Pub Date : 2024-05-24DOI: 10.1163/15685381-bja10181
Robin Elfering, Sophie Mannix, Steve Allain, Johanna Ambu, Pierre-André Crochet, Loïc van Doorn, Christophe Dufresnes, Robert Jehle, Angela Julian, Fairlie Kirkpatrick Baird, David O’Brien, Jean Secondi, Jeroen Speybroeck, Anagnostis Theodoropoulos, Tariq Stark, Ben Wielstra
MtDNA barcoding is regularly applied to determine the provenance of invasive species. Variation in spatial genetic structuring across a species’ range, typically high within glacial refugia and low in postglacially colonized areas, influences the precision of this approach. The palmate newt (Lissotriton helveticus) has been introduced north of its native range inside the Netherlands. We conduct mtDNA barcoding to try and retrace the origin of the introduced localities. A large increase in sample size, particularly focusing on temperate Europe, emphasizes that the palmate newt shows practically no genetic variation outside the Iberian Peninsula glacial refugium. While we find a haplotype previously only known from the Iberian Peninsula inside the native range in Belgium, the haplotype present in the introduced Dutch populations occurs widely throughout the native range north of the Iberian Peninsula. Although mtDNA barcoding can be a powerful tool in invasion biology, the palmate newt case exposes its limitations.
{"title":"Extreme genetic depletion upon postglacial colonization hampers determining the provenance of introduced palmate newt populations","authors":"Robin Elfering, Sophie Mannix, Steve Allain, Johanna Ambu, Pierre-André Crochet, Loïc van Doorn, Christophe Dufresnes, Robert Jehle, Angela Julian, Fairlie Kirkpatrick Baird, David O’Brien, Jean Secondi, Jeroen Speybroeck, Anagnostis Theodoropoulos, Tariq Stark, Ben Wielstra","doi":"10.1163/15685381-bja10181","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15685381-bja10181","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000MtDNA barcoding is regularly applied to determine the provenance of invasive species. Variation in spatial genetic structuring across a species’ range, typically high within glacial refugia and low in postglacially colonized areas, influences the precision of this approach. The palmate newt (Lissotriton helveticus) has been introduced north of its native range inside the Netherlands. We conduct mtDNA barcoding to try and retrace the origin of the introduced localities. A large increase in sample size, particularly focusing on temperate Europe, emphasizes that the palmate newt shows practically no genetic variation outside the Iberian Peninsula glacial refugium. While we find a haplotype previously only known from the Iberian Peninsula inside the native range in Belgium, the haplotype present in the introduced Dutch populations occurs widely throughout the native range north of the Iberian Peninsula. Although mtDNA barcoding can be a powerful tool in invasion biology, the palmate newt case exposes its limitations.","PeriodicalId":504397,"journal":{"name":"Amphibia-Reptilia","volume":"65 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141102150","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}
Pub Date : 2024-05-22DOI: 10.1163/15685381-bja10180
José A. Díaz, Tomás Santos, Alejandro Llanos-Garrido
The effects of forest fragmentation on ecosystems are pervasive, but little is known about the factors that influence lizard abundance in fragmented landscapes. We studied the roles of patch size and shape, thermal quality, and refuge availability as predictors of the relative abundance of Psammodromus algirus lizards at deciduous or evergreen forest fragments surrounded by cereal fields. Relative abundance, based on time-controlled counts, decreased from the northeast (dominated by deciduous habitat) to the southwest (with a higher cover of croplands, and dominated by evergreen habitat). Refuge availability was correlated with this gradient, decreasing from the northeast to the southwest and being larger in deciduous than in evergreen fragments. After controlling for the effects of this environmental variation, lizard abundance increased as perimeter-to-area ratio (P/A) decreased (and consequently as fragment size increased). Although the effects of thermal quality as such were negligible, our results can be interpreted in the light of thermoregulatory requirements; given the low temperatures available at shaded locations, lizards should actively select sunlit patches while they try to minimize predation risk by basking as close as possible to the nearest refuge. Although use of fragment edges as basking sites is expected to increase with P/A ratio, lizards should avoid using them as basking sites, because both exposure to predators and risk of overheating are expected to be higher at edges and croplands than inside fragments. We conclude that long and narrow forest strips with high P/A ratios could act as ecological traps rather than as dispersion-promoting corridors.
{"title":"Lizard abundance in forest fragments: effects of patch size, patch shape, thermoregulation, and habitat quality","authors":"José A. Díaz, Tomás Santos, Alejandro Llanos-Garrido","doi":"10.1163/15685381-bja10180","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15685381-bja10180","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000The effects of forest fragmentation on ecosystems are pervasive, but little is known about the factors that influence lizard abundance in fragmented landscapes. We studied the roles of patch size and shape, thermal quality, and refuge availability as predictors of the relative abundance of Psammodromus algirus lizards at deciduous or evergreen forest fragments surrounded by cereal fields. Relative abundance, based on time-controlled counts, decreased from the northeast (dominated by deciduous habitat) to the southwest (with a higher cover of croplands, and dominated by evergreen habitat). Refuge availability was correlated with this gradient, decreasing from the northeast to the southwest and being larger in deciduous than in evergreen fragments. After controlling for the effects of this environmental variation, lizard abundance increased as perimeter-to-area ratio (P/A) decreased (and consequently as fragment size increased). Although the effects of thermal quality as such were negligible, our results can be interpreted in the light of thermoregulatory requirements; given the low temperatures available at shaded locations, lizards should actively select sunlit patches while they try to minimize predation risk by basking as close as possible to the nearest refuge. Although use of fragment edges as basking sites is expected to increase with P/A ratio, lizards should avoid using them as basking sites, because both exposure to predators and risk of overheating are expected to be higher at edges and croplands than inside fragments. We conclude that long and narrow forest strips with high P/A ratios could act as ecological traps rather than as dispersion-promoting corridors.","PeriodicalId":504397,"journal":{"name":"Amphibia-Reptilia","volume":"5 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141108145","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}
Pub Date : 2024-05-03DOI: 10.1163/15685381-bja10178
V. Arzamendia, Exequiel Oscar Furlan, A. Ulibarrie, G. Bellini
Undoubtedly, roads produce negative effects on wildlife, but when they are laid across wetlands effects can be exacerbated. The “hyperfragmentation” and loss of terrestrial and aquatic habitats generated by roads makes it urgent to measure effect on wildlife. Reptiles are highly susceptible to road mortality mainly because of their slow movement, and the use of roads as a substrate for thermoregulation and feeding areas. Here, we analysed reptile road mortality in the floodplain of the Paraná River (Argentina) at three sections: North (NS), Centre (CS), and South (SS). We compared the richness and abundance of reptile roadkill species that use different habitats by means of monthly samplings. We found 464 roadkills encompassing 27 species (1 turtle, 2 lizards, and 24 snakes). Despite a greater richness of terrestrial species, roadkill abundance was always dominated by aquatic species. We detected two hot spots of reptile roadkill where routes cross the Paraná River floodplain and the environment quality was high: one in the NS, located in a protected area with records of two Vulnerable species; and another hot spot in the SS, which recorded roadkills that belonged to almost all inhabiting snake species and presented the highest roadkill abundance. A temporal ‘hot moment’ of reptile roadkill occurrence was detected during autumn in the SS. This study provides a baseline for delineating measures to prevent and mitigate reptile mortality, focusing on specific places, moments, and taxa in roads crossing wetlands in the Paraná River floodplain.
毋庸置疑，道路会对野生动物产生负面影响，但当道路横跨湿地时，影响会更加严重。道路造成的 "过度碎片化 "以及陆地和水生栖息地的丧失，使得测量对野生动物的影响变得刻不容缓。爬行动物极易因道路而死亡，这主要是因为它们行动缓慢，并将道路用作体温调节的基质和觅食区。在此，我们分析了巴拉那河（阿根廷）洪泛平原三个河段的爬行动物道路死亡率：北段（NS）、中段（CS）和南段（SS）。通过每月取样，我们比较了使用不同栖息地的爬行动物路杀物种的丰富度和丰度。我们发现了 464 只路杀爬行动物，包括 27 个物种（1 只乌龟、2 只蜥蜴和 24 条蛇）。尽管陆生物种更为丰富，但路杀物种始终以水生物种为主。我们发现，在穿越巴拉那河洪泛平原且环境质量较高的地方，有两个爬行动物路杀热点：一个在 NS 区，位于一个保护区内，有两个易危物种的记录；另一个热点在 SS 区，几乎所有栖息蛇类都有路杀记录，路杀数量最高。在 SS 的秋季，发现了爬行动物路杀发生的时间 "热点"。这项研究为制定预防和减少爬行动物死亡的措施提供了基准，重点关注巴拉那河洪泛平原湿地道路的特定地点、时间和分类群。
{"title":"Reptiles in danger: Implications of road mortality in wetlands of South America","authors":"V. Arzamendia, Exequiel Oscar Furlan, A. Ulibarrie, G. Bellini","doi":"10.1163/15685381-bja10178","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15685381-bja10178","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Undoubtedly, roads produce negative effects on wildlife, but when they are laid across wetlands effects can be exacerbated. The “hyperfragmentation” and loss of terrestrial and aquatic habitats generated by roads makes it urgent to measure effect on wildlife. Reptiles are highly susceptible to road mortality mainly because of their slow movement, and the use of roads as a substrate for thermoregulation and feeding areas. Here, we analysed reptile road mortality in the floodplain of the Paraná River (Argentina) at three sections: North (NS), Centre (CS), and South (SS). We compared the richness and abundance of reptile roadkill species that use different habitats by means of monthly samplings. We found 464 roadkills encompassing 27 species (1 turtle, 2 lizards, and 24 snakes). Despite a greater richness of terrestrial species, roadkill abundance was always dominated by aquatic species. We detected two hot spots of reptile roadkill where routes cross the Paraná River floodplain and the environment quality was high: one in the NS, located in a protected area with records of two Vulnerable species; and another hot spot in the SS, which recorded roadkills that belonged to almost all inhabiting snake species and presented the highest roadkill abundance. A temporal ‘hot moment’ of reptile roadkill occurrence was detected during autumn in the SS. This study provides a baseline for delineating measures to prevent and mitigate reptile mortality, focusing on specific places, moments, and taxa in roads crossing wetlands in the Paraná River floodplain.","PeriodicalId":504397,"journal":{"name":"Amphibia-Reptilia","volume":"17 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141015557","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}
Pub Date : 2024-04-22DOI: 10.1163/15685381-bja10176
Maria Keroglidou, Loukia Spilani, P. Lymberakis, N. Poulakakis
The lacertid wall lizards of the genus Podarcis (Wagler, 1830) originate from Western Europe and are divided into 24-25 species (Speybroeck et al., 2020). Despite the abundance of phylogenetic studies referring to the genus, the relationships among certain species, as well as the taxonomic status of some genealogical lineages, remain unclear due to great genetic diversity. The common wall lizard Podarcis muralis has a relatively wide distribution and despite the existence of various molecular studies focused on this species, its Greek populations had never been thoroughly sampled until now. To fill in this geographical gap, we sampled the species’ Greek distribution and constructed phylogenies that uncovered the presence of at least five monophyletic lineages that correspond to different geographic regions. Furthermore, species delimitation analyses assigned all lineages to a single species diversifying during the early Pleistocene (c. 1.93 mya). The strong association of the genetic lineages with specific geographical regions coupled with the Pleistocene diversification of the group imply the presence of multiple refugia within Greece and, by extension, the Balkan peninsula, supporting a refugia-within-refugia scenario. Finally, in an effort to clarify the position of these new samples within the larger phylogeny of P. muralis, a larger phylogeny was constructed which indicated that the Greek populations cluster with the central European, Italian and Turkish populations of the species.
{"title":"Molecular phylogeny of the common wall lizard Podarcis muralis (Squamata: Lacertideae) in the southern Balkans","authors":"Maria Keroglidou, Loukia Spilani, P. Lymberakis, N. Poulakakis","doi":"10.1163/15685381-bja10176","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15685381-bja10176","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000The lacertid wall lizards of the genus Podarcis (Wagler, 1830) originate from Western Europe and are divided into 24-25 species (Speybroeck et al., 2020). Despite the abundance of phylogenetic studies referring to the genus, the relationships among certain species, as well as the taxonomic status of some genealogical lineages, remain unclear due to great genetic diversity. The common wall lizard Podarcis muralis has a relatively wide distribution and despite the existence of various molecular studies focused on this species, its Greek populations had never been thoroughly sampled until now. To fill in this geographical gap, we sampled the species’ Greek distribution and constructed phylogenies that uncovered the presence of at least five monophyletic lineages that correspond to different geographic regions. Furthermore, species delimitation analyses assigned all lineages to a single species diversifying during the early Pleistocene (c. 1.93 mya). The strong association of the genetic lineages with specific geographical regions coupled with the Pleistocene diversification of the group imply the presence of multiple refugia within Greece and, by extension, the Balkan peninsula, supporting a refugia-within-refugia scenario. Finally, in an effort to clarify the position of these new samples within the larger phylogeny of P. muralis, a larger phylogeny was constructed which indicated that the Greek populations cluster with the central European, Italian and Turkish populations of the species.","PeriodicalId":504397,"journal":{"name":"Amphibia-Reptilia","volume":"92 12","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140676794","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}
Pub Date : 2024-04-03DOI: 10.1163/15685381-bja10174
M. S. Akmentins, M. S. Gastón, M. Boullhesen
Underwater Passive Acoustic Monitoring (UPAM) has been used infrequently to register subsurface vocal behaviour in anurans. This study describes the underwater advertisement call of Telmatobius rubigo based on recordings made with UPAM technique. Telmatobius rubigo call is a low-frequency trill composed of 6 to 22 pulses with amplitude modulation. The spectral and temporal characters showed differences from other Telmatobius species. The UPAM, combined with automated call identification software, showed effectiveness in monitoring the calling behaviour of this aquatic Andean frog in their natural environment. UPAM and soundscape/riverscape analysis should be incorporated as a non-invasive tool for monitoring threatened aquatic species.
{"title":"Underwater advertisement call of the threatened Telmatobius rubigo (Anura: Telmatobiidae)","authors":"M. S. Akmentins, M. S. Gastón, M. Boullhesen","doi":"10.1163/15685381-bja10174","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15685381-bja10174","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Underwater Passive Acoustic Monitoring (UPAM) has been used infrequently to register subsurface vocal behaviour in anurans. This study describes the underwater advertisement call of Telmatobius rubigo based on recordings made with UPAM technique. Telmatobius rubigo call is a low-frequency trill composed of 6 to 22 pulses with amplitude modulation. The spectral and temporal characters showed differences from other Telmatobius species. The UPAM, combined with automated call identification software, showed effectiveness in monitoring the calling behaviour of this aquatic Andean frog in their natural environment. UPAM and soundscape/riverscape analysis should be incorporated as a non-invasive tool for monitoring threatened aquatic species.","PeriodicalId":504397,"journal":{"name":"Amphibia-Reptilia","volume":"431 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140750062","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}
Pub Date : 2024-02-09DOI: 10.1163/15685381-bja10171
Mohamed Jaouhar Semaha, R. Rodríguez-Caro, S. Fahd, Andrea Mira-Jover, A. Giménez, E. Graciá
Ectotherms exhibit varying geographic size patterns shaped by environmental and evolutionary factors. This variability is noticeable within taxonomic groups. For instance, certain testudinids follow Bergmann’s rule (body size increases with latitude) and Rensch’s rule (sexual size dimorphism correlates with body size), while others do not. Here we hypothesize that body size patterns can even vary within a monophyletic lineage. To address this, we evaluated the body size patterns of the spur-thighed tortoise Testudo graeca that globally follows Bergmann’s and Rensch’s rules. We specifically investigated the influence of climate variables, latitude and elevation within the subspecies T. g. whitei throughout its natural distribution in North Africa, and in a recently expanded range in SE Spain (20 kya old). We found that males were smaller than females in both regions. The tortoises from SE Spain were smaller than those from North Africa, which showcased the smallest sizes ever reported for the species. Latitude was the main variable to explain tortoise body size. In particular, body size decreased with latitude in both regions, which contrasts with Bergmann’s rule expectations based on species-level findings. Finally, to further contradict species-level expectations, we did not find any statistical correlation between sexual size dimorphism and body size across the two studied regions. Such contradictory outcomes reveal complex geographic size patterns within T. graeca and raise conservation questions about demographic viability at smaller-sized sites.
受环境和进化因素的影响，外温动物表现出不同的地理大小模式。这种变异在分类群中非常明显。例如，某些蝾螈类遵循伯格曼法则（体型随纬度增加而增加）和伦施法则（性别大小二形性与体型相关），而其他蝾螈类则不然。在此，我们假设体型模式甚至可以在单系内发生变化。为了解决这个问题，我们评估了在全球范围内遵循伯格曼规则和伦施规则的刺髀陆龟（Testudo graeca）的体型模式。我们特别研究了白龟亚种（T. g. whitei）在北非整个自然分布区以及最近在西班牙东南部（20 千年前）扩大的分布区内气候变量、纬度和海拔的影响。我们发现，在这两个地区，雄龟的体型都小于雌龟。西班牙东南部的陆龟比北非的陆龟小，这是该物种有报道以来最小的体型。纬度是解释陆龟体型的主要变量。特别是，这两个地区的陆龟体型都随着纬度的升高而减小，这与伯格曼基于物种水平的研究结果所预期的规则形成了鲜明对比。最后，与物种水平的预期相矛盾的是，我们在两个研究区域都没有发现性别大小二形与体型之间有任何统计学相关性。这种矛盾的结果揭示了褐马鸡复杂的地理体型模式，并提出了关于较小体型地点的人口生存能力的保护问题。
{"title":"Body size variation in a lineage of spur-thighed tortoises (Testudo graeca whitei) contrasts with that expected from the species level","authors":"Mohamed Jaouhar Semaha, R. Rodríguez-Caro, S. Fahd, Andrea Mira-Jover, A. Giménez, E. Graciá","doi":"10.1163/15685381-bja10171","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15685381-bja10171","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Ectotherms exhibit varying geographic size patterns shaped by environmental and evolutionary factors. This variability is noticeable within taxonomic groups. For instance, certain testudinids follow Bergmann’s rule (body size increases with latitude) and Rensch’s rule (sexual size dimorphism correlates with body size), while others do not. Here we hypothesize that body size patterns can even vary within a monophyletic lineage. To address this, we evaluated the body size patterns of the spur-thighed tortoise Testudo graeca that globally follows Bergmann’s and Rensch’s rules. We specifically investigated the influence of climate variables, latitude and elevation within the subspecies T. g. whitei throughout its natural distribution in North Africa, and in a recently expanded range in SE Spain (20 kya old). We found that males were smaller than females in both regions. The tortoises from SE Spain were smaller than those from North Africa, which showcased the smallest sizes ever reported for the species. Latitude was the main variable to explain tortoise body size. In particular, body size decreased with latitude in both regions, which contrasts with Bergmann’s rule expectations based on species-level findings. Finally, to further contradict species-level expectations, we did not find any statistical correlation between sexual size dimorphism and body size across the two studied regions. Such contradictory outcomes reveal complex geographic size patterns within T. graeca and raise conservation questions about demographic viability at smaller-sized sites.","PeriodicalId":504397,"journal":{"name":"Amphibia-Reptilia","volume":" 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139788486","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}
Pub Date : 2024-02-09DOI: 10.1163/15685381-bja10171
Mohamed Jaouhar Semaha, R. Rodríguez-Caro, S. Fahd, Andrea Mira-Jover, A. Giménez, E. Graciá
Ectotherms exhibit varying geographic size patterns shaped by environmental and evolutionary factors. This variability is noticeable within taxonomic groups. For instance, certain testudinids follow Bergmann’s rule (body size increases with latitude) and Rensch’s rule (sexual size dimorphism correlates with body size), while others do not. Here we hypothesize that body size patterns can even vary within a monophyletic lineage. To address this, we evaluated the body size patterns of the spur-thighed tortoise Testudo graeca that globally follows Bergmann’s and Rensch’s rules. We specifically investigated the influence of climate variables, latitude and elevation within the subspecies T. g. whitei throughout its natural distribution in North Africa, and in a recently expanded range in SE Spain (20 kya old). We found that males were smaller than females in both regions. The tortoises from SE Spain were smaller than those from North Africa, which showcased the smallest sizes ever reported for the species. Latitude was the main variable to explain tortoise body size. In particular, body size decreased with latitude in both regions, which contrasts with Bergmann’s rule expectations based on species-level findings. Finally, to further contradict species-level expectations, we did not find any statistical correlation between sexual size dimorphism and body size across the two studied regions. Such contradictory outcomes reveal complex geographic size patterns within T. graeca and raise conservation questions about demographic viability at smaller-sized sites.
受环境和进化因素的影响，外温动物表现出不同的地理大小模式。这种变异在分类群中非常明显。例如，某些蝾螈类遵循伯格曼法则（体型随纬度增加而增加）和伦施法则（性别大小二形性与体型相关），而其他蝾螈类则不然。在此，我们假设体型模式甚至可以在单系内发生变化。为了解决这个问题，我们评估了在全球范围内遵循伯格曼规则和伦施规则的刺髀陆龟（Testudo graeca）的体型模式。我们特别研究了白龟亚种（T. g. whitei）在北非整个自然分布区以及最近在西班牙东南部（20 千年前）扩大的分布区内气候变量、纬度和海拔的影响。我们发现，在这两个地区，雄龟的体型都小于雌龟。西班牙东南部的陆龟比北非的陆龟小，这是该物种有报道以来最小的体型。纬度是解释陆龟体型的主要变量。特别是，这两个地区的陆龟体型都随着纬度的升高而减小，这与伯格曼基于物种水平的研究结果所预期的规则形成了鲜明对比。最后，与物种水平的预期相矛盾的是，我们在两个研究区域都没有发现性别大小二形与体型之间有任何统计学相关性。这种矛盾的结果揭示了褐马鸡复杂的地理体型模式，并提出了关于较小体型地点的人口生存能力的保护问题。
{"title":"Body size variation in a lineage of spur-thighed tortoises (Testudo graeca whitei) contrasts with that expected from the species level","authors":"Mohamed Jaouhar Semaha, R. Rodríguez-Caro, S. Fahd, Andrea Mira-Jover, A. Giménez, E. Graciá","doi":"10.1163/15685381-bja10171","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15685381-bja10171","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Ectotherms exhibit varying geographic size patterns shaped by environmental and evolutionary factors. This variability is noticeable within taxonomic groups. For instance, certain testudinids follow Bergmann’s rule (body size increases with latitude) and Rensch’s rule (sexual size dimorphism correlates with body size), while others do not. Here we hypothesize that body size patterns can even vary within a monophyletic lineage. To address this, we evaluated the body size patterns of the spur-thighed tortoise Testudo graeca that globally follows Bergmann’s and Rensch’s rules. We specifically investigated the influence of climate variables, latitude and elevation within the subspecies T. g. whitei throughout its natural distribution in North Africa, and in a recently expanded range in SE Spain (20 kya old). We found that males were smaller than females in both regions. The tortoises from SE Spain were smaller than those from North Africa, which showcased the smallest sizes ever reported for the species. Latitude was the main variable to explain tortoise body size. In particular, body size decreased with latitude in both regions, which contrasts with Bergmann’s rule expectations based on species-level findings. Finally, to further contradict species-level expectations, we did not find any statistical correlation between sexual size dimorphism and body size across the two studied regions. Such contradictory outcomes reveal complex geographic size patterns within T. graeca and raise conservation questions about demographic viability at smaller-sized sites.","PeriodicalId":504397,"journal":{"name":"Amphibia-Reptilia","volume":"78 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139848495","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}
Pub Date : 2024-01-26DOI: 10.1163/15685381-bja10170
Nicolas Joudrier, Gaelle Blanvillain, Gregoire Meier, Joseph Hoyt, Maxime Chèvre, Sylvain Dubey, Francesco C. Origgi, Sylvain Ursenbacher
The discovery of the fungal pathogen Ophidiomyces ophidiicola (Oo), the aetiologic agent of Snake Fungal Disease (SFD), has raised a growing interest in the North American and European scientific communities, in particular toward conservation. This pathogen is known or suspected to be associated with the declines of some snake populations in North America and was detected later in Europe. Its ecology, distribution and phylogeography still remain largely unknown. In this study, we collected skin swabs from 271 free-ranging snakes in Switzerland across 8 different species and 13 sites. The overall pathogen prevalence was at least 28% with sequences consistent with both the European and the North American lineages (respectively Clade I and II) of Oo. Semi-aquatic snakes were more likely to be infected by Oo, and high human disturbance (human frequentation and direct impact on snakes) was associated with a higher Oo prevalence, whereas season, body condition and snake species introduction was not. This study suggests that Switzerland might represent a region characterised by high genetic variability in Oo, and where long-term monitoring might be particularly important to follow the evolution of the disease in free-ranging snakes.
{"title":"Unravelling the disease ecology of snake fungal disease: high genetic variability and ecological features of Ophidiomyces ophidiicola in Switzerland","authors":"Nicolas Joudrier, Gaelle Blanvillain, Gregoire Meier, Joseph Hoyt, Maxime Chèvre, Sylvain Dubey, Francesco C. Origgi, Sylvain Ursenbacher","doi":"10.1163/15685381-bja10170","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15685381-bja10170","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000The discovery of the fungal pathogen Ophidiomyces ophidiicola (Oo), the aetiologic agent of Snake Fungal Disease (SFD), has raised a growing interest in the North American and European scientific communities, in particular toward conservation. This pathogen is known or suspected to be associated with the declines of some snake populations in North America and was detected later in Europe. Its ecology, distribution and phylogeography still remain largely unknown. In this study, we collected skin swabs from 271 free-ranging snakes in Switzerland across 8 different species and 13 sites. The overall pathogen prevalence was at least 28% with sequences consistent with both the European and the North American lineages (respectively Clade I and II) of Oo. Semi-aquatic snakes were more likely to be infected by Oo, and high human disturbance (human frequentation and direct impact on snakes) was associated with a higher Oo prevalence, whereas season, body condition and snake species introduction was not. This study suggests that Switzerland might represent a region characterised by high genetic variability in Oo, and where long-term monitoring might be particularly important to follow the evolution of the disease in free-ranging snakes.","PeriodicalId":504397,"journal":{"name":"Amphibia-Reptilia","volume":"45 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139595112","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}
Pub Date : 2024-01-18DOI: 10.1163/15685381-bja10169
M. Barquero, Viviana Arguedas, Lizbeth Ovares, Rodolfo Vargas, R. Arguedas
Morphological variation present within a species is the result of sexual or natural selection and determines the ecological relationships (i.e., ecomorphology) and the degree of sexual dimorphism. For most lizard species, either males or females are the larger sex, suggesting that selection operates differently on each sex. Thus, differences in morphology can determine the habitat use made by males and females. Here we use the Berthold’s bush anole (Polychrus gutturosus), a rare arboreal, diurnal lizard, to examine whether morphological and ecological measures differ among sexes and whether such potential differences emerge as a result of resource partitioning. We measured the morphology of wild individuals from one population and from preserved specimens collected in Costa Rica. We collected data on nine morphological measurements, nocturnal body and air temperatures, and sleeping perch height. We measured 45 wild individuals (22 males and 23 females) and 17 preserved specimens (6 males and 11 females). We found a female-biased body size, and male-biased tail length, head dimensions, and limb lengths. We also observed differences between males and females in body color and the size and shape of femoral pores, although these differences require quantification. We did not find sex differences in sleeping perch height or nocturnal body temperature. Our results demonstrate that resource partitioning does not explain differences among sexes, and that female-biased body size in P. gutturosus might reflect selection operating on increased fecundity.
{"title":"Sexual dimorphism and ecomorphology of the Berthold’s bush anole (Polychrus gutturosus) in Costa Rica","authors":"M. Barquero, Viviana Arguedas, Lizbeth Ovares, Rodolfo Vargas, R. Arguedas","doi":"10.1163/15685381-bja10169","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15685381-bja10169","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Morphological variation present within a species is the result of sexual or natural selection and determines the ecological relationships (i.e., ecomorphology) and the degree of sexual dimorphism. For most lizard species, either males or females are the larger sex, suggesting that selection operates differently on each sex. Thus, differences in morphology can determine the habitat use made by males and females. Here we use the Berthold’s bush anole (Polychrus gutturosus), a rare arboreal, diurnal lizard, to examine whether morphological and ecological measures differ among sexes and whether such potential differences emerge as a result of resource partitioning. We measured the morphology of wild individuals from one population and from preserved specimens collected in Costa Rica. We collected data on nine morphological measurements, nocturnal body and air temperatures, and sleeping perch height. We measured 45 wild individuals (22 males and 23 females) and 17 preserved specimens (6 males and 11 females). We found a female-biased body size, and male-biased tail length, head dimensions, and limb lengths. We also observed differences between males and females in body color and the size and shape of femoral pores, although these differences require quantification. We did not find sex differences in sleeping perch height or nocturnal body temperature. Our results demonstrate that resource partitioning does not explain differences among sexes, and that female-biased body size in P. gutturosus might reflect selection operating on increased fecundity.","PeriodicalId":504397,"journal":{"name":"Amphibia-Reptilia","volume":"108 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139614589","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}
Pub Date : 2024-01-17DOI: 10.1163/15685381-bja10166
Ricardo Reques, Agustín Camacho
In Mediterranean climates, amphibian larvae often occupy temporary ponds where they must avoid deleterious temperatures and develop before these ponds dry out. We measured thermal heterogeneity in one of these ponds and discussed its relationship with development time and thermal tolerance in three observed species. We found large daily thermoclines that may reach 14°C and persist into the early evening. To our knowledge, this is the first time that such a large degree of thermal heterogeneity has been reported in temporary ponds. Thus, we raise hypotheses linking thermoregulation, habitat use, and growth that Mediterranean amphibian larvae, or other aquatic larvae inhabiting water bodies with strong thermoclines, might exhibit. We argue that studies on thermoregulation of larvae are badly needed to help us understand the responses of Mediterranean amphibians to global warming.
{"title":"Thermal heterogeneity in a Mediterranean pond: perspectives for the thermal biology of amphibian larvae","authors":"Ricardo Reques, Agustín Camacho","doi":"10.1163/15685381-bja10166","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15685381-bja10166","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000In Mediterranean climates, amphibian larvae often occupy temporary ponds where they must avoid deleterious temperatures and develop before these ponds dry out. We measured thermal heterogeneity in one of these ponds and discussed its relationship with development time and thermal tolerance in three observed species. We found large daily thermoclines that may reach 14°C and persist into the early evening. To our knowledge, this is the first time that such a large degree of thermal heterogeneity has been reported in temporary ponds. Thus, we raise hypotheses linking thermoregulation, habitat use, and growth that Mediterranean amphibian larvae, or other aquatic larvae inhabiting water bodies with strong thermoclines, might exhibit. We argue that studies on thermoregulation of larvae are badly needed to help us understand the responses of Mediterranean amphibians to global warming.","PeriodicalId":504397,"journal":{"name":"Amphibia-Reptilia","volume":" September","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139617841","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}
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