Explorer
Education
PhD in Environmental Sciences: In taxonomy, systematics, reproductive ecology and conservation of India’s caecilians,MSc in Botany, Department of Botany, University of Delhi.,BSc in Botany, Miranda House College, University of Delh.
Dr. Rachunliu (Chun) G. Kamei specializes in the amphibians of India, with a special focus on caecilian systematics and biology. She received her master’s degree in botany, before becoming an assistant professor at St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi in India, where she taught biology and environmental studies from 2005 until 2010. In 2006, Kamei began field research on the amphibians of North East India, a generally remote and geographical region (ca. 260,000 km2) comprising eight geographically and ethnically disparate states bordering Myanmar, China, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal. Kamei obtained her doctorate on the taxonomy, systematics, reproductive ecology, and conservation of North East India’s caecilians from the Systematics Lab in the Department of Environmental Studies at the University of Delhi. Her pioneering field-based research on the caecilians of North East India has resulted in the most comprehensive study of caecilians from any one region in Asia. Her research interests include field explorations, taxonomy, systematics, biogeography, reproductive ecology, and conservation of amphibians. While Kamei’s primary interest is in continuing to explore the poorly documented North East Indian amphibian fauna, she plans to diversify into reptiles and into the adjoining regions in South and South East Asia.
Kamei, R.G., Gower, D.J., Wilkinson, M. & Biju, S.D. (2013) Systematics of the caecilian family Chikilidae (Amphibia: Gymnophiona), with description of three new species of Chikila from northeast India. Zootaxa, 3666, 4: 401–435. Article link:http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2013/f/z03666p435f.pdf
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Biju, S.D., Kamei, R.G., Mahony, S., Thomas, A., Garg, S., Robin, S., & Sircar, G. (2013) Taxonomic review of the tree frog genus Rhacophorus Kuhl and Van Hasselt, 1822 from the Western Ghats, India (Anura: Rhacophoridae), with description of a new species and notes on breeding biology. Zootaxa, 3636, 257–289. Article link: http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2013/f/z03636p289f.pdf
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Kamei, R.G., San Mauro, D., Gower, D.J., Van Bocxlaer, I., Sherratt, E., Thomas, A., Babu. S., Bossuyt, F., Wilkinson, M. & Biju, S.D. (2012) Discovery of a new family of amphibians from northeast India with ancient links to Africa. Proceedings of the Royal Society B., 279, 2396–2401. Article link: http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2012/02/15/rspb.2012.0150.full
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Mahony, S., Sengupta, S., Kamei, R.G. & Biju, S.D. (2011) A new low altitude species of Megophrys Kuhl and van Hasselt (Amphibia: Megophryidae), from Assam, northeast India. Zootaxa, 3059, 36–46. Article link:http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2011/f/z03059p046f.pdf
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Biju, S.D., Mahony, S. & Kamei, R.G. (2010) Description of two new species of torrent frog, Amolops Cope (Anura: Ranidae) from a degrading forest in the northeast Indian state of Nagaland. Zootaxa, 2408, 31–46. Article link:http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2010/f/z02408p046f.pdf
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Kamei, R.G., Wilkinson, M., Gower, D.J. & Biju, S.D. (2009) Three new species of striped Ichthyophis (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Ichthyophiidae) from the northeast Indian states of Manipur and Nagaland. Zootaxa, 2267, 26–42. Article link:http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2009/f/z02267p042f.pdf
,Biju, S.D., Kamei, R.G., Bhatta, G., Giri, V.B., Cox, N.A., Das, I. & Bossuyt, F. (2008) Diversity and Conservation Status of the Western Ghats Amphibians. In: Stuart, S.N., Hoffmann, M., Chanson, J.S., Cox, N.A., Berridge, R., Ramani, P., & Young, B.E. (Eds.) Threatened Amphibians of the World. Lynx Ediciones, with IUCN – The World Conservation Union, Conservation International, and NatureServe, Barcelona, pp. 80–82.