DOCSLIB.ORG

Amphibians and Reptiles of Guyana, South America

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Amphibians and Reptiles of Guyana, South America BOOK REVIEWS 283 is the lack of a conservation section as many are threatened (e.g., ———. 2006. CITES Standard Reference for the Species of Cordylus Vulnerable: Hemicordylus nebulosus and Smaug giganteus; Near (Cordylidae, Reptilia). CITES Nomenclature Committee for the th Threatened: Cordylus imkeae, C. macropholis, C. niger, C. oelof- 14 meeting of the CoP. 10 pp. seni, Pseudocordylus langi, P. spinosus, and P. transvaalensis). IUCN 2014. World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1996. Cordylus cataphractus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version A comprehensive (40-page) section on Keeping and Breeding 2014.3. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 23 January 2015. these fascinating lizards follows the Natural History section. It JACOBSEN, N. H. G. 1989. A Herpetological Survey of the Transvaal. Un- has lots of practical advice for captive husbandry and terrarium published PhD dissertation, University of Natal. design, but would benefit from at least some suggestions for dis- MOUTON, P. LE F. N. 2011. Aggregation behaviour of lizards in the arid ease treatment and control. Admittedly these are technical and western regions of South Africa. Afr. J. Herpetol. 60:155–170. complex issues, but the reader would benefit from direction to at ———, AND VAN WYK, J.H. 1997. Adaptive radiation in cordyliform liz- least relevant and accessible literature. Finally the book finishes ards. An overview. Afr. J. Herpetol. 46:78–88. with a one-page list of Museum Details, which lists 14 examples. STANLEY, E. L., A. M. BAUER, T. R. JACKMAN, W. R. BRANCH, AND P. LE F. N. These are somewhat arbitrary, as it is not obvious why in the USA MOUTON. 2011. Between a rock and a hard polytomy: rapid radia- the Centennial Museum and Gardens, University of Texas should tion in the rupicolous girdled lizards (Squamata: Cordylidae). Mol. Phylogen. Evol. 58:53–70. be included in preference to the American Museum of Natural ———, AND M. F. BATES. 2014. Here be dragons: a phylogenetic and History, New York, while in South Africa, the KwaZulu Natal Mu- biogeographical study of the Smaug warreni species complex seum, Pietermaritzburg is listed (when it has only a minor col- (Squamata: Cordylidae) in southern Africa. Zoo. J. Linn. Soc. lection and no herpetologist) in preference to the National Mu- 172:892–909. seum, Bloemfontein (with a thriving Herpetology Department, WHITING, M. J. 2014. Platysaurus: species accounts. In M. F. Bates, W. and the fourth largest herpetological collection in the subconti- R. Branch, A. M. Bauer, M. Burger, J. Marais, G. J. Alexander, and nent!). More useful is Table 4, a synopsis of variation in scalation M. S. de Villiers (eds.), Atlas and Red Data Book of the Reptiles of all species discussed. A six -page Bibliography gives direction of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland, pp. 213–223. Suricata 1, for the major literature on the topic. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. With the current intensity of revisionary and phylogenetic ———, D. STUART-FOX, D. O’CONNOR, D. FIRTH, N. C. BENNEtt, AND S. P. BLOMBERG. 2006. Ultraviolet signals ultra-aggression in a lizard. studies on southern African reptiles it is little wonder that a Anim. Behav. 72:353–363. number of taxonomic adjustments have occurred in the year subsequent to the release of Girdled Lizards. These include a re- vision of the Smaug warreni complex (Stanley and Bates 2014), Herpetological Review, 2015, 46(2), 283–287. with the elevation of the three subspecies of S. warreni to specific © 2015 by Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles status; i.e., S. warreni (Boulenger, 1908), S. barbertonensis (Van Dam, 1921), and S. depressus (FitzSimons, 1930). A putative new Amphibians and Reptiles of Guyana, South species within S. warreni has been signaled (Stanley and Bates America: Illustrated Keys, Annotated Species 2014), as have additional new lineages within the East African and Angolan Cordylus radiations (Branch, Bates, and Stanley, Accounts, and a Biogeographic Synopsis unpubl. obs.). A consequence of the reevaluation of S. warreni Charles J. Cole, Carol R. Townsend, Robert P. Reynolds, Ross D. material previously assigned to other taxa within the complex MacCulloch, and Amy Lathrop. 2013. Proceedings of the Biological is that some maps in the Girdled Lizards species accounts, and Society of Washington 125(4):i–iii, 317–620. Paperback. US $10.00. those in the recently launched Atlas and Red List of the Reptiles Also available from the Allen Press online bookstore as an e-book of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland (Bates et al. 2014), need (EPUB or Kindle format), or from BioOne as a five-day access for US readjustment. Stanley and Bates (2014) noted that early records $25.00. from Blouberg/Makgabeng and farm New York (Jacobsen 1989), previously considered as isolated populations of S. vandami, are PHILIPPE J. R. KOK referable to S. breyeri despite confusing coloration in some cases. Amphibian Evolution Lab, Department of Biology, Sympatry between these two species, therefore, remains uncon- Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 firmed as their presently understood ranges do not overlap. Brussels, Belgium and Department of Recent In summary, and despite its constrained coverage, Girdled Vertebrates, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Lizards is a very useful reference. It covers most cordyline genera Sciences, rue Vautier 29, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium; and documents the diversity and distribution of some of Africa’s e-mail: [email protected] most interesting and popular lizards. The author, his photo- graphic collaborators, and the publishers are to be congratulated OLIVIER S. G. PAUWELS on the preparation of this useful, beautifully illustrated, and in- Department of Recent Vertebrates, Royal Belgian formative book. Institute of Natural Sciences, rue Vautier 29, B-1000 Brussels, Belgium; LITERATURE CITED e-mail: [email protected] BATES, M. F., W. R. BRANCH, A. M. BAUER, M. BURGER, J. MARAIS, G. J. AL- Guyana is one of these countries that some may find hard to EXANDER, AND M. S. DE VILLIERS (EDS.). 2014. Atlas and Red List of the locate on a map. “Is it in Africa?” or “is it an island?” are common Reptiles of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Suricata 1. South questions when Guyana is mentioned in a casual conversation. African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria. xvii + 485 pp. Guyana is part of the Caribbean Community and Common Mar- BROADLEY, D. G. 1978. A revision of the genus Platysaurus A. Smith ket (CARICOM), which makes things even more confusing be- (Sauria: Cordylidae). Occ. Pap. Natl. Mus. Rhodesia Ser. B. (Nat. Sci.) 6:131–185. cause geographically the country is not related to the Caribbean. The Co-operative Republic of Guyana—not to be confounded Herpetological Review 46(2), 2015 284 BOOK REVIEWS with French Guiana (northern South America) or Guinea (west- terms used. In addition to the drawings, some characters are ern Africa)—is a former British colony that gained its indepen- briefly described within the key (e.g., apical pits, ventral scales). dence in 1966. The country lies along the Atlantic Coast of north- This proved to be useful most of the time, but we sometimes eastern South America, between Suriname to the east, Venezuela regretted the lack of precision in the description of some char- to the west, and Brazil to the south, and is part of the Guiana acters. Ventral scales for instance are described as “wide belly Shield biogeographical region. Guyana is fascinating in many scales from neck to vent,” which in our opinion is too imprecise ways, from its rich ethnic and cultural diversity (e.g., Levinson to allow unambiguous comparisons. It would have been better 1998) to its extensive pristine forest cover (ca. 18.39 million ha, to provide a drawing showing exactly how ventral scales should thus about 85% of the country; Bholanath et al. 2012) and still— be counted (e.g., following the method of Dowling 1951). but for how long?—well-preserved biodiversity. Some text is added to provide the reference(s) on which a spe- Prior to the publication of Amphibians and Reptiles of Guy- cific identification key section is based, occasionally to provide ana there was no book or field guide treating the herpetological additional helpful advice to the reader. The Key section proved to diversity of Guyana as a whole. The very few existing compendia be helpful, we only found a few mistakes or weak points in that merely covered amphibians from restricted areas, e.g., Kaieteur part of the book: National Park (Kok and Kalamandeen 2008) and Mount Ayan- Key step 6 (p. 332): the possession of “conspicuous toad-like ganna (MacCulloch and Lathrop 2009). The opus by Cole et al. parotoid glands” leads to Atelopus spumarius, which lacks such is, therefore, a long-awaited handbook, not only for researchers glands. working in Guyana, but also for naturalists interested in the re- Key step 21a (p. 335): the possession of a “translucent to gion, as well as locals interested in their herpetofauna. Because transparent belly skin in adults” leads to Centrolenidae or Al- the authors have all been working on the herpetofauna of Guy- lophrynidae, while this character is also shared with Hypsiboas ana for a long time (sometimes decades), we started reading Am- cinerascens (Spix, 1824) and H. ornatissimus (Noble, 1923), which phibians and Reptiles of Guyana with great expectations. We are are in Hylidae. An additional step should have been added here pleased that they were satisfactorily met. to avoid confusion. Although Amphibians and Reptiles of Guyana can be ob- Key step 19 (p. 343), step 3 (p. 346) and step 9 (p. 347): maxi- tained as a paperback book, it actually is a long article published mum body length of adult frogs. This is obviously a useless char- in Volume 125(4) of the Proceedings of the Biological Society of acter when only a juvenile is at hand, and this proved to be a Washington.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Modeling and Partitioning the Nucleotide Evolutionary Process for Phylogenetic and Comparative Genomic Inference
    University of Central Florida STARS Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 2007 Modeling And Partitioning The Nucleotide Evolutionary Process For Phylogenetic And Comparative Genomic Inference Todd Castoe University of Central Florida Part of the Biology Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STARS Citation Castoe, Todd, "Modeling And Partitioning The Nucleotide Evolutionary Process For Phylogenetic And Comparative Genomic Inference" (2007). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019. 3111. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/3111 MODELING AND PARTITIONING THE NUCLEOTIDE EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS FOR PHYLOGENETIC AND COMPARATIVE GENOMIC INFERENCE by TODD A. CASTOE B.S. SUNY – College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 1999 M.S. The University of Texas at Arlington, 2001 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Biomolecular Sciences in the Burnett College of Biomedical Sciences at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Spring Term 2007 Major Professor: Christopher L. Parkinson © 2007 Todd A. Castoe ii ABSTRACT The transformation of genomic data into functionally relevant information about the composition of biological systems hinges critically on the field of computational genome biology, at the core of which lies comparative genomics. The aim of comparative genomics is to extract meaningful functional information from the differences and similarities observed across genomes of different organisms.
    [Show full text]
  • Reproductive Behavior and Development in Spilotes Sulphureus (Serpentes: Colubridae) from Ecuador
    Phyllomedusa 17(1):113–126, 2018 © 2018 Universidade de São Paulo - ESALQ ISSN 1519-1397 (print) / ISSN 2316-9079 (online) doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.11606/issn.2316- 9079.v17i1p113-126 Reproductive behavior and development in Spilotes sulphureus (Serpentes: Colubridae) from Ecuador Jorge H. Valencia1 and Katty Garzon-Tello1,2 1 Fundación Herpetológica Gustavo Orcés, Av. Amazonas 3008 y Rumipamba, Casilla 1703448, Quito, Ecuador. E-mail: [email protected]. 2 Vivarium de Quito, Av. Amazonas 3008 y Rumipamba, Casilla 1703448, Quito, Ecuador. E-mail: [email protected]. Abstract Reproductive behavior and development in Spilotes sulphureus (Serpentes: Colu bridae) from Ecuador. The Birdsnake Spilotes sulphureus is a large-sized species that occurs from the Amazon region to the Atlantic forest of South America. Despite the wide distribution little is known about its natural history. Here we report, for the frst time, reproductive behavior displayed by this species observed in a pair of Ecuadorian specimens in captivity. A ritualized pre-copulatory behavior followed a colubrine pattern similar to the congeneric species Spilotes pullatus. The repertoire included chin-rubbing, continuous tongue ficking, head raising, body jerking, cloacal gaping, and partial mounting. Oviposition occurred 86–98 days after of the frst copulation. Females lay clutches of 7–14 eggs. Juvenile coloration is remarkably different from adults. Newborns have a dorsum with transverse brown or gray bands, and white or pale gray interspaces; young of 1–2 years have green bands and yellow-green interspaces; adults have dark green bands. Ontogenetic color changes are presumably associated with antipredator strategies, change in size, vulnerability or habitat and microhabitat selection.
    [Show full text]
  • Amazophrynella Minuta (Amphibia: Anura: Bufonidae) Da Região Amazônica
    UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO AMAZONAS-UFAM INSTITUTO DE CIÊNCIAS BIOLÓGICAS-ICB PROGRAMA DE PÓS GRADUAÇÃO EM DIVERSIDADE BIOLÓGICA - PPGDIVBIO Revisão taxonômica e distribuição geográfica do complexo Amazophrynella minuta (Amphibia: Anura: Bufonidae) da região Amazônica ROMMEL ROBERTO ROJAS ZAMORA Manaus- Amazonas Março - 2014 1 UNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DO AMAZONAS-UFAM INSTITUTO DE CIÊNCIAS BIOLÓGICAS-ICB PROGRAMA DE PÓS GRADUAÇÃO EM DIVERSIDADE BIOLÓGICA - PPGDIVBIO Revisão taxonômica e distribuição geográfica do complexo Amazophrynella minuta (Amphibia: Anura: Bufonidae) da região Amazônica ROMMEL ROBERTO ROJAS ZAMORA Orientador: Prof. Dr. TOMAS HRBEK Co-Orientador: Prof. Dr. MARCELO GORDO Dissertação apresentada à . Coordenação do Programa de Pós-Graduação em Diversidade Biológica, Universidade Federal do Amazonas, como requisito parcial para obtenção do título de mestre em Diversidade Biológica Manaus - Amazonas Março - 2014 2 Ficha Catalográfica (Catalogação realizada pela Biblioteca Central da UFAM) Rojas Zamora, Rommel Roberto Revisão taxonômica e distribuição geográfica do complexo R741r Amazophrynella minuta (Amphibia: Anura: Bufonidae) da região Amazônica / Rommel Roberto Rojas Zamora. - 2014. 83 f. : il. color. ; 31 cm. Dissertação (mestre em Diversidade Biológica) –– Universidade Federal do Amazonas. Orientador: Prof. Dr. Tomas Hrbek. Co-orientador: Prof. Dr. Marcelo Gordo. 1. Anuro – Classificação - Amazônia 2. Anfíbio – Classificação – Amazônia 3. Bufo – Classificação – Amazônia 4. Anuro – Criação 5. Anfíbio – Criação 6. Bufo – Criação I. Hrbek, Tomas, orientador II. Gordo, Marcelo, orientador III. Universidade Federal do Amazonas IV. Título CDU (2007): 597.8(811)(043.3) iii 3 Poucas vezes são as ocasiões onde um filho tem a oportunidade de agradecer o esforço do seus pais; esta é uma de elas. Dedico esta teses aos meus queridos Pais (Elvira e Roberto) por cuidar com empenho sua prole.
    [Show full text]
  • 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]
  • De Los Reptiles Del Yasuní
    guía dinámica de los reptiles del yasuní omar torres coordinador editorial Lista de especies Número de especies: 113 Amphisbaenia Amphisbaenidae Amphisbaena bassleri, Culebras ciegas Squamata: Serpentes Boidae Boa constrictor, Boas matacaballo Corallus hortulanus, Boas de los jardines Epicrates cenchria, Boas arcoiris Eunectes murinus, Anacondas Colubridae: Dipsadinae Atractus major, Culebras tierreras cafés Atractus collaris, Culebras tierreras de collares Atractus elaps, Falsas corales tierreras Atractus occipitoalbus, Culebras tierreras grises Atractus snethlageae, Culebras tierreras Clelia clelia, Chontas Dipsas catesbyi, Culebras caracoleras de Catesby Dipsas indica, Culebras caracoleras neotropicales Drepanoides anomalus, Culebras hoz Erythrolamprus reginae, Culebras terrestres reales Erythrolamprus typhlus, Culebras terrestres ciegas Erythrolamprus guentheri, Falsas corales de nuca rosa Helicops angulatus, Culebras de agua anguladas Helicops pastazae, Culebras de agua de Pastaza Helicops leopardinus, Culebras de agua leopardo Helicops petersi, Culebras de agua de Peters Hydrops triangularis, Culebras de agua triángulo Hydrops martii, Culebras de agua amazónicas Imantodes lentiferus, Cordoncillos del Amazonas Imantodes cenchoa, Cordoncillos comunes Leptodeira annulata, Serpientes ojos de gato anilladas Oxyrhopus petolarius, Falsas corales amazónicas Oxyrhopus melanogenys, Falsas corales oscuras Oxyrhopus vanidicus, Falsas corales Philodryas argentea, Serpientes liana verdes de banda plateada Philodryas viridissima, Serpientes corredoras
    [Show full text]
  • Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 123 (2018) 59–72
    Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 123 (2018) 59–72 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ympev Phylogenetic relationships and cryptic species diversity in the Brazilian egg- T brooding tree frog, genus Fritziana Mello-Leitão 1937 (Anura: Hemiphractidae) ⁎ Marina Walker1, , Mariana L. Lyra1, Célio F.B. Haddad Universidade Estadual Paulista, Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Zoologia and Centro de Aquicultura (CAUNESP), Campus Rio Claro, Av. 24A,No 1515, Bela Vista, CEP 13506-900 Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords: The genus Fritziana (Anura: Hemiphractidae) comprises six described species (F. goeldii, F. ohausi, F. fissilis, F. Egg-brooding frogs ulei, F. tonimi, and F. izecksohni) that are endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Although the genus has been Molecular phylogeny the subject of studies dealing with its taxonomy, phylogeny, and systematics, there is considerable evidence for Brazilian Atlantic Forest cryptic diversity hidden among the species. The present study aims to understand the genetic diversity and Species diversity phylogenetic relationships among the species of Fritziana, as well as the relationships among populations within New candidate species species. We analyzed 107 individuals throughout the distribution of the genus using three mitochondrial gene Mitochondrial gene rearrangements fragments (12S, 16S, and COI) and two nuclear genes (RAG1 and SLC8A3). Our data indicated that the species diversity in the genus Fritziana is underestimated by the existence of at least three candidate species hidden amongst the group of species with a closed dorsal pouch (i.e. F. fissilis and F. ulei). We also found four species presenting geographical population structures and high genetic diversity, and thus require further investigations.
    [Show full text]
  • Aberrant Colourations in Wild Snakes: Case Study in Neotropical Taxa and a Review of Terminology
    SALAMANDRA 57(1): 124–138 Claudio Borteiro et al. SALAMANDRA 15 February 2021 ISSN 0036–3375 German Journal of Herpetology Aberrant colourations in wild snakes: case study in Neotropical taxa and a review of terminology Claudio Borteiro1, Arthur Diesel Abegg2,3, Fabrício Hirouki Oda4, Darío Cardozo5, Francisco Kolenc1, Ignacio Etchandy6, Irasema Bisaiz6, Carlos Prigioni1 & Diego Baldo5 1) Sección Herpetología, Museo Nacional de Historia Natural, Miguelete 1825, Montevideo 11800, Uruguay 2) Instituto Butantan, Laboratório Especial de Coleções Zoológicas, Avenida Vital Brasil, 1500, Butantã, CEP 05503-900 São Paulo, SP, Brazil 3) Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Zoologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia, Travessa 14, Rua do Matão, 321, Cidade Universitária, 05508-090, São Paulo, SP, Brazil 4) Universidade Regional do Cariri, Departamento de Química Biológica, Programa de Pós-graduação em Bioprospecção Molecular, Rua Coronel Antônio Luiz 1161, Pimenta, Crato, Ceará 63105-000, CE, Brazil 5) Laboratorio de Genética Evolutiva, Instituto de Biología Subtropical (CONICET-UNaM), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Químicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Misiones, Felix de Azara 1552, CP 3300, Posadas, Misiones, Argentina 6) Alternatus Uruguay, Ruta 37, km 1.4, Piriápolis, Uruguay Corresponding author: Claudio Borteiro, e-mail: [email protected] Manuscript received: 2 April 2020 Accepted: 18 August 2020 by Arne Schulze Abstract. The criteria used by previous authors to define colour aberrancies of snakes, particularly albinism, are varied and terms have widely been used ambiguously. The aim of this work was to review genetically based aberrant colour morphs of wild Neotropical snakes and associated terminology. We compiled a total of 115 cases of conspicuous defective expressions of pigmentations in snakes, including melanin (black/brown colour), xanthins (yellow), and erythrins (red), which in- volved 47 species of Aniliidae, Boidae, Colubridae, Elapidae, Leptotyphlopidae, Typhlopidae, and Viperidae.
    [Show full text]
  • Amazon Alive: a Decade of Discoveries 1999-2009
    Amazon Alive! A decade of discovery 1999-2009 The Amazon is the planet’s largest rainforest and river basin. It supports countless thousands of species, as well as 30 million people. © Brent Stirton / Getty Images / WWF-UK © Brent Stirton / Getty Images The Amazon is the largest rainforest on Earth. It’s famed for its unrivalled biological diversity, with wildlife that includes jaguars, river dolphins, manatees, giant otters, capybaras, harpy eagles, anacondas and piranhas. The many unique habitats in this globally significant region conceal a wealth of hidden species, which scientists continue to discover at an incredible rate. Between 1999 and 2009, at least 1,200 new species of plants and vertebrates have been discovered in the Amazon biome (see page 6 for a map showing the extent of the region that this spans). The new species include 637 plants, 257 fish, 216 amphibians, 55 reptiles, 16 birds and 39 mammals. In addition, thousands of new invertebrate species have been uncovered. Owing to the sheer number of the latter, these are not covered in detail by this report. This report has tried to be comprehensive in its listing of new plants and vertebrates described from the Amazon biome in the last decade. But for the largest groups of life on Earth, such as invertebrates, such lists do not exist – so the number of new species presented here is no doubt an underestimate. Cover image: Ranitomeya benedicta, new poison frog species © Evan Twomey amazon alive! i a decade of discovery 1999-2009 1 Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary, Foreword Convention on Biological Diversity The vital importance of the Amazon rainforest is very basic work on the natural history of the well known.
    [Show full text]
  • Etar a Área De Distribuição Geográfica De Anfíbios Na Amazônia
    Universidade Federal do Amapá Pró-Reitoria de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Tropical Mestrado e Doutorado UNIFAP / EMBRAPA-AP / IEPA / CI-Brasil YURI BRENO DA SILVA E SILVA COMO A EXPANSÃO DE HIDRELÉTRICAS, PERDA FLORESTAL E MUDANÇAS CLIMÁTICAS AMEAÇAM A ÁREA DE DISTRIBUIÇÃO DE ANFÍBIOS NA AMAZÔNIA BRASILEIRA MACAPÁ, AP 2017 YURI BRENO DA SILVA E SILVA COMO A EXPANSÃO DE HIDRE LÉTRICAS, PERDA FLORESTAL E MUDANÇAS CLIMÁTICAS AMEAÇAM A ÁREA DE DISTRIBUIÇÃO DE ANFÍBIOS NA AMAZÔNIA BRASILEIRA Dissertação apresentada ao Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Tropical (PPGBIO) da Universidade Federal do Amapá, como requisito parcial à obtenção do título de Mestre em Biodiversidade Tropical. Orientador: Dra. Fernanda Michalski Co-Orientador: Dr. Rafael Loyola MACAPÁ, AP 2017 YURI BRENO DA SILVA E SILVA COMO A EXPANSÃO DE HIDRELÉTRICAS, PERDA FLORESTAL E MUDANÇAS CLIMÁTICAS AMEAÇAM A ÁREA DE DISTRIBUIÇÃO DE ANFÍBIOS NA AMAZÔNIA BRASILEIRA _________________________________________ Dra. Fernanda Michalski Universidade Federal do Amapá (UNIFAP) _________________________________________ Dr. Rafael Loyola Universidade Federal de Goiás (UFG) ____________________________________________ Alexandro Cezar Florentino Universidade Federal do Amapá (UNIFAP) ____________________________________________ Admilson Moreira Torres Instituto de Pesquisas Científicas e Tecnológicas do Estado do Amapá (IEPA) Aprovada em de de , Macapá, AP, Brasil À minha família, meus amigos, meu amor e ao meu pequeno Sebastião. AGRADECIMENTOS Agradeço a CAPES pela conceção de uma bolsa durante os dois anos de mestrado, ao Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Tropical (PPGBio) pelo apoio logístico durante a pesquisa realizada. Obrigado aos professores do PPGBio por todo o conhecimento compartilhado. Agradeço aos Doutores, membros da banca avaliadora, pelas críticas e contribuições construtivas ao trabalho.
    [Show full text]
  • Check List 8(2): 207-210, 2012 © 2012 Check List and Authors Chec List ISSN 1809-127X (Available at Journal of Species Lists and Distribution
    Check List 8(2): 207-210, 2012 © 2012 Check List and Authors Chec List ISSN 1809-127X (available at www.checklist.org.br) Journal of species lists and distribution Amphibians and Reptiles from Paramakatoi and Kato, PECIES S Guyana OF ISTS 1* 2 L Ross D. MacCulloch and Robert P. Reynolds 1 Royal Ontario Museum, Department of Natural History. 100 Queen’s Park, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2C6, Canada. 2 National Museum of Natural History, USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, MRC 111, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012, USA. * Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected] Abstract: We report the herpetofauna of two neighboring upland locations in west-central Guyana. Twenty amphibian and 24 reptile species were collected. Only 40% of amphibians and 12.5% of reptiles were collected in both locations. This is one of the few collections made at upland (750–800 m) locations in the Guiana Shield. Introduction palm stands (Maurita flexuosa) (Hollowell et al. 2003). The Guiana Shield region of northeastern South America Immediately west of Kato is the nearby Chiung River, is one of the world’s areas of greatest biodiversity. The a rocky-bottomed watercourse about 50 m wide with herpetofauna of the region remains poorly documented, numerous small falls and a distinct riparian zone. Many although there have been several general publications small agricultural clearings, in typical rotating “slash and on the subject (Starace 1998; Gorzula and Señaris 1999; burn” fashion, are common around Kato in the areas where Lescure and Marty 2000; Reynolds et al. 2001; Avila- savanna transitions to forest.
    [Show full text]
  • A Single Specimen Reveals Multiple New Aspects of Diet and Distribution of Snakes
    Herpetology Notes, volume 14: 385-390 (2021) (published online on 15 February 2021) A Matryoshka of scales: a single specimen reveals multiple new aspects of diet and distribution of snakes Thaís B. Guedes1 Snakes comprise approximately 3,800 species et al., 2013). Much of what is known about the diet (Uetz and Hošek, 2020), all of which are carnivorous, of C. plumbea is based on the analysis of gut contents consuming an enormous variety of prey types captured of preserved specimens (Cunha and Nascimento, by active foraging or ambush methods (Greene, 1978; Gaiarsa et al., 2013), with two reports about 1997; Grundler 2020). Despite recent advances, prey ingestion position being head-first (Teixeira and detailed information on feeding ecology is still scarce, Vrcibradic, 2003; Drummond et al., 2010). particularly for many species of the rich snake fauna Here we report four interesting findings that came of the Neotropics (e.g., Marques and Sazima, 1997; from the examination of a single specimen of Clelia Hartmann and Marques, 2005; Gaiarsa et al., 2013; plumbea housed in a scientific collection: (1) two new Roberto and Souza, 2020). The frequency of prey items records of prey items for C. plumbea; (2) an unusual found in the stomachs of specimens collected or housed food item found in the stomach of the Yellow-bellied in scientific collections is low (e.g., Vitt and Vangilder, Puffing-snake (Spilotes sulphureus) eaten by the C. 1983; Marques and Sazima, 1997) and the observation plumbea; (3) the second record of C. plumbea in the of a predation event in the field is rare and unpredictable state of Maranhão; and (4) the second record of S.
    [Show full text]
  • Description of a New Flat Gecko (Squamata: Gekkonidae: Afroedura) from Mount Gorongosa, Mozambique
    See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320043814 Description of a new flat gecko (Squamata: Gekkonidae: Afroedura) from Mount Gorongosa, Mozambique Article in Zootaxa · September 2017 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4324.1.8 CITATIONS READS 2 531 8 authors, including: William R Branch Jennifer Anna Guyton Nelson Mandela University Princeton University 250 PUBLICATIONS 4,231 CITATIONS 7 PUBLICATIONS 164 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE Andreas Schmitz Michael Barej Natural History Museum of Geneva Museum für Naturkunde - Leibniz Institute for Research on Evolution and Biodiver… 151 PUBLICATIONS 2,701 CITATIONS 38 PUBLICATIONS 274 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE SEE PROFILE Some of the authors of this publication are also working on these related projects: Monitoring and Managing Biodiversity Loss in South-East Africa's Montane Ecosystems View project Ad hoc herpetofauna observations View project All content following this page was uploaded by Jennifer Anna Guyton on 27 September 2017. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. Zootaxa 4324 (1): 142–160 ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) http://www.mapress.com/j/zt/ Article ZOOTAXA Copyright © 2017 Magnolia Press ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition) https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4324.1.8 http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:B4FF9A5F-94A7-4E75-9EC8-B3C382A9128C Description of a new flat gecko (Squamata: Gekkonidae: Afroedura) from Mount Gorongosa, Mozambique WILLIAM R. BRANCH1,2,13, JENNIFER A. GUYTON3, ANDREAS SCHMITZ4, MICHAEL F. BAREJ5, PIOTR NASKRECKI6,7, HARITH FAROOQ8,9,10,11, LUKE VERBURGT12 & MARK-OLIVER RÖDEL5 1Port Elizabeth Museum, P.O. Box 13147, Humewood 6013, South Africa 2Research Associate, Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, P.O.
    [Show full text]