Fear of snakes is one of the most profound and pervasive of human phobias, yet human attitudes toward snakes and many of the other animals that herpetologists study are highly variable. With respect to snakes, some of this variation likely has a biological basis, as snakes may have been an important source of mortality in the evolution of our species. But experience must also be important in determining human attitudes toward snakes in particular, and amphibians and reptiles in general. I contend that small, seemingly inconsequential events can profoundly affect a person's attitudes toward amphibians and reptiles, and that such events can even serve to deflect one onto an altogether different career trajectory than what might otherwise have been. In support of this proposition I trace the development of my interests in herpetology, and in so doing identify the events and influences that were pivotal in the development of my attitude toward amphibians and reptiles and in shaping my career as a herpetologist. My interest in herpetology began as a boyhood fascination with snakes, sparked by a seminal publication in National Geographic Magazine. Later, fortuitous associations with supportive academic mentors were instrumental in setting my herpetological path. Yet, things did not have to play out the way they did; without those chance events and influences, things could so very easily have been different.

Habitat availability for larval development is one of the main factors affecting the distribution of anuran species. However, little is known about the spatial distribution of these habitats, and estimates of the number of available ponds for a given reserve size are not available in Amazonia. Temporary water bodies were surveyed in a 30-m strip around a 144-km system of trails in a terra firme tropical forest, and tadpoles were collected to evaluate differences in species composition between isolated and streamside ponds. More than 90% of the ponds were <150 m from a stream, and the tadpole species composition differed between isolated and streamside ponds. Isolated ponds were less common, but were, on average, more stable in time than streamside ponds. Despite the limited distribution of isolated forest ponds, species of frogs dependent on them were found throughout the reserve. The presence of both types of ponds is important for the maintenance of the local pond-breeding anuran community. This study shows that isolated and streamside forest ponds maintain a distinct assemblage of frogs, and isolated ponds are much less common, but are, on average, more predictable in time than streamside ponds.

Cost–benefit models predict that hiding time in refuge increases with predation risk. Studies of diverse prey confirm this prediction for various single risk factors, but much less is known regarding joint effects of variation in multiple factors. For single risk factors, we predicted that Balearic lizards (Podarcis lilfordi) hide longer after faster and more direct approaches by predators and when predators attack persistently or remain close to the refuge. We predicted that effects of approach speed on hiding time would interact with those of directness of approach and predator proximity to the refuge. We simulated attacking predators by approaching lizards ourselves. Predictions for all single risk factors were confirmed: hiding time was greater after faster and more direct approaches, second than first attacks, and when an investigator stood closer to the refuge. These findings agree with those for other prey that are ecologically and phylogenetically diverse, suggesting that optimality theory is broadly applicable to refuge use. The predictions of interaction of approach speed were confirmed for both directness of approach and predator proximity, but the interaction between approach speed and predator proximity was opposite that predicted. Knowledge of the shapes of curves relating joint risks to hiding time are needed to use optimality theory to predict joint effects of multiple risk factors, but these shapes are unknown. Comparative studies are needed to detect quantitative effects of ecological and phylogenetic differences on hiding time.

Courtship is an essential component to male reproductive success. Most males must identify and court appropriate females to enhance their fitness. At the same time, female reproductive state and investment is influenced by the quality of male courtship. In this experiment, we test whether the amount of female courtship experience influences the behavior of males interacting with those females in sagebrush lizards, Sceloporus graciosus. We used a robotic lizard to present male courtship displays to females, presenting females with displays either every other day (low quantity) or four times daily (high quantity). After 2 wk of courtship experience, we placed a live male into the home terrarium of each female and recorded interactions for 30 min, scoring both male and female behavior from these recordings. Males exhibited more movements and chemoreceptive behavior toward females that had received more courtship experience, showing that they could detect an effect. We did not detect any difference in female behavior between groups. Future work is needed to identify physiological differences between females differing in courtship experience. Our study also confirms the utility of a robotic lizard in understanding lizard behavior and expands the use of robotic stimuli outside of the context of playback experiments.

Despite their high diversity and importance as top predators in many ecosystems, the ecology of many snakes remains poorly understood. This situation is especially true at low latitudes, as few attempts have been made to quantify patterns of space usage by tropical snake species. Here, we describe macro- and microhabitat use by the abundant pit viper Bothrops asper in the lowlands of Costa Rica. Specifically, we used radiotelemetry to monitor nine female and four male adult snakes at La Selva Biological Station between 2004 and 2006. We determined macrohabitat usage and availability on the basis of the movements of individual snakes and analyzed selection using compositional analysis. Microhabitat was quantified by a series of structural characteristics, and groups of locations were compared using multivariate ANOVA and discriminant function analysis. In our study, B. asper demonstrated a positive selection for swamp habitat and avoidance of human-disturbed areas by both male and female snakes. Microhabitat usage did not differ between males and females, but did differ for all individuals between daytime observations, when snakes were typically inactive, and nocturnal observations, when snakes moved to more exposed areas and foraged using ambush tactics. Microhabitat characteristics were significantly nonrandom at both times, suggesting that B. asper actively select particular sites for both diurnal retreat and nocturnal foraging sites. These data emphasize that the contrasting ways in which animals may utilize resources at separate times or for different activities should be considered in studies of overall habitat selection.

We conducted a 12-month survey of anuran assemblages in two permanent lotic ecosystems (Preto and Boleiras rivers) and their adjacent habitats within the Cerrado biome in southeastern Brazil. The main goals were to understand patterns of spatial distribution, niche breadth, and niche overlap for syntopic anuran species, studying a large portion of the river longitudinal gradient (from first- to fourth-order sections). On the basis of microhabitat use by frogs, we tested the hypotheses that (1) spatial niche breadth would decrease or spatial niche overlap would increase in richer assemblages if competition for space was an important factor structuring the studied communities, (2) local species spatial niche breadth would relate positively to available microhabitat diversity in the riparian vegetation understory, and (3) species that were more plastic in microhabitat use would be able to occupy a greater number of river sections. Patterns of spatial niche overlap were not related to total number of coexisting species, possibly indicating that the spatial niche is not oversaturated, which makes competition for space unlikely. Microhabitat diversity along the riverside vegetation understory did not influence species spatial niche breadth. Species were plastic in microhabitat use but still did not use them randomly. Broader spatial niches were not indicative of a species ability to occupy a greater number of sites along the river's longitudinal gradient. These results corroborate those previously found for unconnected streams, indicating that anuran distribution is more influenced by specific preferences and plasticity than by migration opportunities.

A new Ceuthomantis is described from the Sarisariñama tepui in southeastern Venezuela. The new species was collected in 2002 and reported previously as Pristimantis cf. cavernibardus. Herein important differences are highlighted as diagnostic for the new species, fitting the recently described family Ceuthomantidae from the Guianan Shield. The biogeography of the genus and family is discussed.

Recent surveys of the herpetofauna in the rainforest of the Forêt d'Ambre Special Reserve, northern Madagascar, revealed a distinctive fossorial microhylid anuran species of the genus Rhombophryne. The new species is characterized by medium size (snout–vent length up to 49 mm in males), a stout body, short legs, and tuberculate skin on dorsal surfaces. It is most similar and closely related to R. testudo from the Sambirano region, but differs mainly by the absence of barbels on the lower lip, a different advertisement call, and a pairwise total sequence divergence of 8.5% the mitochondrial 16S RNA gene. We consider this species to be at particular risk from a conservation perspective because it appears to be endemic to a relatively small area of lowland transitional forest heavily altered by human activities. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature criteria, its threat status is classified as “Endangered.”

We describe a new species of Pristimantis (Anura: Strabomantidae) from the Pacific coast of the Darién Province, Panama. The type locality is on Cerro Piña, in the Serranía de Sapo, at 700–800 m elevation. This new species is readily distinguished from all other known congeners from the region based on external morphology. Despite the small size of the two type specimens, histological analysis of the gonads shows these individuals were potentially reproductive males. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on the ND2-WANCY mitochondrial gene region reveal that this new species is genetically distinct. Molecular and morphological data place the new species in the Pristimantis (Hypodictyon) ridens species series, and suggest that P. cerasinus be moved to this group as well. Molecular analyses also reveal a potential synapomorphy of the genus Pristimantis relative to the other five genera sampled here: the loss of the D-stem of the tRNA^CYS gene. Our finding of another endemic frog from eastern Panama lends further support to the concept of the Darién as a center of endemism and not just a conduit between continents.

We describe a new species of anole (genus Anolis) from Honduras formerly referred to as Anolis (or Norops) sericeus. The new species differs from A. sericeus by having a small unilobate hemipenis (large and bilobate in A. sericeus) and by having large male and no female dewlaps (small dewlaps present in both sexes in A. sericeus). Furthermore, we resurrect Anolis wellbornae for the populations of anoles on the Pacific versant of Nuclear Central America formerly referred to as Anolis (or Norops) sericeus. Anolis wellbornae differs from A. sericeus in the mean values of several scalation and morphometric characters and by having large male and no female dewlaps (small dewlaps present in both sexes in A. sericeus). Anolis wellbornae differs from the new species described here by having a large bilobate hemipenis (small and unilobate in the new species). We provide an identification key and standardized descriptions of A. sericeus, A. wellbornae, and the new species described here.

A new species of the genus Goniurosaurus (Squamata: Eublepharidae) is described from Yingde, Guangdong Province, China: Goniurosaurus yingdeensis sp. n. It can be discriminated from other known congeners by having 10–13 precloacal pores; dorsal ground color of head, body, and limbs in adults dark brown; posteriorly rounded nuchal loop situated low on the nape of the neck; five body bands between the nuchal loop and the caudal constriction; tail length and snout–vent length almost equal in individuals with original tail; the base of claws being sheathed by four scales; and short conchoidal lateral scales at claw base. First-hand data on the natural history of G. yingdeensis, and an expanded key to the genus Goniurosaurus, are provided. Being found outside the known geographical distribution of the genus Goniurosaurus, this is the first record in Guangdong Province in southern China.