Project Advisor(s) (Students Only)

Dr. Stephanie Fuhr

Presentation Type (All Applicants)

Poster Presentation

Disciplines (All Applicants)

Biology | Education

Description, Abstract, or Artist's Statement

Snake fungal disease (SFD) is caused by the fungus Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola. Infection occurs when the outer skin is breached, and the organism enters the epidermis. The epidermis becomes necrotic and produces a yellow/brown crust. When the crust breaks off, ulcerations/lesions are formed along the snake’s body, head and tail. It has been found that SFD can be treated with a terbinafine nebulization treatment. Ellen Haynes, a PhD student, created a study in which 26 Lake Eerie water snakes are separated into treatment and control groups to determine the effectiveness of the nebulization treatment. Through daily observations, this research aimed to compare the snakes in the treatment and control groups by categorizing them by attitude and behavior. The 12 snakes in the treatment group were bright-alert-responsive (BAR) 5% less than the 10 snakes in the control group. The treatment snakes were only BAR 9 of 47 days compared to the control snakes that were BAR 12 of 47 days. This shows that the snakes that are lethargic in nature are more likely to survive.

Comments

The research done for this poster was a part of my biology Senior Inquiry in fall term of the 2018-2019 academic year.

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Snake Fungal Disease in Lake Eerie Water Snakes and its Affect on Attitude and Behavior During Treatment

Snake fungal disease (SFD) is caused by the fungus Ophidiomyces ophiodiicola. Infection occurs when the outer skin is breached, and the organism enters the epidermis. The epidermis becomes necrotic and produces a yellow/brown crust. When the crust breaks off, ulcerations/lesions are formed along the snake’s body, head and tail. It has been found that SFD can be treated with a terbinafine nebulization treatment. Ellen Haynes, a PhD student, created a study in which 26 Lake Eerie water snakes are separated into treatment and control groups to determine the effectiveness of the nebulization treatment. Through daily observations, this research aimed to compare the snakes in the treatment and control groups by categorizing them by attitude and behavior. The 12 snakes in the treatment group were bright-alert-responsive (BAR) 5% less than the 10 snakes in the control group. The treatment snakes were only BAR 9 of 47 days compared to the control snakes that were BAR 12 of 47 days. This shows that the snakes that are lethargic in nature are more likely to survive.