Dr. Don Leroy Moll

Dr. Don Leroy Moll Dr. Don Leroy Moll, age 72, of rural Butternut, Wisconsin, passed away on Wednesday, November 17, 2021, in his home with his wife and beloved dog by his side. He was born on October 3, 1949, in Peoria, Illinois, the son of Edward Leopold and Bessie Isabel (Kennedy) Moll. He married Janice Jo Mysinger on October 26, 2001, in Springfield, Missouri. Don received his B.S. in Biological Sciences at Illinois State University, his M.S. in Zoology at Western Illinois University, and his Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at Illinois State University in 1977. He taught undergraduate and graduate classes and mentored numerous M.S. graduate students at Missouri State University in the Department of Biology from 1977 teaching general ecology, biogeography, and other courses until his retirement in 2010. Don particularly enjoyed working with and mentoring his many M.S. graduate students at Missouri State. He also served as an adjunct professor and graduate student committee member at the University of Louisville (for Ms. W. Worthy [Baumer]) and at the University of Florida (as a Ph.D. committee member for Dr. Amber Pitt). He served—as co-advisor with major professor Dr. Kumthorn Thirakhupt—for Dr. Wachira Kitimasak at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, in his Ph.D. research concerning the biology and management of the critically-endangered Asian narrow-headed giant softshelled turtle, Chitra chitra. He was a longtime member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialists Group and was a former member of the Marine Turtle Specialists Group. Don’s main research interests were chelonian conservation, ecology, and natural history. He conducted his research in the United States, Central America, East Africa, and Southeast Asia. He had published and presented his work on freshwater turtles, land tortoises, and marine turtles from his work in these locations. Some of Don’s research projects and publications included: “The Ecology of River Turtles in Polluted Habitats” (Natural History, 1980), “The Effects of Sea Level Change on the Feeding Ecology of Pleistocene Green Sea Turtles” (Copeia, 1983), “The Status, Exploitation and Distribution of the Central American River Turtle in Belize” (Biological Conservation, 1986), “The Ecology of Sea Beach Nesting in Costa Rican Slider Turtles” (Chelonian Conservation and Biology, 1994), “The Ecology and Exploitation of the Pancake Tortoise in Tanzania” (Chelonian Conservation and Biology, 1995, 1996), “The Status Distribution and Natural History of Chitra chitra in Thailand” (The Natural History Journal, Chulalongkorn University, 2005), and “Frugivory and Seed Dispersal by Chelonians” (Biotropica, 1995; Wetlands, 2011; Biological Reviews, 2020). These were but a few of his many publications. Although they usually conducted their field research separately (sometimes in far-flung locations on opposite sides of the planet), Don and his brother, Edward, pooled their collective knowledge to write the book, The Ecology, Exploitation and Conservation of River Turtles, for Oxford University Press in 2004. After retirement, Don continued to write and publish manuscripts, often in collaboration with his former major professor and friend, Lauren E. Brown, until Lauren’s death in March 2021. He also served as chelonian section editor for the journal Herpetological Conservation and Biology. In addition to his passion for scientific research, Don enjoyed fishing, hiking, and reading in his leisure time. Don was preceded in death by his parents and his dear cousin, Jerry Brockmeyer. He is survived by his wife, Janice; a brother, Edward O. Moll and wife, Judy, of Arizona; a daughter, Jane Seawell, of Georgia; a son, Bryan Moll and wife, Sara, of Colorado; two grandchildren; one niece; and two nephews. At Don’s request, no formal services will be held in his honor.

Dr. Don Leroy Moll

October 3, 1949 - November 17, 2021