Douglas Charles Horchler
Marshall University Herpetology Lab
About Me: I was born in Virginia Beach, VA. After high school, I attended Longwood University
in central Virginia where I received my B.S. in biology. It was here that I
fell in love with ecology. I was given the opportunity to co-design a
multi-year “living shorelines” study at Hull Springs Farm along a tributary of
the Potomac River. Upon graduation, I was accepted to Marshall University,
where I am a second year graduate student and a Human Physiology teaching
assistant. However, ecological field research is my true passion. Currently I
am studying the Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus
alleganiensis alleganiensis) in eastern West Virginia. I am interested in
long-term growth and population dynamics. From a personal perspective,
Hellbenders have opened numerous doors for me. I have met some great people who
have volunteered to help me out in the field. I recently had the great
opportunity to take out people from National Geographic, the Smithsonian and
the National Aquarium to aid me in my research. Upon graduation from Marshall,
I plan on either continuing my education and obtaining a PhD, or looking for a
career in the environmental field.
Long-term growth and monitoring of the
Eastern Hellbender (Cryptobranchus a.
alleganiensis) in an Eastern West Virginia stream.
DOUG
HORCHLER1 JEFF HUMPHRIES2 THOMAS PAULEY1 Marshall
University1, North Carolina Biological Commission2
Amphibian declines have been well documented, specifically in the
last few decades. The Hellbender, Cryptobranchus
alleganiensis, one of North
America’s largest salamander species, has suffered dramatic declines throughout
much of its range, with estimated declines of up to 77 percent recently
documented in some populations. Through
the use of area constrained searches and mark-recapture techniques, we collected
data on the status of Eastern Hellbender populations in Eastern West Virginia. We
re-sampled a West Virginia study site first examined in 1998 by Jeff Humphries.
Long-term growth and survivorship data
was collected and compared to 1998 data. As there is currently no long-term
(>10 years) growth data on Eastern Hellbenders, I am interested in the
growth of recaptured animals eleven years later. Of the 29 hellbenders tagged
within the West Fork site in 1998, 11 were recaptured in 2009. Eleven year mean
growth of recaptured hellbenders is 3.43 cm (range 0.6cm - 4.5 cm, n=11). A
notable demography shift in both sex and size occurred from 1998 to 2009. In
1998 the population exhibited a 1.1:1 sex ratio, while the 2009 population
exhibited a 2.1:1 ratio. A marked shift
in size class was noted, with the 2009 population exhibiting shifts to larger
size classes. However, evidence of reproduction was found in 2009 where it was
lacking in 1998, suggesting a relatively stable population. This recapture data
will allow the development of a growth/age model for adult salamanders. This is
valuable, as age estimates for these large size class animals are poorly understood.
Longwood
Living Shorelines Research