Dr Fred Ford is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow based at the Australian National Wildlife Collection in Canberra and aims to accurately describe mammal species found in Australia, and establish how and when they diversified.
Current activities
Dr Ford’s research has a strong emphasis on the native rodents (rats and mice) of Australia.
He has also worked on a number of marsupial species.
His current research, funded by the Commonwealth Environmental Research Facilities (CERF), specifically targets the description of species boundaries among cryptic small species of rodent and marsupial from northern Australia.
This research relies heavily on museum specimens and includes extensive DNA-based research conducted collaboratively with laboratories at Adelaide University and the South Australian Museum.
Dr Ford was co-author, with Associate Professor Bill Breed, of the book Native Mice and Rats, published in 2007.
A focus on rodents has led to research on conservation issues, as Australian rodents have suffered from considerable local and global extinction in the last 200 years, as have many similar-sized marsupials.
Part of Dr Ford’s CERF research program involves accurately documenting past distributions of species now found only as bone deposits left in caves.
These deposits are left by owls, which regurgitate the bones and hair of their prey, thereby leaving an extensive record of the lost communities of small animals once found across eastern Australia.
In addition, Dr Ford coordinates the Saving Threatened Australian Rodents (STAR) program.
He established STAR with Dr Linda Broome while working for the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change and the Australian National University.
This research is supported by:
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the Foundation for Australia’s Most Endangered species (FAME)
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the NSW Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife
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PRIAM Australia Pty Ltd
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Little Desert Nature Lodge.
The work aims to better inform recovery efforts for south-eastern Australian rodents and includes:
Background
Dr Ford began his research career examining the field ecology of smoky mice in New South Wales.
He then moved to James Cook University in Townsville, Queensland and conducted research on relationships among the extensive rodent fauna of northern Australia, with a special focus on the relationships, behaviour and ecology of the unique pebble-mound mice.
He was employed for several years by the New South Wales Department of Environment and Climate Change where he worked on:
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mountain pygmy possum distribution and species impacts from infrastructure development
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relationships between home ranges in spotted-tailed quolls and 1080 aerial baiting effects in wild dogs
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other management and ecological issues.
He also spent one winter baiting foxes in the snowfields of Kosciuszko National Park, and another winter tracking small mammal activity under the snow.
Academic qualifications
Dr Ford has been awarded a:
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Bachelor of Science with Honours from the Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, in 1998
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Doctorate from James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia, in 2004.
Achievements
Dr Ford was co-author with Associate Professor Bill Breed of the 2007 book Native Mice and Rats, part of the Australian Natural History series published by CSIRO PUBLISHING.
Read about the Australian National Wildlife Collection.
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