Mentoring the next generation: USGS, NPS, and University of Florida Cooperative Research Unit Invasive Reptile Intern Program Active
Invasive reptiles like the Burmese python (Python bivittatus) and black and white tegu lizard (Tupinambis merianae) are exerting tremendous harm on Everglades ecosystems, but these problematic species present an excellent opportunity to engage the next generation in science. Since entering into an agreement with Everglades National Park in late 2013, the Invasive Species Science Branch of the U.S. Geological Survey's Fort Collins Science Center has provided internships for, and, in turn, benefitted from, young people conducting research on invasive reptiles in the Everglades.
In 2014, USGS, NPS, and the University of Florida developed the Invasive Reptile Internship Program that is at the core of our ongoing applied invasive reptile research. This internship complements the Everglades BioCorps Internship Program, both of which trains early-career biologists to conduct rigorously scientific field and laboratory work. The programs provide research interns opportunities to develop their skills in wildlife research and conservation while expanding their networks for graduate school and enriched careers in the biological sciences. Interns participate in field-based research on Burmese python ecology, survival, reproduction, and diet in Big Cypress National Preserve, Early Detection and Rapid Response and removals of black and white tegu lizards in Everglades National Park, and may also participate in related lab-based research.
Throughout the year-long research internships, interns utilize radiotelemetry equipment to track transmitted pythons throughout the various habitats in Big Cypress National Preserve to collect detailed data that will serve as the basis for scientific analyses and publication. Interns in our program will spend 6-8 hours every day using these skills, becoming fully skilled. Laboratory research in Everglades National Park offers various opportunities to investigate the biology of Burmese pythons, black and white tegus, and other invasive reptiles found in southern Florida through detailed necropsy investigations.
One of the hallmarks of this internship program is providing opportunity to grow professionally. As our internship program continues to develop over the years, so too do our partnerships with resource managers and research collaborators. Since its inception, the internship program has provided excellent research, mentorship, and career building opportunities to recent graduates from across the United States. Many former interns have contributed to peer-reviewed publications, pursued graduate degrees in the biological sciences, or gone on to become wildlife professionals across the world. Research college graduate? Come join us!
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
USGS Everglades Research Office - Florida
Ecology and Control of Invasive Reptiles in Florida
- Overview
Invasive reptiles like the Burmese python (Python bivittatus) and black and white tegu lizard (Tupinambis merianae) are exerting tremendous harm on Everglades ecosystems, but these problematic species present an excellent opportunity to engage the next generation in science. Since entering into an agreement with Everglades National Park in late 2013, the Invasive Species Science Branch of the U.S. Geological Survey's Fort Collins Science Center has provided internships for, and, in turn, benefitted from, young people conducting research on invasive reptiles in the Everglades.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media DetailsAlejandro Grajal-Puche shows an Argentine black-and-white tegu (Tupinambis merianae) with a radio-transmitter backpack over its pelvis. Photo by Michelle Collier, USGS. Public domain. In 2014, USGS, NPS, and the University of Florida developed the Invasive Reptile Internship Program that is at the core of our ongoing applied invasive reptile research. This internship complements the Everglades BioCorps Internship Program, both of which trains early-career biologists to conduct rigorously scientific field and laboratory work. The programs provide research interns opportunities to develop their skills in wildlife research and conservation while expanding their networks for graduate school and enriched careers in the biological sciences. Interns participate in field-based research on Burmese python ecology, survival, reproduction, and diet in Big Cypress National Preserve, Early Detection and Rapid Response and removals of black and white tegu lizards in Everglades National Park, and may also participate in related lab-based research.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media DetailsMolly Conway uses a burrow camera to visualize a Burmese python in a burrow in Everglades National Park. USGS photo. Public domain. Throughout the year-long research internships, interns utilize radiotelemetry equipment to track transmitted pythons throughout the various habitats in Big Cypress National Preserve to collect detailed data that will serve as the basis for scientific analyses and publication. Interns in our program will spend 6-8 hours every day using these skills, becoming fully skilled. Laboratory research in Everglades National Park offers various opportunities to investigate the biology of Burmese pythons, black and white tegus, and other invasive reptiles found in southern Florida through detailed necropsy investigations.
One of the hallmarks of this internship program is providing opportunity to grow professionally. As our internship program continues to develop over the years, so too do our partnerships with resource managers and research collaborators. Since its inception, the internship program has provided excellent research, mentorship, and career building opportunities to recent graduates from across the United States. Many former interns have contributed to peer-reviewed publications, pursued graduate degrees in the biological sciences, or gone on to become wildlife professionals across the world. Research college graduate? Come join us!
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media DetailsJillian Josimovich stands in front of a snake rack she built to house 60 hatchling Burmese pythons. She completed a research project to examine how these snakes optimize growth. USGS photo. Public domain.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media DetailsErika Lozano, Marcie Cruz, and Emma Hanslowe (L-R), prepare an Argentine black-and-white tegu for surgery as part of a study on cold-weather behavior on the lizards. USGS photo. Public domain. - Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
USGS Everglades Research Office - Florida
The Daniel Beard Center in Everglades National Park provides the base for most of the field work done on the control of invasive reptiles by USGS Fort Collins Science Center staff. The team works in Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge, and other parts of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem focusing on, among other species of concern...Ecology and Control of Invasive Reptiles in Florida
This project involves development of tools for the detection and control of invasive reptiles in Florida, with an emphasis on pythons and tegu lizards. The goals are to reduce the risk of reptile invasions, investigate early detection methods, maintain rapid response capacity, and understand invasive reptile population biology and ecology to inform management options. - Publications
- Partners