Russian Journal of Herpetology最新文献

{"title":"Mongolian Marmot (Marmota sibirica) Ecosystem Engineering Effects on Herpetofauna","authors":"Suuri Buyandelger, Baatjargal Otgonbayar, R. Reading","doi":"10.30906/1026-2296-2022-29-5-275-283","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-2022-29-5-275-283","url":null,"abstract":"The Mongolian marmot (Marmota sibirica) is a relatively large-bodied, social rodent that lives in colonies across the Mongolian steppes and adjacent parts of China and Russia. Marmots serve as ecosystem engineers that display multiple functions on the steppe environments they inhabit. Mongolian marmots experienced a 75% decline across Mongolia in the 1990s that led to their listing as endangered globally. The decline of marmots likely affected other species given their importance to the ecosystems they inhabit. To examine the role of marmots on herpetofauna, we established drift fence arrays with associated pitfall and funnel traps on active marmot colonies, inactive colonies, and control sites in the forest-steppe and semi-desert zones of Mongolia. In total, we identified 555 individuals representing 5 species of reptiles in Ikh Nart Nature Reserve (semi-desert) from 2010 – 2011 and 22 individuals of 3 species of reptiles and one amphibian species in Hustai National Park (forest-steppe) in 2014 and 2016. We found significantly higher species abundance and some diversity indices on active and inactive colonies compared to control sites in Hustai. Vegetation height and cover significantly affected the abundance and species richness of reptiles in Ikh Nart. In Ikh Nart, we found that under conditions of higher vegetation cover and height, reptiles were distributed more widely across the landscape, but with lower vegetation cover and height, reptiles associated more strongly with marmot burrows. Burrows likely provide shelter from extreme climatic conditions and refugia from predation. Our research provides insights into how marmots create important habitats for associated fauna. This and similar experimental approaches will allow us to better understand the biodiversity patterns in and around marmot burrows.","PeriodicalId":48693,"journal":{"name":"Russian Journal of Herpetology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44726709","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Predicting the Distribution of Three Korean Pit Viper Species (Gloydius brevicaudus, G. ussuriensis, and G. intermedius) under Climate Change","authors":"M. Do, Seoyun Choi, Hoan-Jin Jang, Jae‐Hwa Suh","doi":"10.30906/1026-2296-2022-29-5-262-274","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-2022-29-5-262-274","url":null,"abstract":"Climate change can pose severe threats to wildlife populations causing population declines and destroying their habitats. Particularly, pit vipers belonging to reptiles, poikilotherm, are vulnerable to climate change due to their narrow movement range and low dispersal capability. This study aimed to identify pit viper species vulnerable to climate change using their predicted geographical habitat range based on the current and future Korean pit viper species distribution model. The results of this study showed that three major environmental factors related to altitude and temperature (BIO4 and BIO5) influenced the habitat distribution of three pit viper species. These factors showed significant variation between increased, maintained, and decreased habitat areas of the species due to climate change. It was also predicted that the habitat of Korean pit vipers would decrease by more than 80% under the RCP 8.5 scenario. Especially, Central Asian pit viper was predicted to lose 98.52% of its habitat, indicating that it would be the most vulnerable species to climate change. Although we confirmed that forest areas around the Taebaek Mountains, known as current major distribution areas of pit vipers, would provide maintained or even increased habitat areas to these species along climate change, habitable space for the vipers was still predicted to be very narrow. Therefore, it is critical to protect the forest areas around the Taebaek Mountains to minimize the impact of climate change on Korean pit vipers. Moreover, since some populations of Central Asian pit viper, most vulnerable to climate change, are geographically isolated, it will be necessary to establish systematic conservation measures by determining the protection priority of populations through studying genetic diversity between populations. We believe that the results of this study will provide an important basis for establishing management measures in designating the habitat of a threatened population due to climate change as a protected area.","PeriodicalId":48693,"journal":{"name":"Russian Journal of Herpetology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45902242","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating and Reconstructing the Genetic Diversity of Butterfly Lizards of the Genus Leiolepis Cuvier, 1829 (Reptilia: Squamata: Agamidae) in Central Vietnam","authors":"X. T. Phan, B. Ngo, H. D. Nguyen, Q. T. Hoang, C. D. Ngo, C. Bui, Ty Nguyen, Nghiep T. Hoang","doi":"10.30906/1026-2296-2022-29-5-284-297","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-2022-29-5-284-297","url":null,"abstract":"Studies on genetic relationships and phylogenetic origins, and mutations in nucleotide of Leiolepis in central Vietnam are limited. In this study, thirty-five representative samples of four species (Leiolepis reevesii, L. guttata, L. guentherpetersi, and L. rubritaeniata) from multiple provinces in central Vietnam were collected for identification based on 16S rRNA sequences. The results from phylogenetic analyses showed that L. rubritaeniata is highly genetically conserved and was unique for the Central Highland areas. Patterns, colors, and genetic characteristics of the population of L. reevesii in Thanh Hoa Province exhibited differences between the populations in Thua Thien Hue Province. The population of L. guentherpetersi had the closest sister relationship to the population of L. guttata found in the same province, supporting a hypothesis that the origin of the triploid L. guentherpetersi from L. guttata. Leiolepis reevesii populations found in Thanh Hoa and Thua Thien Hue provinces were not in the same clade for both morphology and genetics. Lastly, the overall similarity between L. rubritaeniata and L. reevesii populations further suggesting that both species were originally from the same clade with a diversification occuring to adapt to the ecological conditions.","PeriodicalId":48693,"journal":{"name":"Russian Journal of Herpetology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49308771","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"New Distribution Site and Supplementary Description on Variations of Gloydius huangi Wang, Ren, Dong, Jiang, Siler et Che, 2019 (Reptilia: Serpentes)","authors":"Shengchao Shi, Jianyi Feng, Jian-Ping Jiang","doi":"10.30906/1026-2296-2022-29-4-215-226","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-2022-29-4-215-226","url":null,"abstract":"The newly described species Gloydius huangi Wang, Ren, Dong, Jiang, Siler et Che, 2019 were described based on only three specimens from two sites. We report a new distribution site from Markam County, Tibet Autonomous Region, China with supplementary description on variation of morphology and mitochondrial genetics of the species. The new specimen varies from types of G. huangi on head scalation, coloration patterns, and hemipenis morphology. A distinct genetical distance 1.9 – 2.2% based on Cytb gene fragment exist between the new specimen and types of the species.","PeriodicalId":48693,"journal":{"name":"Russian Journal of Herpetology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45998737","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Attacks by Nile Crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) on Humans and Livestock in the Sudd Wetlands, South Sudan","authors":"John Sebit Benansio, Gift Simon Demaya, D. Dendi, L. Luiselli","doi":"10.30906/1026-2296-2022-29-4-199-205","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-2022-29-4-199-205","url":null,"abstract":"Nile Crocodiles, Crocodylus niloticus, are widespread along the riverine systems and wetlands of East Africa, and may locally be involved into serious conflicts with local human communities. A research study was conducted to investigate Human-Crocodiles Conflicts (HCC) and its impacts on lives and livelihoods of local communities in the Sudd Wetlands in South Sudan (East Africa). The methodology involved face-to-face interviews and structured questionnaire to fishers and other persons from riverine communities. The questionnaire focused on (i) numbers of attacks by Nile Crocodiles on humans and livestock, (ii) months of attacks, (iii) locations of attacks, and (iv) activity of victims at the time of attacks, from 2018 to 2020. The majority of the interviewees responded that Nile Crocodiles do represent a serious threat to their lives: a total of 23 persons were attacked and killed by crocodiles between 2018 and 2020, with 100% of the attacks to humans being fatal. In addition, 166 heads of livestock were killed during the same period, and a total of 355 livestock were attacked (most of them escaped the attack). The present study revealed that the peak season of attacks by crocodiles was the dry season (October – March), and that there is urgent need of environmental education and awareness for local riverine communities in order to minimize the intensity of the HCC in South Sudan.","PeriodicalId":48693,"journal":{"name":"Russian Journal of Herpetology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45328332","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrative Taxonomy Reveals a New Cryptic Species of Xenopeltis Gray, 1831 (Ophidia: Macrostomata: Pythonoidea: Xenopeltidae) from Central Highlands, Vietnam","authors":"N. Orlov, P. B. Snetkov, O. Ermakov, T. Nguyen, N. Ananjeva","doi":"10.30906/1026-2296-2022-29-4-237-249","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-2022-29-4-237-249","url":null,"abstract":"Herein, we describe a new cryptic snake species of the genus Xenopeltis from Central Highlands of Vietnam: Kon Plông District, Kon Tum Province based both on morphological and molecular data. Xenopeltis intermedius sp. nov. is distinguished from the two known species by a combination of the following morphological characters. Xenopeltis intermedius sp. nov. differs from X. unicolor and X. hainanensis by the number of ventrals and subcaudals. The skull is less elongated than in X. unicolor and somewhat more elongate than in X. hainanensis. X. intermedius demonstrates differences in size, shape proportions and relief of the parietal bone and the number of teeth from X. hainanensis and X. unicolor. We provide a COI-based estimation of diversity of the genus Xenopeltis. Genetic divergence (p-distance) between Xenopeltis sp. nov. from Kon Tum Province, Central Highlands region of Vietnam, and two other congeners was 5.7% (for X. hainanensis) and 12.9% (for X. unicolor). The new species is currently known only from one locality from Central Highland and was recorded from 1500 to 2500 m a.s.l. in the evergreen polydominant forests in the mountainous regions of Kon Tum Province. This is the third species of Xenopeltis from Vietnam.","PeriodicalId":48693,"journal":{"name":"Russian Journal of Herpetology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47747590","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"False Spring in the Southeastern European Russia and Anomalies of the Phenology of Spawing Migrations of the Pallas’ Spadefoot Toad Pelobates vespertinus (Pelobatidae, Amphibia)","authors":"M. V. Yermokhin, V. Tabachishin","doi":"10.30906/1026-2296-2022-29-4-206-214","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-2022-29-4-206-214","url":null,"abstract":"In March 2020, an anomalously early start of the spawning migrations of Pelobates vespertinus was established in the Medveditsa River valley. Males of this species, emerging from a state of hibernation, were observed in the shallow waters of the lake Troynoye on March 13, one month ahead of the long-term mean date over the past 30 years and almost two weeks before the earliest recorded date. From 1892 to 1990 the phenological scenario of a false spring was realized six times only, while seven times — over the past 30 years (1991 – 2020). A second feature of the development of spring processes by the type of false spring in 1990 – 2020 is repeated recurrence of return cooling. The emergence of discreteness (discontinuity) of the spawning migration period against the background of early development of spring processes and repeated periods of return cold is a relatively new feature of the phenology of anuran amphibians. The cumulative proportion of P. vespertinus males arriving at their spawning biotopes from the first to the fifth day from the date of the start of spawning migrations of the species increases on mean (median) from 4 to 38% of the total number of mature males. In 2014, an abrupt change in the proportion of males who came to spawning biotopes during the first five days was found: in 2009 – 2013 was less than a quarter of the total number of males (15 – 23%), and in 2014 – 2017 it was half or more (43 – 70%). Consequences of such phenological abnormalities can become an additional factor in reducing the reproductive success of P. vespertinus and degradation of their local populations. In addition, the abnormal development of spring processes requires correction of census technique and analysis of the sex structure of P. vespertinus populations.","PeriodicalId":48693,"journal":{"name":"Russian Journal of Herpetology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45747754","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"New Locality Records of the Endemic Lizard Species, Lacerta pamphylica Schmidtler, 1975 (Squamata: Lacertidae) in Turkey","authors":"U. Bülbül, H. Özkan, Halime Koç","doi":"10.30906/1026-2296-2022-29-4-250-254","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-2022-29-4-250-254","url":null,"abstract":"The Pamphylian green lizard, Lacerta pamphylica, whose distribution is only known from Antalya and Mersin provinces of Turkey, is recorded in the Isparta Province for the first time in the present study. The present note reports the new locality records of L. pamphylica, which constitutes the species’ the northernmost known Turkish locality. With the record of the present study, the known distribution area of the species has been extended about 100 km to the northward. The pholidolial and morphometric characters and color-pattern features of the specimens were found similar to the specimens of L. pamphylica reported in the literature.","PeriodicalId":48693,"journal":{"name":"Russian Journal of Herpetology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43793980","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Two New Localities for Critically Endangered Kurdistan Newt, Neurergus derjugini Nesterov, 1916 (Caudata: Salamandridae) in Kurdistan Province, Western Iran and Problematic Taxonomic Status of this Species","authors":"Shahriar Mawloudi, N. Rastegar-Pouyani, E. Rastegar-Pouyani, S. Rostami","doi":"10.30906/1026-2296-2022-29-4-191-198","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-2022-29-4-191-198","url":null,"abstract":"Neurergus derjugini is a mountain brook-dwelling newt which is distributed in the mid-Zagros Mountains in the border areas between Iran and Iraq. During extensive fieldwork in spring and summer 2016, two new localities were found for this endangered species in Kurdistan Province, western periphery of the Iranian Plateau. One locality is in Mariwan county and the other one is located in the extreme northwest of Baneh county. Both newly-found habitats are in relatively remote and lightly populated areas, increasing hopes for conservation of this valuable and critically endangered species.","PeriodicalId":48693,"journal":{"name":"Russian Journal of Herpetology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45307014","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"New Neogene Hynobiidae (Amphibia: Caudata) from Eastern Europe","authors":"E. Syromyatnikova","doi":"10.30906/1026-2296-2022-29-3-156-160","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.30906/1026-2296-2022-29-3-156-160","url":null,"abstract":"Fossil records of the Asiatic salamanders (Hynobiidae) are extremely scarce. The fossil European hynobiids come from a few localities of the Miocene-Pleistocene age and potentially suggest that in the past they were widely distributed across the European continent. This paper describes new Neogene records of Hynobiidae from the Late Miocene of Gritsev (Ukraine) and the Late Pliocene of Zhukovsky Mayak (Russia) localities. The hynobiids from Gritsev and Zhukovsky Mayak are the first records of hynobiid salamanders from certain time intervals of the corresponding regions and partly fill the existing gaps in the fossil record of the family. Morphological differences of the described hynobiids from other European forms (i.e., Parahynobius and Salamandrella) suggest a wide taxonomic diversity of the Cenozoic Asiatic salamanders.","PeriodicalId":48693,"journal":{"name":"Russian Journal of Herpetology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.7,"publicationDate":"2022-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48860665","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}