Phone (404) 414-6539. Email dinets@gmail.com, website dinets.info. US Citizen.

EDUCATION

2011 Ph.D (Biology), University of Miami, USA. Advisor Steven Green.
Dissertation The role of habitat in crocodilian communication. Abstract, PDF.

1991 M.Sc. (Biological Engineering), Moscow State Technical University, Russia. This was a 5-year program with no separate B.Sc. degree. Thesis New methods of acoustical studies on Orthoptera.

2011-present. Research Assistant Professor, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Dept. of Psychology.
Studies of play behavior, behavioral ecology and evolution.

2012-2013 - Research Associate, Louisiana State University, School of Renewable Natural Resources.
Research on crane behavior and ecology; work on a whooping crane reintroduction project, including remote tracking, landowner education, public outreach; herpetological and mammalogical research.

2004-2005 - Research Technician, University of New Mexico, Department of Biology.
Research on small mammal ecology and zoonotic diseases (hantaviruses, plague, bartonella); maintaining databases, developing research protocols, training field technicians.

2003-2004 - Research Assistant, University of Colorado, Boulder, Department of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology.
Field research on small mammals, zoonotic diseases (mostly plague), and grassland ecosystems.

1994-2003 - Senior Expert, Actual Biology Fund, Moscow, Russia.
Evaluation of research programs, research on endangered species and their captive breeding, zoological surveys of remote regions, scientific editing, consulting government agencies and assisting law enforcement in fighting illegal trade in endangered species in Central and Southern Asia.

1991-1992 - Senior Researcher, 1989-1991 - Researcher, Institute of Global Climate and Ecology, Moscow, Russia.
Monitoring the ecological status of freshwater ecosystems.

SELECTED VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

2011 Volunteer Consultant, WWF-Vietnam.
Surveys of rare mammals and birds in the newly created Saola Nature Reserve.

2007 Expedition Leader, Danish Ornithological Society.
Organizing and leading an ornithological expedition to Chukchi Peninsula, Siberia.

2002-2003 Volunteer Assistant, San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory, California.
Field research on coastal birds and vegetation, non-lethal predator control, and epizootics prevention.

2001-2002 Assistant, Monterey Bay Whalewatch, California.
Marine mammal research.

1995-1996 Researcher, Parque Nacional Manu, Peru.
Wildlife research in tropical and montane rainforest, law enforcement, consulting tour companies on environmental issues, performing liaison services, leading research parties to remote areas.

1992-1994 Volunteer Biologist, Hai Bar Nature Reserve, Israel
Field research of rare ungulates, carnivores and raptors in Negev Desert. Participating in reintroduction programs for Arabian oryx, addax, wild asses, Somali ostrich and lappet-faced vulture.

1987-1988 Research Assistant, Ussuri Nature Reserve, Russia
Studies on reptile distribution and ecology, faunal composition and endangered species biology.

1984-1986 Volunteer, Moscow Zoo, Russia.
Behavioral studies, animal care, saltwater aquarium maintenance.

2005-2011 -University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida.
Teaching General Biology Lab and Evolution & Biodiversity Lab.

1994-2003 - Actual Biology Fund, Moscow, Russia
Developing study programs for nature reserve employees and extracurricular school biology classes.

1995-1996 - Parque Nacional Manu, Cuzco Province, Peru
Teaching ecology, zoology and research techniques to park rangers and volunteers.

1989-1990 - Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia.
Teaching advanced biology to pre-University students in Junior Biologist Club; leading field trips.

SERVICE EXPERIENCE

Reviewing: Mammalia, Zoology, Small Carnivore Conservation, Israel Journal of Ecology and Evolution.

Consulting: BBC, CBC, CNN, Discovery Channel, National Geographic TV Channel, NPR, etc.

GRANTS AND AWARDS

2008 Tropical Biology fellowship, University of Miami.

2007 Sigma Xi research grant.

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, Animal Behavior Society, Sigma Xi.

Dinets V, Britton A, Shirley MH. Climbing behavior in extant crocodilians. In press, Herpetological Notes.

Dinets V. Why avian systematics are no longer scientific. In press, South Dakota Bird Notes.

2013. Dinets V., Brueggen J, Brueggen J. Crocodilians use tools for hunting. Ethology Ecology & Evolution, DOI:10.1080/03949370.2013.858276. Abstract PDF

2013 Dinets V. Underwater sound locating ability in the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis). Journal of Herpetology 47: 521-523. Abstract PDF

2013 Dinets V. Long-distance signaling in extant crocodilians. Copeia 2013: 517-526. Abstract PDF

2013 Dinets, V. Do individual crocodilians adjust their signaling to habitat structure? Ethology Ecology & Evolution 25: 174-184. Abstract PDF

2013 Dinets V. Crane dances as play behavior. Ibis 155: 424-425. PDF

2013 Doody JS, Burghardt GM, Dinets V. Breaking the Social-Nonsocial Dichotomy: A Role for Reptiles in Vertebrate Social Behaviour Research? Ethology 118: 1-9. Abstract PDF

2012 Dinets V. Notes on Cozumel Raccoon (Procyon pygmaeus) and Tres Marias Raccoon (P. insularis). Small Carnivore Conservation 47: 14-16. PDF

2012 Dinets V. Breeding Fork-tailed Swifts in Northeastern Vietnam. Forktail 28: 155-156.

2012 Dinets V. Blue-billed Malimbe Malimbus nitens associating with crocodiles outside the breeding season. Malimbus 2012: 39-41. PDF

2011 Dinets V. Effects of aquatic habitat continuity on signal composition in crocodilians. Animal Behavior 82: 191-201. Abstract, PDF

2011 Dinets V. Observations of woolly flying squirrel (Eupetaurus cinereus) in Nanga Parbat Range of northern Pakistan. Mammalia 75: 277-280. Abstract, PDF

2011 Dinets V. First sighting of the Giant genet (Genetta victoriae) in Rwanda. Small Carnivore Conservation 44: 25-26. PDF

2011 Dinets V. On terrestrial hunting in Crocodilia. Herpetological Bulletin 114: 15-18. Abstract, PDF

2011 Dinets V. Eastern screech-owl catches fish by wading. The Wilson Journal of Ornithology 123: 846-847.

2011 Dinets V. Melanosuchus niger (black caiman) signaling behavior. Herpetological Review 42: 424.

2011 Dinets V. Crocodylus palustris (mugger crocodile) signaling behavior. Herpetological Review 42: 424.

2010 Dinets V. Observation of Sumatran striped rabbit (Nesolagus nescheri) in the wild. Mammalia 74: 1. Link

2010 Dinets V. Nocturnal behavior of the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) in the wild during the mating season. Herpetological Bulletin 111: 4-11. Abstract, PDF

2005 Dinets V. & P. Polechla Jr. First documentation of melanism in a jaguar from Northern Mexico. IUCN/SSC Cat News 42: 18. Text

2004 Dinets V. Information on Tres Marias Islands Raccoon (Procyon insularis), with the description of tracks. Small Carnivore Conservation 30: 10-11.

2004 Dinets V. The first record of Corvus cryptoleucos from Baja California. Huitzil 5(1): 3-4 (in English and Spanish). PDF

2003 Dinets V. First Photo of a Bay Cat in the Wild. IUCN/SSC Cat News 38: 5.

2003 Dinets V. Records of small carnivores from Mount Kinabalu, Sabah, Borneo. Small Carnivore Conservation 28: 9.

2001 Dinets V. Ornithological records from Luzon during January-February 2001, including a description of the voice of the Brown-banded Rail, Lewinia mirificus. Oriental Bird Club Bull. 34: 35-41.

2001 Dinets V. Winter ecology of Willow Ptarmigan Lagopus lagopus and Rock Ptarmigan L. mutus at the northern limit of their range. Ornitologia 29: 326-327 (in Russian with English summary).

2001 Dinets V. Breeding of Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) on the coast of the Sakhalin Gulf. Ornitologia 29: 289 (in Russian with English summary).

2001 Dinets V. Brown Dipper Cinclus pallasi wintering in Suntar-Hayata Mountains of Yakutia. Ornitologia 29: 326 (in Russian with English summary).

1998 Dinets V. Some information on rare mammals of South America. Lutreola 8: 32-33.

1996 Dinets V. Breeding population of Intermediate Egret Egretta intermedia on Kuril Islands. Ornitologia 25: 240-241 (in Russian with English summary).

1995 Dinets V. Surviving sites of European Mink Mustela lutreola in Moscow region. Lutreola 6: 24-34.

1992 Dinets V. Nesting of Aleutian Tern Sterna aleutica on Chukchi Peninsula. In: Colonial Seabirds of the USSR, Nauka, Moscow (in Russian with English summary), pp. 32-34.

1992 Dinets V. Nesting of Spectacled Guillemot Cepphus carbo on Chukchi Peninsula. In: Colonial Seabirds of the USSR, Nauka, Moscow (in Russian with English summary), pp. 34-37.

1991 Dinets V. First record of Common Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus on Kamchatka. In: Publications of the 1st Ornithological Conference, 1991. Nauka i Technika, Minsk (in Russian with English summary), pp. 12-13.

SUBMITTED MANUSCRIPTS

Dinets V. Interrupting parent-offspring cultural transmission increases adaptability in cranes. Submitted to Animal Behavior.

Dinets V. Coordination and collaboration in cooperatively hunting crocodilians. Submitted to Ethology Ecology and Evolution.

Dinets V. Use of forest habitats by cranes (Gruidae). Submitted to The Wilson Journal of Ornithology.

Dinets V. Predation on amphibians and reptiles by reintroduced Whooping Cranes (Grus americana) in Louisiana. Submitted to The Wilson Journal of Ornithology.

Dinets V. Unusual distress behavior in Little Brown Myotis (Myotis lucifugus). Submitted to Zoological Science.

BOOKS

Doody JS, Burghardt GM, Dinets V. Reptile Social Behavior. In press, John Hopkins University Press.

Dinets V. Mammal Watching in North America (Peterson Guides series). In press, Houghton Mifflin.

2013 Dinets V. Dragon Songs: Love and Adventure among Crocodiles, Alligators and Other Dinosaur Relations. Arcade, New York, 318 pp. More info

2012 Dinets V. Wild Africa. BHV, Saint Petersburg (in Russian), 320 pp.

2004 Newell JA (ed.), Dinets V, Krechmar M, Mihailov A, Shibnev Yu. Russian Far East - Environmental Handbook. Friends of Earth - Japan, 468 pp.

1998 Dinets V, Rotshild E. Domestic Animals. ABF, Moscow (in Russian), 512 pp.

1996 Dinets V, Rotshild E. Mammals of Russia. ABF, Moscow (in Russian), 352 pp.

1995 Beme A, Dinets V, Flint V, Cherenkov A. Birds of Russia. ABF, Moscow (in Russian). 432 pp.

1991 Abakumov V. (ed.), Dinets V, Novikova E, Tarasov A.Current Status of Freshwater Ecosystems of the USSR. VNIIGMI-MZO, Moscow-St. Petersburg (in Russian). 326 pp.

2013 Dinets V. Searching for saola. Around the World 2856: 17-22 (in Russian).

2011 Dinets V. The grasshopper mice (Onychomys). Mitteilungen der Bundesarbeitgruppe (BAG) Kleinsauger 11: 8-11.

2001 Dinets V. Shadows around a lamp. Arguments and Facts, 345: 4-5. (in Russian).

1998 Dinets V. Storm chasing in Asia. Storm Track 21: 6-7.

1995 Dinets V. Kuril Islands. Himia i Zhizn 215: 42-54. Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (in Russian).

SELECTED TALKS AND PRESENTATIONS

2013 Swamp smarts: discovering cryptic intelligence in crocodilians. Animal Behavioral Society Conference, University of Colorado, Boulder.

2012 Crocodilian bioacoustics. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York.

2011 Crocodile songs: long-distance communication in crocodilians. Animal Behavior Conference, Indiana University.

2011 How to compose a hit song: role of habitat in crocodilian communication. Herpetology Conference, University of Florida, Gainesville.

2010 How we study animal behavior. Moscow School for Gifted Children, Russia.

2004 Understanding each other's language. Islamic University of Peshawar, Pakistan.

2008 Protected natural areas system in the Soviet Union. University of California, Berkeley.

1997 Illegal trade in insects and how to stop it. Lecture for customs officers, Katmandu, Nepal.

TRAINING

Bird Banding and Mistnetting (Louisiana State University), 2012.

Large Birds Handling and Husbandry (Patuxent National Research Refuge), 2012.

Motorboat Operating and Boating Safety (USGS), 2012.

ATV Driving (ATV Safety Institute), 2012.

Effective Teaching (University of Miami), 2007.

Very Large Animals Handling and Care (Nairobi National Park, Kenya), 2005.

Field Anesthesia of Rodents Workshop (University of New Mexico), 2004.

Animal Handling; Biohazardous Materials Handling (University of Colorado), 2003.

First Aid and CPR 1998, Wilderness First Aid (Red Cross), 2012.

SCUBA Diving Open Water (NAUI), 1997; Advanced (PADI), 2008.

Sky Diving 1997, refreshment 2003.

Professional Snake Handling (Karakala Serpentarium, Turkmenistan), 1983

Professional knowledge of GIS, web design, text/image editing, computer graphics, photography and videography. Plant and animal photos have been featured in Nature journal and on National Geographic Society website.

LANGUAGES

English - fluent, Russian - native, Spanish - spoken, Ukrainian - spoken, French in progress.

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