Kodiak C. Hengstebeck

Christina Romagosa | Post-Docs | Graduate Students | Other Lab Members

Kodiak C. Hengstebeck PhD Student

Research Interests

My primary research interests lie within the fields of invasion ecology, evolutionary Ecology, and Behavioral Ecology, with a particular focus on reptiles and amphibians. My dissertation research here at the University of Florida focuses on evolutionary and ecological impacts of invasive snakes. I plan to investigate how invasive snakes respond to novel stressors of their introduced environments, specifically exploring the potential for phenotypic plasticity or evolution over relatively short time periods. I also plan to assess potential impacts of invasive snakes on ecosystem function; namely, how the introduction of a top predator can affect the flow of nutrients in the environment.

Education

2018 Master of Science University of Florida

2014 Bachelor of Science Northern Michigan University

About Me

I was born and raised in Michigan, growing up in the suburbs of Detroit. Exploring nature was a foundational part of my childhood. My family and I often ventured north into Canada, going on long camping trips in the wilderness of Nova Scotia or New Brunswick. Following high school, I decided to attend Northern Michigan University located in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

While at NMU, I assisted with various projects focused on herpetology and aquatic entomology, and eventually obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in zoology. Following the completion of my undergraduate, I was hired as a research technician in Dr. Rod Williams lab at Purdue University. I worked several field seasons for this lab, researching various aspects of Eastern Hellbender spatial and reproductive ecology. I was then hired as a research technician in Dr. Lora Smiths lab at the Joseph Jones Ecological Research Center. I was tasked with conducting Gopher Tortoise population surveys throughout Florida and researching aspects of their spatial ecology. This job led me to Gainesville, Florida, where I met Dr. Christina Romagosa at the University of Florida. I joined the Romagosa lab in 2016, researching the use of gopher tortoise burrows by invasive Burmese pythons in southern Florida. After obtaining my Master's degree in 2018, I spent several months working for the US Geological Survey in Everglades National Park, where I assisted with ongoing Burmese python management and research. I rejoined the Romagosa lab in 2019 to begin research for my PhD dissertation.

As far as personal interests go, I love outdoor activities including hiking, backpacking, camping, kayaking, hunting, and fishing. I'm an avid scuba diver and love to be in the water as much as humanly possible. I'm a big animal lover and have lots of pets - an old rescue dog named Remus, a couple snakes, tortoises, turtles, and recently acquired a group of coturnix quail. I also watch and play many sports - namely football and baseball - but hockey is my all time favorite. Go Red Wings!

Feel free to check out my social media, as well!

Insta & Twitter: kodiakmomentz

Publications