Kris "The Lips" Murray
BSc (Hons) University of Adelaide
PhD Candidate
Supervisors: Dr Robbie Wilson & Prof. Hammish McCallum
Research Interests
My research interests include host-parasite interactions, disease ecology and the management of wildlife diseases for conservation. My PhD research addresses the ecology and effects of the amphibian chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, on frogs. Amphibian chytrid fungus causes an infectious disease implicated in global amphibian declines and extinctions. I am investigating the epidemiology of Bd infections in frog populations along rainforest streams in south-east Queensland, Australia, where two frog species went extinct at around the time of Bd invasion.
As an undergrad, I spent most of my spare time following around herpetologists (reptile freaks) and ecologists to gain hands-on experience. This was a lot of fun and something I’ve never really stopped doing – my interests quickly expanded from reptiles to include many other aspects of natural history. I now spend almost all my spare time in biological travel - cruising around the place just trying to find stuff.
I spent my honours year working on the behavioural ecology and parasitology of reptiles in South Australia with Professor Mike Bull. I chased around shingleback lizards (sleepy lizards if you’re from South Australia) with a remote controlled car trying to find out why they bother being monogamous (they probably cheat on their partners less than people do!). I went on to work for Mike as a research assistant for a while. Check out our publications below or Mike’s website at
http://scieng.flinders.edu.au/biology/people/academic/bull_m/index.html.
Personal Interests
Like most PhD students, I don’t have enough time to indulge in personal interests. If I could, I would spend more time: travelling around (looking for birds and other interesting things), surfing, playing banjo, riding bikes, speaking languages other than English, reading and trekking (to be honest, I do indulge in most of these things which, as for most people with other interests, makes it hard to have enough time to indulge in my PhD).
Publications
Gardner, M.G., Bull, C.M., Fenner, A., Murray, K.A. and Donnellan, S.C. 2007. Consistent social structuring within aggregations of the Australian lizard, Egernia stokesii across seven disconnected rocky outcrops. Journal of Ethology, 25 (3) pp 263-270.
Godfrey, S.S., Bull, C.M., Murray, K.A. and Gardner, M. 2006. Transmission mode and distribution of parasites among groups of the social lizard Egernia stokesii. Parasitology Research, 99 (3) pp 223-230
Bull, C.M., Fuller, S.J., Murray, K.A. and Spencer R.J. 2005. Clustering of related individuals in a population of the Australian lizard, Egernia frerei. Molecular Ecology, 14, pp 1207-1213.
Murray, K.A. and Bull, C.M. 2004. Aggression during monogamous pairing in the sleepy lizard, Tiliqua rugosa: a test of the mate-guarding hypothesis. Acta Ethologica, 7 (1) pp 19-27.
Murray, K.A. 2002. Functions of the within-season monogamous pair bond in the sleepy lizard, Tiliqua rugosa: testing the mate guarding hypothesis. Honours Thesis, Flinders University Library.
Conference Presentations et al.
Murray, K.A., Wilson, R.S., Speare,, R. and McCallum, H. 2007. Amphibian chytrid fungus in a rain-forest frog assemblage 30 years after invasion and declines: Does chytridiomycosis still kill frogs? Ecological Society of America annual conference, San Jose, California, 5-10 August.
Murray, K.A., Wilson, R.S., Speare,, R. and McCallum, H. 2007. Amphibian chytrid fungus in a rain-forest frog assemblage: Does chytridiomycosis still kill frogs? International Wildlife Disease Association conference. Estes Park, Colorado, USA. 12-17 August.
Murray, K.A., McCallum, H. and Speare, R. 2006. Disease in endangered species: ecology of the interaction between frogs and chytrid fungus. Australian Biosecurity CRC Annual Conference. Cairns, Queensland. 3-8 July.
Bull, C.M., Fuller, S.J., Murray, K.A. and Spencer, R.J. 2003. Population genetics of Egernia frerei on Fraser Island, Queensland. Australian Society of Herpetologists Conference. Conference Presentation by Kris Murray, Mary River, NT. 3-7 December, 2003
Murray, K.A. 2003. Fraser Island’s Amazing Reptiles. Totally Wild.
Contact Details
School of Integrative Biology
The University of Queensland
St Lucia, Brisbane
Australia, 4072
Email: k.murray1@uq.edu.au
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