Photo courtesy of Baraboo News Republic

UW-Baraboo senior Taylor Maier will be presenting his research on feeding frequency and growth rates of young boa constrictors at the UW-Baraboo honors symposium on May 8th. Although Maier isn't fond of snakes, he spent the 2018 spring semester conducting his research along side biology professor, Noah Anderson. Using X-rays from Hill-Dale Veterinary Hospital in Baraboo, Maier and Anderson tracked the boas' growth rates, specifically the snakes jaw, skull, and tail, to determine what affect feeding frequency has on the growth of the boas. Maier will be graduating this spring and plans to attend UW-Madison in the fall for biology with the hopes of going onto medical school, but Maier's work at UW-Baraboo won't stop after he's gone; the research will be passed down to the next generation of students who will continue to expand upon the work that Maier has already conducted. Upon completion of his segment of the project, Maier is excited to begin implementing the skills he obtained from working on his undergraduate research, putting them to good use in graduate school.