The Herpetological Journal
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Volume 8, Number 1 January 1998 ISSN 0268-0130 THE HERPETOLOGICAL JOURNAL man African Published by the Indexed in BRITISH HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY Current Contents The Herpetologica/ Journal is published quarterly by the British Herpetological Society and is issued freeto members. Articles are listed in Current Awareness in Biological Sciences, Current Contents, Science Citation Index and Zoological Record. Applications to purchase copies and/or for details of membership should be made to the Hon. Secretary, British Herpetological Society, The Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NWI 4RY, UK. Instructions to authors are printed inside the back cover. All contributions should be addressed to the Editor (address below). Editor: Richard A. Griffiths, The Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NJ, UK Associate Editor: Leigh Gillett Editorial Board: Pim Arntzen (Aporto) Donald Broadley (Zimbabwe) John Cooper (Tanzania) John Davenport (Millport) Andrew Gardner (Oman) Tim Hall iday (Milton Keynes) Michael Klemens (New York) Colin McCarthy (London) Andrew Milner (London) Henk Strijbosch (Nijmegen) Richard Tinsley (Bristol) BRITISH HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY Copyright It is a fundamental condition that submitted manuscripts have not been published and will not be simultaneously submitted or published elsewhere. By submitting a manuscript, the authors agree that the copyright for their article is transferred to the publisher ifandwhen the article is accepted forpubli cation. The copyright covers the · exclusive rights to reproduce and distribute the article, including reprints and photographic reproductions. Permission for any such activities must be sought in advance from the Editor. ADVERTISEMENTS The Herpetological Journal accepts advertisements subj ect to approval of contents by the Editor, to whom enquiries should be addressed. HERPETOLOGICAL JOURNAL, Vol. 8, pp. 1-2 (1998) PROCEEDINGS OF THE 9TH SYMPOSIUM ON AFRICAN AMPHIBIANS, UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL, 9-12SEPTEMBER1996 PREFACE currently in progress at the Centre for Tropical Biodiversity in Denmark to map species distributions in The AfricanAmphibians Working Group was estab a WorldMap format) emphasized the importance of lished in 1969 when its inaugural meeting was held in amphibians as indicators of species diversity and habi Paris. Its aims, expressed at the 1969 meeting, are to tat change. This derives from a series of characteristics: promote personal relationships between scientists that most amphibian species are strictly habitat depend working with African amphibians; to facilitate ex ent; their taxonomy is reasonably well understood; a change of material, ideas and publications; and to fastassessment of the fauna can be obtained by record prepare studies and revisions, on both a systematic and ing mating calls in the breeding season; and the number a regional basis, towards a Fauna of African Amphibia. of species is large enough to allow numerical treatment, Successive meetings have been held in France but not so large that identification problems interfere (twice), Denmark, Italy, South Africa, USA, Zimba with assessment. Indeed, the meeting acted as some bwe, Namibia and, most recently, the UK. The 9th thing of a catalyst for the offic ial reconstitution of the Symposium was held at the University of Bristol, on the IUCN Species Survival Commission Specialist Group 9th- 12th September 1996. Thirty-one delegates attend on African Reptiles and Amphibians, at the Third ed the meeting, and the scientific programme occupied World Congress of Herpetology in Prague, some 11 two fulldays with 27 oral presentations and 1 poster, months later. Under the chairmanship of Bill Branch, and an evening discussion session. The programme and deputy chairmanship of Michael Klemens, this provided a snap-shot of current research based on Afri group is already moving forwardstowards a more con can amphibians comprising Ecologyand Behaviour (7 solidated strategy for herpetofauna conservation in papers); Biogeography, Diversityand Conservation (6 Africa. papers); Evolutionary Biology (including systematics The meeting was held in the Burwal\'s Centre of and phylogeny) (9 papers); Reproductive Biology (4 Bristol University, overlooking the spectacular Avon papers); and Ultrastructure (1 poster). These presenta Gorge, and included a day spent at the nearby city of tions reflectthe increasing focus of biological research Bath - a World Heritage Site - and an informal evening on molecular techniques, seven papers dealing with the at the Tinsley home. molecular systematics of various anuran groups. Other The Symposium concluded with discussion con phylogenetic studies concerned the use of parasites as cerningthe timing and venue of the next Symposium: indicators of host evolutionary relationships and the this is to be held in the Cape, South Africa,in late 1999, evolution of the immune system. Biodiversity and con organized by Dr Alan Channing and Dr Louis Du servation represented a major theme of the meeting, Preez. and a series of current proj ects to produce atlases of the We are grateful to Heather Tinsley for assistance geographical distribution of amphibian species were with the organization of the meeting. On behalf of the described. The programme had a significant bias, atyp African Amphibians Working Group, we are indebted ical ofrepresentation at most amphibian meetings, nine to the British Herpetological Society forsupporting the papers dealing with the biology of Xenopus (including publication of a permanent record of this 9th Sympo population ecology, behaviour, reproductive biology, sium in the Herpetological Jo urnal. We wish to thank parasitology, immunology and molecular phylogeny). all those who contributed to the programme, including The papers presented in this volume provide a selec session chairs, and also ArneSchi0tz who, as a founder tion of the subjects discussed at the Symposium. Some member of the working group, provided informationon of the presentations gave resumes ofrecently published its development. The Group has grown during the 27 studies and are not included here. One session, chaired years between the 1 st and the 9th Meetings, but not to by Dr ArneSch i0tz, considered conservation activities the extent of most comparable scientific organisations. in Africaand led to a consensus that a dedicated group However, publicity for the meeting was mailed to over should formulate an action plan, preferably within the 200 people known to have involvement with the study IUCN/SSC system. It was also considered important to of African amphibians and to have attended recent contribute to the IUCN's Red Data Books, where some meetings. The Proceedings could never have seen the of the species presently included (apart from those from light of day had it not been forthe many referees who South Africa) do not seem to be adequately justified. patiently undertook reviews of the submitted papers to It was observed that some geographical gaps in our a tight schedule. knowledge could be filled by opportunistic involve ment in biodiversity assessments which are becoming part oflarger development projects: amphibians are ex Richard A. Griffiths cellently suited for rapid assessment. Dr Schi0tz (who Michael W. Klemens is the co-ordinator for African Amphibia for a project Richard C. Tinsley 2 PREFACE LIST OF DELEGA TES AND AUTHORS OF PRESENTED PAPERS BegofiaArano, The Open University, UK Dawie Kok, University of the Orange Free State, South Africa Emilio Balleto, Universita di Torino, Italy Malcolm Largen, Liverpool Museum, UK B. Barandum, University of Geneva, Switzerland Dwight Lawson, University of Texas, USA Phil Bishop, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa Jeremy Lea, The Open University, UK S. Bovero, Universita di Torino, Italy K. E. Linsenmair, Wurzburg, Germany Alan Channing, University of the Western Cape, South M. Mason, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa Africa H. P. Crout, University of the Orange Free State, South John Measey, University of Bristol, UK Africa Les Minter, University of the North, South Africa Abeda Dawood, University of the Western Cape, South Neville Passmore, University of the Witwatersrand, Africa South Africa Miranda Dyson, The Open University, UK John Poynton, Natural History Museum, UK Andreas Elephandt, Humboldt-Universitat zu Berlin, Louis du Pasquier, Basel Inst. for Immunology, Germany Switzerland Cristina Giacoma, Universita di Torino, Italy Louis du Preez, University of the Orange Free State, Richard Griffiths, University of Kent, UK South Africa Tim Halliday, The Open University, UK Marlene du Preez, University of the Western Cape, South Africa Phil Harris, University ofNottingham, UK Christina Richards, Wayne State University, USA Peter Henzi, The Open University, UK Mira Rosenberg, Technion, Israel Joy Hoffman, Technion, Israel Arne Schi01:z, Grevinge, Denmark Gerhard Van der Horst, University of the Western Richard Tinsley, University of Bristol, UK Cape, South Africa Ch. Thiebaud, University of Geneva, Switzerland Joe Jackson, University Bristol, UK Michael Warburg, Technion, Israel Stephen Kigoolo, Makere University, Uganda Ania Wieczorek, University of the Western Cape, Michael Klemens, WildlifeConse rvation Society, USA South Africa Hans Kobel, University of Geneva, Switzerland Brian Wilson, Parkersdam, South Africa HERPETOLOGICAL JOURNAL, Vol. 8, pp. 3-6 (1998) TANZANIAN BUFONID DIVERSITY: PRELIMINARY FINDINGS J.C. POYNTON Department