Amphibians represent essentially the most threatened vertebrate class on Earth, with 40% of species threatened with extinction.
Whereas their use of each aquatic and terrestrial habitats throughout their completely different life phases makes them glorious indicator species, this additionally makes amphibians extremely vulnerable to a number of anthropogenic threats. Therefore, understanding and mitigating the consequences of those threats on amphibian populations is a chief conservation precedence. One glorious manner through which to do that is to develop our understanding of amphibian behaviour.
Behaviour is the first manner through which an animal interacts with its setting. A product of morphology, physiology, and environmental stimuli, behaviour sits on the intersection of evolution and ecology and might present a wealth of details about a species.
Eleanor’s PhD undertaking entails investigating key behaviours in amphibian species that reveal uncommon life historical past traits. Presently, Eleanor is working with the Mallorcan midwife toad (Alytes muletensis), a species of conservation concern housed at ZSL that invests closely in parental care and for whom a serious menace is the introduction of an invasive predator species; and the alpine newt (Ichthyosaura alpestris), a non-native invasive species right here within the UK whose lifespan exceeds that of our native newt species and whose secondary sexual traits are visibly apparent (the males are vibrant blue).
By intently observing these species, Eleanor hopes to quantify amphibian behaviours regarding well being, welfare and health. Eleanor may also use this work to develop new instruments for guaranteeing that finest welfare requirements are recognized and met inside captive populations, provided that a lot of amphibian conservation is now occurring ex-situ. Her work will due to this fact have functions in informing each in- and ex-situ amphibian conservation technique sooner or later.
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