Xavier Santos Santiró

My area of scientific activity is the interface between ecology, evolutionary biology and conservation of Mediterranean reptiles. My PhD focused on the ecology and conservation of the viperine snake Natrix maura living in a highly altered landscape. This research was conducted within a multidisciplinary framework where I linked the ecology of this water snake with physiological, behavioural, and toxicological patterns. After my PhD, I extended my interest to Mediterranean reptile communities with the aim to identify which life-history traits make species vulnerable to extinction.

Since 2006, my research focuses on the response of reptiles and other Mediterranean fauna to fire. Due to the expected future increase of fire risk, I am analyzing the response of Mediterranean species to current fire regimes, and which functional traits reduce their resilience in scenarios of high fire frequency. With this approach, I will contribute to understand how species respond to fire at a molecular, physiological and community levels. In 2011, I moved to CIBIO/InBIO as a post-doctoral researcher, and I extended my interest to conservation and ecological issues in arid zones participating in several expeditions to the Sahara and other arid regions.

I have published 75 papers in SCI journals as well as 90 papers and book chapters in other scientific publications. I have participated in collective books as Atlases of Amphibian and Reptiles of Spain, Portugal and France, the Spanish Red Book of Amphibians and Reptiles, and the Red List of Moroccan Amphibians and Reptiles. I supervised two PhD theses and 14 master theses, and I have participated in 31 financed projects (three as principal investigator) and 23 contracts with private or public companies.

My postdoctoral research has developed at the University of Granada, Spain (2003-2005), Department of Natural Parks from the Diputació de Barcelona, Spain (2006-2008), Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CEFE-CNRS, France (2010), and CIBIO/InBIO, University of Porto, Portugal (2011-2016). I am currently scientific collaborator at the CIBIO/InBIO within the BIODESERTS Research Group.