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#ThisIsSSAR: Snakes, more snakes, and Sebastian A. Harris

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This is the second post in this new series from SSAR! Our members often join SSAR to learn more about the organisms that fascinate them. Each month, we are excited to profile the herpetological interest of one of our community members and to feature their focal amphibian or reptile species/system.

Featured SSAR member: Sebastian A. Harris

What is your study species (or species group) and why is it interesting?

Milksnake (Lampropeltis triangulum)

Luckily, I get to study several snake species as I’m primarily interested in community ecology. Small to medium sized colubrids will be my focus for the next few years. Northern Ringneck Snakes, Eastern Garter Snakes, Eastern Milk Snakes, Northern Red-bellied Snakes and possibly Smooth Greensnakes will be incorporated in my research. I’ve always been infatuated with snakes from afar, and I actually had the opportunity to study Timber Rattlesnakes during my Masters research at East Stroudsburg University. It’s difficult to pinpoint why snakes are interesting. Perhaps their enigmatic nature is a big reason, along with the fact that they’re among the most misunderstood creatures on the planet. Their diversity and proliferation despite being limbless on a planet full of bipeds and tetrapods is one unifying intrigue of snakes. Overall, snakes simply possess some intrinsic allure about them. I’ve always found them to be the most interesting group of animals on the planet, and I’m grateful to have set out on a path where I can study them!

 

What is it about this species that you study?

Ring-necked Snakes (Diadophis punctatus)

I’ve always been most interested in dynamics between vastly different organismal groups. I’m also interested in factors that influence their spatial distribution on several scales. With that being said, I’ll be studying how snake (and possibly salamander) diversity is affected by a dominant mound-building ant species, Formica exsectoides. Ant mounds have been reported to support large numbers of hibernating reptiles (especially juvenile snakes) and amphibians. Hence, the engineering effects of Allegheny Mound Ants may be associated with greater snake diversity than nearby habitat patches. Conversely, the territorial nature of ant colonies may negatively affect local snake diversity. There’s been very little research exploring this relationship, despite its possible importance for understanding snake community ecology. On a larger scale, much attention has gone to climactic drivers of distribution patterns. However, biotic factors, such as ecosystem engineering by dominant ant species, may contribute to snake diversity patterns we observe at the landscape scale.

 

Sebastian A. Harris

Who are you, how did you get where you are, and what’s your story?

I grew up in Allentown, PA, devoid of any real exposure to nature. However, I, like many others born in the 90’s, was captivated by Zoobooks, Discovery Channel Documentaries and people like Steve Irwin. I was also obsessed with Pokemon (bear with me) which sort of fulfilled my desire to explore and find cool things. Growing up in the heart of a city without a car in the family meant I was tied to my neighborhood. Hence, I found solace in things like Animal Planet (Jeff Corwin especially) which kept my interest in wildlife active throughout my childhood. I spent some time during high school as an intern at Wildlands Conservancy, where I made connections to established herpetologists in Pennsylvania. I eventually was accepted to Delaware Valley College and graduated in 2014. I then went on to East Stroudsburg University for my Masters degree, where I studied Timber Rattlesnakes under Dr. Thomas C. LaDuke. I’ve since graduated and am now working on a PhD at Rutgers University. I spared many details but that’s the gist!

 

Why are you a member of SSAR?

SSAR allows me to keep up with the latest work in our field, and serves as inspiration for my own work and time spent out in nature. One of my former professors would frequently tell me: “the more you know, the more you notice.” Discoveries made by fellow herpetologists make outings more meaningful. It adds dimensions to my own observations, and adds to a database of random natural history notes I can carry around in my head. It’s rare that I get to share the societies wonderful discoveries in casual conversation, but I do my best to share when I can! Of course, the welfare of our reptiles and amphibians matters most, and tireless work from fellow members keeps me up to date with the state of our field and the subjects we care so much about.

Now accepting applications for the 2019 Dr. Margarita Metallinou Postdoctoral Travel Awards

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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 Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists in Snowbird, Utah (July 24–28, 2019).

Applications are due on May 3rd, 2019. For more details about this award, visit its permanent webpage here. For more details about the 2019 application, see the following document: Metallinou Award 2019

#ThisIsSSAR: Earless toads and Molly C. Womack

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This is the first in a new series of posts from SSAR! Our members often join SSAR to learn more about the organisms that fascinate them. Each month, we are excited to profile the herpetological interest of one of our community members and to feature their focal amphibian or reptile species/system.

Featured SSAR member: Molly C. Womack

Rhinella yunga

Rhinella festae

Atelopus elegans

 

 

 

 

What is your study species (or species group) and why is it interesting?

Most tetrapods (including you and your dog) have a tympanic middle ear that aids in hearing airborne sound on land. Yet, many anuran species (frogs and toads) have lost tympanic middle ears (termed earlessness), despite anurans’ use of acoustic communication. Furthermore, earless anurans are found in many habitats, unlike other sensory loss cases (e.g., eye loss in cavefish) that share selection environments.

What is it about this species that you study?

My work on earless frogs tries to understand both why so many frogs are earless and how (at the genetic and developmental level) they lose these structures. I have found, compared to eared species, earless species are less sensitive to high frequency sounds, show no additional differences in their skulls, have smaller average body sizes, and have larger genomes. My work in the Hoke Lab at Colorado State University points towards changes in development rate or length predisposing the tympanic middle ear (an already late-forming structure) to evolutionary loss. It is then likely that lineage-specific environmental, life history, or ecological selection pressures select for or allow this loss.

Molly C. Womack

Who are you, how did you get where you are, and what’s your story?

I am an Oklahoma and Florida raised LGBTQ member of SSAR. My interest in herpetology was spawned when I discovered evolutionary research during my sophomore year of college at the University of Florida (go gators!). My first research project investigated the morphology and function of sea and water snake cloacas. I fell in love with histology and morphology and haven’t looked back.

Why are you a member of SSAR?

I am a member of SSAR because I really enjoy the passion that people in the SSAR community bring to their work. I was not destined to become a herpetologist but the amazing diversity of herps and the diversity of those that study them that inspire me to continue working in this field. I look forward to contributing to and protecting that diversity.

Books, journals, reprints, and more available at the Snowbird meeting (JMIH) and from the storage unit in Salt Lake City

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The remaining contents of the Roger Conant, Ernie Liner, and Victor Hutchison Libraries are being stored at a facility in Salt Lake City, compliments of our former Publications Secretary Breck Bartholomew. It is time to find good homes for these books, journals, and reprints.  Several boxes of Ernie Liner’s books will be taken to the JMIH in Snowbird (24-28 July 2019) for the silent and live auctions. Anyone wishing to sort through the material in the storage facility in Salt Lake City is invited to do so. The storage unit is 12 x 30 feet and is full.  It includes the Conant and Liner filing cabinets (also available), boxes of books, journals, and reprints, as well as various pieces of framed art, posters, and other items from the Liner collection. Please note that to get to the storage unit in Salt Lake City from Snowbird, you will need a vehicle. Breck will be available throughout the JMIH to meet at the storage unit.  You can make prior arrangements with Breck by email (Breck@herplit.com) or phone (801-867-1042).  Materials at the storage unit will be priced as follows: paperback books $2; hardback books $5; other items will be on a donation basis. You will need to take the library materials with you and ship them home yourself. At the end of the JMIH, the remaining books, journals, and reprints will be given to a worthy institution.

The George B. Rabb Undergraduate Poster Award

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SSAR is pleased to announce the George B. Rabb Undergraduate Poster Award, sponsored by Zoo Atlanta.  The award honors our colleague George Rabb (1930-2017), former Director of the Brookfield Zoo in Chicago, IL, and highly respected advocate and spokesman for wildlife conservation.

To be eligible to compete for this award, a student must be an undergraduate, or have graduated in the previous spring semester. The student must be the first author on the poster and must present the poster during the student poster competition at the annual JMIH or SSAR meeting.  There can be additional authors on the poster.  As is the case for the SSAR Victor Hutchison Student Poster Award, the competing student must be a current member of SSAR.  Abstract submission is the same as for anyone else submitting to present at the annual meetings.  See the JMIH website for information.  The first George B. Rabb award will be presented at the 2019 JMIH meeting in Snowbird, Utah.  The prize includes a $250 check and an SSAR book.

Behind the Scenes Pt. 8: Rediscovering the New England Tablelands Booroolong Frog

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In this eighth installment of the human stories behind herpetological research, we hear from Tim Cutajar. Tim describes the exciting rediscovery of the Booroolong Frog (Litoria booroolongensis), which was recently published in Herpetological Review. The citation for that publication is as follows:

Rowley, J.J.L. and T.P. Cutajar. 2018. Rediscovery of the Booroolong Frog, Litoria booroolongensis, on the Australian New England Tablelands after More than 40 Years. Herpetological Review 49(4):620–621.

SSAR members can access this publication here.  For more information about SSAR membership, see here. Enjoy the story below!

In late 2014, my boss and now research supervisor Dr Jodi Rowley gave me a copy of Robin Moore’s In Search of Lost Frogs: The Quest to Find the World’s Rarest Amphibians. As I was rifling through the book’s pages, it wasn’t hard to imagine myself being part of those devout teams of scientists, traversing remote forests, rivers, mountains, and lakes all over the world to try to find  amphibians that have been ‘lost’ for many decades. Needless to say that when about a year later Jodi told me we were going on our own ‘lost’ frog quest’ I was ecstatic!

With the help of a grant from the New South Wales (NSW) Government’s Environmental Trust “Saving Our Species” program, we planned a three-year mission in the rugged, rocky valleys of the New England Tablelands in the state’s northeast. One of Australia’s own ‘lost frogs’, the Peppered Tree Frog (Litoria piperata), hadn’t been seen since the early ‘70s. Our job was to determine if it was still out there, and, if it was, assess its conservation needs to ensure its survival. We hoped it might also give us a chance to find some of the other frogs missing from the region, like the Tusked Frog (Adelotus brevis), Yellow-spotted Tree Frog (Litoria castanea), and the Booroolong Frog (Litoria booroolongensis).

Ground covered the night before we rediscovered the Booroolong Frog (top star to bottom and back again). Photo: Jodi Rowley

Among what awaited us in these three years were a foot-width precipice with the rock face on the side – a would-be support – entirely covered with well-guarded wasp nests, as well as a thousand meter descent into a canyon that we’d been told previously is inhabited by a ghost that on some nights can be seen feeding his chickens (we still really want to know if the chickens are ghosts also!). On one night we surveyed several kilometers up a small stream running through a narrow canyon. It wasn’t until we were on our way back that we realised upland rains had caused the stream to flood. After some deliberation and double bagging all the gadgets, we made our way back, a fair bit wetter than we’d planned. But we were also privileged to see an amazing diversity of the country’s frogs.

Male Stoney Creek Frog (Litoria wilcoxii) in full breeding colour. Photo: Tim Cutajar

For me, the site with the ghost was a standout. Here we saw and heard more frogs than I ever had before in a single place. We had to watch every step because the river rocks were littered with the lemon-yellow males of the Stony Creek Frog (Litoria wilcoxii) in full breeding colour. Every 50 meters there was a new, near deafening chorus of Red Eyed Tree Frogs (Litoria chloris), Bleating Tree Frogs (Litoria dentata) and Broad-Palmed Rocket Frog (Litoria latopalmata) among others. It was also here that we saw the largest, probably oldest Green Tree Frogs (Litoria caerulea) we’d ever encountered in the wild. Over the course of these three years we were also given the opportunity to observe some threatened frog species in good numbers, like the Stuttering Frog (Mixophyes balbus), and were both introduced to the gorgeous but also threatened New England Tree Frog (Litoria subglandulosa). However, despite well over 200 person hours surveying about 50 km of rugged streams, plus much more of hiking and some serious four-wheel driving to the remote sites, the Peppered Tree Frog eluded us.

I couldn’t count the number of conversations Jodi and I had about why we hadn’t found it. The consensus is that the amphibian chytrid fungus that has caused frog extinctions worldwide is the most probable cause of the once common species’ decimation. It certainly fits the pattern; most the of region’s ‘lost’ frogs all disappeared around the same time – a common trend the chytrid fungus has been well-studied.

Exhausted and in pain from the 1000 m climb back out of Ghost Gully in less-than-ideal gumboots, and maybe slightly dejected by the fruitlessness of our efforts, we decided to take it easy the next night. I think it’s safe to say that most herpetologists positively correlate the likelihood of finding what you want with how much the search physically hurts you, so ambling up this flat, in no conceivable way lethal section of stream, Jodi and I resigned ourselves to the low-hanging fruit of recording calls of the Tablelands’ more ubiquitous species.

Booroolong Frog (Litoria booroolongensis) from newly rediscovered New England Tablelands population. Photo: Tim Cutajar

We did that for a while, then walked along a quieter stretch. As we wandered upstream, just following the light from our own head torches, we suddenly noticed a few pairs of eyes shining back at us from a patch of semi submerged rocks. At first we thought they might be moths; they have nearly the same rosy-coloured eye shine as frogs, and it was so quiet over there. But no, getting closer, definitely frogs. We couldn’t tell which at first. I had never actually seen Booroolong Frogs (Litoria booroolongensis) in the flesh, but when we arrived, there they unmistakably were on the narrow wet zone of protruding rocks.

The Booroolong Frog is, in its own right, a lost frog. Once one of the commonest species on the New England Tablelands, it seemingly disappeared from the region more than 40 years ago. It was thought to persist in only a few disjunct populations in the south of its historic range. Our rediscovery hugely extends the Booroolong Frog’s range, with the only other remaining populations in the northern half of its historic distribution being over 130 km further south.

Great things can be found in completely unexpected places – even lost frogs. Rediscovering the Booroolong Frog on the New England Tablelands is a huge step forward in its conservation. It also gives us hope that we can still rediscover some of Australia’s other lost frogs!

Jodi and Tim happy, having rediscovered Booroolong Frogs on the New England Tablelands! Photo: Jodi Rowley

Extended deadline for Jones-Lovich Grant in Southwestern Herpetology

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Attention herpetology graduate students: the Herpetologists’ League’s Jones-Lovich Grant in Southwestern Herpetology is reopening & applications are being accepted until January 25 at 5 PM PST. This is $1000 grant awarded to one person per year, working on any aspect of amphibians and reptiles in the Southwestern US or Northwestern Mexico. For more information, see here.

Herpetological Review 49(4) available online!

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HR December 2018, Volume 49, Number 4. Our cover features a beautiful example of an Amazon Banded Snake (Rhinobothryum lentiginosum), photographed in Peru by Tim Paine. As part of Field Projects International, Tim teaches a course in Amazonian herpetology. When not in the tropics, he works as a lieutenant with the San Francisco (California) Police Department. This issue is scheduled to be mailed on 31 December, and full contents are now available online to SSAR members here. All Natural History Notes, Geographic Distribution Notes, Book Reviews, and other select sections are Open Access and are be 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. Read here about how to join. Congratulations to Tim for another outstanding cover photo!

Results from SSAR student survey

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Below is a summary of results from a survey of SSAR student members, written by Jessica Tingle (chair, Student Participation Committee; jessica.tingle@email.ucr.edu). If you would like to see the full report, please email Jessica for a PDF. You can also contact Jessica if you are interested in getting involved in the Student Participation Committee.

Survey Overview

In August 2018, the SSAR Student Participation Committee conducted a survey of young members to collect data on their motivations for joining and remaining in the SSAR, and to elicit feedback to help the SSAR improve the young member experience. The survey specifically asked for responses from students, post-docs, and other young members. A handful of people who were neither students nor post-docs responded, with some of them specifying that they were early-career. In total, 178 people responded, including 134 students and 19 post-docs. As of August 2018, the SSAR had 1613 members, including 425 students. Thus, nearly 1/3 of student members responded to the survey. Of the 134 student responses, 46% came from PhD students, 25% from master’s students, 16% from undergraduates, 7% from students in between degrees, and 7% from high school students.

Why Folks Join the SSAR

We asked why people joined the SSAR in the first place. In general, students, postdocs, and faculty/professional members gave similar responses. People join the SSAR due to their interest in herps and the attraction of social benefits (meeting herpetologists, being part of something that friends are also a part of, JMIH). Additionally, advisors have been influential in encouraging their students to join over the years. Finally, a desire for professional development opportunities played a role for nearly half of the students and postdocs who responded.

Why Folks Stay in the SSAR

We also asked why people remain members of the SSAR. Overall, their answers were pretty similar to the reasons they joined in the first place. Some of the factors motivating people to join the SSAR play less of a role in their decision to remain members. Most conspicuously, advisor suggestion plays virtually no role in member retention. Not surprisingly, student research and travel grants play a role in retaining student members, but not postdocs or faculty/professionals, even though they contributed to many postdocs’ and faculty/professionals’ initial decision to join when they were students. Some factors matter more for retention than for the initial decision to join. Seibert and Hutchinson Awards for conference presentations play very little role in getting people to join, but they do contribute to student retention. Book discounts matter more for continuing student members than for newly joining student members – presumably students do not know about book discounts prior to joining.

Membership in Other Professional Societies

Many SSAR members also participate in other professional societies, especially Herpetologist’s League (35%) and the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (34%). Only 18% are members of professional societies such as the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB), the Ecological Society of America (ESA), and the Animal Behavior Society (ABS), and the Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE) that focus on a set of biological questions rather than on a taxon. Membership in these latter societies showed a marked trend based on career stages: the youngest students are highly unlikely to participate in these societies (0% of high school students and 5% of undergrads), only a small fraction of master’s students participate (9%), and much larger fractions of PhD students (30%), postdocs (16%), and faculty/professionals (28%) participate. This trend could indicate a shift in scientific focus over the course of a career. Many people first come to biology because they love a particular animal or group of animals, and then they get interested in a set of questions later on. For this reason, taxon-based societies like the SSAR probably draw more very young members (especially undergrads) than do societies like SICB, ESA, ABS, or SSE.

What Folks Want from their Membership in the SSAR

This open-ended question generated a variety of responses, many of which echoed responses from earlier questions on why people join and remain in the SSAR (e.g. interactions with other members, professional development, research grants, and travel support). Many people also mentioned the high-quality journals that the SSAR publishes; through an oversight, we neglected to include journals as a possible response to the earlier questions. Several responses indicated a desire for more engagement between the SSAR and its members, or more engagement with broader communities. For example, some of these folks as for more communication, possible in the form of a regular newsletter. Several wanted the SSAR to facilitate educational outreach.

What Folks Want from the annual Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists

This second open-ended question also generated a variety of responses. Nearly everyone attends JMIH with the goal of meeting new people (both professionally and socially). Some specifically commented that they hope to meet potential PhD or postdoc advisors. Many are drawn to the conference by the possibility of seeing old friends. Many young members hope for professional development opportunities such as workshops. Two people commented on affordability. One person called for more inclusivity (specifically, related to gender). Another suggested that conference organizers facilitate more opportunities for socializing over lunch and/or coffee to remove the onus from students (many of whom are introverted and/or attending the meeting alone).

Additional Comments

This final open-ended question allowed folks to address topics not covered elsewhere in the survey. Many responses had to do with inclusivity. Two expressed concern over the lack of gender and other types of diversity in our society and among “herpers” more generally. One indicated that “diversity and inclusion are high priorities of any society that I support,” and another expressed gratitude to the SSAR “for addressing current diversity and inclusivity in the society.” Several respondents provided suggestions for future progress in this area, including: “providing more awards and editorial/reviewer positions on behalf of and to women”; “more female and minority speakers”; “don’t give awards to bigoted or objectifying members, regardless of their stature”; “preferred pronouns on name tags”; and “a student seat on the executive committee.” Several responses directly or indirectly called for the SSAR to be more proactive in building connections between its members. One of those said they are “not sure how to get more involved without it being overwhelming,” and another feels “there isn’t a lot of outreach to students or ways for us to participate in things.” Many responses related specifically to JMIH or to other topics covered in above sections. They included too many specific suggestions for us to summarize here, so anyone who is interested may request a copy of the full report (see contact info above).

Summary

The survey identified several areas where the SSAR can improve. First, the SSAR (and other taxon-based societies) seem likely to draw younger students than do other types of professional societies. Yet, many students want more communication in terms of what the society does and how they can get involved. They would also like the society to do more to help them meet other SSAR members. In response to these points, the SSAR will start a monthly email update, and we are expanding the role that the Student Participation Committee has played in the past. Additionally, outreach came up in responses to several of the questions. The SSAR executive board and Student Participation Committee are looking into ways that we can facilitate educational outreach so that our members can have a broader public impact. Inclusivity also came up several times. More people than ever have become aware than not everyone feels welcome in herpetology. We (like society at large) need to work hard on cultural change to make everyone welcome, regardless of their identity. This will be the largest issue for us to tackle, and it will require effort on the part of the whole membership. We are currently working on ways to facilitate this change, and we welcome any ideas from any members at any time.

Herpetological Review 49(3) available online!

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HR September 2018, Volume 49, Number 3. Our cover features a breeding aggregation of Hansen’s Asian Treefrogs (Feihyla hansenae), photographed in Thailand by Sinlan (Sheila) Poo. Sheila is presently a post-doc at the Memphis Zoo, where her research focuses on assisted reproduction and conservation of endangered anurans. This issue was mailed on 24 September, and full contents are now available online to SSAR members at here. All Natural History Notes, Geographic Distribution Notes, and Book Reviews are Open Access and will be 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. Read about SSAR membership here. Congratulations to Sheila for her outstanding cover photo!

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