I recently returned from the Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (JMIH) in Austin, TX where I presented both an oral and a poster presentation. My oral presentation, “Physiological Stress and Pathogen Infection in Larval Salamanders from Agricultural Wetlands”, was on one of my dissertation chapters and my poster presentation, “Morphological Variation between two widely distributed populations of Plethodon albagula (Caudata: Plethodontidae)”, was a continuation of work that I began as an undergraduate at the University of Texas at Austin. To my surprise, the poster presentation won the Victor Hutchinson Award (Morphology and Physiology) from the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles! I had a great time visiting with current and future colleagues. Many thanks to the local hosts and organizing societies for a successful, fun, and engaging meeting.
Two natural history notes were published in the June 2017 issue of Herpetological Review. One note reports a new prey item and a new maximum prey/predator mass ratio for the Chihuahuan Nightsnake (Hypsiglena jani) and is co-authored with Travis J. LaDuc. Previously, the maximum prey/predator mass ratio known for Hypsiglena was 0.54 reported by Lacey et al. (1996), but our observation increases the maximum to 0.58. The two prey items that were consumed by this individual were two Little Striped Whiptails (Aspidoscelis inornata). Additionally, this observation adds to the list of prey species known to be consumed by Hypsiglena as only two other species of Aspidoscelis have been reported in the diet of Hypsiglena. 
A new publication documenting the historic 
The Philippines possess a remarkable species diversity of amphibians and reptiles, much of which is endemic to this Southeast Asia island nation. Lizard diversity in the family Gekkonidae is no exception, with more than 80% of the country’s gecko species endemic to the archipelago, including the entire genus of False Geckos (Pseudogekko). This small radiation of diminutive, slender, arboreal forest species has been the focus of several recent phylogenetic and systematic studies that have highlighted the prevalence of undocumented species concentrated in several geographical regions within the archipelago. Newly available genetic data have led to the revision of two species complexes in the genus Pseudogekko, one of which is the focus of this study. We describe a new member of the Pseudogekko brevipes complex, which represents the first population from this species group discovered in the Luzon Faunal Region. Because of the species’ secretive nature, rarity, or restricted geographic range, it has gone undetected despite recent biodiversity surveys targeting the central and northern portions of the Bicol Peninsula. We evaluate both morphological and genetic data to support the recognition of the new species. All three members of the P. brevipes complex have allopatric distributions situated within three of the archipelago’s distinct faunal regions. The recognition of the new species increases the total number of taxa in the genus Pseudogekko to nine species.
I was recently awarded a Wildlife Diversity Small Grant from South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks to promote and develop additional resources for the 
A natural history note describing a new prey item of Snapping Turtles (Chelydra serpentina) was published in the March 2017 issue of Herpetological Review. My co-author, 
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 
As part of a collaborative effort with the Siler Lab at the University of Oklahoma, I have been involved in efforts to help screen amphibian skin swabs for the pathogenic fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). This manuscript presents the results of pathogen surveys conducted during 2015 in eight counties in southeastern Oklahoma. Overall Bd prevalence was 64.8% and all families swabbed and 15 (of the 18) species of amphibians had individuals that were Bd+. Given the high Bd prevalence and widespread occurrence of Bd across species and sites, this pathogen has the potential to have profound negative impacts on native Oklahoma amphibians.
I was recently awarded funding by 
The Barton Springs Salamander, Eurycea sosorum, is a fully aquatic salamander found in Barton Springs in Texas, USA, and has benefited from habitat restoration efforts. While important to improve overall habitat quality for this imperiled species, current management and restoration practices may also inadvertently increase the abundance of non-target organisms such as predatory invertebrates. Fish represent major predators of this species, but little is known about the role of invertebrates as potential predators. It is important to understand the role of these aquatic invertebrates as predators of E. sosorum, especially if habitat restoration also increases predator abundance. Using adult, predator-naive salamanders, we examined the antipredator response of E. sosorum to chemical cues from the following treatments: crayfish, dragonfly larvae, snails, and water. Salamanders decreased activity (antipredator behavior) only in response to the crayfish treatment. The responses to dragonfly larvae, snails, and water did not differ, suggesting that dragonfly larvae are not perceived as predators by these salamanders. Our study provides preliminary evidence suggesting that habitat restoration has unexpectedly increased crayfish abundance, which in turn may negatively affect E. sosorum, and that future management strategies should consider crayfish removal if salamander abundances decline with increasing crayfish abundance.
Drew R. Davis, Ph.D. 