Frank Portillo

I am interested in both amphibians and reptiles. During my Master's degree, I focused on the genus Leptopelis from the Albertine Rift in Central Africa. My research uncovered several new lineages and patterns of speciation. For my current research, I am focusing on the evolutionary relationships, biogeography, and taxonomy of African atractaspidid snakes. Because these snakes are notoriously secretive, very little is known about their natural history and evolutionary relationships. 

Aside from my phylogenetic projects, I do photographic field surveys of the reptiles and amphibians from the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts.