James Russell (ecologist)

James C. Russell is a New Zealand ecologist. He has a PhD from the University of Auckland.

Russell is most widely known for his research on Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) in New Zealand. One of the rats he studied swam over 400 metres between two Hauraki Gulf islands, breaking the swimming distance record for rats. The intentions of the rat are believed to have been amorous. The rat, known as Razza, was featured in Nature,[1] and later in a children's book by Witi Ihimaera.[2]

In 2012, Russell was awarded the New Zealand Prime Minister's MacDiarmid Emerging Scientist Prize, worth NZD 200,000, for his work using DNA fingerprinting of rats and statistical modelling to address conservation problems.[3]

He writes a blog for National Geographic on island conservation.[4]

References
  1. James C. Russell; David R. Towns; Sandra H. Anderson; Mick N. Clout (20 October 2005). "Intercepting the first rat ashore". Nature. 437 (1107): 1107. doi:10.1038/4371107a. PMID 16237434.
  2. "Witi Ihimaera puts Razza the Rat back into the spotlight". University of Auckland. 23 November 2006. Archived from the original on 17 October 2008.
  3. "The Prime Minister's MacDiarmid Emerging Scientist Prize 2012 | The Prime Minister's Science Prizes". www.pmscienceprizes.org.nz. Retrieved 2018-02-08.
  4. "James Russell – National Geographic Blog". blog.nationalgeographic.org. Retrieved 2018-02-08.
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