Episode 60 is a Patreon episode about salamanders from the genus Hydromantes. These little characters have some interesting adaptations, and evolve nearly as quickly as they can shoot one of their appendages. Our Species of the Bi-Week is a lizard that looks like a crocodilian. 

FULL REFERENCE LIST AVAILABLE AT: herphighlights.podbean.com

Main Paper References:

Salvidio, S., Crovetto, F., & Adams, D. C. (2015). Potential rapid evolution of foot morphology in Italian plethodontid salamanders (Hydromantes strinatii) following the colonization of an artificial cave. Journal of evolutionary biology, 28(7), 1403-1409.

Deban, S. M., & Richardson, J. C. (2011). Cold‐blooded snipers: thermal independence of ballistic tongue projection in the salamander Hydromantes platycephalus. Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological Genetics and Physiology, 315(10), 618-630.

Species of the Bi-Week:

Campbell, J. A., Solano-Zavaleta, I., Flores-Villela, O., Caviedes-Solis, I. W., & Frost, D. R. (2016). A New Species of Abronia (Squamata: Anguidae) from the Sierra Madre del Sur of Oaxaca, Mexico. Journal of Herpetology, 50(1), 149-156.

Other Mentioned Papers/Studies:

Balaguera-Reina, Sergio. (2019). Rediscovering the Apaporis Caiman (Caiman crocodilus apaporiensis): Notes from a Long-Anticipated Expedition. Journal of Herpetology. 53. 310. 10.1670/19-028. 

Deban, S. M., Wake, D. B., & Roth, G. (1997). Salamander with a ballistic tongue. Nature, 389(6646), 27.

Cureton, J. C., & Broughton, R. E. (2014). Rapid morphological divergence of a stream fish in response to changes in water flow. Biology letters, 10(6), 20140352.

Stuart, Y. E., Campbell, T. S., Hohenlohe, P. A., Reynolds, R. G., Revell, L. J., & Losos, J. B. (2014). Rapid evolution of a native species following invasion by a congener. Science, 346(6208), 463-466.

Vieites, D. R., Min, M. S., & Wake, D. B. (2007). Rapid diversification and dispersal during periods of global warming by plethodontid salamanders. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 104(50), 19903-19907.

Other Links/Mentions:

Salamanders rolling downhill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PK_Jb-LvfC0

Rediscovered Fernandina giant tortoise: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/02/extinct-fernandina-giant-tortoise-found/

Recently rediscovered Abronia species https://www.facebook.com/groups/NAFHA/permalink/2997101796985144/

Music:

Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson

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