Herpetology in the USGS: a proud history of research on reptiles and amphibians

By Jeff Lovich and Norm Scott

The field of herpetology (the study of reptiles and amphibians) has been popularized greatly in recent years with the airing of adventure television shows featuring celebrities capturing dangerous snakes and crocodiles. Yet few people know that the USGS holds the distinction for employing the largest number of professional herpetologists of any organization in the world. Herpetologists are scientists who specialize in the study of turtles, lizards, snakes, alligators, crocodiles, frogs, toads, salamanders, and other, lesser known creatures like amphisbaenians (a largely legless group of reptiles, though a few have front legs; only one species is found in the United States) and caecilians (legless amphibians found in the tropics). The word "herpetology" is derived from the Greek word "herpeton," which means "to crawl," an apt descriptor for the way in which most of these fascinating animals move. Indeed, the word "reptilus" means the same thing in Latin.

Once hunted to near extinction, the American alligator made a strong comeback and is now common in many areas, like the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge where this individual was photographed. While specimens are known that have exceeded 19 feet in length, most are much smaller. The only other true alligator in the world is the Chinese alligator, and they are critically endangered. American alligators are members of a reptile lineage called crocodilians, a group that also includes caimans, crocodiles and gharials.

How did USGS, an organization recognized more for its work with earthquakes, floods, and volcanoes, come to house such an impressive array of herpetologists? The story starts with the merger of scientists from the former National Biological Service (NBS) into the USGS in the fall of 1996. The NBS was created by Secretarial Order in 1993 to consolidate the Department's biological research components under a single roof. Included were scientists from the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, and the Minerals Management Service. Subsequently, Congress moved the NBS into the USGS in 1996, creating the Biological Resources Division, and greatly expanded the ability to the USGS to conduct fully integrated earth science.

The current herpetology program of the Department of the Interior can be envisioned as the trunk of a large tree, with roots extending back into the 19th century. Research herpetology in the Department has major roots in the observations and collections made near the turn of the century by the U.S. Bureau of Biological Survey, under the direction of C. Hart Merriam. Extensive bird and mammal collections were made by the Biological Survey throughout North America, including Mexico, but little emphasis was placed on reptiles and amphibians. The specimens became the Survey Collections, which were housed as collection units in the U.S. National Museum of Natural History (USNM), separate from the main museum collections.

The chuckwalla is the second largest lizard in the United States and occurs in southern Utah, Nevada, California, most of western Arizona, and northwestern Mexico. They are plant eaters that live in rocky areas. When threatened by predators, they hide in crevices, inflating their lungs which makes it virtually impossible to dislodge them. This individual was photographed in Joshua Tree National Park.

In 1940, the Bureau of Biological Survey, along with the Bureau of Fisheries, became the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). The FWS Bird and Mammal Laboratories retained the statutory responsibility for curation of the Survey Collections, which continued to increase through the efforts of Service biologists. Prompted by the 1969 passage of the Endangered Species Act, a Section of Herpetology was formed in the Bird and Mammal Laboratories to stand alongside existing sections devoted to birds and mammals. At this point, FWS curation responsibilities at the USNM were widened to include the collections of reptiles and amphibians from all of North America, broadly defined as the area from Alaska and Canada to the Panama-Colombia border.

The stage was thus set for the Fish and Wildlife Service to continue building a significant program in support of herpetological research. Lucille Stickel, the first woman director of a FWS laboratory, and her husband Bill were already conducting now-famous studies on snakes and box turtles at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center starting in the 1950's. During the 1970's and 1980's, FWS hired R. Bruce Bury, Stephen Busack, Howard Campbell, Steve Christman, Don Clark, Steve Corn, Ken Dodd, Tom Fritts, Russ Hall, Roy McDiarmid, Robert Reynolds, Gordon Rodda, Norm Scott, Charles R. Smith, and other well-known herpetologists.

The California mountain kingsnake ranges from southern Washington to Baja California, Mexico. This individual is from the Santa Rosa Mountains near Palm Springs, California. The eye-catching pattern of red and white rings separated by black rings make this one of the most beautiful snakes in the world. Although no coral snakes, a dangerous relative of the cobra, are found within the range of this kingsnake, their patterns are similar. Coral snakes have red, yellow and black bands, with red and yellow bands touching. The old saying, "Red and yellow kill a fellow, red and black good to Jack," is a good way to remember which "tri-color" snakes are dangerous and which are harmless in the United States. California mountain kingsnakes eat other reptiles, birds, and small mammals.

Other roots on the DOI tree of herpetology come from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). With the listing of the desert tortoise as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1990, BLM began to build a major research program focused on the recovery of the species. Researchers involved in this effort included Hal Avery, Kristin Berry, Bill Boarman, Lesley DeFalco, Todd Esque, Jeff Lovich, and Phil Medica.

Another root came from the National Park Service, who like other DOI bureaus, recognized the importance of conducting research on reptiles and amphibians to better manage an important, but often under-appreciated, component of the ecosystem. Charles Drost, Gary Fellers, and Cecil Schwalbe are distinguished herpetologists who were hired by the NPS.

A fourth root in the lineage came after the creation of NBS. Although many of these scientists came from outside DOI, they are dedicated to providing relevant science regarding reptiles and amphibians to the DOI bureaus. Many of these scientists are involved in the Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative of USGS, a national program to monitor trends in amphibian populations on DOI lands. Post-NBS scientists who have been substantially involved in herpetological research include Michael Adams, Christine Bridges, Robert Fisher, Robin Jung, Melinda Knutson, Erin Muth, Walter Sadinski, and Susan Walls. Many of the NPS, FWS, BLM and post-NBS herpetologists continue their vigorous research programs in the USGS.

The Ensatina salamander is found along the west coast of North America from southern British Columbia to southern California. When disturbed, this salamander has an interesting defense posture, standing stiff-legged, with back swayed and tail arched.

The roots of herpetology in the USGS germinated from a seed planted in the 19th century by the U.S. Bureau of Biological Survey. With amazing prescience, the DOI bureaus established a strong research program to manage this important part of our natural heritage. Today's reptiles and amphibians are imperiled by invasive species, pollution, overexploitation for food and the pet trade, climate change, land use change and other factors that are still poorly understood. Amphibian declines around the world are all too frequently chronicled in today's newspapers and magazines. A silent spring, without chorusing amphibians, is now, sadly, a reality in some areas, including DOI lands. Reptile declines are well documented as well; the situation for turtles is now being called the "global turtle crisis" by some experts.

The merger of the NBS brought a veritable "Who's Who" list in the field of herpetology into the USGS. Their impact continues to be measured by their numerous publications, involvement in the governance of major professional societies in herpetology, discovery and descriptions of new species, mentoring young graduate students and recent recruits who will become tomorrow's USGS herpetologists, and providing information for resource managers to help conserve reptiles and amphibians for future generations of Americans. USGS is a vital part of a strong legacy of government-supported research of reptiles and amphibians. It's a history and a future we can be proud of in the USGS.

U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
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Page Last Modified: 05-Apr-2004@14:49