WWW.IRCF.ORG/REPTILESANDAMPHIBIANSJOURNALTABLE OF CONTENTS IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS IRCF REPTILES • VOL15, &NO AMPHIBIANS 4 • DEC 2008 189 • 20(3):97–111 • SEP 2013 IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS CONSERVATION AND NATURAL HISTORY TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATURE ARTICLES Conservation. Chasing Bullsnakes (Pituophis catenifer sayiStatus) in Wisconsin: of the Georgia Blind On the Road to Understanding the Ecology and Conservation of the Midwest’s Giant Serpent ...................... Joshua M. Kapfer 190 . The Shared History of Treeboas (Corallus grenadensis) and Humans on Grenada: SalamanderA Hypothetical Excursion ............................................................................................................................ (Eurycea wallacei)Robert from W. Henderson 198the FloridanRESEARCH ARTICLES Aquifer of Florida and Georgia . The Texas Horned Lizard in Central and Western Texas ....................... Emily Henry, Jason Brewer, Krista Mougey, and Gad Perry 204 . The Knight Anole (Anolis equestris1 ) in Florida 2 3 4 Danté ............................................. B. Fenolio , MatthewBrian J. Camposano, L. Niemiller Kenneth L. Krysko,, Michael Kevin M. G. Enge, Levy Ellen M., and Donlan, Benjamin and Michael GranatoskyMartinez 212 1Department of Conservation Research, Atlanta Botanical Garden, Atlanta, Georgia 30309 USA (Current Address: Department of Conservation and Research, CONSERVATION ALERT San Antonio Zoo, San Antonio, Texas 78212, USA) ([email protected]) . World’s Mammals in Crisis ............................................................................................................................................................. 220 . More Than Mammals ...................................................................................................................................................................... 223 2Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA ([email protected]) . The “Dow Jones Index” of Biodiversity ........................................................................................................................................... 225 3Department of PopulationHUSBANDRY Health and Pathobiology, North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Raleigh, North Carolina 27606, USA . Captive Care of the Central Netted Dragon .......................................................................................................([email protected]) Shannon Plummer 226 PROFILE 4National Speleological Society, Huntsville, Alabama 35810, USA ([email protected]) . Kraig Adler: A Lifetime Promoting Herpetology ................................................................................................ Michael L. Treglia 234 Photographs by the senior author. COMMENTARY . The Turtles Have Been Watching Me ........................................................................................................................ Eric Gangloff 238 BOOK REVIEW Abstract.—The Georgia. Threatened Blind Amphibians Salamander of the World edited(Eurycea by S.N. wallacei Stuart, M.) Hoffmann, is a poorly J.S. Chanson,understood N.A. Cox, stygobitic plethodontid salamander found in the FloridanR. Berridge, Aquifer P. Ramani, of Florida and B.E. Young and ..............................................................................................................Georgia, USA. Its distribution is poorly delimited Robert Powell and 243 little information is available on the ecology and life history of the species. We summarize existing information on the Georgia Blind CONSERVATION RESEARCH REPORTS: Summaries of Published Conservation Research Reports ................................. 245 Salamander and NATURALreport new HISTORY findings RESEARCH with regard REPORTS to: distribution, Summaries of Published conservation Reports on Natural status, History .................................and aspects of 247 its ecology and life history from recent NEWBRIEFS surveys ......................................................................................................................................................................................in Florida and Georgia, including anecdotal observations made by local 248cave divers. We also EDITORIAL INFORMATION ..................................................................................................................................................... 251 present data on theFOCUS prevalence ON CONSERVATION of Batrachochytrium: A Project You dendrobatidis Can Support ............................................................................................... and discuss potential measures and 252 challenges involved in conservation. Georgia Blind Salamanders are known from at least 35 localities within five United States Geological Survey (USGS) HUC8 watersheds in Florida and Georgia, all within the groundwater of the Upper Floridan Aquifer. Some populations may be large, as cave divers have observed >100 salamanders in a single dive at three localities and reported densities up to 10 salamandersFront Cover. Shannonper square Plummer. meter. We confirmBack Cover. through Michael direct Kern observation that the Dougherty Plain Cave Crayfish (Cambarus Totatcryptodytes et velleseque) is audant a predator mo of E. wallaceiTotat et. vellesequeAlthough audant we mo found no evidence that any popula- estibus inveliquo velique rerchil estibus inveliquo velique rerchil tions of the Georgia Blind Salamandererspienimus, have quos been accullabo. infected Ilibus by amphibianerspienimus, quos chytrid accullabo. fungus, Ilibus clear threats remain and include: (1) An “at risk” ranking by USGSaut dolorof the apicto Floridan invere pe dolumAquifer for contamination;aut dolor apicto invere (2) pe dolumoverharvesting of groundwater; (3) the fugiatis maionsequat eumque fugiatis maionsequat eumque moditia erere nonsedis ma sectiatur moditia erere nonsedis ma sectia- ma derrovitae voluptam, as quos tur ma derrovitae voluptam, as accullabo. Copyright © 2013. Danté B. Fenolio. All rights reserved. 97 FENOLIO ET AL. IRCF REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS • 20(3):97–111 • SEP 2013 presence of an emergent infectious amphibian disease in surface amphibians in the region (e.g., amphibian chytrid fun- gus); and (4) a lack of data on the basic biology and ecology of the species. We recommend the following conservation actions: (1) Better regulations and improved methods for retaining pesticide and fertilizer contaminants on the surface; (2) regulatory review of agricultural crops grown in the region and the establishment of systems and crops that do not require center pivot irrigation; (3) regular monitoring for disease across the range of the species; and (4) establishment of multiple assurance colonies such that captive specimens genetically represent at least half of the known populations. Key Words: Eurycea wallacei; Georgia Blind Salamander; conservation; threats; groundwater fauna; amphibian; amphibian chytrid fungus; chytridiomycosis; Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis; captive breeding program; cave; distri- bution; Floridan Aquifer; Dougherty Plain; life history; Marianna Lowlands. he study of organisms that inhabit extreme environments advancements in cave exploration equipment (particularly in Tcan teach us about the adaptability of life in challeng- light technology), collecting methods, and cave diving have ing conditions. Groundwater aquifers and other subterranean allowed new opportunities in the study of stygobitic organ- aquatic habitats are among the most extreme environs and are isms. Here we report new findings on the ecology and life characterized by no light, complex mixes of gasses and chem- history of one of the least understood stygobitic salamanders, icals, scarce nutrient sources, and, in some cases, low tem- the Georgia Blind Salamander (Eurycea wallacei) (Figs. 1–3). peratures. Stygobites — obligate inhabitants of groundwater The Georgia Blind Salamander was described by Carr — are some of the least understood organisms and many spe- (1939) as Haideotriton wallacei based on a specimen taken cies are of conservation concern because they have restricted from a 200-foot-deep well near Albany, Georgia. However, distributions and humans have limited access to their subter- Frost et al. (2006) synonymized the genus Haideotriton with ranean haunts. Furthermore, little is known about the ecology Eurycea based on analyses of molecular data. This neotenic and life history of most species, which hampers conservation species inhabits the Floridan Aquifer, which lies beneath efforts. This is particularly true for most of the 10 species southwestern Georgia, southeastern Alabama, and northwest- of stygobitic salamanders (Goricki et al. 2012). However, ern Florida in the Marianna Lowlands and the Dougherty Plain where artesian waters are contained in carbonate strata of the Ocala and Suwannee formations (Means 2005) (Fig. 4). Outside of inclusion in field guides and other species sum- maries without new data contributions, scant information has been published on the species’ biology or ecology (Carr 1939; Pylka and Warren 1958; Dundee 1962; Valentine 1964; Brandon 1967; Lee 1969; Peck 1973; Means 1977, 1992, 2005; Brandt and Jackson 2003; Morris 2006; Goricki et al. 2012). Georgia Blind Salamanders have been reported from seven localities in Georgia (access to two have been destroyed) and 28 localities in northwestern Florida (Pylka and Warren 1958; Dundee 1962; Means 1977, 1992,