Outdoor lab reveals the diversity of herpetofauna in the region

So today, right out in the field for herpetology, we spent some time climbing up on the hills looking for Blacksburg salamanders and any other herpetofauna we might be able to find. We spent some time down by the creek also looking for herpetofauna. I really enjoy being able to get hands-on, and after seeing everything in the laboratory setting, it's really nice to kind of see things in a little bit better color and, you know, get to see how they react naturally in the wild, how they, different kinds of habitat they prefer, and really getting to help polish off our species ID. I grew up in this area, in the Appalachian Mountains, and seeing the diversity that we have out here, specifically with herps, is wonderful to make more ties to this region. Apart from finding the little critters pretty cute, they are vital for our ecosystem out here. They walk around like little dinosaurs, salamanders specifically. It brings me a smile and sort of figuring out what is affecting what in the ecosystem and sort of how our natural world around here works. It helps me feel more tied to my community around here, and it helps me bond with more people. I didn't come up with a wildlife background. It's more biology, and actually being outside is what actually helped me become the student I am today. And I think it just helps speed up the process of learning. It's my favorite part of any week when we get to do field trips is seeing live species and getting hands-on experience. The way they move and interact with their environment and how we're like, oh, let me just borrow you for a second so we can learn and then put them back and watch them go right back to business is really great.