And if you are very, very brave, if you were the kind of kid who carried a toad around in your pocket on the playground, feel free to go to Finkler's "Way-Cool Creepy-Crawly Herpetological Ecophysiology Lab" on line.

IU Kokomo's Mike Finkler (photo at right), by his own definition, works in a "Way-Cool Creepy-Crawly Herpetological Ecophysiology Lab."

"Herps" "R" him.

And you might even see him sporting about with a Madagascar hissing roach (Gromphadorina portentosa) crawling up his hand, but that's another research project --something in the future‹after he rears a colony of little hissing roaches.

For now, Finkler is involved in searching out suitable breeding sites for Hoosier herps--reptiles and amphibians in general, but particularly turtles and salamanders. And he's busy compiling information for the Indiana Herp Atlas Project (IHAP).
As an ecological physiologist, Finkler studies physiological response and tolerance of animals to variables in environmental conditions. Conservation of suitable habitat throughout the world is one of the major keys to survival for these organisms.

Recently, he's been examining the effects of variable hydric conditions during incubation of snapping turtles, and the metabolism and energy reserves of hatchlings during their first winter. In layman's terms, that means he's dealing with a very basic question that affects turtle reproduction and thus, survivability: Is wetter better?

"My research with the common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) examines the effects of varying levels of moisture in the nest on the embryonic development of the eggs and the subsequent size, quality and fitness of the hatchlings," Finkler said. "Does rearing turtle eggs under moist conditions induce physiological and developmental changes that will enhance their chances of successfully surviving and reproducing? The jury's still out."

Many studies show that turtle hatchlings that emerge from moist nests tend to be larger than those that emerge from dry ones. Since larger hatchlings may have a better chance of survival, then "wetter must be better."

But long term, larger hatchlings have consumed a higher rate of yolk (the sustaining food that nourishes hatchlings even after they've left the egg) during embryonic development and may have trouble getting through winter because of smaller energy reserves.

"Many would argue that turtles do not typically hold important niches in their biological communities-that most communities will not collapse if turtles are eliminated. And there may be some technical correctness to this," Finkler said. "However, turtles are part of those communities, and the elimination of one component, however minor its importance, lessens the whole in ways we can't really predict."

Turtles are long-lived organisms and can regularly survive for more than two decades in the wild. Some can live to ages that exceed the lifespan of humans.

"We probably could learn a lot about longevity and senescence from these animals," he said.

Still, Finkler worries about the global decline of species. An Asian turtle crisis, for example, has ensued as traditional medicines and cuisine have developed as lucrative commodities in a global economy. Many species fall prey to a flourishing pet market, and another huge turtle toll is taken on America's roadways, particularly because of the females' overland trek to lay eggs.

"Knowing what conditions maximize reproduction of a species may aid in the development of cultivation techniques that can provide an alternative source to markets, and lessen exploitation of wild populations," he said. "That is where research like mine can aid the preservation of life on Earth."
http://www.iuk.edu/FACULTY/MFINKLER/Student_Research.htm