SKRS is a registered South African Non-Profit Organisation.
It does no not get an annual budget from any other institution, but its board members have to find extra funding.
To be scientifically productive, one needs more than money: Motivation, endurance and fascination.

Existing and past collaborations

  • Dr. Christine Hatte, Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l’Environnement, Université Paris-Saclay, France. C14 dating of bush Karoo rat lodges. New collaboration.
  • Dr. S. Blanc, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien Strasbourg (CNRS), Départment Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie. Ecophysiology, metabolism, stable isotopes. Number of publications: 4
  • Prof. Dr. R. Straub, University of Regensburg, Germany. Evolutionary Medicine. Number of publications: 3
  • Dr. Francois Criscuolo, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien Strasbourg (CNRS), Départment Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie. Aging and telomere evolution in striped mice. Number of publications: 2
  • Prof. Dr. L.D. Hayes, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (USA): intra-specific variation in social organization of mammals. Number of publications: 9
  • Dr. A. Jaeggi, Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich: intra-specific variation in social organization of mammals. Number of publications: 3
  • Dr. M. Paniw, Estación Biológica de Doñana Spain. Species persistence in changing seasonal environments: A new holistic framework integrating demography and biotic interactions. Number of publications: 0 (pending)
  • Prof. Dr. J. Ganzhorn, University of Hamburg, Germany. Determining nutritional content of food plants. Number of publications: 0 (pending)
 
 Past Collaborations
  • Prof. Dr. A. Ozgul, Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Switzerland. European Research Grant, Demographic and Phenotypic Signals of Population Responses to Environmental Change. Number of publications: 2
  • Prof. Dr. H.E. Hoekstra, Harvard University. The evolution and development of stripes in striped mice. Number of publications: 2
  • Dr. A. Lindholm, Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Switzerland. Socio-genetics of Rhabdomys pumilio. Number of publications: 4
  • Prof. Dr. K. Bales, University of California Davis, U.S.A. AVP 1a receptor measurements in Rhabdomys pumilio. Number of publications: 1
  • Prof. Dr. C. Carter, University of Chicago, U.S.A. Neuropeptide measurements in brains of Rhabdomys pumilio. Number of publications: 3
  • Dr. J. Johannesen, University of Mainz, Germany. Population genetics in Rhabdomys pumilio. Number of publications: 1
  • Prof. Dr. M. Heinrichs, Department of Psychology, Laboratory for Biological and Personality Psychology, University of Freiburg, Germany. Personality research in striped mice. Number of publications: 1
  • Prof. M. Sanchez, Palaeontological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Switzerland. Project: Neonatal ossification in Rhabdomys pumilio. Number of publications: 1
  • Dr. M. Scantlebury, School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast. U.K., basking behaviour in Rhabdomys pumilio. Number of publications: 3

Possibilities for Collaborations

What We do offer

Access to the research station (fee for accommodation
Access to the field site (Research fee charged)
Access to long-term databases and samples for analysis (you have to pay for transport and analysis):
  • Trapping data including information on social tactic and life history
    • >20 years from striped mice
    • >6 years from bush Karoo rats
  • Tissue samples from all trapped striped mice and bush Karoo rats for socio-genetics and populaion genetics. For striped mice, DNA has already been extracted for some years.
  • 20 years of trapping data from round-eared elephant shrews including tissue samples, for example to determine extra-pair paternity in this species believed to be "monogamous".
  • 8500 serum (blood) samples from striped mice collected from 2006 until 2020 for studies on eco-physiology (fasting etc) and behavioral endocrinology
    • ID and social tactic of all individuals known
    • Blood glucose level known for 5000 samples
    • Blood ketone levels known for 3150 samoles
    • Blood uric acid levels known for 1400 samples
    • Corticosterone levels known from 2870 samples
    • Testosterone levels known from 2790 samples
    • Prolactin levels known from 194 samples
    • AVP levels known from 195 samples
    • Estrogen levels known from 125 samples
    • T3 levels known from 146 samples
  • Spatial data:
    • Home range data from striped mice from 7 years (10-20 individuals per sex per year)
    • Daily (control tracking) data from striped mice from nearly 20 years.
    • Mini-GPS location data from bush Karoo rats (>40 individuals).
  • Environmental data:
    • Daily weather data
    • Monthly plant surveys

what we expect

  • Scientific productivity (publications; co-authorship determined before onset of project)
  • Signing of a MOA (memorandum of agreement) summarizing the project and the duties of each party before onset of data collection / data sharing.
  • When you stay and work at SKRS:
    • Contribution to the costs of maintaining SKRS
    • Contribution to the field costs
    • You pay your students and your field assistants

What we cannot offer

SKRS is a registered non-profit organisation. It does no not get an annual budget from any institution, but has to find its own funding. Thus, SKRS cannot provide you with:
  • Free accommodation
  • Free access to all facilities: we charge a research fee
  • Research assistants that collect data for you
  • Free transport
  • Payment to analyze our samples
Succulent Karoo Research Station
Registered South African non-profit organization
Goegap Nature Reserve
PO Box 541
8240 Springbok
South Africa

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