Herpetological Review Volume 54, Number 2, is now available! The cover features an image of Phrynosoma ditmarsi (Rock Horned Lizard or Ditmars’ Horned Lizard) that was photographed by Charles Hedgcock from Sonora, Mexico. Phrynosoma ditmarsi has been recognized for more than a century but it remains among the least-known reptile species in North America, with approximately 20 localities known, all in the state of Sonora.

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/.

Victor Hutchison Graduate Poster Award

The SSAR graduate student poster awards honor Victor Hutchison for his extensive contributions to herpetology and the development of future herpetologists. This is the 13th year these awards have been given out. Thirteen students competed in two general categories on 14 July 2023. The awardees received a check for US $250 and three books. We thank Chuck Crumly and CRC press for the generous donation of the books.

This year’s judges were Jennifer Moore (Grand Valley State University), Erika Nowak (Northern Arizona University), Mark Paulissen (Northeastern State University), Claudia Crowther (Michigan State University), and Allyson Fenwick (chair, University of Central Oklahoma).

The 2023 recipients are:

Ecology, Natural History, Distribution and Behavior:

Hayley Crowell (University of Michigan), “Beyond the Sea(snake): Reviving Historical Collections for New Lessons in Collaboration and Beyond”

Owing to the larger number of posters, we also recognize an honorable mention in this category:

John Michael Arnett (Western Connecticut State University), “Effects of Urbanized Roads on Northern Diamondback Terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin terrapin)”

Physiology and Morphology:

Justin Lee (Villanova University), “Comparative Osteology of the Kukri Snake genus Oligodon”

George B. Rabb Undergraduate Poster Award

SSAR’s George B. Rabb Undergraduate Poster Award is sponsored by Zoo Atlanta and 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. This is the fifth year of this competition. Seven students competed on 14 July 2023. The winner received a check for US $250 and three books. We thank Chuck Crumly and CRC press for the generous donation of the books.

This year’s judges were:

RJ Rao (unaffiliated, from India), Jessica Tingle (University of Akron), and Michelle Koo (University of California, Berkeley)

The 2023 recipient of the Rabb Undergraduate Poster Award is:

Trevor Rallo (Southern Illinois University Edwardsville), “Intraspecific Priority Effects in Smallmouth Salamanders: Effects on Larval Body Size and Survival”

Owing to the larger number of posters, we also recognize an honorable mention in this category:

Madelene Grullon (Moravian University), “Plastics in our ponds and aquatic habitats: How are microplastics impacting larval amphibians”

The 31^st annual Seibert Awards were presented at the SSAR Business Meeting on July 15^th, 2023 following the 65^th Annual Meeting of the SSAR in Norfolk, VA on July 12^th – 16^th, 2023.  These awards are named in honor of Henri C. Seibert, an early and tireless supporter of SSAR (having served as an officer for over 20 years).

In recognition of outstanding student presentations at the annual meeting, a single award is given in each of four categories: Morphology & Physiology (3 presentations), Evolution & Systematics (5 presentations), Ecology (6 presentations), and Conservation (6 presentations).  All winners receive a check from SSAR and a book compliments of Chuck Crumly (Taylor and Francis).

The Seibert Award Winners for 2023 are:

Morphology & Physiology:

Robin Bedard, California Polytechnic State University “Plasticity of Cutaneous Evaporative Water Loss in Response to Hydration in Pregnant Prarie Rattlesnakes and their Neonates”

Honorable Mention to Kyle Emerson, Duquesne University, “Investigating the Relationship between the Microbial Environment and Predation Stress in a Larval Amphibian”

Evolution & Systematics:

Thore Koppetsch, University of Oslo, “Genomic and Morphometric Analyses of Diversification Dynamics in the Pristurus rupestris Species Complex”

Honorable Mention to Tucker Heptinstall, Clemson University, “Venom Complexity of Garter Snakes and the Role of Diet in Toxic Diversification”

Ecology:

Matthew Atkinson, University of Central Florida, “Environmental Perkinsea Infections Cause Lethal and Sub-Lethal Disease in Three Frog Families”

Honorable Mentions to Mariah Mack, Southern Illinois University, “Plasticity of Ambystoma texanu Life History Traits in Response to Environmental Conditions” and Ryan Miller, Lock Haven University, “Assessment of Density, Spatial Distribution and Movement Patterns of Plethodon cinereus using Spatial Capture-Recapture”

Conservation:

Madison Harman, University of Florida, “Drivers of Invasive Tegu Diet Composition in Two Florida Populations”

Honorable Mention to Anna Humphrey, Marshall University, “Effects of Vegetation and Historical Land Use on the Occurrence of an Endemic Anuran”

The judges for 2023 were:

Thais Condez, Carleton University; Matthew Heinicke, University of Michigan-Dearborn; Allison Bogisich, Memphis Zoo; Marina Gerson, California State University-Stanislaus; Dennis McNamara, Virginia Zoo; John Horne, NOAA; Andrew Durso, Florida Gulf Coast University; Gareth Hopkins, Western Oregon University.

On Friday, May 26 at 11 am Pacific/2 pm Eastern, SSAR’s DEI Committee will host a 1.5-hour virtual workshop led by Maisie MacKnight: Building Safe and Inclusive Spaces in Field Settings: You have a Right to Know!

In this workshop, participants will learn about a communication tool to guide supervisors on setting expectations and maintaining communication between themselves and their technicians. Implementation of these resources in individual lab groups has been shown to improve individual sense of belonging and empowerment of students in the field. To help participants apply these best practices to their field work, the workshop will include a series of “what would you do” exercises to discuss real-life scenarios, raise awareness and assess preparedness. The goal of this workshop is to initiate conversation and reflection on how to build safer spaces for everyone in the field.

If you are interested in joining, please mark your calendar, fill out this form, and we will send you a Zoom link as the date approaches: https://forms.gle/RaxDxXPoCc7f9S4F7

Congratulations to William Tillett and Dylan Bryant, the 2023 winners of the Dean E. Metter Award.

The title of Will’s proposal is “Revisiting the energetics hypothesis: can accelerometer monitoring reveal hidden variation in the movement patterns of snakes?”  Will is working on a master’s degree in the lab of Dominic L. DeSantis at Georgia College, in Milledgeville. He is interested in comparing the energetic demands of snakes with different natural histories.

The title of Dylan’s proposal is “Active ultraviolet light regulation by high elevation Yarrow’s Spiny Lizards (Sceloporus jarrovii).”  Dylan is an undergraduate interested in thermal ecology of lizards, and he is working in the lab of Matthew S. Lattanzio at Christopher Newport University (CNU) in Newport News, Virginia.

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.

Herpetological Review Volume 54, Number 1, is now available! The cover features an image of a kangaroo lizard, Otocryptis weigmanni, that was photographed by Shanelle Wikramanayake in the Gilimale Forest Reserve in Sri Lanka. Otocryptis weigmanni is widely distributed across the wet-zone of the southwestern and central regions of Sri Lanka. They sprint quickly, often adopting a bipedal gait, and have a habit of running short distances and stopping and can be found in undisturbed rainforest and home gardens and temples where there is both leaf litter and shade.

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. Follow the “Join SSAR” link on the home page.