My name is Caden Myers and I am beginning my third year at the University of Florida studying Wildlife Ecology and Conservation. With funding from the Florida Museum through the Louis C. and Jane Gapenski Endowment, I was able to attend the 2026 Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists held in New Orleans, Louisiana from July 8 – 12.
At the conference, I was able to present a poster on my research conducted through the Florida Museum under the supervision of Dr. Coleman M. Sheehy III with funding from the Emerging Scholars Program: “Evaluating Dentition Asymmetry in New World Snail-eating Snakes.”
The project investigates patterns of dental asymmetry in the New World group of snail-eating snakes, harnessing the use of museum collections and CT-scan data to collect tooth counts for a variety of genera in the group. The results of this project may give new insights into the convergent evolution of gastropod dietary specialization in snakes. I look forward to continuing this research project and preparing a manuscript for publication detailing our findings in the near future.
Outside of my presentation, I was able to attend a multitude of symposia and talks. Being such a large conference, I was able to hear talks encompassing a wide range of topics related to herpetological research. Hearing from so many experts in the field of herpetology was extremely valuable, especially as I begin to consider pursuing a graduate degree in the field. Additionally, several other students from the Florida Museum were also able to present their research.
I was able to attend several social events that allowed me to explore parts of New Orleans and network with other attendees. I particularly enjoyed visiting the Audubon Aquarium and getting to try lots of the local food.
Overall, attending the Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists was a fantastic experience. I have been fascinated with herpetology, especially snakes, my entire life and I feel fortunate to have been able to present my research at such a prominent conference alongside so many other excellent herpetologists. I hope that I will be able to attend the conference again next year where it will be held in Panama City.
Caden Myers is an undergraduate student studying wildlife ecology and conservation advised by Coleman Sheehy in the Florida Museum of Natural History herpetology collections.
The 2026 Summer Student Travel Awards are supported by the FLMNH Department of Natural History, including funds from the Louis C. and Jane Gapenski Endowed Fellowship. If you would like to help support this fund for future student awards, please go to: