DOCSLIB.ORG

July 2017 African Herp News

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
July 2017 African Herp News NUMBER 65 | JULY 2017 AHN AFRICAN HERP NEWS FOUNDED 1965 The HAA is dedicated to the study and COMMITTEE OF THE HAA 1 EDITORIAL conservation of African reptiles and CHAIRMAN amphibians. Membership is open to SURVEYS anyone with an interest in the African Graham Alexander, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the 3 J. L. WEINELL, D. M. PORTIK & A. R. BAUER herpetofauna. Members receive the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg 2050, South Africa. Association’s journal, African Journal E-mail: [email protected] NATURAL HISTORY NOTES of Herpetology (which publishes review papers, research articles, and SECRETARY 11 J. M. TAFT, J. GREUEL & B. MARITZ short communications – subject to Buyi Makhubo, Department of peer review) and African Herp News, Herpetology, National Museum, P. O. Box 12 W. R. BRANCH the Newsletter (which includes short 266, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa. communications, natural history notes, E-mail: [email protected] 14 W. CONRADIE, W. R. BRANCH & D. G. HERBERT book reviews, bibliographies, husbandry TREASURER 16 D. F. HUGHES & M. BEHANGANA hints, announcements and news items). Johan Marais, Suite 150, Postnet X4, Bedfordview 2007, South Africa. 17 V. J. T. LOEHR NEWSLETTER E-mail: [email protected] EDITOR’S NOTE JOURNAL EDITOR 19 C. A. YETMAN, T. CLARK & A. DIEPPENAAR-SCHOEMAN Articles shall be considered for publication John Measey, Department of Zoology, 24 A. REBELO provided that they are original and have Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, not been published elsewhere. Articles Port Elizabeth, South Africa, South Africa. 26 D. F. HUGHES & M. BEHANGANA will be submitted for peer review at the E-mail: [email protected] Editor’s discretion. Authors are requested NEWSLETTER EDITOR 28 J. REISSIG & J. S. HEATON to submit manuscripts by e-mail in Jessica da Silva, South African National MS Word ‘.doc’ or ‘.docx’ format. Biodiversity Research Centre. 30 J. V. LYAKURWA & S. M. THOMAS COPYRIGHT: Articles published E-mail: [email protected] GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTIONS in the Newsletter are copyright of ADDITIONAL MEMBERS the Herpetological Association of Michael Bates, Department of Herpetology, 33 B. HUGHES Africa and may not be reproduced National Museum, P.O. Box 266, Bloemfontein 9300, South Africa. E-mail: [email protected] 34 B. HUGHES without permission of the Editor. Aaron Bauer, Department of Biology, The views and opinions Villanova University, 800 Lancaster Avenue, 36 R. VAN HUYSSTEEN & M. PETFORD expressed in articles are not Villanova, Pennsylvania 19085, USA. necessarily those of the Editor. Email: [email protected]. 38 M. PETFORD & R. VAN HUYSSTEEN Shelley Edwards, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, 40 W. CONRADIE, B. DU PREEZ & J. VENTER COVER PHOTOGRAPH: Atheris squamingera South Africa. E-mail: [email protected] - Photograph by: Luke Verburgt (second Bryan Maritz, Department of Biodiversity 42 L. KEMP & W. CONRADIE prize - photography competition 13th HAA and Conservation at the University of the Western Cape. E-mail: [email protected] Conference). 45 INSTRUCTIONS TO AUTHORS 49 HAA MEMBERSHIP FEES EDITORIAL It is a tremendous pleasure and honour that I take on the role of Editor of African Herp Graham Alexander and Ashadee Kay Miller. I am pleased to report that we appear to be fully News (AHN). There is no doubt that it is a challenging prospect considering the AHN has a caught up on all of the back-logged submissions. However, if one of your submissions has long tradition and long list of outstanding scientists and herpetologists who have held the somehow gone unattended, please do contact me to rectify this. position before me, starting with Bill Branch in 1983 and now ending with Gavin Masterson, Moving forward, I encourage readers (academics, field and research assistants, students, from whom I take the reins. Each of the previous editors has improved the presentation of consultants, professional and amateur herpetologists, among others) to submit articles the newsletter in some way and ensured it maintains the highest standards. I would like that will help advance the knowledge-base of African herpetology. I often hear of people to take this opportunity to thank of all of these editors for their service and contributions: recounting stories of the varied and unique herpetofauna that they came across during field Issues Years Editor trips or hikes through the African landscape – new behaviours, new morphs, new localities – African Herp News 1-4 1983-1984 Bill Branch yet, much of this goes undocumented. is the perfect forum to share this information, and in doing so, potentially stimulate future herpetological research. I would 5-9 1985-1987 J. H. van Wyk also like to put forward the idea of having the occasional themed issue. If anyone reading 10-12 1987-1989 Johan Marais this Editorial is stimulated to suggest a theme, please contact me. I would be happy to work 13-26* 1990-1997 Mike Bates with potential guest editors to develop their ideas. Lastly, I call upon readers to submit 27-30 1998-1999 Angelo Lambiris potential cover photographs that are striking, with interesting subject matter, composition 31-33, 35 2000-2002 Alison Leslie and exposure. Without your contributions, there wouldn’t be a newsletter, so please share your talent and work. 34 2002 Louise Visagie 36 2003 Michael Cunningham I hope you all enjoy this read! 37 2004 Richard Boycott 38-48 2005-2009 Angelo Lmabiris 49-59 2010-2013 Bryan Maritz Jessica da Silva 60-61 2013-2014 Warren Schmidt Editor 62-64 2015-2017 Gavin Masterson *In 1993, the name of the newsletter changed from Herpetological Association of Africa Newsletter to African Herp News. Being new to the role of editor, I have had to experience a steep learning curve. However, through the assistance of HAA Chair, Graham Alexander, and the numerous reviewers I have called upon in the preparation for this issue, this has been a very educational, pleasant and rewarding experience. I truly hope this issue will be my first of many. Although there have been some delays in getting the newsletter out to members in recent issues due to various logistical issues, I am committed to ensuring that we provide best possible service to our authors and readers. This will surely be facilitated by the new electronic format, which started last issue (64), thanks to the hard work and dedication of 1 NUMBER 65 | JULY 2017 NUMBER 65 | JULY 2017 2 ..>>>>>>>> SURVEYS . FAMILY: GEKKONIDAE FAMILY: SCINCIDAE SURVEYS Chondrodactylus turneri Trachylepis striata (Gray 1864) (Peters 1844) NOTEWORTHY RECORDS OF diurnal and nocturnal visual surveys. Time Turner’s Thick-toed Gecko African Striped Skink limitations precluded the use of pitfall AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES African Striped Skink, MVZ 266184–87, traps or other standardised collecting Turner’s Thick-toed Gecko (Fig. 1), MVZ FROM MOZAMBIQUE closest records are 90 km SE, from the Mt. techniques. Voucher specimens and tissue 265919–25, nearest record is 19 km NE, Namuli Grasslands (Portik et al. 2013a). J. L. WEINELL, D. M. PORTIK samples are deposited in the Museum of from Mitacué Mountain near Nova Freixo (Blake 1965). & A. M. BAUER Vertebrate Zoology (MVZ) at the University ZAMBÉZIA PROVINCE of California, Berkeley, with a subset of Mozambique harbours a highly diverse Mocuva Town, Pensão Cruzeiro Parking Lot voucher specimens deposited at the Natural Hemidactylus platycephalus herpetofauna, with more than 280 reptile (-16° 50’ 18.2”, 36° 59’ 9.8”, 88 m). History Museum of Maputo. The primary Peters 1854 and 82 amphibian species known from this survey sites of the trip were located on Tree Gecko country (Schneider et al. 2005; Ohler & Frétey the Lichinga Plateau and Gurué Highlands, 2015). Nevertheless, the herpetofauna of Tree Gecko, MVZ 265960–68, located 34 km FAMILY: GEKKONIDAE specifically Serra Jeci massif and Mt. Namuli, Mozambique remains poorly documented W of Lurio, the nearest published locality of Hemidactylus mabouia respectively. Results from these two major compared to other areas of southern Africa this species (Broadley 1977). (Moreau de Jonnés 1818) collecting sites have already been published (Pietersen 2014). Although the region south House Gecko (Portiket al. 2013a,b; Loader et al. 2015), but of the Zambezi River is routinely included Lygodactylus capensis House Gecko, MVZ 265929–30, closest several records from Maputo, Inhambane, in works summarizing the herpetofauna of (Smith 1849) record is 103 km NW, near Liciro (Broadley Zambézia, and Niassa Provinces have not southern Africa (e.g., Branch 1998; du Preez 1977). yet been reported. In light of the paucity of Cape Dwarf Gecko & Carruthers 2009), published point locality published records for even common species Cape Dwarf Gecko, MVZ 266121–28, closest Gorongosa Town, Gas Station (-18° 40’ records are relatively rare. Records north in Mozambique, we here summarize these published records are 45 km E, near Mutali 10.4”, 34° 4’ 42.1”, 291 m). of the Zambezi are especially scarce and data. Additionally, for each locality and (Blake 1965). have focused on areas of higher elevation each species, we report the distance to the (Branch 2005; Bayliss et al. 2010) or coastal nearest previously published locality. We forests (Pascal et al. 2011). Additional did not comment on Global Biodiversity scattered records from both northern Information Facility (GBIF) records that have and southern Mozambique are vouchered not been otherwise cited in the literature by museum specimens (D.G. Broadley, in because these records may include taxon litt.), but the majority of these have never identity errors as well as georeferencing been published in either faunal papers or errors, and have been vetted neither by us taxonomic revisions. nor by the peer-review process. During July and August 2011, Daniel M. Portik conducted short opportunistic NIASSA PROVINCE herpetological surveys across several Cuamba Town, Hotel Vision 2000 and Public provinces of Mozambique, including Gardens (-14° 48’ 0.5”, 36° 32’ 27.1”, 586 m).
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Preliminary Analysis of Correlated Evolution of Morphology and Ecological Diversification in Lacertid Lizards
    Butll. Soc. Cat. Herp., 19 (2011) Preliminary analysis of correlated evolution of morphology and ecological diversification in lacertid lizards Fèlix Amat Orriols Àrea d'Herpetologia, Museu de Granollers-Ciències Naturals. Francesc Macià 51. 08402 Granollers. Catalonia. Spain. [email protected] Resum S'ha investigat la diversitat morfològica en 129 espècies de lacèrtids i la seva relació amb l'ecologia, per mitjà de mètodes comparatius, utilitzant set variables morfomètriques. La mida corporal és la variable més important, determinant un gradient entre espècies de petita i gran mida independentment evolucionades al llarg de la filogènia dels lacèrtids. Aquesta variable està forta i positivament correlacionada amb les altres, emmascarant els patrons de diversitat morfològica. Anàlisis multivariants en les variables ajustades a la mida corporal mostren una covariació negativa entre les mides relatives de la cua i les extremitats. Remarcablement, les espècies arborícoles i semiarborícoles (Takydromus i el clade africà equatorial) han aparegut dues vegades independentment durant l'evolució dels lacèrtids i es caracteritzen per cues extremadament llargues i extremitats anteriors relativament llargues en comparació a les posteriors. El llangardaix arborícola i planador Holaspis, amb la seva cua curta, constitueix l’única excepció. Un altre cas de convergència ha estat trobat en algunes espècies que es mouen dins de vegetació densa o herba (Tropidosaura, Lacerta agilis, Takydromus amurensis o Zootoca) que presenten cues llargues i extremitats curtes. Al contrari, les especies que viuen en deserts, estepes o matollars amb escassa vegetació aïllada dins grans espais oberts han desenvolupat extremitats posteriors llargues i anteriors curtes per tal d'assolir elevades velocitats i maniobrabilitat. Aquest és el cas especialment de Acanthodactylus i Eremias Abstract Morphologic diversity was studied in 129 species of lacertid lizards and their relationship with ecology by means of comparative analysis on seven linear morphometric measurements.
    [Show full text]
  • The First Miocene Fossils of Lacerta Cf. Trilineata (Squamata, Lacertidae) with A
    bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/612572; this version posted April 17, 2019. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. It is made available under aCC-BY 4.0 International license. The first Miocene fossils of Lacerta cf. trilineata (Squamata, Lacertidae) with a comparative study of the main cranial osteological differences in green lizards and their relatives Andrej Čerňanský1,* and Elena V. Syromyatnikova2, 3 1Department of Ecology, Laboratory of Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Mlynská dolina, 84215, Bratislava, Slovakia 2Borissiak Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Profsoyuznaya 123, 117997 Moscow, Russia 3Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Universitetskaya nab., 1, St. Petersburg, 199034 Russia * Email: [email protected] Running Head: Green lizard from the Miocene of Russia Abstract We here describe the first fossil remains of a green lizardof the Lacerta group from the late Miocene (MN 13) of the Solnechnodolsk locality in southern European Russia. This region of Europe is crucial for our understanding of the paleobiogeography and evolution of these middle-sized lizards. Although this clade has a broad geographical distribution across the continent today, its presence in the fossil record has only rarely been reported. In contrast to that, the material described here is abundant, consists of a premaxilla, maxillae, frontals, bioRxiv preprint doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/612572; this version posted April 17, 2019. The copyright holder for this preprint (which was not certified by peer review) is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity.
    [Show full text]
  • Freshwater Fishes
    WESTERN CAPE PROVINCE state oF BIODIVERSITY 2007 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1 Introduction 2 Chapter 2 Methods 17 Chapter 3 Freshwater fishes 18 Chapter 4 Amphibians 36 Chapter 5 Reptiles 55 Chapter 6 Mammals 75 Chapter 7 Avifauna 89 Chapter 8 Flora & Vegetation 112 Chapter 9 Land and Protected Areas 139 Chapter 10 Status of River Health 159 Cover page photographs by Andrew Turner (CapeNature), Roger Bills (SAIAB) & Wicus Leeuwner. ISBN 978-0-620-39289-1 SCIENTIFIC SERVICES 2 Western Cape Province State of Biodiversity 2007 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Andrew Turner [email protected] 1 “We live at a historic moment, a time in which the world’s biological diversity is being rapidly destroyed. The present geological period has more species than any other, yet the current rate of extinction of species is greater now than at any time in the past. Ecosystems and communities are being degraded and destroyed, and species are being driven to extinction. The species that persist are losing genetic variation as the number of individuals in populations shrinks, unique populations and subspecies are destroyed, and remaining populations become increasingly isolated from one another. The cause of this loss of biological diversity at all levels is the range of human activity that alters and destroys natural habitats to suit human needs.” (Primack, 2002). CapeNature launched its State of Biodiversity Programme (SoBP) to assess and monitor the state of biodiversity in the Western Cape in 1999. This programme delivered its first report in 2002 and these reports are updated every five years. The current report (2007) reports on the changes to the state of vertebrate biodiversity and land under conservation usage.
    [Show full text]
  • Managing Diversity in the Riverina Rice Fields—
    Reconciling Farming with Wildlife —Managing diversity in the Riverina rice fields— RIRDC Publication No. 10/0007 RIRDCInnovation for rural Australia Reconciling Farming with Wildlife: Managing Biodiversity in the Riverina Rice Fields by J. Sean Doody, Christina M. Castellano, Will Osborne, Ben Corey and Sarah Ross April 2010 RIRDC Publication No 10/007 RIRDC Project No. PRJ-000687 © 2010 Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation. All rights reserved. ISBN 1 74151 983 7 ISSN 1440-6845 Reconciling Farming with Wildlife: Managing Biodiversity in the Riverina Rice Fields Publication No. 10/007 Project No. PRJ-000687 The information contained in this publication is intended for general use to assist public knowledge and discussion and to help improve the development of sustainable regions. You must not rely on any information contained in this publication without taking specialist advice relevant to your particular circumstances. While reasonable care has been taken in preparing this publication to ensure that information is true and correct, the Commonwealth of Australia gives no assurance as to the accuracy of any information in this publication. The Commonwealth of Australia, the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC), the authors or contributors expressly disclaim, to the maximum extent permitted by law, all responsibility and liability to any person, arising directly or indirectly from any act or omission, or for any consequences of any such act or omission, made in reliance on the contents of this publication, whether or not caused by any negligence on the part of the Commonwealth of Australia, RIRDC, the authors or contributors. The Commonwealth of Australia does not necessarily endorse the views in this publication.
    [Show full text]
  • Aspects of the Ecology and Conservation of Frogs in Urban Habitats of South Africa
    Frogs about town: Aspects of the ecology and conservation of frogs in urban habitats of South Africa DJD Kruger 20428405 Thesis submitted for the degree Philosophiae Doctor in Zoology at the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University Supervisor: Prof LH du Preez Co-supervisor: Prof C Weldon September 2014 i In loving memory of my grandmother, Kitty Lombaard (1934/07/09 – 2012/05/18), who has made an invaluable difference in all aspects of my life. ii Acknowledgements A project with a time scale and magnitude this large leaves one indebted by numerous people that contributed to the end result of this study. I would like to thank the following people for their invaluable contributions over the past three years, in no particular order: To my supervisor, Prof. Louis du Preez I am indebted, not only for the help, guidance and support he has provided throughout this study, but also for his mentorship and example he set in all aspects of life. I also appreciate the help of my co-supervisor, Prof. Ché Weldon, for the numerous contributions, constructive comments and hours spent on proofreading. I owe thanks to all contributors for proofreading and language editing and thereby correcting my “boerseun” English grammar but also providing me with professional guidance. Prof. Louis du Preez, Prof. Ché Weldon, Dr. Andrew Hamer, Dr. Kirsten Parris, Prof. John Malone and Dr. Jeanne Tarrant are all dearly thanked for invaluable comments on earlier drafts of parts/the entirety of this thesis. For statistical contributions I am especially also grateful to Dr. Andrew Hamer for help with Bayesian analysis and to the North-West Statistical Services consultant, Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Buchanania Obovata) Compared to Other Anacardiaceae Fruit and Nuts
    The Nutritional Potential of the Native Australian Green Plum (Buchanania obovata) Compared to Other Anacardiaceae Fruit and Nuts Author Fyfe, S, Smyth, HE, Schirra, HJ, Rychlik, M, Sultanbawa, Y Published 2020 Journal Title Frontiers in Nutrition Version Version of Record (VoR) DOI https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2020.600215 Copyright Statement © 2020 Fyfe, Smyth, Schirra, Rychlik and Sultanbawa. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. Downloaded from http://hdl.handle.net/10072/405739 Griffith Research Online https://research-repository.griffith.edu.au REVIEW published: 16 December 2020 doi: 10.3389/fnut.2020.600215 The Nutritional Potential of the Native Australian Green Plum (Buchanania obovata) Compared to Other Anacardiaceae Fruit and Nuts Selina Fyfe 1*, Heather E. Smyth 1, Horst Joachim Schirra 2, Michael Rychlik 1,3 and Yasmina Sultanbawa 1 1 Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Coopers Plains, QLD, Australia, 2 Centre for Advanced Imaging, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 3 Chair of Analytical Food Chemistry, Technical University of Munich, Freising, Germany The native Australian green plum (Buchanania obovata) is a small fruit that grows in the northern parts of the Northern Territory and Western Australia. The fruit belongs to the family Anacardiaceae, which includes the other agriculturally important fruit mangoes, pistachios and cashew nuts.
    [Show full text]
  • Cretaceous Fossil Gecko Hand Reveals a Strikingly Modern Scansorial Morphology: Qualitative and Biometric Analysis of an Amber-Preserved Lizard Hand
    Cretaceous Research 84 (2018) 120e133 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Cretaceous Research journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/CretRes Cretaceous fossil gecko hand reveals a strikingly modern scansorial morphology: Qualitative and biometric analysis of an amber-preserved lizard hand * Gabriela Fontanarrosa a, Juan D. Daza b, Virginia Abdala a, c, a Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical, CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo, Universidad Nacional de Tucuman, Argentina b Department of Biological Sciences, Sam Houston State University, 1900 Avenue I, Lee Drain Building Suite 300, Huntsville, TX 77341, USA c Catedra de Biología General, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Tucuman, Argentina article info abstract Article history: Gekkota (geckos and pygopodids) is a clade thought to have originated in the Early Cretaceous and that Received 16 May 2017 today exhibits one of the most remarkable scansorial capabilities among lizards. Little information is Received in revised form available regarding the origin of scansoriality, which subsequently became widespread and diverse in 15 September 2017 terms of ecomorphology in this clade. An undescribed amber fossil (MCZ Re190835) from mid- Accepted in revised form 2 November 2017 Cretaceous outcrops of the north of Myanmar dated at 99 Ma, previously assigned to stem Gekkota, Available online 14 November 2017 preserves carpal, metacarpal and phalangeal bones, as well as supplementary climbing structures, such as adhesive pads and paraphalangeal elements. This fossil documents the presence of highly specialized Keywords: Squamata paleobiology adaptive structures. Here, we analyze in detail the manus of the putative stem Gekkota. We use Paraphalanges morphological comparisons in the context of extant squamates, to produce a detailed descriptive analysis Hand evolution and a linear discriminant analysis (LDA) based on 32 skeletal variables of the manus.
    [Show full text]
  • Bibliography and Scientific Name Index to Amphibians
    lb BIBLIOGRAPHY AND SCIENTIFIC NAME INDEX TO AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES IN THE PUBLICATIONS OF THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON BULLETIN 1-8, 1918-1988 AND PROCEEDINGS 1-100, 1882-1987 fi pp ERNEST A. LINER Houma, Louisiana SMITHSONIAN HERPETOLOGICAL INFORMATION SERVICE NO. 92 1992 SMITHSONIAN HERPETOLOGICAL INFORMATION SERVICE The SHIS series publishes and distributes translations, bibliographies, indices, and similar items judged useful to individuals interested in the biology of amphibians and reptiles, but unlikely to be published in the normal technical journals. Single copies are distributed free to interested individuals. Libraries, herpetological associations, and research laboratories are invited to exchange their publications with the Division of Amphibians and Reptiles. We wish to encourage individuals to share their bibliographies, translations, etc. with other herpetologists through the SHIS series. If you have such items please contact George Zug for instructions on preparation and submission. Contributors receive 50 free copies. Please address all requests for copies and inquiries to George Zug, Division of Amphibians and Reptiles, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC 20560 USA. Please include a self-addressed mailing label with requests. INTRODUCTION The present alphabetical listing by author (s) covers all papers bearing on herpetology that have appeared in Volume 1-100, 1882-1987, of the Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington and the four numbers of the Bulletin series concerning reference to amphibians and reptiles. From Volume 1 through 82 (in part) , the articles were issued as separates with only the volume number, page numbers and year printed on each. Articles in Volume 82 (in part) through 89 were issued with volume number, article number, page numbers and year.
    [Show full text]
  • The Avifauna of Two Woodlands in Southeast Tanzania
    Scopus 25: 2336, December 2005 The avifauna of two woodlands in southeast Tanzania Anders P. Tøttrup, Flemming P. Jensen and Kim D. Christensen In Tanzania Brachystegia or miombo woodland occupies about two-thirds of the country including the central plateau to the north and the south eastern plateau (Lind & Morrison 1974). Along the coast more luxuriant woodlands are found in what White (1983) terms the Zanzibar-Inhambane regional mosaic floristic region. This highly complex vegetation comprises unique types of forest, thicket, woodland, bushland and grassland, interspersed with areas presently under cultivation and fallow (Hawthorne 1993). The coastal woodlands are usually deciduous or semi-deciduous but contain some evergreen species and often merge with coastal thickets, scrub forest and coastal forest (Hawthorne 1993, Vollesen 1994). The avifauna of miombo woodlands has been described for Zambia (e.g. Benson & Irwin 1966) and Zimbabwe (e.g. Vernon 1968, 1984, 1985), while little has been published on the birds of the coastal woodlands. An exception is Stjernstedt (1970) who reported on the birds in lush and dense Brachystegia microphylla vegetation in a sea of miombo in southeast Tanzania. Here we report our observations of birds in two woodlands in coastal southeast Tanzania, one of which harboured miombo trees. We present information on the number of species encountered during the fieldwork, and compare the avifauna of the two sites. We discuss possible causes for the differences observed and provide new information on habitat preferences for some of the species we recorded at these sites. Study sites Field work was carried out in two coastal woodlands in the Lindi Region, southeast Tanzania in September and October 2001.
    [Show full text]
  • Characterization of Arm Autotomy in the Octopus, Abdopus Aculeatus (D’Orbigny, 1834)
    Characterization of Arm Autotomy in the Octopus, Abdopus aculeatus (d’Orbigny, 1834) By Jean Sagman Alupay A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Integrative Biology in the Graduate Division of the University of California, Berkeley Committee in charge: Professor Roy L. Caldwell, Chair Professor David Lindberg Professor Damian Elias Fall 2013 ABSTRACT Characterization of Arm Autotomy in the Octopus, Abdopus aculeatus (d’Orbigny, 1834) By Jean Sagman Alupay Doctor of Philosophy in Integrative Biology University of California, Berkeley Professor Roy L. Caldwell, Chair Autotomy is the shedding of a body part as a means of secondary defense against a predator that has already made contact with the organism. This defense mechanism has been widely studied in a few model taxa, specifically lizards, a few groups of arthropods, and some echinoderms. All of these model organisms have a hard endo- or exo-skeleton surrounding the autotomized body part. There are several animals that are capable of autotomizing a limb but do not exhibit the same biological trends that these model organisms have in common. As a result, the mechanisms that underlie autotomy in the hard-bodied animals may not apply for soft bodied organisms. A behavioral ecology approach was used to study arm autotomy in the octopus, Abdopus aculeatus. Investigations concentrated on understanding the mechanistic underpinnings and adaptive value of autotomy in this soft-bodied animal. A. aculeatus was observed in the field on Mactan Island, Philippines in the dry and wet seasons, and compared with populations previously studied in Indonesia.
    [Show full text]
  • Reptiles and Amphibians of the Goegap Nature Reserve
    their time underground in burrows. These amphibians often leave their burrows after heavy rains that are seldom. Reptiles And Amphibians Of The There are reptiles included in this report, which don’t occur here in Goegap but at the Augrabies Falls NP. So you can find here also the Nile monitor and the flat liz- Goegap Nature Reserve ard. Measuring reptiles By Tanja Mahnkopf In tortoises and terrapins the length is measured at the shell. Straight along the mid- line of the carapace. The SV-Length is the length of head and body (Snout to Vent). In lizards it easier to look for this length because their tail may be a regenerated one Introduction and these are often shorter than the original one. The length that is mentioned for the The reptiles are an ancient class on earth. The earliest reptile fossils are about 315 species in this report is the average to the maximum length. For the snakes I tried to million years old. During the aeons of time they evolved a great diversity of extinct give the total length because it is often impossible to say where the tail begins and and living reptiles. The dinosaurs and their relatives dominated the earth 150 million the body ends without holding the snake. But there was not for every snake a total years ago. Our living reptiles are remnants of that period or from a period after the length available. dinosaurs were extinct. Except of the chameleons (there are only two) you can find all reptiles in the appen- Obviously it looks like reptiles are not as successful as mammals.
    [Show full text]
  • Pre-Incursion Plan PIP003 Toads and Frogs
    Pre-incursion Plan PIP003 Toads and Frogs Scope This plan is in place to guide prevention and eradication activities and the management of non-indigenous populations of Toads and Frogs (Order Anura) in the wild in Victoria. Version Document Status Date Author Reviewed By Approved for Release 1.0 First Draft 26/07/11 Dana Price M. Corry, S. Wisniewski and A. Woolnough 1.1 Second Draft 21/10/11 Dana Price S. Wisniewski 2.0 Final Draft 11/01/12 Dana Price S.Wisniewski 2.1 Final 27/06/12 Dana Price M.Corry Visual Standard approved by ADP 3.0 New Final 6/10/15 Dana Price A.Kay New DEDJTR template and document revision Acknowledgement and special thanks to Peter Courtenay, Senior Curator, Zoos Victoria, for reviewing this document and providing comments. Published by the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, Agriculture Victoria, May 2016 © The State of Victoria 2016. This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968. Authorised by the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, 1 Spring Street, Melbourne 3000. Front cover: Cane Toad (Rhinella marinus) Photo: Image courtesy of Ryan Melville, HRIA Team, DEDJTR For more information about Agriculture Victoria go to www.agriculture.vic.gov.au or phone the Customer Service Centre on 136 186. ISBN 978-1-925532-37-1 (pdf/online) Disclaimer This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication.
    [Show full text]