July 2022 - 20
A loop on the end of a telescoping fishing rod allows Wendy Estes-Zumpf to slip the loop over a lizard's head and catch it without causing injury. (Photo by Tracie Binkerd/WGFD)
A
s I meticulously slipped a small loop of string over
the head of a grasshopper - tentatively gliding
it past the antennae - I thought to myself how
the day had taken an unexpected turn. I woke up that
morning thinking of lizards, yet here I was on at least
my 10th attempt to ensnare this insect.
The grasshopper was only practice for what
lay ahead for the day. I volunteered to help
Wendy Estes-Zumpf, the Wyoming Game and
Fish Department herpetological coordinator,
capture lizards near Torrington. But, the
morning wasn't ripe for tracking them down.
An overcast sky draped the area in shadow, and
we couldn't see any lizards darting between
sagebrush or resting under debris. When
Estes-Zumpf spotted the large grasshopper, she
suggested I practice the technique for catching
20 | July 2022
lizards so I would be ready if we spotted one.
The method isn't like the school-yard cupand-grab;
it's a lot more deliberate. And there's
a tool - a small loop of string was attached
to the end of a telescoping fishing rod. If we
spotted a lizard, we would attempt to " lasso "
it by slipping the loop over its head and giving
a light tug. If done right, the loop would close
from the weight of the lizard, and we could
snatch it up quickly and remove the loop. It's
a safer method to catch small lizards and less
likely to injure them compared to swiping
them up with your hands.
After multiple attempts with the
grasshopper, I started to feel confident I could
catch a lizard. The prairie lizards we were after
played an important role in helping researchers
properly identify a population of relatives that
had long been believed to be a different species.
July 2022
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2022
July 2022 - 1
July 2022 - 2
July 2022 - 3
July 2022 - 4
July 2022 - 5
July 2022 - 6
July 2022 - 7
July 2022 - 8
July 2022 - 9
July 2022 - 10
July 2022 - 11
July 2022 - 12
July 2022 - 13
July 2022 - 14
July 2022 - 15
July 2022 - 16
July 2022 - 17
July 2022 - 18
July 2022 - 19
July 2022 - 20
July 2022 - 21
July 2022 - 22
July 2022 - 23
July 2022 - 24
July 2022 - 25
July 2022 - 26
July 2022 - 27
July 2022 - 28
July 2022 - 29
July 2022 - 30
July 2022 - 31
July 2022 - 32
July 2022 - 33
July 2022 - 34
July 2022 - 35
July 2022 - 36
July 2022 - 37
July 2022 - 38
July 2022 - 39
July 2022 - 40
July 2022 - 41
July 2022 - 42
July 2022 - 43
July 2022 - 44
July 2022 - 45
July 2022 - 46
July 2022 - 47
July 2022 - 48
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