XII Latin American Congress of Herpetology

Ecuador, Lizards

My participation at the XII Latin American Congress of Herpetology

In late October to early November 2023, I attended the XII Latin American Congress of Herpetology that was held in the city of Cochabamba. This city is the fourth largest city in Bolivia and is an important cultural, educational, political, and commercial place. This city is renowned for its gastronomic richness and the large servings are the true evidence of the old saying ‘a Cochabambino does not eat to live but live to eat”.

Cochabamba is situated in a fertile basin in the Andes Mountain range, which has contributed to the rapid development of its society and economy
Like other cities in Bolivia, vibrant colours in the streets, even in the public transport, turns them into lively places
Although the famous Christ statue is in Rio de Janeiro, Cochabamba’s Christ is considered the highest in South America
Historical buildings such as La Recoleta church remind us of past events that marked the history of an entire continent

I participated as a speaker in this congress, where I had the pleasure of presenting preliminary results of my research on the “Cold lizards project”. It was my first experience presenting at an international congress, and I believe it helped me strengthen oral skills essential for communicating my research. I received valuable feedback from other researchers that will enhance the outcomes of my research. Additionally, I had a stand where I displayed a booklet featuring photos and colouring illustrations of the Whorltail-Iguanas I studied over the past two years. The main goal of this work is to promote people’s interest in protecting nature through art.

Presenting my talk which was entitled: “Enigmas in the tropics: revealing aspects of the thermal ecology of a group of Andean lizards from Ecuador”.
The Ecuadorian delegation in the XII Latin American Congress of Herpetology
From left to right, Gabo, Majo, and Dani in a colouring session where we had a great chat

Thanks to the organizers of the XII Latin American Congress of Herpetology and to the School of Agriculture, Biomedicine, and Environment (SABE) for awarding me funds to cover my expenses to attend to this event.

Estefany Guerra-Correa