Slithery Soiree

Reptiles and amphibians are unique but often persecuted animals with complex life histories, brilliant colorations, and fascinating behavioral patterns. The Midwestern US is home to a variety of amphibian and reptile species, which can sometimes prove difficult to observe due to their cryptic nature and distinct habitat preferences. Join us to learn from three passionate researchers, see live animals up close, and take a hike through our prairie to search for snakes. This is a hybrid event. Please join in-person if you are able, or via Zoom for the live virtual presentation. All registrants will receive a Zoom link prior to the event.

About our speakers
Joseph S. Cannizzaro IV is a Herpetologist and technician at the Illinois Natural History Survey. His research focuses on the Ecology, Evolution and Conservation of Amphibians and Reptiles. Joseph will discuss research on surveying Wisconsin’s only fully aquatic salamander, the mudpuppy (Necturus maculosus), and investigating the warning coloration of the Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor).

Nathan J. Kutok is a herpetologist and Scientific Collections Affiliate at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, Illinois. His current research is centered around the ecology, conservation, and biogeography of the Midwestern herpetofauna. He will be sharing preliminary data from a series of ongoing projects relating to the Natricine snake genera Tropidoclonion, Regina, and Clonophis.

Zander Perelman is a doctoral student with the Illinois Natural History Survey where his dissertation research is focused on the behavioral ecology of Eastern Massasaugas and Pygmy Rattlesnakes. He will be share about using fixed-field videography to study North American pitviper behavior, specifically Pygmy Rattlesnakes and Florida Cottonmouths.