Master Herpetology (Free University of Brussels, VUB)

19/12/2019

To those of you who were planning on attending the party today: please note that we've postponed it until January! (This way, no one has an excuse not to show up.)

A few weeks late for Christmas, or several months too early? You be the judge.

Whatever your festive inclinations, we here at AMFI hope that these holidays are filled with nothing but happy fun times for all of you!

16/12/2019

It may be hard to believe, but here we are again, at the end of yet another semester - and the year. Of course, no celebration would be complete without our annual Christmas party, to be held at AMFI this Thursday 19/12 starting at 15h30.

New students, old students, vaguely student-like entities... all are welcome! As long as you contribute with vast quantities of deliciousness and indicate as such using this link, anyway.

Sheet1 Name,Food,Drink

27/06/2019

Summer has finally made its unabashed debut this year, which can only mean one thing: exam period is almost over! Just keep on trudging a little while longer, and before you know it, you will be free to prance and skip and frolic* on your sunny holiday escapades.

(*Everything has been reminding me of The Sound of Music lately. Apologies.)

24/04/2019

Attention, good citizens! We need YOU! Specifically, to vote.

As you may recall, our very own Margo Maex recently obtained her PhD from the Amphibian Evolution Lab on the subject of salamander s*x pheromones. Now, she has been nominated for the New Scientist Talent award, which seeks out young and highly ambitious researchers from across the Netherlands and Flanders. We fellow herp-lovers must rally together and vote for her, and thus raise these amphibians and their seductive chemical cocktails to the highest echelons of scientific recognition - where they belong.

Go forth and vote. You won't find a more (salamander-)s*xy candidate.

Margo Maex is genomineerd voor de titel New Scientist Wetenschapstalent 2019. Lees hier over haar onderzoek en breng uw stem uit.

26/03/2019

If you're here, you're no doubt invested in the wellbeing of our planet, as well as the devastating consequences of climate change. Which brings us to our grand announcement: introducing ‘Klimaat Project’ (http://www.climateproject.be), an initiative that aims to reconnect two Natura 2000 areas in the southwest of Brussels. By restoring forests and swampland, this project will assist in mitigating the effects of global warming in the purest form: by creating nature.

A second objective of Klimaat Project involves supporting education on how to implement ecologically integrated farming practices, and thus promote sustainable agriculture. And in case you needed a herp-related angle: this project was initiated by two of our VUB herpetologists!

Like, share, spread the word! You too can be a part of building the landscape of the future. How's that for a tagline?

Climate & Nature compensation plan

12/03/2019

Man, have we got a stellar pre-weekend lineup in store for you...

This Friday (March 15th), we'll kickstart things with a special guest lecture entitled "Evolutionary convergence: stories of venoms and poisons in the animal kingdom" by Dr. Nicholas Casewell, who is a leading authority in the field of toxin evolution and snake venom research. The talk will be held at 10h00 in room F.5.203, and will basically be awesome.

But wait, there's more! At 16h00 in the afternoon, our very own Herpetology Master alumnus, Tijn Raaijmakers, will publicly defend his PhD thesis, "Poison from a frog’s perspective: Elucidating the adaptive role of skin-secreted peptides in anti-predator defence". Below is a sneak preview of what you can expect. Killer stuff, right?
..or is it? Find out this Friday at 16h00 in room D.0.07!

26/02/2019

You've no doubt seen the headlines by now, but just in case, allow us to beat you over the head with it: quick, what does your favorite phylogenetics professor have in common with this previously unknown microhylid frog from India? Why, they're both named Franky! Ta-daaa.

Now that we've made the dramatic reveal, take a moment to gaze upon Mysticellus franki, or Franky's narrow-mouthed frog, which was recently discovered in the Western Ghats by Franky (the professor's) former PhD student, Prof. SD Biju. That right there is how you know you've made it in life.

Look at that dignified, yet ever so slightly world-weary squint. This frog has seen things. The rigors of academia, perhaps?

31/01/2019

The end of the exam period may be in sight, but wait! Before you retreat inside your cocoons full-time to stave off these cold winds, be sure to turn up on Monday 4th February to cheer on your fellow herpetology students during their Master thesis defenses. Starting from 13h30 onwards, you will be regaled with riveting accounts of frogs and toads and salamanders - oh my!

That's Monday the 4th, 13h30, room E.0.05. Be there.

25/01/2019

Did you know that exposure to extreme altitudes can result in delirium*? That might explain why our students appear so downright giddy while sampling specimens way up high in the mountains of Podocarpus National Park, Ecuador, as part of the Field Trip Herpetology course. During the 2018 edition of this annual excursion, our young herpers traversed the vast Andean wilderness, pausing intermittently to both gaze upon its bountiful wonders as well as to gasp, wheeze, and generally try to breathe at 4000 m.

And yet, they've never looked happier.

(*Hufner et al. 2018. Yes, I looked up research papers specifically for the purpose of this status update.)

16/01/2019

A tale for the ages: to get you through the mid-week exam slump, here's a heartwarming romance novella about Romeo, the world's loneliest frog, who may have just found his Juliet after an intensive decade-long search. Seheuncas water frogs (Telmatobius yuracare) have finally been encountered in the Bolivian wilderness once again, offering a valuable chance for the species to be restored. Let us rejoice for Romeo, and hope that that he is rewarded with a happier ending than his Shakespearean namesake. Love perseveres!

Scientists find a Juliet for water frog, Romeo, once thought to be the last of his kind in the world.

11/01/2019

Welcome to a brand new year of herpetological goodness! Now that you've had adequate time to recover from all the holiday feasting and commemorative hangovers, we hope your exam preparations are coming along awesomely. Make us proud, young herpers.

For inspiration and sweet, sweet nostalgia, gaze upon your carefree smiles from the days of yore (aka the Christmas party three weeks ago).

12/12/2018

You may think that you've been adequately dazzled by all the Christmas festivities around Brussels this time of year, but you'd be wrong. The party will only really get going next week, during our annual end-of-year celebrations. For your final assignment of 2018, all Herpetology students should come by AMFI at 16h00 on Thursday 20th December.

The entry fee consists of food. Bring lots and lots of food.