Pub Date : 2020-07-08DOI: 10.1080/21564574.2020.1782484
L. Ceríaco, K. Tolley, M. P. Marques, M. Heinicke, A. Bauer
ABSTRACT The Angolan Adder, Bitis heraldica (Bocage, 1889), is endemic to the Angolan central plateau and is one of the most poorly known and rarely observed species of African snakes. The phylogenetic placement of B. heraldica within the four subgenera of the genus Bitis (Bitis, Macrocerastes, Calechidna, Keniabitis) has been problematic. The few recent taxonomic and phylogenetic revisions dealing with African viperids and the genus Bitis have not included this species, resulting in the default acceptance of B. heraldica as member of the subgenus Calechidna, based on similar morphology and size. During a survey in Huambo Province, central Angola, we collected the first specimen of this species in the past 65 years, allowing us to examine its phylogenetic relationships to other Bitis using multigene Bayesian and maximum likelihood analyses of all species of Bitis, except B. harenna. Contrary to expectations that B. heraldica is a member of the subgenus Calechidna, our results unambiguously place B. heraldica among members of the subgenus Macrocerastes, which contains the largest-bodied species of the genus. The placement of B. heraldica within Macrocerastes raises interesting questions about body-size evolution in viperids and contributes to a better understanding of biogeographic patterns in south-western Africa, and particularly Angola.
{"title":"A dwarf among giants: phylogenetic position of the elusive Angolan Adder (Bitis heraldica) and biogeographic affinities of Angolan Afromontane regions","authors":"L. Ceríaco, K. Tolley, M. P. Marques, M. Heinicke, A. Bauer","doi":"10.1080/21564574.2020.1782484","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21564574.2020.1782484","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The Angolan Adder, Bitis heraldica (Bocage, 1889), is endemic to the Angolan central plateau and is one of the most poorly known and rarely observed species of African snakes. The phylogenetic placement of B. heraldica within the four subgenera of the genus Bitis (Bitis, Macrocerastes, Calechidna, Keniabitis) has been problematic. The few recent taxonomic and phylogenetic revisions dealing with African viperids and the genus Bitis have not included this species, resulting in the default acceptance of B. heraldica as member of the subgenus Calechidna, based on similar morphology and size. During a survey in Huambo Province, central Angola, we collected the first specimen of this species in the past 65 years, allowing us to examine its phylogenetic relationships to other Bitis using multigene Bayesian and maximum likelihood analyses of all species of Bitis, except B. harenna. Contrary to expectations that B. heraldica is a member of the subgenus Calechidna, our results unambiguously place B. heraldica among members of the subgenus Macrocerastes, which contains the largest-bodied species of the genus. The placement of B. heraldica within Macrocerastes raises interesting questions about body-size evolution in viperids and contributes to a better understanding of biogeographic patterns in south-western Africa, and particularly Angola.","PeriodicalId":49247,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Herpetology","volume":"69 1","pages":"108 - 118"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2020-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/21564574.2020.1782484","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46473404","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-07-02DOI: 10.1080/21564574.2020.1832151
L. Ceríaco, Justin M. Bernstein, A. C. Sousa, M. P. Marques, A. Bauer, S. Norder
ABSTRACT The reptile fauna of Tinhosa Grande islet, Gulf of Guinea, comprises an endemic skink, Trachylepis adamastor, and an unidentified species of gecko of the genus Hemidactylus. Until recently, no molecular data were available for either species, impeding their phylogenetic placement. However, due to several synapomorphic characters, it was suggested that the Tinhosa Grande population would be related to the congeners of the neighbouring islands of Príncipe and São Tomé. In a recent survey of Tinhosa Grande islet we collected fresh material of both species, allowing us to examine their phylogenetic relationships to the other members of their respective genera occurring on the neighbouring islands using multigene Bayesian and maximum likelihood analyses. In contrast with the morphological results and previous taxonomic allocations, our molecular results suggest that both T. adamastor and the unidentified Hemidactylus sp. are conspecific with their Príncipe counterparts, Trachylepis principensis and Hemidactylus principensis. While today Tinhosa and Príncipe differ strongly in their environmental conditions, we show that the islands have been repeatedly merged into a single landmass as a result of Quaternary sea level fluctuations. We suggest that the repeated fusion of the islands during low sea levels could have impeded the phylogenetic divergence of both populations, while contrasting habitats might have simultaneously promoted some morphological differences.
{"title":"The reptiles of Tinhosa Grande islet (Gulf of Guinea): A taxonomic update and the role of Quaternary sea level fluctuations in their diversification","authors":"L. Ceríaco, Justin M. Bernstein, A. C. Sousa, M. P. Marques, A. Bauer, S. Norder","doi":"10.1080/21564574.2020.1832151","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21564574.2020.1832151","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The reptile fauna of Tinhosa Grande islet, Gulf of Guinea, comprises an endemic skink, Trachylepis adamastor, and an unidentified species of gecko of the genus Hemidactylus. Until recently, no molecular data were available for either species, impeding their phylogenetic placement. However, due to several synapomorphic characters, it was suggested that the Tinhosa Grande population would be related to the congeners of the neighbouring islands of Príncipe and São Tomé. In a recent survey of Tinhosa Grande islet we collected fresh material of both species, allowing us to examine their phylogenetic relationships to the other members of their respective genera occurring on the neighbouring islands using multigene Bayesian and maximum likelihood analyses. In contrast with the morphological results and previous taxonomic allocations, our molecular results suggest that both T. adamastor and the unidentified Hemidactylus sp. are conspecific with their Príncipe counterparts, Trachylepis principensis and Hemidactylus principensis. While today Tinhosa and Príncipe differ strongly in their environmental conditions, we show that the islands have been repeatedly merged into a single landmass as a result of Quaternary sea level fluctuations. We suggest that the repeated fusion of the islands during low sea levels could have impeded the phylogenetic divergence of both populations, while contrasting habitats might have simultaneously promoted some morphological differences.","PeriodicalId":49247,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Herpetology","volume":"69 1","pages":"200 - 216"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2020-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/21564574.2020.1832151","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"60106575","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-07-02DOI: 10.1080/21564574.2020.1798290
T. L. O'Donoghue, K. Slater, L. Brown
ABSTRACT Limited information on the habitat utilisation and seasonal activity of flap-necked chameleons (Chamaeleo dilepis) is available. We investigated habitat utilisation, seasonal distribution, and sexual dimorphism of C. dilepis on Telperion Nature Reserve (a privately protected natural area) in South Africa. Seven broad plant habitat units were surveyed for one year, which included a wet and a dry season. Plant species richness and species diversity, woody plant densities and canopy cover were recorded and analysed in each of the habitat units. Location, sex, age class and morphological measurements were recorded for located chameleons. Gravid adult females were found to be significantly heavier and larger than adult males, but no differences were found in size or mass for subadults. The occurrence of hatchlings was significantly influenced by rainfall, whereas minimum temperature had a significant influence on the occurrence of adults and subadults. Hatchlings occurred from mid-December to March in habitats associated with high shrub and grass canopy cover and low plant species diversity. Subadults were located from mid-March to the end of May in woody habitats and adults were located from the end of October until the end of May. Subadult and adult chameleons preferred dense woodland with high tree canopy cover and rockiness with high plant species diversity. The results of this study suggest that C. dilepis on Telperion have seasonal habits influenced by rainfall, minimum temperature and habitat structure.
{"title":"Seasonal habitat utilisation and morphological characteristics of Chamaeleo dilepis on Telperion Nature Reserve, Mpumalanga, South Africa","authors":"T. L. O'Donoghue, K. Slater, L. Brown","doi":"10.1080/21564574.2020.1798290","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21564574.2020.1798290","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Limited information on the habitat utilisation and seasonal activity of flap-necked chameleons (Chamaeleo dilepis) is available. We investigated habitat utilisation, seasonal distribution, and sexual dimorphism of C. dilepis on Telperion Nature Reserve (a privately protected natural area) in South Africa. Seven broad plant habitat units were surveyed for one year, which included a wet and a dry season. Plant species richness and species diversity, woody plant densities and canopy cover were recorded and analysed in each of the habitat units. Location, sex, age class and morphological measurements were recorded for located chameleons. Gravid adult females were found to be significantly heavier and larger than adult males, but no differences were found in size or mass for subadults. The occurrence of hatchlings was significantly influenced by rainfall, whereas minimum temperature had a significant influence on the occurrence of adults and subadults. Hatchlings occurred from mid-December to March in habitats associated with high shrub and grass canopy cover and low plant species diversity. Subadults were located from mid-March to the end of May in woody habitats and adults were located from the end of October until the end of May. Subadult and adult chameleons preferred dense woodland with high tree canopy cover and rockiness with high plant species diversity. The results of this study suggest that C. dilepis on Telperion have seasonal habits influenced by rainfall, minimum temperature and habitat structure.","PeriodicalId":49247,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Herpetology","volume":"69 1","pages":"182 - 199"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2020-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/21564574.2020.1798290","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42752801","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-06-16DOI: 10.1080/21564574.2020.1768155
Beryl A. Bwong, C. D. Barratt, S. Loader, Joash O. Nyamache, M. Menegon, P. Malonza, P. Nagel, Lucinda P. Lawson
ABSTRACT The taxonomic validity of the East African reed frogs Hyperolius mitchelli Loveridge, 1953 and Hyperolius rubrovermiculatus Schiøtz, 1975 has been questioned in the literature, with the latter having been recognised as a distinct lineage, but also synonymised as a colour variant of H. mitchelli. The recent description of a new closely related congener from Mozambique, Hyperolius stictus (Conradie et al., 2018), along with evidence of genetic differentiation within H. mitchelli has suggested that this widely distributed species might be a species complex. In this study, we reassess the relationships of these closely related species with new field sampling, molecular, morphological and bioacoustics analyses with the aim to assign the correct taxonomic identity to H. cf. mitchelli from northern Tanzania. Our results demonstrate that there are four distinct lineages within this group: H. stictus from Mozambique; H. rubrovermiculatus from southern Kenya; H. mitchelli sensu stricto from central and southern Tanzania and Malawi and H. cf. mitchelli from north-eastern Tanzania. Based on our combined analyses we assign H. cf. mitchelli as a new population of H. rubrovermiculatus with distinct colouration, extending the range of this species from Kenya into northern Tanzania. We also clarify the genetic, morphological and acoustic variation within and between all lineages to further knowledge of this group and provide direction for future study into this fragmented and variable lineage.
摘要东非苇蛙Hyperolius mitchelli Loveridge，1953年和Hyperolius rubbovermolatus Schiøtz，1975年的分类有效性在文献中受到质疑，后者被认为是一个独特的谱系，但也被同义为H.mitchelli的一个颜色变体。最近对莫桑比克一种新的近亲Hyperolius stictus的描述（Conradie et al.，2018），以及H.mitchelli内部遗传分化的证据表明，这种广泛分布的物种可能是一个物种复合体。在这项研究中，我们通过新的实地采样、分子、形态学和生物声学分析，重新评估了这些密切相关物种的关系，目的是为来自坦桑尼亚北部的H.cf.mitchelli赋予正确的分类身份。我们的研究结果表明，该类群中有四个不同的谱系：来自莫桑比克的H.stictus；产于肯尼亚南部的红毛螺H；H.mitchelli senso-stricto来自坦桑尼亚中部和南部以及马拉维，H.cf.mitchelli来自坦桑尼亚东北部。基于我们的综合分析，我们将mitchelli H.cf.mitchelli确定为一个具有不同颜色的红色毛霉菌新种群，将该物种的范围从肯尼亚扩展到坦桑尼亚北部。我们还阐明了所有谱系内部和之间的遗传、形态和声学变化，以进一步了解这一群体，并为未来对这一支离破碎和可变谱系的研究提供方向。
{"title":"Systematics of Hyperolius mitchelli Loveridge, 1953 and Hyperolius rubrovermiculatus Schiøtz, 1975 (Anura: Hyperoliidae) and assignment of populations from northern Tanzania","authors":"Beryl A. Bwong, C. D. Barratt, S. Loader, Joash O. Nyamache, M. Menegon, P. Malonza, P. Nagel, Lucinda P. Lawson","doi":"10.1080/21564574.2020.1768155","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21564574.2020.1768155","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT\u0000 The taxonomic validity of the East African reed frogs Hyperolius mitchelli Loveridge, 1953 and Hyperolius rubrovermiculatus Schiøtz, 1975 has been questioned in the literature, with the latter having been recognised as a distinct lineage, but also synonymised as a colour variant of H. mitchelli. The recent description of a new closely related congener from Mozambique, Hyperolius stictus (Conradie et al., 2018), along with evidence of genetic differentiation within H. mitchelli has suggested that this widely distributed species might be a species complex. In this study, we reassess the relationships of these closely related species with new field sampling, molecular, morphological and bioacoustics analyses with the aim to assign the correct taxonomic identity to H. cf. mitchelli from northern Tanzania. Our results demonstrate that there are four distinct lineages within this group: H. stictus from Mozambique; H. rubrovermiculatus from southern Kenya; H. mitchelli sensu stricto from central and southern Tanzania and Malawi and H. cf. mitchelli from north-eastern Tanzania. Based on our combined analyses we assign H. cf. mitchelli as a new population of H. rubrovermiculatus with distinct colouration, extending the range of this species from Kenya into northern Tanzania. We also clarify the genetic, morphological and acoustic variation within and between all lineages to further knowledge of this group and provide direction for future study into this fragmented and variable lineage.","PeriodicalId":49247,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Herpetology","volume":"69 1","pages":"165 - 181"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2020-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/21564574.2020.1768155","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49434272","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2020-04-24DOI: 10.1080/21564574.2020.1752313
Ché Weldon, Alan Channing, Gerald Misinzo, Andrew A Cunningham
ABSTRACT The Kihansi spray toad, Nectophrynoides asperginis, became extinct in the wild despite population monitoring and conservation management of its habitat in the Kihansi gorge, Tanzania. Previous investigations have indicated human induced habitat modification, predators, pesticides and disease as possible causes of a rapid population decline and the species extirpation. Here, we systematically investigate the role of disease in the extinction event of the wild toad population. The amphibian chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, was detected in spray toads that died during the extinction event and subsequently in other amphibian species in Kihansi Gorge and the adjacent Udagaji Gorge, but not in any toads collected prior to this. Following the population decline, the remaining spray toad population gradually disappeared over a nine-month period. We demonstrate how demographic (rare, low fecundity, high elevation species) and behavioural (congregate in high densities) attributes predisposed the spray toads to chytridiomycosis, as a result of B. dendrobatidis infections, and how epidemic disease could have been exacerbated by altered environmental conditions in the spray wetlands. Our results show that chytridiomycosis was the proximate cause of extinction in the wild of N. asperginis. This represents the first known case of extinction by disease of an amphibian species in Africa. Captive breeding programs, in both the US and Tanzania, have been introduced in order to ensure the survival of the species and a reintroduction program is underway. However, we caution that chytridiomycosis remains an existing threat, which requires a comprehensive mitigation strategy before the desired conservation outcome of an established population of repatriated toads can be achieved.
{"title":"Disease driven extinction in the wild of the Kihansi spray toad, Nectophrynoides asperginis","authors":"Ché Weldon, Alan Channing, Gerald Misinzo, Andrew A Cunningham","doi":"10.1080/21564574.2020.1752313","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21564574.2020.1752313","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The Kihansi spray toad, Nectophrynoides asperginis, became extinct in the wild despite population monitoring and conservation management of its habitat in the Kihansi gorge, Tanzania. Previous investigations have indicated human induced habitat modification, predators, pesticides and disease as possible causes of a rapid population decline and the species extirpation. Here, we systematically investigate the role of disease in the extinction event of the wild toad population. The amphibian chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, was detected in spray toads that died during the extinction event and subsequently in other amphibian species in Kihansi Gorge and the adjacent Udagaji Gorge, but not in any toads collected prior to this. Following the population decline, the remaining spray toad population gradually disappeared over a nine-month period. We demonstrate how demographic (rare, low fecundity, high elevation species) and behavioural (congregate in high densities) attributes predisposed the spray toads to chytridiomycosis, as a result of B. dendrobatidis infections, and how epidemic disease could have been exacerbated by altered environmental conditions in the spray wetlands. Our results show that chytridiomycosis was the proximate cause of extinction in the wild of N. asperginis. This represents the first known case of extinction by disease of an amphibian species in Africa. Captive breeding programs, in both the US and Tanzania, have been introduced in order to ensure the survival of the species and a reintroduction program is underway. However, we caution that chytridiomycosis remains an existing threat, which requires a comprehensive mitigation strategy before the desired conservation outcome of an established population of repatriated toads can be achieved.","PeriodicalId":49247,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Herpetology","volume":"25 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2020-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138525798","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-12-06DOI: 10.1080/21564574.2019.1700442
E. Netherlands
{"title":"Field Guide to the Frogs & other Amphibians of Africa","authors":"E. Netherlands","doi":"10.1080/21564574.2019.1700442","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21564574.2019.1700442","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":49247,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Herpetology","volume":"68 1","pages":"134 - 136"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2019-12-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/21564574.2019.1700442","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46542664","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-11-11DOI: 10.1080/21564574.2019.1681523
Rayna C. Bell, Patrick J. McLaughlin, G. Jongsma, D. Blackburn, B. Stuart
ABSTRACT The Central African treefrog Leptopelis brevirostris has a characteristically short and vertically truncated snout, a tooth-like process at the centre of the mandible, and unlike most species of Leptopelis, eats terrestrial gastropods. Two morphologically similar species (L. crystallinoron and L. brevipes) have been described in sympatry with L. brevirostris, each on the basis of a single female specimen and then provisionally synonymised with L. brevirostris by subsequent authors. Here we re-examine the holotypes of the three species and collect both genetic (mtDNA and 25 nuDNA loci) and morphological data across the range of L. brevirostris and its sister species L. notatus to test the hypothesis that L. brevirostris is comprised of more than one species. We found that the diagnostic characters for L. crystallinoron (lacking a visible tympanum and having larger vomerine teeth in contact) and L. brevipes (distinctive dorsal colouration) are also present in L. brevirostris and L. notatus. Furthermore, these characters vary among individuals that share the same mitochondrial haplotype and that occur within a single locality, including the type locality of L. crystallinoron. Although all samples from the type locality of L. crystallinoron form a distinct mitochondrial lineage relative to L. brevipes and L. brevirostris, our analysis of 25 nuclear loci does not support this relationship and instead suggests that this mitochondrial divergence reflects phylogeographic structure across the range of L. brevirostris, including samples from the type localities of L. crystallinoron and L. brevipes. By contrast, the mitochondrial divergence between L. notatus and L. brevirostris is strongly supported in the nuDNA dataset. Consequently, we recognise both L. brevipes and L. crystallinoron as synonyms of L. brevirostris. Given the extensive variation in the colour pattern, the tympanic membrane, and the size and shape of the vomerine teeth among L. brevirostris collected from one locality, variation in these traits should be interpreted with caution in taxonomic research on Leptopelis.
{"title":"Morphological and genetic variation of Leptopelis brevirostris encompasses the little-known treefrogs Leptopelis crystallinoron from Gabon and Leptopelis brevipes from Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea","authors":"Rayna C. Bell, Patrick J. McLaughlin, G. Jongsma, D. Blackburn, B. Stuart","doi":"10.1080/21564574.2019.1681523","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21564574.2019.1681523","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The Central African treefrog Leptopelis brevirostris has a characteristically short and vertically truncated snout, a tooth-like process at the centre of the mandible, and unlike most species of Leptopelis, eats terrestrial gastropods. Two morphologically similar species (L. crystallinoron and L. brevipes) have been described in sympatry with L. brevirostris, each on the basis of a single female specimen and then provisionally synonymised with L. brevirostris by subsequent authors. Here we re-examine the holotypes of the three species and collect both genetic (mtDNA and 25 nuDNA loci) and morphological data across the range of L. brevirostris and its sister species L. notatus to test the hypothesis that L. brevirostris is comprised of more than one species. We found that the diagnostic characters for L. crystallinoron (lacking a visible tympanum and having larger vomerine teeth in contact) and L. brevipes (distinctive dorsal colouration) are also present in L. brevirostris and L. notatus. Furthermore, these characters vary among individuals that share the same mitochondrial haplotype and that occur within a single locality, including the type locality of L. crystallinoron. Although all samples from the type locality of L. crystallinoron form a distinct mitochondrial lineage relative to L. brevipes and L. brevirostris, our analysis of 25 nuclear loci does not support this relationship and instead suggests that this mitochondrial divergence reflects phylogeographic structure across the range of L. brevirostris, including samples from the type localities of L. crystallinoron and L. brevipes. By contrast, the mitochondrial divergence between L. notatus and L. brevirostris is strongly supported in the nuDNA dataset. Consequently, we recognise both L. brevipes and L. crystallinoron as synonyms of L. brevirostris. Given the extensive variation in the colour pattern, the tympanic membrane, and the size and shape of the vomerine teeth among L. brevirostris collected from one locality, variation in these traits should be interpreted with caution in taxonomic research on Leptopelis.","PeriodicalId":49247,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Herpetology","volume":"68 1","pages":"117 - 91"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2019-11-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/21564574.2019.1681523","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46171453","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-11-08DOI: 10.1080/21564574.2019.1681524
MA Petford, R. van Huyssteen, G. Alexander
ABSTRACT Understanding the role of climatic and ecological factors in limiting species to their distributions is becoming ever more important in a world where anthropogenic activities are increasingly threatening species persistence. Species with restricted distributions are often poorly known even though they may be most vulnerable to extinction. We investigated the influences of climate and ecology on the distribution of five understudied, endemic, rupicolous reptiles from the Soutpansberg Mountains in South Africa. Using Maxent, we developed ecological niche models that were used to provide baseline insights into the factors delimiting these species distributions. Results indicated that most species were limited by climatic factors, with the average temperature of the coolest quarter having the most influence on the majority of the species, where they were limited to areas with cooler temperatures. This suggests that they may be negatively affected by climate change in the future. Distribution maps revealed that there were no strong interspecific interactions influencing the distributions between the species investigated and identified potential new localities for two species. There was high endemic richness located in the western Soutpansberg and this is likely to have been driven by past climatic and erosion events. Overall this study highlighted that performing environmental niche models on understudied species can provide essential, baseline information on which to drive future research.
{"title":"Influences of ecology and climate on the distribution of restricted, rupicolous reptiles in a biodiverse hotspot","authors":"MA Petford, R. van Huyssteen, G. Alexander","doi":"10.1080/21564574.2019.1681524","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21564574.2019.1681524","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Understanding the role of climatic and ecological factors in limiting species to their distributions is becoming ever more important in a world where anthropogenic activities are increasingly threatening species persistence. Species with restricted distributions are often poorly known even though they may be most vulnerable to extinction. We investigated the influences of climate and ecology on the distribution of five understudied, endemic, rupicolous reptiles from the Soutpansberg Mountains in South Africa. Using Maxent, we developed ecological niche models that were used to provide baseline insights into the factors delimiting these species distributions. Results indicated that most species were limited by climatic factors, with the average temperature of the coolest quarter having the most influence on the majority of the species, where they were limited to areas with cooler temperatures. This suggests that they may be negatively affected by climate change in the future. Distribution maps revealed that there were no strong interspecific interactions influencing the distributions between the species investigated and identified potential new localities for two species. There was high endemic richness located in the western Soutpansberg and this is likely to have been driven by past climatic and erosion events. Overall this study highlighted that performing environmental niche models on understudied species can provide essential, baseline information on which to drive future research.","PeriodicalId":49247,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Herpetology","volume":"68 1","pages":"118 - 133"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2019-11-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/21564574.2019.1681524","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47735251","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-08-09DOI: 10.1080/21564574.2019.1645746
S. Loulida, M. Znari, M. Naimi, Safaa Bendami
ABSTRACT The marginal populations of the Sahara blue-eyed pond turtle, Mauremys leprosa saharica, in the southern-most species distribution range in the pre-Saharan areas of north-west Africa, are faced with extreme environmental conditions of arid climate and anthropogenic and climate change mediated water and land salinisation. In the current study, we investigated a small and isolated population of M. l. saharica at Sidi El Mehdaoui oasis in the Lower Draa River, southern Morocco, in order to assess its osmo- and iono-regulatory abilities and tolerance to salinity and dehydration. Upon capture, turtles were weighed and measured for shell dimensions and blood and voided urine were taken. Tests of exposure to different levels of water salinity (0%, 35%, and 50% seawater) and maintenance out of water (estivation simulation) were carried out. Osmolalities and Na+, Cl−, K+, and urea concentrations were determined in plasma and voided urine, and glycaemia was measured in blood, before and after tests. Turtles were able to survive in brackish waters with a salinity as high as 24% seawater (8.4 ppt). Their voided urine was hypotonic to plasma, which indicated that they could use their bladder water reserves for osmo- and iono-regulation until the iso-osmocity level beyond which osmotic and ionic anhomeostasy can occur. Experimental tests showed that the osmo- and iono-regulatory capacities of these turtles are relatively limited, and not enough effective to allow them to survive for long-term periods in brackish/saline waters or out of water, because of dehydration indicated by progressive weight loss to a critical threshold. The increased drought, water salinisation and habitat fragmentation related to anthropogenic activities and climate change, represent great threats that can create habitats exceeding the species’ threshold for a long-term persistence of the vulnerable small marginal populations of the Saharan pond turtle. So, conservation measures of these populations and their habitats are urgently needed.
摘要撒哈拉蓝眼池龟的边缘种群Mauremys leprosa saharica位于非洲西北部撒哈拉以南地区的物种分布范围内，面临着干旱气候、人为和气候变化介导的水和土地盐碱化的极端环境条件。在目前的研究中，我们调查了摩洛哥南部德拉河下游Sidi El Mehdaoui绿洲的一个小而孤立的M.l.saharica种群，以评估其渗透压和离子调节能力以及对盐度和脱水的耐受性。捕获后，对海龟进行称重和测量外壳尺寸，并采集血液和排泄尿液。进行了暴露于不同盐度水平（0%、35%和50%海水）和出水维护（估算模拟）的试验。在测试前后，测定血浆和排泄尿液中的渗透压和Na+、Cl-、K+和尿素浓度，并测量血液中的血糖。海龟能够在盐度高达24%（8.4ppt）的微咸水中生存。他们排出的尿液对血浆具有低渗性，这表明他们可以利用膀胱水储备进行渗透压和离子调节，直到达到等渗透压水平，超过该水平就会发生渗透压和电离性不平衡。实验测试表明，这些海龟的渗透压和离子调节能力相对有限，不足以使它们在微咸水/盐水或无水中长期生存，因为脱水表明体重逐渐减轻到临界阈值。与人类活动和气候变化有关的干旱、盐碱化和栖息地破碎化加剧，构成了巨大的威胁，可能会造成超过物种阈值的栖息地，使脆弱的撒哈拉池塘龟小边缘种群长期存在。因此，迫切需要对这些种群及其栖息地采取保护措施。
{"title":"Tolerance to salinity and dehydration in the Sahara Desert blue-eyed turtle, Mauremys leprosa saharica (Testudines: Geoemydidae) from a brackish pond in the Lower Draa basin, southern Morocco","authors":"S. Loulida, M. Znari, M. Naimi, Safaa Bendami","doi":"10.1080/21564574.2019.1645746","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21564574.2019.1645746","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The marginal populations of the Sahara blue-eyed pond turtle, Mauremys leprosa saharica, in the southern-most species distribution range in the pre-Saharan areas of north-west Africa, are faced with extreme environmental conditions of arid climate and anthropogenic and climate change mediated water and land salinisation. In the current study, we investigated a small and isolated population of M. l. saharica at Sidi El Mehdaoui oasis in the Lower Draa River, southern Morocco, in order to assess its osmo- and iono-regulatory abilities and tolerance to salinity and dehydration. Upon capture, turtles were weighed and measured for shell dimensions and blood and voided urine were taken. Tests of exposure to different levels of water salinity (0%, 35%, and 50% seawater) and maintenance out of water (estivation simulation) were carried out. Osmolalities and Na+, Cl−, K+, and urea concentrations were determined in plasma and voided urine, and glycaemia was measured in blood, before and after tests. Turtles were able to survive in brackish waters with a salinity as high as 24% seawater (8.4 ppt). Their voided urine was hypotonic to plasma, which indicated that they could use their bladder water reserves for osmo- and iono-regulation until the iso-osmocity level beyond which osmotic and ionic anhomeostasy can occur. Experimental tests showed that the osmo- and iono-regulatory capacities of these turtles are relatively limited, and not enough effective to allow them to survive for long-term periods in brackish/saline waters or out of water, because of dehydration indicated by progressive weight loss to a critical threshold. The increased drought, water salinisation and habitat fragmentation related to anthropogenic activities and climate change, represent great threats that can create habitats exceeding the species’ threshold for a long-term persistence of the vulnerable small marginal populations of the Saharan pond turtle. So, conservation measures of these populations and their habitats are urgently needed.","PeriodicalId":49247,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Herpetology","volume":"68 1","pages":"58 - 76"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2019-08-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/21564574.2019.1645746","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47557595","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-08-08DOI: 10.1080/21564574.2019.1645745
G. Coombs
ABSTRACT Predation risk may be high in small snakes and most small snakes are thought to avoid certain behaviours, such as basking in open areas to reduce predation risk. The extent to which this concealment limits predation during basking is not known, but available data suggests that such concealment may significantly reduce predation attempts. Using model snakes placed in the field, predation rates on small model snakes were tested, specifically whether attack rates differ between partially concealed model snakes and model snakes placed in open unconcealed positions. Results from the current study support previous studies that predation pressure was high (average = 22.15%), but was not significantly reduced by semi-sheltered basking. An important new finding of this study was the high number of model snakes that experience trampling by wild ungulates (average = 12.72%.) This suggests that snakes basking in open and sheltered areas are also at risk of being killed or injured through trampling by larger animals. This study makes an important contribution to understanding predation pressure in African snakes and highlights other threats that snakes are exposed to during basking and thermoregulation.
{"title":"Does partial concealment influence predation attempts on small model snakes in South Africa?","authors":"G. Coombs","doi":"10.1080/21564574.2019.1645745","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/21564574.2019.1645745","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Predation risk may be high in small snakes and most small snakes are thought to avoid certain behaviours, such as basking in open areas to reduce predation risk. The extent to which this concealment limits predation during basking is not known, but available data suggests that such concealment may significantly reduce predation attempts. Using model snakes placed in the field, predation rates on small model snakes were tested, specifically whether attack rates differ between partially concealed model snakes and model snakes placed in open unconcealed positions. Results from the current study support previous studies that predation pressure was high (average = 22.15%), but was not significantly reduced by semi-sheltered basking. An important new finding of this study was the high number of model snakes that experience trampling by wild ungulates (average = 12.72%.) This suggests that snakes basking in open and sheltered areas are also at risk of being killed or injured through trampling by larger animals. This study makes an important contribution to understanding predation pressure in African snakes and highlights other threats that snakes are exposed to during basking and thermoregulation.","PeriodicalId":49247,"journal":{"name":"African Journal of Herpetology","volume":"68 1","pages":"50 - 57"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2019-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/21564574.2019.1645745","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49090450","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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