#SciFri: Snakes and coronavirus
I remember the day well, it was late January and I’d just got into the office and fired up my desktop. I do what I always do once I arrive, grab a cuppa and then check my email inbox and…
#SciFri: Where should I report any herpetofauna I’ve seen?
Picture this, you’ve been out and about in the woods walking your dog and whilst bending down to pick up the stick your furry friend has become fond of, you spot a frog. What do you do with this casual…
#SciFri: Revenge of the venomous frogs
Something I’ve noticed making the rounds on social media again is the story of venomous frogs, first discovered back in 2015. Yeah you read that right, at a time before the world had started to fall apart/was on fire all…
#SciFri: Special issue on emerging diseases and infections in herpetofauna
As many of you will be aware, we are experiencing unprecedented declines in biodiversity globally in an event that biologists have named the sixth mass extinction. The two biggest obstacles facing the natural world are habitat loss and anthropogenic environment…
#SciFri: The science of stowaways
Those of you that know me, will know that I have a voracious appetite for reading and also answering questions. Something I’ve been interested in for a while (since later 2015) is the the frequency and origin of stowaway reptiles…
#SciFri: Tips on crowdfunding for scientific research
Recently a number of people have been asking for my advice and opinions on crowdfunding as a source of funding scientific research. Crowdfunding is a untapped stream in my mind, allowing groups to still carry out their research when grants…
#SciFri: April project update
Unfortunately at the moment it doesn’t look like I’ll be able complete my fieldwork anytime soon, given the current coronavirus pandemic. This isn’t exactly the fun-filled and action packed update I was planning but things changed very quickly (as I’m…
#SciFri: Folding@home
I recently found out about a free and exciting way we can all help fight disease, thanks to one of my favourite YouTubers, Linus Sebastian. For those of you that don’t know, Linus is usually most happy when building gaming…
#SciFri: Herpetofauna Workers Meeting 2020
Back in early February, I attended the a conference on the 15th and 16th February in Southport up on the Sefton coast. Despite the fact that Storm Dennis was blowing and coronavirus was yet to cause the disruption is has…
#SciFri: How good is pattern matching software?
We are currently living through some pretty tough times, not since the Second World War has there been the same level of restrictions on movement of people as there are at the moment. As someone that studies disease (in animals),…