Herpetofaunal Surveys Research Articles

Swimming in the Sahara: a new locality record and range extension of Natrix maura (Linnaeus, 1758) (Squamata, Colubridae) from central Algeria

Natrix maura, commonly known as the viperine snake, is a widespread and common semi-aquatic species in the western Mediterranean region. This study reports a new locality record of N. maura from central Algeria, significantly extending the species’ known range. Additionally, we provide an updated distribution map of N. maura in Algeria, compiled from a comprehensive dataset of occurrence records. Our findings emphasize the need for extensive herpetofaunal surveys in the country’s underexplored regions. Dataset published through GBIF (DOI: 10.15470/fe3689)

Discovery of a new population of boas on the Turks Bank, Turks and Caicos Islands

The Turks & Caicos Boa, Chilabothrus chrysogaster, is among the best-studied snakes in the Caribbean. With nearly 20 years of annual study, much is known about the species’ biology, but most of this information comes from a single population on Big Ambergris Cay, located on the Caicos Bank. Other populations are poorly known, and, indeed, a subspecies (C. chrysogaster relicquus) is almost entirely unknown. Turks & Caicos Boas have been recorded from 10 islands on the Caicos Bank, and historically only from Grand Turk on the Turks Bank. The Grand Turk population is now functionally extirpated. In 2008 I documented a new Turks Bank population on Gibbs Cay, a very small islet east of Grand Turk. Additional surveys of some of the Turks Cays did not reveal additional populations, although the island of East Cay remained unserved. In March 2022 I conducted nocturnal herpetofaunal surveys of the Turks Cays, including East Cay. I found a total of nine boas in just over four hours on East Cay and three boas in under sic hours on Gibbs Cay, but none on Long Cay. Here I report the discovery of the East Cay population, some morphometric data, and the first record of the striped color morph from the Turks Bank.

Filling the gap: Noteworthy herpetological discoveries in North West Province, South Africa

The North West Province, South Africa, is centrally situated in southern Africa and is characterised by savannah with a mesic, temperate climate in the east and a hot, arid climate in the west. While the eastern region is fairly well-documented for herpetofauna, the arid central and western regions are poorly surveyed. Given that the Province has been targeted by the national government for development of infrastructure, the overall deficiency of biodiversity data could result in impact assessments that are not well-informed. We, therefore, carried out herpetofaunal surveys over two years (2019–2020) in the North West Province to improve knowledge on the distributions of reptiles and amphibians. Our surveys added a total of 578 new records to an earlier baseline of 1340 records. In addition, over 300 records were added to a citizen-science platform in connection with our surveys. As compared to the previous 100 years, our surveys increased the herpetofaunal dataset by 68% in just two years, increased geographic coverage by 20% and brought the total number of species with accurate records for the Province to 102 reptiles and 23 amphibians. We also recorded range extensions for five reptile species and confirmed the presence ofDendroaspis polylepis(Black Mamba) in the west where it had been last recorded in 1996. Our surveys resulted in a significant increase in biodiversity data for the Province and provided a better foundation for spatial planning that accounts for biodiversity and the maintenance of ecological function.

First report of the Southern Gulf Coast Toad (Incilius valliceps Wiegmann), Common House Gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus Duméril and Bibron), Schmidt’s Black-Striped Snake (Coniophanes schmidti Bailey), and Cozumel Whiptail (Aspidoscelis cozumela Gadow), on Turneffe Atoll, Belize

Each year from 2012 to 2019, during a 12-day period in November or December, we photographed common herpetofauna on Calabash Caye, a small mangrove-dominated island on the eastern edge of Turneffe Atoll, Belize. Turneffe Atoll is home to the newest, largest, and most biodiverse marine protected area in Belize. Calabash Caye exemplifies the islands on Turneffe’s eastern edge whose elevated beach ridges enable the development of coastal strand plain and littoral forest habitats, which are among the most threatened habitats in the world. As no herpetofaunal survey has been published for Turneffe in over twenty years, and as the herpetofauna is a conspicuous indicator of the health of terrestrial ecological communities on islands, we leveraged our annual field excursions to Calabash Caye to compile a photographic record of the island’s reptiles and amphibians. In multiple years, we documented the presence of five lizards (Anolis sagrei mayensis, Aspidoscelis cozumela, Ctenosaura similis, Phyllodactylus tuberculosus, and the invasive species Hemidactylus frenatus), three snakes (Boa imperator, Leptophis mexicanus hoeversi, and Coniophanes schmidti), and one amphibian (Incilius valliceps). This represents the first report of A. cozumela, H. frenatus, C. schmidti, and I. valliceps on Calabash Caye or on any island in Turneffe Atoll; H. frenatus, C. schmidti, and I. valliceps have never been reported on any of the Belizean cayes. We did not observe four species that have previously been reported on Calabash Caye: Brown Basilisk (Basiliscus vittatus), Mesoamerican Cane Toad (Rhinella horribilis), Mayan Skink (Marisora lineola; formerly Mabuya unimarginata), or a blindsnake, provisionally identified as Indotyphlops braminus. We also include photos of Anolis allisoni, Ctenosaura similis, and Anolis sagrei mayensis obtained during four single-day excursions to Half Moon Caye on Lighthouse Atoll; this represents three of four species reported from that location during the 1990s.

Results of the First Herpetological Survey of Israel’s Mediterranean Coastal Islets

Small islets in the Mediterranean Sea are often home to reptiles, typically representing an impoverished sample of the continental fauna, yet with high population densities and signs of rapid morphological and behavioral evolution. In this paper, we present the first herpetofaunal survey of several small islet clusters in close proximity to the Mediterranean coast of Israel, only recently geologically separated from the mainland. We performed surveys of five islets during March of 2017 – 2018 and recorded the presence of five different species of reptiles on four of the surveyed islets. Species richness varied between 1 and 4 species, and appeared to be correlated with island area, with a distinct nested structure. Reptile species may have colonized the islets by natural dispersal from nearby coastal populations, or by hitch-hiking on fishing boats and similar methods of human-assisted dispersal. Alternatively, the recorded reptiles may represent relictual populations from earlier geologic periods, when lower sea-levels supported continuous land-bridges between the islets and the mainland. These insular reptile populations require further study to establish the exact means of colonization and describe if and how they differ from mainland populations. We stress the importance of such small Mediterranean islets such as these as centers of unique biodiversity and encourage future study and conservation action aimed at them and similar islets.

A new species of Psammophis (Serpentes: Psammophiidae) from the Turpan Basin in northwest China.

An adult sand snake specimen was collected during a herpetofaunal survey conducted in the Turpan Basin in northwest China. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that this specimen, along with other snake sloughs and skins collected from different localities in the Turpan Basin formed a clade that is sister to Psammophis lineolatus. This taxon exhibited substantial divergence from its congeners (P. lineolatus and P. condanarus) with uncorrelated p-distances ranging from 11.9 ± 0.9% to 15.8 ± 1.6% for the ND4 gene and from 10.2 ± 0.8% to 13.8 ± 1.1% for the Cytb gene. Given the genetic differences along with morphological differences, we describe the specimen from the Turpan Basin as Psammophis turpanensis sp. nov. We provide detailed morphological descriptions, and compare this specimen with five Asian sand snakes and the Afro-Asian Sand Snake, P. schokari. In addition, we provide brief comments on the biogeography of Psammophis in China.

Discovery of a New Species of Enigmatic Odd-Scaled Snake (Serpentes: Xenodermidae: Achalinus) from Ha Giang Province, Vietnam

Achalinus, commonly known as odd-scaled snakes due to their unique scutellation, are a fascinating group of xenodermid snakes distributed throughout east Asia. Currently, northern Vietnam is known to host six species of Achalinus, three of which are considered endemic. During recent herpetofaunal surveys conducted in the Bac Me District of Ha Giang Province, we collected a single specimen of Achalinus in a lowland region surrounded by secondary forest on karst. We conducted Bayesian and maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses using multiple mitochondrial protein-coding loci and a ribosomal subunit to ascertain the phylogenetic position of the Ha Giang specimen among currently recognized odd-scaled snake species. The results of those analyses along with morphological differences support this specimen as representing a new species, which we describe as Achalinus zugorum, new species. We provide detailed morphological descriptions and comparisons of the new species as well as brief comments on the biogeography and conservation of Achalinus in northern Vietnam.

Herpetofauna of the Amarkantak Plateau in central India

I conducted herpetofaunal surveys in poorly explored sections of Central India: The Amarkantak Plateau; The Son, Johila, and Narmada river lowlands; parts of the Maikal Mountain Range; and pockets of the core zone area of Achanakmar-Amarkantak Biosphere Reserve. I recorded a total of 61 species (17 amphibian and 44 reptilian). Noteworthy findings included the rediscovery of the Critically Endangered Sacred Grove Bush Frog (Philautus sanctisilvaticus) at its type locality after 54 years, new state records for Dobson’s Burrowing Frog (Sphaerotheca dobsonii) and Beddome’s Grass Skink (Eutropis beddomii), and significant new distributional records for a number of species. This study highlights the importance of landscape-level, long-term fieldwork to untangle the hidden diversity of the Amarkantak Plateau.

First records of the glass frogs Hyalinobatrachium cappellei (van Lidth de Jeude, 1904) and H. mondolfii Señaris & Ayarzagüena, 2001 (Anura, Centrolenidae) in the state of Amapá, Brazil

Glass frogs (Centrolenidae) are widely distributed in the Neotropics. This study presents novel data on two centrolenid species of the genus Hyalinobatrachium Ruiz-Carranza & Lynch, 1991 collected during herpetofaunal surveys carried out in Brazilian Amazonia of the state of Amapá. Here we report the first record of Hyalinobatrachium cappellei (van Lidth de Jeude, 1904) and H. mondolfii Señaris & Ayarzagüena, 2001, extending the known distribution of H. mondolfii 264 km east and filing gaps in the distribution range of H. cappellei in eastern Amazonia.

A Herpetofaunal Survey of Northwestern Mongolia with the First Country Record of the Moorfrog, Rana arvalis Nilsson 1842

A Herpetofaunal Survey of Northwestern Mongolia with the First Country Record of the Moorfrog, Rana arvalis Nilsson 1842

Rediscovery of Micryletta inornata (Boulenger, 1890) from Sumatra: redescription, molecular identity, and taxonomic implications.

Micryletta inornata (Boulenger 1890), the type species of the genus Micryletta, was originally described from the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. Subsequently, this species has been widely reported from Sundaland (Sumatra and Malay Peninsula), Indo-China, Northeast India and South Andaman, up to southern China and Taiwan. However, since the original description there has been no further report of this species from the type locality or the island. During a herpetofaunal survey in Sumatra, several specimens that are morphologically concordant with the original description and the syntypes of M. inornata were found, and thus the species was rediscovered after 125 years. Here, we provide a redescription of the species based on the freshly collected specimens, along with a detailed morphological and molecular comparison with known congeners. Further, using molecular data from the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene, our study recovered the Sumatran M. inornata as a phylogenetically distinct lineage from all other populations previously referred to this species. This confirms that all known Micryletta 'inornata' populations from regions outside Sumatra constitute several other lineages representing either new species or previously available names currently considered as synonyms, consequently requiring taxonomic validation in the future.

A new Nucras Gray, 1838 (Squamata: Lacertidae) from the Strandveld of the Western Cape, South Africa.

A striking new sandveld lizard of the Nucras tessellata group is described from the Lambert's Bay Strandveld of the Western Cape Province, South Africa. It is sister to the clade N. livida + N. tessellata, and is phenetically most similar to N. tessellata, from which it differs in its more elongate body and possibly increased number of presacral vertebrae and patternless orange dorsal coloration. The form elegans, described as a species by Andrew Smith (1838), but treated as an infrasubspecific variant by Broadley (1972), also exhibits weak patterning, but is likely a regional color variant. Nucras aurantiaca sp. nov. is the ninth member of the genus found in southern Africa. Its discovery in the well-collected coastal Western Cape suggests that further herpetofaunal surveys are needed in this region, which is threatened by agricultural activity and tourism-related development.

Structure of Coastal Zone Herpetofaunal Communities in the Southern Laurentian Great Lakes

Abstract There are few studies of animal communities in coastal zones, especially those of herpetofauna. We conducted herpetofaunal surveys in open shoreline habitats for 3 yr in three large protected areas in the Mixedwoods Plains Ecozone of the southern Laurentian Great Lakes. These locations are isolated preserves in one of the most heavily human-modified areas of North America. We found 17 species with low to moderate similarity of species membership and highly uneven relative abundance and biomass. Common Five-Lined Skinks dominated communities in relative abundance, dominated biomass at one location, and codominated biomass with Common Gartersnakes and Eastern Foxsnakes or Milksnakes at the other two locations. Five other species also regularly inhabited the coastal zone, whereas others were more transient users. Review of species' dietary requirements suggest that consumption of arthropods and other invertebrates may play an important role in structuring the community. Both the legacy of historical...

Rediscovery ofXenochrophis bellulus(Stoliczka, 1871) from Myanmar (Serpentes: Natricinae) with comments on its taxonomic status

Abstract Xenochrophis bellulus (Stolickza, 1871) was described as Tropidonotus bellulus based on a single specimen collected from Myanmar in the late 19th century. Since then the holotype has been lost, and the species has been transferred to several genera in the subfamily Natricinae including Natrix, Sinonatrix and finally Xenochrophis based on one museum specimen matching the original description. Herpetofaunal surveys of the Moyingyi Wildlife Sanctuary and vicinity, Bago Region, Myanmar revealed three individuals obtained in 2001 and 2003 that match the type description of X. bellulus. This small series of newly collected specimens allows us to redescribe this species based on all known material, provide a description of the hemipenis, designate a neotype and comment on its taxonomic status.

The Herpetofauna of Conservation Lands along the Altamaha River, Georgia

Abstract The Altamaha River region of southeastern Georgia is widely recognized for its biodiversity and conservation value for imperiled species. Even so, intensive amphibian and reptile surveys have never been conducted in this area. From 2008 to 2016, we conducted herpetofaunal surveys at 13 conservation lands located along the Altamaha River and along the lower reaches of a main tributary, the Ocmulgee River. We used a variety of field methods including visual encounter surveys, turtle trapping, frog-call surveys, drift fences, and surveys for snakes at Gopherus polyphemus (Gopher Tortoise) burrows. From these data, combined with a review of the published literature and a search of relevant museum collections, we determined that conservation and other nearby lands along the Altamaha River support a diverse herpetofauna of 100 species, including 41 amphibian species (18 salamander and 23 frog and toad species) and 59 reptile species (1 crocodilian, 11 lizard, 33 snake, and 14 turtle species). Seventeen...

Diamond in the rough: a new species of fossorial diamond frog (Rhombophryne) from Ranomafana National Park, southeastern Madagascar

We describe a new species from the cophyline microhylid genus Rhombophryne, a group of fossorial and terrestrial frogs endemic to Madagascar. Found during herpetofaunal surveys of moist montane forest in the remote north of Ranomafana National Park, Rhombophryne nilevina sp. n. exemplifies two difficulties that hinder taxonomic progress in Malagasy cophyline frogs: micro-endemicity and highly secretive habits. Known from only two adult male specimens, this new species is nonetheless easily distinguishable from all other known Rhombophryne using morphological data, and osteological data collected here via X-ray Micro-Computed Tomography, or “micro-CT”. This species is now the largest known Rhombophryne, and the only one known from Ranomafana National Park, which will make it the southern-most member of the genus pending a forthcoming taxonomic revision involving Plethodontohyla and Rhombophryne. Pairwise distances of the mitochondrial 16s rRNA marker show a minimum genetic distance of 4.9% from other nominal Rhombophryne. We also describe recordings of an advertisement call, emitted from a burrow by the holotype. Rhombophryne nilevina sp. n. is not known to be found syntopically with other Rhombophryne, nor to be present elsewhere in Ranomafana National Park, but it probably does co-occur with a few ecologically similar Plethodontohyla species. Although the type locality is within a protected area, we suggest an IUCN listing of Data Deficient for R. nilevina sp. n., as its area of occupancy is largely undetermined within the park.

The first record of Calomys hummelincki (Rodentia: Sigmodontinae) from the Lavrados of northern Brazil

The South American genus Calomys exhibits a disjunct distribution with most species inhabiting grasslands, savannas, and forest edges from ca. latitude 8° S in the highlands of Peru and the Caatinga of Brazil to ca. latitude 16° S in central Bolivia, and from there south into Argentine Patagonia. Only a single species ( Calomys hummelincki ) occurs in open habitats in northern South America. We report the first known specimen of Calomys hummelincki for Brazil. The specimen is deposited in the mammal collection of Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo. It is a young adult female with two embryos collected on 13 March 1989 by C. M. Carvalho at Fazenda Salvamento, Roraima state, during a herpetofaunal survey. The specimen shares qualitative and quantitative characters with specimens from Venezuela and Curacao, but also differs substantially in others. The record presented herein extends the known range of the species about 630 km southeastward from the nearest previous record (in Venezuela, Estado Bolivar, Sipao). This new record was obtained in a locality representative of the savannas of the Rio Branco – Rupununi region that supports a poorly known, but distinctive mammalian fauna. This entire eco-region represents a piece of the biogeographic puzzle resulting from the climate-dependent vegetation shifts that dominated the Quaternary of South America. This new record highlights the need to investigate and protect the biodiversity of the Rio Branco-Rupununi savannas.

Additional Notes on the Reproduction of the Formosan Grass Lizard, Takydromus formosanus (Boulenger, 1894) (Squamata: Lacertidae), from Southwestern Taiwan


 
 
 
 We collected 13 (male = 2; female = 10; juvenile = 1) Takydromus formosanus on an ad hoc basis from a Betelnut Palm (Areca catechu) plantation in Santzepu, Sheishan District, Chiayi County, as part of a herpetofaunal survey of the area. The smallest reproductively active female had a snout-vent length (SVL) of 44mm, and the smallest male with an enlarged tail base had a SVL of 41 mm. A histological examination and oviposition indicated that the female reproductive cycle commences in April and lasts until at least June. We recorded no clutch sizes greater than two eggs. Takydromus formosanus is a poorly studied species, and many aspects of the reproductive biology of this species merit further research.
 
 
 

Two new species of Japalura (Squamata: Agamidae) from the Hengduan Mountain Range, China.

Until recently, the agamid species, Japalura flaviceps, was recognized to have the widest geographic distribution among members of the genus occurring in China, from eastern Tibet to Shaanxi Province. However, recent studies restricted the distribution of J. flaviceps to the Dadu River valley only in northwestern Sichuan Province, suggesting that records of J. flaviceps outside the Dadu River valley likely represent undescribed diversity. During two herpetofaunal surveys in 2013 and 2015, eight and 12 specimens of lizards of the genus Japalura were collected from the upper Nujiang (=Salween) Valley in eastern Tibet, China, and upper Lancang (=Mekong) Valley in northwestern Yunnan, China, respectively. These specimens display a unique suite of diagnostic morphological characters. Our robust comparisons of phenotype reveal that these populations can be distinguished readily from J. flaviceps and all other recognized congeners. Herein, we describe the two Japalura lineages as new species, Japalura laeviventris sp. nov. and Japalura iadina sp. nov.. In addition, we provide updated conservation assessments for the new species as well as imperiled congeners according to the IUCN criteria for classification, discuss the importance of color patterns in the diagnosis and description of species in the genus Japalura, and discuss directions for future taxonomic studies of the group.

Reptile Remains from Tiga (Tokanod), Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia

Archaeological excavations on Tiga provide the first vouchered herpetological records for this small island between Lifou and Mare in the Loyalty Islands. Eighty-three skeletal elements from four sites yielded material assignable to skinks (Emoia loyaltiensis, Lioscincus nigrofasciolatus), geckos (Bavayia crass i-collis, B. sp., Gehyra georgpotthasti, Nactus pelagicus), and a boid snake (Candoia bihroni) all known from elsewhere in the Loyalties, as well as undetermined material consistent with these and other Loyalties lizards. Diagnostic features of geckos versus skinks for elements commonly recovered from archaeological sites and from owl pellets are discussed. Gehyra georgpotthasti has a limited distribution in the Loyalties and its occurrence on Tiga clarifies its range. The boid snake is the only reptile likely to have been harvested by human inhabitants of Tiga. The presence of gekkonid geckos in pre-European times is confirmed and contrasts with the situation of Grande Terre fossil sites, where only diplodactylid geckos have been recovered. Although it is anticipated that all species recovered from archaeological sites are still present on the island, a modern herpetofaunal survey is needed.