The Blunt-nosed leopard lizard (Gambelia sila) is an endangered and charismatic lizard species native to California’s Central Valley. In partnership with The Bureau of Land Management and the Telemeco Reptile Ecology and Evolution lab at California State University, Fresno, emergency permission was granted to collect five adult G.sila (two male and three female) from the Panoche Hills plateau. This colony was taken to Fresno Chaffee Zoo to form the first captive assurance colony of G.sila. These five individuals at the time were thought to be the remainder of the Panoche hills plateau population. The lizards were subsequently acclimated to human care and taken through an artificial brumation cycle with the goal of breeding the group in the spring of 2021. Over the spring and summer of 2021, the group was successfully reproduced at FCZ resulting in 20 offspring (10 male and 10 female). This event represents the first time G.sila has ever reproduced in human care.

Steven Sharp- Zoological Animal Manager at Fresno Chaffee Zoo. Steven manages two teams of zookeeper and is responsible for the husbandry and reproduction of Aisa West(The Herpetology department) and South America(Bird department). Steven has worked in some of the top AZA zoological institutions in the US and is currently in his 8th year as a Zoo herpetologist. Steven's primary focus and specialization is in the reproduction and husbandry of Australasian and North American lizard species.