When most people hear the phrase "baby turtle," they probably picture a hatchling small enough to fit in the palm of their hand. Around the Wildlife Epidemiology Laboratory, though, our "babies" are a little different. They may be over six years old now, but they'll probably always be [...]
One of my favorite experiences at the University of Illinois has been helping care for our prairie rattlesnakes. Because these snakes are venomous, every student who works with them completes specialized venomous snake handling training before ever interacting with them. This training focuses on proper handling techniques, safety protocols, and [...]
Biosecurity isn’t the most glamorous aspect of veterinary medicine and research, but it is crucial to the industry and the work we do in the Wildlife Epidemiology Lab. It is a pillar of our standard operating procedures (SOPs) in the field, laboratory, or when handling our research animals. Establishing biosecurity protocols helps to protect individuals, [...]
If you've ever looked closely at a turtle's shell during one of our field seasons, you may have noticed a series of tiny notches along the edge of its shell. At first glance, they might look like random markings...but they're anything but random. Those tiny notches are actually one of the most powerful tools [...]
Finding a wild box turtle is always exciting. After hours of hiking through forests and prairies spotting that familiar domed shell tucked beneath vegetation never gets old. But while finding the turtle may be the highlight of the day, it's actually just the beginning of the story. Once a turtle is located, our field [...]
Understanding the health of an animal can be done in many ways: a visual assessment, physical examination, imaging, bloodwork, etc. Another method that is standard in health assessments for the wild turtles we encounter is performing COS and COSS swabs. COS is an oral-cloacal swab, and COSS is a cloacal-oral-shell swab. Depending on the type [...]
If there is one thing we have learned about field season, it is that every trip has its own story. Some trips are defined by unexpected wildlife sightings. Some are remembered for the places we visit. Some stand out because of the people who join us. And some become memorable because everything [...]
Over the course of six days, Grace and Becca logged 150 hours straight together as we bounced from northern Illinois to the Chicago area, then all the way down to eastern Tennessee and back again. Along the way, we met incredible people, sampled dozens of turtles, learned new skills, shared lots of laughs, and [...]
If there’s one phrase that perfectly describes our first official week out in the field, it’s this: muddy boots, full hearts, and LOTS of turtles!! This week marked the beginning of our summer field season for the Box Turtle Team, and what an incredible start it was! Not only did we officially kick off [...]
Recently in the field, we encountered numerous turtle shells left behind from previous mortality events. While these discoveries can initially feel discouraging, they also represent an important opportunity for wildlife disease surveillance. Even when soft tissues are long gone and all that remains is shell and bone, there is often still valuable information preserved that [...]
