Suchergebnisse

Narratives and beliefs from insular Southeast Asia depict the double birth of a child and a reptile: snake, monitor lizard, or crocodile. This article is the first systematic attempt to look at the reptile-twin phenomenon across the whole region. The author examines the generally positive connotations of the reptile-twin through snake-, crocodile-, and monitor lizard-twin cases: these are recorded from the 17th century onwards in Indonesia, the Philippines and neighbouring countries. Sources are presented and discussed comparatively, and the putative origins, functions and meanings of the reptile-twin story-complex are examined in cross-disciplinary terms.

MB and MR were funded by a grant from the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, BC by the Rufford Foundation. North American and Mexican species assessments were funded by the Regina Bauer Frankenberg Foundation for Animal Welfare. Species assessments under the Global Reptile Assessment (GRA) initiative are supported by: Moore Family Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Conservation International, Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), and European Commission. Additional acknowledgements are included in the online supplementary material. The assessment workshop for Mexican reptiles was kindly hosted by Ricardo Ayala and the station personnel of the Estacion de Biologia Chamela, Institut de Biologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. Workshop and logistical organisation of the Philippines assessments was provided by the Conservation International Philippines Office, in particular Ruth Grace Rose Ambal, Melizar V. Duya and Oliver Coroza. Workshop and logistical organisation for the European Reptile and Amphibian Assessments was provided by Doga Dernegi, in particular Ozge Balkiz and Ozgur Koc. Workshop and logistical organisation for assessments of sea snakes and homalopsids was provided by the International Sea Turtle Symposium and Dr. Colin Limpus (Australian Government Environmental Protection Agency). Special thanks to Jenny Chapman (EPA) and Chloe Schaub le (ISTS). Thank you also to Dr. Gordon Guymer (Chief Botanist Director of Herbarium) for accommodating us at the Herbarium in the Brisbane Botanical Gardens, and Mark Read and Kirsten Dobbs (Great Barrier Reef Marine Parks Association) and Dave Pollard and Brad Warren (Ocean Watch Australia) for institutional support. Mohamed Bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, Conservation International Madagascar and the Darwin Initiative contributed to funding the costs of the Madagascar reptile workshop. ; Effective and targeted conservation action requires detailed information about species, their distribution, systematics and ecology as well as the distribution of threat processes which affect them. Knowledge of reptilian diversity remains surprisingly disparate, and innovative means of gaining rapid insight into the status of reptiles are needed in order to highlight urgent conservation cases and inform environmental policy with appropriate biodiversity information in a timely manner. We present the first ever global analysis of extinction risk in reptiles, based on a random representative sample of 1500 species (16% of all currently known species). To our knowledge, our results provide the first analysis of the global conservation status and distribution patterns of reptiles and the threats affecting them, highlighting conservation priorities and knowledge gaps which need to be addressed urgently to ensure the continued survival of the world's reptiles. Nearly one in five reptilian species are threatened with extinction, with another one in five species classed as Data Deficient. The proportion of threatened reptile species is highest in freshwater environments, tropical regions and on oceanic islands, while data deficiency was highest in tropical areas, such as Central Africa and Southeast Asia, and among fossorial reptiles. Our results emphasise the need for research attention to be focussed on tropical areas which are experiencing the most dramatic rates of habitat loss, on fossorial reptiles for which there is a chronic lack of data, and on certain taxa such as snakes for which extinction risk may currently be underestimated due to lack of population information. Conservation actions specifically need to mitigate the effects of human-induced habitat loss and harvesting, which are the predominant threats to reptiles. ; Esmee Fairbairn Foundation ; Rufford Foundation ; Regina Bauer Frankenberg Foundation for Animal Welfare ; Moore Family Foundation ; Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation ; Conservation International, Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) ; European Commission Joint Research Centre ; Zayed Species Conservation Fund ; Conservation International Madagascar ; Darwin Initiative

Context Invasive species are a major cause of biodiversity loss across much of the world, and a key threat to Australia's diverse reptile fauna. There has been no previous comprehensive analysis of the potential impact of the introduced European red fox, Vulpes vulpes, on Australian reptiles. Aims We seek to provide an inventory of all Australian reptile species known to be consumed by the fox, and identify characteristics of squamate species associated with such predation. We also compare these tallies and characteristics with reptile species known to be consumed by the domestic cat, Felis catus, to examine whether predation by these two introduced species is compounded (i.e. affecting much the same set of species) or complementary (affecting different groups of species). Methods We collated records of Australian reptiles consumed by foxes in Australia, with most records deriving from fox dietary studies (tallying >35 000 samples). We modelled presence or absence of fox predation records against a set of biological and other traits, and population trends, for squamate species. Key results In total, 108 reptile species (~11% of Australia's terrestrial reptile fauna) have been recorded as consumed by foxes, fewer than that reported for cats (263 species). Eighty-six species have been reported to be eaten by both predators. More Australian turtle species have been reported as consumed by foxes than by cats, including many that suffer high levels of predation on egg clutches. Twenty threatened reptile species have been reported as consumed by foxes, and 15 by cats. Squamate species consumed by foxes are more likely to be undergoing population decline than those not known to be consumed by foxes. The likelihood of predation by foxes increased with squamate species' adult body mass, in contrast to the relationship for predation by cats, which peaked at ~217 g. Foxes, but not cats, were also less likely to consume venomous snakes. Conclusions The two introduced, and now widespread, predators have both compounding and complementary impacts on the Australian reptile fauna. Implications Enhanced and integrated management of the two introduced predators is likely to provide substantial conservation benefits to much of the Australian reptile fauna.

Madagascar has become a model region for testing hypotheses of species diversification and biogeography, and many studies have focused on its diverse and highly endemic herpetofauna. Here we combine species distribution models of a near-complete set of species of reptiles and amphibians known from the island with body size data and a tabulation of herpetofaunal communities from field surveys, compiled up to 2008. Though taxonomic revisions and novel distributional records arose since compilation, we are confident that the data are appropriate for inferring and comparing biogeographic patterns among these groups of organisms. We observed species richness of both amphibians and reptiles was highest in the humid rainforest biome of eastern Madagascar, but reptiles also show areas of high richness in the dry and subarid western biomes. In several amphibian subclades, especially within the Mantellidae, species richness peaks in the central eastern geographic regions while in reptiles different subclades differ distinctly in their richness centers. A high proportion of clades and subclades of both amphibians and reptiles have a peak of local endemism in the topographically and bioclimatically diverse northern geographic regions. This northern area is roughly delimited by a diagonal spanning from 15.5°S on the east coast to ca. 15.0°S on the west coast. Amphibian diversity is highest at altitudes between 800–1200 m above sea-level whereas reptiles have their highest richness at low elevations, probably reflecting the comparatively large number of species specialized to the extended low-elevation areas in the dry and subarid biomes. We found that the range sizes of both amphibians and reptiles strongly correlated with body size, and differences between the two groups are explained by the larger body sizes of reptiles. However, snakes have larger range sizes than lizards which cannot be readily explained by their larger body sizes alone. Range filling, i.e., the amount of suitable habitat occupied by a species, is less expressed in amphibians than in reptiles, possibly reflecting their lower dispersal capacity. Taxonomic composition of communities assessed by field surveys is largely explained by bioclimatic regions, with communities from the dry and especially subarid biomes distinctly differing from humid and subhumid biomes. ; Fieldwork was supported by Spanish Government grants CGL2009-10198 and CGL2013-40924-P to DRV. ; Peer reviewed

This is the first comprehensive review of the reptiles of Mauritania. It includes distributional information and comments. Mauritania harbors 86 species of reptiles belonging to 21 families. Among these families, Colubridae and Lacertidae are the most diverse, with 14 and 13 species respectively. Other families, such as Agamidae, Gekkonidae, Scincidae or Viperidae are also well represented. Among the 80 continental species, 47.5% are Saharan, 33.8% Afrotropical, 16.2% Sahelian and 2.5% Mediterranean. The marine turtles form another important group, with six species. Eight species are excluded from the country list because of old identification errors, there is not enough evidence of their presence or due to changes in political borders. Among the species expected to occur in Mauritania, at least nine may occur in Saharan environments, 13 in the Sahel savannah and two may have been introduced. ; Esta es la primera lista de reptiles comentada con datos de distribución para la República Islámica de Mauritania. La fauna de reptiles de Mauritania se compone de 86 especies pertenecientes a 21 familias. Entres ellas, Colubridae y Lacertidae son las más diversas, con 14 y 13 especies respectivamente. Otras familias como Agamidae, Gekkonidae, Scincidae y Viperidae también son representativas. Entre las 80 especies continentales el 47.5% son de distribución sahariana, el 33.8% afrotropical, el 16.2% sahelianas y el 2.5% mediterráneas. Las tortugas marinas, con seis especies, es otro grupo importante. Ocho especies no han sido incluidas en la lista debido a que se trataba de viejos errores de identificación, por carecer de suficiente evidencia o debido a la redistribución de las viejas fronteras políticas. Entre las especies potencialmente presentes, al menos nueve de ellas se esperan para las zonas saharianas, trece para las sabanas del Sahel, y dos podrían haber sido introducidas.

20 pages, 1 figure, 1 table, 1 appendix. ; [EN] This is the first comprehensive review of the reptiles of Mauritania. It includes distributional information and comments. Mauritania harbors 86 species of reptiles belonging to 21 families. Among these families, Colubridae and Lacertidae are the most diverse, with 14 and 13 species respectively. Other families, such as Agamidae, Gekkonidae, Scincidae or Viperidae are also well represented. Among the 80 continental species, 47.5% are Saharan, 33.8% Afrotropical, 16.2% Sahelian and 2.5% Mediterranean. The marine turtles form another important group, with six species. Eight species are excluded from the country list because of old identification errors, there is not enough evidence of their presence or due to changes in political borders. Among the species expected to occur in Mauritania, at least nine may occur in Saharan environments, 13 in the Sahel savannah and two may have been introduced. ; [ES] Esta es la primera lista de reptiles comentada con datos de distribución para la República Islámica de Mauritania. La fauna de reptiles de Mauritania se compone de 86 especies pertenecientes a 21 familias. Entres ellas, Colubridae y Lacertidae son las más diversas, con 14 y 13 especies respectivamente. Otras familias como Agamidae, Gekkonidae, Scincidae y Viperidae también son representativas. Entre las 80 especies continentales el 47.5% son de distribución sahariana, el 33.8% afrotropical, el 16.2% sahelianas y el 2.5% mediterráneas. Las tortugas marinas, con seis especies, es otro grupo importante. Ocho especies no han sido incluidas en la lista debido a que se trataba de viejos errores de identificación, por carecer de suficiente evidencia o debido a la redistribución de las viejas fronteras políticas. Entre las especies potencialmente presentes, al menos nueve de ellas se esperan para las zonas saharianas, trece para las sabanas del Sahel, y dos podrían haber sido introducidas. ; Fieldwork was funded by the Spanish International Cooperation Agency (AECI), Asociación Amigos de Doñana and L'Homme et la Nature: Mauritanie. ; Peer reviewed

Context Reptiles, especially snakes, can cause a fear reaction in the public and are, therefore, a good model to examine human–wildlife conflicts. Human city dwellers often respond to the presence of snakes or other reptiles by calling out the responsible agency for animal control, which has to mediate the situation. Aims To determine how the temporal and spatial occurrence of human–reptile conflicts were associated with environmental conditions and socio-economic factors in a large Brazilian city (Belo Horizonte). Methods The callout reports of the Environmental Police of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, over a 7-year period from 2002 to 2008 to mediate reptile conflicts were analysed. Densities of callouts were determined by kernel-density estimator and matched with the vegetation cover and land use, to determine how the environment affected reptile callout distribution. The study area was divided into nine regions with different socio-economic and demographic characteristics to evaluate the possible effects of human factors in the conflict. Key results Reptile callouts were almost exclusively about snakes or freshwater turtles, despite a large population of wild lizards. In general, the difference in callout distribution of snakes and freshwater turtles was the result of different attitudes from city dwellers on the basis of socio-economic characteristics. Snakes were less frequent as urbanisation increased, whereas freshwater turtles were associated with water or open areas. Significantly, more conflicts occurred during the rainy season. People in areas of high per capita income used the Environmental Police as mediators more often than did those in poorer areas, but callouts were not related to human population density. Conclusions Habitat type and climate were significantly predictive of human–reptile conflicts. Human populations with higher salaries and education levels tended to resolve their conflicts with reptiles using official mediators whether the reptile was venomous or not. Implications The environmental and climatic data show that it is possible to predict when and where human–reptile conflicts are most likely. Thus, official mediators can use this information for targeted education programs. Such education programs should emphasise, at all levels of society, how to deal with such conflicts sensibly, so as to ensure the best outcomes for people and reptiles.

Context Feral cats (Felis catus) are a threat to biodiversity globally, but their impacts upon continental reptile faunas have been poorly resolved. Aims To estimate the number of reptiles killed annually in Australia by cats and to list Australian reptile species known to be killed by cats. Methods We used (1) data from >80 Australian studies of cat diet (collectively >10 000 samples), and (2) estimates of the feral cat population size, to model and map the number of reptiles killed by feral cats. Key results Feral cats in Australia's natural environments kill 466 million reptiles yr–1 (95% CI; 271–1006 million). The tally varies substantially among years, depending on changes in the cat population driven by rainfall in inland Australia. The number of reptiles killed by cats is highest in arid regions. On average, feral cats kill 61 reptiles km–2 year–1, and an individual feral cat kills 225 reptiles year–1. The take of reptiles per cat is higher than reported for other continents. Reptiles occur at a higher incidence in cat diet than in the diet of Australia's other main introduced predator, the European red fox (Vulpes vulpes). Based on a smaller sample size, we estimate 130 million reptiles year–1 are killed by feral cats in highly modified landscapes, and 53 million reptiles year–1 by pet cats, summing to 649 million reptiles year–1 killed by all cats. Predation by cats is reported for 258 Australian reptile species (about one-quarter of described species), including 11 threatened species. Conclusions Cat predation exerts a considerable ongoing toll on Australian reptiles. However, it remains challenging to interpret the impact of this predation in terms of population viability or conservation concern for Australian reptiles, because population size is unknown for most Australian reptile species, mortality rates due to cats will vary across reptile species and because there is likely to be marked variation among reptile species in their capability to sustain any particular predation rate. Implications This study provides a well grounded estimate of the numbers of reptiles killed by cats, but intensive studies of individual reptile species are required to contextualise the conservation consequences of such predation.

THIS PAPER USES THE CONCEPT OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ALIENATION AND ELECTION PARTICIPATION TO DISCUSS FRENCH VOTING BEHAVIOR. EVIDENCE IS PRESENTED IN SUPPORT OF THREE PROPOSITIONS. (1) PARTICIPATION AT THE SECOND BALLOT IN FRANCE IN FORCED-CHOICE SITUATIONS CAN BE ACCOUNTED FOR BY PARTISAN ATTITUDES (AS MEASURED BY THERMOMETER SCORES) BUT NOT BY PERCEPTIONS OF PARTISAN LOCATIONS ON THE LEFT-RIGHT DIMENSION; (2) THE PARTISAN CHOICES OF THE VOTERS IN SUCH SITUATIONS CAN BE BETTER EXPLAINED BY PARTISAN ATTITUDES THAN BY LEFT-RIGHT PERCEPTIONS; AND (3) DELIVERATE ABSTAINERS IN SUCH SITUATIONS RESEMBLE BALLOT SPOILERS, WHILE CHRONIC ABSTENTION AND RANDOM ABSTENTION ARE LONG-TERM PHENOMENA.

Context Australia harbours an immense diversity of reptiles, which are generally expected to have frequent and diverse trophic interactions with introduced mammalian carnivores. Nevertheless, the potential for predatory or competitive interactions is likely to be contingent on multiple processes, including the importance of reptiles in the diet of introduced predators, alongside overlaps in their body sizes and ecological niches that would influence the strength of their interactions. In Australia's temperate and relatively productive mesic environments there is little understanding of how introduced mammalian predators affect reptile assemblages. Aims The aim was to investigate the effects that a European red fox (Vulpes vulpes; 5–7kg) suppression program had on the abundance and species richness of a reptile community, with species ranging in size from the largest local ectothermic predator, the lace monitor (Varanus varius; 4–7kg), to small terrestrial reptiles (mostly 10–150g). Methods We utilised two sampling designs (baited camera monitoring stations and pitfall trapping) to evaluate the effects of fox suppression and other site-level ecological covariates (fire regime and habitat vegetation characteristics) on the lace monitor and small terrestrial reptiles. Reptile abundance and richness at site level were estimated from count-related abundance models. Key results For lace monitors, significantly higher abundances occurred in poison-baited areas relative to control areas. This suggests that fox suppression can affect the populations of the lace monitor via mesopredator release arising from reduced competition and, possibly, predation. For small terrestrial reptiles, neither abundance nor species richness were influenced by fox suppression. Individual abundances of the three most common small reptile species matched the overall pattern, as only responses to structural parameters of the habitat were detected. Conclusions Fox suppression can have different impacts for different reptile taxa, pending their ecological niche, as only the largest species was affected. Implications Increase in lace monitor abundance may change food web dynamics in fox-suppressed sites, such as by increasing predation pressure on arboreal marsupials.