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At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

Changes in a box turtle population during three decades

Studies of a Maryland population of marked box-turtles (Terrapene carolina) in 1945, 1955, 1965 and 1975 showed a pronounced decline in population size during the three decades; the greatest change came between 1965 and 1975, when numbers were reduced by half. Proportions of females and of young also declined. Fifteen % of the males and 11% of the females that were more than 20 years old in 1945 still were present in 1975; some probably were more than 80 years old.

Copeia

A hermaphroditic Arctic flounder, Liopsetta glacialis (Pleuronectidae), from Alaska

We discovered a hermaphrodite Liopsetta glacialis while examining tissues from a sample of 30 representatives of this species for a histopathological survey of fishes from the Beaufort Sea, Alaska. L. glacialis occurs in the Arctic Ocean from Queen Maude Gulf in arctic Canada, along the North American and Siberian coasts to the White Sea and Barents Sea (Morrow, 1980). The specimen was collected from Beaufort Lagoon on July 29, 1984, weighed 15, measured 100 mm (total length) and was between 3 and 4 years old.

Alaska

Aspects of the reproductive ecology and behavior of the tepui toads, genus Oreophrynella (Anura: Bufonidae)

We report direct development for toads of the bufonid genus Oreophrynella, endemic to the tepuis of the Guayanan Highlands. Tepui toads place few (9-13), large (-3 mm diameter) eggs in a single or communal terrestrial nest. One communal nest found on Kukenan-tepui contained 102 toads (70 males, 30 females, 2 hatchlings) and 321 eggs in clumps of 8-35. All viable clutches from Kukenan were attended by an adult. One clutch of 13 eggs from Ilu-tepui was without an attendant adult. Calls of Kukenan males consist of 9-16 partially pulsed notes given at a rate of 5-7 notes per second. Calls and notes were modulated and increased or decreased in frequency; dominant frequencies of the calls ranged between 2650-3650 Hz. Tepui toads are diurnal, rock dwellers with a slow, deliberate walking gait. An unusual balling and tumbling behavior and bright colored venter may be associated with predator avoidance in some populations. Remarkable parallels in reproductive ecology and behavior between Oreophynella and montane populations of the African bufonid Nectophrynoides are noted.

Copeia

Rediscovery of the Central American Colubrid snake, Sibon argus, with comments on related species from the region

Sibon argus Cope, 1875, long known only from the holotype, is redescribed based on material from Costa Rica and Panama. It differs from the only other member of the genus having an ocellate dorsal pattern (S. longifrenis) in its attenuate habitus, enlarged blunt head, protuberant eyes, and high segmental counts (ventrals 181-201, subcaudals 112-121, total segmental counts 294-312). Sibon longifrenis of Atlantic slope Costa Rica and western Panama (ventrals 151-173, subcaudals 82-103, total segmental counts 231-275) is also redescribed. These species differ from all other Sibon in having an ocellate pattern and an enlarged penultimate supralabial bordering the orbit. The allied species, S. annulatus (Costa Rica and Panama) and S. dimidiatus (Mexico to southwestern Costa Rica), are shown to be distinct from S. argus and S. longifenis in scalation and coloration. Although allopatric, S. annulatus and S. dimidiatus differ from one another most strikingly in adult coloration, postmental character states, and ventral counts (x = 175.8 in annulatus and 193.6 in dimidiatus), and are regarded as valid species. Sibon annulatus occurs sympatrically with S. argus in Panama and with S. longifrenis in Costa Rica. Although S. argus and S. longifrenis occur in the same general area on the Atlantic slope of Costa Rica, they have not yet been taken at the same locality.

Copeia