Herpetological Highlights

Latest Episodes:

077 Battle Frogs Nov 03, 2020

Show notes

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

076 Green Pit Viper Special Oct 29, 2020

Show notes

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

075 Trading Blows and Trading Reptiles Sep 29, 2020

Show notes

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

074 Actual Cannibal Salamanders Aug 30, 2020

Show notes

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

073 Lizards of the Night Aug 28, 2020

Show notes

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

072 Sidewinders Sighting Sites Jul 22, 2020

Show notes

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

071 Don’t count your Sand Boas before they hatch Jun 30, 2020

Show notes

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:

Laird, M. K., Thompson, M. B., & Whittington, C. M. (2019). Facultative oviparity in a viviparous skink (Saiphos equalis). Biology Letters, 15(4), 20180827. doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2018.0827

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

070 Amphisbaenian Appetites Jun 19, 2020

Show notes

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:

https://in2scienceuk.org/

Fundraiser for Ciliwung Herpetarium: https://bit.ly/3fJw6vj

www.herpetofaunaindonesia.org

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

069 Freezing Frogs May 22, 2020

Show notes

We’re back and exploring the toughest of frogs; those frogs braving the harsh northern conditions that literally freezes them to the bone. How do they manage this incredible feat? We head south for a Species of the Bi-week because not all frogs are as tough as the Wood Frog. FULL REFERENCE LIST AVAILABLE AT: herphighlights.podbean.com

Main Paper References:

Costanzo JP. 2019. Overwintering adaptations and extreme freeze tolerance in a subarctic population of the wood frog, Rana sylvatica. Journal of Comparative Physiology B 189:1–15. DOI: 10.1007/s00360-018-1189-7.

Storey KB, Storey JM. 2017. Molecular Physiology of Freeze Tolerance in Vertebrates. Physiological Reviews 97:623–665. DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00016.2016.

Species of the Bi-Week:

Catenazzi A, Ttito A. 2019. Noblella thiuni sp. n., a new (singleton) species of minute terrestrial-breeding frog (Amphibia, Anura, Strabomantidae) from the montane forest of the Amazonian Andes of Puno, Peru. PeerJ 7:e6780. DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6780.

Other Mentioned Papers/Studies:

Ward M, Marshall BM, Hodges C, Montano Y, Artchawakom T, Waengsothorn S, Strine C. 2020. Nonchalant neighbours: Space use and overlap of the critically endangered elongated tortoise. OSF Preprints. DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/t34ax.

Music:

Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson

Other Music – The Passion HiFi, www.thepassionhifi.com

068 Hoplocephalus with Scott Eipper May 08, 2020

Show notes

We had the good fortune to be joined by herpetologist and author Scott Eipper for this special episode on Hoplocephalus. We also talk about Scott and his wife Tie’s new book on Aussie snakes, and of course we have a Species of the Bi-Week - this one is a robust new sand dweller.

Grab the new book by Scott and Tie Eipper here: https://bit.ly/2WewX0a

FULL REFERENCE LIST AVAILABLE AT: herphighlights.podbean.com

Main Paper References:

Shelton, M. B., Goldingay, R. L., & Phillips, S. S. (2018). Population ecology of a cryptic arboreal snake (Hoplocephalus bitorquatus). Australian Journal of Zoology, 65(6), 383-390.

Species of the Bi-Week:

Eskandarzadeh, N. et al. (2020) A new species of Eryx (Serpentes: Erycidae) from Iran. Zootaxa, 4767, 182-192.

Other Mentioned Papers/Studies:

Mirza, Z. A., Bhosale, H. S., Phansalkar, P. U., Sawant, M., Gowande, G. G., & Patel, H. (2020). A new species of green pit vipers of the genus Trimeresurus Lacépède, 1804 (Reptilia, Serpentes, Viperidae) from western Arunachal Pradesh, India. Zoosystematics and Evolution, 96, 123.

Music:

Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson

Other Music – The Passion HiFi, www.thepassionhifi.com

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