Conservation considerations: assessing risk associated with species translocation in respect to Cryptosporidium serpentis infection
Advisor(s)
Dr. Kat Krynak
Confirmation
1
Document Type
Poster
Location
ONU McIntosh Center; Activities Room
Start Date
24-4-2026 10:00 AM
End Date
24-4-2026 10:50 AM
Abstract
Translocation is an important conservation tool requiring careful consideration prior to implementation to limit risk to both the translocated and the native species. One important consideration is disease. The 2026 Plains Gartersnake (Thamnophis radix) Strategic Planning Report outlines a goal of expanding the range of the species using individuals from the Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area (KPWA) population. However, Cryptosporidium serpentis, an intermittently shed protozoan parasite that affects the gastrointestinal tract, has been found in high prevalence among snakes at this site, including T. radix. The goal of this investigation is to examine the prevalence of C. serpentis at Ohio Northern University’s Tidd-Oakes Farm (TOF), a proposed release site for T. radix. Fifty-one cloacal swab/fecal samples were collected from snakes at TOF between 2024 and 2025. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) targeting the 18s rRNA gene region of C. serpentis was used to quantify parasite load from these samples. To date, we have found no indication of C. serpentis infection in the snakes at TOF, which raises questions about the viability of translocating T. radix to TOF.
Recommended Citation
Neville, Cora; Wonderly, Jacey; Kurtz, Margaret; Defoor, Dustyn; Ohler, Masyn; Williams, Violet; Given, Jenna; Jaspers, Clare; Wynn, Doug; Dennis, Pam; Schreeg, Megan; McGlynn, Andrew; Wyza, Eileen; DeLuca, Dennis; Verb, Robert; Riley, Leslie; and Krynak, Katherine, "Conservation considerations: assessing risk associated with species translocation in respect to Cryptosporidium serpentis infection" (2026). ONU Student Research Colloquium. 19.
https://digitalcommons.onu.edu/student_research_colloquium/2026/Posters/19
Restricted
Available to ONU community via local IP address and ONU login.
Conservation considerations: assessing risk associated with species translocation in respect to Cryptosporidium serpentis infection
ONU McIntosh Center; Activities Room
Translocation is an important conservation tool requiring careful consideration prior to implementation to limit risk to both the translocated and the native species. One important consideration is disease. The 2026 Plains Gartersnake (Thamnophis radix) Strategic Planning Report outlines a goal of expanding the range of the species using individuals from the Killdeer Plains Wildlife Area (KPWA) population. However, Cryptosporidium serpentis, an intermittently shed protozoan parasite that affects the gastrointestinal tract, has been found in high prevalence among snakes at this site, including T. radix. The goal of this investigation is to examine the prevalence of C. serpentis at Ohio Northern University’s Tidd-Oakes Farm (TOF), a proposed release site for T. radix. Fifty-one cloacal swab/fecal samples were collected from snakes at TOF between 2024 and 2025. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) targeting the 18s rRNA gene region of C. serpentis was used to quantify parasite load from these samples. To date, we have found no indication of C. serpentis infection in the snakes at TOF, which raises questions about the viability of translocating T. radix to TOF.