Peer-Reviewed Publications

• Aggregated Space Use by Soft-Released Translocated Gopher Tortoises Jun 2025
  

  Jones, M. D., K. J. Loope, V. H. Porter, D. K. Walkup, W. A. Ryberg, J. R. Preston, J. T. Johnson, B. W. Hagedorn, R. Bilbow, B. M. Moore, B. C. Bowers, R. R. Lopez, and E. A. Hunter. March 2025. Aggregated Space Use by Soft-Released Translocated Gopher Tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus), Herpetologica 81(2), 141-151.

• Habitat use of the Texas Alligator Lizard in Central Texas May 2025
  

  Fielder, C., W. Ryberg, D. Walkup, J Holmes, and T. Hibbitts. 2025. Habitat use of the Texas Alligator Lizard in Central Texas. Journal of Natural History. 59, 1449-1467.

   

   

• Genome-wide Data Reinforces the Evolutionary Relationships of Previously Problematic Earless Lizards (Phyrnosomatidae: Holbrookia) Jul 2024
  

  Firneno, T.J., C.E. Roelke, A.D. Leaché, N.D. Rains, T.J. Hibbitts, W.A. Ryberg, T.J. Laduc, S. Singhal, and M.K. Fujita. 2024. Genome-wide Data Reinforces the Evolutionary Relationships of Previously Problematic Earless Lizards (Phyrnosomatidae: Holbrookia). Bulletin of the Society of Systematic Biologists 3(2)

   

   

• Camera-trap Basking Arrays Detect Western Chicken Turtles (Deirochelys reticularia miaria) in Dynamic Ephemeral Wetland Mosaics Dec 2023
  

  Bowers, B.C., C.M. Fielder, D.K. Walkup, R.R. Lopez, W.A. Ryberg, T.J. Hibbitts, M.R. Parker, and P.S. Crump. 2023. Camera-trap Basking Arrays Detect Western Chicken Turtles (Deirochelys reticularia miaria) in Dynamic Ephemeral Wetland Mosaics. Herpetological Review 54, 368-372.

• Spatial ecology of the Texas Alligator Lizard (Gerrhonotus infernalis) in Blanco County, Texas Oct 2023
  

  Fielder, C.M., W.A. Ryberg, D.K. Walkup, J.M. Holmes, and T.J. Hibbitts. 2023. Spatial ecology of the Texas Alligator Lizard (Gerrhonotus infernalis) in Blanco County, Texas. Western North American Naturalist 83, 315-324.

• Lessons learned from a conservation translocation of a microendemic habitat specialist Jul 2023
  

  Parker, M.R., T.J. Hibbitts, W.A. Ryberg, and L.A. Fitzgerald. 2023. Lessons learned from a conservation translocation of a microendemic habitat specialist. Restoration Ecology, e13981.

• Animal Species Recognition with Deep Convolutional Neural Networks from Ecological Camera Trap Images May 2023
  

  Islam, S.B., D. Valles, T.J. Hibbitts, W.A. Ryberg, D.K. Walkup, and M.R.J. Forstner. 2023. Animal species recognition with deep convolutional neural networks from ecological camera trap images. Animals 13:1526.

• An Evaluation of Western Chicken Turtle (Deirochelys reticularia miaria) Survey and Capture Protocols Dec 2022
  

  Bowers, B.C., D.K. Walkup, T.J. Hibbitts, P.S. Crump, W.A. Ryberg, C.S. Adams, and R.R. Lopez. 2022. An Evaluation of Western Chicken Turtle (Deirochelys reticularia miaria) Survey and Capture Protocols. Journal of Herpetology, 56, 489-498.

• Fecundity, Female Maturation, and Nesting Season of Western Chicken Turtles (Deirochelys reticularia miaria) in Texas Oct 2022
  

  Bowers, B.C., Hibbitts, R.L., Hibbitts, T.J., Walkup, D.K., Ryberg, W.A., Lopez, R.R. and P.S. Crump. 2022. Fecundity, Female Maturation, and Nesting Season of Western Chicken Turtles (Deirochelys reticularia miaria) in Texas. Chelonian Conservation and Biology, 21, 225-234.

• Testing the detection of large, secretive snakes using camera traps Oct 2022
  

  Walkup, D.K., W.A. Ryberg, J.B. Pierce, E. Smith, J. Childress, F. East, B.L. Pierce, P. Brown, C.M. Fielder, and T.J. Hibbitts. 2022. Testing the detection of large, secretive snakes using camera traps. Wildlife Society Bulletin e1408, https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.1408.

• Assessing Traffic Threats for Amphibian and Reptile Species of Greatest Conservation Need on Texas Roadways: Final Report Oct 2022
  

  Walkup, D.K., K.L. Skow, T.J. Hibbitts, W.A. Ryberg, and R.R. Lopez. 2022. Assessing Traffic Threats for Amphibian and Reptile Species of Greatest Conservation Need on Texas Roadways. Final Research Report submitted to Texas Department of Transportation. 620 pp.

• Using LiDAR to Enhance Distribution Models for the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard (Sceloporus arenicolus) in Texas, USA Aug 2022
  

  Walkup, D.K., W.A. Ryberg, R.J. Hibbetts, K.L. Skow, G. Powers, L.A. Fitzgerald, B.A. Collier, and R.R. Lopez. 2022. Using LiDAR to enhance distribution models for the dunes sagebrush lizard (Sceloporus arenicolus) in Texas, USA. Herpetological Conservation and Biology, 17, 349-361. 

• Ecology and Conservation of the Imperiled Dunes Sagebrush Lizard: An Ecological Specialist in a Threatened Ecosystem Jun 2022
  

  Fitzgerald, L.A., W.A. Ryberg, D.K. Walkup, T.J. Hibbitts, M.T. Hill, D.J. Leavitt, L.M. Chan, and M.R. Parker. 2022. Ecology and Conservation of the Imperiled Dunes Sagebrush Lizard: An Ecological Specialist in a Threatened Ecosystem. Imperiled: The Encyclopedia of Conservation, Elsevier, 1-16. 

• Effective Camera Trap Snake Surveys at a Rarely Accessible Longleaf Pine Savanna Dec 2021
  

  Ryberg, W.A., D.K. Walkup, T.J. Hibbitts, W. Pittman, V.H. Porter, B.C. Bowers, C.M. Fielder, P. Brown, R.R. Lopez, J.R. Preston, J.T. Johnson, B.W. Hagedorn. 2021. Effective camera trap snake surveys at a rarely accessible longleaf pine savanna. Herpetological Review, 52, 719-724.

• Should I Stay or Should I Go? Spatial Ecology of Western Chicken Turtles (Deirochelys reticularia miaria) Dec 2021
  

  Bowers, B.C., D.K. Walkup, T.J. Hibbitts, P.S. Crump, W.A. Ryberg, A.M. Lawing, R.R. Lopez. 2021. Should I stay or should I go? Spatial ecology of western chicken turtles (Deirochelys reticularia miaria). Herpetological Conservation and Biology, 16, 594-611.

• Notes on Western Chicken Turtle Disking and Predation Dec 2021
  
• Population genetic and genomic analyses of Western Massasauga (Sistrurus tergeminus ssp.): implications for subspecies delimitation and conservation Nov 2021
  

  Bylsma, R., D.K. Walkup, T.J. Hibbitts, W.A. Ryberg, A.N. Black, J.A. DeWoody. 2021. Population genetic and genomic analyses of Western Massasauga (Sistrurus tergeminus ssp.): implications for subspecies delimitation and conservation. Conservation Genetics, pp.1-13.

• Natural history of the spot-tailed earless lizards (Holbrookia lacerata and H. subcaudalis) Sep 2021
  

  Hibbitts, T.J., D.K. Walkup, T.J. LaDuc, B.D. Wolaver, J.P. Pierre, M. Duran, D. Neuharth, S. Frizzell, C.S. Adams, T.E. Johnson, D. Yandell, and W.A. Ryberg. 2021. Natural History of the Spot-tailed Earless Lizards (Holbrookia lacerata and H. subcaudalis). Journal of Natural History 55:7-8. DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2021.1907469

• Phylogeographic structure of the dunes sagebrush lizard, an endemic habitat specialist Sep 2020
  

  Chan, L.M., Painter, C.W., Hill, M.T., Hibbitts, T.J., Leavitt, D.J., Ryberg, W.A., Walkup, D. and Fitzgerald, L.A., 2020. Phylogeographic structure of the dunes sagebrush lizard, an endemic habitat specialist. Plos one, 15(9), p.e0238194.  

• Searching for rare and secretive snakes: are camera-trap and box-trap methods interchangeable? Jul 2020
  

  Neuharth, D.B., W.A. Ryberg, C.S. Adams, T.J. Hibbitts, D.K. Walkup, S.L. Frizzell, T.E. Johnson, B.L. Pierce, J.B. Pierce and D.C. Rudolph. 2020. Searching for rare and secretive snakes: are cameratrap and box-trap methods interchangeable?. Wildlife Research 47: 476-484.

• New County Records for the Panhandle Region of Texas, USA Mar 2020
  

  Fielder, C.M., D.K. Walkup, W.A. Ryberg, and T.J. Hibbitts. 2020. New County Records for the Panhandle Region of Texas, USA. Herpetological Review 51(1): 87-89.

• Natural History Notes 49 Holbrookia Lacerata (Spot-tailed Earless Lizard) Predation Dec 2018
  
• Natural History Notes Holbrookia lacerata (Spot-tailed Earless Lizard) Burying Behavior Sep 2018
  

  Neuharth, D., D.K. Walkup, S. Frizzell, J. Kachel, C.S. Adams, T. Johnson, T.J. Hibbitts, and W.A. Ryberg. 2018. Holbrookia lacerata (Spot-tailed Earless Lizard) Burying Behavior. Herpetological Review 49:536-37.

• Natural History Notes Holbrookia lacerata (Spot-tailed Earless Lizard) Predation Sep 2018
  

  Neuharth, D., S. Frizzell, W.A. Ryberg, and T.J. Hibbitts. 2018. Holbrookia lacerata (Spot-tailed Earless Lizard) Predation. Herpetological Review 49:537.

Research Reports

• Habitat Suitability Modeling for the Houston Toad Mar 2024
  

  Bowers, B.C., D.K. Walkup, T.J. Hibbitts, P.S. Crump, A.M. Lawing, W.A. Ryberg. 2024. Habitat Suitability Modeling for the Houston Toad. Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute, College Station, Texas. [https://nri.tamu.edu/publications/research-reports/2024/habitat-suitability-modeling-for-the-houston-toad/]