It is well-known that women are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), but the extent of this underrepresentation varies among STEM fields. Analyzing gender demographics of publications within a field is an effective means of quantifying representation because of the importance of publications to scientists' careers and to the scientific community. We created a data set consisting of all publications accessed with a database search on each taxonomic order of herpetofauna (Anura, Caudata, Gymnophiona, Testudines, Crocodylia, Rhynchocephalia, and Squamata) as well as squamate suborders (Amphisbaenia, Lacertilia, Serpentes) from 2010 to 2019, and another data set with all publications on Lacertilia and Serpentes from 1970 to 2019, and used these data sets to estimate the genders of authors. During the past decade, our estimates show that male authors outnumbered female authors 2.24:1, with especially low levels of authorship by females in studies on Gymnophiona, Crocodylia, and Squamata. However, female authorship increased steadily during the decade. While male first authors also outnumbered females 1.95:1, male last authors outnumbered females 3.30:1, and male sole authors outnumbered females 5.29:1. Papers with female first authors or last authors were more likely to have female coauthors than were papers with male first authors or last authors. Papers with female first authors were more likely to be cited than papers with male first authors, and papers with female last authors were less likely to be cited than those with male last authors. Finally, qualitative analysis of authorship estimates in studies on lizards and snakes over the past 50 yr show that female authors represented about 10–15% of authors from 1970 to 2000, followed by a rapid rise in female authorship over the past 20 yr to current rates of >30% female authorship. Our data suggest that the gender gap in herpetology, which has traditionally appeared to be a male-dominated field, is slowly narrowing.

The general pattern of sexual size dimorphism (SSD) in amphibians is characterized by females being larger than males. However, the reverse pattern, a male-biased SSD, may be widespread within some particular groups, as seems to be the case for the Neotropical treefrog genus Bokermannohyla. Although SSD is commonly associated with factors influential to breeding success, the evolutionary determinants of SSD remain controversial. Thus, the study of SSD, particularly on lesser-known species, remains critical to advance our understanding of the evolution of body size and other traits associated with the reproductive biology of amphibians. Herein, we examined the occurrence of sexual dimorphism in body size and other morphometric attributes in Bokermannohyla alvarengai and provided a detailed account of its reproductive biology. This species is endemic to a threatened habitat, occurs at low densities, and has a poorly documented natural history. We found that, at maturity, males of B. alvarengai were larger than females, with hypertrophied forelimbs and larger prepollex spines. This set of features, common to other Bokermannohyla species, is often attributed to the occurrence of male territorial defense and aggression between males. We found that B. alvarengai has a prolonged breeding season that extends from the middle of the dry season to the middle of the rainy season. Adult males did not form breeding aggregations and seemed to establish and defend territories; these males often had skin scars indicative of male–male combat. However, alternative interpretations for differences in body size and secondary sexual characters cannot be ruled out and are discussed.

Desert amphibians are limited to exploiting ephemeral resources and aestivating or to inhabiting scarce refuges of permanent water, such as springs. Understanding how amphibians use these resources is essential for their conservation. Dixie Valley Toads (Anaxyrus williamsi) are precinctive to a small system of cold and hot springs in the Dixie Valley, Nevada, USA. The toads have been petitioned for listing under the US Endangered Species Act, and information about how they use terrestrial and aquatic resources will help managers to conserve the toads and identify threats like geothermal energy development that might affect these toads. We used radiotelemetry to study the seasonal home ranges, movements, and habitat associations of Dixie Valley Toads in autumn 2018 and spring 2019. We found that toads were very closely associated with water in both seasons, with most observations occurring in water, especially for males in spring and all toads in the autumn. Even when found in terrestrial habitat, toads were a median distance of 4.2 m (95% credible interval = 3.3–5.3) from water; 95% of the time in spring and autumn, toads were within 14 m of water. Dixie Valley Toad habitat selection indicated a similar pattern, with selection in both spring and autumn for locations closer to water and for warmer water and substrates than at nearby available locations. In autumn, toads also avoided bare ground and terrestrial graminoids. Dixie Valley Toads selected brumation sites in, over (within dense vegetation), or near water, often near springs where water depths and temperatures are likely stable through the winter. The reliance of Dixie Valley Toads on water in spring, autumn, and during brumation suggests that alteration to historical flows and water temperatures are likely to affect the toads. Changes to the hydrothermal environment when toads are brumating could be particularly detrimental, potentially killing inactive toads.

Constructing burrows is energetically expensive, yet is a common trait across a broad spectrum of animals. The benefits of using burrows must therefore outweigh the costs of constructing burrows, which may reduce the risk of predation and/or ease the need for active thermoregulation. We examined the use of burrows in Butterfly Lizards (Leiolepis belliana), a common Southeast Asian lizard that constructs burrows in open, sandy plains. We used radiotelemetry to track the activity patterns and measured the thermal environment of 12 individuals across 14 d of sampling. We found that L. belliana had high site fidelity, using the same burrows across the sampling period. There were significant differences between substrate temperatures inside and outside the burrow across the whole sampling period. However, the lower internal burrow temperature still exceeded the upper thermal tolerance of a similar sized lizard species during midday, and this probably explains why we did not observe lizards in their burrows during the middle of the day. Burrows were constructed in a shallow, Y-shaped, concave shape, with each of the three branches of the Y ending in a surface opening, a design that allows for easy escape if threatened by a predator. Due to burrow temperatures exceeding lethal body temperatures for much of the day, and the Y-shape structure of the burrows, we propose that the major function of burrows for this species is as a predator escape mechanism.

Diamond-backed Terrapins inhabit coastal salt marshes along the eastern and Gulf coasts of North America. Terrapins are adapted to intermediate salinities yet frequently face saltwater-inundated marsh habitat exceeding 25 ppt (or grams/kilogram). We investigated the effect of salinity on the growth of hatchling terrapins and on their compensatory responses to salinity stress. We randomly assigned 30 terrapin hatchlings each to one of five salinity treatments (1, 5, 10, 20, or 35 ppt). Over 75 d, we regularly monitored behavior, appetite, and changes in growth; and calculated ratios of heterophils to lymphocytes (H:L ratio) to assess responses to prolonged salinity stress. Consistent with prior studies, chronic exposure to high salinity significantly reduced hatchling growth. Hatchlings in 20-ppt and 35-ppt salinities exhibited appetite suppression and saltwater avoidance and were more likely to show freshwater-seeking behaviors. H:L ratios were higher among hatchlings in 20- and 35-ppt salinities, consistent with a corticosterone-driven stress response to sustained high-salinity exposure, which may play a role in limiting growth. Our findings suggest hatchling growth and distribution among local habitats will vary spatially depending on habitat salinity and freshwater accessibility. The growth-limiting effects of chronically high salinity or limited access to freshwater could therefore increase hatchling mortality and be an important driver of spatial variation in terrapin demography and abundance. However, when freshwater sources are available, compensatory behaviors might reduce growth-limiting effects. Terrapin recruitment is likely to be impacted as rising sea levels, increased human water use, land development, and other anthropogenic changes alter freshwater inputs to coastal marshes.

The genus Corythomantis was monotypic for over 100 yr, encompassing only the species C. greeningi. In 2012, a second species, C. galeata, was described, but this species was recently reassigned to Nyctimantis, rendering Corythomantis once again monotypic. The geographic distribution of C. greeningi covers the Caatinga and Cerrado biomes from northeast Brazil, with a western limit in Tocantins state and a southern limit in Minas Gerais state. Here we demonstrate the existence of a second species of Corythomantis through molecular, acoustic, and morphological data. The new species differs in morphology from C. greeningi in head shape and tibia coloration. The new species has an advertisement call with shorter duration, higher pulse rate, and different acoustic structure. Mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) data show a genetic divergence from C. greeningi of 2.88% in the 16S ribosomal DNA gene and 14.06% in the cytochrome oxidase I gene. The geographic distribution of the new species is restricted to the Espinhaço Mountain Range at elevations from 315 to 930 m above sea level.

The Serranía de los Paraguas is a mountainous region situated in the central part of the Cordillera Occidental of Colombia. It rises some 2500 m above the wet forest and supports a high concentration of species richness and endemism for plants and terrestrial vertebrates (amphibians, birds, and mammals). In the case of amphibians, 61 named species occurring in The Serranía de los Paraguas are recognized in the literature, which are mostly the works of J.D. Lynch and P. Ruíz-Carranza in the 1990s. During a 9-d survey in the wet season (19–27 July 2019) on the Reserva Natural Comunitaria Cerro El Inglés (one of the hills of the Serranía de los Paraguas) on the frontier between Chocó and Valle del Cauca departments, we discovered two new species of the genus Pristimantis. Both species share a divided palmar tubercle as well as a distinctive color pattern on the groin, of which both are distinctive within Pristimantis. The first new species is distinguished by its small size and having a distinctive carmine red color pattern on groin, uniform lateral fringes on fingers (no crenulated), palmar tubercle deeply bifid (or divided), advertisement call composed of a short single note distinctly pulsed, and absence of nuptial pads as well as hyperdistal tubercles, inner tarsal tubercle and fold, and partial fusion of Toe IV and V. The second new species is distinguished by having dermal ridges on scapular region, conical tubercle on upper eyelid and heel, palmar tubercle divided, differentiated tympanic membrane, males with vocal slits, orange spots on groin, advertisement call composed of distinctly pulsed 6–8 notes, and absence of dorsolateral folds as well as cranial crest, hyperdistal tubercles, and toe webbing. Considering these new species, the number of amphibians inhabiting the Serranía de los Paraguas has increased to 63 species. It is important to point out that within this outstanding species richness of amphibians, there are 10 endemic species and 17 threatened species according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List (7 Critically Endangered, 5 Endangered, and 5 Vulnerable). Likewise, it is noteworthy that 29 terraranan species can be found in the Reserva Natural Comunitaria Cerro El Inglés. Thus, based on the species richness, endemism, diversity at higher taxonomic levels, and the number of threatened species, it seems reasonable to say that the Serranía de los Paraguas is a priority site for conservation of amphibians in Colombia.

Recent studies on the systematics and phylogeny of the blue-tailed skinks in the Plestiodon brevirostris group identified a population from the Sierra Madre del Sur of eastern Guerrero, Mexico, that appeared to represent an undescribed species. Here, we formally describe this lineage as a new species, compare it with the other species in the P. brevirostris group, identify a specimen from western Oaxaca that belongs to the new species, and provide an updated key to the group. The new species is morphologically similar and closely related to P. ochoterenae, but molecular and morphological data support its evolutionary independence. The new species is distinguished from the other species in the P. brevirostris group, except for P. ochoterenae, by the presence of a primary temporal, a well-defined lateral pale line on the neck, and a well-defined dorsolateral pale line that extends posteriorly to the level of the hind limbs. It differs from P. ochoterenae by having longer limbs and a well-defined lateral pale line on the neck. The present study further highlights the relevance of the Sierra Madre del Sur as a hotspot of endemism and undescribed diversity.

We describe a new species of the Gonocephalus megalepis group and provide new morphological and distribution data for the three other species of the group. The combination of a wide gap between the nuchal and dorsal crests, distinctly heterogenous scales on the flanks, a gular crest, two large tubercular scales ventral to the tympanum, and 97–125 scales around midbody will distinguish the new species from all congeners. The new species occurs above 1100 m on mountains of Sumatra's southern Bukit Barisan Range below 3°S latitude. Head scales of some specimens were infested by a green, filamentous symbiont, which we tentatively identify as an epizoic plant. Gravid females develop crimson stripes on their gular pouch as an apparent social signal.