DOCSLIB.ORG

Embryonic and Larval Development in the Caecilian Ichthyophis Kohtaoensis (Amphibia, Gymnophiona): a Staging Table

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Embryonic and Larval Development in the Caecilian Ichthyophis Kohtaoensis (Amphibia, Gymnophiona): a Staging Table JOURNAL OF MORPHOLOGY 243:3–34 (2000) Embryonic and Larval Development in the Caecilian Ichthyophis kohtaoensis (Amphibia, Gymnophiona): A Staging Table Nicole Du¨ nker,1 Marvalee H. Wake,2* and Wendy M. Olson2 1 Department of Zoology, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany 2 Department of Integrative Biology and Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, California ABSTRACT Little is known about the developmental of the lateral line organs, formation of three pairs of ex- biology of caecilians—tropical, elongate, limbless, mostly ternal gills, development of the eyes, changes in yolk fossorial amphibians that are members of the Order Gym- structure, changes in the structure of the cloacal aperture nophiona. Ichthyophis kohtaoensis (Family Ichthyophi- and growth of the tail, including the formation and regres- idae; southeast Asia) is an oviparous species in which sion of the tail fin. This study provides a comparison with maternal care of the clutch is provided. The clutch is laid descriptions of embryonic stages of I. glutinosus and Hy- in a burrow on land, and the embryos develop in their egg pogeophis rostratus and with a recent staging table for the membranes, curved around a large yolk mass. Larvae are aquatic, viviparous caecilian Typhlonectes compressi- aquatic and exhibit characteristic features that are not cauda, the only other caecilians for which reasonably com- present in the terrestrial adults. Because accurate de- plete ontogenetic information exists in the literature. scriptions of ontogenies and the establishment of stan- Comparisons with established staging tables for selected dardized stages of embryonic and larval development are useful for both experimental and comparative embryology, frogs and salamanders are also presented. J. Morphol. a staging table for I. kohtaoensis was developed based on 243:3–34, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc. external morphological features. Development from the end of neurulation to metamorphosis was divided into 20 KEY WORDS: Ichthyophis kohtaoensis; amphibians; cae- stages. Principal diagnostic features include development cilians; ontogeny; development; staging Caecilians, members of the Order Gymnophiona, the yolk. A number of specific features of develop- are tropical, limbless, elongate, tailless or nearly so, ment are evaluated below. amphibians that occupy subterranean, leaf-litter, or There are very few descriptions of caecilian devel- semi-aquatic to aquatic habitats. They are among opment from early stages to metamorphosis or birth the least studied of vertebrates. Rather little is (Sarasin and Sarasin, 1887–1890; Brauer, 1897, known of the development of caecilians, especially 1899; Sammouri et al., 1990); some authors have compared to the relative wealth of knowledge about described only one or a few specimens (not staged) selected frogs and salamanders. available for study. Sarasin and Sarasin (1887– The development of Ichthyophis glutinosus (Fam- 1890) and Brauer (1899) presented detailed descrip- ily Ichthyophiidae) was described and beautifully tions of the changes in the course of development, illustrated by Sarasin and Sarasin (1887–1890). referring variously to the formation of gills, eyes, the Cleavage in amphibian eggs is typically holoblastic tentacle, the lateral line organs, changes in yolk and unequal. In I. glutinosus, the only caecilian for structure, and general external morphology. Brauer which cleavage has been described (Sarasin and (1899) provided a rather complete series of drawings Sarasin, 1887–1890), cleavage is nearly meroblastic, of early embryos of Hypogeophis rostratus, with dividing the egg into numerous separate blas- tomeres and a residual multinucleate mass of cyto- plasm. At the tail-bud stage, caecilians are similar Contract grant sponsor: National Science Foundation; Contract to salamanders and have a relatively long head and grant number: IBN95-27681. pharyngeal region, including the gill plates, that projects above the yolk mass, but they have only a Current address for Nicole Du¨ nker, Anatomy, Medical Faculty 3.1, short tail bud. In contrast, in anurans the gill plate University of Saarland, 66421 Homburg/Saar, Germany. region lies dorsal to the yolk mass with only the *Correspondence to: Marvalee H. Wake, M.D., Department of Integra- anterior most part of the head projecting beyond the tive Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3140, USA. yolk, but a relatively long tail bud extends beyond E-mail: [email protected] © 2000 WILEY-LISS, INC. 4N.DU¨ NKER ET AL. some later stages of that species and a few for Gran- disonia alternans; Marcus described the develop- ment of specific elements of Hypogeophis rostratus, but mostly internal features so only his work rele- vant to external morphology is cited herein; Sarasin and Sarasin (1887–1890) described various develop- mental stages of Ichthyophis glutinosus, including those of very early development. However, these studies did not present their results in the form of a staging table. The continuously changing appearance of em- bryos and larvae during ontogenesis necessitates a method of quantifying the progress of development. Tables of normal stages of development have been established for a number of amphibian species, nearly all anuran and urodelan (see Duellman and Trueb, 1986). Each normal stage is designated by a number and represents a specific (but highly subjec- tive) interval in ontogeny, defined by the presence or absence of ontogenetic character states, such as body size or morphology (Bartsch et al., 1997). By subdividing development into discrete stages, it is possible to group and compare individuals at ap- proximately the same point in ontogeny. Staging tables are useful tools and have long been used in the study of amphibian development. Only one such table exists for caecilians; it is for a highly derived taxon. Sammouri et al. (1990) presented a detailed description of the embryonic development of Typhlonectes compressicauda, a viviparous aquatic caecilian of the family Typhlonectidae that has many developmental features unique to the family. They included a formal staging table and Fig. 1. Ichthyophis kohtaoensis. An adult specimen with a compared development in T. compressicauda with total body length of approximately 300 mm is shown in A. Larvae, that of the oviparous frog Alytes obstetricans. approximately 100–150 mm in length, are shown in B. Photos by We describe the development of Ichthyophis W. Himstedt. kohtaoensis, an oviparous species with free-living larvae from Thailand, and compared it to that re- ported for Ichthyophis glutinosus, Hypogeophis ros- second oviparous ichthyophiid caecilian, I. kohtaoen- tratus, and Typhlonectes compressicauda. This com- sis (Fig. 1A), thus facilitating comparison within a F1 parison affords an examination of development in genus and family of caecilians. caecilians representing both basal and derived taxa, Ichthyophis kohtaoensis typifies the biology of and provides a basis for evaluation of evolutionary oviparous caecilians, so far as is known (see Himst- trends in development in caecilians. The two species edt, 1996). Copulation in I. kohtaoensis has never of Ichthyophis are members of the Family Ich- been observed, but internal fertilization is pre- thyophiidae. The families Rhinatrematidae (the sumed, as for all caecilians, via the male’s inserting most basal caecilian family) and Ichthyophiidae con- his phallodaeum into the vent of the female to effect stitute the sister-group to all other caecilians. H. sperm transport (see Wake, 1972, for summary). In rostratus is oviparous and direct-developing (i.e., de- the course of the rainy season from May to October, velopment through metamorphosis occurs before during which 90% of the annual rainfall in northeast hatching in terrestrially laid clutches), thus obviat- Thailand occurs and floods the rice fields, the fe- ing the free-living aquatic larval stage, and is a males lay their fertilized, developing eggs in moist member of the derived family Caeciliidae. The mo- cavities in the ground. I. kohtaoensis practices ma- notypic Hypogeophis occurs in the Seychelles Is- ternal care of the laid clutch, as has been reported lands. T. compressicauda, with its obligate vivipar- for several egg-laying species (e.g., Sarasin and ity, and with other features of its biology that are Sarasin, 1887–1890; Sanderson, 1936). The eggs of a construed as correlates of its aquatic habitus, repre- clutch are bound together with strands that extend sents a highly derived clade of caecilians; it occurs in from the jelly coats, forming a cluster; the parental South America. The present study provides develop- female curls around the clutch and turns the eggs mental information, including a staging table, for a at regular intervals. Similar to embryos of DEVELOPMENT OF ICHTHYOPHIS KOHTAOENSIS 5 To our knowledge, there is not yet available a table of normal stages of development for oviparous caecilians. Consequently we evaluate our data on the development of Ichthyophis kohtaoensis and present a staging table based on external morpho- logical characters (Table 1). Because the present T1 study is intended to provide a staging table for a very poorly known species, a detailed description of the embryonic and larval development is given and as many characters are described as possible. Those features facilitate a comparison to other caecilians, and to frogs and salamanders, allowing a much broader comparison of development among amphib-
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Catalogue of the Amphibians of Venezuela: Illustrated and Annotated Species List, Distribution, and Conservation 1,2César L
    Mannophryne vulcano, Male carrying tadpoles. El Ávila (Parque Nacional Guairarepano), Distrito Federal. Photo: Jose Vieira. We want to dedicate this work to some outstanding individuals who encouraged us, directly or indirectly, and are no longer with us. They were colleagues and close friends, and their friendship will remain for years to come. César Molina Rodríguez (1960–2015) Erik Arrieta Márquez (1978–2008) Jose Ayarzagüena Sanz (1952–2011) Saúl Gutiérrez Eljuri (1960–2012) Juan Rivero (1923–2014) Luis Scott (1948–2011) Marco Natera Mumaw (1972–2010) Official journal website: Amphibian & Reptile Conservation amphibian-reptile-conservation.org 13(1) [Special Section]: 1–198 (e180). Catalogue of the amphibians of Venezuela: Illustrated and annotated species list, distribution, and conservation 1,2César L. Barrio-Amorós, 3,4Fernando J. M. Rojas-Runjaic, and 5J. Celsa Señaris 1Fundación AndígenA, Apartado Postal 210, Mérida, VENEZUELA 2Current address: Doc Frog Expeditions, Uvita de Osa, COSTA RICA 3Fundación La Salle de Ciencias Naturales, Museo de Historia Natural La Salle, Apartado Postal 1930, Caracas 1010-A, VENEZUELA 4Current address: Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Río Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Laboratório de Sistemática de Vertebrados, Av. Ipiranga 6681, Porto Alegre, RS 90619–900, BRAZIL 5Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Altos de Pipe, apartado 20632, Caracas 1020, VENEZUELA Abstract.—Presented is an annotated checklist of the amphibians of Venezuela, current as of December 2018. The last comprehensive list (Barrio-Amorós 2009c) included a total of 333 species, while the current catalogue lists 387 species (370 anurans, 10 caecilians, and seven salamanders), including 28 species not yet described or properly identified. Fifty species and four genera are added to the previous list, 25 species are deleted, and 47 experienced nomenclatural changes.
    [Show full text]
  • The Care and Captive Breeding of the Caecilian Typhlonectes Natans
    HUSBANDRY AND PROPAGATION The care and captive breeding of the caecilian Typhlonectes natans RICHARD PARKINSON Ecology UK, 317 Ormskirk Road, Upholland, Skelmersdale, Lancashire, UK E-mail: [email protected] riAECILIANS (Apoda) are the often overlooked Many caecilians have no larval stage and, while third order of amphibians and are not thought some lay eggs, many including Typhlonectes natans to be closely-related to either Anurans or Urodelans. give birth to live young after a long pregnancy. Despite the existence of over 160 species occurring Unlike any other amphibian (or reptile) this is a true throughout the tropics (excluding Australasia and pregnancy in which the membranous gills of the Madagascar), relatively little is known about them. embryo functions like the placenta in mammals, so The earliest known fossil caecilian is Eocaecilia that the mother can supply the embryo with oxygen. micropodia, which is dated to the early Jurassic The embryo consumes nutrients secreted by the Period approximately 240 million years ago. uterine walls using specialized teeth for the Eocaecilia micropodia still possessed small but purpose. well developed legs like modem amphiumas and sirens. The worm-like appearance and generally Captive Care subterranean habits of caecilians has often led to In March 1995 I acquired ten specimens of the their dismissal as primitive and uninteresting. This aquatic caecilian Typhlonectes natans (identified by view-point is erroneous. Far from being primitive, cloacae denticulation after Wilkinson, 1996) which caecilians are highly adapted to their lifestyle. had been imported from Guyana. I immediately lost 7),phlonectes natans are minimalist organisms two as a result of an ill-fitting aquarium lid.
    [Show full text]
  • BOA2.1 Caecilian Biology and Natural History.Key
    The Biology of Amphibians @ Agnes Scott College Mark Mandica Executive Director The Amphibian Foundation [email protected] 678 379 TOAD (8623) 2.1: Introduction to Caecilians Microcaecilia dermatophaga Synapomorphies of Lissamphibia There are more than 20 synapomorphies (shared characters) uniting the group Lissamphibia Synapomorphies of Lissamphibia Integumen is Glandular Synapomorphies of Lissamphibia Glandular Skin, with 2 main types of glands. Mucous Glands Aid in cutaneous respiration, reproduction, thermoregulation and defense. Granular Glands Secrete toxic and/or noxious compounds and aid in defense Synapomorphies of Lissamphibia Pedicellate Teeth crown (dentine, with enamel covering) gum line suture (fibrous connective tissue, where tooth can break off) basal element (dentine) Synapomorphies of Lissamphibia Sacral Vertebrae Sacral Vertebrae Connects pelvic girdle to The spine. Amphibians have no more than one sacral vertebrae (caecilians have none) Synapomorphies of Lissamphibia Amphicoelus Vertebrae Synapomorphies of Lissamphibia Opercular apparatus Unique to amphibians and Operculum part of the sound conducting mechanism Synapomorphies of Lissamphibia Fat Bodies Surrounding Gonads Fat Bodies Insulate gonads Evolution of Amphibians † † † † Actinopterygian Coelacanth, Tetrapodomorpha †Amniota *Gerobatrachus (Ray-fin Fishes) Lungfish (stem-tetrapods) (Reptiles, Mammals)Lepospondyls † (’frogomander’) Eocaecilia GymnophionaKaraurus Caudata Triadobatrachus Anura (including Apoda Urodela Prosalirus †) Salientia Batrachia Lissamphibia
    [Show full text]
  • REVISION O F the AFRICAN Caeclllan GENUS
    REVISION OFTHE AFRICAN CAEClLlAN GENUS SCHISTOMETOPUM PARKER (AMPH IBIA: CYMNOPHIONA: CAECILI IDAE) BY RONALD A. NU AND MICHAEL E. PFRENDER MISCELLANEC JS PUBLICATIONS MUSEUM OF ZOOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, NO. 18Fb; ' Ann Arbor, September 2 7, 1 998 ISSN 076-8405 MIS(:ELIANEOUS PUBLICATIONS MUSEUM OF ZOOLOGY, LJNTVERSITY OF MICHIGAN NO. 187 The publicatioils of the M~~sclunof Zoology, The [Jniversity of Michigan, consist PI-irnarilyof two series-the Occasion:~lPapers allti the Miscellaneous Publicatio~ls.Both series were founded by Dc Bryant Walker, Mr. Rradshaw H. Swales, anti Dr. W.W. Newcornb. Occasionally the Museuni publishes contributiorls outside of these series; begirlnirlg in 1990 these are titled Special Publicatio~lsa~ld arc numbered. All submitted ~n;inl~scriptsreceive external review. The Misccllarieous Publications, which include ~l~ollographicstltdies, papers on field and ~II- seuln techniques, and other contributions 11ot within the scope of the Occasio~lalPapers, are pl~b- lishcd separately. It is not intended that they be grouped into volumes. Each 11r11nberhas a title page and, when necessary, a table of co1itelits. Tllc Occasional Papel-s, publication of which was begun in 1913, servc as a medium Sol- original studies based prirlcipally upon the collections in the Museurn. They are issurtl separately. MThen a sufficient number of pages has hcen printed to niakc a volume, a title pagc, table of contenb, and an index are supplied to libraries and individuals on the mailing list for the series. A cornplete list of publications on Birds, Fishes, Insects, Mammals, Moll~~sks,Rcpdles and Amphib- ians, and other topics is available. Address inquiries to the Directt)r, Muse~unof Zoolohy, The lir~ivcr- sity of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigarl 48109-1079.
    [Show full text]
  • Bioseries12-Amphibians-Taita-English
    0c m 12 Symbol key 3456 habitat pond puddle river stream 78 underground day / night day 9101112131415161718 night altitude high low vegetation types shamba forest plantation prelim pages ENGLISH.indd ii 2009/10/22 02:03:47 PM SANBI Biodiversity Series Amphibians of the Taita Hills by G.J. Measey, P.K. Malonza and V. Muchai 2009 prelim pages ENGLISH.indd Sec1:i 2009/10/27 07:51:49 AM SANBI Biodiversity Series The South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) was established on 1 September 2004 through the signing into force of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (NEMBA) No. 10 of 2004 by President Thabo Mbeki. The Act expands the mandate of the former National Botanical Institute to include responsibilities relating to the full diversity of South Africa’s fauna and ora, and builds on the internationally respected programmes in conservation, research, education and visitor services developed by the National Botanical Institute and its predecessors over the past century. The vision of SANBI: Biodiversity richness for all South Africans. SANBI’s mission is to champion the exploration, conservation, sustainable use, appreciation and enjoyment of South Africa’s exceptionally rich biodiversity for all people. SANBI Biodiversity Series publishes occasional reports on projects, technologies, workshops, symposia and other activities initiated by or executed in partnership with SANBI. Technical editor: Gerrit Germishuizen Design & layout: Elizma Fouché Cover design: Elizma Fouché How to cite this publication MEASEY, G.J., MALONZA, P.K. & MUCHAI, V. 2009. Amphibians of the Taita Hills / Am bia wa milima ya Taita. SANBI Biodiversity Series 12. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria.
    [Show full text]
  • Amphibia: Gymnophiona) Is Not Lungless: Implications for Taxonomy and for Understanding the Evolution of Lunglessness
    Zootaxa 3779 (3): 383–388 ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) www.mapress.com/zootaxa/ Article ZOOTAXA Copyright © 2014 Magnolia Press ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition) http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3779.3.6 http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:594529A3-2A73-454A-B04E-900AFE0BA84D Caecilita Wake & Donnelly, 2010 (Amphibia: Gymnophiona) is not lungless: implications for taxonomy and for understanding the evolution of lunglessness MARK WILKINSON1,4, PHILIPPE J. R. KOK2, FARAH AHMED3 & DAVID J. GOWER1 1Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD, UK 2Biology Department, Amphibian Evolution Lab, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium and Department of Vertebrates, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, 29 rue Vautier, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium 3Department of Earth Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, SW7 5BD, UK 4Corresponding author. Email: [email protected] Abstract According to current understanding, five lineages of amphibians, but no other tetrapods, are secondarily lungless and are believed to rely exclusively on cutaneous gas exchange. One explanation of the evolutionary loss of lungs interprets lung- lessness as an adaptation to reduce buoyancy in fast-flowing aquatic environments, reasoning that excessive buoyancy in such an environment would cause organisms being swept away. While not uncontroversial, this hypothesis provides a plausible potential explanation of the evolution of lunglessness in four of the five lungless amphibian lineages. The ex- ception is the most recently reported lungless lineage, the newly described Guyanan caecilian genus and species Caecilita iwokramae Wake & Donnelly, 2010, which is inconsistent with the reduced disadvantageous buoyancy hypothesis by vir- tue of it seemingly being terrestrial and having a terrestrial ancestry.
    [Show full text]
  • Amphibiaweb's Illustrated Amphibians of the Earth
    AmphibiaWeb's Illustrated Amphibians of the Earth Created and Illustrated by the 2020-2021 AmphibiaWeb URAP Team: Alice Drozd, Arjun Mehta, Ash Reining, Kira Wiesinger, and Ann T. Chang This introduction to amphibians was written by University of California, Berkeley AmphibiaWeb Undergraduate Research Apprentices for people who love amphibians. Thank you to the many AmphibiaWeb apprentices over the last 21 years for their efforts. Edited by members of the AmphibiaWeb Steering Committee CC BY-NC-SA 2 Dedicated in loving memory of David B. Wake Founding Director of AmphibiaWeb (8 June 1936 - 29 April 2021) Dave Wake was a dedicated amphibian biologist who mentored and educated countless people. With the launch of AmphibiaWeb in 2000, Dave sought to bring the conservation science and basic fact-based biology of all amphibians to a single place where everyone could access the information freely. Until his last day, David remained a tirelessly dedicated scientist and ally of the amphibians of the world. 3 Table of Contents What are Amphibians? Their Characteristics ...................................................................................... 7 Orders of Amphibians.................................................................................... 7 Where are Amphibians? Where are Amphibians? ............................................................................... 9 What are Bioregions? ..................................................................................10 Conservation of Amphibians Why Save Amphibians? .............................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • 2020 Conservation Outlook Assessment
    IUCN World Heritage Outlook: https://worldheritageoutlook.iucn.org/ Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve - 2020 Conservation Outlook Assessment Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve 2020 Conservation Outlook Assessment SITE INFORMATION Country: Seychelles Inscribed in: 1983 Criteria: (vii) (viii) (ix) (x) In the heart of the small island of Praslin, the reserve has the vestiges of a natural palm forest preserved in almost its original state. The famouscoco de mer, from a palm-tree once believed to grow in the depths of the sea, is the largest seed in the plant kingdom. © UNESCO SUMMARY 2020 Conservation Outlook Finalised on 01 Dec 2020 GOOD WITH SOME CONCERNS The protection and management of Vallée de Mai Nature Reserve is generally effective and is supported by a national legal framework, although there is a lack of a national protected area system. The management authority is very competent and is effectively implementing science-based programs and outreach and education schemes. However, the future of the site’s key value, the coco de mer palm, is still under threat from illegal collection and over-exploitation for its nuts and kernel. The site's management has reduced both commercial harvesting and illegal collection of nuts based on scientific research, although the conservation impacts of these requires further assessment. The National Government and the managing agency are implementing targeted conservation measures and aim to tighten law and legislation to protect the species, which include an increase in penalty for poaching of coco de mer nuts. Current priorities for the Nature Reserve include continuation and expansion of the outreach and education programme; promoting an increase in the size and connectivity of Vallée de Mai within the Praslin Island landscape, with a legally designated buffer zone; increasing anti-poaching; and continuing to control the harvesting of coco de mer seeds while expanding a program of replanting seedlings.
    [Show full text]
  • The Caecilians of the World: a Taxonomic Review by Edward Harrison Taylor Review By: Marvalee H
    The Caecilians of the World: A Taxonomic Review by Edward Harrison Taylor Review by: Marvalee H. Wake Copeia, Vol. 1969, No. 1 (Mar. 6, 1969), pp. 216-219 Published by: American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH) Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1441738 . Accessed: 25/03/2014 11:09 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists (ASIH) is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Copeia. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 192.188.55.3 on Tue, 25 Mar 2014 11:09:44 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions 216 COPEIA, 1969, NO. 1 three year period, some of the latter per- add-not only the Indo-Pacific, but this Indo- sonally by Munro. The book must be used Australian archipelago, the richest area in in conjunction with the checklist "The the world for marine fish species, badly needs Fishes of the New Guinea Region" (Papua more work of this high calibre.-F. H. TAL- and New Guinea Agr. J. 10:97-339, 1958), BOT, Australian Museum, 6-8 College Street, a sizable work in itself, including a full list Sydney, Australia.
    [Show full text]
  • Ecology of Ichthyophis Bombayensis (Gymnophiona : Amphibia) from Koyana Region, Maharashtra, India
    Biological Forum — An International Journal, 2(1): 14-17(2010) ISSN : 0975-1130 Ecology of Ichthyophis bombayensis (Gymnophiona : Amphibia) from Koyana region, Maharashtra, India B.V. Jadhav Department of Zoology, Balasaheb Desai College, Patan, Maharashtra INDIA ABSTRACT : The survey was conducted in Koyana region of northern Western Ghats of Maharashtra from June 2004 to October 2008. Western Ghats of India is well known biodiversity hotspot. Ichthyophis bombayensis was encountered in different habitats of Koyana region at altitude between 500 to 630 m above the sea level. We studied the rain fall, temperature of soil and air, pH of soil, altitude, latitude, longitude and different habitats, in which Ichthyophis inhabited and analyzed the soil samples of three spots and found that soil become red and porous due to rich iron content and exclusively become acidic. Keywords : Ichthyophis bombayensis, ecology, Western Ghats, Koyana, INTRODUCTION investigate here the new habitats and studied its related The order Gymnophiona includes limbless, girdle less ecological parameters of Ichthyophis bombayensis of and burrowing amphibians commonly called as caecilians. northern Western Ghats of Maharashtra from Koyana region. They are reported from several areas in Asia, Africa and South and Central America (Taylor 1968). India is suppose MATERIAL AND METHODS to be home of many caecilians, it includes four genera belong We conducted survey in Koyana region of Patan Tehsil from June 2004 to October 2008 as a part to the study of to three families. Caecilians have exclusively secretive and caecilians i.e., Ichthyophis. We randomly selected 20 spots burrowing life in soil for in search of food (Gundappa run parallel to Koyana River and Chiplun- Karad state et.
    [Show full text]
  • Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Ichthyophiidae) from Myanmar
    Zootaxa 3785 (1): 045–058 ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) www.mapress.com/zootaxa/ Article ZOOTAXA Copyright © 2014 Magnolia Press ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition) http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3785.1.4 http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7EF35A95-5C75-4D16-8EE4-F84934A80C2A A new species of striped Ichthyophis Fitzinger, 1826 (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Ichthyophiidae) from Myanmar MARK WILKINSON1,5, BRONWEN PRESSWELL1,2, EMMA SHERRATT1,3, ANNA PAPADOPOULOU1,4 & DAVID J. GOWER1 1Department of Zoology!, The Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK 2Department of Zoology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin New Zealand 3Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, 26 Oxford St., Cam- bridge, MA 02138, USA 4Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor MI 41809, USA 5Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] ! Currently the Department of Life Sciences Abstract A new species of striped ichthyophiid caecilian, Ichthyophis multicolor sp. nov., is described on the basis of morpholog- ical and molecular data from a sample of 14 specimens from Ayeyarwady Region, Myanmar. The new species resembles superficially the Indian I. tricolor Annandale, 1909 in having both a pale lateral stripe and an adjacent dark ventrolateral stripe contrasting with a paler venter. It differs from I. tricolor in having many more annuli, and in many details of cranial osteology, and molecular data indicate that it is more closely related to other Southeast Asian Ichthyophis than to those of South Asia. The caecilian fauna of Myanmar is exceptionally poorly known but is likely to include chikilids as well as multiple species of Ichthyophis.
    [Show full text]
  • Final Report
    Assessing the distribution and conservation status of Variable Bush Frog (Raorchestes chalazodes Gunther, 1876) in the Konni Bio-reserve – Shenduruni Wildlife Sanctury (Konni Forest Division, Achankovil Forest Divison , Thenmala Forest Divison and Shenduruni Wildlife Division) of Western Ghats, India Final report (2014-2015) David V Raju Manoj P Tropical Institute of Ecological Sciences Kottayam, Kerala Summary Amphibians and their tadpoles are significant in the maintenance of ecosystems, playing a crucial role as secondary consumers in the food chain, nutritional cycle, and pest control. Over the past two decades, amphibian research has gained global attention due to the drastic decline in their populations due to various natural and anthropogenic causes. Several new taxa have been discovered during this period, including in the Western Ghats and Northeast regions of Indian subcontinent. In this backdrop, the detailed account on the population and conservation status of Raorchestes chalazodes, a Rhacophorid frog which was rediscovered after a time span of 136 years was studied in detail. Forests of Konni bio reserve - Shenduruni wildlife sanctuary were selected as the study area and recorded the population and breeding behavior of the critically endangered frog. Introduction India, which is one of the top biodiversity hotspots of the world, harbors a significant percentage of global biodiversity. Its diverse habitats and climatic conditions are vital for sustaining this rich diversity. India also ranks high in harboring rich amphibian diversity. The country, ironically also holds second place in Asia, in having the most number of threatened amphibian species with close to 25% facing possible extinction (IUCN, 2009). The most recent IUCN assessments have highlighted amphibians as among the most threatened vertebrates globally, with nearly one third (30%) of the world’s species being threatened (Hof et al., 2011).
    [Show full text]