Herpetology Notes

Tail trifurcation in Hemidactylus aff. malcolmsmithi in southern Mississippi, USA

Jake G. Power — 2025-07-29

Use of a handheld metal detector to evaluate metal ingestion in the Alligator Snapping Turtle, Macrochelys temminckii (Troost, 1835)

Kelly L. Garcia — 2025-07-25

Preliminary data on saltwater crocodiles, Crocodylus porosus Schneider, 1801, and an updated assessment of threats in the Nilwala River, Matara, Sri Lanka

Trevor L. Proctor — 2025-06-05

Don't bother me, I'm venomous: first report of envenoming by an Aesculapian False Coralsnake, Erythrolamprus aesculapii (Linnaeus, 1758), in the Bolivian Yungas

Oliver Quinteros-Muñoz — 2025-07-05

Minimum hydroperiod for metamorphosis in the California Tiger Salamander, Ambystoma californiense Gray, 1853

Sean M. O'Brien — 2025-07-12

Insights from short-term post-fire monitoring of a population of Hermann’s Tortoise, Testudo hermanni Gmelin, 1789, in Calabria, southern Italy

Francesco L. Leonetti — 2025-06-13

An Eastern Ribbonsnake, Thamnophis saurita (Linnaeus, 1766), scavenging on a roadkilled Cuban Treefrog, Osteopilus septentrionalis (Duméril & Bibron, 1841), in Everglades National Park, Florida, USA

Sarah Payne — 2025-06-13

First report of piebaldism for the Crowned False Boa, Pseudoboa coronata Schneider, 1801, from the lowlands of Bolivia

Luis R. Rivas — 2025-07-31

New country records of the Laotian Wolfsnake, Lycodon laoensis Günther, 1864, in Myanmar, discovered via citizen science

Soe Thandar Aung — 2025-06-10

Potential predation by a carabid beetle (Catadromus sp.) larva on an adult Spotted Marsh Frog, Limnodynastes tasmaniensis Günther, 1858, in western Victoria, Australia

Dylan M. Westaway — 2025-06-13

Tail movements as an anti-predatory behaviour in Hynobius okiensis Sato, 1940

Amaël Borzée — 2025-03-26

New records of the Ocellated Skink, Chalcides ocellatus (Forskål, 1775), reveal possible human-mediated translocation to Syros Island, Greece

Taxiarchis Danelis — 2025-07-05

Expanding the known range: Spalerosophis diadema diadema (Schlegel, 1837) in the temperate western Himalayan region, India

Muzaffar A Kichloo — 2025-07-26

Bright marks, dark fate: records of predation on Coleodactylus meridionalis Boulenger, 1888 from a movement ecology study in a forest area in southern Bahia, Brazil

Lucca Izaguirres Souza — 2025-06-05

A new record of the Endangered Zolio's Shield-backed Ground Lizard, Philochortus zolii Scortecci, 1934, from Algeria, with genetic insights and a geographic distribution review

Idriss Bouam — 2025-07-06

Communal nesting behaviour of female American Alligators, Alligator mississippiensis (Daudin, 1801) in southeastern Oklahoma, USA

Eric C.K. Gren — 2025-03-24

A noteworthy observation of Corallus caninus (Linnaeus, 1758) within the Corallus batesii (Gray, 1860) range in the Central Brazilian Amazonia

Angel V. Dyugmedzhiev — 2025-07-30

Contribution to the knowledge of the gecko Tenuidactylus longipes (Nikolsky, 1896) in northeastern Iran

Saeed S. Hosseinian Yousefkhani — 2025-07-11

Predation of the Madagascar Dwarf Leaf-toed Gecko, Paroedura vazimba Nussbaum & Raxworthy, 2000, by the Madagascar Bullfrog, Laliostoma labrosum (Cope, 1868), in Ankarafantsika, northwestern Madagascar

Ayane Inoue — 2025-07-12

Third case of tail bifurcation in Cope’s Mabuya, Notomabuya frenata (Cope, 1863), in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

Nelson R. de Albuquerque — 2025-06-27

Rescue records of Leith’s Sandsnake, Psammophis leithii Günther, 1869, from Surat, Gujarat, India with some additional insights on pholidosis and natural history

Mehul Thakur — 2025-03-13

First photographic evidence of oceanic swimming behaviour in littoral Snake-eyed Skinks, genus Cryptoblepharus, in the Western Indian Ocean

Tim L. Heller — 2025-07-25

Limb and digit malformations in the Alpine Newt, Mesotriton alpestris (Laurenti, 1768), in the United Kingdom

Rachel Hester — 2025-08-07

First report of consumption of the Italian Three-toed Skink, Chalcides chalcides (Linnaeus, 1758), by a European Pine Marten in Lazio, Italy

Alessia Mariacher — 2025-07-25

Head hiding behaviour in the Eastern Montpellier Snake, Malpolon insignitus fuscus (Fleischmann, 1831)

Alessandro Paterna — 2025-07-12

The wonder of rain: records of Plateau Tiger Salamander, Ambystoma velasci Dugès, 1888, in Salinas, San Luis Potosí, Mexico

Jesús L. Lara-Galván — 2025-07-08

Initial survey of the amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis around Bouamir Research Station, Dja Faunal Reserve, Cameroon

Abraham G. Bamba-Kaya — 2025-07-05

Biofluorescence in the Madeiran Wall Lizard, Teira dugesii (Milne-Edwards, 1829)

José Câmara — 2025-07-29

First record of Kellogg’s Coralsnake, Sinomicrurus kelloggi (Pope, 1928), from Nghe An Province, Vietnam

Shinya Okabe — 2025-06-05

Prolonged copulation and possible mating plug formation in the Ryukyu Greensnake, Ptyas semicarinata (Hallowell, 1861), on Okinawa Island

Hiroaki Yanagi — 2025-07-08

Ocular anomaly in the Plateau Toad, Anaxyrus compactilis (Wiegmann, 1833), from Jalisco State, West-Central Mexico

Rodolfo Guzmán-Ramírez — 2025-07-12

Amplexus between frogs in different families: a microhylid Nilphamarai Narrow-mouthed Frog, Microhyla nilphamariensis Howlader et al., 2015, grasps a Terai Cricket Frog, Minervarya teraiensis (Dubois, 1984), in Nepal

Tapil Prakash Rai — 2025-07-02

Interaction between two Japanese Ratsnakes, Elaphe climacophora (Boie, 1826), at the nest of a Eurasian Wren, Troglodytes troglodytes

Ayaka Soda — 2025-06-27

Give me five: a case of polymelia in the Common Midwife Toad, Alytes obstetricans (Laurenti, 1768), in Central Spain

Luis Javier Cuéllar — 2025-07-12

Shedding excess: small tape patches as a lower-impact transmitter attachment method for snakes

Tyler C. Christensen — 2025-04-23

Predation of a White-banded Treefrog, Boana albomarginata (Spix, 1824), by a Parrot Snake, Leptophis liocercus (Wied, 1824), in an Atlantic Forest fragment in Bahia, northeastern Brazil

Tiago A. F. Silva — 2025-07-26

Six predation events by the Red-banded Snake, Lycodon rufozonatus Cantor, 1842, on Tsushima Island, Japan

Ango Morikawa — 2025-04-13

New data on introduced geckos of the Mediodactylus kotschyi complex in Hungary

Gergely Babocsay — 2025-07-30

The use of fluorescent powdered pigments as a tracking technique for hatchling turtles in Belize

Jessica Henry — 2025-06-27

Hatchling freshwater turtles face significant challenges during early life stages, including predation, desiccation, and habitat loss. Despite their ecological importance, little is known about their movements and habitat preferences due to their cryptic behaviour and small size. In this study, we utilized fluorescent powder tracking, a non-invasive method, to investigate the spatial ecology of hatchling turtles in southern Belize. Forty-seven hatchlings from five species (Kinosternon acutum, K. leucostomum, Trachemys venusta, Claudius angustatus, and Chelydra rossignonii) were tracked across old-growth rainforest and pine savanna habitats. Hatchlings exhibited movement distances ranging from 3–1987 cm, with most activity concentrated in high-elevation rainforest, particularly in ephemeral aquatic habitats such as puddles and ditches. Species-specific preferences were observed, aligning with adult habitat use. Notably, the longest movement was recorded for a C. rossignonii individual, which travelled over 19 m in two days. Significant differences in habitat use were found between ephemeral, permanent, and upland microhabitats, highlighting the importance of temporary aquatic environments during the rainy season. The study confirmed the effectiveness of fluorescent powder tracking as a low-cost, low-impact tool for monitoring hatchling turtles. Despite potential concerns about increased visibility to predators, only one potential predation event occurred during tracking. These findings emphasize the critical role of ephemeral habitats in supporting hatchling survival and provide valuable insights for conservation planning. By addressing a key knowledge gap, this research supports efforts to protect threatened freshwater turtle species in Belize’s rapidly changing ecosystems.

Field body temperatures and microclimatic influences in Hermann’s Tortoise, Testudo hermanni Gmelin, 1789, from Thrace

Ceren Nur Özgül — 2025-07-31

Temperature is considered a fundamental factor in reptile ecology because their body temperature generally varies depending on environmental temperature. This study investigated the thermal ecology of Testudo hermanni populations inhabiting two different habitat types in the Thrace region (Karakoç/Kırklareli–open habitat, Keşan/Edirne–closed habitat) by examining the relationship between body temperatures (Internal Body Temperature: T_int and External Body Temperature: T_ext), microclimatic parameters (Substrate Temperature: T_s and Air Temperature: T_air), and morphological features (Body Weight: BW and Straight Carapace Length: SCL). Additionally, the effect of different weather conditions (cloudy and sunny) on the body temperatures of the populations was determined. Significant positive correlations were found between body temperatures and microclimatic parameters in both populations, whereas no significant relationship was detected between body temperatures and morphological features. Behavioural analyses indicated that activities such as basking and movement were associated with higher body temperatures. It was also found that individuals had higher body temperatures under sunny weather conditions. However, no significant difference in body temperatures was detected between the two populations, one inhabiting the densely wooded, closed habitat of Keşan and the other in the sparsely vegetated, open habitat of Karakoç. The results suggest that T. hermanni individuals have a high capacity to maintain optimal body temperatures under varying environmental conditions. This ability is crucial for the species’ survival in the face of environmental challenges. However, increasing habitat fragmentation and habitat loss may significantly limit this adaptability. Moreover, rising temperatures could affect thermoregulation strategies, potentially threatening the long–term survival of populations. Future studies should focus on the long–term impacts of climate change on the thermal ecology and habitat use of T. hermanni to contribute to effective conservation strategies.

Low genetic diversity and relatively strong population genetic structure of Przewalski's Wondergecko, Teratoscincus przewalskii Strauch, 1887, in the Mongolian Gobi Desert

Onolragchaa Ganbold — 2025-07-25

We examined the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of 75 Teratoscincus przewalskii from seven different populations in the Mongolian Gobi Desert using partial sequences of the mitochondrial ND2 gene. Our diversity estimations showed a relatively low level of genetic diversity for these samples (Hd; 0.416, π; 0.0009), with only five polymorphic sites that defined six haplotypes. Our Bayesian Inference (BI) and Maximum Likelihood (ML) phylogenetic trees suggested monophyly of a group comprising Mongolian and non-Mongolian T. przewalskii populations. In addition, we found that T. roborowskii, a geographically close species, is the likely sister taxon of T. przewalskii. The approximate estimated time for T. przewalskii’s colonization of Mongolia was 149,000 years ago (95% highest posterior density interval: 51,900–275,000 years ago). Among studied populations, we found that the Gurvantes population was genetically distant from the six remaining populations (mean uncorrelated p-distance = 1.3%, pairwise distance F_ST = 0.57). Our hierarchical AMOVA suggested a relatively strong genetic structure of T. przewalskii at the population level, with 45% of total genetic variation resulting from differences between populations.

The herpetofauna of the Echinades Island Complex, Ionian Islands, Greece, with notes on the ecological peculiarities of its lizard species

Elias Tzoras — 2025-08-07

The near-shore islands of western Greece remain to this day little explored in terms of herpetological research, while most of them have only been occasionally visited in recent years. We conducted several field excursions on 20 satellite islets of the Echinades Island Complex (Ionian archipelago), corresponding to a two-year field study from 2022 to 2023. During the surveys, we documented 39 new island records. We confirmed the presence of six out of the seven previously documented reptiles (Mediodactylus kotschyi, Lacerta trilineata, Elaphe quatuorlineata, Platyceps najadum, Testudo hermanni and T. marginata), and also documented for the first time four additional species new to the island group (Hemidactylus turcicus, Ablepharus kitaibelii, Podarcis ionicus and Hierophis gemonensis). During our field excursions we noticed a peculiar lifestyle concerning arboreal microhabitat preference of gecko species which is briefly discussed.

Decoding the overlap: diagnostic acoustics to distinguish the endangered Magnificent Broodfrog, Pseudophryne covacevichae Ingram & Corben, 1994, from the common Montane Toadlet, Uperoleia altissima Davies et al., 1993 in northern Queensland, Australia

Emily R. Rush — 2025-07-01

Accurate species identification from passive acoustic monitoring data is critical for threatened species, particularly when vocal overlap with sympatric species risks misidentification. The Magnificent Broodfrog (Pseudophryne covacevichae), a narrowly endemic species of the Australian Wet Tropics listed as Endangered (IUCN) and Vulnerable (Australia EPBC), co-occurs and reproduces alongside the common Montane Toadlet (Uperoleia altissima), and the two species produce advertisement calls that overlap in structure and frequency. This study provides a diagnostic reference to reduce the potential risk of misidentification during acoustic analysis, particularly by those working in poorly documented areas between the Magnificent Broodfrog’s two main populations (Atherton Tablelands and Paluma Range). The advertisement and threat calls of the Magnificent Broodfrog are described in detail and compared with the advertisement call of the Montane Toadlet. Principal Component Analysis showed distinct clustering by species, and an analysis using the Multi-Response Permutation Procedure confirmed call duration contributes most strongly to species discrimination. The Magnificent Broodfrog’s advertisement call was longer, lower in frequency, and had more variation in pulse number than the Montane Toadlet’s short, repetitive call. These findings provide an applied framework to support accurate identification of the Magnificent Broodfrog from recordings and enhance the reliability of acoustic assessments for this threatened species.

First record of Trimerodytes praemaxillaris (Angel, 1929) from Xaisomboun Province, Laos, with additional comments on morphology, natural history, and the type locality

Yanpeng Shen — 2025-03-05

We describe the discovery of the 11th specimen of Trimerodytes premaxillaris and use this opportunity to make some clarifying remarks about the history of the species, its type locality, morphology, and natural history. The snake was found at the southernmost locality for the species and represents a new provincial record for Laos. It was in the process of swallowing a juvenile spiny bream (Scaphiodonichthys acanthopterus), the first identifiable prey for this snake. The snake was a female carrying two oviductal eggs indicating that the reproductive season of the species likely coincides with the monsoon season. This correlates with the collection of the hatchling type specimens in late 1925 or early 1926. Finally, we provide some additional detail regarding this species’ scale and colour pattern, as well as a more detailed account of the type locality and the time when the syntypes were collected.

Nueva información sobre la distribución y biología de la Culebra de Cola Corta Jaspeada, Tantillita brevissima (Taylor, 1937) en México y Guatemala

Emmanuel Javier-Vázquez — 2025-07-29

Tantillita brevissima (Taylor, 1937) es una serpiente de hábitos fosoriales y de pequeño tamaño, nativa del sur de México y Guatemala, previamente conocida solo a partir de seis ejemplares. Mediante trabajo de campo, revisión de literatura y análisis de colecciones científicas y bases de datos públicas, reportamos nuevos registros de distribución para la especie, duplicando a 12 el número total de localidades conocidas. Estos incluyen los primeros registros para los municipios de Cintalapa y Jiquipilas, en el estado de Chiapas, México. Además, corregimos problemas relacionados con el rango de distribución de la especie, aclaramos su intervalo altitudinal conocido, confirmamos su presencia en la Reserva de la Biósfera La Sepultura, describimos nuevas asociaciones de vegetación y presentamos nueva información morfológica.