Measuring body temperature should seem straightforward, but in ectotherms, the act of measuring can be part of the problem. For especially small amphibians in particular, common approaches like cloacal thermometry require restraint and direct contact, raising the possibility that handling itself alters body temperature before it is even recorded. In this study, we asked a simple but important question: does brief, gentle handling measurably change the body temperature of salamanders?

A lot of news has happened in the past month and I have been negligent about updating. All lab members have had awards, scholarships, and bursary announcements that warrant celebration! • Melane Denommé Stauder (PhD student) will be receiving the Jack Miller Graduate Award for the Faculty of Mathematics and Sciences this coming year. Stay tuned for a future announcement as I'm not sure this is public knowledge yet.

Danilo Giacometti was interviewed by NPR a couple of weeks ago about our blue-spotted salamander paper in CJZ. Check it out here: And next spring, see if you can find salamanders migrating over snow.

A recent paper from the lab, led by PhD student Melanie Denommé, examines a foundational assumption in reptile husbandry: that animals will inherently prefer naturalistic enclosures over simpler, more utilitarian ones. Using bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps) as a model species, Melanie conducted preference tests in which lizards were given free choice between naturalistic and standard enclosure styles (Figure 1).

Our new paper, led by MSc student Harry Kumbhani and building on fieldwork conducted by former MSc student Curtis Abney, explores how Eastern Garter Snakes (Figure 1) navigate the complex thermal landscapes of wetlands in southern Ontario. Using detailed operative temperature models, which were copper snake replicas equipped with temperature loggers, our team quantified how three adjacent habitat types (closed forest, mixed shrub, and open peat; Figure 2) differ in the thermal opportunities they provide.

A new study led by Morgane Vandendoren, Nicole Bedford, and others from Adam Nelson's lab at the University of Wyoming has uncovered a new role for oxytocin, the so-called “love hormone.” Published in eLife, the research shows that oxytocin neurons in the paraventricular hypothalamus act as a kind of biological switch, helping mammals transition from cooler, resting states to warmer, active ones.

Synopsis. Sexual selection is often invoked to explain the evolution of extravagant morphologies, such as antlers and horns. While the focus is typically o

In the cold, temperate forests, long before spring fully arrives, blue-spotted salamanders (Ambystoma laterale) are already on the move. These small amphibians begin migrating to their breeding ponds while snow still blankets the ground and ice lingers on and in the soil. This is a risky strategy for a species that can’t survive freezing. Our recent Natural History note…

We’re excited to share the publication of a new paper in Ecography, led by PhD candidate Sara Ryding (Deakin University, collaboration with Matt Symonds Lab), which explores how climate change may be reshaping the morphology of migratory shorebirds. Using an incredibly extensive dataset of nearly 19,000 juvenile birds across 11 species sampled over 43 years, Sara investigated whether warming temperatures are causing changes in relative wing length, a trait thought to play a role in thermoregulation.