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Photos from the field, life in the lab, visitors and study animals

Field sites, group photographs, visiting researchers and moments from life in The Lizard Lab.

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Fieldwork signs from Lizard Lab research sites
Field workImages from the field
Lab members past and present work at field sites across Australia and around the world, including the Mediterranean, Africa and Asia.
Lizard research in arid Australia
Field workArid-zone fieldwork I
Fieldwork at Gluepot, South Australia, on tree skinks and at Australian Wildlife Conservancy’s Newhaven Sanctuary in central Australia on Liopholis kintorei.
Researchers working with lizards in China and the Northern Territory
Field workArid-zone fieldwork II
Dan Noble catching lizards and conducting experiments in the Tukai Desert, China, and Kari Soennichsen radio-tracking perenties (Varanus giganteus) in the Northern Territory.
Lizard Lab fieldwork in New South Wales
Field workFieldwork in New South Wales
Yorick Lambreghts and Victoria Russell sampling Egernia in the field for projects on social plasticity and kin recognition.
Fieldwork at Lane Cove National Park
Field workLane Cove National Park
One of our field sites for research on the eastern water dragon, Intellagama lesueurii.
Augrabies Falls National Park in South Africa
Field workAugrabies Falls National Park
Augrabies Falls National Park in north-west South Africa is home to the world-famous Augrabies flat lizard, Platysaurus broadleyi.
Landscape at Augrabies Falls National Park
Field workAugrabies landscapes
Spectacular views of Augrabies flat lizard habitat.
The Orange River at Augrabies Falls National Park
Field workThe Orange River
The Orange River is the lifeblood of the Augrabies flat lizards.
Tukai Desert in Xinjiang Province, China
Field workTukai Desert, China
The Tukai Desert in Xinjiang Province, where we worked on several toad-headed agamas, including Phrynocephalus mystaceus.
Lizard Lab field sites in Mozambique, Sri Lanka and China
Field workFieldwork abroad
A selection of field sites from around the globe: Mozambique, Sri Lanka with Ruchira Somaweera, and China with Yin Qi.
Fieldwork in the deserts of Xinjiang Province, China
Field workDeserts of Xinjiang Province
Working with Dr Yin Qi on toad-headed agamas in the arid zone of north-west China.
Black rock skinks and tree skinks
Study animalsSocial skinks
Black rock skinks (Egernia saxatilis) and tree skinks (E. striolata) feature heavily in our work on social development, family living and cognition.
Augrabies flat lizards at Augrabies Falls National Park
Study animalsAugrabies flat lizards
Platysaurus broadleyi from Augrabies Falls National Park, South Africa—stars of numerous BBC documentaries and Martin's favourite!
A selection of African flat lizard species
Study animalsAfrican flat lizards
Our long-standing work on the taxonomy and systematics of Platysaurus includes Attenborough’s flat lizard, described in honour of Sir David Attenborough.
Blue-tongue skinks and other Australian social skinks
Study animalsBlue-tongue and desert skinks
Our study species include the centralian blue-tongued skink, great desert skink, White’s skink and the sleepy lizard, or shingleback.
Chinese toad-headed agamas
Study animalsToad-headed agamas
With Dr Yin Qi at the Chengdu Institute of Biology, we study signalling in Chinese Phrynocephalus, including P. mystaceus and P. vlangalii.
Several species of toad-headed agamas from China
Study animalsMore Phrynocephalus
Toad-headed agamas from China are famous for their complex dynamic visual signals (tail waves).
Jackson's chameleons showing different colours
Study animalsJackson’s chameleons
We compared colour signals in introduced Hawaiian and native Kenyan populations of Trioceros jacksonii, exploring how signals evolve when major predators are absent.
Australian water dragons, skinks, Jacky dragons and a small-eyed snake
Study animalsAustralian reptiles
Our work also includes water dragons, eastern water skinks, Jacky dragons and small-eyed snakes.
Leaf-nosed lizard and Chinese crocodile lizard
Study animalsAsian lizards
We have worked with Ruchira Somaweera on the leaf-nosed lizard (Ceratophora tennentii) in Sri Lanka and the crocodile lizard (Shinisaurus crocodilurus) in China.
Cane toads and several frog species studied by the lab
Study animalsFrogs and toads
Our amphibian research includes cane toads, whirring tree frogs, African foam-nest frogs and spotted grass frogs.
A variety of Australian skinks, including mothers with offspring
Study animalsAustralian skink families
Three-toed, gidgee, Cunningham’s, White’s and black rock skinks—along with sleepy lizards—help us investigate the evolution of family living.
Magnificent tree frog on a white background
Study animalsMagnificent tree frog
Litoria splendida, Australia’s largest tree frog, has been studied by lab members in the Kimberley and in our animal facilities.
Perentie monitor lizard photographed by a camera trap
Study animalsPerentie
A camera trap captured this Varanus giganteus at Curtin Springs in the Northern Territory during field work by Kari Soennichsen.
The Lizard Lab group in 2022
Group photographsLab group, 2022
The lab in 2022 outside our building, with some members of the Shine Lab.
The Lizard Lab Christmas party in 2021
Group photographsChristmas party, 2021
The lab Christmas party in 2021.
The Lizard Lab social with the Shine Lab in 2020
Group photographsLab social, 2020
A social in 2020 with the Shine Lab.
Lizard Lab social at Sydney Tower in 2018
Group photographsSydney Tower, 2018
Lab social at the 360 Lounge at the top of Sydney Tower, May 2018. Great view!
The Newcastle Frog Lab visiting the Lizard Lab in 2018
VisitorsNewcastle Frog Lab, 2018
The Newcastle Frog Lab visited the Lizard Lab in June 2018. Everyone gave a mini-talk and shared drinks later in the evening.
Eric Pianka visiting the Lizard Lab in 2017
VisitorsEric Pianka, 2017
Eric Pianka was invited to Australia by the Australian Herpetological Society and visited the lab in 2017.
Lizard Lab members at Sarah Deventer’s farewell in 2015
Group photographsLab farewell, 2015
Some of the lab at Sarah Deventer’s farewell in May 2015. Left to right: Stephan Leu, Dan Noble, James Baxter-Gilbert, Fonti Kar, Sarah Deventer, Feng Xu, Martin Whiting and Julia Riley.
Lizard Lab Christmas party at Umina Beach in 2014
Group photographsUmina Beach, 2014
Christmas party at Umina Beach, 2014.
Rom Whitaker visiting the Lizard Lab in 2014
VisitorsRom Whitaker, 2014
Rom Whitaker, fourth from left, visits the lab in December 2014.
Lizard Lab Halloween in 2014
Group photographsHalloween, 2014
Lizard Lab Halloween, 2014.
Freek Vonk visiting the Lizard Lab in 2014
VisitorsFreek Vonk, 2014
Freek Vonk, a Dutch documentary maker and scientist, visited in February 2014 to film toads and water dragons.
Freek Vonk and Dan Noble setting up a water dragon shot
VisitorsFilming water dragons, 2014
Freek Vonk and Dan Noble setting up a water dragon shot, February 2014.
The Lizard Lab group in November 2012
Group photographsLab group, 2012
The Lizard Lab in November 2012: Martin Whiting, Eléonor Germain, Dan Noble, Julie Pauwels, Katharina Hinz, Nathalie Lallemand De Driesen, Renata Kopena, Aljoscha (Josh) Kubassa, Dani Chandrasoma and Marco Barquero.
The Lizard Lab group in April 2011
Group photographsLab group, 2011
The lab in April 2011: Dan Noble, Martin Whiting, Yee Wah Lau, Marco Barquero, Kerrie Wechmann, Alana Mailey, Pau Carazo, Suead Zumut, Dani Chandrasoma and Siobhan Dennison.
Qi Yin with Lizard Lab members in December 2011
VisitorsQi Yin’s visit, 2011
At the conclusion of Qi Yin’s visit in December 2011: Nicolas Butruille, Qi Yin, Marco Barquero, Dan Noble and Moniek Poppe.
Lizard Lab interns in December 2012
Group photographsLab interns, 2012
Lizard Lab interns in December 2012: Nathalie Lallemand De Driesen, Eléonor Germain, Aljoscha (Josh) Kubassa, Julie Pauwels and Katharina Hinz.
Marlene Zuk visiting the Lizard Lab in 2010
VisitorsMarlene Zuk, 2010
Marlene Zuk visited the lab in 2010 en route to ISBE and helped us catch water dragons.
Jonathan Losos visiting the Lizard Lab in 2010
VisitorsJonathan Losos, 2010
Jonathan Losos visited in 2010 and, of course, helped us snag some water dragons.
John Alcock visiting the Lizard Lab in 2010
VisitorsJohn Alcock, 2010
John Alcock visited in 2010 en route to ISBE. Here he is with a water dragon.
Mike Cant visiting the Lizard Lab in 2010
VisitorsMike Cant, 2010
Mike Cant also visited in 2010 en route to ISBE. Here he is with a water dragon.
Lizard Lab members at the ISBE Congress in 2024
Group photographsISBE Melbourne in 2024
The lab was well represented!
Lizard Lab members at a lab social in 2023
Group photographsA lab dinner in 2023
Simon Jeni, Yorick Lambreghts, Martin Whiting, Chris Jolly, Bethan Govier, Matilda Whittle, Jai Lake, Emma van de Pas, Levi Brown (front left), Maddi Holmes, Chris Wilson.
Researchers gathered in the Lizard Lab
In the lab Suzana Herculano-Houzel holding court - a tutorial on isotopic fractionation.
Researchers conducting laboratory work in the Lizard Lab
In the lab Jai, Beth and Yorick removing a brain from a road-killed goanna.
Researcher working at a microscopy station
In the lab Suzana on the microscope.
Researcher working with laboratory equipment
In the lab Yorick at the -80.
Researcher using laboratory equipment
In the lab Jai being closely monitored!
Researcher working with specimens in the laboratory
In the lab Suzana at work.
Researchers working together at a laboratory bench
In the lab Our lab is nice and sunny and has a good view.
The Lizard Lab: Behaviour, Ecology, Evolution
School of Natural Sciences
Macquarie University
Sydney, NSW 2109
Australia
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Macquarie University, Sydney Australia

We acknowledge the Wallumattagal clan of the Dharug Nation, the Traditional Custodians of the land on which Macquarie University is situated, and pay our respects to Elders past and present.