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, in 1969, and moved to the USA in 1997. 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.	Author in Yolyn-Am (Lammergeyer Narrows) Canyon, Gobi-Altai, Mongolia.	I got my M.S. at Moscow Technical University in 1991. 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.

Me, 1972.

Me, 1973.

Me,1976.

Me, 1974.

Me, 1984.

Military training, Lithuania, 1990.

Shaolin, China

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.

Lake Sarez, Tajikistan

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

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

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; East Africa, Madagascar, the Comoros, USA (including Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Alaska), Canada, and almost all Latin American countries.

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

Gobi Desert, Mongolia.

Bryce Canyon, Utah, USA.

Yuzhno-Kurilsk, Kuril Islands.

Icefields Parkway, Alberta, Canada.

Calafate Glacier, Patagonia, Argentina.

Display flight of Eurasian woodcock (Scolopax rusticola), Russia.

Himalayan monal (Lophophorus imperjanus), Nepal.

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.

Himalayan monal sunbathing, Tiengboche, Nepal.

Nazca booby (Sula griffiti), Isla de La Plata, Ecuador

Okefenokee Swamp, Georgia, USA.

Caverns of Sonora, Texas, USA.

Ozernaya River, Kamchatka, Russia.

Mono Lake, California, USA.

Moraine Lake, Alberta, Canada.

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.

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

Like all crocodiles, American alligators are intelligent, beautiful and easy to handle. Everglades, Florida, USA.

Flight to Anjel Falls, Canaima, Venezuela.

Climbing Klyuchevskoi volcano during an eruption requires a gas mask and some glacier climbing skills. Kamchatka, Russia.

Death Valley, California.

After moving to the United States, I'd 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, too.

Wrangell Mountains, Alaska.

Chinese magnolia (Magnolia soulangeana) blooming in early February, Berkeley, California

Riding trip at Mineral King, California.

Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California.

Winter sunset in Sierra Nevada Mountains, East Walker Wildlife Area, California/Nevada border.

SCUBA diving, Hawaii.

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. There I worked on a huge book project called The Russian Far East: A Reference Guide for Conservation and Development.

Ophiura, California.

Visiting Adelie penguins colony, Hope Bay, Antarctic Peninsula.

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

After snorkeling with king penguins, Grytviken, South Georgia.

Arctic Circle in Richardson Mountains, Yukon Territory.

The best thing I've ever bought in the US was a used 1997 Toyota RAV4. I drove her all over North America, from Alaska and Labrador to Key West and Managua. She died of transmission failure in 2005 with 300,000 miles on her odometer.

Summit of Pink Mountain, British Columbia.

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

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

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.

Seagull nest counting at a breeding colony for SFBBO.

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

Skiing, Colorado.

King boletus (Boletus edulis).

Skydiving, Ontario.

Weekend in the mountains.

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.

Working with animals is always fun.

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.

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

In 2004, I moved to Albuquerque to participate in a large-scale study of hantaviruses at the University of New Mexico. It was another nice place to live, rich in history and wildlife.

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

A visit back to Russia. Research station in Zvenigorod, 2004.

Traveling in Pakistan. It was only four hours' drive from Mexico, so I did some research there, as well as in more remote places such as Pakistan and The Antarctic.

In search of giant flying squirrels in Afghanistan.

Skysurfing, Mexico.

Counting wild horses, New Mexico.

Rafting the Source of The Nile Rapids, Uganda.

Hitchhiking with the locals, Tanzania.

Climbing Oldonyo Lengai Volcano, Tanzania.

A trip to Madagascar and East Africa was very interesting: gorillas, volcanoes, lions...

Driving to Oldonyo Lengai Volcano, Tanzania.

Looking for mantella frogs, Madagascar.

Performing tea ceremony, Japan.

In a ryokan inn, Japan.

Visiting Ainu village, Japan.

Local kids, Madagascar.

In August 2005, I returned from Africa to start working on my Ph.D. at the University of Miami.

Catta lemurs, Madagascar.

Riding two wild manatees, Cape Canaveral.

Petting a manatee, Cape Canaveral.

Florida is a bit too civilized for my taste, but it has many nice places and interesting wildlife. You can see large animals - alligators, manatees, tarpon - almost every weekend.

Petting a manatee, Cape Canaveral.

Catching snakes, Madidi Nat'l Park, Bolivia.

Cactus at Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia.

Fishing for dinner, Madidi NP, Bolivia.

Traveling in Tibet.

I am studying the mating behavior of crocodiles and their relatives - alligators, caimans and gharials. Surprisingly little is known about their private life in the wild.

Ancient city of Pingyao, China.

Hitchhiking in Sichuan, my favorite province of China.

My ride and her calf, Lake Qinghai, China.

Salisbury Cathedral, England.

The idea is to compare the sounds and infrasounds of all 23 species of the world's crocodiles. It would involve spending a lot of time in swamps and rainforests of 16 tropical countries over three years. I'm also trying to understand how habitat influences the ways crocodiles communicate with each other.

Isle of May, Scotland.

Altstrutter, Scotland.

Studying literature in the British Museum, England.

Wolong Panda Center, Sichuan, China.

So far, I've been chasing those ancient reptiles in USA, China, India and Bolivia. Central America and the Africa are next on the list; then Australia and Southeast Asia.

Wolong Panda Center, Sichuan, China.

Wolong Panda Center, Sichuan, China.

Wolong Panda Center, Sichuan, China.

Nothing is better than being a traveling naturalist. It comes at a price, but I wouldn't want any other life.

Wolong Panda Center, Sichuan, China.

Golden Temple, Amritsar, India.

Competing with snake charmers, India.

With Bruce Shwedick (of Tomistoma Task Force), my girlfriend and a juvenile false gharial during Tomistoma Conservation Benefit dinner at Miami Metrozoo.

In 2007, I defended my thesis proposal, and became a Ph.D. candidate. Didn't change my life much, but sounds important.

On a trip to Dominican Republic to study a unique population of American crocodiles living in highly saline water in Lago Enriquillo.

I use an inflatable kayak to quietly approach the animals.

SCUBA diving to see coral spawning, off Key Largo, Florida.

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

I expect to graduate in 2010. I don't know what I'll be doing next, but I hope it will involve a lot of field research.

Windy day at Kaieteur Falls, Guyana.

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

PodocarpusNational Park, Ecuador.

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.

Utila Island, Honduras.

Catching a Burmese python, Everglades, Florida.

Chasing alligators, Fakahatchee Strand State Park, Florida.

Besides, studying them takes you to remote and beautiful places (and sometimes in big cities for studies in zoos and breeding centers).

Skating 15 km-long Rideau Skateway, Ottawa.

Guiding a birdwatching tour, Chukotka, Russia.

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 Ornithologi- cal Society invited me to be a co- leader of a 2007 birding trip to Chukotka, Siberia.

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

ATV travel with Ivan Taldenkov, also a Russian ornithologist. Chukotka.

Local pleasures include fresh-smoked salmon...

Visiting this remote part of the world took three years of preparation. We saw more bird species than any previous expedition to the area.

...and salmon eggs. Chukotka.

At home. Chukotka.

This baby yacare caiman was the only animal to bite me in the last few years. Rio Beni, Bolivia.

We found one bird species never before recorded in Russia, and got to see one of the rarest and most endangered birds in the world.

There is only about 200 spoon-billed sandpipers left in the world. Chukotka, Russia.

Lahore, Pakistan, 2004.