BORN:  June 24, 1970, Madison, WI, USA

EDUCATION:

University of Wisconsin, Ph.D. in Zoology (Warren Porter, advisor).  Working title: Geographic variation in physiology and body size of chuckwallas (Sauromalusobesus). Expected date of completion: Summer, 2001.

University of Oklahoma, M.S. in Zoology, 1995 (Laurie Vitt, advisor). Thesis title: Determinants of Variation in Body Size Among Chuckwalla (Sauromalus obesus) Populations.

Colorado State University, B.S in Zoology. 1992.

Mitrani Center for Desert Ecology, Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Completed series of Graduate Courses in Desert Ecology (including: physiological ecology, behavioral ecology, ecology of habitat selection, population ecology, and landscape ecology), April, 1992.

University of Michigan Biological Station. Completed summer session (courses in behavioral ecology and ecology of streams and rivers), 1991.
 

Physiological, biophysical, and evolutionary ecology of reptiles and amphibians
Life history variation and evolution in reptiles and amphibians
Ecological, physiological and evolutionary implications of body size
Digestive physiology herbivorous reptiles
Reptilian thermoregulation
Toxicological effects of pesticides on amphibian individual and population growth

National Grants and Awards

1998 American Museum of Natural History Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Fund grant for project on translocation of lizards ($800)

1998 Zoological Society of Milwaukee County Student Conservation Grant for project on translocation of lizards ($1995 - declined because I was unable to do the project).

1998 Nevada Department of the Military grant for an inventory of the reptile, amphibian and mammal fauna on a portion of Nellis Air Force base ($36,000) to C. Richard Tracy and Christopher R. Tracy

1997 Travel Award Grant from NSF, jointly given by ASIH, HL, and SSAR for travel to the Third World Congress of Herpetology in Prague, Czech Republic (approx. $1000)

1997 World Wildlife Fund grant in aid of research on endocrine disrupters ($7870) to Warren P. Porter and Christopher R. Tracy

1997 Declining Amphibian Populations Task Force Seed Grant ($975; $500 of which donated by the Columbus Zoo)

1996 ASIH student travel award for the 1996 annual meeting in New Orleans ($200 - random draw)

1992-1995 U.S. Department of Education, Graduate Assistance Aimed at National Needs (GAANN), Graduate Fellowship (approx. $18,000/ year).

1994 Gaige Award; American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists ($500)

1994 Sigma XI Grant in aid of research ($450)

1990 Golden Key National Honor Society, inducted 1990.
 

University/Departmental Awards

2000 John Jefferson Davis Memorial Fund Graduate Research Award, University of Wisconsin ($1037)

2000 John Jefferson Davis Memorial Fund Travel Award, University of Wisconsin Department of Zoology ($600)

1999 Vilas Professional Development Fellowship, University of Wisconsin Graduate Student Council ($600)

1997 John Jefferson Davis Memorial Summer Fellowship, University of Wisconsin Department of Zoology ($1500)

1996 John Jefferson Davis Memorial Summer Fellowship, University of Wisconsin Department of Zoology ($1200)

1993 University of Oklahoma Graduate Student Senate, Grant-in-aid-of-research ($247)

1988-1992 Colorado State University Honors Program (undergraduate)

American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH)
American Society of Naturalists (ASN)
Ecological Society of America (ESA)
Herpetologists' League (HL)
Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology ( SICB)
Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles (SSAR)

1. Tracy, Christopher R., C. Richard Tracy, and J. Scott Turner. 1992. Contrasting physiological abilities for heating and cooling in an amphibian (Rana pipiens) and a reptile (Sauromalus obesus). Herpetologica 48:57-60.

2. Tracy, C. Richard, Keith A. Christian, Michael P. O'Connor, and Christopher R. Tracy. 1993. Behavioral thermoregulation by Bufo americanus: The importance of the hydric environment. Herpetologica 49: 375-382.

  3. Tracy, Christopher R. and C. Richard Tracy. 1995. Estimating age of desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) from scute rings. Copeia 1995: 964-966.   4. Espinoza, Robert E., Christopher R. Tracy, and C. Richard Tracy. 1998. A safe, single-application procedure for eradicating mites on reptiles. Herpetological Review 29: 35-36.   5. Lutterschmidt, William I., Deborah I. Lutterschmidt, Christopher R. Tracy and Victor H. Hutchison. 1998. Time course analyses for the influence of melatonin and chlorpromazine on the thermal selection of bull snakes (Pituophis melanoleucus). Journal of Thermal Biology 23: 319-327.

6. Tracy, Christopher R. 1999. Differences in body size among chuckwalla (Sauromalus obesus) populations. Ecology 80: 259-271.

7. Tracy, Christopher R. In Press. Environmental influences on body size of two species of herbivorous desert lizards. In: Biosystematics, behavior and ecology of Iguanas. W. Hayes, and R. Carter, Eds.

8. Tracy, Christopher R., Warren P. Porter, Kiersten, R. Purves. In review. Effects of mixtures of atrazine, metolachlor and nitrate fertilizer on Xenopus laevis tadpoles. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology.

9. Wilson, Dawn, Christopher R. Tracy and C. Richard Tracy. In review. Estimating age of turtles from scute rings: a critical review of the technique. Herpetologica.

10. Tracy, Christopher R., Warren P. Porter, Adam Narish.  Effects of nicosulfuron on Xenopus laevis tadpoles.  Manuscript in prep.

11. Porter, Warren P., John L. Sabo, Christopher R. Tracy, Jim Reichman, and Navin Ramankutty.  In review.  Physiology on a landscape scale:  plant-animal interactions.  American Zoologist.
 

Espinoza, Robert E., Carrie A. Carreño, Christopher R. Tracy and C. Richard Tracy. 1998. Range extension for Sauromalus obesus obesus.Herpetological Review 29: 51-52.   Tracy, Christopher R. and C. Richard Tracy.  2000.  A survey of the mammals and herpetofauna of BLM land adjacent to the Nellis AFB small arms range. Report to the Nevada Department of the Military.  

Environmental influences on body size of two species of herbivorous Mojave desert lizards. Symposium title: Biosystematics, behavioral ecology and conservation of iguanas. ASIH/HL/SSAR annual meeting, Seattle, WA. 1997.

A model of the effects of climate change on populations of chuckwallas (Sauromalus obesus) with different life history strategies. Christopher R. Tracy, Warren P. Porter, C. Richard Tracy, and Laurie J. Vitt. Symposium title: Climate Variation and its Impacts on Herpetofauna. Third World Congress of Herpetology, Prague, Czech Republic. 1997

Geographic variation in morphology and sexual dimorphism of chuckwallas, Sauromalus ater (=obesus).  Symposium title:  Natural history and evolution of the herpetofauna of Southern California and Baja California.   ASIH/HL/SSAR annual meeting, La Paz, Baja California, Mexico.  2000.
 

Differences in life history strategy and body size among populations of chuckwallas (Sauromalus obesus). ASIH/HL annual meeting, Edmonton, Alberta. 1995.

Determinants of body size differences among populations of chuckwallas (Sauromalus obesus). ESA annual meeting, Snowbird, UT. 1995.

Head Plus Body Equals Snout-Vent Length: Implications for Questions on Lizard Body Size. Christopher R. Tracy and Laurie J. Vitt. ASIH/HL annual meeting, New Orleans, LA. 1996. (Poster)

Influences of environmental conditions on body size and growth of herbivorous Mohave desert lizards. Third World Congress of Herpetology, Prague, Czech Republic. 1997.

How old is that turtle? An evaluation of the use of scute rings to estimate turtle age. Christophter R. Tracy, Dawn S. Wilson, and C. Richard Tracy. ESA annual meeting, Spokane, WA. 1999.

Altitudinal variation in effects of hibernation and feeding on nutrient uptake in chuckwallas (Sauromalus obesus: Iguanidae).  Christopher R. Tracy and Jared Diamond.  SICB annual meeting, Chicago, Il. 2001.
 

Teaching Assistantships Introductory Ecology 260 TA at University of Wisconsin ? Madison, Spring, 2001.  Responsibilities included leading a discussion section, helping prepare and grade tests.

General Ecology 460 TA at University of Wisconsin - Madison, Spring, 1997, 2000; Fall, 1998, 2000.  Responsibilities included leading discussion sections, teaching lab sections, including leading local field trips, helping write and grade tests, and grading student projects and papers.

Biology 152 (Introductory Biology, 2nd semester ) TA at University of Wisconsin - Madison, Fall, 1996, 1997, 1999.  Responsibilities included leading 2 discussion sections and teaching 2 lab sections per week (1996, 1997) or 3 lab sections (1999) in coordination with 4 other teaching assistants; reviewing and grading semester long paper assignments.  Topics included plant and animal physiology and anatomy, and ecology.

Comparative Physiology 611 TA at University of Wisconsin - Madison, Spring, 1996.  Responsibilities included directing two 1.5 hr discussion sections per week, grading weekly writing assignments and term papers, amounting to 75% of the total class grade.

Biology 151 (Introductory Biology, 1st semester ) TA at University of Wisconsin - Madison, Fall, 1995.  Responsibilities included leading 2 discussion sections and teaching 2 lab sections per week in coordination with 3 other teaching assistants.  Topics included genetics, evolution, cell biology.

Undergraduate Teaching Assistant in Honors Introductory Biology at Colorado State University, 1989-1991 (5 semesters).  Responsibilities included preparing sylabi and lectures for 1 lab per week for 15 to 30 students.  Semester-long themes included:  introductory genetics (3 semesters), general introductory biology lab (1 semester), nature writing and naturalist philosophy (1 semester).  Some sections were team-taught.
 
 

Guest lectures Guest lectures on adaptations to deserts and on extinction for Introductory Ecology 260 at University of Wisconsin ? Madison, Spring 2001.

Guest lecture on physiological ecology for General Ecology 460 at University of Wisconsin - Madison, Fall 2000.

Guest lecture on thermoregulation for honors Introductory Biology at Colorado State University, 1990.