The Orianne Society

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The Orianne Society

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The Orianne Society is dedicated to the range-wide conservation of imperiled reptiles and amphibians and the habitats they need to persist.

11/05/2026

We’re always on the lookout for even the smallest reptiles and amphibians while driving between work sites. Many species such as this Rough Green Snake (Opheodrys aesteivus) will go completely unnoticed by most drivers, or simply written off as a blade of grass. This guy got lucky, and we escorted him off the busy road in the direction he was moving, hopefully to continue living life climbing trees and eating insects!

11/04/2026

What’s hiding beneath Georgia’s sandy soils? More than you might expect!

In her latest H**p Journal entry, Andrea Colton uncovers some surprising residents of Gopher Tortoise burrows. Join her in the field for a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges, discoveries, and importance of Gopher Tortoise surveys.

https://www.oriannesociety.org/herp-journal/a-look-into-gopher-tortoise-surveys/

**pJournal

11/03/2026

Our Eastern Hellbender merchandise has arrived!

Made for people who believe that even the most feared and forgotten animals on this planet, and the wild places they depend on, are worth protecting.

Every purchase helps fund wildlife conservation and habitat restoration. Visit our online store today: https://www.oriannesociety.org/shop/

11/02/2026

A big part of conducting Gopher Tortoise surveys is using a camera on a scope to see if there are tortoises actively using the burrows we find. However, this iconic turtle species is a major ecosystem engineer, and their burrows also provide habitat for countless other species. Here are just a few of the animals we’ve seen using tortoise burrows to escape the heat!

Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus)
Florida Pine Snake (Pituophis melanoleucus mugitus)
Southern Toad (Anaxyrus terrestris)
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus)

10/25/2026

When is the Wood Turtle mating season? Wood Turtles can mate just about any time males and females encounter each other during their active season, but most breeding activity occurs in the spring and the fall when Wood Turtles are all in or very close to their overwintering streams. Our team encountered 5 mating pairs in one day in late September, which might be a new record for us.

10/24/2026

For the third year in a row, we hosted a group of National Science Foundation Research and Mentoring for Postbaccalaureates (RaMP) program fellows at the Longleaf Stewardship Center. These post-bac fellows have earned an undergraduate degree and are now spending a year at Georgia Southern University where they will gain valuable experience in research and the biological sciences. During their visit to the LSC, the group learned about our land management work, interacted with some outreach animals, and got hands-on experience with some common herpetological sampling techniques.

**petology

10/22/2026

While staying at the Longleaf Stewardship Center, researchers from Georgia Southern University's Freshwater Ecology Lab employed a variety of sampling techniques to survey for crayfish at sites along the Altamaha River Basin. This includes dipnetting in a variety of aquatic habitats, ranging from permanent wetlands to creeks and streams, and deploying small baited traps.

Crayfish burrows were also dug out by hand as these can support different species of crayfish. Employing a combination of sampling techniques increased the likelihood of capturing the true diversity of crayfish species by targeting differences in habitat use and behavior. Across two sampling trips, the survey team captured 7 species of crayfish, while surveying a total of 11 watersheds in the surrounding area.

Overall, we are excited to be able to host and support research on the incredible biodiversity that inhabits southern Georgia. This work will allow stakeholders to make better conservation decisions when thinking about aquatic diversity in this region.

10/22/2026

Turtle conservation thrives on collaboration!

Eric Teitsworth recently joined Michela Coury of The Wetland Trust during a Wood Turtle survey at one of their properties in the Hudson Valley of New York. Wood Turtles have just begun to return to their river retreats in the region, so we were excited to find this healthy adult female. Conserving imperiled species like Wood Turtles requires all of us working together towards a common goal, and we are excited by our growing regional partnership with The Wetland Trust.

10/21/2026

Prescribed Fire Technicians needed for the upcoming season (January to June)! Join our team at the Longleaf Stewardship Center in Telfair County, Georgia, using fire to restore and manage longleaf pine habitat across the Southeast.

Application deadline is October 23. Visit our Careers page for details.

https://www.oriannesociety.org/careers/

10/21/2026

We recently hosted researchers from Georgia Southern University's Freshwater Ecology Lab at the Longleaf Stewardship Center. Their team is currently working on a survey of crayfish diversity in the Coastal Plain of the Altamaha River Basin, which hasn't been comprehensively surveyed since the 1980s. This sampling is part of a multi-state effort to survey for crayfish diversity and resolve taxonomic uncertainties in the Coastal Plain of all Atlantic drainage basins in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

This work is important because the southeastern United States is the global hotspot for crayfish diversity, with approximately 2/3 of the over 400 North American crayfish species found in the region. Georgia ranks fourth in the country in terms of crayfish diversity (with approximately 77 species of crayfish). Despite this incredible richness, very little is known about the species found in Georgia, especially those found in the Coastal Plain.

Address

P. O. Box 689
Clayton, GA
30525

Telephone

+17062241359

Website

https://crm.bloomerang.co/HostedDonation?ApiKey=pub_edf453ce-9677-11ec-8510-02bec3b1cfe9&WidgetId=15641600, https://www.

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