Well, as 2009 comes to a close I reflect on what has been a throughly enjoyable year, in which I have met some great people and had some great experiences. I only began this blog in March so I hope it is still proving to be an enjoyable read, judging by the amount of positive feedback I have recieved I am confident many people will be using the blog to follow my adventures in 2010!

Looking back on the year I have a number of highlights I wish to share, such as graduating from university with a Spanish and French degree I worked extremely hard for, soon followed by a rare opportunity to work at the Manchester museum Vivarium with its collection of endangered Neotropical amphibians. In addition to my academic success in 2009 my field herpetology highlights have also been extensive, such as finding some elusive Leopard snakes in Crete, and observing wild Loggerhead sea turtles for the first time in Zakynthos. 

One of the highlights of 2009, a beautiful Leopard snake found on Crete

Also, this month I was finally able to publish a detailed scientific study of the herpetofauna of the Greek island Symi, a piece of work I have spents countless evenings going over, as well as the many weeks spent in the field on this island including the discovery of a new snake species for the island and the re-discovery of a rare skink.

I take this opportunity to thank all those who have followed my blog in 2009!