Semi-arid Habitats Research Articles

Structure of a Lizard Assemblage in a Semiarid Habitat of the Brazilian Caatinga

Abstract We investigated the importance of ecological and historical effects in structuring a lizard assemblage in a semiarid area of Caatinga habitat. We collected lizards using pitfall traps and ...

Different types of biocrusts affect plant communities by changing the microenvironment and surface soil nutrients in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Biocrusts (biological soil crusts), which impact plant community characteristics and soil properties, are an important feature of soil surface in terrestrial ecosystem and called ecosystem engineers in arid and semi-arid habitats. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is located in arid and semi-arid regions, and the information on how biocrusts play a role in this ecosystem is still rare. In this study, the effects of different types of biocrusts (lichen-moss crusts, moss crusts, and bare ground as control) on plant diversity and soil physicochemical properties were evaluated and the key environmental factors associated with biocrust characteristics were analyzed in alpine steppe. The results showed that biocrusts affected the structure and diversity of plant community. The lichen-moss crusts were linked with lower plant diversity and plant species richness in degraded alpine steppe in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The cover of lichen crusts was positively correlated with plant cover while the cover and thickness of moss crusts were negatively correlated with plant cover. Moss crusts significantly reduced soil temperature and soil moisture content. Biocrusts significantly reduced the pH values of soil surface layer (0–1 cm) and deeper layer (5–10 cm). Soil total C (78.10 ± 6.53 g/kg), and total N (5.05 ± 0.21 g/kg) were highest in the soil surface layer (0–1 cm) where lichen-moss crusts were present. Our results indicated that the different types of biocrusts affect plant communities by changing the microenvironment and soil nutrients in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Further studies on the relationships between soil, biocrusts, and plants on a larger scale in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau are necessary.

Diversity of endophytic fungal community associated to the roots of Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels growing in the arid and semi-arid regions of Algeria

Current study identified endophytic fungi associated to Argania spinosa (argan) roots and revealed diverse haplotype diversity by the sequencing of internal transcribed spacer (ITS). 586 operational taxonomic units were identified and these operational taxonomic units (OTUs) could be assigned to fungal functional diversity such as endophytes, ectomycorrhiza and putative pathogens. Ascomycota phylum was abundant. Beside Ascomycota phylum, Basidiomycota members were also found in argan roots. Geopora, Sebacina, Knufia, Tomentella, Penicillim had high relative abundance. Our results highlighted a non-nested assemblage of fungi. Current non-nested findings also confirm that fungi have similar pattern found in other habitats. Pairwise analysis mirrored segregation pattern between same and different functional fungal group. Fungi in semi-arid conditions are non-randomly structured. Members of Ascomycota phylum had high Z-scores. This is the first molecular study conducted in arid and semi-arid habitats of Algeria aiming to identify fungi associated with roots in argan tree. Given the fact that deserts are among harsh environments and fungi associated to desert plants may have implications for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.

Comparative analysis of salt impact on sea barley from semi-arid habitats in Tunisia and cultivated barley with special emphasis on reserve mobilization and stress recovery aptitude

The considerable genetic variability of salt tolerance in Hordeum vulgare L. and its wild relative species Hordeum marinum Huds. (sea barley) is a potentially useful trait to develop well-adapted varieties to salt-affected areas. Here, two local barley (Manel and Rihane) cultivars and two local sea barley accessions (Kelbia and Soliman) were compared for their response to salt (up to 200 mM NaCl) exposure at the germination and seedling stages. Increasing salinity significantly decreased seed imbibition and seed reserve mobilization parameters (notably amylase activity), resulting in delayed germination, lower germination percentage and altered seedling root length. Interestingly, inter- and intra-specific variability was observed as cultivated barley (especially Rihane) was less salt-affected when considering final germination percentage. Yet, sea barley Soliman accession showed the highest values of seed vigor (seeds reaching the seedling stage) and efficiency of seed reserve mobilization under saline conditions. In addition, even at 200 mM NaCl, salinity impact was reversible on seeds of sea barley, in contrast with cultivated barley. Overall, while confirming the sensitivity of barley at the early developmental stages, this study provides additional criteria that would allow more accurately addressing inter-specific variability of plant behavior at this crucial step of its life cycle.

Vegetation Ecology Associated with Some Species of Family Zygophyllaceae in Different Regions of Egyptian Desert

The Zygophyllaceae is a widespread family of common existence in arid and semi-arid habitats of the Old and New Worlds, especially in seasonally dry deserts. Various members of this family are characterized by high efficient potential for the treatment of broad spectrum health disorders and well known in scientific and folk literature for their medicinal uses. TWINSPAN cluster for the 38 stands yielded four vegetation groups (A, B, C and D) at the 3rd level of classification. These groups were identified after the first dominant species that attained the highest importance value (IV). Group A: Zygophyllum aegyptium, group B: Fagonia cretica, group C: Zygophyllum coccineum and group D: Pulicaria undulata. The vegetation group A characterized sand formation habitats along Deltaic Mediterranean coastal desert, while group B represented roadside habitats of the western Mediterranean coastal desert, group C dominated Wadi Hagul bed and gravel desert habitats of Suez. Furthermore, group D inhabited wadi bed and roadside habitats in Ismailia. Ordination of the vegetation groups along 2 axes was performed using Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA), while Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) was utilized to determine the relation between the community types and soil factors.

Vulpes chama (Carnivora: Canidae)

AbstractVulpes chama (Smith, 1833), commonly called the Cape fox, is 1 of 11 species of Vulpes. It is the only species of Vulpes occurring in southern Africa, and is endemic to that region. It occurs in southern Angola, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and southwestern Zimbabwe. V. chama is a slender-built fox and its pelage is silvery gray throughout, back of pinna is tawny, and white hairs occur in the front along pinna edge. It tends to occupy arid and semiarid open habitats and feeds mainly on small mammals and insects, but also consumes birds, small reptiles, and fruits. V. chama is not of conservation concern and is listed as “Least Concern” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.

Drought leads to reproductive quiescence in smooth‐billed anis: Phenotypic evidence for opportunistic breeding and reproductive readiness

Previous studies have suggested that the smooth-billed ani (Crotophaga ani, Linnaeus, 1758) breeds opportunistically following unpredictable rainfall in drought areas. To obtain proof of this phenomenon, the present study described and compared reproductive morphology and cell proliferation in the gonads of free-living smooth-billed anis during a wet season (April to June 2012) and the following dry season (July to September 2012) in a semiarid area using light and electron microscopy (transmission and scanning) and the AgNOR method. The morphological findings indicated distinct levels of reproductive activity related to seasonal changes. Morphological and morphometric analyses of the gonads confirmed intense gametogenic activity during the wet season, whereas gonadal involution occurred after rainfall ceased. The sizes of the testes and ovaries were significantly reduced compared to those in the wet season. The volumetric fraction of the seminiferous tubules in the testis decreased considerably, and no preovulatory follicles were detected in the ovary in the dry season. Moreover, the AgNOR count in the gonads revealed a significant decline in cell recruitment for gametogenesis after rainfall ceased. The histological findings indicated partial gonadal activation throughout the dry season. The analysis of the seminiferous epithelium confirmed the early testicular recrudescence phase, and sporadic postovulatory follicles indicated random ovulation during this time. The excurrent ducts and the oviduct also underwent remarkable involution in the dry season. Taken together, these findings confirm opportunistic breeding by smooth-billed anis in a semiarid habitat and suggest that gonadal recrudescence has been established as a reproductive strategy to cope with unexpected precipitation events.

Limiting factors of Striped Hyaena, Hyaena hyaena, distribution and densities across climatic and geographical gradients (Mammalia: Carnivora)

Few previous studies on the factors that affect Striped Hyaena (Hyaena hyaena Linnaeus, 1758) occurrence and densities were done on geographically unrelated populations using different methodologies. In Israel, hyaenas occur throughout the country's steep climatic and geographical gradients, presenting a unique opportunity to study densities and habitat use across adjacent ecosystems using a unified methodology and test previous conceptions regarding the species’ habitat selection. We collected hyaena abundance-absence data using 1440 camera traps placed at 80 sites (2012– 2016). Site location ranged from hyper-arid deserts to dense Mediterranean shrubland. We assessed the effect of climate, habitat structure, elevation, geomorphological attributes (proxy for den availability), and anthropogenic development (proximity to settlements and agriculture) on hyaena densities using N-mixture models. Hyaena densities were negatively affected by anthropogenic development, and were limited by den availability. Hyaena densities did not follow a climatic or geographic gradient. Densities were highest at hyper-arid deserts and Mediterranean coastal shrublands. Despite the former conception that hyaenas prefer semi-arid open habitats and avoid extreme deserts and dense vegetation, we show that hyaenas use and even thrive in these habitats when geomorphological conditions are suitable and resources are available.

Species richness and diversity of spiders in the semiarid habitats of North India

A total of 1140 spiders belonging to 31 species, 11 families and 26 genera were recorded from Agra (Uttar Pradesh), Ludhiana and Kapurthala (Punjab) in north India. Araneidae (20%) was the most predominant family followed by Tetragnathidae (17%), Salticidae (14%), Eresidae (11%), Lycosidae (10%), Selenopidae (10%), Hersilidae (7%), Oxyopidae (7%), Sparassidae (2%) and Thomisidae (2%). Standardization of collection techniques and assessment of species richness during the pre and post monsoon period were accomplished. Observations revealed that the best fit method for collection was in the following order: visual searching (44%)>hand collection (33%)> pit fall (7%) >beating (7%) transect (6%)> sweep net (3%). Species richness was computed using Shannon (H1) (3.03), Simpson (λ) (0.0624) and Dominance (0.938) indices, which shows good diversity. This study is in continuity with surveys done from the semiarid habitats, and it revealed that diversity increased to 65 species from north India with the present study.

Timing of breeding and female fecundity of the greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis) in the temperate zone of South Australia: implications for translocations of a previously widespread species

Context Many of Australia’s threatened mammals were once widespread across the continent and present in both arid, semiarid and temperate habitats. However, data on breeding biology can be lacking for some climatic regions due to local extinctions of populations. The breeding biology of the greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis) has previously only been studied in captive colonies or free-ranging arid zone populations. Between 1997 and 2005, captive-bred bilbies were released at two sites in temperate South Australia. These populations provided an opportunity to determine whether bilbies adopt a seasonal reproductive strategy in the temperate zone, where this species has not been present since the early 1900s. Aims To determine the season of births, litter size and female reproductive potential in two free-ranging populations of the bilby in the temperate zone of South Australia. Methods Bilbies were regularly cage-trapped at Venus Bay Conservation Park and Thistle Island between August 2007 and April 2010 to obtain data on reproductive activity in both populations. Key results Births of pouch young in both populations occurred in winter (June–August), spring and early summer, but not between February and mid-May. Males had a significantly smaller mean testes size relative to head length in late summer, when breeding activity ceased. Average litter size at pouch emergence was between 1.00 and 1.47 pouch young, with females producing up to three litters per annum. The mean head length of females that successfully raised twins was significantly larger than that of females who raised a single pouch young. Conclusions The seasonal breeding pattern observed in the present study differs from that of year-round reproductive activity in captivity and the arid zone. The present study suggests that female body size influences fecundity, and that releasing large females at the start of the breeding season in temperate areas may maximise the initial rate of increase of a translocated bilby population. Implications The present study suggests previously widespread species such as the bilby can adapt their reproductive strategy to suit local conditions. Cessation of breeding in autumn, as observed in this study, has also been observed in other bandicoot species in southern Australia.

A dated molecular perspective of eucalypt taxonomy, evolution and diversification

The eucalypts, which include Eucalyptus, Angophora and Corymbia, are native to Australia and Malesia and include over 800 named species in a mixture of diverse and depauperate lineages. We assessed the fit of the eucalypt taxonomic classification to a phylogeny of 711 species scored for DNA sequences of plastid matK and psbA–trnH, as well as nuclear internal transcribed spacer and external transcribed spacer. Two broadly similar topologies emerge from both maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses, showing Angophora nested within Corymbia, or Angophora sister to Corymbia. The position of certain species-poor groups on long branches fluctuated relative to the three major Eucalyptus subgenera, and positions of several closely related species within those subgenera were unstable and lacked statistical support. Most sections and series of Eucalyptus were not recovered as monophyletic. We calibrated these phylogenies against time, using penalised likelihood and constraints obtained from fossil ages. On the basis of these trees, most major eucalypt subgenera arose in the Late Eocene and Early Oligocene. All Eucalyptus clades with taxa occurring in south-eastern Australia have crown ages <20 million years. Several eucalypt clades display a strong present-day geographic disjunction, although these clades did not have strong phylogenetic statistical support. In particular, the estimated age of the separation between the eudesmids (Eucalyptus subgenus Eudesmia) and monocalypts (Eucalyptus subgenus Eucalyptus) was consistent with extensive inland water bodies in the Eocene. Bayesian analysis of macroevolutionary mixture rates of net species diversification accelerated in five sections of Eucalyptus subgenus Symphyomyrtus, all beginning 2–3 million years ago and associated with semi-arid habitats dominated by mallee and mallet growth forms, and with open woodlands and forests in eastern Australia. This is the first time that a calibrated molecular study has shown support for the rapid diversification of eucalypts in the recent past, most likely driven by changing climate and diverse soil geochemical conditions.

Nurse plants and the regeneration niche of tree seedlings in wood-pastures from Western and North-Western Romania

Facilitation is a positive interaction demonstrated to be one of the important factors shaping the regeneration niche of trees, mostly under stressful conditions which is currently studied in the frame of complex ecological networks. The protection provided by benefactor plants for tree seedlings playing the role of beneficiaries is documented mainly in arid and semi-arid habitats or in situations where herbivores’ pressure constitutes the main stressful factor for tree regeneration. One of the iconic Transylvanian landscapes is the wood-pasture, also one of the oldest agro-forestry systems to which recent forest expansion in abandoned agricultural fields or pastures is added. The proposed work represents a preliminary investigation on the association between benefactor plants, mostly spiny shrubs (Rosa canina, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa as the most frequently encountered benefactors) and tree seedlings (Quercus spp., Tilia spp., Carpinus betulus, Fraxinus angustifolia, Pyrus pyraster as most frequently encountered beneficiaries), in four different locations from North-Western and Western Romania, wood-pastures, abandoned pastures and abandoned agricultural fields under the consideration that the main stressful factor is represented by livestock grazing. Bipartite, qualitative merged network was generated depicting the interaction between beneficiaries and benefactors. Commonly used metrics were calculated: connectivity, nestedness, modularity, betweenness centrality and centralization compared to similar facilitation networks presented in the literature. Facilitation network is characterized by high nestedness (N=0.896), lack of modularity, relatively high connectance (C=0.233), features encountered in mutualistic networks also. Betweenness centrality scores highlighted the keystone benefactor and beneficiary species, while betweenness centralization score (0.192) indicates the fact that there are several species sharing the dominant position in terms of interactions. The analysis of measurement data (seedlings’ and benefactor plants’ heights, distance from focal seedlings to nearest benefactor species and orientation) showed that there is common pattern in orientation (most of the benefactor species oriented toward South or South West) also in dimensional variability (MANOVA results).

Therapeutic uses of plants of genus Blepharis - a systematic review

Nature has been a source of medicinal agents for thousands of years and a remarkable number of modern drugs have been isolated from natural sources. Higher plants, as sources of medicinal compounds, have continued to play a dominant role in the maintenance of human health since ancient times. Over 50% of all modern clinical drugs are of natural product origin and play an important role in drug development programs in the pharmaceutical industry. Blepharis is an Afro-asiatic genus comprising 129 species, belonging to the family Acanthaceae, widely distributed in arid and semi-arid habitats. Some of the species include B. attenuata Napper, Blepharis edulis, , B. sindica, and B. maderaspatensis. These plants exhibit a wide range of pharmacological activities including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-arthritic, antimicrobial, antifungal, anti-ulcer and cytotoxic activities. Some established pharmacological activities of these plants have been discussed in this article. The plant species being widely distributed can be used as an alternative to the conventional medicines. Hence, there is a need to know the feasibility of using extracts and bioactive compounds derived from such plants for the control of chronic diseases as claimed by traditional healers.

Immature Stages of Scrobipalpula patagonica Povolný, 1977 (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae: Gnorimoschemini), a Gall Inquiline of Suaeda divaricata MOQ. (Amaranthaceae) in Argentinawith a Summary of Its Parasitoids

Maps of the chaetotaxy and scanning electron micrographs supplement a text description of the larva and pupa of Scrobipalpula patagonica Povolný (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae: Gnorimoschemini). Scrobipalpula patagonica is a gall inquiline of Suaeda divaricata Moq. (Amaranthaceae) in the “Monte” region of Argentina. The habitus of S. patagonica is provided along with images of the semiarid habitat of its host plant and associated gall. The parasitoids known to attack S. patagonica are summarized.

Parental Care of the Endangered Chaco Eagle (Buteogallus coronatus) in Central Argentina

Sexual differences in parental care investment may affect individual survival or performance, and also demography. We investigated parental-care behavior of the endangered Chaco Eagle (Buteogallus coronatus) to evaluate implications for population conservation in semiarid habitats of central Argentina. From 2004 to 2012, we monitored three breeding attempts using video recording (275 hr) during the incubation period, and nine pairs during the nestling-rearing period by means of video recording (1087 hr) and focal observations at nests (232 hr). Chaco Eagles showed a strong division of parental care by sex. Females contributed significantly more than males to incubation, shading/brooding, and feeding of the nestling, whereas males provided prey to females during incubation and to nestlings during the early nestling-rearing period. Foraging males, which spend more time away from the nest, may be more exposed to anthropogenic activities and negative interactions with humans. If males are more vulnerable to such effects, this could decrease the survival of breeding males and potentially increase the recruitment of immature males to the breeding population. In this event, the ability of the inexperienced immature males that replace the adult eagles to cope with the food and care demands of the mate and offspring is critical for ensuring Chaco Eagle population maintenance.

A new genus of eucerine bees endemic to southwestern North America revealed in phylogenetic analyses of the Eucera complex (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Eucerini)

The Eucera complex (Apidae: Eucerini), which traditionally included the genus Eucera and a few other related genera comprises a large complex in which generic boundaries have long remained unsettled. Based on comprehensive phylogenetic analyses, a recent study completely reorganized the generic classification of the group. Unexpectedly, both morphological and molecular analyses indicated that the taxon known as the venusta-group of the Eucera subgenus Synhalonia is in fact an isolated early diverging lineage, distantly related to Synhalonia. The only three species currently known in the venusta-group are endemic to arid and semi-arid habitats of the southwestern USA and Baja California in Mexico, and are relatively rare in entomological collections. Here we recognize a new genus: Protohalonia Dorchin gen.n., compare its morphology with related genera, and present a revision and identification keys for the three species included. We reexamine the phylogenetic position of the new genus based on our previously published molecular and morphological datasets, which we supplement with data for the remaining Protohalonia species. All analyses recovered Protohalonia as a monophyletic group with strong support, sister to Simanthedon in the molecular and combined dataset analyses, or Simanthedon plus Martinapis in the morphological analysis; these taxa combined were sister to all the remaining lineages of the Eucera complex which together form the genus Eucera. Based on ancestral state reconstruction we identify unique traits supporting the monophyly of Protohalonia and document important diagnostic traits. Our results show that this taxon possesses a combination of apomorphic and plesiomorphic character states that appear in parallel in either the Eucera complex or outgroup taxa consistent with the phylogenetic position of the new genus. Lastly, we also propose replacement names for six new homonymies resulting from our recent classification of the Eucera complex.

Natural revegetation of a semiarid habitat alters taxonomic and functional diversity of soil microbial communities

Revegetation of degraded lands has a profound impact on the maintenance and stability of ecosystem processes. However, the impacts of this land use change on functional diversity of soil microbial communities are poorly understood. Here, using 16S rRNA gene amplicon and shotgun metagenomic sequencing, we compared the taxonomic and functional communities of soil microbiome, and analyzed the effects of plant diversity and soil chemical properties, in a chronosequence of restored ex-farmland that had been naturally revegetated to grassland over periods of 5, 15 and 30years with adjacent farmland, on the Loess Plateau, China. We found that microbial taxonomic diversity was positively correlated with plant diversity and was higher in the revegetated sites. Functional diversity increased significantly in the oldest grassland. Actinobacteria, commonly considered a copiotrophic phylum, was more abundant in the revegetated sites, while Acidobacteria, an oligotrophic phylum, was more abundant in farmland. Furthermore, the structure of taxonomic and functional communities was significantly different between revegetated sites and farmland, and organic matter was the best environmental predictor in determining these microbial communities. Compared with the farmland, revegetation increased the proportion of genes associated with energy metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism and xenobiotics biodegradation and metabolism. Notably, the higher proportion of carbohydrate degradation gene subfamilies in the revegetated sites indicated higher levels of soil nutrient cycling. These results elucidate the significant shifts in belowground microbial taxonomic and functional diversity following vegetation restoration and have implications for ecological restoration programs in arid and semi-arid ecosystems.

Two new genera and five new species of Mugadina-like small grass cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Cicadettini) from Central and Eastern Australia: comparative morphology, songs, behaviour and distributions.

Moulds (2012) established the genus Mugadina for two small cicadas, M. marshalli (Distant) and M. emma (Goding and Froggatt), both grass inhabiting species known from Queensland and New South Wales. Both species are notable for their relatively simple 'ticking' songs. Moulds further noted that there were at least two superficially similar genera of cicadas, but each with different genitalia. This paper describes two new genera of small (9-15 mm body lengths) and distinctive grass cicadas with genitalia that are very similar to those of Mugadina, but possess clear morphological, colour and calling song differences. The new genera are: Heremusina n. gen. with two known species namely H. udeoecetes n. sp. and H. pipatio n. sp.; the second new genus is Xeropsalta n. gen., containing four known species, X. thomsoni n. sp., X. aridula n. sp., X. rattrayi n. sp., and X. festiva n. comb. Heremusina n. gen. species are described from the Alice Springs area of Northern Territory and the Cloncurry area of northwest Queensland, from arid to semi arid habitats. The Xeropsalta n. gen. species are described from western, southwest and central Queensland, and from the Simpson and Strzelecki Deserts in northeastern South Australia and northwestern New South Wales, respectively, all locations in very arid to arid habitats, but close to seasonal (often irregular) rivers and lakes. X. festiva n. comb. occurs in semi arid habitats in southern and southeastern Australia. Detailed taxonomic descriptions are provided of the new species, together with distributions, habitats, and the calling songs. The Heremusina species emit songs with short repetitive buzzing echemes, the echeme durations differing between each species. The Xeropsalta songs are notable for their complexity, containing multiple elements with rapid changes of amplitudes and temporal structures, rather atypical of the songs of most small grass dwelling cicadas. Detailed song structures distinguishing each of the species are illustrated and interpreted in each case in light of their respective taxonomic status.

First records and abundance of margay Leopardus wiedii from semi-arid thorny scrub habitat of the Brazilian Caatinga

The margay ( Leopardus wiedii ) is a small to medium sized Neotropical felid classified as Vulnerable in Brazil. The species’ northeastern range limits and use of open vegetation habitats has not been properly defined. The Caatinga biome is composed of a variable mosaic of semi-arid scrub/forest habitats and dominates the northeast region of Brazil. To date, it has not been confirmed that margays use the more open semi-arid thorny scrub habitat which is most characteristic of this region (the caatinga scrub). This study presents data from the first camera trap records for margays occurring in caatinga scrub, and documents new localities which constitute an extension of the species’ range in northeastern Brazil.

Two new species of the Ophisops microlepis (Squamata: Lacertidae) complex from northwestern India with a key to Indian Ophisops

ABSTRACTWe describe two new species of the lacertid genus Ophisops based on a series of 19 specimens from semi-arid habitats in the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan in northwestern India, provide a description of Ophisops microlepis sensu stricto, and a key to Indian Ophisops. Ophisops pushkarensis sp. nov. and Ophisops kutchensis sp. nov. are allied to Ophisops microlepis and can be diagnosed from all other Indian Ophisops by the fusion of the lower and upper eyelids, their large body size (snout to vent length > 50 mm), and ≥ 50 scales around midbody. They differ from O. microlepis and each other in the number of scales around midbody, the number of dorsal scales, subtle colour pattern differences, as well as uncorrected mitochondrial sequence divergence (6–9%). These are some of the only known endemic reptiles in these semi-arid landscapes and indicate that many other such habitats may harbour endemic biodiversity.www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3CD04F6F-D699-4100-A462-9BDD4B36FEE2