Sh vol 28 2015 03

25 Volume 28

January 2012 March 2015

ISSN 2333-8075

THIS MONTH’S PROGRAM

FUTURE SPEAKERS

Charles “Chip” Hedgcock

Photographing the Charismatic Microfauna: An Introduction to Field Photography

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8 April 2015: Brad Poynter

13 May 2015: TBD

ANNOUNCEMENT

7:15 PM; Wednesday, 11 March

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Tucson City Council Ward 3, 1510 East Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85719

2013 Fall Herpers Survey

RESEARCH ARTICLES

C

harles “Chip” Hedgcock has combined his love of the outdoors with more than 27 years of experience photographing in medicine, the life sciences, and fine arts, to create a unique vision of the natural world. He is known for his elegantly composed images that explore the jewel-like and sculptural qualities of, what he likes to call, the “Charismatic Microfauna”.

After graduating from Brooks Institute with a degree in commercial photography, Chip worked at the University of Arizona in Tucson first as a medical photographer at the University Medical Center, then as the photography/graphics/web person for the Division of Neurobiology.

Since 2009, Chip has been the lead photographer for the Madrean Archipelago Biodiversity Assessment (MABA). MABA is a multi-year, multi-faceted assessment supported by institutions in Mexico, the U.S., and Europe, and is a program of the environmental organization Sky Island Alliance.

Chip is also a black and white fine art photographer, continuing to practice the traditional tools of his trade, processing film

Number 1

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“Reproduction in the Southwestern Fence Lizard, Sceloporus cowlesi (Squamata: Phrynosomatidae) from New Mexico” by Stephen R. Goldberg

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“Reproduction in night lizards (Xantusia)” by Robert L. Bezy and Stephen R. Goldberg

N AT U R A L H I S TO RY 10

Charles “Chip” Hedgcock in the field.

and producing archival gelatin silver prints in his darkroom. Brooks Jensen, editor of Lens Work Magazine, said this about his work: “Chip is to bugs what [Edward] Weston was to peppers!”

He is a Registered Biological Photographer and a Fellow of the BioCommunications Association. Turn-on’s include; long walks in the desert (with a lizard noose), candlelit dinners (off the tailgate of his truck), and romantic, amber-lit sessions in the darkroom.

Chip will share his experiences photographing for the MABA expeditions and discuss helpful techniques the THS membership can use to improve their field photography.

“Winter basking by hatchling Sonoran Desert Tortoises, Gopherus morafkai” by Brian K. Sullivan and Elizabeth A. Sullivan

13 “Common Lesser Earless Lizard (Holbrookia maculata) impaled on barbed wire” by Melissa Thompson, Molly Parren, and Danny Martin CO N S E R VAT I O N 11 “Genus Raorchestes enriched again with nine new species discovered in India” by Suman Pratihar BOOK REVIEW 11

“Lost Animals” review by Howard Clark, Jr.

SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 28 (1) 2015

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FUTURE SPEAKER

8 April 2015:

Brad Poynter Conservation Manger for the Johnson Center at Phoenix Zoo

Global Turtle Crisis: Stopping Extinction 7:15 PM; Tucson City Council Ward 3, 1510 East Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85719

B rad Poynter is the Conservation Manger for the Johnson Center at Phoenix Zoo, where he oversees

the day to day operations of the staff and nine species of conservation need native to Arizona. He received a B.S. at Eastern Illinois University and a M.S. at Cleveland State University. He spent two years at Indianapolis Zoo where he worked with mostly venomous snakes and endangered iguanas then moved to Cleveland where he worked as the herpetologist at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. While in Cleveland, Brad was able to focus on his interest in large river turtles. He is the studbook keeper and program manager for Giant River Terrapins (Batagur affinis) for AZA and the Turtle Survival Alliance, and is a member of the IUCN’s Tortoise and Freshwater Turtle Specialist Group. He has done field work in the US, Malaysia, and Brazil as well as taught workshops in Singapore and Cambodia.

Brad came to Phoenix in 2012 to devote his efforts to conservation of native species.

Brad Poynter with a Malayan Softshell (Dogania subplana) in Malaysia. Photo by Dr. Steve Platt.

Brad’s program will focus on the Global Turtle Crisis and what steps are being taken to mitigate the issues. In particular, he will discuss the plight of a variety of imperiled species and conservation programs implemented by the Turtle Survival Alliance after the initial shock of the turtle crisis. Endangered Softshell Turtles in the genus Rafetus, Burma River Turtles, Star Tortoises, Podocnemus from Brazil, ploughshare programs, and the roll of zoos as well as private owners in conservation will all be discussed.

Brad Poynter is the Conservation Manger for the Johnson Center at Phoenix Zoo, where he oversees the day to day operations of the staff and nine species of conservation need native to Arizona. He received a B.S. at Eastern Illinois University and a M.S. at Cleveland State University.

ANNOUNCEMENT

2013 Fall Herpers Survey

A little over a year ago, you or your businesses and organizations were previously contacted regarding

participation in the 2013 Fall Herpers Survey, designed to get a sense of attitudes and opinions of the “herper community.” Though it took a long time to analyze the data, the final report is now available. It can be downloaded at:

www.mountainboomer.com/2013_Fall_Herpers_Survey_Report.pdf

The file is 7.03 MB The survey was sponsored through a grant from the Southwestern Center for Herpetological Research (www.southwesternherp.com), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Therefore, some of the questions specifically address herp-related concerns in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Utah. However, there are also many questions which have universal application, and you may find them useful for your own business and organization even if you aren’t located in those six states.

A similar survey is planned for Fall 2015. Depending on funding available from other interested organizations, the survey may expand to include topics of concern for other states and countries in addition to the general-interest questions and regional focus. Suggestions for topics to explore are welcome; send a message yall@mcmartinville.com to provide your feedback.

Please feel free to share this message with interested people within your organization, and other organizations as you see fit. Thank you for your interest in reptiles, amphibians, and the people who enjoy them!

Chris McMartin On behalf of the Communications Committee, Southwestern Center for Herpetological Research

SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 28 (1) 2015

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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Reproduction in the Southwestern Fence Lizard, Sceloporus cowlesi (Squamata: Phrynosomatidae) from New Mexico Stephen R. Goldberg, Whittier College, Department of Biology, Whittier, CA 90608; sgoldberg@whittier.edu

S(Fig.celoporus cowlesi, as defined by Leaché and Reeder (2002) 1), is found from eastern Arizona, eastward through

much of New Mexico to southwestern Texas and adjacent Mexico (Rorabaugh 2008, Babb and Leaché 2009) where it inhabits grasslands, chaparral, woodlands and montane conifer forests (Babb and Leaché 2009). There is anecdotal information on its reproduction in Brennan and Holycross (2009), Babb and Leaché (2009), Bartlett and Bartlett (2013). Previous information on S. cowlesi reproduction was recorded under the former species name, Sceloporus undulatus. Growth and activity of S. cowlesi from New Mexico were reported on by Bateman and Chung-MacCoubrey (2012). In this paper I report findings of a histological examination of S. cowlesi gonads as part of an ongoing study of timing of events in the reproductive cycles of lizards from western North America.

A sample of 138 Sceloporus cowlesi consisting of 59 adult males (mean SVL = 56.9 mm ± 4.7 SD, range = 49-68 mm), 65 adult females (mean SVL = 60.3 mm ± 5.2 SD, range = 50-76 mm), 8 subadults (mean SVL = 41.4 mm ± 5.5 SD, range = 31-49 mm) and 6 neonates (mean SVL 25.0 mm ± 2.1 SD, range = 23-28 mm) and) from New Mexico was examined from the herpetology collections of the Museum of Southwestern Biology (MSB), University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (LACM), Los Angeles, California, USA (Appendix). Sceloporus cowlesi were collected 1949 to 2003.

A small incision was made in the lower part of the abdomen and the left gonad was removed for histological examination. Gonads were embedded in paraffin, sections were cut at 5 µm and stained with Harris hematoxylin followed by eosin counterstain (Presnell and Schreibman 1997). Histology slides were deposited at LACM and MSB. Enlarged ovarian follicles (> 4 mm length) or oviductal eggs were counted. An unpaired t-test was used to test for differences between adult male and female mean SVLs and the relation between female body size (SVL) and clutch size was examined by linear regression analysis using Instat 3 (Graphpad Software, San Diego, CA).

Three stages were present in the monthly testicular cycle of S. cowlesi from New Mexico (Table 1): (1) regression: seminiferous tubules are at their smallest sizes and contain 2-3 layers of spermatogonia and Sertoli cells; (2) recrudescence: a proliferation of germ cells has commenced for the next period of spermiogenesis and is evidenced by the appearance of primary spermatocytes in August, and both primary and secondary spermatocytes (more advanced condition) in September; (3) spermiogenesis: lumina of the seminiferous tubules are lined by sperm or clusters of metamorphosing spermatids. The period of

Figure 1. Sceloporus cowlei, Terlingua, Texas. Photo by Danny Martin; www.dannymartinphotography.com.

sperm production included April to June. As no S. cowlesi males from March were examined, it is not known when spermiogenesis commences. The smallest reproductively active male (spermiogenesis) measured 45 mm SVL (LACM 4743) and was collected in April.

Mean body size (SVL) of S. cowlesi females was significantly larger than that of males (t = 4.0, df = 123, P = 0.0001). Four stages were present in the monthly ovarian cycle of S. cowlesi from New Mexico (Table 2): (1) quiescent, no yolk deposition; (2) early yolk deposition (basophilic vitellogenic granules in ooplasm); (3) enlarged ovarian follicles > 4 mm; (4) oviductal eggs.

Female reproduction occurred from April to July. As no S. cowlesi females from March were examined, it is not known when ovarian activity commences. Mean clutch size (n = 29) was 8.3 ± 2.3 SD, range = 4-12. Linear regression analysis indicated a significant positive correlation between female body size (SVL) and clutch size.

This relation is shown by the equation: Y = -6.0 + 0.23X, r = 0.44, P = 0.02. One female from April with oviductal eggs was undergoing concurrent yolk deposition for a subsequent clutch (MSB 31158) indicating S. cowlesi may produce more than one clutch in the same year. The

SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 28 (1) 2015

Sceloporus cowlesi, as defined by Leaché and Reeder (2002) (Fig. 1), is found from eastern Arizona, eastward through much of New Mexico to southwestern Texas and adjacent Mexico (Rorabaugh 2008, Babb and Leaché 2009) where it inhabits grasslands, chaparral, woodlands and montane conifer forests (Babb and Leaché 2009).

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smallest reproductively active female (oviductal eggs) measured 54 mm SVL (MSB 52784) and was collected in June. Four females of slightly smaller body sizes SVL = 53 mm (MSB 31128), SVL = 52 mm (LACM 132200), SVL = 50 mm (LACM 4827), SVL = 50 mm, (MSB 60752) were arbitrarily considered to be adults. Females smaller than 50 mm were considered to be subadults. Sceloporus cowlesi of presumably hatchling size (SVL = 25.0 ± 2.1 SD, range = 23-28 mm) were collected late in the activity season (August-September). The largest “neonate” SVL = 28 mm was from September and presumably was born earlier in the summer, allowing it time to grow.

Sceloporus cowlesi follows a reproductive strategy seen in 91% of other North American lizards (Goldberg 2014a) in which mating and egg deposition occurs in spring and young appear in summer. Babb and Leaché (2009) and Brennan and Holycross (2009) reported S. cowlesi deposited clutches of up to 10 eggs. My finding of a clutch of 12 eggs (LACM 4877) is a new maximum clutch size for S. cowlesi. Production of multiple clutches as shown to occur in S. cowlesi was also reported for two other species in the Sceloporus undulatus complex: Sceloporus consobrinus and S. tristichus (Goldberg 2014 b, c) and numerous other oviparous sceloporine lizards, for example (Goldberg 1974, 1975).

Acknowledgments—I thank Howard L. Snell (MSB) and Greg Pauly (LACM) for permission to examine S. cowlesi and T. Giermakowski (MSB) for facilitating the loan.

Literature Cited Babb, R.D., and A.D. Leaché 2009. Southwestern Fence Lizard Sceloporus cowlesi Lowe and Norris, 1956. Pp. 214217. In Jones, L.L.C. and R.E. Lovich, eds. Lizards of the American Southwest A Photographic Field Guide.

Rio Nuevo Publishers, Tucson, AZ. Bartlett, R.D., and P.P. Bartlett. 2013. New Mexico’s Reptiles & Amphibians A Field Guide, University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque. 228 pp.

Bateman, H.L., and A. Chung-MacCoubrey. 2012. Growth and activity of Sceloporus cowlesi (Southwestern fence lizard). Herpetological Review 43:39-41.

Brennan, T.C. and A.T. Holycross. 2009. A Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles in Arizona. Arizona Game and Fish Department, Phoenix. 150 pp.

Goldberg, S.R. 1974. Reproduction in mountain and lowland populations of the lizard Sceloporus occidentalis.

Copeia 1974:176-182.

Table 1. Monthly stages in the testicular cycle of 59 adult male Sceloporus cowlesi from New Mexico.

Month

N

Regressed

Recrudescence

Spermiogenesis

April

19

0

0

19

May

10

0

0

10

June

5

0

0

5

July

9

9

0

0

Aug

14

9

5

0

Sept

2

0

2

0

Table 2. Monthly stages in the ovarian cycle of 65 adult female Sceloporus cowlesi from New Mexico. One female from April* contained oviductal eggs and was undergoing concurrent yolk deposition for a subsequent clutch.

Quiescent

Month

N

April

15

3

May

9

1

Enlarged follicles > 4 mm

Oviductal eggs

0

8

4*

2

5

1

Early yolk deposition

June

9

2

1

1

5

July

11

6

0

1

4

Aug

18

18

0

0

0

Sept

3

3

0

0

0

Goldberg, S.R. 1975. Reproduction in the sagebrush lizard, Sceloporus graciosus. American Midland Naturalist 93:177-187.

Goldberg, S.R. 2014a. Reproductive cycles of lizards from western North America. Sonoran Herpetologist 27:21-30.

Goldberg, S.R. 2014b. Notes on reproduction of plateau fence lizards, Sceloporus tristichus (Squamata: Phrynosomatidae). Bulletin of the Chicago Herpetological Society 49:128-130.

Goldberg, S.R. 2014c. Reproduction in the southern prairie lizard, Sceloporus consobrinus (Squamata: Phrynosomatidae) from Oklahoma. Sonoran Herpetologist 27:88-90.

Leaché, A.D., and T.W. Reeder. 2002. Molecular systematics of the eastern fence lizard (Sceloporus undulatus): a comparison of parsimony, likelihood and Bayesian approaches. Systematic Biology 51:44-68.

Presnell, J.K., and M.P. Schreibman. 1997. Humason’s Animal Tissue Techniques, 5th edition. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD. Rorabaugh, J. 2008. An introduction to the herpetofauna of mainland Sonora, México with comments on conservation and management. Journal of the Arizona-Nevada Academy of Science 40:20-65.

Sceloporus cowlesi follows a reproductive strategy seen in 91% of other North American lizards (Goldberg 2014a) in which mating and egg deposition occurs in spring and young appear in summer.

Appendix: Sceloporus cowlesi from New Mexico (by county) examined from the herpetology collections of the Museum of Southwestern Biology (MSB) and the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (LACM).

Bernalillo LACM 4877, 113624, 133625; Chaves LACM 4753; Cibola MSB 47211, 87840; Doña Ana LACM 4739, MSB 60752; Eddy LACM 4740, 4742, 4743, 4744, 4746, 4748-4750, MSB 22906, 22950, 22954, 26031, 26158, 26360, 31158, 31160, 31333, 33641, 38492, 38496, 38497, 39040, 39042, 43648, 48589, 49054, 60574, 68893; Grant LACM 113626, MSB 4453, 11113, 14797, 15356, 15357, 21186, 21200, 40896, 43714-43716, 49277, 51834; Guadalupe MSB 48730; Hidalgo LACM 133350-133352; Lea LACM 4882; Lincoln LACM 4875; McKinney LACM 4872; Otero LACM 4757, 4800, 4802, 4819, 4821, 4822, 4825, 4827-4829, 4831-4835, 4839, 4841-4843, 4845, 4846, 4848, 4856-4858, 4860, 4862, 132193, 132194, 132196-132200, MSB 6333 6335; Rio Arriba LACM 4881; Sandoval LACM 4867-4869; San Juan LACM 4865; Santa Fe LACM 28889; San Miguel LACM 28884, 28886-28888; Sierra MSB 71734; Socorro LACM 4755, 4878-4880, 132192, MSB 11522, 13169, 14879, 16791, 18312, 18325, 31128-31130 31132, 31138, 31140, 35793, 39711, 44712, 52732, 52746, 52784, 52817, 52926, 52928, 54273, 54274, 55443, 56046, 57800, 57806, 61187, 63153.

SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 28 (1) 2015

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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Reproduction in night lizards (Xantusia) Robert L. Bezy, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA 90007, USA; robertbezy@gmail.com Stephen R. Goldberg, Whittier College, Department of Biology, Whittier, CA 90608; sgoldberg@whittier.edu

V iviparity (live birth) is an uncommon reproductive mode in lizards occurring in the North American

deserts (Goldberg 2014). Its existence in the Desert Night Lizard (Xantusia vigilis, Fig. 1) was first reported

by Van Denburgh (1897) who found more lizards in a collecting bottle than he had captured. Examining some of the females, he observed that each had only one or two embryos. Over the ensuing century, additional details of reproduction in the species slowly accumulated. Parturition, including consumption of fetal membranes, was detailed by our academic grandfather, Cowles (1944); reproductive cycles and the structure of the placenta, by Miller (1948a, 1948b, 1951); and the correlation of reproductive rate with winter rainfall, by Zweifel and Lowe (1966).

The first among-species comparison of reproduction in night lizards is that of Brattstrom (1951) documenting the higher number of young produced

by X. riversiana (Island Night Lizard) compared to X. vigilis, X. arizonae (Arizona Night Lizard), and X. henshawi (Granite Night Lizard). He also noted the larger litter size of X. riversiana (Fig. 2) on San Nicolas Island (6-9) compared to San Clemente Island (4-6). Subsequent studies of night lizard reproduction include: X. riversiana, Goldberg and Bezy 1974, Fellers and Drost 1991; and X. henshawi, Lee 1975, Goldberg 2013. Re-

cently, we have added to the scope of the reproductive data for night lizards by examining additional species for which adequate samples are available in museum collections (Goldberg and Bezy 2014a-f). Although the data remain sparse, they suggest that considerable variation exists among species in litter size, timing of the reproductive cycle, and yearly fecundity.

The purpose of this paper is to summarize the reproductive data that have been published for 12 of the 14 currently recognized species of night lizards in the genus Xantusia (Bezy et al. 2008) and discuss the apparent relationships of litter size and of time of birth to body size, phylogeny, and climate. We hope that this paper will stimulate additional research addressing the many unanswered questions about reproduction in these reclusive lizards.

Litter size. The data for litter size and snout vent length of species of Xantusia (Table 1, Fig. 3) from our studies (Goldberg and Bezy 1974, 2014a-f, Goldberg 2013), were augmented with those of Miller (1954) for the Desert Night Lizard and Lee (1975) for the Granite Night Lizard. Among the 12 samples representing 9 species there is a significant positive correlation between litter size and snout-vent length: r = 0.91, P (for no correlation) <0.01; Litter Size = -1.38 + 0.06 SVL. However, this correlation is due almost exclusively to the large litter size and snout-vent length of the Island

The purpose of this paper is to summarize the reproductive data that have been published for 12 of the 14 currently recognized species of night lizards in the genus Xantusia (Bezy et al. 2008) and discuss the apparent relationships of litter size and of time of birth to body size, phylogeny, and climate.

Figure 1. An adult Desert Night Lizard (Xantusia vigilis) and her offspring on the day of parturition. Body size is probably a limiting factor in the litter size of the species. Photo by Kathryn Bolles.

SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 28 (1) 2015

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Night Lizard. If the three samples (Santa Barbara, San Clemente, and San Nicolas islands) of this species are excluded from the analysis, there is no significant correlation for litter size on snout-vent length for the 9 samples representing 8 mainland species: r = 0.50, P (for no correlation) >0.16). Interestingly, Goldberg and Bezy (1974) found no significant correlation of litter size with body size for gravid females of X. riversiana on San Clemente Island, whereas a correlation appears to exist among the three islands (r = 0.98), although this is not statistically significant due to small number (3) of samples.

The small body size of mainland night lizards may constrain litter size (discussions in Vitt 2000, Vitt et al.

2003, Meiri 2008). Miller (1954) found that 120 (81%) of 148 gravid Desert Night Lizards had 1 embryo on each side and only 4 (3%) had 2 on one side and 1 on the other. The low frequency of 3 young (3%) and the larger size attained by females compared to males (Zweifel and Lowe 1966) suggest that the volume of the body cavity may be a limiting factor in litter size of night lizards. Species inhabiting rock-crevices attain larger body sizes (e.g., X. sierrae, X. bezyi, X. arizonae, X. bolsonae, X. henshawi), but they also have a flatter body form which may be space-limiting for gestation.

This may account for the lack of increased litter size in rock-crevice species over yucca-agave inhabiting species (Table 1, Fig. 3). In the only available report on reproduction for Sanchezâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Night Lizard (X. sanchezi), a female with a snout-vent length of 59 mm gave

birth to 3 young (Ponce-Campos et al. 2001). Wigginsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Night Lizards (Xantusia wigginsi) may have a smaller average litter size, as all 5 gravid females we examined (mean snout vent length 36.6 mm) had only one embryo.

It would appear that small body size and small litter size are closely intertwined features of mainland night lizards (Xantusia) confined to crevices of boulders and decaying plants. Whether these are primitive features in the genus Xantusia is problematic. It appears that the basal branch in the Xantusiidae is comprised of the smallest species, the Cuba Night Lizard (Cricosaura typica, maximum SVL 38.9 mm, Fong et al. 1999), which has been reported to lay a single egg (Moreno 1987). The closest relative of Xantusia is Lepidophyma (tropical night lizards) with most species having a large body and litter sizes (MĂŠndez-de la Cruz et al. 1999, Bezy and Camarillo 2002, Goldberg 2009). Within Xantusia, studies of DNA sequences (Sinclair et al.

2004; Noonan et al. 2013) differ somewhat regarding the phylogenetic placement of the giant Island Night Lizard (Figs. 2, 4). The species is unique within the genus in having an extensively herbivorous diet (Brattstrom 1952, Fellers and Drost 1991), large body size, and large litter size.

Annual variation. Determining mean litter size for species of night lizards is complicated by variation among years (Miller 1951, Zweifel and Lowe 1966). In the Desert Night Lizard the percentage of neonates in the population is strongly correlated with winter

It would appear that small body size and small litter size are closely intertwined features of mainland night lizards (Xantusia) confined to crevices of boulders and decaying plants. Whether these are primitive features in the genus Xantusia is problematic.

Figure 2. The large Island Night Lizard (Xantusia riversiana, upper) may give birth to as many as 9 young in September, whereas the small Durango Night Lizard (Xantusia extorris, lower) produces one or two young in May or June. Bar = ca 1 cm. Photo by Kathryn Bolles.

SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 28 (1) 2015

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rainfall (Zweifel and Lowe 1966). It remains unclear cies. Luja and Granados (2011) reported two apparent whether the lower reproductive rate in dry years is neonates (SVL 20 and 22 mm) found on 26 August due exclusively to non-reproduction or whether litter near an adult female Gilbert’s Night Lizard (X. gilberti, sizes are smaller in the females that do reproduce (or 40 mm SVL) at 1745 m in the Sierra la Laguna, Baja both). In the Island Night Lizard, the picture is also California Sur. complex. In a three year study on San Clemente Island The existence of an alternative reproductive (Goldberg and Bezy 1974), only 17% of the females cycle was discovered by Webb (1965). In his original were found to be reproductively active in 1970 (rainfall description of X. extorris, Durango Night Lizard, 11.91 cm), 48% in 1972 (rainfall 1.74 cm) and 51% in Fig. 2) he noted that the young appeared in late May 1973 (rainfall 18.21). The percentage of reproductively to early June, and that this differs strikingly from the active females was found not to be correlated with pre- Desert Night Lizard which gives birth in September cipitation during the previous 12 months or with data and October. Our studies confirm his observations for for fat storage. The observed patterns of reproduction the yucca-agave inhabiting Durango Night Lizard, and in successive years and in enlargement of follicles were indicate this fall-breeding cycle exists also in Bolson not indicative of a biennial cycle. Significant percentNight Lizard (X. bolsonae), a species that inhabits rockages of non-reproductive females have been docucrevices in the same region of the Chihuahuan Desert. mented for X. riversiana on all three islands (Goldberg A Sanchez’s Night Lizard (X. sanchezi) from Jalisco, and Bezy 1974), for X. henshawi in southern California was reported to give birth on 25 May (Ponce Campos (Goldberg 2013), and for two species of tropical night et al. 2001) and thus appears to be fall breeder as well. lizards (L. pajapanense, Pajapan Night Lizard, MéndezThe three fall-breeding species are placed as nearest de la Cruz et al. 1999; L. flavimaculatum, Yellow-spotted Night Lizard, Goldberg 2009).

Bull and Shine (1979) note that viviparity is one of the factors associated with species in which females “skip years” (low frequency iteroparous reproduction), well documented among viperid snakes. Whether the high level of non-reproduction in adult female night lizards may result from spatial isolation and failure of sperm storage (Goldberg and Bezy 1974, Méndez-de la Cruz et al. 1999), complex social structure involving kinship groups (Davis 2012), or low metabolic rates (Mautz and Nagy 2000) remains a mystery.

Reproductive cycles. Reproductive cycles Figure 3. Litter size plotted on snout-vent length for 12 samples representing 9 species of night lizards (Xantusia). Sample letters are listed in Table 1. have been examined in detail for Xantusia The positive correlation of the two variables primarily reflects the large vigilis by Miller (1948a, b) and for X. riversiana litter size and large body size of the Island Night Lizard (Xantusia riversiana).

by Goldberg and Bezy 1974). The cycles are similar in the two species. In males, testicular recrudescence begins in early October; spermiogenesis starts in March, peaks in April and May, and concludes in June; and the testes are totally regressed in July to September.

In females, vitelligenesis starts as early as October, yolk deposition occurs in February through May, ovulation occurs in late May and early June, and the young are born in September to October (Goldberg and Bezy 1974).

This reproductive pattern is typical of “spring breeders” in North American lizards (Goldberg 2014). Seven species of night lizards are now documented to be spring breeders: X. arizonae, X. bezyi, X. henshawi, X. riversiana, X. sierrae, X. vigilis, and X. wigginsi (references in Table 1). In addition, Lovich (2009) states that the Sandstone Night Lizard (X. gracilis) breeds Figure 4. The three species of Xantusia that have been documented to give birth in May and June are nearest relatives, comprising a clade in this in spring, although we are unaware of any DNA-based tree modified from Noonan et al. (2013). published studies of reproduction in this spe

SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 28 (1) 2015

The existence of an alternative reproductive cycle was discovered by Webb (1965).

In his original description of X. extorris, Durango Night Lizard, Fig. 2) he noted that the young appeared in late May to early June, and that this differs strikingly from the Desert Night Lizard which gives birth in September and October.

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Table 1. Body size (mean SVL of adult females; mm), mean litter size, time of breeding, habitat, and distribution for 13 samples representing 9 species of night lizards (Xantusia).

Species

English Name

SVL

Litter

Breeds

Habitat

Distribution

Fig. 3

Reference

X. arizonae

Arizona Night Lizard

55.0

1.8

Spring

rock crevices

Arizona

a

Goldberg and Bezy 2014a

X. bezyi

Bezy’s Night Lizard

55.0

1.6

Spring

rock crevices

Arizona

z

Goldberg and Bezy 2014b

X. bolsonae

Bolsón Night Lizard

53.3

1.7

Fall

rock crevices

Durango

b

Goldberg and Bezy 2014c

X. extorris

Durango Night Lizard

37.5

1.4

Fall

yuccas, agaves

Durango, Zacatecas

e

Goldberg and Bezy 2014d

X. henshawi

Granite Night Lizard

62.0

1.5

Spring

rock crevices

California, Baja California

h

Lee 1975

X. henshawi

Granite Night Lizard

59.7

2.0

Spring

rock crevices

California

h

Goldberg 2013

X. riversiana SB

Island Night Lizard

83.4

3.5

Spring

under rocks

California: Santa Barbara I.

r SB

Goldberg and Bezy 1974

X. riversiana SC

Island Night Lizard

84.2

3.8

Spring

under rocks

California: San Clemente I.

r SC

Goldberg and Bezy 1974

X. riversiana SN

Island Night Lizard

88.9

4.6

Spring

under rocks

California: San Nicolas I.

r SN

Goldberg and Bezy 1974

X. sierrae

Sierra Night Lizard

46.0

1.7

Spring

rock crevices

California

s

Goldberg and Bezy 2014f

X. vigilis

Desert Night Lizard

41.0

1.9

Spring

yuccas, agaves

Utah to Sonora

v

Miller 1954

X. wigginsi

Wiggins’ Night Lizard

36.6

1.0

Spring

yuccas, agaves

Baja California

w

Goldberg and Bezy 2014e

relatives in trees based on analyses of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences (Noonan et al. 2013; Fig. 4).

Although we refer to these species as fall-breeders, this is hypothesized based on birth in May and June, as samples are not available to establish that the male reproductive cycle peaks in the fall. A similar cycle has been documented in tropical night lizards, L. pajapanense (Méndezde la Cruz et al. 1999) and L. flavimaculatum (Telford and Campbell 1970, Goldberg 2009), with the testicular volume peaking in July to November and follicular diameter increasing December through March, with birth in April and May. The similarity of the reproductive cycles of species of Xantusia occurring at low latitudes to those of tropical night lizards (Lepidophyma) is intriguing. Whether fall breeding in Xantusia is independently evolved from that in its sister, Lepidophyma, or is a shared primitive feature of X. extorris, X. bolsonae, and X. sanchezi is an issue to be resolved by future studies of reproduction in night lizards.

The timing of parturition in species of Xantusia at the onset of either summer or winter rains (Fig. 5) may maximize survival and growth of the neonates. A parallel situation has been documented for alligator lizards (Elgaria) with predominately southern species (summer rainfall) breeding in the fall (E. kingii, Goldberg 1975; E. paucicarinata, Goldberg and Beaman 2004) and northern species (winter rainfall) in the spring (E. multicarinata, Goldberg 1972; E. coerulea, Vitt 1973; E. panamintina, Goldberg and Beaman 2003).

Acknowledgments—We thank Kit Bezy for advice on illustration; Kathryn Bolles for photography; George Bradley for the loan of specimens from the University of Arizona Museum of Natural His-

tory (UAZ); and Gregory Pauly for access to specimens in the herpetology collection of Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (LACM).

Literature Cited Bezy, R.L., and J.L. Camarillo R. 2002. Systematics of xantusiid lizards of the genus Lepidophyma. Contributions in Science 493:1-41.

Bezy, R.L., K.B. Bezy, and K. Bolles. 2008. Two new species of Night Lizards (Xantusia) from Mexico. Journal of Herpetology 42:680-688.

Brattstrom, B.H. 1951. The number of young of Xantusia.

Herpetologica 7(3):143-144.

Brattstrom, B.H. 1952. The food of the night lizards, genus Xantusia. Copeia 1952(3): 168-172.

Bull, J.J., and R. Shine. 1979. Iteroparous animals that skip opportunities for reproduction. American Naturalist 114:296-303.

Cowles, R.B. 1944. Parturition in the yucca night lizard.

Figure 5. Climographs (mean monthly precipitation and temperature) for geographic areas inhabited by two species of night lizards (Xantusia). Arrows point to approximate time of parturition, near the onset of rains in the summer (X. extorris, Pedriceña, Durango) or the winter (X. vigilis, Victorville, CA).

SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 28 (1) 2015

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Copeia 1944(2):98-100.

Davis, A.R. 2012. Kin presence drives philopatry and aggregation in juvenile Desert Night Lizards (Xantusia vigilis). Behavioral Ecology 23:18-24.

Fellers, G.M., and C.A. Drost. 1991. Ecology of the Island Night Lizard, Xantusia riversiana, on Santa Barbara Island, California. Herpetological Monographs 5:28-78.

Fong G., A., R. Viña M., and A. Arias B. 1999. Aspectos de la historia natural de Cricosaura typica (Sauria: Xantusiidae) de Cuba. Caribbean Journal of Science 35:148150.

Goldberg, S.R. 1972. Reproduction in the southern alligator lizard Gerrhonotus multicarinatus. Herpetologica 28:267-273.

Goldberg, S.R. 1975. Reproduction in the Arizona alligator lizard, Gerrhonotus kingi. Southwestern Naturalist 20:412413.

Goldberg, S.R. 2009. Reproduction in the Yellow-spotted Night Lizard, Lepidophyma flavimaculatum (Squamata, Xantusiidae), from Costa Rica. Phyllomedusa 8:59-62.

Goldberg, S.R. 2013. Reproduction in the Granite Night Lizard, Xantusia henshawi (Squamata: Xantusiidae). Sonoran Herpetologist 26:9-11.

Goldberg, S.R. 2014. Reproductive cycles of lizards from western North America. Sonoran Herpetologist 27:2130.

Goldberg, S.R., and K.R. Beaman. 2003. Elgaria panamintina (Panamint Alligator Lizard). Reproduction. Herpetological Review 34:143.

Goldberg, S.R., and K.R. Beaman. 2004. Reproduction in the San Lucan alligator lizard. Elgaria paucicarinata (Anguidae) from Baja California Sur, Mexico. Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Sciences 103:144146.

Goldberg, S.R., and R.L. Bezy. 1974. Reproduction in the Island Night Lizard, Xantusia riversiana. Herpetologica 30:350-360.

Goldberg, S.R., and R.L. Bezy. 2014a. Xantusia arizonae (Arizona Night Lizard). Reproduction. Herpetological Review 45:508-509.

Goldberg, S.R., and R.L. Bezy. 2014b. Xantusia bezyi (Bezy’s Night Lizard). Reproduction. Herpetological Review 45:509.

Goldberg, S.R., and R.L. Bezy. 2014c. Xantusia bolsonae (Bolsón Night Lizard). Reproduction. Herpetological Review 45:509-510.

Goldberg, S.R., and R.L. Bezy. 2014d. Xantusia extorris (Durango Night Lizard). Reproduction. Herpetological Review 45:510.

Goldberg, S.R., and R.L. Bezy. 2014e. Xantusia wigginsi (Wiggins’ Night Lizard). Reproduction. Herpetological Review 45:510-511.

Goldberg, S.R., and R.L. Bezy. 2014f. Xantusia sierrae (Sierra Night Lizard). Reproduction. Herpetological Review 45:702-703 Lee, J.C. 1975. The autecology of Xantusia henshawi henshawi (Sauria: Xantusiidae). Transactions of the San Diego Society of Natural History 17:259-278.

Lovich, R.E. 2009. Sandstone Night Lizard Xantusia gracilis Grismer and Galvin, 1986, pp. 420-23. In L.L.C. Jones and R.E. Lovich (eds.), Lizards of the American Southwest. Rio Nuevo Press, Tucson, Arizona.

Luja, V.H., and J.B. Granados. 2011. Xantusia gilberti (Gilbert’s Night Lizard). Reproduction. Herpetological Review 42:97.

Mautz, W.J., and K.A. Nagy. 2000. Xantusiid lizards have low energy, water, and food requirements. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology 73:480-487.

Meiri, S. 2008. Evolution and ecology of lizard sizes.

Global Ecology and Biogeography 17:724-734.

Méndez-de la Cruz, F.R., M. Villagran-Santa Cruz, O. Hernandez-Gallegos, N.L. Maniquez-Moran, and F.J. Rodriguez-Romero. 1999. Reproductive cycle of the Tropical Night Lizard Lepidophyma pajapanensis from Veracruz, Mexico. Journal of Herpetology 33:336339.

Miller, M.R. 1948a. The seasonal histological changes occurring in the ovary, corpus luteum and testis of the viviparous lizard, Xantusia vigilis. University of California Publications in Zoology 47:197-224.

Miller, M.R. 1948b. The gross and microscopic anatomy of the pituitary and the seasonal histological changes occurring in the pars anterior of the viviparous lizard, Xantusia vigilis. University of California Publications in Zoology 47:225-246.

Miller, M.R. 1951. Some aspects of the life history of the Yucca Night Lizard, Xantusia vigilis. Copeia 1951:114-120.

Miller, M.R. 1954. Further observations on reproduction in the lizard Xantusia vigilis. Copeia 1954(1):38-40.

Moreno, L.V. 1987. Primeras observaciones sobre Cricosaura typica Gundlach et Peters (Squamata: Xantusiidae) in cautiverio. Ciencias Biologicas, Academia de Ciencias de Cuba 17:104-108.

Noonan, B.P., J. B. Pramuk, R.L. Bezy, E.A. Sinclair, K. de Queiroz, and J. Sites. 2013. Phylogenetic relationships within the lizard clade Xantusiidae: Using trees and divergence times to address evolutionary questions at multiple levels. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 69:109-122.

Ponce-Campos, P., S. M. Huerta Ortega, C. Noguiera González, and H.M. Smith. 2001. Natural history notes on the Southern Plateau Night lizard, Xantusia sanchezi. Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society 37:18-21.

Sinclair, E.A., R.L. Bezy, K. Bolles, J.L. Camarillo R., K.A. Crandall and J.W. Sites, Jr. 2004. Testing species boundaries in an ancient species complex with deep phylogenetic history: Genus Xantusia (Squamata: Xantusiidae). American Naturalist 164:396-414.

Telford, S.R., and H.W. Campbell. 1970. Ecological observations on an all female population of the lizard Lepidophyma flavimaculatum (Xantusiidae) in Panama.

Copeia 1970:379-381.

Van Denburgh, J. 1897. The reptiles of the Pacific coast and Great Basin. Occasional Papers of the California

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Academy of Sciences 5:1-236.

Vitt, L.J. 1973. Reproductive biology of the anguid lizard, Gerrhonotus coeruleus principis. Herpetologica 29:176-183.

Vitt, L.J. 2000. Ecological consequences of body size in neonatal and small-bodied lizards in the neotropics. Herpetological Monographs 14:388-400.

Vitt, L.J., E.R. Pianka, W.E. Cooper, and K. Schwenk.

2003. History and the global ecology of squamate reptiles. American Naturalist 162:44-60.

Webb, R.G. 1965. A new night lizard (genus Xantusia) from Durango, Mexico. American Museum Novitates 2231:1-16.

Zweifel, R.G., and C.H. Lowe. 1966. The ecology of a population of Xantusia vigilis, the Desert Night Lizard. American Museum Novitates 2247:1-57.

N AT U R A L H I S TO RY N OT E

Winter basking by hatchling Sonoran Desert Tortoises, Gopherus morafkai Brian K. Sullivan and Elizabeth A. Sullivan, Arizona State University, PO Box 37100, Phoenix, AZ 85069-7100 second individual was always near (< 1 m) a burrow opening while basking; on some days, it would appear s part of a long-term radio-tracking study of just inside the opening, appearing to bask in the sun Sonoran Desert Tortoises (Gopherus morafkai) in the with eyes closed (Fig. 2), without exiting the burrow.

Union Hills, on the northern edge of the Phoenix Despite frequent searches, we could not detect this Metropolitan region (~33.73° N, 112.06° W), we individual again until 7 February 2015, when we found have encountered thirteen hatchlings (~ straight-line it just outside the same burrow, basking (AT = 18° C, carapace length < 45 mm) over the past three years, ground T = 23° C) on a sunny, dry day. Over the next including two we have observed basking during the four weeks we found that when not present at the burwinter (October through March), 2012-2015. One row, the hatchling was at a second refuge, four meters individual (Fig. 1) was initially seen on 2 January 2013, to the south, a small depression at the base of a burand last seen 31 March 2013, having remained in the same general area near three burrows 25 m apart. Over sage (Ambrosia deltoidea), where it was difficult to detect unless viewed directly from above (Fig. 3). Thus, this three months the hatchling was observed on virtually individual was basking consistently, and even shifted every morning that we paused to search for it (n = 13 between refuges at least once, probably repeatedly, mornings), at air temperatures (= AT) between 4° C and 24° C, typically on sunny days, but also when over- from November through February.

Although winter activity has been recently decast. On some occasions, it was basking in the open, scribed in Sonoran Desert Tortoises, including completely exposed, while on others it was next to some object, partially hidden, but in an apparent bask- hatchlings, little is known about the significance of this activity for foraging or other physiologically relevant ing posture, with limbs extended in awkward angles activities. It is also significant that these hatchlings, as and eyes closed as if sleeping (Fig. 1). well as the other eleven hatchlings observed over the A second individual was first observed foraging in past four years, were never observed taking refuge the leaf litter of an ironwood tree (Olynea tesota) on in the same larger caliche formations used by adults.

5 October 2014, and then on and off through early Rather, they consistently made use of small, indiMarch, 2015. After observing this hatchling throughvidual burrows as documented herein (Fig. 2). These out October, despite considerable search effort, we hatchlings also differed from adults in that they always were unable to detect this hatchling over the entire moved quickly to the shade of a shrub or a burrow as month of November, a warm but dry four week pewe approached, suggestive of a difference in antiriod. Following 0.61” of rain on 4 December 2014, it predatory behavior: hatchlings exhibit flight, whereas was observed on the first sunny day post rainfall, and adults typically freeze, perhaps because hatchlings are each day thereafter for five consecutive days with AT less cryptic than adults. of 14° to 24° C (Fig. 2). Unlike the first hatchling, this

A

As part of a long-term radio-tracking study of Sonoran Desert Tortoises (Gopherus morafkai) in the Union Hills, on the northern edge of the Phoenix Metropolitan region, we have encountered thirteen hatchlings over the past three years, including two we have observed basking during the winters of 2012-2015.

Figure 1. Basking hatchling on 2 February 2013 (air temperature, AT = 12° C), in an exposed position, left, and on 4 February 2013 (AT = 11° C), partially hidden by decaying wood right; note extended limbs.

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Figure 2. Hatchling #7, basking on 8 and 9 December 2014 (AT = 19° C both days). Hatchling is basking at burrow opening, remaining inside but in the sun.

Figure 3. Hatchling #7 basking at edge of a rock at the base of a bursage, 26 and 27 Feb 2015 (AT = 18-20° C); right panel shows a close up of the hatchling at the edge of a rock (center of left panel). This represents an alternative refuge to the burrow depicted in Fig. 2.

CO N S E R VAT I O N A N N O U N C E M E N T

Genus Raorchestes enriched again with nine new species discovered in India

Suman Pratihar, Assistant Professor in Zoology, Sukumar Sengupta College, Keshpur, Paschim Medinipur-721150, West Bengal, India; pratihar_vu@rediffmail.com

T he Western Ghats, a mountain hill chain system in the southern India is a known biodiversity hotspot. In

December 2014, scientists discovered a large number of potential new Bush Frogs in the Western Ghats.

Nine new species of Bush Frogs belonging to the genus Raorchestes have been formally described. Some of these newly discovered frogs are as tiny as a thumbnail while others are either brilliantly colored or plain.

Vijayakumar and his colleagues have published their findings in the journal Zootaxa.

Raorchestes flaviocularis: the species carries metallic-yellow patches on its eyes and was discovered perched on the leaves of short trees in a disturbed forest fragment within a tea estate.

Raorchestes aureus: known for its golden eyes, which is surrounded by speckles. This species was found in 2010 in grasslands on the edge of a forest.

Raorchestes primarrumpfi: the species live in grasslands and swamps at high elevations. Its name has been

derived from the German word primarrumpf.

Raorchestes echinatus: carries horn-like ridges on its back and its eyes are speckled gold with a brown band on the lower edge. The species was spotted on grass blades in 2011.

Raorchestes emerald: the species is about 5 cm long and is the largest Raorchestes species known. The species has fleshy purplish armpits and yellow spots scattered on its body.

Raorchestes leucolatus: the species is found along the edges of wet evergreen forests on shrubs and grasses.

It is a dark-brownish-red with white spots.

Raorchestes archeos: a light-brown, medium-sized bush frog with arms half black while the other half brown. It was first spotted in wet evergreen forests in 2010.

Raorchestes blandus: named after its melodious mating calls; blandus means “pleasant” in Latin. Spotted first time in 2008, it carries an irregular regularbrown glandular patches on its skin.

SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 28 (1) 2015

The Western Ghats, a mountain hill chain system in the southern India is a known biodiversity hotspot.

In December 2014, scientists discovered a large number of potential new Bush Frogs.

11

Raorchestes indigo: named after the patches of indigo on the underside of its legs. It was found on leaves on the forest floor of Kudremukh, a mountain peak that has an uncanny resemblance to a horse’s face.

A team led by S.P. Vijayakumar and Kartik Shanker from the leading science institute in Bengaluru, sampled frogs from all over the Western Ghats. They used a combination of molecular genetic data, geographic range, morphology, and acoustics to separate the frogs into lineages—descendants of a common ancestor that lived a million or more years ago.

Literature Cited Vijayakumar, S.P., K.P. Dinesh, M.V. Prabhu, and K. Shanker. 2014. Lineage delimitation and description of nine new species of Bush Frogs (Anura: Raorchestes, Rhacophoridae) from the Western Ghats Escarpment. Zootaxa 3893:451-488.

BOOK REVIEW

Review of Lost Animals by Errol Fuller

Howard O. Clark, Jr., Senior Wildlife Ecologist, Garcia and Associates, Clovis, CA; hclark@garciaandassociates.com

E

rrol Fuller’s book, entitled “Lost Animals: Extinction and the Photographic Record”, may be a warning of what is to come. With loss of habitat, climate change, disease, and other factors, many of the animals we enjoy today may not be around much longer.

Fuller collected rare photographs of extinct animals and attempted to puzzle together the stories behind the photos—some of which have never been published before, and represent the only photos in existence of a particular species. Fuller goes to great lengths to track down who took the photo and when.

The book is an easy read and an awakening experience. Although Fuller only covers birds and mammals (and is not an exhaustive list of extinctions) it’s enough of a message to alert us to the idea that we are losing species at an alarming rate and action needs to be taken soon before it’s too late.

Twenty-one birds and seven mammals are covered, including the Thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus), Quagga (Equus quagga quagga), and Bubal hartebeest (Alcelaphus buselaphus buselaphus). Fuller sticks to packing the book with photos rather than paintings and drawings. Fuller explains that photos are an evocative and moving record of species that are now gone. Photos give us a glimpse of the actual critter rather than an artist’s interpretation. They provide a snapshot into the past to a time that is no longer possible to experience.

[However, an appendix at the back of the book is included containing a gallery of paintings of most of the featured animals].

Most of the photos are in black and white. The reader must take into account that the photos were taken during a time when photography was very complex and expensive and trying to capture a good shot of a moving target is always difficult. Developing these photos had to be done in a dark room, sometimes days later and hundreds of miles away.

Most often the photographer didn’t have the insight that their subject would soon be extinct.

Lost Animals by Errol Fuller. Hardcover: 240 pages; Publisher: Princeton University Press; 1st edition (February 2, 2014); Language: English; ISBN-10: 0691161372; ISBN-13: 9780691161372; Product Dimensions: 1.2 x 8 x 10.2 inches; $29.95.

Fuller did not attempt to enhance any of the photos that appear in the book. They exist in the book in raw form and are allowed to speak for themselves.

Records such as Fuller’s book are all that’s left of the many animals we once shared the earth with.

Most, if not all of the extinction events featured in the book, are a result of human actions on the landscape.

It is saddening to read the accounts and wonder what it would have been like to see a Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) or a real Thylacine. Occasionally there are accounts of people seeing something they claim to be an extinct animal, but without hard evidence, we must assume the creature is forever gone.

We must do what we can to save what’s left.

Extinction is real, and it’s occurring in our backyard.

Books like Fuller’s should not need to be written, but alas, it may be the only way to educate ourselves of the reality of our destructive actions and perhaps save what’s left for future generations to study and enjoy.

SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 28 (1) 2015

We must do what we can to save what’s left. Extinction is real, and it’s occurring in our backyard. Books like Fuller’s should not need to be written, but alas, it may be the only way to educate ourselves of the reality of our destructive actions and perhaps save what’s left for future generations to study and enjoy.

12

N AT U R A L H I S TO RY N OT E

Common Lesser Earless Lizard (Holbrookia maculata) impaled on barbed wire Melissa Thompson, Molly Parren, and Danny Martin; danny.martin@colostate.edu Colorado State University, Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory; 1499 Campus Delivery; Fort Collins, Colorado, USA 80523-1499

O n 12 July 2013, we were conducting visual encounter surveys for reptiles on Comanche National

Grassland in southeastern Colorado, when M. Thompson saw something stuck on a barbed-wire fence.

She approached for a closer look and saw an adult Common Lesser Earless Lizard (Holbrookia maculata) impaled on one of the barbs. We assumed it to be the work of a shrike, a predatory songbird known for catching insects and small vertebrates and skewering them on thorns and barbed wire. We observed Loggerhead Shrikes (Lanius ludovicianus) in the area earlier that day so it seemed a reasonable assumption. The lizard was draped dorsal side up over the wire with the barb through its chest, and was fairly desiccated and appeared to have been there for some time—but it was mostly intact save for a hole in the left side revealing the viscera. U.S. Route 160 (here a two-lane highway), runs parallel to the fence in question, up

a short embankment less than 50 meters away. An overhead power line runs a few meters away on the other side of the fence. The lizard was on the second wire down from the top of the four-strand fence. The surrounding habitat was shortgrass prairie with some small sagebrush. We took pictures but left the lizard carcass untouched.

Acknowledgments—The survey effort was conducted with funding provided under a competitive State Wildlife Grant in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Colorado State University, Colorado State Land Board, and the U.S. Geological Survey. D. Martin’s Ph.D. advisors are Cameron Aldridge and Larissa Bailey. All photographs copyright D. Martin. More details about the project are available at: www.reptilemonitor.org

On 12 July 2013, we were conducting visual encounter surveys for reptiles on Comanche National Grassland in southeastern Colorado, when M. Thompson saw something stuck on a barbed-wire fence. She approached for a closer look and saw an adult Common Lesser Earless Lizard (Holbrookia maculata) impaled on one of the barbs.

Adult male Common Lesser Earless Lizard (Holbrookia maculata) found impaled on a barbed wire fence, Comanche National Grassland, Colorado. Loggerhead Shrikes (Lanius ludovicianus) are commonly observed in the area. Photo by Danny Martin.

SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 28 (1) 2015

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MEETING MINUTES BOD minutes can be found here: http://bit.ly/1qcYyGg MEMBERSHIP

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The Tucson Herpetological Society would like to thank existing members and new members for renewing their membership. We appreciate your support and are always looking for members to actively participate in THS activities and volunteer opportunities. It is a great way to be involved with the conservation of amphibians and reptiles in the Sonoran Desert.

Including the THS in your will is an excellent way to support the value of this organization and the conservation of the herpetofauna of the Sonoran Desert.

We would like to recognize and thank anyone who has included the THS in their will. Please contact us so we can express our appreciation. For information about designating the THS in your will, please contact Maggie Fusari, Treasurer, Tucson Herpetological Society, at maggiefusari@gmail.com.

Time to Renew Your THS membership?

Thank you for your membership in the Tucson Herpetological Society. Renewal reminders for upcoming membership expiration will be emailed at the beginning of the month that your membership expires. If you have any questions about your membership or would like to be in touch with a THS member you do not know how to reach, please contact our Membership Coordinator, Robert Villa, by email: cascabel1985@gmail.com.

Tucson Herpetological Society P.O. Box 709, Tucson, Arizona 85702-0709 MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL FORM NAME: ________________________________________________ Date ______________ Address or Personal Information Changes_______________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ MEMBERSHIP DUES [ ] $20 Individual [ ] $25 Family [ ] $14 Student [ ] $30 Sustaining [ ] $50 Contributing [ ] $500 Life $ _______ Jarchow Conservation Award $ _______ Flat-tailed horned lizard Fund

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Sonoran Herpetologist Natural History Observations

The Tucson Herpetological Society invites your contributions to our Natural History Notes section.

We are particularly interested in photographs and descriptions of amphibians and reptiles involved in noteworthy or unusual behaviors in the field. Notes can feature information such as diet, predation, community structure, interspecific behavior, or unusual locations or habitat use. Please submit your observations to Howard Clark, editor.sonoran.herp@gmail.com.

Submissions should be brief and in electronic form.

Local Research News

T

he Sonoran Herpetologist welcomes short reports for our Local Research News, a regular feature in our journal. We are interested in articles that can update our readers on research about amphibians and reptiles in the Sonoran Desert region. These articles need be only a few paragraphs long and do not need to include data, specific localities, or other details. The emphasis should be on how science is being applied to herpetological questions. Please submit your materials to Howard Clark, editor.sonoran.herp@gmail.com.

Submissions should be brief and in electronic form.

SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 28 (1) 2015

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Sonoran Herpetologist (ISSN 2333-8075) is the newsletter-journal of the Tucson Herpetological Society, and is Copyright Š 1988-2015. The contents of Sonoran Herpetologist may be reproduced for inclusion in the newsletters of other herpetological societies provided the material is reproduced without change and with appropriate credit, and a copy of the publication is sent to the Tucson Herpetological Society. Occasional exceptions to this policy will be noted. Contents are indexed in Zoological Record. A complete set of back issues are available in the Special Collections area of the University of Arizona library. They are accompanied by a copy of The Collected Papers of the Tucson Herpetological Society, 1988-1991.

Editor-in-Chief Howard Clark, Jr., editor.sonoran.herp@gmail.com Associate Editors Robert Bezy, robertbezy@gmail.com Dennis Caldwell, dennis@caldwell-design.com Suman Pratihar, pratihar_vu@rediffmail.com Don Swann, donswann@dakotacom.net Art Editor Dennis Caldwell, dennis@caldwell-design.com Book Review Editor Philip Brown, prbrownnaturalist@gmail.com

Information for Contributors Authors should submit original articles, notes, book reviews to the Editor, either via email using an attached word processed manuscript or by mail to the Societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s address. The manuscript style should follow that of Journal of Herpetology and other publications of the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. For further information, please contact the editor, at editor.sonoran.herp@gmail.com.

The Tucson Herpetological Society is dedicated to conservation, education, and research concerning the amphibians and reptiles of Arizona and Mexico.

Tucson Herpetological Society is a registered non-profit organization.

President Robert Villa, cascabel1985@gmail.com Vice President Krista Schmidt, turtlerad@hotmail.com Secretary Don Swann, donswann@dakotacom.net Treasurer Margaret Fusari, maggiefusari@gmail.com Directors: John Ginter, jginter@gsrcorp.com Don Moll, donmoll@missouristate.edu Jim Rorabaugh, jrorabaugh@hotmail.com Walter Merker, walter.merker@gmail.com Steven Condon, sjcondon2001@gmail.com Cody Hurlock, codycha@msn.com Membership Robert Villa, cascabel1985@gmail.com Editor Howard O. Clark, Jr., editor.sonoran.herp@gmail.com

Society Activities

Monthly Members Meeting Jim Rorabaugh, Program Chair 2nd Wednesday, 7:15 PM Board of Directors Meeting Last Tuesday of each month (except December), 7:00 PM Speakers Bureau (scheduled presentations) Robert Villa & Ed Moll Conservation Committee Dennis Caldwell Herpetological Information Hotline Bob Brandner, (520) 760-0574 Jarchow Conservation Award Open Publications: Sonoran Herpetologist, Backyard Ponds brochure, Living with Venomous Reptiles brochure, THS Herp Coloring Book, THS Collected Papers, 1988-1991 THS Webpage http://tucsonherpsociety.org Heidi Flugstad, Webmaster, heidi_flugstad@hotmail.com

LCCN permalink: http://lccn.loc.gov/2013273781

Deadline for Sonoran Herpetologist: 15th of Feb, May, Aug, and Nov (based on the quarterly schedule)

Officers

For more information about the THS and the reptiles and amphibians of the Tucson area visit

tucsonherpsociety.org

SONORAN SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST HERPETOLOGIST 25 (1)282012 (1) 2015

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