The Herpetological Bulletin

AUTHORS: ANGEL DYUGMEDZHIEV, MIROSLAV SLAVCHEV, NIKOLA STANCHEV, IVA HRISTOVA-NIKOLOVA & BORIS NIKOLOV

Abstract – Vipera ammodytes is considered to be a predominantly terrestrial species although we report eight individual episodes of arboreal behaviour that include 1) copulation, 2) active hunting and feeding, 3) thermoregulation and/or waiting in ambush for prey, and 4) escape after capture and handling. To our knowledge, this is the first report of arboreal copulation in any Vipera spp., and the first report of active arboreal hunting by V. ammodytes. Arboreal thermoregulation and waiting in ambush for prey are difficult to distinguish from one another and vipers may combine these two types of behaviours. Arboreal escape after capture and handling is most likely the result of stress and it seems that it is rarely exhibited. It is clear that V. ammodytes can use arboreal habitats to its advantage and it is suggested that further study may demonstrate that arboreal activity is a more important component of the behavioural ecology of V. ammodytes than previously reported.

AUTHORS: PRASUN MANDAL, PRIYANKA HALDER MALLICK & TANMAY BHATTACHARYA

Abstract – This study of the illegal trade in non-marine chelonians (NMC) in West Bengal is based on 133 confiscation reports from various online news sources and from Divisional Forest Department Offices obtained in the period 2017–2023. A total of 33,317 NMC seizures were identified, spanning nine different species, three Endangered, three Vulnerable, one each of Near Threatened and Least Concern, and one invasive alien. The vast majority of seizures were of two species, the Indian flapshell turtle Lissemys punctata, which is a soft shelled species and accounted for 94% of identified seizures, and the Indian star tortoises Geochelone elegans that accounted for 5.2% of NMC. Confiscations were from 15 districts of West Bengal of which North 24 Parganas district was found to be a particular hotspot accounting for 57% of cases. The supply chain of L. punctata extended beyond West Bengal to Uttar Pradesh (50%) and Odisha (25%), whereas G. elegans were smuggled exclusively from Tamil Nadu. Additionally, 349 kg of body parts were seized. All confiscated items were meant either for domestic consumption or for illegal supply to markets in Bangladesh. Significantly more confiscations were recorded during the winter season. NMC seizures remained more or less constant throughout the COVID-19 pandemic with an increase in the involvement of women in illegal trading. West Bengal is a significant hub for the illegal trade of NMC and stringent conservation measures are required, in collaboration with various stakeholders, to prevent regional extinction of the species involved and the detrimental impacts of the local release of seized NMC.

AUTHORS: PRASUN MANDAL, PRIYANKA HALDER MALLICK & TANMAY BHATTACHARYA

AUTHORS: PRASUN MANDAL, PRIYANKA HALDER MALLICK & TANMAY BHATTACHARYA

AUTHORS: ANDRÉS FELIPE LIÉVANO-BONILLA, GUSTAVO ADOLFO PISSO-FLOREZ, JONH JAIRO MUESES-CISNEROS, SANTIAGO RON & HÉCTOR E. RAMÍREZ-CHAVES

Abstract – Hyloscirtus tigrinus is a rare, Endangered and colourful stream treefrog inhabiting the paramos and high Andean forest of south-western Colombia and northern Ecuador. During 2021–2023, we undertook fieldwork in Colombia at the Puracé National Park and surrounding areas, which yielded observations on the distribution, behaviour, advertisement call, colour pattern variations and phylogeny of this species. We report two new localities for H. tigrinus, which extends the north-eastern margin of its range by 18 km and gives a total of 10 known localities; these are restricted to between 2,638–3,470 m a.s.l.. Recordings of the male advertisement call indicate a single low-pitched pulsed note without frequency modulation, composed of two to six pulses. The call is emitted at a rate of 37.8–48.3 calls/min, with a dominant frequency between 1,636.52–1,894.92 Hz, and resembles that of Hyloscirtus larinopygion and Hyloscirtus antioquia, but H. tigrinus shows a lower number of pulses per call. Like other Hyloscirtus spp., the passive defensive behaviour of the species may include immobility, crouching and contraction. The populations from the new localities exhibit a light brown to reddish-brown dorsal colouration with black reticulate pattern or scattered blotches, which represents the most divergent colouration observed in the species. Phylogenetic and morphological analyses provide evidence that the most northerly populations, which exhibit divergent colouration, belong to H. tigrinus. Genetic distances for gene 16S (0.293–0.298%), indicate they are closely related to populations from Ecuador but remain distinguishable from them.

AUTHORS: ANDRÉS FELIPE LIÉVANO-BONILLA, GUSTAVO ADOLFO PISSO-FLOREZ, JONH JAIRO MUESES-CISNEROS, SANTIAGO RON & HÉCTOR E. RAMÍREZ-CHAVES

AUTHORS: OLIVIER LE DUC, BENJAMIN LEPRINCE, AN LE THANH, MINH NGUYEN TRONG, DAT TA, SAM HOANG VAN & LUCA LUISELLI

Abstract – Vietnam harbours one of Asia’s richest turtle biodiversities, yet knowledge of the distribution and abundance of Vietnamese turtles remains sparce. This study focuses on the turtle community along the Da River in northern Vietnam. Using a combination of field surveys, interviews and floating camera traps, we recorded 44 individuals across four species, showing that Pelodiscus sp. is locally by far the most abundant species, but that that the diversity of the turtle community is quite depleted. We found also the invasive Trachemys scripta elegans in the study area. Out of 90 interviewees, we obtained seven reliable reports of recent Rafetus swinhoei sightings, thus providing promising leads for conservation efforts.

AUTHORS: LINA EL SAYED ALY, ISLAM EL-SADEK, AHMED GHALLAB, JASON HOLMBERG, AHMED FOUAD & OMAR ATTUM

Abstract – Conservation of sea turtles requires identifying vital habitats such as nesting beaches and feeding grounds. Through a citizen science programme that records flipper tags and takes ID photos, we identified a new green turtle migration path between Zabargad Island and Abu Dabbab bay, Egypt. This bay also experienced nesting in 2022, but not in 2021 and 2023. The identification of this migration route supports an earlier assessment that Zabargad is one of the most valuable green turtle rookeries in the Red Sea and that Abu Dabbab bay is an important feeding bay for sea turtles. We also recorded an event in which a tagged green turtle was harvested for consumption, which suggests that females may be vulnerable to this threat during the nesting season. Our data justifies protecting any historic nesting beach in the Red Sea based upon its potential as future nesting activity could be the result of turtles returning from a hatching event 20–30 years ago and nesting beaches may not be used each year.

AUTHORS: ANTONIO BORDIGNON & OTAVIO A.V. MARQUES

AUTHORS: José Câmara & José Jesus

AUTHORS: MORTEZA ARIANEJAD, ALI TURK QASHQAEI, POURYA SARDARI, BEHZAD ZADHOUSH & MEHDI RAJABIZADEH

AUTHORS: MORTEZA ARIANEJAD, ALI TURK QASHQAEI, POURYA SARDARI, BEHZAD ZADHOUSH & MEHDI RAJABIZADEH

AUTHORS: LEANDRO J.C.L. MORAES & SAMUEL J. WIESNER

AUTHORS: BENJAMIN TAPLEY, LUAN THANH NGUYEN, DANIEL KANE & TIMOTHY E.M. MCCORMACK

AUTHORS: LORENZO RUGIERO, GERMANO FEDRIGO, DANIELE DENDI, GIOVANNI AMORI & LUCA LUISELLI

AUTHORS: ANDERSON LOZORIO, BEATRIZ BRITO & THIAGO SILVA-SOARES

AUTHORS: NATALIA S. CAMPOS, ANDERSON LORIORO, VINICIUS MENDES & THIAGO SILVA-SOARES