population of Black Mountain Salamanders (Desmognathus welteri). I’m sure other salafinders agree, but these are by far the most difficult semi-aquatic salamanders I’ve had the pleasure of attempting to catch. When this D. welteri diet study started, I would be lucky to have a 20% catch rate per sampling. Despite the creepy houses and black bear encounters, I kept at it and began to know exactly which rock they would be under and where to put my net. We eventually captured enough individuals for a solid representative study of the previously unknown adult Kentucky and larval diet of this incredible salamander.

A Black Mountain salamander, the subject of the featured publication.
I went on to use this technique for my master’s thesis at the University of Kentucky (Steve Price Lab, follow us @PriceHerpLab!) examining the effects of surface mining on stream salamanders in southeastern Kentucky. Although sometimes it can be physically and mentally demanding to make a bunch of salamanders throw up and then have to identify it, I don’t regret a single lavage. With our incredible amount of diet data, we hope to continue answering questions about the ecologies and importance of these amazing animals to stream and terrestrial systems. I’m incredibly lucky to have had nothing but support from my advisors, mentors, and PI’s. I only hope others will continue to make salamanders throw up (without killing them), so that we can fill the gaps in our knowledge of these magnificent, slimy, and evasive creatures.
Jake M Hutton
University of Kentucky
Department of Forestry and Natural Resources
Lexington, Kentucky 40546, USA
jakehutton@uky.edu
Herpetological Review 49(1) available online!
HR March 2018, Volume 49, Number 1. Our cover features a family group photo of Cunningham’s Skinks (Egernia cunninghami), photographed near Canberra, ACT, Australia by Julia Riley. This issue is scheduled to be mailed 27 March, although full contents are now available online to SSAR members at https://ssarherps.org/herpetological-review-pdfs/. All Natural History Notes, Geographic Distribution Notes, and Book Reviews are Open Access and are now available for download at the same link. If you are not a member of SSAR, please consider joining the leading international herpetological society. Student and online-only rates available. Follow the “Join SSAR” link on the home page. Congratulations to Julia for her outstanding cover photo!
Upcoming deadline: SSAR funding for junior and senior high school students to attend 2018 JMIH
Reminder: SSAR is pleased to announce that it will provide funds for selected junior and senior high school students to attend the 2018 Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. Applications are due on March 15th, 2018. For more information, see the following form: SSAR_Student_Meeting_Support.
Busack herpetology library for auction-entire list available!
HERP BOOKS TO BE AUCTIONED AT ROCHESTER MEETING
STEVE BUSACK has generously donated his herpetological library to SSAR. This outstanding collection will be sold at the live and silent auctions during the JMIH event in Rochester, NY, in July 2018. All books are in very good to excellent condition, and everything will be on display for personal examination.
The books to be auctioned are listed below. “DJ” means original dust jacket is included; “autographed” means signed by the author; “bound” means cloth bound; “paper” means paper bound. All books are original copies, unless marked “reprint.”
___________________________________________________________________
- Adler, K. 1992. Herpetology. Current Research on the biology of amphibians and reptiles. SSAR. Bound.
- Alvarez del Toro, M. 1974. Los Crocodylia de Mexico. Bound.
- Anderson, J. 1896 (Reprint, 1984). A contribution to the herpetology of Arabia. Bound.
- Anderson, P. 1965. The Reptiles of Missouri. DJ. Bound.
- Anderson, S. C. 1999. The lizards of Iran. SSAR. DJ. Bound.
- Andreone, F., and E. Gavetti. 2007. The life and herpetological contributions of Mario Giacinto Peracca. SSAR. Bound.
- Angel, F. 1950. Vie et moeurs des serpents. Bound.
- Arakelyan, M. S. et al. 2011. Herpetofauna of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. SSAR. DJ. Bound.
- Babcock, H. L. 1971. Turtles of the northeastern U.S. Dover reprint [paper]
- Barbour, R. W. 1971. Amphibians and reptiles of Kentucky. DJ. Bound
- Bauer, A. M., R. Günther, and M. Klipfel. 1995. The herpetological contributions of Wilhelm C. H. Peters (1815-1883). SSAR Bound. (see also 59)
- Baxter, G., & M. Stone. 1980. Amphibians and Reptiles of Wyoming. Wyoming Game & Fish, [paper].
- Bell, T. Zoology of H.M.S. Beagle, Pt. V, Reptiles. SSAR reprint, bound
- Bellairs, A. 1957. Reptiles:life history, evolution, and structure. [paper].
- Bellairs, A. 1970. The Life of Reptiles, 2 Vols. DJ (2) bound.
- Bellairs, A., & R. Carrington. 1966. The world of reptiles. DJ. Bound.
- Bellairs, A., & C. Cox. 1976. Morphology and Biology of Reptiles. Academic Press. DJ. bound
- Blair, W.F. (Ed). 1972. Evolution in the genus Bufo. Bound.
- Boulenger, G. A. 1877‑1920. Contributions to American Herpetology. SSAR, two volumes, index, bound
- Bradshaw, S. D. 1986. Ecophysiology of desert reptiles. Bound.
- Brandon, R. A. 1966. Systematics of the salamander genus Gyrinophilus. Bound.
- Brehm, A. E. 1883. Brehms Thierleben…Kriechthiere und lurche. Newly Bound.
- Brown, C. W. 1974. Hydridization among the subspecies of the plethodontid salamander Ensatina eschscholtzi. [paper]
- Burghardt, G., & A. Rand. 1982. Iguanas of the World. DJ. Bound.
- Burrage, B. R. 1973. Comparative ecology and behaviour of Chamaeleo pumilus. Bound.
- Burt, C. E. 1928. The lizards of Kansas. (Ruthven’s copy). [paper]
- Burt, C. E. 1931. Study of the teiid lizards of the genus Cnemidophorus. Bound.
- Bury, R. B. (ed). 1982. North American tortoises: conservation and ecology. [paper]
- Campbell, J. A., and D. R. Frost. 1993. Anguid lizards of the genus Abronia: revisionary notes, descriptions of four new species, a phyogenetic analysis, and key. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist (216). [paper]
- Campbell, J. A., and E. D. Brodie. (Eds). 1992. Biology of the Pitvipers. DJ. Bound.
- Carr, A. F. 1952. Handbook of turtles. Bound.
- Carr, A. F. 1963. The Reptiles. Life Nature Library. Bound
- Carr, A. F. 1967. So Excellent a Fishe. DJ bound
- Cei, J. M. 1962. Batracios de chile. DJ bound.
- Cei, J. M. 1980. Amphibians of Argentina. Bound.
- Cei, J. M. 1993. Reptiles del noroeste, nordeste y este de la Argentina. DJ bound (see also 223)
- C.I.T.E.S. Identification guide — Crocodilians. (English, Frence, Spanish) Environment Canada, 1995. [paper]
- Cloudsley‑Thompson, J. L. 1971. The temperature and water relations of reptiles. DJ bound
- Cochran, D. M. 1961. Type specimens of reptiles and amphibians in U.S. national museum. Original, bound.
- Cogger, H. G. 1975. Reptiles and Amphibians of Australia. DJ bound.
- Collins, J. P. and M. L. Crump. 2009 Extinction in our Times. Oxford U. Press. DJ bound.
- Collins, J. T. 1974. Amphibians and reptiles in Kansas. Bound.
- Cope, E.D. 1889. Batrachia of N. America. Original, bound, Color plate.
- Cope, E.D. 1900. The Crocodilians, lizards, and snakes of North America. Original, including S.H.I.S. index to hemipenes. Bound.
- Daniel, J. C. 1983. The book of Indian Reptiles. DJ, bound
- David, P., and G. Vogel. 1996. The snakes of Sumatra. [paper]
- Degenhardt, W.G., C. W. Painter, & A. H. Price. 1996. Amphibians and Reptiles of New Mexico. Univ. NM Press. DJ bound.
- Deoras, P. J. 1965. Snakes of India. [paper]
- De Witte, G. F. 1948. Faune de Belgique. Amphibiens et reptiles. Musée Royal D’histoire Naturelle de Belgique. Bound.
- Dickerson, M. C. 1969. The Frog Book. Dover reprint [paper]
- Ditmars, R. L. 1939. A field book of North American Snakes. DJ bound
- Dixon, J. R. 1987. Amphibians and Reptiles of Texas. [paper] (autographed presentation copy).
- Dodd, C. K., Jr. 2003. Monitoring Amphibians in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Circular 1258, U. S. Dept. Interior, 118 pp. [paper]
- Duellman, W. E. 1970. The Hylid frogs of Middle America. (Autographed). Two volumes, bound.
- Duellman, W. E. (Ed). 1979. The South American herpetofauna. [paper]
- Dunn, E. R. 1926. Salamanders of the family Plethodontidae. SSAR 1972 reprint, bound
- Du Preez, L., and V. Carruthers. 2009. A complete guide to the frogs of southern Africa. 2009. (Recorded calls on CD).
- Enge, K. M., and C. K. Dodd. 1992. An indexed bibliography of the herpetofauna of Florida. [paper] (autographed presentation copy).
- Bauer, A. M. and R. A. Sadler. 2000. The herpetofauna of New Caledonia. SSAR. DJ bound
- Fitch, H. S. 1960. Autecology of the Copperhead. Bound.
- Fitch, H. S. 1981. Sexual size differences in reptiles. Misc. Publ. U. Kansas 70. [paper]
- Fitzsimons, V.F.M. 1974. A field guide to the snakes of southern Africa, 2nd Ed. DJ bound
- Fitzsimons, V.F.M. 1962. Snakes of Southern Africa. Slip case + DJ. Bound.
- Flores‑Villela, O. 1993. Herpetofauna Mexicana. Spec. Publ. 17, Carnegie Museum. [paper].
- Fogell, D. D. 2010. Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Nebraska. [paper].
- Fowlie, J. A. 1965. The snakes of Arizona. Bound.
- Franke, J., and T. M. Telecky. 2001. Reptiles as Pets. An examination of the trade in live reptiles in the United States. Humane Society of the U. S. [paper]
- Fuchs, K., and M. Fuchs. 2003. Die Reptilhaut — The Reptile Skin. Edition Chimaira. Hardback. Complimentary Copy.
- Frye, F. L. 1973. Husbandry, Medicine, & surgery in captive reptiles. DJ bound.
- Gans, C. 1974. Biomechanics. Student working copy, [paper].
- Gans, C. 1975. Reptiles of the world. Ridge Press Books, NY. bound
- Gill, F. B. (ed). 1978. Zoogeography in the Caribbean. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Special Publ. 13, [paper].
- Girard, C. 1858. U. S. Exploring expedition during the years 1838…. Arno Press, 1978 reprint. Bound
- Glaw, F., and M. Vences. 1992. A field guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar. [paper].
- Glaw, F., and M. Vences. 2007. A field guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar. 3rd edition. [paper]. Autographed presentation copy.
- Golay, P. 1985. Checklist and keys to the terrestrial proteroglyphs of the world. Elapsoidea. [paper].
- Good, D. A., & D. B. Wake. 1992. Geographic variation and speciation in the torrent salamanders of the genus Rhyacotriton (Caudata: Rhyacotritonidae). Univ. Calif. Publ. Zool. 126. [paper].
- Gray, J. E. 1831. The Zoological Miscellany. SSAR reprint 1971. Bound.
- Green, N. B. and T. K. Pauley. 1987. Amphibians and Reptiles in West Virginia. [paper].
- Greenberg, N., & P. D. MacLean. (Eds). 1978. Behavior & neurology of lizards. Nat’l. Inst. Mental Health, Maryland. [paper].
- Guibé, J. 1978. Les batraciens de Madagascar. Bonn. Zool. Monograph 11. [paper].
- Gunther, A.C.L.G. 1858. Colubrine snakes in the collection of the B.M.N.H. 1971 British Facsimile reprint — quality copy. DJ Bound.
- Gunther, A.C.L.G. 1861 The reptiles of British India. (Oxford & IBH Publishing Co, New Delhi) Facsimile reprint – plates poorly reproduced. Bound
- Gunther, A. 1885. Biologia Centrali-Americana. SSAR reprint, 1987. Bound
- Hai-Tao Shi et al. 2013. Identification manual for the conservation of turtles in China. (English Ed). Encyclopedia of China Publishing house. [paper] 174 pp, lavishly illustrated in color throughout.
- Hammerson, G. A. 1982. Amphibians and Reptiles in Colorado. [paper].
- Heatwole, H. 1976. Reptile Ecology. Autographed. DJ bound.
- Herald, E. S. [Ed]. 1970. Festschrift for George Sprague Myers…containing: Brown & Alcala, zoogeography of Philippine Ids.; Leviton and Anderson, checklist & key – Afghanistan; Savage, On the trail of the Golden frog; Leviton, Rhabdophis auriculata subsp. nov., and many fish papers. 437 pp, [paper] Slight foxing.
- Heyer, W. R., et al. 1990. Frogs of Boraceia. Arquivos de Zoologia. 31(4). [paper].
- Heyer, W. R., et al. Measuring and Monitoring Biological Diversity. [paper].
- Hodge, R. P. 1976. Amphibians & reptiles in Alaska, the Yukon, and Northwest Territories. Bound.
- Holbrook, J. E. 1842. North American Herpetology; or, a description of the reptiles inhabiting the United States. SSAR 1976 reprint, Patron’s Edition, numbered (only 110 copies produced); bound in leather with marbeled paper boards (the additional set of unbound colored plates not included).
- Holman, J. A. 2012. The amphibians and reptiles of Michigan. Great Lakes Books. Bound
- Houston, T. F. 1978. Dragon lizards and Goannas of S. Australia. S. Aust. Mus. [paper].
- Huey, R. B., et al. (Eds). 1983. Lizard Ecology. Studies of a Model Organism. Bound
- Huheey, J. E., and A. Stupka. 1967. Amphibians and reptiles of Great Smoky Mountains National park. [paper].
- Inger, R. F. 1954. Systematics and Zoogeography of Philippine Amphibia. Bound.
- Inger, R. F. 1985. Tadpoles of the forested regions of Borneo. Fieldiana, Zoology (26). [paper].
- Jimenez de la Espada, M. 1875. Vertebrados del viaje al Pacifico. SSAR 1978 reprint. Bound.
- Johnson, T. R. 1992. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Missouri. [paper].
- Kellogg, R. 1932. Mexican tailless amphibians in the U.S.N.M., Original, bound.
- Kelly, H. A., et al. 1936. Snakes of Maryland. Nat. Hist. Soc. Md. [paper].
- Kinghorn, J. R. 1964. The snakes of Australia. DJ bound
- Khalaf, K. T. 1959. Reptiles of Iraq with some notes on the amphibians. Ministry of Education, Baghdad. [paper].
105.Kimbrough, D. L. 1995. Taking Up Serpents. UNC Press, Raleigh. bound
- Klaver, C., & W. Bohme. 1986. Phylogeny and Classification of the Chamaeleonidae (Sauria) with special reference to hemipenis morphology. Bonn. Zool. Beitr. 22. Presentation, signed (Böhme). [paper].
- Lambiris, A.J.L. 1989. The frogs of Zimbabwe. Monograph X, Mus. Regionale di Scienze Naturali, Torino, Italy. DJ bound
- Lanworn, R.A. 1972. The book of reptiles. Bound
- Larriera, A., and L. M. Verdade. 1995. La conservación y el manejo de Caimanes y Crocodrilos de America latina. Vol. 1. Fundación Banco Bica, Santa Fe, Argentina. [paper]
- Latifi, M. 1985. The snakes of Iran. SSAR 1991 reprint, bound.
- Lazell, J. D., Jr. 1976. This broken archipelago. Quadrangle, N. Y. Times Books. DJ bound
- Leonard, W.P., et al. 1993. Amphibians of Washington and Oregon. Seattle Audubon, [paper].
- LeRoi, D. L. 1958. Tortoises, lizards, and other reptiles. Pets of Today Series, 5. Nicholas Vane, London. [paper] (rough).
- Leviton, A. E., Anderson, S. C., Adler, K., & S. A. Minton. 1992. Handbook to Middle East Amphibians and Reptiles. SSAR Contr. Herpetology (8). bound
- Lim, K. K. P. 1992. A guide to the amphibians and Reptiles of Singapore. Singapore Science Cntr. [paper].
- Liu, C. C. 1950. Amphibians of western China. Bound
- Lutz, B. 1973. Brazilian species of Hyla. DJ bound
- Lynch, J. D. 1971. Evolutionary relationships, osteology, and zoogeography of Leptodactyloid frogs. Autographed, Bound.
- Lynch, J. D. 1979. Leptodactylid frogs of the genus Eleutherodactylus from the Andes of southern Ecuador. Misc. Publ. 66, U. Kansas. [paper].
- Lynch, J. D., and W. E. Duellman. 1980. The Eleutherodactylus of the Amazonian slopes of the Ecuadorian Andes. Misc. Publ. U. Kansas 69. [paper].
- Lynch, J. D., and C. W. Myers. 1983. Frogs of the Fitzingeri group of Eleutherodactylus in eastern Panama and Chocoan South America (Leptodactylidae). Bull. AMNH 175(5). [paper].
- Mao, S. H. 1971. Turtles of Taiwan. Bound.
- Masroor, R. 2012. A contribution to the herpetology of Northern Pakistan. SSAR. Bound.
- Martof, B. S. et al. 1980. Amphibians and reptiles of the Carolinas and Virginia. UNC Press, Chapel Hill. DJ Bound
- Matsui, M. 1984. Morphometric variation analyses and revision of the Japanese toads (Genus Bufo, Bufonidae). Contr. Biol. Lab, Kyoto Univ. 26(3/4). [paper].
- McCauley, R. H. 1945. The reptiles of Maryland and the District of Columbia. Bound.
- McCranie, J. R., and L. D. Wilson. 2002. The Amphibians of Honduras. Bound
- McIlhenny, E. A. 1935. The Alligator’s life history. SSAR 1976 reprint. Bound.
- Menzies, J. I. 1976. Handbook of common New Guinea Frogs. Bound
- Mertens, R. 1964. Welches tier ist das? Kriechtiere und lurche. [paper]
- Mertens, R. 1975. Kriechtiere und lurche. [paper]
- Minton, S. 1972. Amphibians and reptiles of Indiana. Bound.
- Minton, S., et al. 1968. Poisonous snakes of the world. U. S. Navy. Bound.
- Minton, S., and M. R. Minton. 1969. Venomous Reptiles. Scribner’s Sons. [paper].
- Mitchell, J. C. 1994. The reptiles of Virginia. Inscribed. DJ Bound.
- Mitchell, J. C. et al. 2006. Habitat management guidelines fopr amphibians and reptiles of the northeastern United States. PARC, Tech. Publ. HMG-3. [paper]
- Morrison, C. 2003. A field guide to the herpetofauna of Fiji. Univ. S. Pacific, Inst. Applied Sci. [paper].
- Murthy, T. S. N. 1990. Illustrated guide to the snakes of the Western Ghats, India. Occ. [paper] 114, Records of the Zoological Survey of India. [paper].
- Musters, C. J. M. 1983. Taxonomy of the genus Draco L…. Zool. Verhandelingen. 199, Leiden. [paper]
- Neill, W. T. 1971. The Last of the Ruling Reptiles. DJ bound.
- Neill, W. T. 1974. Reptiles and Amphibians in the service of man. DJ bound.
- Nevo, E., A. Beiles, and R. Ben-Shlomo. ca. 1983. The evolutionary significance of genetic diversity: ecological, demographic and life history correlates. Unpublished, 213 pp. [paper].
- Newman, D. G. (Ed). 1980. New Zealand Herpetology. [paper]. (Cover damage – does not extend to internal pages).
- Nikol’skii, A. M. 1915, et seq. Amphibians; Reptiles: Vol. I; Reptiles:Vol II. Ophidia. Israel Program for Scientific Translations (Three volumes, bound as 1).
- Noble, G. K. 1931. Biology of the Amphibia. 1954 reprint, Bound.
- Nussbaum, R. A., E. D. Brodie, and R. M. Storm. 1983. Amphibians and Reptiles of the Pacific Northwest. Univ. Idaho Press. [paper].
- Oliver, J. A. 1958. Snakes in fact and fiction. 1963 Am. Mus. reprint. [paper].
- Oman, Journal of studies. 1975. Special Report. The scientific results of the Oman flora and fauna survey, 1975.
- Oman, Journal of studies. 1977. Special Report 2. The scientific results of the Oman flora and fauna survey 1977 (Dhofar).
- Palmer, W.M., and A. L. Braswell. 1995. Reptiles of North Carolina. (signed by both authors), bound
- Parker, H. W. 1934. A monograph of the frogs of the family Microhylidae. Bound
- Parker, H. W., & A. G. C. Grandison. 1977. Snakes, a natural history. Bound. DJ
- Peabody, F. E. 1959. Trackways of living and fossil salamanders. Univ. Calif. Publ. Zool., 63(1). [paper]
- Perez-Santos, C., and A. G. Moreno. 1988. Ofidios de Colombia. Mus. Reg.Sci.Nat., Torino. Monogr. 6. DJ bound
- Perez-Santos, C., and A. G. Moreno. 1991. Serpientes de Ecuador. Mus. Reg.Sci.Nat., Torino. Monogr. 11. DJ. Bound
- Peters, J. A. and B. Orejas‑Miranda. 1970. Catalogue of the Neotropical squamata. Vols 1 & 2, Bound.
- Pope, C. H. 1967. The Giant Snakes. DJ bound
- Pope, C. H. 1971. Turtles of the United States and Canada. DJ bound
- Pregill, G. 1981. Late Pleistocene Herpetofaunas from Puerto Rico. Misc. Publ. 71, U. Kansas. Mus. Nat. Hist. [paper].
- Pritchard, P. C. H. 1979. Encyclopedia of Turtles. bound
- Pritchard, P. C. H., and P. Trebbau. The turtles of Venezuela. SSAR, Patron’s edition bound in leather with separate Set of color plates in portfolio, all in slipcase)..
- Redmond, W. H., and A. F. Scott. 1996. Atlas of Amphibians in Tennessee. [paper]
- Reichenbach‑Klinke, H. & E. Elkan. 1965. Diseases of Reptiles. Bound.
- Roman, B. 1980. Serpents de Haute-Volta. C.N.R.S.T.Haute-Volta. [paper].
- Rose, W. 1962. The Reptiles and Amphibians of Southern Africa. DJ, bound
- Rieppel, O. 1980. The phylogeny of Anguinomorph lizards. [paper]
- Ruckdeschel, C., C. R. Shoop, and G. R. Zug. 2000. Sea Turtles of the Georgia Coast. Occ. Papers of the Cumberland Id. Mus. 1. 100 pp. [paper].
- Russell, F. E. & R. S. Scharffenberg. 1964. Bibliography of snake venoms and venomous snakes. bound.
- Sauvage, E. 1880. (French Edition) A. E. Brehm’s Merveilles de la Nature. Les reptiles et les batraciens. (Excellent condition) bound
- Schmidt, K. P. 1953. Check list of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. Sixth Edition. bound
- Schmidt, K. P., and R. F. Inger. 1957. Living Reptiles of the World. Doubleday. bound
- Schwartz, A., and R. Thomas. 1975. A check‑list of west indian amphibians and reptiles. Bound.
- Seigel, R. A. et al. (eds). 1984. Vertebrate ecology and systematics, a tribute to Henry S. Fitch. Spec. Publ. Mus.Nat.Hist.Univ.Kans. (10). [paper].
- Sharell, R. 1966. The Tuatara, Lizards and Frogs of New Zealand. Collins, London. DJ, bound
- Shaw, C. E., and S. Campbell. 1974. Snakes of the American west. Knopf, N.Y. DJ damaged., bound
- Sites, J. W., J. W. Archie, C. J. Cole, & O. F. Villela. 1992. A review of phylogenetic hypotheses for lizards of the genus Sceloporus (Phrynosomatidae): Implications for ecological and evolutionary studies. Bull.Am.Mus.Nat.Hist. (213). [paper]
- Smith, H. M. 1956. Amphibians and reptiles of Kansas. Misc. Publ. 9, Mus.Nat.Hist.Univ.Kans. Bound.
- Smith, H. M., and E. H. Taylor. 1945. An annotated checklist and key to the snakes of Mexico. USNM Bull 187, Bound.
- Smith, H. M. and E. H. Taylor. 1948, An annotated checklist and key to the amphibia of Mexico, USNM Bull 194, Bound.
- Smith, H. M. and E. H. Taylor. 1950. An annotated checklist and key to the reptiles of Mexico exclusive of the snakes. USNM Bull. 199, Bound.
- Sowerby, J. de Carle, and E. Lear. Tortoises, Terrapins, and Turtles drawn from life. SSAR 1970 reprint , bound.
- Sparreboom, M. 1981. De amfibieen en reptielen van Nederland, Belgie, en Luxemburg. Bound.
- Špinar, Z. V. 1972. Tertiary frogs from Central Europe. Bound.
- Stanek, V. J. 1960. Introducing poisonous snakes. Bound.
- Stanek, V. J. 1962. Introducing non‑poisonous snakes. Bound.
- Stebbins, R. C. 1954. Amphibians and reptiles of Western North America. Autographed, DJ. Bound.
- Stejneger, L. 1895. The poisonous snakes of North America. Original, bound.
- Stejneger, L. 1907. Herpetology of Japan and adjacent territory. Original, bound.
- Stewart, M. M. 1967. Amphibians of Malawi. DJ, bound.
- Storm, R. M. and W. P. Leonard. 1995. Reptiles of Washington and Oregon. Seattle Audubon Soc. [paper].
- Stuart, S. et al. Threatened amphibians of the world. 2008. Lynx editions. (beautiful & heavy!), bound
- Stull, O. G. 1940. Variations and relationships in the snakes of the genus Pituophis. bound
- Taylor, D. H., and S. I. Guttman. 1977. The reproductive biology of amphibians. Bound
- Taylor, D. H., A. B. Leonard, H. M. Smith, & G. R. Pisani. 1975. Edward H. Taylor: Recollections of an herpetologist. [paper].
- Terent’ev, P. V. 1961 (translated 1965). Herpetology. A manual on amphibians and reptiles. AND Terent’ev and S. A. Chernov. 1949 (trans. 1965). Key to amphibians and reptiles. 3rd, enlarged edition. Israel Program for Scientific translations. Bound together as one volume.
- Tiedemann, F., and M. Häupl. 1980. Typenkatalog der Herpetologischen Sammlung Teil II: Reptilia. Naturhistorisches Museums Wien. Vertebrata. Heft2. [paper]
- Tiedemann, F., M. Häupl & H. Grillitsch. 1994. Katalog der Typen der Herpetologischen Sammlung nach dem Stand vom 1.Jänner 1994. Teil II: Reptilia. [paper]
- Tikader, B. K., and R. C. Sharma. 1985. Handbook of Indian Testudines. (DJ in poor condition), bound.
- Trutnau, L. 1981. Schlangen im Terrarium. Band I (Presentation copy, inscribed), bound.
- Trutnau, L. 1981. Schlangen im Terrarium. Band II. (Presentation copy, inscribed), bound.
- Tschudi, J. J. 1838 (1967 reprint). Classification der Batrachier. SSAR, bound
- Twitty, V. C. 1966. Of scientists and salamanders. DJ bound
- Tyning, T. F. (ed). 1997. Status and conservation of Turtles of the Northeastern United States. A symposium. MA. Audubon Soc. [paper]
- Van Denburgh, J. 1895‑1896. Herpetology of lower California (collected papers). SSAR reprint, 1978. [paper]
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- Vial, J. L. (Ed.) 1973. Evolutionary biology of the anurans. DJ, bound
- Waite, E. R. 1929. The Reptiles and Amphibians of South Australia. SSAR Reprint, bound.
- Ward, J. P. 1984. Relationships of Chrysemyd turtles of North America (Testudines: Emydidae). Special Publ. Museum Texas Tech Univ. 21. [paper]
- Wassersug, R. 1980. Internal oral features of larvae from eight Anuran families…. Misc. Publ. 68, Univ. Kansas Mus. Nat. Hist. [paper].
- Welch, K.R.G. 1982. Herpetology of Africa. Bound
- Welch, K.R.G. 1983. Herpetology of Europe and Southwest Asia. Bound
- Whitaker, R. 1978. Common Indian Snakes, A field guide. [paper]
- White, W. 1992. All about the turtle. Sterling Publishing, NY. 72 pp, Hardbound.
- Williams, K. L. 1978. Systematics and natural history of the American Milk Snake…. [paper]
- Williams, K. L., and V. Wallach. 1989. Snakes of the World. Volume I. Synopsis of snake generic names. Bound
- Wilson, L.D., and J. R. Meyer. 1985. The snakes of Honduras. (Second Edition). [paper].
- Wright, A. H., and A. A. Wright. 1949. Handbook of frogs and toads, Third edition. DJ bound.
- Wright, A. H., and A. A. Wright. 1957. Handbook of snakes., Volumes 1-2. Bound.
- Wright, A. H., and A. A. Wright. 1957. Handbook of Snakes, Volume 3, Bibliography (Original, bound copy of third volume, signed by A.H. and A. A. Wright).
- Wright, J. W., and L. J. Vitt. 1993. Biology of whiptail lizards (genus Cnemidophorus). Bound.
- Zhao, E., and K. Adler. 1993. Herpetology of China. SSAR. Bound.
- Zug, G. R. 1991. The lizards of Fiji. Natural history and systematics. Bishop Museum Bull. Zool. 2. [paper].
- Cei, J. M. 1986. Reptiles del centro, centro-oeste y sur de la Argentina. Monograph IV, Mus. Region. Sci. Nat. Torino. DJ bound (see also 36)
End of list
Now accepting applications for the 2018 Dr. Margarita Metallinou Postdoctoral Travel Awards
SSAR is very pleased to announce that it will continue to provide support for postdoctoral fellows to attend and present their research at SSAR’s annual meetings and meet and interact with leaders in the field, which comes at a key time in their careers when they are seeking permanent positions. Awards are open to postdocs from all countries. The next round of awards will be made to attend the Society’s 2018 meeting as part of the JMIH event at the Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center (July 11–15, 2018).
Applications are due on May 4th, 2018. For more details about this award, visit its permanent webpage here. For more details about the 2018 application, see the following document: Metallinou Award 2018
Now accepting applications for SSAR Student Travel Awards
Ten awards of US $500 each are available to students to help defray the cost of traveling to the 2018 Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists meeting in Rochester, New York (July 11th-15th). For full details, see here.
Now available! The Herpetological Contributions of Giorgio Jan (1791-1866)
Now available! – SSAR’s massive (926 pp.) new Facsimile Reprint of the works of Giorgio Jan, featuring the 300 snake plates of the Iconographie des Ophidiens (1860-1881) and 168 pages of new text and commentary by Jay Savage and Roy McDiarmid. You can purchase this exciting new publication in our bookstore through WildApricot here.
For full details, download the advertisement here: The Herpetological Contributions of Giorgio Jan (1791-1866)
Now seeking applications for the 2018 Meritorious Teaching Award in Herpetology
The Herpetology Education Committee (HEC) seeks nominations for the Meritorious Teaching Award in Herpetology to be presented at the 2018 Joint Meetings of Ichthyologists & Herpetologists in Rochester New York. This award recognizes superior teaching and mentoring of students in the area of herpetology, and provides student members of ASIH, HL, and SSAR the opportunity to honor individuals who have made significant contributions to herpetological education. The award recipient will receive US $500, an official letter, and a plaque from the HEC.
For full details, see the call for proposals here.
Behind the Scenes Pt. 3: Salamander bites and PCR gods
In this third installment of the human stories behind herpetological research, we hear the story behind a recent publication in SSAR’s Herpetological Review. The citation for that article is as follows:
Lamb, J.Y., Kreiser, B.R., Waddle, J.H., and Qualls, C.Q. 2017. Characterization of microsatellite loci for the Gulf Coast waterdog (Necturus beyeri) using paired-end Illumina shotgun sequencing and cross-amplification in other Necturus. Herpetological Review 48(4): 758 – 763.
SSAR members can access the article here. Below is a first-hand account from the lead author, Dr. Jennifer Lamb.

Necturus beyeri juvenile from the Pascagoula River. © Jennifer Lamb
“Holy [expletive]! It bit me!” Is not what you want to hear from a lab-mate at a field site in southeast Louisiana. Fortunately, Chris Pellecchia, a PhD student at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM), was dealing with a Gulf Coast Waterdog (Necturus beyeri) and not a herp with a nastier bite. Several of the adult waterdogs from that particular site were feisty, snapping and “death-rolling” in their plastic bags (like what a crocodile does with prey, but a smaller, more mucous-covered version). No blood was shed but a few bags did spring leaks.
Chris and I were sampling waterdogs for my post-doctoral research, which focused on the population genetics of N. beyeri. This work was a collaboration between myself, Dr. Hardin Waddle (USGS), and Drs. Brian Kreiser and Carl Qualls (USM). My overarching goal was to describe patterns in genetic diversity and gene flow at several spatial scales. During the initial planning stages of the post-doc, I realized that there were no published microsatellites for any species of Necturus and that developing those primers would be one of my first hurdles.

N. m. louisianensis larva form south-central Louisiana. © Brad Glorioso
By early 2016 we had some tissue samples in hand for N. beyeri, but we wanted to test primers across species of Necturus so that our efforts could facilitate comparative studies as well as genetic assessments for species of conservation concern. I contacted individuals working with the Common Mudpuppy (N. m. maculosus), the Neuse River Waterdog (N. lewisi), the Dwarf Waterdog (N. punctatus), and the Black Warrior Waterdog (N. alabamensis), and several graciously donated tissue samples towards our objective. The last taxa brought into the fold was the Red River Waterdog (N. m. louisianensis), which we trapped and dip-netted from south central Louisiana in early 2017. Prior to that outing, my own fieldwork had focused on sampling N. beyeri in southeast Louisiana and Mississippi, where small juveniles are a mottled yellow-brown. I was taken aback by the beautiful striping on juvenile N. m. louisianensis.
Although technological advances have made it easier to identify potential microsatellite primers, the process of optimizing those primers and testing loci for variability is still time consuming, particularly when multiple taxa are involved. This is sometimes an underappreciated aspect of genetics projects. After approximately 10 months of tweaking amplification protocols in the lab (and making several offerings to the PCR deities – yes, many genetics labs have at least one shrine), I was rewarded with a set of 10, polymorphic microsatellites that amplified across several species of Necturus, including our target taxon, N. beyeri. For more details on this process and our results, check out our recently published article in Herpetological Review.

Dr. Jennifer Lamb measuring N. beyeri from the Pascagoula River. © Taylor Price
We have gone on to use these loci to examine the population structure and conservation genetics of N. beyeri across its range, and to look at gene flow and the movement biology of N. beyeri at a fine-scale within an intensively sampled creek in southeast Louisiana (manuscripts in prep.). Days in the field sampling for this salamander have spanned the gamut, as they typically do with fieldwork. Sometimes our dip-netting only yielded a few N. beyeri, and we shook our fists at the creek, our weak backs, and the mosquitoes. But other days were glorious, with scores of spotted N. beyeri wriggling out from the litter in our nets. It is awesome to imagine how many salamanders are pushing through packs of litter in some of these creeks in the Gulf Coastal Plain, and it is exciting to consider how population genetics studies will complement what we understand about the biology of N. beyeri. These endeavors are the culmination of substantial collaborations among multiple individuals in and out of the field, and it has been my privilege to work in an environment with such a high spirit of camaraderie.
Jennifer Y. Lamb
Southeastern Louisiana University
Department of Biological Sciences, SLU #10736
Hammond, Louisiana 70402, USA
jennifer.lamb@selu.edu