𝐙𝐨𝐨𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐫 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐮𝐬 𝐢𝐧-𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝟔:00 𝐏𝐌 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 Large Meeting Room 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 Sparks Library 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐲𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. Guillermo Costoya will present in person and GBBO will host and provide snacks. In-person attendees have a chance to win a GBBO Pint Glass with a bird trivia challenge!

The Great Basin Desert is home to a unique community of lizards that have adapted to live in its harsh environment. Lizards are found from the bottom of incredibly hot valleys to the top of cold and unpredictable peaks. Some places will only count one or few species, whereas, in others, up to seven or eight kinds of lizards can be found in the space of a few rocks. Each lizard has to navigate a complex environment where they have to weigh factors such as temperature, food availability and species competition to successfully survive and reproduce. This offers a unique opportunity to study how the environment shapes the evolution of a vast array of interconnected characteristics ranging from behavior to even the way in which a female lizard gives birth to their offspring. To explore this complexity, my lab at the University of Nevada, Reno has been studying two populations of western fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) at high and low elevation sites within the Great Basin Desert. After over two years of monitoring these populations, we are starting to paint a picture of how these lizards navigate the challenges they face every day. Our data has revealed an incredible story that not only helps in understanding how these animals deal with their current environment, but might inform how they might deal with future climatic change. 

In-person attendees: RSVP to outreach@gbbo.org

Virtual attendees: REGISTER HERE