Herpetology Department Administration, 1955-1999

The administrative and subject files include records pertaining to the management of the Herpetology Department, administration of the Society in general, Behler’s leadership roles in other conservation and zoo groups, and Behler’s research and topical files. The Herpetology records document the management of the Zoo’s reptile and amphibian collections. Other major topics include antivenin, budgets, Reptile House construction and renovation projects, and the Tortuguero turtle tagging project. The materials pertaining to the Society at large document Behler’s roles in various NYZS and WCS committees, programs, and projects. Major topics include Astor Court Planning, the Exploration and Scientific Collection Committee (ESCC), Project Noah, the Safety Committee, and the Society’s Wildlife Survival Center on Saint Catherines Island, Georgia. The zoo and conservation group records pertain to Behler’s involvement in the Komodo Monitor Consortium, the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles and its various component groups and committees, and the Association of Zoos and Aquarium’s Wildlife Conservation and Management Committee (WCMC). Behler’s research and topical files document a variety of subjects and projects, including the Croton Landfill Blue Ribbon Panel, reptile reproduction, endangered species, ticks, and studies on various aspects of the care of captive reptiles and amphibians.