Dr Christina N. Zdenek

Yay! It’s that time of the year again. Get ready to keep your eyes peeled and start counting birds! #AussieBirdCount is an important snap-shot for Australia’s birds, common and threatened, plus we can all probably is a mindful 20min peacefully observing nature 🥹💚.

And then there were none: Australia’s only shrew declared extinct Australia’s only known shrew has been declared extinct. Its loss emphasises the need for national protection of Australia’s rare and unique wildlife.

Extinctions serve as important warning signs that something is very wrong in the environment. Will we finally heed these warnings? Our mental wellbeing and over half our economy depends on it. theconversation.com/and-then-the...

Living the life, I see. Glad to hear/see it! Sleep-ins too 🙌🤓

Goes to show the importance of independent accreditation of health products

Interesting! More moist? Tastier? Denser?

A Bearded Dragon (Pagona barbata) 🤯🥹

Whose terms of reference do we privilege in science? Dr Coen Hird discusses the contested space of contemporary science and Indigenous teachings/understandings. Diving into theory, not just methods, @uq-cbcs.bsky.social’s packed seminar today at UQ St Lucia. What’s your knowledge lens?

Beautiful! Lol tubby 😂

It’s that time of year again, people! 🤠💃😎. Get those binos/nocs on the ready to count birds wherever and often from 20-26Oct on the useful and user-friendly Aussie Birdcount app

1.5 years apart before-after comparison of my made-from-scratch native habitat garden (rainforest plant community section). Supporting #UrbanBirds with @birdlifeoz.bsky.social, #UrbanFrogs, and #UrbanLizards! 🥹 AND household mental well-being, especially on wfh days 💃🤓! Lawns are so boring, agreed?

And it’s a hit! My #SnakeWheelOfFortune poster game has been played by dozens (possibly 100s) of kids & adults across Qld for #NationalScienceWeek & beyond, & they’ve all left with a far greater appreciation & respect for snakes. Education shapes perceptions, & perceptions shape behaviour 🤓🐍💚!

For more info and to download a high-res file for A1 size printing, go here:

cnzdenek.wixsite.com/cnzdenek/pub...

Introducing the #SnakeWheelOfFortune poster! In working w/ dozens of snake educators from over 23 countries, I saw a major gap in our education re snakes. We all needed a simple, powerful visual to explain the many benefits of snakes to people. After 1yr of design & peer-review, it is now published!

#NationalScienceWeek was a super success! Such a privilege to be able to engage w/ communities in rural/remote/regional Queensland as Inspiring Australia’s ambassador this year. These folks often miss out on #STEMed, but not this year! Thanks to Dr. Anita Milroy for her connections and vision.

Time to vote for Australia’s most underrated animal!! And the clear choice is the Palm Cockatoo, of course. Vote in the next 24hrs here:

www.abc.net.au/news/science...

Underrated animals: Palm Cockatoo - ABC listen It's a bold claim, but the palm cockatoo might be the most punk-rock bird of all. The black and scarlet parrot lives in the rainforests and woodlands of Far North Queensland, as well as the Aru Islan...

I'm voting for #TeamMarsupialMole, but palm cockatoos are my second favourite.

Take a listen to this great chat, with @cnzdenek.bsky.social www.abc.net.au/listen/progr... #NationalScienceWeek #AustraliasMostUnderratedAnimal

Palm Cockatoo Project | People For Wildlife People For Wildlife are working to save the Palm Cockatoo bird in Apudthama Cape York.

Thanks to: Qld Dept of Environment…, People for Wildlife, Birds Qld, Birdlife Australia, and Greenhoose for various forms of support to make it all happen! Our grant ends soon, but u can support us! Google ‘Palm Cockatoos People for Wildlife’ or Check out: www.peopleforwildlife.org/theapudthama...

I have been leading loads of Palm Cockatoo conservation research and management up Cape York way this past month! Doing everything we can (given financial constraints) to save this endangered species. #PalmCockatooProject

Omg yes! Delma torquata are the cUtest! So handsome 🤤. Happy to help photograph one with u someday 🤓. Here’s Delma plebia 🥹 we found in Whiterock last summer that I photographed.

This detailed study, led by Lachlan Bourke, builds a foundation for future characterisation of their unique pitviper venom activities & phylogenetic placement of Bothrocophias species. We hope our work is utilised for evidence-based design of clinical management strategies for the envenomed patient.

Here are some sneak peaks of the results and figures from the paper, which we think provides evolutionary insights into the phylogenetic position of the procoagulant venom trait seen in Bothrops (lance-head pit vipers)

The Ecuadorian Bothrocophias venoms (B. campbelli, B. lojanus, and B. microphthalmus) were compared to Bothrops pictus regarding their coagulotoxic nature and neutralisation by two antivenoms (PoliVal-ICP (Instituto Clodomiro Picado) and Soro Antibotr opico (Instituto Butantan)). (2/4…👇)

New paper! We studied venom coagulation of 🐍 from the understudied pit viper genus Bothrocophias. This genus of pit-vipers, sister genus to the more well-known Bothrops, has 9 recognised species, & are relatively restricted in range, occupying Andean South America & equatorial Brazil…(1/4 posts 👇)

A room of 15-yr olds on zoom with an ecologist. Everyone happy.

#PalmCockatooProject conservation work is ramping up again this year 🥹🤓.

Woogaroo Forest in SE Qld a case study by Margaret Castles of UniAdelaide for: “Native veg never intrinsically valued in Australia. It’s been viewed as a resource to be exploited & used to progress human interests, regardless of the real cost. Our legislation ❌ make net ➕ve 4nature. #ICCB2025

This morning near Springfield Central Station (far south side). A good reason to write to local councils to pressure them to plant shrubs for shelter for these poor buggers that enrich our lives 🥹

A new sustainability standard has been set for conference lanyards! This #ICCB2025 one is compostable & plantable! Native seeds r embedded into the name tag so local delegates encouraged to plant it for habitat. How good?! As paying delegates, we can and should ask for sustainability like this 😎💃

Wow. In USA, 1.5 Billion birds are killed by cats 😳😡. Up to 2 Billion birds r killed by building strike 😭 (there are window solutions to this). Of 92,000 records of building strikes: 56% die by Low Rises; 44% Residential; High Rises <1%. Presented by Nicholas Liadis @iccb2025.bsky.social #ICCB2025

Liz Gould of Connect4Conservation and Birdlife demonstrates the power of community engagement, intel, and private properties for the conservation of a threatened (and adorable), legless lizard in SEQueensland: Delma torquata 🥹. @iccb2025.bsky.social #ICCB2025

Haha. Nooiiiice 🙌💚