Rising temperatures could benefit the Snapping Turtle.

Photo by Jason P. Ross

Rising temperatures could benefit the Common Snapping Turtle. CHAMPAIGN, ILL. — A recently published study of snapping turtle nests at Gimlet Lake in Garden County Nebraska from 1990 – 2015 found that warmer fall temperatures positively correlate to larger eggs and larger numbers of eggs, while warmer spring temperatures are negatively correlated with egg size… Continue reading Rising temperatures could benefit the Snapping Turtle.

Biology of the Rattlesnakes II released

Biology of the Rattlesnakes II, edited by UBAP staff member Michael Dreslik, is now available from ECO Herpetological Publishing. M. J. Dreslik, W. K. Hayes, S. J. Beaupre, and S. P. Mackessy (eds), The Biology of the Rattlesnakes II. ECO Herpetological Publishing and Distribution, Rodeo, New Mexico is now available. Click for more information

Team discovers a new invasive clam in the U.S.

A new species or “form” of Asian clam was discovered in the Illinois River by Jeremy Tiemann and Sarah Douglass. The discovery, confirmed by genetics, means a new invasive clam has made its official debut in North America, joining the countless other aquatic invasive species now found in our waters. Read the Illinois News Bureau… Continue reading Team discovers a new invasive clam in the U.S.

Illinois team tackles mysterious disease afflicting wild and captive snakes

INHS scientists are collaborating to understand Snake Fungal Disease and its impacts on endangered snakes in Illinois.  “We’re trying to protect an endangered species,” said INHS herpetologist and postdoctoral researcher Sarah Baker, a collaborator with Allender on several studies. “A lot of pit viper populations are declining – not only in Illinois, but nationwide. Snake… Continue reading Illinois team tackles mysterious disease afflicting wild and captive snakes

Most mussels survive relocation

mussel foot

In a three-year study, aquatic ecologist Jeremy Tiemann and colleagues at the Illinois Natural History Survey, a division of PRI, relocated 100 mussels upriver during a reconstruction project on the Interstate 90 bridge over the Kishwaukee River in northern Illinois. “Our data suggest that short-distance relocation is a viable tool for mussel conservation,” Tiemann said.… Continue reading Most mussels survive relocation