Thesiss

Amphibians are declining worldwide in response to pressures that are too numerous, difficult and rapid to ameliorate in the wild before some taxa become extinct. Ex situ conservation, whereby animals are maintained in captivity until threats in the wild have been resolved, is th…

The Illinois chorus frog (Pseudacris streckeri illinoensis) is a state-threatened species that spends the majority of its life underground. Because of their cryptic life-history, very little is known about the feeding behavior of this frog. In an attempt to rectify this lack of …

Identifying population declines and mitigating biodiversity loss require reliable monitoring techniques, but complex life histories and cryptic characteristics of anuran species render conventional monitoring challenging and ineffective. Environmental DNA (eDNA) detection is a h…

Freshwater is an important commodity for society and for various flora and fauna that inhabit them. Smaller tributaries and subwatersheds contribute to downstream water quality and are crucial components in impairment remediation. Targeting upstream Mississippi River Alluvial Pl…

The Mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus) is a rarely seen and poorly understood permanently aquatic salamander of the eastern United States. Little has been published on its habits within extensive portions of its range, especially within the Missouri and Arkansas river drainages, wher…