Conservation Status of the World's Skinks
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Reproductive Traits of Two Sympatric Viviparous Skinks (Mabuya Macrorhyncha and Mabuya Ag/Lis) in a Brazilian Restinga Habitat
HERPETOLOGICAL JOURNAL, Vol. 9, pp. 43-53 (1999) REPRODUCTIVE TRAITS OF TWO SYMPATRIC VIVIPAROUS SKINKS (MABUYA MACRORHYNCHA AND MABUYA AG/LIS) IN A BRAZILIAN RESTINGA HABITAT CARLOS FREDERICO DUARTE ROCHA AND DAVOR VRCIBRADIC Setor de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil The reproductive cycles, fat body cycles and some life-history traits of the sympatric viviparous skinks Mabuya macrorhyncha and M. agilis were compared in a seasonal "restinga" habitat of south-eastern Brazil. Both male and female reproductive and fatbody cycles are very similar between species, with gestation lasting 9-12 months and parturition occurring during the early wet season. Clutch size of M. macrorhyncha was smaller than that of M. ag ilis. Females mature at a larger size in M. macrorhyncha than in M. agilis, but males of both species appear to mature at similar sizes. In both species, females are larger than males, but the latter have proportionately larger heads. Reproductive traits ofM. ag ilis are typical ofNeotropical Mabuya, but those of M. macrorhyncha have some peculiarities, one of which (small clutch size) is believed to result from constraints imposed by its morphological adaptation (i.e. relatively flattened body plan) to bromelicolous habits. Key words: Reproduction, life history, Mabuya, Brazilian skink INTRODUCTION which present differences may highlight those histori The genus Mabuya is one of the most speciose and cal forces that may select for certain reproductive widely distributed genera of the Scincidae, with about characteristics. Indeed, differences in reproductive 90 species found over most of tropical Africa,Asia , and characteristics among sympatric and allopatric populations of congeners have been reported for this America (Shine, 1985; Nussbaum & Rax worthy, 1994). -
(2007) a Photographic Field Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians Of
A Photographic Field Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of Dominica, West Indies Kristen Alexander Texas A&M University Dominica Study Abroad 2007 Dr. James Woolley Dr. Robert Wharton Abstract: A photographic reference is provided to the 21 reptiles and 4 amphibians reported from the island of Dominica. Descriptions and distribution data are provided for each species observed during this study. For those species that were not captured, a brief description compiled from various sources is included. Introduction: The island of Dominica is located in the Lesser Antilles and is one of the largest Eastern Caribbean islands at 45 km long and 16 km at its widest point (Malhotra and Thorpe, 1999). It is very mountainous which results in extremely varied distribution of habitats on the island ranging from elfin forest in the highest elevations, to rainforest in the mountains, to dry forest near the coast. The greatest density of reptiles is known to occur in these dry coastal areas (Evans and James, 1997). Dominica is home to 4 amphibian species and 21 (previously 20) reptile species. Five of these are endemic to the Lesser Antilles and 4 are endemic to the island of Dominica itself (Evans and James, 1997). The addition of Anolis cristatellus to species lists of Dominica has made many guides and species lists outdated. Evans and James (1997) provides a brief description of many of the species and their habitats, but this booklet is inadequate for easy, accurate identification. Previous student projects have documented the reptiles and amphibians of Dominica (Quick, 2001), but there is no good source for students to refer to for identification of these species. -
Unsustainable Food Systems Threaten Wild Crop and Dolphin Species
INTERNATIONAL PRESS RELEASE Embargoed until: 07:00 GMT (16:00 JST) 5 December 2017 Elaine Paterson, IUCN Media Relations, t+44 1223 331128, email [email protected] Goska Bonnaveira, IUCN Media Relations, m +41 792760185, email [email protected] [In Japan] Cheryl-Samantha MacSharry, IUCN Media Relations, t+44 1223 331128, email [email protected] Download photographs here Download summary statistics here Unsustainable food systems threaten wild crop and dolphin species Tokyo, Japan, 5 December 2017 (IUCN) – Species of wild rice, wheat and yam are threatened by overly intensive agricultural production and urban expansion, whilst poor fishing practices have caused steep declines in the Irrawaddy Dolphin and Finless Porpoise, according to the latest update of The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™. Today’s Red List update also reveals that a drying climate is pushing the Ringtail Possum to the brink of extinction. Three reptile species found only on an Australian island – the Christmas Island Whiptail-skink, the Blue- tailed Skink (Cryptoblepharus egeriae) and the Lister’s Gecko – have gone extinct, according to the update. But in New Zealand, conservation efforts have improved the situation for two species of Kiwi. “Healthy, species-rich ecosystems are fundamental to our ability to feed the world’s growing population and achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goal 2 – to end hunger by 2030,” says IUCN Director General Inger Andersen. “Wild crop species, for example, maintain genetic diversity of agricultural crops -
A Redescription and Phylogenetic Analysis of the Cretaceous Fossil Lizard Polyglyphanodon Sternbergi Gilmore, 1940
A Redescription and Phylogenetic Analysis of the Cretaceous Fossil Lizard Polyglyphanodon sternbergi Gilmore, 1940 by Meredith Austin Fontana B.S. in Biology, May 2011, The University of Texas at Austin A Thesis submitted to The Faculty of The Columbian College of Arts and Sciences of The George Washington University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science August 31, 2014 Thesis directed by James M. Clark Ronald Weintraub Professor of Biology © Copyright 2014 by Meredith Austin Fontana All rights reserved ii This thesis is dedicated to the memory of my grandmother, Lee Landsman Zelikow – my single greatest inspiration, whose brilliant mind and unconditional love has profoundly shaped and continues to shape the person I am today. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am deeply grateful to my graduate advisor Dr. James Clark for his support and guidance throughout the completion of this thesis. This work would not have been possible without his invaluable assistance and commitment to my success, and it has been a privilege to be his student. I would also like to express my appreciation to the additional members of my Master’s examination committee, Dr. Alexander Pyron and Dr. Hans-Dieter Sues, for generously contributing their knowledge and time toward this project and for providing useful comments on the manuscript of this thesis. I am especially grateful to Dr. Sues for allowing me access to the exquisite collection of Polyglyphanodon sternbergi specimens at the National Museum of Natural History. I am also extremely thankful to the many faculty members, colleagues and friends at the George Washington University who have shared their wisdom and given me persistent encouragement. -
KS2 Tortoise Shapes and Sizes
TORTOISE SHAPES AND SIZE... ? Not all tortoises look the same. What can you learn about a tortoise from looking at the shape of its shell? Some Galapagos tortoises have Some Galapagos tortoises have domed shells like this saddleback shells like this An adaptation is a feature an animal has which helps it survive. If an animal has a greater chance of surviving then it has a greater chance of having more babies who are also likely to have the same adaptation. In the space below, draw one of our Galapagos giant tortoises. Make notes describing the TASK 1 different adaptations of the tortoise and how those features might help the tortoise survive in the wild. Worksheet 2 KS2 1 ? Not all the Galapagos Islands have the same habitat. What can you tell about the habitat of a tortoise by looking at the shape of its shell? Some of the Galapagos Islands are Some of the Galapagos Islands are smaller and dryer, where tall cacti larger and wetter, where many plants grow. plants grow close to the ground. TASK 2 Of the two tortoise shell shapes, which is likely to be better for reaching tall cacti plants? ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Which of these island types is likely to provide enough food for tortoises to grow to large sizes? ______________________________________________________________________________________________ -
História Das Paisagens Florestais Mésicas Dentro Da Diagonal De Formações Abertas: Contribuições De Paleomodelagem, Filoge
! ! Universidade de Brasília Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia História das paisagens florestais mésicas dentro da diagonal de formações abertas: contribuições de paleomodelagem, filogeografia de espécies associadas e de conservação Roger Maia Dias Ledo Brasília – DF 2016 ! ! ! ! Universidade de Brasília Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia História das paisagens florestais mésicas dentro da diagonal de formações abertas: contribuições de paleomodelagem, filogeografia de espécies associadas e de conservação Orientador: Dr. Guarino Rinaldi Colli Co-orientadora: Dra. Lilian G. Giugliano Tese apresentada ao Programa de Pós- Graduação em Ecologia da Universidade de Brasília como parte dos requisitos necessários para a obtenção do título de Doutor em Ecologia. Brasília – DF 2016 ! ! Roger Maia Dias Ledo História das paisagens florestais mésicas dentro da diagonal de formações abertas: contribuições de paleomodelagem, filogeografia de espécies associadas e conservação Tese realizada com o apoio da Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES/SISBIOTA) e aprovada junto ao Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia da Universidade de Brasília como requisito para obtenção do título de Doutor em Ecologia. Comissão Examinadora: Prof. Dr. Guarino R. Colli Prof. Dra. Lilian G. Giugliano Presidente/Orientador Co-orientadora UnB UnB Profa. Dra. Leonora P. Costa Prof. Dr. Adrian A. Garda Membro Externo não vinculado ao Programa Membro Externo não vinculado ao Programa UFES UFRN Prof. Dra. Rosane Collevatti Membro Prof. Dr. Ricardo Bomfim Machado Externo não vinculado ao Programa Membro Interno vinculado ao UFG Programa UnB Prof. Dr. Renato Caparroz Membro suplente vinculado ao Programa UnB Brasília, 29 de fevereiro de 2016 ! ! Agradecimentos Esta tese não sairia do papel (ou melhor, não se materializaria no papel) se não fosse a ajuda de inúmeras pessoas. -
An Introduction to Lemurs for Teachers and Educators
AN INTRODUCTION TO LEMURS FOR TEACHERS AND EDUCATORS WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF AKO THE AYE-AYE The Ako the Aye-Aye Educator’s Guide introduces you to the remarkable world of lemurs. This guide provides background information about the biological concepts conveyed through the 21 Ako lessons. These lessons were created to accompany the Ako books. The Ako book series were developed by renowned primatologist Alison Jolly for students in Madagascar to inspire understanding and appreciation for the unique primates that share their island home. In addition to the books there is also a set of posters which showcase the habitat of each lemur species and their forest “neighbors.” GOALS OF THE AKO LESSONS: • Inspire students to make a positive difference for lemurs and other wildlife. • Promote environmental awareness, understanding and appreciation. • Provide activities that connect students to nature and motivate conservation action. HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE Each lesson aligns with a specific grade level (Kindergarten-1st, 2nd-3rd and 4th-5th) and one of the seven environmental themes below. Before carrying out an activity, we recommend reading the corresponding section in this guide that matches the theme of the lesson. The themes are: • LOOKING AT LEMURS—CLASSIFICATION AND BIODIVERSITY (PAGE 4) • EXPLORING LEMUR HABITATS (PAGE 10) • INVESTIGATING LEMUR ADAPTATIONS (PAGE 18) • DISCOVERING LEMUR COMMUNITIES—INTER-DEPENDENCE (PAGE 23) • LEARNING ABOUT LEMUR LIFE—LIFE CYCLES AND BEHAVIOR (PAGE 26) • DISCOVERING MADAGASCAR’S PEOPLE AND PLACES (PAGE 33) • MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR LEMURS (PAGE 40) Lessons can be completed chronologically or independently. Each activity incorporates multiple learning styles and subject areas. -
HABITAT MANAGEMENT PLAN Green Bay and Gravel Island
HABITAT MANAGEMENT PLAN Green Bay and Gravel Island National Wildlife Refuges October 2017 Habitat Management Plans provide long-term guidance for management decisions; set forth goals, objectives, and strategies needed to accomplish refuge purposes; and, identify the Fish and Wildlife Service’s best estimate of future needs. These plans detail program planning levels that are sometimes substantially above current budget allocations and as such, are primarily for Service strategic planning and program prioritization purposes. The plans do not constitute a commitment for staffing increases, operational and maintenance increases, or funding for future land acquisition. The National Wildlife Refuge System, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is the world's premier system of public lands and waters set aside to conserve America's fish, wildlife, and plants. Since the designation of the first wildlife refuge in 1903, the System has grown to encompass more than 150 million acres, 556 national wildlife refuges and other units of the Refuge System, plus 38 wetland management districts. This page intentionally left blank. Habitat Management Plan for Green Bay and Gravel Island National Wildlife Refuges EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Habitat Management Plan (HMP) provides vision and specific guidance on enhancing and managing habitat for the resources of concern (ROC) at the refuge. The contributions of the refuge to ecosystem- and landscape-scale wildlife and biodiversity conservation, specifically migratory waterfowl, are incorporated into this HMP. The HMP is intended to provide habitat management direction for the next 15 years. The HMP is also needed to ensure that the refuge continues to conserve habitat for migratory birds in the context of climate change, which affects all units of the National Wildlife Refuge System. -
A New Record of the Christmas Island Blind Snake, Ramphotyphlops Exocoeti (Reptilia: Squamata: Typhlopidae)
RECORDS OF THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM 27 156–160 (2012) A new record of the Christmas Island Blind Snake, Ramphotyphlops exocoeti (Reptilia: Squamata: Typhlopidae). Dion J. Maple1, Rachel Barr, Michael J. Smith 1 Christmas Island National Park, Christmas Island, Western Australia, Indian Ocean, 6798, Email: [email protected] ABSTRACT – The endemic Christmas Island Blind Snake Ramphotyphlops exocoeti is a species rarely collected since initial faunal collections were conducted on Christmas Island in 1887. Twenty-three years after the last record in 1986, an individual was collected on 31 July 2009. Here we catalogue historical collection records of this animal. We also describe the habitat and conditions in which the recent collection occurred and provide a brief morphological description of the animal including a diagnostic feature that may assist in future identifi cations. This account provides the fi rst accurate spatial record and detailed description of habitat utilised by this species. KEYWORDS: Indian Ocean, Yellow Crazy Ant, recovery plan INTRODUCTION ‘fairly common’ and could be found under the trunks Christmas Island is located in the Indian Ocean of fallen trees. In 1975 a specimen collected from (10°25'S, 105°40'E), approximately 360 km south of the Stewart Hill, located in the central west of the island western head of Java, Indonesia (Geoscience Australia in a mine lease known as Field 22, was deposited in 2011). This geographically remote, rugged and thickly the Australian Museum (Cogger and Sadlier 1981). A vegetated island is the exposed summit of a large specimen was caught by N. Dunlop in 1984 while pit mountain. -
Copeoglossum Aurae (Greater Windward Skink) Family: Scincidae (Skinks) Order: Squamata (Lizards and Snakes) Class: Reptilia (Reptiles)
UWI The Online Guide to the Animals of Trinidad and Tobago Diversity Copeoglossum aurae (Greater Windward Skink) Family: Scincidae (Skinks) Order: Squamata (Lizards and Snakes) Class: Reptilia (Reptiles) Fig. 1. Greater windward skink, Copeoglossum aurae. [http://www.trinidad-tobagoherps.org/Mabuyanigropunctata.htm, downloaded 16 October 2016] TRAITS. Copeoglossum aurae is a newly discovered skink in Trinidad and Tobago (Hedges and Conn, 2012). It has a dark lateral solid stripe that extends from under its oval shaped ear past its hind legs onto the tail (Fig. 1). C. aurae male and female specimens can reach a maximum of 98.5mm and 109mm snout-vent length, respectively, and tails can reach up to 65mm. They are heavily scaled lizards with scales being smaller on the limbs in comparison to other body parts. Their tails, like some other reptiles, can be broken off and regenerated. The dorsal colour of most specimens are greyish-green with small to medium deep brown spots evenly spread on the body, limbs and tail. The dorsal colours are different shades of brown, grey and green, and green-white lateral stripes are found from the ear to the hind limbs (Hedges and Conn, 2012). DISTRIBUTION. Copeoglossum aurae species is distributed in some islands of the Caribbean including southern Windward Islands like St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago, and it was postulated that some may have migrated to parts of South America (Venezuela) (Murphy et al., 2013). HABITAT AND ECOLOGY. C. aurae exhibit both arboreal and non-arboreal characteristics, since they are found either on trees or on the ground (Murphy et al., 2013). -
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Phyllomedusa 20(1):89–92, 2021 © 2021 Universidade de São Paulo - ESALQ ISSN 1519-1397 (print) / ISSN 2316-9079 (online) doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.11606/issn.2316-9079.v20i1p89-92 Short CommuniCation Dietary records for Oxybelis rutherfordi (Serpentes: Colubridae) from Trinidad and Tobago Renoir J. Auguste,1 Jason-Marc Mohamed,2 Marie-Elise Maingot,1 and Kyle Edghill3 1 Department of Life Sciences, The University of the West Indies. St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. E-mail: renguste@ gmail.com. 2 Palmiste, Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago. 3 D’Abadie, Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago. Keywords: diet, island ecology, lizards, predator-prey relationship, Rutherford’s vine snake. Palavras-chave: dieta, ecologia de ilhas, relação predador-presa, serpente-arborícola-de-rutherford. SnaKes feed on a variety of prey (Greene islands of Trinidad and Tobago (Jadin et al. 1983). The diet of the Brown Vine SnaKe, 2020). Jadin et al. (2019) recognized that O. Oxybelis aeneus (Wagler, 1824), is well Known; rutherfordi is distinct from O. aeneus and lizards are the most common prey. This species described the species (Jadinet al. 2020). Because has no apparent taxonomic proclivity in its previous natural history information for O. dietary choices, which suggests that their rutherfordi was combined with O. aeneus selection of lizards is random (Mesquita et al. (Murphy et al. 2018), it is appropriate to provide 2012, Sousa et al. 2020). However, reports on new information for O. rutherfordi. the diet of Rutherford’s Vine Snake, Oxybelis Three separate predation events by O. rutherfordi Jadin, Blair, OrlofsKe, Jowers, rutherfordi were observed in January and Rivas, Vitt, Ray, Smith, and Murphy, 2020, are February 2021 involving three lizard species on limited (Murphy et al. -
Herpetological Journal FULL PAPER
Volume 27 (April 2017), 201–216 Herpetological Journal FULL PAPER Published by the British Predation of Jamaican rock iguana Cyclura( collei) nests Herpetological Society by the invasive small Asian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) and the conservation value of predator control Rick van Veen & Byron S. Wilson Department of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies, Mona 7, Kingston, Jamaica The introduced small Asian mongoose (Herpestes auropunctatus) has been widely implicated in extirpations and extinctions of island taxa. Recent studies and anecdotal observations suggest that the nests of terrestrial island species are particularly vulnerable to mongoose predation, yet quantitative data have remained scarce, even for species long assumed to be at risk from the mongoose. We monitored nests of the Critically Endangered Jamaican Rock Iguana (Cyclura collei) to determine nest fate, and augmented these observations with motion-activated camera trap images to document the predatory behaviour of the mongoose. Our data provide direct, quantitative evidence of high nest predation pressure attributable to the mongoose, and together with reported high rates of predation on hatchling and juvenile iguanas (also by the mongoose), support the original conclusion that the mongoose was responsible for the apparent lack of recruitment and the aging structure of the small population that was ‘re-discovered’ in 1990. Encouragingly however, our data also demonstrate a significant reduction in nest predation pressure within an experimental mongoose-removal area. Thus, our results indicate that otherwise catastrophic levels of nest loss (at or near 100%) can be ameliorated or even eliminated by removal trapping of the mongoose. We suggest that such targeted control efforts could also prove useful in safeguarding other threatened insular species with reproductive strategies that are notably vulnerable to mongoose predation (e.g., the incubation of eggs on or underground).