I helped Charlie finish some pitfalls for her reptile study this morning. Essentially, they are large flowerpots which have been placed in the ground for the animals to crawl/slither into, and not be able to easily escape. We then used some strips of tarpaulin to make a low fence, hoping to funnel snakes and lizards into the trap. While the pitfalls are open, they have to be checked every three hours, as reptiles will not survive long in them in this climate.

Charlie, Meg, and I reset the civet equipment, which requires the use of used cooking oil as bait (it appears as though the smell of french fries will attract more than customers at fast food restaurants), some small electronic noisemakers, to attract their attention from a distance, and camera traps, to see if they have been in the area. The six sets of equipment were placed in all-new locations recently, in a formation of two in the vicinity of each boat landing that we made, which made resetting go quite quickly.

It’s hard to imagine that tomorrow is my last day at DGFC. It has gone by so quickly. Though I am excited to go home and see my family (and then start classes and work on Monday), I will miss it here, especially the company.