A new species of the Agama agama group (Squamata: Agamidae) from western Kenya, East Africa, with comments on Agama lionotus Boulenger, 1896.

Russian Journal of Herpetology 12 (2): 143-150

Abstract:

We describe a new species of Agama from westernmost Kenya. It is a member of the Agama agama species group characterized by small size (males up to 89 mm snout-vent length and 245 mm total length) and a unique male breeding coloration: flame- to scarlet-red head, neck and forelimbs, jet- or velvetly-black body, hindlimbs and tail root, and again a scarlet-red tail the terminal third of which is again black. Morphologically, the new species is similar to A. planiceps from southwestern Africa but has a much less depressed body. It also resembles typical A. agama from West and Central Africa, but is much smaller, less stoutly built and differently colored.

It is strikingly different from the two parapatric species of the Agama agama group, viz. A. caudospinosa and A. mwanzae, and differs also considerably from the sympatric representatives of the Agama agama complex itself: from the geographically neighboring A. a. elgonis and A. a. lionotus. We provide evidence that the latter taxon deserves full species rank and that the other East African subspecies of A. agama (i.e., elgonis, dodomae,  usambarae, ufipae) should be subordinated under a full species Agama lionotus.

(PDF Download available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/258867706_A_new_species_of_the_Agama_agama_group_Squamata_Agamidae_from_western_Kenya_East_Africa_with_comments_on_Agama_lionotus_Boulenger_1896 [accessed Aug 18, 2017].

GRISMER, L. LEE,  PERRY L. WOOD, JR., EVAN S. H. QUAH, SHAHRUL ANUAR, MOHD. ABDUL MUIN, MONTRI SUMONTHA, NORHAYATI AHMAD, AARON M. BAUER, SANSAREEYA WANGKULANGKUL, JESSE L. GRISMER & OLIVIER S. G. PAUWELS (2012).

A phylogeny and taxonomy of the Thai-Malay Peninsula Bent-toed Geckos of the Cyrtodactylus pulchellus complex (Squamata: Gekkonidae): combined morphological and molecular analyses with descriptions of seven new species.

Zootaxa 3520: 1–55.

Abstract:

An integrative taxonomic analysis using color pattern, morphology and 1497 base pairs of the ND2 itochondrial gene and its five flanking tRNAs demonstrated that nine monophyletic species-level lineages occur within the Cyrtodactylus pulchellus complex (Cyrtodactylus pulchellus sensu strictu and C. macrotuberculatus) of the Thai-Malay Peninsula that have a sequence divergence between them ranging from 5.9–16.8%. Additionally, each lineage is discretely diagnosable from one another based on morphology and color pattern and most occur in specific geographic regions (upland areas or islands) that prevent or greatly restrict interpopulation gene  flow. Six of these lineages were masquerading under the nomen C. pulchellus and are described as the following: Cyrtodactylus astrum sp. nov. from  northwestern  Peninsular Malaysia and southwestern Thailand; C. langkawiensis sp. nov., at this point endemic to Langkawi Island, Malaysia; C. bintangrendah sp. nov., a lowland  species  surrounding  the  Banjaran  (=mountain  range)  Bintang  of  northwestern Peninsular Malaysia; C. bintangtinggi sp. nov., endemic to the upland regions of the Banjaran Bintang of northwestern Peninsular Malaysia; C. trilatofasciatus sp. nov., endemic to upland regions of Cameron Highlands in the central portion of the Banjaran Titiwangsa in Peninsular Malaysia; and C. stralotitiwangsaensis sp. nov. from the more southerly upland regions of the Banjaran Titiwangsa. An additional species, Cyrtodactylus lekaguli sp. nov. from Satun, Trang, Surat Thani, and Phang-nga provinces in southern Thailand, was identified on the basis of morphology and color pattern and is hypothesized to be part of a clade containing C. astrum sp. nov. and C. langkawiensis sp. nov.

Review of Teiid Morphology with a Revised Taxonomy and Phylogeny of the Teiidae (Lepidosauria: Squamata)

Zootaxa 3459: 1–156

Abstract:

Despite advances within particular groups, systematics of the Teiidae has long been unsatisfactory, because few morphological characters have been described for this family. Consequently, most species have been assigned to the large, polyphyletic, and poorly defined genera Ameiva and Cnemidophorus. We describe 137 morphological characters and score them for most species of Neotropical Teiidae. Important, but previously undescribed, character suites include pupil shape; the frontal ridge; longitudinal division of the interparietal; the rostral groove; patterns of supraciliary fusion; the preauricular skin fold; the “toothy” first supralabial; modified apical granules; the pectoral sulcus; expansion of scales at the heel; tibiotarsal shields; scales between the digital lamellae along the postaxial edges of the toes; scale surface microstructure of macrohoneycomb, macroridges, or lamellae; distribution patterns and morphology of enticular scale organs; types of epidermal generation glands; and several hemipenial structures. We propose a new taxonomy of the Teiidae based on recovered evolutionary history and numerous morphological characters surveyed in this study. We recognize three subfamilies: Callopistinae new subfamily, Teiinae Estes et al., and Tupinambinae Estes et al. To resolve polyphyly of Ameiva and Cnemidophorus, we erect four new genera for various groups of Neotropical Teiidae: Ameivula new genus, Aurivela new genus, Contomastix new genus, and Medopheos new genus. We resurrect Holcosus Cope from the synonymy of Ameiva and Salvator Duméril and Bibron from the synonymy of Tupinambis. On the basis of shared derived characters, we propose new species groups of our redefined Ameiva and Cnemidophorus. We incorporate our new characters into a key to the genera and species groups of Teiidae. A phylogenetic hypothesis of Teiidae based on morphological characters differs substantially from hypotheses based on mitochondrial DNA. The phylogeny based on morphology is consistent with well-established biogeographic patterns of Neotropical vertebrates and explains extreme morphological divergence in such genera as Kentropyx and Aurivela.

Cryptic, Sympatric Diversity in Tegu Lizards of the Tupinambis teguixin Group (Squamata, Sauria, Teiidae) and the Description of Three New Species.

PLoS ONE 11(8): e0158542. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0158542

Abstract:

Tegus of the genera Tupinambis and Salvator are the largest Neotropical lizards and the most exploited clade of Neotropical reptiles. For three decades more than 34 million tegu skins were in trade, about 1.02 million per year. The genus Tupinambis is distributed in South America east of the Andes, and currently contains four recognized species, three of which are found only in Brazil. However, the type species of the genus, T. teguixin, is known from Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guyana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela (including the Isla de Margarita). Here we present molecular and morphological evidence that this species is genetically divergent across its range and identify four distinct clades some of which are sympatric. The occurrence of cryptic sympatric species undoubtedly exacerbated the nomenclatural problems of the past. We discuss the species supported by molecular and morphological evidence and increase the number of species in the genus Tupinambis to seven. The four members of the T. teguixin group continue to be confused with Salvator merianae, despite having a distinctly different morphology and reproductive mode. All members of the genus Tupinambis are CITES Appendix II. Yet, they continue to be heavily exploited, under studied, and confused in the minds of the public, conservationists, and scientists.

Integrative Approaches to the Systematics and Conservation of the Reptiles of the Cape Verde Islands.

PhD Thesis. Departamento de Biologia Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto

Volltext: http://www.scvz.org/pdf/TeseRVLowRes_ii.pdf

Summary:

Two of the main sensitivities of Conservation Biogeography are the inadequacies in taxonomic and chorological data, the so-called Linnean and Wallacean shortfalls, respectively. These shortfalls increase in the more remote areas such as oceanic islands. This thesis contributed to dilute those shortfalls in one of those remote areas, the Cape Verde Islands, for one of its least studied group, the reptiles.The specific goals of this thesis were related to answering to what diversity occurs there and to address putative biogeographic factors that explain why diversity is unevenly distributed. Then, it is aimed to answer where this biodiversity can be found and, based on all the gathered data, to plan how to better protect it at different levels.

First, the phylogeographic patterns of terrestrial reptiles were studied to identify an introduced agamid and cryptic endemic taxa of the three genera (Hemidactylus, Tarentola and Chioninia) and to clarify their systematics. The new introduced taxon in Cape Verde was identified as Agama agama. Also, some endemic subspecies were upgraded to the specific status and three new cryptic species (Hemidactylus lopezjuradoi, Tarentola bocageiand T. fogoensis) and subspecies (Chioninia vaillanti xanthotis, C. spinalis boavistensis and C. s. santiagoensis) were described using an integrative approach combining morphological, genetic and population analyses. These studies highlighted the usefulness of integrative datasets in the fields of Taxonomy and Phylogeography and how they can improve the performance of taxa estimations. In addition, the origin of the introduced Agama and the colonisation patterns of the endemic taxa were inferred and several historical and environmental factors, such as the Pleistocene sea-level falls and altitude, were related with the uneven distribution of diversity at intraspecific level. Low intraspecific divergence between reptile lineages of the same island has been explained by the recent volcanic activity and high ecological stress that could lead to population extinctions, and the low habitat diversity within some islands that could restrain opportunities for allopatric diversification.

Secondly, extensive sampling and bibliographic chorological data were compiled to produce and updated distribution atlas for all taxa addressing doubtful or erroneous records and to develop predictive maps of occurrence based on ecological niche-based models for most of the endemic taxa. This data also allowed the detection of the wide-spreading of the introduced H. angulatus in Santiago and Boavista and the colonisation of two new islands by the exotic H. mabouia. In addition, it allowed updating the conservation status for the endemic taxa showing that around half of them are threatened under the IUCN criteria and that the most frequent classifying criterion was related to restricted geographic range. The most pervasive threats identified are related to natural disasters, as droughts and volcanic activity, intrinsic factors, such as low population densities and restricted range, and introduced species.

Finally, this work also demonstrated how ecological niche-based models are useful tools to infer ranges on relatively under-sampled and remote areas with high accuracies and how they can be applied to conservation, maximizing efficiency of reserve designs. Results depicted that in Santa Luzia, Branco, Raso, Sal, Boavista, Maio and Rombos designation of new protected areas is not a priority since the ones that are going to be implemented will reach the conservation targets for all identified evolutionary significant units of those islands and islets. On the other hand, new or modified reserves should be implemented on the remaining islands to cover all identified lineages of Cape Verdean reptiles. This measure is especially important in Fogo and Brava, where no planning unit selected by the area prioritisation scenarios is within the protected areas limits and no protected area is planned, respectively.
Altogether, this work exemplifies the usefulness of integrating different disciplines to more effectively allowing systematic conservation planning of biodiversity.

A review of the African red–flanked skinks of the Lygosoma fernandi (BURTON, 1836) species group (Squamata: Scincidae) and the role of climate change in their speciation.

Zootaxa 2050: 1–30. ISSN 1175-5326.

Abstract:

We present an analysis of the morphometric and genetic variability of Lygosoma fernandi. Geographical variation and taxonomic consequences are discussed and Lepidothyris Cope, 1892 is resurrected as genus for the L. fernandi species group. The results show that Lepidothyris fernandi sensu lato is a species complex, which comprises an eastern and a western species. Each of them has a further subspecies of its own, and a third distinct species is present in southwestern Central Africa. The morphological and genetic differences between these taxa are analyzed resulting in the description of two new taxa, and the resurrection of two more taxa.

Bisher unbekannte Details zur Kenntnis von Varanus varius auf Grund von feldherpetologischen und terraristischen Beobachtungen (Reptilia: Sauria: Varanidae)

Salamandra 16 (1): 1-18.

Zusammenfassung:

Die gebänderte Form von Varanus varius ist keine distinkte Unterart. Durch Bestimmung der Geschlechtszugehörigkeit von 22 Exemplaren der bellii-Phase wird nachgewiesen, daß Warane der bellii-Phase stets männlichen Geschlechts sind. Es handelt sich also um eine geschlechtsgebundene Farbmutante. Verschiedene Beobachtungen zum Verhalten des Buntwarans im Freien werden mitgeteilt. Ebenso werden Beiträge zum Verhalten in Gefangenschaft geliefert; so wird beispielsweise über eine selten eingenommene Drohhaltung des Buntwarans berichtet. Verschiedene
Situationen des Verhaltens werden durch Fotos dokumentiert. Ferner wird das in der Literatur verstreute Material zur Fortpflanzung von V. varius kompiliert und kritisch gesichtet.

Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière, des reptiles.

Ouvrage faisant suite à l'Histoire naturelle générale et particulière, composée par Leclerc de Buffon, et rédigée par C.S. Sonnini.

Tome 1 - 8 . Imprimerie de F. Dufart, Paris

DAUDIN's Naturgeschichte der Reptilien, die im Rahmen der Sonnini-Ausgabe von Buffon´s Naturgeschichte herausgegeben wurde, galt als Standardwerk und zu seiner Zeit vollständigstes Werk über Reptilien. Er beschrieb darin nach eigenen Angaben 517 Arten basierend auf 1100 Exemplaren, darunter einige Erstbeschreibungen. Das waren dreimal mehr Arten als in dem zuvor erschienenen Werk von Bernard Germain Lacépède.

Best Practices: In the 21st Century, Taxonomic Decisions in Herpetology are Acceptable Only When Supported by a Body of Evidence and Published via Peer-Review.

Herpetological Review, 2013, 44(1), 8–23.

Einleitung:

Taxonomy,  the  scientific process by which natural groups are identified, described, named, and  classified is an exciting research  pursuit, not  only  because it  makes an  ndispensable contribution  to  biodiversity science but, at a more basic level, because it satisfies the human enjoyment of discovery. However, taxonomy has been an area of biological science in which errors,  ethical transgressions, and clashes of egos have been particularly vicious and public, harkening back to the earliest days of the  binomial system of nomenclature when Linnaeus (1737) named what he considered an insignificant weed (genus Siegesbeckia) after Johann Georg Siegesbeck, a contemporary and very vocal critic.

Brückenechsen aus dem oberen Jura von Brunn (Oberpfalz).

Jahresbericht 2012 und Mitteilungen der Freunde der Bayerischen Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Historische Geologie München e.V. 41: 55-72. ISSN 0942-5845.

Auszug aus der Einleitung:

Obwohl die Erdneuzeit, das Känozoikum, meist das Zeitalter der Säugetiere genannt wird, ist diese Gruppe natürlich nur eine von vielen verschiedenen Entwicklungslinien der Wirbeltiere, die in heutigen Ökosystemen eine Rolle spielen. Die Schuppenechsen (Lepidosaurier) sind mit vermutlich mehr als 7000 heutigen Arten sogar artenreicher als die Säugetiere und spielen in vielen Lebensräumen eine große Rolle, insbesonders im tropischen und subtropischen Bereich. Aber Lepidosaurier sind nicht nur für unsere heutigen Lebensräume von Interesse, die Gruppe hat auch eine lange Fossilgeschichte, die mindestens bis in die Zeit der Trias zurückreicht (EVANS & JONES 2010).

Der ganz überwiegende Teil der heutigen Lepidosaurier gehört zu der Untergruppe der Squamata (Eidechsen und Schlangen). Die Squamata sind jedoch nur eine Entwicklungslinie der Lepidosaurier. Ihre Schwestergruppe, die Brückenechsen (Rhynchocephalia; wörtlich eigentlich »Schnabelköpfe«) sind allgemein sehr viel weniger bekannt, was allerdings nicht verwunderlich ist, da sie heute nur noch mit einer bekannten Gattung mit nur zwei Arten vorkommt. Diese Gattung, Sphenodon, lebt zudem heute nur noch auf einigen kleinen, schwer zugänglichen Inseln vor den Küsten der Nordinsel Neuseelands. Unter Herpetologen ist Sphenodon dennoch sehr bekannt, da die Gattung als das ursprünglichste lebende Taxon der Lepidosaurier gilt. Der deutsche Name »Brückenechse« bezieht sich auf die untere Knochen»brücke«, die die untere Schläfenöffnung dieser Tiere begrenzt (siehe JONES et al. 2011). Squamaten haben diese Knochenspange reduziert, und somit erinnert Sphenodon an einen ursprünglichen diapsiden Zustand, wie er bei basalen Reptilien vorkommt (siehe ROMER 1956). Gemäß dieser angenommenen Ursprünglichkeit wird Sphenodon oft auch als »lebendes Fossil« als Modellorganismus für angenommene primitive Zustände in Untersuchungen der Evolution der Lepidosaurier herangenommen (z. B. REILLY et al. 2006).

Bezugsquelle (Volltext)::

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/235907848_Bruckenechsen_aus_dem_oberen_Jura_von_Brunn_Oberpfalz [accessed Jun 11, 2017] [accessed Jun 11, 2017].