Turtle Tails and Lizard Legs

My name is Dalton and I am a native Texan. I have a passion for reptiles and amphibians (also Pokémon and cats). I just graduated from Texas A&M University and am currently working on a research project with Spot-tailed Earless Lizards (Holbrookia lacerata). My goal is to eventually earn a PhD and work as a research professor at a university, but for now just one day at a time.

[chipsprites]

Okay so Jurassic World and the new Pokémon movie are the same thing.

[ailetra]

I used to think it was weird in Pokemon that Professor Oak didn’t have a full pokedex so he made you go do it. But then I started grad school and now I understand that this is exactly how it works.

Me (via ailetra)

If you got given a starter Pokemon when you went to Grad school the world would be a better place…

(via misplacedlight)

[compassioncole]

the coronation of n | pokemon black & white intro.

[saracastically]

day 26 - starter: cyndaquil fwoosh!

[metalalbumswithgooglyeyes]

[currentsinbiology]

Saiga Antelopes Mysteriously Die-Off in Kazakhstan

Saiga antelopes, a bizarre-looking and critically endangered species, are mysteriously dying off in Kazakhstan at an alarming rate, officials said Wednesday, raising fears that a species that has been around since the Ice Age may be on its way to extinction.

In April, Kazakhstan was home to 250,000 saigas. But now, around 40 percent of the Central Asian nation’s population of saigas, or 120,000 animals, has died in the past month, setting back conservation efforts.

So what could possibly be killing these critically endangered animals? The reason is still unclear, so the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) in Hatfield in the United Kingdom has sent out a team of veterinarians to Kazakhstan to find out. According to these experts, the bacteria Pasteurella and Clostridia are likely behind the mass die-offs.

(Photo : USFWS/Wikimedia Commons)

[crotalinae]

Final official death count: 134,252 animals.

(via Saiga Conservation Alliance)

[turtle-tails-and-lizard-legs]

With the support of the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, scientists with The Nature Conservancy in Texas and the University of Texas are, through 2016, ratcheting up research to help determine the distribution and conservation status of the spot-tailed earless lizard.

This is the project I’m working on right now. If you’re in Texas, definitely take a look.

[turtle-tails-and-lizard-legs]

The thing inside me that drives me to go out and hunt is very animal. But the remorse, emotion and respect I feel, and the closeness to God that I feel when I’m out there, is my humanity. It’s an opportunity for me to explore what parts of me are animal and what parts of me are human.

Chris Pratt (http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jun/06/chris-pratt-jurassic-world)

[turtle-tails-and-lizard-legs]

The hardest part about the GF having a grand jol in South Africa without me is waiting until she gets back to see Jurassic World.

[deldraws]

i did a thing….

[jurassicworldmovie]

Our park. Their world. Get tickets for Jurassic World now!

[turtle-tails-and-lizard-legs]

New Field Job

Howdy all, I just started a new Field Tech job. This one is a little different than last year. This time, I’m working with (looking for) Holbrookia lacerata, the Spot-tailed Earless Lizard. I’ll be doing road surveys, so driving around during the day counting lizards on back roads. The oddest part of the job to me, however, is the fact that I’m staying in hotels mostly. Compared to last year when I slept outside on a cot in the middle of the desert, this is really weird. But hey, the Wi-Fi is nice to have!

[kateceratops]

Lying on the floor and growling at your problems does not make them go away.

Listed under “Things I Say to My Cat That Can Also Be Chapter Titles in a Self-Help Book” (via kateceratops)

[virare]

the best part about being in your 20’s is slowly caring less and less about what people think of you and surrounding yourself with good people

the worst is that I’m broke

[cool-critters]

Andean moutain cat (Leopardus jacobita)

The Andean mountain cat is a small wildcat. Fewer than 2500 individuals are thought to exist. While it is about the size of a domestic cat, it appears larger because of its long tail and thick fur. Body length ranges from 57 to 64 centimetres, tail length is 41 to 48 cm and shoulder height is about 36 cm. It is one of the least-known and rarest of all felines; almost all that is known about it comes from a few observations in the wild and from skins. There are none in captivity. It is believed to live only in the Andes mountains and lower slope in Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. In 2002 the status of the Andean cat was moved from Vulnerable to Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

photo credits: wiki, wiki, Dr. Jim Sanderson

[turtle-tails-and-lizard-legs]

This past weekend I attended the International Herpetological Symposium in San Antonio. It was my first time going and there were some amazing speakers. On the final day we had a few hours in the San Antonio Zoo and got a glimpse behind the scenes. My favorite animal I saw was the Japanese Giant Salamander, Andrias japonicas. They have 6 on display and they are amazing animals.

[turtle-tails-and-lizard-legs]

Texas tortoise Gopherus berlandieri