The Calusa Herpetological Society Of Southwest Florida

Thursday August 4, 2016 - 7:00 pm

The speaker for this evening will be Chip Cochran.   The title of his talk is "Project Pondo".  HCI, Herpetological Conservation International, is a non-profit organization  dedicated to conserving imperiled reptiles though land preservation, scientific research and education. Our first project is centered on the endangered Pondo Dwarf Chameleon, a species inhabiting the Wild Coast region of South Africa’s Eastern Cape. This species is under threat due to its limited range, with available habitat shrinking by the day due to development and agricultural conversion. Our talk will cover the threats facing this species, as well as the other species in the area. We will go into the basic ecology of the species, what’s known, what isn’t and what we plan to do. Our goal is to purchase available land inhabited by the Pondo Dwarf Chameleon so that it may be set aside as a reserve for the species. We hope to partner with local researchers on basic ecological studies of the species to better inform habitat restoration attempts of any acquired disturbed lands. To our knowledge, this would be the first ever chameleon-centric reserve in the world!

       Chip Cochran is a PhD candidate in Dr. William K. Hayes lab at Loma Linda University where he is studying morphological, dietary, and venom composition differences among populations of southwestern speckled rattlesnakes (Crotalus pyrrhus). He received his BS from The University of Arizona in 2006 where he majored in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. During his time at the University of Arizona he worked in Matt Goode’s lab primarily radio tracking Tiger rattlesnakes (C. tigris) for a project investigating the effects of golf courses on Tucson herpetofauna. His research interests include: reptile venom proteomics and evolution, conservation, and ecology. He is particularly interested in African herpetofauna and members of the genus Crotalus. 

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The Herp-of-the Month will be the  

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After Meeting Dinner

Do you want to talk herps for another hour or two after the meeting? Don't forget to come out to Stevie Tomatoes (a sports bar and grill) on Daniels Blvd and I-75 after the meeting, for food and plenty of informal herp talk with the speaker and other meeting attendees.