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The discovery of inconspicuous nests in secretive species not only expands knowledge but can reveal previously unknown behaviors and ecological consequences of those behaviors. Marbled salamanders exhibit the unusual strategy of laying their eggs terrestrially under cover. Here we report multiple occurrences of A. opacum nesting inside logs, which may be atypical for this species.
Python bivittatus is established in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem in southern Florida, USA. Documented predators on pythons in Florida include Alligator mississippiensis (American Alligator; Snow et al. 2006. Herpetol. Rev. 37:81–81), Drymarchon couperi (Gulf Coast Indigo Snake; Andreadis et al. 2018. Herpetol. Rev. 49:341–342), Lynx rufus (Bobcat; McCollister et al. 2021. Southeast. Nat. 20:N55–N59), and possibly Ursus americanus floridanus (Florida Black Bear; McCollister et al. 2021. op cit.). We documented mortality events of hatchling and juvenile P. bivittatus while conducting radiotelemetry studies in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem.
We found skeletal remains of fully digested Taricha granulosa in the stomach contents of 4 free-ranging, presumably healthy Strix varia (Barred Owl) collected from Roseburg, Oregon. This study recorded stomach contents from S. varia collected as part of a lethal removal experiment in localities near Cle Elum, Washington, Alsea, Oregon, and Roseburg, Oregon. In the stomach of one S. varia , we identified the remains of 14 individual T. granulosa .
Diamondback terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin) are distributed along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico (GoM) coasts of the U.S.A. (Hart et al. 2014. Conserv. Genet. DOI 10.1007/s10592-014-0563-6). Under consideration for listing in Florida and proposed for Appendix II listing by the U.S. at CoP16 (CITES), terrapin populations are declining in many parts of their range due to drowning in crab pots, road mortality, exploitation by the pet trade and habitat loss. The species has been divided into seven subspecies based on morphometric and geographic variations: M.t. terrapin, M.t. centrata, M.t. tequesta, M.t. rhizophorarum, M.t. macrospilota, M.t. pileata, and M.t. littoralis. (Ernst and Lovich 2009). Terrapins in the northern GoM are comprised primarily of the Mississippi (M.t. pileata) and ornate subspecies (M.t. macrospilota) which inhabit salt marshes across the region from approximately the Texas/Louisiana border to Naples, Florida.
STORERIA OCCIPITOMACULATA (Red-bellied Snake). USA: LOUISIANA: St. Mary Parish: Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge (29.69425N, 91.46701W; WGS 84). 18 August 2022. William C. Carroll and Aidan G. Phillips. Verified by Coleman M. Sheehy III. Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida (UF 193423; photo voucher). Adult photographed in leaf litter in a wet bottomland hardwood forest with a mixed composition of hardwood trees and Dwarf Palmetto (Sabal minor). New parish record (Dundee and Rossman 1989. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Louisiana. Louisiana State University Press, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 300 pp.). The snake was found 68.5 km to the east-southeast from the nearest other documented specimen in Vermilion Parish (UF 177730; Muse et al. 2016. Herpetol. Rev. 47:266). This record is the second documentation of S. occipitomaculata in a coastal Louisiana parish (Muse et al. 2016, op. cit.). These two recent findings challenge our previous understanding that this species is absent from coastal parishes (Boundy and Carr 2017. Amphibians & Reptiles of Louisiana: An Identification and Reference Guide. Louisiana State University Press, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 282 pp.). Storeria occipitomaculata is fossorial and can be difficult to locate, but these two recent records suggest additional populations may yet be discovered where suitable forested habitat exists along the coast.
Reported prey items of Crocodylus acutus include insects, crustaceans, fish, and large reptiles (Medem 1981. Los Crocodylia de Sur America. Volumen I. Los Crocodylia de Colombia. Colciencias. Bogota, Colombia. 398 pp.; Platt et al. 2002. Herpetol. Rev. 33:202–203; Platt et al. 2013. J. Herpetol. 47:1–10; Balaguera-Reina et al. 2018. Ecosphere 9:e02393). Recently, new potential prey items such as Ligia spp. (isopod), Python molurus bivittatus (Burmese Python), and Arius felis (Hardhead catfish) have also been documented in Florida, USA (Farris et al. 2015. Herpetol. Rev. 46:85–86; Godfrey et al. 2021. Herpetol. Rev. 52:641–642; Godfrey et al. 2022. Herpetol. Rev. 53:315–316). However, to our knowledge the toxic Sphoeroides spengleri (Bandtail Pufferfish) has not been reported in the diet of C. acutus; herein we report on the possibly lethal effects of a C. acutus from consumption of a pufferfish in south Florida.
No abstract available.
Hemidactylus turcicus is a native of western India, Somalia, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean region and is one of the most successful invasive species in the world (Kraus. 2009. Alien Reptiles and Amphibians: A Scientific Compendium and Analysis. Springer Verlag, Berlin. 563 pp.). Since its introduction into the USA via the Port of Miami, Florida, around 1915, the range of this gecko has increased to include much of southern North America from Virginia and Florida west to California (Meshaka et al. 2006. Herpetol. Conserv. Biol. 1:145–150). A summation of the helminth parasites of both introduced and native H. turcicus was provided by McAllister and Bursey (2016. Acta Parasitol. 61:576–584). Here, we document a new host record for a tapeworm parasite of an introduced H. turcicus.
No abstract available.
Between 19 – 30 May 2018, one of us [AW] discovered a disjunct population of Peninsula leaf-toed geckos, Phyllodactylus nocticolus (Phyllodactylidae) on the northern edge of the Coachella Valley in the Little San Bernardino Mountains of the Transverse Ranges (Fig. 1a). The previously northernmost location for the species is Tahquitz Canyon, Riverside Co. (MVZ 212205) in the Peninsular Ranges 20 km to the south. Southern California has many herp enthusiasts and it is possible that this population is of anthropogenic origin through accidental or misguided purposeful introduction. The apparent barrier to dispersal suggests that, if of natural origin, the dispersal may have occurred at a time when the aeolian sand barrier was less severe. Thus, if this newly discovered population is of natural origin, we expect the genetic data of the disjunct Transverse Ranges population to differ from that of any population sampled in the Peninsular Ranges. Herein we describe this newly discovered population of P. nocticolus, we analyze genetic diversity from the new population, and we compare it with genetic data gathered from populations of P. nocticolus throughout southern California to help determine if this isolated gecko population was of natural dispersal or the result of human intervention. This is particularly noteworthy given the apparent strength of the Coachella Valley’s sand fields as a barrier to dispersal of highly saxicolous lizard faunas.
Recent efforts to eradicate the invasive Argentine Giant Tegu ( Salvator merianae ) has led to the discovery of several county records of this introduced lizard as well as several other potentially invasive amphibian and reptile species in the state of Georgia, USA. New records were determined using a database of county records maintained by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. All specimens and photographic records are stored at the Georgia Southern University – Savannah Science Museum Herpetology Collection (GSU) and were collected under the Georgia scientific collection permit number 1000545737 and IACUC permit number I18020 and I21010. All coordinates are presented in WGS 84. We report 14 new county records consisting of two anurans and 11 squamates in Georgia.
No abstract available.
The spread of disease-causing pathogens is a major threat to amphibians and reptiles worldwide (Converse and Greene 2005; Picco et al. 2007; Picco and Collins 2008; St-Amour et al. 2008; O’Hanlon et al. 2018; Scheele et al. 2019). The World Organisation for Animal Health’s global list of notifiable animal diseases includes herpetofaunal diseases caused by infection with Ranavirus spp. (RV) and two chytrid fungi, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) and B. salamandrivorans (Bsal; WOAH 2023). Scientists began testing the efficacy of disinfection protocols even before human-assisted transmission of these pathogens was documented (Johnson et al. 2003; Johnson and Speare 2003; Brem et al. 2007; Bryan et al. 2009), and now guidance exists to determine the appropriate biosecurity measures as personal gear moves between habitats, construction equipment moves between project areas, and investigators handle multiple animals within a population (Phillot et al. 2010; Gray et al. 2017, 2018; Julian et al. 2020; Olson et al. 2021). People who are engaged in educational, recreational, commercial, or professional activities in wetlands and aquatic habitats play an important role in helping prevent the spread of pathogens and should know how and when to employ appropriate disinfecting procedures. In particular, working groups and regional chapters of Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC) have developed a variety of educational materials on biosecurity and disinfection for a wide audience (e.g., PARC 2023). Herein, we provide the instructions for the disinfection of field equipment that were recently revised by the Emerging Disease Working Group of Northeast PARC (NEPARC 2022). The impetus for revision was to inform field personnel of the use of a stronger bleach concentration (ca. 10× stronger) that is needed for effectiveness against Bsal (Van Rooij et al. 2017). This is important for regions where Bsal is currently known to occur (e.g., central Europe) as well as regions where it is presumed absent but could arrive at any time (e.g., North America)