LDWF INTERNSHIP - Frog Vocalization Data Analysis

Location: Lafayette, LA

Supervisor: Chuck Battaglia, LDWF Lafayette Office

Application Deadline: April 3, 2020

Background: The mission of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Office of Wildlife is to provide wise stewardship of the state’s wildlife and habitats, to maintain biodiversity, including plant and animal Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN), and to provide outdoor opportunities for present and future generations to produce a greater appreciation of the natural environment. Habitat degradation and fragmentation, among other stressors, continue to cause declines in amphibian populations nationwide; therefore, it is critical to monitor the status of SGCN in this group. The status and trends of several amphibian SGCN in Louisiana is unknown, and presence/absence and population data for these species are lacking, particularly for Southern Crawfish Frog (Lithobates areolatus areolatus), Dusky Gopher Frog (Lithobates sevosus), Ornate Chorus Frog (Pseudacris ornata), Strecker’s Chorus Frog (Pseudacris streckeri), Eastern Spadefoot (Scaphiopus holbrookii), and Hurter’s Spadefoot (Scaphiopus hurterii). LDWF has recently conducted statewide surveys for these species on private lands using automated recording units (ARUs), also called frog-loggers, to document vocalizations of the aforementioned anurans.

Project Scope: The student intern will contribute to a project designed to address the lack of inventory and monitoring data for anuran SGCN. Data have been collected using ARUs across the state at historically occupied sites and at new, potentially occupied sites selected based on habitat availability. The student will analyze the collected call data to identify all vocalizations and to potentially make inferences about how seasonal dynamics affect vocalization frequency of the recorded species. This internship will be based out of the LDWF Lafayette Office. The preferred start date is May 18, 2020 and the end date is August 21, 2020. The start and end dates are flexible, depending on the selected candidate’s schedule.

Timing:  May 18 – August 21, 2020; Full time (40 hours/week) (flexible beginning and end dates)

Compensation: College credit will be contingent upon university approval. Student intern will receive paid compensation at the rate of $10.00/hour.

Housing: N/A

Note: The successful candidate will have previous, working knowledge of Louisiana frog calls or demonstrate a strong desire and ability to proficiently learn these calls as part of this internship.

To Apply: Please submit resumes via email to Keri Lejeune at klejeune@wlf.la.gov.

 Direct questions to: Keri Lejeune @ 337-735-8676