Walter E. Meshaka, Jr.

Walter E. Meshaka, Jr. (born January 11, 1963 in Worcester, Massachusetts)^[1] is an American herpetologist and natural historian. He was the supervisory curator for the four National Parks in southern Florida from 1995 to 2000.^[2] In 2000 he became the Senior Curator of Zoology and Botany at the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.^[3] He is the leading authority on exotic North American Herpetofauna.^[4] His research has been covered by Fox News,^[5] Lawrence Journal-World,^[6] among other news outlets.

He is known for his enthusiasm for amphibians and reptiles.^[7] He was President of the Kansas Herpetological Society from 2014-2015, and winner of the 2014 Suzanne L. and Joseph T. Collins Award for Excellence in Herpetology.^[8][9] He is a member of the board for the Center for North American Herpetology (CNAH)^[10]

Early life and education

Meshaka was born in Worcester to Lebanese-American parents of Eastern Orthodox Christian heritage. He earned a B.S. in biology in 1985 from the University of South Florida. Then, he earned a M.S. in Biology in 1988 from Arkansas State University under Stanley E. Trauth,^[11] and completed his Ph.D. in 1994 at the Florida International University under Martin L. Tracey, Jr.^[12] Joseph T. Collins, who served on his dissertation committee remained an imporant collaborator and mentor.^[13]

Research

Walter Meshaka has published at least 186 articles, six books and two monographs over 29 years. Herpetologists typically have a mean of 44 (+/- 12) and median of 26 (Middle Quartile range = 7 - 71) publications in a 26-30 year career.^[14] His focus is on exotic amphibians and reptiles.^[3][15]

His 2001 book on the Cuban Treefrog, much of which rose out of his doctoral dissertation, is among the most detailed studies of this exotic introduction's life history and place in Florida's ecosystem and provides an "exhaustive review" of the literature on this species.^[16] It explains why this species was such an established colonizer when introduced to Florida.^[17] "The Exotic Amphibians and Reptiles of Florida" contains the accounts of every known exotic amphibian and reptile established in Florida. The book covers their natural history, geography, and conservation issues.^[18] J. Whitfield Gibbons noted, "Meshaka’s thoughtful afterword on exotic species introductions to Florida offers some achievable solutions for controlling the influx of more herpetofauna.".^[19] He published four pocket field guides with Joseph T. Collins largely "intended to raise public awareness".^[7] Their "Pocket Guide to Lizards and Turtles" is said to be "useful for all naturalists to carry with them in eastern Canada. It is especially ideal for junior naturalists as a “starter” guide."^[20]

Meshaka has collaborated with the Carnegie Museum of Natural History's Powdermill Nature Reserve on field herpetology research.^[21] A long-term mark-recapture study of the ten species of snakes occurring at the preserve has ensued since 2002.^[21] He has resurrected and continued a long-term study on Eastern Box Turtles and Wood Turtles that was established Graham Netting in 1958 and continued until his death in 1996.^[21]

Selected Bibliography

Books

• 2001. The Cuban Treefrog in Florida: Life History of a Successful Colonizing Species. University Press of Florida. Gainesville, FL. (W.E. Meshaka, Jr.). 191 pp.
• 2004. The Exotic Amphibians and Reptiles of Florida. Krieger Publishing Company. Melbourne, FL. (W.E. Meshaka, Jr., B.P. Butterfield, and J.B. Hauge). 155 pp.
• 2005. Amphibians and Reptiles: Status and Conservation in Florida. Krieger Publishing Company. Melbourne, FL. (W.E. Meshaka, Jr. and K.J. Babbitt, editors). 317 pp.
• 2009. A Pocket Guide to Pennsylvania Snakes. Mennonite Press. Newton, KS. (W.E. Meshaka, Jr. and J.T. Collins). 51 pp.
• 2010. A Pocket Guide to Pennsylvania Frogs and Toads. Mennonite Press. Newton, KS. (W.E. Meshaka, Jr. and J.T. Collins). 40 pp.
• 2012. A Pocket Guide to Pennsylvania Salamanders. Mennonite Press. Newton, KS. (W.E. Meshaka, Jr. and J.T. Collins). 51 pp.
• 2012. A Pocket Guide to Pennsylvania Turtles and Lizards. Mennonite Press. Newton, KS. (W.E. Meshaka, Jr. and J.T. Collins). 39 pp.

Monographs

• 2011. A Runaway Train in the Making: The Exotic Amphibians, Reptiles, Turtles, and Crocodilians of Florida. Herpetological Conservation and Biology, Monograph I, Vol. 6:1-101. (W.E. Meshaka, Jr.).
• 2014. The Herpetology of Southern Florida. (W.E. Meshaka, Jr. and J.N. Layne). Herpetological Conservation and Biology, forthcoming.

References