05 April 2024

Claudia Tranquillo
Curriculum vitae
Permanent address: via Monte Cengio, 12, 31044, Montebelluna (TV), Italy
Current address: via Carlo Cattaneo, 11, 21018, Sesto Calende (VA), Italy
email: claudia.tranquillo@gmail.com
web: https://claudiatranquillo.weebly.com/
ORCID: 0000-0002-7682-356X

Wildlife ecologist, interested in animal behavior, urban ecology, and conservation of mammals.
Excellent skills in planning and managing field activities; particularly for small mammals. Specific
expertise in animal ethology and ecology, space use, population dynamics, and physiology. My
actual research focuses on wildlife responses to the urban environment.

EDUCATION

2021 – present Ph.D., Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria
Project title: “Wildlife adaptation to urbanization: variation in personality, space use,
physiological stress and microbiota of Eurasian red squirrels”
Advisor: Prof. Adriano Martinoli

23/04/2021 M.S. Ecology and Ethology for Conservation of Nature – Università degli Studi di Parma
Internship at Università degli Studi dell’Insubria (Department of Theoretical and Applied
Sciences).
Thesis: “The presence of the Eastern grey squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis) and its effect on
the relationship between personality and the physiological stress response in the native
Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)”

12/10/2018 B.S. Natural Sciences – Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia
Internship at Università degli Studi di Udine (Department of Agri-Food, Environmental and
Animal Sciences)
Thesis: “Monitoraggio acustico della presenza dello sciacallo dorato (Canis aureus, L. 1758)
in Friuli Venezia Giulia”

1
 WORK EXPERIENCES

September 2023 – Tutor “Welcome Lab”, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria.

present
Orientation activities in welcoming new students, in collaboration with faculty and
administrative staff. Laboratory activities focusing on integration into the university
environment, self-awareness, promotion of academic success, and the management of
anxiety and emotions.
July – November Research grant, Department of Theoretical and Applied Sciences, Università degli Studi
2021 dell’Insubria: Bats monitoring in the alpine environment (Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio).
Title: “Analisi dell’influenza microclimatica e ambientale sulla scelta dei siti di rifugio da
parte dei Chirotteri”

PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

SUBMITTED

9. Davaasuren D., Mazzamuto M.V., Tranquillo C., Undrakhbayar E, Munkhtsog. B, Bayanmunkh U-U.,
Dolphin J., Sukhchuluun G., Koprowski J.L. Eurasian red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758)
and potential mesopredators in a Mongolian protected area. Submitted.
8. Tranquillo C., Santicchia F., Romeo C., Bisi F., Panzeri M., Preatoni D., Martinoli A., Alberti A.,
Wauters L.A. Going urban: variation in personality traits of an invasive species along an
urbanization gradient. Journal of Mammalogy: under review.

PUBLISHED n° of documents: 7 ORCHID: 0000-0002-7682-356X

H-index: 4 Scopus Author ID: 57433535400
Total citations: 34
Source: Scopus

7. Santicchia F., Tranquillo C., Wauters L.A., Palme R., Panzeri M., Preatoni D., Bisi F., Martinoli A.
Physiological stress response to urbanization differs between native and invasive squirrel species.
Science of the Total Environment 922: 171336. Doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171336
6. Tranquillo C., Bisi F., Wauters L.A., Preatoni D., Martinoli A., Santicchia F. (2023). The impact of
urbanisation on chipmunks, arboreal and flying squirrels: a global systematic review. Mammal
Review: mam.12335. Doi:10.1111/mam.12335
5. Tranquillo C., Wauters L.A., Santicchia F., Panzeri M., Preatoni D., Martinoli A., Bisi F. (2024). The
advantage of living in the city: effects of urbanization on body size and mass of native and alien
squirrels. Urban Ecosystems 27: 51-61. Doi:10.1007/s11252-023-01435-8
4. Santicchia F., Wauters L.A., Dantzer B., Palme R., Tranquillo C., Preatoni D., Martinoli A. (2022).
Native species exhibit physiological habituation to invaders: a reason for hope. Proceedings of the
Royal Society B 289: 20221022. Doi:10.1098/rspb.2022.1022

2
 3. Tranquillo C., Wauters L.A., Santicchia F., Preatoni D., Martinoli A. (2022). Living on the edge:
morphological and behavioral adaptations to a marginal high-elevation habitat in an arboreal
mammal. Integrative zoology 18: 746-761. Doi:10.1111/1749-4877.12679
2. Tranquillo C., Villa F., Wauters L.A., Dantzer B., Palme R., Preatoni D., Martinoli A., Santicchia F.
(2022). Physiological stress and spatio-temporal fluctuations of food abundance and population
density in Eurasian red squirrels. Hystrix, the Italian Journal of Mammalogy 33: 26-32.
Doi:10.4404/hystrix-00493-2021
1. Santicchia F., Wauters L.A., Tranquillo C., Villa F., Dantzer B., Palme R., Preatoni D., Martinoli A.
(2022). Invasive alien species as an environmental stressor and its effects on coping style in a native
competitor, the Eurasian red squirrel. Hormones and Behavior 140: 105127.
Doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105127

CONFERENCE CONTRIBUTIONS

5. “Urban Mammals” of the International School of Ethology “Danilo Mainardi”– Erice, Italy – 20 to 24
November 2023 Tranquillo C., Wauters L.A., Santicchia F., Panzeri M., Preatoni D., Martinoli A., Bisi
F. “The impact of urbanisation on the Eurasian red squirrel”
4. 13th International Mammalogical Congress – Anchorage, Alaska (Virtual) – 14 to 20 July 2023
Tranquillo C., Wauters L.A., Santicchia F., Panzeri M., Preatoni D., Martinoli A., Bisi F. “Native or
invasive alien squirrels: which are better adapted to urban life?”
3. IV Convegno Nazionale Gruppo Piccoli Mammiferi – Grosseto, Italy – 30 to 31 March 2023
Tranquillo C., Wauters L.A., Santicchia F., Panzeri M., Preatoni D., Martinoli A., Bisi F. “Scoiattoli di
città: effetti dell’urbanizzazione sulla morfologia di una specie nativa e di una invasive”
2. 17th Rodens et Spatium – Valladolid, Spain – 22 to 26 May 2023
Tranquillo C., Wauters L.A., Santicchia F., Preatoni D., Martinoli A. “Living on the edge: morphology
and personality of red squirrels in marginal habitat”.
1. XII Italian Congress of Mammalogy – Cogne, Italy – 8 to 11 June 2022
Tranquillo C., Wauters L.A., Santicchia F., Preatoni D., Martinoli A. “Living on the edge: morphology
and personality of red squirrels in marginal habitat”.

INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION

Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen – within the Earth
Hologenome Initiative.
Haub School of Environment & Natural Resources, University of Wyoming and Mammalian Ecology
Laboratory, Institute of Biology, Mongolian Academy of Sciences – Squirrel project in Bogd Khan Mountain,
UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Mongolia.

GRANTS AND AWARDS

2023 Società Italiana di Etologia. Workshop Travel Grant (100 €)

3
 TEACHING AND SUPERVISING

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

2024 Vimercati Mauro, B.S. thesis, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria – Title: “Analisi delle differenze
nell’uso dello spazio da parte dello scoiattolo comune europeo (Sciurus vulgaris L. 1758) in ambiente
urbano e rurale”
2023 Valentina Troglio, B.S. thesis, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria – Title: “Uso dello spazio da parte
dello scoiattolo comune europeo (Sciurus vulgaris L. 1758) in area suburbana”

LECTURE

Course “Eco-etologia della fauna terrestre”, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria. “Personality of squirrels”
(2h). Academic years 2022/23 and 2023/24.
Course “Eco-etologia della fauna terrestre”, Università degli Studi dell’Insubria. Support to teaching activity
“Radio-telemetry on squirrels” (4h). Academic year 2022/23.

MEMBERSHIPS

International Society for Behavioral Ecology (since 2024)

American Society of Mammalogists (since 2023)
Italian Mammal Society (since 2021)

OTHER COURSES AND CERTIFICATIONS

53rd Course of the International School of Ethology “Danilo Mainardi” on “Urban mammals”, Erice, 20 –
24/11/2023
Basic animal urgency licence (first aid), 2023
Workshop Le sfide dell’etologia applicata nell’Antropocene, Società Italiana di Etologia, 03/02/2023
Workshop Naturali Incontri, Stelvio National Park, 1/09/2022
Corse on biology, ecology, and ethology of different species of avifauna, with practical bird-ringing activity,
Biotropical Institute, 22 – 25/09/2018
Ability in the identification of animal tracks and signs acquired during specific courses-excursions:
• 03/03/2018: “Alla Scoperta delle Tracce e Segni della Fauna”, CyberTracker Italia;
• 22/07/2018: “Riconoscimento Tracce e Segni di Fauna Italiana – Modulo Mammiferi”, CyberTracker
Italia.
Survival courses organized by Cimone Outdoor ASD:
• intermediate level: 28 – 30/07/2017
• basic level: 24/04/2017 – 25/04/2017