Michael Bull

I work on the behavioural and social ecology of Australian lizards, focussing on skinks of the Egernia group. My work is broken up into 3 main areas: 1) Conservation of endangered lizards. The pygmy bluetongue lizard has recently been rediscovered after it was considered extinct. Slater's skink was once widespread in the MacDonnell ranges region around Alice Springs, but now is under threat as buffle grass spreads through its habitat. For both species we are exploring behaviour and ecology to recommend management for conservation. 2) Lizard social behaviour. Australian skinks show a remarkable range of social behaviours from long-term pair fidelity in sleepy lizards to family group living in Stoke's skinks. We are exploring the nature and implications of these behaviours and developing social network descriptors of their behaviours. 3) Parasite-host interactions. Social networks are the pathways for parasite transmission. Exotic pathogens are a likely future threat to endemic species. Our research investigates the dynamics of parasite transmission of endemic parasites around lizard populations. If we know more about these systems we will be better equipped to manage future threats from exotic pathogens

September 2016