Gerald Kuchling

Gerald Kuchling is an Adjunct Senior Lecturer at the School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, and a Senior Research Scientist at the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (Western Australia) since 2007. He holds a PhD in Zoology and Physiology from the University of Vienna.

Research Interests:

• Conservation and ecology of tortoises
• Reproductive biology in reptiles
• Taxonomy of Australian turtles
• Environmental DNA applications
• Mitochondrial genomics

Key Contributions: His recent work focuses on resolving taxonomic ambiguities in Australian snake-necked turtles, assessing extinction risks for narrow-range species, and applying eDNA techniques for monitoring rare turtles.

Collaborations & Grants: He collaborates internationally in Vietnam and China on Rafetus swinhoei conservation and has led multiple Western Swamp Tortoise Recovery Projects (1999–2007).