Media Coverage

I have had the good fortune of having a great deal of my research featured in various media forms. Here, I try to maintain a rough list of my media appearances, but it is definitely not exhaustive.

If you would like to get in touch with me about a media appearance or consultation, you can reach me via email.

Internet News Outlets

2024

Miscellaneous

Platypelis saikamavo

GEMINI ERC Starting Grant

Star Trek frogs

2023

Miscellaneous

Guibemantis pulcherrimus

Blommersia bara

Uroplatus garamaso (coverage in Albanian, Bulgarian, English, French, German, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Mandarin, Norwegian, Persian, Portugese, Romanian, Russian, Slovenian, Spanish, and Ukranian)

IUCN Amphibian Status 2023 (Luedtke et al. Nature)

2022

Miscellaneous

Domerguella geckos

Brygoomantis revision

2021

Miscellaneous

Pachydactylus rangei fluorescence

Nanohyla description

Brookesia nana

‘Whale hands’

2020

Miscellaneous

Calumma nasutum revision

Taxonomic data coverage

Platypelis ranjomena

Mantidactylus radaka

Rhombophryne ellae

2019

Miscellaneous

Uroplatus finaritra

Mini frogs

Uroplatus fetsy

2018

Miscellaneous

UV fluorescence in chameleons

3 new chameleon species discovered

2017

Miscellaneous

Geckolepis megalepis

Rhombophryne nilevina description

26 new Stumpffia species

2016

Rhombophryne ornata and R. tany description

2014–2015

Rhombophryne vaventy description

Print Coverage:

Note: Dozens to hundreds of printed articles are certainly missing, either because I am not aware of them, or because I was not able to get hold of a copy.

Newspapers

  • 2015-07-22: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: Sprunghafte Evolution im Krötenparadies (p. N1)
  • 2017-02-09: nrc.next: Geckolepis coverage (p. 28; article title unknown)
  • 2019-04-09: 20 Minuten: Winzige Frösche entdeckt (p. 20)
  • 2021-01-30: OVB: Kleinstes Chamäleon der Welt entdeckt
  • 2021-01-30: Daily Telegraph: World’s tiniest reptile discovered in Madagascar

Magazines

  • 2017: elaphe: Liste der im Jahr 2016 neu beschriebenen Amphibien (2017/2, p. 66)
  • 2017-08: GEOlino extra: Nacktes Überleben (Nr. 65, page unknown)
  • 2018-01: LMU Einsichten – Das Forschungsmagazin (p. 6–7)
  • 2018-01: VBIO – Biologie in unserer Zeit (p. 6)
  • 2018-04-26: Nature: Rare resplendent rainbow reptiles (p. 410 Research Highlights)
  • 2018: Spektrum der Wissenschaft (issue 6:6–7)
  • 2018: How it works: Chameleon bones glow in UV light (issue 110:6–7)
  • 2018: Science&Vie (issue 1206:32–33)
  • 2018: Scholastic – ScienceWorld (74(11):5)
  • 2018: GfBS news (34:30–31 and cover)
  • 2018: elaphe: 26 auf einen Streich: rekordverdächtige Zahl neuer Minifrösche aus Madagaskar (2018/1, p. 54–55)
  • 2018: elaphe: Leuchtende Echsen – knochenbasierte Fluoreszenz bei Chamäleons (2018/2, p. 8–9); Liste der im Jahr 2017 neu beschriebenen Amphibien (2018/2, p. 46, 58, 61)
  • 2018-05/06: elaphe: Liste der im Jahr 2017 neu beschriebenen Reptilien (Terraria 71, p. 56, 62, 66)
  • 2019: Scholastic – DynaMath (37(5):1)
  • 2019: Reptilmag (76, page unknown)
  • 2019: Aquaristik Fachmagazin: Neue Arten von Mini-Fröschen aus Madagaskar beschrieben (2019/06-07; 51(3):36)
  • 2019-11: P.M.-Magazin (p. 84–91)
  • 2019-11: no comment: Uroplatus fetsy (p. 36–37)
  • 2019: elaphe: Uroplatus giganteus ist eine gültige Art (2019/1, p. 52)
  • 2019: elaphe: Liste der im Jahr 2018 neu beschriebenen Amphibien (2019/2, p. 66–68)
  • 2019: elaphe: Mini-Frösche (2019/3, p. 13); Liste der im Jahr 2018 neu beschriebenen Reptilien (2019/3, p. 59, 63)
  • 2019: elaphe: Brookesia antakarana oder B. ambreensis (2019/4, p. 57)
  • 2019: elaphe: Zwergfröshe mit riesiger Höhenverbreitung (2019/6, p. 46)
  • 2020-03: GEOlino (p. 52–57)
  • 2020: Frau im Spiegel (11:82)
  • 2020: elaphe: Neue erkenntnisse zu Stammesgeschichte und Systematik von Chamäleons der Gattung Calumma (2020/2, p. 8–11); Genetische Variabilität bei zwei madagassischen Geckos (2020/2, p. 53); Liste der im Jahr 2019 neu beschriebenen Amphibien (2020/2, p. 64–65, 67–68)
  • 2020-04: elaphe: Liste der im Jahr 2019 neu beschriebenen Reptilien (2020/3, p. 44, 53, 59, 60)
  • 2020-04/05: Aquaristik Fachmagazin: Vier neue Chamäleonarten aus Madagaskar – Revision der Nasenchamäleons (issue 272, 52(2):32)

Books

Johnson, Rebecca L. (2019) Nature’s Ninja: Animals with Spectacular Skills. Millbrook Press, Minneapolis MN, USA. 48 pp.

Radio Coverage

This list does not include coverage where I appeared myself; for those, see Radio Appearances, below.

Television Coverage

YouTube Coverage

Guest Blog Appearances

2018-06-10: Oxford University Press Blog: Three new chameleon species from Madagascar

2019-03-28: The Conversation: Meet the mini frogs of Madagascar – the new species we’ve discovered (also translated into Indonesian)

2019-09-17: The Conversation: Why the global Red List mislabels the risk to many species

2020-04-21: The Conversation: Curious Kids: can chameleons change colour when they sleep?

Quotes in articles on other research

Radio Appearances

2017-02-13: Deutsche Welle: Strip-teasing gecko from Madagascar (part of Spectrum @22:00)

2019-08-16: Deutschlandfunk: Literatur trifft Wissenschaft, Walverwandt und nachtaquatisch: Neu entdeckte Tierarten in Lyrik und Wissenschaft, Von Astrid Mayerle

2020-06-16 08h05: Deuschlandfunk Nova: Hielscher oder Haase

2020-07-05: Deutschlandfunk Nova: Evolutionsbiologe Mark Scherz “Mir war sofort klar, dass das was komplett Neues aus dem Gebiet war”

2021-02-05: BBC Africa Today: Scientists believe they may have discovered the smallest reptile on earth in Madagascar

Television Appearances

2021-02-14: Iran International: انسان، زمین، فردا: کشف بروکه زیا نانا؛ کوچک‌ترین خزنده جهان در ماداگاسکار و آثار زیست‌محیطی سیمان

Podcasts Appearances

Note that appearances on my own podcast, the SquaMates Podcast, are not included here.

Short Wave

2024-10-18: Meet 7 newly described frog species, all named after Star Trek characters (the frogs were also mentioned in the NPR Politics Podcast, of all places!)

Chameleon Academy Podcast (formerly Chameleon Breeder Podcast)

SciComm Podcast

2018-05-27: SciComm Episode 39 – Interview with Mark Scherz

New Species Podcast

Into the Wilderness Podcast with Byron Pace

2021-01-13: Episode 175: Dr Mark Scherz: The importance of species in conservation. Madagascar / herpetology / frogs / evolution / DNA / barcoding

Documentaries

Appearances

2020-11-10: Madagascar|Life on the Edge — Falcon Productions (main appearance starting at 22:55)

Consulted

2016-01-19: Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan S03E03 — Madagascar: Aye-Aye Lemur

Museum Exhibits

Bruce Museum, Greenwich CT, USA: Under the Skin (2020-02-01 – 2020-07-19) — Bone

Photos appearing in print

This is currently a very incomplete list

Augros, S. (2018) Atlas des amphibiens et des reptiles terrestres de l’archipel des Comores. Biotope Éditions, Mèze, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, France. 224 p. (photos on pages 116, 130, 144)

Austin, D. & Bradt, H. (2017) Bradt guide to Madagascar. 12th edition. Bradt Travel Guides Ltd., Bucks, England. 454 p. (one photo on plates between pages 182 and 183)

Austin, D. & Bradt, H. (2014) Bradt guide to Madagascar. 11th edition. Bradt Travel Guides Ltd., Bucks, England. 454 p. (two photo on plates between pages 182 and 183; two photos on plates between pages 342 and 343; one photo on back cover)

Austin, D. & Bradt, H. (2012) Bradt Madagascar: Highlights. 1st edition. Bradt Travel Guides Ltd., Bucks, England. 454 p. (photos on pages 16, 19, 42, and 168)