Biology students gain experience, present research at regional conference
Ten undergraduate and graduate students from the Missouri State University biology department presented their research at the Sept. 24 meeting of the Missouri Herpetological Association:
- Travis Anthony: “Freshwater turtle community in three rivers in northeastern Oklahoma”
- Mitch East : “Diet and feeding behavior of juvenile alligator snapping turtles (Macrochelys temminckii) in eastern Oklahoma”
- Wendy Evans: “Effects of temperature on foraging success in two species of semi-aquatic snakes”
- Andrew Hoffman: “Use of managed wetlands by salamanders at Mingo National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Missouri”
- Valerie Jones: “Predatory chemical cues affect gill blood flow in larval ringed salamanders”
- Michael Lampe: “Detecting danger from prey-guild members: behavioral and metabolic responses of Ozark zigzag salamanders to stress secretions from earthworms”
- Erin Murray: “Predation in the strawberry poison frog: are adults and juveniles equally protected from ctenid spiders?”
- Daniel Schepis: “Spatial patterns, multi-scale habitat selection and thermal ecology of the western mud snake at the northern limits of its range”
- Denise Thompson: “Rocky raccoon must die: Nest predation patterns in a reintroduced population of alligator snapping turtles”
- Charlie Tucker: “Can automated radio telemetry quantify ornate box turtle activity and nesting pattern?”
Anthony, East, Thompson and Tucker were advised by Dr. Day Ligon, assistant professor of biology; Evans, Hoffman and Schepis were advised by Dr. Brian Greene, assistant professor of biology; and Lampe, Jones and Murray were advised by Dr. Alicia Mathis, department head.
An additional presentation was made by a biology staff member:
- Adam Crane presented “Socially facilitated antipredator behavior by ringed salamanders,” which he co-authored with Mathis.
