Department of Biology
|
Francis L. Rose, Ph.D.
Turtles, Herpetology Phone: 512-245-6389
Mailing Address Biology Department Texas State University-San Marcos 601 University Drive -- 384 SCI San Marcos, TX 78666 |
Other | Scute Fungus | Myrtle
Research Interests
I continue to study the community of turtles inhabiting Spring Lake, the headwaters of the San Marcos River. This site, formally known as Aquarena Springs, is now owned by Texas State and is contiguous with the main campus. The turtle community consists of Sternotherus odoratus (1,300 marked), Chelydra serpentina (123 marked), Pseudemys texana (2,800 marked), and Trachemys scripta (1,000 marked). Cumulatively over 4,000 unique individuals have been marked, translating to nearly 200 turtles per surface acre. Drs. Simpson and Manning are involved with the studies at Aquarena Center.
We are continuing our efforts to provide detailed surveys of the Blanco and San Marcos rivers for Cagle's map turtle. Recent captures of this turtle in the Blanco River confirm that it was not extirpated.
In a collaborative effort with Drs. Simpson, Manning, and Ott, we have investigated a population of cottonmouths along Honey Creek in Comal County since 1992. Within a tightly defined area, 52 snakes have been marked and as of 2003, the first animal marked in 1992 was still being recaptured.
In a new project with Drs. Simpson and Forstner, we seek to unravel the taxonomic conundrum of Acris crepitans paludicola (a unique pink cricket frog described in 1944 from Sabine Pass but apparently never recollected after the initial description). The approach seeks to apply morphology and DNA technology to evaluate the populations of Acris inhabiting Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Florida in order to evaluate specimens collected from within the range of A. c. paludicola.
Courses Taught
Publications
2003-2000
Fields, J. R., T. R. Simpson, R. W. Manning, and F. L. Rose. 2003. Food Habits and selective foraging by the Texas river cooter (Pseudemys texana) in Spring Lake, Hays County, Texas. Jour. Herpetology 37 (4):726-729.
Towns, K, T. R. Simpson, R. W. Manning, and F. L. Rose. 2003. Food habits and selective foraging of the nutria (Myocaster coypus) in Spring Lake, Hays County, Texas. Occas. Papers Museum of Texas Tech University, No. 227, 1-11.
Swannack, T. M. and F. L. Rose. 2003. Seasonal and ontogenetic changes in the sex ratio of a population of stinkpots (Kinosternidae: Sternotherus odoratus). Southwestern Naturalist 48 (4):543-549.
Rose, F. L., J. Koke, R. Koehn, and D. Smith 2001. Identification of the etiological agent for necrotizing scute disease in the Texas tortoise. Jour. Wildlife Diseases 37: 223-228.
Rose, F. L. 2000. Amphibians and reptiles of the Freeman Ranch, Hays County, Texas. Freeman Ranch Publication Series No. 2-2000, 1-3.
Fields, J. R., T. R. Simpson, R. W. Manning, and F. L. Rose. 2000. Modifications of the stomach flushing technique for turtles. Herpetological Review 31:32-33.
Judd, F. W. and F. L. Rose. 2000. Conservation status of the Texas tortoise Gopherus berlandieri. Occas. Papers Museum of Texas Tech University, No. 196, 1-11.
Prior to 2000
68 Publications
Doctoral Students Directed
Dr. Dede Armentrout, Regional Director, Nat. Audubon Society, Austin, TX.
Dr. Frank Judd, Director, Coastal Studies Lab, Pan American Univ., Port Isabel, TX.
Dr. Leland Parks, Director, EPA toxicology lab, Kansas City, KA.
Dr. E. Norbert Smith, Director Biotelemetry Frm, Talequah, OK.
Dr. David Long, Assistant Professor, Wilkes College, Wilkes-Barre, PA.
Dr. Kyle Selcer, Assistant Professor, Wichita State University, Wichita, KA.
Dr. Lynn Robbins, Associate Professor, Southwest Missouri State Univ., Springfield, MO.
Member of 15 other doctoral committees
Master's Students Directed
Nancy Bethea, Ph.D. TTU
Dede Armentrout, Ph.D. TTU.
Katherine DeLisle, medical profession
Jimmy W. Kenney, environmental land-use.
Margaret Wade, teacher (junior college)
William Chillian, Ph.D. University of Missouri
Chris Chambers, Ph.D. Duke University
David Long, Ph.D. TTU
Paul Aguerre, Texas State
Todd Swannack, Texas State Ph. D. TAMU
Janie Nelan, Texas State Ph.D. UT Arlington
Member of over 40 other masters' committees
Other
Board of Governors, Southwestern Association of Naturalists, 1983.
Managing Editor, Southwestern Association of Naturalists, 1984-87
Coordinator, Val Verde County Natural History and Archaeology Research Area 1984-present.
Coordinator of Graduate Programs, Biological Sciences, TTU 1984-1989.
President, Southwestern Association of Naturalists, 1989-91.
Methodist Hospital School of Nursing Executive Committee, 1985-90.