Valentín Zárate

Address: Puerto Rico s/n, Puerto Iguazú, Misiones, Argentina

Phone: +54351 3852365

Email: valentinzarateee@gmail.com

Current Position

Postdoctoral Researcher (2026–Present) – Instituto de Biología Subtropical (IBS), CONICET–UNaM, Argentina.
Project: The jaguar (Panthera onca) as a focal species for assessing ecological connectivity and guiding land-use planning in the Atlantic Forest.

Academic Degrees

Ph.D. in Biological Sciences (2020-2026) - Instituto de Biología Subtropical (IBS) , National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Argentina
Biologist (2013-2018) - Faculty of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences (FCEFyN), National University of Córdoba (UNC), Argentina. Academic GPA: 9.43/10. Awarded "Best Academic GPA" of the FCEFyN.

Languages

Spanish - Native:
English - Advanced:

Software and Programming

R and R Markdown - Advanced:

Code Examples: Search Cycle SIM_AKDE
GIS (Geographic Information Systems) - Advanced:
HTML, CSS and JavaScript - Intermediate:

Articles and Short Communications

Zárate, V., Torge, I., Tujague, M.P., Costa, S.A., Gurarie, E., Agostini, I. & Di Bitetti, M.S. "Diversionary feeding reshapes primate movement and reduces bark-stripping in pine plantations" - Forest Ecology and Managment. In Press
Zárate, V., Torge, I., Foletto, F.L., Tujague, M.P., Agostini, I. & Di Bitetti, M.S. "Why do primates bark-strip pines in plantations? Seasonal profitability as a key driver" - Forest Ecology and Managment. 2026
Zárate, V., Tujague, M.P., Torge, I., Lamattina, D., Agostini, I. & Di Bitetti, M.S. "Moonlight: a neglected driver of primate sleep ecology" - Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 2026
Zárate, V. & Juncosa A.S. "Woodpeckers in a Neotropical city select exotic trees with low wood density for cavity excavation " - Ornithol. Appl. (Under Review)
Zárate, V., Torge, I., Tujague, M.P., Baldovino, M.C., Arrabal, J.P., Vanderhoeven, E., Agostini, I., Di Bitetti, M.S. "Movement ecology and conservation of capuchin monkeys in pine plantation landscapes" - Biological Conservation. 2025
Juncosa-Polzella, A.S. & Zárate, V. "Experience Increases Defensive Responses of White-fronted Woodpeckers Toward the Invasive European Starling" - IBIS. 2025
Zárate, V., Mufari, J.R. Abalos-Luna, L.G. Villareal, D.P. & Busso, J.M. "Feeding behaviour of Lesser anteaters in response to social insects: selectivity on the basis of nutritional assessment" - Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens. 2022
Zárate, V. "Comportamiento agresivo en hembras de Jacana spinosa" - Zeledonia. 2020
Merlo, F., Orso, G.A. & Zárate, V. "Observaciones del comportamiento de ingreso a cavidades del Vencejo de Collar" - Nótulas Faunísticas. 2020
Juncosa, A.S., Merlo, F., Cura, M. & Zárate, V."Presence of small owls in relation to habitat attributes" - El Hornero. 2020
Zárate, V. & Juncosa, A.S. "Usurpación de nido de Carpintero del Cardón por parte de Estornino Pinto" - Nuestras Aves. 2020
Juncosa, A.S. & Zárate, V."Nido de Lechuzón Orejudo en Salta, Argentina" - Nuestras Aves. 2020
Zárate, V. & Juncosa, A.S."Vocal activity of the Great Potoo in relation to moonlight in a tropical forest of Costa Rica" - Ornitología Neotropical. 2020

Funding

The Galante Family Winery Conservation Scholarship. Training program at Dr. Eliezer Gurarie’s Wildlife Ecology Lab, State University of New York (SUNY), USA, supported by The International Primatological Society. USD 2500 - IPS - GFWCS
Latin American Fellowship. Living among Gaps: Movement Ecology and Conservation of Black Capuchins in Intensively Harvested Argentine Pine Plantations. USD 1750 - American Society of Mammologists
International Primatological Society. Living among Gaps: Movement Ecology and Conservation of Black Capuchins in Intensively Harvested Argentine Pine Plantations. USD 1500 - IPS
Rufford 2nd Small Grant. Understanding Capuchin Bark Stripping Behaviour: from Conflict to Primate-Friendly Forestry. USD 8800 - Rufford Foundation
Course Scholarship. Animal space use and movement analysis in R. USD 500 - Smithsonian - George Mason University
Idea Wild Grant. Conflict mitigation of primates in plantation landscapes: the case of black capuchin monkeys, Sapajus nigritus, in the Atlantic Forest of Argentina. USD 1500 - Idea Wild
Seed Grant. Conflict mitigation of primates in plantation landscapes: black capuchin monkeys (Sapajus nigritus) as a model. USD 2500 - The Alongside Wildlife Foundation
Rufford 1st Small Grant. Conflict mitigation of primates damaging tree plantations: the case of black capuchin monkeys, Sapajus nigritus, in the Atlantic Forest of Argentina. USD 8800 - Rufford Foundation
Scholarship Grant. Organization for Tropical Studies (OET). La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica - OET

Conferences and Webinars

Zárate, V., Torge, I., Petracchini, S., Díaz, J., Tujague, M. P., Agostini, I., Di Bitetti, M. S. "Pine Bark Stripping by Black Capuchin Monkeys: Understanding to Mitigate the Conflict". XXX Argentine Ecology Meeting, Río Negro, Argentina. 2023.
Zárate, V., Torge, I., Petracchini, S. O., Colli, L., Tujague, M. P., Di Blanco, Y. E., Agostini, I., Di Bitetti, M. S. "Space Use by Black Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus nigritus) in Forest Plantation Landscapes of Northeastern Argentina". International Primatological Society Congress, Malaysia, Symposium. 2023.
Zárate, V., Torge, I., Petracchini, S., Tujague, M. P., Domínguez, G., Agostini, I., Di Bitetti, M. S. "Seasonal Profitability of Pine Phloem (Pinus taeda): Understanding Bark Stripping by Black Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus nigritus)". XIX Forestry and Environmental Technical Workshops, Misiones, Argentina. 2023.
Zárate, V., Torge, I., Agostini, I., Di Bitetti, M. S. "Forest Health & Wildlife: Behavior and Effect of Forest-Damaging Mammals". Webinar organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the University of Pretoria, South Africa. 2024.
Zárate, V., Torge, I., Arrabal, J. P., Costa, S., Vanderhoeven, E., Lamattina, D., Catania, A., Daldoss, A. I., Di Blanco, Y. E., Tujague, M. P., Baldovino, M. C., Agostini, I., Di Bitetti, M. S. "Home Ranges and Movements of Black Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus nigritus) in Forest Plantations and Protected Areas". XXXV Argentine Mastozoology Conference, San Luis, Argentina. 2024.
Di Blanco, Y. E., Vanderhoeven, E., Arrabal, J. P., Zárate, V., Quiroga, V. A., Di Bitetti, M. S. "Movements of Giant Armadillos (Priodontes maximus) in Areas with Different Levels of Protection and Disturbance in the Argentine Chaco". XXXV Argentine Mastozoology Conference, San Luis, Argentina. 2024.
Catania, A., Zárate, V., Torge, I., Daldoss, A. I., Di Bitetti, M. S. "Inference of Group Behaviors in Wild Primates: An Approach Applied to Black Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus nigritus)". XXXV Argentine Mastozoology Conference, San Luis, Argentina. 2024.
Daldoss, A. I., Torge, I., Zárate, V., Di Bitetti, M. S. "Effectiveness of Awareness Campaigns to Reduce Food Provisioning to Wild Mammals in Protected Areas". XXXV Argentine Mastozoology Conference, San Luis, Argentina. 2024.
Zárate, V., Torge, I., Arrabal, J. P., Costa, S., Vanderhoeven, E., Lamattina, D., Ruffener, Y. A., Catania, A., Di Blanco, Y. E., Tujague, M. P., Agostini, I., Di Bitetti, M. S. "Ecology of Black Capuchin Monkeys’ (Sapajus nigritus) Movements in Forest Plantations of Northeastern Argentina". V Engineering and Applied Sciences Congress of the Three Borders, Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil. 2024.
Juncosa-Polzella, A. S., Zárate, V. "Recognizing the Invader: White-Fronted Woodpecker vs. Starlings in Córdoba, Argentina". II Ornithology Congress of the Americas, Brazil. Oral Presentation. 2023.
Zárate, V., Mufari, J. R., Chiapero, F., Abalos-Luna, L. G., Villareal, D. P., Busso, J. M. "Behavioral Assessment of Tamandua tetradactyla to Food Stimuli". XXVIII Argentine Ecology Meeting, Buenos Aires, Argentina. 2018.
Insaurralde, A., Tujague, M. P., Velazco, S., Zárate, V., Di Bitetti, M. S. "Pine Crops Consumption by Black Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus nigritus) in Misiones: Sampling Design for Predictive Models of Ecological Risk". XIX Forestry and Environmental Technical Workshops, Misiones, Argentina. Poster. 2023.

Internships

Formation Internship. Four months internship in Movement Ecology at Gurarie's Lab, State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF), USA. 2025
Research Internship. Three months internship at La Selva Biologica Station, Costa Rica (Organization for Tropical Studies) to conduct a research project on owl's ecology and to assist on other projects and activities at the biological station. 2020
Fieldwork Internship. One months internship helping PhD project on mitigation strategies for foxes and pumas depredation of cattle, Universidad Nacional del Sur, Buenos Aires, ARG. 2019.

Courses

Graduate Course. "Spatial Ecology". Institute for Advanced Space Studies "Mario Gullich", National Commission on Space Activities, ARG. 2024.
Course. "Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis". XXVIII Scientific Meeting of the Argentine Group of Biostatistics, University of Buenos Aires, ARG. 2024.
Course. "Introduction to Structural Equation Models". XXVIII Scientific Meeting of the Argentine Group of Biostatistics, University of Buenos Aires, ARG. 2024.
Graduate Course. "EcoMov 2024: Animal Movement Analysis Course". Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (UFMS), Brazil. 2024.
Graduate Course. "Epistemology of Science". FCEFyN, UNC, Córdoba, ARG. 2024.
Graduate Course. "Animal Space Use and Movement Analysis in R". (2 months). George Mason University – Smithsonian Institution, United States. 2023.
Graduate Course. "Strategic Management of Wildlife Damage". FCEFyN, UNC, Córdoba, ARG. 2023.
Graduate Course. "Statistics". FCEFyN, UNC, Córdoba, ARG. 2023.
Graduate Course. "Introduction to Bayesian Statistical Methods in Ecology". University of Buenos Aires, ARG. 2022.
Graduate Course. "Advanced Statistical Methods in Ecology and Evolution". University of the Republic, Uruguay. 2022.
Telemetry Systems Usage Course. Telenax, Pochitronick, and Fundación Cabure-í. 2021.
Graduate Course. "Tropical Ecology and Conservation" (3 months). OET, Costa Rica. 2020.
Graduate Course. "R Applied to Ecology: From Individuals to Communities". FCEFyN, UNC, Córdoba, ARG. 2019.

Teaching and Outreach Experience

Teaching Assistant in Graduate Course. Specialization in Conservation Biology, UNaM. Topic taught: “Movement Ecology”. Instructors: Dr. Yamil Di Blanco and Dr. Ilaria Agostini. 2023.
Teaching Assistant in Graduate Course. Specialization in Conservation Biology, UNaM. Topic taught: “Human-Wildlife Conflicts”. Instructors: Dr. Mario Di Bitetti. 2023.
Teaching Assistant in Graduate Course. Specialization in Conservation Biology, UNaM. Topic taught: “Space Use and Movements in Fragmented Landscapes”. Instructor: Dr. Carlos De Angelo. 2023.
Graduate Teaching Assistant. Introduction to Zoology and Entomology, Faculty of Forestry Sciences, UNaM. 2021-2022.
Science Outreach Fellow. University Extension Project, UNC. “Zoo and Conservation”. Director: Dr. María Carla Lábaque. 2018.
Alternate Coordinator. "Science for Assembly" Program, Secretariat of Science and Technology (SECyT), FCEFyN, UNC. Director: Dr. María Carla Lábaque. 2018-2019.
Lead Instructor. Subject: Biology (High School Level). Escuela Nueva Juan Mantovani. 2018-2019.
Presenter. "Informative Talks on Snakes of Córdoba, Argentina". Applied Zoology Center, FCEFyN, UNC. Coordinator: Dr. Gerardo Leynaud. 2016-2017.

Mentoring and Human Resource Training

Assistant Supervisor. Antonella Catania. Undergraduate Thesis in Biological Sciences, University of Buenos Aires. 2024-2025. Topic: "Inference of Group Behaviors in Wild Primates using Hidden Markov Models: An Applied Approach in Black Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus nigritus)".
Co-supervisor. Tamara Aurora Belén Friedenberger. Internship Fellowship from the National Interuniversity Council, Argentina. 2021-2022. Topic: "Bark Stripping in Pine Plantations in Misiones by Black Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus nigritus): Causes of the Problem, Risk Prediction, and Mitigation Measures."