Introduction

Figure 1: All documented collection localities. Click on the map to see a larger version. Maps by source, decade, year, and collector are also available. The species collection summary breaks down the state's herpetofauna by a number of factors, including the most recent collection year.
The Missouri Herpetological Atlas Project (MOHAP) was intiated in 1997 as a result of the desire to obtain and easily update detailed distribution maps for Missouri amphibians and reptiles.
A database was established to serve as the basis for summarizing existing collection specimens, verifying new distribution records, and tracking changes in individual species distributions within the state. Qualification for inclusion in the database generally requires a catalogued voucher specimen housed in an institutional collection. However, in order to be valuable in tracking changes in the distribution of individual species, it is important to document historical records. Many of the specimens collected prior to 1960, most notably those reported by Julius Hurter and Paul Anderson, were documented by specimens that have since been lost or destroyed. In order to provide the most accurate picture of the distribution of the state's herpetofauna we have included literature records that we believe to be valid.
Through the 2021 collecting year, the MOHAP database contains 38,079 entries and 33,941 valid, non-duplicated records. This represents the specimens housed in 37 museum collections and cited in 33 historical literature sources; 5,318 documented county records; 10,453 unique localities (Figure 1); and 17,768 unique species / locality combinations. The state's herpetofauna consists of 118 species, comprised of 116 native species and 2 non-native species.
Project Plan
Phases
The project was deemed a long-term project from the beginning. Three natural but distinct phases can be used to describe the progression of the project since its inception. Phases I and II are mostly complete although some museum collections are still needed for the database. Phase III is underway and includes the updates recently made to this site.
- Summarize existing knowledge in database format
- Publish a basic paper atlas for public consumption
- Publish extended distribution data and commentary on each species
Goals
Several long-term goals were established for the project. Of these goals, only the last four remain partially or completely unfulfilled.
- Summarize historical and published collections in a common database format
- Produce an accurate and up-to-date paper atlas showing historical distribution and county records
- Identify areas around the state that need further field work
- Continue ongoing fieldwork to provide new data and verify questionable populations
- Encourage general public awareness of herp distributions in the state
- Provide atlas and data assistance to researchers and technical assistance for similar projects
- Continue gathering knowledge and updating the database and printed atlas
- Publish a detailed distribution account for each species in Missouri
- Analyze species distributions in border states to more fully understand Missouri distributions
- Verify identification on all preserved specimens and photograph specimens
- Create a web-based database query and mapping tool for use by biologists
Timeline
- December 1997
- The Missouri Herpetological Atlas Project (MOHAP) is initiated.
- January 1998
- Base maps downloaded from the Missouri Spatial Data Information Service and configured for use in the project.
- Database format established.
- Records from the Illinois Natural History Survey added to the database.
- February 1998
- Records from the University of Illinois Natural History Museum added to the database.
- Records from the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology added to the database.
- Records from the University of Missouri--Columbia Dean Metter Memorial Collection added to the database.
- March 1998
- Records from the American Museum of Natural History added to the database.
- Records from the Carnegie Museum added to the database.
- Records from the Harvard University Museum of Comparative Zoology added to the database.
- Records from the Louisiana State University Museum of Natural Science added to the database.
- Records from the United States National Museum added to the database.
- Records from the University of Georgia Museum of Natural History added to the database.
- April 1998
- Records from Cornell University added to the database.
- May 1998
- Records from the Field Museum of Natural History added to the database.
- June 1998
- Records from the Avila University Bobby Witcher Memorial Collection added to the database.
- November 1998
- Records from the Milwaukee Public Museum added to the database.
- December 1998
- Records from Southeast Missouri State University added to the database.
- Records from the 1998 collecting season added to the database.
- New county records from the database are published (Daniel et al. 1998) in the 1998 newsletter.
- January 1999
- Records from Missouri State University added to the database.
- February 1999
- Records from the University of Kansas Museum of Natural History added to the database.
- July 1999
- Records from the University of California--Berkeley Museum of Vertebrate Zoology added to the database.
- August 1999
- A printed version of the locality and county maps is produced for internal use and limited distribution.
- September 1999
- Several miscellaneous published records added to the database.
- October 1999
- Gray treefrog audio recording records from the University of Missouri--Columbia added to the database.
- November 1999
- Records from William Jewell College added to the database.
- December 1999
- Records from the 1999 collecting season added to the database.
- New county records from the database are published (Daniel et al. 1999) in the 1999 newsletter.
- July 2000
- A second printed version of the locality and county maps is produced for internal use and limited distribution.
- December 2000
- Records from the 2000 collecting season added to the database.
- New county records from the database are published (Daniel and Edmond 2000) in the 2000 newsletter.
- January 2001
- A third printed version of the locality and county maps is produced for internal use and limited distribution.
- December 2001
- Records from the 2001 collecting season added to the database.
- New county records from the database are published (Daniel and Edmond 2001) in the 2001 newsletter.
- April 2002
- The first printed version of the atlas (Daniel and Edmond 2002) is released to the public.
- May 2002
- Records from Southern Illinois University--Edwardsville added to the database.
- September 2002
- The project is introduced to the Missouri Herpetological Association at its fifteenth annual meeting.
- October 2002
- Records from Southern Illinois University--Carbondale added to the database.
- November 2002
- Several significant literature records, including Anderson and Hurter, added to the database.
- December 2002
- Records from the 2002 collecting season added to the database.
- New county records from the database are published (Daniel et al. 2002) in the 2002 newsletter.
- Revised county distribution maps published in the Missouri Herpetological Association newsletter (Daniel and Edmond 2002).
- February 2003
- Introduction, literature cited, and sources sections created for the upcoming atlas update.
- July 2003
- A printed atlas update (Daniel and Edmond 2003) is released.
- November 2003
- The project is introduced to the Kansas Herpetological Society at its thirtieth annual meeting.
- December 2003
- Records from the 2003 collecting season added to the database.
- New county records from the database are published (Daniel et al. 2003) in the 2003 newsletter.
- January 2004
- Maps for rivers / lakes, natural divisions / sections, and an acknowledgements list created for the upcoming atlas update.
- February 2004
- A printed atlas update (Daniel and Edmond 2004) is released.
- December 2004
- Records from the 2004 collecting season added to the database.
- New county records from the database are published (Daniel et al. 2004) in the 2004 newsletter.
- May 2005
- A printed atlas update (Daniel and Edmond 2005) is released.
- June 2005
- Records from the Fort Hays State University Sternberg Museum of Natural HIstory added to the database.
- December 2005
- Records from the 2005 collecting season added to the database.
- New county records from the database are published (Daniel et al. 2005) in the 2005 newsletter.
- February 2006
- A printed atlas update (Daniel and Edmond 2006) is released.
- October 2006
- A detailed dataset is obtained for the three tiers of Kansas counties that border Missouri.
- November 2006
- An analysis is performed using the Kansas dataset, culminating in a presentation at the "Symposium on the Peripheral Distribution of the Kansas Herpetofauna" at the Thirty-Third Annual Meeting of the Kansas Herpetological Society.
- December 2006
- An ecoregion section for Missouri and surrounding states is compiled for the upcoming atlas update.
- Records from the 2006 collecting season added to the database.
- New county records from the database are published (Daniel et al. 2006) in the 2006 newsletter.
- January 2007
- The project web site is introduced. A detailed site history is kept as a separate list.
- September 2007
- A second analysis using the Kansas dataset is presented to the Missouri Herpetological Association at its twentieth annual meeting.
- December 2007
- Records from the 2007 collecting season added to the database.
- New county records from the database are published (Daniel et al. 2007) in the 2007 newsletter.
- April 2008
- A major overhaul of the web site is completed with several new sections created or completed.
- A printed atlas update (Daniel and Edmond 2008) is released.
- December 2008
- Records from the 2008 collecting season added to the database.
- Atlas database converted to PostgreSQL.
- New atlas database loading and maintenance procedures documented.
- New county records from the database are published (Daniel et al. 2008) in the 2008 newsletter.
- October 2009
- Created new tables to store data warehouse information, including county and taxon collection summaries posted on the web site.
- December 2009
- Records from the 2009 collecting season added to the database.
- Created plug-in for Quantum GIS (QGIS) to export individual maps for use in the printed atlas and on the web site.
- Created new method to produce printed atlas using the Python programming language and an API from ReportLab to produce the final PDF. The new document contains many new features, including a clickable table of contents, new base maps, page headers and footers, and the ability to print page numbers based on simplex or duplex printing.
- Documented all new procedures using a series of PHP pages.
- Declared entire project free from all proprietary software. Anyone using a standard Kubuntu Linux machine should be able to pick up the project using the documented procedures with zero start-up cost for software.
- New county records from the database are published (Daniel et al. 2009) in the 2009 newsletter.
- April 2010
- A printed atlas update (Daniel and Edmond 2010) is released.
- December 2010
- Records from the 2010 collecting season added to the database.
- New county records from the database are published (Daniel et al. 2010) in the 2010 newsletter.
- December 2011
- Records from the 2011 collecting season added to the database.
- New county records from the database are published (Daniel et al. 2011) in the 2011 newsletter.
- February 2012
- A printed atlas update (Daniel and Edmond 2012) is released.
- December 2012
- Records from the 2012 collecting season added to the database.
- New county records from the database are published (Daniel et al. 2012) in the 2012 newsletter.
- Removed all of Johnson's "missing" county records from database and project.
- Updated taxonomy based on new edition of standardized scientific and common names (Crother et al. 2012).
- April 2013
- Extensive changes made to the web site.
- A printed atlas update (Daniel and Edmond 2013) is released.
- December 2013
- Records from the 2013 collecting season added to the database.
- New county records from the database are published (Daniel et al. 2013) in the 2013 newsletter.
- Adjusted common name list to use the most restrictive subspecies name possible in Missouri and added a field guide reference to compare current nomenclature to field guides commonly used in the state.
- February 2014
- A printed atlas update (Daniel and Edmond 2014) is released.
- A printed state and county checklist (Daniel et al. 2014) is released for the first time. This includes individual one-page county checklists available on each county page.
- December 2014
- Records from the 2014 collecting season added to the database.
- New county records from the database are published (Daniel et al. 2014) in the 2014 newsletter.
- December 2015
- Records from the 2015 collecting season added to the database.
- New county records from the database are published (Daniel et al. 2015) in the 2015 newsletter.
- December 2016
- Records from the 2016 collecting season added to the database.
- New county records from the database are published (Daniel et al. 2016) in the 2016 newsletter.
- June 2017
- A printed atlas update (Daniel and Edmond 2017) is released.
- A printed checklist update (Daniel et al. 2017) is released, including individual county checklists available on each county page.
- December 2017
- Records from the 2017 collecting season added to the database.
- New county records from the database are published (Daniel et al. 2017) in the 2017 newsletter.
- February 2018
- A printed atlas update (Daniel and Edmond 2018) is released.
- A printed checklist update (Daniel et al. 2018) is released, including individual county checklists available on each county page.
- December 2018
- Records from Pittsburg State University (Kansas) added to the database.
- Records from the 2018 collecting season added to the database.
- New county records from the database are published (Daniel et al. 2018) in the 2018 newsletter.
- February 2019
- A printed atlas update (Daniel and Edmond 2019) is released.
- A printed checklist update (Daniel et al. 2019) is released, including individual county checklists available on each county page.
- December 2019
- Records from the 2019 collecting season added to the database.
- New county records from the database are published (Daniel et al. 2019) in the 2019 newsletter.
- February 2020
- A printed atlas update (Daniel and Edmond 2020) is released.
- A printed checklist update (Daniel et al. 2020) is released, including individual county checklists available on each county page.
- December 2020
- Records from the 2020 collecting season added to the database.
- New county records from the database are published (Daniel et al. 2020) in the 2020 newsletter.
- April 2021
- A printed atlas update (Daniel and Edmond 2021) is released.
- A printed checklist update (Daniel et al. 2021) is released, including individual county checklists available on each county page.
- December 2021
- Records from the 2021 collecting season added to the database.
- New county records from the database are published (Daniel et al. 2021) in the 2021 newsletter.
- August 2022
- A printed atlas update (Daniel and Edmond 2022) is released.
- A printed checklist update (Daniel et al. 2022) is released, including individual county checklists available on each county page.
Sources
The following museums or collections are included in the database and atlas. Except for the specimens from the University of Missouri--Columbia, specimens have not been verified by the authors. Sources marked with an asterisk (*) are included from published accounts only and are presumed to represent only part of the collection's Missouri records. All Missouri material from these sources has not been included in the database or the printed atlas. View maps for each source or click on the abbreviation below to jump straight to that map.
- American Museum of Natural History (AMNH)
- Arkansas State University (ASU)
- Austin Peay State University (APSU) *
- Bobby Witcher Memorial Collection, Avila College (KU) (BWMC)
- Carnegie Museum of Natural History (CM)
- Chicago Academy of Sciences (CA)
- Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates (CU)
- Culver-Stockton College (CSC)
- Dallas Museum of Natural History (DMNH) *
- Field Museum of Natural History (FMNH)
- H. Carl Gerhardt Audio Recording Collection (Cornell) (HCG)
- Historical Literature Sources (LIT)
- Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS)
- Julius Hurter (Trans. St. Louis Acad. Sci 20(5): 59-274) (JH)
- Milwaukee Public Museum (MPM)
- Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) *
- Missouri State University (SMSU)
- Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University (MCZ)
- Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University (LSUMNS)
- Museum of Southwest Biology (New Mexico) (MSB) *
- National Museum of Natural History (USNM)
- Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (LACM) *
- Paul Anderson (The Reptiles of Missouri) (PA)
- Pittsburg State University (PSU)
- Saint Louis Academy of Sciences (SLAS)
- Southeast Missouri State University (SEMSU)
- Southern Illinois University--Carbondale (SIUC)
- Southern Illinois University--Edwardsville (SIUE)
- Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Fort Hays State University (FHSU)
- Texas Natural History Collection (TNHC) *
- University of Arkansas--Fayetteville (UAF)
- University of California--Berkeley Museum of Vertebrate Zoology (UCBMVZ)
- University of Central Missouri (CMSU)
- University of Florida at Gainesville (UF) *
- University of Georgia, Museum of Natural History (UGAMNH)
- University of Illinois Natural History Museum (UIMNH)
- University of Kansas, Museum of Natural History (KU)
- University of Michigan, Museum of Zoology (UMMZ)
- University of Missouri--Columbia Dean E. Metter Memorial Herpetology Collection (UMC)
- William Jewell College (WJCTC)
Technical Details
Database
The atlas database was converted in 2008 to a PostgreSQL relational database. The nature of a relational database reduces keying and other errors dramatically and allows the flexibility to include an almost unlimited number of data elements associated with each record with very little additional storage requirements. It's also possible to produce maps based on a data element other than species. For example, maps can be produced for collectors, institutions, or dates. Basically, the following data elements are stored for each physical collection record, although storage in a relational database is not necessarily straightforward and details for each element are often stored in a separate set of tables:
- Source, institution, or collection
- Catalogue number
- Taxonomy (genus, species, family, etc.)
- Geography (state, county, locality, coordinates, etc.)
- Collector(s)
- Date
- Comments
- Record reliability code
The reliability code can have six potential values. As stated elsewhere, a record is assumed to be good (G) unless we have a good reason to think it otherwise. Records that are still considered valid might be instead marked as a literature (L) record or a duplicate (D) record. Duplicates arise because we have included literature records that might also be included in a museum collection. Most notably, Anderson's records were recorded from The Reptiles of Missouri and also from the University of Kansas and Chicago Academy of Sciences collections. The duplicate code was always marked on the record entered from the literature source. A few records were marked as questionable (Q), erroneous (E), or unknown (U). Currently, questionable records show up in the atlas as a question mark (?) while erroneous and unknown records do not show up at all. However, all three of the latter categories will be discussed on a record-by-record basis for each species.
The Atlas
To create locality and county records maps, a simplified table is exported from the relational database into a PostGIS table, which handles the conversion of UTM coordinates to a spatial geometry that can be used with county base maps, provided by the Missouri Spatial Data Information Service. A Python plug-in is used in Quantum GIS to export individual taxon locality and county records maps as PNG images to a common directory. These images can be used for both the printed atlas and the web site. The final atlas document is produced in portable document format (PDF) by pulling all sections (including the PNG image maps) together using a Python script outfitted with the ReportLab PDF bindings.
Open-Source Software
The atlas project itself is non-commercial in nature. The final printed product is available for download on the publications site gratis (i.e., free of charge) and additional information is available elsewhere on this site. In addition, it is our desire to prevent the project or its data from being subjected to the restrictive licensing conditions often found with commercial software products. As a result, all technology-related aspects of the project are supported by a suite of open source software that is both gratis (free as in beer) and libre (free as in speech). The following packages all play a significant role in the project.
- Kubuntu Linux (operating system)
- Apache (web server)
- PHP (server-side script programming language)
- PostgreSQL (relational database)
- PostGIS (spatially enables PostgreSQL)
- Python (desktop programming language)
- Quantum GIS (desktop GIS)
- ReportLab (Python PDF bindings)