@DrDMichael

Associate Professor of Ecology and Herpetology | Head of the Squamate Conservation and Landscape Ecology (SCALE) lab @Gulbali_Inst

 Australia
scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=73r--RMAAAAJ&hl=en
Joined March 2014
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910Media
Burton’s snake lizard, not a snake, but a legless species related to geckos and a top predator of skinks.
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Everyone should experience the joy a Bandy Bandy brings - such striking patterns for the environments it lives in, but when it moves ‘flicker fusion’ distorts its form, confusing potential predators.
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Never thought I’d be fortunate to encounter one of Australia’s most elusive snakes, but last week I crossed paths with the EPBC listed Dunmall’s snake in Qlds SE Brigalow. At over 70cm, this male is as big as they come.
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How can anyone mistake these harmless lizards for a venomous snake? Well, there are several reasons. Apart from the cuteness factor, many Oz legless lizards have ear openings, residual hind limbs and a thick, fleshy tongue. Plus, they can ‘squeak’ as do their gecko affiliates.
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Found couple of nice looking Delma species (legless lizards) during tile surveys today - D. plebeia and a first for me, the recently described D. vescolineata (Hunter Valley LL)
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Damian Michael retweeted
Agvocate_Au@agvocate_au29 Jul 2025
"Guiding principles for conserving reptiles in Australian temperate agricultural landscapes" By Damian R. Michael should be a resource for every rural landholder in Australia. How about an article on this in Feedback & Beyond the Bale @meatlivestock @woolinnovation
Damian Michael@DrDMichael29 Jul 2025
Landholders often ask me ‘what can I do to protect reptiles’ particularly those that don’t dispatch a certain group! So after years of procrastination, I reviewed the literature & published a paper I hope will be useful. publish.csiro.au/PC/PC25018
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Landholders often ask me ‘what can I do to protect reptiles’ particularly those that don’t dispatch a certain group! So after years of procrastination, I reviewed the literature & published a paper I hope will be useful. publish.csiro.au/PC/PC25018
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Pretty happy with how my latest book turned out. The pdf version is freely available online.
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Diamond python cuddle puddle - never get tied of seeing this behaviour
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Damian Michael retweeted
Nicholas Wu@NicholasWuNZ24 Apr 2025
A users guide for understanding reptile and amphibian hydroregulation and climate change impacts: doi.org/10.32942/X2J92F #WCH10 #herpsci
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In situ pickerel frog (Lithobates palustris) and habitat. One of those classic cave associated species that herpetologists can never get enough of.
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Death by a thousand cuts: Global threats to insect diversity.
Fig. 1. Death by a thousand cuts: Global threats to insect diversity. Stressors from 10 o’clock to 3 o’clock anchor to climate change. Featured insects: Regal fritillary (Speyeria idalia) (Center), rusty patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis) (Center Right), and Puritan tiger beetle (Cicindela puritana) (Bottom). Each is an imperiled insect that represents a larger lineage that includes many International Union for Conservation of Nature “red list” species (i.e., globally extinct, endangered, and threatened species). Illustration: Virginia R. Wagner (artist).

ALT Fig. 1. Death by a thousand cuts: Global threats to insect diversity. Stressors from 10 o’clock to 3 o’clock anchor to climate change. Featured insects: Regal fritillary (Speyeria idalia) (Center), rusty patched bumble bee (Bombus affinis) (Center Right), and Puritan tiger beetle (Cicindela puritana) (Bottom). Each is an imperiled insect that represents a larger lineage that includes many International Union for Conservation of Nature “red list” species (i.e., globally extinct, endangered, and threatened species). Illustration: Virginia R. Wagner (artist).

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Damian Michael retweeted
Anton Sorokin@Anuranton5 Feb 2025
Excited to share this article I wrote for Smithsonian on the effects of the LA wildfires on wildlife: smithsonianmag.com/science-n… Covering everything from snails to mountain lions and long and short-term effects of the fires. Read all about it!

Here’s How the Los Angeles Wildfires Are Affecting Animals, From Fish to Snakes to Birds

While scientists were able to save and move some creatures in the aftermath, researchers are worried about the prospects for other species

smithsonianmag.com
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Conservationists were thrilled to encounter a dozen Scarlet-chested Parrot in far western NSW, where the species is rarely observed. Find out more: australianwildlife.org/scarl… 📷 J Douglas, G Bowen/#AWC
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Damian Michael retweeted
SILVIS Lab@SilvisLab5 Feb 2025
📌New Publication Our recent study, led by @rohansimkin published in @GlobalChangeBio, highlights the impact of rapid urbanization on the emergence of zoonotic diseases worldwide. The risk is particularly high in the Global South. Full paper: doi.org/10.1111/gcb.70039
The distribution of zoonotic host richness (reds) and human population density (blues) in the wildland–urban interface varies globally. Panels (b and d) show in detail regions in the Global South with large populations living in the WUI with high zoonotic potential: Brazil and Central America, Southeast Asia, and equatorial Africa, respectively. Map lines delineate study areas and do not necessarily depict accepted national boundaries.

ALT The distribution of zoonotic host richness (reds) and human population density (blues) in the wildland–urban interface varies globally. Panels (b and d) show in detail regions in the Global South with large populations living in the WUI with high zoonotic potential: Brazil and Central America, Southeast Asia, and equatorial Africa, respectively. Map lines delineate study areas and do not necessarily depict accepted national boundaries.

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A map artwork that illustrates the extent & value of India’s open natural ecosystems such grasslands, deserts, rocky outcrops & shrub lands that are otherwise considered wastelands. Through this, we hope to raise awareness & call for better policies to safeguard these. @atree_org
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Damian Michael retweeted
Monika Bohm@MonniKaboom6 Jan 2025
Attention all conservation geeks! On behalf of the @IUCNssc & @CMPmeasures, we are pleased to announce the formal publication of the "IUCN-CMP Classification of Direct Threats to Species and Ecosystems 4.0" in @ConBiology: doi.org/10.1111/cobi.14434.

Classification of direct threats to the conservation of ecosystems and species 4.0

Identifying and assessing the magnitude of direct threats to ecosystems and species are critical steps to prioritizing, planning, implementing, and assessing conservation actions. Just as medical...

conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
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Damian Michael retweeted
Hiral Naik@HiralNaik256 Jan 2025
Excited to share the 1st paper from my PhD! We report on important snakebite data in South Africa & the need for improving knowledge about the circumstances leading to a bite. lehttps://academic.oup.com/trstmh/article/doi/10.1093/trstmh/trae109/7931504
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A newly discovered mushroom from Taiwan. (Mycena subcyanocephala)
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Ever wondered what Rakali feed on? PhD candidate Emmalie Sanders reveals some interesting food items in her latest manuscript. @Gulbali_Inst @CSUMedia @Torpidator onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/…

Prevalence of invasive fish and plants in the winter diet of the rakali (Hydromys chrysogaster)

We analysed the diet of a native semi-aquatic predator, the rakali (Hydromys chrysogaster), to investigate its reported preference for invasive species. Invasive fish comprised a large proportion of...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com
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