Bringing you the recent scientific advancements in the field of Herpetology.
Episodes
Tuesday Dec 08, 2020
Tuesday Dec 08, 2020
This week’s episode is a bit jumbled as we focus on whether birds are using alligators to help protect nests. For the Species of the Bi-week we have a tiny tiny toad.
Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/herphighlights
FULL REFERENCE LIST AVAILABLE AT: herphighlights.podbean.com
Main Paper References:
Burtner BF, Frederick PC. 2017. Attraction of Nesting Wading Birds to Alligators (Alligator mississippiensis). Testing the ‘Nest Protector’ Hypothesis. Wetlands 37:697–704. DOI: 10.1007/s13157-017-0900-x.
Species of the Bi-Week:
Li S-Z, Liu J, Wei G, Wang B. 2020. A new species of the Asian leaf litter toad genus Leptobrachella (Amphibia, Anura, Megophryidae) from southwest China. ZooKeys 943:91–118. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.943.51572.
Other Links/Mentions:
Alligator eating ducks: https://bit.ly/36VyJZi
Alligators regrowing tails: https://bit.ly/3lXtz3k
Music:
Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson
Species Bi-week theme – Mike Mooney
Other Music – The Passion HiFi, www.thepassionhifi.com
Wednesday Nov 18, 2020
Wednesday Nov 18, 2020
Greater earless lizards use their tail for all manner of things - but how has this shaped its evolution? We delve into this mystery and find out how horny toads (the lizards) cope with life at hot and cold extremes. Our Species of the Bi-Week is a colourful new desert dweller.
Ross McGibbon's 2021 calendar: https://bit.ly/3f93mgp
Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/herphighlights
FULL REFERENCE LIST AVAILABLE AT: herphighlights.podbean.com
Main Paper References:
Gilbert, A. L., Brooks, O. L., & Lattanzio, M. S. (2020). Multiple behavioral contexts of a melanized tail display in a desert lizard. Ethology, 126(3), 333–343. https://doi.org/10.1111/eth.12975
Parlin, A. F., Schaeffer, P. J., & Jezkova, T. (2020). Modelling the effect of environmental temperatures, microhabitat and behavioural thermoregulation on predicted activity patterns in a desert lizard across its thermally diverse distribution. Journal of Biogeography, January, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.13936
Species of the Bi-Week:
Huamani-Valderrama, L., Quiroz, A., Gutiérrez, R., Aguilar-Kirigin, A., Huanca-Mamani, W., Valladares-Faundez, P., Cerdeña, J., Chaparro, J. C., Santa-Cruz, R., & Abdala, C. S. (2020). Some color in the desert: description of a new species of Liolaemus (Iguania : Liolaemidae) from southern Peru, and its conservation status. Amphibian & Reptile Conservation, 14(3), 1–30.
Other Mentioned Papers/Studies:
Outomuro, D., Söderquist, L., Nilsson‐Örtman, V., Cortázar‐Chinarro, M., Lundgren, C., & Johansson, F. (2016). Antagonistic natural and sexual selection on wing shape in a scrambling damselfly. Evolution, 70(7), 1582–1595. https ://doi.org/10.1111/evo.12951
Other Links/Mentions:
David, P., Vogel, G., & Dubois, A. (2011). On the need to follow rigorously the Rules of the Code for the subsequent designation of a nucleospecies (type species) for a nominal genus which lacked one: the case of the nominal genus Trimeresurus Lacépède, 1804 (Reptilia: Squamata: Viperidae). Zootaxa, 2992(1), 1-51.
Hasson, O., Hibbard, R., & Ceballos, G. (1989). The pursuit deterrent function of tail‐wagging in the zebra‐tailed lizard (Callisaurus dra‐ conoides). Canadian Journal of Zoology, 67(5), 1203–1209. https://doi.org/10.1139/z89‐174
Outomuro, D., Söderquist, L., Nilsson‐Örtman, V., Cortázar‐Chinarro, M., Lundgren, C., & Johansson, F. (2016). Antagonistic natural and sexual selection on wing shape in a scrambling damselfly. Evolution, 70(7), 1582–1595. https ://doi.org/10.1111/evo.12951
Music:
Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson
Species Bi-week theme – Mike Mooney
Other Music – The Passion HiFi, www.thepassionhifi.com
Tuesday Nov 03, 2020
Tuesday Nov 03, 2020
A rainy night in a tropical forest; the sound of frog battle calls ring out –but who will be victorious? This episode we dive into the details of frog battles for supremacy, where tiny strawberry frogs of all colours are fierce combatants. Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/herphighlights FULL REFERENCE LIST AVAILABLE AT: herphighlights.podbean.com
Main Paper References:
Magalhães, R. F. de, Lacerda, J. V. A., Reis, L. de P., Garcia, P. C. A., & Pinheiro, P. D. P. (2018). Sexual Dimorphism in Bokermannohyla martinsi (Bokermann, 1964) (Anura, Hylidae) with a Report of Male–Male Combat. South American Journal of Herpetology, 13(2), 202. doi: 10.2994/SAJH-D-17-00039.1
Yang, Y., Prémel, V., & Richards‐Zawacki, C. L. (2020). Prior residence effect determines success of male–male territorial competition in a color polymorphic poison frog. Ethology, eth.13093. doi: 10.1111/eth.13093
Species of the Bi-Week:
Rowley, J. J. L., Le, D. T. T., Hoang, H. D., Cao, T. T., & Dau, V. Q. (2020). A new species of phytotelm breeding frog (Anura: Rhacophoridae) from the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Zootaxa, 4779(3), 341–354. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.4779.3.3
Other Mentioned Papers/Studies:
Farnsworth, E. J., Chu, M., Kress, W. J., Neill, A. K., Best, J. H., Pickering, J., … Ellison, A. M. (2013). Next-generation field guides. BioScience, 63(11), 891–899. doi: 10.1525/bio.2013.63.11.8
Maritz, R. A., & Maritz, B. (2020). Sharing for science: High-resolution trophic interactions revealed rapidly by social media. PeerJ, 8, e9485. doi: 10.7717/peerj.9485
Nali, R. C., & Prado, C. P. (2014). The fight call of Bokermannohyla ibitiguara (Anura: Hylidae): first record for the genus. Salamandra, 50(3), 181-184.
Music:
Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson
Species Bi-week theme – Mike Mooney
Other Music – The Passion HiFi, www.thepassionhifi.com
Thursday Oct 29, 2020
Thursday Oct 29, 2020
They don't come greener than this - but what are they up to? We discuss the behaviour of some (mostly green) pit vipers, and we even have a brand new green species.
Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/herphighlights
FULL REFERENCE LIST AVAILABLE AT: herphighlights.podbean.com
Main Paper References:
Strine, C., Brown, A., Barnes, C., Major, T., Artchawakom, T., Hill, J., & Suwanwaree, P. (2018). Arboreal mating behaviors of the big-eyed green pit viper (Trimeresurus macrops) in Northeast Thailand (Reptilia: Viperidae). Current Herpetology, 37(1), 81–87. https://doi.org/10.5358/hsj.37.81
Barnes, C. H., Farren, W., Strine, C. T., & Suwanwaree, P. (2020). Social behavior displayed by the Green Pit Viper Trimeresurus (Cryptelytrops) macrops. Tropical Natural History, 20(1), 95–103.
Bhaisare, D., & Pelling, E. (2015). Trimeresurus malabaricus (Malabar pit viper): Diving behaviour and underwater apnoea duration. Herpetological Bulletin, 134, 33–34.
Species of the Bi-Week:
Chen, Z., Yu, J., Vogel, G., Shi, S., Song, Z., Tang, Y., Yang, J., Ding, L., & Chen, C. (2020). A new pit viper of the genus Trimeresurus (Lacépède, 1804) (Squamata: Viperidae) from Southwest China. Zootaxa, 4768(1), 112–128. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4768.1.7
Other Links/Mentions:
Wildlife laundering through breeding farms: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0006320711003685
Turtle laundering presentation (Starts at 1h50): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCMDKzhzkwU
Music:
Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson
Species Bi-week theme- Mike Mooney
Other Music – The Passion HiFi, www.thepassionhifi.com
Tuesday Sep 29, 2020
Tuesday Sep 29, 2020
In a mixed episode, we explore some gruesome ways to eat a toad practiced by kukri snakes, how the reptile trade looks to be a lot larger than what international trade databases report, and the description of a new cylindrical snake. Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/herphighlights FULL REFERENCE LIST AVAILABLE AT: herphighlights.podbean.com
Main Paper References:
Bringsøe, H., Suthanthangjai, M., Suthanthangjai, W., & Nimnuam, K. (2020). Eviscerated alive: Novel and macabre feeding strategy in Oligodon fasciolatus (Günther, 1864) eating organs of Duttaphrynus melanostictus (Schneider, 1799) in Thailand. Herpetozoa, 33, 157.
Marshall, BM., Strine, CT., Hughes, AC. (2020). Thousands of reptile species threatened by under-regulated global trade. Nature Communications, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18523-4
Species of the Bi-Week:
Bernstein, J. M., Bauer, A. M., Mcguire, J. A., Arida, E., Kaiser, H., Kieckbusch, M., & Mecke, S. (2020). Molecular phylogeny of Asian pipesnakes, genus Cylindrophis Wagler, 1828 (Squamata: Cylindrophiidae), with the description of a new species from Myanmar. Zootaxa, 4851(3), 535-558.
Other Links/Mentions:
Ball python trade: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2020/03/ball-pythons-west-africa-exports/
HERpers facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2741262562643265/?ref=share
Happy Hour Field Guides Podcast: https://www.bourassawildlife.com/podcast/1-the-pandemic
Music:
Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson
Species Bi-week theme – Mike Mooney
Other Music – The Passion HiFi, www.thepassionhifi.com
Sunday Aug 30, 2020
Sunday Aug 30, 2020
This bi-week we are talking about some underwater cannibals, with a very stylish new species of salamander thrown in too. We also answer a patreon question about arboreal snakes, and how they avoid blood rushing out of their heads.
Become a Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/herphighlights
FULL REFERENCE LIST AVAILABLE AT: herphighlights.podbean.com
Main Paper References:
McLean, K. I., Stockwell, C. A., & Mushet, D. M. (2016). Cannibalistic-morph Tiger Salamanders in Unexpected Ecological Contexts. The American Midland Naturalist, 175(1), 64-72.
Species of the Bi-Week:
Palacios-Aguilar, R., Cisneros-Bernal, A. Y., Arias-Montiel, J. D., & Parra-Olea, G. (2020). A new species of Bolitoglossa (Amphibia: Plethodontidae) from the central highlands of Guerrero, Mexico. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 98(6), 359-365.
Other Mentioned Papers/Studies:
Seymour, R. S., & Lillywhite, H. B. (1976). Blood pressure in snakes from different habitats. Nature, 264(5587), 664-666.
Seymour, R. S., & Arndt, J. O. (2004). Independent effects of heart–head distance and caudal blood pooling on blood pressure regulation in aquatic and terrestrial snakes. Journal of experimental biology, 207(8), 1305-1311.
Music:
Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson
Species Bi-week theme- Mike Mooney
Other Music – The Passion HiFi, www.thepassionhifi.com
Friday Aug 28, 2020
Friday Aug 28, 2020
Lizards of the night - Night lizards - Xantusiidae. We take a close look at the genetics of the island night lizards, and explore some new options for reptile home range estimations. Luck would have it, a new night lizard is our Species of the Bi-week. FULL REFERENCE LIST AVAILABLE AT: herphighlights.podbean.com
Main Paper References:
O’Donnell RP, Drost CA, Fellers GM, Crabb BA, Mock KE. 2018. Rare long-distance dispersal of the Island Night Lizard, Xantusia riversiana, maintains high diversity in a fragmented environment. Conservation Genetics 19:803–814. DOI: 10.1007/s10592-018-1055-x.
Silva I, Crane M, Marshall BM, Strine CT. 2020. Revisiting reptile home ranges: moving beyond traditional estimators with dynamic Brownian Bridge Movement Models. bioRxiv:23. DOI: 10.1101/2020.02.10.941278.
Species of the Bi-Week:
Palacios-Aguilar R, Santos-Bibiano R, Flores-Villela O. 2018. A New Species of Lepidophyma (Squamata: Xantusiidae) from the Pacific Lowlands of Guerrero, Mexico. Journal of Herpetology 52:327–331. DOI: 10.1670/17-061.
Other Mentioned Papers/Studies:
Fellers GM, Drost CA. 1991. Ecology of the island night lizard, Xantusia riversiana, on Santa Barbara Island, California. Herpetological Monographs 5:28–78.
Noonan MJ, et al. 2020. Effects of body size on estimation of mammalian area requirements. Conservation Biology:cobi.13495. DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13495.
Music:
Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson
Species Bi-week theme- Mike Mooney
Other Music – The Passion HiFi, www.thepassionhifi.com
Wednesday Jul 22, 2020
Wednesday Jul 22, 2020
Sidewinders, how do they go about life? From their hunting techniques, to how they view the landscape around them, this episode delves into the lives of these iconic vipers. Our Species of the Bi-Week is of course a recently described viper.
FULL REFERENCE LIST AVAILABLE AT: herphighlights.podbean.com
Main Paper References:
Clark RW, Dorr SW, Whitford MD, Freymiller GA, Putman BJ. (2016) Activity cycles and foraging behaviors of free-ranging sidewinder rattlesnakes (Crotalus cerastes): The ontogeny of hunting in a precocial vertebrate. Zoology 119, 196–206. (doi:10.1016/j.zool.2016.02.005)
Schraft HA, Bakken GS, Clark RW. (2019) Infrared-sensing snakes select ambush orientation based on thermal backgrounds. Scientific Reports. 9, 1–6. (doi:10.1038/s41598-019-40466-0)
Species of the Bi-Week:
Sumontha M et al. 2020 Protobothrops kelomohy sp. nov. (Squamata : Viperidae), the Second Known Species of Lance-Headed Pit Viper from Thailand. Tropical Natural History 20, 43–59.
Other Mentioned Papers/Studies:
Link to Tom’s marking snakes with VIE study: https://bit.ly/2ZNzUGA
Other Links/Mentions:
Sidewinder videos: Video 1 http://youtu.be/AmGn3eESJkg Video 2 http://youtu.be/pPF0Wupl3lE Video 3 http://youtu.be/N2Nf8uMOZ2c Video 4 http://youtu.be/Jl8Ma7GMLks Video 5 http://youtu.be/epwYN9qp2TI Video 6 http://youtu.be/hREihZCiCd8 Video 7 http://youtu.be/BLLoYSz7DiI
Eyewitness doc on reptiles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuyQsHWpBDQ
Music:
Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson
Species Bi-week theme- Mike Mooney
Other Music – The Passion HiFi, www.thepassionhifi.com
Tuesday Jun 30, 2020
Tuesday Jun 30, 2020
Like many a fossorial snake, Sand Boas hold many surprises; this episode we explore some of those. First, an investigation into Dollo’s “Law”, then a couple of natural history notes providing some insight into Sand Boa diets. FULL REFERENCE LIST AVAILABLE AT: herphighlights.podbean.com
Main Paper References:
Lobo, J. V., & Streepada, K. S. (2015). First report on Whitaker’s boa Eryx whitakeri feeding on common vine snake. Reptile Rap, 17.
Londei, T. (2015). Arabian sand boa Eryx jayakari (Squamata: Boidae) preying on Arabian toad-headed agama Phrynocephalus arabicus (Squamata: Agamidae): A nocturnal-to-diurnal species interaction. Herpetology Notes, 8, 155–15.
Lynch, V. J., & Wagner, G. P. (2010). Did Egg-laying Boas Break Dollo’s Law? Phylogenetic Evidence For Reversal To Oviparity In Sand Boas (Eryx: Boidae). Evolution, 64(1), 207–216. doi: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2009.00790.x
Species of the Bi-Week:
Nguyen, H. N., Tran, B. V., Nguyen, L. H., Neang, T., Yushchenko, P. V., & Poyarkov, N. A. (2020). A new species of Oligodon Fitzinger, 1826 from the Langbian Plateau, southern Vietnam, with additional information on Oligodon annamensis Leviton, 1953 (Squamata: Colubridae). PeerJ, 8, e8332. doi: 10.7717/peerj.8332
Other Mentioned Papers/Studies:
Recknagel, H., Kamenos, N. A., & Elmer, K. R. (2018). Common lizards break Dollo’s law of irreversibility: genome-wide phylogenomics support a single origin of viviparity and re-evolution of oviparity. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 127, 579-588.
Music:
Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson
Other Music – The Passion HiFi, www.thepassionhifi.com
Friday Jun 19, 2020
Friday Jun 19, 2020
In this Patreon special episode we delve into the underground lives of the ultimate oddities - worm lizards. Find out how they go about tackling their invertebrate prey, and hear about a brand new species.
FULL REFERENCE LIST AVAILABLE AT: herphighlights.podbean.com
Main Paper References:
Baeckens, S., García‐Roa, R., Martín, J., Ortega, J., Huyghe, K., & Van Damme, R. (2017). Fossorial and durophagous: implications of molluscivory for head size and bite capacity in a burrowing worm lizard. Journal of Zoology, 301(3), 193-205.
López, P., Martín, J., & Salvador, A. (2013). Flexibility in feeding behaviour may compensate for morphological constraints of fossoriality in the amphisbaenian Blanus cinereus. Amphibia-Reptilia, 34(2), 241-247.
Species of the Bi-Week:
De Almeida, J. P. F. A., De Freitas, M. A., Da Silva, M. B., Valverde, M. C. C., Rodrigues, M. T., Pires, A. M., & Mott, T. (2018). A new four-pored Amphisbaena (Squamata: Amphisbaenidae) from northeastern Brazil. Zootaxa, 4514(4), 553-562.
Other Mentioned Papers/Studies:
Martín, J., Polo-Cavia, N., Gonzalo, A., López, P., & Civantos, E. (2012). Sexual dimorphism in the North African amphisbaenian Trogonophis wiegmanni. Journal of Herpetology, 46(3), 338-341.
Other Links/Mentions:
Fundraiser for Ciliwung Herpetarium: https://bit.ly/3fJw6vj
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Mronxhn2sU Amphisbaenia alba
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoyrON_kGKw Amphisbaena fuliginosa
Music:
Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson
Species of the Bi-Week theme - Mike Mooney
Other Music – The Passion HiFi, www.thepassionhifi.com