Kristen J. Epp

Biography

Dr. Epp is a behavioral and evolutionary ecologist who specializes in conservation ecology and predator-prey relationships in freshwater ecosystems. She has worked most extensively with imperiled salamanders and fish. Before coming to Eastern, Dr. Epp was a faculty member at Ottawa University, Kansas. She earned her Ph.D. in Aquatic Resources (Biology) at Texas State University.

Research Interests

• Predator-Prey Interactions
• Conservation Ecology of Fish and Amphibians
• Association Patterns and Social Interactions in Salamanders

Of Note

More than 100 Eastern students each year participate in one of Dr. Epp’s research projects, a long-term, mark-recapture study of Redback Salamanders. The project is part of a large-scale research collaborative of more than 20 research teams across the Northeast.

Teaching Interests

• Ecology
• Behavioral and Evolutionary Ecology
• Vertebrate Biology

Publications

Zabierek, K, KJ Epp. 2016. Antipredator response of Eurycea nana to a nocturnal and a diurnal predator: avoidance is not affected by circadian cycles of predators. Amphibia-Reptilia 37, 397-403.

Epp, KJ. 2013. Threat sensitivity in the San Marcos salamander: the role of predator diet and prey experience. Behaviour 150, 617-634.

Davis, DR, KJ Epp, CR Gabor. 2012. Predator generalization decreases the effect of introduced predators in the San Marcos salamander, Eurycea nana. Ethology 118, 1191-1197.

Thaker, M, JN Fries, KJ Epp, CR Gabor. 2010. Cohabitation patterns of the San Marcos salamander (Eurycea nana). Amphibia-Reptilia 31, 503-508.

Epp, KJ, R Gonzales, CR Gabor. 2010. The role of water-borne chemical cues in mediating social interactions of the Texas blind salamander, Eurycea rathbuni. Amphibia-Reptilia 31, 294-298.

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