A recent paper in Oryx has highlighted an interesting conservation conundrum. What do you do when one endangered species is preying on another endangered species? An analysis of data from the Tortuguero National Park, led by Diogo Veríssimo (Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent) looked at population dynamics and the increasing predation of endangered … [Read more…]
Images of tigers and elephants are among the most common threatened mammals used by conservation organisations as ‘flagships’ to promote fundraising – but new research led by the University suggests that other threatened ‘Cinderella species’ could prove equally effective. At the moment, only 80 flagship species are used by these NGOs, and more than 60% … [Read more…]
Two short notes on the distribution of two Brazilian lizards have recently been published by the journal Herpetological Notes. Both can be access for free at the journals website or in the links below: Freitas, M.A., D. Veríssimo, S. Albuquerque and T.O. Lima. Distribution extension for the lizard Enyalius lechii (Boulenger,1885) (Squamata:Leiosauridae): Third record for the state of Rondônia, Brazil. Herpetology … [Read more…]
The Children’s book “Ten friends to remember” written as part of my interhsip with the Centre ofr Eco-cultural Studies in Sri Lanka is now available on Google Books and Mongabay.com . The book has ten stories, all illustrated by a local designer, each of which touches upon a conservation related subject, from human-elephant conflict to wildlife trade and … [Read more…]
Two articles on different aspects of the herpetology of the Brazilian Northwest came out in the latest issue of Check List: Freitas, M.A.; D. Veríssimo; V. Uhlig. (2012) Squamate Reptiles of the central Chapada Diamantina, with a focus on the municipality of Mucugê, state of Bahia, Brazil. Check List 8(1):16-22 Freitas, M.A.; D.P.F. França; D. … [Read more…]
In response to the editorial “Whales for sale” published in Nature, me and Kristian Metcalfe wrote a letter to the editor detailing why we believe the proposed trading quota scheme will not work. Access it here!
In a newly published article in the peer-reviewed blog Biodiversity Science I argue for the need to include marketing principles in our strategy to preserve biodiversity and discuss some of the most important pitfalls of engaging with stakeholders outside the scientific community. Read it here!
I was the lead author on a correspondence piece entitled “Selecting marine invertebrate flagship species: Widening the net”, published in the lastest issue of Biological Conservation. This piece is a reflection on the selection of conservation flagship species for groups traditionally deemed less charismatic. Read it here! This correspondence piece was a reply to the … [Read more…]
I was a co-author on the paper “Distribution extension of Uracentron flaviceps (Guichenot, 1855) (Reptilia: Squamata): Second record for the state of Acre, Brazil” published in the journal Check List last December. Read it here! This small piece is a interesting contribution to the available knowledge on the natural history of this little know Amazonian … [Read more…]