Aurora O'Brien

🐸 Seen a commom frog lately? We need your help! 🐸
Take my survey on common frogs and support UK wildlife/amphibian research.
📋 app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/uow-survey...
Or scan the QR code below.
🕑 Takes 5 - 10 minutes
Let's learn more about amphibians! 💚
#Questionnaire #CitizenScience #PhD

A new species of Acanthosaura Gray, 1831 (Reptilia: Agamidae) from the Truong Son Mountain Range, Vietnam We describe a new species of the genus Acanthosaura Gray, 1831 from the Truong Son Mountain Range, southern Vietnam, based on integrative taxonomic analyses. Acanthosaura cuongi sp. nov. differs ...

sciencepress.mnhn.fr/en/periodiqu...

Avon Heath restoration to benefit rare reptiles and birds - BBC News Smooth snakes and nightjars are among the species to benefit from the restoration of Avon Heath.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

A photo of the title slide of lecture

Just finished my second lecture on #amphibians - this time with the first year students 🐸

I'm starting to become more confident with lecturing, and the students seemed very interested in Tiktaalik! #Herpetology

Hi, of course! Added you :)

A photo of the Bournemouth Natural Science Society museum

My name badge

A book titled 'Ancient Sea Reptiles' by Darren Naish

Just returned from a fantastic weekend at the ARC-BHS Joint Scientific Meeting.

All of the talks were incredible - looking forward to the next one! #Herpetology 🐍

That's a great way to look at it. Although I did stumble a lot more than I would in a normal conversation haha. Hoping the nerves eventually go away!

I'm pretty sure the universe is against me saving money.. my corn snake does need a new vivarium though.

Of course, added you 😁

A photo of myself in front of a lecture I delivered on UK amphibian conservation

I delivered my first ever lecture today on UK amphibian conservation & habitat management to the third year students 🐸

I definitely stumbled over my words a few times 🙈 but two students came up to me after and said it was a really interesting lecture! #amphibians

Ofc, added you! 😁

Hi, added both! 😁

Vipera berus in England

🚨 PhD opportunity 🚨 We are looking to recruit someone to put forward for PhD funding under the IAPETUS DTP scheme. The project will work on adder (Vipera berus) conservation in the North Pennines, England. See iapetus2.ac.uk/studentships... for more info

#conservation #herpetology #snakes 🧪🐍🐸

Chameleons are my favourite 🥹 This one is beautiful!

An angled (side and front) image of a chameleon in a tree, clutching a leaf with its stubby fingers. The chameleon is heavy-bodied, with a large casque on the back of the head that extends down to the jawline. The lizard is one color, a lovely shade of light peach, and the large swiveling eye has an orange iris and black pupil.

A Parson's Chameleon (Calumma parsonii) captured in a tree, Toamasina Province, Madagascar. This cutie was a foot or so above over my head, so I had to use the camera's tilt-screen function to capture the shot. I saw LOTS of chameleons on my visit! #herps 🌿

Wooo, added you! 😁

Sarah holds up a calendar covered in iridescent silver/rainbow stickers. The top says "Frog Facts" and there are 7 frogs and toads on the calendar including a bullfrog, wood frog, and suriname toad in the water, a poison dart frog and leopard frog on land, and two kinds of tree frogs in the tree.

I did some math in August & noticed that if we sell 5000 advent calendars, I can fund @skypeascientist.bsky.social 2025 without getting any grants. I wrote grants anyway, but I wanted some backup!

So far, 0 grants for 2025.
BUT!
We've sold 2,183 calendars!!

1/2 way funded!

Get one: Squidfacts.net

Added you! 😁

A photo of a pin by Merck in the shape of a purple bat on a green background with chemistry symbols above.

I got the Halloween Merck pin! My lil goth heart is so happy 🦇🥼 #merckpins

Really enjoyed all of the talks today at #VenomDay 🐍🦂🦠

Added! 😁

Added! 😁

Of course! Added you 😁

Could I be added please? 😁

Added! 😁

Observing character displacement from process to pattern in a novel vertebrate community - Nature Communications When similar species coexist, they often evolve differences to reduce competition, a process called character displacement. This study provides rare evidence of character displacement in action, showi...

This paper was a long time coming! Exploring the interaction between two convergent lizards who evolved separately on different Caribbean islands and were introduced to south Florida.

Read all about how character displacement could play out in real time in the wild!

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

A photo of a pin from Merck in the shape of a titration flask. The flask looks like it has purple glittery liquid inside and has the words "magic inside" written on the front.

Just came home to my first ever Merck pin for my lab coat! 🥼

I'm still hoping I get the Halloween bat pin #merckpins

Hi, of course! Added you now 😄

Of course! Also your lab sounds really cool 😁

Hi, added you! 😁