Four new publications documenting the distributions of amphibians and reptiles in South Dakota and Michigan were just published in the March 2017 issue of Herpetological Review. Three of these notes are individual distribution records (2 in South Dakota, 1 in Michigan) and one is a series of 26 county records from South Dakota collected during field work in 2015 and 2016. These South Dakota records have been added to the Amphibians and Reptiles of South Dakota website and help fill gaps in the distributions of species across the state. Even though there has been considerably more herpetological research conducted in Michigan than in South Dakota over the past century, many distributional gaps exist for Michigan species, with species underrepresented in natural history collections. This Michigan record (Ambystoma laterale from Mecosta Co.) was collected as part of a recreational road-trip across the state with Jillian Farkas and highlights the need to continue to document species occurrence.

Davis DR, Farkas JK, Johannsen RE, Leonard KM, Kerby JL. 2017. Distributional records of amphibians and reptiles from South Dakota, USA. Herpetological Review 48:133–137. [PDF]

Davis DR, Zimmer MB. 2017. Geographic distribution: USA, South Dakota, Edmunds Co.: Opheodrys vernalis (Smooth Greensnake). Herpetological Review 48:129–130. [PDF]

Farkas JK, Davis DR. 2017. Geographic distribution: USA, South Dakota, Yankton Co.: Apalone spinifera (Spiny Softshell). Herpetological Review 48:122. [PDF]

Farkas JK, Davis DR. 2017. Geographic distribution: USA, Michigan, Mecosta Co.: Ambystoma laterale (Blue-spotted Salamander). Herpetological Review 48:117. [PDF]