|
Canadian Herpetological Society Société d'Herpétologie du Canada |
|---|
To contribute a post to The Drift Fence, please review and follow our Instructions for Contributors.
Page: 1 2 3 4 5
Investigating the Enduring Mystery of Temperature-dependent Sex Determination
May 01, 2021Jessica Leivesley, PhD candidate, Njal Rollinson Lab, University of Toronto
In my opinion, temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) is one of the weirdest but most interesting things about reptiles. In animals, sex determination is typically thought of in terms of sex chromosomes. For example, in species with an XY sex-chromosome system (such as humans), embryos possessing two X chromosomes will be genetically female, while those with both an X and a Y chromosome will be … Read More
Buried Away: Vocalising Turtles and Cooperative Hatching Behaviour
March 21, 2021Claudia Lacroix, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, and the School of the Environment, University of Toronto
Reptiles are not known for their behavioural complexity, and until recently I bought into that belief. In my lower year undergraduate classes, behavioural ecology and herpetology were taught separately. So, when I asked my current supervisor, Dr. Njal Rollinson, if I could do a third-year research thesis, I was shocked when he proposed a project on turtle vocalisations. First of all, turtles vocalise? And second of all, I can study behaviour AND turtles? This idea largely came from … Read More
A Summer Spent Salamander-ing
November 03, 2020Meghan Ward
For as long as I can remember, I spent childhood summers at the cottage catching frogs and searching for salamanders under logs. My most trusted tools were a little plastic frog-shaped net and a big red bucket. If eight-year-old Meghan had been told she would be doing the same thing 15 years later, she would have been as ecstatic as I was while preparing to embark on a salamander study last… Read More
Canadian Herpetologists Abroad: New Zealand for the World Congress of Herpetology
September 30, 2020Patrick Moldowan
In January 2020, a contingent of Canadian herpetologists congregated in the southern hemisphere for the largest gathering of likeminded geeks from around the globe. The 9th World Congress of Herpetology (WCH), hosted at the University of Otago in Dunedin, Aotearoa, New Zealand (05-11 Jan 2020), brought together 874 herpetologists from 57 countries to share scientific findings, promote education, and address… Read More
Conservation Wins for Canadian Reptiles and Amphibians
August 28, 2020James Paterson
We could all use some good news right now.
In conservation, work can often feel like an uphill slog with species declining and wild spaces disappearing. But, it’s important to recognize that among the sad stories, there are good news stories sprinkled in the mix, too.
I want to celebrate some conservation wins for Canadian reptile and amphibian species.
1. Herb… Read More
Page: 1 2 3 4 5