Nebraska Herpetofaunal Atlas

Biographies of Kansas Herpetologists

Kansas is exceptional in its history of noted herpetologists; many were born here, some lived in Kansas during formative periods of their lives, while others made significant discoveries just while passing through. These biographies acknowledge their individual efforts and provide context to their life and times. They also attempt, as possible, to put faces to the names listed often in the KHA. The cumulative results of their work are simultaneously inspirational and humbling.


Suzanne L. Collins (right) and Joseph T. Collins ca. 2010. Photo by Larry L. Miller.

COLLINS, SUZANNE L.
Suzanne Louise Collins (14 July 1936)

Suzanne L. Collins married Joseph T. Collins in 1984 and that relationship opened a new world of wildlife and photography for her. She was the Assistant to the Dean for the School of Education at The University of Kansas in Lawrence, retiring in December 1998 after over 30 years at the university. Upon her retirement, the KU School of Education established the Suzanne L. Collins Endowed Scholarship. Suzanne was a finalist for KU Employee of the Year in 1983 and was recognized as the KU School of Education Professional Staff Employee of the Year in both 1991 and 1998. In January 1999, she was recognized by the Kansas House of Representatives for her photography and books. She was named the Conservation Communicator of the Year for 2000 by the Kansas Wildlife Federation.
She is currently the Secretary-Treasurer and a Member of the Board of Directors of The Center for North American Herpetology, a non-profit 501c3 foundation headquartered in Lawrence. Served as President of the Kansas Herpetological Society, former member of the University of Kansas School of Education National Advisory Board, and is the President of JTC Enterprises, an environmental consulting firm.
Suzanne is a wildlife photographer of national stature whose striking color images have appeared in many books and in magazines such as The Nature Conservancy, The World & I, Natural History, Ranger Rick, Reptile and Amphibian Hobbyist, Country Journal, and Kansas Wildlife and Parks Magazine.
Her photographs entitled Amphibians in Kansas have been exhibited at the Natural History Museum at the University of Kansas. Her photographs have been displayed in the Prairie Center (Wichita), Bronx Zoo Reptile House, Tennessee Aquarium (Chattanooga), and in the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibit on Declining Amphibians. In addition, her photographs were featured in an Interactive Video Program on Kansas Wildlife developed by the KU School of Education. Her images now appear worldwide on numerous Internet web sites, and are featured on the web site of The Center for North American Herpetology.
She has a professional image collection of amphibians, turtles, and reptiles totaling over 15,000 the best of which are promoted by her agent, Photo Researchers, New York. In addition, Ms. Collins has a large slide collection of wildlife habitats and scenes. A number of her photographs have been used on postcards featuring the state of Kansas. In 1998, some of her photographs were selected for use on the Kansas Governor’s website. Her images have been used on natural history posters nationwide, most recently on Montana and Nebraska wildlife posters. In 1999, her photographs were featured on the widely acclaimed Venomous Snakes of Kansas poster.
Suzanne was the 1990 recipient of the 6th Annual Chickadee Checkoff Photography Award, sponsored by the Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks to promote the conservation of nongame wildlife. Her winning photograph was of a Crawfish Frog from Linn County, Kansas, near the Marais des Cygnes Wildlife Refuges. The photograph appeared in Kansas Wildlife & Parks Magazine and has been used on posters and in brochures to promote Kansas wildlife conservation. The Kansas Herpetological Society presents The Suzanne L. and Joseph T. Collins Award (established to recognize, in odd-numbered years, Suzanne’s photography) for the best photograph of a Kansas amphibian, turtle, or reptile. The Collins Award is an award of $1000.00.
The Collinses' Mountain Chorus Frog (Pseudacris collinsorum) was named in honor of Suzanne and Joe Collins in 2020 by (Ospina, Tieu, Apodaca, and Emily Moriarty-Lemmon. Copeia. 108 (4): 778–795). This species ranges from southwestern North Carolina/southeastern Tennessee, south through northern Georgia to most of Alabama (south of the Tennessee River), and west to northeastern Mississippi.
Last Updated: 1/25/2023 10:43:28 AM
Relevant Literature: 43 publications
1991 Collins, Joseph T. and Suzanne L. Collins. Reptiles and Amphibians of the Cimarron National Grasslands, Morton County, Kansas. U. S. Forest Service, Elkhart, Kansas. 60pp.
1991 Collins, Joseph T., Suzanne L. Collins, Bob Gress, and Gerald Wiens. Kansas Wildlife. University Press of Kansas, Lawrence. pp.
1993 Collins, Joseph T. and Suzanne L. Collins. Amphibians and Reptiles in Kansas. Third Edition. University Press of Kansas, Lawrence, Lawrence. 397pp.
1993 Collins, Joseph T. and Suzanne L. Collins. Reptiles and Amphibians of Cheyenne Bottoms. Hearth Publishing, Hillsboro, Kansas. pp.
1994 Collins, Joseph T., Suzanne L. Collins, and Bob Gress. Kansas Wetlands: A Wildlife Treasury. University Press of Kansas, Lawrence. pp.
1995 Collins, Joseph T., Suzanne L. Collins, Jerry Horak, Daniel Mulhern, William H. Busby, Craig C. Freeman, and G. Wallace. An Illustrated Guide to Endangered or Threatened Species in Kansas. University Press of Kansas, Lawrence. pp.
1996 Collins, Joseph T. and Suzanne L. Collins. A Guide to Great Snakes of Kansas. Western Resources, Topeka, Kansas. pp.
2000 Moriarty, Emily C., Suzanne L. Collins, and Joseph T. Collins. Geographic distribution. Gastrophryne olivacea. Herpetological Review 31(1):50
2001 Collins, Joseph T. and Suzanne L. Collins. A Guide to Great Snakes of Kansas. 2nd ed. Western Resources, Topeka, Kansas. pp.
2002 Collins, Joseph T., Travis W. Taggart Curtis J. Schmidt, and Suzanne L. Collins. Geographic distribution: Phrynosoma cornutum. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (2):10-11
2002 Collins, Suzanne L. Geographic distribution: Thamnophis radix. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (4):14
2002 Collins, Suzanne L. and Joseph T. Collins. Size maxima: Arizona elegans. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (4):4
2002 Collins, Suzanne L. and Travis W. Taggart. KHS field trips: Past and future. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (2):12-13
2002 Collins, Suzanne L., Joseph T. Collins, and Eric Kessler. Geographic distribution: Lampropeltis calligaster. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (3):13
2003 Collins, Suzanne L. An arboreal Timber Rattlesnake. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (6):7
2004 Collins, Suzanne L. Geographic distribution. Pituophis catenifer. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (11):14
2004 Collins, Suzanne L. and Joseph T. Collins. Life history notes. Storeria dekayi. Reproduction. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (12):18
2006 Collins, Joseph T. and Suzanne L. Collins. A Pocket Guide to Kansas Snakes. 1st ed. Great Plains Nature Center, Wichita, Kansas. pp.
2006 Collins, Joseph T. and Suzanne L. Collins. Amphibians, Turtles and Reptiles of Cheyenne Bottoms. 2nd ed. Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Fort Hays State University, Hays, Kansas. pp.
2006 Collins, Joseph T. and Suzanne L. Collins. Ninth annual running of the lizards. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (20):8
2006 Collins, Joseph T. and Suzanne L. Collins. Washburn University herpetology class field trip. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (20):9
2006 Collins, Suzanne L. Barber County herpetofaunal count. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (19):6
2006 Collins, Suzanne L. East central Kansas herpetofaunal count. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (19):7
2006 Collins, Suzanne L., Joseph T. Collins, and Travis W. Taggart. Longton area herp count. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (19):6-7
2007 Collins, Suzanne L. Ellis County herpetofaunal count. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (23):8
2007 Collins, Suzanne L. Geographic distribution. Trachemys scripta. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (24):15
2007 Collins, Suzanne L., Travis W. Taggart, and Joseph T. Collins. Linn County herpetofaunal count. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (23):9
2009 Collins, Joseph T. and Suzanne L. Collins. A Pocket Guide to Kansas Snakes. 2nd ed. Great Plains Nature Center, Wichita, Kansas. pp.
2009 Collins, Joseph T. and Suzanne L. Collins. Geographic distribution. Regina grahamii. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (30):11
2009 Collins, Joseph T., Suzanne L. Collins, and Travis W. Taggart. A follow-up evaluation of two anuran repatriations in southeastern and southwestern Kansas. Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Pratt. 15pp.
2009 Collins, Suzanne L. Geographic distribution. Phrynosoma cornutum (Texas Horned Lizard). Journal of Kansas Herpetology (29):7
2009 Collins, Suzanne L., Travis W. Taggart, and Joseph T. Collins. Cherokee County herpetofaunal count. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (31):6
2009 Pearce, Michael, Suzanne L. Collins, Travis W. Taggart, and Joseph T. Collins. Elk County Herpetofaunal Count. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (31):7
2010 Collins, Joseph T., Suzanne L. Collins, and Travis W. Taggart. Amphibians, Reptiles, and Turtles of Kansas. Eagle Mountain Publishing., Provo, Utah. 400pp.
2010 Collins, Suzanne L. Barton County Herpetofaunal Count. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (35):6
2010 Collins, Suzanne L. and Joseph T. Collins. East-Central County Herpetofaunal Count. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (35):6
2010 Collins, Suzanne L. and Joseph T. Collins. Geographic Distribution: Tropidoclonion lineatum (Lined Snake). Journal of Kansas Herpetology (33):6
2010 Collins, Suzanne L. and Joseph T. Collins. Woodson County Herpetofaunal Count. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (35):9
2010 Collins, Suzanne L., Travis W. Taggart, and Joseph T. Collins. Red Hills Herpetofaunal Count. Journal of Kansas Herpetology (35):8
2011 Collins, Joseph T., Suzanne L. Collins, and Travis W. Taggart. Amphibians, Reptiles, and Turtles of the Cimarron National Grassland, Kansas. Second (Revised) Edition. U. S. Forest Service, . pp.
2012 Collins, Suzanne L. and Travis W. Taggart. Joseph Thomas Collins, Jr. 1939-2012. Collinsorum 1(1):3
2015 Collins, Joseph T., Suzanne L. Collins, and Travis W. Taggart. A Pocket Guide to Kansas Snakes. Fifth Edition. Friends of the Great Plains Nature Center, Wichita, Kansas. 67pp.
2022 Meshaka, Walter E. Jr., R. Bruce Bury, Suzanne L. Collins, and Malcolm L. McCallum. Exotic Amphibians and Reptiles of the United States. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, Florida. 245pp.


Travis W. Taggart © 1999-2026 — w/ Sternberg Museum of Natural History, Fort Hays State University