Personal profile
Research interests
Professor Keith Christian did his PhD at Colorado State University on the determinants of space use by Galapagos land iguanas. He expanded his interests in tropical ecology while working at the University of Puerto Rico. He moved to Australia in 1985.
His interests include the physiological and behavioural adaptations of animals—particularly reptiles, amphibians and ants—in response to their physical environment. He has published in the areas of comparative physiology, physiological ecology, exercise physiology, thermoregulatory biology, respiratory physiology, biophysical ecology, and biological control.
Professor Christian has worked to establish methods for using weaver ants as biological control agents in tropical tree crops in northern Australia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Timor Leste.
Professor Christian has an interest in northern Australia’s rocks and this led to a research project exploring the communities of cyanobacteria that live under translucent rocks, such as quartz, agate, and prehnite in the Wave Hill region of the Northern Territory.
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 1 No Poverty -
SDG 2 Zero Hunger -
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation -
SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy -
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth -
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities -
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production -
SDG 13 Climate Action -
SDG 14 Life Below Water -
SDG 15 Life on Land
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Projects
- 15 Finished
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2021 IAS Rainmaker Start Up – Role of skin microbes in Sawfish stranding survivorship
Kyne, P. M. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A), Gibb, K. (Co Investigator/Chief Investigator B), Kaestli, M. (Chief Investigator C) & Christian, K. (Chief Investigator D)
1/10/21 → 16/03/23
Project: Research
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2022 Rainmaker Start-Up - De-risking vibrios for food safety and human health
Gibb, K. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A), Padovan, A. (Co Investigator/Chief Investigator B), Kaestli, M. (Chief Investigator C) & Christian, K. (Chief Investigator D)
11/08/22 → 31/05/23
Project: Research
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2023 Start-Up Rainmaker Do zinc anodes protect against cadmium accumulation in juvenile oysters?
Gibb, K. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A), Padovan, A. (Co Investigator/Chief Investigator B), Krishnan, K. (Chief Investigator C), Kaestli, M. (Chief Investigator D), Christian, K. (Chief Investigator E) & Munksgaard, N. (Chief Investigator F)
4/01/24 → 31/10/24
Project: Research
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ARC DP0879851- Do frogs hydroregulate? Regulation versus tolerance of thermal and hydric states
Christian, K. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A) & Tracy (Co Investigator/Chief Investigator B)
1/01/08 → 28/02/11
Project: Research
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ARC LP0882478 - Digestive Physiology of Crocodilians: Towards an Improved Diet and Feeding Regime for use by the farming industry
Christian, K. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A), Seymour, R. (Co Investigator/Chief Investigator B) & Webb, G. (Co Investigator/Chief Investigator B)
30/09/08 → 31/12/12
Project: Research
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DP190102395 ANU Are evolutionary refugia traps for endemic species?
Craig, M. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A) & Christian, K. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A)
1/01/19 → 31/05/24
Project: Research
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DP210102176 Skin Microbes and Animal Health: Understanding the Ecological Context
Christian, K. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A), Gibb, K. (Principal Investigator/Chief Investigator A) & Brown, G. (Chief Investigator C)
15/02/21 → 30/06/25
Project: Research
Research output
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Acclimatisation to tropical seasons: hydric and thermal physiology in Gehyra geckos
Skelton, K. N., Moritz, C. C., Day, K. A., Weitzman, C. L., Schlesinger, C. A., Zozaya, S. M. & Christian, K. A., Mar 2026, In: The Journal of Experimental Biology. 229, 5, p. 1-9 9 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Downloads (Pure) -
Little Overlap in Symbiotic Bacteria of Coquí Frogs in Hawaii and Puerto Rico
Weitzman, C. L., Day, K., Gorman, K. M., Gibb, K., Brown, G. P. & Christian, K., Jan 2026, In: Biotropica. 58, 1, p. 1-10 10 p., e70156.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Downloads (Pure) -
A Framework for Modelling Thermal Load Sensitivity Across Life
Arnold, P. A., Noble, D. W. A., Nicotra, A. B., Kearney, M. R., Rezende, E. L., Andrew, S. C., Briceño, V. F., Buckley, L. B., Christian, K. A., Clusella-Trullas, S., Geange, S. R., Guja, L. K., Jiménez Robles, O., Kefford, B. J., Kellermann, V., Leigh, A., Marchin, R. M., Mokany, K. & Bennett, J. M., Jul 2025, In: Global Change Biology. 31, 7, p. 1-18 18 p., e70315.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access7 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus) -
Cutaneous shedding in amphibians causes shifts in bacterial microbiomes
Weitzman, C. L., Brown, G. P., Gibb, K. & Christian, K., Jul 2025, In: Integrative Zoology. 20, 4, p. 807 - 816 10 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile4 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)36 Downloads (Pure) -
Differential Temporal Shifts in Skin Bacteria on Wild and Captive Toads
Weitzman, C. L., Day, K., Brown, G. P., Gibb, K. & Christian, K., Dec 2025, In: Microbial Ecology. 88, 1, p. 1-12 12 p., 35.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)22 Downloads (Pure) -
Faunal Responses to Habitat Disturbance: Do the Principles Explaining Responses of Ant Communities Also Apply to Terrestrial Reptiles?
Rachmansah, A., Christian, K., Murphy, B. P., Schlesinger, C. & Andersen, A. N., Mar 2025, In: Ecology and Evolution. 15, 3, p. 1-27 27 p., e70939.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Link opens in a new tab Citation (Scopus)46 Downloads (Pure) -
Gehyra Geckos Prioritize Warm Over Humid Environments
Skelton, K., Day, K., Weitzman, C. L., Schlesinger, C., Moritz, C. & Christian, K., Mar 2025, In: Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological and Integrative Physiology. 343, 2, p. 294-301 8 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)32 Downloads (Pure)
Press/Media
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Fiery green ants drive away birds, bugs giving fruit farmers an organic way to control pests
24/04/23
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
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Fiery green ants drive away birds and bugs, giving fruit farmers an organic way to control pests
24/04/23
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
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Green ants drive away birds, bugs giving fruit farmers an organic way to control pests
24/04/23
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
Prizes
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Tropical Knowledge Research Award
Christian, K. (Recipient), Gibb, K. (Recipient) & Peng, R. (Recipient), 2006
Prize