mailing: Museum of Southwestern Biology 1 University of New Mexico MSC03-2020 Albuquerque, NM 87131
shipping: University of New Mexico 302 Yale Blvd NE CERIA 83, Room 204 Albuquerque, NM, USA 87131
Past News
Comoros Archipelago Summer 2022
By Breanna Kappel
Off the southeastern coast of Africa, between Mozambique and Madagascar, sits a chain of volcanic islands called the Comoros Archipelago. These islands are home to thirty-five species of amphibians and reptiles and for five weeks this past summer, were the destination of a field expedition for Kathleen Webster’s dissertation research. Kathleen is a UNM PhD Student and graduate assistant for the Museum of Southwestern Biology who specializes in ecology, evolution, and conservation of herpetofauna on islands.
The four main islands of the Comoros Archipelago: Grand Comoro, Mohéli, Anjouan, and Mayotte, plus nearby Réunion Island, have a tropical maritime climate with distinct wet and dry seasons. The landscape is varied, from coasts of black volcanic rock to plantations of banana and ylang-ylang (an aromatic flower used in perfume), to unmarred montane tropical humid forests full of endemic plant species. Across these unique islands, twenty endemic and four native species of amphibians and reptiles can be found, along with eleven introduced, non-native species.
These interactions between native and invasive herpetofauna and the ever-changing environments they inhabit form the basis of study for Kathleen and her field crew, Sohan Sauroy-Toucouère and Youssouf Mohamed.
This work with the Comoros herpetofauna is a continuation of Kathleen’s research done during her masters studies at Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich and will be the basis of her PhD dissertation work here at UNM. This go around, there are two very special lizards in the spotlight of Kathleen’s PhD research: the native Comoros Iguana (Oplurus cuvieri comorensis) and the introduced and quickly spreading Peter’s Rock Agama (Agama cf. picticauda).
Kathleen Webster (left) with field crew Youssouf Mohamed (center) and Sohan Sauroy-Toucouère (right). Photo by K.Webster.
Florebo quocumque ferar, I will flourish wherever I am brought. This is the national motto of the island of Réunion. Fitting for Agamas as well, which arrived on Réunion in 1995 and have spread across the
densely populated island like wildfire. The same is true for Grand Comoro, where agamas were introduced and established around the same time.
Agamas can lay up to three clutches of eggs a year, as many as five eggs at a time. They are excellent dispersers and incredibly adaptable, especially to urban environments. They are generalist feeders, eating nearly anything they can fit in their mouths, including each other on occasion. All these qualities make them the ideal invader and a potentially formidable threat to the native fauna in their introduced range. As visual hunters, they are incredibly hard to catch, able to react to human facial expressions and dart away erratically.
This was the battle of this summer—catching these hyper-vigilant Agamas. The goal here was to survey for and capture Agamas in order to monitor their spread and to collect tissues for use in a comparative study of genetic structure between the Agama’s invasive range, which also includes Cape Verde and southern Florida, and their native range of West Africa. Fecal and tissue samples will also be used to investigate potential dietary differences between native and introduced populations.
To date, 41 Agamas have been collected and processed, 31 from Grand Comoro and 13 from Réunion. Tissues, blood smears, endoparasites, and fecal samples have been deposited at the Museum of Southwestern Biology to be tested further.
Kathleen demonstrating the method for catching the elusive agamas—a small lasso on the end of a long fishing pole. Photo by O. Hawlitschek.
Where Agamas are incredible for their ability to adapt and thrive, Comoros Iguanas are famous for their extremely small range and population size. The Comoros Iguanas are medium-sized lizards belonging to the family Opluridae, which are known as the Madagascan Iguanas and are endemic to Madagascar and Grand Comoro. Reaching a maximum body size of approximately 150 mm, these charismatic lizards are easily recognizable as they spend their days basking on volcanic rock, showing off their dark coloration with light speckling, pale stomachs and spiny tails.
Sampling for Iguanas required a different set of techniques, owing to their small population size and their rather inconvenient tendency to live on coastal cliff faces, barely accessible by foot. Those caught had tissue samples collected, were checked for ectoparasites and, in the effort to collect all data possible, underwent a “poop massage” so fecal matter could be collected without harming them.
Before release, each iguana was heavily photographed, marked with an identifying number using a non-toxic paint marker, and permanently tagged with a passive integrated transponder (PIT tag) to allow individuals to be identified upon future recapture and estimates of population size to be calculated. This mark-recapture program is the first of its kind for Comoros Iguanas and is an essential first step in learning more about these rare lizards with the ultimate goal to more accurately inform conservation management efforts for the imperiled endemic subspecies.
The second Comoros Iguana captured, named Jojo, poses for a glamour shot before being rereleased. Photo by K. Webster.
While Agamas have not been confirmed to overlap in range with Comoro Iguanas yet, data collected from both these sampling efforts on Grand Comoro will allow Kathleen and her collaborators to model and quantify dietary and climatic niche overlap between the native and introduced lizards. This project will help predict whether or not the spread and potential competitive overlap of Agamas may affect the Iguanas of Grand Comoro, already so precariously balanced on the edge.
By the end of the expedition, six iguanas had been captured and released from the team’s first field site of Dos du Dragon—the Dragon’s Back—on Grand Comoro. In addition to their field collector number, each iguana was given a name, five after the parents of the field crew. The sixth iguana, too small to safely PIT-tag (although marked and sampled), was named JoJo, not by Kathleen, but by a class of elementary school students in Germany.
The protruding volcanic rock ridge of Dos du Dragon, The Dragon’s Back, is one of the most scenic natural wonders on Grand Comoro and the home of the Comoros Iguana. Field surveying here is done by sticking close to the rocks and scanning for lizard heads to stickout from the stone. Photo by K. Webster.
Outreach and community involvement were built into this summer’s trip from the start. Kathleen worked closely with a class of fifth grade aged students in Germany to both introduce them to her work as a scientist and help them practice their English skills. She taught them basic principles of herpetology over the course of two recorded and online class events. Sohan, a native French speaker, led outreach events on Grand Comoro and Mohéli not only to teach field herpetology skills to local scientists but also to teach local communities in the Comoros the importance of herpetofauna conservation. Agamas have been known to travel by human activity, specifically the transport of cinderblocks used in building construction, so community education about their environmental impact may be the best defense against their spread. The field crew even landed a spot on the national news, discussing their work and how it would be impacting local communities
Sohan gives a practical training session on field data collection skills to a group of rangers and ecogaurds working for Parc National de Mohéli in Mohéli, Comoros.Photo by K. WebsterCaption
From here, the work continues. In Réunion, Sohan is the biodiversity project manager for the town of La Possession, where he works to restore natural sites with endemic plants and continues to fight invasive herpetofauna species including the Agama. In the Comoros, Youssouf, who is a biologist and local naturalist, is continuing his training to become a leader in herpetological research for the archipelago. Both are talented field herpetologists who were integral to the success of this summer’s expedition, and Kathleen looks forward to her continued collaboration with them.
Drawing on new and pre-existing tissues from museum specimens, Kathleen plans to continue Agama sampling efforts across their invasive range of Cape Verde and south Florida, as well as their native range of West Africa, to establish comparative datasets. Now, analysis of collected data and samples begins here at the Museum of Southwestern Biology, where Kathleen will continue applying for funding for future expeditions.
Learn more about the MSB Division of Amphibians and Reptiles and our work: visit our website or follow us on Instagram. If you would like to help facilitate future student research opportunities and division activities, you can donate directly to The Division of Amphibians and Reptiles here.
Field research in the Comoros was conducted in collaboration with the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change under permits issued from the following authorities: Yahaya Ibrahim at the Centre National de Documentation et de Recherche Scientifique in Moroni, Grand Comoro and Ben Anthoy Moussa at the Parc National de Mohéli in Fomboni, Mohéli. Field methods
implemented in this expedition were designed to minimize stress to the animals under the approved IACUC protocol #22-201298-MC.
Frog-filled Summer for MSB Herpetology
Summer 2022
Male green treefrog (Hyla cinerea) with inflated vocal sac. Males make a loud, repetitive "QUONK" sound to attract females and help lucky researchers find them. Photo by Kathleen Webster
This past summer, on small side roads across twenty-one states of the eastern United States, seven researchers from the University of New Mexico could be found driving through the late hours of the night looking for frogs hopping across the road.
Dr. Lisa Barrow, Assistant Professor and Curator of Amphibians and Reptiles at The Museum of Southwestern Biology (MSB), is the Principal Investigator behind this massive initiative, paid for by a generous National Science Foundation grant.
Amphibians are one of the most threatened vertebrate groups in the world, yet lack comparative genomic studies because of their large, complex genomes. Genetic variability can ensure the resilience of wild populations in the face of environmental change, making it vital to understand genetic variation to support conservation efforts.
This three-year study aims to fill these data gaps and create searchable, multi-purpose amphibian specimens and tissues to be held at the MSB. This project also draws on existing open access global databases of genetic sequences, currently being analyzed by Postdoctoral Researcher Dr. Luis Amador and several students in a new Biodiversity Informatics course at UNM.
A cross-country field effort began this summer, led by Dr. Barrow, with a team of six MSB associates and students from the University of New Mexico. Dani Wiley, Research Scientist I and Lab Manager, Chris McDaniels and Kathleen Webster, both second-year PhD students, Kadie Omlor, research technician and recent graduate of Ohio University, Bre Kappel, UNM Sophomore, and Moses Michelsohn, Lecturer and MSB volunteer, headed out to the field in mid-May.
The Team. Back row L to R: Lisa Barrow, Kadie Omlor, Kathleen Webster Front row: L to R: Dani Wiley, Bre Kappel, Chris McDaniels. Photo by Moses Michelsohn.
The group first sampled Arkansas and Missouri before splitting off into three teams to cover most of the eastern US. Team McDaniels made a loop through the Midwest – up to Michigan, through North Dakota and back, Team Wiley headed east to Virginia, while Team Barrow traveled through Kentucky before rejoining with Team Wiley and heading north through the Mid-Atlantic and New England. Together the teams sampled in 73 counties across 21 states
Map of new specimens archived at MSB and searchable through the Arctos database.
During the day, when frogs hide from the heat, NSF Graduate Research Fellow Chris McDaniels and technician Kadie Omlor collected Six-Lined Racerunners (Aspidoscelis sexlineatus) for McDaniels' PhD research.
Kathleen Webster was also hard at work on her PhD research, splitting off from the crew in June to conduct her own sampling in The Comoros Archipelago and Réunion Island for five weeks.
Tissue samples and specimens weren’t the only thing to make it back to the MSB. Blood smears were also created for each specimen and will be screened for blood parasites back in the lab. The first batch of these slides, collected from Florida in 2018 and screened by undergraduate museum technician Ari Torres this past summer, have already returned a confirmed case of lizard malaria.
Microscope slide showing a red blood cell infected with lizard malaria. Photo by Ari Torres.
Overall, a total of 664 specimens from 34 species were collected and deposited at the Museum of Southwestern Biology after 65 continuous days in the field. This coming spring, sampling will continue in the southeastern United States, targeting species which breed earlier in the year in warmer climates.
Back in New Mexico, Master’s student Jonathan Duran was busy sampling turtles for stable isotope analysis along with Sevilleta REU student Karin Ebey. Undergraduate Honors student Irvin Arroyo-Torres was dissecting rattlesnakes for his study on diet composition and parasite communities. Meanwhile, Senior Collection Manager Dr. Tom Giermakowski continued collaborative monitoring efforts of the Narrow-headed Gartersnake (Thamnophis rufipunctatus) while keeping division operations running smoothly.
Learn more about the MSB Division of Amphibians and Reptiles and our work: visit our website or follow us on Twitter / Instagram . If you’d like to help facilitate future student research opportunities and division activities, you can donate directly to The Division of Amphibians and Reptiles here.
A New Era at the Herbarium
March 15, 2022
Harpo Faust (middle) gets oriented on her first day on the job, with help from Gwen Houston-Hatton (left), a curatorial assistant in her fifth year, and Dr. Hannah Marx (right), Curator.
Photo: Chris Witt
The MSB Herbarium is under new management. Dr. Hannah Marx took over as curator in January 2021 and is excited to grow and evolve the collection, particularly within the context of her research on montane and alpine botany. Dr. Marx has recently hired a new Collection Manager, Harpo Faust, to manage the day to day operations. Harpo has a background in the flora of the west, floristics, collections and rare plants and is excited to work in the Museum and in New Mexico.
The previous curator, Dr. Tim Lowrey, retired fully at the end of 2020, and the Collection Manager, Phil Tonne, retired in August 2021. We are grateful for their varied contributions to the Herbarium, many of which helped to further our understanding of the flora of New Mexico and the surrounding region.
MSB is thrilled to have Ms. Faust join our community of eight professional Collection Managers at MSB. These dedicated professional scientists harbor a tremendous base of knowledge on plants and animals that is a resource for UNM students, researchers, and the public.
Great things are happening at Museum of Southwestern Biology!
Division of Arthropods students and researchers are publishing new species descriptions from a arthropod inventory project at White Sands National Monument, NM, USA and her sister park, Cuatrocienegas Protected Area, Coahuila, MX, funded by the National Park Service and implemented by the Museum of Southwestern Biology
Does hybirdization with rainbow trout threaten the genetic diversity of Gila trout? UNM Biologist discover the answer.
For a general background on our museum, please watch our introduction video here
Great things are happening at Museum of Southwestern Biology!
November 10, 2020
UNM’s new graduate training program, Museum Research Traineeship (MRT) is accepting applicants! The program is designed around leveraging the collections of the MSB — and other UNM science museums — to conduct innovative, trans-disciplinary science. Applications will be processed through the participating departments: Biology, Anthropology, Earth and Planetary Sciences, and Geography and Environmental Science. Please find more information on the program’s new webpage: Museum Research Traineeship
For a general background on our museum, please watch our introduction video here
In March, 2020, Covid-19 access restrictions to the MSB began. We reopened to students and research associates on a very limited basis beginning in July, 2020. The MSB remains largely closed to outside visitors, but research and curation activities continue. Staff and faculty of the MSB are working within policies set by UNM and the State of New Mexico to continue their important work documenting biodiversity, training students, conducting research, and curating collections.
Our hard-working collection managers are making sure that our facilities and collections are secured and that all personnel are following physical distancing and masks policies. All occupants of the CERIA Building, where MSB is housed, are following strict standard operating procedures to maintain low density in shared spaces, and maximize hygiene in order to reduce the chances that any transmission of SARS-CoV-2 will occur.
Meanwhile, staff, curators, students, volunteers, and research associates are working from home as much as possible on digital data curation, data analyses, scientific manuscripts, and grant proposals. New Mexico based field-work is proceeding, while following all appropriate safety guidelines to prevent transmission of SARS CoV-2.
Museum business continues safely, behind the scenes
June 2, 2020
The Museum of Southwestern Biology (MSB) remains closed to outside visitors, but research and curation activities continue. Staff and faculty of the MSB are working within policies set by UNM and the State of New Mexico to continue their important work documenting biodiversity, conducting research, and curating collections.
Hard-working collection managers are making sure that our facilities and collections are secured, while maintaining physical distancing, and wearing masks. All occupants of the CERIA Building, where MSB is housed, are following strict standard operating procedures to maintain low density in shared spaces, and maximize hygiene in order to reduce the chances that any transmission of SARS-CoV-2 will occur.
Meanwhile, staff, curators, students, volunteers, and research associates are working from home as much as possible on digital data curation, data analyses, scientific manuscripts, and major federal grant proposals. Some New Mexico based field-work is proceeding, while following all appropriate Covid-19 safety guidelines.
We can't wait to have our students back in the facilities, but the return of UNM students to campus research and museum facilities will take some time and careful planning.
Many exciting publications by our personnel or based on our collections are coming out. Check out the latest ones here:
Museum is closed to outside visitors during Covid19 pandemic
The Museum of Southwestern Biology (MSB) will be locked and closed to outside visitors during the Covid19 outbreak. Selected staff and faculty are working behind the scenes to make sure that our collections and facilities are secured, while maintaining physical distancing practices. MSB personnel — including staff, curators, students, volunteers, and research associates — are continuing to work from home on data management, data analyses, scientific manuscripts, grant proposals, and other aspects of research that can be done from afar. Students will be required to stay out of the MSB’s collections and lab spaces unless they are granted a special waiver from UNM for essential activities.
The Museum of Southwestern Biology (MSB) is inviting the public to view its natural history collections on Sunday, March 8, 2020, from 12-5 PM. The museum is located in the CERIA Building on UNM’s Main Campus.
This is only the second time that the collections will be opened for visitors, allowing the UNM and Albuquerque communities to glimpse the discoveries and student training that are occurring behind the scenes.
This event will exhibit a wide variety of historic and modern specimens, many of which are irreplaceable and provide unique information about wild populations and natural environments. UNM students, faculty, and staff will be on hand to show off their favorite specimens, explain their research, and answer questions.
Press Release
Flyer
MSB
Albuquerque Journal Article
December 4, 2019
Division of Genomic Resources receives two new nitrogen tanks
The Rio Grande region is rich in biodiversity, yet its ecosystems, plants, and animals have been put in peril by human intervention and climate change. Join us for three drawing sessions in the Museum of Southwestern Biology at UNM to draw diverse specimens from the museum’s vast research collection. Learn about the biology of the region by observing taxidermy of birds and mammals, dry mounted plants and insects, reptiles, and amphibians. The Museum of Southwestern Biology has world-class collections, has the 2nd largest mammal collection in the world, and the largest collections in the region for fishes, reptiles and amphibians, birds, and plants. The astounding diversity of form and function seldom tapped resource for artistic inspiration and learning each session, there is a short tour of the division’s collection guided by a monitor, followed by time to draw from a selection of specimens.
The University of New Mexico is hiring two faculty-curators
