The Biology of Chameleons
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
Extreme Miniaturization of a New Amniote Vertebrate and Insights Into the Evolution of Genital Size in Chameleons
www.nature.com/scientificreports OPEN Extreme miniaturization of a new amniote vertebrate and insights into the evolution of genital size in chameleons Frank Glaw1*, Jörn Köhler2, Oliver Hawlitschek3, Fanomezana M. Ratsoavina4, Andolalao Rakotoarison4, Mark D. Scherz5 & Miguel Vences6 Evolutionary reduction of adult body size (miniaturization) has profound consequences for organismal biology and is an important subject of evolutionary research. Based on two individuals we describe a new, extremely miniaturized chameleon, which may be the world’s smallest reptile species. The male holotype of Brookesia nana sp. nov. has a snout–vent length of 13.5 mm (total length 21.6 mm) and has large, apparently fully developed hemipenes, making it apparently the smallest mature male amniote ever recorded. The female paratype measures 19.2 mm snout–vent length (total length 28.9 mm) and a micro-CT scan revealed developing eggs in the body cavity, likewise indicating sexual maturity. The new chameleon is only known from a degraded montane rainforest in northern Madagascar and might be threatened by extinction. Molecular phylogenetic analyses place it as sister to B. karchei, the largest species in the clade of miniaturized Brookesia species, for which we resurrect Evoluticauda Angel, 1942 as subgenus name. The genetic divergence of B. nana sp. nov. is rather strong (9.9‒14.9% to all other Evoluticauda species in the 16S rRNA gene). A comparative study of genital length in Malagasy chameleons revealed a tendency for the smallest chameleons to have the relatively largest hemipenes, which might be a consequence of a reversed sexual size dimorphism with males substantially smaller than females in the smallest species. -
New Data on the Distribution and Population Density of the African Chameleon Chamaeleo Africanus and the Common Chameleon Chamae
VOL. 2015., No.1, Str. 36- 43 Original Scientific Paper Hyla Dimaki et al. 2015 ISSN: 1848-2007 New data on the distribution and population density of the African Chameleon, Chamaeleo africanus and the Common Chameleon, Chamaeleo chamaeleon in Greece Novi podatci o distribuciji i populacijskoj gustoći afričkog kamelenona, Chamaeleo africanus i običnog kameleona, Chamaeleo chamaeleo u Grčkoj 1 2 3 4 MARIA DIMAKI *, BASIL CHONDROPOULOS , ANASTASIOS LEGAKIS , EFSTRATIOS VALAKOS , MARIOS 1 VERGETOPOULOS 1Goulandris Natural History Museum, 100 Othonos St., 145 62 Kifissia, Greece, [email protected] 2Section of Animal Biology, Dept. of Biology, Univ. of Patra, Greece. 3Zoological Museum, Dept. of Biology, Univ. of Athens, Greece. 4Section of Animal & Human Physiology, Dept. of Biology, Univ. of Athens, Greece. Abstract New data on the distribution and the population density of the Common Chameleon Chamaeleo chamaeleon (Linnaeus, 1758) and the African Chameleon Chamaeleo africanus Laurenti, 1768 are reported from Greece. The data for the Common Chameleon was collected from Samos Island (Aegean Sea) and for the African Chameleon from the SW Peloponnese. The period of the data collection is from 1998 till 2014. The African Chameleon is an allochthonous species for Greece and its presence in the area of Gialova Pylos is likely due to its introduction in historical times, because chameleons were often used in the past as pets by people and kings (Bodson, 1984). Some months ago a new population of the Common Chameleon was discovered in Attica. The distribution of the African Chameleon has expanded in the western Peloponnese with at least two new populations. This expansion is due to the local translocation of the species by humans. -
Freshwater Fishes
WESTERN CAPE PROVINCE state oF BIODIVERSITY 2007 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1 Introduction 2 Chapter 2 Methods 17 Chapter 3 Freshwater fishes 18 Chapter 4 Amphibians 36 Chapter 5 Reptiles 55 Chapter 6 Mammals 75 Chapter 7 Avifauna 89 Chapter 8 Flora & Vegetation 112 Chapter 9 Land and Protected Areas 139 Chapter 10 Status of River Health 159 Cover page photographs by Andrew Turner (CapeNature), Roger Bills (SAIAB) & Wicus Leeuwner. ISBN 978-0-620-39289-1 SCIENTIFIC SERVICES 2 Western Cape Province State of Biodiversity 2007 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Andrew Turner [email protected] 1 “We live at a historic moment, a time in which the world’s biological diversity is being rapidly destroyed. The present geological period has more species than any other, yet the current rate of extinction of species is greater now than at any time in the past. Ecosystems and communities are being degraded and destroyed, and species are being driven to extinction. The species that persist are losing genetic variation as the number of individuals in populations shrinks, unique populations and subspecies are destroyed, and remaining populations become increasingly isolated from one another. The cause of this loss of biological diversity at all levels is the range of human activity that alters and destroys natural habitats to suit human needs.” (Primack, 2002). CapeNature launched its State of Biodiversity Programme (SoBP) to assess and monitor the state of biodiversity in the Western Cape in 1999. This programme delivered its first report in 2002 and these reports are updated every five years. The current report (2007) reports on the changes to the state of vertebrate biodiversity and land under conservation usage. -
PRAVILNIK O PREKOGRANIĈNOM PROMETU I TRGOVINI ZAŠTIĆENIM VRSTAMA ("Sl
PRAVILNIK O PREKOGRANIĈNOM PROMETU I TRGOVINI ZAŠTIĆENIM VRSTAMA ("Sl. glasnik RS", br. 99/2009 i 6/2014) I OSNOVNE ODREDBE Ĉlan 1 Ovim pravilnikom propisuju se: uslovi pod kojima se obavlja uvoz, izvoz, unos, iznos ili tranzit, trgovina i uzgoj ugroţenih i zaštićenih biljnih i ţivotinjskih divljih vrsta (u daljem tekstu: zaštićene vrste), njihovih delova i derivata; izdavanje dozvola i drugih akata (potvrde, sertifikati, mišljenja); dokumentacija koja se podnosi uz zahtev za izdavanje dozvola, sadrţina i izgled dozvole; spiskovi vrsta, njihovih delova i derivata koji podleţu izdavanju dozvola, odnosno drugih akata; vrste, njihovi delovi i derivati ĉiji je uvoz odnosno izvoz zabranjen, ograniĉen ili obustavljen; izuzeci od izdavanja dozvole; naĉin obeleţavanja ţivotinja ili pošiljki; naĉin sprovoĊenja nadzora i voĊenja evidencije i izrada izveštaja. Ĉlan 2 Izrazi upotrebljeni u ovom pravilniku imaju sledeće znaĉenje: 1) datum sticanja je datum kada je primerak uzet iz prirode, roĊen u zatoĉeništvu ili veštaĉki razmnoţen, ili ukoliko takav datum ne moţe biti dokazan, sledeći datum kojim se dokazuje prvo posedovanje primeraka; 2) deo je svaki deo ţivotinje, biljke ili gljive, nezavisno od toga da li je u sveţem, sirovom, osušenom ili preraĊenom stanju; 3) derivat je svaki preraĊeni deo ţivotinje, biljke, gljive ili telesna teĉnost. Derivati većinom nisu prepoznatljivi deo primerka od kojeg potiĉu; 4) država porekla je drţava u kojoj je primerak uzet iz prirode, roĊen i uzgojen u zatoĉeništvu ili veštaĉki razmnoţen; 5) druga generacija potomaka -
The Sclerotic Ring: Evolutionary Trends in Squamates
The sclerotic ring: Evolutionary trends in squamates by Jade Atkins A Thesis Submitted to Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, Nova Scotia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Applied Science July, 2014, Halifax Nova Scotia © Jade Atkins, 2014 Approved: Dr. Tamara Franz-Odendaal Supervisor Approved: Dr. Matthew Vickaryous External Examiner Approved: Dr. Tim Fedak Supervisory Committee Member Approved: Dr. Ron Russell Supervisory Committee Member Submitted: July 30, 2014 Dedication This thesis is dedicated to my family, friends, and mentors who helped me get to where I am today. Thank you. ! ii Table of Contents Title page ........................................................................................................................ i Dedication ...................................................................................................................... ii List of figures ................................................................................................................. v List of tables ................................................................................................................ vii Abstract .......................................................................................................................... x List of abbreviations and definitions ............................................................................ xi Acknowledgements .................................................................................................... -
Multi-National Conservation of Alligator Lizards
MULTI-NATIONAL CONSERVATION OF ALLIGATOR LIZARDS: APPLIED SOCIOECOLOGICAL LESSONS FROM A FLAGSHIP GROUP by ADAM G. CLAUSE (Under the Direction of John Maerz) ABSTRACT The Anthropocene is defined by unprecedented human influence on the biosphere. Integrative conservation recognizes this inextricable coupling of human and natural systems, and mobilizes multiple epistemologies to seek equitable, enduring solutions to complex socioecological issues. Although a central motivation of global conservation practice is to protect at-risk species, such organisms may be the subject of competing social perspectives that can impede robust interventions. Furthermore, imperiled species are often chronically understudied, which prevents the immediate application of data-driven quantitative modeling approaches in conservation decision making. Instead, real-world management goals are regularly prioritized on the basis of expert opinion. Here, I explore how an organismal natural history perspective, when grounded in a critique of established human judgements, can help resolve socioecological conflicts and contextualize perceived threats related to threatened species conservation and policy development. To achieve this, I leverage a multi-national system anchored by a diverse, enigmatic, and often endangered New World clade: alligator lizards. Using a threat analysis and status assessment, I show that one recent petition to list a California alligator lizard, Elgaria panamintina, under the US Endangered Species Act often contradicts the best available science. -
A Tarzan Yell for Conservation: a New Chameleon, Calumma Tarzan Sp
SALAMANDRA 46(3) 167–179 20 AugustCalumma 2010 tarzanISSN sp. 0036–3375 n. from Madagascar A Tarzan yell for conservation: a new chameleon, Calumma tarzan sp. n., proposed as a flagship species for the creation of new nature reserves in Madagascar Philip-Sebastian Gehring1, Maciej Pabijan1,6, Fanomezana M. Ratsoavina1,4,5, Jörn Köhler2, Miguel Vences1 & Frank Glaw3 1) Division of Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute, Technical University of Braunschweig, Spielmannstr. 8, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany 2) Department of Natural History – Zoology, Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt, Friedensplatz 1, 64283 Darmstadt, Germany 3) Zoologische Staatssammlung München, Münchhausenstr. 21, 81247 München, Germany 4) Département de Biologie Animale, Université d’Antananarivo, BP 906. Antananarivo, 101, Madagascar. 5) Grewcock´s Center for Conservation Research, Omaha´s Henry Doorly Zoo, 3701 South 10th Street, Omaha, NE 68107-2200, U.S.A. 6) Department of Comparative Anatomy, Institute of Zoology, Jagiellonian University, ul. Ingardena 6, 30-060 Kraków, Poland Corresponding author: Philip-Sebastian Gehring, e-mail: [email protected] Manuscript received: 23 June 2010 Abstract. We describe Calumma tarzan sp. n., a morphologically distinct chameleon species of the Calumma furcifer spe- cies group from rainforest fragments in the Anosibe An’Ala region of central eastern Madagascar. Males and females of this species differ from all other species of theCalumma furcifer group by its rostral crests, which are fused anteriorly to form a spade-like ridge that slightly projects beyond the snout tip (less than 1 mm), by a unique stress colouration with a pattern of bright yellow and green, and by significant genetic divergence as assessed by an analysis of sequences of a fragment of the mitochondrial ND4 gene. -
Volume 2. Animals
AC20 Doc. 8.5 Annex (English only/Seulement en anglais/Únicamente en inglés) REVIEW OF SIGNIFICANT TRADE ANALYSIS OF TRADE TRENDS WITH NOTES ON THE CONSERVATION STATUS OF SELECTED SPECIES Volume 2. Animals Prepared for the CITES Animals Committee, CITES Secretariat by the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre JANUARY 2004 AC20 Doc. 8.5 – p. 3 Prepared and produced by: UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre, Cambridge, UK UNEP WORLD CONSERVATION MONITORING CENTRE (UNEP-WCMC) www.unep-wcmc.org The UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre is the biodiversity assessment and policy implementation arm of the United Nations Environment Programme, the world’s foremost intergovernmental environmental organisation. UNEP-WCMC aims to help decision-makers recognise the value of biodiversity to people everywhere, and to apply this knowledge to all that they do. The Centre’s challenge is to transform complex data into policy-relevant information, to build tools and systems for analysis and integration, and to support the needs of nations and the international community as they engage in joint programmes of action. UNEP-WCMC provides objective, scientifically rigorous products and services that include ecosystem assessments, support for implementation of environmental agreements, regional and global biodiversity information, research on threats and impacts, and development of future scenarios for the living world. Prepared for: The CITES Secretariat, Geneva A contribution to UNEP - The United Nations Environment Programme Printed by: UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DL, UK © Copyright: UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre/CITES Secretariat The contents of this report do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of UNEP or contributory organisations. -
Bradypodion Caeruleogula, Eshowe Dwarf Chameleon
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ ISSN 2307-8235 (online) IUCN 2008: T172551A110305774 Scope: Global Language: English Bradypodion caeruleogula, Eshowe Dwarf Chameleon Assessment by: Tolley, K. View on www.iucnredlist.org Citation: Tolley, K. 2017. Bradypodion caeruleogula. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T172551A110305774. http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T172551A110305774.en Copyright: © 2017 International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources Reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercial purposes is authorized without prior written permission from the copyright holder provided the source is fully acknowledged. Reproduction of this publication for resale, reposting or other commercial purposes is prohibited without prior written permission from the copyright holder. For further details see Terms of Use. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ is produced and managed by the IUCN Global Species Programme, the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) and The IUCN Red List Partnership. The IUCN Red List Partners are: Arizona State University; BirdLife International; Botanic Gardens Conservation International; Conservation International; NatureServe; Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Sapienza University of Rome; Texas A&M University; and Zoological Society of London. If you see any errors or have any questions or suggestions on what is shown in this document, please provide us with feedback so that we can correct or extend the information provided. THE IUCN RED LIST OF THREATENED SPECIES™ Taxonomy Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Animalia Chordata Reptilia Squamata Chamaeleonidae Taxon Name: Bradypodion caeruleogula Raw & Brothers, 2008 Common Name(s): • English: Eshowe Dwarf Chameleon, Dhlinza Dwarf Chameleon, uMlalazi Dwarf Chameleon Taxonomic Notes: Recently described from Dlinza Forest (Raw and Brothers 2008). -
Literature Cited in Lizards Natural History Database
Literature Cited in Lizards Natural History database Abdala, C. S., A. S. Quinteros, and R. E. Espinoza. 2008. Two new species of Liolaemus (Iguania: Liolaemidae) from the puna of northwestern Argentina. Herpetologica 64:458-471. Abdala, C. S., D. Baldo, R. A. Juárez, and R. E. Espinoza. 2016. The first parthenogenetic pleurodont Iguanian: a new all-female Liolaemus (Squamata: Liolaemidae) from western Argentina. Copeia 104:487-497. Abdala, C. S., J. C. Acosta, M. R. Cabrera, H. J. Villaviciencio, and J. Marinero. 2009. A new Andean Liolaemus of the L. montanus series (Squamata: Iguania: Liolaemidae) from western Argentina. South American Journal of Herpetology 4:91-102. Abdala, C. S., J. L. Acosta, J. C. Acosta, B. B. Alvarez, F. Arias, L. J. Avila, . S. M. Zalba. 2012. Categorización del estado de conservación de las lagartijas y anfisbenas de la República Argentina. Cuadernos de Herpetologia 26 (Suppl. 1):215-248. Abell, A. J. 1999. Male-female spacing patterns in the lizard, Sceloporus virgatus. Amphibia-Reptilia 20:185-194. Abts, M. L. 1987. Environment and variation in life history traits of the Chuckwalla, Sauromalus obesus. Ecological Monographs 57:215-232. Achaval, F., and A. Olmos. 2003. Anfibios y reptiles del Uruguay. Montevideo, Uruguay: Facultad de Ciencias. Achaval, F., and A. Olmos. 2007. Anfibio y reptiles del Uruguay, 3rd edn. Montevideo, Uruguay: Serie Fauna 1. Ackermann, T. 2006. Schreibers Glatkopfleguan Leiocephalus schreibersii. Munich, Germany: Natur und Tier. Ackley, J. W., P. J. Muelleman, R. E. Carter, R. W. Henderson, and R. Powell. 2009. A rapid assessment of herpetofaunal diversity in variously altered habitats on Dominica. -
Gross Trade in Appendix II FAUNA (Direct Trade Only), 1999-2010 (For
AC25 Inf. 5 (1) Gross trade in Appendix II FAUNA (direct trade only), 1999‐2010 (for selection process) N.B. Data from 2009 and 2010 are incomplete. Data extracted 1 April 2011 Phylum Class TaxOrder Family Taxon Term Unit 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Total CHORDATA MAMMALIA ARTIODACTYLA Bovidae Ammotragus lervia BOD 0 00001000102 CHORDATA MAMMALIA ARTIODACTYLA Bovidae Ammotragus lervia BON 0 00080000008 CHORDATA MAMMALIA ARTIODACTYLA Bovidae Ammotragus lervia HOR 0 00000110406 CHORDATA MAMMALIA ARTIODACTYLA Bovidae Ammotragus lervia LIV 0 00060000006 CHORDATA MAMMALIA ARTIODACTYLA Bovidae Ammotragus lervia SKI 1 11311000008 CHORDATA MAMMALIA ARTIODACTYLA Bovidae Ammotragus lervia SKP 0 00000010001 CHORDATA MAMMALIA ARTIODACTYLA Bovidae Ammotragus lervia SKU 2 052101000011 CHORDATA MAMMALIA ARTIODACTYLA Bovidae Ammotragus lervia TRO 15 42 49 43 46 46 27 27 14 37 26 372 CHORDATA MAMMALIA ARTIODACTYLA Bovidae Antilope cervicapra TRO 0 00000020002 CHORDATA MAMMALIA ARTIODACTYLA Bovidae Bison bison athabascae BOD 0 00100001002 CHORDATA MAMMALIA ARTIODACTYLA Bovidae Bison bison athabascae HOP 0 00200000002 CHORDATA MAMMALIA ARTIODACTYLA Bovidae Bison bison athabascae HOR 0 0010100120216 CHORDATA MAMMALIA ARTIODACTYLA Bovidae Bison bison athabascae LIV 0 0 5 14 0 0 0 30 0 0 0 49 CHORDATA MAMMALIA ARTIODACTYLA Bovidae Bison bison athabascae MEA KIL 0 5 27.22 0 0 272.16 1000 00001304.38 CHORDATA MAMMALIA ARTIODACTYLA Bovidae Bison bison athabascae MEA 0 00000000101 CHORDATA MAMMALIA ARTIODACTYLA Bovidae Bison bison athabascae -
Phylogenetic Nomenclature, Three-Taxon Statements, And
2011 POINTS OF VIEW 887 Downloaded from sysbio.oxfordjournals.org Syst. Biol. 60(6):887–892, 2011 Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Society of Systematic Biologists 2011. DOI:10.1093/sysbio/syr070 Advance Access publication on August 24, 2011 Phylogenetic Nomenclature, Three-Taxon Statements, and Unnecessary Name Changes by guest on October 18, 2011 1, 2 KEVIN DE QUEIROZ ∗ AND MICHAEL J. DONOGHUE 1Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560-0162, USA; and 2Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8106, USA; ∗Correspondence to be sent to: Division of Amphibians and Reptiles, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, PO Box 37012, NHB, W-200, MRC 162, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA; E-mail: [email protected]. Received 4 April 2011; reviews returned 13 June 2011; accepted 16 June 2011 Associate Editor: Frank E. Anderson Criticisms of phylogenetic nomenclature (see de Platnick’s argument involves a numerical comparison Queiroz and Gauthier 1994) and of the PhyloCode of the information content, as measured by implied (Cantino and de Queiroz 2010) have been addressed three-taxon statements (propositions about cladistic re- in the literature (e.g., de Queiroz 1997, 2006; Cantino lationships), of what he called “Linnaean classification” 2000; de Queiroz and Cantino 2001; Lee 2001; Bryant versus a “node-based system” (we place these terms in and Cantino 2002; Laurin et al. 2005; see http://www. quotation marks to indicate that they are misleading, as phylonames.org/ [literature/replies to critiques] for ad- will be explained below).