The Syrian Spadefoot Toad has been rediscovered in the war-torn country with the help of Syrian community scientists and Illinois researchers. “Community Science Rediscovers the Syrian Spadefoot Toad, Pelobates syriacus, in War-Torn Regions of Syria” was published in the journal Herpetological Conservation and Biology Dec. 16, 2024, just days after a major shift in the 13-year-long civil war resulted […]
Illinois’ timber rattlesnakes emerge from their cold-weather dens hidden below ground and can be seen sunning themselves in the nearby forest foliage as spring temperatures warm. Scientists at the Illinois Natural History Survey have found clues to determine when snakes will slither from their over-winter spots to inform conservation officials who manage local habitats. Read […]
A new study, recently published in Ecology and Evolution, uses network analysis to understand the social lives of rattlesnakes, a group previously considered to be asocial animals. Co-author of the study, Mark Davis, a conservation biologist at the Illinois Natural History Survey at the Prairie Research Institute, said this was the first time social network analysis tools have been used […]
With their vibrant colors and small size, poison frogs are popular among amphibian pet owners in the U.S. Most poison frogs come from legitimate frog breeding operations here and abroad, but some are still snatched from the wild illegally in their native countries, according to Devin Edmonds, doctoral student at the Illinois Natural History Survey. […]
Populations of the endangered spotted turtle in Illinois are holding up better than those in other states, based on 30 years of data at the University of Illinois. Still, only two populations remain, and the predictions are poor. The small, semi-aquatic spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata) lives in sedge meadows, cattail marshes, and wet prairies, and […]
In an attempt to gain greater insights into five at-risk species, researchers from the Illinois Natural History Survey are working with the U.S. Department of Defense, Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL), and the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois to study endangered and threatened species in a new way. This seemingly unlikely collaboration is testing a promising […]
Not much is known about them, but researchers are using one Will County preserve to change that The Kirtland’s snake is shy and secretive, and, as a result, not a lot is known about it. A group of researchers is working hard to change that. They’re developing a better understanding of this small but beautiful snake […]
Findings May Improve Conservation Efforts In the first study of its kind, researchers characterized the skin microbiome of a population of free-ranging snakes to begin to understand how the animals’ environmental microbial community may promote disease resistance as well as how it may be disrupted by infection. The study, which was recently published in Scientific Reports, a […]
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, and the loss of genetic diversity are the three main factors driving the extinction of many wild species, and the few eastern massasauga rattlesnakes remaining in Illinois have certainly suffered two of the three. A long-term study of these snakes reveals, however, that – despite their alarming decline […]
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Researchers report the first sighting in 30 years of a wild alligator snapping turtle in Illinois. The discovery may be a sign of hope for this state-endangered species, or the animal could be the last of its kind to have survived in Illinois without human intervention, the researchers say. Read more about […]