Biodiversity Lab

Current Projects

Species

News & Updates

Located in the Science Center, the Biodiversity Lab houses over 100 different animal species, many of which are rare, exotic, or endangered. The lab enables students and faculty a unique opportunity to conduct research on animals that are not typically found in biological laboratories. Research conducted in the biodiversity lab increases our understanding of the ecological and evolutionary bases of animal behavior and promotes conservation of species in danger of extinction. The lab also provides unique educational opportunities as students not only get to see the animals, but also care for and study them.

Current Research Projects in the Biodiversity Laboratory:

Juvenile growth rates in exotic and endangered turtle species
Shoaling behavior in Central American fish
Community structure, ecology, and the evolution of mating systems in Drosophila
Social behavior and reproduction in poison-dart frogs and Mantellas

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Some of the Species Housed in the Biodiversity Lab:

Fish
- Convict Cichlids (Cichlasoma nigrofasciatum)
- Blue Cichlids (Cichlasoma centrarchus)
- Red Devil (Cichlasoma citrinellum)
- Three-spot Damselfish (Dascyllus trimaculatus)
Amphibians
- Phantasmal Poison Frogs (Epipedobates tricolor)
- Green and Black Poison Frogs (Dendrobates auratus)
- Golden Mantellas (Mantella aurantiaca)
- Painted Mantellas (Mantella madagascariensis)
- Fire-Bellied Toads (Bombina bombina)
Reptiles
- African Veiled Chameleon (Chameleo calyptratus)
- Malayan Box Turtles (Cuora amboinensis)
- Plymouth Red-Bellied Turtles (Pseudemys rubriventris)
- Florida Red-Bellied Turtles (Pseudemys nelsoni)
- Alligator Snapping Turtle (Macroclemys temminckii)
- Mississippi Map Turtles (Graptemys kohnii)
- Spotted-Bellied Side-Neck Turtle (Phrynops hilarii)
Insects
- Drosophila melanogaster
- Drosophila affinis
- Drosophila virilis
- Drosophila busckii

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Biodiversity Lab - News and Updates

A number of recent online articles report on research of human recognition by "Fido" the iguana conducted by student Jill Compton and Dr. McRobert:
A bite from the iguana turns inspiration:
A biologist's injury moved him to study the lizard's powers of recognition.
Philadelphia Inquirer online
July 22, 1999
Oh, It's You
New Scientist
July 3, 1999
In Sight of the Iguana: Not-So-Bright Lizard Can Pick Owner Out of a Crowd
ABC News
July 28, 1999
Our Phantasmal Poison Frog colony (Epipedobates tricolor), is producing clutches of eggs about every three weeks. As of mid-October we have about 25 young froglets.
On October 4 we received a colony of Green and Black Poison Frogs (Dendrobates auratus) from Patrick Thevenard, bringing our total collection up to 15 individuals. Within one week the colony produced three egg clutches, our first eggs from this species.
In early October, 40 Red-Eared Slider Turtles (Trachemys scripta elegans) hatched from eggs laid in the laboratory. These turtles will be added to our ongoing study of juvenile growth rates in turtles.
A new biological filter, with water hyacinths, fish, snails, and invertebrates, has been connected to the pools in the Turtle Breeding Colony, located in a greenhouse on the roof of the Science Center.

A feature about Dr. McRobert's work with poison dart frogs is currently on the Environmental News Network web site (www.enn.com):

Biodiversity lab breeds poison dart frogs
Wednesday, January 28, 1998
Environmental News Network

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For more information, contact Dr. Scott P. McRobert (smcrober@sju.edu)

To return to the Department of Biology Home Page
To return to the Environmental Sciences Program Home Page
To view a list of Biology Faculty research interests
To visit Faculty pages for Dr. McRobert, Dr. Ettl, or Dr. Grogan

last revised: 7/30/99
http://www.sju.edu/biology/biodiver.htm

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