Diversification of Rhacophorid Frogs Provides Evidence for Accelerated
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Predation Upon Mantella Aurantiaca in the Torotorofotsy Wetlands, Central-Eastern Madagascar
Herpetology Notes, volume 2: 95-97 (2009) (published online on 10 July 2009) Predation upon Mantella aurantiaca in the Torotorofotsy wetlands, central-eastern Madagascar Olga Jovanovic1*, Miguel Vences1, Goran Safarek2, Falitiana C.E. Rabemananjara3, Rainer Dolch4 Abstract. Malagasy poisonous frogs of genus Mantella are small, diurnal frogs with skin glands containing alkaloids and characterised by aposematic colouration. Due to their noxiousness and warning colouration, it is thought that they do not have many natural predators. Until now, only one successful and one aborted predation on Mantella frogs were reported. Herein, we account about two successful predations on M. aurantiaca in Torotorofotsy wetland, in central-eastern Madagascar. The first predation was observed by lizard Zoonosaurus sp. and the second predation by a snake probably belonging to Thamnosophis lateralis. Both predators did not seem to mind the taste of the M. aurantiaca and ingested it. Keywords. Amphibia: Mantellidae, poison frogs, Thamnosophis, Zoonosaurus Only little is known about predation on poisonous genus Melanophryniscus of southeastern South America, frogs in general, in particular for those containing in Malagasy poison frogs of the genus Mantella (family skin alkaloids. Until now, there are around 30 reports Mantellidae) of Madagascar, and the myobatrachid published on predation on poisonous frogs, mostly genus Pseudophryne of Australia (Daly, Highet and belonging to the families Bufonidae and Leptodactylidae Myers, 1984; Daly et al., 2002). All of -
Diet Composition and Overlap in a Montane Frog Community in Vietnam
Herpetological Conservation and Biology 13(1):205–215. Submitted: 5 November 2017; Accepted: 19 March 2018; Published 30 April 2018. DIET COMPOSITION AND OVERLAP IN A MONTANE FROG COMMUNITY IN VIETNAM DUONG THI THUY LE1,4, JODI J. L. ROWLEY2,3, DAO THI ANH TRAN1, THINH NGOC VO1, AND HUY DUC HOANG1 1Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Science, Vietnam National University-HCMC, 227 Nguyen Van Cu Street, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 2Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum,1 William Street, Sydney, New South Wales 2010, Australia 3Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia 4Corresponding author, e-mail: [email protected] Abstract.—Southeast Asia is home to a highly diverse and endemic amphibian fauna under great threat. A significant obstacle to amphibian conservation prioritization in the region is a lack of basic biological information, including the diets of amphibians. We used stomach flushing to obtain data on diet composition, feeding strategies, dietary niche breadth, and overlap of nine species from a montane forest in Langbian Plateau, southern Vietnam: Feihyla palpebralis (Vietnamese Bubble-nest Frog), Hylarana montivaga (Langbian Plateau Frog), Indosylvirana milleti (Dalat Frog), Kurixalus baliogaster (Belly-spotted Frog), Leptobrachium pullum (Vietnam Spadefoot Toad), Limnonectes poilani (Poilane’s Frog), Megophrys major (Anderson’s Spadefoot Toad), Polypedates cf. leucomystax (Common Tree Frog), and Raorchestes gryllus (Langbian bubble-nest Frog). To assess food selectivity of these species, we sampled available prey in their environment. We classified prey items into 31 taxonomic groups. Blattodea was the dominant prey taxon for K. -
(Rhacophoridae, Pseudophilautus) in Sri Lanka
Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 132 (2019) 14–24 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ympev Diversification of shrub frogs (Rhacophoridae, Pseudophilautus) in Sri Lanka T – Timing and geographic context ⁎ Madhava Meegaskumburaa,b,1, , Gayani Senevirathnec,1, Kelum Manamendra-Arachchid, ⁎ Rohan Pethiyagodae, James Hankenf, Christopher J. Schneiderg, a College of Forestry, Guangxi Key Lab for Forest Ecology and Conservation, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, PR China b Department of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka c Department of Organismal Biology & Anatomy, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA d Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology, Colombo 07, Sri Lanka e Ichthyology Section, Australian Museum, Sydney, NSW 2010, Australia f Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA g Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords: Pseudophilautus comprises an endemic diversification predominantly associated with the wet tropical regions ofSri Ancestral-area reconstruction Lanka that provides an opportunity to examine the effects of geography and historical climate change on diversi- Biogeography fication. Using a time-calibrated multi-gene phylogeny, we analyze the tempo of diversification in thecontextof Ecological opportunity past climate and geography to identify historical drivers of current patterns of diversity and distribution. Molecular Diversification dating suggests that the diversification was seeded by migration across a land-bridge connection from India duringa Molecular dating period of climatic cooling and drying, the Oi-1 glacial maximum around the Eocene-Oligocene boundary. Lineage- Speciation through-time plots suggest a gradual and constant rate of diversification, beginning in the Oligocene and extending through the late Miocene and early Pliocene with a slight burst in the Pleistocene. -
Zootaxa, Integrative Taxonomy of Malagasy Treefrogs
Zootaxa 2383: 1–82 (2010) ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) www.mapress.com/zootaxa/ Monograph ZOOTAXA Copyright © 2010 · Magnolia Press ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition) ZOOTAXA 2383 Integrative taxonomy of Malagasy treefrogs: combination of molecular genetics, bioacoustics and comparative morphology reveals twelve additional species of Boophis FRANK GLAW1, 5, JÖRN KÖHLER2, IGNACIO DE LA RIVA3, DAVID R. VIEITES3 & MIGUEL VENCES4 1Zoologische Staatssammlung München, Münchhausenstr. 21, 81247 München, Germany 2Department of Natural History, Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt, Friedensplatz 1, 64283 Darmstadt, Germany 3Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), C/ José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006 Madrid, Spain 4Zoological Institute, Technical University of Braunschweig, Spielmannstr. 8, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany 5Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] Magnolia Press Auckland, New Zealand Accepted by S. Castroviejo: 8 Dec. 2009; published: 26 Feb. 2010 Frank Glaw, Jörn Köhler, Ignacio De la Riva, David R. Vieites & Miguel Vences Integrative taxonomy of Malagasy treefrogs: combination of molecular genetics, bioacoustics and com- parative morphology reveals twelve additional species of Boophis (Zootaxa 2383) 82 pp.; 30 cm. 26 February 2010 ISBN 978-1-86977-485-1 (paperback) ISBN 978-1-86977-486-8 (Online edition) FIRST PUBLISHED IN 2010 BY Magnolia Press P.O. Box 41-383 Auckland 1346 New Zealand e-mail: [email protected] http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/ © 2010 Magnolia Press All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, transmitted or disseminated, in any form, or by any means, without prior written permission from the publisher, to whom all requests to reproduce copyright material should be directed in writing. -
Anura, Rhacophoridae)
Zoologica Scripta Patterns of reproductive-mode evolution in Old World tree frogs (Anura, Rhacophoridae) MADHAVA MEEGASKUMBURA,GAYANI SENEVIRATHNE,S.D.BIJU,SONALI GARG,SUYAMA MEEGASKUMBURA,ROHAN PETHIYAGODA,JAMES HANKEN &CHRISTOPHER J. SCHNEIDER Submitted: 3 December 2014 Meegaskumbura, M., Senevirathne, G., Biju, S. D., Garg, S., Meegaskumbura, S., Pethiya- Accepted: 7 May 2015 goda, R., Hanken, J., Schneider, C. J. (2015). Patterns of reproductive-mode evolution in doi:10.1111/zsc.12121 Old World tree frogs (Anura, Rhacophoridae). —Zoologica Scripta, 00, 000–000. The Old World tree frogs (Anura: Rhacophoridae), with 387 species, display a remarkable diversity of reproductive modes – aquatic breeding, terrestrial gel nesting, terrestrial foam nesting and terrestrial direct development. The evolution of these modes has until now remained poorly studied in the context of recent phylogenies for the clade. Here, we use newly obtained DNA sequences from three nuclear and two mitochondrial gene fragments, together with previously published sequence data, to generate a well-resolved phylogeny from which we determine major patterns of reproductive-mode evolution. We show that basal rhacophorids have fully aquatic eggs and larvae. Bayesian ancestral-state reconstruc- tions suggest that terrestrial gel-encapsulated eggs, with early stages of larval development completed within the egg outside of water, are an intermediate stage in the evolution of ter- restrial direct development and foam nesting. The ancestral forms of almost all currently recognized genera (except the fully aquatic basal forms) have a high likelihood of being ter- restrial gel nesters. Direct development and foam nesting each appear to have evolved at least twice within Rhacophoridae, suggesting that reproductive modes are labile and may arise multiple times independently. -
Character Assessment, Genus Level Boundaries, and Phylogenetic Analyses of the Family Rhacophoridae: a Review and Present Day Status
Contemporary Herpetology ISSN 1094-2246 2000 Number 2 7 April 2000 CHARACTER ASSESSMENT, GENUS LEVEL BOUNDARIES, AND PHYLOGENETIC ANALYSES OF THE FAMILY RHACOPHORIDAE: A REVIEW AND PRESENT DAY STATUS Jeffery A. Wilkinson ([email protected]) and Robert C. Drewes ([email protected]) Department of Herpetology, California Academy of Sciences, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, California 94118 Abstract. The first comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the family Rhacophoridae was conducted by Liem (1970) scoring 81 species for 36 morphological characters. Channing (1989), in a reanalysis of Liem’s study, produced a phylogenetic hypothesis different from that of Liem. We compared the two studies and produced a third phylogenetic hypothesis based on the same characters. We also present the synapomorphic characters from Liem that define the major clades and each genus within the family. Finally, we summarize intergeneric relationships within the family as hypothesized by other studies, and the family’s current status as it relates to other ranoid families. The family Rhacophoridae is comprised of over 200 species of Asian and African tree frogs that have been categorized into 10 genera and two subfamilies (Buergerinae and Rhacophorinae; Duellman, 1993). Buergerinae is a monotypic category that accommodates the relatively small genus Buergeria. The remaining genera, Aglyptodactylus, Boophis, Chirixalus, Chiromantis, Nyctixalus, Philautus, Polyp edates, Rhacophorus, and Theloderma, comprise Rhacophorinae (Channing, 1989). The family is part of the neobatrachian clade Ranoidea, which also includes the families Ranidae, Hyperoliidae, Dendrobatidae, Arthroleptidae, the genus Hemisus, and possibly the family Microhylidae. The Ranoidea clade is distinguished from other neobatrachians by the synapomorphic characters of completely fused epicoracoid cartilages, the medial end of the coracoid being wider than the lateral end, and the insertion of the semitendinosus tendon being dorsal to the m. -
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. -
Buergeria Japonica) Tadpoles from Island Populations
Volume 26 (July 2016), 207–211 FULL PAPER Herpetological Journal Published by the British Salinity and thermal tolerance of Japanese stream tree Herpetological Society frog (Buergeria japonica) tadpoles from island populations Shohei Komaki1, 2, Takeshi Igawa1, 2, Si-Min Lin3 & Masayuki Sumida2 1Division of Developmental Science, Graduate School of International Development and Cooperation, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan 2Institute for Amphibian Biology, Graduate School of Science, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan 3Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan Physiological tolerance to variable environmental conditions is essential for species to disperse over habitat boundaries and sustain populations in new habitats. In particular, salinity and temperature are one of the major factors determining species’ distributions. The tree frog Buergeria japonica is the most widely distributed amphibian species found in the Ryukyu Archipelago in Japan and Taiwan, and uses a wide range of breeding sites. Such characteristics suggest a high salinity and thermal tolerance in B. japonica tadpoles. We measured the salinity and thermal tolerance of tadpoles from three islands to determine if physiological tolerance could have contributed to the wide dispersal and survival across different environments. The critical salinity of B. japonica was 10–11‰, a value markedly below seawater. We also observed a critical maximum temperature of approximately 40°C, a value which is higher than what is commonly observed -
Distribution of Anuran Species in Loboc Watershed of Bohol Island, Philippines
Vol. 3 January 2012Asian Journal of Biodiversity Asian Journal of Biodiversity CHED Accredited Research Journal, Category A Art. #86, pp.126-141 Print ISSN 2094-1519 • Electronic ISSN 2244-0461 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.7828/ajob.v3i1.86 Distribution of Anuran Species in Loboc Watershed of Bohol Island, Philippines REIZL P. JOSE [email protected] Bohol Island State University, Bilar Campus, Bohol, Philippines +63 928-3285009 Date Submitted: Jan. 8, 2011 Final Revision Accepted: March 14, 2011 Abstract - The Philippines is rich in biodiversity and Bohol Island is among the many places in the country requiring attention for conservation efforts. For this reason, a survey o f anurans was conducted in Loboc Watershed, the forest reserve in the island. Different sampling techniques were used. Three transect lines was established and were positioned perpendicular to water bodies parallel to the existing trails. A 10x10 meter quadrat size was established along each transect line. A visual encounter technique was used along each established quadrat and identification was done using a field guide. Fifteen species of anurans were recorded. One species belongs to families Bufonidae (Bufo marinus) and Megophryidae (Megophryis stejnegeri); two to family Microhylidae (Kalophrynus pleurostigma and Kaluola picta); six family Ranidae (Fejervarya cancrivora, Limnonectes leytensis, Limnonectes magnus, Platymantis guentheri, Playmantis corrugatus, and Rana grandocula) and five Rhacophoridae (Nyctixalus spinosus, Polypedates leucomystax leucomystax, Polypedates leucomystax quadrilineatus, Rhacophorus appendiculatus and Rhacoporus pardalis). The disturbed nature of the area still recorded endemic and threatened species. This suggests that forests and critical habitats in the area need to be protected and conserved. 126 Distribution of Anuran Species in Loboc Watershed.. -
Correlates of Eye Colour and Pattern in Mantellid Frogs
SALAMANDRA 49(1) 7–17 30Correlates April 2013 of eyeISSN colour 0036–3375 and pattern in mantellid frogs Correlates of eye colour and pattern in mantellid frogs Felix Amat 1, Katharina C. Wollenberg 2,3 & Miguel Vences 4 1) Àrea d‘Herpetologia, Museu de Granollers-Ciències Naturals, Francesc Macià 51, 08400 Granollers, Catalonia, Spain 2) Department of Biology, School of Science, Engineering and Mathematics, Bethune-Cookman University, 640 Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Blvd., Daytona Beach, FL 32114, USA 3) Department of Biogeography, Trier University, Universitätsring 15, 54286 Trier, Germany 4) Zoological Institute, Division of Evolutionary Biology, Technical University of Braunschweig, Spielmannstr. 8, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany Corresponding author: Miguel Vences, e-mail: [email protected] Manuscript received: 18 March 2013 Abstract. With more than 250 species, the Mantellidae is the most species-rich family of frogs in Madagascar. These frogs are highly diversified in morphology, ecology and natural history. Based on a molecular phylogeny of 248 mantellids, we here examine the distribution of three characters reflecting the diversity of eye colouration and two characters of head colouration along the mantellid tree, and their correlation with the general ecology and habitat use of these frogs. We use Bayesian stochastic character mapping, character association tests and concentrated changes tests of correlated evolu- tion of these variables. We confirm previously formulated hypotheses of eye colour pattern being significantly correlated with ecology and habits, with three main character associations: many tree frogs of the genus Boophis have a bright col- oured iris, often with annular elements and a blue-coloured iris periphery (sclera); terrestrial leaf-litter dwellers have an iris horizontally divided into an upper light and lower dark part; and diurnal, terrestrial and aposematic Mantella frogs have a uniformly black iris. -
336 Natural History Notes
336 NATURAL HISTORY NOTES in an introduced population in Florida, USA (Patrovic 1973. J. kuvangensis (Channing and Howell. 2003. Herpetol. Rev. 34:51– Herpetol. 7:49–51). The frog observed by Patrovic (1973, op. cit.) 52), Kassina lamottei (Rödel et al. 2000, op. cit.), and Kassina also had melanin on the dorsal skin between the eyes but its eyes maculata (Liedtke and Müller 2012. Herpetol. Notes. 5:309– were pink. 310). Here we report observations of death–feigning for two We thank the Environment Conservation Fund and the Hong additional Kassina species: K. maculosa and K. arboricola. On Kong Government for supporting this work. 23 May 2018, we observed death-feigning behavior exhibited by HO-NAM NG, FRANCO KA-WAH LEUNG and WING-HO LEE, K. maculosa, while surveying a small forest patch on the Batéké Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, Plateau in Lekety Village, Cuvette department, Republic of Congo China; YIK-HEI SUNG, Division of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of (1.59216°S, 14.95787°E; WGS 84; 381 m elev.). After hand capturing Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong (e-mail: heisyh@gmail. the individual, it curled into a ball and remained immobile (Fig. com). 1A); this was the only individual out of six who exhibited this response. This specimen is deposited at the Florida Museum of FEJERVARYA LIMNOCHARIS (Asian Rice Frog). DIET. Anurans Natural History (UF 185502). This is also the first country record are generalist feeders and in most cases gape-limited foragers. of K. maculosa for the Republic of Congo. -
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).