Lizard Wrangler

From 2016 to 2021, Earyn McGee spent countless hours hiking through the Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona. She was searching for scaly research subjects as part of her Ph.D. project at the University of Arizona. Armed with an extendable pole with a loop of thread at the end, McGee would sneak up on any tiny lizard she came across. Then she’d slip the snare over its head and gently catch it. “It’s kind of like fishing and lassoing lizards at the same time,” says McGee. “It’s very fun, and it’s not as hard as it seems.”

McGee is a herpetologist, a scientist who studies amphibians and reptiles. She wants to learn more about how drought conditions might be affecting lizards. That information could help protect the animals.

McGee feels strongly that education is a crucial part of conservation efforts. So she is also a science communicator, sharing her knowledge of science with others. McGee recently spoke with Science World about what it’s like to be a herpetologist and why it’s important to get people from all backgrounds involved in science.

As a kid, I spent a lot of time outdoors looking for animals. I didn’t know that was something I could do professionally until I was in college. I enrolled in a research program for two years, and I chose to study lizards. I fell in love with them. I got the chance to try to answer some of the questions I’d had since I was a kid, like: What do lizards eat? Where do they sleep? How do they communicate? I couldn’t believe people were doing this type of research for a living. I learned what it took to be a conservationist working to protect the environment and wildlife. I didn’t want to stop.

Once I catch one, I note its species, determine if it’s male or female, measure it, and collect other data. Then I compare that with information about the lizard’s habitat. I try to determine how the environment where it lives is changing because of things like droughts or wildfires. That helps me understand the lizard population, how healthy it is, and the threats it faces.

I started a game on social media called #FindThatLizard. Every Wednesday, I post a photo of a lizard camouflaged in its habitat. The lizard blends in with its surroundings, and players try to find it. It can be hard! I know because spotting lizards in the wild is something I do a lot.

This game is a fun way to reach people all over the world and teach them about lizards. I also include fun lizard facts. For example, did you know that some lizards don’t lay eggs? They give birth to live babies. I hope when people learn how cool lizards are, they’ll start to care about them more.

We need greater diversity among scientists in wildlife conservation fields. So as a graduate student, I worked as a mentor to college undergrads interested in becoming scientists. I also started a program to introduce Black, Brown, and Indigenous middle school girls to conservation careers. They learned how to think like scientists and were encouraged to go outside and explore. That can be the first step to becoming a scientist—it was for me.

I went to a math-andscience-focused high school, so I learned a lot there. If you can, join science clubs and take advanced science classes if they’re available. Be open to trying new things, even if it isn’t exactly what you want to do. Take those opportunities and see where you go.