Image via WikipediaMissouri isn’t necessarily considered a vacation destination for snorkeling. However, when it comes to preserving and protecting the declining Ozark Hellbender, Missouri Ecological Field Office biologists don masks and wetsuits to find the amphibians in their natural habitats.
As the national lead for the Ozark Hellbender, biologist Trisha Crabill provides a voice for the amphibian. Conducting research in the field and at the St. Louis Zoo, Crabill is on the forefront of protecting the uniquely named Missouri species. She spends long days away from the office, swimming in cold and well-oxygenated streams in search of Ozark Hellbenders in the wild. She brings several tools along with her to aid in the search, like dive lights to spot the animal under bed rocks.
She sometimes has to be more creative when attempting to flip over large rocks while diving. “With physical lifts, sometimes I have to be creative with using the environment around me as an aid,” Crabill said.
Amphibians are usually described as more “cool and slimy,” rather than “warm and cuddly.” Ask Crabill about the Ozark Hellbender, and she presents a different perspective.
“There is a perception that they are icky or gross,” she said. But she believes their reputations aren’t deserved. “There are really so many interesting things to learn about them.”
When Crabill isn’t looking for the species in streams, she is partnering with the Missouri Department of Conservation and the St. Louis Zoo to investigate the reasons behind the disappearing numbers of the Ozark Hellbender.
“There’s a huge lack of recruitment,” Crabill said. “You don’t see many young out in the wild.” To combat the rapidly declining numbers, Crabill works with the Missouri Department of Conservation and the zoo to augment wild populations through captive breeding and head-starting young.
Using techniques like “sperm cryopreservation,” which is freezing the amphibian’s sperm to help produce more young in captivity, she is hopeful the Ozark Hellbender benefits from her work in the field, at the zoo and in the office.
Courtesy:
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
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