The spillways of the Santo Antônio Hydro-electric Dam on the Madeira River in Brazilian Amazonia were closed in November 2011, inundating more than 100 km of river and reducing the annual fluctuations in water level. We surveyed the crocodilians in the affected area for two years before and for eight years after dam filling in order to evaluate the effects of the dam on the size structure of the population, the distribution of each species, and the detectability of individuals to interpret changes in apparent density. Our methodology was probably not appropriate to evaluate trends in population characteristics of Paleosuchus palpebrosus or P. trigonatus, but there was little evidence of an effect of the dam on the numbers of Caiman crocodilus and Melanosuchus niger in the area, and the distributions of all caiman species along the river changed only slightly after the dam was constructed. However, the proportions of small C. crocodilus and large M. niger detected in surveys increased eight years after dam filling. Despite having detectable effects on some population characteristics, the dam does not appear to represent a threat to the persistence of the species in the area if deforestation along the banks of the reservoir can be avoided.
{"title":"Responses of crocodilians to construction of a hydroelectric dam on the Madeira River in the Brazilian Amazon","authors":"Z. Campos, F. Muniz, G. Mourão, W. Magnusson","doi":"10.33256/HJ30.4.215221","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33256/HJ30.4.215221","url":null,"abstract":"The spillways of the Santo Antônio Hydro-electric Dam on the Madeira River in Brazilian Amazonia were closed in November 2011, inundating more than 100 km of river and reducing the annual fluctuations in water level. We surveyed the crocodilians in the affected area for two years before and for eight years after dam filling in order to evaluate the effects of the dam on the size structure of the population, the distribution of each species, and the detectability of individuals to interpret changes in apparent density. Our methodology was probably not appropriate to evaluate trends in population characteristics of Paleosuchus palpebrosus or P. trigonatus, but there was little evidence of an effect of the dam on the numbers of Caiman crocodilus and Melanosuchus niger in the area, and the distributions of all caiman species along the river changed only slightly after the dam was constructed. However, the proportions of small C. crocodilus and large M. niger detected in surveys increased eight years after dam filling. Despite having detectable effects on some population characteristics, the dam does not appear to represent a threat to the persistence of the species in the area if deforestation along the banks of the reservoir can be avoided.","PeriodicalId":56131,"journal":{"name":"Herpetological Journal","volume":"30 1","pages":"215-221"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2020-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44158204","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}
Photographic identification of individual animals is a non-invasive and cost-effective method that can provide demographic information on wild populations. This study aims to compare two photo-matching algorithms (Wild- ID and I3S-Spot) using a reintroduced population of pool frogs (Pelophylax lessonae) in the UK as a case study. We compared the following parameters 1) sex and age, 2) image quality, 3) image collection size and 4) processing time to evaluate successful image match rates. There were no significant differences in successful match rates found between sex and age groups. Wild-ID was more sensitive to image quality than I3S-Spot. There was a significant negative relationship between image collection size and successful match rates for I3S-Spot, however, no such relationship for Wild-ID. The findings of our study can be used by conservation practitioners to reduce workload and improve accuracy during population monitoring activities.
{"title":"Comparisons of image-matching software when identifying pool frog (Pelophylax lessonae) individuals from a reintroduced population","authors":"J. Dawson, Connor Taylor Panter","doi":"10.33256/31.1.5559","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33256/31.1.5559","url":null,"abstract":"Photographic identification of individual animals is a non-invasive and cost-effective method that can provide demographic information on wild populations. This study aims to compare two photo-matching algorithms (Wild- ID and I3S-Spot) using a reintroduced population of pool frogs (Pelophylax lessonae) in the UK as a case study. We compared the following parameters 1) sex and age, 2) image quality, 3) image collection size and 4) processing time to evaluate successful image match rates. There were no significant differences in successful match rates found between sex and age groups. Wild-ID was more sensitive to image quality than I3S-Spot. There was a significant negative relationship between image collection size and successful match rates for I3S-Spot, however, no such relationship for Wild-ID. The findings of our study can be used by conservation practitioners to reduce workload and improve accuracy during population monitoring activities.","PeriodicalId":56131,"journal":{"name":"Herpetological Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2020-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48447701","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}
Glucocorticoids (GCs) are primarily involved in mobilising energy reserves to various physiological processes including reproduction. During situations of stress, GCs also help in coping with stress by diverting energy away from processes such as growth and reproduction. Hence, studying annual and seasonal changes in GCs of wild populations can help in understanding their role in stress management and reproduction. The quantification of GCs in wild animals involves capturing, handling and restraining, which could be stressful. Moreover, different species may exhibit differential sensitivity to different stressors. Hence, determining species-specific sensitivities and responses to different stressors may help in developing effective conservation measures. In this context, we studied the annual and seasonal variations in corticosterone metabolites of the Bombay night frog, Nyctibatrachus humayuni. In addition, the effects of handling, marking and short-term captivity (24 h) on corticosterone metabolite levels of N. humayuni were determined. Our results show that urinary corticosterone metabolites (UCM) varied significantly annually and between the sexes; in males, the levels were highest during the breeding season, whilst in females, the levels were highest just before the breeding season. Interestingly, UCM levels of both the sexes were not affected by tagging with visual implant elastomer (VIE), and by short-term captivity, suggesting that these manipulations were not stressful in terms of corticosterone responses.
{"title":"Annual changes in corticosterone and its response to handling, tagging and short-term captivity in Nyctibatrachus humayuni","authors":"A. M. Joshi, E. Narayan, N. P. Gramapurohit","doi":"10.33256/hj30.3.118125","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33256/hj30.3.118125","url":null,"abstract":"Glucocorticoids (GCs) are primarily involved in mobilising energy reserves to various physiological processes including reproduction. During situations of stress, GCs also help in coping with stress by diverting energy away from processes such as growth and reproduction. Hence, studying annual and seasonal changes in GCs of wild populations can help in understanding their role in stress management and reproduction. The quantification of GCs in wild animals involves capturing, handling and restraining, which could be stressful. Moreover, different species may exhibit differential sensitivity to different stressors. Hence, determining species-specific sensitivities and responses to different stressors may help in developing effective conservation measures. In this context, we studied the annual and seasonal variations in corticosterone metabolites of the Bombay night frog, Nyctibatrachus humayuni. In addition, the effects of handling, marking and short-term captivity (24 h) on corticosterone metabolite levels of N. humayuni were determined. Our results show that urinary corticosterone metabolites (UCM) varied significantly annually and between the sexes; in males, the levels were highest during the breeding season, whilst in females, the levels were highest just before the breeding season. Interestingly, UCM levels of both the sexes were not affected by tagging with visual implant elastomer (VIE), and by short-term captivity, suggesting that these manipulations were not stressful in terms of corticosterone responses.","PeriodicalId":56131,"journal":{"name":"Herpetological Journal","volume":"30 1","pages":"118-125"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2020-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43546526","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}
U. Sinsch, F. Leus, Marlene Sonntag, Alena Marcella Hantzschmann
Metamorphs of the yellow-bellied toad, Bombina variegata, vary widely in size at metamorphosis in the field. We performed a replicated outdoor mesocosm study to simulate the environmental factor combinations in permanent and ephemeral breeding sites and to quantify their effects on tadpole development (duration of the larval period, metamorph size and body condition). Looking for potential carry-over effects of the larval environment, we quantified locomotor performance of all metamorph phenotypes originating from the mesocosms immediately after metamorphosis under controlled conditions. In contrast to the prediction of life-history theory, tadpoles were unable to adjust developmental rate to water availability, but metamorphs originating from the ephemeral pond treatment were smaller and had a lower body condition than those from the permanent pond treatment. Size-dependent carry-over effects included the length of the first jump following tactile stimulation, burst performance (total length of spontaneous jumps) and endurance (total distance covered in 10 forced jumps). A size-independent effect of larval environment was the prolonged locomotor effort to escape (5.7 consecutive jumps following initial stimulus) of metamorphs from the ephemeral pond treatment compared to same-sized ones (3.7 jumps) from the permanent pond treatment. Thus, we demonstrate that carry-over effects of larval environment on metamorph phenotype and behaviour cause a considerable variation in fitness in the early terrestrial stage of B. variegata. Informed conservation management of endangered populations in the northern range should therefore include the provision of small permanent breeding ponds promoting larger and fitter metamorphs.
{"title":"Carry-over effects of the larval environment on the post-metamorphic performance of Bombina variegata (Amphibia, Anura)","authors":"U. Sinsch, F. Leus, Marlene Sonntag, Alena Marcella Hantzschmann","doi":"10.33256/hj30.3.126134","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33256/hj30.3.126134","url":null,"abstract":"Metamorphs of the yellow-bellied toad, Bombina variegata, vary widely in size at metamorphosis in the field. We performed a replicated outdoor mesocosm study to simulate the environmental factor combinations in permanent and ephemeral breeding sites and to quantify their effects on tadpole development (duration of the larval period, metamorph size and body condition). Looking for potential carry-over effects of the larval environment, we quantified locomotor performance of all metamorph phenotypes originating from the mesocosms immediately after metamorphosis under controlled conditions. In contrast to the prediction of life-history theory, tadpoles were unable to adjust developmental rate to water availability, but metamorphs originating from the ephemeral pond treatment were smaller and had a lower body condition than those from the permanent pond treatment. Size-dependent carry-over effects included the length of the first jump following tactile stimulation, burst performance (total length of spontaneous jumps) and endurance (total distance covered in 10 forced jumps). A size-independent effect of larval environment was the prolonged locomotor effort to escape (5.7 consecutive jumps following initial stimulus) of metamorphs from the ephemeral pond treatment compared to same-sized ones (3.7 jumps) from the permanent pond treatment. Thus, we demonstrate that carry-over effects of larval environment on metamorph phenotype and behaviour cause a considerable variation in fitness in the early terrestrial stage of B. variegata. Informed conservation management of endangered populations in the northern range should therefore include the provision of small permanent breeding ponds promoting larger and fitter metamorphs.","PeriodicalId":56131,"journal":{"name":"Herpetological Journal","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2020-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44217315","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}
G. Bruni, Ivan Mirabella, Dario Domeneghetti, M. Fasola, A. Bellati
The introduction of alien water frogs is perhaps one of the most underestimated herpetological conservation issues in Europe. The identification of distinct species is highly challenging at the phenotypic level, and artificial syntopy between various taxa and lineages may lead to diverse outcomes, including hybridisation and local extinction. In central Italy the native synklepton of Pelophylax bergeri (the parental taxon) and P. kl. (klepton) hispanicus (the hybridogenetic hybrid, which clonally transmits the genome of an extinct ridibundus-like taxon) is present. Until recently, data regarding the presence of alien water frogs in central Italy was scarce, and no alien taxa have been reported for Tuscany. In this study, four distinct non-native Pelophylax lineages have been identified via molecular analysis in the Cecina and Arno river basins and ascribed to the Marsh frog group (P. ridibundus sensu lato). Alien Pelophylax ridibundus, P. kurtmuelleri, and P. cf. bedriagae sensu stricto currently appear to be widespread in the Cecina basin. Furthermore, evidence of hybridisation with autochthonous taxa has been suggested by genetic analyses in four out of eight sampling localities. With a view to evaluate urgent conservation strategies, a greater sampling effort is required to assess the actual distribution and ecology of the alien lineages, and further research is necessary to measure their impact on the native hybridogenetic system of the central-southern Italian pool frogs.
外来水蛙的引入可能是欧洲最被低估的爬行动物保护问题之一。不同物种的鉴定在表型水平上极具挑战性，各种分类群和谱系之间的人工合成可能会导致不同的结果，包括杂交和局部灭绝。在意大利中部，存在Pelophylax bergeri（亲本分类单元）和P.kl.（klepton）hispanicus（杂交种杂交种，克隆传递已灭绝的类ridibandus分类单元的基因组）的本地synkleton。直到最近，关于意大利中部存在外来水蛙的数据还很少，托斯卡纳也没有外来分类群的报告。在这项研究中，通过分子分析，在Cecina河和Arno河流域确定了四个不同的非本地Pelophilax谱系，并将其归属于沼泽蛙群（P.ridibundus sensu lato）。目前，在Cecina盆地广泛分布着外来的ridibundus Pelophilax、P.kurtmuelleri和P.cf.Bediagae senso stricto。此外，八个采样点中有四个采样点的遗传分析表明，存在与本地分类群杂交的证据。为了评估紧急的保护策略，需要加大采样力度来评估外来谱系的实际分布和生态，有必要进行进一步的研究，以衡量它们对意大利中南部池蛙本地杂交遗传系统的影响。
{"title":"Will there be a second extinction? Molecular identification of multiple alien water frogs (Pelophylax ridibundus sensu lato) in Tuscany, Central Italy, reveals genetic pollution within a unique hybridogenetic system","authors":"G. Bruni, Ivan Mirabella, Dario Domeneghetti, M. Fasola, A. Bellati","doi":"10.33256/hj30.3.147158","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33256/hj30.3.147158","url":null,"abstract":"The introduction of alien water frogs is perhaps one of the most underestimated herpetological conservation issues in Europe. The identification of distinct species is highly challenging at the phenotypic level, and artificial syntopy between various taxa and lineages may lead to diverse outcomes, including hybridisation and local extinction. In central Italy the native synklepton of Pelophylax bergeri (the parental taxon) and P. kl. (klepton) hispanicus (the hybridogenetic hybrid, which clonally transmits the genome of an extinct ridibundus-like taxon) is present. Until recently, data regarding the presence of alien water frogs in central Italy was scarce, and no alien taxa have been reported for Tuscany. In this study, four distinct non-native Pelophylax lineages have been identified via molecular analysis in the Cecina and Arno river basins and ascribed to the Marsh frog group (P. ridibundus sensu lato). Alien Pelophylax ridibundus, P. kurtmuelleri, and P. cf. bedriagae sensu stricto currently appear to be widespread in the Cecina basin. Furthermore, evidence of hybridisation with autochthonous taxa has been suggested by genetic analyses in four out of eight sampling localities. With a view to evaluate urgent conservation strategies, a greater sampling effort is required to assess the actual distribution and ecology of the alien lineages, and further research is necessary to measure their impact on the native hybridogenetic system of the central-southern Italian pool frogs.","PeriodicalId":56131,"journal":{"name":"Herpetological Journal","volume":"30 1","pages":"147-158"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2020-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48455353","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}
Cannibalism is a widespread behavioural trait in nature and snakes are no exception. In smooth snakes (Coronella austriaca) it has only been visibly observed in captive individuals or known from faecal/stomach content analyses. Between 2009 and 2018 one incidence of cannibalism, determined from a faecal sample, and one sighting, were recorded in wild smooth snakes in Wareham Forest plantations, UK. Analysis of faecal samples and visual encounter surveys were used to estimate its frequency. Both records occurred in early autumn and our results suggest that its incidence in wild smooth snakes in southern England is low (0.1-0.3 %) and may be the result of low body condition. The circumstances resulting in cannibalism in the smooth snake may also be relevant to other animal species where cannibalism has been reported.
{"title":"Cannibalism in smooth snakes, Coronella austriaca","authors":"G. Jofré, C. Reading","doi":"10.33256/hj30.3.168172","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33256/hj30.3.168172","url":null,"abstract":"Cannibalism is a widespread behavioural trait in nature and snakes are no exception. In smooth snakes (Coronella austriaca) it has only been visibly observed in captive individuals or known from faecal/stomach content\u0000analyses. Between 2009 and 2018 one incidence of cannibalism, determined from a faecal sample, and one sighting, were recorded in wild smooth snakes in Wareham Forest plantations, UK. Analysis of faecal samples and visual encounter surveys were used to estimate its frequency.\u0000Both records occurred in early autumn and our results suggest that its incidence in wild smooth snakes in southern England is low (0.1-0.3 %) and may be the result of low body condition. The circumstances resulting in cannibalism in the smooth snake may also be relevant to other animal species where cannibalism has been reported.","PeriodicalId":56131,"journal":{"name":"Herpetological Journal","volume":"30 1","pages":"168-172"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2020-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43883669","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}
A are a highly endangered vertebrate class in Europe (Temple & Cox, 2009) and all European species are protected by the European Union Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC. Small headwater, 1st to 3rd order streams account for 60–80 % of the streams of a catchment area (Benda et al., 2005; Spänhoff et al., 2012; Ulevičius et al., 2011), and their associated floodplains are considered to support naturally low amphibian species richness across large areas of northern and temperate Europe (Günther, 1996; Thiesmeier, 2004; Weddeling & Willigalla, 2011). In south-west Europe (west of the Pyrenees) and in the European Mediterranean regions, several amphibian species, including Salamandrina terdigitata, Chioglossa lusitanica, Rana graeca, R. italica and R. iberica occur in flowing waters (Nöllert & Nöllert, 1992), whilst their numbers are very limited in the rest of Europe. In the temperate regions east of the Pyrenees there is only one amphibian species, the fire salamander Salamandra salamandra, which tends to inhabit small headwater streams, breeding in fish-free streams but also in associated floodplain ponds (Thiesmeier & Günther, 1996). Additional species are more commonly found in adjacent floodplain ponds, inlcuding palmate and alpine newts Lissotriton helveticus and Ichthyosaura alpestris, the common frog Rana temporaria (Weddeling & Willigalla, 2011) and to a lesser extent the midwife toad Alytes obstetricans (Borgula & Zumbach, 2003). Outside of this area, there are no amphibian species in eastern and northern Europe that prefer to reproduce in flowing waters. Compared to floodplains of larger lowland and gravel-bed rivers, the floodplains of these headwater streams have fewer ponds, lower hydrodynamics and unfavourable thermal conditions due to associated closedcanopy riparian forests (Skelly & Freidenburg, 2000). A review of the influence of beaver Castor fiber on amphibian assemblages in the floodplains of European temperate streams and rivers
{"title":"A review of the influence of beaver Castor fiber on amphibian assemblages in the floodplains of European temperate streams and rivers","authors":"Lutz Dalbeck, Monika Hachtel, R. Campbell‐Palmer","doi":"10.33256/hj30.3.135146","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33256/hj30.3.135146","url":null,"abstract":"A are a highly endangered vertebrate class in Europe (Temple & Cox, 2009) and all European species are protected by the European Union Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC. Small headwater, 1st to 3rd order streams account for 60–80 % of the streams of a catchment area (Benda et al., 2005; Spänhoff et al., 2012; Ulevičius et al., 2011), and their associated floodplains are considered to support naturally low amphibian species richness across large areas of northern and temperate Europe (Günther, 1996; Thiesmeier, 2004; Weddeling & Willigalla, 2011). In south-west Europe (west of the Pyrenees) and in the European Mediterranean regions, several amphibian species, including Salamandrina terdigitata, Chioglossa lusitanica, Rana graeca, R. italica and R. iberica occur in flowing waters (Nöllert & Nöllert, 1992), whilst their numbers are very limited in the rest of Europe. In the temperate regions east of the Pyrenees there is only one amphibian species, the fire salamander Salamandra salamandra, which tends to inhabit small headwater streams, breeding in fish-free streams but also in associated floodplain ponds (Thiesmeier & Günther, 1996). Additional species are more commonly found in adjacent floodplain ponds, inlcuding palmate and alpine newts Lissotriton helveticus and Ichthyosaura alpestris, the common frog Rana temporaria (Weddeling & Willigalla, 2011) and to a lesser extent the midwife toad Alytes obstetricans (Borgula & Zumbach, 2003). Outside of this area, there are no amphibian species in eastern and northern Europe that prefer to reproduce in flowing waters. Compared to floodplains of larger lowland and gravel-bed rivers, the floodplains of these headwater streams have fewer ponds, lower hydrodynamics and unfavourable thermal conditions due to associated closedcanopy riparian forests (Skelly & Freidenburg, 2000). A review of the influence of beaver Castor fiber on amphibian assemblages in the floodplains of European temperate streams and rivers","PeriodicalId":56131,"journal":{"name":"Herpetological Journal","volume":"30 1","pages":"135-146"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2020-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45277584","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}
Susanna Phillips, M. Geary, M. Allmark, S. Bennett, K. Norman, R. J. Ball, Catherine M. Peters, A. Muir
Genetic monitoring is an important, but frequently lacking, component of management actions to support long-term persistence in reintroduced populations. Populations that remain small, due to demographic processes and genetic diversity, are more likely to experience a second extinction event. The natterjack toad (Epidelea calamita) is legally protected in Britain and was the subject of a reintroduction programme in the 1990s. However, subsequent genetic assessment has been mostly lacking. The aim of this study was to assess the genetic diversity of two reintroduced populations of natterjack toads in order to inform conservation management. Adults were sampled and nine microsatellites amplified to assess neutral genetic variation within each site and for comparison with the source population. Inbreeding was observed at the reintroduction sites, as evidenced by high FIS values (0.43 and 0.72), low observed compared to expected heterozygosities, and significant deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Observed heterozygosity is currently lower in the reintroduction sites than it was in the source population at the time of the reintroductions (Red Rocks: 0.15±0.20; Talacre: 0.12±0.20; Ainsdale (source): 0.29). Evidence for a bottleneck was not found, although this is likely a result of sampling overlapping generations. No withinsite population structuring was observed. Such low genetic diversity has not previously been recorded in any natterjack population. Genetic rescue, combined with pool creation, is the most viable option for safeguarding the species at these sites into the future. Our work highlights the importance of ongoing genetic monitoring, in collaboration with conservation organisations, to support conservation management.
{"title":"The importance of long-term genetic monitoring of reintroduced populations: inbreeding in the natterjack toad (Epidalea calamita)","authors":"Susanna Phillips, M. Geary, M. Allmark, S. Bennett, K. Norman, R. J. Ball, Catherine M. Peters, A. Muir","doi":"10.33256/hj30.3.159167","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.33256/hj30.3.159167","url":null,"abstract":"Genetic monitoring is an important, but frequently lacking, component of management actions to support long-term persistence in reintroduced populations. Populations that remain small, due to demographic processes and genetic diversity, are more likely to experience a second extinction event. The natterjack toad (Epidelea calamita) is legally protected in Britain and was the subject of a reintroduction programme in the 1990s. However, subsequent genetic assessment has been mostly lacking. The aim of this study was to assess the genetic diversity of two reintroduced populations of natterjack toads in order to inform conservation management. Adults were sampled and nine microsatellites amplified to assess neutral genetic variation within each site and for comparison with the source population. Inbreeding was observed at the reintroduction sites, as evidenced by high FIS values (0.43 and 0.72), low observed compared to expected heterozygosities, and significant deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Observed heterozygosity is currently lower in the reintroduction sites than it was in the source population at the time of the reintroductions (Red Rocks: 0.15±0.20; Talacre: 0.12±0.20; Ainsdale (source): 0.29). Evidence for a bottleneck was not found, although this is likely a result of sampling overlapping generations. No withinsite population structuring was observed. Such low genetic diversity has not previously been recorded in any natterjack population. Genetic rescue, combined with pool creation, is the most viable option for safeguarding the species at these sites into the future. Our work highlights the importance of ongoing genetic monitoring, in collaboration with conservation organisations, to support conservation management.","PeriodicalId":56131,"journal":{"name":"Herpetological Journal","volume":"30 1","pages":"159-167"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2020-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43699933","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}
Tom Major, Devlan R. Alkins, Lauren Jeffrey, W. Wüster
C (CMR) studies are important in the collection of data on individual development, site fidelity, movement patterns, and abundance of individuals (Sanchez-Camara & Booth, 2004; Krebs, 1989). As most CMR studies rely on distinguishing one individual from another, unique marks or patterns are key to an effective study. The marks must meet several fundamental criteria: the mark cannot be easily lost; it must not affect the survival of the individual; it must not affect the likelihood of recapture; and it must be recordable (Otis et al., 1978). Because of their small size and lack of limbs, juvenile snakes have been difficult to mark (Winne et al., 2006). As a result, the natural history and movement ecology of juvenile snakes remains poorly understood and represents a major knowledge gap in herpetology (Ferner & Plummer, 2016). There are many different methods by which a mark can be applied to snakes (Haines & Modde, 1996; Powell & Proulx, 2003), but most have drawbacks undermining their utility. Externally mounted tags can be shed or knocked off when the snake is active and may hinder the snake in its movement. Ventral scale clipping marks are less obtrusive to the animal, but can sometimes be confused due to new scars on the ventral side of the snake, and substantial regrowth of clipped tissue. The https://doi.org/10.33256/hj30.3.173176
C (CMR)研究在收集关于个体发展、场地保真度、运动模式和个体丰度的数据方面很重要(Sanchez-Camara & Booth, 2004;克雷布斯,1989)。由于大多数CMR研究依赖于区分个体，独特的标记或模式是有效研究的关键。这些标记必须符合几个基本标准:标记不能轻易丢失;它不得影响个人的生存;不得影响重获的可能性;而且必须是可记录的(Otis et al.， 1978)。由于幼蛇体型小且没有四肢，很难标记(Winne et al.， 2006)。因此，幼蛇的自然史和运动生态学仍然知之甚少，这代表了爬行动物学的一个主要知识缺口(Ferner & Plummer, 2016)。有许多不同的方法可以将标记应用于蛇(Haines & Modde, 1996;Powell & Proulx, 2003)，但大多数都有削弱其效用的缺点。外部安装的标签可以脱落或敲掉时，蛇是活跃的，可能会阻碍蛇在其运动。腹部鳞片剪痕对动物来说不太明显，但有时会被混淆，因为蛇的腹部有新的疤痕，以及被剪组织的大量再生。https://doi.org/10.33256/hj30.3.173176
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Across many scientific disciplines, direct replication efforts and meta-analyses have fuelled concerns on the replicability of findings. Ecology and evolution are similarly affected. Investigations into the causes of this lack of replicability have implicated a suite of research practices linked to incentives in the current publishing system. Other fields have taken great strides to counter incentives that can reward obfuscation –chiefly by championing transparency. But how prominent are protransparency (open science) policies in herpetology journals? We use the recently developed Transparency and Openness Promotion (TOP) Factor to assess the transparency promotion of 19 herpetology journals, and compare the TOP scores to broader science. We find promotion of transparent practices currently lacking in many herpetological journals; and encourage authors, students, editors, and publishers to redouble efforts to bring open science practices to herpetology by changing journal policy, peer-review, and personal practice. We promote an array of options –developed and tested in other fields– demonstrated to counter publication bias, boost research uptake, and enable more transparent science, to enrich herpetological research.
{"title":"Make like a glass frog: In support of increased transparency in herpetology","authors":"B. M. Marshall, C. Strine","doi":"10.31219/osf.io/74frd","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/74frd","url":null,"abstract":"Across many scientific disciplines, direct replication efforts and meta-analyses have fuelled concerns on the replicability of findings. Ecology and evolution are similarly affected. Investigations into the causes of this lack of replicability have implicated a suite of research practices linked to incentives in the current publishing system. Other fields have taken great strides to counter incentives that can reward obfuscation –chiefly by championing transparency. But how prominent are protransparency (open science) policies in herpetology journals? We use the recently developed Transparency and Openness Promotion (TOP) Factor to assess the transparency promotion of 19 herpetology journals, and compare the TOP scores to broader science. We find promotion of transparent practices currently lacking in many herpetological journals; and encourage authors, students, editors, and publishers to redouble efforts to bring open science practices to herpetology by changing journal policy, peer-review, and personal practice. We promote an array of options –developed and tested in other fields– demonstrated to counter publication bias, boost research uptake, and enable more transparent science, to enrich herpetological research.","PeriodicalId":56131,"journal":{"name":"Herpetological Journal","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2020-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48652503","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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