Understanding patterns of microhabitat use among terrestrial salamanders is important for predicting their responses to natural and anthropogenic disturbances. The dependence of terrestrial salamanders on cutaneous respiration limits their spatial distribution to moist, humid areas. Although many studies have shown negative effects of canopy removal on terrestrial salamander abundance, some have shown potential ameliorating effects of retaining coarse woody debris (CWD) as moist refugia (critical resources in the landscape). Because cover objects like CWD retain moisture longer than fine debris, terrestrial salamanders are often more locally abundant in areas of dense cover. Temporally variable environmental conditions could affect microhabitat quality and influence the fine-scale spatial distributions of salamanders. Spatial and temporal variability in microhabitat use greatly influence individual detectability, which is always a challenge for terrestrial salamanders. We conducted repeated area-constrained surveys to examine variation in salamander microhabitat use of terrestrial salamanders in relation to season, year, and weather conditions. We found that time since rain (TSR) was the best predictor of relative salamander microhabitat use, but the strength of this relationship varied among years. In addition, TSR was also the best predictor of salamander surface activity. We captured most salamanders within leaf litter, but the proportion of leaf litter captures varied with TSR. Our results illustrate the importance of accounting for variable detectability when sampling for terrestrial salamanders. Disturbances which affect leaf litter depth and decomposition rates could influence the availability and quality of microhabitats and potentially increase competition among individuals for natural cover objects.

The fragmentation of natural habitat is a major threat to the conservation of species because it reduces genetic variability and increases population extinction risk. The leading causes of fragmentation in the Ocala National Forest (ONF) are clearcut logging for wood pulp and roads (e.g., Florida State Route 40 or FSR-40). We used five microsatellite (Msat) loci and 301 base pairs of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to estimate genetic differentiation among subpopulations of Florida Scrub Lizards (Sceloporus woodi) inhabiting “islands” of suitable habitat across the ONF. Pairwise comparisons of subpopulations revealed that 52.4% of F_ST values were different for mtDNA and 71.4% for Msats, including differentiation over short distances (2 km) between subpopulations separated by FSR-40. A pattern of isolation-by-distance (IBD) was detected with mtDNA; however, there was no IBD evident in the Msat data. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that grouping subpopulations based on their position to FSR-40 (north/south) only explained 0.02% and 3.30% of the among-group variation for Msats and mtDNA, respectively. An additional AMOVA (mtDNA) grouping by habitat type (longleaf pine vs. sand–pine scrub) increased the among-group variation to 22.8%. The results reveal a pattern of genetic patchiness in a terrestrial landscape that is anthropogenically fragmented. We hypothesize that logging, roads, and habitat variation might all have consequences for the population dynamics and genetic diversity of S. woodi on an ecological time scale.

Novel ventrally positioned extra-cloacal glands were discovered through examination of cloacal histology of female thamnophiine snakes. The glands discovered, termed ventral urodeal glands, are paired and empty into the caudal extremity of the urodeum, lateral to the opening of the urodeal sphincter, through primary ducts that resemble folds of the urodeal wall. In concordance with historical literature, these glands are the first cloacal glands described in snakes that definitively empty into the urodeum from a ventral position. Ventral urodeal glands are complex, with multiple branching ducts that empty the terminal alveolar glands. The epithelial linings of the branching duct networks are stratified (primary and secondary ducts), pseudostratified (tertiary ducts), or simple (quaternary ducts and terminal alveoli). The epithelia of the terminal alveoli stain weakly with hematoxylin, and an eosinophilic secretory material is common in the lumina of alveoli. The secretion produced in the alveoli stains positive with the periodic acid-Schiff's procedure, negative with brilliant blue, and positive with fast green, indicating that the majority of the secretion is composed of a neutral carbohydrate moiety with a minor protein component. Ventral urodeal glands were observed in all taxa of Nerodia examined, except N. cyclopion, and were not observed in any other taxa of Thamnophiini. Through optimization to Thamnophiini topologies, ventral urodeal glands either evolved once on the branch leading to Nerodia and were subsequently lost on the branch leading to N. cyclopion, or they evolved independently on the branches leading to N. floridana and all other species of Nerodia. Like many of the cloacal glands in squamates, the function of ventral urodeal glands is unknown, and further investigation is needed to elucidate the function of the secretions of these glands.

For snakes, maximum gape size can determine the size and shape of consumable prey. Small body size may accentuate the limitations of gape; however, some evidence indicates that juvenile snakes may compensate for small body size by exhibiting negative gape allometry. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that Red-bellied Mudsnakes (Farancia abacura) display negative allometry for relative gape size. We measured five external head dimensions for each of 10 specimens and directly measured maximum gape circumference using either a ring or bracelet mandrel. Soft tissue was removed from each skull, after which we measured nine osteological features of the cranium. Maximum gape circumference exhibited negative allometry with snout–vent length, as did all cranial dimensions except quadrate length, which was isometric. All cranial bones exhibited positive allometry with skull length except for parietal width, which was isometric with skull length. Based upon a model of the external characteristics using Akaike Information Criterion, jaw length and head width were the strongest predictors of gape circumference. Supratemporal length, skull length, and mandible length were the three highest ranked osteological dimensions for predicting maximum gape. These model ranks differ from those of similar studies conducted using different snake species, indicating that the morphological determinants of gape circumference may be highly diverse among lineages.

We describe a new species of glass frog (Vitreorana) from Fazenda Novo Pau Brasil, in the Atlantic Forest habitat of northeastern Brazil. Previous to this work, Vitreorana baliomma sp. nov. was misidentified as V. eurygnatha, from which it can be distinguished by the iris pattern flecked with star-shape melanophores; rudimentary nuptial excrescences formed by glands on the dorsomedial surface of Finger I, with some accessorial glands along its periphery; parietal, urinary bladder, kidneys, and testes peritonea translucent; visceral peritoneum with iridophores covering the pericardium, liver, and gastrointestinal tract. We also provide a brief discussion on its morphological similarities with other Vitreorana species.

A new species, Goniurosaurus zhelongi sp. nov., is described from Yingde City, Guangdong Province, China. It can be discriminated from other known congeners by its moderate size with adult females measuring 91.5–93.4 mm and adult males measuring 86.0–88.1 mm in snout–vent length; dorsal ground color of head, body and limbs in adults brownish-black, with densely arranged dirty white tubercles and a few black tubercles; a nuchal loop, rounded posteriorly, present on nape, and four thin, dirty white dorsal body bands between limb insertions, lacking dark spots; six to eight nasal scales surrounding nares; internasal single, rarely two; 45–52 eyelid fringe scales; the presence of a row of slightly enlarged supraorbital tubercles; granular scales of upper eyelids similar in size to those on the top of head; 105–109 scales around midbody; 23–28 dorsal tubercle rows at midbody; axillary pockets deep; nine precloacal pores in males and absent in females; and claws sheathed by four scales, two lateral scales short, shell-shaped. Natural history data and an expanded key to the species of the genus Goniurosaurus are provided.

Based on morphological evidence, we describe a new species of agamid lizard of the genus Calotes that is restricted to a single site on the northern face of the Knuckles massif (∼1000 m above sea level) of Sri Lanka. The genus Calotes consists of eight species in Sri Lanka, six of which appear to form an endemic radiation. The new species, Calotes manamendrai, most closely resembles Calotes liolepis Boulenger, 1885, which is widely distributed in mid-elevations in the central highlands, lowland rain forests, and a few isolated moist forests in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. Females of Calotes manamendrai sp. nov. differ from the females of Calotes liolepis in having nonenlarged pectoral scales; keeled dorsal scales on the body; smaller midgular scales than the rest of the throat scales; brown color, seven distinct stripes each side on gular area; black color shoulder pit; and upper arm with carinate ventral scales. Finally, we provide a complete redescription for Calotes liolepis based on the adult female syntypes.

A new species of Amphisbaena is described from a Cerrado area in the southwestern region of the state of Bahia, northeastern Brazil. The new species is distinguishable from all other congeners by having a rounded snout; slender body with visible lateral and dorsal sulci; two rounded precloacal pores medially located; 230–241 body annuli; 19–22 caudal annuli; 12–14 dorsal and 14 ventral segments to a midbody annulus; tail with a marked autotomic constriction at caudal annuli 6–8; tail tip laterally compressed; three supralabials followed by one postsupralabial, and three infralabials followed by one postinfralabial on each side of the head.

Uma nova espécie de Amphisbaena é descrita de uma região de Cerrado no sudoeste do estado da Bahia, nordeste do Brasil. A nova espécie se distingue dos demais congêneres por possuir o focinho arredondado; corpo delgado, com sulcos laterais e dorsal bem visíveis; dois poros pré-cloacais arredondados localizados medialmente; 230–241 anéis corporais; 19–22 anéis caudais; 12–14 segmentos dorsais e 14 segmentos ventrais contados em um anel no meio do corpo; plano de autotomia caudal bem marcado entre o anel caudal 6–8; extremidade da cauda comprimida lateralmente; três supralabiais seguidas por uma pós-supralabial e três infralabiais seguidas por uma pós-infralabial em cada lado da cabeça.

A new species of Atractus is described from cloud forests of the extreme northern Ecuadorian Andes, Tulcán County, Carchi Province. Atractus savagei sp. nov. is distinguished from all congeners by the combination of 17 dorsal scale rows, long loreal, six supralabials (third and fourth contacting orbit), seven infralabials (first four contacting chinshields), 5–8 maxillary teeth, 161–165 ventrals in females and 149–154 in males, 23–26 subcaudals in females and 28–33 in males, a brown dorsum with black specks on the margins of scales, two black longitudinal stripes on each side of the body, yellow ventral color of head gradually changing to orange and red toward the back of the body, venter with lateral and median series of black blotches arranged in conspicuous longitudinal stripes, moderate body size, a long tail in males, and a moderately bilobed, barely capitate, and slightly calyculate hemipenis. Based on shared morphological characters, especially hemipenial features, we propose to tentatively allocate the new species to the A. paucidens group.

Se describe una nueva especie de Atractus de los bosques nublados del extremo norte de los Andes ecuatorianos, Cantón Tulcán, Provincia de Carchi. Atractus savagei sp. nov. se distingue de otras especies del género por la combinación de 17 filas de escamas dorsales, loreal larga, 6 supralabiales (tercera y cuarta contactando la órbita), 7 infralabiales (primeras cuatro en contacto con las geneiales), 5–8 dientes maxilares, 161–165 ventrales en hembras y 149–154 en machos, 23–26 subcaudales en hembras y 28–33 en machos, dorso café con manchas negras en los márgenes de las escamas, dos líneas longitudinales negras en cada lado del cuerpo, color ventral de la cabeza amarillo que cambia gradualmente a naranja y rojo hacia atrás del cuerpo, vientre con series laterales y medias de manchas negras dispuestas en líneas longitudinales conspicuas, tamaño del cuerpo moderado, cola larga en machos, y un hemipene moderadamente bilobular, muy poco capitado y un poco caliculado. Con base en caracteres morfológicos compartidos, especialmente asociados a los hemipenes, se propone incluir tentativamente a esta nueva especie en el grupo A. paucidens.