This entire summer seems to be full of new experiences. I am really getting into this lizard stuff. The green anoles I am working with are fun little critters…when they’re not biting you or you’re not chasing them up the walls and under the racks. I’m thinking seriously about doing some lizard chasing while I’m at White Lake this year and bringing some back for my own herpterium.
It’s not that hard to keep them – with the proper lighting and heat source. Just don’t put adult males together! Kinda like bettas, they are very territorial and will fight. But one male can be kept with several females and they mate willingly in captivity. The eggs are laid in single-egg clutches and are not tended by either parent, so the baby is on its own from the moment it hatches…and the first thing they do is head for cover!
I borrowed a book from my mentor and I am reading about the adaptive radiation of the genus – how a single species in a specific environment resulted in several different species, each with its own niche. The fossil record of anoles is very sparse…only four specimens have been found and studied. Even though DNA can now determine who is most closely related to whom, there is still quite a bit to be determined by research. What specifically caused the differentiation? Why is there only one species indigenous to the US mainland while some Caribbean islands have many? How can I create a species that is easier to catch? or doesn’t bite me?!
It’s not all about the lizards, though. I am preparing to take the Biology GRE…whoopee! Standardized testing – yuck! In the discussion we had Monday on preparing for the GRE, I think we finally determined that the purpose of the GRE is actually to weed out those prospective graduate students who are on the fence about pursuing graduate studies…it is that daunting. It’s not necessarily the one thing that will keep you out of a graduate program, but it may be the one thing that determines how much money you may get. Soooo, if you’re thinking about it – prepare for it! SIX MONTHS OUT!
The kids (camp programs here at OSU) are running up and down the hall and it’s 11:30! Time to go express my displeasure to the counselors and try and get some sleep!