Having always been fascinated by the world of herpetology, I first obtained my Master of Zoology degree in Bangor University in 2016. Working under the supervision of Dr Wolfgang Wüster, I investigated the hybrid zone between Crotalus scutulatus and Crotalus viridis, studying the presence of toxin genes on both sides and within the hybrid zone. 

Following the completion of my undergraduate degree, I travelled throughout south Asia learning about the devastating effects of snakebite on the poorest communities. During this time I formed Captive & Field Herpetology Ltd, a peer-reviewed journal and research focussed expedition team which now carries out snakebite related work in India and various other expeditions across Europe. I am also part of Dr Anita Malhotra’s BITES group which has carried out extensive snakebite focussed work in India.

Outside of academia I have been deeply involved in herpetoculture since before the age of ten. I currently maintain a collection of over 150 reptiles and amphibians which have been used for research, conservation breeding efforts and I am one of the largest breeders of Indonesian sailfin dragons, of the genus Hydrosaurus, globally. 

My interest in venomous snakes, ultimately led me to pursue a PhD at Bangor. I’m currently studying our native adder, Vipera berus and what future climate change, population fragmentation and habitat loss implications will likely arise, using novel methods to determine population genetic health and diversity.

• PhD: Using Novel Genomic Methods to Assess the Genetic Health of the UK's Herpetofauna
  Bangor University, 2025
• MSc: Master of Zoology (MZool)
  Bangor University, 2016

The adder, Vipera berus is the only venomous snake found in the United Kingdom and suffers due to severe habitat fragmentation and habitat loss. Surviving in small isolated populations likely reduces genetic diversity and makes obtaining large sample sizes for genetic research difficult. My PhD project will attempt to utilise novel methods, developed for analysing ancient DNA to advance conservation genetics through the analysis of pseudohaploids. Our study will attempt to determine the genetic health of isolated populations, regardless of small sample sizes throughout the UK and what the future holds for this small, yet iconic viper.

I am heavily involved with snakebite related work in India. Primarily in the Himalayan regions where I am interested to learn about the diversity of venomous snakes which are involved in human-snake conflict.

2025

• PublishedThe genome sequence of the common adder, Vipera berus (Linnaeus, 1758): [version 1; peer review: awaiting peer review]
  Owens, J. B., Wüster, W., Mulley, J., Graham, S., Morgan, R. & Barlow, A., 14 Jan 2025, In: Wellcome Open Research . 10, 11, 13 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
• PublishedUtilising snake rescue data to understand snake–human conflict in Hooghly, West Bengal, India
  Kuttalam, S. R., Owens, J. B., Santra, V., Ahmed, M. T., Das, B., Das, S., Koley, A., Koley, R., Barlow, A. & Malhotra, A., 3 Jan 2025, In: Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2024

• PublishedNew locality records and notes on the scalation of the Alpine Punjab skink, Eurylepis taeniolata Blyth 1854, from Himachal Pradesh, India
  Owens, J. B., Kuttalam, S. R., Santra, V., Graham, S., Wüster, W., Mukherjee, N., Bharti, O. & Malhotra, A., 24 Dec 2024, In: Reptiles & Amphibians. 31, 1, p. 1-2 2 p., e21541.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2023

• PublishedGenomics reveals broad hybridization in deeply divergent Palearctic grass and water snakes (Natrix spp.)
  Schöneberg, Y., Winter, S., Arribas, O., Di Nicola, M. R., Master, M., Owens, J. B., Rovatsos, M., Wüster, W., Janke, A. & Fritz, U., Jul 2023, In: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 184, 9 p., 107787.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• SubmittedHigh standing diversity masks extreme genetic erosion in a declining snake
  Pozzi, A., Owens, J. B., Üveges, B., Major, T., Morris, E., Graham, S., Togridou, A., Papadopulos, A. S. T., Wüster, W. & Barlow, A., 21 Sept 2023, (Submitted) p. 1-28, 28 p. (bioRxiv).
  Research output: Working paper › Preprint
• PublishedMultilevel comparison of Indian Naja venoms and their cross-reactivity with Indian polyvalent antivenoms
  Deka, A., Bhatia, S., Santra, V., Bharti, O., Lalremsanga, H., Martin, G., Wüster, W., Owens, J. B., Graham, S., Doley, R. & Malhotra, A., 1 Apr 2023, In: Toxins. 15, 4, 24 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedNaja naja Reproduction
  Kuttalam, S. R., Owens, J. B., Das, B., Koley, A. & Santra, V., 2 May 2023, In: Herpetological Review. 54, 1, p. 141 1 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2022

• PublishedConfirmation of Liopeltis rappi (Günther, 1860) in Himachal Pradesh
  Kuttalam, S. R., Santra, V., Owens, J. B., Ahmed, M. T., Bharti, O., Selvan, M., Mukherjee, N. & Malhotra, A., Oct 2022, In: Hamadryad. 39, 1-2, p. 85-88
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedGenetic ancestry of introduced populations of sand lizard (Lacerta agilis) in Wales
  Owens, J. B., Wilkinson, J. W., Wüster, W., Barlow, A. & Papadopulos, A. S. T., 11 Oct 2022, Bangor: Natural Resources Wales. 32 p. (NRW Evidence Report; no. 596)
  Research output: Book/Report › Commissioned report › peer-review
• PublishedPhylogenetic and morphological analysis of Gloydius himalayanus (Serpentes, Viperidae, Crotalinae), with the description of a new species
  Kuttalam, S. R., Santra, V., Owens, J. B., Selvan, M., Mukherjee, N., Graham, S., Togridou, A., Bharti, O., Shi, J., Shanker, K. & Malhotra, A., 13 Dec 2022, In: European Journal of Taxanomy. 852, 1, p. 1-30 30 p., 1.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedTackling Snakebite Through Training: an Indian example
  Malhotra, A., Graham, S., Owens, J. B., Bharti, O. & Santra, V., 31 Aug 2022, In: Herpetological Conservation and Biology. 17, 2, p. 331–342
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedUtilizing Snake Rescue Data For Understanding Snake-Human Conflict
  Kuttalam, S. R., Santra, V., Das, B., Koley, A., Dhara, A., Owens, J. B., Barlow, A. & Malhotra, A., 19 Nov 2022.
  Research output: Contribution to conference › Poster

2021

• PublishedMolecular phylogenetic analysis of the genus Gloydius (Squamata, Viperidae, Crotalinae), with description of two new alpine species from Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China
  Shi, J.-S., Liu, J.-C., Giri, R., Owens, J. B., Santra, V., Kuttalam, S. R., Selvan, M., Guo, K.-J. & Malhotra, A., 4 Oct 2021, In: ZooKeys. 1061, 1061, p. 87-108 22 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedPromoting co-existence between humans and venomous snakes through increasing the herpetological knowledge base
  Malhotra, A., Wüster, W., Owens, J. B., Hodges, C. W., Jesudasan, A., Ch, G., Kartik, A., Christopher, P., Louies, J., Naik, H., Santra, V., Kuttalam, S. R., Attre, S., Sasa, M., Bravo-Vega, C. & Murray, K. A., 1 Nov 2021, In: Toxicon: X. 12, November 2021, 18 p., 10081.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2019

• PublishedConfirmation of Naja oxiana in Himachal Pradesh, India
  Santra, V., Owens, J. B., Graham, S., Wüster, W., Kuttalam, S. R., Bharti, O., Selvan, M., Mukherjee, N. & Malhotra, A., 1 Dec 2019, In: Herpetological Bulletin. 150, p. 26-28
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedPrevention is better than cure : snakebite education in India
  Trogridou, A., Graham, S., Santra, V., Owens, J. B., Bharti, O. & Malhotra, A., 2019, In: Episthmes Agogis . p. 75-96
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2016

• PublishedIs Hybridization a Source of Adaptive Venom Variation in Rattlesnakes? A Test, Using a Crotalus scutulatus x viridis Hybrid Zone in Southwestern New Mexico
  Zancolli, G., Baker, T. G., Barlow, A., Bradley, R. K., Calvete, J. J., Carter, K. C., de Jager, K., Owens, J. B., Price, J. F., Sanz, L., Scholes-Higham, A., Shier, L., Wood, L., Wuster, C. & Wüster, W., 16 Jun 2016, In: Toxins. 8, 188, p. 1-16 16 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedReproductive and parental care notes for Norops beckeri (Boulanger, 1891) in northern Guatemala
  Owens, J. B., Carter, K. C., Chablé Tesucún, C. S. & Griffin, R., 1 Dec 2016, In: Mesoamerican Herpetology. 3, 4, p. 1007
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2024

• 10th World Congress of Herpetology

  5 Aug 2024 – 9 Aug 2024

  Activity: Participation in Academic conference (Speaker)