Nick Burgmeier (MS)

Purdue University

Dept. of Forestry and Natural Resources

195 Marstellar Street

West Lafayette, IN 47907

email: nburgmei@purdue.edu

phone: (812) 767-0057

fax: (765) 496-2422

 Research Interests                                                                                                                            

My research is focused on various life history attributes and the population status of the eastern hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis) in the Blue River, IN.  Recent range wide declines have prompted concern about the potential viability of the species.  In Indiana they are known to exist only in the Blue River, though extensive surveys have not been conducted elsewhere.  I hope to determine the home range and habitat use, both seasonally and spatially, in order to better understand the needs of the species.  Additionally, I would like to estimate the remaining population size to help management agencies determine the proper course of action within the state.  With help from another graduate student, we would also like to attempt exhaustive surveys in other lotic systems in an effort to locate any remaining populations. 

I’m also interested in the parasite loads these individuals possess as well as the potential contribution of xenobiotics to the decline the of the Indiana populations. 

 Current Projects                                                                                                                                 

A comparison of water quality and blood chemistry in the eastern hellbender in IN: is there a correlation?

I’m currently taking monthly water samples from Indiana Department of Natural Resources hellbender survey sites.  We’relooking at several water quality variables including atrazine and nitrogen and are planning to compare these to blood samples from individuals taken in these areas.  A correlation between water quality and the blood chemistry of individuals could shed some light on their declines.

Parasite loads of the eastern hellender in, IN.

 Using the blood samples collected for the previously mentioned project we’re hoping to document any endoparasites that may be present.

Population size, seasonal and spatial home range and habitat use of the eastern hellbender in, IN.

An accurate estimate of population size is important in designing proper management plans for a species.  As there have been no exhaustive population estimates for Indiana hellbenders up to this point we’re hoping to obtain a fairly robust estimate using a mark-recapture design.

Home range and habitat use will be assessed using radio-telemetry.  Individuals will be captured and a transmitter will be implanted in the coelomic cavity.  Most previous studies have used mark-recapture methods to create home range estimates resulting in estimates based on relatively small sample sizes.  Radio-telemetry will allow for the collection of hundreds of locations per individual resulting in a large sample size and a much more complete picture of their movements.     

Prevalence and type of physical abnormalities in the eastern hellbender in, IN.

Abnormalities occur frequently in hellbender populations.  Most abnormalities can be attributed to intraspecific interactions, but some are likely of a less benign origin.  We hope to document the frequency and types of abnormalities in the Indiana population to gain a clearer idea of the health status of the population.