An article was just published by the ENMU Office of Advancement and Public Relations featuring DHL M.S. student Sebastian Summo Elias. It provides a brief biography, introduces his thesis research at ENMU on Western Ribbonsnakes, and mentions some of his recent accomplishments. Congrats to Sebastian on being featured and for all his accomplishments while at ENMU. I’m excited to see what is next in store for him as he continues his academic career!
Check out the article here.
Three new student-led notes were recently published in Herpetological Review 56(1). One was a Geographic Distribution Note reporting seven new occurrence records of six species of Michigan amphibians and reptiles, and was written by M.S. student Jake Kuschel. The other two were notes written by Ben Genter, an undergraduate researcher in the lab. Ben’s notes were: 1) a batch of distributional records of non-native amphibians and reptiles in the Florida, and 2) a Natural History Note describing a predation where at Mexican Treefrog (Smilisca baudinii) had consumed a Mediterranean Gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus) in south Texas. Congratulations to both students on their publications!
Genter BW, Davis DR. 2025. Smilisca baudinii (Mexican treefrog). Diet. Herpetological Review 56:62–63. [PDF]
Kuschel JE, Davis DR. 2025. Distributional records of herpetofauna from the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, USA. Herpetological Review 56:44–46. [PDF]
Genter BW, Davis DR. 2025. New county records of non-native herpetofauna in Florida, USA, from 2023 and 2024. Herpetological Review 56:40–43. [PDF]
Without updated field data, the current conservation status of Blanchard’s Cricket Frogs (Acris blanchardi), Rio Grande Leopard Frogs (Rana berlandieri), and Plains Leopard Frogs (Rana blairi) remains unclear. All three anuran species are listed as a SGCN in the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP), emphasizing the urgent need for updated field data to inform management and conservation actions. Anecdotal reports suggest that these species may have declined in recent years, particularly in areas affected by drought, groundwater depletion, and river management practices. The combined survey and management proposed here will generate contemporary occurrences data for these species and help address the threat and risk posed by invasive American Bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana). The resulting data will guide effective habitat management, restoration, and species recovery efforts—directly supporting the goals of the New Mexico SWAP and the conservation of biodiversity in the Pecos River basin.
Grant Title: Assessing the Distribution and Threats of SGCN Frogs in Eastern New Mexico
Graduate student Zoe Hutcherson recently attending the New Mexico Research Symposium (NMRS) held in Albuquerque, New Mexico on 15 November 2025. Zoe presented a poster titled, “Understanding the distribution of Rio Grande Cooters and examining spatial variation in their bacterial microbiota” at NMRS and was awarded the second place for her poster. This research is a part of Zoe’s thesis research at ENMU. This is the second time Zoe has won an award at NMRS! Way to go!
Congratulations again to Zoe!
DHL undergraduate student researcher Caden Myers was recently awarded the SnakeDays 2025 Grant! His proposed research, titled “Diet and parasites of the non-native Moorish Gecko (Tarentola mauritanica) in Texas,” involves examining the diet and parasites of this recently established species in San Antonio. Over Summer 2025, Caden sorted, identified, and analyzed two years of diet data from previously collected samples and presented the data collected so far at the recent SWPARC Meeting in Albuquerque. With these funds, Caden will be able to join on a sampling trip planned for September 2025 and collect a third year of dietary data (along with additional data on perch height) and examine both internal and external parasites from all collected specimens. His work will help generate a better understanding of the direct and indirect effects of this introduced species on native species.
Congratulations to Caden!
The Davis Herpetology Lab attended the recent Southwest Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (SWPARC) meeting held at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque from 7-10 August 2025. Not only did undergraduate student researcher Caden Myers present his first scientific poster, he also took home the top poster presentation award at the meeting with his poster titled “Diet of the non-native Moorish Gecko (Tarentola mauritanica) in Texas, USA.” Caden has spent a portion of the summer sorting through two years of stomach samples and identifying diet items as part of this project, which we hope to expand into a third, and final, year.
Congratulations to Caden!
DHL undergraduate student researcher Kevin Green was recently awarded funding from the Texas Academy of Science Annual Student Research Award program. His proposed research, titled “Understanding the distribution and negative effects of recently established invasive Hemidactylus from south Texas,” involves examining the diet and parasites of three non-native species of geckos established in the Rio Grande Valley. He will make trips to the region in spring and fall 2025 to collect samples and continue to better describe the distribution, diet, and parasite load of these species.
Congratulations Kevin!
M.S. student Sebastian Summo Elias presented at the annual Joint Annual Meeting (JAM) of the NM/AZ The Wildlife Society Chapters in Albuquerque, NM last week. Sebastian presenting on some of his preliminary results from his field surveys for Western Ribbonsnakes (Thamnophis proximus). While in Albuquerque, the lab also stopped by to visit the ABQBioPark to discuss future collaborations with Stacey Sekscienski (Curator of Herpetology) and visited the Museum of Southwestern Biology at the University of New Mexico to examine specimens related to several on-going projects in the lab on Aspidoscelis, Nerodia, and Thamnophis.
Undergraduate student researcher Kevin Green was recently awarded funding from the Texas Herpetological Society’s Grants-in-Herpetology program. His proposed research, titled “Understanding the distribution and negative effects of recently established invasive Hemidactylus from south Texas,” involves examining the diet and parasites of three non-native species of geckos established in the Rio Grande Valley. He will make trips to the region in spring and fall 2025 to collect samples and continue to better describe the distribution of these species.
Congratulations Kevin!
Earlier this year I was awarded funding from South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks to survey for the state-endangered Lined Snake (Tropidoclonion lineatum) along the James River in southeastern South Dakota (see earlier post). As part of this survey work, two trips were planned: one trip in the spring corresponding with the the first days of warm temperature and one trip in the fall, corresponding with the final warm days of the year before snakes enter hibernacula. I recently completed the fall survey trip and despite most overcast days, I was able to overlap with an unusually warm day (3 October 2018; 30°C/86°F), and found eight Lined Snakes; unfortunately, all were dead on the road. These specimens were collected as voucher specimens and will be used as reference material and provide tissue samples from this population of Lined Snakes in Hutchinson County to determine if there is gene flow between this population and populations along the Big Sioux River. These eight Lined Snakes, combined with the eight individuals I found during the spring survey period (6 live, 2 dead) confirm an established population of Lined Snakes in this region along the James River. Due to the lack of detection of Lined Snakes outside of this locality, this may be a small, isolated population rather than a large, widespread population along the lower James River.
Drew R. Davis, Ph.D. 