Outdoor brief

Chuckwallas counted to study lizards’ roaming patterns

On April 10, a crew of University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada Department of Wildlife and Bureau of Land Management biologists, staff and volunteers met in the desert outside Laughlin to look for chuckwallas.

The study, being performed by UNR postdoctoral scholar Bridgette Hagerty and graduate student Stephanie Wakeling, was designed to document how far the large lizards roam in their home range and also compare the genetic makeup of local populations.

“Studies such as this one provide important information that will help NDOW and other resource agencies in the work to ensure the future of Nevada’s wildlife,” said Polly Conrad, reptile biologist for NDOW.