Andrew Gray (zoologist)
{{Short description|British zoologist, teacher and conservationist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
Andrew Gray is a British zoologist, teacher and conservationist.{{cite web|url=http://www.jodrellbank.net/events/lovell-lecture-the-world-of-frogs-manchester-leaping-into-action-professors-amanda-bamford-and-andrew-gray/|title=Lovell Lecture : The World of Frogs: Manchester Leaping into Action : Professors Amanda Bamford and Andrew Gray - Jodrell Bank|publisher=}}
Biography
Andrew Gray is an Honorary Senior Lecturer at The University of Manchester. He was appointed Curator of Herpetology at Manchester Museum in September 1995. Here he established ‘The Vivarium’, a free to the public purpose-built facility dedicated to the conservation of tropical amphibians.{{cite web |url= https://frogblogmanchester.files.wordpress.com/2018/09/museums-heritage-winter-2013.pdf |title=Museums Heritage |date=2018 |website=frogblogmanchester.files.wordpress.com }} Gray's interest in amphibians and reptiles began from a very early age.{{cite web|url=https://frogblogmanchester.files.wordpress.com/2018/09/museums-journal-nov-2001.pdf |title=Museum Journal |date=2018 |website=frogblogmanchester.files.wordpress.com }} During his career as a professional herpetologist he has discovered new species{{Cite web|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/07/scientist-discovered-new-frog-species-sylvias-leaf-frog/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190716234729/https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/07/scientist-discovered-new-frog-species-sylvias-leaf-frog/|url-status=dead|archive-date=16 July 2019|title = New leaf frog species named after this zoologist's granddaughter, Sylvia|website = National Geographic Society|date = 11 July 2019}} and established conservation initiatives to save some of the rarest frogs in the world,{{cite web|url=http://twitpic.com/snlpt|title=Curator of Herpetology, Andrew Gray in The Times Magazine 5.12.09 feature 'The New Victorians' Report by Bill Dunn Portrait Jude Edgington|website=twitpic.com}} for example the critically endangered lemur leaf frog.{{cite web|url=http://www.amphibianark.org/Newsletters/AArk-newsletter-40.pdf |title=Newsletter |website=www.amphibianark.org }} Gray is an authority on frogs of the Phyllomedusinae genus Cruziohyla.{{cite journal |url= http://www.mapress.com/j/zt/article/view/zootaxa.4450.4.1|title=Review of the genus Cruziohyla (Anura: Phyllomedusidae), with description of a new species|first=Andrew R.|last=Gray|date=26 July 2018|journal=Zootaxa|volume=4450|issue=4|pages=401–426 |via= www.mapress.com|doi=10.11646/zootaxa.4450.4.1|pmid=30313830|s2cid=52976498|url-access=subscription}} He described the tadpole of Cruziohyla calcarifer{{cite journal | last=Gray | first=Andrew R. | title=Description of the tadpole of Cruziohyla calcarifer (Boulenger, 1902) (Amphibia, Anura, Phyllomedusidae) | journal=Herpetological Journal | publisher=British Herpetological Society|volume=31 | issue=3 | date=July 2021 | issn=0268-0130 | doi=10.33256/31.3.170176 | pages=170–176| doi-access=free }} and in 2018 described the new species Cruziohyla sylviae{{cite web |url= http://research.amnh.org/vz/herpetology/amphibia/Amphibia/Anura/Phyllomedusidae/Cruziohyla/Cruziohyla-sylviae |title= Cruziohyla sylviae Gray, 2018 - Amphibian Species of the World|website=research.amnh.org}} which is named after his first grandchild Sylvia Beatrice Gray.{{cite web|url=https://news.mongabay.com/2018/07/researcher-names-spectacular-new-frog-after-his-granddaughter/|title=Researcher names spectacular new frog after his granddaughter|date=31 July 2018|publisher=}}
Gray's conservation efforts have mainly focused in Central America, where he has initiated multi-disciplined collaborative projects,{{cite web |url=https://frogblogmanchester.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/prk.pdf |title=Info |date=2013 |website=frogblogmanchester.files.wordpress.com |access-date=22 September 2018 |archive-date=23 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180923010230/https://frogblogmanchester.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/prk.pdf |url-status=dead }} developed international environmental education programmes,{{cite web|url=https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/connect/teachers-advisers/resources/learning-with-lucy/|title=Learning with Lucy - The University of Manchester|website=www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk}} and jointly established student field courses for the University of Manchester.{{cite web|url=https://www.manchester.ac.uk/discover/magazine/features/an-education-in-conservation/|title=An education in conservation - The University of Manchester Magazine|website=www.manchester.ac.uk}} In 2006 Gray was a main scientific adviser for the BBC's landmark series Planet Earth and worked further with Sir David Attenborough on the BBC Natural World's programme Fabulous Frogs.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02503rc|title=Web exclusive: Lemur leaf frog conservation, Attenborough's Fabulous Frogs, 2014-2015, Natural World - BBC Two|website=BBC|date=18 August 2014 }} Apart from wildlife conservation, Gray also has a keen interest in conserving English heritage and in 2004 completely restored the then derelict Euxton Hall Chapel, which was designed by E. W. Pugin in 1866.{{cite web|url=http://www.parksandgardens.org/places-and-people/site/5431/history|title=Euxton Hall|website=www.parksandgardens.org|access-date=2018-09-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180918230756/http://www.parksandgardens.org/places-and-people/site/5431/history|archive-date=2018-09-18|url-status=dead}}