{"id":79477,"date":"2022-12-30T15:50:51","date_gmt":"2022-12-30T20:50:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/naturalsciences.org\/calendar\/?post_type=news&p=79477"},"modified":"2022-12-30T15:50:51","modified_gmt":"2022-12-30T20:50:51","slug":"waterdog-warriors","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/naturalsciences.org\/calendar\/news\/waterdog-warriors\/","title":{"rendered":"Waterdog Warriors"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Melissa Dowland, NCMNS Manager of Teacher Education<\/em><\/p>\n

Beneath the reflected branches of riparian trees in the tinted waterways of Wake and Johnston County, something slimy lurks. Hiding beneath rocks and fallen trees, in places you\u2019d likely spare no second thought for, lives one of North Carolina\u2019s most unusual animals. Neuse River waterdogs are aquatic salamanders, spending their entire lives in streams and rivers. Their golden brown bodies are blotched with darker spots and their four small limbs are almost an afterthought, allowing them to blend in with the earth tones of their riverine habitat. But with brilliant red, feathery gills and a wide mouth that almost looks like it\u2019s smiling at you, you can\u2019t help falling in love. Which is exactly what we hoped to accomplish when we dragged thirteen teachers from ten North Carolina counties out into the field on a cold gray weekend in mid-December.<\/p>\n

\"NeuseNeuse River waterdog. Photo: Melissa Dowland\/NCMNS.<\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps dragged isn\u2019t the right word. Because after spending Saturday morning at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences learning about waterdogs through a combination of hands-on activities and an engaging presentation, each person involved in our Waterdog Warriors Educator Trek was hopeful that we\u2019d get the chance to see one of these incredible animals in the wild. On Saturday afternoon we set the stage as the teachers worked with Eric Teitsworth, an NCSU graduate student studying the species, to set 40 minnow traps baited with chicken livers (a favorite food of both Neuse River waterdogs and my 90-year-old mother-in-law) at two of his research sites along the Little River. These were at places where he had successfully marked and released waterdogs in earlier years of his study, so we crossed our fingers that they\u2019d be there again.<\/p>\n

\"WomanHannah, an educator in eastern NC, tosses a minnow trap into the Little River. Photo: Megan Davis\/NCMNS.<\/span><\/p>\n

The waterdogs didn\u2019t disappoint! After a Sunday morning tour of the Museum\u2019s herpetology collection and a presentation from Jennifer Archimbault, the lead biologist for this federally threatened species at the US Fish and Wildlife Service, we returned to the Little River to check our traps. It was chilly, with temperatures in the 50s and gray skies, but as we pulled the first trap out of the river and heard Eric holler that it held a Neuse River waterdog, a cheer went up. The weather was forgotten as the salamander paparazzi quickly converged. Eric and his field technicians demonstrated their data collection process: weighing, measuring, photographing, and tattooing (with a visible implant elastomer that has been safely used in similar applications for many years). As the afternoon progressed, we captured an additional four waterdogs, which our excited educators were able to help process (though the tattooing was left to the experts).<\/p>\n

\"GroupOur first waterdog – call in the paparazzi! Photo: Melissa Dowland\/NCMNS.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"TwoKelly, a teacher from Orange County, helps Caitlyn, a research technician for the project, measure the length of a waterdog. Photo: Melissa Dowland\/NCMNS.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"WomanMika, a teacher from Durham, takes data on a captured waterdog. Photo: Melissa Dowland\/NCMNS.<\/span><\/p>\n

Why waterdogs, you may wonder? The Neuse River waterdog is a North Carolina endemic species, meaning that it only occurs in North Carolina. In fact, it is only found in the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico River Basins in central and eastern North Carolina. Much of the early work on this species was done by Alvin Braswell, former Museum Director and emeritus Curator of Herpetology for the Museum, who also joined us for the workshop. His early work laid the foundation for more recent studies that showed a decline in the Neuse River waterdog population, likely linked to an increase in sedimentation and pollution as we clear and develop land in their range. The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has listed the Neuse River waterdog as a federally threatened species, meaning that it is at risk of becoming endangered in the foreseeable future. By giving educators the tools and knowledge to teach about this remarkable and rare species, we hope to raise public awareness and increase support for the species\u2019 survival.<\/p>\n

\"FlourescentGiving a waterdog a tattoo for future identification. Photo: Melissa Dowland\/NCMNS.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"BellyResearchers use a visible implant elastomer to tattoo each waterdog in a specific color pattern to help with identification if the animal is recaptured. Photo: Melissa Dowland\/NCMNS.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Waterdog Warriors workshop is part of a bigger program \u2014 Project RESTORE (Rescuing Endangered Species through Outreach, Restoration, and Education) \u2014 a collaboration between the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the NC Museum of Natural Sciences. Project RESTORE focuses on raising awareness of imperiled species in North Carolina by providing teachers and students the opportunity to learn about and participate in species monitoring and restoration. The Museum, with funding and support from the USFWS Coastal Program, will provide educational programming involving American shad, Venus flytrap, Carolina madtom, Neuse River waterdog and red wolf. The program is funded by the USFWS Coastal Program and coordinated and conducted by the NCMNS.<\/p>\n

You too can be a Neuse River Waterdog Warrior by:<\/p>\n