.One undergraduate student will be selected to participate in a 10-week tropical herpetology study in El Copé, Panama. My lab has been conducting intensive assessments of amphibian fauna at El Copé in central Panama for 13 years, covering a period before Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), during the epizootic phase, and now at the enzootic stage. We will use these data to understand habitat use of amphibians prior to Bd’s arrival, how Bd has selectively eliminated amphibians occupying Bd+ microhabitats, and how amphibians currently utilize infected and uninfected microhabitats. The student will work closely with a graduate student to create a project to quantify factors (e.g., habitat use, thermal physiology, behavior, abundance, density) that may influence amphibian species-specific responses to infection by Bd. Applicants should be willing to work in inclement field conditions (e.g., hot, humid weather, muddy conditions, long hours, biting insects, and no cell phone service). Biology background and Spanish language abilities are preferred. All applicants must have a valid passport for up to 6 months after travel. Members of underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. Application and more details are available at: https://sites.google.com/site/umdlipslab/internships.
For more info, contact:
If you have any questions, please email Graziella DiRenzo at gdirenzo@umd.edu.
Send applications (available at https://sites.google.com/site/umdlipslab/internships) to klips@umd.edu.