Science of Scales

Eastern Hog-nosed Snake crossing a sandy road on a spring evening. – Houston Chandler I have had many snake experiences over the years, but nothing really compares to experiencing the theatrics often produced by Eastern Hog-nosed Snakes (Heterodon platirhinos). More on that in a minute. First, Eastern Hog-nosed Snakes are moderately-sized (typically 2–3 feet) snakes, […]

We examined how leaf breakdown and invertebrate communities varied across three species of leaf litter: longleaf pine needles, wiregrass stalks, and black gum leaves. These species all occur naturally in pine flatwoods wetlands, with gum trees being mostly restricted to fire-suppressed wetlands or the deepest parts of fire-maintained wetlands.

I wrote last year about our work surveying for Suwannee Alligator Snapping Turtles (Machrochelys suwanniensis) in Georgia as part of a range-wide assessment of the species’ distribution and status. Since that time, there have been several exciting developments in our work with alligator snapping turtles.

Properly managed longleaf pine flatwoods are a rare sight in the 21st century – Brandon Rincon Reticulated and Frosted Flatwoods Salamanders (Ambystoma bishopi, A. cingulatum) are two of the rarest salamanders in the United States, having experienced severe population declines and range contractions. These declines have occurred even within protected landscapes and have left both […]

Some of the first questions that emerge when a new wildlife disease is documented surround where the disease originated and how long has it been impacting wildlife populations. Is the disease emerging or has it been around for decades? Perhaps something else in the environment is just now making the disease bad enough that it is noticeable to biologists.