This page is all about the frogs (and the occasional salamander and potentially caecilians)!
My research is focused on Peruvian Amphibians, this encompasses frogs, salamanders and caecilians. Within Pacaya-Samiria there are many frog species, however are very few salamanders and caecilians. The research conducted by students at DICE have not yet found any caecilians and have only found one salamander species (photo copyright Danni Thompson):
This tini Salamander is most likly Bolitoglossa altamazonica
The amphibians are my main research focus. There are several parts to my research which are all still in the process of coming together however the following summarses some of the research I wish to undertake:
Amphibians (frogs, salamanders and caecilians) are declining on a global scale yet little is known about these declines and their implications. Often described as biological indicators due to their specialised ecology, declines in amphibians may reflect wider problems within the environments they inhabit. To date there has been little research into this topic: this PhD hopes to rectify this lack of understanding. Working in the Peruvian Amazon – one of the world’s richest areas for amphibians three approaches will be used to explore the relationships between amphibian diversity and environmental change. If amphibians in the tropics prove to be good indicators of wider environmental problems, limited conservation resources can be channelled into areas where their impact will be highest, saving valuable time and funding.
Here is a selection of the amphibians I will be researching:
