James Poindexter, II
James Poindexter joined the Breeding Bird Survey in late 2018. He is currently leading a project to image historic BBS survey data forms.
Biography
Before joining the BBS, James spent 29 years working as a museum specialist for the now defunct Biological Survey Unit stationed within the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History. His primary duties were caring for, managing and curating the NMNH North American Amphibian and Reptile Collections and associated data.
Education:
- BS-Zoology, Howard University, Washington, DC, 1988
Science and Products
North American Breeding Bird Survey
The North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) is the primary source for critical quantitative data to evaluate the status of continental bird species, keeping common birds common and helping fuel a $75 billion wildlife watching industry. Each year thousands of citizen scientists skilled in avian identification collect data on BBS routes throughout North America allowing us to better...
Biological Survey Unit
Scientists and staff of the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center stationed at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) do research on the systematics and conservation of vertebrate species and curate and manage the North American collections of Amphibian, Reptile, Bird, and Mammal specimens and associated records.
Amphibian & Reptile Collections
The Herpetology Project, the most recent addition to the Unit, originated in 1972. Roy W. McDiarmid is the Project Leader. The North American collection of reptiles and amphibians contains about 390,900 specimens. This portion of the National Collection is completely computerized; electronic copies on diskette or compact disks, or hard copy reports can be produced in response to requests for...
Collections and Collection Management
The Challenge: How can we preserve and maintain evidence from our scientific past and continue to smartly expand that resource to help scientists find the answers to the questions and challenges they will face in the future?
Type specimens of Crotalus scutulatus (Chordata: Reptilia: Squamata: Viperidae) re-examined, with new evidence after more than a century of confusion
The original description of Crotalus scutulatus (Chordata: Reptilia: Squamata: Viperidae) was published in 1861 by Robert Kennicott, who did not identify a type specimen or a type locality. We review the history of specimens purported to be the type(s) and various designations of type locality. We provide evidence that ANSP 7069 (formerly one of...
Cardwell, Michael D.; Gotte, Steve W.; McDiarmid, Roy W.; Gilmore, Ned; Poindexter, James A.