The Journal of Herpetology is expanding its opportunities for submission of review papers to a new section titled “Reviews in Herpetology: Past, Present, and Future Directions.” Since its humble beginnings as the Journal of the Ohio Herpetological Society in 1958, its successor, renamed the Journal of Herpetology (JH) in 1967, has been publishing original work on a range of topics in herpetology (Adler, 2016). To date, JH has published 58 full volumes and in 2023, JH became an entirely online journal. JH has historically

Abstract

Islands are the recipients of numerous invasive amphibians and reptiles, often resulting in negative impacts on native biodiversity. In the Caribbean, Anolis lizards, a well-studied system for their adaptive radiation, are also commonly introduced outside of their native range, which has resulted in reshaping species-area and species-isolation relationships. We used mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence data in a phylogeographic framework to reconstruct and compare invasion histories of four non-native Anolis species (A. grahami, A. extremus, A. leachii, and A. sagrei) established in Bermuda over the past 120 years. Our findings support different invasion histories for the four species, including the number of native-range sources, genetic diversity, secondary introductions and opportunities for intraspecific hybridization between previously isolated lineages. The extent of population genetic structure in the native range and the mode of introduction (i.e., intentional vs. unintentional) may influence patterns of the invasion history and genetic diversity for introduced Anolis lizards in Bermuda. These results suggest that human-mediated introductions can create substantial variation in invasion dynamics, which in turn may influence fates of species in new environments.

Abstract

Isolated populations that are separated from a species’ more contiguous range may be particularly susceptible to stressors such as habitat degradation or disease. Amphibians have experienced population declines worldwide due to habitat change and the chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis [Bd]). Understanding habitat requirements for isolated populations of conservation concern is essential for effective management and species persistence. Moreover, the extent to which amphibians can modulate negative effects of disease via microhabitat choice remains unknown. Wood Frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus) in Wyoming, United States exist as isolated, glacial relict populations. We examined habitat selection in Wood Frogs across multiple seasons and spatial scales and in relation to Bd infection status. We tracked 170 Wood Frogs at five sites in the Snowy Range of Wyoming during May–October of 2020 and 2021. We swabbed each Wood Frog for Bd and quantified macrohabitat, microhabitat, and microsite attributes. During summer and fall, Wood Frogs tended to remain close to waterbodies and within aspen, willow, and wet meadow macrohabitats. Wood Frogs also preferred aquatic macrohabitats during summer and forest macrohabitats during fall. Summer microhabitat selection included dense and tall vegetation, high soil moisture, and close proximity to standing water and cover. Sixty-two percent of Wood Frogs tested positive for Bd at least once. When Bd-positive, Wood Frogs in terrestrial habitats switched to areas with higher soil moisture. Our results demonstrate spatiotemporal variation in habitat preferences of an isolated amphibian population of concern and contribute to a growing body of evidence demonstrating relationships between animal behavior, habitat, and disease.

Abstract

Ecological surveys rarely achieve perfect detection of target species, and failure to account for imperfect detection produces erroneous estimates of abundance. N-mixture models account for variation in detectability by separating the observation process from the ecological process that determines true site-level abundance, making these models theoretically well suited to studies of inconspicuous species, such as reptiles. Multiple N-mixture model variants have been published in different fields of ecology, but little is known about their ability to provide ecologically realistic abundance estimates from real-world observation data, especially for reptiles, which routinely have very low detection probabilities. Using a dataset of reptile observations from southeastern Zimbabwe, we compared estimates of five N-mixture model variants. For each species, we assessed the goodness-of-fit of each variant, proximity of each variant's site-level abundance estimates to an ecologically realistic range of values, and congruence between these estimates. We were able to fit acceptable models only for the most frequently detected species in our dataset (9 of 25 species). We found that model fit varied significantly according to model variant as well as species occupancy and detection probability, and that model variant pairs were rarely congruent in their abundance estimates. Importantly, our results demonstrate that fitting a single N-mixture model variant to data sampled from an ecologically diverse community can yield artifactual variation in abundance estimates. Further case studies in reptile spatial ecology will help to identify circumstances in which a priori matching of species and method of abundance estimation may be possible. Until then, rigorous but adaptive survey design may be a more reliable means of avoiding bias than accounting for it statistically. We provide a framework for application of multiple N-mixture model variants in faunal ecology to guide analytical decision-making.

Invasion Histories Differ Markedly Among the Four Anolis Lizard Species Introduced to Bermuda

Sozos N. Michaelides,

James T. Stroud,

Sean T. Giery,

Brian E. Smith,

Richard E. Glor, and

Jason J. Kolbe

An Invitation for Submissions to “Reviews in Herpetology: Past, Present, and Future Directions” at the Journal of Herpetology

Comparison of Prey-Handling Behavior Among Different Prey Animals in a Generalist Snake, Hebius vibakari vibakari

Environmental Factors Affecting Movement Patterns of Small Urban-Adapted Snakes

Invasion Histories Differ Markedly Among the Four Anolis Lizard Species Introduced to Bermuda

Abstract

Using Environmental DNA to Characterize Amphibian Communities at Sites Infected with Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans in the Netherlands

Multi-Scale Habitat Selection in an Isolated Population of Wood Frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus) and its Interaction with Chytrid Fungus

Abstract

Diet of Spectacled Caimans (Caiman crocodilus) Removed from Broward and Miami-Dade Counties, Florida, USA

The Agony of Choice: Comparing Abundance Estimates from Multiple N-Mixture Model Variants Fitted to a Reptile Community Dataset

Abstract

The Tadpole of Scinax cretatus (Hylidae: Scinaxini)

Abstract

Invasion Histories Differ Markedly Among the Four Anolis Lizard Species Introduced to Bermuda

Multi-Scale Habitat Selection in an Isolated Population of Wood Frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus) and its Interaction with Chytrid Fungus

The Tadpole of Scinax cretatus (Hylidae: Scinaxini)

The Agony of Choice: Comparing Abundance Estimates from Multiple N-Mixture Model Variants Fitted to a Reptile Community Dataset

An Invitation for Submissions to “Reviews in Herpetology: Past, Present, and Future Directions” at the Journal of Herpetology

Effects of Density on Spatial Aggregation and Habitat Associations of the Glass Frog Espadarana (Centrolene) prosoblepon

Habitat Preference and Management of a Chinese Pond Turtle Population Protected by the Demilitarized Kinmen Islands

Tadpole Food Consumption Decreases with Increasing Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis Infection Intensity

Factors Affecting the Thermal Environment of Agassiz's Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) Cover Sites in the Central Mojave Desert during Periods of Temperature Extremes

Melatonin Modulates Leukocytes Immune Responses in Freshwater Snakes, Natrix piscator