Herpetological Highlights

This episode we are talking about the pet trade - from the livelihoods of people who collect wild reptiles and amphibians in Madagascar and through to one of the issues that sometimes arises: escapees becoming non-native nuisances. We round off with a Species of the Bi-Week in the form of a slippery new lizard.

FULL REFERENCE LIST AVAILABLE AT: herphighlights.podbean.com

Main Paper References:

Robinson, J. E., Griffiths, R. A., Fraser, I. M., Raharimalala, J., Roberts, D. L., & St. John, F. A. V. (2018). Supplying the wildlife trade as a livelihood strategy in a biodiversity hotspot. Ecology and Society, 23(1), art13. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-09821-230113

Stringham, O. C., & Lockwood, J. L. (2018). Pet problems: Biological and economic factors that influence the release of alien reptiles and amphibians by pet owners. Journal of Applied Ecology, 55(6), 2632–2640. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13237

Species of the Bi-Week:

Pui, Y. M., Karin, B. R., Bauer, A. M., & Das, I. (2017). A new species of Tropidophorus Duméril & Bibron, 1839 (Squamata: Sauria: Scincidae) from Sarawak, East Malaysia (Borneo). Zootaxa, 4258(6), 539. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4258.6.3

Other Mentioned Papers/Studies:

Auliya, M., Altherr, S., Ariano-Sanchez, D., Baard, E. H., Brown, C., Brown, R. M., … Ziegler, T. (2016). Trade in live reptiles, its impact on wild populations, and the role of the European market. Biological Conservation, 204, 103–119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2016.05.017

Auliya, M., García-Moreno, J., Schmidt, B. R., Schmeller, D. S., Hoogmoed, M. S., Fisher, M. C., … Martel, A. (2016). The global amphibian trade flows through Europe: the need for enforcing and improving legislation. Biodiversity and Conservation, 25(13), 2581–2595. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-016-1193-8

Capinha, C., Seebens, H., Cassey, P., García-Díaz, P., Lenzner, B., Mang, T., … Essl, F. (2017). Diversity, biogeography and the global flows of alien amphibians and reptiles. Diversity and Distributions, 23(11), 1313–1322. https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.12617

Duffy, R., St John, F. A. V., Büscher, B., & Brockington, D. (2014). The militarization of anti-poaching: Undermining long term goals? Environmental Conservation, 42(4), 345–348. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0376892915000119

Lybbert, T. J., Aboudrare, A., Chaloud, D., Magnan, N., & Nash, M. (2011). Booming markets for Moroccan argan oil appear to benefit some rural households while threatening the endemic argan forest. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(34), 13963-13968.

Other Links/Mentions:

Conservation chronicles: https://conservationchronicles.podbean.com/

Winter croc fest December 8, 2018 at Gatorama. Gatorama is an alligator farm and visitor attraction in Palmdale, Florida, USA.

Sami Asad frog video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pvwtaZPicI

Music:

Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson

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

Snakes, they’ve adapted to all sorts of environments. But what exactly has changed to allow them to take to the trees? This episode we check out what it takes to be arboreal and the impacts of taking arboreal prey. We head to the neotropics for the Species of the Bi-week for a colourful new snake. FULL REFERENCE LIST AVAILABLE AT: herphighlights.podbean.com

Main Paper References:

Harrington, S. M., Haan, J. M. D. E., Shapiro, L., & Ruane, S. (2018). Habits and characteristics of arboreal snakes worldwide: arboreality constrains body size but does not affect lineage diversification. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, XX, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1093/biolinnean/bly097/5056838

Siers, S. R., Yackel Adams, A. A., & Reed, R. N. (2018). Behavioral differences following ingestion of large meals and consequences for management of a harmful invasive snake: A field experiment. Ecology and Evolution, 8(20), 10075–10093. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4480

Species of the Bi-Week:

Bernarde, P. S., Carlos, L., Turci, B., Abegg, A. D., & Franco, F. L. (2018). A remarkable new species of coralsnake of the Micrurus hemprichii species group from the Brazilian Amazon. Salamandra, 54(4), 249–258.

Other Mentioned Papers/Studies:

Allen WL, Baddeley R, Scott-Samuel NE, Cuthill IC. 2013. The evolution and function of pattern diversity in snakes. Behavioral Ecology 24: 1237–1250.

Blouin-Demers, G., & Weatherhead, P. J. (2001). An experimental test of the link between foraging, habitat selection and thermoregulation in black rat snakes Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta.

Das, I. (2010). A field guide to the reptiles of South-East Asia. London: Bloomsbury.

Glaudas, X., & Alexander, G. J. (2017). Food supplementation affects the foraging ecology of a low-energy, ambush-foraging snake. Behavioral ecology and sociobiology, 71(1), 5.

Ford, N. B., & Shuttlesworth, G. A. (1986). Effects of variation in food intake on locomotory performance of juvenile garter snakes. Copeia, 1986, 999–1001. https://doi.org/10.2307/1445298

Fritts, T. H. (2002). Economic costs of electrical system instability and power outages caused by snakes on the island of Guam. International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation, 49, 93–100. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0964-8305(01)00108-1

Secor, S. M., & Diamond, J. (1998). A vertebrate model of extreme physiological regulation. Nature, 395(6703), 659–662. https://doi.org/10.1038/27131

Wasko, D. K., & Sasa, M. (2012). Food resources influence spatial ecology, habitat selection, and foraging behavior in an ambush-hunting snake (Viperidae: Bothrops asper): An experimental study. Zoology, 115(3), 179–187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.zool.2011.10.001

Other Links/Mentions:

Ahaetulla fronticinctca feeding from the California Academy of Science - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlRHNYUr-PU

Music:

Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson

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

The News Niche strikes again. A varied podcast starting with some new frog research and moving onto a truly horrifying thunderdome. 

FULL REFERENCE LIST AVAILABLE AT: herphighlights.podbean.com

Main Paper References:

Falaschi, M., Mangiacotti, M., Sacchi, R., Scali, S., & Razzetti, E. (2018). Electric circuit theory applied to alien invasions: A connectivity model predicting the balkan frog expansion in Northern Italy. Acta Herpetologica, 13(1), 33–42. https://doi.org/10.13128/Acta_Herpetol-20871

DiRenzo, G. V., Zipkin, E. F., Grant, E. H. C., Royle, J. A., Longo, A. V., Zamudio, K. R., & Lips, K. R. (2018). Eco‐evolutionary rescue promotes host–pathogen coexistence. Ecological Applications.

Fitzpatrick, L. D., Pasmans, F., Martel, A., & Cunningham, A. A. (2018). Epidemiological tracing of Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans identifies widespread infection and associated mortalities in private amphibian collections. Scientific Reports, 8(1), 13845. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-31800-z

Van Kleeck, M. J., Smith, T. A., & Holland, B. S. (2018). Paedophagic cannibalism, resource partitioning, and ontogenetic habitat use in an invasive lizard. Ethology Ecology & Evolution, 1-18.

Meiri, S. (2018). Traits of lizards of the world: Variation around a successful evolutionary design. Global Ecology and Biogeography, (June 2017), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12773

Other Mentioned Papers/Studies:

Pizzatto, L., Child, T., & Shine, R. (2008). Why be diurnal? Shifts in activity time enable young cane toads to evade cannibalistic conspecifics. Behavioral Ecology, 19(5), 990–997. https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arn060

Scharf, A. K., Belant, J. L., Beyer, D. E., Wikelski, M., & Safi, K. (2018). Habitat suitability does not capture the essence of animal-defined corridors. Movement Ecology, 6(1), 18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40462-018-0136-2

Other Links/Mentions:

Namaqua chameleon cannibalism video *graphic* - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ww7km7ADqAo

Elephant shrew nose video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8WVnKT7oEI

Music:

Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson

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

Chameleons -- perhaps one of the most instantly identifiable herps out there. But beyond their strange morphological adaptations what do we know about their lives? We check out a couple of papers looking at the lives of some East African species who until recently were missing some pretty basic natural history information. They are joined by a newly described species from the hills of Tanzania. FULL REFERENCE LIST AVAILABLE AT: herphighlights.podbean.com

Main Paper References:

Hughes, D. F., Blackburn, D. G., Wilber, L., & Behangana, M. (2018). New distribution records, observations on natural history, and notes on reproduction of the poorly known Sudanese Unicorn Chameleon (Chamaeleonidae: Trioceros conirostratus) from Uganda, Africa. Amphibian & Reptile Conservation, 12(2), 83–89.

Reaney, L. T., Yee, S., Losos, J. B., & Whiting, M. J. (2012). Ecology of the Flap-Necked Chameleon Chamaeleo dilepis In Southern Africa. Breviora, 532(September), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.3099/532.1

Species of the Bi-Week:

Menegon, M., Loader, S. P., Davenport, T. R. B., Howell, K. M., Tilbury, C. R., Machaga, S., & Tolley, K. A. (2015). A new species of Chameleon (Sauria: Chamaeleonidae: Kinyongia) highlights the biological affinities between the Southern Highlands and Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania. Acta Herpetologica, 10(2), 111–120. https://doi.org/10.13128/Acta_Herpetol-17171

Other Mentioned Papers/Studies:

Hebrard, J. J., & Madsen, T. (1984). Dry season intersexual habitat partitioning by flap-necked chameleons (Chamaeleo dilepis) in Kenya. Biotropica, 69-72.

Main, D. C., van Vuuren, B. J., & Tolley, K. A. (2018). Cryptic diversity in the common flap-necked chameleon Chamaeleo dilepis in South Africa. African Zoology, 53(1), 11-16.

Meiri, S. (2018). Traits of lizards of the world: Variation around a successful evolutionary design. Global Ecology and Biogeography, (June 2017), 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12773

Miller, A. K., Maritz, B., McKay, S., Glaudas, X., & Alexander, G. J. (2015). An ambusher's arsenal: chemical crypsis in the puff adder (Bitis arietans). Proc. R. Soc. B, 282(1821), 20152182.

Preest, M. R., Ward, M. J., Poon, T., & Hermanson, J. W. (2016). Chemical Prey Luring in Jackson’s Chameleons. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, 89(2), 110–117. https://doi.org/10.1086/685455

Stipala, J. 2014. Mountain Dragons: In Search of Chameleons in the Highlands of Kenya. Jan Stipala, Singapore.

Other Links/Mentions:

Video of flap necked chameleon vs boomslang: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnhX_ho9DsE

Another, where chameleon loses: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23TxyVZiICo

Music:

Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson

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

Revisiting the world of crocodilians, we take a look at the habitat shared by two Southeast Asian species, and discuss Siamese crocodile conservation. Our Species of the Bi-week is not a crocodile, but it is pretty scaly.

FULL REFERENCE LIST AVAILABLE AT: herphighlights.podbean.com

Main Paper References:

Ihlow, F., Bonke, R., Hartmann, T., Geissler, P., Behler, N., & Rödder, D. (2015). Habitat suitability, coverage by protected areas and population connectivity for the Siamese crocodile Crocodylus siamensis Schneider, 1801. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 25(4), 544–554. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.2473

Staniewicz, A., Behler, N., Dharmasyah, S., & Jones, G. (2018). Niche partitioning between juvenile sympatric crocodilians in Mesangat, East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 66, 528–537.

Species of the Bi-Week:

Karin, B. R., Freitas, E. S., Shonleben, S., Grismer, L. L., Bauer, A. M., & Das, I. (2018). Unrealized diversity in an urban rainforest: A new species of Lygosoma (Squamata: Scincidae) from western Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo). Zootaxa, 4370(4), 345–362. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4370.4.2

Other Mentioned Papers/Studies:

Behler, N., Kopsieker, L., Staniewicz, A., Darmansyah, S., Stuebing, R., & Ziegler, T. (2018). Population size, demography and feeding preferences of the Siamese crocodile Crocodylus siamensis (Schneider, 1801) in the Mesangat Swamp in Kalimantan, Indonesia. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, 66, 506–516.

Eam, S. U., Sam, H., Hor, L., Mizrahi, M., & Frechette, J. L. (2017). Movement of captive-reared Siamese crocodiles Crocodylus siamensis released in the Southern Cardamom National Park , Cambodia. Cambodian Journal of Natural History, 102–108.

Starr, J. C. D. A. (2010). Development of a re-introduction and re-enforcement program for Siamese crocodiles in Cambodia. Global Re-introduction Perspectives: Additional Case Studies from Around the Globe, 118.

Starr, A., Daltry, J.C. & Nhek R. (2010) DNA study reveals Siamese crocodiles at the Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Centre, Cambodia. Crocodile Specialist Group Newsletter, 28, 5–7.

Other Links/Mentions:

Siamese croc article Save Our Species: http://www.saveourspecies.org/news/brighter-future-cambodias-siamese-crocodiles

Music:

Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson

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

This fortnight we are delving into the peculiar world of caecilians. Fossorial amphibians that seldom show their faces on the surface. We chat about caecilians' strange adaptations and how a ten-year study has shed some light on their reproductive habits. The Species of the Bi-week is a suitably elongated and slimy critter. FULL REFERENCE LIST AVAILABLE AT: herphighlights.podbean.com

Main Paper References:

Jared, C., Mailho-Fontana, P. L., Jared, S. G. S., Kupfer, A., Delabie, J. H. C., Wilkinson, M., & Antoniazzi, M. M. (2018). Life history and reproduction of the neotropical caecilian Siphonops annulatus (Amphibia, Gymnophiona, Siphonopidae), with special emphasis on parental care. Acta Zoologica, (March), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1111/azo.12254

Jared, C., Mailho-Fontana, P. L., Marques-Porto, R., Sciani, J. M., Pimenta, D. C., Brodie, E. D., & Antoniazzi, M. M. (2018). Skin gland concentrations adapted to different evolutionary pressures in the head and posterior regions of the caecilian Siphonops annulatus. Scientific Reports, 8(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-22005-5

Species of the Bi-Week:

Maddock, S. T., Wilkinson, M., & Gower, D. J. (2018). A new species of small, long-snouted Hypogeophis Peters, 1880 (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Indotyphlidae) from the highest elevations of the Seychelles island of Mahé. Zootaxa, 4450(3), 359–375. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4450.3.3

Other Mentioned Papers/Studies:

Jared, C. et al. (2005). Head co-ossification, phragmosis and defense in the casque-headed tree frog Corythomantis greeningi. Journal of Zoology, 265.

Sawaya, P. (1940) Sobre o veneno das glândulas cutâneas, a secreção e o coração de Siphonops annulatus. Bot. Fac. Fill. Ci. Let. Univ. São Paulo. Ser. Zool. 4, 207–270

Wilkinson, M., Kupfer, A., Marques-Porto, R., Jeffkins, H., Antoniazzi, M. M., & Jared, C. (2008). One hundred million years of skin feeding? Extended parental care in a Neotropical caecilian (Amphibia: Gymnophiona). Biology Letters, 4(4), 358–361. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2008.0217

Wilson, N. J., Stokes, A. N., Hopkins, G. R., Brodie, Jr., E. D., & Williams, C. R. (2014). Functional and physiological resistance of crayfish to amphibian toxins: tetrodotoxin resistance in the white river crayfish (Procambarus acutus). Canadian Journal of Zoology, 92(11), 939–945. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2014-0128

Other Links/Mentions:

BBC Life in Cold Blood - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCF4qmxdkkM

Video of caecilian babies eating the skin of their mother: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6K6szXrBHwM

Music:

Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson

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

The News Niche has come again. This episode we talk about invasive python genetics (just what are they?) and new conservation tools, with a Species of the Bi-Week that features not one but two new cobras. FULL REFERENCE LIST AVAILABLE AT: herphighlights.podbean.com

Main Paper References:

Gumbs, R., Gray, C. L., Wearn, O. R., & Owen, N. R. (2018). Tetrapods on the EDGE: Overcoming data limitations to identify phylogenetic conservation priorities. PloS one, 13(4), e0194680.

Hunter, M. E., Johnson, N. A., Smith, B. J., Davis, M. C., Butterfield, J. S., Snow, R. W., & Hart, K. M. (2018). Cytonuclear discordance in the Florida Everglades invasive Burmese python (Python bivittatus) population reveals possible hybridization with the Indian python (P. molurus). Ecology and Evolution.

Species of the Bi-Week: WÜSTER, W., Chirio, L., Trape, J. F., Ineich, I., Jackson, K., Greenbaum, E., ... & Hall, C. (2018). Integration of nuclear and mitochondrial gene sequences and morphology reveals unexpected diversity in the forest cobra (Naja melanoleuca) species complex in Central and West Africa (Serpentes: Elapidae). Zootaxa, 4455(1), 68-98.

Other mentioned papers:

Hart, K. M., Cherkiss, M. S., Smith, B. J., Mazzotti, F. J., Fujisaki, I., Snow, R. W., & Dorcas, M. E. (2015). Home range, habitat use, and movement patterns of non-native Burmese pythons in Everglades National Park, Florida, USA. Animal Biotelemetry, 3(1), 8.

Hunter, M. E., Oyler-McCance, S. J., Dorazio, R. M., Fike, J. A., Smith, B. J., Hunter, C. T., ... & Hart, K. M. (2015). Environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling improves occurrence and detection estimates of invasive Burmese pythons. PloS one, 10(4), e0121655.

Hyslop, N. L., Meyers, J. M., Cooper, R. J., & Stevenson, D. J. (2014). Effects of body size and sex of Drymarchon couperi (eastern indigo snake) on habitat use, movements, and home range size in Georgia. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 78(1), 101-111.

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: International Journal of Organic Evolution, 64(1), 207-216.

Pyron, R. A., & Burbrink, F. T. (2014). Early origin of viviparity and multiple reversions to oviparity in squamate reptiles. Ecology letters, 17(1), 13-21.

Shine, R. (2015). The evolution of oviparity in squamate reptiles: an adaptationist perspective. Journal of Experimental Zoology Part B: Molecular and Developmental Evolution, 324(6), 487-492.

Wang, Y., & Evans, S. E. (2011). A gravid lizard from the Cretaceous of China and the early history of squamate viviparity. Naturwissenschaften, 98(9), 739.

Zhu, F., Liu, Q., Che, J., Zhang, L., Chen, X., Yan, F., ... & Guo, P. (2016). Molecular phylogeography of white‐lipped tree viper (Trimeresurus; Viperidae). Zoologica Scripta, 45(3), 252-262.

Other links:

Captive and field Herpetology Issue 2: http://captiveandfieldherpetology.com/volume-2-issue-1-2018/

A Naturalist’s Guide to the Dangerous Creatures of Australia: https://www.nhbs.com/a-naturalists-guide-to-the-dangerous-creatures-of-australia-book

Music:

Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson

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

Translocation is a popular method for reducing human-wildlife conflict, but does it work for snakes? We delve into a couple of new papers about translocation in venomous species. Our Species of the Bi-week is a viper with an unusual appetite. FULL REFERENCE LIST AVAILABLE AT: herphighlights.podbean.com

Main paper references:

Devan-Song, A., Martelli, P., Dudgeon, D., Crow, P., Ades, G., & Karraker, N. E. (2016). Is long-distance translocation an effective mitigation tool for white-lipped pit vipers (Trimeresurus albolabris) in South China?. Biological Conservation, 204, 212-220.

Wolfe, A. K., Fleming, P. A., & Bateman, P. W. (2018). Impacts of translocation on a large urban-adapted venomous snake. Wildlife Research.

Species of the Bi-Week: Shi, J., G. Wang, X. Chen, Y. Fang, L. Ding, S. Huang, M. Hou, J. Liu, and P. Li. 2017. A new moth-preying alpine pit viper species from Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (Viperidae, Crotalinae). Amphib. Reptil. 38: 517–532.

Other mentioned papers:

Barve, S., Bhaisare, D., & Giri, A. (2013). A preliminary study on translocation of “rescued” King Cobras (Ophiophagus hannah). Hamadryad, 36, 80-86.

Butler, H., Malone, B., & Clemann, N. (2005). The effects of translocation on the spatial ecology of tiger snakes (Notechis scutatus) in a suburban landscape. Wildlife Research, 32(2), 165-171.

Hart, K. M., Cherkiss, M. S., Smith, B. J., Mazzotti, F. J., Fujisaki, I., Snow, R. W., & Dorcas, M. E. (2015). Home range, habitat use, and movement patterns of non-native Burmese pythons in Everglades National Park, Florida, USA. Animal Biotelemetry, 3(1), 8.

Heiken, K. H., Brusch, G. A., Gartland, S., Escallón, C., Moore, I. T., and Taylor, E. N. (2016). Effects of long distance translocation on corticosterone and testosterone levels in male rattlesnakes. General and Comparative Endocrinology 237, 27–33. doi:10.1016/j.ygcen.

Tulloch, A. I., Auerbach, N., Avery-Gomm, S., Bayraktarov, E., Butt, N., Dickman, C. R., ... & Lavery, T. H. (2018). A decision tree for assessing the risks and benefits of publishing biodiversity data. Nature ecology & evolution, 2(8), 1209-1217.

Zhu, F., Liu, Q., Che, J., Zhang, L., Chen, X., Yan, F., ... & Guo, P. (2016). Molecular phylogeography of white‐lipped tree viper (Trimeresurus; Viperidae). Zoologica Scripta, 45(3), 252-262.

Music:

Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson

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

Frogs come in loads of crazy colours - but the reasons why can be quite complicated. We try to get to grips with some fascinating new research which suggests frogs can be both cryptic and shockingly obvious. Of course we have an amphibian Species of the Bi-Week. FULL REFERENCE LIST AVAILABLE AT: herphighlights.podbean.com

Main Paper References:

Barnett, JB, C Michalis, NE Scott-Samuel, and IC Cuthill. 2018. “Distance-Dependent Defensive Coloration in the Poison Frog Dendrobates Tinctorius , Dendrobatidae.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 201800826.

Lawrence, JP, M Mahony, and BP Noonan. 2018. “Differential Responses of Avian and Mammalian Predators to Phenotypic Variation in Australian Brood Frogs.” PLoS ONE 13 (4): 1–8.

Species of the Bi-Week:

Munir, M, A Hamidy, A Farajallah, and EN Smith. 2018. “A New Megophrys Kuhl and Van Hasselt (Amphibia: Megophryidae) from Southwestern Sumatra, Indonesia.” Zootaxa 4442 (3): 389.

Other Mentioned Papers/Studies:

Beckmann, Christa, and Richard Shine. 2012. “Do Drivers Intentionally Target Wildlife on Roads?” Austral Ecology 37 (5):629–32.

Maan, M. E., & Cummings, M. E. (2009). Sexual dimorphism and directional sexual selection on aposematic signals in a poison frog. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 106(45), 19072-19077.

Phillips, Ben, and Richard Shine. 2007. “When Dinner Is Dangerous: Toxic Frogs Elicit Species-Specific Responses from a Generalist Snake Predator.” The American Naturalist 170 (6):936–42.

Valkonen, J. K., Mäkelä, A., Mappes, J., & López‐Sepulcre, A. (In Press). Evaluating the potential for evolutionary mismatch in Batesian mimics: a case study in the endangered Smooth Snake (Coronella austriaca). Evolutionary Applications.

Wüster, W., C. S. E. Allum, I. B. Bjargardottir, K. L. Bailey, K. J. Dawson, J. Guenioui, J. Lewis, et al. 2004. “Do Aposematism and Batesian Mimicry Require Bright Colours? A Test, Using European Viper Markings.” Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 271 (1556):2495–99.

Xing, L., Caldwell, M. W., Chen, R., Nydam, R. L., Palci, A., Simões, T. R., ... & Wang, K. (2018). A mid-Cretaceous embryonic-to-neonate snake in amber from Myanmar. Science Advances, 4(7), eaat5042.

Other Links/Mentions:

BBC coverage of snake in amber – https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-44872148

Blog of snake in amber - https://natureecoevocommunity.nature.com/users/87830-tiago-r-simoes/posts/36712-a-new-chapter-on-early-snake-evolution-the-tale-of-the-snake-in-amber

Music:

Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson

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

Another News Niche episode! We talk about all sorts of things this fortnight: Anolis rebuttals, tortoise criminality, mollusc munching snakes and a little about the snakebite crisis. Naturally the Species of the Bi-week is not neglected, with this week hosting more species than you can snake a slug at. FULL REFERENCE LIST AVAILABLE AT: herphighlights.podbean.com

Main Paper References:

Bush, JM, and D Simberloff. 2018. “A Case for Anole Territoriality.” Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 72 (7): 111.

Kamath, A, and J Losos. 2018. “Reconsidering Territoriality Is Necessary for Understanding Anolis Mating Systems.” Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 72 (7): 106.

Golubović, A., Arsovski, D., Tomović, L., & Bonnet, X. (2018). Is sexual brutality maladaptive under high population density?. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 124(3), 394-402.

Stamps, JA. 2018. “Polygynandrous Anoles and the Myth of the Passive Female.” Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 72 (7): 107.

Yañez-Arenas, C, AT Peterson, P Mokondoko, O Rojas-Soto, and E Martínez-Meyer. 2014. “The Use of Ecological Niche Modeling to Infer Potential Risk Areas of Snakebite in the Mexican State of Veracruz.” PLoS ONE 9 (6).

Species of the Bi-Week:

Arteaga, A, D Salazar-Valenzuela, K Mebert, N Peñafiel, G Aguiar, JC Sánchez-Nivicela, RA Pyron, et al. 2018. “Systematics of South American Snail-Eating Snakes (Serpentes, Dipsadini), with the Description of Five New Species from Ecuador and Peru.” ZooKeys 766: 79–147.

Other Mentioned Papers/Studies:

Hoso, M, Y Kameda, S-P Wu, T Asami, M Kato, and M Hori. 2010. “A Speciation Gene for Left–Right Reversal in Snails Results in Anti-Predator Adaptation.” Nature Communications 1 (9): 133.

Hutter, C. R., Lambert, S. M., Andriampenomanana, Z. F., Glaw, F., & Vences, M. (2018). Molecular phylogeny and diversification of Malagasy bright-eyed tree frogs (Mantellidae: Boophis). Molecular phylogenetics and evolution.

Kamath, A, and J Losos. 2017. “The Erratic and Contingent Progression of Research on Territoriality: A Case Study.” Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 71 (6): 1–13.

Kamath, A, and JB Losos. 2018. “Estimating Encounter Rates as the First Step of Sexual Selection in the Lizard Anolis Sagrei.” Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 285 (1873): 20172244.

Le Galliard, J. F., Fitze, P. S., Ferrière, R., & Clobert, J. (2005). Sex ratio bias, male aggression, and population collapse in lizards. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 102(50), 18231-18236.

Sazima, I. (1989). Feeding behavior of the snail-eating snake, Dipsas indica. Journal of Herpetology, 23(4), 464-468.

Other Links/Mentions:

IUCN Redlist: http://www.iucnredlist.org

Rainforest trust: https://www.rainforesttrust.org

Music:

Intro/outro – Treehouse by Ed Nelson

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