Lizard

While snake venoms have been the subject of intense study, comparatively little work has been done on lizard venoms. In this study, we have examined the structural and functional diversification of anguimorph lizard venoms and associated toxins, and related these results to dentition and predatory ecology. Venom composition was shown to be highly variable across the 20 species of Heloderma, Lanthanotus, and Varanus included in our study. While kallikrein enzymes were ubiquitous, they were also a particularly multifunctional toxin type, with differential activities on enzyme substrates and also ability to degrade alpha or beta chains of fibrinogen that reflects structural variability. Examination of other toxin types also revealed similar variability in their presence and activity levels. The high level of venom chemistry variation in varanid lizards compared to that of helodermatid lizards suggests that venom may be subject to different selection pressures in these two families. The...

Although the knowledge of morphometrics and hematology of reptiles in health has grown substantially in recent years, there are still knowledge gaps in many species and from different geographical regions. The objectives of this study were to document morphometrical measurements and hematological data of clinically healthy free-ranging adult Mesopotamian spiny-tailed lizards (Saara loricata), the Iraqi Mastigure or Iraqi spiny-tailed lizard, from Khuzestan Province, Iran, and to investigate sex differences in evaluated parameters. Although we did not observe any gender differences in morphometrical measurements, the visually larger genital pores of males allowed for differentiation of study animals into females (n = 6) and males (n = 5). We obtained femoral vein blood samples for hematological analysis, including detailed red blood cell (RBC) measurements, RBC count, packed cell volume (PCV), white blood cell (WBC) counts, and blood film review. Gender differences were identified in some RBC measurements, notably length and width of erythrocytes and nucleus width, as well as RBC and WBC counts. Gametocytes of hemogregarines varied from absent to frequent. The information presented herein will be useful for interpretative considerations of health assessment data for this species from Iran in comparison to data from the same and closely related species from other geographical regions

As part of an investigation into the ecology and biology of Xantusia sanchezi, excreta were collected with the aim of studying the diet of the species. Samples were analyzed by identifying the structures useful for taxonomic determinations. We identified remains from four orders of insects. Within two of the orders we could identify the family and within one family we were able to distinguish six species. Resumen Como parte de una investigación sobre la ecología y biología de Xantusia sanchezi se realizó la colecta de excretas de estas lagartijas con la intención de conocer sobre los elementos que constituyen la dieta de esta especie. Se analizaron las muestras realizando la identificación de las estructuras para conocer a cual grupo de organismos pertenecen. Logrando identificar a cuatro ordenes, dos familias y seis especies de insectos.

There are 14 species recognized in the North American genus Xantusia. Six of these occur in Mexico. Two species of the genus, X. bolsonae and X. sanchezi, are categorized by the Mexican government as " at risk of extinction " (SEMARNAT, 2002). Little is known about the biology, ecology, and the current status of the disjunct populations of these two species. Sanchez's night lizard, Xantusia sanchezi, is the southernmost species and is known from southern Zacatecas and central Jalisco. This species was described by Bezy and Flores-Villela (1999) from the locality of Moyahua, Zacatecas. While conducting a population ecology study of X. sanchezi, we surveyed the other herpetofauna at the sampling site. We found a total of 24 sympatric species. We categorized nine of these as possible predator species of X. sanchezi based on documented saurophagy.

We describe two new species of the lacertid genus Ophisops based
on a series of 19 specimens from semi-arid habitats in the states of
Gujarat and Rajasthan in northwestern India, provide a description of
Ophisops microlepis sensu stricto, and a key to Indian Ophisops.
Ophisops pushkarensis sp. nov. and Ophisops kutchensis sp. nov. are
allied to Ophisops microlepis and can be diagnosed from all other
Indian Ophisops by the fusion of the lower and upper eyelids, their
large body size (snout to vent length > 50 mm), and ≥ 50 scales
around midbody. They differ from O. microlepis and each other in the
number of scales around midbody, the number of dorsal scales,
subtle colour pattern differences, as well as uncorrected mitochondrial
sequence divergence (6–9%). These are some of the only known
endemic reptiles in these semi-arid landscapes and indicate that
many other such habitats may harbour endemic biodiversity.

We studied the parasitism by larvae of the chigger mite Eutrombicula alfreddugesi on the lizard community of the Restinga da Barra de Maricá, Rio de Janeiro state, Southeast Bra-zil. The effect of the scalation pattern, body size of the lizard species and the environmental factors such as temperature and rainfaU in the area was related to the intensity of infestation by the chigger mite. We studied five lizards species: Tropidurus torquatus, Mabuya agilis, M macrorhyncha, Cnemidophorus cf. littoralis and Ameiva ameiva. Lizards were monthly coUected, checked for the presence of mites, which were counted under steromicroscope. We tested the relationship between the intensity of infestation, and lizard body size for each species using regression analysis. The mean intensity of infestation (::I:: SD) and prevalence of the chigger mite on the hosts were respectively: 164.9 ::I:: 161.9 and 97.7% in L torquatus (n = 146); 110.1::1:: 115.8 and 96.1% in M. agilis (n = 26); 42.4::1:: 50.3 and 94.0% in M macrorhyncha (n = 78); 8.3 ::I:: 10.2 and 72.0% in C. cf. littoralis (n = 100), and 1.0 and 5.0% in A. ameiva (n = 42). Only for L torquatus body size inf1uenced significantly the intensity of infestation (r = 0.49; p < 0.001). Environmental factors such as temperature and rainfaU in the area did not affect the intensity of infestation of any of the lizard species in the community suggesting that the chigger mite may reproduce continuously in the area along the year, independent of variation in the environmental factors. The pattern of scalation of the lizard species seemed to affect the intensity of infestation by the chigger mite by increasing in some cases the protection of the chigger mite from external factors and by providing additional sites to the chigger mite to adhere to the lizard skin. We conclude that temperature and rainfaU do not affect significantly the rate at which the lizard species are infested and that the scalation pattern of lizards seems to be an important factor affecting the rate of infestation by the chigger mite Eutrombicula alfreddugesi.

1. Age at maturity is hard to estimate for species that cannot be directly marked or observed throughout their lives and yet is a key demographic parameter that is needed to assess the conservation status of endangered species.2. For loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) in the North Atlantic and North Pacific, juvenile growth rates (c. 10 cm year−1) were calculated by examining size increases during transoceanic journeys; durations of which were estimated from satellite-tracked Lagrangian surface drifter buoy trajectories.3. Lagrangian-derived growth estimates were used in a weighted loglinear model of size-specific growth rates for loggerhead turtles and combined with newly available information on size at maturity to estimate an age at maturity of 45 years (older than past estimates).4. By examining the age at maturity for 79 reptile species, we show that loggerhead turtles, along with other large-bodied Testudine (turtle and tortoise) species, take longer to reach maturity than other reptile species of comparable sizes. This finding heightens concern over the future sustainability of turtle populations. By maturing at an old age, sea turtles will be less resilient to anthropogenic mortality than previously suspected.

We describe a new species of Liolaemus, belonging to the alticolor group, that was previously confused with L. walkeri. The new species inhabits the inter-Andean dry valleys at two localities in the department of La Paz (Ananta and Jupapina), Bolivia. We compared the new species with 11 morphologically similar taxa classified as part of the alticolor group. Our comparisons were based on external morphology and included lepidosis, morphometry, meristic characters, and color patterns. Liolaemus sp. nov. differs from other species of the same group by unique dorsal coloration and lepidosis characteristics. RESUMEN: Describimos una nueva especie de Liolaemus perteneciente al grupo alticolor, previamente confundida con L. walkeri. Esta nueva especie habita en los valles secos inter-Andinos, en las localidades de Ananta y Jupapina, provincia Murillo, departamento de La Paz, Bolivia. Basándonos en caracteres de morfología externa (lepidosis, morfometría, caracteres merísticos y patrones de colorací on), comparamos el nuevo taxóntax´taxón con 11 taxa morfoí ogicamente similares que pertenecen al grupo alticolor. Liolaemus sp. nov. difiere de las demás especies del grupo por presentar un patrónpatr´patrón de colorací on dorsal y características de su lepidosisúnicoslepidosis´lepidosisúnicos. Estos resultados nos ayudan a concluir que se trata de una especie nueva del g ´ enero Liolaemus.

Habitat modification is a major factor in the decline of reptile populations. The degree of the decline has been shown to be directly related to the intensity of habitat modification. Farming practices and urbanization are just two of the factors involved indicating that the development of practices that minimize or cancel anthropogenic impacts is urgently needed to prevent further declines. This requires knowledge of population ecology of reptiles in both disturbed and pristine habitats. In this paper, we describe aspects of green lizard (Lacerta bilineata) population ecology in a forest–pasture relatively pristine mosaic habitat in central Italy and a fragmented habitat in western France. In Italy, habitat niche overlap was very high between males and females but very low between males and juveniles. For male and female abundances, general linear models showed that the adult abundances increased with the increase of Rubus bushes, whereas juvenile abundance increased with the incre...

Geographical variation in species diversity has attracted much attention from biologists interested in the ecological and evolutionary processes determining where species are found and which other organisms they coexist with (eg Case &amp; Cody, 1987; reviews in Ricklefs &amp; Schluter, ...

Whether the structure of ecological communities can exhibit stability over macroevolutionary timescales has long been debated. The similarity of independently evolved Anolis lizard communities on environmentally similar Greater Antillean islands supports the notion that community evolution is deterministic. However, a dearth of Caribbean Anolis fossils—only three have been described to date—has precluded direct investigation of the stability of anole communities through time. Here we report on an additional 17 fossil anoles in Dominican amber dating to 15–20 My before the present. Using data collected primarily by X-ray microcomputed tomography (X-ray micro-CT), we demonstrate that the main elements of Hispaniolan anole ecomorphological diversity were in place in the Miocene. Phylogenetic analysis yields results consistent with the hypothesis that the ecomorphs that evolved in the Miocene are members of the same ecomorph clades extant today. The primary axes of ecomorphological dive...

Morphometric measurements and aspects of the ecology of Chamaeleo chamaeleon musae were studied in Northern Sinai. There were no significant sexual differences in body size, tail index, casque height and head shape characters for adult C. c. musae . Chameleons were mostly encountered during spring and summer and with a peak in May. Chameleons were most active from 09:00 to 11:00 a.m., and were found roosting on trees during the night. Juveniles were occasionally seen on trees in higher positions than adults. Chameleons fed upon a wide variety of food including insects, arachnids and plant material, assuming both sit-and-wait and active foraging strategies; there was no differences in food items seasonally and no difference in prey size existed between sexes. The reproduction of chameleons occurs from July to December. Females with oviductal eggs were collected from August to November and females produced a single clutch per year. Oviductal eggs in each oviduct were either equal or u...

We evaluated the status of 16 of 22 recognized Sri Lankan Cnemaspis Strauch species, and flagged overlooked diversity
with two mitochondrial (cyt b & ND2) and two nuclear markers (RAG1 & PDC) totalling 2829 base pairs. A fossilcalibrated timetree and sampling of other South Asian Cnemaspis provide insights into the diversification of the genus in
peninsular India and Sri Lanka. Phylogenetic analyses consistently inferred two broad clades within South Asian
Cnemaspis, with Sri Lankan species in two clades, which we call the podihuna and kandiana clades. Each Sri Lankan clade
as a whole is sister to Indian taxa and nested within Indian lineages. Cnemaspis modigliani Das from Indonesia is a member
of the kandiana clade. This suggests a minimum of two dispersal events between India and Sri Lanka and one between Sri
Lanka/India and South-east Asia. South Asian Cnemaspis date back to at least the Eocene, in Sri Lanka to the early
Miocene, with late Miocene diversification in the kandiana clade. All but one of the named species we sampled is likely to
be valid, and 10 divergent unnamed lineages may warrant specific recognition. A resolution of Sri Lankan Cnemaspis
taxonomy will require thorough sampling and the use of both morphological and molecular data.

Abstract: We present the first record of Urostrophus vautieri for the state of Espírito Santo and a distribution map for the species. This species was previoulsy known from the states of Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul. The present record represent an extension of nearly 200 km to the North from the nearest published record for the species.

A new lizard species of the genus Cnemidophorus (Teiidae) is described from Barra de Maricá, Rio de Janeiro State, southeastern Brazil. The species is characterized by having a narrow pale vertebral stripe, with two irregular narrow stripes [one dorsolateral (sometimes broken) and one lateral] on each side of it, and a sequence of small pale dashes on each side of the dorsal field. Its tail is bright blue-green, in contrast to the brownish tail of C. ocellifer. The new species has higher counts of femoral pores on each side (12–20) than the closely related species C. ocellifer (7– 12) and C. nativo (11–13) and differs further from those species in other morpho-metric and meristic characters, such as the number of subdigital lamellae on fingers and toes and transversal and longitudinal counts of ventral scale rows. Uma nova espécie de lagarto do gênero Cnemidophorus (Teiidae) e ´ descrita de Barra de Maricá, no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, sudeste do Brasil. A espécie e ´ car-acterizada por uma listra vertebral clara e estreita e duas listras irregulares (uma dorsolateral [que pode ser interrompida] e uma lateral) de cada lado da mesma, com uma sequência de pequenos pontos claros de cada lado do campo dorsal. Sua cauda e ´ verde-azulada, contrastando com a cauda marrom de C. ocellifer. A nova espécie possui mais poros femorais de cada lado (12–20) do que as espécies próx-imas C. ocellifer (7–12) e C. nativo (11–13), e difere destas também em outros car-acteres merísticos, como o nú mero de lamelas subdigitais dos dedos e artelhos e as contagens transversais e longitudinais de escamas ventrais.

This article analyzes the hadith about the Prophet&#39;s order to kill a lizard. If at a glance, this hadist seems contradictory to Q.S: Al-A&#39;raf: 56 that is the prohibition of damaging natural balance. In terms of the command to kill animals is one of the forms of devastation. Meanwhile, the facts of science show that lizards are useful in alternative medicine. Thus, the editor of hadist seems contrary to the verses of the Qur&#39;an and scientific facts. The settlement is carried out by taking step of the research method of Thematic Hadist (maudhu&#39;iy). The author compiles data from various canonical and non-canonical hadist book. As a result, it has three variants. First, it is explain the order of killing lizards. Second, it explains the quantity of reward for killing lizards (wazagh). Third, it contains information that lizards (wazagh) is a nasty animal, which means an animal that is bothersome and hostile to humans.The scholars of Hadist states this hadist can be pract...

3D model of the Three-Toed Earless Skink lizard brain highlighting the anatomy and the spatial arrangement of its major subdivisions.

The brain reconstruction was obtained from a microCT scan of a iodine-stained specimen through manual segmentation using the software Amira 5.5.0.

How sociality evolves and is maintained remains a key question in evolutionary biology. Most studies to date have focused on insects, birds, and mammals but data from a wider range of taxonomic groups are essential to identify general patterns and processes. The extent of social behaviour among squamate reptiles is under-appreciated, yet they are a promising group for further studies. Living in aggregations is posited as an important step in the evolution of more complex sociality. We review data on aggregations among squamates and find evidence for some form of aggregations in 94 species across 22 families. Of these, 18 species across 7 families exhibited &#39;stable&#39; aggregations that entail overlapping home ranges and stable membership in long-term (years) or seasonal aggregations. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that stable aggregations have evolved multiple times in squamates. We: (i) identify significant gaps in our understanding; (ii) outline key traits which should be the...

In this study we attempted to access further information on the geographical distribution of the endangered lizard Liolaemus lutzae, estimating its potential distribution through the maximum entropy algorithm. For this purpose, we related its points of occurrence with matrices of environmental variables. After examining the correlation between environmental matrices, we selected 10 for model construction. The main variables influencing the current geographic distribution of L. lutzae were the diurnal temperature range and altitude. The species endemism seemed to be a consequence of a reduction of the original distribution area. Alternatively, the resulting model may reflect the geographic distribution of an ancestral lineage, since the model selected areas of occurrence of the two other species of Liolaemus from Brazil (L. arambarensis and L. occipitalis), all living in sand dune habitats and having psamophilic habits. Due to the high loss rate of habitat occupied by the species, th...

Abstract The effects of estradiol-17β and FSH on the abdominal fat bodies, liver glycogen and lipid stores, and plasma glucose levels were investigated in vitellogenic and nonvitellogenic Anolis carolinensis . In vitellogenic (April) lizards, the administration of estradiol significantly reduced liver glycogen levels and both the weight and the lipid content of the fat bodies; liver weight and lipid content were not affected. Estradiol treatment had no effect upon the incorporation of 14 C from an injected glucose load into hepatic glycogen or lipid, but reduced the amount of label incorporated into fat body lipid. In non-vitellogenic lizards, both estradiol and FSH elicited similar responses in carbohydrate and lipid stores. Both hormones reduced liver glycogen and plasma glucose levels, but did not significantly affect abdominal fat body weights or liver lipid levels. Oviducal weights were increased in response to both hormones, but an increase in ovarian weight was observed only after FSH treatment.

A new species of Bachia of the bresslaui group, is described from Estação Ecológica Serra Geral do Tocantins, a recently created protected area in the Central Brazilian Cerrados of state of Tocantins. The new species is most similar to Bachia psamophila from which it differs in limb morphology and head and body scalation. As in Bachia psamophila the shovelshaped snout of the new species is highly prominent, an adaptation related to its psamophilous habits.

We determined levels of monoamines and their metabolites in 2 hypothalami dissected from the right and left hemibrains of 15 females during the right-left alternating ovulatory cycle of Anolis carolinensis. Tissue contents of the following were measured using HPLC and electrochemical (coulometric) detection: dopamine (DA) and its metabolite 2,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), norepinephrine (NE) and its metabolites 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylglycol (DHPG), and serotonin (5-HT) and its metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA). An asymmetry ratio (AR) was determined by subtracting hypothalamic content (pM/mg) on the larger ovary (LO) side from that on the smaller ovary (SO) side, divided by the sum of the 2 sides (AR = SO - LO/SO+LO). The Ar of MHPG and DHPG both decreased as the largest follicle in the LO grew during the cycle, from greater than 0 (content higher on the SO side) at the beginning of the cycle to less than 0 (content higher ...

Although growing evidence suggests that natural and sexual selection pressures may differ between natural and urban habitats, their consequences in terms of morphological differentiation, extent of sexual dimorphism and sex ratio remain poorly studied. Anolis lizards are an ideal model to study the phenotypic effects of urbanization, as they are well known for the existence of ecomorphs adapted to particular microhabitats. However, so far most studies of urban populations of anoles have considered invasive species and largely focused on males. Here, we compared morphological differentiation, sexual dimorphism and sex ratio between suburban and forest populations of the native A. homolechis, in Western Cuba, based on large sample size (n &gt; 800) and a balanced nested design. Overall, both male and female individuals from surburban populations were larger and in better body condition than individuals from forest populations. In addition, evidence of caudal autotomy was more than twi...

Kurdistan Province in the western Iran possesses varied climatic and geographical conditions that led to rich biodiversity. An investigation on the status of lizards in this Province was carried out from June 2010 to September 2011. A total of 73 specimens were collected and identified. The collected specimens represented four families, 10 genera, and 14 species and subspecies, including Agamidae: Laudakia nupta nupta, Laudakia caucasia and Trapelus lessonae, Gekkonidae: Cyrtopodion scabrum, Asaccus kurdistanensis, Lacertidae: Eremias montanus, Eremias sp. (1) and Eremias sp. (2) (unknown taxa which may be related to E. persica complex), Apathya cappadocica urmiana, A. c. muhtari, Lacerta media media and Ophisops elegans, Scinicidae: Eumeces schneideri princeps and Trachylepis aurata transcaucasica. With respect to the data which was reported by Rastegar-Pouyani et al. (2008) and Anderson (1999) Eremias sp. (1) and Eremias sp. (2) may belong to two new taxa, Apathya cappadocica muht...