Voices
Stories from the rice community
SAVI N G TH E H OU STON TOA D
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Cassidy Johnson ’11
TO M M Y L AV E R G N E
OME TIME IN THE PAST, in a sepia-colored sixthgrade classroom, Cassidy Johnson ’11 was allowed to take home her class lizards during winter break. She fed them green things and baby food. When Johnson cracked open a jar, the green anoles and the fence lizard tilted their heads, and they seemed to consider. Thus began her lifelong fascination with amphibian and reptile biology. “I realized that they’re smarter than people make them out to be. People say they’re not very aware. But it’s not true — they’re very cognizant,” she said. Today, Johnson, who earned her doctorate in biochemistry and cell biology at Rice, is a Houston toad (Bufo houstonensis) specialist in the Houston Zoo’s Department of Herpetology, one of two staff members
responsible for care, disease testing, breeding and general preparation for wildlife release of more than 600 toads in what scientists call an “ark” for the endangered species. Being a zoo scientist also carries with it a substantial educational and public outreach component, said Johnson, who brings both knowledge and enthusiasm to a topic that’s far from child’s play.
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