Museum of Vertebrate Zoology Graduate Student writes from her research site in Patagonia (aka of Poop and Patagonia)...

Buenos dias from Patagonia! I have stepped from mid-autumn into the green world of a southern
hemisphere spring … my third season studying those beloved subterranean rodents, tuco-tucos. John, Eileen, and I arrived a week ago after a very smooth flight to Buenos Aires and bus ride to San Carlos de Bariloche, the beautiful town that sits at the base of the Andes near the Chilean border. We are back camping on our familiar estancia (ranch) where horses and guanacos and deer meander in and out. I know many of you have been along for the ride the last two years but some of you are new to my mailer and hope you will enjoy some of the experiences I share (especially J.P., who I know is already missing me at the MVZ).

As a quick recap, I am here as a second year grad student from Berkeley, studying the social behavior and physiology of the tuco-tuco. I think all of you know that I collect poop, and this year is no different. Hopefully, I will add to my growing collection in the school's –80 C freezer so that I can uncover the mysteries of the physiological wonders of lone and group living females. This past year I learned, with a lot of help from 3 great advisors (George, Darlene, Lance), how to do enzyme immunoassays, big words for ways to see how much of a hormone is in the poop. I assayed some of the field samples and the lab animals with which I did a stress test. Results are still pending.

Patagonia is a land of extremes. I've mentioned before, and it certainly has not changed, that wind is the defining character of this place. The wind welcomed us here with a fury, but we did have a couple of gorgeous days in which we saw tucos, caught a couple of females (and radio collared one), and found a few colonies with pups (yay pups!). I am busy doing telemetry scans to better understand colony borders. Our work is definitely cut out for us as it seems there are still pregnant females and lots of newly defined colony areas. I am finding the stress that has plagued me the last couple of months is slowly blowing away with that wind and being replaced with the peaceful beauty so prevalent here in the wide open fields, the snow capped Andes, and the rugged mountains of the steppe. The teros (southern lapwings) are crying as usual when we walk through their territories. The banderias (buff necked ibis) are honking their way home every evening. Lizards are scurrying between the senecio bushes, stopping to do push ups for the lady lizards. Swallows are flying everywhere after the craneflies. Wrens are hopping about chirping their mating calls. And of course, those big black beetles are crawling this way and that in delightful distraction while I stare at tuco holes all day! I am bug bitten, sunburned with chapped lips, and covered in dirt but happy to be in a place where I can just be what I love being, an animal watcher.

This field season will be a bit shorter than before (6 weeks instead of 8), but I will be staying on until after New Year's. Quite happily, my four children, Jon, Chris, Andrew, and Beth, will be joining me in mid-December to see where I do what I do and enjoy an Argentinian Christmas with my dear friend and colleague from Mar del Plata, Ana Paula. As before, I enjoy notes from home (as I do get homesick) though I can't always reply to everyone personally. This list has grown to well over 60 people, and your friendship in my life has meant so much. Hope this note finds you
well.

Love, Julie

p.s. a special thanks to Erika for turning me on to those wonderful warming packets from REI… I slept quite cozy last night even with the freezing rain and new snow on the Andes this morning!