Carlton received a B.S. in Biology from San Diego State University in 1997 (after eight years in college). He became involved with Robert Fisher's reptiles and amphibians study through field work as a student for a Special Studies Project. Catching salamanders, snakes, lizards, and frogs was a great way to get class credit and field experience. It is even better to get paid for it. In addition to responsiblities in the lab, Carlton also does the majority of the Rosy Boa radio tracking project, both the field tracking and the implantation of the radio transmitters.