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Tucker Heptinstall

@hippieherper.bsky.social
1.8K followers 534 following 59 posts

Herpetology. Ecology and Evolution. SDSU- PhD Student. Auburn U., Clemson U.- Alum All views are my own. He/Him. 🐍🦎🐢🐸🐊

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Reposted by Tucker Heptinstall
Dr. Arun Sethuraman @arunsethuraman.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Among the many things as Chair, I've been working on celebrating our awesome faculty, staff, and students at @sandiegostate.bsky.social Biology in newsletters. Here're volumes 1 and 2, featuring the labs of @doc-brock.bsky.social and Gretchen Goodbody, the Director of our Coastal & Marine Institute!
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Corey Callaghan @coreytcallaghan.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Do you use #iNaturalist data in research—or advise students who do? We put together a practical guide to using iNaturalist data in scientific research, covering how to access, acquire, analyze, and attribute the data, with examples in R and Python. Paper: doi.org/10.1093/bios... #ecology
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Andy Farke @andyfarke.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Very cool research! Please remember that these kinds of studies do not happen without the non-glamorous, hard-to-publish, often-downplayed work of collecting basic natural history data! Basic science underpins *all* science!
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Tucker Heptinstall @hippieherper.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
🚨Super stoked to see the first work of my dissertation with @doc-brock.bsky.social come out today in Global Change Biology Communications!🚨 We found some cool relationships between squamate life history and tolerance to anthropogenic land use! Check it out here: urldefense.com/v3/__http://...
urldefense.com
Tolerating the Anthropocene: Squamate Life History Shapes Patterns of Presence in Human Modified Landscapes
We found that many squamates exhibit moderate tolerance of human modification, with wider ranging, larger bodied, faster reproducing species showing the highest tolerance. Intolerance to modification...
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Functional Ecology @funecology.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
📰Published📰Urban oases relax desiccation risk for an arid-adapted lizard🦎 buff.ly/4mQmbSL 🧪🌍️
fesummaries.wordpress.com
Urban oases relax desiccation risk for an arid-adapted lizard
Tucker C. Heptinstall, Savannah J. Weaver, Rory Mendelow, David J. Stroud, Sara Ahlich, Tanmayi Patharkar, Annika Pohlo, Emily N. Taylor, Kinsey M. Brock This is a plain language summary of a Funct…
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Tucker Heptinstall @hippieherper.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
🚨New Brock Lab Paper🚨 Super excited to see our work investigating how urbanization is shifting microclimates and causing physiological responses in lizards come out in Functional Ecology! Maybe urbanization isn’t all bad? 👀 Check it out! @doc-brock.bsky.social @emilytaylorscience.com
urldefense.com
Urban oases relax desiccation risk for an arid‐adapted lizard
Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
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Tucker Heptinstall @hippieherper.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Come work with us in SD!! Burritos, sunshine, and reptiles. What else could you possibly want?
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Tucker Heptinstall @hippieherper.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Urban Herpin’ The urban ecosystem is a challenging place for many species to carve out a living, but seems a few reptiles are up for the challenge.
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Tucker Heptinstall @hippieherper.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
San Diego flexing its herping muscles right now 😮‍💨
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Menno Schilthuizen @schilthuizen.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
en.ara.cat/science-tech...
en.ara.cat
Birds with shorter wings or crabs in yogurt pots: human activity forces species to evolve
Despite that anthropogenic pressure is destroying biodiversity, at the same time it also stimulates the evolutionary change of many species
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Tucker Heptinstall @hippieherper.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Back chasing snakes on the Cyclades 😎
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Tucker Heptinstall @hippieherper.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
SoCal herping is kicking into gear
Southern Pacific Rattlesnake coiled on a rock Alligator lizard on a sandy background
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Tucker Heptinstall @hippieherper.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
Dear science friends, Have any of you had any experience using a liquid nitrogen dry shipper to bring blood/tissue sample tubes back from international field work? If so, do you have any recommendations for a certain product? What was your experience with airlines/TSA/customs like? Thanks!
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Kinsey Brock @doc-brock.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
Ancient cities as biodiversity havens around the world. 🏛️🌱 www.bbc.com/future/artic...
bbc.com
The animals saved in Greece's ancient accidental 'arks'
Shielded from development and agriculture, many archaeological sites from ancient Greece have now become inadvertent safe harbours for plants and animals.
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Kinsey Brock @doc-brock.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
Some cool urban lizard research presented by wonderful Brock Lab grad students at #SICB2026! Check them out on Tuesday 🦎 🌆
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SICB journals @sicbjournals.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
Congrats Tucker Heptinstall - 1st ever winner of the IOB Best Student Paper winner! @doc-brock.bsky.social lab see his science & amazing photos via tuckerheptinstall.weebly.com & read his co authored paper doi.org/10.1093/iob/... & watch his thank you YouTube youtu.be/n6sszCzChuA #herpetology
Read his blog
 https://iobopen.com/2025/03/09/in-awe-of-a-serpent/
watch his author YouTube 

https://youtu.be/wuCPFkj4e5M?si=nqMvt2ZhmShCDTIG
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Tucker Heptinstall @hippieherper.bsky.social · 04/01/2026
WOOOOOOO! Huge thank you to SICB and all of my collaborators on this project!
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Tucker Heptinstall @hippieherper.bsky.social · 22/12/2025
Winter trips to Colorado for views and wildlife >> Working on my growing stack of projects and manuscripts ⛰️
Snow capped mountains over a grassland in Rocky Mountains national park. Large bull elk staring at the camera Large buck mule deer in front of a snowy backdrop Stellars Jay perched on a tree
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Sam Price @evovert.bsky.social · 15/12/2025
🧪🐠 I am hiring a postdoc! Work will be on patterns of biodiversity across phylogenetic scales using teleost fishes as a model. Apply by end of Jan 2026 for full consideration apply.interfolio.com/179070 I encourage folks to reach out with any questions. Please Share!
apply.interfolio.com
Apply - Interfolio {{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio
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Emily Taylor @emilytaylorscience.com · 09/12/2025
Funded Master's position in Rattlesnake Biology at Cal Poly SLO jobs.rwfm.tamu.edu/view-job/?id... Please share!
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Emily Taylor @emilytaylorscience.com · 09/12/2025
𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐃𝐎𝐂 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐈𝐍 𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐍𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐁𝐈𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐘 I am recruiting a postdoc to join the lab in summer/fall 2026! This is a fully funded, 2-year position. Please share with your networks! Application details: jobs.calpoly.edu/en-us/job/55... Photo is of a rattlesnake I found on campus today (in Dec!)...
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Kinsey Brock @doc-brock.bsky.social · 28/09/2025
Look’it what my student @hippieherper.bsky.social found under a rock in Juniper Canyon. Two Side-blotched lizards he caught with one hand! ✋🏼 #UrbanHerping
Two side-blotched lizards in Tucker’s hands.
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Tucker Heptinstall @hippieherper.bsky.social · 25/08/2025
Hard to beat a San Diego ruber 🐍
A red diamond rattlesnake sits coiled in a defensive striking position amidst brown grass
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Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology @sicb.bsky.social · 18/07/2025
@hippieherper.bsky.social 's summer SICB zoom is coming up! Join us by emailing sicbmedia@sicb.org tuckerheptinstall.weebly.com/about.html has studied the #evolution and #ecology of garter #snakes. His broad interests include #herpetology, #ecology, #evolution, and above all else, #conservation.
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Kinsey Brock @doc-brock.bsky.social · 03/07/2025
Our last night in Greece together as the whole gang. I’m grateful to all of these students for spending this time together in nature. It’s a wild thing to live your dream! ✌🏼 🇬🇷
The Cyclades 2025 field season crew at Roof Garden Bar in front of the Acropolis at night: Tucker, Rory, Doc, Paco, Sam
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Kinsey Brock @doc-brock.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
Our last hike of the 2025 Cycladic field season through the hills of Naxos. Hundreds of miles and 160 snakes. A memorable first summer as PI. 🌞 🐍 🇬🇷
We’re in there somewhere enjoying the waterfall viewEnjoying the waterfallSunset. Til next time Naxos 💋
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SICB journals @sicbjournals.bsky.social · 30/06/2025
Be sure to reserve a spot for our July IOB author - @hippieherper.bsky.social ‘s zoom talk #herpetologist #science #biologist #snakes #reptiles
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Ologies with Alie Ward @ologies.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
Crotalology (RATTLESNAKES) w/ @emilytaylorscience.com is up! 🐍💚 Rattles. Fangs. Misconceptions! Boggling stats, hiking advice, dog training, antivenom, first-aid flim-flam, free relocation & changing sentiments. Also: who gets bitten the most? Might surprise you. www.alieward.com/ologies/crot...
alieward.com
Crotalology (RATTLESNAKES) with Dr. Emily Taylor — alie ward
Fangs. Rattles. Misconceptions. Crawl out from under your rock for the angelic rattle of one of the world’s most maligned, misunderstood, gorgeous, mysterious, efficient creatures. Herpetology profess...
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Kinsey Brock @doc-brock.bsky.social · 31/05/2025
40 snakes from Κουφονήσι and we ain’t done yet! #VipersAndVines2025 🐍 🍇
The gang. Rory, Steve, Paco, Tucker, me, and Emily. At the shore of Koufonissi looking out at Keros. 🐍
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Kinsey Brock @doc-brock.bsky.social · 29/05/2025
New paper! Italian wall lizards have been introduced to urban areas across the world and do very well around humans.🦎 from a source population that has evolved with humans for millennia are more bold than 🦎 from nearby rural areas. Priming them for success in cities? academic.oup.com/jue/article/...
academic.oup.com
The town lizard and the country lizard: urban wall lizards have more bold and variable escape behaviours than non-urban wall lizards
Abstract. Urban areas are densely populated with humans and have a high proportion of impervious surfaces that form our shelters and roadways. Animals adju
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Pete Buttigieg @petebuttigieg.bsky.social · 23/05/2025
America cannot long remain free, nor first among nations, if it becomes the kind of place where universities are dismantled because they don't align politically with the current head of the government.
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Tucker Heptinstall @hippieherper.bsky.social · 20/05/2025
Drooling.
Black and gray nose-horned viper sits in front of rock. Brown phase viper sits hidden in a rocky crevice.
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Kinsey Brock @doc-brock.bsky.social · 19/05/2025
Thousands of rocks flipped, dozens of miles walked, and finally we got one. Congrats to @hippieherper.bsky.social i’m catching his first Viper! Off the walls of an ancient castle, no less! 🐍 🇬🇷 Vipera ammodytes — Irakleia 🏝️
Tucker holding a small viper in a tubeAn up close shot of a viper’s head in a tubeThe old castle on top of a hill where he caught his first viper
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Tucker Heptinstall @hippieherper.bsky.social · 19/05/2025
Νάξος
The gate of Apollo at sunset Sand boa close-upSand boa on a hill side overlooking lower farmland and water Small village in the fog on Naxos
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Kinsey Brock @doc-brock.bsky.social · 16/05/2025
3 days, 20 snakes! 🐍 Πάμε! Our first Four-lined Snake (Elaphe quatorlineata) from Moni, Naxos 🇬🇷
Tucker @hippieherper with an Elaphe quatorlineata 12 bags of snakes 🐍 !
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Kinsey Brock @doc-brock.bsky.social · 14/05/2025
7.22 miles and 5 snakes - not a bad first day! 🐍 @hippieherper.bsky.social
Tucker hiking thru Μελανές Μελανές Tucker hiking thru ancient marble mines.
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Tucker Heptinstall @hippieherper.bsky.social · 14/05/2025
Not a bad spot to conduct dissertation field work.
Flowers on the island of Naxos with Melanes in the distance Temple of Apollo on Naxos. Paved path lined by ancient rock walls. First data point of my dissertation! Sand boa (Eryx jaculus)
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Kinsey Brock @doc-brock.bsky.social · 14/05/2025
Any tips for getting blood and/or scale clips from very small snakes with small, flat scales? We're doing venipuncture of the caudal vein and it's tough on the smallest Eryx jaculus we've caught. 🧪🐍 These tiny wee lads do not want to give us their DNA.
A very small Javelin sand boa (Eryx jaculus) from Naxos island, Greece. Tucker is doing a landscape genomics study and needs to get DNA from as many snakes as possible. 🧬🐍
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Kinsey Brock @doc-brock.bsky.social · 13/05/2025
So long, San Diego! Γεια σου, Ελλαδα!
Tucker and Kinsey enjoying an empty KLM flight from San Diego to Amsterdam ! Airplane window view of San Diego coastline. ✈️ Airplane window view landing in Amsterdam 🧇Tucker walking off the airplane in Athens 🇬🇷
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Society for the Study of Evolution @sse-evolution.bsky.social · 09/05/2025
Thanks to all who participated so far in the Week of Action for NSF by calling your reps and sharing your stories! Check out our Media Tool for other actions you can take to #SaveNSF. shorturl.at/i7WfU #SupportNSF #WithoutNSF
SSE, SSB, and ASN logos. Text: Tri-societies Week of Action for NSF. Science under siege: Over 1000 NSF grants have been terminated by political appointees- threatening the foundation of American innovation and education, and more cuts loom; entire research programs are being erased without explanation. What’s at stake? STEM education for K-12 students, jobs and infrastructure in rural communities, support for veterans in research and education, cybersecurity and national defense innovation, global leadership in science and technology. Join the week of action: Contact Congress: Switchboard: (202) 224-3121, tell them to protect NSF. Share your story: Post on social media #WithoutNSF #SupportNSF #SaveNSF, engage local media; use our media tool to reach out to local reporters and newspapers; engage others: communicate the importance of NSF to colleagues, friends, and family.
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Kelly Zamudio @kzutaustin.bsky.social · 30/04/2025
Great trip to San Diego State University for the Carpenter-Cohn lecture. A wonderful community and great to meet new and revisit with "old" friends. Great vibes here! Thanks to @doc-brock.bsky.social and @kevinjburns.bsky.social for hosting me!
Kelly giving her talkKelly and Kevin Burns selfiePhoto of beautiful SDSU campus
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Kinsey Brock @doc-brock.bsky.social · 19/04/2025
My colleague, Rulon Clark, and I are starting a community science project to study urban snake pop genetics across SD county ! We've sent out scale clipping kits but many aren't comfortable clipping scales... If you know of a reliable way to get DNA easily and noninvasively from squamates pls lmk! 🧪
A flyer that says "See a snake? Let us know! Snakes are hard to find. Your photos will help us study the impacts of urban activities on snake behavior, movement, and population health" with a drawing of a Crotalus helleri with it's mouth open and a long tongue that is actually a road with cars and people on it. Groovy 🐍A Southern Pacific Rattlesnake (SoPac) in a tube getting her scales clipped for our study.
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Tucker Heptinstall @hippieherper.bsky.social · 12/04/2025
Nothing better than a snake filled Saturday
Red diamond rattlesnake (C. ruber) tucked away in the grass.
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Kinsey Brock @doc-brock.bsky.social · 12/04/2025
A great day to be a herpetologist. ! 🌞
Sceloporus occidentalis sunning on a rock - San DiegoSceloporus orcutti sunning on a big rock 🎸 A red diamond rattlesnake (Crotalus ruber) that my student caught for research. 🧬
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Tucker Heptinstall @hippieherper.bsky.social · 08/04/2025
😎😎
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Tucker Heptinstall @hippieherper.bsky.social · 24/03/2025
Mondays suck, but they suck less when you win a grant 🎉💰
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Tucker Heptinstall @hippieherper.bsky.social · 17/03/2025
I love the desert.
Desert big horn sheep chewing on some grass in a rocky desertCollared lizard peering over a rock edge Collared lizard on a red and brown desert rock
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Kinsey Brock @doc-brock.bsky.social · 14/03/2025
Anyone have a high speed night vision camera under $2K that they recommend? It’s for filming geckos at night. 🦎 🌙
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Tucker Heptinstall @hippieherper.bsky.social · 09/03/2025
Thanks to IOB for letting me recount a fun (and long) day in the field!
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SICB journals @sicbjournals.bsky.social · 18/02/2025
Were you aware that #scientist , @hippieherper.bsky.social co author on IOB's Dietary Breadth Predicts Toxin Expression Complexity in the #Venoms of North American #Gartersnakes doi.org/10.1093/iob/... is also a great #photographer? Be sure to follow his account & read his paper.
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