The Skin Microbiome Structure of Juvenile Eastern Hellbenders Cryptobranchus alleganiensis alleganiensis Under Human Care

The Eastern hellbender is a unique amphibian species and is classified as endangered in the state of Ohio. The Ohio Hellbender Partnership links multiple institutions, including the CZA, the Ohio State University, and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, to coordinate captive rearing head-start programs with the goal of reintroducing juvenile hellbenders into the wild. This research project aims to investigate causes of morbidity and mortality of Eastern Hellbenders under human care via the skin microbiome and 16s rRNA sequencing.