Photo By Jennifer James | Herpetological survey volunteer holds frog on 4 May, 2023 at the training area on Fort...... read more read more
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It was a slightly overcast day May 4, 2023 when a Fort Riley environmental biologist led a team of volunteers onto the plains to conduct the 22nd annual Fort Riley herpetological study. The survey team fanned out onto the training area carefully turning over rocks and picking up pieces of carefully placed plywood hoping to see a few of the many species of reptiles and amphibians that call the installation home.
The study is one of many that the Fort Riley environmental division conducts to track and safeguard wildlife on post.
Fort Riley environmental biologist, Mike Houck, says that is what makes these types of surveys so important, “We’re lucky right now that we don’t have any endangered species on Fort Riley.”
The survey results this year found 735 individual specimens that covered 29 species on post. The survey sampled areas across the installation and was conducted with the help of 35 volunteers.
Houck says the survey attracts a lot of volunteers from around the area, and this year also showed some support from a variety of backgrounds.
Camille Rieber, a graduate student from Kansas State University and with the Kansas Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit says she loves to get practical experience beyond her specialty in prairie chickens, “I just love snakes and lizards. When I was in Florida, I worked a lot with snakes and salamanders, and so when I get a chance to interact with them, I jump at it.”
Several others were jumping as Houck uncovered a resting place featuring two eastern copperhead snakes, a variety of pit viper commonly found in North America. Houck carefully explained the habits of these snakes, and even more carefully placed the rock back making sure not to injure the reptiles.
“It’s important to know that the species here are interconnected within this biome, and our job is to make sure we do our best to live alongside them,” said Houck.
Fort Riley Veterinary Clinic technician, Specialist Ethan Holicky, says volunteering for the survey gives him a fantastic opportunity to get out into the countryside and help a great cause, “I used to do a lot of this at home picking up garden snakes in my grandma’s house, and nature’s neat!”
Other varieties of amphibians and reptiles found during the survey included a pond slider turtle, great plains skinks, Woodhouse’s toad, western milk snake, and a gopher snake.
The full report of the survey can be obtained by contacting the Fort Riley Environmental Division Conservation office. If you would like to volunteer to do your own rock flipping for next year you can call the conservation chief at 785-239-8574.
| Date Taken: | 05.18.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 05.18.2023 10:30 |
| Story ID: | 445017 |
| Location: | FORT RILEY, KS, US |
| Web Views: | 131 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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