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Head shot of Gaelle Blanvillain, Ph.D., smiling

Gaëlle Blanvillain

Visiting Assistant Professor

Education

  • Ph.D. Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
  • MS Marine Biology, ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø
  • MS Management of Natural Resources, University of Angers, France
  • BS Biology, University of La Rochelle France

Research Interests

Conservation biology and disease ecology of herpetofauna, specifically turtles and snakes.

 Selected Publications

  1. Legrand A, Blanvillain G, Deschamps T, Chapelet G, Aubret F et al. 2024. TORPP - Turtles, Onehealth research & plastic pollution: A multidisciplinary consortium to evaluate the environmental and health impact of microplastics pollution. One Health,
  2. Martinez-Silvestre A, Blanvillain G*, Gonzalez J and Ribo J. 2024. First record of Snake Fungal Disease in a wild Aesculapian snake, Zamenis longissimus, in Spain. Herpetology Notes, 17:423-426. *Co-first author.
  3. Blanvillain G, Martínez-Freiría F, Lorch J, Hoyt J and Martinez-Silvestre A. 2024. Paranannizziopsis sp. infection in wild European snakes. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 30:5. DOI:
  4. Joudrier N, Blanvillain G, Meier G, Hoyt J, Chèvre M, Dubey S, Origgi FC and Ursenbacher S. 2024. Unravelling the disease ecology of Snake Fungal Disease: high genetic variability and ecological features of Ophidiomyces ophidiicolain Switzerland. Amphibia-Reptilia, 45:1-14.
  5. Blanvillain G, Lorch J, Joudrier N, et al. 2024. Contribution of host species and pathogen clade to snake fungal disease hotspots in Europe. Communications Biology, 7:440.
  6. Aubret F, Bignon F, Bouffet-Halle A, Blanvillain G, Kok PJR and Souchet J. 2017. Yolk removal generates hatching asynchrony in snake eggs. Scientific Reports, 7:3041, doi:
  7. Aubret F, Blanvillain G, Bignon F and Kok PJR. 2016. Heartbeat, embryo communication and hatching synchrony in snake eggs. Scientific Reports, 6:23519, doi:
  8. Aubret F, Bignon F, Kok PJR and Blanvillain G. 2016. Only child syndrome in snake: eggs incubated alone produce asocial individuals. Scientific Reports, 6:35562, doi:
  9. Aubret F, Blanvillain G and Kok PJR. 2015. Myth busting? Effects of embryo positioning and egg turning on hatching success in the water snake Natrix maura. Scientific Reports, 5:13385, doi:
  10. Richard M, Villemey A, Stevens VM, Blanvillain G, Dardenne S and Baguette M. 2015. Fifteen new polymorphic microsatellite loci for the meadow brown butterfly, Maniola jurtina. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology, 63:165-169, doi:
  11. Aubret F, Tort M, Michniewicz RJ, Blanvillain G and Coulon A. 2014. Cooperate or compete? Influence of sex and body size on sheltering behavior in the wall lizard, Podarcis muralis. Behaviour, 151:1903-1920
  12. Aubret F, Tort M and Blanvillain G. 2013. A non-invasive method of measuring heart rates in small reptiles and amphibians. Herpetological Review, 44:421-423.
  13. Arendt MD, Boynton J, Schwenter JA, Byrd JI, Segars AL, Whitaker JD, Parker L, Owens DW, Blanvillain G, Quattro JM and Roberts MA. 2012. Spatial clustering of loggerhead sea turtles in coastal waters of the NW Atlantic Ocean: implications for management surveys. Endangered Species Research, 18:219-231.
  14. Arendt MD, Schwenter JA, Segars AL, Byrd JI, Maier PP, Whitaker JD, Owens DW, Blanvillain G, Quattro JM and Roberts MA. 2012. Catch rates and demographics of loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) captured from the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, South Carolina, shipping channel during the period of mandatory use of turtle excluder devices (TEDs). Fishery Bulletin, 110:98-109
  15. Arendt MD, Segars AL, Byrd JI, Boynton J, Whitaker JD, Parker L, Owens DW, Blanvillain G, Quattro JM and Roberts MA. 2012. Seasonal distribution patterns of juvenile loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) following capture from a shipping channel in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. Marine Biology, 159:127-139
  16. Arendt MD, Segars AL, Byrd JI, Boynton J, Whitaker JD, Parker L, Owens DW, Blanvillain G, Quattro JM and Roberts MA. 2012. Distributional patterns of adult male loggerhead (Caretta caretta) sea turtles in the vicinity of Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA during and after a major annual breeding aggregation. Marine Biology, 159:101-112, doi:
  17. Pease A, Blanvillain G, Rostal D, Owens D and Segars A. 2010. Ultrasound imaging of the inguinal region of adult male loggerhead sea turtles Caretta caretta. Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, 41:69-76
  18. Snoddy JE, Landon M, Blanvillain Gand Southwood A. 2009. Blood chemistry of sea turtles captured in gillnets in the Lower Cape Fear River, North Carolina, USA. Journal of Wildlife Management, 73:1394-1401
  19. Blanvillain G, Pease AP, Segars AL, Rostal DC, Richards AJ and Owens DW. 2008. Comparing methods for the assessment of the reproductive activity in adult male loggerhead sea turtles Caretta carettaat Cape Canaveral, Florida. Endangered Species Research, 6:75-85, doi:
  20. Blanvillain G, Wood L, Meylan AB and Meylan PA. 2008. Sex ratio prediction of juvenile hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) sea turtles from South Florida, USA. Herpetological Conservation and Biology, 3:21-27, accessible
  21. Blanvillain G, Schwenter JA, Day RR, Point D, Christopher SJ, Roumillat W and Owens DW. 2007. Diamondback terrapins, Malaclemys terrapin, as a sentinel species for monitoring mercury pollution of estuarine systems in South Carolina and Georgia, USA. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 26:1441-1450, doi:
  22. Serrano L, Blanvillain G, Soyez D, Charmantier G, Grousset E, Anjoulat F and Spannings-Pierrot C. 2003. Putative involvement of crustacean hyperglycemic hormone isoforms in the neuroendocrine mediation of osmoregulation in the crayfish Astacus leptodactylus. Journal of Experimental Biology, 206:979-988, doi:

Class Taught

  • BIOL 112 - Evolution, Form and Function of Organisms
  • BIOL 406 - Conservation Biolog ë