Department of Public Health and Exercise Science

Education

• Post-doctoral research - Virginia Tech & Centre ValBio, Madagascar

• Ph.D. in Wildlife Conservation - Virginia Tech

• M.A. in Biology - University of Arkansas (UALR)

• B.S. in Biology - University of Central Arkansas

Current Teaching

• ES 2030 Concepts in Anatomy and Physiology
• ES 2031 Human Anatomy & Physiology I (Lab)
• ES 2032 Human Anatomy & Physiology II (Lab)

Laboratory Affiliation

• Anatomy and Physiology

Research Interests

• Wildlife Conservation via non-invasive monitoring and population modeling
• Invasive and exotic species biology
• Free-ranging dog population control (MadDogInitiative link below) 
• Spatial and temporal species interactions
• Human-wildlife interactions

Selected Publications

Manuscripts

• Farris Z.J., Gerber B., Valenta K., Rafaliarison R., Razafimahaimodison JC, Larney E., Hariniaina T., Randriana Z., Wright P.C., and Chapman C.A. (2017). Threats to a rainforest carnivore community: a multi-year assessment of occupancy and co-occurrence in Madagascar. Biological Conservation 210: 116-124.
• Rich L., Davis C., Farris Z.J., et al. (2017). Assessing global patterns in carnivore occupancy and richness by integrating local camera trap surveys. Global Change Biology 26 (8): 918-929.
• Farris Z.J., Kelly M., Karpanty S., Murphy A., Andrianjakarivelo V.,Ratelolahy F., and Holmes C. (2016). The times are a changin': Native and exotic multi-season occupancy across Makira Natural Park, Madagascar. Biological Conservation 206: 320-328.
• *Brown K., Farris Z.J., Yesuf G., Gerber B., Rasambainarivo F., Karpanty S., Kelly M., Razafimahaimodison J.C., Larney E., Wright P., Johnson S. (2016). Assessing the potential co-occurrence of the introduced Asian common toad (Duttaphrynus melanostictus) with endemic carnivores in Madagascar. Biodiversity and Conservation.       *Dual first author
• Murphy A., Farris Z.J., Karpanty S., Andrianjakarivelo V., and Kelly M.J. (2016). Flagships in Peril: Habitat Degradation and Trends in Lemur Population Dynamics in Northeastern Madagascar. International Journal of Primatology.
• Farris Z.J., Golden, C., Kelly M.J., Karpanty S., Murphy, A., Andrianjakarivelo V.,Ratelolahy F., Holmes C., and Stauffer, D. (2015). Effects of hunting, exotic carnivores, micro-habitat, and landscape features on carnivore occupancy across the Masoala-Makira landscape, Madagascar. Plos One 
• Farris Z.J., Kelly M., Karpanty S., Ratelolahy F., and Holmes C. (2015). Patterns of spatial co-occurrence among native and exotic carnivores in Madagascar. Animal Conservation 
• Farris Z.J., Gerber B., Kelly M.J., Karpanty S., Murphy, F., and Andrianjakarivelo V., (2015). When carnivores roam: temporal patterns and partitioning among Madagascar’s native and exotic carnivores. Journal of Zoology 
• Farris Z.J., Karpanty S., Ratelolahy F., and Kelly M.J. (2014). Predator-primate distribution, activity, and co-occurrence in relation to habitat and human activity across fragmented and contiguous forests in northeastern Madagascar. International Journal of Primatology 
• Farris Z.J. (2012). Keeping a Field Notebook: A Review of Canfield, Michael R., editor. Field notes on science & nature. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Journal of Ecology. 
• Farris Z.J., Gerber B., Karpanty S., Kelly M.J., Ratelolahy F. (In press). Spatio-temporal interactions between a native and exotic carnivore in NE Madagascar: Evidence of spatial exclusion. In Small Carnivores: Evolution, Ecology, Behavior, and Conservation. Eds. E.D.L. San, J.J. Sato, J.L. Belant, & M.J. Somers. Wiley-Blackwell (Oxford).

Websites

Zach J. Farris

Mad Dog Initiative