Robin Bedard

Research Interests

My love of reptiles and passion for conservation has led me to PERL. I have always been fascinated with all wildlife but became particularly interested in reptiles after taking a herpetology course and performing research with Western Fence lizards during my undergrad at California Lutheran University. During my time at Cal Poly, I will be focusing my research on developing and working with novel, noninvasive technologies to study the physiological ecology of rattlesnakes and endangered Blunt Nosed Leopard lizards. I will be hydrating pregnant female rattlesnakes and monitoring their hydrophysiology while using live streaming cameras to observe their behaviors as they give birth. I will also be using a specialized burrow camera to observe the subterranean behaviors of Blunt Nosed Leopard lizards while simultaneously gathering humidity and temperature data of the burrows. Both of my projects will revolutionize the way we understand the physiology of such mysterious and often misunderstood reptiles as they will both involve new, noninvasive ways to study the animals. Outside of research I will also be doing outreach with children and involving community scientists in my projects in hopes to facilitate appreciation, respect, and the conservation of reptiles. When I’m not working on my research or studying you can find me crafting, spending time with family, playing with my kitty, surfing, or hiking!