Center for Reptile and Amphibian Conservation and Management

‘Herp Center’ promotes research, education, outreach

The copperbelly water snake is listed as federally threatened. The staff at the “Herp Center” has contributed to its conservation through research and outreach development.

A common technique at the center is GIS, or geographic information systems. Shown here is a map depicting habitat quality across southern Michigan.

The northern leopard frog is one of many species that has been impacted by wetland loss and degradation.

The timber rattlesnake is listed as “state endangered” in Indiana. A few populations remain in the more rugged, forested areas of southern Indiana.

“We provide leadership in the region in research on a variety of the Midwest’s endangered reptiles, including the copperbelly water snake, eastern massasauga, timber rattlesnake, Blanding’s turtle and spotted turtle,” explained Kingsbury. “In addition to conducting basic research on these species, we routinely interact with state and federal resource agencies to assist in the development of conservation and management strategies for these animals. We also work with these agencies on broader wildlife and wetland conservation issues.”

The center provides outreach and educational materials in several ways. Its Web site offers a variety of outreach materials, and brochures on ephemeral wetlands, snakes and habitat guidance are distributed by the center. In most cases, these materials were developed by center staff.

The Herp Center also provides educational opportunities at a variety of levels, involving high school graduates, undergraduates and graduate students pursuing their degrees at IPFW. Individuals have been involved in field work and data analysis as well as outreach activities. This year, a dozen graduate and undergraduate students have been involved in research and outreach programs.

An example is its geographic information systems (GIS) capability. One of its projects is to provide the St. Joseph River Watershed Initiative, and, ultimately, the city of Fort Wayne and surrounding area, with a GIS project designed to facilitate monitoring point and non-point source pollution and the impacts on the water supply.

This has been a busy year for the center. Since January, it has reached a number of milestones, including the publication of Habitat Management Guidelines for Amphibians and Reptiles of the Midwest, a soft-cover book project for which Kingsbury was the leader, and assisting in the organizing and hosting of the Ephemeral Wetlands Conference in Chicago in March. The center has received more than $200,000 since January for research and outreach activities. Those funds came from the Departments of Natural Resources in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio; the Nature Conservancy; the Illinois Conservation Association; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the St. Joseph River Water Quality Initiative.

http://herpcenter.ipfw.edu

“The center is much more than snakes, turtles and frogs. It has technical expertise in several areas that extend well beyond the realm of reptile and amphibian conservation.”

Bruce Kingsbury, associate professor of biological sciences, IPFW