Field Study - Boyd’s Forest Dragon

[SofieB]

Hi guys,
I’m doing my PhD on Boyd’s Forest Dragon (Hypsilurus boydii) and I’m about to start my field work. I would like to know where people have found or caught Boyd’s Dragons in the Wet Tropics and how many individuals you saw at each of these places (at any one time). I would like to have sites from North to South and I would like to sample at least 10 dragons from each site. Thanks, any help would be most appreciated.

 

[Waterrat]

Sofie, could you tell us what kind of research you're doing? Does it involve any experimental stuff?

 

[longqi]

There are plenty of places you can observe them
But exactly what so you mean by 'sample' them??

 

[Pythoninfinite]

But I am curious about the sampling too - do you mean toe clipping or other means of marking them for identification?

Jamie

deleted

Oh good grief... get a life you guys - unbeknownst to you there are lots of people doing legit work with reptiles in this country... not everyone thinks like you.

Jamie

 

[SofieB]

At this point I will be collecting DNA samples either by buccal or blood samples (2 drops of blood by nail clipping - not toe clipping) and conducting spool-and-line tracking (I have ethics approval). The dragons will not leave the forest. No behavioural or chemical experiments.

 

[jedi_339]

Or perhaps a genetic study with a small tissue sample or something similar, I'm very interested to know the subject of the study, PhD studies are always good topics

 

[Pythoninfinite]

Sounds interesting - and a beautiful looking species to work with too!

Jamie

 

[jedi_339]

At this point I will be collecting DNA samples and conducting spool-and-line tracking (I have ethics approval). The dragons will not leave the forest. No behavioural or chemical experiments.

Cool, what is your actual project trying to determine?

 

[SofieB]

I will be largely exploring phylogeographic patterns of boyd's as well as looking into landscape genetics.

 

[Waterrat]

Purely out of curiosity, do Boyds continuously grow their toe nails?

 

[jedi_339]

Purely out of curiosity, do Boyds continuously grow their toe nails?

Maybe that can be a secondary research topic just for you

 

[Waterrat]

Maybe that can be a secondary research topic just for you

Meaning?

Boyds are arboreal species and climbing is very important to them. That was my concern.

 

[jedi_339]

Meaning?

Boyds are arboreal species and climbing is very important to them. That was my concern.

I mean maybe SofieB can clip some toenails on individuals and let you know if they regrow, a secondary experiment just for informations sake

 

[Waterrat]

Jedi, I don't really need to know, it should be known before the study begins. I don't think one clipped toe nail is going to hinder the lizard's climbing but these things should be considered.
I worked with a guy who used toe clipping to mark individuals in his mark / recapture program. Some of the frogs could barely cling to the wet rocks after being "marked".

 

[longqi]

Very valid point Micheal but Iguanas Beardies Goannas etc all regrow quite quickly so I imagine these would be similar

My concern would be the stress level on the Boyds handled and clipped
They freak out pretty easily even in captivity
Just catching them will be pretty stressful on them

 

[Pythoninfinite]

Purely out of curiosity, do Boyds continuously grow their toe nails?

I'm pretty sure that all lizards, like anything with nails, even us, continually grow them out - they'd have to to maintain them in suitable condition. I know if you cut just the tips off lizard claws they grow back in a couple of weeks.

Jamie

 

[Bushman]

This sounds like an interesting and legitimate field study.
I'm sure that there are some herpers here that can help you, myself included.

Those wanting to help, please PM locations to Sofie rather than post them in the thread, to protect wild populations.

 

[Waterrat]

I had quite a bit to do with Boyds and don't find them any more stress when handled that any other agamid. A friend of mine marked and spooled a good number of Boyds during his studies and all went well. They trash, gape and wriggle when handled but it's only a temporary defence, once you let them go, they are back to normal.

 

[waruikazi]

What is spooling?

 

[snakeynewbie]

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