SCPARC Annual Meeting

When:  August 7th and 8th, 2026
Where: SREL Conference Center, Aiken SC 29802

We’re excited to announce that the SCPARC Annual Meeting will be held August 7–8 at the SREL Conference Center in Aiken, SC.

This year’s meeting will feature oral and poster presentations from students and professional herpetologists across South Carolina, along with field trips and social events designed to foster collaboration and connection among colleagues and friends.

Registration is now open! Click here to register to attend the 2026 SCPARC Annual Meeting

SCPARC Annual Meeting

South Carolina Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation

Schedule of Events · August 7–8, 2026

Friday, August 7

Coffee, drinks, and snacks will be provided throughout the afternoon sessions.

8:00 – 11:00 AM — Optional Field Trip

Field trip to Aiken Gopher Tortoise Heritage Preserve (SCDNR). A sign-up link will be sent to all registered meeting participants after registration closes. If you plan to attend, please sign up so we can track participation and share important trip details.

1:00 – 1:30 PM — Check-In
1:30 – 2:00 PM — Welcome & Business Meeting
2:00 – 3:30 PM — State Presentations
    • The Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy in South Carolina: A Case Study in Collaborative Conservation — Maddie Prickett (Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy)
    • Update from the State — Andrew Grosse (SCDNR)
    • Aiken Gopher Tortoise Heritage Preserve Management — Hunter Young (SCDNR)
3:30 – 4:30 PM — Keynote Presentation
    • What Was SREL Herpetology Like Before Your Parents Were Born? 70 Years of Herpetological Inventory, Monitoring, and Research on the SRS (SRP) — Whit Gibbons (University of Georgia)
4:30 – 6:00 PM — Social Hour & Lowcountry Boil

Food and non-alcoholic beverages provided by SCPARC. BYOB permitted.

Saturday, August 8

Coffee, drinks, and snacks will be provided throughout the day.

8:30 – 9:00 AM — Check-In
9:00 – 9:10 AM — Welcome
9:10 – 10:30 AM — Oral Presentation Session 1

15-minute presentations followed by 5 minutes for questions.

    • Scale-Dependent Predictors of Disease: Integrating Species Distribution Models with Telemetry to Predict Snake Fungal Disease — Matt Grisnik (Coastal Carolina University)
    • Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in the Habitat and Blood of Diamondback Terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) in Coastal South Carolina — Dorothy Cornelia Aldridge (Clemson University)
    • Elucidating the Effects of Ophidiomyces ophidiicola on Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus) Spatial Ecology — Loren Quintana (Coastal Carolina University)
    • Integrating Telemetry, Remote Sensing, and Fire History to Guide Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake Habitat Management in Francis Marion National Forest — Rachel Brubaker (Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy)
10:30 – 10:40 AM — Break
10:40 AM – 12:00 PM — Oral Presentation Session 2

15-minute presentations followed by 5 minutes for questions.

    • Genetic Mechanisms Governing a Deadly Rattlesnake Venom — John Henry Fowler (Clemson University)
    • Reptile Richness and Abundance in a Restored Former Agricultural Property in the South Carolina Piedmont — Wyatt Burton (Winthrop University)
    • Movement Ecology of Spotted Turtles (Clemmys guttata) in South Carolina — Aaron Johnson (University of Georgia)
    • Assessing Post-Release Success of Head-Started American Crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) in Lago Enriquillo, Dominican Republic — Bobby (Robert) Greco (Clemson University)
    • Comparative Genomics and Venom Evolution of Three North American Coral Snake Species — Diego Quirola (Clemson University)
12:00 – 1:30 PM — Lunch & Poster Session*

Catered lunch provided by SCPARC with a variety of dietary options.

*See notes about the poster session and list of poster titles and authors below

1:30 – 3:10 PM — Oral Presentation Session 3

15-minute presentations followed by 5 minutes for questions.

    • What Eastern Box Turtle Shells Reveal About Their Growth and Life History — Amelia Flippin and Govind Amar (South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics)
    • Development of a Blood-Based Age Estimation Tool in the American Alligator — Ethan Shealy (University of Georgia)
    • Conserving the Carolina Gopher Frog: Recovery Efforts in the Francis Marion PARCA — Maddie Prickett (Amphibian and Reptile Conservancy)
    • Understanding the Evolution of Mole Skinks — Christopher Parkinson (Clemson University)
3:10 – 3:30 PM — Closing Remarks

Poster Session

 The poster session will be held during and just after lunch, from 12:00 – 1:30pm on August 8th. The posters are listed below along with the presenting author.

    • Temporal Dynamics of Snake Fungal Disease: Evidence of Recovery from Ophidiomyces ophidiicola — Anthony Alter (Coastal Carolina University)
    • Thermal and Spatial Ecology of Spotted Turtles in a Modified Wetland Ditch System — Lilly Osborne (Coastal Carolina University)
    • Ranavirus Surveillance in the Spotted Turtle (Clemmys guttata): Monitoring an Emerging Threat in a Species of Conservation Concern — Mia O’Neill (Coastal Carolina University)
    • Evaluating Novel Biologging and Videography Methods to Study Snake Behavior and Space Use in a Small Barrier Island Landscape — Chloe Mullinax (University of South Carolina Beaufort)
    • Hopping Along with Hogs: Field Observations of Wild Pig Wallows Serving as Breeding Sites for Anurans — Taylor A. Fisher (University of Georgia)
    • Amphibian Species Richness and Habitat Associations in Restored Former Farmland — Zamar Harry (Winthrop University)
    • Applying Accelerometer-Based Biologging to Continuously Characterize Chicken Turtle Behavioral Patterns — Abby Odom (University of South Carolina Beaufort)
    • Diamondback Terrapin Road Mortality on a South Carolina Causeway — David Wise (University of South Carolina Beaufort)
    • Habitat Use of Woodland Box Turtles (Terrapene carolina carolina) on the Urbanizing Catawba Reservation — Paiton Funderburk (Winthrop University)