1995. Volume 2. No. 1. Contents

THE MATING CALL OF THE GREEN TOAD, Bufo viridis viridis (ANURA, AMPHIBIA), IN KAZAKHSTAN

H. Schneider and E. M. Egiasaryan

Mating calls of Bufo v. viridis were recorded from May 11 to May 21, 1990 at a tributary of the Ural River, ca. 11 km distant from Gur'yev, Kazakhstan. The calls are made up of harmonic pulses with a fundamental frequency of 1235 Hz on the average. The number of pulses per call is high. Important call parameters are correlated with the water temperature. Comparison of the calls with those of B. v. viridis in Austria and Israel revealed that the mating calls of the three populations are very similar despite the great distances between the localities.

Key words: Bufo v. viridis, Mating call, call analysis

Phrynocephalus nasatus (REPTILIA, AGAMIDAE), A NEW SPECIES OF TOAD AGAMA FROM WESTERN CHINA

M. L. Golubev and E. A. Dunayev

Among the old not sorted out collection of the Herpetological Department of ZMMU five toad agamas have been found which were characterized by an unusual structure of the nasal region. They were described as a new species Phr. nasatus Golubev et Dunayev, sp. n. Diagnosis: distinctly bulbous nasal shields form two kidney-shaped growths on the snout. The nostril opens in the lower nasal shield and is directed sideways from the longitudinal axis and down so that it can be seen only from below. The space between the nostrils is very wide and exceeds four to five times the space from the nostril to the edge of the supralabial fold. L./L.cd. of males is 0.70 - 0.72, of the female and juvenile specimens - 0.79 - 0.80. The front part of the snout is protuberant and breaks rather sharply at its end. A row of one to four enlarged shields (the shields of young specimens are less distinct) is situated along the center of the snout from the frontal curve to the edge of the upper lip fold near the rostral shield. Holotype (ad. male, ZMMU R-7614) and paratypes (ad. male, 2 juv., ZMMU R-7615) are kept in the Moscow University Zoological Museum, one paratype (ad. female, ZIK Re-18) in the Zoological Museum of the Institute of Zoology of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, Kiev. Lizards of these species resemble toad agamas of the theobaldi-group (especially the forsythii). From the poorly developed ribs on the subdigital lemellae and the fringe on the toes we can assume that Phr. nasatus do not live in sand. At the same time the presence of kidney-shaped growths,"peaks," covering the nostrils is evidence of active transference of substrate elements in the habitat of this toad agama. It is quite possible that the lizard lives in the zone of aeolian processing of loess particles. A study of the literature and ornithological collections of ZMMU allows us to designate the type locality: "between the Topa-Davan pass (Topa-Bell, Karadavan Ridge; 41°34¢N, 80°48¢E) and the town of Aksu (41°11¢N, 80°14¢E), Kashgaria, West China" (the word "topa," "davan," "daban," "duvan" mean "pass," "mountain ridge," "high area," respectively). The collector of these reptiles A. I. Vilkens went through this pass to Aksu in (August ?) 1882 or 1883.

Key words: Phrynocephalus nasatus, new species, Western China, type specimens

REPRODUCTION OF Acanthodactylus erythrurus IN ITS NORTHERN BOUNDARY

M. A. Carretero and G. A. Llorente

Variation in the reproductive cycle of two populations of Acanthodactylus erythrurus living in coastal sandy areas of the NE extreme of its range was analyzed. This species exhibits strong influence of historical factors in its reproductive traits: vernal spermatogenic cycle, short incubation, K-selection, and high egg size variation. The populations studied are more similar to others from the Mediterranean coast than to those from Central Spain. In comparison with the latter, reproductive season is longer, adult sizes are smaller and sexual dimorphism is reduced. A second clutch can be laid when the reproductive season is long enough. Nevertheless, phenology in this species is less variable than in other Mediterranean Lacertidae. Since no evidence of suboptimal conditions was found in any population, it is concluded that factors other than reproductive ones may have restricted the range of this species in NE Spain.

Key words: reproduction, historical constraints, Lacertidae, Acanthodactylus erythrurus

A NEW ICTIDOSUCHID Karenites ornamentatus (THERIODONTIA) FROM THE UPPER PERMIAN OF THE KOTEL'NICH LOCALITY IN THE KIROV REGION

L. P. Tatarinov

The new ictidosuchid has small trituberculate postcanines which testifies to its to insectivores. The skull is sculptured in some places, the postorbital arch is complete, the parietal crest is high, and the parietal foramen is absent. The coronoid process does not practically rise above the edge of the jaw. The carotid and Vidian canals are absent. The basipterygoid processes articulate only with the epipterygoids, the pterygoids are connected by a suture with the basisphenoid rostrum. The mesethmoid olfactory concha are ossified. The stapes is connected with the quadratum only by its edge, the major part of the distal end of the stapes is free and when the mouth is closed the ossicle contacts with the internal flank of the lower jaw, formed by the prearticulare and the articulare. On the lower edge of the dentale at its posterior end there is a concave sculptured platform; it is possible that this part of the jaw in a lying animal leaned on a substrate and functioned as the beginning of an additional system of sound transmission from the substrate through the lower aaw directly to the stapes. The palatal teeth are represented by elongated denticulate crests on the palatine, anteromedial and anterolateral groups on the pterygoids, and dentition on the transverse processes of the pterygoids.

Key words: Theriodonts, Letidosuchids, Upper Permian, European Russia, morphology, skull.

ARCIFERAL PECTORAL GIRDLE OF AMPHIBIANS - AN INSTRUMENT FOR RECOGNIZING RIGHT- AND LEFT-HANDEDNESS?

V. G. Borkhvardt and E. B. Ivashintsova

There was a high statistically significant difference in the number of top or bottom right and left epicoracoids between common newts in which the right (1) and the left (2) front limbs had been amputated at the larval stage. These data support the idea that contractions of the limb muscles determine the arrangement of the epicoracoids in arciferal girdles.

Key words: amphibians, arciferal girdle, epicoracoid position, right-handedness, left-handedness

GENETIC AND MORPHOLOGICAL DIFFERENTIATION AMONG CAUCASIAN ROCK LIZARDS OF THE Lacerta caucasica COMPLEX

J. Fu, I. S. Darevsky, R. D. MacCulloch, L. A. Kupriyanova, E. S. Roitberg, T. M. Sokolova, and R. W. Murphy

The genetic diversity of 34 loci was surveyed from among five populations of the supposed conspecific taxa Lacerta c. caucasica, L. c. alpina, and L. c. daghestanica. Twelve loci exhibited variation. Fixed or nearly fixed allelic differences between L. c. caucasica and L. c. daghestanica were found at two loci, mannose-6-phosphate isomerase-A and creatine kinase-C. These two taxa differed from L. c. alpina at eight loci. Nei's (1978) genetic distance values among populations of L. c. daghestanica ranged from 0.000 - 0.029, between L. c. caucasica and L. c. daghestanica from 0.076 - 0.087 and between L. c. alpina and the other taxa from 0.472 - 0.501. Fixed allelic differences and consistent morphological character states support the recognition of these three taxa as separate species. Therefore, we recommend use of the names L. alpina, L. caucasica, and L. daghestanica for these taxa.

Key words: Reptilia, Lacertidae, Lacerta, genetics, systematics

KARYOTYPES OF TWO LYGOSOMINE LIZARDS OF THE GENUS Emoia (SQUAMATA: SCINCIDAE) FROM MALAYSIA AND MICRONESIA

H. Ota, T. Hikida, and M. Hasegawa

Mitotic chromosomes of Emoia atrocostata from Sarawak, Malaysia, and E. caeruleocauda from Guam and Belau, Micronesia, are described for the first time for the genus. Both of the species have 2n=30 chromosomes, forming two distinct size-groups. The larger size-group accommodates four metacentric pairs. Of the smaller size-group, pairs 5, 8, and 10 are metacentric, pair 6 are submetacentric, and pairs 9 and 11 - 15 appear to be telocentric. In E. atrocostata pair 7 is submetacentric, whereas it is subtelocentric in E. caeruleocauda. The results seem to predict low chromosomal variability in the genus Emoia, and support Greer's (1979) assignment of the genus to the Eugongylus Group.

Key words: Reptilia, Scincidae, Emoia, karyotype, systematics

DISTRIBUTION, POPULATION SYSTEMS AND REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOR OF GREEN FROGS (HYBRIDOGENETIC Rana esculenta COMPLEX) IN THE CENTRAL CHERNOZEM TERRITORY OF RUSSIA

G. A. Lada, L. J. Borkin, and A. E. Vinogradov

Key words: hybridogenetic Rana esculenta complex, Central Chernozem Territory, Russia, population systems

THE MICROANATOMY OF REGENERATED BRISTLED RECEPTORS OF TWO GECKO SPECIES, Cyrtopodion fedtschenkoi AND Sphaerodactylus roosevelti (REPTILIA: GEKKONIDAE)

T. N. Duisebaeva

The microanatomy of regenerated cutaneous bristled receptors of two geckos, Cyrtopodion fedtschenkoi and Sphaerodactylus roosevelti, were described and compared with the same data on the iguanian lizards. The small receptors of the geckos examined (13 - 19 mm in diameter) consist of a dermal papilla and one or two modified germinative cells. Every receptor has up to three very thin bristles of an acellular structure. Comparison of the size, microanatomy and histochemistry of regenerated bristles in the receptors of agamids, Madegascan iguanas, and geckos makes it possible to assume the independent origin of the bristled receptors in the lizard groups listed.

Key words: integument, cutaneous receptors, microanatomy, Gekkonidae

CAPTIVE BREEDING AND CONSERVATION

CAPTIVE BREEDING OF GREEN TREE PYTHON, Chondropython viridis, WITH REMARKS ON THE ROLE OF THIS METHOD FOR CONSERVATION

N. L. Orlov

The data presented include information about captive breeding results of green tree python, Chondropython viridis: temperature and humidity regimes, cage sizes, clutch size, duration of incubation and first shedding of neonates. Captive breeding of this species could be considered as a model for breeding of tropical rain forest snakes in conservation programs.

Key words: Reptilia, Boidae, Chondropython viridis, captive breeding, conservation

KEEPING AND BREEDING IN CAPTIVITY THE INDONESIAN SCRUB PYTHON Liasis a. amethistinus (SCHNEIDER 1901) AT THE MOSCOW ZOO

A. V. Korzhov, S. V. Kudryavtsev, V. A. Latyshev, and D. B. Vassiliev

The data on maintaining and breeding in captivity the Indonesian Scrub Python (Liasis a. amethistinus) at the Moscow Zoo is presented, with reference to the lack of information on reproductive biology of the subspecies.

Key words: Liasis a. amethistinus, reproductive biology, captive breeding, Moscow Zoo

BOOK REVIEWS

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF CHINESE AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES

Er-mi Zhao and Kraig Adler (1993). Herpetology of China

Published by the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, in cooperation with the Chinese Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 552 p., 48 color plates (371 photographs), portraits, text figures, maps. Number of copies: 2000.

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