MPF Webinar: Show Me Tarantulas! The Ecology of 𝘼𝙥𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙡𝙢𝙖 𝙝𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙯𝙞 in Missouri Glades
Texas brown tarantulas (𝘈𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘭𝘮𝘢 𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘻𝘪) living in Missouri are some of the most northerly tarantulas in the United States. They survive because glade habitats provide them with just the right mixture of warmth, humidity, burrowing opportunities, and prey. Essentially, glades provide tarantulas with desert-like conditions at more northerly latitudes in the Midwest. Over time, Missouri glades have been fragmented, and wildfire suppression has permitted encroachment of woody shrubs. Becky Hansis-O’Neill’s work aims to characterize tarantula population sizes and habitat preferences in glades. Additionally, she is in the process of accessing the genetic similarity among groups of tarantulas to better understand how barriers like wooded areas and roads affect geneflow. Becky’s talk will cover the natural history of 𝘈. 𝘩𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘻𝘪 in central Missouri and current research.
Becky Hansis-O’Neill is a PhD student in the biology department at University of Missouri – St. Louis. She received her BS in Psychology and MS in Biological Sciences from Idaho State University. She has conducted research on topics such as behavioral pharmacology, developmental neurobiology, parasite-host interactions, and stable isotope analysis. During that time, Becky discovered a passion for science communication while teaching undergraduate labs in general biology, ecology, and human anatomy and physiology. She worked as the Education Specialist for the Idaho Museum of Natural History, managing educational programs and designing and implementing digital interactive components for public exhibits. She also has a keen interest in employing digital museum specimens for education and outreach using digital interactives, augmented reality, and virtual reality. Because of this, Becky joined and exhibit design firm, Ideum and worked there in the Creative Services department for four years. Currently, she is a doctoral student at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. In her spare-time she enjoys nature photography and bird watching. Her photography has been featured in various publications, websites, signage, and social media for organizations such as: the Smithsonian Insider, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Grand Teton National Park, and The Nature Conservancy.
Learn more at moprairie.org.
This webinar was recorded live on Wednesday, October 25, 2023.
