
Adam G. ClauseSan Diego Natural History Museum · Department of Herpetology
Adam G. Clause
Ph.D.
The science of understudied and at-risk organisms ——— La ciencia de organismos poco estudiado y en riesgo.
About
50
Publications
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Introduction
I am a conservation scientist with expertise in ecology, systematics, biogeography, and herpetology. I have been lucky to engage with wonderful colleagues and study systems in the United States, Mexico, and Fiji. Biodiversity is amazing! ——— Soy científico conservacionista con experiencia en ecología, sistemática, biogeografía y herpetología. He tenido la suerte de relacionarme con maravillosos colegas y sistemas de estudio en los Estados Unidos, México y Fiji. La biodiversidad es increíble!
Education
August 2012 - August 2018
September 2008 - June 2010
Publications
Publications (50)
The known distribution of Bothriechis aurifer (Salvin, 1860) is outdated, which impedes an accurate evaluation of its conservation status. Here, we clarify the locality-level distribution of B. aurifer and announce a 101-km range extension. Based on this and other data, we recommend its recategorization as Endangered under the International Union f...
Although snakes of the genus Tantilla are widespread throughout much of the Western Hemisphere, many aspects of their distribution and ecology remain unknown. Here, we present additional distribution records of Tantilla schistosa in the state of Chiapas, Mexico. We also explore the inconsistent literature regarding the distributional and elevationa...
The mountain forests of Middle America are renowned for their endemic biodiversity, and arboreal alligator lizards (genus Abronia) are high-profile vertebrates endemic to this region. In this work, we describe a new species of arboreal Abronia that is known only from the type locality in the Northern Highlands of Chiapas, Mexico. The new species is...
The snake Mastigodryas dorsalis (Bocourt, 1890) is generally considered absent from Mexico, but a few sources indicate otherwise. Herein we resolve this issue by re-examining a historical specimen and by reporting new records for M. dorsalis in Chiapas, Mexico. These records extend the known distribution of the species 87 km northwest of the neares...
Integral projection models (IPMs) can estimate the population dynamics of species for which both discrete life stages and continuous variables influence demographic rates. Stochastic IPMs for imperiled species, in turn, can facilitate population viability analyses (PVAs) to guide conservation decision‐making. Biphasic amphibians are globally distri...
Dentro del campo científico de la sistemática filogenética, la taxonomía describe y nombra especies, géneros y otros grupos de organismos. Como tal, la taxonomía brinda un lenguaje universal para reconocer y clasificar la diversidad biológica y también para arrojar luz sobre los sistemas de valores de las sociedades humanas a través de los tipos de...
Here we report the third known locality for Coniophanes lateritius in state of Guerrero. This new record represents an eastern range extension for this snake, and it also confirms the presence of the species in a new vegetation type.
We describe a new arboreal alligator lizard species in the genus Abronia from the Sierra de Zongolica in west-central Veracruz, Mexico. The new species is presently known only from the vicinity of the type locality. It is diagnosable from all congeners by the following combination of characters: one occipital scale, two primary temporal scales cont...
Because of their secretive behavior, the distribution and ecology of snakes and other herpetofauna are often comparatively understudied, which can impede conservation decision-making. The snake genus Adelphicos is one such poorly known group from the Mesoamerica biodiversity hotspot. Within this genus, an especially mysterious species is the curren...
1. Globally endangered ecosystems, such as ephemeral wetlands, are often critical habitat for multiple interacting imperilled species. To conserve this biodiversity, managers must consider both species-specific resource requirements and mechanisms for endangered species coexistence under variable habitat conditions.
2. We examined communities nati...
Plastic pollution, and especially plastic ingestion by animals, is a serious global issue. This problem is well documented in marine systems, but it is relatively understudied in freshwater systems. For turtles, it is unknown how plastic ingestion compares between marine and non-marine species. We review the relevant turtle dietary literature, and...
We describe a new species of the genus Abronia from the La Sepultura Biosphere Reserve in western Chiapas, México. The new species is known only from the vicinity of the type locality in the Sierra Madre de Chiapas. It is readily distinguished from all congeners by the following combination of characters: lack of protuberant or spine-like supra-aur...
Vague geospatial biodiversity data can lead to confusion regarding the biogeography of poorly-known species, and also complicate efforts for their conservation. The Guatemalan Palm-pitviper, Bothriechis bicolor (Squamata: Viperidae), a striking yet rarely encountered inhabitant of wet Middle American montane forests, offers a case study germane to...
Natural history collections are important data repositories, but different chemical treatments of specimens can influence morphological measurements and DNA extraction, complicating taxonomic and conservation decisions dependent upon these data. One such example is the Bay Springs Salamander (Plethodon ainsworthi), the only United States amphibian...
The red-eared slider turtle (Trachemys scripta elegans; RES) is often considered one of the world's most invasive species. Results from laboratory and mesocosm experiments suggest that introduced RES outcompete native turtles for key ecological resources, but such experiments can overestimate the strength of competition. We report on the first fiel...
Invasive mammals are implicated in the decline or extinction of numerous insular vertebrate species worldwide, yet rediscoveries of supposedly extinct vertebrates occur regularly. In particular, recent records of secretive amphibian and reptile taxa in the Fiji Islands show that earlier claimed extirpations of Fijian wildlife were erroneous. We add...
Scientific progress depends on evidence-based research, and reliance on accurate scholarship is essential when making management decisions for imperiled species. However, erroneous claims are sometimes perpetuated in the scientific and technical literature, which can complicate policy and regulatory judgments. The literature associated with two eni...
Allopatry among closely related congeners is common, but is sometimes an artifact attributable to geographic sampling bias. In newly recognized zones of sympatry, congeneric species pairs may show character displacement or, alternatively, may show reduced differentiation suggesting ongoing gene flow. The arboreal alligator lizards Abronia graminea...
We reviewed museum collections and the literature and found that published sources underreport the locality-level distribution of the elegant coralsnake, Micrurus elegans, a species known from Mexico and Guatemala. Here, we present 42 localities for M. elegans, announce a northwestern range extension, and briefly discuss the morphology and conserva...
Vertebrate rediscoveries occur frequently, but must be properly documented for scientific credibility. Ongoing rediscoveries suggest a need for greater caution in declaring species extinct. Here, we report a rediscovery of the mysterious Mexican anguid lizard Mesaspis antauges (Cope 1866), a species last recorded by scientists in 1964. Our comparis...
The broad-scale geographic distribution of many amphibians and non-avian reptiles is incompletely known, which negatively affects a wide range of scientific disciplines. This knowledge deficiency, however, translates to opportunity. In regions where the geographic ranges of many species are poorly known, such as Mesoamerica, novel distributional da...
Since the publication of Amphibians and Reptiles of Georgia (Jensen et al. 2008), many new county-level distribution records for amphibians and reptiles have been reported for the state (e.g., Stevenson et al. 2009; Jensen et al. 2011; Stevenson et al. 2011; Butler et al. 2012). Additional contributions to the knowledge of the distribution of amphi...
EURYCEA GUTTOLINEATA (Three-lined Salamander). USA: GEORGIA: Floyd Co.: Unnamed spring adjacent to Morrison Campground (34.2758˚N, 93.4175˚W, WGS 84). 7 June 2000. N. Burkhead, R. Lewis, and C. Skelton. Verified by John Jensen. Georgia Museum of Natural History (GMNH 50654-50656). New county record (Jensen et al. 2008. Amphibians and Reptiles of Ge...