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A brown and tan blotched snake is curled with its head pointing above the coil.
Highlights from Oklahoma’s History of Herpetology

The archived history of herpetology shows the compounding value of past reptile and amphibian conservation efforts and incredible potential for the future.

A man looks through a spotting scope attached to an open truck door.
Breeding Birds Counted in Trio of Surveys

Biologists surveyed along public roads to document the bird community found in a Breeding Bird Atlas block located in Jackson and Tillman counties.

Two men are checking in their harvest turkey after a hunt.
Hunting and Fishing Boost Oklahoma's Economy

Southwick Associates (SA) ran an economic impact analysis on data collected as part of the National Survey of Hunting, Fishing and Wildlife Watching. An economic impact analysis looks at how certain activities influence the economy of a specific location. For this analysis, SA looked at how hunting, fishing and target shooting impact different pieces of the economy in Oklahoma.

A small brown butterfly is perched on a twig.
Small Butterfly Gets Big Status Update

A team organized by the Oklahoma Biological Survey tracked down the handful of frosted elfin butterfly records for the state and made it their mission to increase the number of known locations for the species.

An American black bear stands near a pile of logs with its nose in the air.
Study Focused on Panhandle Black Bears Gets Big Picture Results

Camera traps and hair snares give landowners and biologists answers about status and origin of Panhandle black bears.

A tan frog with dark blotches floats in the water.
It’s Raining, It’s Pouring … the Crawfish Frog is Snoring

A team from Oklahoma State University has been studying the state’s secretive crawfish frog with research and survey sites spanning from a single breeding pond to the eastern one-third of Oklahoma.

Two biologists in coats hold a big catfish while standing on a boat.
Rethinking Sampling Gear Gives Better Estimate of Big Catfish

Study finds electrofishing may catch the largest numbers of blue catfish but misses a “shocking” number of big fish.

A brown cat lays on the ground, looking through standing vegetation.
Bobcats Focus of Study on Three Wildlife Management Areas

The Wildlife Department partnered with Oklahoma State University to study the density of Oklahoma’s most-harvested furbearer and the relationships between predator and prey.

A Mexican free-tailed bat with a small transmitter on its back in a gloved hand.
State’s Flying Mammal Focus of Ongoing OU Research

Researchers from the University of Oklahoma are assessing the overall health and movements of the Mexican free-tailed bat at the Wildlife Department’s Selman Bat Cave WMA.

A bird with a red head, black back and white wingtips perches on a broken branch.
Biologist Hauls in Remarkable Woodpecker Sightings

Four species of woodpecker were detected within an Oklahoma Breeding Bird Atlas survey block near the community of Vinson. The survey was completed as part of the state's second atlas effort.