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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2023

Gopherus Agassizii (Mojave Desert Tortoise). nest depredation

Nest site selection is an important determinant of clutch success and hatchling sex ratios in Gopherus agassizii, Mojave Desert tortoises (Spotila et al. 1994. Herpetol. Monogr. 8:103-116). G. agassizii lay eggs in or near the entrance of their burrows (Ennen et al. 2012. Copeia 2012:222-228) and females of both G. agassizii and G. morafkai, may reduce egg predation risk by remaining at their burrows for days or weeks after oviposition, potentially protecting them from predators (Murray et al. 1996. Herpetological Natural History 4(1):83-88., Agha et al. 2013. Southwest. Nat. 58(2):254-257). Numerous species are known or suspected predators of desert tortoise eggs, including Vulpes macrotis (kit foxes), Spilogale gracilis (western spotted skunks), Mephitis mephitis (striped skunks), Taxidea taxus (badgers), Ammospermophilus leucurus (white-tailed antelope squirrels), Lynx rufus (bobcats), Canis latrans (coyotes), Masticophis flagellum (coachwhips), and Heloderma suspectum (Gila monsters) (Ernst & Lovich 2009. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 2:827). Here we report visitation and nest depredation at a Mojave Desert tortoise nest by multiple predators, and add a new documented species, the Urocyon cinereoargenteus (gray fox), to the list of known predators on desert tortoise eggs.

Herpetological Review↗
USGS2021

New amphibian and reptile parish records from Louisiana, USA

Dundee and Rossman (1989) published distribution maps of Louisiana herpetofaunal species in The Amphibians and Reptiles of Louisiana over 30 years ago. Since then many records have been published, mostly in Herpetological Review, documenting additions to these original maps. Though many are single species additions, several compilations of new Louisiana records have been published (Boundy 1994, 1998; 2004; Rosenzweig et al. 2007; Boundy and Gregory 2012; Battaglia et al. 2015). Here we report a total of 22 records that help to fill distributional gaps primarily in southern Louisiana. Most records are a result of targeted surveys during work projects or opportunistic encounters by the author. Those records where the author is not listed as an observer were submitted by others to the author via email. All records are photo vouchers deposited in the Florida Museum of Natural History (FMNH) Herpetology collection. Charles D. Battaglia of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) and Coleman Sheehy of the FMNH verified species identification. All records represent new parish records unless otherwise stated as determined by a list compiled by now-retired LDWF state herpetologist Jeff Boundy and through queries at VertNet.org. I thank Raymond P. Kidder for his assistance with querying VertNet.org.

Louisiana↗
USGS2016

Rediscovery of the 220-year-old holotype of the Banded Iguana, Brachylophus fasciatus (Brongniart, 1800) in the Paris Natural History Museum

The Paris Natural History Museum herpetological collection (MNHN-RA) has seven historical specimens of Brachylophus spp. collected late in the 18th and early in the 19th centuries. Brachylophus fasciatus was described in 1800 by Brongniart but its type was subsequently considered as lost and never present in MNHN-RA collections. We found that 220 year old holotype among existing collections, registered without any data, and we show that it was donated to MNHN-RA from Brongniart’s private collection after his death in 1847. It was registered in the catalogue of 1851 but without any data or reference to its type status. According to the coloration (uncommon midbody saddle-like dorsal banding pattern) and morphometric data given in its original description and in the subsequent examination of the type in 1802 by Daudin and in 1805 by Brongniart we found that lost holotype in the collections. Another MNHN-RA specimen has Horn Islands (Wallis and Futuna) as the collection location but we show that most of the collections given to MNHN-RA by its collector, Louis Arnoux, have mixed localities in the MNHN-RA catalogues. We thus conclude that the locality is wrong and that the species never inhabited those islands located west of Western Samoa and north-east of Fiji.

Zootaxa↗
USGS2016

Lithobates sylvaticus (wood frog)

A single specimen found southwest of Hattiesburg in Timberton (31.270391oN, 89.327675oW; WGS 84). 23 July 2015. Gary, Kat, and Ron Lukens. Verifi ed by Kenneth Krysko, Florida Museum of Natural History (UF-Herpetology 176455). This species has never been recorded from the state of Mississippi before (Dodd 2013. Frogs of the United States and Canada – Volume 2. John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland. 982 pp.). According to Dodd (2013), the closest population is located in east central Alabama, approximately 400 km to the northeast, as documented by Davis and Folkerts (1986. Brimleyana 12:29-50).

Mississippi↗
USGS2016

Agkistrodon piscivorus conanti (Florida cottonmouth) Diet

Agkistrodon piscivorus is a generalist predator that feeds on a variety of prey, including snakes (Gloyd and Conant 1990. Snakes of the Agkistrodon Complex: A Monographic Review. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Oxford, Ohio. 614 pp.; Lillywhite et al. 2002. Herpetol. Rev. 33:259–260; Hill and Beaupre 2008. Copeia 2008:105–114). Cemophora coccinea (Scarletsnake) is not known as one of the 26 species of snakes consumed by A. piscivorus (Ernst and Ernst 2011. Venomous Reptiles of the United States, Canada, and Northern Mexico: Volume 1. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland. 193 pp.). On 16 June 2015, at 2210 h, we found a dead-on-road A. piscivorus (total length [TL] = 51.0 cm) in Everglades National Park on Main Park Road, 1.88 km S Pa-hay-okee, Miami-Dade Co., Florida, USA (25.414085°N, 80.78183146°W, WGS84; elev. 3 m). The snake had been killed by a vehicle and some internal organs were exposed. Visible stomach contents included a small (TL ca. 15 cm) C. coccinea. Photographic vouchers of the A. piscivorus (UF-Herpetology 177194) and C. coccinea (UF-Herpetology 177195) were deposited in the Division of Herpetology, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida. Despite the fact that these species are sympatric over large areas of the southeastern United States, this is the first known documented predation of C. coccinea by A. piscivorus.

Herpetological Review↗
USGS2021

Gopherus polyphemus (Gopher Tortoise) adult mortality

Gopherus polyphemus has typically high adult survivorship, with some populations reaching a mean annual survivorship of 93.4% (Howell et al. 2019. J. Wildl. Manage. 84:56–65). Instances of adult mortality are not commonly reported outside of large mortality events, and most often result from disease, starvation, dehydration, or chronic stress (Gates et al. 2002. Florida Sci. 65:185– 197; Cozad et al. 2020. Front. Vet. Sci. 7:120). Adult G. polyphemus also have few natural predators, which include Canis familiaris (Domestic Dog), Canis latrans (Coyote), and Lynx rufus (Bobcat; Ashton and Ashton 2008. The Natural History and Management of the Gopher Tortoise—Gopherus polyphemus [Daudin]. Krieger Publishing Company, Malabar, Florida. 275 pp.).

Herpetological Review↗
USGS1987

Additions to the reptile fauna of Paraguay with notes on a small herpetological collection from Amambay

Specimens in a small collections of reptiles and amphibians from Parque Nacional Cerro Cora, Departamento Amambay, Paraguay are reported. Included are the first records of Bachia bresslaui, Phrynops gibbus, and Ololygon fuscomarginata for that country. Brief notes on morphology, distribution, and natural history of species collected are included. The systematic status of Phrynops tuberculatus vanderhaegei is evaluated.

Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment↗
USGS2017

Nocturnal arboreality in snakes in the swamplands of the Atchafalaya Basin of south-central Louisiana and Big Thicket National Preserve of Southeast Texas

The southeastern United States is home to a diverse assemblage of snakes, but only one species, the Rough Greensnake ( Opheodrys aestivus ), is considered specialized for a predominantly arboreal lifestyle. Other species, such as Ratsnakes (genus Pantherophis ) and Ribbonsnakes/Gartersnakes (genus Thamnophis ), are widely known to climb into vegetation and trees. Some explanations given for snake climbing behavior are foraging, thermoregulation, predator avoidance, and response to flood. Reports of arboreality in snake species typically not associated with life in the trees (such as terrestrial, aquatic, and even fossorial species) usually come from single observations, with no knowledge of prevalence of the behavior. Here, we report on arboreality of snake species detected during 8 years of night surveys in the Atchafalaya Basin of south-central Louisiana and 5+ years of night surveys in Big Thicket National Preserve in southeast Texas. We recorded a total of 1,088 detections of 19 snake species between the two study areas, with 348 detections above ground level (32%). The Rough Greensnake and Western Ribbonsnake ( Thamnophis proximus ) accounted for nearly 75% of total arboreal detections among the two study areas. However, with one exception, all snake species detected more than once between both study areas had at least one arboreal detection. These observations demonstrate that snakes with widely varying natural histories may be found in the trees at night, and for some species, this behavior may be more common than previously believed.

Louisiana, Texas↗
USGS2011

Boa constrictor (Boa constrictor): foraging behavior

Boa constrictor is often referred to as a sit-and-wait or ambush forager that chooses locations to maximize the likelihood of prey encounters (Greene 1983. In Janzen [ed.], Costa Rica Natural History, pp. 380-382. Univ. Chicago Press, Illinois). However, as more is learned about the natural history of snakes in general, the dichotomy between active versus ambush foraging is becoming blurred. Herein, we describe an instance of diurnal active foraging by a B. constrictor, illustrating that this species exhibits a range of foraging behaviors.

Herpetological Review↗