Zoology Commons^™

Rare Or Poorly Known Scorpions From Colombia. Ii. Redescription Of Tityus Columbianus (Thorell, 1876) (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Rolando Teruel, Luis F. Garcia H

Euscorpius

A fully illustrated redescription is herein presented of Tityus columbianus (Thorell, 1876). It includes a description of the adult male, an update of its geographical distribution, and detailed information about age-related individual variation, with comments on the taxonomy of the “Tityus clathratus” group.

Rare Or Poorly Known Scorpions From Colombia. I. Redescription Of Tityus Macrochirus Pocock, 1897 (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Rolando Teruel, Luis F. Garcia H

Euscorpius

A fully illustrated redescription is herein presented of Tityus macrochirus Pocock, 1897, based upon a series of specimens of both sexes recently collected in a new location near the type locality. We include an update of its geographical distribution and detailed information about age-related individual variation.

A New Species Of Tarsoporosus Francke, 1978 (Scorpiones: Scorpionidae: Diplocentrinae) From Northeastern Colombia, Rolando Teruel, César A. Roncallo

Euscorpius

A new species of Tarsoporosus Francke, 1978 is described herein from two localities in La Guajira Peninsula, northeastern Colombia. This new taxon inhabits arid environments, and is morphologically close to Tarsoporosus flavus González-Sponga, 1984, from northwestern Venezuela. With this addition, the total number of described species in Tarsoporosus is raised to five, with at least two occurring in Colombia.

The Sting Of Mesobuthus Gibbosus (Scorpiones: Buthidae): Morphological And Ultrastructural Characterization, Nazife Yigit, Mehlika Benli

Euscorpius

The objective of our study is to characterize the morphological and ultrastructural features of the sting of scorpion species Mesobuthus gibbosus (Brullé, 1832) (Buthidae) by using light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The venom is delivered by venom ducts, passing through the sting and exiting from the venom pores. Each venom gland has its own venom duct and pore. The venom pores are situated on both sides of the tip of sting. venom ducts are identified in the transverse discussion in this study.

A New Species Of Ananteris Thorell, 1891 From Cordillera Central In Colombia, With Some Notes On The Taxonomy Of The Genus (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Rolando Teruel, Luis F. García H

Euscorpius

A new species of Ananteris Thorell, 1891 is herein described from a single locality placed in the Cordillera Central of Colombia, which represents the first record of this genus for Tolima department. This new taxon exhibits several singular features, and apparently represents a relict population inside an urbanized area. Also, some aspects on the taxonomy of the genus are briefly discussed, and its diagnosis is emended. With this addition, the total of Ananteris species described from Colombia is raised to six.

Complements To The Morphology Of Troglokhammouanus Steineri Lourenço, 2007 (Scorpiones: Pseudochactidae) Based On Scanning Electron Microscopy, Wilson R. Lourenço

Euscorpius

A detailed morphological description, based on scanning electron microscopy, is proposed for the recently described pseudochactid scorpion, Troglokhammouanus steineri Lourenço, 2007. As already indicated in the original description, the male (juvenile) paratype has been prepared for SEM studies, but the results are only presented in this publication.

A Revision Of The Genus Hottentotta Birula, 1908, With Descriptions Of Four New Species (Scorpiones, Buthidae), František Kovařík

Euscorpius

The genus Hottentotta is revised and a key to the species is provided. Subgenera Balfourianus Vachon, 1979 and Deccanobuthus Lourenço, 2000 are synonymized with the subgenus Hottentotta Birula, 1908. Four new species of Hottentotta are described: H. finneganae sp. n. from Pakistan, H. jabalpurensis sp. n. from India (Madhya Pradesh), H. jalalabadensis sp. n. from Afghanistan, and H. stockwelli sp. n. from India (Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra). The following species and subspecies are synonymized: Buthotus alticola kabulensis (Vachon, 1958) with H. buchariensis (Birula, 1897) comb. n.; Hottentotta caboverdensis Lourenço & Ythier, 2006 with H. hottentotta (Fabricius, 1787); H. acostai …

Mesobuthus Nigrocinctus (Ehrenberg, 1828) (Scorpiones: Buthidae) In Turkey: Distribution And Morphological Variation, Ayşegül Karataş

Euscorpius

Distribution of Mesobuthus nigrocinctus is studied and new geographical records are given. As a result of field studies, M. nigrocinctus is recorded from 17 confirmed localities from five provinces in Turkey. Comparative statistical analysis of morphology of M. nigrocinctus and M. gibbosus indicated highly significant differences between these two species. Student’s t-test analysis and Discriminant Function Analysis (DFA) showed that: (a) while all morphometric ratios demonstrated significant differences between M. nigrocinctus and M. gibbosus females, only selected ratios show significant difference in the males (Ca_L/W, Ch_L/W, Met-II_L/H, and Met- V_L/H); (b) among M. nigrocinctus, Adıyaman population was partly separated; …

The Population Structure Of Mesobuthus Gibbosus (Scorpiones: Buthidae) On Koufonisi Island (Central Aegean Archipelago, Greece), Dimitris Kaltsas, Moysis Mylonas

Euscorpius

The population structure of Mesobuthus gibbosus was studied over 261 night-hours of sampling during 29 consecutive nights on Koufonisi Island (central Aegean Archipelago, Greece) using the capture-recapture method. The studied population proved to be the densest of all studied scorpion populations in chaparral or intertidal habitats of Mediterranean type ecosystems and even comparable to some populations of desert scorpion species. The negative influence of moon phase on the general activity of the species and synchronization in parturition were the main factors that caused the fluctuations in population density and therefore in the percentage of active scorpions.

Description Of Tityus Mraceki Sp. N. From Colombia And Synonymization Of T. Meridanus González-Sponga With T. Nematochirus Mello-Leitão (Scorpiones: Buthidae), František Kovařík

Euscorpius

Tityus (Archaeotityus) mraceki sp. n. from Colombia is described. It differs from other species of the subgenus Archaeotityus by unique sexual dimorphism expressed in the male having a longer metasoma and a narrower chela of the pedipalp. The synonymization of T. meridanus González-Sponga, 1981 with T. nematochirus Mello-Leitão, 1941 is based on morphological and color variation present in a single litter consisting of 33 individuals.

Two New Species Of The Genus Compsobuthus Vachon, 1949 From Afghanistan And Pakistan (Scorpiones: Buthidae), František Kovařík, Zubair Ahmed

Euscorpius

Two new species of Compsobuthus from the werneri group are described. C. afghanus sp. n. is characterized chiefly by the combination of numerous rows of granules on the movable finger of pedipalp (14 rows) and a high number of pectinal teeth (29–31). C. pakistanus sp. n. is most similar to C. plutenkoi Kovařík, 2003 from Iran, from which it differs in having internal granules in all rows on the movable finger of pedipalp and 18–19 pectinal teeth. A key is provided for all species of the genus found in Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, and adjacent countries.

New Localities Of Iurus Dufoureius Dufoureius (Brullé, 1832) In The Peloponnese, Greece (Scorpiones: Iuridae), Diego Facheris

Euscorpius

New localities of Iurus dufoureius dufoureius (Brullé, 1832) are listed, found during a recent survey in the districts of Achaia, Messinia, and Arcadia in the Peloponnese, Greece. Notes on the habitat and a map are provided.

Sky Island Vaejovis: Two New Species And A Redescription Of V. Vorhiesi Stahnke (Scorpiones: Vaejovidae), Matthew R. Graham

Euscorpius

Two new scorpion species, Vaejovis cashi sp. nov. and V. feti sp. nov. are described and placed in the “mexicanus” group of the genus Vaejovis. These small scorpions were collected at high-elevations from the sky island archipelago of southern Arizona and New Mexico. Both new species are similar to V. vorhiesi Stahnke, a small mesic scorpion of the Huachuca and Santa Catalina Mountains. The original description of V. vorhiesi consists of a single uninformative paragraph and a holotype was never designated. This paper provides a redescription and lectotype designation for V. vorhiesi and describes the two new related species. …

The Genus Akrav Levy, 2007 (Scorpiones: Akravidae) Revisited, Victor Fet, Michael E. Soleglad, Sergei L. Zonstein

Euscorpius

Akrav israchanani, a relict chactoid scorpion from the famous Ayyalon Cave in Israel, is analyzed for the first time since its original description by Gershom Levy (2007). All scorpions found in this cave (20 specimens) were dead, represented by exoskeletons; they are mostly fragmented during collection, many incomplete, but extremely well preserved, and have no evidence of fossilization. Time and cause of death are unknown. Diagnostic characters described by Levy are largely confirmed, and some are further clarified. An exhaustive set of microscopic images is published, encompassing data from all best preserved specimens. Previously unpublished morphological details are illustrated …

One More New Species Of The Genus Orthochirus Karsch, 1891 From Africa (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Wilson R. Lourenço, Elise-Anne Leguin

Euscorpius

Following the recent considerations proposed on the African species of the genus Orthochirus Karsch, 1891, one new species is described from the south of Morocco. The total number of African species is now raised to six.

Hemoglobin–Oxygen Affinity In High-Altitude Vertebrates: Is There Evidence For An Adaptive Trend?, Jay F. Storz

Jay F. Storz Publications

In air-breathing vertebrates at high altitude, fine-tuned adjustments in hemoglobin (Hb)–O₂ affinity provide an energetically efficient means of mitigating the effects of arterial hypoxemia. However, it is not always clear whether an increased or decreased Hb–O₂ affinity should be expected to improve tissue O₂ delivery under different degrees of hypoxia, due to the inherent trade-off between arterial O₂ loading and peripheral O₂ unloading. Theoretical results indicate that the optimal Hb–O₂ affinity varies as a non-linear function of environmental O₂ availability, and the threshold elevation at which an increased Hb–O₂ affinity becomes advantageous …

Historische Und Aktuelle Daten Zum Wolf In Der Mongolei, D. Eregdenedagva, Ravčigijn Samjaa, Michael Stubbe, Annegret Stubbe

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

Zusammenfassung Die Mongolei beherbergt trotz intensiver Verfolgung einen der besten Wolfsbestände Eurasiens. Der Wolf kommt als wertvoller Großsäuger in allen Vegetationszonen der Mongolei vor. Bereits zahlreiche Steinzeichnungen künden von Mensch-, Haus- und Wildtierkonflikten mit dem wehrhaften Beutegreifer Wolf. Er ist und bleibt ein Konkurrent des Nomaden und andererseits ein wertvoller Pelzlieferant und Regulator in den Nahrungsnetzen. Die geringe menschliche Besiedlung und die in freier Weidewirtschaft gehaltenen Haustiere sowie eine reiche Fauna an kleinen und großen Wildsäugetieren bereiten der Wolfspopulation optimale nahrungsökologische Bedingungen. Seit geraumer Zeit hat die Haustierhaltung die 50 Millionengrenze überschritten. Der ökonomische Schaden des Wolfes in der Viehwirtschaft …

New Distributional Records Of The Ohio Shrimp, Macrobrachium Ohione Smith (Decapoda: Palaemonidae) In Arkansas, H. W. Robison, L. Lewis, C. Cox, G. Spooner, R. Adams, C. T. Mcallister

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

The Ohio shrimp (Macrobrachium ohione) is a migratory (amphidromous) river shrimp that occurs in some Arkansas rivers. It is known from the Upper Missouri River from its mouth downstream to the Gulf of Mexico, but shrimp abundance has declined, particularly upstream of Louisiana. Ohio Shrimp has also been collected in the lower reach of the Missouri River not far from the confluence of the Mississippi River in St. Louis County. Dams and alterations in channel flow are hypothesized to have impacted upriver migrations of shrimp. Current range, abundance, and life history of Ohio shrimp is relatively unknown in the Mississippi …

Evaluation Of Bison (Bison Bison) Ecology At The Olson’S Bison Conservation Ranches, Pine River Ranch, Manitoba, Canada, Joshua L. Leonard

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Bison (Bison bison), the largest mammalian species in North America, historically numbering in the tens of millions (Roe 1970, McHugh 1972, Dary 1989, Shaw 1995), was nearly extirpated at the turn of the 19th century (Knapp et al. 1999; Gates et al. 2010). At the time, estimates of less than 1,000 bison remaining in North America are widely accepted (Hornaday 1889; Seton 1927; Gates et al. 2010). The decline of bison includes factors such as disease (Flores 1991; Isenberg 2000), sport hunting (Danz 1997; Dary 1989; Hewitt 1919; Isenberg 2000; McHugh 1972), and unofficially funded commercial hunting by the U.S. …

Addendum To Encomia And Reflections, Clyde Jones (1935-2015): Encomium, Robert J. Baker, Carleton J. Phillips, Hugh H. Genoways

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

This is the authors' collective attempt to provide an encomium (an honest song of praise) for Clyde Jones. After some urging from the editors of this volume, the authors conspired to share some memories of Clyde.

Editors’ note: Due to various factors, this encomium was submitted too late to be included in the published memorial volume. However, in consideration of the relationship of the authors to Clyde Jones, we agreed to make this encomium available via electronic format as a supplement to the printed volume.

Cortex Necessary For Pain — But Not In Sense That Matters, Adam J. Shriver

Animal Sentience

Certain cortical regions are necessary for pain in humans in the sense that, at particular times, they play a direct role in pain. However, it is not true that they are necessary in the more important sense that pain is never possible in humans without them. There are additional details from human lesion studies concerning functional plasticity that undermine Key’s (2016) interpretation. Moreover, no one has yet identified any specific behaviors that mammalian cortical pain regions make possible that are absent in fish.

Fish Pain: An Inconvenient Truth, Culum Brown

Animal Sentience

Whether fish feel pain is a hot political topic. The consequences of our denial are huge given the billions of fish that are slaughtered annually for human consumption. The economic costs of changing our commercial fishery harvest practices are also likely to be great. Key outlines a structure-function analogy of pain in humans, tries to force that template on the rest of the vertebrate kingdom, and fails. His target article has so far elicited 34 commentaries from scientific experts from a broad range of disciplines; only three of these support his position. The broad consensus from the scientific community is …

Is Sentience Only A Nonessential Component Of Animal Welfare?, Ian J.H. Duncan

Animal Sentience

According to Broom (2014), animal welfare is a concept that can be applied to all animals, including single-celled organisms that are obviously not sentient. Such a stance makes it difficult to draw a connection between welfare and sentience, and that is the book’s downfall. Some excellent points are made about sentience and there are very good discussions on animal welfare. However, unless sentience is considered the essential component of welfare, any attempt to link the two phenomena will be unsuccessful — and that, indeed, is the case with this book.

Sentience And Animal Welfare: New Thoughts And Controversies, Donald M. Broom

Animal Sentience

Sentience involves having some degree of awareness but awareness of self is not as complex as some people believe. Fully functioning vertebrate animals, and some invertebrates, are sentient but neither humans nor non-humans are sentient early in development or if brain-damaged. Feelings are valuable adaptive mechanisms and an important part of welfare but are not all of welfare so the term welfare refers to all animals, not just to sentient animals. We have much to learn about what non-human animals want from us, the functioning of the more complex aspects of their brains and of our brains and how we …

Population Sampling Of Chelonians In An Urban Lake In Jonesboro, Craighead County, Arkansas, J. D. Konvalina, C. S. Thigpen, S. E. Trauth

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

We conducted a mark-recapture survey for aquatic turtles in Craighead Forest Lake in Jonesboro (Craighead County, Arkansas). From July 2, 2015 to October 14, 2015, we set six hoop nets, baited with fish parts, at specific shoreline locations around the lake. Traps were set twice a week and checked 12 hours after they were set. Carapace length, carapace width, plastron length, and plastron width were measured for each individual. Each turtle was identified to species and its sex was recorded. We also placed a notch in one or more of its marginal scutes to aid in future identification. Finally, a …

Long-Term Monitoring And Recovery Of A Population Of Alligator Snapping Turtles, Macrochelys Temminckii (Testudines: Chelydridae), From A Northeastern Arkansas Stream, S. E. Trauth, D. S. Siegel, M. L. Mccallum, D. H. Jamieson, A. Holt, J. B. Trauth, H. Hicks, J. W. Stanley, J. Elston, J. J. Kelly, J. D. Konvalina

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

We conducted a mark-recapture study of Alligator Snapping Turtles, Macrochelys temminckii, on Salado Creek (Independence Co., Arkansas) during 10 trapping seasons, which spanned a 20-year period (1995–2015). We trapped a total of 163 Alligator Snapping Turtles during 416 trap nights and recorded a total of 35 recaptures during this study. Both the catch per unit effort (CPUE) and Jolly-Seber approaches demonstrated that this population benefitted from removal of harvest pressure, thus leading to an increase in abundance of Alligator Snapping Turtles in the lower ~5 km of the creek. The CPUE averaged slightly greater than 0.24 (317 trap nights) during …

Gastrointestinal Parasites Of The Northern River Otter, Lontra Canadensis (Carnivora: Mustelidae), From Arkansas, C. T. Mcallister, A. Surf, R. Tumlison, C. R. Bursey, T. J. Fayton

Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science

No abstract provided.

Genetic Structure And Connectivity Of The Endangered Giant Kangaroo Rat (Dipodomys Ingens) In A Heterogeneous Environment, Nathan Alexander

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Movement ecology and dispersal are important aspects of species’ life histories that can inform conservation and management. Dispersal is often cryptic and difficult to detect, but recent advances genetic technology and applications have provided new approaches to identifying and describing dispersal patterns. Giant kangaroo rats (Dipodomys ingens) are an endangered heteromyid that appear to persist in small subpopulations in a heterogeneous environment of their northern range, the Ciervo-Panoche Natural Area, California. Previous work suggested high levels of genetic diversity between populations with genetic distances not being correlated to geographic distances. Here, I identified landscape population structure through clustering …

Animal Suffering Calls For More Than A Bigger Cage, Simon R. B. Leadbeater

Animal Sentience

Ng (2016) argues for incremental welfare biology partly because it would be impossible to demonstrate conclusively that animals are sentient. He argues that low cost changes in industrial practices and working collaboratively may be more effective in advancing animal welfare than more adversarial approaches. There is merit in some of Ng’s recommendations but a number of his arguments are, in my view, misdirected. The fact that nonhuman animals feel has already been adequately demonstrated. Cruelty to animals is intrinsic to some industries, so the only way to oppose it is to oppose the industry.

Ecology Of Two Reintroduced Black Bear Populations In The Central Appalachians, Sean Mccarthy Murphy

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

Reintroduced populations are vulnerable to demographic and environmental stochasticity, deleterious genetic effects, and reduced population fitness, all of which can increase extinction probability. Population viability is principle to determining the status of reintroduced populations and for guiding management decisions. To attempt to reestablish black bear (Ursus americanus) populations in the central Appalachians, two reintroductions using small founder groups occurred during the 1990s in the Big South Fork area along the Kentucky-Tennessee border (BSF) and in the Jefferson National Forest along the Kentucky-Virginia border (KVP). My objectives were to estimate demographic and genetic parameters, and to evaluate long-term viability …