I recently returned to Washington, DC from my annual trip out to the Chihuahuan Desert of west Texas where I have been collaborating on multiple research projects involving the Yellow Mud Turtle (Kinosternon flavescens). Working with these turtles continuously leaves us asking more questions about their ecology than we are able to answer. We trapped a total of 201 unique Yellow Mud Turtles at five permanent earthen tanks and a few more ephemeral sites that hold water for only a few days after rains. The newest earthen tank, #2, produced no turtles (compared to only a single turtle trapped last year), but numerous turtles were found in all other permanent sites. By the end of our trapping efforts, we were recapturing a high percentage (75–80%) of turtles trapped the preceding days. However, a large rain event (1.3″) at 96 Tank likely resulted in a low recapture percentage (25%), likely due to numerous turtles not seen in over a decade (despite annual trapping efforts at this site) moving to the site from terrestrial burrows.
96 Tank after heavy rains (notice the high turbidity)
Kimball Draw
Adult female Yellow Mud Turtle (Kinosternon flavescens) with an advanced stage of shell disease
A new publication documenting 54 new distributional records of 17 species of amphibians and reptiles in South Dakota, all collected during 2017, was published in the June 2018 issue of Herpetological Review. Included are numerous records of Boreal Chorus Frogs (n=8) and Painted Turtles (n=8). Also included are six new records of Northern Leopard Frogs, a species for which there is now vouchered material from every county in the state. 
This spring I was asked to write an article about my efforts in mapping amphibians and reptiles across South Dakota. Since 2012, I have collected voucher specimens and photographs of amphibians and reptiles that I encountered at research study sites, during camping trips, driving down county roads, and pretty much every other time I was outdoors when it wasn’t winter. These records represent a significant increase (>60%) in the number of verifiable records from the state and provide much needed voucher material for current and future studies. While I continue to collect voucher specimens from the state, citizen scientists are also contributing to what is known about distributions of species in the state. In 2017, I launched a new website, Amphibians and Reptiles of South Dakota (
I recently discovered a preserved Eastern Hog-nosed Snake (Heterodon platirhinos) from Brule County, South Dakota (pictured) that represents an important distributional record in the state. Heterodon platirhinos was historically known from southeastern South Dakota in Union and Clay counties. This specimen, from Chamberlain, is roughly 300 km up the Missouri River from previously known localities in Clay County, South Dakota. This historic specimen, combined with recent observations of H. platirhinos from western South Dakota (see 
We report the occurrence of 50 species of amphibians and reptiles recently collected on C. E. Miller Ranch and the Sierra Vieja in the Chihuahuan Desert of Texas, USA and describe their perceived distribution and abundance across various habitat associations of the region. Our recent surveys follow intense, historic sampling of amphibians and reptiles from this region in 1948. Of the 50 species detected in recent surveys, six were not collected in 1948 and an additional three species documented in 1948 have yet to be detected in a 14-year period of recent surveys. Combining data from both historic and recent surveys, a total of 53 species of amphibians and reptiles are known from the ranch (11 amphibians, 42 reptiles). Land stewardship and conservation practices have likely contributed to the persistence of the majority of these species through time. Additionally, we discuss the status of amphibians and reptiles not collected during recent surveys and comment on potential species that have not yet been detected.
I recently deposited approximately 3600 amphibian and reptile specimens (DRD Field Series) and 3000 tissue samples at the Biodiversity Collections, University of Texas at Austin. These specimens are primarily collected from South Dakota and northeastern Nebraska, but also represent recent collecting trips to Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa. Further, this collection includes former South Dakota State University, W. H. Over Museum of Natural History, University of Sioux Falls, Augustana University, and Wayne State College specimens. Travis LaDuc, Curator of Herpetology at the Biodiversity Collections, recently traveled up to Vermillion to pick up these specimens from me at the University of South Dakota. Two days of driving later, they have all arrived safely in Austin, Texas. Specimens will be cataloged over the coming months and soon be available for researchers to loan out for studies.
South Dakota amphibian and reptile distributional records are lacking, especially in the north-central counties in the state. To date, there have been few surveys of amphibians and reptiles from along Lake Oahe, a large reservoir on the Missouri River that was created in 1958 following construction of Oahe Dam. We conducted fieldwork on Lake Oahe in South Dakota in June 2017 and collected 13 new county records of six species of amphibians and reptiles: Woodhouse’s Toad (Anaxyrus woodhousii), Boreal Chorus Frog (Pseudacris maculata), Smooth Softshell (Apalone mutica), Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera), Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta), and Plains Gartersnake (Thamnophis radix). 
Drew R. Davis, Ph.D. 