Eleanor K. Tinsley

Amphibians constitute the most threatened vertebrate class on Earth, with 40% of species threatened with extinction.

While their use of both aquatic and terrestrial habitats during their different life stages makes them excellent indicator species, this also makes amphibians highly susceptible to multiple anthropogenic threats. Hence, understanding and mitigating the effects of these threats on amphibian populations is a chief conservation priority. Presently, however, amphibian aquatic larval stages are woefully neglected in conservation research, and little is known about the behavioural impacts of the novel environmental stressors being faced by amphibians in the wild and in captivity.

The Mallorcan midwife toad (Alytes muletensis), a species typified by a prolonged larval phase, is an endangered European anuran threatened by climate change, an invasive predator species, and a novel infectious pathogen. These behavioural impacts of these threats, in isolation and in combination, have not been studied in A. muletensis larvae. A. muletensis conservation is mostly managed ex-situ. Despite this, little is known about the maintenance of captive welfare and, specifically, the impact of routine husbandry procedures on behavioural welfare indicators expressed by larvae.

By closely observing this species, Eleanor tests hypotheses relating to these knowledge gaps with the intention of informing conservation practices in the future. Not only this, but she is working on developing automated Machine Learning tools for applications in ecological monitoring of both captive and wild larval populations to efficiently identify signs of inhibited welfare. The results of her project have the potential to influence future conservation strategy and management protocols for this threatened group.
 

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