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Greg Brown

Heydon-Laurence Building, A08
University of Sydney
NSW 2006


Ph: (02) 9351 3996
Fax: (02) 9351 5609

e-mail: gbro0501@mail.usyd.edu.au

 

   with croc

Current Research

Publications

 
Current Research

About half of my current research is on the population and reproductive ecology of tropical snakes. My study site is the area around the Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve, near Darwin in Australia’s Northern Territory. The climate is wet/dry tropical, so although its always warm, part of the year is very wet and part is very dry. My main projects involve mark-recapture of keelback snakes and slatey-grey snakes. Both of these species produce litters that hatch out during both the wettest and driest times of the year. I’m investigating how neonate survival differs over the year. When I catch gravid females, I keep them in captivity til they lay their eggs. I then incubate and hatch the eggs, measure and mark the babies and then release them. Many of the female babies I’ve released since 1998 are now mature. This gives me the opportunity to compare their litter characteristics with those of their mother to see how heritable traits like egg size, litter size and relative clutch mass are.
    Recaptures of marked baby snakes also allow me to determine what phenotypic characteristics affect neonate survival and hence reproductive success of the mother. For keelbacks, bigger babies survive better. One way for mothers to produce big babies is to produce large eggs. But just as importantly (or maybe more importantly) is the time of year that the mother nests and what nest site she chooses. The moisture content of the nest has a large impact on the size of the babies produced. Thus, most females nest at the time of year when the soil is moistest but when the chances of heavy rainfall (which could drown the nest) are minimal.
      I’m also looking at how annual and seasonal variation in climate affects various aspects of the ecology (population size, age/sex structure, feeding rates growth, survival etc.) of snakes Tropidonophis mairii, Stegonotus cucullatus, Enhydris polylepis) and turtles (Chelodina rugosa) and frogs. This data provides background for a unique opportunity to study the effects of an introduced toxic prey item (cane toads) on populations of predators. Toads have been spreading across Australia since they were introduced in the 1930’s. They arrived at the Fogg Dam study site in early 2005 and I am continuing to monitor and survey the local animal populations to assess the impact the arrival of toads has had.
    The toads themselves have become an important study animal too. I'm interested in seeing how they utilize the newly invaded ecosystem, how their activity and reproductive cycles respond to wet-dry seasonality, and how quickly a resident population becomes established.

 


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Publications

Some papers are available as pdf files. To read these you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader.
If you have any difficulties downloading files please contact Mel.
45. Shine, R., and G. P. Brown.  2007.  Adapting to the unpredictable: reproductive biology of vertebrates in the Australian wet-dry tropics.  Invited review.  Philosphical Transactions of the Royal Society: in press.
44. Phillips, B. L., G. P. Brown, M. Greenlees, J. K. Webb, and R. Shine.  2007.  Rapid expansion of the cane toad (Bufo marinus) invasion front in tropical Australia.  Austral Ecology: in press.
43. Brown, G. P., and R. Shine.  2007.  Repeatability and heritability of reproductive traits in free-ranging snakes.  Journal of Evolutionary Biology 20:588-596.
42. Brown, G. P., and R. Shine.  2007.  Like mother, like daughter: inheritance of nest-site location in snakes.  Biology Letters: in press.
41. Brown, G. P., and R. Shine.  2006.  Why do most tropical animals reproduce seasonally?  Testing alternative hypotheses on the snake Tropidonophis mairii (Colubridae).  Ecology 87:133-143.
40. Greenlees, M. J., G. P. Brown, J. K. Webb, B. L. Phillips, and R. Shine.  2006.  Effects of an invasive anuran (the cane toad, Bufo marinus) on the invertebrate fauna of a tropical Australian floodplain.  Animal Conservation 9:431-438.
39. Brown, G. P., C. M. Shilton, and R. Shine.  2006.  Do parasites matter? Assessing the fitness consequences of haemogregarine infection in snakes.  Canadian Journal of Zoology 84:668-676.
38. Brown, G. P., B. L. Phillips, J. K. Webb, and R. Shine.  2006. Toad on the road: Use of roads as dispersal corridors by cane toads (Bufo marinus) at an invasion front in tropical Australia.  Biological Conservation 133:88-94.
37.
 Phillips, B. L., G. P. Brown, J. Webb, and R. Shine.  2006.  Runaway toads: an invasive species evolves speed and thus spreads more rapidly through Australia.  Nature 439:803.
36.
 Brown, G. P., and R. Shine.  2006.  Effects of nest temperature and moisture on phenotypic traits of hatchling snakes (Tropidonophis mairii, Colubridae) from tropical Australia.  Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 89:159-168.
35. Brown, G. P., and R. Shine.  2005.  Do changing moisture levels during incubation influence phenotypic traits of hatchling snakes (Tropidonophis mairii)?  Physiological and Biochemical Zoology 78:524-530.
34. Vincent, S. E., R. Shine, and G. P. Brown.  2005.  Does foraging mode influence sensory modalities for prey detection?  A comparison between male and female filesnakes (Acrochordus arafurae, Acrochordidae).  Animal Behaviour 70:715-721.
33. Brown, G. P., and R. Shine.  2005.   Links between female phenotype, life-history and reproductive success in free-ranging snakes (Tropidonophis mairii, Colubridae).  Ecology 86:2763-2770.
32.
 Brown, G. P., R. Shine, and T. Madsen.  2005.  Spatial ecology of slatey-grey snakes (Stegonotus cucullatus, Colubridae) on a tropical Australian floodplain.  Journal of Tropical Ecology 21:605-612.
31.
 Brown, G. P., and R. Shine.  2005.  Nesting snakes (Tropidonophis mairii, Colubridae) selectively oviposit in sites that provide evidence of previous successful hatching.  Canadian Journal of Zoology 83:1134-1137.
30.
 Brown, G. P., and R. Shine. 2004. Maternal nest-site choice and offspring fitness in a tropical snake (Tropidonophis mairii, Colubridae).  Ecology 85:1627-1634.
29.
 		Shine, R., G. P. Brown, and M. J. Elphick.  2004.  Field experiments on foraging in free-ranging water snakes Enhydris polylepis (Homalopsinae). Animal Behaviour 68:1313-1324.
28.
 		Brown, G. P., and R. Shine.  2004.  Effects of reproduction on the antipredator tactics of snakes (Tropidonophis mairii, Colubridae).  Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 56:257-262.
27.
 Phillips, B., G. P. Brown, and R. Shine.  2004. Assessing the potential for an evolutionary response to rapid environmental change: invasive toads and an Australian snake. Evolutionary Ecology Research 6:799-811.
26.
 Phillips, B., G. P. Brown, and R. Shine. 2003. Assessing the potential impact of cane toads (Bufo marinus) on Australian snakes. Conservation Biology 17:1738-1747.
25.

Brown, G.P. and P.J. Weatherhead. 2003. Sexual abstinence and the cost of reproduction in adult male water snakes, Nerodia sipedon. Oikos 104: 269-276.
24.
 Brown, G. P., and R. Shine. 2002. Reproductive ecology of a tropical natricine snake, Tropidonophis mairii (Colubridae). Journal of Zoology (London) 258:63-72.
23. Brown, G. P., and R. Shine. 2002. The influence of weather conditions on activity of tropical snakes. Austral Ecology 27:596-605.
22.

Brown, G. P., R. Shine, and T. Madsen. 2002. Responses of three sympatric snake species to tropical seasonality in northern Australia. Journal of Tropical Ecology 18:549-568.
21.

Prosser M.R., P.J. Weatherhead, H.L. Gibbs  and G.P. Brown. 2002. DNA-based analysis of the mating system and opportunity for sexual selection in northern watersnakes (Nerodia sipedon). Behavioral Ecology 13: 800-807.
20.

Weatherhead P.J., M.R. Prosser, H.L. Gibbs and G.P. Brown. 2002. Male reproductive success and sexual selection in northern water snakes determined by microsatellite DNA analysis. Behavioral Ecology 13: 808-815.
19.
 Shine, R., and G. P. Brown. 2002. Effects of seasonally varying hydric conditions on hatchling phenotypes of keelback snakes (Tropidonophis mairii, Colubridae) from the Australian wet-dry tropics. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 76:339-347.
18. Webb, J. K., G. P. Brown, and R. Shine. 2001. Body size, locomotor speed and antipredator behaviour in a tropical snake (Tropidonophis mairii, Colubridae): the influence of incubation environments and genetic factors. Functional Ecology 15:561-568.
17.

Brown, G.P. and P.J. Weatherhead. 2000. Thermal ecology and sexual size dimorphism in
northern water snakes, Nerodia sipedon. Ecological Monographs 70: 311-330.
16.

Brown, G.P. and P.J. Weatherhead.1999. Female distribution affects mate searching and sexual selection in male northern water snakes (Nerodia sipedon). Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 47: 9-16.
15.

Brown, G.P. and P.J. Weatherhead.1999. Demography and sexual size dimorphism northern water snakes, Nerodia sipedon. Canadian Journal of Zoology 77:1358-1366.
14.

Brown, G.P. and P.J. Weatherhead.1999. Growth and sexual size dimorphism in northern water snakes, Nerodia sipedon. Copeia 1999: 722-731.
13.

Weatherhead, P.J., G.P. Brown, M.R. Prosser, and K.J. Kissner. 1999. Factors affecting neonate size variation in northern water snakes, Nerodia sipedon. Journal of Herpetology
33: 577-589.
12.

Weatherhead, P.J., G.P. Brown, M.R. Prosser, and K.J. Kissner. 1998. Variation in offspring sex ratios in the northern water snake, Nerodia sipedon. Canadian Journal of Zoology 76: 2200-2206.
11.

Brown, G.P. and P.J. Weatherhead.1997. Effects of reproduction on survival and growth of female northern water snakes, Nerodia sipedon. Canadian Journal of Zoology 75: 424-432.
10.

Weatherhead, P.J. and G.P. Brown. 1996. Measurement vs. estimation of condition in snakes. Canadian Journal of Zoology 74: 1617-1621.
9.

Weatherhead, P.J., F.E. Barry, G.P. Brown, and M.R.L. Forbes. 1995. Sex ratios, mating
behavior and sexual size dimorphism of the northern water snake. Behavioral Ecology and
Sociobiology 36: 301-311.
8.

Brown, G.P., C.A. Bishop, and R.J. Brooks. 1995. Growth rate, reproductive output and
temperature selection of snapping turtles in habitats of different productivities. Journal of
Herpetology 28: 405-410.
7.

Bishop, C.A., G.P. Brown, R.J. Brooks, D.R.S. Lean, and J.H. Carey. 1994. Organochlorine contaminant concentrations in eggs and their relationship to body size and clutch characteristics of the female common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina serpentina) in Lake Ontario, Canada. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 27:82-87.
6.

Brown, G.P., R.J. Brooks, M.E. Siddall and S.S. Desser. 1994. Parasites and reproduction of snapping turtles. Copeia 1994: 228-231.
5.

Brown, G. P. and R. J. Brooks.1994. Characteristics of and fidelity to hibernacula in a northern population of snapping turtles. Copeia 1994: 222-226.
4.

Brown, G.P. and R.J. Brooks.1993. Sexual and seasonal differences in activity in a northern population of snapping turtles, Chelydra serpentina. Herpetologica 49: 311-318.
3.

Brown, G.P. and R.J. Brooks.1992. Body size, age distribution, and reproduction in a
northern population of wood turtles (Clemmys insculpta). Canadian Journal of Zoology 70: 462-469.
2.

Brown, G.P. and R.J. Brooks.1991. Thermal and behavioral responses to feeding in free-ranging turtles, Chelydra serpentina. Journal of Herpetology 25: 273-278.
1.

Brown, G.P., R.J. Brooks, and J.A. Layfield. 1990. Radiotelemetry of body temperatures of
free-ranging snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) during summer. Canadian Journal of
Zoology 68: 1659-1663.




                   

 

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