Nate explains lizard color evolution to Pep Toni and the listeners of Radio Illa in Formentera and Ibiza.
There are so many unique lizard populations here that we’re trying to adhere to a strict schedule of island visits. Yesterday, we had grand plans to visit some small island populations near Formentera. but our schedule was interrupted with some welcome local media coverage. Both the local radio station and the Ibiza television channel asked me if they could interview me to talk about the lizards here and about our book project.
Last year I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Pep Toni of Radio Illa. This year, I was invited back to talk with Pep for a 30-minute live morning interview. He gave me the opportunity to talk about the results of my dissertation, the sex lives of lizards, and to promote our book about the Ibiza Wall Lizards. If you’re interested in that interview, you can listen to it here.
Next, the Ibiza television channel asked if they could film an interview with me and get some footage of all four of us working in the field for a short TV piece. We met up with them in the Cap de Barbaria in the afternoon. They filmed an interview with me and got some footage of us pretending to capture and photograph lizards. This short piece is supposed to air in a week or so. I’ll share it with you as soon as it’s out!
I did both the radio and TV interviews in Spanish. My Spanish is decent, but talking about science is hard in a second language and I made a few embarrassing mistakes. For example, I screwed up a great anecdote about the “Coolidge Effect” – the biological phenomenon whereby males of many species have a strong sexual preference for unfamiliar females over females with which they have already mated (you can read that anecdote at an old blog post here). Hopefully my convoluted retelling of this story will be so confusing that I’ll sound like a genius, rather than an idiot…
We left Formentera this morning to spend a few days photographing lizards on islands off the west coast of Ibiza. We’ll spend a few days on or near Ibiza before heading back to Formentera. We’ve taken some great photos over the last few days and will post another gallery shortly. And we’ve got our first video update coming out soon, so stay tuned!
In the studio at Radio Illa.
Nate explains the biology of the Ibiza Wall Lizard to Ibiza TV.
Nate, lizard in hand, explains the biology of the Ibiza Wall Lizard to Ibiza TV.
Neil showcases his lizard capturing skills to Ibiza TV.
Liz gets low to photograph a lizard for Ibiza TV.
Amanda tries to get a wide-close photo for Ibiza TV.