Chad Moura

Chad Moura

Thesis Topic

Shifts in mammalian mesopredator activity in response to drought and varying levels of urbanization intensity.

About Me

I am a graduate student in the Clucas lab studying the fine scale shifts in the temporal activity patterns of mammalian mesopredator species in response to increasing urbanization and drought severity in California’s Central Valley and Mojave Desert. Raccoons, skunks, coyotes, and opossums are all wide ranging, abundant, and opportunistic species that can thrive in cities and natural areas alike. These hardy critters inspire a wide range of emotional responses in humans: fear, disgust, annoyance, and yet also wonder, and even admiration. Understanding how these species interact with each other within risk-abundant urban areas as well as during times of drought can give us insight into how these species are able to survive and exploit resources when surrounded by elevated environments of stress.

Like my mammalian mesopredators, I too am a bit of a generalist. I graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a Bachelor of Science in Zoology in 2016. During my time there, I was an undergraduate researcher in the Kuris & Lafferty Ecological Parasitology lab, working with a PhD student Sara Weinstein studying the proliferation of raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris procyonis) from raccoon latrines. Yet, it hasn’t always been mammals for me. I’ve worked on projects collecting insects and arthropods, I’ve done snorkel and redd surveys for steelhead, coho, and chinook salmon with California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) in Fortuna, I’ve wrangled rockfish and halibut from anglers through California Recreational Fisheries Survey (CRFS) with CDFW in Eureka, and most recently I’ve done nesting bird surveys, amphibian spotlight surveys, and saltmarsh harvest mouse monitoring and more with Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD). Now, 3 years later I find myself going back to the mammals that started it all here at Cal Poly Humboldt.

Advisor

Dr. Barbara Clucas

Contact Info

Undergraduate Institution

University of California, Santa Barbara; BS in Zoology (2016)

Favorite Animal

Raccoon (Procyon lotor) aka Trash Panda