Océane Da Cunha

Since my early childhood, I was passionate about the animal kingdom and especially herpetofauna. I remember trying to catch Wall lizards (Podarcis muralis) and watching European grass snakes (Natrix natrix) swimming while I was fishing with my grandfather as a child. Thanks to him, I quickly learned that biodiversity is endangered and that we need to protect it. Since then, I promised myself that I would study biology and ecology with a focus on reptiles and amphibians in order to protect them.

During my studies, I had the chance to participate in project involving Reptiles and Amphibians with a biology and conservation aspect. I followed a population of Green Toads (Bufotes viridis), an endangered species in France in order to know if their populations were stable or not. I also completed an internship within the CNRS (National Scientific Research Center) of Strasbourg to study the energetic significance of the basking behavior of the European pond terrapin (Emys orbicularis). I finished my master’s degree by doing a study about the biology, movements, and habitat use of the Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) in Missouri with Dr. Chad Montgomery of Truman State University and thus, obtained my Master in Ecophysiology and Ethology in 2017.

Because my studies and my internships weren’t enough to satisfy my thirst for learning and my desire to act, I decided to join the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology PhD program at the University of Texas at El Paso. I started to work on the Cayos Cochinos boa project last year with Dr. Montgomery. I immediately fell in love with these animals but also with the scientific questions this project is addressing. More importantly, I noticed the dire need to act to preserve these endangered populations which have been impacted severely by humans.

November 2018