Laura Verrastro

<p>**posterior probability (PP) > 0.95; *PP > 0.90. Time is given in millions of years (Myr). The bars for each node represent the 95% credible interval for the time of the most recent ancestor (TMRCA). Clades I-IV are shaded in agreement to <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0118162#pone.0118162.g001" target="_blank">Fig. 1</a>.</p

Habitat fragmentation is one of the sources of the global threat to wildlife populations. During the last four decades, urban development in Brazil’s southern coastline has seen considerable growth, fragmenting the habitat of the sand lizard Liolaemus occipitalis Boulenger, 1885, thus threatening it with extinction. In order to assess the influence of urban development on this species, we used tagging and recapture data to study two populations in Brazil’s southern coastline, one in a conserved area rarely subjected to disturbance and the other in an area undergoing different kinds of anthropogenic disturbance. We explored the consequences of this change in the natural landscape by comparing estimates of survival and abundance with Robust Design Model, and the body condition of individuals in both populations with analysis of covariance and variance. Survival of individuals were lower in the disturbed population than in the conserved population. The abundance of this lizard species ...

<i>Liolaemus gardeli</i> sp. nov. <b>Holotype.</b> ZVC-R 6823, adult male collected by L. Verrastro, R. Maneyro, and G. Scaron on February 21, 2014, in an area of sand dunes in the Tacuarembó department (31°58'43''S, 55°31'18.7''W), Uruguay. <b>Paratypes.</b> All specimens were collected in the same area and locality: ZVC-R 6824–6831, collected on February 21, 2014, by L. Verrastro, R. Maneyro, and G. Scaron; UFRGS 6630–6637 collected on March 27, 2013, by L. Verrastro and G. Scaron. <b>Diagnosis.</b> <i>Liolaemus gardeli</i> is a member of the <i>wiegmannii</i> group because it presents lorilabial scales smaller than the supralabials and narrow (longer than wider) supralabial scales. The mental scales are in contact with the sublabials. The infralabials are concave. <i>Liolaemus gardeli</i> differs from other <i>Liolaemus</i> spp. of the <i>wiegmannii</i> group by its large, blood-colored stain at the gular region in males that reaches the rostral, infralabial, and supralabial scales. There are red dots on the scales of the posterior region of the ear, the canthal scales, the superciliary, and the inner ciliary scales, features totally absent in other species of the <i>L. wiegmanni</i> group. The rostral scale is partially or slightly subdivided by the central postrostral. The scales of the temporal region are smooth, with a slight rugosity on the upper region; there are two large parietals that reach half of the interparietal. The species has a large mental scale. The pattern on the dorsal part of the body presents two mid-dorsal rows of quadrangular-shaped stains, with the darker area being larger than the lighter area, a feature absent in all other species of the <i>L. wiegmanni</i> group. In addition, <i>L</i>. <i>gardeli</i> is one of the smallest species in the <i>L</i>. <i>wiegmannii</i> group. <i>Liolaemus gardeli</i> has nasal scales (in the shape of a drop) in a dorsal position, with the nostrils occupying half of the scale, and narrower at the anterior end; this differs from <i>L. wiegmannii</i>, whic [...]

FIGURE 5. Relationship of biometrical data between species of the genus Liolaemus, group wiegmannii living close to Liolaemus sp. nov. Snout-vent length (SVL); head width (HW); and, axilla-groin distance (AG). HW and AG were divided by SVL (the same letters mean significant differences between species).

FIGURE 8. Head scales in dorsal, lateral, and ventral views. A: Liolaemus gardeli (ZVC-R 6823, male 6823 male, HL = 11.49 mm; HW = 9.76 mm); B: L. wiegmannii, population from Argentina (ZV-UNRC 3327 male, HL = 11.54 mm; HW = 9.8 mm); C: L. wiegmannii, population from Uruguay (UFRGS 3829 male, HL = 12.42 mm; HW = 9.69 mm).

<p><b>Codes for the sampled populations are shown according to</b><a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0118162#pone.0118162.t001" target="_blank">Table 1</a>. Major mtDNA clades (see text for details) are represented by stars (Clade I), triangles (Clade II), squares (Clade III), and circles (Clade IV) and delimited geographically by a solid line coloured according to each major clade (Clade I—blue; Clade II—red; Clade III—orange; Clade IV—green). The dotted line represents the Haedo Range, in Uruguay, and “Coxilha Grande”, in Brazil. Elevation is shown in grayscale according to the legend. The Uruguay River form parts of the boundaries of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay, while the Quaraí River forms part of the boundaries of Brazil and Uruguay.</p

Understanding which factors driving the genetic structure, geographic distribution patterns, and divergence of populations/species are of great interest in ecology and evolutionary biology. Phylogeographic and species hypotheses combined to distribution models may elucidate which phenomena drove evolutionary history of the biota of different biomes and ecoregions. Herein, we used distribution, environmental and genetic data to shed light on the evolutionary diversity of the Scinax granulatus complex, exploring the phylogeographic patterns, genetic structure and species boundaries across the Pampa and Southern Atlantic Forest biomes. We recovered four mitochondrial lineages which correspond to two putative species within the S. granulatus complex. We used genetic data to define species hypothesis with three discovery methods: bGMYC, bPTP and ASAP, and two delimitation approaches: BPP and BPP + gdi. We validated the species boundaries, confirming the differentiation of Scinax sp. lineage D from Atlantic Forest lowlands habitats, based on genetic data, ecological divergence and monophyly. Lineage D exhibited niche differentiation from S. granulatus sensu stricto (s.s.) based on distribution and environmental data. The climatic suitability of S. sp. D is defined by thermal variables, while that of S. granulatus s.s. was associated with rainfall. The diversification of the S. granulatus complex began during the Pliocene, but the colonization and divergence of lineages took place more recently during the Pleistocene. This study strongly suggests species‐level evolutionary divergence among lineages of S. granulatus complex, and highlights the need to carry out a comprehensive evaluation of diagnostic characters to confirm the lineage D as a distinct species.

FIGURE 10. Specimens paratypes of Liolaemus gardeli (ZVC-R 6823 (RML2778), ZVC-R 6824 (RML2779), ZVC-R 6825 (RML2780), ZVC-R 6826 (RML2781), ZVC-R 6827 (RML2782), ZVC-R 6828 (RML2783), ZVC-R 6829 (RML2784), ZVC- R 6830 (RML2785), and ZVC-R 6831 (RML2786–UFRGS 6630–6637).

FIGURE 6. Relation between the measurements of the parietal head scales (left and right) and the mental scale between species of the genus Liolaemus, group wiegmannii and Liolaemus sp. nov. living nearby. Right parietal scale (SPR); Left parietal scale (SPL) and length and width of the mental scale (PMS). All measurements were divided by head width (HW) (the same letters mean significant differences between species).

FIGURE 3. Discriminant analysis of measurements (mm) of the parietal right scales (SPR) and the parietal left scales (SPL), mental scales (SM), mental scale length (SM/HL), and mental scale width (SM/LW), between species of the genus Liolaemus, group wiegmannii nearby Liolaemus sp. nov.

FIGURE 1. The geographic location of the Liolaemus sp. nov., Tacuarembó, Uruguay (31°55'S, 51°30'W), including the occurrence of other species of the group wiegmannii in Uruguay and surrounding areas. Administrative limits of the Uruguay departments are shown.

A Biota Neotropica é uma revista eletrônica e está integral e gratuitamente disponível no endereço http://www.biotaneotropica.org.br Biota Neotropica is an electronic, peer-reviewed journal edited by the Program BIOTA/FAPESP: The Virtual Institute of Biodiversity. This journal's aim is to disseminate the results of original research work, associated or not to the program, concerned with characterization, conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity within the Neotropical region. Biota Neotropica é uma revista do Programa BIOTA/FAPESP-O Instituto Virtual da Biodiversidade, que publica resultados de pesquisa original, vinculada ou não ao programa, que abordem a temática caracterização, conservação e uso sustentável da biodiversidade na região Neotropical. Playing dead to stay alive: death-feigning in Liolaemus occipitalis (Squamata: Liolaemidae) Santos, M.B. et al. SANTOS, M.B., OLIVEIRA, M.C.L.M., VERRASTRO, L. & TOZETTI, A.M. Playing dead to stay alive: death-feigning in Lio...

The present communication reports a predation event of the medium-sized mammal Conepatus chinga by the lizard Salvator merianae . This record was obtained in a field area of the municipality of Eldorado do Sul, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, on October 23 rd , 2014, and increases the variety of prey types and sizes of the omnivorous diet of the species, confirming its opportunistic habit.

Dendropsophus nahdereri is included in the Dendropsophus marmoratus group. Its distribution is known from the Brazilian states of Paraná and Santa Catarina. Here we report new records of this species and briefly describe the habitat of calling males. We found new localities of occurrence of D. nahdereri in Brazilian states of Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul. We collected calling males in temporary lentic water bodies surrounded by arboreal vegetation, inside and on the border of native forest, and inside Pinus plantations near native forest.

Knowledge of a species’ diet provides important information on adaptation and the relationship between the organism and its environment. The genus Liolaemus occurs in the southern region of South America and is an excellent model to investigate the adaptive processes of vertebrate ecology in ecosystems of this region of the world. Liolaemus occipitalis is an endangered species that inhabits the coastal sand dunes of southern Brazil. This species is the most abundant vertebrate in this environment, and it presents unique adaptation characteristics to the restinga environment. The present study analyzed this lizard’s diet to verify similarities or differences between this species and other species of the same genus. Specimens were collected monthly from January 1996 to December 1997. The number of items, frequency of occurrence and volume of each prey taxon were determined. Arthropods were identified to the order level, and plant material was identified as flower, fruit, seed and leav...

It is generally assumed that lizards are active whenever climatic conditions are favorable. Homonota uruguayensis (Vaz-Ferreira & Sierra de Soriano, 1961) is the only native gecko - and nocturnal lizard - living in the northern Pampa biome, and its ecology is poorly known. This study aimed at describing this species’ pattern of daily and annual activity and its relation with environmental temperatures. The study was conducted in the extreme south of Brazil (Rosário do Sul, State of Rio Grande do Sul), between May 2010 and January 2011 at a rocky outcrop located in the Pampa biome. The study was carried out in a total of four seasonal field trips, totalizing 1185 hours of field work. The data were collected, both during the day and the night in 6-hour shifts (duration of the sampling period). The area was randomly covered at each shift to record activity and microhabitat use by the lizards. In total 1541 specimens were recorded throughout the study. Homonota uruguayensis showed diurn...

Studies on the thermal biology of fossorial reptiles that examine the relationship between the body temperature and thermal environment are needed to determine the extent of their thermoregulation abilities. This study assessed the thermal biology of Amphisbaena munoai Klappenbach, 1969 in the rocky fields of the Rio Grande do Sul and in the laboratory. The body temperature of most individuals was between 24 and 30 °C, both in the field (n = 81) and laboratory (n = 19). More individuals were caught in winter (n = 55) and spring (n = 60) than in summer (n = 25) and fall (n = 45), and in spring, individuals showed similar nocturnal and diurnal activities. In the laboratory, we found individuals with body temperatures up to 5 °C higher than the ambient temperature (n = 4), suggesting that some physiological mechanisms participate in the thermoregulation of these animals. Amphisbaena munoai is a thigmothermic species that is capable of actively regulating its temperature by selecting mi...

RESUMO Estudos sobre distribuição espacial e temporal de anfíbios têm se mostrado importantes para o entendimento das relações entre as espécies e o ambiente. Nesse sentido, constata-se que essas informações acerca de espécies do gênero Sphaenorhynchus Tschudi, 1838 no Rio Grande do Sul ainda não foram levantadas. Esta pesquisa, cujo objetivo principal foi a caracterização da distribuição espacial e temporal de Sphaenorhynchus surdus (Cochran, 1953) durante atividade de vocalização, bem como a análise dos principais fatores climáticos associados a essa atividade, foi conduzida em três corpos d’água com diferentes características da região dos Campos de Cima da Serra, nos municípios de Bom Jesus e Vacaria. As expedições a campo aconteceram mensalmente com a duração de dois dias e duas noites entre junho de 2006 e março de 2008. Os resultados mostraram que S. surdus apresenta temporada de vocalização concentrada nas estações mais quentes do ano, primavera e verão, interrompendo nos me...

Lizards of the Liolaemus wiegmannii group comprise 11 species that are widely distributed east of the Andes, occurring in Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil. Here we analyzed a population of the genus Liolaemus, found in the Pampa region of Uruguay, on isolated sand dunes along the Tacuarembó River. We conducted biometric, meristic, and genetic comparisons between this population and other populations of L. weigmannii from Argentina and Uruguay, and the other species of the L. weigmannii complex. Our morphological and genetic analyses showed that this population represents to a new species of the genus Liolaemus, belonging to the L. wiegmannii group. To date, its known distribution is extremely restricted. 

We investigated the following aspects of the biology of a population of Cnemidophorus vacariensis Feltrim & Lema, 2000 during the four seasons: thermal biology, relationship with the thermal environment, daily and seasonal activity, population structure and growth rate. Cnemidophorus vacariensis is restricted to rocky outcrops of the "campos de cima da serra" grasslands on the Araucaria Plateau, southern Brazil, and is currently listed as regionally and nationally threatened with extinction. Data were collected from October 2004 through September 2007 in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Sampling was conducted randomly from 08:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The capture-mark-recapture method was employed. The lizards were captured by hand, and their cloacal temperature, sex, snout-ventral length (SVL), mass, and the temperature of their microhabitat (substrate temperature and air temperature) were recorded. Individuals were then marked by toe-clipping and released at the site of captur...

Herein we provide a list of reptiles from Parque Estadual de Itapuã, a conservation unit of integral protection located in the municipality of Viamão, state of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil and inserted in the domains of the Pampa Biome. The study was carried out from February 2003 to July 2004. We recorded 39 species: 23 snakes, eight lizards, four testudines, three amphisbaenians and one crocodilian. Through the knowledge of the species in the area, we justify the importance of preserving this important natural remnant.

Liolaemus arambarensis Verrastro, Veronese, Bujes & Dias Filho, 2003 (Iguania, Liolaemidae) é um pequeno lagarto de areia, que vive nos ambientes de restingas da Laguna dos Patos. A descrição do esqueleto desta espécie pode elucidar algumas relações filogenéticas em relação a outras espécies do gênero. Tendo por objetivo a descrição das regiões pré-sacral e sacral do esqueleto axial de L. arambarensis, foram analisados sete exemplares da espécie. Observou-se que a maior estrutura axial é a coluna vertebral, que é dividida nas regiões: cervical, dorsal, sacral e caudal. A região cervical possui oito vértebras, e as costelas aparecem a partir da quarta vértebra. A região dorsal é dividida em: torácica, com cinco vértebras portando costelas unidas ao esterno; e pós-torácica, com 11 vértebras portando costelas livres. Segue-se a região sacral com duas vértebras fusionadas, que portam processos transversos fortemente expandidos lateralmente. O esterno de L. arambarensis constitui-se de uma placa cartilaginosa calcificada que se comunica com a região torácica da coluna vertebral e com a cintura escapular. Em vista do descrito anteriormente, pode-se dizer que L. arambarensis apresenta os padrões de esqueleto axial descritos para espécies de sua família e gênero.