The Journal of Herpetology recently updated its submission protocols for scholarly reviews, broadening the kinds of manuscripts that are accepted. In addition to timely topical syntheses, the new review series called “Reviews in Herpetology: Past, Present, and Future Directions” will allow for longer-format approaches to contemporary challenges in a “lessons learned” context. Because these reviews are likely to be lengthy, the typical word limits for JH manuscripts will be suspended for submissions in this category. The Journal invites submissions of either kind of review, and the co-editors are happy to offer input on topical themes to prospective authors. More information can be found in Journal of Herpetology 59(2):60: https://bioone.org/journals/journal-of-herpetology/volume-59/issue-2.

The cover of HR 56(1) features an image of Coluber constrictor etheridgei that was photographed by Clint Guadiana from east Texas, USA. This species is a diurnal predator that relies heavily on speed and visual hunting to capture a wide range of prey, including insects, small mammals, lizards, and other snakes. They play an important mid-trophic role by linking invertebrate and vertebrate communities and by serving as prey for raptors and larger mammals.

Full contents are available online to SSAR members at https://ssarherps.org/herpetological-review-pdfs/. Natural History Notes, Geographic Distribution Notes, and Book Reviews are Open Access and are 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 are available. Please visit the membership page for more information: https://ssarherps.org/about-ssar/membership/.

The SSAR is soliciting applications to attend the Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (JMIH) in New Orleans, LA, USA, July 8-12, 2026 as Carl Gans Fellows. Students and postdocs that are conducting herpetological research and are members of a herpetological JMIH society (SSAR, ASHI, or HL) are encouraged to apply. Up to 24 awards will be granted in this cycle ($800 per fellow for U.S./Canadian researchers and $1,300-$1,700 for fellows from other countries). Priority will be given to those in greatest need (i.e., those for whom the award makes the difference between attendance or lack of attendance) and those from historically underrepresented groups based on gender, race, country of origin, or other factors. Applicants should fill out this Google Form by February 1, 2026.

For more information about this award, take a look at this year’s call for applications or visit our webpage.

The Herpetology Education Committee (HEC) seeks nominations for the Meritorious Teaching Award in Herpetology (MTAH)! This award is sponsored by the American Society of Ichthyologists & Herpetologists (ASIH), The Herpetologists’ League (HL), and the Society for the Study of Amphibians & Reptiles (SSAR). Nominees should have a reputation among their peers and students for excellence in herpetological education, and be a current member of at least one of the sponsoring societies. Complete nomination packets must include several documents, including letters of recommendation, so please begin working on your nomination early (due March 31, 2026).

For more information on the MTAH and its nomination process, please visit the webpage: https://ssarherps.org/ssar-awards/meritorious-teaching-award/.

The SSAR is pleased to announce the establishment of a new endowment to honor Marion R. Preest who served as Secretary of the Society from 2003 through 2024, a record 22 years as the Society’s chief of staff. She worked alongside 11 different presidents during her term of service, thus providing important continuity and institutional memory. In this role Marion coordinated the activities of some 22 committees, the editors of seven different publications series, and among several other duties also organized the annual Board of Directors and SSAR Business Meetings.

The anonymous donation will sponsor students in the Founder’s Fellows program and the endowment specifies that preference will be given to non-USA students and that students supported with these funds will be designated as Marion R. Preest Fellows. A more complete announcement will appear in Herpetological Review which will give further details including how to make additional contributions to this endowment. Please join us in congratulating Marion on this singular honor!

Dean (Doc) Metter was a faculty member in the Department of Zoology at the University of Missouri—Columbia and then the Division of Biological Sciences at that institution for approximately 30 years. A believer in putting knowledge to the test in the field, Doc provided frequent opportunities for students to engage in fieldwork. In honoring Doc’s memory, the SSAR annually awards $300 to $1,000 to undergraduate and graduate students conducting field-based research in herpetology. Applications are due December 15. Students can also apply for the Roger Conant Grants in Herpetology, but will only receive one award (typically announced in March). To learn more about the Dean Metter Memorial Award, visit: https://ssarherps.org/ssar-awards/dean-metter-memorial-award/.

The SSAR is now accepting applications for this year’s Roger Conant Grants in Herpetology! We will be awarding numerous grants (up to $500 each) in several categories. This program is intended to provide financial support for deserving individuals (with a primary emphasis on student researchers) or organizations involved in herpetological research, education, or conservation. Students can also apply for the Dean Metter Memorial Award, but successful applicants will only receive one award. Applications are due December 15, 2025, with awards typically announced in March.

For more information about eligibility and applications guidelines, please visit the grant webpage.

Proposals can be submitted via Dropbox:
https://www.dropbox.com/request/eA6RpstXPso7gc2PxQ4a

The cover of Herp Review Volume 55 Issue 4 features the Mehuin Green Frog, Insuetophrynus acarpicus, an IUCN endangered species known only from a few localities near Valdivia, Chile. More than half of Chile’s ca. 60 species of anurans are endemic and more than half are given an IUCN or national level of Threatened. A primary cause of these amphibian declines is alteration of Chile’s unique temperate forests for agriculture or timber. This individual was found under a joint expedition led by Dr. José J. Nuñez of the Universidad Austral de Chile and Dr. Dante Fenolio of the San Antonio Zoo, accompanied by William W. Lamar and photographer Timothy Paine during a research and conservation collaboration. Several localities were visited, and a number of unique frog species were found. The locality of this individual was private land overlooking the southern Pacific Ocean held by a couple intent on protecting the local frog species. Our cover image was captured by Timothy Paine, a retired captain with the San Francisco Police Department who serves on the Board of Directors for Field Projects International.

Full contents are available online to SSAR members at https://ssarherps.org/herpetological-review-pdfs/. Select sections are Open Access and 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 are available. Please visit the membership page for more information: https://ssarherps.org/about-ssar/membership/.