Julián A. Rojas-Morales

The genus Rhinella (Bufonidae) comprises 92 species of Neotropical toads. In Colombia, Rhinella is represented by 22 recognized species, of which nine belong to the Rhinella festae group. Over the past decade, there has been increasing evidence of cryptic diversity within this group, particularly in the context of Andean forms. Specimens of Rhinella collected in high Andean forests on both slopes of the Central Cordillera in Colombia belong to an undescribed species, Rhinella kumanday sp. nov. Genetic analyses using the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene indicated that the individuals belong to the festae species group. However, they can be distinguished from other closely related species such as Rhinella paraguas and Rhinella tenrec by a combination of morphological traits including the presence of tarsal fold, a moderate body size, and substantial genetic divergence in the 16S rRNA gene (> 5%). Through this integrative approach, the specimens from the Central Cordillera of Colombia are considered an evolutionary divergent lineage that is sister to R. paraguas, and described as a new species. Rhinella kumanday sp. nov. is restricted to the Central Cordillera of Colombia inhabiting both slopes in the departments of Caldas and Tolima, in an elevational range between 2420 and 3758 m. With the recognition of this new species, the genus Rhinella now comprises 93 species with 23 of them found in Colombia, and ten species endemic to the country.

La serranía de San Lucas (Colombia) se considera de alto valor para la conservación de la biodiversidad, pero poco se sabe sobre su fauna. Entre finales de 2016 (lluvias) e inicios de 2017 (seca) se realizaron dos salidas de campo para caracterizar la fauna de anfibios y estimar su diversidad taxonómica en el río Cimitarra, al sur de esta serranía. Como resultado, se registraron 183 individuos pertenecientes a 23 especies, 15 géneros y 8 familias. Aunque la riqueza no difirió entre temporadas, la diversidad fue casi el doble en temporada seca que en la de lluvia, siendo el bosque natural fragmentado la cobertura más diversa con 14,2 especies (q1). La composición de anfibios fue diferente entre temporadas y coberturas, con altos valores de diversidad β debido principalmente al anidamiento en el ensamblaje. Los anfibios del río Cimitarra muestran un patrón de similitud con otras localidades dependiendo de su distancia geográfica. Estos resultados contribuyen con información para ser comparada con la diversidad de anfibios en áreas más intervenidas del Magdalena Medio y el bosque húmedo en general. Sin embargo, para San Lucas se debe analizar la dinámica espaciotemporal de los anfibios en una escala de tiempo mayor y evaluar las variaciones interanuales.

The Crab-eating Raccon (Procyon cancrivorus) is a mesocarnivore with a wide distribution in Colombia, opportunistic frugivorous-omnivorous habits, and limited knowledge about its diet. In this work, by reviewing the stomach contents of a female P. cancrivorus run over on a secondary road in the municipality of Puerto Wilches, Santander, Colombia, new food items were recorded in the diet of the species. Two species of frogs were identified: Elachistocleis pearsei and Engystomops pustulosus, and fragments of individuals of the family Hylidae and Leptodactylidae were found. This work contributes to the knowledge of the diet and natural history of a common mesocarnivore species in our country and represents an opportunity to explore future research using road-killed specimens.

Studying non-avian reptiles in the Colombian Andean region has encompassed various spatial scales and historical times. The knowledge of non-avian reptile diversity in the Department of Caldas (Central Andes; 7,888 sq. km. area; intricate geomorphology) has grown significantly in recent decades, especially in the areas to the east of the department within the Magdalena Valley and near Manizales, the capital city. Here, we consolidate the data from biological collections, literature, and unpublished research in a historical synopsis of the studies conducted in Caldas with an updated account of nonavian reptile species recorded in them. We found that the records of non-avian reptiles in Caldas trace back to pre-Columbian and colonial times, with specimens in biological collections dating back over a century. This non-avian reptile richness comprises 126 species grouped in 69 genera, 25 families, and three orders. Three out of the 27 municipalities in Caldas (La Merced, Marulanda, and Marquetalia) lack validated specimens or records. Furthermore, there is limited information regarding protected areas such as Los Nevados and Selva de Florencia National Natural Parks, which demands further research to unravel the diversity patterns of this biological group within this specific segment of the Andes.

El conocimiento de los reptiles en Colombia es aún incompleto, aunque el país alberga una alta diversidad de este grupo. En los últimos años, las colecciones regionales han contribuido a llenar vacíos de información sobre la biogeografía, la variación intra e interespecífica y la sistemática de diversos grupos. Presentamos aquí la información de 613 registros depositados en la Colección de Reptiles del Museo de Historia Natural de la Universidad de Caldas. La mayoría de los registros (527) proceden del departamento de Caldas, pero se cuenta con registros de 15 departamentos más. El orden más representativo es Squamata (603 registros). La colección alberga 108 especímenes que han sido referenciados en 20 publicaciones nacionales y extranjeras.

Resumen.-Durante muestreos de campo realizados en el año 2021 en el Valle Medio del Río Magdalena, Colombia, registramos un nuevo ítem dietario para la serpiente Epicrates maurus, consistente en la especie de roedor Zygodontomys brevicauda. Al momento de fotografiar la serpiente, ésta regurgitó el ratón parcialmente digerido el cual fue identificado a partir de sus caracteres dentarios y craneales. El presente registro contribuye al conocimiento acerca del espectro dietario de E. maurus en el norte de Sur América.

Resumen.-Los sapos del género Rhinella son consumidos por una amplia variedad de depredadores tanto vertebrados como invertebrados. En esta nota reporto un comportamiento defensivo concerniente en la extensión rígida de las patas traseras en la especie Rhinella humboldti. Sugiero que dicho comportamiento puede estar orientado a facilitar el camuflaje y limitar la capacidad de ingestión de depredadores con bocas pequeñas, como algunas serpientes juveniles. Palabras claves.-Anuros, Colombia, comportamiento defensivo, relación depredador-presa.

Predicting distributions of rare species: the case of the false coral snake Rhinobothryum bovallii (Serpentes: Colubridae). Typically, the lack of enough high-quality occurrence data makes it difficult to define the geographic distribution of rare species. However, species distribution models provide a powerful tool for biodiversity management, including efforts to predict the distributions of rare species. Herein, new and historical data are used to model the distribution of the False Tree Coral snake, Rhinobothryum bovallii. The prediction map reveals a disjunct distribution for this species, from the Central American Isthmus to the northwestern portion of South America, with the species occupying lowlands and premontane forests below about 1500 m elevation. We identified 491,516 km 2 of suitable habitat for R. bovallii (minimum training presence threshold of 0.424) and 59,353 km 2 of core habitat, with concentrations in three relatively isolated core areas (10-percentile training presence threshold of 0.396), as follow: (1) a "northern core" along the Pacific and Caribbean coasts of Panama; (2) a "central core" in the Middle Magdalena Valley in Colombia; and (3) a "southern core" in the Ecuadorian Chocó. The occurrence of this species has a strong positive association with low precipitation seasonality, high precipitation in the warmest quarter, and low variability in annual temperature. Xeric and semiarid areas are unsuitable for this species and may pose environmental barriers limiting its distributional range. These results may lead to the discovery of additional populations of R. bovallii, identify priority survey areas, and by determining the extent of its natural habitat promote effective conservation strategies. Resumo Prevendo distribuições de espécies raras: o caso da falsa cobra coral Rhinobothryum bovallii (Serpentes: Colubridae). Normalmente, a falta de dados de ocorrência de alta qualidade suficientes torna difícil definir a distribuição geográfica de espécies raras. No entanto, os modelos de distribuição de espécies fornecem uma ferramenta poderosa para a gestão da biodiversidade, incluindo esforços para prever a distribuição de espécies raras. Aqui, dados novos e históricos são usados para modelar a distribuição da serpente Rhinobothryum bovallii. O mapa de previsão revela uma distribuição disjunta para essa espécie, do Istmo da América Central à porção noroeste da América do Sul, com a espécie ocupando terras baixas e florestas pré-montanas abaixo de cerca de 1.500 m de altitude. Identificamos 491.516 km 2 de habitat adequado para R. bovallii (limite de corte de presença mínima de treino de 0,424) e 59.353 km 2 de habitat central, com concentrações em três áreas centrais relativamente isoladas (limite de corte de 10-percentil de presença de treino de 0,396), como segue: (1) um "núcleo norte" ao longo das costas do Pacífico e do Caribe do Panamá; (2) um "núcleo central" no Vale do Médio Magdalena, na Colômbia; e (3) um "núcleo sul" no Chocó equatoriano. A ocorrência dessa espécie tem forte associação positiva com a baixa sazonalidade da precipitação, alta precipitação no trimestre mais quente e baixa variabilidade na temperatura anual. Áreas xéricas e semiáridas são inadequadas para essa espécie e podem representar barreiras ambientais que limitam sua faixa de distribuição. Esses resultados podem levar à descoberta de populações adicionais de R. bovallii, identificar áreas prioritárias de levantamento e, ao determinar a extensão de seu habitat natural, promover estratégias de conservação eficazes. Palavras-chave: áreas centrais de habitat, distribuição disjunta, habitat marginal, modelos de distribuição de espécies.

Dendrophidion boshelli is a poorly known and endemic snake species from the Middle Magdalena river valley in Colombia. It was described in 1944 based on a single specimen from the municipality of Caparrapí, department of Cundinamarca. Since the original description, only three additional specimens have been established. As part of the results of a herpetological monitoring in the Miel I Hydroelectric project, department of Caldas-Colombia, three additional specimens of D. boshelli were found in 2014-2015. The specimens represent the second known population of the species. We presented morphological data and pholidosis; description of the coloration in life, and a description of the habitat.

We present an assessment on composition, diversity and structure of amphibians in three zones along an elevation gradient (2,400–3,000 m) in the Central Cordillera of Colombia. For this purpose, we carried out two field trips in November 2014 and February 2015, covering rainy and dry seasons, respectively. Diurnal (08:00–12:00 h) and nocturnal (18:00–22:00 h) visual encounter surveys were made without spatial restrictions. The diversity for each zone (alpha) and for the entire landscape (gamma) was evaluated by the effective number of species, and the structure of the communities was analyzed by range-abundance curves. The inequality factor for each of the sampling zones was also calculated. A total of 15 species belonging to seven genera and three families were recorded, all of the order Anura. Craugastoridae with 11 species (73.3% of richness) and Pristimantis (eight species) were the most diverse family and genus, respectively. The average alpha diversity per zone was 6.6 effective species, with zone A being the most diverse with eight species. In terms of beta diversity we found 2.5 effective communities at the landscape level, and differences between zones are given by the rare species, while the most abundant ones (e.g., Pristimantis uranobates) are shared between them. It is presumed that the greater diversity of zone A is due to the lower elevation and better state of conservation if compared to the other two zones. Of the total species recorded, three are threatened with extinction: Endangered (Hypodactylus latens, Osornophryne percrassa), and Critically Endangered (Niceforonia adenobrachia). The finding of three yet undescribed species is highlighted.

This study presents records for some poorly known snake species in Colombia and information on the distribution, morphological characteristics, natural history notes and comments on the species Oxyrhopus occipitalis, Scaphiodontophis annulatus, Tantilla alticola, Urotheca fulviceps and Urotheca lateristriga. Records are the result of wild fauna monitoring developed in the Miel I hydroelectric project in the eastern department of Caldas from 2014 to 2015. Increased forest cover in this area has contributed to the conservation of local and regional biodiversity, including snakes. Suggested short-term actions for snake conservation in this area should include the implementation of road signs to avoid roadkills.

Objective: To make a description of a predatory event by the Micrurus hemprichii ortonii coral snake on the Ninia hudsoni snake. Scope: Contribution to the knowledge of the natural history of Neotropical snakes, particularly in relation to trophic interactions. Methodology: Dissection in the laboratory. Main result: Th is is the fi rst record of the trophic interaction between M. h. ortonii and N. hudsoni. Conclusions: Th e relation between the total length of the prey and the snout-vent length of the predator was very high (>90%), indicating that this species of coral snake can ingest preys of great volume and size in relation to its own body. Ninia hudsoni (SERPIENTE: DIPSADIDAE) COMO PRESA DE LA SERPIENTE CORAL Micrurus hemprichii ortonii (SERPIENTE: ELAPIDAE) EN EL NOROESTE DE LA AMAZONÍA Resumen Objetivo: Realizar una descripción de un evento depredatorio por parte de la serpiente coral Micrurus hemprichii ortonii sobre la serpiente Ninia hudsoni. Alcance: Contribuir al conocimiento de la historia natural de serpientes neotropicales, particularmente en lo referente a interacciones trófi cas. Metodología: Disección en laboratorio. Principal resultado: Este es el primer registro de interacción trófi ca entre M. h. ortonii y N. hudsoni. Conclusiones: La relación entre la longitud total de la presa respecto a la longitud rostro-cloaca del depredador, fue muy alta (> 90%), indicando que esta especie de serpiente coral puede ingerir presas de gran volumen y tamaño respecto a su propio cuerpo.