Research

My scientific works have been done taking in particular attention the conservation biology of amphibians and reptiles. In this respect I conducted studies on herps from Italy and Madagascar.

One of my first favourite subjects in Italy was the  spadefoot toad, Pelobates fuscus. This is a peculiar fossorial toadlet inhabiting the Po Plain (N. Italy), and traditionally considered one of the most threatened amphibians of Europe.

Other conservation oriented inititatives dealt with the eology and conservation of Lanza’s salamander, Salamandra lanzai (an urodele taxon by me discovered and described in the late eighties) and with a general classification in terms of conservation priority for the amphibians of Italy.

Salamandra lanzai, an endemic urodele species of SW Alps (Italy and France)

I also acted as co-editor and co-author of the Fauna d’Italia (Fauna of Italy) dedicated to the amphibians, a much prestigious monographic contribution. More recently I worked to the realisation of a photographic fieldguide on the amphibians and reptiles of Italy.

Then, the activity in Madagascar involved me with a long-standing period, started in 1988. In all these years I conducted more than 40 field expeditions, and visited several rainforests, high plateau habitats and dry forests. This allowed to implement many initiativers, which went from the ACSAM (A Conservation Strategy for the Amphibians of Madagascar) Initiative to the SAP (Sahonagasy Action Plan) and McAP (Mantella cowanii Action Plan).