{"title":"Consumption of putrescent carrion by a free-ranging western Montpellier snake Malpolon monspessulanus","authors":"Grégory Deso, Xavier Bonnet","doi":"10.33256/hb165.45","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33256/hb165.45","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":35972,"journal":{"name":"Herpetological Bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43389598","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Scarfing - a novel agonistic behaviour between a copulating and a competing male northern viper Vipera berus","authors":"Nigel Hand","doi":"10.33256/hb165.2930","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33256/hb165.2930","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":35972,"journal":{"name":"Herpetological Bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41437906","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The Caucasian pit viper Gloydius caucasicus is one of six snake species that is frequently reported as a cause of venomous snakebite in Iran. We present the results of successful captive breeding of 20 Caucasian pit vipers (10 males and 10 females) collected in August 2018 from the Lar National Park, northern Iran. Mating and copulatory behaviours were observed from mid-June to early July 2019. Five of the ten females gave birth with parturition occurring from 10 to 13 September, when 17 vipers were born in litter sizes ranging from 2 to 5. The present captive breeding programme has been successful and shows potential for both venom production and support for conservation by reducing the demand for wild caught specimens.
{"title":"Captive breeding and ex-situ conservation of the Caucasian pit viper Gloydius caucasicus","authors":"Faezeh Fatemizadeh, Alireza Mohammadi, Mohsen Kaboli","doi":"10.33256/hb165.510","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33256/hb165.510","url":null,"abstract":"The Caucasian pit viper Gloydius caucasicus is one of six snake species that is frequently reported as a cause of venomous snakebite in Iran. We present the results of successful captive breeding of 20 Caucasian pit vipers (10 males and 10 females) collected in August 2018 from the Lar National Park, northern Iran. Mating and copulatory behaviours were observed from mid-June to early July 2019. Five of the ten females gave birth with parturition occurring from 10 to 13 September, when 17 vipers were born in litter sizes ranging from 2 to 5. The present captive breeding programme has been successful and shows potential for both venom production and support for conservation by reducing the demand for wild caught specimens.","PeriodicalId":35972,"journal":{"name":"Herpetological Bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43913697","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Dor beetle Anoplotrupes stercorosus found within the flank of a live northern viper Vipera berus","authors":"Nigel Hand","doi":"10.33256/hb165.3738","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33256/hb165.3738","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":35972,"journal":{"name":"Herpetological Bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48427692","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
T blind European cave salamander or olm Proteus anguinus is a large and slender neotenous salamander, only found naturally in the western Balkans (Speybroeck et al., 2016). Their maximum length varies according to which river basin they inhabit but is typically 25–55 cm. They are characterised by their pinkish-white colouration, paddle-like tail, and reduced number of digits on all four limbs. The species inhabits both flowing and stagnant subterranean waterbodies in karstic limestone formations throughout their range, as long as these are chemically unpolluted waters, with a stable temperature range of 8–15 °C. Proteus anguinus are almost always observed in caves, for which they have a number of adaptations to allow them to survive such a challenging environment (Hervant et al., 2001; Issartel et al., 2009; Balázs et al., 2020). Due to their specialised adaptations to subterranean life, P. anguinus are particularly vulnerable to changes to the karst ecosystems they inhabit, such as contamination from anthropogenic sources (Kolar, 2019). The European cave salamander also has no known predators within its natural underground habitats. The dice snake Natrix tessellata is a semi-aquatic species that may grow to over a metre in length and is found throughout most of central and south-eastern Europe (Speybroeck et al., 2016). Natrix tessellata is typically olivegreen or brown in colour with four rows of square-like black blotches along the body, although not all individuals are marked in this way. The species feeds primarily on fish and amphibians (Hutinec & Mebert, 2011; Weiperth et al., 2014), and inhabits both freshwater and saltwater environments such as lakes and shorelines (Speybroeck et al., 2016). On 4 July 2021, a P. anguinus was observed near the town of Trebinje (Bosnia and Herzegovina) swimming in a small stream after inadvertently straying out of a nearby cave system (Fig. 1). While seeking shelter under nearby boulders, the P. anguinus was dislodged by a juvenile N. tessellata, which latched onto the tail (BHS video, 2023). The N. tessellata was far too small to be able to consume the P. anguinus, and may have mistaken the tail for a smaller prey item. Unfortunately, the P. anguinus later died as a likely consequence of being flushed into sub-optimal conditions in the strong flow of the adjacent Trebišnjica River. The individual was some 36 cm in length and so almost certainly a fully mature adult P. anguinus. The N. tessellata is gauged to be approximately 54 cm long. These body-length measurements were estimated against those of the easily recognisable rocks in the video recording, and were accurately measured at a later date. A few minutes after the start of the confrontation, both animals were washed out into the strong flow of the surface river, and not observed again. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, this iconic amphibian is endemic to certain parts of only five river basins, where they live in many cave ecosystems of the Dinaric Karst.
T盲欧洲洞穴蝾螈或olm Proteus放血蝾螈是一种大型细长的新发蝾螈,仅在巴尔干半岛西部自然发现(Speybroeck et al.,2016)。它们的最大长度因栖息的流域而异,但通常为25-55厘米。它们的特点是粉白色,尾巴像桨一样,四肢的手指数量减少。该物种栖息在岩溶石灰岩地层中流动和停滞的地下水体中,只要这些水体是化学上未受污染的水域,温度稳定在8-15°C。血变形菌几乎总是在洞穴中观察到,它们对洞穴有许多适应能力,使它们能够在如此具有挑战性的环境中生存(Hervant等人,2001;Issartel等人,2009年;Balázs等人,2020)。由于其对地下生活的特殊适应,血P.hygenus特别容易受到其所居住的喀斯特生态系统变化的影响,例如人为来源的污染(Kolar,2019)。欧洲洞穴蝾螈在其地下自然栖息地也没有已知的捕食者。骰子蛇Natrix testella是一种半水生物种,长度可能超过一米,分布在中欧和东南欧的大部分地区(Speybroeck等人,2016)。Natrix镶嵌通常是橄榄色或棕色,身体上有四排方形的黑色斑点,尽管并非所有个体都有这种标记。该物种主要以鱼类和两栖动物为食(Hutinec&Mebert,2011;Weiperth等人,2014),栖息在湖泊和海岸线等淡水和盐水环境中(Speybroeck等人,2016)。2021年7月4日,在Trebinje镇(波斯尼亚和黑塞哥维那)附近,观察到一只白鳍豚无意中从附近的洞穴系统中走失,在一条小溪中游泳(图1)。当在附近的巨石下寻找庇护时,这只P.hemenus被一只幼年的N.testella赶走,它抓住了尾巴(BHS视频,2023)。镶嵌猪笼草太小了,无法吃掉放血猪笼草,可能把尾巴误认为是较小的猎物。不幸的是,由于在邻近的Trebišnjica河的强劲水流中被冲到次优条件下,P.heminus后来很可能死亡。这个个体长约36厘米,因此几乎可以肯定是一个完全成熟的成年血亲。根据测量,N.tesella大约有54厘米长。这些体长测量值是根据视频记录中易于识别的岩石进行估计的,并在以后进行了精确测量。对峙开始几分钟后,两只动物都被冲到了地表河流的强劲水流中,没有再被观察到。在波斯尼亚和黑塞哥维那,这种标志性的两栖动物是仅有五个流域的某些地区的特有物种,它们生活在迪纳里克喀斯特的许多洞穴生态系统中。在降雨量异常高的时期,血蛙可以从地下水生栖息地被冲到邻近的地表水道中,如我们在这里报道的观察结果,尽管当地媒体很少报道这种观察结果。该物种具有非常好的生存策略,包括自然向上游游泳(正流变性)(Durand&Parzefall,1987;Herpetology Bulletin 1652023:34-35
{"title":"Attempted predation of a cave olm Proteus anguinus by a dice water snake Natrix tessellata, in Bosnia and Herzegovina","authors":"Brian Lewarne, S. J. R. Allain","doi":"10.33256/hb165.3435","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33256/hb165.3435","url":null,"abstract":"T blind European cave salamander or olm Proteus anguinus is a large and slender neotenous salamander, only found naturally in the western Balkans (Speybroeck et al., 2016). Their maximum length varies according to which river basin they inhabit but is typically 25–55 cm. They are characterised by their pinkish-white colouration, paddle-like tail, and reduced number of digits on all four limbs. The species inhabits both flowing and stagnant subterranean waterbodies in karstic limestone formations throughout their range, as long as these are chemically unpolluted waters, with a stable temperature range of 8–15 °C. Proteus anguinus are almost always observed in caves, for which they have a number of adaptations to allow them to survive such a challenging environment (Hervant et al., 2001; Issartel et al., 2009; Balázs et al., 2020). Due to their specialised adaptations to subterranean life, P. anguinus are particularly vulnerable to changes to the karst ecosystems they inhabit, such as contamination from anthropogenic sources (Kolar, 2019). The European cave salamander also has no known predators within its natural underground habitats. The dice snake Natrix tessellata is a semi-aquatic species that may grow to over a metre in length and is found throughout most of central and south-eastern Europe (Speybroeck et al., 2016). Natrix tessellata is typically olivegreen or brown in colour with four rows of square-like black blotches along the body, although not all individuals are marked in this way. The species feeds primarily on fish and amphibians (Hutinec & Mebert, 2011; Weiperth et al., 2014), and inhabits both freshwater and saltwater environments such as lakes and shorelines (Speybroeck et al., 2016). On 4 July 2021, a P. anguinus was observed near the town of Trebinje (Bosnia and Herzegovina) swimming in a small stream after inadvertently straying out of a nearby cave system (Fig. 1). While seeking shelter under nearby boulders, the P. anguinus was dislodged by a juvenile N. tessellata, which latched onto the tail (BHS video, 2023). The N. tessellata was far too small to be able to consume the P. anguinus, and may have mistaken the tail for a smaller prey item. Unfortunately, the P. anguinus later died as a likely consequence of being flushed into sub-optimal conditions in the strong flow of the adjacent Trebišnjica River. The individual was some 36 cm in length and so almost certainly a fully mature adult P. anguinus. The N. tessellata is gauged to be approximately 54 cm long. These body-length measurements were estimated against those of the easily recognisable rocks in the video recording, and were accurately measured at a later date. A few minutes after the start of the confrontation, both animals were washed out into the strong flow of the surface river, and not observed again. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, this iconic amphibian is endemic to certain parts of only five river basins, where they live in many cave ecosystems of the Dinaric Karst. ","PeriodicalId":35972,"journal":{"name":"Herpetological Bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47045865","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
L. M. Botelho, Alexandro Kenor DA SILVA, Iberê Farina Machado, Ivan Sazima, E. Muscat
S snake species use the tail as a lure to attract potential prey within striking distance. Caudal luring is mostly recorded for the Boidae, Colubridae, Dipsadidae, Elapidae, and Viperidae (Murphy et al., 1978; Sazima & Puorto, 1993; Sazima, 2006; Hagmant et al., 2008; Andrade et al., 2010). An extreme example of elaborate caudal luring displayed to attract birds is that of the viperid Pseudocerastes urarachnoides, whose tail tip bears an extraordinary resemblance to a spider (Fathinia et al., 2015). One or two snake species use the tail to flush potential prey from their shelters and cause them to move. The movement attracts the attention of the snake, which attempts to catch the fleeing prey. This poking behaviour is recorded for the dipsadid Hydrodynastes gigas (Strüssmann & Sazima, 1990) and is suggested for the dipsadid Echinanthera undulata (Gomes & Marques, 2012). We describe here another hunting tactic scanning with the use of tail and body to flush fish prey from crevices in tide pools, displayed by the dipsadid water snake Erythrolamprus miliaris. Tail poking differs from scanning by the use of tail only (Strüssmann & Sazima, 1990). This water snake has a wide distribution in South America, recorded from Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina, and Uruguay (Giraudo, 2006). It dwells in different habitats including lakes, rivers, swamps, mangroves, and occasionally tide pools and beaches (Sazima & Haddad, 1992; Marques & Souza, 1993; Duarte et al., 2014, Rocha-Lima et al., 2018; Van der Burg, 2020). Erythrolamprus miliaris is an opportunistic and generalist feeder, preying on fish, amphibians, reptiles, and small mammals (Van der Burg, 2020; Eisfeld et al., 2021), and even scavenges on roadkill frogs smashed to pieces (Gomes et al., 2017). We recorded an E. miliaris individual on 30 October 2022, at 12:25 h at the Pontinha beach (25° 33’47.2” S, 48° 19’06.5” W, WGS84, 9 m a.s.l.), in the Ilha do Mel, Paranaguá, Paraná, Brazil. It searched for prey in a tide pool and displayed a hunting tactic we are calling ‘tail and body scanning’. The sequence of events can be viewed on the video we made of its behaviour (BHS video, 2023). The snake had its head out of the water (Fig. 1A) when it began to make waving movements with the tail and part of the body to scan the tide pool. This scanning flushed out a frillfin goby Bathygobius soporator, which was previously undetected by the snake (Fig. 1B). The scanning repeatedly disturbed the fish, which swam from one spot to another of the tide pool looking for a safe place. At one moment of the scanning, the goby swam towards a higher point of the pool, being quickly detected by the snake and was caught (Fig. 1C). The snake held the prey and carried it to a rock out of the water (Fig. 1D), where it was swallowed tail first. From our first sighting of the snake in the tide pool, the above-described event lasted about 1 min 15 s. This is the first report of tail and body scanning behaviour for E. mil
蛇类用尾巴作为诱饵,在攻击距离内吸引潜在的猎物。尾鳍诱捕主要记录在Boidae, colbridae, Dipsadidae, Elapidae和Viperidae (Murphy et al., 1978;Sazima & Puorto, 1993;Sazima, 2006;Hagmant et al., 2008;Andrade et al., 2010)。为吸引鸟类而展示的精心的尾鳍诱饵的一个极端例子是,具有毒蛇特征的pseudocerasturarachnoides,其尾端与蜘蛛非常相似(Fathinia et al., 2015)。有一两种蛇用尾巴把潜在的猎物从它们的藏身之处冲出来,使它们移动。这个动作吸引了蛇的注意,它试图抓住逃跑的猎物。这种戳戳行为被记录在dipsadid hydrodynastgigas (str ssmann & Sazima, 1990)中,并被建议用于dipsadid Echinanthera undulata (Gomes & Marques, 2012)。我们在这里描述了另一种狩猎策略,用尾巴和身体从潮汐池的缝隙中冲洗鱼的猎物,这是由disadid水蛇Erythrolamprus militaris展示的。戳尾不同于只使用尾巴进行扫描(str ssmann & Sazima, 1990)。这种水蛇在南美洲分布广泛,在巴西、厄瓜多尔、玻利维亚、巴拉圭、阿根廷和乌拉圭都有记录(Giraudo, 2006)。它生活在不同的栖息地,包括湖泊、河流、沼泽、红树林,偶尔也会有潮池和海滩(Sazima & Haddad, 1992;Marques & Souza, 1993;Duarte et al., 2014; Rocha-Lima et al., 2018;Van der Burg, 2020)。Erythrolamprus militaris是一种机会主义和多面手的捕食者,捕食鱼类、两栖动物、爬行动物和小型哺乳动物(Van der Burg, 2020;Eisfeld等人,2021),甚至食腐动物也会将公路上被杀死的青蛙撕成碎片(Gomes等人,2017)。我们于2022年10月30日12:25 h在巴西帕拉纳瓜的Ilha do Mel海滩(25°33′47.2”S, 48°19′06.5”W, WGS84, 9 m a.s.l.)记录了一只E. miliaris个体。它在潮汐池中寻找猎物,并展示了一种狩猎策略,我们称之为“尾巴和身体扫描”。事件的顺序可以在我们制作的视频中看到它的行为(BHS视频,2023)。当蛇的头露出水面时(图1A),它开始用尾巴和身体的一部分摆动动作来扫描潮汐池。这次扫描发现了一条褶鳍虾虎鱼(Bathygobius soporator),这条蛇以前没有发现过(图1B)。扫描反复扰乱了鱼,它从一个地方游到另一个地方,寻找一个安全的地方。在扫描的某个时刻,虾虎鱼游向水池的较高位置,很快被蛇发现并捕获(图1C)。这条蛇抓住猎物,把它带到一块露出水面的岩石上(图1D),在那里它先吞下了尾巴。从我们第一次在潮池中看到蛇开始,上述事件持续了大约1分15秒。这是第一篇关于棘足鼠尾巴和身体扫描行为的报道,据我们所知,这也是任何一篇关于棘足鼠尾巴和身体扫描行为的报道。《爬行动物通报》165,2023:39-40
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Adam W. Bland, Matthew Cook, J. Redbond, Ellie J. Mclaren, Sonny Welsh, Charlie Frelon, Matthew Swatman
The Asian giant river toad Phrynoidis asper is a large species of bufonid from south-east Asia that is apparently obtained by the international exotic-pet trade from wild populations. Captive breeding of this species seems not to have been documented. The donation to Chester Zoo in October 2021 of an adult group of five males and one female of this toad species provided an opportunity to study captive breeding. The specimens were maintained separated by sex until signs of reproductive condition were apparent and then they were placed together in a large breeding enclosure. This had three distinct environmental zones simulating a riverbank. Six days after mixing the sexes a large spawn mass was laid. On hatching, the tadpoles were transferred to a rearing aquarium and then, after reaching Gosner stage 42, the developing toads were transferred to terrestrial vivaria to complete development. Captive breeding of this species could replace collection from the wild.
{"title":"Husbandry and first record of captive breeding of the Asian giant river toad Phrynoidis asper","authors":"Adam W. Bland, Matthew Cook, J. Redbond, Ellie J. Mclaren, Sonny Welsh, Charlie Frelon, Matthew Swatman","doi":"10.33256/hb165.1620","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33256/hb165.1620","url":null,"abstract":"The Asian giant river toad Phrynoidis asper is a large species of bufonid from south-east Asia that is apparently obtained by the international exotic-pet trade from wild populations. Captive breeding of this species seems not to have been documented. The donation to Chester Zoo in October 2021 of an adult group of five males and one female of this toad species provided an opportunity to study captive breeding. The specimens were maintained separated by sex until signs of reproductive condition were apparent and then they were placed together in a large breeding enclosure. This had three distinct environmental zones simulating a riverbank. Six days after mixing the sexes a large spawn mass was laid. On hatching, the tadpoles were transferred to a rearing aquarium and then, after reaching Gosner stage 42, the developing toads were transferred to terrestrial vivaria to complete development. Captive breeding of this species could replace collection from the wild.","PeriodicalId":35972,"journal":{"name":"Herpetological Bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42612955","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sean Keuroghlian-Eaton, João Emílio DE ALMEIDA-JÚNIOR, T. Sinani, Ana Alice Cabral, Kelvin Yuiti Mori, Lauany Lima Serafim, D. Santana
{"title":"First account of armadillo burrow use by Caiman yacare in Brazil","authors":"Sean Keuroghlian-Eaton, João Emílio DE ALMEIDA-JÚNIOR, T. Sinani, Ana Alice Cabral, Kelvin Yuiti Mori, Lauany Lima Serafim, D. Santana","doi":"10.33256/hb164.3940","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33256/hb164.3940","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":35972,"journal":{"name":"Herpetological Bulletin","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42012394","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}