Natural history of anurans from a Cerrado area in Minas Gerais state
This study took place between 2010 and 2011 during my undergraduate studies in Biological Sciences and marked my introduction to herpetology. It was conducted in the municipality of Sacramento, in southwestern Minas Gerais, Brazil, under the supervision of Professor Cynthia P. A. Prado. In this study we: (1) gathered data on the species richness, temporal and spatial distribution of the local anuran community, and (2) compared our results with those from other studies conducted in nearby areas.
Funding: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (11/00507-2)
Community structure of amphibians anurans and snakes of the Etá Farm
I led this project from 2012 to 2016 under the supervision of professor Marcio Martins. This period encompassed my Master studies whose objectives were: to describe the structure of anuran and snake assemblages of preserved and disturbed areas of an area of the Atlantic Forest. Samplings were carried out at the Etá Farm (Sete Barras, São Paulo state, Brazil) using pitfall traps and visual search.
Funding: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (14/11855-0)
Community structure of amphibians, reptiles, and small mammals in the Cerrado: the role of local and regional factors
I took part of this project from 2016 to 2020 during my PhD and also under the supervision of professor Marcio Martins. The objectives were: (1) to describe the structure of amphibian, reptile, and small mammal assemblages of different Cerrado vegetation types; (2) to test the effect of habitat structure on amphibian, reptile, and small mammal assemblages of different vegetation types; (3) to test the hypothesis that dense Cerrado physiognomies function as an environmental filter for cerrado amphibians, reptiles, and small mammals; and (4) assess the
effects of prescribed fires on the species, functional and phylogenetic diversity of frog and lizard communities. Herp and small mammal samplings at the Estação Ecológica de Santa Bárbara were made through pitfall traps, live traps, and visual search.
Funding: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (15/21259-8) and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
Publications from this project: 1,5, 6, 8, 12, 13, 15, 20, 41.
Structure of fauna communities in the RPPN Trápaga
This study aimed to test the correlation between a Biotic Integrity Index of the vegetation previously measured in the Trápaga Private Natural Heritage Reserve and the diversity of various elements of the local fauna. From the data collection carried out to meet this objective, it is also expected to contribute to (1) the provision of basic information on the natural history of the vertebrate and arthropod communities and (2) the production of scientific promotional material and species conservation efforts. Sampling was conducted comprehensively and continuously in the study area throughout the rainy season (October 2021 to February 2022) using pitfall traps, as well as visual and auditory searches.
Funding: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (16/50127-5)
Exobiology on Earth
Between 2022 and 2024, I worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Lodz University. During this period, I participated in the "Exobiology on Earth" project, which aimed to investigate how one of the most remote locations on Earth, the Pantepui region, may have influenced the anatomical and physiological adaptations of local species. My primary research focused on the differences in cranial shape between two endemic amphibian species, using geometric morphometrics as the analytical approach. I also participated in studies on the thermal and population ecology of species in this region
Funding: Narodowe Centrum Nauki ( 2020/39/D/NZ8/02399)
Publications from this project: 16