Amphibian and Reptile Distributions in Tennessee
Spotted Salamander: Record for Weakley County
For the past several years I have been working on publishing new range extensions of several local herp species in my home state. This research has been completely self-motivated, and the goal is more for me to become familiar with the herpetofauna of the southeast than to actually publish research. I have experienced some measure of success, however, with 14 new records thus far.
Hall,J.M. 2008. Geographic distribution. Ambystoma maculatum. Herpetol.Rev. 39:103.
Hall,J.M. 2008. Geographic distribution. Gastrophryne carolinensis. Herpetol. Rev. 39:105.
Hall,J.M. 2008. Geographic distribution. Pseudacris feriarum. Herpetol. Rev. 39:107.
Hall,J.M. 2008. Geographic distribution. Plethodon mississippi. Herpetol. Rev. 39:232.
Hall,J.M. 2008. Geographic distribution. Lithobates clamitans. Herpetol. Rev. 39:234.
Hall,J.M. 2008. Geographic distribution. Lithobates sphenocephalus. Herpetol. Rev. 39:479.
Hall,J.M. 2008. Geographic distribution. Lithobates catesbeiana. Herpetol. Rev. 39:479.
Hall,J.M. 2014. Geographic distribution. Apalone spinifera. Herpetol. Rev. 45:279
Hall,J.M. 2014. Geographic distribution. Eurycea cirrigera. Herpetol. Rev. 45:274
Hall,J.M. 2014. Geographic distribution. Eurycea guttolineata. Herpetol. Rev. 45:274
Barton, L.J., Kee, J.P., Hall,J.M. 2015. Geographic distribution. Gastrophryne carolinensis. Herpetol. Rev. 46:560
Barton, L.J., Kee, J.P., Hall,J.M. 2015. Geographic distribution. Storeria dekayi wrightorum. Herpetol. Rev. 46:577
Barton, L.J., Morningstar, L.L., Hall,J.M. 2015. Geographic distribution. Regina septemvittata. Herpetol. Rev. 46:576
Hall, J.M., Hall, H.K. 2016. Geographic distribution. Anaxyrus fowleri. Herpetol. Rev. 47: 76.
Hall,J.M. 2008. Geographic distribution. Ambystoma maculatum. Herpetol.Rev. 39:103.
Hall,J.M. 2008. Geographic distribution. Gastrophryne carolinensis. Herpetol. Rev. 39:105.
Hall,J.M. 2008. Geographic distribution. Pseudacris feriarum. Herpetol. Rev. 39:107.
Hall,J.M. 2008. Geographic distribution. Plethodon mississippi. Herpetol. Rev. 39:232.
Hall,J.M. 2008. Geographic distribution. Lithobates clamitans. Herpetol. Rev. 39:234.
Hall,J.M. 2008. Geographic distribution. Lithobates sphenocephalus. Herpetol. Rev. 39:479.
Hall,J.M. 2008. Geographic distribution. Lithobates catesbeiana. Herpetol. Rev. 39:479.
Hall,J.M. 2014. Geographic distribution. Apalone spinifera. Herpetol. Rev. 45:279
Hall,J.M. 2014. Geographic distribution. Eurycea cirrigera. Herpetol. Rev. 45:274
Hall,J.M. 2014. Geographic distribution. Eurycea guttolineata. Herpetol. Rev. 45:274
Barton, L.J., Kee, J.P., Hall,J.M. 2015. Geographic distribution. Gastrophryne carolinensis. Herpetol. Rev. 46:560
Barton, L.J., Kee, J.P., Hall,J.M. 2015. Geographic distribution. Storeria dekayi wrightorum. Herpetol. Rev. 46:577
Barton, L.J., Morningstar, L.L., Hall,J.M. 2015. Geographic distribution. Regina septemvittata. Herpetol. Rev. 46:576
Hall, J.M., Hall, H.K. 2016. Geographic distribution. Anaxyrus fowleri. Herpetol. Rev. 47: 76.
Anolis ResearchDuring the Spring of 2015 I was able to participate in research conducted by the Warner Laboratory in the Florida Inter-coastal Waterway. The Warner Laboratory is a research facility in the Department of Biology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Research in this lab centers around physiological, behavioral, and evolutionary ecology. The aim is to understand how organisms interact with their environment and how natural selection has shaped these interactions across multiple life-history stages (from embryos to adults).
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Palm Coast, Fall 2015
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Turtle Research
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In July of 2015 I spent time with Dr. Brian Butterfield and his lab (FHU) at Horsecreek Wildlife Sanctuary trapping turtles as part of a long-term mark and recapture project. We utilized hoop-net traps to capture animals for processing. The primary species obtained for study were the red-eared slider, common snapper, common musk, loggerhead musk, and spiny soft-shell. Traps were checked twice daily and the extra hours between were utilized to search for new county records for Hardin. Two records were obtained: the queensnake and narrowmouth toad.
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Rhacodactylid Geckos
Leachie Love...
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I have kept and bred several species of New Caledonian gecko over the last decade. As a natural consequence I have developed a love for not only propagating these organisms but also understanding their natural history. I try and stay on top of the professional literature concerning these creatures and am always on the lookout for new information to digest. Selected Articles (with annotations) Revision of the giant geckos of New Caledonia (Reptilia: Diplodactylidae: Rhacodactylus) The costs of autotomy and regeneration in animals: a review and framework for future research Ecological observations on the Gargoyle Gecko CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN DIET AND FOOD CHEMICAL DISCRIMINATIONS BY OMNIVOROUS GECKOS A New Genus and Species of Diplodactylid Gecko Potential Research Questions
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Evolutionary/ Conservation Genetics
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As much as I love a good romp in the woods chasing after black racers and turning logs for salamanders, a good day in the lab analyzing genomic data sounds just as exhilarating. Though my experience with gene sequencing technologies is slim, I have spent a lot of time reading and annotating articles pertaining to conservation genetics and phylogenetic systematics. I find these studies to be fascinating and much of the literature I have reviewed in recent years pertains to these subjects (and it certainly helps if they are using model organisms with scales and tails!) Selected Articles (with annotations) Systematics, biogeography, and evolution of Hemidactylus geckos (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) elucidated using mitochondrial DNA sequences Genetic relationships of hellbenders in the Ozark highlands of Missouri and conservation implications for the Ozark subspecies (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis bishopi) Molecular Detection of Vertebrates in Stream Water: A Demonstration Using Rocky Mountain Tailed Frogs and Idaho Giant Salamanders |
Herpetocultural stressors/ invasive species
The Cuban Treefrog is now an established pest and a commonly kept pet.
Bufo marinus
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As a herpetoculturist I am interested in discovering how the pet trade influences wild populations. I am also fascinated by the complexity of the world's ecosystems and particularly how these systems can be disrupted by the addition of species that do not belong. For the past seven years I have been following a population of Cane Toads (Bufo marinus) as they are quickly colonizing the small town of Lucinda, Honduras, where I do mission work in conjunction with the hospital at Loma de Luz. Comparable to the havoc that the American Bullfrog has caused in the western U.S., these eating machines are literally pushing the native species of Honduras to the brink of extirpation in many areas. These are problems not easily solved, but very much worthy of attention. Selected Articles (with annotations) Challenges in Evaluating the Impact of the Trade in Amphibians and Reptiles on Wild Populations ECOLOGICAL RELEASE OF AN EXOTIC SPECIES UPON SUPPRESSION OF ITS INVASIVE PREDATOR Potential Research Questions
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Amphibian Ecotoxicology (Undergraduate Research)
Notophthalmus viridescens
As an undergraduate, I was mostly concerned with understanding the anthropogenic stresses that are placed on amphibian communities, particularly in regard to pesticides. I developed a few experimental designs to explore the effects of carbaryl on amphibians as predators. The red spotted newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) was my subject of study. The results of my research revealed that the red spotted newt is not physiologically inhibited by non-lethal levels of carbaryl, but rather displays extreme abnormalities in behavior when subjected to waters containing the compound at varying concentrations.
Road Mortality
Eastern Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina)
I also take great interest in the effects that road systems have on the mortality of herpetofauna (and other animals). I am not only concerned with finding solutions that benefit animals, I am also quite interested in helping motorists as well. In the state of Tennessee, car owners spend untold thousands of dollars each year in repair of vehicles damaged from encounters with wildlife.