The solutions of many of humanity’s scientific problems are right here in our natural world.

We just have to be curious enough to look.

About Me

Growing up in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina, I got to enjoy and interact with some of the incredible herps and other wildlife this planet has to offer. My early summers of searching for black rat snakes and peeking under rocks by the mountain streams transformed into trekking through the dense jungles across the globe seeking to spot, document, and share the weird wonders of our world.

Baby me (left) petting a box turtle my brother had found in our backyard.

I love seeing different parts and cultures of the world, and am always looking for opportunities to involve myself in current research. If you have an expedition opening or a research project that needs some extra hands, please contact me at: samschenker@scalesnaps.com

Working in Reynolds Lab of Vertebrate Biodiversity at University of North Carolina Asheville.

With a camera and a snake hook, my goal is not just to take pictures, but to learn about these misunderstood creatures and their habitats, and to help with any research that I can. I believe that through understanding and biomimicry of the incredible traits these organisms possess (such as an axolotl’s ability to regrow entire limbs and even part of their brain), we can advance science and technology to be more efficient, eco-friendly, and cost-effective.

My mentor, Dr. Graham Reynolds, (left) and I (right) with the Explorers Club Flag on an island in Papua New Guinea - conducting lizard surveys.

Experience

Want to see my full CV? Contact me at samschenker@scalesnaps.com

  • Research Intern, Reynolds Lab, University of North Carolina Asheville | August 2023 - Present

    Researching the evolution and systematics of Anolis scriptus in the West Indies.

    • Molecular lab work (DNA extraction and PCR amplification)

    • Computational work (sequence alignment, phylogeographic analyses in R)

    Grant Manager and Researcher, Khamai Foundation | October 2025 - Present

    Active field biologist, researcher, grant writer, and photographer for various expeditions led by the Khamai Foundation for the protection and discovery of reptiles and amphibians in Ecuador.

  • Published Papers:

    Quezada-Riera, A.B., Barrio-Amorós, C.L., Schenker, S., Kaiser, H., Arteaga, A. (2024). Review of ophiophagy in neotropical cat-eyed snakes, genus Leptodeira, with the first report of ophiophagy in L. ornata (Bocourt, 1884). Herpetology Notes, 17: 347-349.

    Reynolds, R.G., Schenker, S., A. Fellous, and A. Slavenko. 2025. Rapid inventory of skink fauna (family Scincidae) on four small coastal islands of northern New Guinea. Herpetological Review. 56(1): 45-46.

    Published Photographs:

    Reynolds, R.G., and Henderson, R.W. (eds.). 2026. Boas of the World. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca, NY. (2 photo

    credits)

    Arteaga, A., 2025. Newly found rocket frog at risk from gold miners. Khamai Foundation. https://www.khamai.bio/news/rocket_frog_mining.html. (1 photo credit)

  • Schenker, S. 2025. New Discovery of Hyloxalus maculosus Population in Herpetofaunal Survey of Ecuador’s Chumbiyacu Stream. International Herpetological Symposium, Ft. Myers, FL. [Oral].

    Schenker, S., Reynolds, R.G. 2025. Phylogeographic Analysis of Mitochondrial Lineages of the Silver Cay Anole, Anolis scriptus, Across the Turks and Caicos Islands. Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, St. Paul, MN [Poster].

    • British Virgin Islands, June 2025 | Field expedition with the Fort Worth Zoo to assist in their ongoing conservation project with the critically endangered Anegada Rock Iguana (Cyclura pinguis).

    • Ecuador, March 2025 | Field expedition with Khamai Foundation and independent parties surveying and documenting herpetofauna in montane cloud forest and lowland jungle looking for endangered species to qualify for land protections against impending illegal gold mining. Led to the discovery of a new population of the endangered Spotted Rocket Frog (Hyloxalus maculosus)

    • Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, October 2024 | Ponant x Explorers Club Expedition, Circumnavigation of New Guinea. Assistant to Dr. Graham Reynolds, herpetofauna surveys on small islands.

    • Ecuador, July 2024 | Field expedition with the Khamai Foundation looking for a potentially new species of Dwarf Gecko (genus Lepidoblepharis) to sample and photograph before the release of the Reptiles of Ecuador book.

    • India, December 2023 | Photography and documentation of bird, reptile, and mammal species throughout Northern India, and assisted a local snake rescuer with an emergency rescue.

    • Ecuador, July 2023 | Field expedition with the Khamai Foundation looking for the green-blue morph of the Eyelash Palm Pit Viper to take scale samples and photographs to gather more data for the separation of species in the Eyelash Viper genus (Bothriechis).

    • Madagascar, June 2023 | Photography and documentation of reptile and amphibian species throughout Madagascar with Tropical Herping’s Jose Vieria, where the team found a possible new species of Dwarf Chameleon (genus Brookesia).

    • Ecuador, July 2022 | Photography and documentation of a diversity of reptile and amphibian species in various Ecuadorian habitats, including montane cloud forest and lowland jungle with Tropical Herping’s Jose Vieria.

    • Peru, March 2022 | Photography and documentation of rare reptile and amphibian species in the Peruvian Amazon with the Project Amazonas team, led by Matt Cage.

  • Certified Master Herpetologist | 2021 | The Amphibian Foundation | Atlanta, Georgia

    Advanced Open Water Diver | 2024 | PADI

    Photography Contest Judge | 2026 | Explorers Club

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    Student Member | 2024 - Present | The Explorers Club, New York, NY.

    Member | North Carolina Herpetological Society | December 2022 - Present

    Member | The Herpetologists’ League | October 2021 - Present

    Member | The Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles | December 2023 - Present

Camera Equipment

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Body

This camera body is unique for its durability. It has withstood the rain and high humidity, and occasional dust storms, of the places I travel. It is easy to use and pictures can be transferred via Wi-Fi (though I rarely use that feature).

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM

This lens not only has amazing macro capability, but is also weather resistant. It can withstand dust, rain, and humidity just fine. It is easy to use with auto and manual focus.

Canon RF 70-200 mm f2.8L IS USM

This lens was given to me by an old camera lens collector. The zooming is a bit unwieldy, but it holds up well in all weather conditions and produces nice quality pictures.

Speedlite 600EX II-RT

This flash-transmitter pair has worked quite well for me. I run through batteries like crazy with my flash, but it’s able to withstand any weather and, with the right diffusers, gives great lighting on or off the camera.

Speedlite Transmitter ST-E3-RT (Ver. 2)

Field Equipment

SLONIK Rechargeable Headlamp

This is a comfortable, waterproof headlamp with many different brightness levels. It works nicely for seeing eyeshine and animals up to the tall canopy. It is rechargeable, but the battery only lasts a few hours on the highest brightness setting, and can get quite hot. I usually leave it on about 75% brightness and it still does great, but if I need full brightness I’ll bring a few extra batteries.

SanDisk 256GB Extreme PRO

I use both the 256GB and the 128GB SanDisk Extreme PRO. The Extreme PRO has higher transfer speeds, but since I’m not working with large video files I rarely notice it.

EBL AA 3000mWh 1.5V Li-Ion Rechargeable

These have been the most consistent rechargeable batteries I’ve used. I do have to carry a few sets for my flash, since I burn through them quickly, but they hold a lot of charge and can quickly be refilled.

Cygnustech Diffuser

The classic Cygnustech diffuser. Its portability is a huge asset, and it gives great lighting when I use my flash attached to my camera. Can be a little cumbersome to maneuver with though - I frequently bump into the branch/tree my subject is sitting on because the profile is so large!

Pelican 1510 Protector Carry-On Case

The newest addition to my camera gear collection. I’ve fought with backpacks for a long time, and decided they’re not for me. This pelican case offers plenty of physical protection and I can carry it on when travelling on airplanes. It fits my camera, macro and telephoto lenses, and flash comfortably. With wheels and handles, it offers nice versatility - we’ll see how it holds up in the field.

Custom Snake Hooks

You can’t go herping in the jungle without some nice snake hooks. Both of these were made by repurposing old hiking sticks. Both of these could support a large Bushmaster, though the Black Diamond version (left) cannot withstand much pressure from pulling. Both function as nice hiking sticks, and both can have their height adjusted. The Black Diamond version fits perfectly in any backpack or suitcase, whereas my other version (right) cannot fit in my usual suitcase very well.