PhD student Eridani Mulder will be travelling from her home in Rockhampton to the Northern Territory in August as part of her research into endoparasites of water pythons and dusky rats on a monsoonal floodplain of the Northern Territory.

Eridani's interest in Australian reptiles, ecology and parasitology inspired her to commence a PhD in field-based biology in March 2003.

Through her research, Eridani aims to further her knowledge of Australian pythons and to determine the effects of seasonal changes on parasite prevalence, abundance and life-cycles.

She is also aiming to determine how a closed predator-prey ecosystem affects parasite community structure and life-cycles and to provide new host parasite records for Australian species.

Eridani hopes the research will provide her with the skills to pursue an independent research career, or provide a stepping stone into further herpetologically-based fields.

She also hopes to publish material in peer-reviewed journals, and to make contributions to knowledge of Australian ecosystems and biodata.

Upon the completion of her research in early 2007, Eridani hopes to gain a position as a Post-Doctoral Fellow.

For details call 4930 9013 or email e.mulder@cqu.edu.au