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Research Technician Watson 232 (414) 915-6024 choldham@davidson.edu |
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I have been involved with the Davidson College Herpetology Lab since the fall of 2010, when I took Reptile and Amphibian Conservation with Dr. Dorcas. In May of 2012, I graduated from Davidson College with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Chinese. In the spring of 2012, I became the Herpetology Lab's research technician. In this capacity, I have been involved with a wide range of activities; from anuran calling surveys to probing for Bog Turtles in the mud.
My own research has centered around semi-aquatic turtles. My research is designed to provide more data
on a population of juvenile Eastern Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta) in a golf course pond. We hope to be able to determine the survivorship, population sizes, movement within the habit, and growth rates of juvenile turtles in the pond. In the face of increasing urbanization, semi-aquatic
turtles are threatened by habitat loss. Ponds at golf courses represent important suitable habitat for
these turtles, providing both the terrestrial and aquatic environments these species utilize. Through
research into the turtles residing in these ponds, effective management strategies can be developed to
promote the persistence of semi-aquatic turtle species in an increasingly urban landscape.
Research Interests
Herpetology
Conservation Biology
Populaton Ecology
Wildlife Ecology