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                  <text>The research in this publication was partially or fully funded by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

Dan Prenzlow, Director, Colorado Parks and Wildlife • Parks and Wildlife Commission: Marvin McDaniel, Chair • Carrie Besnette Hauser, Vice-Chair
Marie Haskett, Secretary • Taishya Adams • Betsy Blecha • Charles Garcia • Dallas May • Duke Phillips, IV • Luke B. Schafer • James Jay Tutchton • Eden Vardy

�18 TECHNIQUES

TECHNIQUES
Herpetological Review, 2015, 46(1), 18–22.
© 2015 by Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles

Using Digital Photographs and Pattern Recognition to
Identify Individual Boreal Toads (Anaxyrus boreas boreas)
Individual identification of animals can provide an array of
useful capture-mark-recapture information, allowing researchers
to estimate survival, movement, abundance, recruitment, and
capture probability (Williams et al. 2002). This information can
yield valuable insight to field investigators regarding a species’ life
history (Davis and Ovaska 2001; Phillott et al. 2007). Techniques
used to identify individuals of many species have been developed
and refined to gather this information. Toe clipping, PIT tagging,
polymers and pigments, branding, and pattern mapping are all
viable techniques for identifying individuals of many amphibian
species (Donnelly et al. 1994; Davis and Ovaska 2001).
In addition to its potential utility in field investigations, individual identification is often important in captive populations.
Knowing the identity of individuals allows accurate documentation of animal origin and breeding history, providing essential information when selecting individuals to breed in order to maintain a healthy, genetically diverse population. These goals are the
impetus for the keeping of studbooks for a number of imperiled
and critically endangered amphibian species. Individual identification capability may also facilitate the separation of brood stocks
without the need to apply other marks.
Choosing the technique that best suits the species of interest
as well as satisfying the questions at hand is important when
determining how to identify individuals (Osbourn et al. 2011).
In order to use pattern recognition as a capture-mark-recapture
technique, the pattern on the animal should be distinguishable,
remain stable, and be unique to the individual (Osbourn et al.
2011). These characteristics must be examined in any species for
ANDREW W. NORDICK
Aquatic Research Group, Colorado Parks and Wildlife
2300 South Townsend, Montrose, Colorado 81401, USA
KEVIN G. THOMPSON*
Aquatic Research Group, Colorado Parks and Wildlife
2300 South Townsend, Montrose, Colorado 81401, USA
e-mail: kevin.thompson@state.co.us
KAMI Z. FOX**
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
4250 Cheyenne Mountain Road, Colorado Springs,
Colorado 80906, USA
*Corresponding author; e-mail: kevin.thompson@state.co.us
**Current address: Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo,
3411 Sherman Blvd., Fort Wayne, Indiana 46808, USA

which pattern recognition is evaluated as a method. When not all
of these pattern characteristics are present, false identifications
may result (Kenyon et al. 2009). However, patterns that are unique
and stable constitute the ideal mark because they cannot be lost,
and concerns over deleterious marking effects that could affect
results are minimized (Beausoleil et al. 2004).
In the past, pattern mapping has been a time consuming,
demanding technique because an investigator had to either sketch
the pattern of the specimen or wait to develop film (Donnelly
et al. 1994; Plăiaşu et al. 2005), accompanied by the uncertainty
over the quality of photographs taken. Recently, the affordability
and quality of digital cameras have made pattern mapping
more feasible. The ability to take, assess the quality, and retake a
photograph while the specimen is still available makes pattern
mapping and digital photography a suitable option (Bradfield
2004). Furthermore, digital photographs are less intrusive than PIT
tagging or toe clipping; there are no wounds or potential infection
sites created when taking a digital photo (Carafa and Biondi 2004;
Plăiaşu et al. 2005). These advantages make digital photographs
for individual identification appealing, especially when working
with a state endangered species such as the Boreal Toad (Anaxyrus
boreas boreas) in Colorado.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) maintains a captive
population of approximately 700 Boreal Toads at its Native
Aquatic Species Restoration Facility (NASRF) for which unique
identifications are necessary. Implanting captive toads with PIT
tags seemed a logical choice given apparent high retention rates
in wild toads (e.g., Scherer et al. 2008; Muths et al. 2010; Pilliod
et al. 2010). However, long-term retention rates of PIT tags in our
captive population have been much less than 50%, despite being
implanted by the same individual who implanted PIT tags into the
toads in the Muths et al. (2010) study (K. B. Rogers, pers. comm.).
Hatchery toads were smaller on average than wild adult toads,
so size at tagging may have had an effect. Whatever the cause of
this excessive tag loss, it was clear that CPW would not be able to
rely on PIT tags to identify individuals in this captive population.
Toe clipping, although a generally reliable, inexpensive method
to identify individuals, was deemed unsuitable for identifying
the toads housed at NASRF because of the large number of toe
removal combinations that would be required.
To find a more viable and reliable option, we explored
phenotypic characteristics of the Boreal Toad. The Boreal Toad’s
ventral morphology consists of a cream-colored belly, creating
a contrasting backdrop to the black markings on the belly. The

Herpetological Review 46(1), 2015

�TECHNIQUES

19

Fig. 1. Three photos taken of the same toad at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo demonstrate pattern stability over 10 months representing the
first year of life, in September 2007 (34 mm SVL, 4.2 g, left, age 2 months post-metamorphosis), February 2008 (44 mm SVL, 8.0 g, middle, age
7 months post-metamorphosis), and July 2008 (47 mm SVL, 9.2 g, right, 12 months post-metamorphosis).

resulting stark contrast makes the Boreal Toad a good candidate
for pattern mapping. However, it was unknown if belly patterns
remained unchanged as recent metamorphs or yearling toads
mature to adults. Our goal was to assess the suitability of belly
pattern recognition using photography as an alternative method
to identify hatchery brood toads, and to ascertain whether Boreal
Toad belly patterns are stable through growth and time.
Methods
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.—In August 2007, 38 Boreal Toads
originating from a single clutch and aged about 1.5 months
post metamorphosis were transferred from NASRF to Cheyenne
Mountain Zoo (CMZ) in Colorado Springs, Colorado to assess
the uniqueness and stability of the belly patterns as they aged
and gained size. There, toads were randomly assigned to one of
two rearing tanks (N = 19 each tank). They were photographed,
measured (snout–vent length, mm) and weighed (g) initially on
September 8 and each toad was assigned a unique identification
number that was annotated onto the original digital photographs.
These became the reference photographs. All toads were
subsequently photographed once each month from October
2007 through February 2008, then in April and July 2008. Eighteen
toads in each tank were implanted with PIT tags at the April 2008
photograph occasion, when average weight was 12.1 gm (SE =
0.51). Upon completion of each set of photographs, KZF matched
new photographs with the reference set and labeled each of
the new photographs accordingly, but maintained the base
photograph number as a component of each photograph name.
Matches were later evaluated and confirmed by AWN and KGT;
thus, three investigators had to agree on each photograph match
to be considered a successful match. This series of photographs
provided a 10-month window to compare the belly patterns using
original photographs against the seven follow-up photograph sets.
We tested whether investigators unfamiliar with the toads
could successfully match photographs by asking ten people to
match the reference September photos of the toads with one
or more of the succeeding sets of photographs. Eight of the ten
individuals worked with just one set of succeeding photographs,
and two individuals matched reference photographs with two

succeeding sets. All seven succeeding sets of photographs were
matched against the reference set at least once. These individuals
were provided annotated reference photographs, the follow-up
candidate photographs they were assigned bearing only the file
name generated by the camera, and a data sheet upon which to
record candidate photograph numbers next to the individually
identified reference photograph numbers. Six of the 10 had no
previous toad experience. The individuals were informed what
tank the toads belonged in, so we achieved twelve blind photomatching opportunities on all toads from each tank. AWN and
KGT assessed recording sheets for accuracy in identification by
checking the base photograph numbers of candidate photos
supplied to the ten individuals against the base photograph
numbers of the appropriate follow up set of photographs that
included individual toad identification.
Native Aquatic Species Restoration Facility.—We initiated
the use of belly pattern photographs as the primary method to
identify individuals at NASRF in 2007. The toads were housed in
tanks and separated into “lots,” which usually consisted of 10–15
sibling toads. Over 700 toads ranging from age 1 to age 8, as well
as some toads brought in as unknown age adults from the wild
prior to the year 2000, were photographed in 2007. In subsequent
years the additions to the population were photographed at
about age 1, or after their first hibernation. Each toad was
assigned a unique ID incorporating its lot number at the time
its photograph was taken. The belly pattern photographs were
copied to a Powerpoint presentation and arranged by lots with
up to six thumbnail photographs per page along with each
toad’s unique ID added below its photo. The thumbnail pages
were printed and laminated to protect and extend the life of the
photographs.
The availability of captive toads at NASRF provided the
opportunity to further investigate the stability of belly patterns.
In 2009 we photographed five lots of yearling toads twice, in
March and November. The lots ranged in number from three to
15 toads, and comprised a total of 29 animals. The photographs
were then matched between the March and November occasions
within each lot to evaluate stability of pattern over eight months
during a period of rapid growth. Consensus on general spot
pattern and three or more specific match points (e.g., uniquely

Herpetological Review 46(1), 2015

�20 TECHNIQUES

Fig. 2. Series of photographs taken at NASRF of two individuals demonstrate pattern stability throughout multiple years of growth. Photographs on the left were taken in September 2009 (average weight 2.5 g, age 13 months post-metamorphosis), middle in March 2010 (average
weight 23.8 g, age 19 months post-metamorphosis), and the right in August 2012 (average weight 59.5 g, age 4 years post-metamorphosis).

shaped spots or placement of spots in relations to others) for
March and November photographs among three investigators
was considered a successful match. We also periodically
photographed the bellies of two toads brought into captivity from
the wild as they matured from age 1 to age 4, when Boreal Toads
generally reach adult size. These animals were housed together,
but without other animals, in the display tank at NASRF. At the
end of our study the serial photographs of the two display toads
were compared both among the photographs taken and with the
live toads. Again, consensus on general spot pattern match and
three or more specific match points among serial photographs
on the part of three investigators was considered a successful
match. These trials allowed us to extend observations of belly
pattern stability to a longer time period and greater growth
difference than we were able to achieve at CMZ.
We also conducted a timed toad identification experiment
in 2012 to investigate the efficiency of using belly pattern
photographs to ID toads. At NASRF, three separate toad lots were
selected for the study; one lot contained 15 animals and the other
two lots contained 14 animals each. Each toad lot was assigned

to four investigators with varying levels of familiarity using
photographs to identify individual toads. The investigators were
ranked into three categories: novice, experienced, and expert.
“Novice” was defined as having no experience using photographs
to ID toads, “experienced” as having used photographs
previously for toad ID but not on a regular basis, and “expert” as
having used photographs frequently to ID toads, either at NASRF
or during field studies in 2009–2012. An investigator compared
a toad in hand to the previously described photographs of the
lot, which were placed on a counter so that photographs of all
toads in the lot were visible at once. As toads were presumptively
identified, the investigator placed each into a numbered
container corresponding to the last two digits of the unique
ID. Once all toads from a lot were identified and in containers,
two other investigators verified that the identifications were
correct by examining each toad’s belly and the photograph it was
matched with. Consensus on the general spot pattern and three
or more specific match points was considered confirmation
of the original identification. Timing commenced when the
identifying investigator picked up the first toad and ceased when

Herpetological Review 46(1), 2015

�TECHNIQUES

the last toad was placed into a container, and did not include the
verification procedure. Time to individually identify toads and
the accuracy of identifications was compared among categories
of investigators using the single factor ANOVA procedure in the
statistical software MINITAB (version 14.1, Minitab Inc., 2003).
Results
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.—Average size of toads on 8
September 2007 was 32.7 mm SVL (SE = 0.36) and 3.5 g (SE =
0.12), the average size of the toads at the end of the study on 17
July 2008 was 52.2 mm SVL (SE = 0.82) and 10.9 g (SE = 0.48).
One toad died prior to the April and July photographs. The
photographs from each of these months were used once in the
matching exercise, so a total of 454 matching opportunities were
achieved rather than the 456 possible had all toads survived (12
matching exercises x 38 toads).
Investigators correctly matched 449 photograph pairs in
454 opportunities resulting in 98.9% success. Nine out of the 12
blind tests achieved 100% success matching the reference toad
photographs to photographs from one to 10 months later (the
final photographs taken, Fig. 1). Three errors were encountered
during the study. One experienced investigator transposed two
toad identification numbers on the recording sheet, but this
was a recording error and not a misidentification resulting from
similar patterns. A novice investigator assigned a single followup photograph to two different toad reference photographs (one
was correct) resulting in misidentification of a single toad. The
last error occurred when a novice investigator misidentified
a pair of toads. Thus there were three true cases of mistaken
identity in 454 opportunities (99.3% success). Clearly, belly
patterns are distinguishable even to people who are unfamiliar
with Boreal Toads and identification performance may improve
with increasing familiarity with the photography system.
The PIT tags implanted in April were poorly retained. By week
9 post-implantation, retention was just 44% in each tank. At the
July photography occasion, 13 weeks post-implantation, only
four PIT tags remained implanted, with 16.7% retained in one of
the toad tanks and 5.6% retained in the other.
Native Aquatic Species Restoration Facility.—Among the
five lots of yearling toads photographed twice in 2009, all
March photographs were matched successfully to November
photographs, and both photograph sets were matched
successfully to live toads. In no instance was there disagreement
among three investigators over matches. These comparisons
were limited to within lots, so there were no opportunities to
misidentify toads to different lots.
Over the three-year period using serial photographs of two
Boreal Toads held in the display tank at NASRF, the belly patterns
of both the subject animals remained stable and identifiable as
the toads matured from age 1 to age 4 and increased in mass
from 2.5 g average to 59.5 g average (Fig. 2). Even over a threeyear period, in no instance was there disagreement between two
investigators over the identity of these two toads when assessing
general spot pattern as well as multiple specific match points.
Twelve timed ID trials were conducted to identify the toads
(three toad lots, with four investigators per lot). Only one
investigator (from the category “experienced”) failed to achieve
100% correct identification, and all errors occurred within a
single lot of toads. One hundred sixty-nine of 172 (98.3%) toad
identifications were correct. Single factor ANOVA indicated that
investigator experience was not a significant predictor of the time

21

required to sort a lot of toads into individual containers (F = 1.87,
df = 2, 9, P = 0.209) or of accuracy in doing so (F = 1.00, df = 2, 9, P
= 0.405). Two lots were judged as being easy to identify because of
the large, distinct blotches characterizing these animals, whereas
the third lot was more difficult to identify because the bellies
were characterized more by freckling than distinct blotches.
The time required to sort all the toads into individual containers
averaged 9.5 minutes (SE = 0.7) for the easy lots and 17.5 minutes
(SE = 3.6) for the more difficult lot.
Discussion
Our results supported the use of belly pattern photographs
as a viable method to identify individual Boreal Toads. The belly
patterns exhibited a high degree of stability, fully sufficient to
remain effective for identification over considerable growth
and time intervals even when slight changes to pigment density
were apparent (e.g., Fig. 2). While we did not use a secondary
method of identification in these studies, we found that it was
generally easy to reach consensus among investigators when
comparing photographs to other photographs or to live toads.
Only in rare instances did we have to resort to discussions of
specific match points to confirm identifications or to determine
a misidentification. The fact that our toads were housed in
discrete tanks containing a known number of toads worked to
our advantage. There is a possibility that additional error could
occur if unknown toads had been introduced to tanks, or if
additional photographs of animals not present in the tanks were
available. However, staff at NASRF already encounter the latter
situation when replacing breeding animals into their assigned
tanks after breeding. In such cases the photographs for at least
two lots must be used to discriminate the toads and place them
where they belong.
Observations of toads over time at CMZ and NASRF strongly
suggest there is little likelihood of false identifications of Boreal
Toads resulting from changing patterns as observed in other
species (Kenyon et al. 2009; Waye 2013). The chance of error is
further reduced if the need for individual identification is limited
to one or two lots of toads. If false identifications occur, we think
it more likely to occur as a result of similar belly patterns. We are
aware of just one instance of such a false identification at NASRF,
when an animal sent to another institution was identified as
a different animal from the same lot (siblings). The mistake
was later discovered and corrected. A precaution against such
mishaps is the constant participation of a second observer to
confirm putative identifications.
Attempts to identify individuals in other amphibian species
via pattern recognition work well with species exhibiting distinct
blotching that contrast boldly with the body, such as Marbled
Salamanders Ambystoma opacum (Gamble et al. 2008), Yellowbellied Toads Bombina variegata (Plăiaşu et al. 2005), and Fire
Salamanders Salamandra salamandra (Carafa and Biondi
2004). Such species compare favorably with the Boreal Toad in
pattern distinctiveness and contrast. Among these investigators
only Carafa and Biondi (2004) observed changes in pattern over
time, and those were slight enough that they did not preclude
identification. However, in at least one other boldly marked
species, Tiger Salamanders Ambystoma tigrinum, marking
patterns have been observed to undergo significant changes over
time (Waye 2013). We observed no such dramatic changes in the
spot patterns of Boreal Toads, despite using many more than
the 11 animals observed in the Waye (2013) study. Rather, our

Herpetological Review 46(1), 2015

�22 TECHNIQUES

results were more like those of Gollmann and Gollmann (2011),
who found that although the patterns of early Yellow-bellied Toad
metamorphs changed and solidified with growth, they could still
identify individual toads.
The stability of the belly pattern in Boreal Toads over
considerable growth is similar to that observed in the
Yellow-bellied Toad as well. Plăiaşu et al. (2005) were able to
photographically identify individuals that transitioned from subadult to adult stages, with associated weight changes. This stability
may provide advantages to those conducting long term studies
of Boreal Toad populations by allowing entry of individuals into
the marked population at a younger age and smaller size than is
presently possible, provided our results could be replicated in field
situations when new, previously unknown toads were successfully
identified as such. Scherff-Norris et al. (2002) recommended PIT
tagging Boreal Toads that weigh a minimum of 10 g, and other
investigators have limited PIT tagging to adult-sized Boreal
Toads (&gt; 55 mm SVL, Young et al. 2007). Many investigators have
not reported minimum sizes tagged, but their primary tagging
periods are during and just after breeding seasons so it is likely
that tagged toads are predominantly adults (Scherer et al. 2005,
2008; Muths et al. 2006, 2010; Pilliod et al. 2010). In contrast,
photographic identification may allow the entry of toads into
the marked population as small as 2 g, as in our trial with the two
wild-caught toads. This earlier entry into the marked population
could be realized even if investigators ultimately wish to use PIT
tags on older animals for the benefit of the quicker in-the-field
identification.
Another benefit of photographic identification of Boreal Toads
would be as an ideal second mark to evaluate the loss of other marks
or tags. Despite the widespread and apparently successful use of
PIT tags in Boreal Toad field studies, we could find no published
evidence of a formal evaluation of PIT tag retention in wild Boreal
Toads. That retention is much higher in wild toads than in our
captive toads when PIT tags were implanted by skilled individuals
is evident, because studies using PIT tags have produced modeled
annual apparent survival rates of 0.75 or more (Scherer et al. 2005;
Muths et al. 2010; Pilliod et al. 2010). However, Scherer et al. (2005)
investigated models that evaluated tagging effects, and indeed
tagging effects had support in their data and were included in all
top-ranked models. Modeled apparent survival was commonly
about 0.20 lower for toads in the first year after tagging than in
subsequent years. A follow-up investigation that included a new
study area also produced one model ranked among the top three
that included a first-year tagging effect for the new study area
(Muths et al. 2006). Unfortunately, deleterious effects of tagging
that may have caused mortality could not be separated from the
effects of potential short-term tag loss in these studies. A second
mark allows the separation of tag loss from tagging effects or other
factors affecting survival. We believe a study formally evaluating
PIT tag retention in Boreal Toads could be achieved by the pairing
of PIT tagging with photographic identification.
Acknowledgments.—A special thanks to R. Black, E. Davinroy,
K. Duckett, C. Gesink, B. Groenke, N. Heredia, B. Nehring, C. Nilson, A. Petry, S. Rodman, T. Root, S. Sherman, and D. Westerman
for participating in the photograph study. Comments received from
S. Amburgey, L. Bailey, members of the Bailey Lab, M. Benard, and
one anonymous reviewer greatly improved the manuscript. All toads
were handled under the corresponding author’s scientific collection
permit, and all applicable institutional animal care guidelines were
followed during the implementation of this project.

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    <description>A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.</description>
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      <name>Dublin Core</name>
      <description>The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.</description>
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          <name>Title</name>
          <description>A name given to the resource</description>
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              <text>Using digital photographs and pattern recognition to identify individual boreal toads (&lt;em&gt;Anaxyrus boreas boreas&lt;/em&gt;)</text>
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          <name>Description</name>
          <description>An account of the resource</description>
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              <text>Individual identification of animals can provide an array of&lt;br /&gt;useful capture-mark-recapture information, allowing researchers to estimate survival, movement, abundance, recruitment, and capture probability (Williams et al. 2002). This information can yield valuable insight to field investigators regarding a species’ life history (Davis and Ovaska 2001; Phillott et al. 2007). Techniques used to identify individuals of many species have been developed and refined to gather this information. Toe clipping, PIT tagging,&lt;br /&gt;polymers and pigments, branding, and pattern mapping are all viable techniques for identifying individuals of many amphibian species (Donnelly et al. 1994; Davis and Ovaska 2001).</text>
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        </element>
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          <name>Creator</name>
          <description>An entity primarily responsible for making the resource</description>
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            <elementText elementTextId="6193">
              <text>Nordick, Andrew W.</text>
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            <elementText elementTextId="6194">
              <text>Thompson, Kevin G.</text>
            </elementText>
            <elementText elementTextId="6195">
              <text>Fox, Kami Z.</text>
            </elementText>
          </elementTextContainer>
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        <element elementId="49">
          <name>Subject</name>
          <description>The topic of the resource</description>
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              <text>Boreal Toads</text>
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              <text>&lt;div class="element-text"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Anaxyrus boreas boreas&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</text>
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              <text>Identification</text>
            </elementText>
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          <name>Extent</name>
          <description>The size or duration of the resource.</description>
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            <elementText elementTextId="6199">
              <text>5 pages</text>
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          <name>Date Created</name>
          <description>Date of creation of the resource.</description>
          <elementTextContainer>
            <elementText elementTextId="6200">
              <text>2015</text>
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          </elementTextContainer>
        </element>
        <element elementId="47">
          <name>Rights</name>
          <description>Information about rights held in and over the resource</description>
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              <text>&lt;a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-NC/1.0/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"&gt;In Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Permitted&lt;/a&gt;</text>
            </elementText>
          </elementTextContainer>
        </element>
        <element elementId="42">
          <name>Format</name>
          <description>The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource</description>
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            <elementText elementTextId="6203">
              <text>application/pdf</text>
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        </element>
        <element elementId="44">
          <name>Language</name>
          <description>A language of the resource</description>
          <elementTextContainer>
            <elementText elementTextId="6204">
              <text>English</text>
            </elementText>
          </elementTextContainer>
        </element>
        <element elementId="70">
          <name>Is Part Of</name>
          <description>A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.</description>
          <elementTextContainer>
            <elementText elementTextId="6205">
              <text>Herpetological Review</text>
            </elementText>
          </elementTextContainer>
        </element>
        <element elementId="51">
          <name>Type</name>
          <description>The nature or genre of the resource</description>
          <elementTextContainer>
            <elementText elementTextId="7048">
              <text>Article</text>
            </elementText>
          </elementTextContainer>
        </element>
      </elementContainer>
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