Dr Angus I. Carpenter

Applied conservation is at the core of my research interests within the UK or internationally, utilising interdisciplinarity approaches to improve conservation concerns.  For example, the interactions between environment/species, governance, economic factors and how these interact on conservation actions such as community based conservation.  This includes researching the (legal and illegal) wildlife trade and seeking bio-economic models to provide the best conservation and poverty alleviation outcomes.  I work across a broad range of species (taxa groups include reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals) and localities, having worked on projects in Madagascar, Mauritius, Greece, France, Sweden and UK.      

I also engage with international governmental organisations such as CITES and IUCN (I am a Commission Member of several IUCN groups, specifically the IUCN SSC Chameleon Specialist Group and IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group), while also representing IUCN at CITES CoP and have worked with Madagascar’s government ministries drafting successful CITES proposals and been a reviewer of CITES and IUCN Redlist proposals. 

Member of the British Ecological Society (BES)

Commission Member - IUCN SSC Chameleon Specialist Group

Commission Member - IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group

Commission Member - IUCN CEM

Commission Member - IUCN CEC

FHEA (2011) Higher Education Academy (now Advance HE).

Ph.D. (2004)  Ecology & exploitation of chameleons on Madagascar.  University of East Anglia & Institute of Zoology, UK.

M.Sc. (1998) Applied ecology & conservation.  University of East Anglia, UK. 

B.Sc.(Hons) (1997) Environmental biology.  Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK.  

My research interests focus broadly across applied conservation and ecology, spanning conservation practice, ecological, population & behavioural factors, ecosystem services & sustainable resource use, policy/legislation efficacy and their interactions with trade economics & structures.   

PhD co-supervisor for Fabio Messori (peatland restoration project).  

Carpenter, A.I. (2025). Malagasy amphibians: competing drivers and their impacts on conservation progress. British Herpetological Society Reports, 5, pp.17-22.

Pearson, M., Carpenter, A.I. (2025). Perceptions and Opinions Regarding the Reintroduction of Eurasian Lynx to England: A Preliminary Study. Conservation, 5: 23. https://doi.org/10.3390/conservation5020023 

Carpenter, A.I., Andreone, F. (2023). Valorisation of Madagascar’s Wildlife Trade and Wildlife Tourism: What Are the Conservation Benefits? Conservation, 3: 509-522. https://doi.org/10.3390/conservation3040033 

Carpenter, A.I., Andreone, F. (2023). Malagasy Amphibian Wildlife Trade Revisited: Improving Management Knowledge of the Trade. Animals, 13, 2324.  https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13142324  

Carpenter, A.I., Slade, J. (2023). A review of the trade in Toucans (Ramphastidae): Levels of trade in species, source and sink countries, governance affects and conservation concerns. Conservation, 3, 153-174. https://doi.org/10.3390/conservation3010012 

Carpenter, A.I., Rabemananjara, F., Raselimanana, A.P., Ratsoavina, F.M., Wollenberg-Valero, K.C., D’Cruze, N., Vences, M. (2022). Amphibians: Valorisation of amphibians and reptiles for sustainable trade and ecotourism.  IN: Goodman, S. M. (ed.) The new natural history of Madagascar. Princeton, Princeton University Press.

Carpenter, A.I., Smith, M., Corton, C., Oliver, K., Skelton, J., Betteridge, E., Doulcan, J., Quail, M.A., McCarthy, S.A., Da Silva, M., Howe, K., Torrance, J., Wood, J., Pelan, S., Sims, Y., Tricomi, F.F., Challis, R., Threlfall, J., Mead, D., Blaxter, M. (2021) The genome sequence of the European water vole, Arvicola amphibius Linnaeus 1758. Wellcome Open Research, 6:162.  https://doi.org/10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16753.1  

Betts, E., Diana, A., Hoque, S., Matechou, E., Bailey, J., Torbe, L., Ryan, H., Toller, K., Breakell, V., Carpenter, A.I., Gentekaki, E., Tsaousis, A.D. (2021).  Parasites, drugs and captivity: Blastocystis-microbiome associations in captive water voles.  Biology,10: 457-477.  https://doi.org/10.3390/biology10060457

Andreone, F., Carpenter, A.I., Crottini, A., D’Cruze, N., Dubos, N., Edmonds, D., Garcia, G., Luedtke, J., Megson, S., Rabemananjara, F.C.E., Randrianantoandro, J.C., Randrianavelona, R., Robinson, J., Vallan, D., Rosa, G.M. (2021). Amphibian conservation in Madagascar: Old and novel threats for a peculiar fauna.  IN: (Ed’s. H. Heatwole & M.O. Rodel) Status and threats of Afrotropical Amphibians.  Chimaira, Amphibian Biology, Volume 11, Part 7, pg. 147-186.

Sampson, L., Riley, J., Carpenter, A. I. (2020) Applying IUCN Reintroduction guidelines: An effective medium for raising public support prior to conducting a reintroduction project.  Journal for Nature Conservation, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnc.2020.125914.   

Harper, L., Di Muri, C., Ghazali, M., Law, A., McDevitt, A., Haenfling, B., Logan, T., Read, D., Breithaupt, T., Carpenter, A. I., Lawson Handley, L., MacGregor, C.  (2019).  Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding of pond water as a tool to survey conservation and management priority mammals.  Biological Conservation, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2019.108225.

Betts, E. L., Gentekaki, E., Thomasz, A., Breakell, V., Carpenter, A. I., Tsaousis, A. (2018). Genetic diversity of Blastocystis in non-primate animals. Parasitology, 145: 1228-1234   https://doi.org/10.1017/S0031182017002347.

Carpenter, A.I., Andreone, F., Moore, R.D., Griffiths, R.A. (2014). A review of the global trade in amphibians: The types of trade, levels and dynamics in CITES listed species. Oryx, 48: 565– 574

Andreone, F., Carpenter, A.I., Cox, N., du Preez, L., Freeman, K., Furrer, S., Garcia, G., Glaw, F., Glos, J., Knox, D., Kohler, J., Mendelson III, J.R., Mercurio, V., Mittermeier, R. A., Moore, R.D., Rabibisoa, N. H. C., Randriamahazo, H., Randrianasolo, H., Raminosoa, N.R., Ramilijaono, O.R., Raxworthy, C.J., Vallan, D., Vences, M., Vieites, D.R., Weldon, C. (2008) The challenge of conserving amphibian megadiversity in Madagascar. PLoS Biology, 6: 1-4

Carpenter, A. I., Robson, O. (2008) Madagascan amphibians as a wildlife resource and their potential as a conservation tool: species and numbers exported, revenue generation and bio-economic models to explore conservation benefits. IN: (Ed. F. Andreone) Conservation Strategy for the Amphibians of Madagascar proceedings. Monografie del Museo Regionale di Scienze Natural di Torino, p.357-376

Carpenter, A., Dublin, H., Lau, M. W. N., Syed, G., McKay, J., Moore, R. D. (2007) Over-harvesting. IN: (Ed’s C. Gascon, J. P. Collins, R. D. Moore, D. R. Church, J. McKay, J. R. Mendelson III) Global Amphibian conservation action plan. Chapter 5, IUCN/SSC Amphibian Specialist Group, Gland, Switzerland & Cambridge, UK

Carpenter, A. I. (2006) Conservation Convention adoption provides limited conservation benefits: the Mediterranean Green turtle as a case study. Journal of Nature Conservation, 14: 91-96

Carpenter, A. I., Robson, O. (2005) A review of the endemic chameleon genus Brookesia from Madagascar, and the rationale for its listing on CITES Appendix II. Oryx, 39: 375-380

Adams, W., Perrow, M., Carpenter, A. (2005) Perceptions of river managers of institutional constraints on floodplain restoration in the UK. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 48: 877-889

Carpenter, A. I., Robson, O. Rowcliffe, M. & Watkinson, A. R. (2005) The impacts of international and national governance on a traded resource: a case study of Madagascar and its chameleon trade. Biological Conservation, 123: 279-287

Adams, W. M., Perrow, M. & Carpenter, A. I. (2004) Conservatives and champions: river managers and the river restoration discourse in the UK. Environment and Planning A, 36: 1929-1942

Carpenter, A. I., Rowcliffe, M. & Watkinson, A. R. (2004) The dynamics of the global trade in chameleons. Biological Conservation, 120: 295-305

Selected conference contributions

Carpenter, A.I. (2023) Malagasy amphibians; their trade and conservation complexities? Joint scientific conference of Amphibian & Reptile Conservation and British Herpetological Society, Bournemouth Natural Science Society museum, UK.

Carpenter, A.I. (2020)  Environmental sustainability of tourism; Malaysia’s challenge. Invited plenary speaker on Environmental Pillar of Sustainability. Langkawi Tourism and Hospitality International Conference, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Kedah, Malaysia.

Commission Member - IUCN SSC Chameleon Specialist Group 2021-2025

Commission Member - IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group 2021-2025

Commission Member - IUCN Commission on Education and Communication (CEC) 2021-2025

Commission Member - IUCN Commission on Ecosystems Management (CEM) 2021-2025

Commission Member - IUCN UK Member 2021-2025