Alana de Laive

For as long as I can remember I have had an insatiable passion and curiosity for reptiles and amphibians. Over the years, I have worked with herpetofauna in a variety of roles including as a keeper in number of zoos around Australia, a snake catcher, research assistant and wildlife ecologist. I have spent the past 12 years living in Far North Queensland and the Top End where I have been lucky enough to encounter an incredible abundance of herpetofauna while undertaking remote field work, as well as in my own backyard!

Recently, seeking more direct involvement in the conservation of threatened herpetofauna, I moved to Sydney to join the wonderful Herpetology team at the Australian Museum. I am currently working as a Frog ID validator, as well as undertaking surveys and research to understand the impact of the recent bushfires on threatened frog and reptile species.

Qualifications

Bachelor of Science (Ecology) – Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT (2017).

Publications

• de Laive, A. H., Schembri, B., & Jolly, C. J. (2021). Novel habitat associations and seasonality in threatened Mitchell’s water monitors (Varanus mitchelli): Implications for conservation. Austral Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1111/aec.13029
• de Laive, A., & Jolly,. (2020). Field observations of a cryptic agamid (Chameleon Dragon Chelosania brunnea Gray, 1845) in semi-arid savanna woodland of northern Australia. Australian Zoologist.
• Parkin, T., Jolly, C. J., de Laive, A., & von Takach, B. (2020). Snakes on an urban plain: Temporal patterns of snake activity and human–snake conflict in Darwin, Australia. Austral Ecology.

Other Appointments

• IUCN Skink Specialist Group