Deepak Veerappan🐢🦎🐍🐸🔬🧬🌳⛰️ 🐕🏃♂️✌️
@deepakveerappan.bsky.social
Herpetology, systematics, evolution, conservation
NatGeoExplorer, Marie Curie Alumni, Humboldtian
Scientific Associate @NHM_London,
Researcher @Newcastle Uni
SectionEditor @Zootaxa Asian & Australiasian🐍 🐍
AE: Herpetological Journal & Vertebrate Zoology 🐸
NatGeoExplorer, Marie Curie Alumni, Humboldtian
Scientific Associate @NHM_London,
Researcher @Newcastle Uni
SectionEditor @Zootaxa Asian & Australiasian🐍 🐍
AE: Herpetological Journal & Vertebrate Zoology 🐸
Pinned
Reposted by Deepak Veerappan🐢🦎🐍🐸🔬🧬🌳⛰️ 🐕🏃♂️✌️
Our latest One 😍
From My PhD research 🐸
From My PhD research 🐸
New species 🚨, not one, not two, 13 new bush frogs from Northeast India!!!
One of the exciting revisions I've been involved in for a few years now is out today. It is led by @bitupan-herp.bsky.social, a PhD. student who will soon be a doctor.
One of the exciting revisions I've been involved in for a few years now is out today. It is led by @bitupan-herp.bsky.social, a PhD. student who will soon be a doctor.
November 20, 2025 at 11:18 AM
Our latest One 😍
From My PhD research 🐸
From My PhD research 🐸
New species 🚨, not one, not two, 13 new bush frogs from Northeast India!!!
One of the exciting revisions I've been involved in for a few years now is out today. It is led by @bitupan-herp.bsky.social, a PhD. student who will soon be a doctor.
One of the exciting revisions I've been involved in for a few years now is out today. It is led by @bitupan-herp.bsky.social, a PhD. student who will soon be a doctor.
November 20, 2025 at 9:13 AM
New species 🚨, not one, not two, 13 new bush frogs from Northeast India!!!
One of the exciting revisions I've been involved in for a few years now is out today. It is led by @bitupan-herp.bsky.social, a PhD. student who will soon be a doctor.
One of the exciting revisions I've been involved in for a few years now is out today. It is led by @bitupan-herp.bsky.social, a PhD. student who will soon be a doctor.
In case you are interested in #skyislands, #frogs, #lizards, #snakes, #evolution, #mountains, and #westernghats, the talk I gave at explore2025 event organised by @rgsibg.bsky.social is available to watch.
Thanks @rgsibg.bsky.social for the opportunity.
www.rgs.org/events/talks...
Thanks @rgsibg.bsky.social for the opportunity.
www.rgs.org/events/talks...
November 19, 2025 at 6:34 PM
In case you are interested in #skyislands, #frogs, #lizards, #snakes, #evolution, #mountains, and #westernghats, the talk I gave at explore2025 event organised by @rgsibg.bsky.social is available to watch.
Thanks @rgsibg.bsky.social for the opportunity.
www.rgs.org/events/talks...
Thanks @rgsibg.bsky.social for the opportunity.
www.rgs.org/events/talks...
It's snow time! ❄️ 🦮
November 19, 2025 at 1:47 PM
It's snow time! ❄️ 🦮
Reposted by Deepak Veerappan🐢🦎🐍🐸🔬🧬🌳⛰️ 🐕🏃♂️✌️
A bit of rain and a big Fire salamander (Salamandra s. bernardezi) on the uni stairs is a good way to start the week.
November 17, 2025 at 7:49 AM
A bit of rain and a big Fire salamander (Salamandra s. bernardezi) on the uni stairs is a good way to start the week.
Reposted by Deepak Veerappan🐢🦎🐍🐸🔬🧬🌳⛰️ 🐕🏃♂️✌️
Large-eyed animals like owls 🦉 have a trade-off between large eyes & short optic nerves, which lowers eye mobility (to compensate they evolved swivelly necks)
But chameleons 🦎 have long, coiled optic nerves with extra slack for eye mobility, allowing them to use their famous large swivelly eyes 👀🧪🌏
But chameleons 🦎 have long, coiled optic nerves with extra slack for eye mobility, allowing them to use their famous large swivelly eyes 👀🧪🌏
The twisted secret behind a chameleon’s oddball eyes | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti... 🧪
The twisted secret behind a chameleon’s oddball eyes
Coiled nerves allow the reptiles to move their peepers in multiple directions at once without moving their heads
www.science.org
November 13, 2025 at 7:11 AM
Large-eyed animals like owls 🦉 have a trade-off between large eyes & short optic nerves, which lowers eye mobility (to compensate they evolved swivelly necks)
But chameleons 🦎 have long, coiled optic nerves with extra slack for eye mobility, allowing them to use their famous large swivelly eyes 👀🧪🌏
But chameleons 🦎 have long, coiled optic nerves with extra slack for eye mobility, allowing them to use their famous large swivelly eyes 👀🧪🌏
Reposted by Deepak Veerappan🐢🦎🐍🐸🔬🧬🌳⛰️ 🐕🏃♂️✌️
Super-proud of former MPhil student Emily Hillan for publishing her dissertation on the evolution of rib skeleton regionalisation in the evolution of snake-like body forms in squamates!
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10....
November 10, 2024 at 5:28 PM
Super-proud of former MPhil student Emily Hillan for publishing her dissertation on the evolution of rib skeleton regionalisation in the evolution of snake-like body forms in squamates!
royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10....
New species 🚨, we describe two new species of #agamid #lizards from Northeast #India!
Both species have restricted distribution in northeast India. It took us a few years to verify their identity, they are morphologically cryptic but are deeply divergent mitochondrial lineages.
#newspecies
Both species have restricted distribution in northeast India. It took us a few years to verify their identity, they are morphologically cryptic but are deeply divergent mitochondrial lineages.
#newspecies
Two new green fan-throated lizards have been discovered in Arunachal Pradesh. We named them as Ptyctolaemus siangensis and Ptyctolaemus namdaphaensis, after Namdapha Tiger Reserve and Siang River, respectively.—Unraveling a Century-Old Mystery of the Elusive Ptyctolaemus gularis #arunachal_ptycto
November 11, 2025 at 10:23 AM
New species 🚨, we describe two new species of #agamid #lizards from Northeast #India!
Both species have restricted distribution in northeast India. It took us a few years to verify their identity, they are morphologically cryptic but are deeply divergent mitochondrial lineages.
#newspecies
Both species have restricted distribution in northeast India. It took us a few years to verify their identity, they are morphologically cryptic but are deeply divergent mitochondrial lineages.
#newspecies
Reposted by Deepak Veerappan🐢🦎🐍🐸🔬🧬🌳⛰️ 🐕🏃♂️✌️
Hi Folks !
Just a few more days to register for the POPGROUP meeting (deadline = this Monday 10/11/2025).
Join us in the beautiful city of #Lille just across the Channel for three exciting days of science and more !
www.hautsdefrancetourism.com/destinations...
--> populationgeneticsgroup.org.uk
Just a few more days to register for the POPGROUP meeting (deadline = this Monday 10/11/2025).
Join us in the beautiful city of #Lille just across the Channel for three exciting days of science and more !
www.hautsdefrancetourism.com/destinations...
--> populationgeneticsgroup.org.uk
November 5, 2025 at 9:15 AM
Hi Folks !
Just a few more days to register for the POPGROUP meeting (deadline = this Monday 10/11/2025).
Join us in the beautiful city of #Lille just across the Channel for three exciting days of science and more !
www.hautsdefrancetourism.com/destinations...
--> populationgeneticsgroup.org.uk
Just a few more days to register for the POPGROUP meeting (deadline = this Monday 10/11/2025).
Join us in the beautiful city of #Lille just across the Channel for three exciting days of science and more !
www.hautsdefrancetourism.com/destinations...
--> populationgeneticsgroup.org.uk
Reposted by Deepak Veerappan🐢🦎🐍🐸🔬🧬🌳⛰️ 🐕🏃♂️✌️
Awesome work by @deepakveerappan.bsky.social on this paper. Here we explore "Island-hopping anurans: diversification dynamics in a widespread frog family". The article is Open Access so go and check it out!
Hot off the press. Our study on the #biogeography of Ceratobatrachid #frogs is now out in @ZoolJLinnSoc.bsky.social
I had a chance to present this work at the World Congress of #herpetology last year. I tried to compile the highlights from this study. Read the open access paper for more details
I had a chance to present this work at the World Congress of #herpetology last year. I tried to compile the highlights from this study. Read the open access paper for more details
November 3, 2025 at 7:26 PM
Awesome work by @deepakveerappan.bsky.social on this paper. Here we explore "Island-hopping anurans: diversification dynamics in a widespread frog family". The article is Open Access so go and check it out!
Hot off the press. Our study on the #biogeography of Ceratobatrachid #frogs is now out in @ZoolJLinnSoc.bsky.social
I had a chance to present this work at the World Congress of #herpetology last year. I tried to compile the highlights from this study. Read the open access paper for more details
I had a chance to present this work at the World Congress of #herpetology last year. I tried to compile the highlights from this study. Read the open access paper for more details
November 3, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Hot off the press. Our study on the #biogeography of Ceratobatrachid #frogs is now out in @ZoolJLinnSoc.bsky.social
I had a chance to present this work at the World Congress of #herpetology last year. I tried to compile the highlights from this study. Read the open access paper for more details
I had a chance to present this work at the World Congress of #herpetology last year. I tried to compile the highlights from this study. Read the open access paper for more details
Reposted by Deepak Veerappan🐢🦎🐍🐸🔬🧬🌳⛰️ 🐕🏃♂️✌️
We’re excited for the first full day of the #RGSExploreWeekend2025 at the Society tomorrow!
Learn from leading professionals and meet like-minded people united by a passion for discovery and making a difference 👣
It's not too late to join us there 👉https://www.rgs.org/explore
Learn from leading professionals and meet like-minded people united by a passion for discovery and making a difference 👣
It's not too late to join us there 👉https://www.rgs.org/explore
October 31, 2025 at 7:19 PM
We’re excited for the first full day of the #RGSExploreWeekend2025 at the Society tomorrow!
Learn from leading professionals and meet like-minded people united by a passion for discovery and making a difference 👣
It's not too late to join us there 👉https://www.rgs.org/explore
Learn from leading professionals and meet like-minded people united by a passion for discovery and making a difference 👣
It's not too late to join us there 👉https://www.rgs.org/explore
Now that I have hit 2k followers, here is a California whipsnake (Masticophis lateralis) 🐍 for your #bluesky feed. We saw it in #California this summer while hiking through the #pinnaclesnationalpark. No condors but can't complain 😉 #herping #snakes
October 30, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Now that I have hit 2k followers, here is a California whipsnake (Masticophis lateralis) 🐍 for your #bluesky feed. We saw it in #California this summer while hiking through the #pinnaclesnationalpark. No condors but can't complain 😉 #herping #snakes
Join me at #RGSExploreWeekend2025 on 31 Oct – 2 Nov, where yours truly will be talking about "Sky Islands as Natural Laboratories: field notes from Western Ghats" 🐸🦎🐍⛰️. Tickets can be booked via the RGS website 👉 www.rgs.org/explore
RGS Explore Weekend: Your next great journey starts here
Calling all future explorers! Join our flagship exploration community gathering for its 49th edition from 31 October to 2 November in London.
www.rgs.org
October 26, 2025 at 9:21 AM
Join me at #RGSExploreWeekend2025 on 31 Oct – 2 Nov, where yours truly will be talking about "Sky Islands as Natural Laboratories: field notes from Western Ghats" 🐸🦎🐍⛰️. Tickets can be booked via the RGS website 👉 www.rgs.org/explore
Reposted by Deepak Veerappan🐢🦎🐍🐸🔬🧬🌳⛰️ 🐕🏃♂️✌️
October 10, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Reposted by Deepak Veerappan🐢🦎🐍🐸🔬🧬🌳⛰️ 🐕🏃♂️✌️
major traffic incident
September 24, 2025 at 12:04 PM
major traffic incident
And my herp pin collection grows 😀
September 11, 2025 at 5:22 AM
And my herp pin collection grows 😀
I finally had a chance to go through the photos from our trip to the US last month.
Here are the snakes that we came across. They were all taken in situ; note there are some images of roadkill animals in this series.
Here are the snakes that we came across. They were all taken in situ; note there are some images of roadkill animals in this series.
August 30, 2025 at 9:40 AM
I finally had a chance to go through the photos from our trip to the US last month.
Here are the snakes that we came across. They were all taken in situ; note there are some images of roadkill animals in this series.
Here are the snakes that we came across. They were all taken in situ; note there are some images of roadkill animals in this series.
#worldsnakeday
A beautiful copperhead from Eastern US.
A beautiful copperhead from Eastern US.
July 16, 2025 at 9:48 PM
#worldsnakeday
A beautiful copperhead from Eastern US.
A beautiful copperhead from Eastern US.
June 14, 2025 at 9:05 AM
Reposted by Deepak Veerappan🐢🦎🐍🐸🔬🧬🌳⛰️ 🐕🏃♂️✌️
Today we celebrate the incredible biodiversity of our planet – and the power of #OpenAccess to protect it. The Biodiversity Heritage Library makes over 62 million pages of biodiversity knowledge freely available to all. 🔗 biodiversitylibrary.org
#EarthDay #EarthDay2025 #Biodiversity #BHLib
#EarthDay #EarthDay2025 #Biodiversity #BHLib
April 22, 2025 at 1:49 AM
Today we celebrate the incredible biodiversity of our planet – and the power of #OpenAccess to protect it. The Biodiversity Heritage Library makes over 62 million pages of biodiversity knowledge freely available to all. 🔗 biodiversitylibrary.org
#EarthDay #EarthDay2025 #Biodiversity #BHLib
#EarthDay #EarthDay2025 #Biodiversity #BHLib
Reposted by Deepak Veerappan🐢🦎🐍🐸🔬🧬🌳⛰️ 🐕🏃♂️✌️
Here's where things #spawnwatch were at today. Rapidly maturing #tadpoles, packed in the shallows. This is good to see and would be a commoner sight if more people let gardens go wild and built more ponds. #frogs #ponds
March 29, 2025 at 12:54 AM
Here's where things #spawnwatch were at today. Rapidly maturing #tadpoles, packed in the shallows. This is good to see and would be a commoner sight if more people let gardens go wild and built more ponds. #frogs #ponds
It was a great day to go see adders in the North Pennines. We also saw slow worms, common 🦎, many raptors, rabbits, lapwings and the famous grouse! #spring #vipers #ukwildlife
March 26, 2025 at 5:27 PM
It was a great day to go see adders in the North Pennines. We also saw slow worms, common 🦎, many raptors, rabbits, lapwings and the famous grouse! #spring #vipers #ukwildlife
Reposted by Deepak Veerappan🐢🦎🐍🐸🔬🧬🌳⛰️ 🐕🏃♂️✌️
🧵 1/ New study on squamate color evolution hits the press: we show that brightness variation in lizards & snakes is strongly linked to habitat openness 🌞 This reveals how ecological pressures drive color evolution in one of the most diverse groups of tetrapods www.nature.com/articles/s41...
March 18, 2025 at 8:09 AM
🧵 1/ New study on squamate color evolution hits the press: we show that brightness variation in lizards & snakes is strongly linked to habitat openness 🌞 This reveals how ecological pressures drive color evolution in one of the most diverse groups of tetrapods www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Deepak Veerappan🐢🦎🐍🐸🔬🧬🌳⛰️ 🐕🏃♂️✌️
New paper in @nature.com led by @patricepottier.bsky.social! We demonstrated global vulnerability of amphibians to warming, threatening 10% of >5,000 species examined. How did we do it? See thread🧵
Paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
March 6, 2025 at 10:27 AM
New paper in @nature.com led by @patricepottier.bsky.social! We demonstrated global vulnerability of amphibians to warming, threatening 10% of >5,000 species examined. How did we do it? See thread🧵
Paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41...