'Canary in the coal mine': Zoo survey studies ecosystem

Students learned the value of wildlife and conservation Sunday during an annual event on the grounds of Binder Park Zoo.

The zoo held its 7th Annual Herp Survey, which provides the zoo an opportunity to gauge its surrounding ecosystem by documenting native reptile and amphibian, known as herpetofauna or "herps," populations. It welcomed about 20 volunteers, which included a pack of local Cub Scouts and their parents, as well as students from Hillsdale College.

Zookeeper P.J. Kohn said the survey helps track changes in various populations, which could detect contaminants in the area.

The testing is done through a partnership between Binder Park Zoo and Hillsdale College. Sophomores Erin Flaherty and Mason Clutter were on hand early Sunday to swab the skin of reptile and amphibian species along the zoo's hiking trail while Kohn kept a running tally of how many of each species were found. The college will continue the research that the zoo is unable to do onsite, Kohn said.

"Every year, we do our Herp Survey to get a good idea of we have, species-wise, on grounds as well as the population numbers," he said. "It helps the state keep track of how our ecology is doing. Amphibians, especially, are really strong indicator species of how the environment's health is overall because they have such sensitive skin.

"If there's something going on in the water or some sort of contaminant in other places of the environment, they're kind of like the canary in the coal mine."

The zoo's veterinarian, Dr. Judilee Marrow, said there were a number of pathogens being searched out this weekend. Among them, ranavirus, a virus that lives in some frog species and could cause population declines in frogs and some reptile species, and chytrid fungus, a globally threatening virus that causes deaths in frog and amphibian species.

"If we see declines, we might be worried something like that is going on," Marrow said. "It could be in our area or globally or across Michigan itself."

Marrow said the zoo monitors other factors such as climate change that might affect trends in its reptile and amphibian populations.

Contact Dillon Davis at 269-966-0698 or dwdavis@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DillonDavis