While unpalatability in general is well-known to provide prey protection against predators, the role of unpalatability as an antipredator mechanism in larval anurans and more specifically, Lithobates catesbeianus (American Bullfrog) larvae remains contentious. There are three major problems associated with the majority of the studies done to date: (1) failure to incorporate the existence of a range of relative preferences or palatability, (2) failure to effectively control for predator hunger levels, and (3) failure to consider confounding variables such as prey behavior and prey appearance. We sought to alleviate these problems by first training Lepomis gibbosus (Pumpkinseed Sunfish) to consume a standardized food ration for 1 wk and then spiking that food ration the following week with only the skin of three different larval anurans that have been hypothesized to range in palatability (namely, L. catesbeianus, L. clamitans [Green Frog], and L. sylvaticus [Wood Frog]). The results of this experiment revealed that a range of palatability does in fact exist, with L. catesbeianus being least palatable, L. clamitans being somewhat unpalatable, and L. sylvaticus being highly palatable. This study was the first to show evidence, devoid of any confounding variables, that L. catesbeianus and, to a lesser extent, L. clamitans tadpoles are unpalatable to sunfish predators.

Africa's Gulf of Guinea, a major nesting ground for the critically endangered Leatherback Sea Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), is experiencing rapid economic development. This study reports on the plasma biochemistry and packed cell volume (PCV) of turtles (55 samples collected from 23 individuals) nesting on Playa Moaba, Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea. Because energy reserves and other resources in an individual are finite and turtles may not feed between nesting episodes, decreasing trends are expected in certain plasma biochemical concentrations and PCV values, as well as maternal investment in reproductive output (clutch size and egg mass). Calcium, potassium, sodium, phosphorous, plasma total protein, albumin, and globulin concentrations changed significantly with increasing number of nesting events, but remained within reported intervals in reptiles. Packed cell volume decreased significantly as the number of nesting events per individual increased. Although clutch size did not change, egg mass decreased significantly with increasing number of nesting events. The observed trends may be due to depletion of energy reserves and other resources during reproduction in a possible fasting state, and to the associated physiological stress.

Herbivory is the dominant feeding strategy in tortoises, and dietary shifts are common in response to changes in resource availability. We conducted the first large-scale study of the diets of wild Hermann's Tortoises (Testudo hermanni hermanni) and found that the study population in central Italy was strictly herbivorous. The tortoises ate primarily legume leaves and grasses in the spring, and switched to flowers and unripe fruit of Ruscus aculeatus as these became available in the autumn. There were no significant differences between the diets of males and females. Although tortoise diets included both rare and abundant plant species, they consumed abundant plant species in a higher proportion than those species occurred in the study area. However, some rare plants made up relatively large fractions of the diet, and one of the few nonnative plants (Conyza canadensis) at the study area was eaten frequently by tortoises in all seasons, despite its relative rarity. Ruscus aculeatus berries may be particularly valuable to tortoises that are about to enter hibernation; hence, T. hermanni habitat should be managed to maintain this important plant species.

Amphisbaenians are a group of reptiles specialized for a fossorial life, which makes the study of their peculiar biological and ecological adaptations difficult. The population biology of amphisbaenians is almost unknown. We described the seasonal variation in the size, age, and sex structure of a population of the amphisbaenian Trogonophis wiegmanni from the Chafarinas Islands, in North Africa. We specifically described body size (length and weight), frequency distribution of newborn and older juvenile individuals and adults, sex ratio of adults (which did not differ from a 1∶1 ratio), and proportion of juveniles and newborn individuals in the population. The results indicated that T. wiegmanni is a viviparous species that delays reproduction until at least 2.5 yr, that almost half of adult females do not reproduce every year, and that females have a very small brood size (i.e., reproductive females give birth to a single juvenile at the beginning of autumn). We also used our data to infer growth and survival of juveniles, suggesting that mortality of newborn individuals is low. There are many aspects of the population biology of amphisbaenians that remain unknown and further studies are clearly needed.

We describe the external morphology of the tadpole of the frog Physalaemus moreirae. We also provide a review of internal oral features, chondrocrania, and a characterization of the genus based on larval traits. The internal oral features and the external morphology of P. moreirae are most similar to P. jordanensis, a species allocated to the P. gracilis group. None of the larval traits supports the current intrageneric arrangement of species, because several features are shared by species belonging to different species groups. We argue for the inclusion of larval traits in future phylogenetic studies in order to understand the evolution of larval characters.

A new species of puddle frog (Phrynobatrachus) is described from the Obudu Plateau in Cross River State of eastern Nigeria. The new species is distinguished from Phrynobatrachus species that are either closely related or occur in Nigeria or nearby countries by the combination of its larger body size (larger than the closely related P. chukuchuku, P. danko, P. manengoubensis, and P. werneri) and more extensive degree of development of male traits such as the nuptial pad and gular spines. The new species is also distinguished by a pale or white line along the anterior edge of the supratympanic skin ridge. A molecular phylogenetic analysis reveals that this morphologically distinct taxon is conspecific with a juvenile specimen from the Obudu Plateau previously referred to as P. werneri, and that this new species forms a clade with three other small species from the mountains of Cameroon and Nigeria (P. danko, P. werneri, and P. manengoubensis). The description of this species adds to the diversity of amphibian species of the Obudu Plateau, many of which have disjunct distributions with other populations located in the mountains of neighboring Cameroon.

We describe a new species of treefrog of the Scinax ruber clade related to Scinax fuscomarginatus from southwest of the state of Goiás in central Brazil. The new species is characterized by its small size (snout–vent length of males, 15.9–18.6 mm; females, 18.1–18.7 mm), very slender body, a snout that is strongly acute in lateral view and subelliptical in dorsal view, two lateral broad blackish stripes from the posterior corner of the eye to inguinal region, reduced toe webbing, and advertisement calls that are a single pulsed note with a pulse period of 2–13 ms and a dominant frequency of 2.51–5.95 kHz. Vocalizations of the new species and S. fuscomarginatus, Scinax parkeri, Scinax squalirostris, and Scinax wandae are provided and discussed.

We redescribe the exceedingly rare, tetradactyl Philippine scincid lizards of the genus Brachymeles. Before the recent discovery of a second museum specimen of Brachymeles wrighti, and the rediscovery of B. elerae in the wild, these two species were known from a combined three museum specimens, all collected in the early 1900s. Since that time, biotic surveys in the region, including recent efforts focused at the recognized type localities for both species, resulted in the rediscovery of extant populations of B. elerae. Based on re-examination of type material, complete mensural and meristic data for a recently recovered museum specimen, as well as our recently collected material, we redescribe these two rare species, providing the first, complete diagnostic illustrations of head scalation and hand and foot morphology, and we comment on their taxonomic and phenotypic affinities, and conservation status.

We redescribe the rare elapomorphine snake Apostolepis longicaudata Gomes in Amaral on the basis of a detailed examination of the holotype and comparisons with new specimens from the Cerrado of Central Brazil. The new data include information on coloration in life, hemipenial morphology, and natural history. Two specimens identified as A. quinquelineata by previous authors are now attributed to A. nelsonjorgei, which seems to be the only species in the genus with subcaudal counts overlapping those of A. longicaudata.

Apresentamos a redescrição da rara espécie de serpente Apostolepis longicaudata Gomes in Amaral com base no exame do holótipo e em comparações com três novos exemplares do Cerrado do Brasil Central. O trabalho inclui dados inéditos sobre a coloração em vida, morfologia hemipeniana e história natural. Dois espécimes lineados previamente identificados como A. quinquelineata por outros autores são redeterminados aqui como A. nelsonjorgei, que parece ser a única espécie do gênero cujas contagens de subcaudais se sobrepõem às de A. longicaudata.

A new species of the colubrid genus Geophis is described from the Sierra Madre del Sur of Guerrero, Mexico. The new species possesses all of the diagnostic characters of the sieboldi group, but differs from all of the other species in the group by having dorsal scales arranged in 17 rows, 133–139 ventrals in females and 130–137 in males, 24–31 subcaudals in females and 34–39 in males, keeled dorsal scales on at least the posterior three-fourths of the body, apparently no apical pits, and a light nuchal collar in juveniles. The new species fills a gap in the distribution of the sieboldi group between Michoacán and Oaxaca, and is the first Mexican species of the genus reported to exhibit both a unicolor (uniformly dark) and a bicolor (with dark markings on a red background color) body and tail dorsal patterns, a polymorphism similar to that previously documented in few lower Central American species.