The associate dean of the IPFW College of Arts and Sciences has received a grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to study the translocation of reptiles and other animals. The nearly $300,000 grant was awarded to Bruce Kingsbury, who is also the director of the Environmental Resources Center at IPFW.
The grant project, "Improving Translocation Techniques for Wildlife on DoD Installations," researches the responses of snakes, turtles and lizards when they are moved to new habitats. The university says the goal of the project is to develop new translocation techniques which will allow for the safe movement of animals and ensuring their survival.
IPFW says the project is especially important for endangered animals. One of the study species includes the Eastern Massasauga, a small rattlesnake found in the Midwest.
Kingsbury says most of the funding will go toward graduate and undergraduate student salaries, along with supplies and travel. He founded the ERC, which researches approaches to conservation of local wildlife, including animals, plants and habitats.