Of the Eastern Newt, Notophthalmus Viridescens David M
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<I>Ichthyosaura Alpestris</I>
Volume 26 (January 2016), 49–56 FULL PAPER Herpetological Journal Published by the British Provenance of Ichthyosaura alpestris (Caudata: Herpetological Society Salamandridae) introductions to France and New Zealand assessed by mitochondrial DNA analysis Jan W. Arntzen1, Tania M. King2, Mathieu Denoël3, Iñigo Martínez-Solano4,5 & Graham P. Wallis2 1Naturalis Biodiversity Center, PO Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands 2Department of Zoology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand 3Behavioural Biology Unit, Department of Biology, Ecology and Evolution, University of Liège, Quai van Beneden 22, 4020 Liège, Belgium 4CIBIO-InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, s/n 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal 5(present address) Ecology, Evolution, and Development Group, Department of Wetland Ecology, Doñana Biological Station, CSIC, c/ Americo Vespucio, s/n, 41092, Seville, Spain The last century has seen an unparalleled movement of species around the planet as a direct result of human activity, which has been a major contributor to the biodiversity crisis. Amphibians represent a particularly vulnerable group, exacerbated by the devastating effects of chytrid fungi. We report the malicious translocation and establishment of the alpine newt (Ichthyosaura alpestris) to its virtual antipode in North Island of New Zealand. We use network analysis of mitochondrial DNA haplotypes to identify the original source population as I. a. apuana from Tuscany, Italy. Additionally, a population in southern France, presumed to be introduced, is identified as I. a. alpestris from western Europe. However, the presence of two differentiated haplotypes suggests a mixed origin. -
Amphibian Identification Guide
Amphibian Migrations & Road Crossings Amphibian Identification Guide The NYSDEC Hudson River Estuary Program and Cornell University are working with communities to conserve forests, woodland pools, and the wildlife that depend on these critical habitats. This guide is designed to help volunteers of the Amphibian Migrations & Road Crossings Project identify species they observe during spring migrations, when many salamanders and frogs move from forest habitat to woodland pools for breeding. For more information about the project, visit http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/51925.html. spotted salamander* (Ambystoma maculatum) Black to dark gray body with two rows of yellow spots. Widespread distribution in the Hudson Valley. Total length 5.0-8.0 in. Jefferson/blue-spotted salamander complex* (Ambystoma jeffersonianum x laterale) Brown to grayish black with blue-silver flecking. Less common. Note: Hybridization between Jefferson and blue-spotted salamander has created very variable appearances and individuals may have features of both species. Because even experts have difficulty distinguishing these two species in the field, we consider any sightings to be the ‘complex.’ Total length 3.0-7.5 in. marbled salamander* (Ambystoma opacum) Black or grayish-black body with white or gray crossbars along length of body. Stout body with wide head. Less common. (Breeds in the fall.) Total length 3.5-5.0 in. *Woodland pool breeding species. 0 inches 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Amphibian Migrations & Road Crossings: Amphibian Identification Guide Page 2 of 4 eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) Terrestrial “red eft” stage of newt (above) is reddish-orange with two rows of reddish spots with black borders. -
Notophthalmus Perstriatus) Version 1.0
Species Status Assessment for the Striped Newt (Notophthalmus perstriatus) Version 1.0 Striped newt eft. Photo credit Ryan Means (used with permission). May 2018 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region 4 Jacksonville, Florida 1 Acknowledgements This document was prepared by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s North Florida Field Office with assistance from the Georgia Field Office, and the striped newt Species Status Assessment Team (Sabrina West (USFWS-Region 8), Kaye London (USFWS-Region 4) Christopher Coppola (USFWS-Region 4), and Lourdes Mena (USFWS-Region 4)). Additionally, valuable peer reviews of a draft of this document were provided by Lora Smith (Jones Ecological Research Center) , Dirk Stevenson (Altamaha Consulting), Dr. Eric Hoffman (University of Central Florida), Dr. Susan Walls (USGS), and other partners, including members of the Striped Newt Working Group. We appreciate their comments, which resulted in a more robust status assessment and final report. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Species Status Assessment (SSA) is an in-depth review of the striped newt's (Notophthalmus perstriatus) biology and threats, an evaluation of its biological status, and an assessment of the resources and conditions needed to maintain species viability. We begin the SSA with an understanding of the species’ unique life history, and from that we evaluate the biological requirements of individuals, populations, and species using the principles of population resiliency, species redundancy, and species representation. All three concepts (or analogous ones) apply at both the population and species levels, and are explained that way below for simplicity and clarity as we introduce them. The striped newt is a small salamander that uses ephemeral wetlands and the upland habitat (scrub, mesic flatwoods, and sandhills) that surrounds those wetlands. -
Red-Spotted Newt Fact Sheet
WILDLIFE IN CONNECTICUT WILDLIFE FACT SHEET DENNIS QUINN Eastern Red-spotted Newt Notophthalmus v. viridescens Background and Range The red-spotted newt (also commonly referred to as the eastern newt) is widespread and familiar in many areas of Connecticut. Newts have four distinct life stages: egg, aquatic larvae, terrestrial juvenial (or “eft”), and aquatic adult. Their life cycle is one of the most complex of all the salamanders; starting as an egg, hatching into a larvae with external gills, then migrating to terrestrial habitats as juveniles where gills are replaced with lungs, and returning a few years later to their aquatic habitats as adults which retain their lungs. In Connecticut, the newt is found statewide, but more prominently west of the Connecticut River. The red-spotted newt has many subspecies and an extensive range throughout the United States. Description The adult red-spotted newt has smooth skin that is overall greenish in color, with small black dots scattered on the back and a row of several black-bordered reddish-orange spots on each side of the back. Male newts have black rough patches on the inside of their thighs and on the bottom tip of their hind toes during the breeding season. Adult newts are usually 3 to 5 inches in length. The juvenile, or eft, stage of the red-spotted newt is bright orange in color with small black dots scattered on the back and a row of larger, black-bordered orange spots on each side of the back. The skin is rough and dry compared to the moist and smooth skin of adults and larvae. -
A Nephroblastoma in a Fire-Bellied Newt, Cynops Pyrrhogaster1
[CANCER RESEARCH 30, 2691-2694, November 1970] A Nephroblastoma in a Fire-bellied Newt, Cynops pyrrhogaster1 P. Zwart Department for Exotic Animals, Veterinary Faculty, Biltstraat 172, Utrecht, The Netherlands SUMMARY According to the owner, this animal was imported from China via Hongkong, and it appeared to be in good condi A large intraabdominal tumor, consisting of renal blasto- tion at the time of purchase, 6 weeks prior to presentation. matous cells, early defective stages of glomerules, and undif- During the preceding few weeks, the animal had lost ferentiated tubular structures is described in a fully grown appetite, and become very thin and sluggish in its move female fire-bellied newt (Cynops pyrrhogaster). Questions of ments; recently, it had developed a posterior paralysis. Upon nomenclature of renal embryonal tumors in lower vertebrates inspection, the newt appeared emaciated; the movements of are briefly discussed. The tumor is designated a nephro- the hind legs were hampered by a large swelling within the blastoma. abdomen, which dorsally distended the left flank. A firm mass with an irregular surface giving the impression of INTRODUCTION multiloculated, pea-sized cysts was palpable; it appeared to Nephroblastomas seem to be very rare in animals with be adherent to the abdominal wall. A few drops of a watery mesonephritic kidneys (fishes and amphibia), although fluid were obtained on aspiration. In view of the poor immense numbers of many species are kept as pets and in condition of the animal, the rapid development of the laboratories. A single case was recorded in the steelhead disease, and the extent of the swelling, the prognosis was trout (5). -
Italian Crested Newt – Triturus Carnifex Laurenti, 1768 (Amphibia, Caudata, Salamandridae, Pleurodelinae) in the Batrachofauna of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Short Note Hyla VOL. 2015., No.2, pp. 52 - 55 ISSN: 1848-2007 Zimić & Šunje Italian crested newt – Triturus carnifex Laurenti, 1768 (Amphibia, Caudata, Salamandridae, Pleurodelinae) in the batrachofauna of Bosnia and Herzegovina 1 1,2,* ADNAN ZIMIĆ & EMINA ŠUNJE 1Herpetological Association in Bosnia and Hercegovina "ATRA", Sarajevo, B&H 2Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Zmaja od Bosne 33-35, Sarajevo, B&H *Corresponding author: [email protected] Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) has a high finally elevated to the species level (ARNTZEN et al., biogeographic importance for Balkan batrachofauna 2007; FROST, 2015). Old literature data (e.g. BOLKAY, biodiversity with 12 amphibian chorotypes (JABLONSKI 1929) mentioning T. carnifex in B&H should be treated et al., 2012) and 20 amphibian species (LELO & VESNIĆ, as findings of Triturus macedonicus (Figure 1). 2011; ĆURIĆ & ZIMIĆ, 2014; FROST, 2015). Hereby we Morphologically the three species belonging to the genus present the first official record of the 21st species known Triturus [T. dobrogicus (KIRITZESCU, 1903), T. carnifex for the B&H batrachofauna: Triturus carnifex LAURENTI, (LAURENTI, 1768) and T. macedonicus (KARAMAN, 1768. 1922)] can be distinguished by coloration and spotting During a long amphibian research period in pattern, Wolterstorff index – WI and Number of Rib- B&H (from: MÖELLENDORFF, 1873 – till present), T. Bearing Vertebrae – NRBV (WIELSTRA & ARNTZEN, carnifex has actually never been officially listed in the 2011; ARNTZEN et al., 2015). B&H fauna for two main reasons: (a) although it has From May 25 – 27. 2015, three females and one been known that the species occurs in the northwestern male of T. -
Chemical Defense of the Eastern Newt (Notophthalmus Viridescens): Variation in Efficiency Against Different Consumers and in Different Habitats
Chemical Defense of the Eastern Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens): Variation in Efficiency against Different Consumers and in Different Habitats Zachary H. Marion1,2, Mark E. Hay1* 1 School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America, 2 Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America Abstract Amphibian secondary metabolites are well known chemically, but their ecological functions are poorly understood—even for well-studied species. For example, the eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) is a well known secretor of tetrodotoxin (TTX), with this compound hypothesized to facilitate this salamander’s coexistence with a variety of aquatic consumers across the eastern United States. However, this assumption of chemical defense is primarily based on observational data with low replication against only a few predator types. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that N. viridescens is chemically defended against co-occurring fishes, invertebrates, and amphibian generalist predators and that this defense confers high survivorship when newts are transplanted into both fish-containing and fishless habitats. We found that adult eastern newts were unpalatable to predatory fishes (Micropterus salmoides, Lepomis macrochirus) and a crayfish (Procambarus clarkii), but were readily consumed by bullfrogs (Lithobates catesbeianus). The eggs and neonate larvae were also unpalatable to fish (L. macrochirus). Bioassay-guided fractionation confirmed that deterrence is chemical and that ecologically relevant concentrations of TTX would deter feeding. Despite predatory fishes rejecting eastern newts in laboratory assays, field experiments demonstrated that tethered newts suffered high rates of predation in fish-containing ponds. We suggest that this may be due to predation by amphibians (frogs) and reptiles (turtles) that co-occur with fishes rather than from fishes directly. -
Summary Report of Freshwater Nonindigenous Aquatic Species in U.S
Summary Report of Freshwater Nonindigenous Aquatic Species in U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Region 4—An Update April 2013 Prepared by: Pam L. Fuller, Amy J. Benson, and Matthew J. Cannister U.S. Geological Survey Southeast Ecological Science Center Gainesville, Florida Prepared for: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Southeast Region Atlanta, Georgia Cover Photos: Silver Carp, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix – Auburn University Giant Applesnail, Pomacea maculata – David Knott Straightedge Crayfish, Procambarus hayi – U.S. Forest Service i Table of Contents Table of Contents ...................................................................................................................................... ii List of Figures ............................................................................................................................................ v List of Tables ............................................................................................................................................ vi INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................. 1 Overview of Region 4 Introductions Since 2000 ....................................................................................... 1 Format of Species Accounts ...................................................................................................................... 2 Explanation of Maps ................................................................................................................................ -
Variations in Tetrodotoxin Levels in Populations of Taricha Granulosa
www.nature.com/scientificreports OPEN Variations in tetrodotoxin levels in populations of Taricha granulosa are expressed in the morphology of their cutaneous glands Pedro Luiz Mailho-Fontana1*, Carlos Jared1, Marta Maria Antoniazzi1, Juliana Mozer Sciani 2, Daniel Carvalho Pimenta 1, Amber N. Stokes3, Taran Grant4, Edmund D. Brodie III5 & Edmund D. Brodie Jr.6 Tetrodotoxin (TTX), one of the most toxic substances in nature, is present in bacteria, invertebrates, fshes, and amphibians. Marine organisms seem to bioaccumulate TTX from their food or acquire it from symbiotic bacteria, but its origin in amphibians is unclear. Taricha granulosa can exhibit high TTX levels, presumably concentrated in skin poison glands, acting as an agent of selection upon predatory garter snakes (Thamnophis). This co-evolutionary arms race induces variation in T. granulosa TTX levels, from very high to undetectable. Using morphology and biochemistry, we investigated diferences in toxin localization and quality between two populations at the extremes of toxicity. TTX concentration within poison glands is related to the volume of a single cell type in which TTX occurs exclusively in distinctive secretory granules, suggesting a relationship between granule structure and chemical composition. TTX was detected in mucous glands in both populations, contradicting the general understanding that these glands do not secrete defensive chemicals and expanding currently held interpretations of amphibian skin gland functionality. Skin secretions of the two populations difered in low-mass molecules and proteins. Our results demonstrate that interpopulation variation in TTX levels is related to poison gland morphology. Tetrodotoxin (TTX) is one of the most toxic and well-studied but still mysterious natural products. -
AMPHIBIANS of OHIO F I E L D G U I D E DIVISION of WILDLIFE INTRODUCTION
AMPHIBIANS OF OHIO f i e l d g u i d e DIVISION OF WILDLIFE INTRODUCTION Amphibians are typically shy, secre- Unlike reptiles, their skin is not scaly. Amphibian eggs must remain moist if tive animals. While a few amphibians Nor do they have claws on their toes. they are to hatch. The eggs do not have are relatively large, most are small, deli- Most amphibians prefer to come out at shells but rather are covered with a jelly- cately attractive, and brightly colored. night. like substance. Amphibians lay eggs sin- That some of these more vulnerable spe- gly, in masses, or in strings in the water The young undergo what is known cies survive at all is cause for wonder. or in some other moist place. as metamorphosis. They pass through Nearly 200 million years ago, amphib- a larval, usually aquatic, stage before As with all Ohio wildlife, the only ians were the first creatures to emerge drastically changing form and becoming real threat to their continued existence from the seas to begin life on land. The adults. is habitat degradation and destruction. term amphibian comes from the Greek Only by conserving suitable habitat to- Ohio is fortunate in having many spe- amphi, which means dual, and bios, day will we enable future generations to cies of amphibians. Although generally meaning life. While it is true that many study and enjoy Ohio’s amphibians. inconspicuous most of the year, during amphibians live a double life — spend- the breeding season, especially follow- ing part of their lives in water and the ing a warm, early spring rain, amphib- rest on land — some never go into the ians appear in great numbers seemingly water and others never leave it. -
A Review of Chemical Defense in Poison Frogs (Dendrobatidae): Ecology, Pharmacokinetics, and Autoresistance
Chapter 21 A Review of Chemical Defense in Poison Frogs (Dendrobatidae): Ecology, Pharmacokinetics, and Autoresistance Juan C. Santos , Rebecca D. Tarvin , and Lauren A. O’Connell 21.1 Introduction Chemical defense has evolved multiple times in nearly every major group of life, from snakes and insects to bacteria and plants (Mebs 2002 ). However, among land vertebrates, chemical defenses are restricted to a few monophyletic groups (i.e., clades). Most of these are amphibians and snakes, but a few rare origins (e.g., Pitohui birds) have stimulated research on acquired chemical defenses (Dumbacher et al. 1992 ). Selective pressures that lead to defense are usually associated with an organ- ism’s limited ability to escape predation or conspicuous behaviors and phenotypes that increase detectability by predators (e.g., diurnality or mating calls) (Speed and Ruxton 2005 ). Defended organisms frequently evolve warning signals to advertise their defense, a phenomenon known as aposematism (Mappes et al. 2005 ). Warning signals such as conspicuous coloration unambiguously inform predators that there will be a substantial cost if they proceed with attack or consumption of the defended prey (Mappes et al. 2005 ). However, aposematism is likely more complex than the simple pairing of signal and defense, encompassing a series of traits (i.e., the apose- matic syndrome) that alter morphology, physiology, and behavior (Mappes and J. C. Santos (*) Department of Zoology, Biodiversity Research Centre , University of British Columbia , #4200-6270 University Blvd , Vancouver , BC , Canada , V6T 1Z4 e-mail: [email protected] R. D. Tarvin University of Texas at Austin , 2415 Speedway Stop C0990 , Austin , TX 78712 , USA e-mail: [email protected] L. -
50 CFR Ch. I (10–1–20 Edition) § 16.14
§ 15.41 50 CFR Ch. I (10–1–20 Edition) Species Common name Serinus canaria ............................................................. Common Canary. 1 Note: Permits are still required for this species under part 17 of this chapter. (b) Non-captive-bred species. The list 16.14 Importation of live or dead amphib- in this paragraph includes species of ians or their eggs. non-captive-bred exotic birds and coun- 16.15 Importation of live reptiles or their tries for which importation into the eggs. United States is not prohibited by sec- Subpart C—Permits tion 15.11. The species are grouped tax- onomically by order, and may only be 16.22 Injurious wildlife permits. imported from the approved country, except as provided under a permit Subpart D—Additional Exemptions issued pursuant to subpart C of this 16.32 Importation by Federal agencies. part. 16.33 Importation of natural-history speci- [59 FR 62262, Dec. 2, 1994, as amended at 61 mens. FR 2093, Jan. 24, 1996; 82 FR 16540, Apr. 5, AUTHORITY: 18 U.S.C. 42. 2017] SOURCE: 39 FR 1169, Jan. 4, 1974, unless oth- erwise noted. Subpart E—Qualifying Facilities Breeding Exotic Birds in Captivity Subpart A—Introduction § 15.41 Criteria for including facilities as qualifying for imports. [Re- § 16.1 Purpose of regulations. served] The regulations contained in this part implement the Lacey Act (18 § 15.42 List of foreign qualifying breed- U.S.C. 42). ing facilities. [Reserved] § 16.2 Scope of regulations. Subpart F—List of Prohibited Spe- The provisions of this part are in ad- cies Not Listed in the Appen- dition to, and are not in lieu of, other dices to the Convention regulations of this subchapter B which may require a permit or prescribe addi- § 15.51 Criteria for including species tional restrictions or conditions for the and countries in the prohibited list.