Brad Moon's publications

Shortcuts to: Research Papers, Miscellaneous Publications, and my Address for requesting reprints or more information

Journal covers with my photographs (needs updating).

Media Coverage

Our 2016 paper in Biology Letters was covered by diverse media, including Science, Nature, Smithsonian, Discover Magazine, Science News, Live Science, Phys.org, IFL Science, Daily Mail UK, Los Angeles Times, Huffington Post, and various local news media

Journal of Experimental Biology. 209, Outside JEB commentary on Moon & Tullis, 2006

National Geographic Explorer, "Super Snake" episode, first aired January, 2006

Discovery Channel, "Anatomy of a Snake Bite" episode, first aired July, 2004

Journal of Experimental Biology 205(5): 502. Phillips, Kathryn. 2002. Furious and Fast.

Natural History magazine. Zimmer, Carl. November 2000. Dangerous Curves.

Peer-Reviewed Research Papers

Penning David A., Baxter Sawvel, and Brad R. Moon. 2016 Debunking the viper’s strike: harmless snakes kill a common assumption. Biology Letters 12:20160011. Cover photograph published on issue 12(4).

Penning David A., Schuyler F. Dartez, and Brad R. Moon. 2015. The big squeeze: scaling of constriction pressure in two of the world’s largest snakes, Python reticulatus and Python molurus bivittatus. Journal of Experimental Biology 218(21):3364–3367. Cover photograph also published with this paper.

Delahoussaye, A. James, Brad R. Moon, and Mark A. Rees. 2015. Zooarchaeology of the portage mounds site (16SM5) in southern Louisiana. Louisiana Archaeology 39:5–31 (issue dated 2012, published 2015).

Hampton, Paul M. and Brad R. Moon. 2012. Gape size, its morphological basis, and the validity of gape indices in western diamond-backed rattlesnakes (Crotalus atrox). Journal of Morphology 274:194-202.

Olivier, Heather M. and Brad R. Moon. 2010. The herbicide atrazine disrupts the symbiotic relationship between amphibian embryos and a symbiotic alga. Ecotoxicology 19:654–661.

Moon, Brad R. and Rabatsky, Ali M. 2009. Is there an optimal length for the rattlesnake rattle? Pp. 101-110 in: W.K. Hayes, K.R. Beaman, M.D. Cardwell, and S.P. Bush (Editors), The Biology of Rattlesnakes. Loma Linda University Press, Loma Linda, California.

Savitzky, Alan H. and Brad R. Moon. 2008. Tail Morphology in the Western Diamond-backed Rattlesnake, Crotalus atrox. Journal of Morphology 269:935-944.

Vincent, Shawn E., Brad R. Moon, Anthony Herrel, and Nathan J. Kley. 2007. Are ontogenetic shifts in diet linked to shifts in feeding mechanics? Scaling of the feeding system in the banded watersnake, Nerodia fasciata. Journal of Experimental Biology 210:2057-2069. Cover photograph published on issue 210(12).

Moon, Brad R. and Rita S. Mehta. 2007. Constriction strength in snakes. In: R.W. Henderson and R. Powell (Editors), Biology of the Boas and Pythons, Pp. 207-212. Eagle Mountain Publishing LC.

Moon, Brad R. 2006. From Physiology to Fitness: The Costs of a Defensive Adaptation in Rattlesnakes. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology 79:133-139.

Moon, Brad R. and Alexa Tullis. 2006. The Ontogeny of Contractile Performance and Metabolic Capacity in a High-Frequency Muscle. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology 79:20-30.

Vincent, Shawn E., Brad R. Moon, Richard Shine, and Anthony Herrel. 2006. The functional meaning of "prey size" in water snakes (Nerodia fasciata, Colubridae). Oecologia 147:204-211.

Moon, Brad R., Craig S. Ivanyi, and Janice Johnson. 2004. Identifying Individual Rattlesnakes Using Tail Pattern Variation. Herpetological Review.

Moon, Brad R., Michael R. Urquhart, Stan L. Lindstedt and Kevin E. Conley. 2003. Minimal shortening in a high frequency muscle. Journal of Experimental Biology 206(8):1291-1297.

Moon, Brad R., Travis J. LaDuc, Robert Dudley, and Andrew Chang. 2002. A twist to the rattlesnake tail. In Topics in Functional and Ecological Vertebrate Morphology (eds. Aerts, P., D'Août, K., Herrel, A., and Van Damme, R.), pp. 63-76. Maastricht: Shaker Publishing B.V. ISBN 90-423-0204-6.

Moon, Brad R., J. Johanna Hopp, and Kevin E. Conley. 2002 Mechanical tradeoffs explain how performance increases without increasing cost in rattlesnake tailshaker muscle. Journal of Experimental Biology, 205:667-675. Cover photograph published on 205(5).

Moon, Brad R. 2001. Muscle physiology and the evolution of the rattling system in rattlesnakes. Journal of Herpetology 35:497-500.

Moon, Brad R. and William P. Leonard. 2001. A semiarboreal nest of the American shrew-mole, Neurotrichus gibbsii. Northwestern Naturalist 82:26-27.

Moon, Brad R. 2000. The mechanics of swallowing and the muscular control of diverse behaviours in gopher snakes. Journal of Experimental Biology 203:2589-2601.

Moon, Brad R. 2000. The mechanics and muscular control of constriction in gopher snakes (Pituophis melanoleucus) and a king snake (Lampropeltis getula). Journal of Zoology, London 252:83-98.

Moon, Brad R. 1999. Testing an inference of function from structure: Snake vertebrae do the twist. Journal of Morphology 241:217-225.

Moon, Brad R. and Carl Gans. 1998. Kinematics, muscular activity, and propulsion in gopher snakes. Journal of Experimental Biology 201:2669-2684.

Moon, Brad R. and Teresa Candy. 1997. Muscular and coelomic cross-sectional areas in three families of snakes. Journal of Herpetology 31:37-44.

Moon, Brad R. 1996. Sampling rates, aliasing, and the analysis of electrophysiological signals. Proceedings of the Fifteenth Southern Biomedical Engineering Conference, pp. 401-404.

Zug, George R. and Brad R. Moon. 1995. Systematics of the South Pacific slender-toed geckos, Nactus pelagicus complex: Oceania, Vanuatu, and Solomon Islands populations. Herpetologica 51:77-90.

Miscellaneous Publications

Rabatsky, Ali M., Travis LaDuc, Brad R. Moon. 2013. Crotalus catalinensis (Santa Catalina Island rattlesnake) diet. Herpetological Review 44(2):329–330.

Moon, Brad R., A. James Delahoussaye, Mark Rees, Alexandra P. Avarado, and Tiffany Arnold. 2012. “Frogzilla” and Other Amphibians from the Portage Mounds Site. Newsletter of the Louisiana Archaeological Society 40(2):10–11.

Perry, Gad, J. Bertoluci, B. Bury, R.W. Hansen, R. Jehle, J. Measey, B.R. Moon, E. Muths, and M.A.L. Zuffi. 2012. The "Peer" in "Peer Review." Herpetologica 68:1–2. (Joint editorial on the importance of peer review in scientific progress, and the current obstacles and solutions to these challenges; also re-published in the Journal of Herpetology, Phyllomedusa, Herpetological Conservation and Biology, Herpetological Review, Herpetological Journal, African Journal of Herpetology, Journal of Herpetology, and Acta Herpetologica)

Delahoussaye, A. James and Moon, Brad R. 2006. Nerodia rhombifer. Deep foraging. Herpetological Review 37(4):479.

Moon, Brad R., P. Matthew Conn, and Ali M. Rabatsky. 2004. Agkistrodon contortrix. Maximum Prey Size. Herpetological Review.

Moon, Brad R. and Ali M. Rabatsky. 2004. Bogertophis subocularis. Prey. Herpetological Review.

Herpetology web page for the Burke Museum, University of Washington

Photographs published on Amphibia Web

Photographs published in: Ernst, C. and Ernst, E. 2003. Snakes of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution Press.

Photographs published in: Robert Hofrichter, editor. 2000. Amphibians: The world of frogs, toads, salamanders, and caecilians. Willowdale, Ontario: Firefly books.

Moon Brad R. 1998. Photographing herps in the field: A book review plus some novel techniques. Reptile and Amphibian Magazine 52: 50-55.

Address for requesting reprints or more information

Brad.Moon(at)louisiana.edu

or, via US mail:

Brad Moon
Department of Biology
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
Lafayette, LA 70504-43602


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Updated April 2016