Showing papers in "Asian Herpetological Research in 2012"
TL;DR: High levels of localized, intra-island microendemism on Luzon clearly surpass most earlier estimates, suggesting that a substantial portion of Luzon’s herpetological diversity has been produced in situ through evolutionary processes of diversification.
Abstract: Recent herpetological biodiversity survey work on the Philippine island of Luzon has revealed a rich diversity of amphibian and reptiles species (Brown, 2007; Diesmos and Brown, 2011; Diesmos et al., 2002) in an island archipelago previously thought to be depauperate in herpetofaunal diversity compared to the adjacent mainland (Inger, 1954, 1966, 1999; Noble, 1931; Taylor, 1928). Additionally, high levels of localized, intra-island microendemism clearly surpass most earlier estimates (Brown et al., 1996, 2000a, in review; Diesmos et al., 2005; McLeod et al., 2011; Siler et al., 2011a), suggesting that a substantial portion of Luzon’s herpetological diversity has been produced in situ through evolutionary processes of diversification (Brown and Diesmos, 2009). The diversity and pockets of microendemism on Luzon Amphibians and Reptiles of Luzon Island, Philippines, VI: The Herpetofauna of the Subic Bay Area
26 citations
23 citations
TL;DR: There was a signifi cant directional asymmetry in testes mass, with the left testis size being significantly correlated with relative testes asymmetry, providing evidence that the right testis had a compensatory function.
Abstract: Testes size in most animals commonly shows directional asymmetry.In birds,the left testis mass is usually larger than the right one,but the reports on the testes asymmetry in anurans are very few.M?ller(1994)hypothesized that the right testis serves a compensatory role and increases in size when the left one is defective,and further suggested that testes asymmetry may be a reliable indicator of individual body condition.In this paper,we tested the compensation hypothesis in the Guenther’s frog,Hylarana guentheri.From 60 sampled males,we found that there was a signifi cant directional asymmetry in testes mass,with the left testis size being significantly correlated with relative testes asymmetry,providing evidence that the right testis had a compensatory function.However,testes mass and asymmetry were not correlated with body condition.Hence,we found no evidence that testes asymmetry in the Guenther’s frog ref lected male condition,and male age was also not related to testes mass or asymmetry.
22 citations
TL;DR: It is concluded that an incubation temperature of 30 degrees C would produce the best balance among developmental rate, hatching success, and post-hatching performance and it is speculated that the upper temperature limit for incubation of P versicolor eggs may be slightly higher than 34 degrees C.
Abstract: Flexible-shelled eggs of the lizards Phrynocephalus przewalskii and P. versicolor were incubated under different thermal and hydric conditions to elicit the effects of incubation environment on hatching success, embryonic development and duration as well as hatchling phenotypes. Embryogenesis of the two species was not sensitive to changes in the hydric environment except P przewalskii incubated in 30 degrees C group. Temperature significantly altered the duration of embryogenesis, with cooler temperatures leading to a longer incubation period. Hatching success was greater at 26 and 30 degrees C than at 34 degrees C.-The hatchlings incubated at 26 and 30 degrees C had longer snout-vent length, larger body mass, and better locomotor performance than those incubated at 34 degrees C. Compared to P. przewalskii, P versicolor had a shorter incubation period and yielded smaller hatchlings, which then had a higher survival rate in cooler and drier habitats. We conclude that an incubation temperature of 30 degrees C would produce the best balance among developmental rate, hatching success, and post-hatching performance. We speculate that the upper temperature limit for incubation of P versicolor eggs may be slightly higher than 34 degrees C.
20 citations
TL;DR: Investigation of the relationships between body size and call structure in the large treefrog, Rhacophorus dennysi, as well as the relationship of its calling behavior with air temperature and humidity shows that both the dominant and fundamental frequencies are positively correlated with body size, indicating that call characters could reflect body size in this species.
Abstract: In anurans, the outcomes of male-male contests and female choice are often associated with body size. In some species, males evaluate an opponent's fighting ability and females evaluate male quality on the basis of male communication signals, which are thought to reflect information concerning male body size. Nevertheless, previous studies reveal that male call structure is not always correlated with body size. In the present study we investigated the relationships between body size and call structure in the large treefrog, Rhacophorus dennysi, as well as the relationship of its calling behavior with air temperature and humidity. The results show that both the dominant and fundamental frequencies are negatively correlated with body size, while inter-note intervals are positively correlated with body size, indicating that call characters could reflect body size in this species. Additionally, calling in this tropical species exhibits a circadian rhythm insofar as relatively high temperature and low humidity during the day is associated with less vocal behavior. Thus, individual variations in call structure are mainly dependent on body size while the temporal rhythm of calling activity is affected by environmental conditions in large treefrogs.
16 citations
TL;DR: The management recommendations resulting from this study will guide biologists and land use managers in making appropriate decisions regarding release sites and the use of gravid females in the translocation of this endangered ratsnake.
Abstract: The translocation of snakes has been viewed as a useful tool to augment declining populations and to mitigate human-wildlife conf licts,even though released snakes often exhibit relatively high mortality.We radio-tracked 13 Amur Ratsnakes(Elaphe schrenckii)in the Woraksan National Park in South Korea from July 2008 to May 2009.Two of these snakes were residents,and 11 had been illegally captured in areas remote from the study site and were donated by the park off ice.During the study period,six of the translocated snakes were lost:two were killed by predators,one died of unknown causes,and the radio signals of three of the snakes were lost.In the f ield,the ratsnakes laid eggs in early August,moved into hibernacula in late November,and moved away from the hibernacula in mid-April.Compared to the resident snakes,f ive of the translocated snakes traveled approximately 1.3 times farther per week,and the home ranges of the translocated snakes were three to six times larger than those of the resident snakes.In addition,the translocated snakes were found underground more frequently than the resident snakes.The management recommendations resulting from this study will guide biologists and land use managers in making appropriate decisions regarding release sites and the use of gravid females in the translocation of this endangered ratsnake.
14 citations
13 citations
TL;DR: The impressive level of herpetological diversity within such a small area, so close to Metro Manila, emphasizes that the diversity and distribution patterns of amphibians and reptiles from Luzon are still poorly known and in need of further study.
Abstract: we report amphibian and reptile distribution records based on recent biodiversity surveys conducted at the Angat watershed Reservation, Bulacan Province, Luzon Island, Philippines. This watershed constitutes the principal water source for Manila, the Philippines' largest metropolitan area. As virtually nothing is known of the herpetological diversity of the immediate area and the surrounding Bulacan Province, all species recorded as part of our surveys constitute major geographical records and/or significant range extensions. Our data result in a total of 63 new records of amphibian (19 frogs) and reptile (22 lizards, 2 turtles, and 20 snakes) species for this protected area (and immediate vicinity) that serves as a watershed for the major metropolitan area of Manila and surrounding cities. Together with the few previous literature records, our new records bring the total number of amphibian and reptile species for Bulacan Province to 68. we discuss several strategies for future survey work (focusing on habitat type, seasonal variation, and elevational variability) that we anticipate will result in increased knowledge of diversity within the Angat wa tershed Reserve. The impressive level of herpetological diversity within such a small area, so close to Metro Manila, emphasizes that the diversity and distribution patterns of amphibians and reptiles from Luzon are still poorly known and in need of further study.
13 citations
10 citations
10 citations
Journal Article•
TL;DR: The update presented herein increases the confirmed number of amphibian and reptile species for Timor-Leste to 47 and four records for road-killed snakes seen in West Timor (Indonesia) are presented.
Abstract: Herpetological surveys of locations in six districts of Timor-Leste (Dili, Baucau, Ermera, Liquica, Manatuto, Viqueque) during 2010 led to the discovery of a new, high-altitude species of Cryptoblepharus from Ermera District, a new country record (Hemidactylus cf. tenkatei), and the recording of two previously unvouchered species (Python r. reticulatus and Liasis m. mackloti). In this article, we summarize these new records and present numerous new district records for Timor-Leste and four records for road-killed snakes seen in West Timor (Indonesia). With the addition of the results from our 2009 survey, the update presented herein increases the confirmed number of amphibian and reptile species for Timor-Leste to 47.
TL;DR: Li et al. as mentioned in this paper described a pit viper as a new species of Protobothrops based on the body proportions, number of squamae, body color pattern, and comparing the data of its life history with those of other species of the genus.
Abstract: During a biological survey in July 2011, a pit viper was collected from the Yaoluoping Nature Reserve in the Dabie Mountains, Anhui, China. The pit viper's the total length measured 836 mm with a dorsal ground color of yellow- brown, decorated by 56 dark-brown transverse bands. The 4 th supralabial squama of the new species is separated from subocular by two squamae, and the tip of tail is orange; this combination of characters distinguish it from other species of the genus Protobothrops. Based on the body proportions, number of squamae, body color pattern, and comparing the data of its life history with those of other species of Protobothrops, we herein describe it as a new species, belonging to the genus of Protobothrops.
TL;DR: The genus Tylototriton Anderson (1871) consists of nine species which are distributed over southern, eastern and southeastern Asia, including China, Vietnam, Laos, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, and India.
Abstract: The genus Tylototriton Anderson (1871) consists of nine species which are distributed over southern, eastern and southeastern Asia, including China, Vietnam, Laos, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand, and India (Fei et al., 2006; Böhme et al., 2005; Stuart et al., 2010). The nine species are classified into two clades: the T. verrucosus group and T. asperrimus group (Fei et al., 2005, 2006), or two subgenera, the subgenus Tylototriton and subgenus Yaotriton (Dubois and Raffaëlli, 2009). The T. verrucosus group (= the subgenus Tylototriton; Dubois and Raffaëlli, 2009) includes four species: T. kweichowensis (Fang and Chang, 1932), T. shanjing (Nussbaum et al., 1995), T. taliangensis (Liu, 1950), and T. verrucosus (Anderson, 1871). The T. asperrimus group (= the subgenus Yaotriton; Dubois and Raffaëlli, 2009) consists of five species: T. asperrimus (Unterstein, 1930), T. hainanensis (Fei et al., 1984), T. wenxianensis (Fei et al., 1984), T. vietnamensis (Böhme et al., 2005), and T. notialis (Stuart et al., 2010). Chen et al. (2010) described a new subspecies, T. wenxianensis dabienicus, based on the A New Species of the Genus Tylototriton (Amphibia, Salamandridae) from Hunan, China
TL;DR: With the growing application of DNA-sequence and other genetic data since the 1990s, osteological work has largely given way to molecular approaches in the study of amphibian biodiversity, but as an independent source of data, osteology characters can provide invaluable insights into evolutionary relationships of living taxa that are as important as those derived from nucleotide substitutions.
Abstract: With the growing application of DNA-sequence and other genetic data since the 1990s, osteological work has largely given way to molecular approaches in the study of amphibian biodiversity. Many influential works from the mid-20th century (e. g., Francis, 1934; Tihen, 1958; Hansen and Tanner, 1958; Wake, 1963; Özeti and Wake, 1969) are still cited today, but few such works are produced anew by contemporary biologists. However, as an independent source of data, osteological characters can provide invaluable insights into evolutionary relationships of living taxa that are as important as those derived from nucleotide substitutions. Homology and homoplasy are Comparative Osteology of the Genus Pachytriton (Caudata: Salamandridae) from Southeastern China
TL;DR: This new species is morphologically distinguished from all other species of Elaphe by several characters: "M"-shaped marking on the supraoculars and adjacent frontal; four parallel series of red-brown spots on the dorsum extending from the neck to the vent; four longitudinal stripes associated with the spots.
Abstract: Previous phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequence data reveal a likely new species of Elaphe Fitzinger from China, which forms the sister group of all extant Elaphe. One of the three original specimens is crushed and the other two are neonates, which precludes a morphological analysis. Three adult snakes (2 females, 1 male) collected from Jiangzha Hot Spring in Zoige County, Sichuan, China on 26 July 2010 now facilitate the species' description. Mitochondrial DNA nucleotide sequences of cytochrome b (cyt b), NADH dehydrogenase subunit 4 (ND4), 12S ribosomal RNA (12S rRNA), and cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (CO1) from the adults are identical to sequences from the crashed specimen. Interspecific uncorrected p-distances of partial CO1 gene of 26 sequences from all 11 species of Elaphe, including this new species, are large (8.5-15.2%). This new species is morphologically distinguished from all other species of Elaphe by several characters: \"M\"-shaped marking on the supraoculars and adjacent frontal; four parallel series of red-brown spots on the dorsum extending from the neck to the vent; four longitudinal stripes associated with the spots; each spot is usually composed of a whole (or incomplete) red-brown scale with puce borders; spots of each stripe are similar in shape, they occur at relatively regular intervals of one or two scales, and they are slightly red-brown in color; and it has three preoculars, whereas all other specie's have one or two. Now Elaphe contains 11 species and this discovery highlights the need for continued exploration of temperate regions.
TL;DR: The reproduction, development and growth response of the salamander to different diets in captivity and feed conversion ratios obtained by feeding bloodworms to R shangchengensis larvae and mealworms to postmetamorphs were very low, equaling a very high mass conversion efficiency.
Abstract: The Shangcheng stout salamander (Pachyhynobius shangchengensis) is a poorly known stream dwelling hynobiid salamander from China. We studied the reproduction, development and growth response of the salamander to different diets in captivity. Two females each produced two unique, striated egg sacs, with each containing 18 and 20, and 22 and 32 white eggs with an average diameter of 3.3 mm. Hatchlings (n = 27) had front- and hind-limb buds with interdigit membranes and a large yolk sac, and developed cornified finger and toe tips during further development. Metamorphosis occurred between d 441 and d 454 after hatching at an average total length of 94.8 mm (n = 21). These reproductive and developmental traits fit in well with the ancestral state reconstruction in hynobiids. If corrected for dry mass, feed conversion ratios obtained by feeding bloodworms (Chironomidae) to R shangchengensis larvae and mealworms (Tenebrio molitor) to postmetamorphs, were very low (0.33 and 0.34 respectively), equaling a very high mass conversion efficiency.
TL;DR: A new subspecies of Darevskia raddei (Boettger, 1892) from the West Azerbaijan Province, Iran was proposed by Arribas et al. as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The genus Darevskia Arribas, 1997 consists of 27−28 species distributed from the Caucasus region (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, extreme southwestern Russia), Crimea (part of Ukraine), and north and east Asiatic Turkey, eastwards to the Elburz Mountains of Iran and to the Kopet Dagh Mountains on the Iran-Turkmenistan border (Anderson, 1999). One of the species (D. praticola) extends into the eastern Balkan Peninsula, and D. mostoufi (Baloutch, 1976) is known only from the Dasht-e Lut in Baluchistan, though the identity and locality for this species have raised questions by In Den Bosch (1999), Anderson (1999) and others (e. g., Arnold et al, 2007; Rastegar-Pouyani et al., 2007, 2008a; Sindaco and Jeremcenko, 2008). Arribas (1997), based on morphological and anatomical characters, proposed a new generic name, A New Subspecies of Darevskia raddei (Boettger, 1892) (Sauria: Lacertidae) from the West Azerbaijan Province, Iran
TL;DR: The spatial variations in external morphology suggest that temperature conditions during early ontogenesis may induce quantitative changes in the scalation pattern of V.palaestinae.
TL;DR: The data show that tail loss of H. bowringii occurs frequently in nature, however, tail loss does not incur locomotor costs in this gecko.