Reptiles and Amphibians

Snake Talk

The snakes we captured were marked and measured, and we collected blood samples for health screening exams as part of our project with San Diego Zoo Global.

New Genetics Tools Assist Endangered Frog Conservation Efforts

At the Genetics Division of the San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research, we are working in the development of cutting edge tools to study endangered species of frogs, particularly the dusky gopher frog Rana sevosa.

Brazil’s Golden Lancehead: A Treasure to be Protected

Habitat degradation, illegal animal trade, and disease all contribute to this population’s dramatic decline. My study is focused on documenting threats to the species and developing a plan to reverse the downward trend.

Giving Iguanas a Headstart

Their post-release survival rate has been almost 80% and last year we documented our first nest from a headstarted female.

Slow but Steady: Desert Tortoise Recovery

Watching expectantly for an animal that spends 98% of their time in a burrow might seem like a futile endeavor, but spring has sprung, and in this case, the wait at the Desert Tortoise Conservation Center (DTCC) is worth the effort.

Unlocking the Secrets of Cells

Looking through my microscope at the round purple smudges inside cells of a boreal toad were enough to tell me that this was not going to be an ordinary investigation for the Amphibian Disease Laboratory.

Caribbean Rock Iguana Recovery Programs

When a population becomes critically rare, some conservation methods are aimed at boosting the number of animals as quickly as possible first, and later refining the strategies to keep them safe.

Frog Conservation Really Hopping

Amphibian populations all over the world are disappearing on a scale that has been compared to the extinction of the dinosaurs.

Monitoring Reproduction in Komodo Dragons

Komodo dragons are the largest living species of lizard in the world, and they are native to several small islands in Indonesia.

Tortoise Conservation Coming out of Its Shell

The San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation Research has joined the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in operating the Desert Tortoise Conservation Center located in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Colorful Conservation for the Rainbow Boa

Human development is constricting island-dwelling snake populations.

Saving the Golden Lancehead Snake from Dire Straights

The Brazilian Atlantic Forest has one of the highest biodiversity levels in the world, including the critically endangered golden lancehead snake. We are taking a multi-prong approach to this urgent conservation challenge.