Erin Rickman

Erin is the Director of the HERP lab and is gaining a PhD in Animal Behavior and Welfare. She is a Board Member of the British Herpetological Society and an Associate Editor for the Herpetological Bulletin. Her area of specialization is the effects of enclosure design on the behavior, health, cognition, and overall welfare of Leopard Geckos and Crested Geckos, with additional experience in Bearded Dragons.

As the Principal Investigator for all projects in the lab, she is currently leading research on iNaturalist observations for welfare interpretation, exploring how IR, LUX, and UV data can be translated into tools accessible for everyday users, reptile lighting preference, investigating the potential of snakes as service animals, and the impact of age on Crested Gecko behavior and cognition. These efforts build on her prior work examining the effects of environmental enrichment on Leopard Gecko behavior, health, and cognition.