Valerio Giovanni Russo

• Master of Science
• CEO at Kayla Nature

Aim To investigate the influence of tepuian geomorphology on species diversification in the Pantepui biogeographical region based on the phylogenetic relationships and divergence times of tepui-endemic clades of stefania frogs (Stefania, Hemiphractidae). Location The ‘tepuis’ and uplands/lowlands of the Pantepui biogeographical region of northern...

In early 2020, the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) led multiple countries to introduce strict lockdown measures to contain the pandemic. Movement restrictions may have influenced the ability of the public to contribute to citizen science projects. We investigated how stay-at-home orders affected data submitted by birdw...

It has been suggested that the inability to migrate in response to climate change is a key threat to tepui summit biota. Tepui summit organisms might thus seriously be threatened by global warming, and there is an urgent need to accurately evaluate their taxonomic status and distributions. We investigated phylogenetic relationships among several po...

Amphibians and reptiles are among the most endangered animal taxa globally. Knowing their distribution over the territory is essential for conservation purposes. With this aim, a preliminary study was carried out on their distribution within the Monti Lattari area (Campania region, Italy), and the results were compared with previous knowledge. Fiel...

Habitat modification and invasive species are considered some of the most impelling causes of the ongoing sixth mass extinction, especially in freshwater ecosystems. Artificial water troughs are, in this regard, particularly vulnerable environments, while being pivotal breeding habitats for many amphibian species. However, despite their well‐known...

Amphibians and reptiles are among the most endangered animal taxa globally. Knowing their distribution is essential for conservation purposes. With this aim, a preliminary study on herpetofauna distribution in the Monti Lattari area (Campania region, Italy) was carried, and the results were compared with previous data. Field research updated the di...

Frogs of the subgenus Vatomantis Glaw and Vences, 2006 form a monophyletic group within the genus Gephyromantis Methuen, 1920 in the family Mantellidae, endemic to Madagascar and Mayotte. In anurans, vocalization is often a valuable character complex for taxonomical classification since it is an efficient premating isolation mechanism, and to add t...

Nell’ambito del Progetto Avifauna Campana è stata effettuata un’indagine sui Picidi del Parco Nazionale del Cilento e Vallo di Diano. La specie oggetto di studio è il picchio nero Dryocopus martius, relitto glaciale di cui non è mai stata fatta una stima della popolazione nel suddetto territorio. Grazie all’utilizzo del playback sono state accertat...