Department
of Biology
The University of Louisiana at Monroe
Monroe, LA 71209-0520
USA
My general areas of interest are in
the ecology and systematics of amphibians and reptiles. My
particular expertise is in the ecology and systematics of turtles,
especially freshwater turtles. Current and continuing areas of
interest include the following:
1.
Distribution and Ecology of the Herpetofauna of the Mississippi
Alluvial Plain and West Gulf Coastal Plain in Louisiana, Arkansas and
Texas.
Current foci of this work include distributional
surveys of state wildlife management areas and other protected areas in
northeastern Louisiana. In addition, detailed studies of
particular species are under way, including alligator snapping turtles,
softshelled turtles, and map turtles.
2. Systematics and Ecology of the Neotropical Turtle Genus Rhinoclemmys.
This species-rich genus of tropical New World
turtles was the focus of my dissertation research. Within the
past few year, this interest has been reinvigorated by the opportunity
to collaborate with a Colombian colleague (Alan Giraldo at Universidad
del Valle) and student to work with R. nasuta on
an island off the Pacific coast of Colombia as part of a course I
taught there in May 2005. We have received additional
funding to continue our studies, and support the thesis research of an
additional student.
3. Taxonomic Variation in Morphological Characters of Turtles for Use in
Studies of Phylogenetic Systematics or Character Evolution.
This is a longstanding interest, with many years of
data collection related to this topic. I am interested in
discovery of new taxonomic characters and extension of known characters
to a wider array of taxa. The characters involved
include such features as hyoids, scleral ossicles, penes, cloacal
bursae, and carapacial seam contacts.
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Eli
B. Greenbaum (B.S. - SUNY-Binghamton)
Thesis
SEXUAL DIFFERENTIATION IN THE
SPINY SOFTSHELL TURTLE (APALONE SPINIFERA)
Completion Date: August 1998
Michael
T. Harrell (B.S. - Northeast Louisiana University)
Thesis
EFFECTS OF DIET
VARIATION AND VITAMIN ENRICHMENT ON GROWTH OF HATCHLING ALLIGATOR SNAPPING TURTLES,
MACROCLEMYS TEMMINCKI (TROOST)
Completion Date: December 1998
Darah
Coley Jr. (B.S. - Tuskegee University)
Thesis
ECOLOGICAL PARAMETERS OF THE
TURTLE ASSEMBLAGE IN A NORTH LOUISIANA FARM POND
Completion Date: December 1999
Michelle
A. Rachel (B.S. - ULM)
Thesis
A SURVEY OF MALFORMED ANURANS ON TWO NATIONAL
WILDLIFE REFUGES IN NORTHEAST LOUISIANA
Completion Date: December 2002
Amanda
H. Rosenzweig (B.A. - William Woods University)
Thesis
THE REPRODUCTIVE ECOLOGY
AND LIFE HISTORY OF GRAPTEMYS OUACHITENSIS (TESTUDINES: EMYDIDAE) IN THE RED
RIVER OF LOUISIANA
Completion Date: May 2003
Brandon
Smith (B.S. - ULM)
Thesis
THE DISTRIBUTION AND STATUS OF RANA AREOLATA
IN NORTHEASTERN LOUISIANA
Completion Date: August 2003
Marcie
Dixson (B.S. - Coastal Carolina University)
Thesis
HERPETOFAUNAL
ASSEMBLAGES IN RELATION TO FORESTRY PRACTICES ON WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREAS IN NORTHEAST LOUISIANA
Completion Date: August 2005
Stephanie
Kovac (B.S. - Texas A&M University)
Thesis
HERPETOFAUNAL COMMUNITY STRUCTURE AND HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS AT BUCKHORN
AND SICILY ISLAND HILLS WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREAS IN NORTHEAST LOUISIANA
Completion Date: August 2005
Lori
Woosley (B.S. - Southern Illinois University)
Thesis
POPULATION STRUCTURE AND REPRODUCTION OF ALLIGATOR SNAPPING TURTLES, MACROCHELYS TEMMINCKII, AT BLACK
BAYOU LAKE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Completion Date: December 2005
Lauren
Besenhofer (B.S. - Eckerd College)
Thesis
ASSESSMENT OF PATERNITY IN ALLIGATOR SNAPPING
TURTLE (MACROCHELYS TEMMINCKII) CLUTCHES
Completion Date: August 2006
Ashley Hudson (B.S. - Valdosta State University)
Thesis
HERPETOFAUNAL
COMMUNITIES IN RELATION TO SILVICULTURAL PRACTICES AT BAYOU MACON WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA IN NORTHEASTERN LOUISIANA
Completion Date: May 2007
Amity Bass (B.S. - ULM)
Thesis
HABITAT USE AND MOVEMENTS OF ALLIGATOR SNAPPING TURTLE (MACROCHELYS TEMMINCKII) HATCHLINGS
Completion Date: December 2007
Matt
Brown (B.S. - Valdosta State University)
Thesis
AMPHIBIAN AND REPTILE ASSEMBLAGES OF A
BOTTOMLAND HARDWOOD FOREST IN THE LOWER BOEUF RIVER FLOODPLAIN OF
NORTHEASTERN LOUISIANA
Completion Date: May 2008
Josh Brown (B.S. - Penn State University)
Thesis
RESOURCE PARTITIONING BETWEEN TWO SYMPATRIC SPECIES OF MUSK TURTLES (STERNOTHERUS) IN A NORTH LOUISIANA BAYOU
Completion Date: December 2008
Mitch Ray (B.S. - ULM)
Thesis
SPATIAL ECOLOGY OF ADULT ALLIGATOR SNAPPING TURTLES (MACROCHELYS TEMMINCKII) IN NORTHERN LOUISIANA
Completion Date: August 2010
Sam Holcomb (B.S. - Univeristy of Southern Mississippi)
Thesis
SURVIVORSHIP AND SOURCES OF MORTALITY IN NESTS OF THE ALLIGATOR SNAPPING TURTLE, MACROCHELYS TEMMINCKII, AT BLACK BAYOU LAKE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE
Completion Date: August 2010
Lisa Brown (B.S. - University of Texas at Tyler)
Thesis
AQUATIC
HERPETOFAUNAL COMMUNITIES IN A REGENERATING BOTTOMLAND HARDWOOD
FOREST AT UPPER OUACHITA NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, LOUISIANA
Completion Date: May 2012
Charles Battaglia (B.S. - ULM)
Thesis topic
TERRESTRIAL HERPETOFAUNA OF A BOTTOMLAND FOREST WETLAND RESTORATION SITE
Anticipated Completion Date: May 2013
Clayton Faidley (B.S. - Radford University)
Thesis topic
AQUATIC HERPETOFAUNA OF A BOTTOMLAND HARDWOOD FOREST SITE IN THE MISSISSIPPI ALLUVIAL PLAIN
Anticipated Completion Date: May 2014
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