Biographical Information

View of Red Square, Moscow (ballpen drawing, 1978).

One's blessed who visited this world When fateful days it had to dare. The gods invited him to share The feast, as equal among lords. The plot, to witness in the making, The history, to shape and think, The part in their undertaking, The immortality to drink. F. Tyutchev, 1858 (my translation)

Winter morning in an ancient city of Pechory, Setu Tribe Country, Northwestern Russia.

I was born in Moscow, Russia, and later moved to the USA. Life in post-communist Russia was much more fun than most people in the West realize: it gave you a chance to witness some historical events, to participate, and there was even a possibility of not being killed in process. Later it became boring - I find life in the US much more dynamic.

My CV

I got my M.S. at Moscow Technical University. Changing economic situation in Russia forced me to have 2-3 jobs at a time, combining professional biology with tourist guiding, writing, consulting, web design, and many other things. Surprisingly, some of the books I've written - field guides and travel diaries - are still popular in the former Soviet Union.

My mother, Alla Dinets.

1972.

1973.

1976.

1974.

1984.

Military training, Lithuania, 1990.

Floating on a traditional boat made of totora tule (Scirpus californicus), Titicaca, Peru.

I've traveled extensively, for scientific research and for fun, which was often the same for me. Some of the places I've visited have never or almost never been seen by other naturalists. I'd be glad to provide any information about any of the areas I've been to. Look also in Adventure Travel and Travel Diaries pages for trip descriptions and travel tips. Some of the pictures can be seen in Nature Photography page. Here is the list of the latest updates to the site. Just mail me if you have any questions. The areas I'm most familiar with are the former Soviet Union, Central Asia, China, Mongolia, Japan; parts of the Antarctic, tropical Asia, Middle East and Europe; Africa, Madagascar, USA (including Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Alaska), Canada, and almost all Latin American countries.

Diving with Garibaldi fish (Hypsipops rubicundus), Channel Islands, California.

Ichtyological research on coho salmon (Onchorhynchus kisutch), Commander Islands.

My mutual friend with Charles Darwin. Izabela, Islas Galapagos.

The main purpose of most trips was biological research, but I've also done some caving, climbing, diving, skydiving, sailing, skiing, storm chasing, flying, horse/yak/camel/elephant/reindeer/donkey riding, and other interesting things. I spent some time working in nature reserves such as Ussuri Reserve in Russian Far East, Manu National Park in Peru and Hai Bar Nature Reserve in Israel.

We saved this baby rhino from poachers. Chitwan, Nepal.

Gobi Desert, Mongolia

Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia, USA.

Caverns of Sonora, Texas, USA.

Ozernaya River, Kamchatka, Russia.

Mono Lake, California, USA.

Moraine Lake, Alberta, Canada.

Yuzhno-Kurilsk, Kuril Islands.

Flight to Anjel Falls, Canaima, Venezuela.

Death Valley, California.

After moving to the United States, I lived in California for six years, exploring that wonderful place and the rest of the continent. I liked the West a lot, but found the East to be very interesting as well. In addition to its amazing biodiversity, California had the ocean, and a lot of interesting weather, which, in turn, brought wonderful wildflower displays to the state's deserts in 1998 and 2003. While living in California, I did some independent research in Malaysia and the Philippines, also volunteered for Monterey Bay Whalewatch (studying marine mammals) and San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory.

Wrangell Mountains, Alaska.

Studying cobras (Naja philippensis), Angat Watershed, Luzon I., Philippines.

Patrolling the Bay for botulism-infected birds in need of treatment.

Visiting Adelie penguins colony, Hope Bay, Antarctic Peninsula.

After snorkeling with king penguins, Grytviken, South Georgia.

Communicating with a baby Magellanic penguin, San Julian, Patagonia.

Seagull nest counting at a breeding colony for SFBBO.

Studying bats and giant cave spiders, Makahambus Cave, Mindanao I.

Skiing, Colorado.

In 2003-2004, I lived in Boulder, Colorado, taking part in a research project on rodent ecology. The Nature there wasn't boring, either: my home was within twenty-minute drive to the Rocky Mountains, and half an hour to the prairies of the Great Plains. Colorado was a great country for horseback riding, skiing, hiking, storm chasing, and pretty much everything else.

Skydiving, Ontario.

Skysurfing, Mexico.

This photo is the first documented evidence of the occurrence of black jaguars (Panthera onca) in Mexico.

Counting wild horses, New Mexico.

White-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus), one of North America's most widespread rodents, Texas.

Rafting the Source of The Nile Rapids, Uganda.

A visit back to Russia. Research station in Zvenigorod, 2004.	In 2004-2005, I participated in a large-scale study of rodent-borne diseases at the University of New Mexico. New Mexico is a fascinating place, rich in history and wildlife, with well-preserved Native American cultures.	Traveling in Pakistan.	Albuquerque was only four hours' drive from Mexico, so I did some research there, as well as in more remote places such as Pakistan, The Antarctic, Japan, Madagascar and East Africa. Gorillas, volcanoes, lions...	In search of giant flying squirrels in Afghanistan.
	Woolly flying squirrel (Eupetaurus cinereus) is the World's largest squirrel, 1 m long and 2.5 kg in weight. One of the rarest and least-known mammals, it had never been seen in the wild by a naturalist until I found a pair in Nanga Parbat mountains of Pakistan. These are snapshots from the first video ever obtained.

Hitchhiking with the locals, Tanzania.

Climbing Ol'donyo Lengai Volcano, Tanzania.

Local kids, Madagascar.

Catta lemurs, Madagascar.

Driving to Oldonyo Lengai Volcano, Tanzania.

Looking for mantella frogs, Madagascar.

Bathing my elephant, Sumatra.

Performing tea ceremony, Japan.

In a ryokan inn, Japan.

Visiting Ainu village, Japan.

Mushroom hunting, Sumatra.

Traveling in Tibet.

In August 2005, I returned from Africa to start working on my Ph.D. at the University of Miami. Florida is a bit too civilized for my taste, but it has many nice places and interesting wildlife. I am studying the mating behavior of crocodilians - crocodiles, alligators, caimans and gharials. Surprisingly little is known about their private life in the wild. The idea is to compare the "language" of all species of crocodilians. It involves spending a lot of time in swamps and rainforests of many tropical and subtropical countries, trying to understand how habitat influences the ways crocodiles communicate with each other. I've been chasing those ancient reptiles in China, India, Latin America, Africa and Indonesia.

Ancient city of Pingyao, China.

Riding two wild manatees, Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Salisbury Cathedral, England.

Catching snakes, Madidi Nat'l Park, Bolivia.

Cactus at Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia.

Fishing for dinner, Madidi NP, Bolivia.

Isle of May, Scotland.

Hitchhiking in Sichuan, my favorite province of China.

Studying literature in the British Museum, England.

My ride and her calf, Lake Qinghai, China.

		Wolong Panda Center, Sichuan, China.

My tent on the deck of an Amazon river boat, Brazil.

I expected crocodile research to be a bit boring. But these animals proved to be more interesting and animated than I could ever imagine. I haven't had a boring day yet. I discovered something new almost every time I went out in the field. The most surprising find so far was my discovery of alligator dances is 2006. Catching a Burmese python, Everglades, Florida.

Windy day at Kaieteur Falls, Guyana.

Golden Temple, Amritsar, India.

I use an inflatable kayak to quietly approach the animals.

Competing with snake charmers, India.

PodocarpusNational Park, Ecuador.

The ancient Japanese practice of takigyo (meditating in waterfalls in winter) is a good way of training for field research.

Utila Island, Honduras.

Traveling by ATV for many days can be a bit tiring. Chukotka, Russia.

I always enjoy a chance to be a naturalist tour guide, but recently I haven't had much time for guiding. Danish Ornithological Society invited me to be a co- leader of a 2007 birding trip to Chukotka, Siberia. Lahore, Pakistan, 2004.

Looking for rare birds with Nikolai Melnikov, a Russian ornithologist. Chukotka.

Traveling from Congo to Gabon.

A pangolin is a rare find. Mamili National Park, Namibia.

Playing with feral hyenas, Ethiopia.

The Afar tribe of Ethiopia is known as the fiercest and most savage nomads in Africa.

The most interesting of my "crocodile" expeditions was a trip to Africa in 2008-2009. My two volunteers and I have spent almost a year studying crocodiles in the remotest parts of the continent. After the trip we wrote Wild Africa, the first Russian-language guidebook to that wonderful part of the world.

Me and one of my Afar friends at Erta'Ale lava lake, Ethiopia.

Mosi-o-Tunya National Park, Zambia.

Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia.

With a giant manta ray, Tofu, Mozambique.

Skeleton Coast, Namibia.

Messum Crater, Namibia.

Little Karoo, South Africa.

Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia.

Nastya in Tajung Puting National Park, Kalimantan.

Just before that long trip to Africa I met my future wife, Nastya. Next year she assisted me with my crocodile studies in Jamaica, Indonesia, Brazil and the United States. We got married as soon as the field season was over. Now that I've defended my Ph.D thesis, we live together in Knoxville, were I study animal behavior at the Psychology Dept. of the University of Tennessee.

Kelimutu Volcano, Flores.

Diving in Lembeh Straight near Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Wedding-day photo.

Our wedding celebration in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee.

Watching Krakatau eruption from a volcanic bomb crater, Java.