About The Author

      I am David Steen, Ph.D., and I work at Auburn University in Alabama. I conduct research primarily pertaining to the ecology and conservation biology of reptiles.  Lately, I've been spending most of my time in front of the computer analyzing data and writing papers based on my past field work, but I often daydream about checking snake traps in the piney woods and wading through wetlands spotlighting water snakes after the sun sets (see picture on left).  You can e-mail me here.


      I maintain this blog and associated newspaper columns because I feel public education and outreach is an important component of my position.  As I am pursuing an academic career, producing articles for scientific journals is another essential component.  Citations for my scientific articles are below; if you would like a pdf. copy of one but can't find it online, contact me.


Steen, D. A., J. P. Gibbs, K. A. Buhlmann, J. L. Carr, B. W. Compton, J. D. Congdon, J. S. Doody, J. C. Godwin, K. L. Holcomb, D. R. Jackson, F. J. Janzen, G. Johnson, M. T. Jones, J. T. Lamer, T. A. Langen, M. V. Plummer, J. W. Rowe, R. A. Saumure, J. K. Tucker, and D. S. Wilson. Terrestrial habitat requirements of nesting freshwater turtles. Biological Conservation: in press.

Steen, D. A., C. J. W. McClure, J. C. Brock, D. C. Rudolph, J. B. Pierce, J. R. Lee, W. J. Humphries, B. B. Gregory, W. B. Sutton, L. L. Smith, D. L. Baxley, D. J. Stevenson, and C. Guyer. Landscape level influences of terrestrial snake occupancy within the southeastern United States. Ecological Applications: in press.

Steen, D. A., M. Baragona, C. J. W. McClure, K. C. Jones, and L. L. Smith. Demography of a small population of loggerhead musk turtles (Sternotherus minor) in Okaloosa County, Florida. Florida Field Naturalist: in press.

Smith, L. L., D. A. Steen, L. M. Conner, and J. C. Rutledge. Effects of predator exclusion on nest and hatchling survival in the gopher tortoise. Journal of Wildlife Management: in press.

Steen, D. A., C. Guyer, and L. L. Smith. 2012. A case study of relative abundance in snakes. Pages 287-294 In Reptile Biodiversity: Standard Methods for Inventory and Monitoring (R. W. McDiarmid, M. S. Foster, C. Guyer, J. W. Gibbons, and N. Chernoff, eds.), University of California Press, Berkeley, CA, USA.

Graham, S. P., E. K. Timpe, A. M. Durso, D. A. Steen, W. B. Sutton, K. T. Nelson, G. J. Brown, III, M. A. Connell, K. M. Gray, and J. C. Godwin. 2011. The second known contact zone between Plethodon websteri and P. ventralis, and additional county records for Bibb County, Alabama. Herpetological Review: in press.

Stevenson, D. J., D. A. Steen, and M. Wallace. Nerodia erythrogaster erythrogaster (Red-bellied Watersnake). Necrophagy by dung beetles (Scarabaeinae). Herpetological Review: in press.

Steen, D. A., K. C. Jones, J. B. Jensen, B. K. Rincon, J. C. Godwin, and S. P. Graham. 2011. New amphibian and reptile county records for the Florida panhandle. Herpetological Review 42:576-577.

Steen, D. A., J. A. Stiles, S. H. Stiles, C. Guyer, J. B. Pierce, D. C. Rudolph, and L. L. Smith. 2011. Regina rigida (Glossy Crayfish Snake). Terrestrial Movement. Herpetological Review 42:102.

Steen, D. A., S. C. Sterrett, A. M. Heupel, and L. L. Smith. 2010. Snapping turtle, Chelydra serpentina, overland movements near the southeastern extent of its range. Georgia Journal of Science 68:196-201.

Steen, D. A., A. E. Rall McGee, S. M. Hermann, J. A. Stiles, S. H. Stiles, and C. Guyer. 2010. Effects of forest management on amphibians and reptiles: generalist species obscure trends among native forest associates. Open Environmental Sciences 4:24-30.

C. J. W. McClure, and D. A. Steen. 2010. Hemidactylus turcicus (Mediterranean Gecko). Geographic Distribution. Herpetological Review 41:512.

Jones, K. C, B. K. Rincon, and D. A. Steen. 2010. Bufo terrestris (Southern Toad). Predation. Herpetological Review 41:334-335.

Steen, D. A., L. L. Smith, and M. A. Bailey. 2010. Suggested modifications to terrestrial box traps for snakes. Herpetological Review 41:320-321.

Steen, D. A., G. G. Sorrell, N. J. Paris, K. J. Paris, D. D. Simpson, and L. L. Smith. 2010. Heterodon platirhinos (Eastern Hog-nosed Snake). Predator/Prey Mass Ratio. Herpetological Review 41:365.

Graham, S. P., A. M. Durso, D. A. Steen, V. M. Johnson, S. K. Hoss, D. J. McMoran, K. T. Nelson, S. C. Cox, E. C. Susko, J. W. Shapiro, and J. R. McMillan. 2010. An additional bioblitz competition in the Talladega uplands of Georgia. Herpetological Review 41:383-384.

Steen, D. A. 2010. Snakes in the grass: secretive natural histories defy both conventional and progressive statistics. Herpetological Conservation and Biology 5:183-188. 

Linehan, J. M., L. L. Smith, and D. A. Steen. 2010. Ecology of the eastern kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula getula) in a longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) forest in southwestern Georgia. Herpetological Conservation and Biology 5:94-101.

Steen, D. A., J. M. Linehan, and L. L. Smith. 2010. Multiscale habitat selection and refuge use of common kingsnakes, Lampropeltis getula, in southwestern Georgia. Copeia 2010:227-231.

Steen, D. A., A. D. Steen, S. Pokswinski, S. P. Graham, and L. L. Smith. 2010. Snakes using stumpholes and windfall tree-associated subterranean structures in longleaf pine forests. Reptiles and Amphibians 17:49-51.

Graham, S. P., D. A. Steen, K. T. Nelson, A. M. Durso, and J. C. Maerz. 2010.  An overlooked hotspot? Rapid biodiversity assessment reveals a region of exceptional herpetofaunal richness in the southeastern United States.  Southeastern Naturalist 9:19-34.

Steen, D. A. and L. L. Smith. 2009. Eastern kingsnake, Lampropeltis getula getula, home ranges exhibit limited overlap. Southeastern Naturalist 8:553-558.

Graham, S. P., S. K. Hoss, R. D. Birkhead, C. K. Ward, D. A. Steen, K. M. Gray, and R. H. Mount. 2009. 101 new county records for Alabama herpetofauna. Herpetological Review 40:367-371.

Heupel, A. M., K. E. McKean, J. M. Linehan, D. A. Steen, and L. L. Smith. 2009. Ambystoma sp. Habitat Use. Herpetological Review 40:66.

Tyson, A., D. A. Steen, L. L. Smith. 2008. Nerodia taxispilota (Brown Watersnake). Diet. Herpetological Review 39:472.

Muenz, T. K., D. A. Steen, B. E. Bass, and A. Kaeser. 2008. Apalone spinifera aspera (Gulf Coast Spiny Softshell). Predation. Herpetological Review 39:212.

Steen, D. A., L. L. Smith, L. M. Conner, J. C. Brock, and S. K. Hoss. 2007. Habitat  use of sympatric rattlesnake species within the Gulf Coastal Plain. Journal of Wildlife Management 71:759-764.

Steen, D. A., S. C. Sterrett, S. A. Miller, and L. L. Smith. 2007. Terrestrial movements and microhabitat selection of overwintering subadult eastern mud turtles (Kinosternon subrubrum) in southwest Georgia. Journal of Herpetology 41:532-535.

Steen, D. A., G. J. Miller, S. C. Sterrett, and L. L. Smith. 2007. Masticophis flagellum (Eastern Coachwhip). Growth and Movement. Herpetological Review 38:90.

Smith, L. L., D. A. Steen, J. M. Stober, M. C. Freeman, S. W. Golladay, L. M. Conner, and J. C. Cochrane. 2006. The vertebrate fauna of Ichauway, Baker County, Georgia. Southeastern Naturalist 5:599-620.

Steen, D. A., J. P. Gibbs and S. T. A. Timmermans. 2006. Assessing the sensitivity of waterbird communities to hydrologic change in the eastern Great Lakes region. Wetlands 26:605-611.

Steen, D. A. and L. L. Smith. 2006. Road surveys for turtles: consideration of possible sampling biases. Herpetological Conservation and Biology 1:9-15.

Steen, D. A., L. L. Smith, G. J. Miller, and S. C. Sterrett. 2006. Post breeding terrestrial movements of eastern tiger salamanders, Ambystoma tigrinum. Southeastern Naturalist 5:285-288.

Steen, D. A., M. J. Aresco, S. G. Beilke, B. W. Compton, E. P. Condon, C. K Dodd, Jr., H. Forrester, J. W. Gibbons, J. L. Greene, G. Johnson, T. A. Langen, M. J. Oldham, D. N. Oxier, R. A. Saumure, F. W. Schueler, J. M. Sleeman, L. L. Smith,  J. K. Tucker and J. P. Gibbs. 2006. Relative vulnerability of female turtles to road mortality. Animal Conservation 9:269-273.

Sterrett, S. C., D. A. Steen, and L. L. Smith. 2006. Ambystoma tigrinum tigrinum (Eastern Tiger Salamander). Burrow Description. Herpetological Review 37:435-436.

Gibbs, J. P. and D. A. Steen. 2005. Trends in sex ratios of turtles in the United States: implications of road mortality. Conservation Biology 19:552-556.

Steen, D. A. and J. P. Gibbs. 2005. Potential influence of the terrestrial landscape on the distribution of pond-breeding eastern newts, Notophthalmus viridescens, within wetlands. Applied Herpetology 2:425-428.

Steen, D. A., G. J. Miller, S. C. Sterrett, and L. L. Smith. 2005. Gopherus polyphemus (Gopher Tortoise). Juvenile use of gopher tunnel. Herpetological Review 46:442.

Steen, D. A., S. N. Becker, and L. L. Smith. 2005. Heterodon platirhinos (Eastern Hog-nosed Snake). Reproduction. Herpetological Review 46:457.

Steen, D. A. and J. P. Gibbs. 2004. Of roads and turtles: A summary of recent research findings. Turtle and Tortoise Newsletter 8:8-9.

Steen, D. A. and J. P. Gibbs. 2004. Effects of roads on the structure of freshwater turtle populations. Conservation Biology 18:1143-1148.