Atlas Project Web Site and Publications Updated
The web site for the Missouri Herpetological Atlas Project has been updated with collection data through the 2016 season. Two statewide publications have also been updated:
- Daniel, R.E. and B.S. Edmond. 2016. Atlas of Missouri Amphibians and Reptiles for 2016. <http://atlas.moherp.org/pubs/atlas16.pdf>
- Daniel, R.E., B.S. Edmond, and J.T. Briggler. 2016. Checklists for Missouri Amphibians and Reptiles for 2016. <http://atlas.moherp.org/pubs/checklist16.pdf>
The checklist document contains a state checklist and individual county checklists, with two counties per page. Note that individual one-page county checklists are also available, one each with and without common names. These can be found at the bottom of each county page. To navigate to a county page of interest, start with the county list or clickable county map.
For this update, two non-native lizards have been added to the state’s herpetofauna: the Mediterranean Gecko (Hemidatylus turcicus) and the Italian Wall Lizard (Podarcis siculus).
Thus far, non-native reptiles in Missouri have only been found in urban areas and do not appear to constitute a threat to our native herpetofauna. This is not the case everywhere and non-native species that become invasive are considered by many biologists to be a major threat, second only to habitat loss, to our native species. Care should be taken to prevent the spread of all non-native species. Furthermore, it is illegal to release non-native species into the environment.
Please note that any records submitted in 2017 will not be reflected in the updates until at least the next year.