We often dissociate ourselves from reptiles such as thetree-crevice\nskink, it\u2019s true, but thanks to researchers such as Dr. Julia Riley, we\u2019re realizing now more than ever\nthat we may have much more in common with reptiles than we\u2019ve previously thought.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n So often people find it difficult to relate to the ecology of species and why they do the things they do. For some reason this seems to be particularly true with species such as the tree-crevice skink. In cases of larger mammals, we often see bold, distinct similarities to ourselves in the ways that the animals care for each other, defend one another, and even play when circumstances allow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Lucky for these species, emotional connections are often formed thanks to our superficial similarities. Oftentimes, perhaps otherwise uninterested folks make these connections through watching videos of goofy, charismatic, and almost \u2018human-like\u2019 displays of behavior. These sorts of relatable traits allow us as humans to feel closer to these species and more apt to support their conservation efforts. When it comes to gaining public support for scientific research or conservation efforts, the presence or absence of these emotional connections can be a matter of life or death, quite literally. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I had the privilege of speaking firsthand with Dr. Julia\nRiley about her time studying tree-crevice skinks, the barriers surrounding the\nconservation of reptiles, and more. We talked about both the differences and\nthe similarities between research and conservation of mammals versus reptiles,\nand why some people may have a hard time seeing through the scales of these\nspecies in order to find out just how in tune with their social environments\nthey are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through her research with Macquarie\nUniversity, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, Dr. Julia Riley was able to\nspend months in the field, observing and collecting gravid tree-crevice\nskinks for this study. Once the skinks were captured, Dr. Riley and her team reared\nthe young in a variety of settings simulating isolation and social rearing. Similar\nto how our own social environments may result in different actions, relationships\nbetween social environment, dominance\/subordinance, aggressiveness, sociality\nand even size and growth rate were found in tree-crevice skinks (Riley et al.\n2017). <\/p>\n\n\n\n One finding of many that came as a result of this study\nwas that skinks reared in isolation exhibited more social behavior, as well as more\nbold and aggressive tendencies than subordinate skinks which were socially\nreared (Riley et al. 2017). It is Findings like these that are exactly the type\nthat the public can readily connect with. I\u2019m sure we can all relate to a bit\nof crankiness coming out of a long stretch being stuck with a friend or family\nmember, and certainly the feeling of longing for social accompaniment after a\nlong period of isolation. Perhaps we aren\u2019t exactly alike when it comes to\nreptiles and humans, but through studies such as this, perhaps folks can find a\nbetter understanding of what life may be like as a reptile, how we might be\nsimilar, and what we can do to further their conservation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To learn more about the sociality of reptiles, tree-crevice skinks and more take a look at rileybiology.com<\/a>! Literature Cited<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Riley, J. L.,\nD. W. A. Noble, R. W. Byrne, and M. J. Whiting. 2017. Early social environment\ninfluences the behaviour of a family-living lizard. Royal Society Open Science\n4:161082.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Dr Julia Riley. n.d. <https:\/\/www.rileybiology.com\/<\/a>>.\nAccessed 6 Mar 2020.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Eli Estey Have you ever felt like differences in the company you keep, or the lack thereof has had the ability to change things like your own social behaviors, or other aspects of your person? If so, you\u2019re not … Continue reading ![\"A](\"https:\/\/blog.uvm.edu\/bmosher1-fieldherp\/files\/2020\/07\/Estey_1.png\")
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