Welcome to the Fort Collins Science Center

...Developing and disseminating science-based information and tools needed for understanding the Nation’s biological resources in support of effective decision making.

Learn more about the Fort Collins Science Center

Fiscal Year 2010 Science Accomplishments

Driving Directions

Snakes in the Wrong Places

USGS research zoologist Gordon G. Rodda did not foresee that his professional future was in snakes. Lots of snakes, and in places they don’t belong.

Giant Constrictor Snakes in Florida

USGS scientists are investigating the ecology and control of giant constrictors in Florida.

Snake Surge

In Florida, giant constrictor snakes threaten native wildlife. FORT scientist Bob Reed discusses how research helps to manage these exotic invaders.

Seeing the Forest and the Trees

Learn how Meritorious Award recipient Dr. Craig Allen has linked climate change and forest die-off in the U.S. Southwest to forest changes worldwide.

Landsat Survey

Understanding the value of the imagery provided by Landsat satellites is essential as future land-imaging initiatives move forward.

High Throughput Computing

FORT scientists are using High Throughput and Performance Computing to distribute and run highly complex analytical processes.

Molecular Ecology Lab

FORT’s Molecular Ecology Lab develops scientifically rigorous research programs to resolve conservation biology & natural resource management issues.

Cranes and Drones

Reaching for the sky: Using a “Raven” to count Cranes

Bats on the Brink

White-nose syndrome threatens the survival of hibernating cave bats in North America.

Herding Sparrows

Learn more about the winter sparrow research conducted by Dr. Janet M. Ruth, USGS Fort Collins Science Center.

In the News

New Web Feature Highlights FORT Scientist's Career in Invasive Reptiles

A new Web feature describes FORT zoologist Gordon Rodda's illustrious 25-year career researching the ecology and impacts of invasive snake species and developing means of control and containment. Dr. Rodda has been intimately involved in what have proven to be two of the biggest reptile-invasion problems in the U.S. and its territories: the brown treesnake on Guam, and giant constrictor snakes in south Florida. Both cases involved research to discover the extent of the invasion, then begin looking at ways to curtail spread to non-infested areas. Dr. Rodda's work revealed the importance of detectability and prevention, and applied what he and his research colleagues learned about the biology of these snakes to test control and containment methods. In Guam, it became a matter of how best to keep brown treesnakes from stowing away in cargo and inadvertently getting to other Central Pacific islands and the continental U.S. This led not only to containment and trapping methods but also training and implementing a rapid response team to help protect vulnerable islands. In Florida, the work has centered on assessing the risk and potential affects of giant constrictor establishment in Florida and devising ways to prevent the Burmese python and other large constrictors from populating the Florida Keys, where they could prey on several endangered species. Read the full story about Dr. Rodda's contributions to invasive species science at Snakes in the Wrong Places: Gordon Rodda's Career in Invasive Species Research.

Snakes in the Wrong Places: Gordon Rodda's Career in Invasive Species Research