Discoglossus scovazzi, an endemic North African species within Alytidae, has long been understudied in terms of its larval morphology. This work presents a comprehensive description of its tadpole (GOSNER stages 20-28), based on 52 specimens reared under controlled laboratory conditions. We document the external morphology, coloration, and cranial and hyobranchial musculature using high-resolution imaging and histological data. The tadpole exhibits an elliptical body shape, an anteroventrally directed oral disc with a labial tooth row formula of 2/3(1), and distinct pigmentation patterns. Muscle reconstructions revealed 34 cranial and branchial muscles, including the presence of the m. tympanopharyngeus, a newly reported autapomorphy. Through phylogenetic optimization, we identify five synapomorphies supporting the Costata clade, and three autapomorphies unique to D. scovazzi. These findings not only refine the morphological diagnosis of D. scovazzi but also enhance our understanding of character evolution within basal anurans. The inclusion of this species broadens the morphological dataset for Alytidae and underlines the importance of larval characters in phylogenetic inference. Our results underscore the need for further research on larval morphology across understudied taxa to illuminate early anuran diversification.
Harlequin toads (Atelopus) are one of the amphibian groups in greatest need of urgent conservation measures. Atelopus cruciger is one of the few species with known stable populations, yet its basic natural history, including the embryonic and larval stages, remains largely unknown. We describe for the first time the development of its tadpole, from egg to tail resorption. The tadpole of Atelopus cruciger is gastromyzophorous with a general morphology resembling that for other congeneric species but with a distinct W-shaped whitish band that spans transversely across the midline of its dorsum. Development from egg to tail resorption takes 110-147 days. In the wild, tadpoles live camouflaged beneath and alongside rocks in shallow sections of fast-flowing streams, with clear soft waters.
The destruction of the dam of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant in June 2023 during the Russian fullscale invasion of Ukraine caused large-scale changes in the ecosystems of southern Ukraine, including the sudden influx of massive flooding of freshwater, chemicals, and living organisms into the brackish coastal zones of the northwestern Black Sea region. This event led not only to industrial pollution but also to the unpredictable displacement of numerous species, including endangered frogs from destroyed freshwater habitats into new ecosystems. One of the potential consequences of this displacement is the appearance of new helminth infections downstream, which may affect the structure of parasite communities and the health of native fauna. The present study aimed to identify the species composition and features of the helminth fauna of the Pelophylax esculentus complex (P. ridibundus and P. esculentus) collected on the coast of the Odesa region after the flooding. Between 6-26 June 2023, a total of 28 individuals of Pelophylax esculentus complex (17 P. ridibundus and 11 P. esculentus) found on the seashore after the flood were collected for parasitological analysis. A total of 22 helminth species were identified, including 15 trematodes, five nematodes, one cestode, and one acanthocephalan. Fourteen (63%) species were adult forms, while the remainder were larval stages. A total of 15582 parasite specimens were recorded, dominated by the metacercariae of Codonocephalus urniger and Tylodelphys excavata, which accounted for over 70% of all the parasite specimens. Species richness and abundance were higher in P. ridibundus (20 species) compared to P. esculentus (14 species). Infracommunities were more heterogeneous in P. esculentus, reflecting potential multiple origins of frog individuals from different populations upstream. The observed differences between the two host species may be related to their specific body size, ecological origin, and routes of displacement. The relatively high number of larval stages highlights the role of amphibians as intermediate and paratenic hosts for a wide range of internal parasites whose definitive hosts include birds, snakes, turtles, and mammals. These findings suggest a potential risk of parasite introduction into new ecosystems and emphasize the need for epizootiological monitoring under post-disaster conditions. Catastrophic hydrological events can serve as a mechanism for the transfer of both host species and their parasites, disrupting ecosystem stability and threatening local fauna. Helminthological monitoring in areas of ecological disasters is essential for detecting hidden consequences and for developing measures to conserve biodiversity.
The Brazilian Atlantic Forest is one of the world's most threatened biodiversity hotspots, harbouring high levels of species richness and endemism, including more than 700 amphibian species. Although considerable progress has been made in describing this diversity, new species continue to be formally recognized each year, and many lineages remain poorly studied. Here, we use an integrative approach combining molecular, morphometric, and bioacoustic data to reassess species diversity within the frog genus Arcovomer (Anura, Microhylidae), long regarded as monotypic. Our results reveal the presence of three deeply divergent lineages within the genus Arcovomer. One corresponds to A. passarellii, the type species from the state of Rio de Janeiro, while the other two represent distinct lineages from the states of Espirito Santo and Sao Paulo, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses based on mitochondrial and nuclear markers recovered Arcovomer as a strongly supported clade, and morphometric and acoustic evidence combined with molecular data support the distinctiveness of these lineages, leading to the description of two new species. These species are geographically structured across distinct ecoregions of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, highlighting the conservation relevance of recognizing independently evolving, range-restricted taxa. By revealing previously overlooked diversity within this genus, this study highlights the importance of integrative taxonomy, long-term specimen curation, and sound archives for documenting and conserving biodiversity within one of the world's most threatened biomes.
This study provides the first long-term, national-scale assessment of sea turtle strandings in the Moroccan Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) over 44 years (1980 to 2024). We analysed species composition, spatial and seasonal patterns, life stage distribution, and potential mortality causes. Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) dominated strandings (7 1%), followed by leatherback sea turtles (Dermochelys coriacea; 27%), while green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) were rare. Most strandings occurred along the northern and central Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts, with peaks in spring and autumn. Adult and subadult sea turtles comprised the majority of strandings, indicating a higher vulnerability of these life stages to anthropogenic threats. Although the cause of death was undetermined in most cases, collisions with boats and fisheries interactions seem to be the most frequently identified factors. Our findings highlight Morocco's EEZ as an important migratory and developmental habitat for sea turtles and underscore the need for improved monitoring, standardized necropsy protocols, targeted conservation actions, and regional cooperation to mitigate threats and support population recovery.
We describe a new subspecies of glass frog within Nymphargus grandisonae from El Oro province, southwestern Ecuador, based on morphological, genetic, ecological and geographic data. Nymphargus grandisonae is characterized by having red dots on a green dorsum, white urinary bladder, males with humeral spines, and snout-vent length 27.5-31.5 mm in adult females and 25.1-29.4 mm in adult males. The new subspecies is distinguished from N. g. grandisonae and all other members of the family Centrolenidae by its distinctive colouration with red dots on a green dorsum, snout-vent length 32.1-36.2 mm in adult females and 31.5-33.6 mm in adult males, proportionally larger hands than the nominal subspecies, humeral spines in males, lobed liver, transparent hepatic peritoneum, white oesophagus and stomach fundus peritonea, and clear urinary bladder. The new subspecies was discovered at the Buenaventura Reserve in Seasonal Foothill forests at elevations between 950 and 1140 m and is probably endemic to the southern section of the Western Ecuador biogeographic province. Unfortunately, the extinction risk of the new subspecies is relatively high due to the impact of mining activities and habitat destruction. In addition, based on nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences, we present a new phylogeny for Nymphargus and comment on the phylogenetic relationships within the genus. The new subspecies is nested within N. g. grandisonae and is separated by low genetic distances (0.1 to 0.5% for gene 12S), suggesting a recent origin.
We describe a new species of treefrog of the Boophis goudotii group from Ivohiboro, a sacred forest in the Southeast of Madagascar and recently established protected area. Based on a molecular phylogeny inferred from DNA sequences of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene, Boophis samuelsabini sp. n. is sister to the clade of B. madagascariensis and B. roseipalmatus but differs from these species by genetic distances of 4.8-6.3%. The new species has an advertisement call consisting of various note types similar to its closest relatives, B. madagascariensis and B. roseipalmatus, but is distinguished morphologically from them by smaller body size and presence of a pattern of reticulated dermal folds on the dorsum. This discovery highlights the poor state of exploration of remnant highland forests in the South East of Madagascar which can be expected to harbour additional microendemic species in need of conservation measures.
The Old World treefrog fauna (family Rhacophoridae) of Medog County in southeastern Xizang (Tibet) Autonomous Region, China, exhibits both underestimated taxonomic diversity and poorly understood natural history. In this study, we describe the vocalizations of four treefrog species from Medog County, Zhangixalus burmanus, Rhacophorus medogensis, Polypedates braueri, and Kurixalus naso, analyzing their sound structure, spectra, and temporal parameters. Remarkably, the vocalizations of Z. burmanus, R. medogensis, and K. naso are described for the first time. We emphasize the importance of continued research on the natural history of frogs inhabiting this region and anticipate that this contribution will be of value to future studies.
As many as twelve new species of Boaedon have been described in the last decade, yet the status of one of the oldest and most commonly used names, Boaedon fuliginosus, remains unresolved. It has been the subject of much debate because the type specimen of Lycodon fuliginosus F. BOIE, 1827 is lost, its type locality is unknown, and the brief description lacks sufficient detail to allow for an unambiguous determination of species identity. As it is not possible to determine with any certainty which species of snake it is, Lycodon fuliginosus is here declared a species inquirenda. BOULENGER (1893), under the name Boodon fuliginosus, synonymised all previous usages of the names L. unicolor, L. fuliginosus and B. unicolor, and described five specimens from various parts of Africa, probably referable to two or three different species of Boaedon. This represents the first available usage of the name Boaedon fuliginosus. We designate as lectotype of Boaedon fuliginosus BOULENGER, 1893 a specimen from Zemio in southern Central African Republic, to which locality we restrict this name. Lycodon unicolor F. BOIE, 1827, that was described a few lines before L. fuliginosus, based on an earlier illustration and description by RUSSELL (1801), is now considered a junior synonym of either Lycodon aulicus or Lycodon capucinus. SCHLEGEL (1837a,b) discussed and `described' snakes from the vicinity of one of the former Danish forts on the coast of present-day Ghana in West Africa under the same name, 'Lycodon unicolor', but these snakes were obviously not conspecific with the Asian species L. unicolor. Designation of a lectotype of Lycodon unicolor by HUGHES & BARRY (1969), based on the material from Ghana reported on by SCHLEGEL (1837b), is invalid as the name is pre-occupied by the Asian species. Although there is no indication that SCHLEGEL's `description' of the African L. unicolor constituted a new species description, the name Boaedon unicolor was subsequently used by DUMERIL et al. (1854), when describing five specimens from the Gold Coast (Ghana), which are clearly the same species of snake discussed by SCHLEGEL (1837a,b). We propose that the latter be used as the first available name for the dorsally plain, dark-coloured, West and North-West African species currently identified as B. fuliginosus. As the syntypes are lost, and in order to objectively define the species, we designate and describe as neotype of Boaedon unicolor DUMERIL, BIBRON & DUMERIL, 1854 a specimen from Accra, Ghana. In the same work, DUMERIL et al. (1854) described Boaedon capensis from the Western and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. This species is currently considered to have an extensive range from the southernmost tip of Africa through east Africa to southern Somalia. As the syntypes are lost, and in order to objectively define the species, we designate and describe as neotype of Boaedon capensis DUMERIL, BIBRON & DUMERIL, 1854 a specimen from near Herbertsdale in the Western Cape Province, South Africa.
The study investigates the impact of landscape features on the dispersal patterns of the vulnerable Yellow-spotted Mountain Newt, Neurergus derjugini. By integrating population genetics and geospatial data, the research aims to identify potential movement corridors among populations. The mitochondrial DNA marker NADH Dehydrogenase Subunit 2, along with genetic subdivision (theta(ST)) and least-cost path (LCP) analyses, is utilized based on data collected from six fragmented highland streams and spring ponds, representing the southern range of the species' distribution area in the Zagros mountains of Iran. The study explores five dispersal routes: straight line, stepping stone, least cost slope, stream likelihood, and a combination of least cost slope and stream likelihood. Genetic and LCP analyses reveal evidence of potential dispersal facilitated by aquatic corridors in the least-cost slope. The findings have crucial implications for informing conservation priorities for N. derjugini, offering valuable estimates of the species' potential dispersal activity in response to climate change and ongoing habitat destruction linked to human activities.
We report the first comprehensive description of vocal repertoires in four Neotropical leaf-toed geckos (Phyllodactylus clinatus, P. kofordi, P. microphyllus, and P. sentosus), revealing substantially greater acoustic complexity than previously documented. Our study characterises distinct advertisement and distress calls across the four species, identifying three shared note types that modulate both call categories. Different note types dominated advertisement and distress calls. Our results support some acoustic patterns seen in other Gekkota lineages. Beyond ecology, this work establishes bioacoustics as a new relevant tool for investigating Phyllodactylus biology.
The reproductive cycle of male Notophthalmus viridescens from a high-elevation population in North Carolina, U.S.A., was outlined through histological examination of testes, sperm ducts, and secondary sexual characteristics (genial glands and collecting ducts of the kidneys). Similar to other populations of N. viridescens, proliferation of spermatogonia was a spring event with the meiotic stages of spermatogenesis restricted to the months of June through August (summer months). Spermiation immediately followed in September with sperm filling the Wolffian ducts. Spermiation continued until the following summer where mature sperm from the previous summer could still be found in cranial portions of testes while the more caudal portions of testes were undergoing meiosis to produce sperm for the subsequent season. This overlap of spermatogenic cycles was not observed in studies of N. viridescens from other populations. Sperm were found in Wolffian ducts until the following July, indicating potential for mating from September to July. Secretory granules filled epithelial cells of genial glands and kidney collecting ducts from September to July, providing support for this prolonged potential mating season. In other populations of N. viridescens, secondary sexual characteristics were atrophied for a longer window of time, at minimum July through August. In culmination, while the spermatogenic cycle of high-elevation North Carolina populations of N. viridescens was found to be similar to that of other populations, the mating season was potentially extended. Considering mating in N. viridescens was typically reported as a fall through spring event, the ecological factor most responsible for driving this extended mating window was potentially protracted exposure to cooler temperatures at higher elevations.
Based on molecular genetics, bioacoustics, and morphological comparisons, we provide independent lines of evidence for the recognition and description of a new species of Chimerella from the Amazonian slopes of the eastern Andes in northeastern Peru, departments of Amazonas and San Martin. Chimerella zoeterra sp. n. is distinguished from C. corleone and C. mira by exhibiting a light yellow-green dorsum covered with dark green punctuation and scattered black flecks in life, and the iris bearing an orange or grayish-red median streak. However, in life, the new species is morphologically indistinguishable from C. mariaelenae, differentiated from it only by the dorsal coloration in preservative (ethanol 70%): cream with a lavender hue in the new species and distinctly lavender in C. mariaelenae. The advertisement call of the new species differs from the calls of all other nominal Chimerella species by qualitative and quantitative character traits. Its call consists of 3 to 5 high-pitched, pulsed notes of 26-35 ms duration. Genetically, samples of the new species form a divergent mitochondrial lineage with uncorrected pairwise distances for the 16S rRNA gene of 2.3-4.2% to the other three nominal species of Chimerella. Furthermore, there is a lack of haplotype sharing with other nominal species in certain nuclear markers studied (RAG-1, KIAA 1239, and SACS). The new species inhabits riparian vegetation of black water streams in humid montane forest on white sand outcrops.
We investigate the taxonomic status of specimens of the pristimantine frog genus Oreobates recently collected in montane rainforest within the Biocorredor Bosques de Vaquero `Shunku Sacha; San Martin Department, Peru. A phylogenetic analysis of these frogs based on DNA sequences of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene revealed a lineage closely related to Oreobates colanensis. However, that lineage is divergent from O. colanensis by 10.1% uncorrected pairwise distance in the 16S gene fragment, and from other species of Oreobates included in the analysis by more than 13.8%. Moreover, specimens in that lineage are distinguished from those of all recognized nominal species of Oreobates by a unique combination of morphological characters, including skin on the dorsum granular, absence of dorsolateral folds, presence of nuptial pads in males, absence of vocal slits and vocal sacs in males, and the absence of basal webbing on toes. Consequently, we describe this lineage as a new species, Oreobates shunkusacha sp. n. We also report on additional vouchers of Oreobates collected in the lowland Amazonian rainforest of Panguana, Huanuco Department, central Peru. Based on morphology, mitochondrial (16S) and nuclear genes (POMC, RAG-1), we demonstrate that Oreobates specimens from this locality belong to two distinct species-level lineages, referred to as O. quixensis and O. saxatilis, thus providing conclusive evidence for sympatric occurrence of these two nominal taxa that were previously considered to have parapatric ranges. Furthermore, we provide and discuss data suggesting that a misidentification of previously sequenced specimens, including the paratopotype of O. saxatilis, is likely responsible for the paraphyly of O. quixensis and O. saxatilis in previously published mitochondrial trees. Upon correction of these putative misidentifications, the morphologically diagnosable species O. quixensis and O. saxatilis are monophyletic and occur in close sympatry at certain localities in the upper Amazon basin.
Calumma gallus (GUNTHER,1877) is a small chameleon from eastern Madagascar which remains poorly known. Fieldwork and molecular phylogenetic studies in the last decade have revealed that C. gallus, as currently understood, is a species complex, but available data is still insufficient to comprehensively resolve its taxonomy. In this study, we combine mitochondrial DNA sequences and morphological data to draw first taxonomic conclusions. Based on a museomics approach, i.e., archival DNA sequencing of the historical lectotype of C. nasutum we re-define C. nasutum as a species of the C. gallus complex, although it is lacking the elongated rostral appendage usually considered to be diagnostic for the complex. We furthermore describe the populations previously considered under the name C. nasutum as a new species, Calumma hofreiteri sp. n. By analyzing an extended mitochondrial data set of the C. gallus complex, we clarify the genetic and phylogeographic variation of these chameleons, with genetic distances of 7.7-14.0% in ND2 and up to 4.1% in 16S rRNA between mitochondrial clades within the complex. We assign the name C. gallus sensu stricto to a mitochondrial clade containing specimens with distinctly elongated and serrated rostral appendages and describe the northernmost and phylogenetically most divergent populations of the complex as a new species, Calumma pinocchio sp. n., based on their genetic divergence and comparatively smooth-edged elongated rostral appendage. We discuss the rapid evolution of rostral appendages in this species complex and highlight the need for expanded collection and in-depth phylogenomic analysis to limits and evolution of these chameleons.
Based on morphological and genetic evidence, we evaluated the taxonomic status of a deeply divergent highland population of Himalayan ablepharine skinks (genus Ablepharus FITZINGER in LICHTENSTEIN, 1823) from Uttarakhand state in northern India. This lineage, here described as a new species, forms a well-supported clade of Ablepharus and differs from the morphologically similar species by a significant divergence in the 16S rRNA and cytochrome b mitochondrial DNA gene sequences. From the phylogenetic analysis of a 2,961 bp concatenated alignment of the ND2, cyt b, 16S, and S-12 rRNA mitochondrial DNA genes and diagnostic morphological characters, we allocate the newly discovered population from Duggal Bittha village, Chopta region to the A. tragbulensis-A. ladacensis species complex (Clade 1 according to BRAGIN et al. 2024) and describe it as Ablepharus flammeus sp. n. Our discovery brings the number of Ablepharus species in India to seven and in the Himalayan region to eleven and emphasizes the incompleteness of knowledge on the herpetofaunal diversity of this highland region. In this study, we also compare known morphological data for ablepharine skinks from the Himalayan region and discuss the hidden cryptic diversity within this group of skinks.
We remind taxonomists of their rersponsibilities towards the wider zoological community and urge them to respect the Preamble of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, which explicitly ranks stability as more important than priority and relegates the latter to a subservient means to support the former. To make our case, we examine examples of previously stable genus and species nomina in herpetology: some were placed into the synonymy of older, largely unused taxon names under the strict application of the Principle of Priority, disrupting nomenclatural stability, while others escaped this fate because active measures were taken to preserve prevailing usage concept. We highlight the benefits for taxonomists, users of taxonomy and the zoological sciences more generally of seeking to minimize disruption of long-standing, widely used scientific names.
We reevaluate the recent species description of Holaspis ngalangi from Angola by PARRINHA et al. (2025), which was based solely on variable morphological characters, through comparative analysis of specimens across the genus' range, including material previously examined but not reported by the original authors. Our analysis demonstrates that the proposed diagnostic traits of this species (precloacal scale morphology and ventral scale arrangement) are hyper-variable within both H. guentheri and H. laevis, showing neither biogeographic nor morphological consistency. Notably, specimens from Angola's Dundo Museum, though examined by PARRINHA et al. (2025), were omitted from their analysis despite exhibiting the same variable characteristics, strongly indicating these represent intraspecific variation rather than diagnostic species-lineage features. Consequently, we formally place Holaspis ngalangi PARRINHA, MARQUES, GONcALVES, TUITENKO, BAUER & CERiACO, 2025 as a junior synonym of Holaspisguentheri GRAY, 1863, representing the second recent case of an Angolan reptile species description based solely on morphological data being synonymised within the last decade. These repeated cases highlight the inherent risks of morphology-only taxonomy, particularly when: (1) diagnostic characters show extensive overlap among taxa, and (2) multiple lines of evidence are not incorporated. Our findings also emphasize the critical need for robust, integrative species delimitation approaches in understudied regions like Angola, where high levels of cryptic diversity and phenotypic plasticity are likely to complicate taxonomic assessments.
Both the Cordillera Central and Cordillera Oriental harbor much of Colombia's Harlequin Toad (Atelopus) diversity, with twelve species described from each of these mountain ranges. Most of them are poorly studied and several species are known from a few localities or a single locality only. No Harlequin Toads have been documented in about 200 km in the southern portion of the Cordillera Oriental. We examined historic material from Parque Nacional Natural Cueva de los Guacharos, department of Huila, that has not been considered previously and cannot be assigned to any available name. Although only a single specimen is known, we here describe this Atelopus from the southern Cordillera Oriental as a species new to science, as it is readily distinguished from all congenerics by a combination of morphological characters (e.g., size, snout profile, webbing, supratympanic crests, skin texture and coloration). Our work provides yet another example of forensic taxonomy and underlines the need for further examination of the Harlequin Toads from the Andes of Colombia in an integrative taxonomic framework.
Recent molecular phylogenetic studies have identified numerous divergent lineages within the hylid genus Dendropsopus, especially within its most speciose D. microcephalus species group, many of which likely deserve species status. Herein, based on molecular genetics, morphology and bioacoustics, we provide evidence for the presence of another species-level lineage in this group of frogs collected in the Departamento Pando, northern Bolivia, and describe it as a new species, Dendropsophus jamesi sp. n. Phylogenetic analyses place the new species as the sister taxon to D. riveroi, with D. shiwiarum, D. reichlei, D. coffea, D. walfordi and D. nanus being other closely related species. The new species is distinguished from other species in the group by substantial differentiation in the 16S rRNA gene (3.3-10.5% uncorrected p-distance) and the combination of following characters: small adult male size (snout-vent lengths 17.6-18.4 mm), snout acuminate in dorsal view and rounded in lateral view, supratympanic fold distinct, rounded discs on Finger III and Toe IV, presence of a cream to white subocular spot, bronze-brown iris in life, whitish canthal line sharply outlining loreal and dorsal head coloration, and an advertisement call consisting of a short pulsed note (22-44 ms duration), each containing 7-12 pulses, and repeated in series at inter-call intervals of 185-270 ms. We discuss our findings in view of the challenges involved in completing the inventory of small Amazonian Dendropsophus and emphasize the importance of including data from topotypes to achieve taxonomic progress.
