The Biological Survey is both a state agency and a research department of the University of Oklahoma. The Biological Survey includes the Oklahoma Natural Heritage Inventory, Oklahoma Natural Areas Registry, and the Robert Bebb Herbarium. Our faculty and staff are committed to providing the best available information on biodiversity in the state of Oklahoma. We do this through our surveys, inventories, and research on the state’s biodiversity. We also collect, curate, and share existing biodiversity data. We are committed to training students and the public in biodiversity science. To achieve our goals we work closely with other allied organizations throughout the state and region.
G Payne, the Natural Areas Program and Outreach Coordinator, represented the Oklahoma Biological Survey at Rodea Cinema on July 13th. The Oklahoma Monarch Society hosted a screening of the Where Did the Horny Toad Go? film, directed by Stefanie Leland. Texas Horned Lizards, commonly known as Horny toads, have expereinced severe population decline in Oklahoma. This gathering was dedicated to getting insight from experts and land managers on how to protect the precious Horny toad.
Thank you Okies for Monarchs for incorporating OBS!
Tribal Alliance for Pollinators hosted their 10th Anniversary Conference in June of 2025 at Euchee Butterfly Farm. Oklahoma Biological Survey faculty, Dr. James Hung and Dr. Priscilla Crawford both gave interesting and informative presentations. Dr. Hung was happy to announce that his team has completed bee surveys in all of Oklahoma's 77 counties. Dr. Crawford was excited to share that her book, "A Naturalists Guide to Oklahoma," will be ready for readers in Spring of 2026.
Thank you TAP for inviting the OBS team to join in your celebration.
Congratulations to Eli Bridge, our interim director and BioSurvey ornithologist, on his publication in Science - "Spatial cognitive ability is associated with longevity in food-caching chickadees."
Dr. Caryn Vaughn has developed a new and comprehensive website about all the mussels found in Oklahoma.
65%
of mussel species are considered imperiled
10
gallons of water
can be filtered by an adult mussel in one day
60
mussel taxa are present in Oklahoma
