My lab focuses on the mechanisms of predator-prey interactions across multiple levels of biological organization, from individual muscle anatomy to large scale ecological observations.  We integrate the principles of functional morphology, behavior, physiology, and ecology to better understand vertebrate organisms.  When experimentation operates at the interface of multiple research paradigms, broader implications and inferences can be made about complex biological systems.  Our research approaches combine low-tech experimentation with high-tech applications.  These methods allow new students to integrate into the lab while learning basic processes and ultimately mastering the application of modern technology to the study of vertebrate animals. 

Lab Hardware and Software
Video Capture Systems
--(2x) Edgertronic SC1 high-speed cameras
        --(700 fps at 1280 x 720 to 1,849 fps at 640 x 480)
--GoPro Hero 4 Black (240 fps at 1280 x 720)
--Olympus Tough TG-630
--Canon Rebel T5i

Video Analysis Systems
--TEMPLO video management software
--Vicon Motus 10 3-D video analysis software
--Tracker 4.97 video analysis and modelling

Force/Pressure Transducers
--Harvard Apparatus Pressure Transducer
--WPI Handheld Pressure Transducer
        --max load = 689 kPa
--Kistler Bite Force System
        --max load = 20 kN
--LabTrax 4-channel data acquisition system

Animal Husbandry Systems
--Freedom Breeder 1133 Snake Rack System
--ARS 1075 Hatchling Snake System
--ARS 7030 Small Boa/Python System
​

The recently renovated Reptile Physiology Lab

Lab-Trax 4-channel data acquisition system

Edgertronic SC1 high-speed cameras

Kistler charge amplifier and force load sensor