Squamata

Snakes are fascinating creature and play an important role in the ecosystem functioning. Due to their predatory nature, they are involved in diverse food webs and ecological guilds. In this context the present study reports 22 species of snakes belonging to 8 families grouped under 18 genera from district Jabalpur of Madhya Pradesh. Forest area seemed more diverse than agricultural and rocky areas. Most probable reason might be anthropogenic activities in agricultural areas and difficulty in locating the snake in rocky area.

Squamate reptiles (lizards and snakes) are one of the most diverse groups of terrestrial vertebrates. Recent molecular analyses have suggested a very different squamate phylogeny relative to mor- phological hypotheses, but many aspects remain uncertain from molecular data. Here, we analyse higher-level squamate phylogeny with a molecu- lar dataset of unprecedented size, including 161 squamate species for up to 44 nuclear genes each (33 717 base pairs), using both concatenated and species-tree methods for the first time. Our results strongly resolve most squamate relation- ships and reveal some surprising results. In contrast to most other recent studies, we find that dibamids and gekkotans are together the sister group to all other squamates. Remarkably, we find that the distinctive scolecophidians (blind snakes) are paraphyletic with respect to other snakes, suggesting that snakes were primitively burrowers and subsequently re-invaded surface habitats. Finally, we find that some clades remain poorly supported, despite our extensive data. Our analyses show that weakly supported clades are associated with relatively short branches for which individual genes often show conflicting relationships. These latter results have important implications for all studies that attempt to resolve phylogenies with large-scale phylogenomic datasets.

We provide the first records of Strobilurus torquatus from the Brazilian state of Paraíba and review its distribution based on specimens available in Brazilian collections and published data. This result emphasizes the need for more surveys on reptiles at this region.

Fossil Squamates from the Cainozoic of the western part of Europe (west of Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovenia) are listed and briefly discussed. An attempt is made to present up-to-date systematic status, as well as stratigraphie and geographic distributions of all taxa. Three main phases may be distinguished in the history of these Squamates. 1) Up to the Eocene/Oligocene boundary, western Europe was inhabited by a predominantly Euro-American fauna which included forms with South-American affinities. Few !izards of Asian and/or African origins were also present. The Eocene/Oligocene boundary corresponds to a prominent event, the "Grande Coupure", which strongly affected Squamates there. Many species died out, but at the family level the composition of the fauna was less concerned. 2) The fauna which survived this event was very poor at the beginning of the Oligocene. But indigenous evolution and arrival of immigrants increased this fauna. Immigrants came from Asia during the Oligocene, from Africa and Asia during the Miocene. As a result, a rich fauna of tropical type was present during the Miocene. On the whole, the Pliocene fauna was a continuation of the Miocene one. Extant species emerged in the Pliocene. 3) The climatic deterioration of the late Pliocene and Pleistocene caused the transformation of the still rich Pliocene fauna into the present one which is a depauperate fauna.

We examined stomach contents of 64 adult preserved specimens of Pseudocqloles tympanistriga(Squamata: Agamidae) that was collected during the rainy season (April 2006 and March 200g) from Mount Ciremai, West Java. Diets were composed of various types of small arthropods, with no plant material being eaten. The Arban popularion consumed only 12 prey types,whereas the Cigowong population consumed 22 prev qpes, The difference in-diveriiry of prey items consumed between Arban and Cigowong populations could reflect differences in habitat fype. Both of the populations exhibited sfrong niche overlap among sex and also gravidity. No significant variation in body size proportions (AGL/SVL) was detected, which is co-nsistent withsimilarity in foraging activities between the seres and between non gravid and gravid females. Indonesia Biota. Vol. 17 No. 1. 31 January 2012. P: 30-35

We review the supple skinks (Lygosoma Hardwicke & Gray, 1827) known to occur in Indochina (Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam). Here, the existence of seven species is documented: L. angeli, L. boehmei, L. bowringii, L. corpulentum, L. haroldyoungi, L. isodactylum (type of Squamicilia Mittleman, 1952), and L. quadrupes (type of Lygosoma). Based on morphological characters, L. carinatum Darevsky & Orlova, 1996 is shown to be a synonym of L. corpulentum. Although L. bowringii is expected to turn out as a complex of cryptic species when molecular methods are applied to a broad sampling, Indochinese representatives form a homogenous group based on morphology. Two further Lygosoma listed by Bourret (2009), viz. L. albopunctatum and L. punctatum (generotype of Riopa Gray, 1839) are distributed further west and probably fail to reach the Indochinese realm. We also provide natural history notes and an identification key for the seven species currently recognized from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.

Se registra un nuevo caso de depredación de lagartos por
escorpiones en Cuba. Éste fue observado en una localidad
del noroeste de la provincia de Matanzas e involucra a una
hembra subadulta del bútido Heteroctenus junceus (Herbst,
1800) como depredador, más una hembra adulta del
dactiloido Anolis sagrei Duméril & Bibron, 1837, como presa.

In this work, we surveyed data on richness and composition of squamatan reptiles and habitat structural effect in nine areas of restinga ecosystem in the State of Bahia, northeastern Brazil. The " restinga " ecosystems are coastal sand dune habitats on the coast of Brazil. Our main hypothesis is that the Squamata fauna composition along these restinga areas would be modulated by habitat structural. After 90 days of field sampling we recorded approximately 5% of reptile species known in Brazil. The composition of Squamata assemblages varied mainly based on the presence or absence of lizards of the genera Ameivula and Tropidurus. Our data showed that habitat structure consistently affected the composition of local Squamata fauna, especially lizards.

The mosasaurids (Mosasauridae) were a group of lizards that became highly specialized for marine life in the mid-Cretaceous. By the end of the Cretaceous, they had undergone an adaptive radiation, and showed a wide range of body sizes, locomotor styles, and diets. Their ranks included piscivores, apex predators, and durophages. Here, we report a new taxon, Xenodens calminechari n. gen. et sp., from the upper Maastrichtian phosphates of Morocco, with dental specializations unlike those of any known reptile. Teeth form a unique dental battery in which short, laterally compressed and hooked teeth formed a saw-like blade. Unique features of tooth structure and implantation suggest affinities with the durophagous Carinodens. The tooth arrangement seen in Xenodens not only expands known disparity of mosasaurids, but is unique among Squamata, or even Tetrapoda. The specialized dentition implies a previously unknown feeding strategy, likely involving a cutting motion used to carve pieces out of large prey, or in scavenging. This novel dental specialization adds to the already considerable disparity and functional diversity of the late Maastrichtian mosasaurids and marine reptiles. This provides further evidence for a diverse marine fauna just prior to the K-Pg extinction.

This study highlights the ecology, natural history, and a new distribution record by providing a unique habitat occurrence record in karst ecosystem and describes a tail anomaly of the endemic Mamanwa Bent-toed Gecko Cyrtodactylus mamanwa in the province of Dinagat. The detection of a new population on Unib Island in the southwestern Dinagat extends the previously known distribution of this gekkonid by approximately 100 km south from its known distribution.

We studied population size and age structure of the sand lizard Lacerta agilis Linnaeus 1758, from northwest Italian Alps. Twenty-nine (9 males, 15 females, 5 juveniles) and 19 (8 males, 5 females, 6 juveniles) lizards were captured in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Adult population size, estimated by capture-mark- recapture, was 54 individuals in 2011 and 39 in 2012. Mean SVL did not significantly differ between males sampled in the two years of the study (mean ± SD, 2011: 67.1 ± 6.6 mm; 2012: 61 ± 8.7 mm). On the contrary, females sampled in 2011 were significantly larger (73 ± 7.2 mm) than females of 2012 (61 ± 7.4 mm). Adult age, assessed by skeletochronology, ranged 2-5 years both in males and females. All juveniles were one-year old. In both years of sampling there was no significant difference in mean age between the sexes. Males were represented mainly by three and four-year old individuals in 2011 and by two-year old individuals in 2012. Females were represented mainly by thr...

Our study investigated the diet of the southernmost gecko in the world, Homonota darwini. Fifty-three specimens were captured during spring and summer in four locations in Patagonia, Argentina. The stomach contents of the specimens were identified, and we found that prey consisted of six main groups: Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Homoptera and Araneae, and the adults and larvae of moth Lepidoptera. Lepidoptera was the major dietary component. The presence of ants and moths as common prey suggests an ambush feeding strategy. In spring, females consumed more ants than males although no other dietary differences between males and females were evident. We found nine geckos with empty stomachs and six parasitized by nematodes. Presence of empty stomachs corroborates previous observations of other nocturnal geckos and non-gecko lizards. Reduced foraging success of nocturnal lizards could be due to difficulty in prey detection due to dim light, reduced or erratic activity of insect prey at nigh...

Vipera walser is the most recently recognized European viper. This rare species is endemic to a small area in the Piedmont Alps of Italy, but its closest relatives are found among the Caucasian viper species. In order to provide a starting point for a phylogenetic and biogeographic investigation based on osteology, and including fossils remains, we analyzed four specimens of V. walser and compared them with specimens of the four other Italian viper species. Based on these specimens, we improved the diagnosis of V. walser and provided a first evaluation of intraspecific variability and ontogenetic variation. The skull of V. walser is subject to significant variation, most likely related to ontogeny in some cases (i.e., development of the parietal crest, development of the basioccipital process, shape of the posterior margin of the parabasisphenoid, shape of the quadrate). Based on the studied material, it is possible to distinguish V. walser from the other Italian vipers by the shape of the occipital crest of the supraoccipital, which is posteriorly directed, whereas it is laterally directed in the other species. The osteological diagnosibility provides further support for the validity of V. walser as a distinct species from Vipera berus.

Os Cerrados sul-americanos abrigam alta diversidade de répteis, incluindo elevado número de endemismos. No entanto, o conhecimento desta diversidade é ainda incompleto frente à acelerada transformação das paisagens naturais no Brasil central. Constituem, portanto, uma das regiões prioritárias para estudo e conservação da biodiversidade mundial. Estudos intensivos sobre a fauna de répteis do Cerrado são necessários e urgentes para melhor compreensão dos processos que levaram à sua origem e distribuição e para subsidiar ações de conservação. Por meio de métodos padronizados, amostramos duas regiões ainda inexploradas da Estação Ecológica Serra Geral do Tocantins, situada na região do Jalapão. Registramos 45 espécies de répteis para a EESGT e entorno, o que representa uma riqueza alta e comparável à de outras regiões bem amostradas do Cerrado. Curvas de acumulação e estimadores indicam que a riqueza local de lagartos e anfisbenídeos aproxima-se da riqueza real enquanto a de serpentes é...

Snakes of the genus Thamnodynastes Wagler 1830 are viviparous, opisthoglyphous and have elliptical vertical pupil. Among all of the 11 species that occur in Brazil, T. rutilus is easily diagnosed by having a reddish spot in the sixth infralabial. Information about biology, ecology, distribution and behavior of T. rutilus is very scarce in the literature. Such lack of information leads to poor species management and difficulty for taking conservation measures when needed. Thus, this study brought new insights about T. rutilus geographical distribution, amplifying its previously known occurrence area, as well as providing new data about the species natural defensive behavior.

The study of life history variation is central to the evolutionary theory. In many ectothermic lineages, including lizards, life history traits are plastic and relate to several sources of variation including body size, which is both a factor and a life history trait likely to modulate reproductive parameters. Larger species within a lineage, for example tend to be more fecund and have larger clutch size, but clutch size may also be influenced by climate, independently of body size. Thus, the study of climatic effects on lizard fecundity is mandatory on the current scenario of global climatic change. We asked how body and clutch size have responded to climate through time in a group of tropical lizards, the Tropidurinae, and how these two variables relate to each other. We used both traditional and phylogenetic comparative methods. Body and clutch size are variable within Tropidurinae, and both traits are influenced by phylogenetic position. Across the lineage, species which evolved larger size produce more eggs and neither trait is influenced by temperature components. A climatic component of precipitation, however, relates to larger female body size, and therefore seems to exert an indirect relationship on clutch size. This effect of precipitation on body size is likely a correlate of primary production. A decrease in fecundity is expected for Tropidurinae species on continental landmasses, which are predicted to undergo a decrease in summer rainfall.

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...

The presence of a population of the Javelin sand boa Eryx jaculus in Sicilia is here reported for the first time. Observations of live snakes and road-killed individuals have been obtained from the region of Licata (Province of Agrigento), in the southern part of Sicily. Data on the distribution and pholidosis from four specimens are presented. The large area of occurrence of the snake in Sicily, that bears also a local vernacular name suggests an ancient origin of the colonization. The presence of this species, increases the numbers of snakes living in Italy.

Abstract. Herein, we report necrophilia (Davian behaviour) in the lizard Ameiva ameiva in Brazilian Atlantic Forest Domain. A male A. ameiva was found during a sunny day courting and trying to copulate with a road-killed female. The presence of developed ovarian follicles confirmed that the female was in breeding condition. The female probably died while making a chemical trail to attract reproductive males. Apparently the male's behaviour was influenced by the high temperature of the female's body that was warmed up by the heat of ...

We review the supple skinks (Lygosoma Hardwicke & Gray, 1827) known to occur in Indochina (Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam). Here, the existence of seven species is documented: L. angeli, L. boehmei, L. bowringii, L. corpulentum, L. haroldyoungi, L. isodactylum (type of Squamicilia Mittleman, 1952), and L. quadrupes (type of Lygosoma). Based on morphological characters, L. carinatum Darevsky & Orlova, 1996 is shown to be a synonym of L. corpulentum. Although L. bowringii is expected to turn out as a complex of cryptic species when molecular methods are applied to a broad sampling, Indochinese representatives form a homogenous group based on morphology. Two further Lygosoma listed by Bourret (2009), viz. L. albopunctatum and L. punctatum (generotype of Riopa Gray, 1839) are distributed further west and probably fail to reach the Indochinese realm. We also provide natural history notes and an identification key for the seven species currently recognized from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.