I am broadly interested in ecology, evolution, and conservation of biodiversity. My research focuses on ecology and diversity of amphibians and reptiles, with emphasis in the Andes-Amazon region. My collaborators and I are examining the links between species’ distributions and their thermal ecology, ecomorphology, and evolutionary history. We use phylogenetic comparative methods to test predictions about how species’ life-history traits vary with elevation and habitat use (von May et al. 2018, PeerJ). We also use these methods to examine divergence in species’ tolerance to heat and cold, and to assess their vulnerability to climate warming (von May et al. 2017, Ecology and Evolution; von May et al. 2019, PLOS ONE). Another line of research in my laboratory focuses on taxonomy and systematics of Neotropical amphibians and reptiles. Collaborative work in these fields has resulted in the description of new species (e.g., Lehr & von May 2017, ZooKeys; Serrano-Rojas et al. 2017, Zootaxa). Though my ongoing studies largely focus on these taxa, some of my projects and collaborations include other organisms and ecosystems in California.
