Overview

My early work was in mammalian reproductive biology, especially bats. In Aberdeen I established research groups in the ecology of temperate zone bats, animal energetics and molecular genetics in ecology and co-founded The Lighthouse Field Station for marine mammalogy. In my last decade in Aberdeen I established a research group in the ecology and conservation of Malagasy bats which led to the formation of the NGO Madagasikara Voakajy. In retirement, I continue to build the capacity of young bat biologists throughout the old world tropics.

Qualifications

1992 FRSE
1985 DSc (Aberdeen)
1972 PhD (London)
1968 MA (Cantab)
1965 BA (Cantab)

Career

2009-present Regius Professor of Natural History (Emeritus), University of Aberdeen
2007-present Visiting Professor, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus
1993-2009 Regius Professor of Natural History, University of Aberdeen
1987-1993 Head of Department of Zoology, University of Aberdeen
1973-1993 Lecturer (73-80), Senior Lecturer (80-85) and Professor (85-93) of Zoology, University of Aberdeen
1971-1973 Ford Foundation Research Fellow at the Unit of Reproductive Biology, University of Liverpool
1966-1971 Research Assistant, Wellcome Institute of Comparative Physiology, Zoological Society of London
1965-1966 Assistant Experimental Officer, Bee Department, Rothamsted Experimental Station

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Research

Research interests

Selected Publications - Book chapters

Mildenstein T, Tanshi, I, Racey, P A (2016) Exploitation of bats for Bushmeat and Medicine.  pp 325-375 in Voigt C C,  Kingston T (Eds) Bats in the Anthropocene - conservation of bats in a changing world. Springer, New York.

Abdul Aziz S,  Olival K J,  Bumrungsri  S, Richards G C , Racey P A (2016)The conflict between fruit bats and fruit growers: species, legislation and mitigation. pp 377-426 in Voigt, C C,  Kingston, T (Eds) Bats in the Anthropocene - conservation of bats in a changing world. Springer, New York.

Furey N, Racey P A (2016) Conservation Ecology of Cave Bats. pp 463-500 in Voigt C C, Kingston, T (Eds) Bats in the Anthropocene - conservation of bats in a changing world. Springer, New York.

Kingston T, Aguirre L, Armstrong  K, Mies R, Racey P, Waldien D (2016)Networking networks for global bat conservation. pp 539-569 in Voigt, C C, Kingston, T (Eds) Bats in the Anthropocene - conservation of bats in a changing world. Springer, New York.

Racey P A (2015) The uniqueness of bats. pp 1-22. In Lin-fa Wang & C. Cowled (Eds) Bats and Viruses. Wiley, New York

Racey P (2015) The rarest bat in the world. pp 212-217 in Hegan A (Ed) No More Endlings.Motivational Press, Melbourne, Florida.

Publications by category – Journal articles

Ralisata M, Rakotondravony D, Racey P. A. (2015). The relationship between male sucker-footed bats Myzopoda aurita and the traveller’s tree Ravenala madagascariensis in south eastern Madagascar. Acta Chiropterologica, 17 (1), 95-103.

Oleksy R, Racey P A, Jones, G. (2015). High-resolution GPS tracking reveals habitat selection and the potential for long-distance seed dispersal by Madagascan flying foxes Pteropus rufus. Global Ecology and Conservation, 3, 678-692.

Acharya P R, Racey P A, Sothibandhu S, Sara Bumrungsri (2015). Feeding behaviour of the dawn bat (Eonycteris spelaea) promotes cross pollination of economically important plants in Southeast Asia. Journal of Pollination Ecology, 15, 44-50.

Acharya P R, Racey P A , Sothibandhu S, Bumrungsri S (2015). Home-range and foraging areas of the dawn bat Eonycteris spelaea in agricultural areas of Thailand. Acta Chiropterologica 17: 301-319.

Acharya P R ,Racey P A , McNeil D, Sothibandhu  S, Bumrungsri  S (2015).Timing of cave emergence and return in the dawn bat (Eonycteris spelaea, Chiroptera: Pteropodidae) in Southern Thailand . Mammal Study, 40, 47–52 .

Barlow K E , Briggs P A,  Haysom K A, Hutson A M, Lechiara N L , Racey P A, Walsh A L,Langton S D  (2015). Citizen science reveals trends in bat populations: the National Bat Monitoring Programme in Great Britain. Biological Conservation, 182, 14-26.

Meyer C, Aguiar L, Aguirre L, Baumgarten J, Clarke F, Cosson J-F, Estrada-Villegas S, Fahr J, Faria D, Furey N, Henry M, Jenkins R, Kunz T, MacSwiney Gonzalez C, Moya I, Pons J-M, Racey P, Rex K, Sampaio E, Stoner K, Voigt C, von Staden D, Weise C, Kalko E (2015). Species undersampling in tropical bat surveys: effects on emerging biodiversity patterns. Journal of Animal Ecology, 84, 113-123.

Racey P A, Furey N M (2014) Are bats karst-dependent? Vespertilio, 17, 157-159.

Ju J, Yin J, Racey P, Zhang L, Li D, Wan D (2014). Extra-pair paternity in varied tits Poecile varius. Acta Ornithologica, 49, 131–137.

Bumrungsri S, Lang D, Harrower C,  Sripaoraya E, Kitpipit K, Racey P A (2013). The dawn bat, Eonycteris spelaea Dobson (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae) feeds mainly on pollen of economically important food plants in Thailand.  Acta Chiropterologica,15, 95-104.

Racey P A, Hutson, A M, Lina P H C (2012). Bat Rabies, Public health and European Bat Conservation. Zoonoses and Public Health, 60:58-68.

Andrianaivoarivelo A R, Petit E J, Razafindrakoto N , Racey P A(2012).Alimentation et dispersion des grains chez  Roussetus madagascariensis Grandidier 1928 dans le nord-ouest de Madagascar.  Revue d'Ecologie - La Terre et La Vie, 67 (2), 179 - 191.

Yin J, Racey P, Li J, Zhang Y (2012). The ovarian cycle  of the fish Leptobotia elongate Bleeker, endemic to China. Pakistan Journal of Zoology, 44, 997-1005.

Andrianaivoarivelo A R, Jenkins R K B, Petit E J, Ramilijaona O, Razafindrakoto N, Racey P A (2012). Rousettus madagascariensis (Chiroptera:Pteropodidae) shows a preference for native an commercially unimportant fruits.  Endangered Species Research, 19,19-27.

FuJun X, KaiLiang H, TengTeng Z, Racey P, Xuzhong W, Yi S (2012). Behaioural evidence for cone-based ultraviolet vision in divergent bat species and implications for its evolution. Zoologia, 29, 109-114.

Xuan F, Hu K, Zhu T, Racey P, Wang X, Zhang S, Sun Y (2012). Immunohistochemical evidence of cone-based ultraviolet vision in divergent bat species and implications for its evolution. Comparative Biochemistry and  Physiology B: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. 161(4), 398-403.

Andrianaivoarivelo  R, Andriafidison D, Rahaingonirina C, Raharimbola S, Rakotoarivelo A A,   Ramilijoana O, Racey P A, Jenkins R K B (2011) A conservation assessment of Rousettus madagascarinesis (Grandidier 1929, Pteropodidae) roosts in Eastern Madagascar. Madagascar Conservation and Development, 6, 78-82.

Puechmaille S J , Frick W F,  Kunz T H, Racey P A, Voigt C C, Wibbelt G, Teeling E C(2011) White-nose syndrome: Is this emerging disease a threat to European bats? TREE, 26, 570-576.

Meyer C F J, Aguiar L M S,  Aguirre L F, Baumgarten J, Clarke F M, Cosson J-F, Estrada Villegas S, Fahr J,  Faria D,  Furey N, Henry M,  Hodgkison R,  Jenkins R K B, Jung K G, Kingston T, TKunz T H,  MacSwiney Gonzalez M C, Moya, I, Patterson B D, Pons J-M, Racey P A, Rex K, Sampaio E M, Solari S, Stoner K E,  Voigt C C,  von Staden D, Weise C D, Kalko E K V (2011). Accounting for detectability improves estimates of species richness in tropical bat surveys.  Journal of Applied Ecology, 48, 777-787.

Mbete  R A,  Banga-Mboko H,   Racey P, Mfoukou-Ntsakala A,  Nganga I , Vermeulen C, Doucet J-L,  Hornick J-L, Leroy P (2011). Household Bushmeat Consumption in Brazzaville. Tropical Conservation Science, 4,187-202.

Yin J-X, Wang H-M, Racey P, Zhang S-Y (2011) Microanatomy of the skin of the fishing bat Myotis ricketti. Pakistan Journal of Zoology, 43, 387-392.

Hoffmann M, Hilton-Taylor C,  Angulo A,  Böhm M, Brooks T M, Butchart S H M, Carpenter K E, Chanson J, Collen B, Cox N A, Darwall W R T,  Dulvy N K, Harrison L R, Katariya V, Pollock C M , Quader S,  Richman N I, Rodrigues A S L, Tognelli T F,  Vié J-C , Aguiar J M,  Allen D J,  Allen G R, Amori G,  Ananjeva N B,  Andreone F, Andrew P, Ortiz A L A, Baillie J E M, Baldi R, Bell B D, Biju S D, Bird J P, Black-Decima P,  Blanc J J,  Bolaños F, Bolivar-G W, Burfield I J, Burton J A, Capper D R, Castro F, Catullo G, Cavanagh R D, Channing A, Chao N L, Chenery A M, Chiozza F, Clausnitzer V, Collar N J,  Collett L C, Collette B B, Fernandez C F C, Craig M T, Crosby M J, Cumberlidge N, Cuttelod A, Derocher A E,  Diesmos A C,  Donaldson J S, Duckworth J W, Dutson G, Dutta S K, Emslie R H, Farjon A, Fowler S, Freyhof J, Garshelis D L, Gerlach J, Gower D J, Grant T D, Hammerson G A, Harris R B,  Heaney L R, Hedges S B, Hero J-M, Hughes B, Hussain S A,  Icochea M J, Inger R F, Ishii N, Iskandar D T, Jenkins R K B, Kaneko Y, Kottelat M, Kovacs K M, Kuzmin S L, La Marca E, Lamoreux J F, Lau M W N, Lavilla E O, Leus K, Lewison R L, Lichtenstein G,   Livingstone R, Lukoschek V, Mallon D P, McGowan P J K, McIvor A, Moehlman P D,  Molur S, Alonso A M,  Musick, J A, Nowell K, Nussbaum R A, Olech W, Orlov N L, Papenfuss T J,Parra-Olea G, Perrin W F, Polidoro B A, Pourkazemi M, Racey P A, Ragle J S, Ram M,  Rathbun G, Reynolds R P, Rhodin A G J, Richards S J, Rodríguez L O, Ron S R, Rondinini C, Rylands A B, Sadovy de Mitcheson Y, Sanciangco J C, Sanders K L, Santos-Barrera G, Schipper J, Self-Sullivan C,  Shi Y, Shoemaker A,  Short F T, Sillero-Zubiri C, Silvano D L, Smith K G,  Smith A T, Snoeks J, Stattersfield A J, Symes A J, Taber A B, Talukdar B K, Temple H J, Timmins R, Tobias J A, Tsytsulina K, Tweddle D, Ubeda C, Valenti S V, van Dijk P P, Veiga L M, Veloso L,  Wege D C, Wilkinson M,  Williamson E A,  Xie F, Young B E, Akçakaya H R, Bennun L, Blackburn T M,  Boitani L, Dublin H T, da Fonseca G A B,  Gascon C, Lacher T E, Mace G M, Mainka S A,  McNeely J A,  Mittermeier R A, Reid G M, Rodriguez J P, Rosenberg, A A, Samways, M J, Smart, J,  Stein B A, S. N. Stuart. (2010). The Impact of Conservation on the Status of the World’s Vertebrates. Science, 330, 1503-1509.

Meyer C F J,  Aguiar L M S, Aguirre L F, Baumgarten J, Clarke F M, Cosson J-F, Estrada Villegas S, Fahr J,  Faria D,  Furey N, Henry M, Hodgkison R, Jenkins R K B, Jung K, Kingston T, Kunz T H, MacSwiney Gonzalez M C,  Moya I, Pons J M, Racey P A,  Rex K, Sampaio E M, Stoner K E, Voigt C C, von Staden D,  Weise C D, Kalko E K V (2010) Long-term monitoring of tropical bats for anthropogenic impact assessment: gauging the statistical power to detect population change. Biological Conservation, 143,2797-2807.

Ralisata M, Andriamboavonjy F R, Rakotondravony D, Ravoahangimalala O R, Randrianandrianina F H, Racey P A (2010). Monastic Myzopoda: the foraging and roosting ecology of a sexually segregated Malagasy endemic bat.  Journal of Zoology, London, 282,130-139.

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External Engagement and Impact

Awards/Honorary fellowships

2015 Honorary Life Membership, Bat Conservation Trust
2010 Honorary Fellowship: American Society of Mammalogy for ‘distinguished service to the science of mammalogy’.
2009-2011 Leverhulme Emeritus Fellowship
2009 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Bat Conservation Trust
2008 One of BBC Wildlife’s 50 “Conservation Heroes”
1996 Mammal Society Medal for “outstanding contribution in the fields of mammalian reproduction and ecology”
1995 Gerrit S. Miller Award  “in recognition of outstanding service and contribution to the field of chiropteran biology”

Committee/panel activities

Inter-governmental Agreements

1994- Member of British delegation to the UNEP/EUROBATS Advisory Committee

Conservation NGOs:

IUCN Species Survival Commission
1986- member, Bat Specialist Group (formerly Chair, then Joint Chair)

People Trust for Endangered Species
2000- Mammal Grants Panel

Bat Conservation Trust
1998- Vice President
2001- Science and Conservation Advisor

Bat Conservation International

1985- Scientific Advisory Board

The Lubee Bat Conservancy, Florida 
1991- Scientific Advisory Board
1995- Steering Committee

Chiroptera Conservation and Information Network for South Asia 
2000- Facilitator of workshops on ‘How to Study Bats’ (in Kerala, India; Karachi and Islamabad, Pakistan; Sri Lanka: Kathmandu and Pokhara, Nepal; Wangue, Bhutan).

Madagasikara Voakajy
2005- Co-Founder, and member, General Assembly

South East Asia Bat Conservation Research Unit

2007- Steering Committee

Small Mammals Conservation and Research Foundation, Nepal
2009- Advisor

Research institutes:

Harrison Institute
1999- Trustee

Editorial responsibilities

Member - Editorial Boards of Endangered Species Research, Acta Theriologica and  Acta Chiropterologica.

Invited lectures

2010 Second International Berlin Bat Meeting: Bat Biology and Infectious Disease
2010 Fifteenth International Bat Research Conference, Prague

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