Zoology Commons^™

A Subspecies-Level Database Of Amazonian Bird Distributions, With Inferences On Suture Zones And Conservation, Marco Antonio Rego

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Amazonia has the largest and most biodiverse tropical forest on the planet. However, the distributions of its species are still poorly understood, even for well-studied vertebrates such as birds. Available distribution maps for Amazonian birds often lack accuracy in delimiting the area where species occur. Existing distributional information for Amazonian birds is often limited to species-level level taxonomy, even though many Amazonian bird subspecies represent biological species. Here, I investigate the geographic distributions of 4,148 bird taxa (species and subspecies) using museum scientific specimens as the primary source of data. To build the data base I use more than 600,000 …

Worldwide Distribution Of Cave-Dwelling Chelodesmidae (Diplopoda, Polydesmida), Rodrigo Salvador Bouzan, Jackson C. Means, Kaloyan Ivanov, Rodrigo L. Ferreira, Antonio Domingos Brescovit, Luiz Felipe Moretti Iniesta

International Journal of Speleology

Chelodesmidae is one of the most species rich families within the Myriapoda. However, little is known regarding their association with caves. We provide a list of all Chelodesmidae taxa reported from caves, map their worldwide distribution, and discuss the troglomorphic features of the group. A total of 25 species and subspecies from 20 genera and 2 subfamilies have been recorded from 59 caves and cave systems in 11 countries. These numbers represent a surprisingly modest proportion (~3%) of the approximately 800 described species in the family. Records of cave-dwelling chelodesmids appear to be geographically biased with most taxa reported from …

Preliminary Analysis Of The Effects Of Non-Target Supplemental Feeding On Camera Trap Captures Of Small Mammals In Central Georgia, Raena Mccown, Travis Cunningham, Alfred J. Mead

Georgia Journal of Science

Supplemental bird feeding is a widespread hobby throughout western culture. Although it brings joy to many people, bird feeding has been shown to have potentially negative effects on local bird populations and small mammalian species. To study the differences in local occurrence of native small mammalian species around bird feeders and in more distant settings, six camera traps were placed in a rural residential area in Putnam County, Georgia. Three cameras were placed facing bird feeders and three placed a minimum of 60 m away from the feeders. Species presence was recorded three days a week from 12:00 am Monday …

Exposure Of Egyptian Rousette Bats (Rousettus Aegyptiacus) And A Little Free-Tailed Bat (Chaerephon Pumilus) To Alphaviruses In Uganda, Rebekah C. Kading, Erin M. Borland, Eric C. Mossel, Teddy Nakayiki, Betty Nalikka, Jeremy P. Ledermann, Mary B. Crabtree, Nicholas A. Panella, Luke Nyakarahuka, Amy T. Gilbert, Julian C. Kerbis-Peterhans, Jonathan S. Towner, Brian R. Amman, Tara K. Sealy, Barry R. Miller, Julius J. Lutwama, Robert M. Kityo, Ann M. Powers

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

The reservoir for zoonotic o’nyong-nyong virus (ONNV) has remained unknown since this virus was first recognized in Uganda in 1959. Building on existing evidence for mosquito bloodfeeding on various frugivorous bat species in Uganda, and seroprevalence for arboviruses among bats in Uganda, we sought to assess if serum samples collected from bats in Uganda demonstrated evidence of exposure to ONNV or the closely related zoonotic chikungunya virus (CHIKV). In total, 652 serum samples collected from six bat species were tested by plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) for neutralizing antibodies against ONNV and CHIKV. Forty out of 303 (13.2%) Egyptian rousettes …

Geographic Distribution: Anolis Sagrei (Brown Anole). Usa: Arizona., Addie Leimroth, Louis A. Somma, Dyrana N. Russell, Logan P. Cutts, Mason Ryan, Randall D. Babb, Karen E. Hajek, Andrew T. Holycross

Papers in Herpetology

We discovered the first distributional records for the exotic, Caribbean lizard, Anolis sagrei (Brown Anole), in Arizona.

Occurrence Of Bat Species At Water Sources In Two Urban Parks In Nashville, Tennessee, Maya Kiev, Austin Farris, Evan Mason

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

Animal behavioral patterns can shift due to anthropogenic factors related to pollution, human impact on flora/fauna, and changes in local water sources. While sound pollution can impact the occurrence of bats in urban areas, other factors could also influence bat behavior. This study examines bat occurrence near a water source at two urban parks in Nashville, Tennessee: one is in a highly trafficked area while the other is secluded and bordered by a suburban neighborhood. Both parks have small ponds, numerous trees, and open green spaces. Echo Meter Touch 2 devices were used to capture bat echolocation data at each …

Schramm Park Fall Field Days, Janis Paseka

Nebraska Bird Review

The 2022 NOU Fall Field Days were held at Schramm Park State Recreation Area, south of Gretna in Sarpy County, on September 21-23, with approximately 60 in attendance. The meeting had been scheduled and cancelled twice in the two previous years due to coronavirus concerns. The total species count was 119, including a Sandhill Crane, Prairie Falcon (early for away from breeding area), Winter Wren, and early Snow Bunting. A Limpkin, which had been found in late June at Wehrspann Wetlands mitigation pond in Sarpy County and was still seen through late November in the Wehrspann Lake area, was not …

The Nebraska Bird Review, Index To Volume 90

Nebraska Bird Review

From: Abbott, Sydney 56

To: Zonotrichia leucophrys oriantha 66, 146

The Nebraska Bird Review Volume 90 December 2022 Number 4

Nebraska Bird Review

Fall Field Report, August - November 2022 by W. Ross Silcock ...126

Remembering Clem Klaphake by Don Paseka ...151

Schramm Park Fall Field Days, Sept. 21-23, 2022 ... 154

Index to Volume 90 ...159

Subscription and Organization Information …175

Remembering Clem Klaphake, Don Paseka

Nebraska Bird Review

Clement (Clem) Klaphake passed away on December 30, 2022, from complications of Parkinson’s disease, which he struggled with for several years. He was born in Melrose, Minnesota, in 1943 and grew up working on his parents’ dairy farm, which included the usual menagerie of other farm animals typical of that time. Perhaps it was the routine of milking twice a day, seven days a week, or the impressive scar on his leg from a boar tusk, but Clem was destined to leave the farm and become a life-long educator. ... After getting his degree in 1971, Clem was hired to …

Divergent Serpentoviruses In Free-Ranging Invasive Pythons And Native Colubrids In Southern Florida, United States, Steven B. Tillis, Jillian M. Josimovich, Melissa A. Miller, Laura L. Hoon-Hanks, Arik M. Hartmann, Natalie M. Claunch, Marley E. Iredale, Tracey D. Logan, Amy A. Yackel Adams, Ian A. Bartoszek, John S. Humphrey, Bryan M. Kluever, Mark D. Stenglein, Robert N. Reed, Christina M. Romagosa, James F.X. Wellehan, Robert J. Ossiboff

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Burmese python (Python bivittatus) is an invasive snake that has significantly affected ecosystems in southern Florida, United States. Aside from direct predation and competition, invasive species can also introduce nonnative pathogens that can adversely affect native species. The subfamily Serpentovirinae (order Nidovirales) is composed of positive-sense RNA viruses primarily found in reptiles. Some serpentoviruses, such as shingleback nidovirus, are associated with mortalities in wild populations, while others, including ball python nidovirus and green tree python nidovirus can be a major cause of disease and mortality in captive animals. To determine if serpentoviruses were present in invasive Burmese …

First Report Of Intraguild Predation In Scorpions (Scorpiones: Buthidae) From Turkey, Şahin Toprak, Rıdvan Kurt, Ersen A. Yağmur

Euscorpius

Scorpions are predators of a wide range of invertebrates even including other scorpions. Larger species commonly prey on smaller species or juveniles. Here, we report three cases of intraguild predation of Mesobuthus mesopotamicus (Penther, 1912) and Compsobuthus matthiesseni (Birula, 1905) by Hottentotta saulcyi (Simon, 1880) (Scorpiones: Buthidae) in Şırnak Province, Turkey. These are the first cases reporting antagonistic interactions among scorpions in Turkey.

Orthochirus Katerinae Sp. N. (Scorpiones: Buthidae) From Saudi Arabia, František Kovařík, Pavel Just

Euscorpius

We describe a new species Orthochirus katerinae sp. n. from Saudi Arabia, previously cited as Orthochirus innesi Simon 1910, ssp. ?, the name many years used as an ‘umbrella’ for various Orthochirus from North Africa and Arabia. The new species is described based on males characterized mainly by: total length 26–30 mm; pectinal teeth number 16–20; movable finger of pedipalps with 7–8 rows of denticles, 8–9 ID and 7 OD; tarsomere I of legs I–III with 3–5 long setae; ratio length/width of metasoma V 1.13–1.16; pedipalp femur length/width ratio 3.30–3.32.

The First Complete Genome Of The Simian Malaria Parasite Plasmodium Brasilianum, Marko Bajic, Shashidhar Ravishankar, Mili Sheth, Lori A. Rowe, M. Andreina Pacheco, Dhruviben S. Patel, Dhwani Batra, Vladimir Loparev, Christian Olsen, Ananias A. Escalante, Fredrik Vannberg, Venkatachalam Udhayakumar, John W. Barnwell, Eldin Talundzic

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

Naturally occurring human infections by zoonotic Plasmodium species have been documented for P. knowlesi, P. cynomolgi, P. simium, P. simiovale, P. inui, P. inui-like, P. coatneyi, and P. brasilianum. Accurate detection of each species is complicated by their morphological similarities with other Plasmodium species. PCR-based assays offer a solution but require prior knowledge of adequate genomic targets that can distinguish the species. While whole genomes have been published for P. knowlesi, P. cynomolgi, P. simium, and P. inui, no complete genome for P. brasilianum has …

A Novel Vaccine Candidate Against Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus 2 (Rhdv2) Confers Protection In Domestic Rabbits, Angela M. Bosco-Lauth, Bethany Cominsky, Stephanie Porter, J. Jeffrey Root, Amber Schueler, Gary Anderson, Sara Vanderwal, Andy Benson

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

OBJECTIVE To evaluate efficacy of a novel vaccine against rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2 (RHDV2) in domestic rabbits.

ANIMALS 40 New Zealand White rabbits obtained from a commercial breeder.

PROCEDURES Rabbits were vaccinated and held at the production facility for the duration of the vaccination phase and transferred to Colorado State University for challenge with RHDV2. Rabbits were challenged with oral suspensions containing infectious virus and monitored for clinical disease for up to 10 days. Rabbits that died or were euthanized following infection were necropsied, and livers were evaluated for viral RNA via RT-PCR.

RESULTS None of the vaccinated animals …

Exceptional Larval Morphology Of Nine Species Of The Anastrepha Mucronota Species Group (Diptera: Tephritidae), Erick J. Rodriguez, Gary J. Steck, Matthew R. Moore, Allen L. Norrbom, Jessica Diaz, Louis A. Somma, Raul Ruiz-Arce, Bruce D. Sutton, Norma Nolazco, Alies Muller, Marc A. Branham

Papers in Evolution

Anastrepha is the most diverse and economically important genus of Tephritidae in the American tropics and subtropics. The striking morphology of the third instars of Anastrepha caballeroi Norrbom, Anastrepha crebra Stone, Anastrepha haplacantha Norrbom & Korytkowski, Anastrepha korytkowskii Norrbom, Anastrepha nolazcoae Norrbom & Korytkowski, and three newly discovered and as yet formally unnamed species (Anastrepha sp. Peru-82, Anastrepha sp. nr. protuberans, and Anastrepha sp. Sur-16), and the more typical morphology of Anastrepha aphelocentema Stone, are described using light and scanning electron microscopy. To contribute to a better understanding of the interspecific and intraspecific variation among species in the mucronota …

The Nebraska Bird Review, Subscription And Organization Information (December 2022)

Nebraska Bird Review

The Nebraska Bird Review is published quarterly by the Nebraska Ornithologists’ Union, Inc., as its official journal, and is sent to members not in arrears of dues. Annual subscription rates (on a calendar-year basis only): $25 in the United States and $35 in all other countries, payable in advance. Single copies are $7 each, postpaid, in the United States and $9 elsewhere. Send orders for back issues to Anita Breckbill, NOU Librarian, c/o Music Library, WMB 30, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588-0101 (or at the email address listed below).

Memberships in the NOU (on a calendar-year basis only): Active …

Fall Field Report, August-November 2022, W. Ross Silcock

Nebraska Bird Review

All in all, this was a fairly uneventful fall season, although even uneventful seasons have their share of oddities and variations from the norm. A noteworthy event was a fire that took out much of the brushy habitat in Carter Canyon, Scotts Bluff Co (see photo on following page). It will be interesting to read upcoming spring reports to see what effect the fire might have had on numbers of birds that frequent brushy areas, like towhees and buntings. Optimistically, fires have attracted rare woodpeckers, with first to arrive Black-backed, which would be a first documented Nebraska record, and typically …

Reproductive Traits And Change In Body Shape Of Neonates In The Oak Forest Skink, Plestiodon Lynxe, Manuel Feria-Ortiz, Uri Omar García-Vázquez, Carlos Joaquín Pavón-Vázquez, Adrián Nieto-Montes De Oca

Publications and Research

Reproductive traits are critically important for understanding how organisms adapt to their respective environments. In this study, we provide information on relative litter mass (RLM) and other litter and neonate related characters of nine female Plestiodon lynxe captured in the field. We also recorded seven body dimensions in 16 neonates and 15 two-month juveniles, and on the basis of these dimensions we compared the body shape of these two age classes to detect changes in the proportions of body parts. The average litter size (4.55) is larger than that found in other viviparous species of Plestiodon, but smaller than …

Forest Cover And Geographic Distance Influence Fine-Scale Genetic Structure Of Leaf-Toed Geckos In The Tropical Dry Forests Of Western Mexico, Connor M. French, Casey-Tyler Berezin, Isaac Overcast, Fausto R. Méndez De La Cruz, Saptarsi Basu, Roberto Lhemish Martínez Bernal, Robert W. Murphy, Michael J. Hickerson, Christopher Blair

Publications and Research

The biodiversity within tropical dry forests (TDFs) is astounding and yet poorly catalogued due to inadequate sampling and the presence of cryptic species. In the Mexican TDF, endemic species are common, and the landscape has been continually altered by geological and anthropogenic changes. To understand how landscape and environmental variables have shaped the population structure of endemic species, we studied the recently described species of leaf-toed gecko, Phyllodactylus benedettii, in coastal western Mexico. Using double-digest restriction site-associated DNA sequencing data, we first explore population structure and estimate the number of ancestral populations. The results indicate a high degree of …

Reanalysis Of The Yunnan Population Of Scorpiops Kubani With A Description Of A New Species, Scorpiops Lowei Sp. N. (Scorpiones: Scorpiopidae), Victoria Tang

Euscorpius

The Yunnan population of Scorpiops kubani (Kovařík, 2004) is reassessed based on recently collected specimens from this region. A misidentification of that species is revealed, which leads to a description of a new species, Scorpiops lowei sp. n.

Morphometric And Molecular Characterization Of An Unpigmented Haemosporidian Parasite In The Neotropical Turnip-Tailed Gecko (Thecadactylus Rapicauda), Nubia E. Matta, Leydy P. González, Mario Vargas-Ramírez, Gediminas Valkiūnas, Ananias A. Escalante, M. Andreína Pacheco

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

Morphological traits from blood stages have been the gold standard for determining haemosporidian parasite species. However, the status of some taxa and the value of such traits in parasites from reptiles remain contentious. The scarce sampling of these species worsens the situation, and several taxa lack molecular data. A survey was performed in the Magdalena Department in Colombia, where 16 species of reptiles were captured. A peculiar haemosporidian parasite was found in the Turnip-tailed gecko Thecadactylus rapicauda. This haemosporidian does not show malarial pigment in blood stages under light microscopy; thus, it fits the Garnia genus’s characters belonging to …

A New Species Of Scorpiops Peters, 1861 From Yunnan Province, China, With A Preliminary Review Of Its Congeners In Yunnan (Scorpiones: Scorpiopidae), Victoria Tang

Euscorpius

A new species of Scorpiops Peters, 1861, Scorpiops tongtongi sp. n., is described from Yingjiang, Yunnan Province, China, based on a single adult female. The morphology of the new species is fairly distinguishable from other congeners in Yunnan even with unaided eye; it is characterized by the following combination of characters in female: a pair of moderately robust pedipalp chelae without proximal lobes, small median ocular tubercle, short superciliary carinae, less granulated tergites, proportionally elongate metasoma and relatively short and bulbous vesicle. The coloration of the new species also differs from other congeners in Yunnan by being brownish in …

Orb-Weaver Diversity And Niche Partitioning In Ecuador’S Amazonian Foothills: What Spiders Can Reveal About Tree Fall Gaps, Streams, And Cultivated Areas, Riley Endries

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

As abundant predators at the top of arthropod food chains, spiders are excellent bioindicators. Araneae is a megadiverse and extremely understudied order, especially in the tropics. This study aims to investigate the diversity of orb-weaver spiders across a disturbance gradient and variety of habitat types as well as their microhabitat preferences and potential niche partitioning. Spider collection was performed on spiders of the families Araneidae, Tetragnathidae, and Theridiosomatidae in Sumak Kawsay in Situ biological reserve in the lower elevation cloud forest of Ecuador’s Andean foothills. Spiders and webs were observed and analyzed from primary and secondary forest tree fall gaps, …

Arthropod Assemblages At The Intersection Of Epiphyte And Soil Habitats: An Assessment Of Understory Level Nonvascular Epiphyte Communities And Their Connectivity Within A Tropical Montane Rainforest, David “Max” Jones

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Canopy arthropods communities represent a disproportionate amount of global species richness (Stuntz 2001). Understanding arthropod composition and connectivity of lower epiphyte communities is important in understanding how canopy arthropods communities are formed and will respond to change (Floren and Linsenmair 1998). As such this study examined arthropod assemblages living within nonvascular epiphyte communities (epiphyte mats) living directly upon lower trunk regions of 24 trees in a tropical montane rain forest within the Santa Lucia Nature Reserve in Pichincha, Ecuador. Trees were assessed for size, epiphyte diversity, and epiphyte coverage before arthropod sampling within the epiphyte mats. Soil assessments were taken …

Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus Horridus): A Species Conservation Assessment For The Nebraska Natural Legacy Project, Melissa J. Panella, Dan Fogell, Colleen Rothe-Groleau

Nebraska Game and Parks Commission: Publications

The primary goal in the development of at-risk species conservation assessments is to compile biological and ecological information that may assist conservation practitioners in making decisions regarding the conservation of species of interest. The Nebraska Natural Legacy Project recognizes the timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) as a Tier 1 at-risk species. Provided here are general management recommendations regarding timber rattlesnakes. Conservation practitioners will need to use their professional judgment for management decisions based on objectives, location, and site-specific conditions. Based on the body of literature and available data, this species conservation assessment provides an overview of our current knowledge of timber …

Observational Study Of Woolly Monkey Behavior And Vocalizations: Behavioral Time Allotment And Vocalization Habits Of A Small Population Of Poeppig’S Woolly Monkey (Lagothrix Lagotricha Poeppigii) In The Ecuadorian Amazon, Marina Smith-Hanke

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Poeppig’s woolly monkey (Lagothrix lagotricha poeppigii), a species of primate native to the Amazonian regions of western Brazil, eastern Ecuador, and northeastern Peru, is classified as endangered by the IUCN. These large, frugivorous primates are threatened by habitat loss and climate change as a result of human interference. Deforestation, hunting, petroleum mining, and illegal trafficking are all huge threats to this species. As a result of these pressures, their populations have decreased by at least 30% over the past three generations. However, as keystone seed dispersers, they are essential for Amazonian ecosystem health; without their seed dispersal services, a loss …

Report Of Thanatosis In The Central American Scorpions Tityus Ocelote And Ananteris Platnicki (Scorpiones: Buthidae), Felipe Triana, Fabián Bonilla, Adriana Alfaro-Chinchilla, Carlos Víquez, Cecilia Díaz, Mahmood Sasa

Euscorpius

Thanatosis, or tonic immobility, is a behavior where animals adopt a motionless posture after a physical contact or very close proximity of a predator. This behavior has been described in a wide range of taxa, from invertebrates to vertebrates. For scorpions, tonic immobility has been reported in two buthids, Tityus pusillus and Tityus cerroazul, one hormurid, Liocheles australasiae, and one scorpiopsid, Scorpiops jendeki. Here we report other cases of this thanatosis for two buthid scorpions from lower Central America: Tityus ocelote and Ananteris platnicki. Thanatosis in these species were observed in wild, but was better documented …

Seasonal Habitat Selection By American White Pelicans, Frederick L. Cunningham, Guiming Wang, D. Tommy King

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Resource utilization strategies of avian migrants are a major concern for conservation and management. Understanding seasonal habitat selection by migratory birds helps us explain the ongoing continental declines of migratory bird populations. Our objective was to compare the secondorder and third-order habitat selection by the American White Pelican (Pelecanus erythrorhynchos; hereafter pelican) between the breeding and non-breeding grounds. We tested the Lack hypothesis that habitat selection by migratory birds is stronger on the breeding grounds than on the nonbreeding grounds. We used random-effect Dirichlet-multinomial models to estimate the second-order habitat selection between the seasons with the GPS locations …

Effects Of Early‑Life Experience On Innovation And Problem‑Solving In Captive Coyotes, Andrew C. Garcia, Mitchell A. Parsons, Julie K. Young

United States Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services: Staff Publications

Early-life experience often shapes behaviors like innovation and exploration. These behaviors are important to animals encountering novel food resources in diverse habitats, such as mesocarnivores in urban areas. To understand if early-life experiences impact later-life behavior, we examined how coyotes (Canis latrans) responded to a multi-access puzzle box at two life stages: pup (~ 7 weeks) and dispersal (~ 10 months). We first exposed pups, still living with their parents and littermates, to a baited puzzle box. At dispersal age, we again tested both these pups and an age-matched control group that was not exposed to the puzzle …