Pub Date : 2023-10-16DOI: 10.3897/herpetozoa.36.e103198
Abderrahim S’Khifa, Ana Pereira, Mohamed Amine Samlali, Tahar Slimani, D. James Harris, Raquel Xavier
Determining the dietary niche is an essential part of any conservation strategy, and for modeling the community responses to climate change. DNA metabarcoding methods are revolutionizing such approaches, allowing higher taxonomic resolution than typically possible using microscopy. However, few studies have compared directly the approaches to evaluate the differences in methodology. Here we assess the dietary niches of two genetically diverse populations of Atlantolacerta andreanskyi , a lizard endemic to the Atlas Mountains, Morocco, using DNA metabarcoding of faecal samples, and for one of these we compared the results to two previously published assessments of diets obtained using microscopy of pellets and stomach contents respectively. While results at the Order level were similar, the higher taxonomic resolution obtained in this study provided new insights into the dietary niche of this species. Comparisons between the two populations further highlighted how ecologically distinct these are.
{"title":"Exploring the dietary niche of Atlantolacerta andreanskyi (Lacertidae) using DNA metabarcoding","authors":"Abderrahim S’Khifa, Ana Pereira, Mohamed Amine Samlali, Tahar Slimani, D. James Harris, Raquel Xavier","doi":"10.3897/herpetozoa.36.e103198","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/herpetozoa.36.e103198","url":null,"abstract":"Determining the dietary niche is an essential part of any conservation strategy, and for modeling the community responses to climate change. DNA metabarcoding methods are revolutionizing such approaches, allowing higher taxonomic resolution than typically possible using microscopy. However, few studies have compared directly the approaches to evaluate the differences in methodology. Here we assess the dietary niches of two genetically diverse populations of Atlantolacerta andreanskyi , a lizard endemic to the Atlas Mountains, Morocco, using DNA metabarcoding of faecal samples, and for one of these we compared the results to two previously published assessments of diets obtained using microscopy of pellets and stomach contents respectively. While results at the Order level were similar, the higher taxonomic resolution obtained in this study provided new insights into the dietary niche of this species. Comparisons between the two populations further highlighted how ecologically distinct these are.","PeriodicalId":49314,"journal":{"name":"Herpetozoa","volume":"15 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136113347","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 : 2023-10-09DOI: 10.3897/herpetozoa.36.e108125
Tuo Shen, Shize Li, Jing Liu, Guangrong Li, Xi Xiao, Haijun Su
In this study, the advertisement calls of Leptobrachella suiyangensis and Leptobrachella bashaensis are described. The advertisement call of L. suiyangensis includes simple and complex calls, with four different call types and a dominant frequency ranging 4.13–4.82 kHz. The advertisement call of L. bashaensis consists of a single note, with a dominant frequency 6.03–6.46 kHz. We compare the advertisement calls with other species in the genus Leptobrachella , and discuss the definitions of primary advertisement calls and secondary advertisement calls. Our results provide basic data for further acoustic, taxonomic and ecological studies in the genus Leptobrachella .
{"title":"Advertisement calls of Leptobrachella suiyangensis and Leptobrachella bashaensis (Anura, Megophryidae)","authors":"Tuo Shen, Shize Li, Jing Liu, Guangrong Li, Xi Xiao, Haijun Su","doi":"10.3897/herpetozoa.36.e108125","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/herpetozoa.36.e108125","url":null,"abstract":"In this study, the advertisement calls of Leptobrachella suiyangensis and Leptobrachella bashaensis are described. The advertisement call of L. suiyangensis includes simple and complex calls, with four different call types and a dominant frequency ranging 4.13–4.82 kHz. The advertisement call of L. bashaensis consists of a single note, with a dominant frequency 6.03–6.46 kHz. We compare the advertisement calls with other species in the genus Leptobrachella , and discuss the definitions of primary advertisement calls and secondary advertisement calls. Our results provide basic data for further acoustic, taxonomic and ecological studies in the genus Leptobrachella .","PeriodicalId":49314,"journal":{"name":"Herpetozoa","volume":"13 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135095672","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 : 2023-09-28DOI: 10.3897/herpetozoa.36.e109056
Riccardo Antonini, Rupert Kainradl, Michaela Gumpenberger, Anton Weissenbacher, Doris Preininger
Morphological differences between males and females are common among reptiles. A particularly interesting sexually dimorphic feature whose function is largely unknown is the number and pattern of specific scales. Several lizard species possess an arrangement of centered scales near the cloacal region that differ between the sexes and can be used for sex determination. The presence of postcloacal buttons, sexually dimorphic postcloacal scales on both sides of the body, is an exclusive trait in the subfamily Tupinambinae and is only poorly documented. Here, we investigate postcloacal scales in northern caiman lizards ( Dracaena guianensis ) housed at the Vienna Zoo. For a period of two years, we documented scale patterns and performed morphometric measurements of individuals of different age classes. Caiman lizards were CT scanned to confirm the sexes. Males exhibit three raised postcloacal scales in a row behind the left and right leg, while females possess one or two large scales surrounded by several smaller scales. The study provides the first evidence that these scales can function as a reliable trait to distinguish the sexes regardless of age or reproductive status. The sexually dimorphic bilateral scale pattern is present immediately after hatching and does not change during development. Scales only increase in thickness and length during growth. We further demonstrate that sexual size dimorphism (SSD) exists in juveniles during ontogenetic development. Juvenile females had a larger SVL, body length, tail length and higher weight compared to juvenile males. This SSD could not be confirmed in adults, and sex determination based on SSD seems unreliable.
{"title":"Sexual dimorphism in postcloacal scales in the northern caiman lizard (Dracaena guianensis)","authors":"Riccardo Antonini, Rupert Kainradl, Michaela Gumpenberger, Anton Weissenbacher, Doris Preininger","doi":"10.3897/herpetozoa.36.e109056","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/herpetozoa.36.e109056","url":null,"abstract":"Morphological differences between males and females are common among reptiles. A particularly interesting sexually dimorphic feature whose function is largely unknown is the number and pattern of specific scales. Several lizard species possess an arrangement of centered scales near the cloacal region that differ between the sexes and can be used for sex determination. The presence of postcloacal buttons, sexually dimorphic postcloacal scales on both sides of the body, is an exclusive trait in the subfamily Tupinambinae and is only poorly documented. Here, we investigate postcloacal scales in northern caiman lizards ( Dracaena guianensis ) housed at the Vienna Zoo. For a period of two years, we documented scale patterns and performed morphometric measurements of individuals of different age classes. Caiman lizards were CT scanned to confirm the sexes. Males exhibit three raised postcloacal scales in a row behind the left and right leg, while females possess one or two large scales surrounded by several smaller scales. The study provides the first evidence that these scales can function as a reliable trait to distinguish the sexes regardless of age or reproductive status. The sexually dimorphic bilateral scale pattern is present immediately after hatching and does not change during development. Scales only increase in thickness and length during growth. We further demonstrate that sexual size dimorphism (SSD) exists in juveniles during ontogenetic development. Juvenile females had a larger SVL, body length, tail length and higher weight compared to juvenile males. This SSD could not be confirmed in adults, and sex determination based on SSD seems unreliable.","PeriodicalId":49314,"journal":{"name":"Herpetozoa","volume":"97 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135388630","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 : 2023-09-19DOI: 10.3897/herpetozoa.36.e109138
Fabio G. Cupul-Magaña, Nadin E. López-González, Ilse K. Barraza-Soltero, Torsten Blanck, Peter Praschag, Shannon Diruzzo, Taggert G. Butterfield, Armando H. Escobedo-Galván
Some reptile species can consume their own shed skin or that of conspecifics; despite its prevalence, the benefits of eating shed skin remain poorly understood. Here, we report a field observation in which a Vallarta Mud Turtle ( Kinosternon vogti ) consumed a snake shed skin of Masticophis lineatus (Bocourt, 1890) in Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit, Mexico. This type of record could allow us to understand the keratophagous behaviour between and within reptile species.
有些爬行动物可以吃掉自己或同种动物的蜕皮;尽管它很流行,但人们对吃去皮的好处知之甚少。在此,我们报告了在墨西哥纳亚里特Bahía de Banderas,一只瓦拉塔泥龟(Kinosternon vogti)吞食Masticophis lineatus (Bocourt, 1890)蛇皮的野外观察。这种类型的记录可以让我们了解爬行动物物种之间和内部的噬角行为。
{"title":"Snake shed skin consumed by Kinosternon vogti: a case of interspecific keratophagy","authors":"Fabio G. Cupul-Magaña, Nadin E. López-González, Ilse K. Barraza-Soltero, Torsten Blanck, Peter Praschag, Shannon Diruzzo, Taggert G. Butterfield, Armando H. Escobedo-Galván","doi":"10.3897/herpetozoa.36.e109138","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/herpetozoa.36.e109138","url":null,"abstract":"Some reptile species can consume their own shed skin or that of conspecifics; despite its prevalence, the benefits of eating shed skin remain poorly understood. Here, we report a field observation in which a Vallarta Mud Turtle ( Kinosternon vogti ) consumed a snake shed skin of Masticophis lineatus (Bocourt, 1890) in Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit, Mexico. This type of record could allow us to understand the keratophagous behaviour between and within reptile species.","PeriodicalId":49314,"journal":{"name":"Herpetozoa","volume":"18 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135013973","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 : 2023-08-23DOI: 10.3897/herpetozoa.36.e100533
M. Broggi
The distribution of Mauremys rivulata on Aegean islands was summarized by Broggi in 2012. Here, the study area encompasses all Greek islands, including the Ionian Islands, and the two Turkish islands of Gökceada and Bozcaada. For the first time, I attempt to estimate the status and size of the populations on the islands. This is a subjective assessment based on my personal visits to most islands and not on IUCN criteria. Mauremys rivulata was found on 29 Greek islands, plus two Turkish islands in the Aegean Sea. Five previously mentioned sites are doubtful, and on the three islands of Sifnos, Syros and Ithaca the species appears to be extinct. On 12 islands I assess its status as “threatened with extinction”. On seven, mostly larger, islands its populations are probably less vulnerable. Efforts must be made for the long-term protection of M. rivulata on the Greek islands.
{"title":"Occurrence and tentative population status of the Balkan Terrapin (Mauremys rivulata, Valenciennes, 1833) on Greek islands","authors":"M. Broggi","doi":"10.3897/herpetozoa.36.e100533","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/herpetozoa.36.e100533","url":null,"abstract":"The distribution of Mauremys rivulata on Aegean islands was summarized by Broggi in 2012. Here, the study area encompasses all Greek islands, including the Ionian Islands, and the two Turkish islands of Gökceada and Bozcaada. For the first time, I attempt to estimate the status and size of the populations on the islands. This is a subjective assessment based on my personal visits to most islands and not on IUCN criteria. Mauremys rivulata was found on 29 Greek islands, plus two Turkish islands in the Aegean Sea. Five previously mentioned sites are doubtful, and on the three islands of Sifnos, Syros and Ithaca the species appears to be extinct. On 12 islands I assess its status as “threatened with extinction”. On seven, mostly larger, islands its populations are probably less vulnerable. Efforts must be made for the long-term protection of M. rivulata on the Greek islands.","PeriodicalId":49314,"journal":{"name":"Herpetozoa","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2023-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43236282","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 : 2023-08-23DOI: 10.3897/herpetozoa.36.e106864
M. Broggi
A study on the occurrence of Emys orbicularis in the Aegean, published in 2012, is here extended to the Ionian Islands. For the first time, a status analysis has also been carried out for the individual islands. Emys orbicularis is found on 11 Greek islands and one Turkish. Its presence on the big islands of Rhodes and Chios has not been ascertained so far, while for four previously mentioned islands there is no confirmation. On Corfu and Lesbos there are still viable larger Emys populations. Most other island occurrences are characterized by small populations. On Kefalonia, Zakynthos, Thassos and Samos, E. orbicularis is in danger of extinction because the wetland biotopes are threatened. In the meantime, many wetlands have been placed under protection. The enforcement of these nature conservation regulations needs to be monitored, and E. orbicularis can be a lead species for such monitoring.
{"title":"Occurrence and status of the European Pond Turtle, Emys orbicularis hellenica (Valenciennes, 1833), on Aegean and Ionian Islands (Greece, Turkey)","authors":"M. Broggi","doi":"10.3897/herpetozoa.36.e106864","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/herpetozoa.36.e106864","url":null,"abstract":"A study on the occurrence of Emys orbicularis in the Aegean, published in 2012, is here extended to the Ionian Islands. For the first time, a status analysis has also been carried out for the individual islands. Emys orbicularis is found on 11 Greek islands and one Turkish. Its presence on the big islands of Rhodes and Chios has not been ascertained so far, while for four previously mentioned islands there is no confirmation. On Corfu and Lesbos there are still viable larger Emys populations. Most other island occurrences are characterized by small populations. On Kefalonia, Zakynthos, Thassos and Samos, E. orbicularis is in danger of extinction because the wetland biotopes are threatened. In the meantime, many wetlands have been placed under protection. The enforcement of these nature conservation regulations needs to be monitored, and E. orbicularis can be a lead species for such monitoring.","PeriodicalId":49314,"journal":{"name":"Herpetozoa","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2023-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41427600","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 : 2023-08-17DOI: 10.3897/herpetozoa.36.e106566
Xiang-Yi Li, Shi-Shi Lin, Zhao-Chi Zeng, Yan-Jun Sun, Jian Wang
The expanded description of Hemiphyllodactylus hongkongensis Sung, Lee, NG, Zhang & Yang, 2018 is provided based on four newly collected specimens from eastern Guangdong Province, China, which is beyond its previously known range. The new collection also fills the distribution gap of the genus Hemiphyllodactylus in the region. Due to the absence of sufficient data, we recommend Hemiphyllodactylus hongkongensis be listed as Data Deficient (DD) in the IUCN conservation status categorization.
{"title":"Expanded description of Hemiphyllodactylus hongkongensis (Squamata, Gekkonidae)","authors":"Xiang-Yi Li, Shi-Shi Lin, Zhao-Chi Zeng, Yan-Jun Sun, Jian Wang","doi":"10.3897/herpetozoa.36.e106566","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/herpetozoa.36.e106566","url":null,"abstract":"The expanded description of Hemiphyllodactylus hongkongensis Sung, Lee, NG, Zhang & Yang, 2018 is provided based on four newly collected specimens from eastern Guangdong Province, China, which is beyond its previously known range. The new collection also fills the distribution gap of the genus Hemiphyllodactylus in the region. Due to the absence of sufficient data, we recommend Hemiphyllodactylus hongkongensis be listed as Data Deficient (DD) in the IUCN conservation status categorization.","PeriodicalId":49314,"journal":{"name":"Herpetozoa","volume":"67 50","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2023-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41284971","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 : 2023-08-14DOI: 10.3897/herpetozoa.36.e106614
H. Decemson, H. Lalremsanga, Premjit Singh Elangbam, M. Vabeiryureilai, Parag Shinde, Jayaditya Purkayastha, D. V. Arkhipov, Andrey M. Bragin, N. Poyarkov
An integrative taxonomic analysis combining molecular and morphological lines of evidence revealed a new cryptic species in the Tylototriton verrucosus species group from Manipur, north-eastern India. The new species was previously confused with T. himalayanus and T. verrucosus. Tylototriton zaimengsp. nov. can be distinguished from its congeners by medium body size, head massive and wide with rounded snout and very wide and protruding supratemporal bony ridges and a well-developed sagittal ridge, short limbs not overlapping when adpressed along body, wide and not segmented vertebral ridge distinct, 13–14 pairs of rib nodules, brown colouration with dull orange to yellowish-brown markings on head, vertebral ridge, rib nodules, palms, soles, vent and ventral tail ridge and by vomerine teeth organised in two distinctly curved bell-shaped series. Phylogenetic analysis of the ND2 and 16S rRNA mtDNA genes confirmed the placement of the new species to the Clade I of the subgenus Tylototriton and suggested it is a sister species of T. panwaensis and T. houi (p-distance 3.0% in ND2 gene). The range of the new species is restricted to the Khongtheng Mountain Range and is isolated from the range of T. panwaensis and T. houi in northern Myanmar and southern China, respectively. We suggest the new species to be considered as Vulnerable (VU) in the IUCN Red List.
{"title":"A new cryptic species of Tylototriton (Amphibia, Caudata, Salamandridae) from mysterious mountain lakes in Manipur, north-eastern India","authors":"H. Decemson, H. Lalremsanga, Premjit Singh Elangbam, M. Vabeiryureilai, Parag Shinde, Jayaditya Purkayastha, D. V. Arkhipov, Andrey M. Bragin, N. Poyarkov","doi":"10.3897/herpetozoa.36.e106614","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/herpetozoa.36.e106614","url":null,"abstract":"An integrative taxonomic analysis combining molecular and morphological lines of evidence revealed a new cryptic species in the Tylototriton verrucosus species group from Manipur, north-eastern India. The new species was previously confused with T. himalayanus and T. verrucosus. Tylototriton zaimengsp. nov. can be distinguished from its congeners by medium body size, head massive and wide with rounded snout and very wide and protruding supratemporal bony ridges and a well-developed sagittal ridge, short limbs not overlapping when adpressed along body, wide and not segmented vertebral ridge distinct, 13–14 pairs of rib nodules, brown colouration with dull orange to yellowish-brown markings on head, vertebral ridge, rib nodules, palms, soles, vent and ventral tail ridge and by vomerine teeth organised in two distinctly curved bell-shaped series. Phylogenetic analysis of the ND2 and 16S rRNA mtDNA genes confirmed the placement of the new species to the Clade I of the subgenus Tylototriton and suggested it is a sister species of T. panwaensis and T. houi (p-distance 3.0% in ND2 gene). The range of the new species is restricted to the Khongtheng Mountain Range and is isolated from the range of T. panwaensis and T. houi in northern Myanmar and southern China, respectively. We suggest the new species to be considered as Vulnerable (VU) in the IUCN Red List.","PeriodicalId":49314,"journal":{"name":"Herpetozoa","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2023-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41422078","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 : 2023-08-11DOI: 10.3897/herpetozoa.36.e93492
P. Trivalairat, Sompod Srikosamatara
From July to October 2015, a study was conducted on the water monitors (Varanus salvator macromaculatus) at Dusit Zoo in Bangkok, Thailand. A total of 90 monitors were captured, measured for SVL, sexed, and marked on the right axilla. The captured monitors included 70 females and 20 males, resulting in a sex ratio of 3.5:1. Body size did not differ significantly between genders. The monitors exhibited bimodal diurnal activity, with a focus on fish hunting in the morning (06:00–08:00 h) and scavenging for fish leftovers in the afternoon (15:00–17:00 h). After the monitor lizards hunted for prey in the morning, they spent 5–7 hours basking and floating in the lake during the afternoon. Sexual behaviors were also occasionally observed. The monitors displayed frequent predatory behavior towards natural prey, especially fish, in the morning, as opposed to opportunistically scavenging on tourist food and fish leftovers observed throughout the day.
{"title":"Daily activities of water monitors (Varanus salvator macromaculatus Deraniyagala, 1944) in urban wetland, Bangkok, Thailand","authors":"P. Trivalairat, Sompod Srikosamatara","doi":"10.3897/herpetozoa.36.e93492","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/herpetozoa.36.e93492","url":null,"abstract":"From July to October 2015, a study was conducted on the water monitors (Varanus salvator macromaculatus) at Dusit Zoo in Bangkok, Thailand. A total of 90 monitors were captured, measured for SVL, sexed, and marked on the right axilla. The captured monitors included 70 females and 20 males, resulting in a sex ratio of 3.5:1. Body size did not differ significantly between genders. The monitors exhibited bimodal diurnal activity, with a focus on fish hunting in the morning (06:00–08:00 h) and scavenging for fish leftovers in the afternoon (15:00–17:00 h). After the monitor lizards hunted for prey in the morning, they spent 5–7 hours basking and floating in the lake during the afternoon. Sexual behaviors were also occasionally observed. The monitors displayed frequent predatory behavior towards natural prey, especially fish, in the morning, as opposed to opportunistically scavenging on tourist food and fish leftovers observed throughout the day.","PeriodicalId":49314,"journal":{"name":"Herpetozoa","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2023-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42457274","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 : 2023-07-19DOI: 10.3897/herpetozoa.36.e106373
Shuo Liu, M. Hou, Qiaoyan Wang, D. Rao, Song Li
We collected nine specimens of Odorrana Fei, Ye & Huang, 1990 from Xishuangbanna Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China, which is close to the type locality of O. heatwolei (Stuart & Bain, 2005) in Phongsaly Province, northern Laos (approximately 60 km). These specimens agree with the diagnosis of O. heatwolei that body size is large in females and relatively small in males, tympanum large in males and relatively small in females, first finger longer than the second, and glandular dorsolateral fold and external vocal sacs present in males, moreover, these specimens have obvious dense tiny black dots scattered on the dorsum, which is consistent with the characters of O. heatwolei and different from O. tiannanensis (Yang & Li, 1980). Phylogenetically, the sequences of these specimens clustered with the sequence of the holotype of O. heatwolei and formed a distinct clade together, which is sister to O. tiannanensis. We resurrect O. heatwolei and extend the distribution of this species to China.
{"title":"Resurrection and distribution extension of Odorrana heatwolei (Stuart & Bain, 2005) (Anura, Ranidae)","authors":"Shuo Liu, M. Hou, Qiaoyan Wang, D. Rao, Song Li","doi":"10.3897/herpetozoa.36.e106373","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3897/herpetozoa.36.e106373","url":null,"abstract":"We collected nine specimens of Odorrana Fei, Ye & Huang, 1990 from Xishuangbanna Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China, which is close to the type locality of O. heatwolei (Stuart & Bain, 2005) in Phongsaly Province, northern Laos (approximately 60 km). These specimens agree with the diagnosis of O. heatwolei that body size is large in females and relatively small in males, tympanum large in males and relatively small in females, first finger longer than the second, and glandular dorsolateral fold and external vocal sacs present in males, moreover, these specimens have obvious dense tiny black dots scattered on the dorsum, which is consistent with the characters of O. heatwolei and different from O. tiannanensis (Yang & Li, 1980). Phylogenetically, the sequences of these specimens clustered with the sequence of the holotype of O. heatwolei and formed a distinct clade together, which is sister to O. tiannanensis. We resurrect O. heatwolei and extend the distribution of this species to China.","PeriodicalId":49314,"journal":{"name":"Herpetozoa","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2023-07-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45634523","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}