Herpetological Journal SHORT NOTE
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Volume 28 (April 2018), 93-95 SHORT NOTE Herpetological Journal Published by the British Intersexuality in Helicops infrataeniatus Jan, 1865 Herpetological Society (Dipsadidae: Hydropsini) Ruth A. Regnet1, Fernando M. Quintela1, Wolfgang Böhme2 & Daniel Loebmann1 1Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratório de Vertebrados. Av. Itália km 8, CEP: 96203-900, Vila Carreiros, Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil 2Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum A. Koenig, Adenauerallee 160, D-53113 Bonn, Germany Herein, we describe the first case of intersexuality in the are viviparous, and interestingly, H. angulatus exhibits Hydropsini tribe. After examination of 720 specimens both reproductive modes (Rossman, 1984; Aguiar & Di- of Helicops infrataeniatus Jan, 1865, we discovered Bernardo, 2005; Braz et al., 2016). Helicops infrataeniatus one individual that presented feminine and masculine has a wide distribution that encompasses south- reproductive features. The specimen was 619 mm long, southeastern Brazil, southern Paraguay, North-eastern with seven follicles in secondary stage, of different shapes Argentina and Uruguay (Deiques & Cechin, 1991; Giraudo, and sizes, and a hemipenis with 13.32 and 13.57 mm in 2001; Carreira & Maneyro, 2013). At the coastal zone of length. The general shape of this organ is similar to that southernmost Brazil, H. infrataeniatus is among the most observed in males, although it is smaller and does not abundant species in many types of limnic and estuarine present conspicuous spines along its body. Deformities environments (Quintela & Loebmann, 2009; Regnet found in feminine and masculine structures suggest that et al., 2017). In October 2015 at the Laranjal beach, this specimen might not be reproductively functional. municipality of Pelotas, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (31°46’S, 52°13’W), a remarkable aggregation of reptiles Key words: Follicles, hemipenis, hermaphroditism, water and caecilians occurred after a flood event associated to snake. an El Niño event (Regnet et al., 2017). This event provided an outstanding opportunity to investigate aspects of the reproductive biology of several species with a large sample s all amniotes, lepidosaurian reptiles have internal size. When such specimens were examined, one showed Afecundation and, with the exception of Tuataras, which follicles in advanced vitellogenesis as well as a hemipenis, have no copulatory organ, male specimens have hemipenes characterising a rare case of intersexuality, which is here (Vitt & Caldwell, 2013). However, some squamate species described. evolved to break free of sexual reproduction, being the The intersexual specimen was deposited in the only vertebrates that truly reproduce by parthenogenesis Herpetological Collection of the Universidade Federal do (Kearney et al., 2009; Vitt & Caldwell, 2013). Such Rio Grande - FURG (CHFURG 3946). Although the individual mechanism is predominant in lizards (e.g. Darevski, 1966; presented female and male sexual characteristics, it Hardy & Cole, 1981; Schmidtler, 1993; Schmidtler et al., presents a number of subcaudal scales corresponding 1994), but it also occurs in snakes (e.g. Wynn et al., 1987; to the females of the species (64) (Giraudo, 2001). For Groot et al., 2003; Booth et al., 2012). comparison purposes, we everted and inflated a total of Another condition reported for reptiles is intersexuality, four males hemipenes as well as follicles in secondary which is defined as a condition in which reproductive vitellogenesis from a female. For each specimen studied, structures in a given sex are also found in the opposite we measured the hemipenis length as well as snout-vent sex (Goldschmidt, 1917). The condition may include length (SVL). For standardisation, we used only the length both hermaphroditism (presence of both ovarian and of the right hemipenis. Description of reproductive organs testicular tissues) and pseudohermaphroditism (presence follows Zaher (1999) for hemipenis and Almeida-Santos et of gonadal tissue of one single sex) (Forbes, 1964). al. (2014) for follicles. Intersexual individuals in squamates have been recorded Snout-vent length of the intersexual specimen (Fig. for snakes only (Hardy, 1970). In lizards, hermaphroditic 1) was 537 mm, tail length was 82 mm and weight was males are not viable and occur in hybridogenic rock lizards 103.87 g. The left ovary contained seven follicles in (genus Darveskia, see Darvesky 1966). secondary stage, with different shapes and sizes, and The Hydropsini tribe currently encompasses a total of follicles of the right ovary were all in the primary stage 22 valid species allocated in the following genera: Helicops, (Fig. 1). Right and left hemipenes were 13.32 and 13.57 Hydrops and Pseudoeryx (Uetz et al., 2017). While Hydrops mm long, respectively. Males had SVL ranging from 380 and Pseudoeryx are oviparous, most species of Helicops to 432 (mean = 410.5 mm) and right hemipenes length Correspondence: Ruth A. Regnet ([email protected]) 93 R. Regnet et al. Figure 1. (A) General view of reproductive organs of the intersexual specimen ofH. infrataeniatus; (B) intersexual hemipenis; (C) male hemipenis; (D) follicles of the intersexual specimen with different shapes and sizes and (E) follicle of a normal female. ranging from 13.79 to 14.61 (mean = 14.17 mm). Relative similar to the male hemipenis (Forbes, 1964). It is important measures (organ length/SVL) of right hemipenes were to emphasise that this condition differs from individuals 0.025 and 0.035 on average, respectively. General shape that exhibit hemiclitoris, a homologous structure to the of the intersexual hemipenis in both sides (assulcate and hemipenis in females, but with smaller size (Böhme, 1995). sulcate) is similar in both structures, although is smaller Examples of females with hemiclitoris seem to be more (ca. 71.43% in relation to the mean length of hemipenes frequent in squamates than intersexuality (e.g. Böhme, measured). Both structures are bilobated, but only male 1995; Ziegler & Böhme, 1997, Kasperoviczus et al., 2011), hemipenes have conspicuous spines along their body which has been reported only for snakes (e.g. Bothrops (Fig. 1). insularis (Hoge et al., 1954), Bothrops moojeni (Mcclean, The intersexual specimen here described was 1968), Pseudoficimia frontalis (Hardy, 1970), and Pareas detected in a large sample of 720 individuals (327 females stanleyi (Pope, 1935). Interestingly, B. insularis females and 376 males), that is, it represents only 0.14% of the with hemipenes are frequently found in populations and studied population. Therefore, the condition should be individuals without this structure seem to be sterile (Hoge considered rare for this species. Aguiar & Di-Bernardo et al., 1959). (2005) provide biological data on the reproduction of H. Seminiferous tubules or testicles were absent in the infrataeniatus and, when comparing those data to the intersexual specimen and its hemipenis was smaller, observation of the intersexual specimen, the number of more translucent and did not present spines along their follicles found is to be expected. However, follicles from body in comparison with males hemipenes. A notorious the intersexual specimen were highly variable in size, case regarding confusion in the interpretation of this shape and color as well, so it is possible that intersexual structure can be found in the description ofPseudoficimia follicles may not be viable. pulcherrima, where two females with smaller hemipenes Intersexual condition in squamates is usually and without spines were described as males of a evidenced by the presence of erectile organs in females new species (Taylor & Smith, 1942). After the mistake 94 Intersexuality in Helicops infrataeniatus was discovered, the species was symonymised with in lizards: histological evidence. Journal of Morphology 170, Pseudoficimia frontalis(Hardy, 1970). 215-237. This is the first report of an intersexual individual Hoge, A. R., Belluomini, H. E. & Schreiber, G. (1954). Inter- in the Hydropsini tribe. The presence of intersexual sexuality in a highly isolated population of snakes. Atti del IX individuals emphasises the importance to check other Congresso Internazionale di Genetica, Caryologica 964-965. sexual features concomitantly (Ziegler & Böhme, 1996) Hoge, A. R., Belluomini, H. E., Schreiber, G. & Penha, A. M. to avoid erroneous sex determination. Although cases of (1959). Sexual abnormalities in Bothrops insularis (Amaral) intersexuality are apparently rare in most snake species, 1921. Memórias do Instituto Butantan29, 17-88. we recommend that sexual determination based on the Kaspervoviczus, K. N., Santos, L. C. & Almeida-Santos, S. (2011). presence of a structure similar to a hemipenis might not First report of hemiclitores in a female of the amphisbaenian be conclusive and, therefore, it should be used other Amphisbaena microcephala (Wagler, 1824). Herpetology morphological sexual features whenever is possible. notes 4, 41-43. Kearney, M., Fujita, M. K. & Ridenour, J. (2009). Lost sex in the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS reptiles: constraints and correlations. In Lost Sex - The evolutionary biology of parthenogenesis, 447-474. Schön, R. A. Regnet thanks CAPES for the Msc. scholarship and I., Martens, K. & van Dijk, P. (Eds.). Springer, Dordrecht, F. M. Quintela is grateful to CAPES for the postdoctoral Heidelberg, London, New York. fellowship. Maclean, W. P. (1968). A case of intersexuality in Bothrops moojeni Hoge. Copeia 1968, 170. REFERENCES Pope, C. H. (1935).