The taxonomic status, distribution and ecology of the herpetofauna of the Orange Free State are discussed, based on the examination of 10 096 specimens housed in various southern African museums. The majority of specimens were collected during the years 1972 - 1978 and 1983 - 1992, and are housed at the National Museum, Bloemfontein. A total of 25 amphibian and 95 reptilian (one translocated species) forms have been determined as occurring in the Orange Free State, 12 (three amphibians, nine reptiles) of which are new (or recently published) records for the province. An additional 10 amphibian and 28 reptilian forms have been determined as occurring nearby but extralimitally to the O.F.S., and several of these forms are expected to occur in the province. New distributional records have resulted in the amendment of the ranges of several species. Detailed taxonomic data on new material, including rare species, have been given. Some problem areas in the taxonomy of O.F.S. taxa have been higlighted. An analysis of habit utilization indicated that 84,0% of amphibians and 61,1% of reptiles are terricolous, whereas up to 21,5% of reptiles are rupicolous. The majority of snakes (72,2%) are terrestrial in habits, but 13,9% are fossorial. More than half of all lizards (52,8%) are terrestrial, although 34,6% are rupicolous. A total of six amphibian and 27 reptile forms utilize inactive termitaria as a microhabitat, including several basically terrestrial forms. Snake forms were particularly well represented in termitaria, 60,6% of all forms known from the O.F.S. having been recorded from inactive termitaria. General features of the ecology of O.F.S. amphibians and reptiles have also been discussed. The biogeographical analysis indicated that O.F.S. amphibian forms can be classified into one of nine range clusters (common patterns of distribution), and reptiles into 13 such cluster groups. By testing these classifications by means of a transect through the northern O.F.S. (from eastern to western borders), it was determined that a fairly distinct east-west subtraction of amphibian and reptilian species and subspecies occurs in the O.F.S. Clustering of range boundaries and high species and subspecies diversity at the western and eastern ends of the transect zone suggest dynamic biogeographical situations occurring in those areas - the western group being associated with the transition from grassland to bushveld, and the eastern group associated with the transition from Highveld Grassland to Drakensberg Mountains. The general eastern and western groupings of taxa appear to be associated with the cooler, wetter and mountainous east vs the warmer, drier and lower-lying west, respectively. Despite a great deal of collecting having been conducted in the O.F.S. from 1972 to 1992, an analysis of the number of taxa collected in each quarter-degree unit in the O.F.S. indicated that additional collecting would be required in order to conduct effectively a mathematically-based biogeographical analysis. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, 1992.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-08-13T14:50:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2013-03-25Bitstream added on 2014-08-13T18:01:16Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 000726433_20200325.pdf: 206389 bytes, checksum: dbb2104c7042a2cc83c35465495cbbe5 (MD5) / A coexistência de espécies em uma determinada comunidade é possibilitada, entre diversos fatores, pela partilha dos recursos disponíveis. As pressões seletivas que determinam o padrão de ocupação pelas espécies podem estar diretamente relacionadas à morfologia das mesmas. No presente trabalho foi investigada a relação do tamanho corporal e da morfologia na distribuição espacial e temporal de 42 espécies de anfíbios anuros. A hipótese do estudo é que o tamanho influencia na ocupação do habitat e no hábito das espécies. Características morfológicas foram analisadas em relação à distribuição temporal e a índices ecológicos (distribuição espacial) utilizando abordagens convencionais e filogenéticas. Os resultados indicam que espécies menores são mais abundantes do que espécies de grande porte e que não houve variação expressiva dos valores de massa total (biomassa) dentro das classes de tamanho ao longo do período de estudo. Houve restrição na distribuição das espécies em relação ao tamanho. A análise de componentes principais evidenciou relações morfológicas de comprimento e largura que remetem às formas corporais típicas de anuros de determinados hábitos e hábitats. A análise de Morisita-Horn indicou alta sobreposição quanto à ocupação temporal do ambiente entre as classes de tamanho. Análises descritivas indicaram diferenças na ocupação de hábitat e no hábito entre anuros de tamanhos diferentes. O teste de Kruskal-Wallis não indicou relação entre o comprimento rostro-cloacal e o hábito dos anuros. No entanto, os resultados indicaram que espécies com diferentes massas apresentam hábitos e abundâncias distintas. Foi detectado sinal filogenético para três dos quatro componentes principais testados, como também para quatro dos sete índices ecológicos testados. Os resultados indicam que os índices ecológicos estão relacionados com a morfologia dos anuros, sugerindo que ... / The species coexistence in a given community is possible in function of species resources partitioning, among many other factors. The selective pressures which determine the pattern of occupation by species may be directly related to their morphology. In the present study, we investigated the relationship of body size and morphology of 42 species of anurans with their spatial and temporal distribution. The study hypothesis is that body size influences their habitat and behavior. Morphological characters were analyzed regarding to temporal distribution and to ecological indexes (spatial distribution) using conventional and phylogenetic approaches. The results indicate that smaller species are more abundant than large ones, and that there was no significant variation in of total mass (biomass) when analyzed per size classes. There were constraints in species distribution regarding to size. The principal components analyses revealed morphological relations of length and width that refer to typical anurans body shapes of certain habits and habitats. The analysis of Morisita-Horn showed high temporal overlap on the environment occupation between size classes. Descriptive analyses indicated differences in habitat occupation and habit among frogs of different sizes. The Kruskal-Wallis test indicated no relationship between snout-vent length and the habit of anurans. However, the results indicated that species with different body masses have different habits and abundances. Phylogenetic signal was detected in three of four principal components tested, as well as in four of seven ecological indexes tested. The results indicate that environmental indexes are related to anurans morphology, suggesting that environment type and how it is occupied are good predictors to infer body shape. The results indicated that size, duration and regime of water bodies do not influence size and morphology of adult anurans. These ecological factors may be more ...

Prescribed burning is a commonly used wildlife management tool. While most of the available data have evaluated short term effects of fire on wildlife (< 3 years), the present study addresses longer term effects (0 to 7 years). This enables a more thorough investigation of fire management affects on herpetofaunal communities at the landscape level. Ten sites, stratified by 0 to 7 years post-burn, were randomly selected on Big Oaks National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Indiana and monitored for 2 field seasons. Within each site, several trapping methods were utilized including a sampling array of drift fences, pitfall traps, single and double ended funnel traps, PVC pipes, and cover boards. Burning caused immediate stand level effects and changed vegetation characteristics, which affected the species assemblages of herpetofauna and small mammals. Data collected identified the spatial and temporal variables that explained the patterns of occurrence and abundance of herpetofaunal species and small mammal species, and how community vegetation characteristics such as structure, resource availability, and plant species assemblages, correlated with and affected those patterns. Burn regimes of 2-5 years were found to be optimal when managing herpetofauna and small mammals. Constrictor coluber priapus and Peromyscus leucopus were captured frequently in the study area and the effects of a properly timed prescribed burn could have positive effects on the numbers of generalist species. Akaike information criterion was used to determine the habitat variables that were most important in habitat selection of the herpetofaunal and small mammal classes and species. While this study was limited to one wildlife refuge, in the central hardwoods its findings may have ramifications for herpetofauna in other areas where prescribed fire can be used as a management tool.

Orientador: Virgínia Sanches Uieda / Coorientador: Fernando Ribeiro Gomes / Banca: Geise Valentina Melo / Banca: Reginaldo Donatelli / Banca: Renata Cristina Batista Fonseca / Banca: Silvio César de Almeida / Resumo: A coexistência de espécies em uma determinada comunidade é possibilitada, entre diversos fatores, pela partilha dos recursos disponíveis. As pressões seletivas que determinam o padrão de ocupação pelas espécies podem estar diretamente relacionadas à morfologia das mesmas. No presente trabalho foi investigada a relação do tamanho corporal e da morfologia na distribuição espacial e temporal de 42 espécies de anfíbios anuros. A hipótese do estudo é que o tamanho influencia na ocupação do habitat e no hábito das espécies. Características morfológicas foram analisadas em relação à distribuição temporal e a índices ecológicos (distribuição espacial) utilizando abordagens convencionais e filogenéticas. Os resultados indicam que espécies menores são mais abundantes do que espécies de grande porte e que não houve variação expressiva dos valores de massa total (biomassa) dentro das classes de tamanho ao longo do período de estudo. Houve restrição na distribuição das espécies em relação ao tamanho. A análise de componentes principais evidenciou relações morfológicas de comprimento e largura que remetem às formas corporais típicas de anuros de determinados hábitos e hábitats. A análise de Morisita-Horn indicou alta sobreposição quanto à ocupação temporal do ambiente entre as classes de tamanho. Análises descritivas indicaram diferenças na ocupação de hábitat e no hábito entre anuros de tamanhos diferentes. O teste de Kruskal-Wallis não indicou relação entre o comprimento rostro-cloacal e o hábito dos anuros. No entanto, os resultados indicaram que espécies com diferentes massas apresentam hábitos e abundâncias distintas. Foi detectado sinal filogenético para três dos quatro componentes principais testados, como também para quatro dos sete índices ecológicos testados. Os resultados indicam que os índices ecológicos estão relacionados com a morfologia dos anuros, sugerindo que ... / Abstract: The species coexistence in a given community is possible in function of species resources partitioning, among many other factors. The selective pressures which determine the pattern of occupation by species may be directly related to their morphology. In the present study, we investigated the relationship of body size and morphology of 42 species of anurans with their spatial and temporal distribution. The study hypothesis is that body size influences their habitat and behavior. Morphological characters were analyzed regarding to temporal distribution and to ecological indexes (spatial distribution) using conventional and phylogenetic approaches. The results indicate that smaller species are more abundant than large ones, and that there was no significant variation in of total mass (biomass) when analyzed per size classes. There were constraints in species distribution regarding to size. The principal components analyses revealed morphological relations of length and width that refer to typical anurans body shapes of certain habits and habitats. The analysis of Morisita-Horn showed high temporal overlap on the environment occupation between size classes. Descriptive analyses indicated differences in habitat occupation and habit among frogs of different sizes. The Kruskal-Wallis test indicated no relationship between snout-vent length and the habit of anurans. However, the results indicated that species with different body masses have different habits and abundances. Phylogenetic signal was detected in three of four principal components tested, as well as in four of seven ecological indexes tested. The results indicate that environmental indexes are related to anurans morphology, suggesting that environment type and how it is occupied are good predictors to infer body shape. The results indicated that size, duration and regime of water bodies do not influence size and morphology of adult anurans. These ecological factors may be more ... / Doutor

ABSTRACT The greatest driver of the current global biodiversity crisis is habitat loss. Roads are a major contributor to habitat loss because they destroy and fragment habitat, in addition to causing direct mortality. Animals may respond to roads either by avoiding them, thus leading to population isolation, or by attempting to cross them, thus potentially leading to increased mortality and, if so, also to population isolation. I studied the impact of road density on abundance of two northern snake species: the redbelly snake (Storeria occipitomaculata) and the garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis). I hypothesized that roads are detrimental to snake populations due to road avoidance and road mortality. Therefore, I predicted that snakes should be less abundant in sites with higher road density in their surroundings. I deployed cover boards at 28 old field sites along a gradient of road density in 2020 and in 2021. I visited sites weekly and counted the number of individuals of both species. I captured fewer garter snakes at sites surrounded by more roads, and fewer redbelly snakes at sites enclosed by more roads. The effect of roads on number of snakes is modest, but could be indicative of decreasing population size, which could in turn lead to loss of ecological function. RÉSUMÉ Le plus grand moteur de la crise mondiale actuelle de la biodiversité est la perte d'habitat. Les routes contribuent grandement à la perte d'habitat parce qu'elles détruisent et fragmentent l'habitat, en plus de causer de la mortalité directe. Les animaux peuvent réagir aux routes soit en les évitant, entraînant ainsi l'isolement des populations, soit en tentant de les traverser, entraînant ainsi potentiellement une mortalité accrue et également l'isolement des populations. J'ai étudié l'impact de la densité des routes sur l'abondance de deux espèces de couleuvres nordiques : la couleuvre à ventre rouge (Storeria occipitomaculata) et la couleuvre rayée (Thamnophis sirtalis). J'ai émis l'hypothèse que les routes sont néfastes pour les populations de serpents en raison de l'évitement des routes et de la mortalité routière. Par conséquent, j'ai prédit que les couleuvres devraient être moins abondantes dans les sites avec une densité routière plus élevée dans leurs environs. J'ai déployé des plaques abris sur 28 sites de champs en friche le long d'un gradient de densité de routes en 2020 et en 2021. J'ai visité les sites chaque semaine et compté le nombre d'individus des deux espèces. J'ai capturé moins de couleuvres rayées et moins de couleuvres à ventre rouge aux sites entourés de plus de routes. L'effet des routes sur le nombre de couleuvres est modeste, mais pourrait indiquer une diminution de la taille de la population, ce qui pourrait à son tour entraîner une perte de fonction écologique.

As part of a state-funded Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus Daudin) translocation project, I monitored actively grazed improved pastures to determine if they could serve as suitable recipient sites for the threatened Gopher Tortoise displaced by human development. For cattle ranches to be considered suitable recipient sites females must be able to acquire sufficient energy to produce a clutch of viable eggs, and sufficiently high quality vegetation must be available to support juvenile recruitment into the population. Vegetation surveys were conducted to determine the composition and percent cover of plant species, especially those containing high amounts of nutrients, specifically nitrogen. Resident and relocated females were radiographed during the 2010 and 2011 nesting seasons for the presence of shelled eggs. I was able to determine clutch size and egg diameter for both relocated and resident gravid females. Mean clutch sizes were not significantly different between years. Resident females had larger mean clutch sizes than relocated females in both years, significantly so in 2011, suggesting a period of stress and adjustment for relocated females. Egg diameters were significantly larger by 2.5 to 4.5 mm in 2010 for relocated and resident females, respectively, compared to 2011. Three females were recaptured in both years and exhibited the same trend of similar clutch sizes between years but significantly smaller eggs in 2011. A total of 68 unique taxa from 31 families were found, grasses (Poaceae) were the most dominant and covered a mean of 57% of the total sampled area. Four forb species occurred at much greater percent covers than all others. However, only two species (Richardia and Desmodium) were found to have adequate nutritional content and occur at percent covers greater than five percent, indicating that forage availability may be high, but forage quality may be inadequate to support growing juveniles. Burrow surveys indicate that at least some hatchlings are able to successfully leave the nest by the presence of hatchling size burrows scattered throughout the fields, but the ratio of juveniles to eggs laid is especially low. Survivorship of eggs, hatchlings and juveniles may be too low to support a sustainable Gopher Tortoise population in improved pasture possibly because of lack of adequate forage, burrow compaction by cows, lack of available natural shelter material for protection from desiccation, and the reduced ability of movement in thick pasture grasses, especially by hatchling and yearling tortoises.

No abstract available. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1966.

L’impact actuel de l’Homme sur la biosphère affecte l’ensemble des organismes vivants et des milieux. Il est souvent considéré comme étant à l’origine de la 6ème crise d’extinction de masse. La quantification des effets de ce phénomène est cependant complexe car certains ont débuté bien avant que les scientifiques ne s’intéressent à ces questions et ne produisent des données de référence. Ce problème est tout particulièrement manifeste dans les milieux les plus fragiles, telles que les îles, dont les écosystèmes ont pu être bouleversés par l’Homme de manière très rapide et cela avant que leur biodiversité n’ait été documentée. Dans ce cas, les ossements fossiles s’avèrent être les uniques vestiges témoignant de l’existence passée de faunes parfois éteintes. Ils deviennent donc l’unique fenêtre permettant d’entrevoir la biodiversité ancienne de ces milieux. Mon travail de thèse se questionne sur la biodiversité passée au sein de l’archipel de la Guadeloupe (Antilles françaises) à travers l’exemple des reptiles squamates (lézards et serpents). L’étude de près de 40 000 ossements issus de 31 sites archéologiques et paléontologiques datant de la fin du Pléistocène (30 000 B.P.) à nos jours, a permis de mettre en évidence l’évolution de la diversité de ces vertébrés dans le temps ainsi que de leurs relations avec les différentes populations humaines. Ces résultats ont été obtenus grâce à l’utilisation de diverses méthodes (anatomie comparée, morphométries traditionnelle et géométrique, paléohistologie et archéozoologie, récits des premiers voyageurs) et grâce au développement d’approches méthodologiques spécifiques aux squamates. Les données obtenues font état de l’impact limité sur les faunes par les populations humaines amérindiennes ayant occupé la Guadeloupe pendant plus de 4000 ans jusqu’au 17éme siècle. En effet, bien qu’ayant chassé certains squamates (iguanes et améives) et probablement participé à un enrichissement de la faune, les Amérindiens ne semblent pas avoir contribué à appauvrir la biodiversité des squamates guadeloupéens. En revanche, les données fossiles plus récentes démontrent un fort impact sur les faunes de squamates exercé par les populations européennes qui colonisent ces îles à partir du XVIIème siècle. L’effet de cette seconde vague de colonisation se manifeste par la transformation morphologique de certains taxons (réduction de taille, réduction de variabilité morphologique) et par une série d’extinctions totales ou partielles d’espèces (restriction d’aire géographique). Ainsi, le taux d’extinction des squamates de Guadeloupe est estimé entre 47 et 56% depuis 300 ans. Cette vague d’extinctions s’oppose à l’apparente stabilité de la faune des squamates que révèle le registre fossile du Pléistocène et de la première moitié de l’Holocène. Ces résultats démontrent l’intérêt de l’étude minutieuse des faunes fossiles récentes pour une meilleure compréhension de l’impact de l’Homme sur son milieu au cours du temps, un domaine encore relativement peu développé, tout particulièrement pour ce qui concerne les squamates. / Current human impact on the biosphere affects all living organisms and environments. This global phenomenon is often considered as the origin of the 6th mass earth extinction crisis. Yet, the quantification of the effects of this crisis can be problematic because it started long before scientists started to investigate it and to produce reference data. This issue is especially obvious in fragile ecosystems, like islands, which environments could have been quickly modified in relation with anthropogenic phenomena before their biodiversity can have been described. In this case, fossil bones are often the sole remaining remains of past ecosystems and the only possibility to study them. My PhD work is interested in squamate (snakes and lizards) past biodiversity of the Guadeloupe Islands (French West Indies). I studied more than 40 000 fossil bones of squamates from 31 archaeological and paleontological deposits dated from Late Pleistocene (40 000 B. P.) to nowadays. My study reveals the evolution of the diversity of these reptiles along with their relations with past human populations. The results are obtained using several methods (comparative anatomy, traditional and geometric morphometrics, paleohistology and zooarchaeology) and thanks to new methodological tools I developed dedicated to the study of squamate bone remains. My results show the limited impact on squamate faunas of Amerindian human populations who inhabited Guadeloupe islands during more than 4 000 years. Indeed, although these populations seem to have hunted some squamates (iguanas and ameivas) and slightly contributed to enrich squamate diversity, they do not seem to be the cause of any extinction event. At the opposite, European populations who colonized Guadeloupe Islands since the XVIIth century strongly impacted the native squamate biodiversity. These effects take the forms of morphological modification of some taxa (size reduction, reduction of morphological variability) and partial (decrease of geographic distribution) or total extinction of many taxa. Indeed, the extinction rate of squamates species in Guadeloupe during the last 300 years is estimated between 47 and 56%. This recent mass extinction phenomenon strongly contrasts with the apparent stability of the squamate diversity between Pleistocene and the first half of Holocene revealed by fossil data. These results show the interest of studying late quaternary fossil faunas to better understand the impact of Human on its environment, a field of research still largely underdeveloped especially concerning squamates.

abstract: Social structure affects many aspects of ecology including mating systems, dispersal, and movements. The quality and pattern of associations among individuals can define social structure, thus detailed behavioral observations are vital to understanding species social structure and many other aspects of their ecology. In squamate reptiles (lizards and snakes), detailed observations of associations among individuals have been primarily limited to several lineages of lizards and have revealed a variety of social structures, including polygynous family group-living and monogamous pair-living. Here I describe the social structure of two communities within a population of Arizona black rattlesnakes (Crotalus cerberus) using association indices and social network analysis. I used remote timelapse cameras to semi-continuously sample rattlesnake behavior at communal basking sites during early April through mid-May in 2011 and 2012. I calculated an association index for each dyad (proportion of time they spent together) and used these indices to construct a weighted, undirected social network for each community. I found that individual C. cerberus vary in their tendency to form associations and are selective about with whom they associate. Some individuals preferred to be alone or in small groups while others preferred to be in large groups. Overall, rattlesnakes exhibited non-random association patterns, and this result was mainly driven by association selection of adults. Adults had greater association strengths and were more likely to have limited and selected associates. I identified eight subgroups within the two communities (five in one, three in the other), all of which contained adults and juveniles. My study is the first to show selected associations among individual snakes, but to my knowledge it is also the first to use association indices and social network analysis to examine association patterns among snakes. When these methods are applied to other snake species that aggregate, I anticipate the `discovery' of similar social structures. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Biology 2012

Orientador: Carlos Frederico Duarte da Rocha / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-09T17:01:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Miranda_JivanildoPinheiro_D.pdf: 7646850 bytes, checksum: 1b29966bda6798dfbb87bba528797710 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007 / Resumo: Neste estudo investiguei a riqueza, composição e distribuição local da herpetofauna do Parque Nacional dos Lençóis Maranhenses (PNLM), Maranhão, Brasil. Realizei 47 expedições, totalizando 235 dias de amostragem utilizando o método de procura visual limitada por tempo. Adicionalmente, estudei a ocorrência de atropelamentos de vertebrados na rota de acesso ao parque. Assim, registrei 63 espécies da herpetofauna no PNLM, sendo 21 espécies de anuros, 12 de lagartos, 24 de serpentes, duas de anfisbenas, três de quelônios e uma de jacaré. Destas espécies, 52 (E 82,5%) ocorrem apenas na restinga. As demais espécies ocorrem no campo de dunas do parque. Em relação aos atropelamentos, realizei cerca de 10896 quilômetros de amostragem. Encontrei 206 carcaças de vertebrados atropelados, distribuídas por 55 espécies. O grupo de vertebrado mais atropelado, em número de espécies (23 espécies) e de indivíduos (69 indivíduos), foi a classe Reptilia. Apesar do PNLM ser enfatizado do ponto de vista paisagístico, este estudo mostra que seus ambientes possuem significativa riqueza de espécies da herpetofauna. Estas espécies ocorrem principalmente no ambiente de restinga, o qual corresponde a apenas 21% da área do parque. Devido a crescente visitação turística e do aumento de empreendimentos na área, é importante que ações para a conservação da restinga do PNLM sejam urgentemente implementadas / Abstract: Herpetofauna richness, composition and local distribution (sand dunes or restinga habitats) were studied in Lençóis Maranhenses National Park (LMNP), Maranhão state, northeastern Brazil. I carried out 235 days of sampling using the method of visual search limited by time. In addition, I studied road killed vertebrates in the access route to the park (a road that crosses restinga habitats). Thus, I recorded 63 species of the herpetofauna (21 anurans, 12 lizards, 24 snakes, two amphisbaenians, three turtles and an alligator) in LMNP. Fifty-two species (E 82,5%) were found only in restinga habitats. Concerning to road killed animals, I carried out 10896 km of sampling and I found 206 carcasses of vertebrates, corresponding to 55 species. Reptilia was the vertebrate class with the largest number of species (23 species) and individuals (69 individuals) killed. Overall, the great number of species occurring in restinga habitats and high incidence of reptiles road killed in the route to the park, highlight the importance of actions to improve conservation in restinga habitats, which currently comprise only 21% of the total area protected by the park / Doutorado / Ecologia / Doutor em Ecologia