Science of Scales Archives - The Orianne Society

8 minute read

Science of Scales

New Published Research: 10 Principles for the Conservation of Herpetofauna

ByHouston Chandler
January 10, 2025

Discover 10 guiding principles for the conservation of reptiles and amphibians, based on evolutionary ecology. Learn how these strategies address threats, manage habitats, and support the recovery of imperiled herpetofauna. By Houston Chandler.

Past and present Science Initiative staff members.

8 minute read

Science of Scales

2024 Science Initiative Year-end Review

ByHouston Chandler
December 11, 2024

Views:139 views Past and present Science Initiative staff at the annual SEPARC meeting. From left to right, Kabryn…

Grant recipient Arik Hartmann, collecting an oral swab from a young Florida softshell turtle held by UF undergraduate Cory McKinstry. Photo by Javier Lobon-Rovira

4 minute read

Science of Scales

Supporting Graduate Student Research

ByHouston Chandler
November 11, 2024

Views:86 views Grant recipient Arik Hartmann, collecting an oral swab from a young Florida softshell turtle held by…

Science of Scales

New Published Research: Spotted Turtles, Ghosts of the Swamp

ByHouston Chandler
October 10, 2024

Views:265 views An especially colorful Spotted Turtle caught during surveys in Florida. – Jonathan Mays Few Spotted Turtle…

A characteristic pine flatwoods landscape with an overstory of pines and an understory of thick herbaceous vegetation. Areas like these were studied for flatwoods salamander conservation. Image by Houston Chandler

6 minute read

Science of Scales

New Published Research: Informing Flatwoods Salamander Conservation with High-Resolution Elevation Data

ByHouston Chandler
September 10, 2024

Views:126 views Example of LiDAR data used in this research. Warm colors indicate higher elevations (trees and shrubs)…

This indigo snake from southern Georgia, with a suspect scale behind the eye, was sampled for snake fungal disease.

4 minute read

Science of Scales

Snake Fungal Disease in Georgia

ByHouston Chandler
August 1, 2024

Snake fungal disease is caused by the fungal pathogen Ophidiomyces ophidiicola, which infects the skin of snakes and causes a wide range of symptoms. These symptoms can range from a few crusty or dry scales to serious lesions and eroding scales that can, in severe cases, be fatal for the infected snake.

A close up of a dwarf siren showing the external gills, small front legs, and characteristic striped pattern of this small salamander. – Pierson Hill

4 minute read

Science of Scales

Searching for Aquatic Salamanders

ByHouston Chandler
June 8, 2024

Views:299 views A close up of a dwarf siren showing the external gills, small front legs, and characteristic…

Spotted Turtle whose genetics were assessed as part of this study.

4 minute read

Science of Scales

New Published Research: Population Genetics of the Spotted Turtle

ByHouston Chandler
May 9, 2024

One component of our long-term work with Spotted Turtles in the southeastern U.S. has been to collect tissue samples from captured Spotted Turtles so we can examine the genetics of focal populations. The results from this research were recently published in the journal Chelonian Conservation and Biology.