2002. Volume 9. No. 2. Contents

HERPETOFAUNA OF VIETNAM, A CHECKLIST. PART I. AMPHIBIA

Nikolai L. Orlov, Robert W. Murphy, Natalia B. Ananjeva, Sergei A. Ryabov, and Ho Thu Cuc

All the species of amphibians and reptiles of Vietnam including new records and recently described species are listed in the checklist. At present the fauna of amphibians of Vietnam includes 147 species which divided into 35 genera and 9 families.

Key words: Amphibia, Vietnam, checklist.

MOLECULAR SYSTEMATICS AND PHYLOGENY OF OLD AND NEW WORLD RATSNAKES, Elaphe AUCT., AND RELATED GENERA (REPTILIA, SQUAMATA, COLUBRIDAE)

Urs Utiger, Notker Helfenberger, Beat Schätti, Catherine Schmidt, Markus Ruf, and Vincent Ziswiler

The phylogenetic relationships of the Holarctic ratsnakes (Elaphe auct.) are inferred from portions of two mitochondrial genes, 12S rRNA and COI. Elaphe Fitzinger is made up of ten Palaearctic species. Natrix longissima Laurenti (type species) and four western Palaearctic species (hohenackeri, lineatus, persicus, and situla) are assigned to Zamenis Wagler. Its phylogenetic affinities with closely related genera, Coronella and Oocatochus, remain unclear. The East Asian Coluber porphyraceus Cantor is referred to a new genus. This taxon and the western European Rhinechis scalaris have an isolated position among Old World ratsnakes. Another new genus is described for four Oriental species (cantoris, hodgsonii, moellendorffi, and taeniurus). New World ratsnakes and allied genera are monophyletic. Coluber flavirufus Cope is referred to Pseudelaphe Mertens and Rosenberg. Pantherophis Fitzinger is revalidated for Coluber guttatus L. (type species) and further Nearctic species (bairdi, obsoletus, and vulpinus). Senticolis triaspis is the sister taxon of New World ratsnakes including the genera Arizona, Bogertophis, Lampropeltis, Pituophis, and Rhinocheilus. The East Asian Coluber conspicillatus Boie and Coluber mandarinus Cantor form a monophyletic outgroup with respect to other Holarctic ratsnake genera and are referred to Euprepiophis Fitzinger. Three Old World species, viz. Elaphe (sensu lato) bella, E. (s.l.) frenata, and E. (s.l.) prasina remain unassigned. The various groups of ratsnakes (tribe Lampropeltini) show characteristic hemipenis features.

Key words: Lampropeltini, new genera, Arizona, Bogertophis, Coronella, Elaphe, Euprepiophis, Lampropeltis, Oocatochus, Pantherophis, Pituophis, Pseudelaphe, Rhinechis, Rhinocheilus, Senticolis, Zamenis, mtDNA, COI, 12S rDNA, phylogeny, Nearctic, Oriental, Palaearctic.

COMMUNITY ECOLOGY OF SCINCID LIZARDS IN A SWAMP RAINFOREST OF SOUTH-EASTERN NIGERIA

Godfrey C. Akani, Dario Capizzi, and Luca Luiselli

Diets, activity patterns, habitat use, and the role of predation, were studied in a community of terrestrial lizards (Mabuya affinis, Mabuya maculilabris, Mochlus fernandii: Scincidae) from a swamp lowland rainforest in south-eastern Nigeria. Mochlus fernandii was the largest species, whereas the two Mabuya were very similar in terms of body size. There was no significant sexual size dimorphism in any of the species, but males of Mochlus fernandii tended to be larger than females. Niche breadths varied significantly between species, with M. fernandii specimens showing the widest niche breadth values. Moreover, the intersexual differences in diet composition were significant in all the species. The size of the lizards influenced the type of prey eaten. Mochlus fernandii occasionally preyed on the two Mabuya species, and M. affinis also fed upon fruits and plants. The diets of the three species were clearly separated. The highest dietary similarity occurred between Mochlus fernandii and M. maculilabris, and the lowest similarity occurred between Mochlus fernandii and M. affinis. All three species exhibited a bimodal activity pattern (first peak: 08.00 - 10.00, second peak: 16.00 - 18.00), and did not differ significantly between species. Mochlus fernandii was less abundant than the two Mabuya in suburban habitats, but the interspecific differences in habitat characteristics were minor. Based on the frequency of tail loss, predation risk was high for all lizards in this community. Snakes are most likely the main predators.

Key words: Scincidae, community ecology, intra-specific competition, inter-specific competition, activity, diet, rainforest, Nigeria.

A NEW LOCALITY FOR Rana camerani Boulenger, 1886 (ANURA: RANIDAE) IN TURKEY

Serdar Düsen, Mehmet Öz, M. Rizvan Tunc

In this paper, we describe 12 Rana camerani collected from Feslegen Plateau (Beydaglari) in Antalya. The specimens, including their habitat characteristics and distribution, are described. This is the first report of R. camerani from Feslegen Plateau in Antalya and therefore its distributional range is being extend to the west of Mediterranean Region in Turkey.

Key words: Distribution, Rana camerani, Turkey.

REVIEW OF MESOZOIC AND CENOZOIC SEA TURTLES FROM THE FORMER USSR

Alexander O. Averianov

A list of 51 localities of fossil sea turtles from the Middle Jurassic, Early and Late Cretaceous, Paleocene, Eocene and Miocene of Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Ukraine is provided. For four localities in Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine presence of sea turtles is not confirmed by current data. Two new taxa, Dollochelys rogovichi sp.nov. (Cheloniidae, Eocene, Ukraine) and Turgaiscapha kushmurunica gen. et sp.nov. (Chelonioidea indet., cf. Dermochelyidae, Late Cretaceous, Kazakhstan), are described.

Key words: Cheloniidae, Chelonioidea, Dermochelyidae, Protostegidae, sea turtles, Thalassemydidae.

A NEW GENUS OF LINDHOLMEMYDID TURTLE (TESTUDINES: TESTUDINOIDEA) FROM THE LATE CRETACEOUS OF THE AMUR RIVER REGION, RUSSIA

Danilov I. G., Bolotsky Yu. L., Averianov A. O., and I. V. Donchenko

New material of Mongolemys planicostatus (Riabinin, 1930), known formerly by a single first costal plate from the Upper Cretaceous of the Amur River Region, allow us to recognize it as a separate genus of lindholmemydids, Amuremys gen. nov. Amuremys is probably closely related to Mongolemys and Lindholmemys.

Key words: Amuremys, Lindholmemydidae, turtles, Late Cretaceous, Amur River Region

DEMOGRAPHY OF TRANSLOCATED POPULATION OF TOAD-HEADED AGAMA Phrynocephalus guttatus IN SOUTHERN KALMYKYA

K. A. Rogovin and D. V. Semenov

We translocated 80 individuals of Phrynocephalus guttatus guttatus into non-occupied isolated sand dune in Southern Kalmykya in June 1998. Observations during the following two years signify to the viability of the population. The demographic structure remained stabile since 1999, signifying to the congruence of habitat quality and ecological demands of the lizard species. We evaluated differences in the rate of postnatal development of males and females. In result, the number of sexually active males prevailed over the number of receptive females during the reproductive period, increasing probability of females' pregnancy. Maximum life span of Ph. g. guttatus was estimated as up to four years.

Key words: Population, demography, longevity, survival, Phrynocephalus, Kalmykya.