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Article Reference Karstic Landscapes Are Foci of Species Diversity in the World’s Third-Largest Vertebrate Genus Cyrtodactylus Gray, 1827 (Reptilia: Squamata; Gekkonidae)
Karstic landscapes are immense reservoirs of biodiversity and range-restricted endemism. Nowhere is this more evident than in the world’s third-largest vertebrate genus Cyrtodactylus (Gekkonidae) which contains well over 300 species. A stochastic character mapping analysis of 10 different habitat preferences across a phylogeny containing 345 described and undescribed species recovered a karst habitat preference occurring in 25.0% of the species, whereas that of the other eight specific habitat preferences occurred in only 0.2–11.0% of the species. The tenth category—general habitat preference—occurred in 38.7% of the species and was the ancestral habitat preference for Cyrtodactylus and the ultimate origin of all other habitat preferences. This study echoes the results of a previous study illustrating that karstic landscapes are generators of species diversity within Cyrtodactylus and not simply “imperiled arks of biodiversity” serving as refugia for relics. Unfortunately, the immense financial returns of mineral extraction to developing nations largely outweighs concerns for biodiversity conservation, leaving approximately 99% of karstic landscapes with no legal protection. This study continues to underscore the urgent need for their appropriate management and conservation. Additionally, this analysis supports the monophyly of the recently proposed 31 species groups and adds one additional species group.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2021
Article Reference A new cave-dwelling Gekko (Gekko) from Lopburi Province, central Thailand (Squamata, Gekkonidae)
We describe Gekko pradapdao sp. nov. from Tham Khao Chan (Khao Chan Cave), Tha Luang District, Lopburi Province, in central Thailand. The new species, a member of the subgenus Gekko, differs from all currently recognized Gekko species by the following combination of morphological characters and pattern: maximal known snout-vent length of 127.1 mm, lack of contact between nostrils and rostral, 24–28 interorbital scales between supraciliaries, 89–91 scale rows around midbody, 16–18 dorsal tubercle rows at midbody, 30–34 ventral scale rows at midbody, 11–13 precloacal pores in males, a single postcloacal tubercle on each side of the base of the tail, 13–16 subdigital lamellae on 1st toe and 17–19 on 4th toe, no Y-shaped mark on head, non-banded dorsal pattern on a dark chocolate brown to black background, and a dark brown iris. Urgent actions should be taken to evaluate the conservation status of the new species.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2021
Article Reference A new sandstone-dwelling leaf-toed gecko (Gekkonidae: Dixonius mekongensis) from the Thai-Lao border
We describe Dixonius mekongensis sp. nov. from sandstone formations in Khong Chiam District, Ubon Ratchathani Province, in extreme eastern Thailand along the Laotian border. The new species differs from all currently recognized Dixonius by the following combination of morphological characters and pattern: maximal known snout-vent length of 51.2 mm; 16 longitudinal rows of dorsal tubercles; 32 to 34 paravertebral scales; 22 to 24 longitudinal rows of ventral scales across the abdomen; seven precloacal pores in males, no pores in females; a marked canthal stripe; and a spotted to uniform dorsal pattern. This description brings the number of Dixonius species to 13, with six species endemic to Thailand.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2021
Article Reference A new karst-dwelling, colorful pitviper (Viperidae: Trimeresurus) from northern Peninsular Thailand
We describe a colorful and distinctively patterned, karst-dwelling pitviper, Trimeresurus kuiburi sp. nov., from the isolated, coastal massif of Khao Sam Roi Yot in Kui Buri District, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, in northern Peninsular Thailand. The new species, member of the ‘Cryptelytrops group’ sensu Malhotra & Thorpe (2004) and morphologically and genetically allied to Trimeresurus kanburiensis and T. venustus, differs from all pitviper taxa by a combination of red/purple bands on a green dorsum; a white concave suborbital stripe in males (straight and less visible in females); white, spaced vertebral dots in males (absent in females); pale green belly lacking dark dots or stripe on the lateral sides of the ventrals; partially fused first supralabial and nasal scale; 19 dorsal scale rows at midbody; 164–171 ventrals; 63–65 subcaudals in males, 51–53 in females; maximal known SVL of 451 mm; and long, papillose hemipenes.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2021
Incollection Reference Diversity, threats and conservation of western and central African amphibians (Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, Gabon, São Tome & Principe, Eq
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2021
Book Reference Biodiversity, Biogeography and Nature Conservation in Wallacea and New Guinea. Volume IV
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2021
Unpublished Reference Phylogenetics and Integrative Taxonomy of African Water Snakes (Squamata: Colubridae: Grayia)
Grayia is a genus of relatively large (1.5 – 2.5 m) aquatic Afrotropical snakes that is currently comprised of four species. Recent molecular phylogenies recovered Grayia in its own distinct subfamily (Grayiinae), which was strongly supported as the sister group to Colubrinae. Because tropical African snakes are generally understudied, the relationships within Grayia are poorly known. Due to morphological conservatism, identification is often difficult and previous studies involving Grayia included misidentified specimens in other genera. The goal of this study is to build a phylogenetic tree that can be used to understand the relationships and taxonomy of Grayia via an integrative taxonomic approach that combines molecular and morphological data. One nuclear (BDNF) and four mitochondrial genes (COI, cyt b, 16S and ND4) were used to construct a phylogenetic tree with Maximum likelihood methods; outgroups included the genera Calamaria, Sibynophis and Masticophis. Preliminary trees suggest G. ornata and G. smithii are sister taxa, whereas G. caesar (originally described as the sole member of the genus Xenurophis) is sister to G. tholloni. At least two divergent lineages of G. ornata suggest cryptic species are likely present in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Republic of Congo.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2021
Article Reference Philothamnus ruandae Loveridge, 1951. Rwandan Green Snake. Reproduction.
We provide new data on the reproduction of the Rwandan Green Snake Philothamnus ruandae (Squamata : Colubridae) based on high resolution x-ray computed tomography of five adult pregnant females, including the holotype and three paratypes. The smallest gravid female has a snout-vent length of 552 mm, and clutch size varies from 4 to 12.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2021
Article Reference The taxonomic impediment: a shortage of taxonomists, not the lack of technical approaches
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2021
Article Reference Natural and human-driven selection of a single non-coding body size variant in ancient and modern canids
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2022 OA