Martin Dillon
PHD CANDIDATE
School of Environmental and Rural Science
University of New England
Armidale NSW 2351
AUSTRALIA
p: 0427 412 675
e: mdillon3@myune.edu.au
Research interests
- Ecology
- Evolution
- Herpetology
- Landscape Ecology
- Conservation
- I am completing a PhD investigating camouflage of motion in lizards and snakes supervised by Dr Paul McDonald, Assoc Prof Stephen Wroe, and Prof Hal Heatwole. The adaptive advantage of crypsis whilst in motion is particularly relevant to snakes and lizards, because they live under constant risk of predation from a broad range of animals, but especially from birds. I’m using videography to study how the morphology of lizards and snakes influences the magnitude of visually detectable signals emitted during locomotion. I’m also using field experiments and 3D computer simulations to investigate the extent to which various morphological and behavioural attributes reduce detection rates by predators whilst animals are moving. By using a range of substrates and natural backgrounds, I am also quantifying the importance of litter and vegetative groundcover for lizard and snake movement and predator avoidance in natural and agricultural environments.
- www.wildterrain.com.au
Oliver, I., Broese, E.A., Dillon, M.L., Sivertsen, D., & McNellie, M. 2013. Semi-automated assignment of vegetation survey plots within an a priori classification of vegetation types. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 4: 73–81
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