by Dr Elspeth McLennan (Post-doc) Tasmanian devils are nocturnal. We set traps during the day and overnight curious devils will come to investigate. The traps we use are made of strong PVC plastic fashioned into a cylinder with a spring trap door (see cover picture). The traps are baited with Continue Reading
AWGG
ABC Radio: The race to save Australia’s dirty frogs
Simon Tang (2022 Honours Student) joined producer Shelby Traynor (ABC Radio) and Dr Jodi Rowley (Curator of Amphibian & Reptile Conservation Biology at the Australian Museum and UNSW) to talk about the pathogen-fighting peptides of frogs. Listen to the full broadcast here: https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/scienceshow/the-race-to-save-australia-s-dirty-frogs/102529160
What my PhD has taught me: Turtles are awesome
by Holly Nelson (PhD Student) So, you probably think Tasmanian Devils are adorable and Koalas are super cute. Well, let me tell you about turtles and four quick reasons why they’re awesome. 1. Free rent: Imagine having a portable, self-contained home acquired at birth, the Sydney housing market would be Continue Reading
Diversity in the Dark: the hidden wonders of subterranean life
by Toby Kovacs (PhD Student) Australia is famous for its unique flora and fauna, harbouring some of the most unique and highly endemic groups of organisms. When I’m sitting around with my family discussing Australian biodiversity, often the first places we think of are the rainforests, the Great Barrier Reef Continue Reading
“It’s an iterative process” – lessons learnt during the first year of my PhD
by Andrea Schraven (PhD Student) I began my PhD in July 2021, and in May 2022 I sat down with my panel to confirm my candidature. Although I found the lead up to my confirmation unnecessarily daunting, I am glad I have ticked this major milestone off. Now fully immersed Continue Reading
Holidays in the Sun
by Patra Petrohilos (PhD Student) I am not a seasoned traveller. I can count the number of times I have been on a plane on my fingers. The only time one of those planes took me overseas was 20 years ago. Then I heard about a summer school that was Continue Reading
My Journey to a Wildlife Conservation Degree
by Lucy Ockert (2022 Honours Student) Are you thinking about enrolling in a Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Taronga Wildlife Conservation) but not sure if it’s the right degree for you? Two years ago, I was in a similar situation. I had originally enrolled in a Bachelor of Science Continue Reading
The Secret Superpower of Frogs
by Simon Tang (2022 Honours Student) An intense, murky river. Densely packed trees, twisting into each other and Mother Earth below. Decaying detritus scattered throughout the landscape. This pulsating ecosystem is not the most welcoming of places. Many dare not to stay for too long, to avoid angering an infected Continue Reading
Why I flew halfway around the world to study two small lizards at the University of Sydney
by Tristan Dodge (Fullbright Scholar) Now that you’ve been drawn in by my clickbait headline, allow me to introduce myself — my name is Tris and I’m visiting AWGG on a Fulbright Scholarship, which is an exchange program with the United States. I’m an evolutionary biologist. Back home I’m a Continue Reading
Should I be afraid of the humble platypus?
by Adele Gonsalvez (2022 Honours Student) The platypus. Cute, cuddly, a collection of disparate animal features somehow merged into one animal? Sure. Venomous? Surely not. But alas, just when you’d thought this Australian native couldn’t get any more bizarre (being egg-laying mammals and all) you’d be surprised again. Unbeknownst to Continue Reading