Journal of Herpetology最新文献

{"title":"Escape Behavior and the Aposematic Syndrome in Two Neotropical Frogs","authors":"D. A. Gray, Kelly M. Sakaguchi, F. Hertel","doi":"10.1670/22-042","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1670/22-042","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Associations among behavioral and morphological traits are of interest to biologists because they imply functional relationships at the behavior/morphology interface. We investigated the association between escape behavior and aposematic versus cryptic coloration in two species of Neotropical frogs, namely, Craugaster fitzingeri and Oophaga pumilio. Craugaster fitzingeri is cryptically colored, whereas O. pumilio is an aposematically colored “Poison Dart Frog.” Specifically, we predicted that the cryptic C. fitzingeri would exhibit faster and directionally more erratic escape behavior than the aposematic O. pumilio. We tested this hypothesis by measuring escape speed and variation in turning angles of frogs in their natural habitat. Results indicated that C. fitzingeri has faster and directionally less predictable escape behavior than O. pumilio. Two evolutionary mechanisms may have linked escape behavior and coloration. One possibility is that aposematism in the dendrobatid lineage has relaxed selection and enabled a reduction in speed and unpredictability of escape behavior. A second possibility is that aposematic coloration has actively favored reduction in escape behavior, i.e., slow directionally predictable movements may enhance warning display and increase the efficacy of the aposematic signal. Resumen. Las asociaciones entre rasgos conductuales y morfológicos son de interés para los biólogos porque implican relaciones funcionales en la interfase comportamiento/morfología. Investigamos la asociación entre el comportamiento de escape y la coloración aposemática versus críptica en dos especies de ranas neotropicales: Craugaster fitzingeri y Oophaga pumilio. Las ranas C. fitzingeri tienen colores crípticos, mientras que las O. pumilio tienen colores aposemáticos como las “ranas dardo venenoso”. Específicamente, predijimos que las crípticas C. fitzingeri exhibirían un comportamiento de escape más rápido y en dirección más errática que las aposemáticas O. pumilio. Probamos esto midiendo la velocidad de escape y la variación en los ángulos de giro de las ranas en su hábitat natural. Los resultados indicaron que C. fitzingeri tiene un comportamiento de escape más rápido y direccionalmente menos predecible que O. pumilio. Dos mecanismos evolutivos pueden haber vinculado el comportamiento de escape y la coloración. Una posibilidad es que el aposematismo en el linaje dendrobátido haya relajado la selección y permitido una reducción en la velocidad y la imprevisibilidad del comportamiento de escape. Una segunda posibilidad es que la coloración aposemática haya favorecido activamente una reducción en el comportamiento de escape, es decir, los movimientos lentos y direccionalmente predecibles pueden mejorar la visualización de advertencia y aumentar la eficacia de la señal aposemática.","PeriodicalId":54821,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Herpetology","volume":"57 1","pages":"172 - 175"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45425395","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":"Sand Dragons: Species of the Ctenophorus maculatus Complex (Squamata: Agamidae) of Australia's Southern and Western Interior","authors":"D. Edwards, Mark N. Hutchinson","doi":"10.1670/22-021","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1670/22-021","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Knowledge of the extraordinary species richness of Australian desert lizards has expanded as new approaches integrating morphological and genetic data reveal unsuspected differentiation. The genus Ctenophorus is a major arid zone radiation and the most species-rich Australian agamid clade. The monophyletic C. maculatus complex, the sand dragons, occupy most sandy arid and semiarid habitats across southern Australia. Published molecular data on nominal C. maculatus complex species, C. fordi, C. femoralis, and C. maculatus, suggested undescribed species presence, supported by dorsal color pattern and male throat and chest patch variation. We provide additional morphological data from all candidate species, recognizing a total of 11 species. Four taxa are elevations of subspecies to species, and four taxa are newly described species. Ctenophorus maculatus complex species vary interspecifically in sexual size dimorphism and dichromatism, with a mating system of nonterritorial males, contrasting with some other territorial Ctenophorus species. The diversity and high local abundance of these lizards make them a potential model group for furthering understanding of interactions between natural selection and sexual selection leading to speciation.","PeriodicalId":54821,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Herpetology","volume":"57 1","pages":"176 - 196"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42408437","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":"Long-Term Effects of Timber Harvest on Ephemeral Pools and Occupancy of Spotted Salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) and Wood Frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus)","authors":"A. Wiewel, Adrianne B. Brand, E. C. Campbell Grant","doi":"10.1670/21-059","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1670/21-059","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. The effects of timber harvest on amphibians can be complex and persist for years postharvest, but overall they are poorly understood. We examined how timber harvest has impacted two pool-breeding species, Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) and Wood Frog (Lithobates sylvaticus), across the Canaan Valley National Wildlife Refuge, West Virginia, USA. We surveyed Spotted Salamanders and Wood Frogs at 49 pools from 2004 to 2016. Pools in recently harvested tracts tended to be smaller and less likely to hold water than pools in unharvested tracts for the duration of the breeding period. For both species, mean egg mass abundance was lower in harvested tracts than in the unharvested tracts, and over time declined substantially for Wood Frogs. Similarly, occupancy rates were lower in harvested sites for the duration of the study for both species. Occupancy rates declined over time for both species across all sites; this decline was steeper for Wood Frogs in harvested sites. Our results show the importance of long-term landscape-level studies when evaluating the effects of habitat disturbance. Understanding how forest loss and degradation impact pool-breeding amphibians will help to develop better management targets and mitigate compounding factors of decline to promote survival of these species.","PeriodicalId":54821,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Herpetology","volume":"57 1","pages":"142 - 150"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48099358","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":"Genetic Diversity of Florida Scrub Lizards (Sceloporus woodi) Varies with Wildfire History","authors":"Katherine Miller, David R. Tevs, L. McBrayer, Faith P. Loggins, Emma Simpson, K. G. Ashton, E. McCoy, H. Mushinsky, A. Schrey","doi":"10.1670/21-053","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1670/21-053","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Fire shapes habitats and therefore influences the genetic characteristics of populations. Florida scrub is a fire-dependent habitat with several precinctive species, including Florida Scrub Lizards (Sceloporus woodi). Fire history of scrub patches could affect the movement patterns of Florida Scrub Lizards, thereby altering the genetic characteristics of local populations. We characterized the effect of time since fire (TSF) on genetic diversity and differentiation at 6 microsatellite loci in the Florida Scrub Lizard (n = 413) collected from 17 sites in Highlands County, Florida. Private allelic richness was positively correlated with TSF (r = 0.56, P = 0.009). In sites with a TSF of 3–17 yr, TSF was negatively correlated with expected heterozygosity (r = -0.90, P = 0.009), inbreeding (r = -0.77, P = 0.04), allelic richness (r = -0.79, P = 0.03), and private allelic richness (r = -0.80, P = 0.03); TSF was positively correlated with mean pairwise relatedness (r = 0.85, P = 0.02). Therefore, a consequence of TSF is short-term change to local population genetics that is likely precipitated by responses of Florida Scrub Lizards to habitat modification. At a TSF of >20 yr, TSF and genetic diversity were not correlated, indicating that factors other than fire shape genetic diversity in long-unburned locations. We detected genetic differentiation using Bayesian clustering and estimates of F-statistics. Our results highlight the importance of consistent fire regimes in the Florida scrub on the genetic diversity of Florida Scrub Lizards. The presence of Florida Scrub Lizard populations in long-unburned sites, however, warrants further investigation.","PeriodicalId":54821,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Herpetology","volume":"57 1","pages":"116 - 124"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46627259","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":"Trophic Niche Partitioning between Sympatric Naja naja and Ptyas mucosa: Crowdsourced Data in Application to Community Ecology","authors":"Merlin Weiss, Y. Kalki","doi":"10.1670/22-013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1670/22-013","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Spectacled Cobras (Naja naja) and Oriental Ratsnakes (Ptyas mucosa) frequently share habitats and presumably occupy a similar trophic niche. We present a dietary synopsis of both species as well as niche metrics based on feeding events retrieved from crowdsourced data. Our analysis suggests a high importance of ophiophagy in the diet of N. naja, which occasionally feeds on mammals and frogs, but rarely on other taxa. Ptyas mucosa preyed most frequently on frogs and occasionally on snakes and mammals. The relative importance of shared prey items was generally high and confirmed overlap of their trophic niches. Interspecific trophic competition could serve as a noninvasive conservation tool. In particular, adult N. naja may avoid areas in which size-equivalent or size-superior P. mucosa are present, potentially offering new perspectives on common conservation practices for this medically significant snake. Methodological biases because of low detection probability of subterranean predation events and a bias in ophiophagous events in data retrieved from social media cannot be ruled out. Two key issues need to be considered when using crowdsourced data to assess trophic niche partitioning: 1) choosing an appropriate level of prey identification as a base for meaningful comparison and 2) ensuring relative spatial homogeneity of data origins over the common range. When considering the trade-off between data quality and quantity for comparative analysis, crowdsourcing is a valuable but supplementary resource for studies of niche partitioning in sympatric species. The presented data expand the known dietary spectrum of both snake species by 42 previously unpublished trophic interactions.","PeriodicalId":54821,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Herpetology","volume":"57 1","pages":"107 - 115"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47220037","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":"Contextualized Display Behavior during Natural Interactions by Common Side-Blotched Lizards (Uta stansburiana, Squamata, Phrynosomatidae)","authors":"P. Zani","doi":"10.1670/22-003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1670/22-003","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Many previous studies on competition focused on outcomes of competition and less on behavioral changes during or immediately following intra- or interspecific interactions. I performed 300 h of observation of three lizard species (Side-blotched Lizards, Uta stansburiana; Sagebrush Lizards, Sceloporus graciosus; Western Fence Lizards, Sceloporus occidentalis) and recorded 1,045 natural encounters, 403 of which were unconfounded by presence of another individual lizard. Despite potential competition amongst these species, I found little evidence that Uta modify perch characteristics or engage in aggressive interactions toward either of the heterospecific lizards. However, Uta do alter interspecific display behavior depending on whether interactions are intrasexual or intersexual. Moreover, Uta move shorter distances following interactions with S. graciosus but greater distances after interactions with S. occidentalis. Uta appear to reserve aggressive or more-intense interactions for intersexual intraspecific encounters, most of which are initiated by males. Together these findings suggest that these three lizard species are not broadly engaged in competitive interactions and that habitat characteristics or microhabitat preferences enable co-occurrence.","PeriodicalId":54821,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Herpetology","volume":"57 1","pages":"99 - 106"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48753806","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":"A New Spotted Species of the Cyrtodactylus (Geckoella) collegalensis (Beddome, 1870) (Reptilia: Squamata) Complex from Coastal Kerala, Southwestern India","authors":"Ishan Agarwal, P. Umesh, Sandeep Das, A. Bauer, Akshay Khandekar","doi":"10.1670/21-075","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1670/21-075","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. We describe a new spotted species of ground-dwelling gecko of the genus Cyrtodactylus (Geckoella) from coastal Kerala, southwestern India, by using an integrative taxonomic approach. The new species is a member of the C. collegalensis species complex, with 10.0–13.5% uncorrected mitochondrial sequence divergence from the other six members of the C. collegalensis complex. The new species is also recognized in tree-based delimitation methods and can be morphologically diagnosed by a spotted dorsal pattern of four to six pairs of spots (occasionally fused into figure 8–shaped markings) from the banded species C. speciosus, C. rishivalleyensis, and C. yakhuna and from the spotted C. collegalensis, C. srilekhae, and C. varadgirii by the presence of a few scattered enlarged dorsal scales. This is the only Indian member of the C. collegalensis complex with a relatively broad distribution at low elevations, other than C. varadgirii from western India (distributed in Maharashtra, southern Gujarat, and western Madhya Pradesh). The sister species to the new species is the Sri Lankan C. yakhuna, which is a banded form from low elevations. The new species is the second gecko to have been described from Chengodumala and endemic to northern and central Kerala, highlighting the importance of this area, which is under increasing anthropogenic pressure. We also provide notes on the dorsal pholidosis of C. rishivalleyensis, which was overlooked in its original description.","PeriodicalId":54821,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Herpetology","volume":"57 1","pages":"75 - 86"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47832925","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":"Hatchling Smooth Softshell Turtles (Apalone mutica) Perform Respiratory Pushup While Overwintering","authors":"Kyra M. Smith, M. Plummer","doi":"10.1607/21-036","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1607/21-036","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. We observed overwintering behavior of bimodally respiring hatchling Smooth Softshell Turtles, Apalone mutica, in two small outdoor ponds that differed in depth. Hatchlings buried themselves shallowly in a sand/mud substrate at the bottom of the ponds. In the deep pond, hatchlings periodically raised and lowered the posterior portion of their body into the water column in a respiratory “pushup” fashion. In the shallow pond, hatchlings did not perform pushups nor snorkel to breathe air. Pushups were similar in appearance and form among turtles but occurred with variable frequency within and among individual turtles. Pushup frequency of hatchling A. mutica was 43% slower than reported for larger A. mutica.","PeriodicalId":54821,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Herpetology","volume":"57 1","pages":"70 - 74"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41420051","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":"Exposure to Amphibian Chytrid Fungus Alters Terrestrial Growth and Feeding Rate in Metamorphic Anurans","authors":"Jessica L. McQuigg, Kathryn Kissner, M. Boone","doi":"10.1670/21-048","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1670/21-048","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Population declines and extinctions associated with infectious diseases of wildlife are increasing in both frequency and severity. Response to infectious disease varies among species and individuals, with some appearing asymptomatic and others experiencing rapid mortality. The amphibian chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), has been associated with widespread population declines and species extinctions, yet in some geographic regions it elicits a range of sublethal responses that may influence population dynamics in ways that are currently not understood. Our central objective was to evaluate growth and feeding behavior of terrestrial juvenile American Toads (Anaxyrus americanus) and Northern Leopard Frogs (Lithobates pipiens) following exposure to Bd. We manipulated foraging effort through the presence or absence of refugia for prey. We found that both amphibian species grew less when exposed to the pathogen, though the mechanisms contributing to this effect appear not to be the same. American Toads ate equal to or more in feeding trials when exposed to Bd than when unexposed, yet those exposed to Bd still experienced growth limitations. Conversely, Northern Leopard Frogs consumed the same quantity of food no matter their exposure status, but refugia presence had an effect on feeding. These results suggest that sublethal effects of disease can have ecologically relevant impacts in amphibians that can result in reduced size, likely because of high metabolic costs of disease response. Size is both a predictor of time to reproduction and fecundity, and reductions in individual growth may have important consequences for populations.","PeriodicalId":54821,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Herpetology","volume":"57 1","pages":"36 - 41"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44422961","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":"Effects of Prairie Degradation and Restoration on Box Turtle Thermal Ecology","authors":"Gabriel L. Yerdon, Ethan J. Royal, C. Kross, J. Willson","doi":"10.1670/22-016","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1670/22-016","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. Prairie habitat loss in the United States has led to population declines in many prairie-associated species, including Ornate Box Turtles (Terrapene ornata). Northwest Arkansas is an intergrade zone between the prairie-dwelling T. ornata and the more forest-associated Three-Toed Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina). As such, limited information exists on the potential differences in physiology and thermal ecology between the two box turtle species and how those differences might influence their habitat use. We addressed gaps in our knowledge of the thermal and spatial ecology of T. ornata and T. carolina with a three-part study. First, we compared the thermal profiles of refugia, open, and vegetated microhabitats across degraded prairie, restored prairie, and adjacent forest macrohabitats using operative temperature models and a linear mixed effect model. Second, we measured total evaporative water loss of both species across a range of body sizes. Finally, we fitted a subset of turtles with iButton data loggers and monitored them in the field to examine carapace temperatures and habitat use. Operative temperature models recorded high, largely homogeneous temperatures across microhabitats in degraded prairie and heterogeneous temperatures across restored prairie microhabitats, while forest habitat maintained stable, cool temperatures. Both species exhibited similar evaporative water loss rates; however, T. ornata experienced a broader range of temperatures in the field. Terrapene ornata were exclusively found in prairie habitat, whereas T. carolina was often found in forested habitats and subsurface refugia. Our results demonstrate key differences in box turtle thermal biology and highlight suboptimal thermal characteristics in degraded prairie and forest habitat that should be considered in prairie restoration and management for T. ornata conservation.","PeriodicalId":54821,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Herpetology","volume":"57 1","pages":"92 - 98"},"PeriodicalIF":0.8,"publicationDate":"2023-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46405890","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}