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LaDuc, Travis J

Travis J Laduc

Curator, Herpetology, Assistant Professor of Instruction
College of Natural Sciences



travieso@austin.utexas.edu

Phone: 512-475-6339

Office Location
PAT

I'm a native of Tucson, AZ, and have been interested in reptiles since I was a kid. My career in herpetology first started just out of high school working as a reptile keeper at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. I received degrees from the University of Arizona (B.S.) and The University of Texas at El Paso (M.S.), and The University of Texas at Austin (Ph.D.). I am the Curator of Herpetology at the Biodiversity Collections at The University of Texas at Austin. My job includes working with the preserved collection of 113,000 amphibian and reptile specimens at the Biodiversity Collections, participating in a variety of educational outreach programs, teaching natural history field courses at UT, and continuing my own research program. My research focuses on the biodiversity and natural history of Texas reptiles and amphibians, with current projects examining demography, habitat use, and natural history in three populations of reptiles: Nerodia erythrogaster on the University of Texas campus, Kinosternon flavescens in Jeff Davis County, and Holbrookia lacerata across the state of Texas.

2019    Hibbitts, T. J., W. A. Ryberg, J. Harvey, G. Voelker, M. Lawing, C. S. Adams, D. B. Neuharth, D. E. Dittmer, C. M. Duran, B. D. Wolaver, J. P. Pierre, B. J. Labay, and T. J. LaDuc. Phylogenetic relationships within Holbrookia lacerata (Cope 1880) (Squamata: Phrynosomatidae): one species or two? Zootaxa 4619(1):139–154. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4619.1.6

2018    Wolaver, B. D., J. P. Pierre, S. A. Ikonnikova, J. R. Andrews, G. McDaid, W. A. Ryberg, T. J. Hibbitts, C. M. Duran, B. J. Labay, and T. J. LaDuc. An improved approach for forecasting ecological impacts from future drilling in unconventional shale oil and gas plays. Environmental Management. Environmental Management 2018:1-11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-018-1042-5.

2018    Pierre, J. P., B. D. Wolaver, B. J. Labay, T. J. LaDuc, C. M. Duran, W. A. Ryberg, T. J. Hibbitts, and J. R. Andrews. Comparison of recent oil and gas, wind energy, and other anthropogenic landscape alteration factors in Texas through 2014. Environmental Management 61:805–818. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-018-1000-2.

2018    Wolaver, B. D., J. P. Pierre, B. J. Labay, T. J. LaDuc, C. M. Duran, W. A. Ryberg, and T. J. Hibbitts. Assessing recent anthropogenic infrastructure development within the historic range of the Spot-tailed Earless Lizard (Holbrookia lacerata) in Texas. Environmental Earth Sciences 77:171 [14 pp.]. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-018-7323-8.

2018    Roelke, C. E., J. A. Maldonado, B. W. Pope, T. J. Firneno Jr., T. J. LaDuc, T. J. Hibbitts, W. A. Ryberg, N. D. Rains, and M. K. Fujita. Mitochondrial genetic variation within and between Holbrookia lacerata lacerata and Holbrookia lacerata subcaudalis, the spot-tailed earless lizards of Texas. Journal of Natural History 52(13–16) [11 pp.]. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2018.1436726

2018    Davis, D. R. and T. J. LaDuc. Amphibians and reptiles of C. E. Miller Ranch and the Sierra Vieja, Chihuahuan Desert, Texas, USA. ZooKeys 735:97-130. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.735.22200

2018    Krochmal, A. K., T. Roth, A. Place, and T. J. LaDuc. Striking patterns in learning and decision-making across pitvipers: a phylogenetic approach. Animal Behaviour 145:117–123.

2012    Burroughs, R. W., Bell, C. J., LaDuc, T. J., and Hendrickson, D. A. Morphological Variation in the Carapace and Plastron of Terrapene coahuila Schmidt and Owens, 1944. Pp 535-566 in D. B. Brinkman, P. A. Holroyd, and J. D. Gardner (editors), “Morphology and Evolution of Turtles: Origin and Early Diversification”. Springer, Dordrecht.

2012 Tipton, R., T. L. Hibbitts, T. J. Hibbitts, T. D. Hibbitts, and T. J. LaDuc. Texas Amphibians: A Field Guide. Texas Natural History Guide Series. University of Texas Press, Austin, Texas. 309 pp.

2012 Krochmal, A. R., T. J. LaDuc, and A. J. Place. Proximate and ultimate perspectives on one-trial learning in rattlesnakes. Integrative and Comparative Biology 52:E97.

2010 Krochmal, A. R., T. J. LaDuc, and A. J. Place. Proximate explanations for differences in learning patterns and decision-making abilities of pitvipers (Viperidae: Crotalinae). Integrative and Comparative Biology 50:E254.

2010 Krochmal, A. R., T. J. LaDuc, and A. J. Place. Ultimate explanations for differences in learning patterns and decision-making abilities of pitvipers (Viperidae: Crotalinae). Integrative and Comparative Biology 50:E253.

2010 LaDuc, T. J., and C. J. Bell. Educating students on the importance of spatial and temporal bias in museum collections: an example using Sonora semiannulata from Texas. Herpetological Review 41:292-298.

2009 Baird, A. B., G. B. Pauly, D. W. Hall, and T. J. LaDuc. Records of the porcupine (Erithizon dorsatum) from the eastern margins of the Edwards Plateau of Texas. Texas Journal of Science 61:65-67.

2008 Devitt, T. J., T. J. LaDuc, and J. A. McGuire. The Trimorphodon biscutatus (Squamata: Colubridae) species complex revisited: a multivariate statistical analysis of geographic variation. Copeia 2008:370-387.

2005 Borrell, B. J., T. J. LaDuc, and R. Dudley. Respiratory cooling in rattlesnakes. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A 140:471-476.

2004 Krochmal, A. R, G. S. Bakken, and T. J. LaDuc. Heat in evolution's kitchen: Evolutionary perspectives on the functions and origin of the facial pit of pitvipers (Viperidae: Crotalinae). Journal of Experimental Biology 207:4231-4238.

2003 LaDuc, T. J., and J. D. Johnson. A taxonomic revision of Trimorphodon biscutatus vilkinsonii (Serpentes: Colubridae). Herpetologica 59:364-374.

2002 LaDuc, T. J.   Does a quick offense equal a quick defense? Kinematic comparisons of predatory and defensive strikes in Crotalus atrox. Pp. 267-278 in Schuett, G. W., M. Hoggren, M. E. Douglas, and H. W. Greene (Eds.), Biology of the Vipers. Eagle Mountain Publishing, Eagle Mountain, Utah.

2002 Moon, B.R., T. J. LaDuc, R. Dudley, and A. Chang. A twist to the rattlesnake tail. Pp. 63-76 in Aerts, P., R. Van Damme, K. D’Août, and A. Herrel (Eds.), Topics in Vertebrate Functional and Ecological Morphology. Shaker Publishing B. V., Maastricht, The Netherlands.

1995 LaDuc, T. J. The nomenclatural status and gender of Adelphicos. Journal of Herpetology 29:141-142.

 

Natural History of Museum Science (BIO 471G): Fall 2005, 2007, 2009

Vertebrate Natural History (BIO 455L): Spring 2011, 2012, 2017, 2019

Field Herpetology (BIO 369F): Spring 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018