Erin Muths, PhD
Dr. Erin Muths is a Research Zoologist at the Fort Collins Science Center who specializes in amphibian demography, disease ecology and conservation.
Dr. Muths holds a doctorate in Zoology from the University of Queensland, Australia. Since joining the USGS in 1995, she has studied amphibians in Colorado and around the world. Dr. Muths specializes in amphibian demography, disease ecology and conservation. Current research projects include reintroductions of boreal toads in Rocky Mountain National Park, demography of chorus frog and boreal toad populations in Colorado and Wyoming, and salamander disease and occurrence in the desert southwest and Mexico. She is on several graduate student committees at Colorado State University, the University of Colorado and at the CCMB Laboratory for Conservation of Endangered Species in Hyderabad, India.
Professional Experience
U.S. Geological Survey - Biological Resources Division Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO, April 1995 - present
University of Queensland Brisbane, Australia; Southwest Queensland, Australia, Ph.D. research, June 1991 - January 1995
Archbold Biological Station Lake Placid, FL, Research Intern, October 1990 - March 1991
Kansas State University, Division of Biology Manhattan, KS, Master's Research, Research Assistant, August 1988 - May 1990
Smithsonian Institution, Conservation Research Center Front Royal, VA, Intern, December 1987 - March 1988
Affiliations and Memberships*
USGS Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative - Principle Investigator, Southern Rocky Mountains, 2000 - present
The Society for Conservation Biology, 1989 – 2011
The American Society of Mammalogists, 1994 – 2002
Colorado Boreal Toad Recovery Team, 1996 – present
Society for Northwestern Vertebrate Biology 1997 – 2007
Research Associate – Denver Zoological Foundation, 1998 – present
Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation, 1999 – present; SW PARC – Steering Committee, 2008 – 2011
Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, 2000 – 2014; representative to joint Herpetological Education Committee, 2017 – 2020; Committee chair 2020
Co-Editor, Journal of Herpetology, 2010 – 2015; Section Editor, Journal of Herpetology, 2014 – present
American Society of Ichthyologists & Herpetologists, 2002 – present
Herpetologists’ League 2007 – present; Executive Council 2007 – 2011; Chair, EE Williams Research Grant Committee, 2009-2010
Science and Products
Salamander chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans) in the United States—Developing research, monitoring, and management strategies
An alternative framework for responding to the amphibian crisis
Restored agricultural wetlands in Central Iowa: habitat quality and amphibian response
Non-native and native organisms moving into high elevation and high latitude ecosystems in an era of climate change: new challenges for ecology and conservation
Spatial occupancy models for predicting metapopulation dynamics and viability following reintroduction
How spatio-temporal habitat connectivity affects amphibian genetic structure
Trends in Rocky Mountain amphibians and the role of beaver as a keystone species
Modeling habitat connectivity to inform reintroductions: a case study with the Chiricahua Leopard Frog
Pesticide concentrations in frog tissue and wetland habitats in alandscape dominated by agriculture
Prevalence of the amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) at Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, Arizona, USA
The effects of hydropattern and predator communities on amphibian occupancy
Demography of common toads after local extirpation of co-occurring midwife toads
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
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Filter Total Items: 147
Salamander chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans) in the United States—Developing research, monitoring, and management strategies
The recently (2013) identified pathogenic chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal), poses a severe threat to the distribution and abundance of salamanders within the United States and Europe. Development of a response strategy for the potential, and likely, invasion of Bsal into the United States is crucial to protect global salamander biodiversity. A formal working group, led by AAuthorsEvan H. Campbell Grant, Erin L. Muths, Rachel A. Katz, Stefano Canessa, M. J. Adams, Jennifer R. Ballard, Lee Berger, Cheryl J. Briggs, Jeremy T. H. Coleman, Matthew J. Gray, M. Camille Harris, Reid N. Harris, Blake R. Hossack, Kathryn P. Huyvaert, Jonathan E. Kolby, Karen R. Lips, Robert E. Lovich, Hamish I. McCallum, Joseph R. Mendelson, Priya Nanjappa, Deanna H. Olson, Jenny G. Powers, Katherine L. D. Richgels, Robin E. Russell, Benedikt R. Schmidt, Annemarieke Spitzen-van der Sluijs, Mary Kay Watry, Douglas C. Woodhams, C. LeAnn WhiteAn alternative framework for responding to the amphibian crisis
Volumes of data illustrate the severity of the crisis affecting amphibians, where > 32% of amphibians worldwide are threatened with declining populations. Although there have been isolated victories, the current approach to the issue is unsuccessful. We suggest that a radically different approach, something akin to human emergency response management (i.e. the Incident Command System), is one alteAuthorsErin L. Muths, Robert N. FisherRestored agricultural wetlands in Central Iowa: habitat quality and amphibian response
Amphibians are declining throughout the United States and worldwide due, partly, to habitat loss. Conservation practices on the landscape restore wetlands to denitrify tile drainage effluent and restore ecosystem services. Understanding how water quality, hydroperiod, predation, and disease affect amphibians in restored wetlands is central to maintaining healthy amphibian populations in the regionAuthorsRebecca A. Reeves, Clay Pierce, Kelly L. Smalling, Robert W. Klaver, Mark W. Vandever, William A. Battaglin, Erin L. MuthsNon-native and native organisms moving into high elevation and high latitude ecosystems in an era of climate change: new challenges for ecology and conservation
Cold environments at high elevation and high latitude are often viewed as resistant to biological invasions. However, climate warming, land use change and associated increased connectivity all increase the risk of biological invasions in these environments. Here we present a summary of the key discussions of the workshop ‘Biosecurity in Mountains and Northern Ecosystems: Current Status and FutureAuthorsAníbal Pauchard, Ann Albihn, Jake Alexander, Treena Burgess, Curt Daehler, Franz Essl, Birgitta Evengard, Greg Greenwood, Sylvia Haider, Jonathan Lenoir, K. McDougall, Ann Milbau, Erin L. Muths, Martin Nunez, Lois Pellissier, Wolfgang Rabitsch, Lisa Rew, Mark Robertson, Nathan Sanders, Christoph KuefferSpatial occupancy models for predicting metapopulation dynamics and viability following reintroduction
The reintroduction of a species into its historic range is a critical component of conservation programmes designed to restore extirpated metapopulations. However, many reintroduction efforts fail, and the lack of rigorous monitoring programmes and statistical models have prevented a general understanding of the factors affecting metapopulation viability following reintroduction. Spatially explicAuthorsRichard B. Chandler, Erin L. Muths, Brent H. Sigafus, Cecil R. Schwalbe, Christopher J. Jarchow, Blake R. HossackHow spatio-temporal habitat connectivity affects amphibian genetic structure
Heterogeneous landscapes and fluctuating environmental conditions can affect species dispersal, population genetics, and genetic structure, yet understanding how biotic and abiotic factors affect population dynamics in a fluctuating environment is critical for species management. We evaluated how spatio-temporal habitat connectivity influences dispersal and genetic structure in a population of boAuthorsAlexander G. Watts, P Schlichting, S Billerman, B Jesmer, S Micheletti, M.-J. Fortin, W. C. Funk, P Hapeman, Erin L. Muths, M.A. MurphyTrends in Rocky Mountain amphibians and the role of beaver as a keystone species
Despite prevalent awareness of global amphibian declines, there is still little information on trends for many widespread species. To inform land managers of trends on protected landscapes and identify potential conservation strategies, we collected occurrence data for five wetland-breeding amphibian species in four national parks in the U.S. Rocky Mountains during 2002–2011. We used explicit dynaAuthorsBlake R. Hossack, William R. Gould, Debra A. Patla, Erin L. Muths, Rob Daley, Kristin Legg, P. Stephen CornModeling habitat connectivity to inform reintroductions: a case study with the Chiricahua Leopard Frog
Managing species with intensive tools such as reintroduction may focus on single sites or entire landscapes. For vagile species, long-term persistence will require colonization and establishment in neighboring habitats. Therefore, both suitable colonization sites and suitable dispersal corridors between sites are required. Assessment of landscapes for both requirements can contribute to ranking anAuthorsChristopher J. Jarchow, Blake R. Hossack, Brent H. Sigafus, Cecil R. Schwalbe, Erin L. MuthsPesticide concentrations in frog tissue and wetland habitats in alandscape dominated by agriculture
Habitat loss and exposure to pesticides are likely primary factors contributing to amphibian decline in agricultural landscapes. Conservation efforts have attempted to restore wetlands lost through landscape modifications to reduce contaminant loads in surface waters and providing quality habitat to wildlife. The benefits of this increased wetland area, perhaps especially for amphibians, may be neAuthorsKelly L. Smalling, Rebecca Reeves, Erin L. Muths, Mark W. Vandever, William A. Battaglin, Michelle Hladik, Clay L. PiercePrevalence of the amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) at Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, Arizona, USA
Information on disease presence can be of use to natural resource managers, especially in areas supporting threatened and endangered species that occur coincidentally with species that are suspected vectors for disease. Ad hoc reports may be of limited utility (Muths et al. 2009), but a general sense of pathogen presence (or absence) can inform management directed at T&E species, especially in regAuthorsBrent H. Sigafus, Blake R. Hossack, Erin L. Muths, Cecil R. SchwalbeThe effects of hydropattern and predator communities on amphibian occupancy
Complex, interactive ecological constraints regulate species distributions, and understanding these factors is crucial for predicting species persistence. We used occupancy analysis, which corrects for imperfect detection, to test the importance of abiotic and biotic habitat and landscape factors on probability of occupancy by Boreal Chorus Frog (Pseudacris maculata (Agassiz, 1850)) tadpoles. We hAuthorsStaci Amburgey, L.L. Bailey, M.A. Murphy, Erin L. Muths, W. C. FunkDemography of common toads after local extirpation of co-occurring midwife toads
Estimating demographic parameters like survival or recruitment provides insight into the state and trajectory of populations, but understanding the contexts influencing those parameters, including both biotic and abiotic factors, is particularly important for management and conservation. At a high elevation national park in Central Spain, common toads (Bufo bufo) are apparently taking advantage ofAuthorsJaime Bosch, S Fernandez-Beaskoetxea, R. Scherer, Staci Amburgey, Erin L. MuthsNon-USGS Publications**
Muths, E. 2015. Dust jacket blurb for book Salamandria by S. Trauth and J. Trauth. Mockingbird Lane Press.Muths, E. 1999. Dwarf shrew found in Rocky Mountain National Park. Park Science 19(1): 25.Muths, E., and L.A. Hinds. 1996. Circulating levels of prolactin and progesterone in a wild population of red kangaroos (Macropus rufus) Marsupialia: Macropodidae. General and Comparative Endocrinology. 101: 317-3.Muths, E., and O.J. Reichman. 1996. Kangaroo rat bone compared to white rat bone after short-term disuse and exercise. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. 114A(4): 355-3.Muths, E. 1996. Milk composition in a field population of red kangaroos, Macropus rufus (Desmarest) (Macropodidae: Marsupialia). Australian Journal of Zoology. 44: 165-1.
Muths, E. 1991. Substrate Discrimination in Burying Beetles, Nicrophorus orbicollis (Coleoptera: Silphidae). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society. 64(4): 447-450.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
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*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government