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The 2nd North Carolina Congress of Herpetology NCPARC/NCHS Joint Meeting Speaker Abstracts PLENARY SPEAKERS AMPHIBIAN POPULATION DECLINES: INVASIVE DISEASES AND CONSEQUENCES FOR GLOBAL SALAMANDER BIODIVERSITY. Karen Lips, University of Maryland. We live in a time of unprecedented environmental change. Every day more species go extinct, climate change alters the flora and fauna, and new infectious diseases affect wildlife, forests, our food, and ourselves. While some species are decimated by disease, or disappear under global warming, not all species of wildlife respond equally to these threats. In my laboratory, we determine why species of amphibians differ in their response to global threats such as emerging infectious disease or global climate change, how those changes affect other parts of the ecosystem, and how we might use this information to prioritize conservation decisions. Broadly, through field studies, experimentation and modeling we study the biology of amphibians at population, community and ecosystem levels as they are affected by disease and climate change. We have begun working on salamanders in North America to describe and understand patterns of decline among species, habitats, and regions. In the Appalachians we are interested in quantifying changes in the size, abundance, and distribution of terrestrial and aquatic salamanders and whether those changes are a result of global warming, disease, or both. We are interested in knowing how different species have changed in distribution and abundance over time, and to identify the underlying mechanisms. I am an amphibian ecologist who studies the effects of global change on amphibian populations. My lab primarily studies disease ecology and how pathogenic chytrid fungi affect amphibian species, populations, and their ecosystems. More recently we have begun to work in the Appalachians on disease and climate change as drivers of distributional changes and declines in salamander biodiversity and abundance. In addition to the scientific aspects of disease and climate change, I am interested in using social media to communicate science and have become involved with policy issues related to wildlife disease including how they relate to trade. THE SECRET LIVES OF ENDANGERED AND THREATENED SNAKES IN THE NEW JERSEY PINE BARRENS. Bob Zappalorti, Herpetological Associates. The Endangered and Nongame Species Program, of the New Jersey DEP lists the Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus), as endangered, the Corn Snake (Pantherophis guttatus), as endangered and the Northern Pine Snake (Pituophis melanoleucus), as threatened. In order to protect these rare species the NJDEP needed specific information on the ecology, behavior, home range and identification of critical habitat for these species. Over a 30-year period these snakes were studied using various techniques including drift fence trapping, monitoring nesting and rookery habitat and radio-tracking. Discovering winter hibernacula locations and the distance traveled from dens was crucial for developing conservation and management plans. Foraging behavior, identifying prey types and abundance was also an important aspect of the research. The various methods used to monitor these snake populations and interesting results will be presented. Examples of conservation programs now being used by the Endangered and Nongame Species Program (NJDEP), for the management of these rare snakes will also be presented. Between 1964 and 1977, Bob Zappalorti worked as a herpetologist at the Staten Island Zoo under the tutorledge of the late Carl Kauffeld. He founded an environmental consulting company, Herpetological Associates, Inc. in 1977, that specializes in endangered and threatened plant and wildlife species. Robert has studied the ecology and behavior of reptiles and amphibians for over 50-years. His main research interests involve the conservation and management of Bog Turtles, Wood Turtles, Gopher Tortoises, Timber Rattlesnakes, Pine Snakes, Corn Snakes, Indigo Snakes, King Snakes, Tiger Salamanders and other reptiles and amphibians. In 1981, he was the first person to successfully design artificial hibernacula for rare snakes. He also built artificial breeding ponds for Tiger Salamanders and other amphibians. His consulting company, Herpetological Associates specializes in wildlife inventories, adverse impacts of development projects, and venomous snake and turtle monitoring on construction projects. Most of his published research was focused on snakes of the New Jersey Pine Barrens, although he conducted projects in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. He has served as an expert consultant to the Endangered and Nongame Species Program of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, the Division of Coastal Resources, the New Jersey Pinelands Commission, The Pinelands Preservation Alliance, the Trust for Public Land, The New Jersey Conservation Foundation and the Nature Conservancy. He has given oral presentations or provided expert advise to numerous organizations including New York University, Rutgers University, the Orianne Society, as well as zoological institutions, such as Staten Island Zoo, Bronx Zoo, Philadelphia Zoo, Cape May Zoo, Smithsonian National Zoo, Taipei Zoo, the Taiwan National Museum, and the Taiwan Forestry Bureau, Republic of China (HerpetologicalAssociates.com). SPEAKER ABSTRACTS: RAPID EVOLUTION OF MIMICRY FOLLOWING LOCAL MODEL EXTINCTION. Chris Akcali, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Batesian mimicry evolves when individuals of a palatable species gain the selective advantage of reduced predation because they resemble a toxic species that predators avoid. Here, we evaluated whether––and in which direction––Batesian mimicry has evolved in a natural population of mimics following extirpation of their model. We specifically asked if the precision of coral snake mimicry has evolved among kingsnakes from a region where coral snakes recently (1960) went locally extinct. We found that these kingsnakes have evolved more precise mimicry; by contrast, no such change occurred in a sympatric non-mimetic species or in conspecifics from a region where coral snakes remain abundant. Presumably, more precise mimicry has continued to evolve after model extirpation because relatively few predator generations have passed, and the fitness costs incurred by predators that mistook a deadly coral snake for a kingsnake were historically much greater than those incurred by predators that mistook a kingsnake for a coral snake. Indeed, these results are consistent with prior theoretical and empirical studies, which revealed that only the most precise mimics are favored as their model becomes increasingly rare. Thus, highly noxious models can generate an ‘evolutionary momentum’ that drives the further evolution of more precise mimicry––even after models go extinct. Chris Akcali is a 2nd year Ph.D. student in the UNC at Chapel Hill Program in Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology. He has a B.A. in Biology from Hendrix College. His research interests are in the evolution, zoogeography, and natural history of coral snakes and their look alikes. Much of his research has focused on the tricolor snakes of the southeastern United States. He has a particular interest in using museum specimens and field experiments to understand the evolution of coloration in coral snakes and their mimics. HERPETOLOGICAL SURVEY TECHNIQUES: AN OVERVIEW. Jeff Beane, North Carolina State Museum of Natural Sciences. Amphibians and reptiles are not always easy organisms to survey for. Many species are secretive, cryptic, fossorial, rare, or seasonally active. Even some very common species may easily evade detection. Some survey methods can be effective for a wide range of species, but certain species may require special techniques. Herpetofaunal surveys should always be conducted lawfully and ethically, with careful consideration given to purpose, objectives, budget and other resources, and environmental impact. Results should always justify methods. This presentation will provide an overview of a variety of survey techniques, including natural and artificial cover, road surveys, various traps, drift fences, aquatic surveys, special techniques for particular species, and the pros and cons of different techniques. Jeff Beane is Herpetology Collections Manager for the North Carolina State Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh. He has been employed with the Museum since 1985. Jeff holds a B.S. in Zoology from North Carolina State University (1982). Active in NCHS since 1982, he has served as its newsletter editor since 1986, and in many other capacities. Involved in NCPARC since its inception, he has served on the Steering Committee and is active in all three working groups. He is a frequent contributor to Wildlife in North Carolina magazine, and has authored many other popular and scientific publications. His interests include virtually anything pertaining to natural history or conservation, especially sandhills ecology and the natural history, zoogeography, and conservation of amphibians and reptiles in North Carolina and the Southeast. “DANCE IN THE RAIN!” 2015, NORTH CAROLINA STATE PARKS YEAR OF THE AMPHIBIAN. Sharon Becker, North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation. Since 2010, North Carolina State Parks has celebrated an annual theme to bring focus to our efforts in education, research and conservation. Amphibians have been selected as our 2015 theme. With this designation comes many educational products, public programs, festivals, monitoring efforts, and opportunities to develop new or rekindle old partnerships. We will discuss some of these initiatives occurring across the state during 2015, resources available to you, and ways to join in our celebration. Sharon Becker is the West District Interpretation and Education Specialist for the North Carolina Division of Parks and Recreation. She has a B. Sc. in Zoology from North Carolina State University and a M. Sc. in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology from North Carolina State University. She joined state parks in 2012, where she has responsibility for environmental education across 12 state park units and four state natural areas in the western Piedmont and Mountain regions. Her interests have always included herps, snakes being her first love. With time, she grew to appreciate the inherent value of all herps and now eagerly promotes herps at every opportunity. PHYSIOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES UNDERLYING ALTERNATIVE RESOURCE SPECIALISTS IN SPADEFOOT TADPOLES. Sofia de la Serna Buzon, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Alternative resource-use phenotypes within a species––resource polymorphisms—are generally characterized by striking morphological differences. Yet, whether these alternative phenotypes also possess distinct underlying physiology is less clear. Because such ‘ecomorphs’ specialize on distinct resources, they could exhibit different physiological adaptations that underlie resource metabolism and storage. We evaluated this possibility by comparing the presence of fat bodies and liver size between ecomorphs in spadefoot toads, Spea. As tadpoles, Spea express both an omnivore morph that generally feeds on detritus and a carnivore morph that specializes on invertebrate and vertebrate prey. We found that the two morphs differ in energy storage. Whereas omnivores have larger fat bodies, carnivores have denser livers consisting of vacuoles for energy storage. We further found evidence of a trade-off between overall body condition and whether energy was stored in the liver versus fat bodies: individuals in poorer body condition had denser livers whereas those in better condition had larger fat bodies. These differences become more pronounced as the tadpoles approach metamorphosis. Moreover, these findings were mirrored in adult differences between Spea species that differ in the frequency with which they produce the alternative ecomorphs. Our results suggest that ecological specialization is accompanied by physiological differences that could explain fitness and performance beyond the context of resource use. Sofia de la Serna Buzon is a first year graduate student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in Dr. Karin Pfennig's lab. She has a BS in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research interest are broad but center on mate choice mediating character displacement, physiological consequences of specialization and gut microbial communities of different ecomorphs of spadefoot toads. AGGRESSION AFFECTS SPECIES DISTRIBUTIONS AND HYBRID EXPANSION IN MONTANE PLETHODON SALAMANDERS. Jeffrey Drummond, Western Carolina University. Ecologists have long been interested in the mechanisms that drive the distribution of closely related species. Often overlapping congeneric species do not differ enough in their uses of space and food resources to prevent competition. Over time, insufficient resource partitioning can result in the evolution of an interference mechanisms such as aggression. Aggressive behavior, competitive interactions, and their combined influence on species distributions has been well studied in montane Plethodon salamanders. The Nantahala Mountain range of western North Carolina is the site of contact between P. shermani and P. teyahalee along an elevational gradient. Hybridization occurs between these two species at intermediate elevations, increasing the complexity of overall behavioral interactions. A long-term study suggests that the hybrid zone is expanding at the expense of both parentals’ ranges. The research presented here used field enclosures and laboratory behavioral trials to investigate whether elevation dependent competition and aggressive behavior are influential in delineating the vertical distributions of the parental species and/or provides a mechanism driving hybrid expansion. Our findings suggest that aggressive behavior has maintained the distribution of P. shermani at high elevations. Hybrids exhibited aggressiveness that is intermediate to the parentals and are also competitively superior to P. teyahalee. Therefore, we submit competitive exclusion as the primary mechanism driving the downward hybrid expansion. Furthermore, we offer an alternative hypothesis that sexual selection acting on female hybrid mate choice for the more aggressive parental is driving the hybrid genotype up the elevational gradient. Jeffrey Drummond, Jr. is a M.S. candidate for graduation in May, 2015. He has a B.S., with a concentration in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, from Western Carolina University. His primary research interest is to investigate how human perturbations and climate change affect behavior, habitat use, and evolutionary trajectories of North American fauna. TALLYING TERRAPINS IN NORTH CAROLINA USING CITIZEN SCIENCE AND SMARTPHONES. Sarah Finn*, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission; Marie Davis, Hope Sutton, North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve; Jeff Brown, University of North Carolina at Wilmington. In North Carolina, diamondback terrapins ( Malaclemys terrapin) are listed as a state Species of Concern, yet distribution throughout the state’s large estuarine system is not well known. In an effort to identify areas of terrapin presence and relative abundance, a citizenscience project was developed. During the spring of 2014, the project was advertised to the public as the “Terrapin Tally” event, soliciting the help of experienced paddlers to conduct terrapin head-count surveys. A total of 73 volunteers used a Google Maps application to follow one of 12 pre-mapped routes on their smartphones and to record observations. These pilot surveys resulted in 144 total terrapin observations throughout the 12 routes. Morning surveys conducted on a rising tide resulted in higher average observations. This is likely due to increasing winds in the afternoons that create choppy water conditions, which reduced terrapin visibility. These surveys will be repeated within the Masonboro Island reserve during the spring of 2015. In addition, we plan to expand the project to encompass other sites within the Coastal Reserve system during the 2015 surveys (e.g. Rachel Carson reserve, Carteret County; Zeke’s Island reserve, New Hanover County). The long-term goals of the project are to grow a network of citizen volunteers and to complete surveys along the entire NC coast within the next 5 years. After statewide surveys are completed, results will be analyzed to identify areas of high terrapin presence that may be ideal for more intensive study (e.g. population size estimation through mark-recapture). Sarah Finn is Coastal Wildlife Diversity Biologist for the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission’s Division of Wildlife Management. She serves as the Stranding Coordinator for the North Carolina Sea Turtle Program and assists with the sea turtle nest monitoring program as well as other ongoing herp projects along the NC coast. Sarah has a B.A. in Zoology from Ohio Wesleyan University and an M.E.M. in Coastal Environmental Management from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment. A CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT APPROACH FOR THE RECOVERY OF RETICULATED FLATWOODS SALAMANDERS. Thomas A. Gorman, Houston C. Chandler, and Carola A. Haas, Virginia Tech. The Reticulated Flatwoods Salamander ( Ambystoma bishopi) is a federally endangered species that has experienced steady population declines across its range even since its listing in 1999. In collaboration with land managers, zoos, and researchers, we are working to understand these population declines and develop strategies to stabilize salamander populations on Eglin Air Force Base, which is potentially the last remaining stronghold for this species. Flatwoods salamanders occur in the fire-maintained longleaf pine ecosystem and breed in ephemeral wetlands that are embedded within longleaf pine forests. Little is known about the role of fire or other disturbances in these wetlands, which are critical for successful reproduction and recruitment. We are currently evaluating a suite of management tools including prescribed fire and fire surrogates (mechanical removal and herbicidal control of woody species) that can create appropriate habitat conditions for this species. Further, we are investigating the effect of precipitation patterns, primarily winter droughts, on wetland hydroperiod and assessing the influence of hydroperiod and vegetative cover on larval occupancy and adult abundance. Our research suggests that flatwoods salamanders are less likely to breed in wetlands with high canopy cover and low herbaceous groundcover, conditions that often occur from fire exclusion. Mechanical treatments in ephemeral wetlands reduced canopy cover to similar levels as highquality sites, but the response of herbaceous vegetation, an important component for several life stages, lags behind the immediate canopy reduction. Further, winter droughts shorten wetland hydroperiods leading to decreased recruitment, adult abundance, and larval occupancy. Longterm modeling suggests that winter precipitation has declined and thus wetland hydroperiods have been shorter during the last 15 years than at any other time over the last 100 years. Identifying the challenges associated with managing flatwoods salamander populations and designing conservation actions to improve both population viability and habitat suitability are important steps for the recovery of this species. Thomas Gorman is a Research Scientist in the Department of Fish and Wildlife Conservation at Virginia Tech. He received his B.S. in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Maine, M.S. in Biology from Minnesota State University, and Ph.D. in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences from Virginia Tech. His interests include wildlife-habitat relationships, habitat management, and conservation of herpetofauna. His current research is primarily focused on the conservation and ecology of Reticulated Flatwoods Salamanders, Florida Bog Frogs, and Gopher Tortoises. DIVERSITY IN A GROUP OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN FANGED FROGS. David McLeod, James Madison University. For nearly 200 years the Southeast Asian stream frog, Limnonectes kuhlii, has been considered a single species with a wide ranging distribution. Recent studies using molecular data have revealed that what was thought to be a single species may really be more than 30 distinct evolutionary lineages. A closer examination of these frogs has demonstrated that the molecular diversity is corroborated by morphological diversity. This underestimation of species diversity is not limited to the Limnonectes kuhlii complex, and is likely more common than anticipated. Recognizing this diversity is a critical first step in the conservation of these frogs. David McLeod is an assistant professor of Biology at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. He studied biology and secondary education at Emporia State University (BSEd; 1995), earned his MS in biology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (1999) studying amphibian declines, and was awarded a Ph.D. from the University of Kansas (2010) where he used molecular and morphological approaches to resolving cryptic species complexes. David has taught secondary and post-secondary biology in the US, Taiwan, and Thailand. His research has focused on the morphology, systematics, diversity, and conservation of Southeast Asian amphibians. He has a particular interest in tadpoles and has been using 3D imaging to understand larval morphology. SURVIVAL AND MULTI-SCALE HABITAT SELECTION OF A DECLINING SEMI-AQUATIC TURTLE IN A MANAGED FOREST. Christopher J. O’Bryan, Clemson University; Jessica A. Homyack, Weyerhaeuser Company; Robert F. Baldwin, Yoichiro Kanno, Autumn-Lynn Harrison, Clemson University. Privately-owned lands, comprising 57% of forested land in the United States, can provide important habitats for at-risk species and their value in biodiversity conservation needs to be carefully assessed. Privately-owned intensively-managed pine lands in the southeastern U.S. are composed of a matrix of upland and aquatic ecosystems reconfigured for drainage, and these habitats may be resourceful for some organisms. Examining survival and multi-scale habitat selection of a species can provide insight into how distribution and composition of habitat types influence species’ persistence. We examined demographic characteristics and habitat selection at local- and landscape-scales by spotted turtles (Clemmys guttata), a semi-aquatic ectotherm, in a large (>24,100 ha), contiguous tract with extensive, historical wetland drainage and dominated by loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plantations. During 2012-2013, we captured and individually marked 280 turtles, and used radio-telemetry on a subset (n = 31) to investigate survival and multi-scale habitat selection using a novel means of summarizing model selection results across individuals. Adult abundance estimates suggest robust numbers of turtles in the ditch system. Despite copious ephemeral wetlands in the study area, turtle movements and habitat selection focused primarily on artificial ditch networks. At a local habitat scale, turtles selected for greater understory closure, more pine needle substrate cover, and greater substrate temperature, suggesting turtles selected habitat based on local-scale variability for thermoregulation or other critical behaviors. At one of the landscape scales, turtle activity areas were best predicted by increased proportion of young stands with closed canopies and older, thinned stands. In the age of landscape development and habitat destruction, our study indicates the importance of understanding species plastic responses to intensively-managed landscapes. Chris O’Bryan is a Fisheries and Wildlife Biologist for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. He has a B.Sc. in Biology from Austin Peay State University and a M.Sc. in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology from Clemson University. Before attending Clemson as a M.Sc. student, Chris conducted an undergraduate project on the proliferation of ranavirus, a deadly amphibian disease, in Tennessee. His research interests are in landscape and population ecology emphasizing conservation applications. ENVIRONMENTAL DNA DETECTION OF PLETHODONTID SALAMANDER COMMUNITIES. Todd W. Pierson, University of Tennessee. The indirect detection of organisms through the isolation and identification of DNA shed into the environment (environmental DNA; eDNA) is powerful and cost-effective technique that is being rapidly integrated into wildlife inventory and monitoring efforts. It is particularly useful for aquatic species that are secretive and hard to detect with conventional field surveys, including many amphibians. Two general techniques exist: 1) amplification-based assays, which infer the presence of one or a small number of species through the PCR or qPCR amplification of DNA with species-specific primers and probes; and 2) sequence-based assays, which amplify short and taxonomically informative loci (minibarcodes) with general primers, sequence these loci on a next-generation sequencing platform, and classify the sequences through comparison to a library of reference sequences. Here, I provide a short introduction to eDNA and discuss its potential utility for the detection of amphibians and reptiles. I present some results from two collaborative studies using eDNA to detect plethodontid salamanders: 1) an amplification-based assay used to locate new populations of the rare and enigmatic patch-nosed salamander (Urspelerpes brucei); and 2) a sequence-based assay used to characterize the plethodontid salamander communities in Appalachian headwater streams. Todd W. Pierson is a PhD student in the Fitzpatrick Lab in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Tennessee. He is interested in the ecology, evolution, and conservation of amphibians and reptiles, especially lungless salamanders of the family Plethodontidae. SIMULATING THE DISPERSAL BEHAVIOR OF BURMESE PYTHONS IN SOUTH FLORIDA: IMPLICATIONS FOR RANGE EXPANSION. Shannon Pittman, Davidson College. Invasive species are widely recognized as one of the greatest threats to biodiversity worldwide. Predication of spatial spread of invasive species before it has occurred is central to implementing the most effective control and containment measures. Numerous studies have acknowledged that an accounting of complex animal behaviors in models of spatial spread give rise to more accurate predictions of the dynamics of invasions. Individual-based models (IBMs) can incorporate behavioral complexity in movement and provide a method for predicting the effects of movement and dispersal strategies on spread dynamics. The Burmese python ( Python molurus bivittatus) is a potentially devastating invasive species to the unique ecosystems of South Florida. We radiotracked 14 neonate Burmese pythons for 6 months in South Florida. We used behavioral and survival data from the radiotelemetry study to parameterize the IBM SEARCH (Spatially Explicit Animal Responses to Composition of Habitat) and determine behavioral rules for Burmese python dispersal. We simulated dispersal through habitats of differing types to generate dispersal patterns under a range of landscape composition scenarios. These dispersal patterns will be used to simulate the range expansion dynamics of Burmese pythons in South Florida. Shannon Pittman is an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow at Davidson College and Purdue University. She has a B.S. in Biology from Davidson College and a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from the University of Missouri. She held a postdoc appointment through the USDA at the University of Minnesota before accepting an NSF Postdoctoral Fellow position, jointly mentored through Davidson College and Purdue University. Her research interests include animal and plant movement, invasion ecology, and the conservation of amphibians and reptiles. Much of her research involves developing analytical and numerical models to investigate the spatially-explicit population dynamics of species of conservation or management concern. Her current work focuses on understanding the invasion dynamics of Burmese pythons in South Florida using individual-based modeling. FACTORS INFLUENCING SITE OCCUPANCY OF HELLBENDER SALAMANDERS IN NORTHWESTERN NORTH CAROLINA: A STUDY IN TWO HEADWATER DRAINAGES. M. Worth Pugh*, Thomas W. Franklin, Lynn Siefferman, Michael M. Gangloff, Appalachian State University. The hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis) is a long-lived aquatic salamander endemic to mountain streams in eastern and central North America. Recent population monitoring efforts indicate that hellbender populations are exhibiting declines in much of their current range as well as local extirpations from their historic range. Though these declines may be attributable, in part, to the spread of infectious disease, global climate change, and illegal collection, recent studies suggest that habitat degradation resulting from land-use change is likely the most pervasive threat to hellbender populations. We quantified hellbender occurrence, physicochemical parameters, and land-use/land-cover composition in the New and Watauga River Drainages in northwestern NC. Using these data we examined the ability of habitat and landscape parameters to predict hellbender occurrence. Generalized linear models suggest that local habitat and percent change in upstream forest cover are informative predictors of hellbender site occupancy. Moreover, few occupied sites exhibited > 1% decreases in upstream forest cover from 1992 to 2011. While this suggests that hellbenders are alarmingly sensitive to relatively subtle decreases in upstream forest cover, GIS analysis reveals that, in some localities, forest cover has increased while agriculture cover has decreased in the New and Watauga Drainages. As land-use changes from largely agriculture to small scale housing development in these drainages there may be opportunities for reforestation which may help mitigate negative impacts of historical land-use in the region. Therefore, management should focus on preserving upstream forest cover at the catchment scale to prevent further degradation of hellbender habitat. M. W. Pugh is the animal collections manager in the Department of Biology at Appalachian State University in Boone NC. He began this position after receiving his M.S. in Biology from ASU. His research interests include freshwater ecology, herpetology, and conservation biology. Worth currently works on a variety of research projects at ASU focusing on the ecology conservation biology of sensitive aquatic taxa: fishes, mussels, and amphibians. THERMAL ECOLOGY OF EASTERN BOX TURTLES IN LONGLEAF SYSTEMS. John Roe, University of North Carolina at Pembroke. Prescribed fire is an essential tool for the conservation and management of longleaf ecosystems, and it is thus widely employed in the Southeastern United States. While such management practices may result in the unintentional injury or killing of box turtles, we have little knowledge of how turtles respond to the thermal opportunities and challenges presented by the open understory. Here, we assess the thermal quality of fire-maintained longleaf savannah habitat relative to hardwood forests by measuring turtle preferences on a laboratory temperature gradient, assessing whether habitats vary in the availability of operative environmental temperatures in the preferred temperature range, and then examining temperature and behavior of free-ranging turtles. The preferred target temperature range (Tset) for adult box turtles was 27 – 31 oC. Thermal models indicated that longleaf forests offered greater opportunities for achieving Tset throughout most of the active season (May – October) compared to hardwood forests, but turtles in longleaf would be more frequently exposed to lethal temperatures than those using hardwood forests, especially in summer months. Monthly external shell temperatures of free ranging turtles at the longleaf site exceeded those at the hardwood site by 0.4 – 1.8 oC during the active season (May – October), especially between 1100 – 1700 hrs. Despite the potential thermal benefits of longleaf forests, turtles used mixed hardwood and other pine forests most frequently, but increased their usage of longleaf during summer and fall. The thermal opportunities offered in the open understory of fire-maintained longleaf forests must be accompanied by behaviors to minimize risks (e.g., overheating, dehydration, exposure to fire), and we hypothesize that changes in daily and seasonal activity and microhabitat selection must accompany use of longleaf habitats. Further studies to assess the response of box turtles to fire would help land managers understand the implications of current management practices for nontarget biota, and perhaps improve the implementation of prescribed burning in the future. John Roe has been an Assistant Professor of Biology at the University of North Carolina Pembroke since 2010. He earned a B.Sc. in Biology from Davidson College, an M.Sc. from Purdue University, and a Ph.D. in Applied Ecology from the University of Canberra, Australia. He has worked at the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory and held a postdoctoral appointment at Indiana Purdue University Fort Wayne. His research interests are in the natural history and ecology of reptiles and amphibians, with much of his work contributing to improved conservation and management for both imperiled and common species in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial systems. He has a particular interest in linking behavior and physiology to better understand animal interactions with their environment. At UNC Pembroke, he maintains an active field research program for undergraduate students, and teaches classes in zoology and environmental science. SPECIES PREFERENCES IN SCENT-TRAILING BY NEONATAL TIMBER RATTLESNAKES (Crotalus horridus). John Sealy, University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Timber rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus) in northern-temperate regions survive harsh winters by seeking refuge in communal, mixed-species hibernacula. Gestation and parturition occur some distance from the population's hibernaculum, requiring fall migration to a novel location by the newborn snakes. Studies suggest that scent trails laid down by mothers of the neonates may guide young to the hibernaculum. My previous fieldwork, however, does not fully support this conclusion. Here I examine the ability of newborn timber rattlesnakes to track the scent trails of conspecifics and of other snake species sympatric with timber rattlesnakes. Six scent treatments consisting of the newborn's mother, an unrelated C. horridus, Agkistrodon contortrix (copperheads), Elaphe obsoleta (black rat snakes), Nerodia sipedon (northern water snakes), and a "no scent" control were utilized. Results demonstrate that while neonatal timber rattlesnakes may recognize sympatric heterospecifics, they preferentially trail conspecifics. There are important conservation management implications in these findings. John Sealy is a biology lecturer at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. John earned a B.A. from Elon College, at B.A. in Biology from UNCG, and an M.S. in Biology from Appalachian State University. First using radio telemetry in 1993, his work has centered on various aspects of conservation and management of Timber Rattlesnakes in North Carolina and Virginia. Much of his focus today is in providing workshops and training to help agencies in developing management practices to assist Timber Rattlesnake populations. MANAGEMENT OF A REPRODUCING POPULATION OF OUSTALET’S CHAMELEON (Furcifer oustaleti) IN FLORIDA. Dustin Smith, North Carolina Zoological Park. The Oustalet’s Chameleon (Furcifer oustaleti) is one of more than 45 species of nonnative lizards documented in Florida and one of three species of Chameleonidae introduced into Florida. This population is established in an avocado grove in Miami-Dade County, where it was intentionally introduced to Florida more than 15 years ago. Furcifer oustaleti is native to Madagascar and is known as one of the largest species of chameleons in the world, reaching 685 mm (TL). After the population was discovered in 2010, we began conducting surveys in 2011 to determine population demography, diet composition, habitat use, reproduction, and best management efforts. We radio-tracked a gravid female F. oustaleti to her oviposition site, which is the first time this has been described for this species. In addition, we analyzed clutches from an additional 23 gravid females. As of December 2015, our surveys resulted in more than 575 F. oustaleti being removed. Distance-constrained and unconstrained routes were alternated each month during the nighttime visual encounter surveys. We report a decreasing number of chameleons removed annually and many recent surveys resulting in zero observations. Dustin C. Smith is the Curator of Reptiles and Amphibians at the North Carolina Zoological Park. He graduated with a B.A. in 2001 from the University of South Florida. He relocated to the North Carolina Zoo in 2014 after working at Zoo Miami. He has been involved with research projects in Costa Rica, Panama, and throughout the southeastern US. Currently he is working with the Puerto Rican Crested Toad (Peltophryne lemur) Recovery Program in Puerto Rico and an ongoing study of Dermatemys mawii in Belize. Most of his regional research involves native and non-native amphibians and reptiles in southern Florida and now a variety of herpetofauna in North Carolina.