Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was also wondering if anyone in the forum lives in northern Utah. I do a lot of field work and was wondering if anyone would be interested in tagging along.

I may be back in Logan for some work sometime in August...it'll be pretty hot, but maybe we can herp a bit then.

J

Maybe we could work something out come August, just let me know what part of Utah you want to go to and we'll go.

Wish I lived closer I would love to go as the YELLERS from your state make my heart sing, hehehe, lol LOVE them,

Heres a couple of the boys

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PHEve / Eve

I Agree that the yellow heads are something to behold. I'll tell you one of the most memorable experiances of my life was the day I met Dr.Wilmer Tanner. He was the co-author who originally described Crotaphytus collaris auriceps. I hope to genetically prove that the Western C."collaris" are a seperate species than the eastern C.collaris.

I hate calling them collaris. To be, they will always be auriceps. Now I just call them Utah lizards :O)

John

Utah Lizards!? That made me laugh. Yeah I found a paper put out by Jimmy McGuire were he has done some genetic work on them (although in my opinion it's incomplete) that shows the western "collaris" group is a seperate evolutionary branch and I think that Crotaphytus baileyi will soon be accepted as a valid species and that C.c.auriceps will be Crotaphytus baileyi auriceps.

Is there any similar work being done with chuckwallas? Shouldn't there be, or shouldn't there at least be breeds or subspecies of chucks?

there isn't similar work being done with chucks but I think that is another species in need of this kind of work. There are currently five species recognized and in the species S. obesus there are only three subspecies, but I think there are several more and the subspecies could in fact be valid species.

Science, or at least American science has studied "exotic" reptile species fairly extensively (I could be wrong,as this is not my field. Just a deep interest!) but is only beginning to study domestic reptiles to the same degree. I'm really glad that some of you are leading the way.

So, can you prove your thesis and then get to work on chucks for us?

but I already have a group that I want to study after Crotaphytids. The reason they are high up on the list is that their habitat is vanishing at an astonishing rate, I'm talking about the Uroplatus geckos. They to need this exact same work done and quickly if we are ever to fully understand them. Chucks could be next for me or I could help someone else do it. I've always felt that you don't need to have formal training to study something in depth as long as you have a passion for it.

I keep uroplatus henkeli These are an awesome species of geck the uroplatus. There are many knowledgable people I know that work with them.

Barkley male Uroplatus henkeli

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PHEve / Eve

Aww. He's cute. How's Morticai doing?

GREAT too, I just used an old pic of Barkley , lol. I will send ya a couple pics when I take some. But so far the boys are doing fine.

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PHEve / Eve

I don't think the baileyi and the aurieps look that alike either. Perhaps in their integrade zone area, you will get a frew baileyi that have the yellow that the auriceps displays. Most baileyi (at least from south central NM locale) have the same "look" to me. Their patterns are some of the most interesting.

Best of luck with you work. I'll let you know if I do get out that way. It would be fun to have someone to herp with.

Kind Regards,

John

UTAH YELLERS, they are indeed in a class by themselves!
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PHEve / Eve