303:. He was a strong opponent of rattlesnake roundups that took place in western Kansas, calling them carnivals, and sponsored a bill in the Kansas Legislature to prohibit importation of non-native venomous snakes into Kansas. His journal articles cover all aspects of herpetology from natural history to systematics. He served as president of the SSAR in 1978, many SSAR committees, acting VP of the Herpetologists League. He was a major influence on many herpetologists including Kelly Irwin (Arkansas Game and Fish, State Herpetologist), Travis W. Taggart (Sternberg Museum of Natural History), and Emily Moriarty, Ph.D. (Florida State University).
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published a recommendation for mass changes by elevating 55 allopatric distinctive subspecies to species rank in line with the developing evolutionary species concept. This created widespread controversy and debate among herpetologists, and he was removed as chair after production of the fourth edition in 1997. He continued to publish names lists following this philosophy through the Center for North
American Herpetology; whereas, the SSAR continued to publish a list under their appointed committee structure. By 2009 there was serious strife about the conflicting versions of the names list, and
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though he had already started publishing scholarly scientific works at the age of 19. He credited ultimate direction as stemming from his own interests combined with his father's interest in fishing and outdoor activities. In 1967, he was hired as a vertebrate preparator by the
University of Kansas Natural History Museum, where he worked for 30 years. He had already been corresponding with other herpetologists across the country. He earned his Associates from the University of Cincinnati, but had no further formal education.
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174:, in a tin can around the age of 10-13. He had an avid interest in animals and collected so many animals, which he and his brothers housed in their backyard, that the City of Cincinnati shut them down for operating a zoo without a license. "You could get anything you wanted in those days," said Collins in regard to kinds of animals. At the time he had saved up $ 40 to buy an African Lion (price = $ 50).
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He did many benefit auctions for wildlife and environmental groups including the
Wichita Audubon Society, Jayhawk Audubon Society, Society for Amphibians and Reptiles, Kansas Wildlife Federation and the Kansas Herpetological Society. After retirement, he served as a consultant for his consulting firm
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Collins recounted his early life in a 1997 interview: He was born to
Luvadelle Bernice Collins of Crooksville, Ohio (homemaker), and a podiatrist, Joseph T. Collins (Cleveland College of Podiatry). He had two brothers, Jerry (US Navy) and Jeffery (US.Navy) who were three and 16 years younger than he,
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Collins had chaired the committee that produced the SSAR Common and
Scientific Names List from 1978 through 1982 with the consensus of the committee. In 1991, Collins released a new third edition to the names list in which he "...unilaterally changed from committee chairperson to author." Then, he
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He ended up in herpetology after shifting to keeping reptiles because they would fit in their basement. He believed this drove his ultimate interest in herpetology as a discipline. After high school, he attended the
University of Cincinnati where he, by his own admission, lacked direction even
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Adler K (editor) Contributions to the
History of Herpetology. Volume 3. Issued to commemorate the 7th World Congress of Herpetology Vancouver, British Columbia 2012. Society for the Study of Amphiphibians and Reptiles. 564
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Cook FR. 2012. Book Review: Scientific and standard
English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding - 7th ed. Canada Field Naturalist
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for being "too rowdy". (Despite this, in his adult life he was a supporter of the Scouts and served on the
Friends of Hidden Valley Girl Scout Board of Directors in Lawrence). He caught his first snake, a
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published a series of SAs approaching the issue. Despite the controversy and debate, the vast majority of changes recommended by
Collins were ultimately supported by the molecular evidence.
156:(CNAH). He died while studying amphibians and reptiles on St. George Island, Florida on 14 January 2012. "For 60 years I was obsessed with herpetology," Joe Collins claimed.
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Collins' early books were not aimed at academics; they were aimed at the general public. He served as editor for numerous publications of the KUMNH, and of the
682:"Hidden Diversity in the Mountain Chorus Frog (Pseudacris brachyphona) and the Diagnosis of a New Species of Chorus Frog in the Southeastern United States"
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In April 2012 following Collins' death, the Kansas Herpetological Society, of which Collins was a founding member, renamed its scholarly publication from
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and performed public lectures around the country. At his peak he was giving around 250 lectures a year in Kansas alone. His most famous book is
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292:(Cornell University) who founded the Ohio Herpetological Society in 1958, which later developed into the largest herpetological society, the
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Burbrink FT, Crother BI, Lawson R. 2007. The destabilization of North American Colubrid snake taxonomy. Herpetological Review 38:273-278.
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Pauly G, DM Hillis, and DG Cannatella. 2009. Taxonomic freedom and the role of official lists of species names. Herpetologica 65:115-128.
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Collins JT. 1991. Viewpoint: A new taxonomic arrangement for some North American amphibians and reptiles. Herpetological Review 22:41-42.
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Crother BI. 2012. The bold hypothesis(es) of Joseph T. Collins. Kansas Herpetological Society Keynote address. Fort Hays, Kansas.
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Anonymous. 2012. In Memoriam: Joseph Thomas Collins (1939-2012). News Release. Center for North American Herpetology. January 19.
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Willhite, Jewell. 1999. An interview with Joseph T. Collins. Oral History Project. Endacott Society. University of Kansas.
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in honor of Collins' contributions, and devoted the first newly named issue to remembrances and tributes of him.
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383:), is named in honor of Collins and his wife. Collins had previously contributed specimens for the paper.
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Crother BI 2009. Are standard names lists taxonomic straight jackets? Herpetologica 65:129-135.
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Ospina, Oscar E.; Tieu, Lynee; Apodaca, Joseph J.; Lemmon, Emily Moriarty (December 4, 2020).
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A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Fourth Edition.
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A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Fourth Edition
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He was among the group of young herpetologists and hobbyists including
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Distinguished Life Member of the Kansas Herpetological Society (1998)
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Key to the herpetofauna of the continental United States and Canada
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An illustrated guide to endangered or threatened species in Kansas
525:"Joseph T. Collins (1939-2012): A good friend to herpetologists"
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Kansas Wildlife Federation's Conservationist of the Year (1986)
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Kansas Herpetological Society's Bronze Salamander Award (1989)
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634:"Joseph Collins, Kansas author, Map of Kansas Literature"
656:"A new name, a new beginning, a celebration of our past"
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Collins received several awards and honors, including:
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Kansas Wildlife Federation Presidential Award (1997)
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respectively. He and his brother were excluded from
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476:"Legendary Kansas herpetologist Joe Collins dies"
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294:Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles
425:Collins JT, SL Collins, and TW Taggart. 2010.
112:University of Kansas Museum of Natural History
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340:The Wildlife Author Laureate of Kansas (1996)
427:Amphibians, Reptiles, and Turtles in Kansas.
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549:Joseph Collins. Map of Kansas Literature.
272:Learn how and when to remove this message
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532:Herpetological Conservation and Biology
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208:Please improve this section by adding
154:Center for North American Herpetology
654:Schmidt, C.J.; T.W. Taggart (2012).
523:Meshaka, W.E.; Trauth, S.E. (2012).
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136:– January 14, 2012) was an American
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396:(The Peterson Field Guide Series).
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419:Collins JT and SL Collins. 1991.
412:Collins JT and SL Collins. 1995.
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760:University of Cincinnati alumni
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399:Powell R and JT Collins. 2012.
392:Conant R and JT Collins. 1998.
377:Collinses' mountain chorus frog
750:People from Perry County, Ohio
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403:: 2nd ed. Revised and Updates.
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408:Snakes: Ecology and Behavior.
358:Journal of Kansas Herpetology
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152:. He was the founder of the
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311:, which he coauthored with
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449:"Obituaries / LJWorld.com"
406:Seigel RA and JT Collins.
373:southeastern United States
130:Joseph Thomas Collins, Jr.
58:St. George Island, Florida
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381:Pseudacris collinsorum
301:Journal of Herpetology
197:relies excessively on
387:Selected bibliography
140:. A graduate of the
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421:Kansas Wildlife.
332:Honors and awards
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92:Scientific career
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132:(July 3, 1939,
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740:2012 deaths
735:1939 births
663:Collinsorum
453:ljworld.com
369:chorus frog
362:Collinsorum
319:Controversy
290:Kraig Adler
172:queen snake
102:Herpetology
65:Nationality
729:Categories
433:References
232:newspapers
199:references
167:Boy Scouts
160:Early life
146:amphibians
32:1939-07-03
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239:books
704:ISSN
225:news
148:and
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