Biodiversity Conservation
Our planet is experiencing ​a biodiversity crisis. Species around the world face growing threats, including climate change and habitat loss,. In Southeast Asia, unprecedented rates of deforestation and sea level rise will impact this incredible biodiversity forever. We must act now to conserve and protect our biodiversity.
This small gecko, Lepidodactylus pantai, is a species I helped describe and part of the genus for which we recently conducted a Red List assessment
IUCN Red List
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) evaluates the threat status of species around the world in the Red List. This program is essential for identifying and addressing the most pressing conservation challenges. I have contributed to Red List assessments to evaluate the threat status of many lizard species in Southeast Asia.
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As part of our recent Red List assessment of Lepidodactylus geckos, we discovered that a significant number of both described and undescribed species are facing extinction threats. Our findings emphasize the urgent need for conservation and basic taxonomic work to protect this understudied lizard group.
IUCN Skink Specialist Group
Skinks (family Scincidae) are by far the most species-rich family of lizards and one of the largest groups of terrestrial vertebrates. With almost 1,800 species currently described, skinks represent nearly 1/4 the diversity of lizards. I am an active member of the ​IUCN SSC Skink Specialist Group which completes Red List assessments, facilitates conservation programs, and conducts collaborative research on skinks.
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Our comprehensive assessment of skinks revealed that nearly 20% of species are threatened with extinction, highlighting the urgent need for targeted conservation efforts.​​
Biodiversity Surveys
On our trip to Gunung Dako, we discovered this incredible egg-guarding behavior in an undescribed species of Oreophryne frog.
Biodiversity surveys in understudied areas are crucial for identifying and prioritizing conservation efforts, as they provide valuable data on species richness, distribution, and potential threats. I have conducted eight biodiversity surveys in remote areas of Indonesia and Malaysia as part of large diverse, teams comprised of local and foreign scientists.
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Our team has documented species and their elevational distribution patterns using transect surveys across 7 mountains on Sulawesi. For example, over a three week expedition to Gunung Dako, a remote peak in northern Sulawesi, we surveyed nearly fifty species of reptiles and amphibians, many of which are new to science.
Species Descriptions and Taxonomy
Species are the principal units for studying evolution and implementing conservation. Accurate species descriptions and taxonomy are therefore essential for effective conservation efforts, as they provide the foundation for understanding biodiversity, identifying threatened species, and developing targeted conservation strategies. I believe it is critical to provide resources and support to local scientists to help them contribute to documenting and describing their biodiversity​.
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I have published several comprehensive taxonomic descriptions of species new to science. For example, I found and described a new species of Lygosoma skink in a small urban rainforest patch within Kuching, a large city in Borneo. The presence of this species in an urban rainforest emphasizes the significance of preserving even small areas of intact rainforest to maintain biodiversity.
Scale diagram of Tytthoscincus batupanggah, one of several species I have helped describe.