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BULLETIN of the Chicago Herpetological Society Volume 53, Number 4 April 2018 BULLETIN OF THE CHICAGO HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY Volume 53, Number 4 April 2018 Notes on the Herpetofauna of Nayarit, Mexico 1: Amphibians and Reptiles of the Municipality of Tecuala . Jesús Alberto Loc-Barragán and David Lazcano 73 We Want YOU for the Calling Frog Survey. And HerpMapper, Too! . Lalainya Goldsberry 81 Flipping Pages: Appreciations of Herpetological Literature. The Overloaded Ark (1953) and The Bafut Beagles (1954) by Gerald M. Durrell . John J. Cebula 84 Minutes of the CHS Board Meeting, March 16, 2018 . 85 What You Missed at the March Meeting: Yatin Kalki . .John Archer 86 The First One: The Great Sierra San Luis Ridgenose Saga . Roger A. Repp 89 Herpetology 2018......................................................... 102 Advertisements . 104 New CHS Members This Month . 104 Cover: New Mexico ridge-nosed rattlesnake, Crotalus willardi obscurus, from the Sierra San Luis in Sonora, Mexico. Photograph by David G. Barker STAFF Membership in the CHS includes a subscription to the monthly Bulletin. Annual dues are: Individual Membership, $25.00; Editor: Michael A. Dloogatch --- [email protected] Family Membership, $28.00; Sustaining Membership, $50.00; Copy editor: Joan Moore Contributing Membership, $100.00; Institutional Membership, $38.00. Remittance must be made in U.S. funds. Subscribers 2017 CHS Board of Directors outside the U.S. must add $12.00 for postage. Send membership dues or address changes to: Chicago Herpetological Society, President: Rich Crowley Membership Secretary, 2430 N. Cannon Drive, Chicago, IL 60614. Vice-president: Jessica Wadleigh Treasurer: John Archer Manuscripts published in the Bulletin of the Chicago Herpeto- Recording Secretary: Gail Oomens logical Society are not peer reviewed. Manuscripts and letters Media Secretary: Kim Klisiak concerning editorial business should be e-mailed to the editor, Membership Secretary: Mike Dloogatch [email protected]. Alternatively, they may be mailed Sergeant-at-arms: Mike Scott to: Chicago Herpetological Society, Publications Secretary, 2430 Members-at-large: Dan Bavirsha N. Cannon Drive, Chicago, IL 60614. Back issues are limited but Lawrence Huddleston are available from the Publications Secretary for $2.50 per issue Tom Mikosz postpaid. Zac Oomens Visit the CHS home page at <http://www.chicagoherp.org>. The Chicago Herpetological Society is a nonprofit organiza- The Bulletin of the Chicago Herpetological Society (ISSN 0009-3564) is published monthly by the Chicago Herpeto- tion incorporated under the laws of the state of Illinois. Its logical Society, 2430 N. Cannon Drive, Chicago IL 60614. purposes are education, conservation and the advancement Periodicals postage paid at Chicago IL. Postmaster: Send of herpetology. Meetings are announced in this publication, address changes to: Chicago Herpetological Society, Mem- bership Secretary, 2430 N. Cannon Drive, Chicago IL 60614. and are normally held at 7:30 P.M., the last Wednesday of each month. Copyright © 2018 Bulletin of the Chicago Herpetological Society 53(4):73-80, 2018 Notes on the Herpetofauna of Nayarit, Mexico 1: Amphibians and Reptiles of the Municipality of Tecuala Jesús Alberto Loc-Barragán 1* and David Lazcano 2 *corresponding author: biolocbarragá[email protected] (all photographs by Jesús Alberto Loc-Barragán) Abstract This document is a step forward in our knowledge of the herpetofaunal diversity of Mexico and, in particular, the state of Nayarit. The study is the based on field observations, published literature, and information from national and international preserved collections. Our survey was undertaken during 2014–2017. A total of 51 species of amphibians and reptiles in three orders, 27 families, and 45 genera is reported. The family Colubridae is the most diverse, with eight species. A total of 39 species were found to be present in the Reserva de la Biosfera de Marismas Nacionales (RBMN). This study was conducted to detail the composition of the species present within this protected natural area and outside its borders, which area is part of the municipality of Tecuala, and to help fill in gaps in our knowledge of the distribution of various herpetofaunal species in the municipality. Resumen El presente documento forma parte como avance al conocimiento sobre la diversidad biológica del país y del estado de Nayarit. Se realizó el estudio del 2014 al 2017 sobre la base de registros realizados en campo, revisión de literatura e información herpetológica de colecciones nacionales y extrajeras. Se registraron 51 especies de anfibios y reptiles agrupados en tres órdenes; 27 familias y 45 géneros. Colubridae es la familia más diversa que registra ocho especies. 39 especies de herpetozoos presentes en la RBMN (Reserva de la Biosfera de Marismas Nacionales). Dicho estudio con la finalidad de dar a conocer la composición de aquellas especies presentes dentro del ANP (Área Natural Protegida) y fuera, como parte del municipio de Tecuala el cual presentaba un vacío de información en distribución de estos grupos de organismos. Introduction and Background been focused mainly on the distribution of the herpetofauna to the south (Martínez and Ceballos, 2010; Loc-Barragán et al., Mexico, as a megadiverse country, is known for harboring a 2013; Fuentes-Castrejon and Maldonado-Gasca, 2015; Loc- large number of wildlife species. The herpetofauna of the coun- Barragán, 2015; Ramírez-Reyes et al., 2015; Caravantes-Estrada try is represented by 376 amphibians (Parra-Olea et al., 2014) et al., 2017), in the center (Lewis and Johnson, 1955; Zweifel, and 864 reptiles (Flores-Villela and García-Vazquez, 2014). 1959; López-Solís and Luja, 2014; López-Solís, 2016; Molina This herpetofaunal richness and that of other groups of verte- and Miramontes, 2016; Luja et al., 2017), and for the insular brates have generated an increasing interest in protecting these region (Stejneger, 1899; Zweifel, 1960; Castro-Franco and species by establishing or declaring Areas Naturales Protegidas Gaviño, 1990. Casas-Andreu, 1992; Miramontes et al., 2016), (ANPs), which at present amount to 182, allocated to different with only three studies for the north (Webb et al., 1981; CONANP, categories, such as national parks, biosphere reserves, and natural 2013; Woolrich-Piña et al., 2016). There have been studies that monuments (CONANP, 2017). Woolrich-Piña et al. (in press) have updated the diversity of amphibians (Luja et al., 2014) and recognize five physiographic regions for the state (Sierra Madre reptiles (Loc-Barragán et al., 2015; Woolrich-Piña et al., in Occidental; Cinturón Volcanico Transmexicano; Sierra Madre press) for the state. These studies have documented the distribu- del Sur; Llanura Costera and coastal inlands), with six ANPs tion and conservation of the herpetofauna of Nayarit, highlight- (Isla Isabel, declared a national park on 8 December 1980; La ing the composition of 38 species of amphibians and reptiles for Reserva de la Biosfera Archipiélago de Isla Marías, declared on the ANP Reserva de Biosfera de Marismas Nacionales (RBMN) 27 November 2000; Islas Marietas, declared on 25 April 2005; (Woolrich-Piña et al., 2016). There are areas of the state, how- Reserva de la Biosfera Sierra de San Juan, declared on 27 Octo- ever, for which the herpetofauna is being documented within ber 1987; Reserva de la Biosfera de Marismas Nacionales, and surrounding various ANPs. At first such sampling was established on 12 May 2010; and La Reserva de la Biosfera limited, but now this documentation has intensified, based on Sierra de Vallejo-Río Ameca, declared on 27 November 2012). more frequent trips to the field. The coastal northern region of The limited knowledge regarding the herpetofauna of the the state of Nayarit, where the municipality of Tecuala lies, is no state of Nayarit is widely dispersed. The key documents have exception; information on the herpetofauna is still insufficient. 1. Asociación para la Investigación y Conservación de Anfibios y Reptiles A.C., Región Noroeste, Calle Bella Italia, No. 170, Col. Lomas del Valle, C.P. 63066, Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico. 2. Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Laboratorio de Herpetología, Apartado Postal # 513, San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León, C.P. 66450 México. [email protected] 73 Typical Low Thorn Forest. Typical Mangrove Forest: black mangrove (Avicenna germinans). The municipalities of northern Nayarit, except for their salt Sinaloa (see map below). Tecuala presents a diversity of vegeta- marshes, have lost most of their original vegetation. The region tion communities: Low Deciduous Forest and Low Thorn Forest has been transformed into grazing areas for livestock and agri include species such as Guazuma ulmifolia (West Indian elm / cultural tracts, in which only small patches or portions of original guasima), Acacia cymbispina (boat-thorn acacia / cúcharo), vegetation are still present, including in the coastal plains of the Bauhinia sp. (orchid tree / pata de cabra) and Cochlospermun municipality of Tecuala (Hanan-Alipi and González-Flores, 2013). vilifolium (buttercup tree / tecomasuchil), and represent around 15% of the municipality’s area. Mangrove includes species like The objective of the present study was to increase knowledge Avecennia germinans (black mangrove / mangle negro), Cono- of the herpetofauna of the northern coastal region of Nayarit, carpus erectus (buttonwood / botoncillo) and Laguncularia and to understand the distributional