Zug, George
Emeritius Research Zoologist
Zug, George
Emeritius Research Zoologist
Evolution and systematics of amphibians and reptiles, with emphasis on tropical Asian and South Pacific species; biology and systematics of turtles
Geographic Focus
Background And Education
Education And Training
- B.A., Albright College
- M.S., University of Florida
- Ph.D., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
Awards And Honors
Publications
Selected Publications
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Article
- Zug, George R. and Reese, Devin A. 2024. "Sex on the Half Shell." Natural History, 133, (6) 32–37. 2024
- Mulcahy, Daniel G., Ibáñez, Roberto D., Jaramillo, Cesar A., Crawford, Andrew J., Ray, Julie M., Gotte, Steve W., Jacobs, Jeremy F., Wynn, Addison H., Gonzalez-Porter, Gracia, McDiarmid, Roy W., Crombie, Ronald I., Zug, George R., and de Queiroz, Kevin. 2022. "DNA barcoding of the National Museum of Natural History reptile tissue holdings raises concerns about the use of natural history collections and the responsibilities of scientists in the molecular age." PLOS ONE, 17, (3). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0264930. 2022
- Miller, Aryeh H., Zug, George R., Wogan, Guinevere O. U., Lee, Justin L., and Mulcahy, Daniel G. 2021. "Phylogeny, Diversity, and Distribution of Micryletta (Anura: Microhylidae) in Myanmar." Ichthyology & Herpetology, 109, (1) 245–257. https://doi.org/10.1643/h2020100. 2021
- Avens, Larisa, Goshe, Lisa R., Zug, George R., Balazs, George H., Benson, Scott R., and Harris, Heather. 2019. "Regional comparison of leatherback sea turtle maturation attributes and reproductive longevity." Marine Biology, 167, (1) Article 4. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-019-3617-y. 2019
- Lee, Justin L., Miller, Aryeh H., Zug, George R., and Mulcahy, Daniel G. 2019. "The discovery of Rock Geckos Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) in the Tanintharyi Region, Myanmar with the description of two new species." Zootaxa, 4661, (1) 40–64. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4661.1.2. 2019
- Zug, George R., Mulcahy, Daniel G., Vindum, Jens V., and Wilkinson, Jeffery A. 2018. "Anurans of the Tanintharyi Region, Myanmar: a preview of increasing species diversity." Alytes, 36, (1–4) 266–275. 2018
- Mulcahy, Daniel G., Lee, Justin L., Miller, Aryeh H., Chand, Mia, Thura, Myint Kyaw, and Zug, George R. 2018. "Filling the BINs of life: Report of an amphibian and reptile survey of the Tanintharyi (Tenasserim) Region of Myanmar, with DNA barcode data." ZooKeys, 757 85–152. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.757.24453. 2018
- Lee, Justin L., Miller, Aryeh H., Connette, Grant M., Oo, Khin Swe, Zug, George R., and Mulcahy, Daniel G. 2018. "First record of the Malaysian Bridle Snake, Dryocalamus subannulatus (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854), in Myanmar (Reptilia, Serpentes, Colubridae)." Check List, 14, (2) 341–345. https://doi.org/10.15560/14.2.341. 2018
- Lee, Justin L., Vogel, Gernot, Miller, Aryeh H., and Zug, George R. 2018. "Rediscovery of Xenochrophis bellulus (Stoliczka, 1871) from Myanmar (Serpentes: Natricinae) with comments on its taxonomic status." Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 131, (1) 19–35. https://doi.org/10.2988/17-00025. 2018
- Grismer, L. L., Wood, Perry L.,Jr, Zug, George R., Thura, Myint Kyaw, Grismer, Marta S., Murdoch, Matthew L., Quah, Evan S. H., and Lin, Aung. 2018. "Two more new species of Hemiphyllodactylus Bleeker (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the Shan Hills of eastern Myanmar (Burma)." Zootaxa, 4483, (2) 295–316. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4483.2.4. 2018
- Connette, Grant M., Oswald, Patrick, Thura, Myint Kyaw, LaJeunesse Connette, Katherine J., Grindley, Mark E., Songer, Melissa A., Zug, George R., and Mulcahy, Daniel G. 2017. "Rapid forest clearing in a Myanmar proposed national park threatens two newly discovered species of geckos (Gekkonidae: Cyrtodactylus)." PLOS ONE, 12, (4) 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0174432. 2017
- Zug, George R., Mulcahy, Daniel G., and Vindum, Jens V. 2017. "Resurrection of Bronchocela burmana Blanford, 1878 for the Green Crested Lizard (Squamata, Agamidae) of southern Myanmar." ZooKeys, 657 141–156. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.657.11600. 2017
- Mulcahy, Daniel G., Lee, Justin L., Miller, Aryeh H., and Zug, George R. 2017. "Troublesome Trimes: Potential cryptic speciation of the Trimeresurus (Popeia) popeiorum complex (Serpentes: Crotalidae) around the Isthmus of Kra (Myanmar and Thailand)." Zootaxa, 4347, (2) 301–315. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4347.2.6. 2017
- Miller, Aryeh H. and Zug, George R. 2016. "An enigmatic ^Lygosoma^ (Reptilia: Squamata: Scincidae) from northern Myanmar." Herpetological Review, 47, (3) 373–374. 2016
- Miller, Aryeh H. and Zug, George R. 2016. "Morphology and Biology of the Asian Common Mockviper, Psammodynastes pulverulentus (Serpentes: Lamprophiidae): a focus on Burmese populations." Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 129, (1) 173–194. https://doi.org/10.2988/0006-324X-129.Q2.173. 2016
- Zug, George R. 2015. "Morphology and systematics of Kalophrynus interlineatus-pleurostigma populations (Anura, Microhylidae, Kalophryninae) and a taxonomy of the genus Kalophrynus Tschudi, Asian Sticky Frogs." Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, 62, (5) 135–190. 2015
- Lee, Justin L., Myint, Kyaw Thura, Mulcahy, Daniel G., and Zug, George R. 2015. "Three Colubrid Snakes New To Myanmar." Herpetology Notes, 8 217–220. 2015
- Nguyen, Truong Quang, Botov, Andreas, Le, Minh Duc, Nophaseud, Liphone, Zug, George R., Bonkowski, Michael, and Ziegler, Thomas. 2014. "A new species of Hemiphyllodactylus (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) from northern Laos." Zootaxa, 3827, (1) 45–56. 2014
- Zug, George R. and Kaiser, Hinrich. 2014. "A new species of four-toed skink (Squamata: Scincidae: Carlia peronii species group) from Pulau Sukur, Indonesia, and biogeographic notes on the herpetofauna of Flores and Komodo." Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 126, (4) 379–392. https://doi.org/10.2988/0006-324X-126.4.379. 2014
- Zug, George R. 2014. "Comment on the proposed confirmation of the availability of Spracklandus Hoser, 2009 (Reptilia, Squamata, Elapidae)." The Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature, 71, (4) 252–253. 2014
- Mulcahy, Daniel G., Martínez-Gómez, Juan E., Aguirre-León, Gustavo, Cervantes-Pasqualli, Juan, and Zug, George R. 2014. "Rediscovery of an Endemic Vertebrate from the Remote Islas Revillagigedo in the Eastern Pacific Ocean: The Clarión Nightsnake Lost and Found." PLoS ONE, 9, (5) 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0097682. 2014
- Zug, George R. and Kaiser, Hinrich. 2013. "Kalophrynus Tschudi, 1838 (Amphibia, Anura, Microhylidae): proposed conservation by designation of a neotype for its type species Kalophrynus pleurostigma Tschudi, 1838." The Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature, 70, (2) 86–88. 2013
- Fisher, Robert N., Uili, Moeumu, Enoka, Fialelei, and Zug, George R. 2013. "Clarifying the distributional records for Hemiphyllodactylus typus (Bleeker, 1860) from Central Oceania." Herpetology Notes, 6 247–250. 2013
- Zug, George R. and Kaiser, Hinrich. 2013. "Comment on the proposed conservation of Kalophrynus Tschudi, 1838 (Amphibia, Anura, Microhylidae) by designation of a neotype for its type species Kalophrynus pleurostigma Tschudi, 1838." The Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature, 71, (1) 28. 2013
- Böhm, Monika, Collen, Ben, Baillie, Jonathan E. M., Bowles, Philip, Chanson, Janice, Cox, Neil, Hammerson, Geoffrey, Hoffmann, Michael, Livingstone, Suzanne R., Ram, Mala, Rhodin, Anders G. J., Stuart, Simon N., van Dijk, Peter Paul, Young, Bruce E., Afuang, Leticia E., Aghasyan, Aram, García, Andrés, Aguilar, César, Ajtic, Rastko, Akarsu, Ferdi, Alencar, Laura R. V., Allison, Allen, Ananjeva, Natalia, Anderson, Steve, Andrén, Claes et al. 2013. "The conservation status of the world's reptiles." Biological Conservation, 157 372–385. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2012.07.015. 2013
- Zug, George R. 2012. "A new species of treeskink (Squamata: Scincidae: Emoia samoensis species group) from Rotuma, south-central Pacific." Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 125, (1) 74–84. https://doi.org/10.2988/11-24.1. 2012
- Zug, George R. and Fisher, R. N. 2012. "A preliminary assessment of the Nactus pelagicus species group (Squamata: Gekkonidae) in New Guinea and a new species from the Admiralty Islands." Zootaxa, 3257 22–37. 2012
- Zug, George R. 2012. "Lizards of Tonga with a description of a new Tongan treeskink (Squamata: Scincidae: Emoia samoensis Group)." Pacific Science, 66, (2) 225–237. https://doi.org/10.2984/66.2.9. 2012
- Zug, George R., Hamilton, Alison M., and Austin, Christopher C. 2011. "A new Emoia samoensis group lizard (Squamata: Scincidae) from the Cook Islands, South-central Pacific." Zootaxa, 2765 47–57. 2011
- Zug, George R., Gotte, Steve W., and Jacobs, Jeremy F. 2011. "Pythons in Burma: Short-tailed Pythons (Reptilia: Squamata)." Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 124, (2) 112–136. https://doi.org/10.2988/10-34.1. 2011
- Austin, Christopher C., Rittmeyer, Eric N., Oliver, Lauren A., Andermann, John O., Zug, George R., Rodda, Gordon H., and Jackson, Nathan D. 2011. "The bioinvasion of Guam: inferring geographic origin, pace, pattern and process of an invasive lizard (Carlia) in the Pacific using multi-locus genomic data." Biological Invasions, 13, (9) 1951–1967. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-011-0014-y. 2011
- Zug, George R. 2010. "An Outlying Carlia Population from Java and Comments on Species Groups within the Genus Carlia (Reptilia: Squamata: Scincidae)." Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, 61, (8) 389–408. 2010
- Hamilton, Alison M., Zug, George R., and Austin, Christopher C. 2010. "Biogeographic anomaly or human introduction: a tree skink (Reptilia: Squamata) in the Cook Islands?" Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 100 318–328. 2010
- Austin, Christopher C., Rittmeyer, Eric N., Richards, Stephen J., and Zug, George R. 2010. "Molecular phylogeny, historical biogeography and body size evolution in Pacific crocodile skinks Tribolonotus (Squamata; Scincidae)." Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 57 227–236. 2010
- Zug, George R., Jacobs, Jeremy F., Vindum, Jens V., and Win, Kyi Soe. 2010. "Non-reproductive seasonal colour change in a population of Calotes "versicolor" from Myanmar (Squamata: Agamidae)." Salamandra, 46, (2) 104–107. 2010
- Furness, Andrew I., McDiarmid, Roy W., Heyer, W. Ronald, and Zug, George R. 2010. "Oviduct modifications in foam-nesting frogs, with emphasis on the genus Leptodactylus (Amphibia, Leptodactylidae)." South American Journal of Herpetology, 5, (1) 13–29. https://doi.org/10.2994/057.005.0102. 2010
- Balmer, Oliver, Ciofi, Claudio, Galbraith, David A., Swingland, Ian R., Zug, George R., and Caccone, Adalgisa. 2010. "Population genetic structure of Aldabra giant tortoises." The Journal of Heredity, 102, (1) 29–37. https://doi.org/10.1093/jhered/esq096. 2010
- Watling, Dick, Wynn, Addison H., and Zug, George R. 2010. "Rediscovery of the Taveuni blind snake." Oryx, 44, (2) 165–166. 2010
- Zug, George R., Vindum, Jens J., Jacobs, Jeremy F., Lwin, Kyi Soe, and Win, Ye Myo. 2009. "Calotes "versicolor" (Burmese garden lizard). Gliding." Herpetological Review, 40, (3) 340–341. 2009
- Zug, George R. 2009. "Comments on the proposed conservation of usage of Testudo gigantea Schweigger, 1812 (currently Geochelone (Aldabrachelys) gigantea; Reptilia, Testudines) (Case 3463)." The Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature, 66, (1) 80–80. 2009
- Curtin, A. J., Zug, George R., and Spotila, J. R. 2009. "Longevity and growth strategies of the desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) in two American deserts." Journal of Arid Environments, 73, (4-5) 463–471. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2008.11.011. 2009
- Curtin, A. J., Zug, George R., Medic, P. A., and Spotila, J. R. 2008. "Assessing age in the desert tortoise Gopherus agassizii: testing skeletochronology with individuals of known age." Endangered Species Research, 5, (1) 21–27. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00108. 2008
- Mahony, Stephen and Zug, George R. 2008. "Hemidactylus karenorum (Squamata, Gekkonidae) in India." Hamadryad, 32, (1) 73–75. 2008
- Zug, George R., Balazs, George H., Wetherall, Jerry A., Parker, Denise M., and Murakawa, Shawn K. K. 2007. "Age and growth of Hawaiian green seaturtles (Chelonia mydas): an analysis based on skeletochronology." Fishery Bulletin, 117–127. 2007
- McMahan, Caleb D. and Zug, George R. 2007. "Burmese Hemidactylus (Reptilia, Squamata, Gekkonidae): geographic variation in the morphology of Hemidactylus bowringii in Myanmar and Yunnan." Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, 58, (24) 485–509. 2007
- Zug, George R., Vindum, Jens J., and Koo, Michelle. 2007. "Burmese Hemidactylus (Reptilia, Squamata, Gekkonidae): taxonomic notes on tropical Asian Hemidactylus." Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences, 58, (19) 387–405. 2007
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Book
- Zug, George R. and Reese, Devin A. 2024. Tortoises of the World: Giants to Dwarfs. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press. 2024
- Reese, Devin A. and Zug, George R. 2023. Bibliography of Tortoises of the World Giants to Dwarfs. Washington, DC: Division of Amphibians and Reptiles, National Museum of Natural History. In Smithsonian Herpetological Information Service, 161. 2023
- Zug, George R. 2022. Amphibians and Reptiles of Myanmar: Checklist and Keys. I. Amphibians, Crocodilians, and Turtles. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Scholarly Press. In Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology, 653. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.19098995. 2022
- Zug, George R. and Mulcahy, Daniel G. 2020. Identification Guide Amphibians & Reptiles of South Tanintharyi. Yangon: Fauna & Flora International. 2020
- Zug, George R. 2013. Literature resources For “Reptiles And Amphibians Of The Pacific Islands: a comprehensive guide”. In Smithsonian Herpetological Information Service, 143. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.23317515.143.1. 2013
- Zug, George R. 2013. Reptiles and Amphibians of the Pacific Islands: a comprehensive guide. Berkeley: University of California Press. 2013
- Zug, George R. 2012. Data resources for Tropical Asian Dry Forest Amphibians and Reptiles. Smithsonian Institution. In Smithsonian Herpetological Information Service, 141. 2012
- Zug, George R. 2010. Speciation and dispersal in a low diversity taxon: the Slender Geckos Hemiphyllodactylus (Reptilia, Gekkonidae). In Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology, 631. https://doi.org/10.5479/si.00810282.631. 2010
- Leviton, A. E., Zug, George R., Vindum, J. V., and Wogan, Guinevere O. U. 2008. Handbook to the Dangerously Venomous Snakes of Myanmar. San Francisco: California Academy of Sciences. 2008
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Chapter
- Kaiser, Hinrich, Zug, George R., and Bauer, Aaron M. 2018. "Germany’s Zoological Collections: an International and Personal View on an Important Historical and Contemporary Scientific Resource." In Zoological Collections of Germany. Beck, L. A., editor. 7–15. Springer International Publications. 2018
- Gotte, Steve W., Jacobs, Jeremy F., and Zug, George R. 2016. "Preserving reptiles for research." In Reptile Ecology and Conservation, A Handbook of Techniques. Dodd, C. Kenneth, Jr., editor. 73–86. London: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198726135.003.0006. 2016
- Zug, George R. 2011. "Tropical Asian Dry Forest Amphibians and Reptiles: A regional comparison of ecological communities." In The Ecology and Conservation of Seasonally Dry Forest in Asia. McShea, William J., Davies, Stuart James, and Bjumpakpjan, Naris, editors. 275–303. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press. 2011
- Zug, George R. 2009. "Reptiles (Vertebrata: Reptilia) of the Gulf of Mexico." In Gulf of Mexico origin, waters, and biota. Volume 1, Biodiversity. Felder, Darryl L. and Camp, David K., editors. 1317–1320. College Station, TX: Texas A&M Press. 2009
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Review
- Zug, George R. 2024. [Book review] "A Paradise for Reptiles. Lizards, Snakes, and Giant Tortoises of the Galapagos Islands. Volume 1. Tortoises, Geckos, and Snakes." Ichthyology and Herpetology, 112, (2), 2024
Affiliation
Member Of
- Division of Amphibians and Reptiles
- International Union for the Conservation of Nature SSC Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group
- NMNH - Dept. of Vertebrate Zoology
Contact
Location
- National Museum of Natural History Academic Department
