Kodiak Hengstebeck is a PhD student in the School of Natural Resources and Environment at the University of Florida, where he works in the Florida invasion ecology lab. His research interests lie within the fields of invasion ecology and evolutionary ecology, with particular focus on reptiles and amphibians. Currently, his research centers around the evolutionary and ecological impacts of snake invasions, focusing specifically on adaptive morphological changes and zoogeochemical impacts of invasive Burmese pythons. He also obtained his M.S. from the University of Florida, during which he researched Burmese pythons in southwestern Florida and their interactions with gopher tortoises and gopher tortoise burrows. When he’s not working, Kodiak enjoys kayaking, scuba diving, or taking his dog, Gus, hiking on some of the many trails around Gainesville.
