The Zoo will be utilizing infrared video cameras to study nocturnal behavior. The field component is a collaborative effort with scientists in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic. Survey work to identify unknown populations and determine the status of known populations is just beginning. In cooperation with local conservation organizations, the zoo has developed posters to inform indigenous people about the conservation status of galliwasps with the phone numbers for scientist working on the project. From initial efforts, two unrelated accounts from the same locality have been received for the Jamaican giant galliwasp, a species that had not been reported since the early nineteenth century.
Additional funding is needed to support local scientists in Jamaica and the Dominican Republic.
Dale McGinnity, Curator of Ectotherms 3777 Nolensville Rd.