Abstract – Many species of vipers are known to use ambush sites repeatedly, a phenomenon presumably informed by chemical cues from prey. Experimentally, we limited chemical cue availability and recorded site selection in five captive-born sidewinders [i]Crotalus cerastes[/i] during their first active season. Snakes showed individual differences among the study subjects in spatial movement across the season and repeatedly reused specific sites in their enclosures, suggesting spatial memory and individual differences in choices of resting sites. Individual variability in spatial- and object-use and associated memories suggests attention to such should be considered in developing husbandry routines for these captive individuals.

Abstract - Very little is known of the ecology and distribution of Vietnamese tortoises and freshwater turtles, even though Vietnam is one of the world’s hotspots of chelonian diversity and, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), almost all its species are threatened. We report the diversity of chelonians for two distinct areas of northern Vietnam (in three provinces) characterised by forested hills and mountains, with ponds and streams. We observed ten species in Lang Son/Bac Giang provinces and 11 species in Lao Cai province. Reportedly, the two most frequently recorded species were [i]Pelodiscus sinensis[/i] and [i]Cuora mouhotii[/i]. Most species were Endangered or Critically Endangered according to IUCN, thus making the protection of the forest habitats of these provinces of crucial relevance for the survival of these species. Reliable records for the almost extinct [i]Rafetus swinhoei[/i] were collected, but all of them refer to the end of the 1970s.

Abstract – [i]Minervarya[/i] cf. [i]keralensis[/i] has been detected for the first time north of the Palghat gap in the central Western Ghats, a range extension of about 85 km. This species calls and breeds in the post-monsoon period (Jan–March) and exhibits axillary amplexus. Male call characteristics, natural history observations, and distributional complexities are described. Currently, the [i]Minervarya nilagirica[/i] group that includes [i]M. keralensis[/i], show a complex distribution pattern in peninsular India that is worthy of further phylogeographic study