Samantha Smith

PhD Student- Wildlife and Fisheries Biology
Forestry and Environmental Conservation Department

Office: FEC Building 225
Phone:

Email: sns4@clemson.edu

Educational Background

MSc Environmental Biology
Suranaree University of Technology 2020

BSc Animal Behavior
University of New England 2017

Profile

Sam is a PhD student in the Buchholtz lab and is in the SC USGS Cooperative Research Unit. Sam's research interests revolve largely around animal movement and studying the spatial ecology of underrepresented taxa. Most of her research and experience in the field has involved large reptiles. Before starting at Clemson, she worked in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem, working on a variety of projects with both native and invasive herpetofauna. Prior to this, she completed her master’s degree at Suranaree University of Technology in Thailand, where her thesis focused on the movement ecology and habitat selection of native Burmese pythons. Now, at Clemson, Sam is working on projects that include further investigating the movement ecology of Gopher tortoises and their responses to land management as well as researching some of the ecosystem services that Gopher tortoises provide to their commensal species

Research Interests

Movement ecology, spatial ecology, resource selection, landscape connectivity, conservation

Publications

Jones, M. D., Smith, S. N., Averill-Murray, R. C. & Goode, Matt. (2026). Living life on the edge: how do Tiger Rattlesnakes (Crotalus tigris) navigate a residential golf course development?”. Conservation Science and Practice, 8(6), e70313.

Nettles, J. M., Abramowitz, C., Boone, W. H., Harris, S. N., Horton, C. E., Keating, M. P., Nelson, D. L., Smith, S. N., Steen, K., Buchholtz, E. K., Jachowski, D. S. (2025). American black bears (Ursus americanus) as an apex predator: Investigating the ecological role of the world’s most abundant large carnivore. Mammal Review, 56(1), e70014.

Re, B., Watson, D. H., Smith, S. N., Alamshah, A. L., Waengsothorn, S. & Jones, M.D. (2025). Biparental care in a Southeast Asian passerine, the scarlet-backed flowerpecker (Dicaeum cruentatum). Ecology and Evolution, 15(4), e71205.

Smith, S.N., Stavish, J., Glosenger-Thrasher, S., Gale, G. & Waengsothorn, S. (2024). Risk vs. reward: Burmese pythons select precarious oviposition sites. Ecology, 105(10), e4411.

Smith, S.N., Miller, M.A., Waddle, H., Cooke, S., Yackel Adams, A.A., Currylow, A., Donmoyer, K. & Mazzotti, F.J. (2024). Using camera traps to estimate site occupancy of invasive Argentine black and white tegus (Salvator merianae) in South Florida. Southeastern Naturalist, 23(4), 425-447.

Kwak, M. L., Jones, M. D., Harman, M. E. A., Smith, S. N., Knierim, T., Barnes, C. H.,
Waengsothorn, S., Amarga, A. K. S., Kuo, C., Nakao, R. & D’Souza, A. (2023). The East
Indies reptile tick Amblyomma helvolum Koch, 1844 (Acari: Ixodidae), taxonomy,
biology and new host records, including the first record of human infestation. Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases, 14(6), 102224.

Jones, M. D., Marshall, B. M., Smith, S. N., Crane, M., Silva, I., Artchawakom, T., Suwanwaree, P., Waengsothorn, S., Wüster, W., Goode, M. & Strine, C. T. (2022). How do King Cobras move across a major highway? Unintentional wildlife crossing structures may facilitate movement. Ecology and evolution, 12(3), e8691.

Smith, S. N., Jones, M. D., Marshall, B. M., Waengsothorn, S., Gale, G. A. & Strine, C. T. (2021). Native Burmese pythons exhibit site fidelity and preference for aquatic habitats in an agricultural mosaic. Scientific Reports, 11(7014): 0.1038/s41598-021-86640-1

Jones, M. D., Marshall, B. M., Smith. S. N., Christie, J., Waengsothorn, S.,
Artchawakom, T., Suwanwaree, P. & Strine, C. T. (2020). Can post-capture photographic identification as a wildlife marking technique be undermined by observer error? A case study using king cobras in northeast Thailand. PLoS ONE. 15(2): e0242826.

Links