I am working to investigate the distribution and population connectivity of a small mesocarnivore, the ringtail (Bassariscus astutus), in California utilizing camera traps and genetic markers.

The ringtail (Bassariscus astutus) is a mesocarnivore, listed as a fully protected species by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The species is considered vulnerable due to restricted range and few identified populations. Due to their occurrence in small clusters, they are an ideal candidate to identify barriers to gene flow. A depletion of a small dispersal corridor could have major effects on these populations, such as eventual inbreeding and loss of fitness. However, no studies on their ecology in this area have been published in recent decades and no studies have utilized them as a model for identifying habitat fragmentation.

My research is an ongoing study of ringtails throughout California. Previously, I investigated genetic structure of a small subpopulation of ringtails as part of my Master’s Thesis at California State University, Sacramento in cooperation with Sacramento City College and the Mammalian Ecology and Conservation Unit at University of California, Davis. Now, in cooperation with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, I am working on distribution modeling utilizing camera traps while also collecting samples for SNP discovery to develop new genetic markers.