Derek Benson

How did you become interested in biology?

I've always had a passion for animals, particularly reptiles. I spent most of my childhood catching as many insects and reptiles as I could. Eventually, I became interested in understanding how these animals survive year-round in the extremely variable conditions of Iowa, where yearly temperatures can range from −30°F in the winter up to and over 100°F during the hottest days of summer. I quicky figured out that animals do some pretty amazing stuff, and after that I decided I wanted to understand how.

Describe your scientific journey and your current research focus

I've been fortunate enough to have a fairly straight path in science. I got my BA from Amherst College, USA, where I was fortunate enough to conduct research on tomato plants, crayfish and fruit flies. During my junior year I studied abroad in South Africa at Kruger National Park and was able to participate in a wide range of conservation research, which was a dream come true. During my senior year (2020–2021) I was stuck inside and reading scientific literature when I came across research investigating water as a ‘physiological currency’ in Gila monsters (Heloderma suspectum). I reached out to the PI of the project, Dr Dale DeNardo, and started in his lab the following fall. Here at Arizona State University, my research has been aimed at understanding how animals tolerate high temperatures and prolonged droughts, and how species may respond to warmer and drier conditions. I've utilized rattlesnakes as a system to investigate the physiological and transcription mechanisms underlying drought and temperature tolerance, and it's been a blast!

How would you explain the main findings of your paper to a member of the public?

We found that rattlesnakes in more arid areas reduce their activity levels substantially when it is really hot and dry, especially when compared with snakes in less arid locations. Additionally, we found that snakes in all locations lose similar amounts of water, except when monsoon rains hit and humidity increases, after which water loss increases. One of the major takeaways from this is that many snakes may be able to tolerate climate change and increasing temperature/decreasing rainfall by spending more time in shelter, which is good news! However, we also found that the more time the snakes spend in shelter, the worse their body condition is. Thus, animals may be able to sit out bad weather conditions, but by doing so they may miss out on some important chances to find a meal.

What do you enjoy most about research, and why?

My favorite part of research is seeing the results for the first time. It doesn't matter to me if my hypotheses or predictions are confirmed or not, I just want to find out what's happening and then think about why! It feels a lot like Christmas morning when data has been collected and is ready to be analyzed: while you have a hunch at what you might get you can never be too sure until you actually see what you have.

What is your favourite animal, and why?

I think my favorite animal at this point must be the western diamondbacked rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox). It's the species that I have worked with the most, and I think I've conditioned myself to feel excitement whenever I find one now. It always blows me away that I can be walking through a desert where it hasn't rained in 2+ months and daytime highs eclipse 115°F and come across a western diamondbacked rattlesnake that is perfectly happy and healthy. They're just plain impressive!