Achievement

Trainee Amber Wright, Associate Robert Thomson, and Trainer Brad Shaffer are evaluating all the California reptile and amphibian taxa (that are not already state listed) for their conservation status. Wright et al. are collaborating primarily with the California Department of Fish and Game; further, they have assembled an advisory committee consisting of representatives from other state and federal agencies. They evaluate taxa using metrics that include range size, population trend, climate change, and projected impacts due to development (e.g., planned solar farms in the California desert). After the advisory committee reaches consensus on evaluating candidate taxa, Wright et al. will create a website to disseminate their work and solicit feedback and data from the entire community of academics, agency biologists, and even amateur herpetologists. The final species accounts will be published after formal review.