The department’s focus in research and fieldwork is improved understanding of the native populations of fishes, amphibians and reptiles in northeastern Ohio.
Emphasis is on studies in amphibian ecology—looking at stressors that may cause or have been determined to cause mortality in amphibian populations and communities, thereby leading to local amphibian declines.
These projects involve both fieldwork and laboratory research in the department’s in-house lab as well as outside facilities. Research involving genetic studies and sex determination as well as distributional range often utilize specimens preserved in the department’s collections.
The department also conducts biodiversity and distribution studies of vertebrates, and monitors certain populations at sites throughout northeastern Ohio.
Habitat loss and/or modification, either anthropogenically induced or through natural filling, has prompted the Department of Vertebrate Zoology to collaborate with the Museum’s
Natural Areas Division to restore compromised wetlands or create new wetlands on the Museum’s
nature preserves.
Current Research and Fieldwork by the Curator
Effects of the lampricide TFM on the Mudpuppy
Long-term research, since 1987, into the effects of a chemical agent commonly used to control parasitic lamprey eels that have previously threatened fish populations in the Lake Erie basin.
Ecotoxicological studies of cations and toxicity levels in ponds in northeastern Ohio
Investigation of the potentially toxic effects of metals such as copper and aluminum on aquatic amphibian larvae.
Parasitic effects of the copepod Learnea on the American Bullfrog and the fluke Ribeiroia on the hybrid Ambystoma texanum x laterale
A study of the prevalence of the copepod parasite
Lernaea, since 1993, to document its occurrence upon riverine populations of bullfrog tadpoles in several northeastern Ohio streams. This project is now nearing completion.
Short- and long-term monitoring of amphibian populations
Monitoring of naturally occurring and planted amphibian populations in excavated mitigation wetlands at Mentor Marsh, Lake County, Ohio.
Survey of fishes, amphibians and reptiles
Long-term surveys of the fishes, amphibians, reptiles and crayfishes of the Ashtabula River and Ashtabula County portion of the Pymatuning Creek drainage system are nearing completion. Surveys in this program have frequently provided new locality data for species having special status in the state through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife; and in some cases have located previously unknown populations of species that may be incorporated into future studies.
Vertebrate surveys on Cleveland Museum of Natural History natural areas
Surveys of vertebrates are routinely conducted on existing natural areas of the Museum, and to evaluate the biological significance of areas under consideration for acquisition by the Museum.
Other Current Research and Fieldwork
Amphibian Ecology
Under direction of Assistant Curator
Roberta Muehlheim, the department is studying how ranavirus, a viral pathogen known to cause mortality in numerous amphibian species around the globe, is effecting local amphibian populations.
Among the questions being addressed is what other environmental drivers—such as water quality in breeding pools, low species diversity and factors causing rapid drying of breeding sites—increase mortality from ranavirus. By working with archival and recent specimens, the department is also attempting to identify whether multiple strains of the pathogen exist in northeast Ohio and, if so, whether they are new or have a co-evolutionary history in local host populations.
Related Publications
Muehlheim, R.L. 2014. Detection of ranavirus in archival specimens. Herpetological Review 45(3): 441–442.
Muehlheim, R.L. and T.O. Matson. 2015. Ranavirus in three species of amphibian and unisexual
Ambystoma in Ohio. Herpetological Review 46(2): 200–202.
Other Contributions to Management of Amphibians in Ohio
Matson, T.O. 2002. Amphibian surveys in Lake Erie Coastal Wetlands A Second Look. Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife.
The report is a follow-up study to that of 1998 listed below.
Matson, T.O. 1998. Amphibian surveys in Lake Erie Coastal Wetlands. Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife.
Species richness and status of amphibians were studied in 10 Lake Erie coastal wetlands to establish these baseline data at certain sites with the intent of comparison periodically in the future.
Matson, T.O. 1990. Erythrocyte size as a taxonomic character in the identification of Ohio Hyla chrysoscelis and H. versicolor. Herpetologica 46:457-462.
This paper and the following 1990 paper listed below on gray treefrog morphology describe methods for identifying Ohio populations of two cryptic species of gray treefrogs.
Matson, T.O. 1990. A morphometric comparison of gray treefrogs, Hyla chrysocelis and H. versicolor, from Ohio. Ohio J. Sci. 90:98-101.
Quinn, E.M. and T.O. Matson. 2011. Population trends of three congeners of mole salamanders (
Ambystoma) at an isolated pond in northeast Ohio. Ohio Biological Survey Notes 3:1-9.
This paper presents the results of a 10-year population study of a pond breeding
Ambystoma community.