Asian Herpetological Research最新文献

{"title":"Body Size and Reproductive Tactics in Varanid lizards","authors":"Yu, Du, Longhui, Lin, Yuntao, Yao, Chixian, Xiang, Ji","doi":"10.3724/SP.J.1245.2014.00263","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3724/SP.J.1245.2014.00263","url":null,"abstract":"Body size and female reproduction in the water monitor lizard (Varanus salvator) were studied. Forty-two adult females larger than 500 mm SVL and 32 adult males larger than 400 mm SVL were donated by local people in Ledong, Hainan under permit to our laboratory in Hainan in 2013 and 2014. The largest male and female measured 745 and 755 mm SVL, respectively. The mean SVL was greater in adult females than in adult males. Males had larger heads (head width) than females of the same SVL. The smallest reproductive female in our sample was 565 mm SVL. Females produced a single clutch of 17.1 (10−23) pliable-shelled eggs per breeding season stretching from mid-June and mid-September. Clutch size and clutch mass were all positively related to female SVL. However, there was no significant linear relationship between egg mass and female SVL. Larger females generally produced more eggs, and thus heavier clutches than did smaller ones. There was no significant linear relationship between relative clutch mass and female SVL. Phylogenetic generalized least squares (PGLS) analysis, accounting for phylogenetic relationships, showed that clutch size was positively correlated with mean maternal SVL in varanid lizards. PGLS analysis showed that phylogenetic relationships did not affect clutch (or/and egg) mass and the SVL although there were significant linear relationship between clutch (or/and egg) mass and mean maternal SVL. Therefore, we could draw some general conclusions about the body size and reproductive tactics in varanid lizards that larger females generally produced more eggs, larger eggs and thus heavier clutches than did smaller ones.","PeriodicalId":49236,"journal":{"name":"Asian Herpetological Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70022140","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Preliminary Insights into the Habitat Preferences of the Centralian Bandy Bandy （Vermicella vermiformis）（Squamata： Elapidae） in Central Australia","authors":"Peter J. McDonald, G. Luck","doi":"10.3724/SP.J.1245.2014.00049","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3724/SP.J.1245.2014.00049","url":null,"abstract":"Bandy Bandy’s(Vermicella spp.)are a striking,black-and-white ringed genus of small elapid snakes endemic to Australia.All taxa are burrowers and little is known of their biology and ecology.We investigated the habitat preferences of the only arid-dwelling species,the centralian bandy bandy(Vermicella vermiformis),in the MacDonnell Ranges west of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.Using systematic road-cruising,we encountered 16V.vermiformis over a 12 months period between 2009 and 2010.We used logistic regression to model the occurrence of the species against a range of different habitat variables collected at multiple scales.Despite the small sample size,V.vermiformis exhibited a clear preference for acacia shrubland habitats,with acacia variables present in all AICc ranked models in the 95%confidence set.The factors driving this association,together with the preference for habitat not burnt in the most recent wildfires,may be related to the abundance of their only known prey,blind snakes(Ramphotyphlops spp.).","PeriodicalId":49236,"journal":{"name":"Asian Herpetological Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70021161","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of Salinity on the Survival, Ions and Urea Modulation in Red-eared Slider （Trachemys scripta elegans）","authors":"Hong Meiling, Z. Ke, Shu Chaohua, Xie Di, Shi Haitao","doi":"10.3724/SP.J.1245.2014.00128","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3724/SP.J.1245.2014.00128","url":null,"abstract":"To understand the tolerance to salinity and osmoregulation of the introduced Trachemys scripta elegans, the salinity stress of four groups (salinity 5 parts per thousand, 15 parts per thousand, 25 parts per thousand and control group) were conducted. Inorganic ions, osmotic pressure, glucose and aldosterone of blood and urine in T. s. elegans (BW: 125.60 +/- 19.84 g) were analyzed at 30 d, 60 d and 90 d stress. The results showed that: 1) inorganic ions concentration of blood and urine increased with ambient salinity, which indicated that high influx of ions was combined with higher outflow when exposed to saline water in T. s. elegans. However, blood aldosterone decreased with increasing salinity, which indicated that an increased sodium intake resulting in a diminished aldosterone production. However, with elapsed time, inorganic ions in urine decreased, which indicated that inorganic ions in blood would be accumulated, and Na+ and Cl- in the plasma inevitably build up to harmful levels, at last death was happening when T. s. elegans was exposed to salinity 25 during 90 d salinity stress; 2) blood osmotic pressure increased as ambient salinity increased, it would reach 400 mOsm/kg in the group of salinity 25, which was about 1.5 fold of the control group. Higher blood osmotic pressure was due to both higher blood ions and urea concentrations. There may be another mechanism to avoid an excess of NaCl together with an important loss of water using one of the end-products of nitrogen metabolism; 3) blood glucose in each group except the group of salinity 5 decreased with time elapsed and with salinity increased. Therefore, we can conclude that T. s. elegans is an osmoregulator that limits the entry of Na+ and Cl-, but can also tolerate certain degrees of increases in plasma Na+ and Cl-. When ambient salinity was lower than 15 parts per thousand, T. s. elegans can increase blood osmotic pressure by balancing the entry of NaCl with the secretion of aldosterone decreased, and by accumulating blood urea for osmoregulation effectors, and survive for at least three months. These results could provide theoretical basis for salinity tolerance and the invasion on physiological mechanism for T. s. elegans.","PeriodicalId":49236,"journal":{"name":"Asian Herpetological Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70021301","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Age-related Variation in Snake Venom： Evidence from Two Snakes （Naja atra and Deinagkistrodon acutus） in Southeastern China","authors":"Ying, He, Jianfang, Gao, Longhui, Lin, Xiaomei, Ma, Xiang, Ji","doi":"10.3724/SP.J.1245.2014.00119","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3724/SP.J.1245.2014.00119","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":49236,"journal":{"name":"Asian Herpetological Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70021642","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sexual Dimorphism in Mass of the Hindlimb Muscles of the Piebald Odorous Frog （Odorrana schmackeri）","authors":"Lixia, Zhang, Yun-yun, Zhao, Ling, Shi, Xiaohong, Chen, Youqiang, Lu, LiangQiao","doi":"10.3724/SP.J.1245.2014.00271","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3724/SP.J.1245.2014.00271","url":null,"abstract":"Male-biased sexual dimorphism in hind limb muscles is widespread in anuran species where scramble competition is common among males. Such sexual difference is thought to result from sexual selection. In this view, we tested the differences in muscle mass between the sexes and between amplectant and non-amplectant males by quantifying the mass of four hindlimb muscles(triceps femoris, sartorius, gracilis and plantaris longus) of females and males of Odorrana schmackeri. The results showed that females significantly exceeded males for muscle triceps femoris, gracilis, plantaris longus and total mass when controlled for body size. There are no significant differences between amplectant and non-amplectant males. It is probable that the maintenance of the amplectant position in O. schmackeri may depend on the strength of hindlimb muscles in females to support the pair.","PeriodicalId":49236,"journal":{"name":"Asian Herpetological Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70022201","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A New Species of the Genus Tylototriton (Urodela: Salamandridae) from Northeastern Hunan Province, China","authors":"Daode Yang, Jianping Jiang, Youhui Shen, D. Fei","doi":"10.3724/SP.J.1245.2014.00001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3724/SP.J.1245.2014.00001","url":null,"abstract":"We describe a new species from the family Salamandridae from northeastern Hunan Province of China based on morphological and molecular genetic evidences. The new species, Tylototriton liuyangensis, is a member of the T asperrimus group, and shares a number of similarities with T wenxianensis and T broadoridgus. The dorsal surface of the new Tylototriton species is completely black, with nodule-like warts distributed evenly along the lateral margin of dorsal body, and there is no transverse striae between the warts. There are several diagnostic characters of the new species that differ from those of T wenxianensis and T broadoridgus as follows: (1) the interorbital space (IOS) is comparatively wide; (2) there is a bony ridge present on the dorsal head surface, running along the upper eyelids; (3) the space between axilla and groin (AGS) is comparatively large, with the mean male AGS approximately equal to 50% of the snout-vent length (SVL) and the mean female AGS being 53% of SVL; and (4) there is a small genital armature on the anterior angle of labial folds present inside the anal fissure of adult males during the breeding season. The result from the molecular phylogenetic analysis of the genus Tylototriton (including the type specimen of the new species) based on the complete DNA sequence of the mitochondrial ND2 gene (1035 bp) indicated that the new species was similar to T wenxianensis, T dabienicus, and T broadoridgus, but formed an independent clade. This result was consistent with the morphological analysis above, supporting that the Liuyang Population represented a distinct species.","PeriodicalId":49236,"journal":{"name":"Asian Herpetological Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70021130","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Seasonal Acclimatisation of Locomotion in a Terrestrial Reptile, Plestiodon chinensis （Scincidae）","authors":"Baojun, Sun, Wenqi, Tang, Zhigao, Zeng, Weiguo, Du","doi":"10.3724/SP.J.1245.2014.00197","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3724/SP.J.1245.2014.00197","url":null,"abstract":"Studies of the seasonal acclimatisation of behavioural and physiological processes usually focus on aquatic or semi-aquatic ectotherms and focus less effort on terrestrial ectotherms that experience more thermally heterogeneous environments. We conducted comparative studies and thermal acclimation experiments on the locomotion of the Chinese skink (Plestiodon chinensis) to test whether seasonal acclimatisation in locomotion exists in these terrestrial ectothermic vertebrates, and whether seasonal acclimatisation is predominantly induced by thermal environments. In natural populations, skinks ran faster during the summer season than during the spring season at high-test temperatures ranging from 27°C to 36°C but not at low-test temperatures ranging from 18°C to 24°C. In contrast, the thermal acclimation experiments showed that the cold-acclimated skinks ran faster than the warm-acclimated skinks at the low- test temperatures but not at high-test temperatures. Therefore, the seasonal acclimatisation occurs to P. chinensis, and may be induced by temperature as well as other factors like food availability, as indicated by the seasonal variation in the thermal dependence of locomotion, and the discrepancy between seasonal acclimatisation and thermal acclimation","PeriodicalId":49236,"journal":{"name":"Asian Herpetological Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70021342","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reclassification of Oligodon ningshaanensis Yuan, 1983 (Ophidia: Colubridae) into a New Genus, Stichophanes gen. nov with Description on Its Malacophagous Behavior","authors":"Xiaohe Wang, Kevin R. Messenger, E. Zhao, Chaodong Zhu","doi":"10.3724/SP.J.1245.2014.00137","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3724/SP.J.1245.2014.00137","url":null,"abstract":"The complete mitochondrial cytb gene and the partial nuclear c-mos gene of Oligodon ningshaanensis Yuan, 1983 were sequenced and used for reconstructing the phylogenetic relationship of this taxon amongst alethinophidian snakes. Its strong affinity to the New World subfamily Dipsadinae and the Old World species Thermophis baileyi was inferred. Hemipenial morphology found by authors conflicts with the original description and its similarity with those of the dipsadid snakes is in accordance with our molecular results. Feeding tests show that O. ningshaanensis is a malacophagous predator, which is another matchless character for this species. This behavior is described and compared with other known slug- and snail-feeding snakes. The discovery of the particular position of our subject indicates that erecting a new genus is necessary accommodate this unique species.","PeriodicalId":49236,"journal":{"name":"Asian Herpetological Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70021414","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development and Characterization of Fifteen Polymorphic Microsatellites for Extremely Endangered Salamander, Echinotriton chinhaiensis","authors":"Weizhao Yang, Jie Wang, Jianping Jiang, Cheng Li, F. Xie","doi":"10.3724/SP.J.1245.2014.00281","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3724/SP.J.1245.2014.00281","url":null,"abstract":"Echinotriton chinhaiensis is a critically endangered salamander and its distribution is restricted to Ningbo, Zhejiang Province of China. In this study, we developed and characterized fifteen polymorphic microsatellite loci for E. chinhaiensis from dinucleotide- and tetranucleotide- enriched library. The number of alleles ranges from 4 to 12 with an average of 7.27 alleles per locus. The observed and expected heterozygosities values were from 0.250 to 0.844 and 0.511 to 0.872 with an average value of 0.596 and 0.722; respectively. The polymorphic microsatellite loci described in this paper are useful in the further study on genetic diversity and gene flow, which would be helpful to formulate effective conservation strategies for the E. chinhaiensis.","PeriodicalId":49236,"journal":{"name":"Asian Herpetological Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70022212","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Can an Invasive Prey Species Induce Morphological and Behavioral Changes in an Endemic Predator? Evidence from a South Korean Snake (Oocatochus rufodorsatus)","authors":"Jun-Haeng Heo, Heonjoo Lee, Il-Hun Kim, Julio Fong Jonathan, Ja Kyeong Kim, Sumin Jeong, Daesik Park","doi":"10.3724/SP.J.1245.2014.00245","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3724/SP.J.1245.2014.00245","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction of an invasive prey species into an ecosystem may affect an endemic predator's fitness by altering the prey-predator system. Successful adaptation may allow the endemic predator to eat and control the invasive species, while unsuccessful adaptation may result in extinction of the predator. We examine the possible effects of the invasive North American bullfrog (Rana (Lithobates) catesbeiana) on the endemic Red-backed rat snake (Oocatochus rufodorsatus) in South Korea. We do so by comparing the morphology and behavior of adult and hatchling snakes from bullfrog-exposed (Taean) and bullfrog-unexposed (Hongcheon) populations. Among the seven morphological characteristics investigated, relative tail length (tail length/snout-vent length) of both adults and hatchlings from Taean was significantly greater than that of adults and hatchlings from Hongcheon. Also, adult snakes from Taean had a significantly shorter latency of first tongue flick in response to prey compared to adults from Hongcheon. This difference was not observed in hatchlings. In other snake species, a longer relative tail length and shorter latency of first tongue flick are known to improve foraging efficiency, and these characters may be adaptations of O. rufodorsatus to prey on bullfrogs. This study provides preliminary evidence that the presence of an invasive prey species may cause morphological and behavioral changes in an endemic predator.","PeriodicalId":49236,"journal":{"name":"Asian Herpetological Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2014-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"70021883","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}