2004. Volume 11. No. 3. Contents

Popeia inornata, A NEW SPECIES OF PITVIPER FROM WEST MALAYSIA (SQUAMATA: VIPERIDAE: CROTALINAE)

Kate L. Sanders, Anita Malhotra, Andreas Gumprecht, Roger S. Thorpe, and Ulrich Kuch

We describe a new species of green pitviper from Southeast Asia. This species is a member of the genus Popeia (formerly known as the Trimeresurus popeiorum complex), and is distinguished from congeners by a combination of morphological and molecular characters. These include the absence of a red lateral stripe in adult males, low ventral scale counts and green eye coloration in males and females, and five fixed nucleotide differences in a 720 base pair fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. The new species is known only from the Cameron Highlands range in West Malaysia, where it was found between 1200 - 2000 m above sea level in or near undisturbed evergreen rainforest.

Keywords: Reptilia, Squamata, Serpentes, Viperidae, Crotalinae, Popeia inornata species nov., Trimeresurus popeiorum, Cameron Highlands, Pahang, Malaysia, Southeast Asia.

REPTILES AS HOSTS OF TICKS

Gennady V. Kolonin

Review of ticks parasitizing on reptiles is given. Specific parasites of reptiles in imago phase are described and their role in transmission of reptile diseases is discussed.

Keywords: ticks, Ixodidae, Acarina, reptiles.

REVALIDIZATION AND CHANGE OF TAXONOMIC STATUS OF Dinodon rufozonatum meridionale BOURRET, 1935 (SERPENTES: COLUBRIDAE: COLUBRINAE)

Nikolai L. Orlov and Sergei A. Ryabov

Recently collected series of snakes of genus Dinodon from Vietnam and China, examination of museum collections and type specimens allow us to revalidize the name Dinodon rufozonatum meridionale and to change its taxonomic status; the comparison with other species of the genus Dinodon from Indochina, south and east China is conducted; the data on the natural history of Dinodon meridionale are given.

Keywords: Dinodon, colubrid snakes, taxonomy, Vietnam, China.

ANALYSIS OF THE MORPHOLOGICAL VARIATION OF Vipera latastei: TAXONOMIC AND BIOGEOGRAPHIC IMPLICATIONS

Amat F.

Scalation traits of 261 specimens of the viper Vipera latastei have been examinated by means of multivariate analyses to discover patterns of geographic variation and evaluate the taxonomic status of the populations. Canonical variate and principal component analyses show variation in ventral and cephalic scales along the species distribution. Mainland Iberian populations have high ventral scale counts and low number of cephalic scales in contrast to North African and southwestern Iberian vipers, and hence I restrict Vipera latastei gaditana to these latter populations. A biogeographic hypothesis was proposed to explain this geographic pattern.

Keywords: Vipera latastei, Biogeography, Vipera latastei gaditana, Multivariate analysis, Morphological variation.

MASS OCCURRENCE OF POLYPLOID GREEN FROGS (Rana esculenta COMPLEX) IN EASTERN UKRAINE

Leo J. Borkin, Alexey V. Korshunov, Georgiy A. Lada, Spartak N. Litvinchuk, Jury M. Rosanov, Dmitry A. Shabanov, and Alexander I. Zinenko

In eastern Ukraine, the Rana esculenta complex consists of three species: R. lessonae, R. ridibunda, and hybrid R. esculenta. The first one was rare, whereas two latter frog taxa were very common. Based on DNA flow cytometry, mass occurrence of the triploidy in Rana esculenta has been revealed in 14 localities of Kharkov, Donetsk, and Lugansk Provinces. One hybrid specimen from Kharkov Province was tetraploid. All polyploids were recorded along the middle part of Seversky Donets River (above 450 km). Triploids comprised two groups with different genome composition (LLR and LRR), and were found in three types of population systems (E, R-E, and L-E-R). Geographic distribution of polyploidy in European green frogs is briefly outlined. Different methods of ploidy level identification are discussed. The chromosome count and nuclear DNA cytometry provide the most reliable data.

Keywords: hybridogenetic frogs, triploidy, tetraploidy, Rana esculenta complex, DNA flow cytometry, Ukraine.

THE HISTOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF LIVER TISSUES IN Triturus karelinii AND Triturus vulgaris (SALAMANDRIDAE, URODELA)

Yücel Basimoglu Koca, Beyhan Gürcü, and Erdal Balcan

The microscopic structures of the liver tissues from two amphibian species, T. vulgaris and T. karelinii, were studied by different histological staining techniques. The polyhedral shaped parenchymal cells of T. karelinii contain euchromatic mononuclei and dense cytoplasmic glycogen. These cells arranged as systematical cell cords in parenchyma. Pigment granules containing Kupffer cells (melanomacrophages) were found in the sinusoid wall. T. karelinii liver parenchyma have shown no clear lobulation and no concentrated reticular fiber network around the hepatocytes and vessels. The predominant glycosaminoglycan (GAG) type of T. karelinii was hyaluronic acid (HA), however, sulphated GAGs were almost absent.

Hepatocytes from T. vulgaris were not polyhedral shaped, and contain euchromatic mononucleus. The glycogen content was not significant quantities in hepatocyte cytoplasm of T. vulgaris. These cells form radial arrangenment close to large vessels, however they found as cell clusters in bottom of parenchyma. Kupffer cells were found between the parenchymal cell groups and at the sinusoidal walls. These cells contain many pigment ganules in their cytoplasms. Reticular fibre networks were found between hepatocytes and vessels in lobulation lacking parenchyma. Around the hepatocytes and vessels, hyaluronic acid was the predominant GAG type.

Keywords: Triturus karelinii, Triturus vulgaris, liver histology.

THE STUDY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF MIDDLE ASIATIC TETRAPLOID GREEN TOADS (AMPHIBIA: BUFONIDAE) WITH NOTES ON SOME INFRASPECIFIC AND INTERSPECIFIC DIFFERENCES WITHIN Bufo viridis COMPLEX

Tatjana Dujsebayeva, Irina Arifulova, Elena Gnidenko, and Cristina Giacoma

We provide a staging table of normal development of tetraploid green toad of Bufo viridis complex. The eggs were incubated under controlled laboratory conditions up to the end of larva metamorphosis. The table includes 46 stages. The larva belongs to Type IV of Orton (1953). The tadpoles have the sinistral spiracle and earlier left side protrusion of the forelimb. Labial teeth row formula (LTRF) is 2/3 with break in A-2 that is typical for Bufonidae in general. Hatching of tetraploid green toads takes place very early at stages 15 - 16 when adhesive organ is not completed and tail bud just appeared. We compared the external morphology of incubated tetraploid eggs and larvae with that of green toads from diploid and tetraploid green toad samples developing in nature. Infra- and interspecific differences were not significant and concerned to slight delay or overtaking in the development of some characters. Size comparison has shown greater maximal means of total length in diploid specimens. Both diploid and tetraploid samples demonstrate a high variation of labial tooth-row pattern related to break, fusion or much less typical reduction of tooth rows.

Keywords: Anura, Bufonidae, Bufo viridis complex, tetraploid toads, staging table, eggs, larvae, external morphology, coloration, tooth-row pattern variation, operculum development.

INDEX OF VOLUME 11

Author's Index

Subject Index