Pub Date : 2023-10-06DOI: 10.1655/1938-5099-79.3.151
The Herpetologists’ League is pleased to recognize the following student members for their winning research proposals in the 2023 E.E. Williams Research Grant competition. Behavior.— William Tillett, Georgia College and State University, “Revisiting the energetics hypothesis: Can accelerometer monitoring reveal hidden variation in the movement patterns of snakes?” Conservation.— Jacquelyn Tleimat, Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi, “Exploring sources of necrotizing scute disease in Texas Tortoises.” Ecology.— Cam Hoffbeck, University of Auckland, “ The tuatara microbiome: Environmental influences and conservation implications.” Evolution & Diversity.— Desi Wilson, Oklahoma State University, “Epigenetic diversity of the Mediterranean house gecko across varying climates.” Physiology & Functional Morphology.— Grace Vaziri, University of Connecticut, “Do local adaptations to winter conditions underpin a mosaic of immune tradeoffs in wood frogs?”
{"title":"Awardees of the 2023 E.E. Williams Research Grants","authors":"","doi":"10.1655/1938-5099-79.3.151","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1655/1938-5099-79.3.151","url":null,"abstract":"The Herpetologists’ League is pleased to recognize the following student members for their winning research proposals in the 2023 E.E. Williams Research Grant competition. Behavior.— William Tillett, Georgia College and State University, “Revisiting the energetics hypothesis: Can accelerometer monitoring reveal hidden variation in the movement patterns of snakes?” Conservation.— Jacquelyn Tleimat, Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi, “Exploring sources of necrotizing scute disease in Texas Tortoises.” Ecology.— Cam Hoffbeck, University of Auckland, “ The tuatara microbiome: Environmental influences and conservation implications.” Evolution & Diversity.— Desi Wilson, Oklahoma State University, “Epigenetic diversity of the Mediterranean house gecko across varying climates.” Physiology & Functional Morphology.— Grace Vaziri, University of Connecticut, “Do local adaptations to winter conditions underpin a mosaic of immune tradeoffs in wood frogs?”","PeriodicalId":56312,"journal":{"name":"Herpetologica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135351188","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-06DOI: 10.1655/1938-5099-79.3.152
{"title":"E.E. Williams Research Grant Call for Applications","authors":"","doi":"10.1655/1938-5099-79.3.152","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1655/1938-5099-79.3.152","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":56312,"journal":{"name":"Herpetologica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135351331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-10-06DOI: 10.1655/1938-5099-79.3.153
{"title":"Joseph C. Mitchell Grant in Herpetology Call for Applications","authors":"","doi":"10.1655/1938-5099-79.3.153","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1655/1938-5099-79.3.153","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":56312,"journal":{"name":"Herpetologica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135351259","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-09-30DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-22-00006
Erik Maki, Georgina Jaimes, Beth A. Reinke
An organism's body shape is influenced by its ecology and environment through selective pressure and phenotypic plasticity. The shape of turtle shells is impacted by locomotor efficiency, and shell shape has been shown to differ between populations occupying different water flow regimes. However, it is not known whether other aspects of the environment, such as water turbidity or plant density, similarly impact shape by influencing locomotor efficiency. We used geometric morphometric methods to analyze the shell shapes of Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta) from several populations in Wisconsin. Water turbidity was found to be correlated with different shell shapes among the populations. In more turbid water, turtle shells were narrower than shells in clear water, and there was an interactive effect between water turbidity and plant density such that shells were anteriorly taller in high plant densities with high water turbidity than in low water turbidity. Shell shape also differed between the sexes and varied with adult size. These correlations suggest that aspects of the aquatic environment in addition to water flow may impact turtle shell shape by influencing locomotor efficiency and that this variation is detectable even within a species and region.
{"title":"Water Turbidity and Plant Density Influence Shell Shape in Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta)","authors":"Erik Maki, Georgina Jaimes, Beth A. Reinke","doi":"10.1655/herpetologica-d-22-00006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1655/herpetologica-d-22-00006","url":null,"abstract":"An organism's body shape is influenced by its ecology and environment through selective pressure and phenotypic plasticity. The shape of turtle shells is impacted by locomotor efficiency, and shell shape has been shown to differ between populations occupying different water flow regimes. However, it is not known whether other aspects of the environment, such as water turbidity or plant density, similarly impact shape by influencing locomotor efficiency. We used geometric morphometric methods to analyze the shell shapes of Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta) from several populations in Wisconsin. Water turbidity was found to be correlated with different shell shapes among the populations. In more turbid water, turtle shells were narrower than shells in clear water, and there was an interactive effect between water turbidity and plant density such that shells were anteriorly taller in high plant densities with high water turbidity than in low water turbidity. Shell shape also differed between the sexes and varied with adult size. These correlations suggest that aspects of the aquatic environment in addition to water flow may impact turtle shell shape by influencing locomotor efficiency and that this variation is detectable even within a species and region.","PeriodicalId":56312,"journal":{"name":"Herpetologica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135031741","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-09-30DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-22-00046
Sylvia Hofmann, Rafaqat Masroor, Daniel Jablonski
The Baluch Mountain Frog, Chrysopaa sternosignata (Dubois and Khan 1979), is one of the least known amphibian species in the Hindu Kush–Himalayan region. It is endemic to an area on the edge of the Palearctic region with harsh environment and with the long-term complicated security situation, where biodiversity research is difficult or virtually impossible. Thus, very little is known about the life history, ecology, and distribution of this frog, representing the monotypic genus Chrysopaa (Dicroglossidae). Similarly, data about the larva of this taxon are scarce. Thus, we provide the first detailed imagery and description of the larval stage of C. sternosignata (Dubois and Khan 1979) from Afghanistan. One tadpole was obtained from Jabul Saraj, Charikar, Afghanistan. Morphological and genetic analysis of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA confirmed the identity of the larva as C. sternosignata. Tadpole characters were illustrated by photos. Basic measurements and details on oral apparatus provide relevant characteristics to delimit the larva of this species from other spiny frogs. This information should facilitate the identification of C. sternosignata larvae in museum collections and in the field.
俾路支山蛙，Chrysopaa sternosignata (Dubois and Khan 1979)，是兴都库什-喜马拉雅地区最不为人知的两栖动物物种之一。它是古北地区边缘地区的特有种，环境恶劣，安全形势长期复杂，生物多样性研究困难或几乎不可能。因此，我们对这种蛙的生活史、生态和分布所知甚少，它是一种单模蛙属(双蛙科)。同样，关于这个分类群的幼虫的资料也很少。因此，我们提供了来自阿富汗的C. sternosignata (Dubois and Khan 1979)幼虫阶段的第一个详细图像和描述。一只蝌蚪来自阿富汗查里卡尔的Jabul Saraj。线粒体和核DNA的形态和遗传分析证实了该幼虫的身份。蝌蚪人物是用照片来说明的。口腔器官的基本测量和细节提供了将其幼虫与其他刺蛙区分开来的相关特征。这些信息将有助于在博物馆收藏和野外鉴定胸骨纹夜蛾幼虫。
{"title":"First Comprehensive Tadpole Description of the Relict and Endemic Mountain Frog Chrysopaa sternosignata (Murray 1885) from Afghanistan","authors":"Sylvia Hofmann, Rafaqat Masroor, Daniel Jablonski","doi":"10.1655/herpetologica-d-22-00046","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1655/herpetologica-d-22-00046","url":null,"abstract":"The Baluch Mountain Frog, Chrysopaa sternosignata (Dubois and Khan 1979), is one of the least known amphibian species in the Hindu Kush–Himalayan region. It is endemic to an area on the edge of the Palearctic region with harsh environment and with the long-term complicated security situation, where biodiversity research is difficult or virtually impossible. Thus, very little is known about the life history, ecology, and distribution of this frog, representing the monotypic genus Chrysopaa (Dicroglossidae). Similarly, data about the larva of this taxon are scarce. Thus, we provide the first detailed imagery and description of the larval stage of C. sternosignata (Dubois and Khan 1979) from Afghanistan. One tadpole was obtained from Jabul Saraj, Charikar, Afghanistan. Morphological and genetic analysis of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA confirmed the identity of the larva as C. sternosignata. Tadpole characters were illustrated by photos. Basic measurements and details on oral apparatus provide relevant characteristics to delimit the larva of this species from other spiny frogs. This information should facilitate the identification of C. sternosignata larvae in museum collections and in the field.","PeriodicalId":56312,"journal":{"name":"Herpetologica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135031742","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
An analysis of the diets of reptiles is essential for understanding the role of reptiles in the ecosystem and the employment of successful conservation management plans. For this purpose, noninvasive and invasive methods to identify consumed prey have been used. Here, we investigated the diet of male and female European Green Lizards (Lacerta viridis) by sampling fecal pellets across 2 yr in the spring and late summer at a single site. We used the following two methods for identifying prey remnants from fecal samples: the classical macroscopic approach that requires competent expert knowledge and the molecular approach based on the dietary metabarcoding of nondegraded prey remnant DNA. According to both methods, lizards consumed mainly insects belonging to 13 orders, with Coleoptera as the dominant prey. The number of prey taxa was similar between the sexes, but the prey composition at the genus level was significantly different, with males capturing some coleopterans more than females. The diets also differed significantly between season. In the spring, lizards consumed many more prey types and many more coleopteran specimens than in late summer. The proportion of identified prey taxa was significantly different between the identification methods. From the total of identified prey, macroscopic identification yielded only about 50% of taxa, whereas molecular identification yielded more than 80% of taxa. Our results show that molecular identification can recover a much higher number of prey than the macroscopic method, yet not all prey. Thus, the integration of both methods best described the natural diet and complex trophic interactions of European Green Lizards.
{"title":"Natural Diet of European Green Lizards, Lacerta viridis (Squamata: Lacertidae): A Comparison of Macroscopic and Molecular Identification Methods","authors":"Stano Pekár, Domagoj Gajski, Tamara Mifková, Radovan Smolinský, Tomislav Gojak, Martina Martišová","doi":"10.1655/herpetologica-d-23-00017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1655/herpetologica-d-23-00017","url":null,"abstract":"An analysis of the diets of reptiles is essential for understanding the role of reptiles in the ecosystem and the employment of successful conservation management plans. For this purpose, noninvasive and invasive methods to identify consumed prey have been used. Here, we investigated the diet of male and female European Green Lizards (Lacerta viridis) by sampling fecal pellets across 2 yr in the spring and late summer at a single site. We used the following two methods for identifying prey remnants from fecal samples: the classical macroscopic approach that requires competent expert knowledge and the molecular approach based on the dietary metabarcoding of nondegraded prey remnant DNA. According to both methods, lizards consumed mainly insects belonging to 13 orders, with Coleoptera as the dominant prey. The number of prey taxa was similar between the sexes, but the prey composition at the genus level was significantly different, with males capturing some coleopterans more than females. The diets also differed significantly between season. In the spring, lizards consumed many more prey types and many more coleopteran specimens than in late summer. The proportion of identified prey taxa was significantly different between the identification methods. From the total of identified prey, macroscopic identification yielded only about 50% of taxa, whereas molecular identification yielded more than 80% of taxa. Our results show that molecular identification can recover a much higher number of prey than the macroscopic method, yet not all prey. Thus, the integration of both methods best described the natural diet and complex trophic interactions of European Green Lizards.","PeriodicalId":56312,"journal":{"name":"Herpetologica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135031934","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-09-30DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-23-00004
Richard C. Bruce
In this report I examine tradeoffs involving body size, age, and resource allocation within the framework of the Equal Fitness Paradigm (EFP) in six species of plethodontid salamanders of the genus Desmognathus in two assemblages in the southern Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. The species are representative of the three life-history modes associated with habitat utilization in Desmognathus, namely stream, streamside, and forest. The two assemblages include the largest and smallest members of the genus. Among species, I recorded a negative correlation between body size and relative offspring size, a positive correlation between body size and lifetime offspring number, but negative correlations between body size and both lifetime reproductive investment and productivity, as reflected in the decrease in body size with increasing relative offspring size. In comparing these trends with published data on variation in these parameters in animals generally, I conclude that desmognathan salamanders lie at the slow end of the fast–slow axis in the pace-of-life model of life-history evolution. I discuss possible population regulatory mechanisms that operate on these populations, as a function of life-history mode, with special emphasis on streamside species. I suggest that retention of a brief larval phase in streamside species reflects tradeoffs among dispersal-related traits, including survival and growth.
{"title":"Pace-Of-Life in Dusky Salamanders","authors":"Richard C. Bruce","doi":"10.1655/herpetologica-d-23-00004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1655/herpetologica-d-23-00004","url":null,"abstract":"In this report I examine tradeoffs involving body size, age, and resource allocation within the framework of the Equal Fitness Paradigm (EFP) in six species of plethodontid salamanders of the genus Desmognathus in two assemblages in the southern Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. The species are representative of the three life-history modes associated with habitat utilization in Desmognathus, namely stream, streamside, and forest. The two assemblages include the largest and smallest members of the genus. Among species, I recorded a negative correlation between body size and relative offspring size, a positive correlation between body size and lifetime offspring number, but negative correlations between body size and both lifetime reproductive investment and productivity, as reflected in the decrease in body size with increasing relative offspring size. In comparing these trends with published data on variation in these parameters in animals generally, I conclude that desmognathan salamanders lie at the slow end of the fast–slow axis in the pace-of-life model of life-history evolution. I discuss possible population regulatory mechanisms that operate on these populations, as a function of life-history mode, with special emphasis on streamside species. I suggest that retention of a brief larval phase in streamside species reflects tradeoffs among dispersal-related traits, including survival and growth.","PeriodicalId":56312,"journal":{"name":"Herpetologica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135031750","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-06-28DOI: 10.1655/Herpetologica-D-22-00017
Shawn D. Snyder, William B. Sutton, David A. Steen
Abstract: Habitat management and species conservation plans are increasingly important as biodiversity losses increase. For many species, we lack the necessary data to implement habitat management or conservation plans because the species may be rare or difficult to detect, particularly at the periphery of geographic ranges. This may be especially true for snakes. For example, Pygmy Rattlesnakes (Sistrurus miliarius) have state-level protection at the northern terminus of the range but what little is known about the species in this region is derived from just 30 observations collected over the past 40 yr. This leaves considerable uncertainty regarding conservation status and establishes a need to better understand habitat suitability and their geographic distribution. Therefore, the objectives of our study were to determine landscape-scale environmental variables that influence patterns of distribution for S. miliarius in the northern extent of its range via the Maxent Species Distribution Algorithm coupled with on-site monitoring via standardized road-cruising transects (n = 43) to evaluate model suitability. The resulting species distribution model showed that suitable habitat (∼2045.96 km2) was composed primarily of riparian areas that exist in isolated patches. These habitats were primarily composed of sandy soils and low-elevation forested areas. Our on-site monitoring, informed by our modeling efforts, resulted in 12 new records for the species (an increase of 28.57%). Collectively, our species distribution model suggests that suitable habitat for S. miliarius within our study area is restricted to riverine or riparian habitats associated with the Lower Tennessee River Valley. The methods used in this study employ a strategy to better understand suitable habitat for rare or secretive species that occur across large geographic areas.
{"title":"Species Distribution Modeling Reveals Insights into the Occurrence of a Locally Rare Snake at the Periphery of its Geographic Range","authors":"Shawn D. Snyder, William B. Sutton, David A. Steen","doi":"10.1655/Herpetologica-D-22-00017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1655/Herpetologica-D-22-00017","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract: Habitat management and species conservation plans are increasingly important as biodiversity losses increase. For many species, we lack the necessary data to implement habitat management or conservation plans because the species may be rare or difficult to detect, particularly at the periphery of geographic ranges. This may be especially true for snakes. For example, Pygmy Rattlesnakes (Sistrurus miliarius) have state-level protection at the northern terminus of the range but what little is known about the species in this region is derived from just 30 observations collected over the past 40 yr. This leaves considerable uncertainty regarding conservation status and establishes a need to better understand habitat suitability and their geographic distribution. Therefore, the objectives of our study were to determine landscape-scale environmental variables that influence patterns of distribution for S. miliarius in the northern extent of its range via the Maxent Species Distribution Algorithm coupled with on-site monitoring via standardized road-cruising transects (n = 43) to evaluate model suitability. The resulting species distribution model showed that suitable habitat (∼2045.96 km2) was composed primarily of riparian areas that exist in isolated patches. These habitats were primarily composed of sandy soils and low-elevation forested areas. Our on-site monitoring, informed by our modeling efforts, resulted in 12 new records for the species (an increase of 28.57%). Collectively, our species distribution model suggests that suitable habitat for S. miliarius within our study area is restricted to riverine or riparian habitats associated with the Lower Tennessee River Valley. The methods used in this study employ a strategy to better understand suitable habitat for rare or secretive species that occur across large geographic areas.","PeriodicalId":56312,"journal":{"name":"Herpetologica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2023-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139368023","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-06-28DOI: 10.1655/Herpetologica-D-22-00035
Marcus Thadeu T. Santos, Paulo D P Pinheiro, P. Garcia, R. Griffiths, C. Haddad, Izabela M. Barata
Abstract: The bromeligenous genus Crossodactylodes, endemic to the Atlantic Forest domain and the “campo rupestre” ecosystem in Brazil, currently comprises five named species. Three additional putatively new species have already been proposed in a recent study based on mitochondrial and nuclear markers. Here we employ phenotypic data to corroborate the distinctiveness of one of these lineages, and describe it as a new species, from the Espinhaço Mountain Range in the municipality of Itamarandiba, state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. We also provide information on its natural history and conservation status. The new species is diagnosable from its congeners by a combination of characters, including the presence of vocal slits in adult males, the orange coloration of discs on fingers and toes, and the presence of vomerine odontophores. The new species is the second Crossodactylodes to be reported for the campo rupestre and it was only recorded in a small forest patch composed of low trees, shrubs, mosses, lichens, and a high density of bromeliads.
{"title":"A New Species of Crossodactylodes from the Espinhaço Mountain Range, Southeastern Brazil (Anura: Leptodactylidae: Paratelmatobiinae)","authors":"Marcus Thadeu T. Santos, Paulo D P Pinheiro, P. Garcia, R. Griffiths, C. Haddad, Izabela M. Barata","doi":"10.1655/Herpetologica-D-22-00035","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1655/Herpetologica-D-22-00035","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract: The bromeligenous genus Crossodactylodes, endemic to the Atlantic Forest domain and the “campo rupestre” ecosystem in Brazil, currently comprises five named species. Three additional putatively new species have already been proposed in a recent study based on mitochondrial and nuclear markers. Here we employ phenotypic data to corroborate the distinctiveness of one of these lineages, and describe it as a new species, from the Espinhaço Mountain Range in the municipality of Itamarandiba, state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. We also provide information on its natural history and conservation status. The new species is diagnosable from its congeners by a combination of characters, including the presence of vocal slits in adult males, the orange coloration of discs on fingers and toes, and the presence of vomerine odontophores. The new species is the second Crossodactylodes to be reported for the campo rupestre and it was only recorded in a small forest patch composed of low trees, shrubs, mosses, lichens, and a high density of bromeliads.","PeriodicalId":56312,"journal":{"name":"Herpetologica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2023-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41577477","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-06-28DOI: 10.1655/HERPETOLOGICA-D-22-00031
Silvia Rodriguez, P. Galán, A. Martínez‐Abraín
Abstract: In order to understand the macroecological architecture of an amphibian metacommunity of a large southern European region located between the Eurosiberian and Mediterranean domains (Galicia), we analyzed nestedness from matrices of presence–absence of 14 species in 3,627 water points, including both ponds and streams, along an altitudinal gradient (0–2,036 m), during a 11-yr period (2003–2013). To quantify nestedness, we used the metric NODF (nested overlap decreasing fill). We also explored interannual variability in nestedness and in temporal patterns of alpha, beta, and gamma diversity. The maximally packed matrix for ponds showed a nested pattern at middle and high elevation, whereas for streams, the nested pattern occurred at low elevation. In both types of wetlands, the magnitude of nestedness was moderate, around 15–30%. On the other hand, nestedness was not found to increase or decrease over the study period, for both ponds and streams, or at the three levels of elevation. This temporary stability was also found for alpha, beta, and gamma diversities. The moderate nestedness pattern detected was most likely explained by selective removal of species, a poor connection among water points, historical destruction of wetlands, or major land-use changes associated with the abandonment of traditional farming activities. Our results denote a certain resilience to human disturbance by the studied amphibian species. However, these results stress the need of protecting the metacommunity as a whole (because of the relative importance of species turnover among sites), and emphasize the suitability of preserving the old mosaic landscape at least within protected areas. Our results are intermediate between those expected for the temperate zone and those expected for lower latitudes, likely because the study region is a biogeographical transition area.
{"title":"Nestedness Patterns of Amphibian Assemblages in Northwestern Iberia along an Altitudinal Gradient: Implications for Conservation","authors":"Silvia Rodriguez, P. Galán, A. Martínez‐Abraín","doi":"10.1655/HERPETOLOGICA-D-22-00031","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1655/HERPETOLOGICA-D-22-00031","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract: In order to understand the macroecological architecture of an amphibian metacommunity of a large southern European region located between the Eurosiberian and Mediterranean domains (Galicia), we analyzed nestedness from matrices of presence–absence of 14 species in 3,627 water points, including both ponds and streams, along an altitudinal gradient (0–2,036 m), during a 11-yr period (2003–2013). To quantify nestedness, we used the metric NODF (nested overlap decreasing fill). We also explored interannual variability in nestedness and in temporal patterns of alpha, beta, and gamma diversity. The maximally packed matrix for ponds showed a nested pattern at middle and high elevation, whereas for streams, the nested pattern occurred at low elevation. In both types of wetlands, the magnitude of nestedness was moderate, around 15–30%. On the other hand, nestedness was not found to increase or decrease over the study period, for both ponds and streams, or at the three levels of elevation. This temporary stability was also found for alpha, beta, and gamma diversities. The moderate nestedness pattern detected was most likely explained by selective removal of species, a poor connection among water points, historical destruction of wetlands, or major land-use changes associated with the abandonment of traditional farming activities. Our results denote a certain resilience to human disturbance by the studied amphibian species. However, these results stress the need of protecting the metacommunity as a whole (because of the relative importance of species turnover among sites), and emphasize the suitability of preserving the old mosaic landscape at least within protected areas. Our results are intermediate between those expected for the temperate zone and those expected for lower latitudes, likely because the study region is a biogeographical transition area.","PeriodicalId":56312,"journal":{"name":"Herpetologica","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2023-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46841912","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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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